Omg the best omelette I have ever had! So tasty! The staff was wonderful! My glass never got less than half full, my server made me feel welcome like family! We started with a cinnamon roll! It was soft and gooey, it came close to having too much sugar, but was so good I kept eating it! The omelette was perfect, not too much cheese, perfect amount of ingredients, and perfectly cooked! The potatoes were delicious too! I would say this is a must go to while here! I also loved the rainbow flags in the windows! read more

Great little find. Close to the beach. Relaxed atmosphere. Owners were wonderful. Baja fish tacos were top notch.

Very surprised that six of us all had very good dishes. I'd come back soon except i'd have to drive far to get here, which is why i was surprised, being that it's in an isolated location if you are coming from Los Angeles. Worth a try if you are passing by. read more

Been there 4 or 5 times on visits and I don't see us going back. Most of the dishes we had were ok, basic diner breakfast quality, except the seafood omelette, which was horrible. Most of the "fish" in it was imitation crab, which took over the dish with its sweet-tinged taste. The hollandaise sauce was completely devoid of taste, which would have helped if it was decent. The service is average to poor, and the prices are on the high side, so we'll see what else is around next time we're in town. read more

My husband and I go to Esau's Cafe for breakfast when we come to town. I love the blueberry pancakes- they must use a whole container of blueberries because it is packed. The Bacado omelette is awesome as well. My husband loves the crunchy french toast with their fresh homemade strawberry jam. The crunch comes from corn flakes they are dipped in. Overall the experience is of a pleasant, casual beach diner with delicious food. We also take our dog and sit on the patio ( do not sit by the tree with the ants though) and they give a dog bowl with water for your pet. read more

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I just had one of the best Juevos Rancheros ever. Crispy tortillas on the bottom with eggs and a great sauce along with crunchy hash browns. The blueberry muffin on the side was awesome too. The only regret is we didn't try the buttermilk pancakes which is their specialty. read more

Love coming here every summer! Great food and fun atmosphere! Stop in and you won't be disappointed!

Boyfriend and I ventured out of Ventura the other day, which we usually do on the weekend, to find a great place to eat out of town. We brought our dog along with us, since it was such a beautiful day and figured we could at least find ONE dog friendly place :) We walked down the main strip in Carpenteria, and there were many places to choose from, but we saw the GREAT breakfast menu that had MANY vegetarian options, so I was sold. We sat down on the side patio, it took a minute to be greeted, but it was pretty busy, and when we were greeted, it was by one of the bussers, who was extremely pleasant and happy. That's all that really matters. I ordered a Bloody Mary, which was spicy and amazing. For food, my boyfriend ordered the Gnarly scramble, myself, chilaqueles with no egg, no cheese, side of whole beans and country potatoes. Blown away. Large portion of food, which we could have easily split. We were both more than happy with what we got!!! Our waitress was kind, as well as the others who came by to check on us, and to refill our waters. I'm one of the most pickiest breakfast eaters out there (in terms of restaurants) due to my vegan ways, I can't find many places that are not just the run of the mill, eggs, meat, cheese, meat, eggs, cheese. I'd like to think that I don't have to order just "veggies" or a "salad" when I go out to eat. Thank you Esau's for being eclectic and delicious. You outdid yourself, and I, as well as many other vegan/vegetarians I'm sure, are so happy that you cater to people who have a less popular lifestyle. We have decided that this will now be our breakfast joint. read more

This is a favorite in Carpinteria, the food is great, and the staff is wonderful. Great atmosphere, great all around, really. Definitely recommend! read more

I went to Esau's cafe near Carpinteria beach and had a terrible experience. The seafood steak was like a piece rubber and hard to chew or digest. The waitress was inattentive, she did not explain the replacement of muffin with a piece of pancake properly when she took my order. On top of this, the old woman who runs this cafe is rude and harsh. When the bill came, they have charged a so, so pancake for $3.95 and there was none of muffin/bagel or toast which was included in the menu. Messy situation, bad food and very bad service. I wonder why they have gotten so many glorified reviews, but my experience on September, 2015was a horrible one. Buyer, be aware. read more

Great breakfast! The Bacado omelette is fantastic! Very big portions, a great patio or sidewalk tables for those with canine companions. Good prices!! read more

This is the best breakfast cafe in town. In fact this place is my family's favorite anywhere. The food is so good no matter what you order. The place is family owned and run. Everyone working there is super friendly and goes out of their way to make sure you are happy. Can't write anything bad about this place. read more

Very unsatisfied today at Esau's. Actually the cook is the only thing wrong in my experience today. I ordered basic sausage, hashbrowns and eggs over medium. I recieved grease soaked hashbrowns and my eggs were over easy not medium. I can handle the greasy hashbrowns, "almost nobody makes consistently good potatoes" but asked for eggs that were medium. My waitress was fine with taking it back but she returned with eggs that were over hard and burn marks. That cook thinks he's at Ruth's Chris and I returned his masterpiece. Boy he showed me. Anyhow, if it wasn't intentional Esau's needs a competent cook back there. He's not boosting business I'm guessing. I was really hungry so I ate everything anyway. That's why they get 3 stars. read more

The fog rolled in yet rested in Carpinteria. We were foolish to not stop for breakfast in Ventura. As soon as my family and I drove into Ventura, California, we saw the Amtrak train famous for the views of California. My son had never ridden an Amtrak train, especially one so grand as the Pacific Surfliner that rides the waves along the coast from San Luis Obispo to San Diego. My son jumped on the Surfliner in Ventura and rode with his mother up to Santa Barbara, where I drove to pick them up. But we had to return to Las Vegas for Super Bowl Weekend, so we turned quickly south without breakfast in Santa Barbara. My son was famished. Hungry, he asked repeatedly for me to pull the car over, so we turned west on Linden Avenue in Carpinteria. The beach resort town of Carpinteria was gorgeous, magical, still covered in fog, you could feel mist from the waves hitting your face, and the restaurant near the ocean that we pulled over to eat at was called Esau's Cafe. There were people standing outside, eating at new tables set up outside, because every local seemed to want to eat breakfast at Esau's Cafe each Sunday morning. Since then, we have returned to Carpinteria many times just because of the great dining experience was engaged in at Esau's Cafe. Crab Cake Eggs Benedict with fresh baked biscuits, muffins, seafood tacos with fried fillets of fish, my son had the grilled calamari steak sandwich with a combination of hot onion rings and french fries - his first calamari steak ever. The platters around us were impressive with waffles, pancake layers fluffy thick inches off each plate, and as I took a tour of our colorful surroundings inside the restaurant a large bake pan had high, thick biscuits cooling right next to the over, which I cannot get out of my mind as I write these words, because the biscuits smelled golden brown with butter, milk, flour, and yeast prepared to perfection. I wanted to return to order a dish off the menu using the biscuits, because the oven pan made them appear so delicious. The beach is a temptation. The small town is nearly hidden. I would have never stopped in Carpinteria unless my son ordered me to out of a desperation for hunger. Nor would I have found Linden Avenue, the location for Esau's Cafe. The walls are painted bright colors with surf boards and menus written out with colorful chalk. Nothing is saturated as you have in a fast food diner off the freeway with plastic wrapped egg sandwiches slapped with processed ham. Homemade dishes. Home cooked breakfast crafted by proud chefs. Even the cooks and staff walked around with confidence, because they were proud of the delicious dishes they were serving. The beach was relaxing. By the time we finished our first meal, the fog had burned off giving way to the sun. My son collected sea shells on the sand of the beach right next door to Esau's Cafe. My wife walked in the waves with her pants getting wet after taking off her socks and shoes. Our family returned to Carpinteria the very next week after driving seven hours from Las Vegas, Nevada, because the temptation of Esau's Cafe after waking up in Las Vegas was too great to resist the drive to find a resort hotel to sleep in so that we could dine at Esau's Cafe for another Sunday morning of searching for sea shells polished by the ocean waves next to the restaurant that continues to bring us back to Linden Avenue each time we need to engage in an exodus out of Nevada's dry climate. Dine at Esau's Cafe if you travel to Santa Barbara, Oxnard, Malibu, you have to eat at this Esau restaurant even if you have to take the Amtrak train. The Pacific Surfliner Amtrak train stops two minutes away by foot from Esau's Cafe. I tell you this because you can feel like your on a second honeymoon by stopping in to eat and stay the night in Carpinteria from San Diego to Santa Barbara. That is what I may do this weekend now that I remember by writing about the breakfast adventure. read more

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Went yesterday for Father's Day breakfast. We were yelled at because I wanted to place our bikes on the patio. Instead of politely asking us to park the bikes outside, the owner kept yelling. Next, the food was dripping with butter and oil. My husband and I stated that this was the last time coming to Esau's Café as there are much better places in the area for breakfast. Not coming back! read more

Bad food and service when they are busy it's when it's worse because they get your order wrong and they never really check up on you or if you need a refill for coffee. Just overall bad experience every time I go in none of the food options I've picked have been delicious or at least "okay" it's just always bad. read more

Fantastic! Food is fresh, and fast. Their salsa is homemade, all ingredients are of quality. Had veggie omelette and it was stuffed with spinach, tomatos, zucchini, broccoli, onions...so good. Also had corned beef hash and poached eggs. Kind service, carryout was ready in 10 minutes! read more

Huevos Divorciados - best Huevos Rancheros/Verde Sauce I have ever had. My daughter loves the cornflake encrusted French toast.

Nothing is fresh, most of your food comes from the frozen walk-in freezer. Also most of the food is not properly stored in a safe way. Some of the food and ingredients don't have lids on them. That place is a health hazard. They are so disorganized they probably don't even put expatriation dates on the containers. You're not getting what you're paying for. read more

huevos divociados. Came with just the verde so I guess they were still married... The server kindly brought me the red sauce and apologized. It was delicious. read more

I'm a big fan of brunch and Esau's is my favorite in SB county! I love coming with my family on the weekends. Their you don't usually find grits but here you do! And their Loco Moco is awesome, and I can only get it here anyways. Thank you Esau's for your food and service! read more

I really want to give this place five stars. I have had plenty of great experiences there. I always get the same thing: a tuna melt with jalapeños. Hard to mess that up. My fiancé accompanied me for breakfast (he does happen to be a cordon bleu trained chef), and he ordered the eggs beneict. It was really, really awful. It came out wrong, he asked for the sauce on the side, and the server didn't even offer to fix it. It had obviously been siting in the window for quite some time, because the sauce had hardened a bit. We were charged full price without any offer to exchange the dish for something else. We didn't make a big stink. We paid our bill and tipped 15%, but we usually tip 20% or above. We will go back, but we are hoping for better food and service next time. read more

Really good pancakes, really good coffee. Always kinda crowded, but worth the wait.

my boyfriend and i always stop by this place whenever we take trips up north. their eggs benedict is to die for. i usually am never able to finish my plate, but their food must be laced with some high quality crack because i devour my food and want more of it after its all done! i've had my fair share of egg benedict and the ones at esau's are #1 on my list! read more

Carpinteria's #1 spot for Bfast (and it looks great for lunch, too).If you're anywhere near this area and you're hungry and hankering for old school diner atmosphere with a beach vibe and AWESOME food, Esau's got you covered. Since 1939 they've been serving up comfort food with a Mexican attitude. Super fresh, excellent prices and friendly service. I dig their homemade corned beef hash, my wife loves the blueberry wheat germ pancakes. They've got at chile relleno omelette for goodness sake. Plenty of selections for vegetarians and seafood lovers too. Oh yeah-they've got Bloody Mary's, mimosas and beers. read more

When you walk in the front door there is a notebook where you write down your name and how many people are in your party. There are tables inside, out front, and on the side patio of the cafe. Didn't wait long for a table inside. I ordered a short stack of pancakes and a side of toast. When I got my food I didn't know the pancakes where going to be as big as they were (so of course I didn't finish my food). Their portions are great for the amount of money you pay. The food is delicious, tastes like good old fashioned home cooking. The staff was incredibly nice and cheerful. Next time I visit Carpinteria I would definitely return to this place for breakfast. read more

We came here on a Sunday afternoon with our 2 dogs. We had to wait to get a table on the patio for quite a while, but other than that our experience at Esau's was excellent. My husband and I both ordered from the breakfast menu, and our food was delicious. The highlight of our meals were freshly baked biscuits served warm, with butter and strawberry preserve. Our dogs got a lot of attention, and bowls of water. Very nice place. read more

Esau's is a great little breakfast and lunch diner. It does offer patio seating off the the side, which tends to be more chilly than inside. They have a huge array of choices like the Loco Moco, which most standard American fare don't offer. The best item on the menu is the pancakes. They are so delicious. It almost taste like vanilla cake batter. The chicken fried steak is not that great read more

Food was amazing (french toast and eggs Benedict) - loved the bloody Mary's!!! Service was good- nice vibe and great company. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect breakfast!! read more

Love the food here. The divorced eggs are amazing! Coffee is strong. I wish they had wifi, this location drains the crap out of my phone.

Good place for breakfast. Polite staff. Good food. Can get crowded at times, though. That's the trouble with having good food.

Decent breakfast grub - french toast special is really good comes with 2 eggs bacon or sausage and well of course french toast.

Arrived at 8 am with a party of 9. Great seating immediately. Definitely get the biscuit (enormous and delicious). Don't bother with the grits (watery and flavorless). None of the food is that special, but for breakfast it beats dennys or something. read more

I love Esau's! I live in North Hollywood and at times, when I get the hankering, I drive an hour to Carpinteria JUST to eat there! My girlfriend and I love trekking up there to eat lunch and then walk over to the beach which is about a mile or so away. It's super chillaxed over there. The one negative and the reason I gave it 4 starts is the service. At times its hit or miss. Sometimes we'll get a very attentive waitress and sometimes we'll get one that doesn't come around to fill our drinks until we flag them down every time. It seems at times that it's every waitress' first day on the job. Other than that, it's a very chill atmosphere. Very beach city, forget your cares kind of atmosphere. I LOVE the burgers and the chili cheese fries are AWESOME!! Definitely worth a try if you're in the area! read more

This place is amazing. Everything is homemade, right down to the salsa and the boysenberry jam which is phenomenal. Blown away by this place!! Will def recommend it to anyone!! read more

Great breakfast spot in Carpinteria. The service was good, great location ( within walking distance from the beach) and the food was good. If you have to wait for a table, it will be worth the wait. Their coffee is very good and they sell the beans if you would like to take some home with you. read more

Service was great. Friendly staff! I had the French toast combo which was about average. My husband had the ranchero plate which was much more tasteful than my choice. We loved the Salvadorean coffee! Ambiance very much a diner. read more

The food was great except be ware they deep fry the French fries in the same oil as the seafood. I couldn't eat the French fries because 1. I hate sea food and 2. I get an itch throat from fish or shell fish (I am disgusted by it so I really don't know which one I get an itchy mouth with). When the waitress finally came back we had been sitting there ready to pay for ten minutes. When I brought it up to her she said "oh yes we use the same oil tor everything do are you allergic?" When I said yes she said "oh sorry!!" No concern how intense the reaction could be or even if I was fine. I paid for a side I couldn't eat. So I really hope they put the notice bigger on the menu that all deep fried foods are cooked with seafood as well if not already on the menu. I won't go there for that reason. Or recommend it. Just because of the response to the situation. read more

Love having breakfast here-they were very kind to my young sons (7 weeks and 2 years) and the giant cinnamon roll is not to be missed!

Food is amazing, but the people are what makes this place special. Short version -- I somehow left my wallet on the table when we stopped for a great breakfast on our way back to LA. Next day, I realize my wallet is gone but can't figure out where I left it. Before I can start the painful search that I suspect will end with no wallet, I get a voicemail message from the owner Scott. He has used my home address to figure out my home phone number. He has my wallet! Better yet, it has all of my credit cards and all $450 in cash. I thank him profusely and offer him a reward as a thanks, but he doesn't want it. He then goes to the FedEx store on his own time and sends it to me by overnight and I had to twist his arm to let me at least pay for the shipping. It arrives back, every dollar is there. Ain't it great to know that there are still some awesome, honest people out there?! It would have been super easy for anyone at the restaurant to grab the cash and throw my wallet away, or turn it in saying the cash was already gone. This just shows you how great these folks are! We already eat at Esau's on our trips, but they've just earned lifetime loyalty! THANK YOU for not only serving great food every time, but for caring so much about your customers! read more