Biscuit and gravy was good. DO NOT ever get the corn beef breakfast it's like dog food we ate because we were hungry. Wait time it's terrible and service was mediocre. You smell like greasy food by the time you leave the place it's gross. read more

Esau's Cafe was our first breakfast cafe destination when we went to Carpenteria a few weeks ago(I thought for sure I left a review already). It was a very short walking distance from our VRBO condo. There was a very short wait after my husband put our name on the waitlist. We made ourselves scarce by moving farther away(yes, there's plenty of waiting area) until we were called for a table-we didn't wait long. With COVID, people do not want to linger, they just want to eat their morning breakfast outdoors. All the people we saw wore masks, except for those who are eating or drinking their beverages. Little kids obviously cannot wear them. The outdoor dining area is a decent space, it even has a ramp to for wheelchair accessibility. The staff are descent and wear casual clothes. I do not understand how patrons can complain about the staff clothing looking like "homeless" (per one reviewer). A homeless person should not be looked down upon either. We do not know a person's story. Our staff was quick and accommodating. They were a lady and a young gentleman in his teens. We looked at the menu, we ordered and we waited and our food came. They are tasty and they took all substitutions we asked for. They were all what we hoped for. We left full and satisfied . Highly recommended! This place is always packed and it's surprising that there's barely anybody reviewing this place because this is how a business grows especially during this Pandemic. read more

See all

Came for breakfast, which this place is known for. It's a friendly place and a small town diner straight out of a movie. There are a ton of breakfast options and portions are very large... I cannot imagine anyone could finish off these plates. I had the Chilequiles [sic] & Eggs ($11.25). A very good vegetarian version offered with red or green sauce. I'm sure if you wanted to add some meat, they could hook you up with that. My SO had an omelet (the omelets and scrambles are all in the $12 - $14 range) with veggies, cheese and guacamole - also enormous and served with a large block of hash browns. You won't go hungry here! You won't be thirsty either - they're fast with the coffee refills. A good place to stop for a casual breakfast or lunch in Carp. read more

Esau's Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Carpinteria, California

See all

They are over priced and the food sucks. They don't care. The food is not up to par at all. If you complain they get mad. Our server didn't even come back to the table. So ridiculous read more

Vegetable burrito with tofu is perhaps one of the best I have ever had! A vegan delight!

I was so disappointed. The staff was friendly. They were trying their best seating and serving people outdoors during covid. The service was fine. The food was fine. Why disappointed then? Each place setting came with a rubber band on it. There were hundreds of them in the street, the sidewalk, and the planters. All of this just steps from the Pacific Ocean. I would expect better environmental stewardship from a beach side business. It was so upsetting I was not able to enjoy myself. read more

Esau's Cafe - Each place setting came with a rubber band on it. There were hundreds of them in the street, the sidewalk, and the planters. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Carpinteria, California

I NEVER leave reviews but this place was amazing!! The service was awesome and the food was so tasty! I highly recommend this place, I believe our servers name was Lydia and my friends and I absolutely adored her! She was very attentive and friendly. Can't wait to go back next weekend! read more

cute little place with quick and courteous service. I got the lox scramble with fresh fruit and cornbread. everything was very good, though the lox was a little too salty for my liking. cornbread was delicious especially with the homemade jam. my dad got the eggs and bacon with a biscuit. he thought everything was very good, tho the gravy was very heavy for him. def would recommend if ur in the area. read more

Esau's Cafe - 3 Eggs Lox and Scrambled - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Carpinteria, California

The little unassuming cafe packs quite the culinary punch! Food and service were outstanding! It's worth your time to put this place on your eating adventure bucket list. read more

See all

I was there this weekend because I saw the good reviews online. I had the Lox Benedict and they were excellent !! my friend loved her breakfast too but we were also very pleased with the amazing service and attentiveness of the Busser and waitress who gave us plenty of refills on coffee which was some of the best coffee I've had in a while ( coffee from El Salvador ) will definitely come back soon ! read more

Cool old school dining establishment with really tasty food. We came for breakfast and sat outside. All the dishes we ordered were really tasty and the service was excellent, it was reasonably priced, and the staff was super nice and accommodating. Great vibe. Oh, and the bloody Mary's, SO GOOD! They make their own mix, great way to start the day on a vacation, get two. read more

Esau's Cafe - Homemade Bloody Mary was delicious! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Carpinteria, California

See all

Came here on a Sunday morning & the cafe seems pretty busy. I am not a fan of the way the restaurant is maintained, the booths are very dusty, the bathroom had no toilet paper & didn't look like it had been cleaned in months. My plate of sausage & eggs was mediocre. I didn't care for the sausage as it tasted like the griddle. A kids meal which includes 1 pancake, 1 egg, & 1 strip of bacon was $8. That's a bit over priced, especially for the quality of food. Sadly, I would not recommend or be coming back. The only reason for my 3 star review is the staff was friendly & seemed to be running around working hard. read more

Esau's Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Carpinteria, California

Highly recommend the Baja Fish Tacos! Outdoor seating available. Tables are disinfected are each customer. Clean bathrooms. Friendly staff. read more

The perfect breakfast stop! They are so nice and very flexible. Not only is the food top notch, the service is also excellent. They let me get a pancake instead of toast and do half hash-browns and half home fries for the breakfast potato choice with our meal. Esaus is also super Covid friendly. The staff all wears masks and they have plenty of outdoor tables that are spaced out. If you are coming through town you should definitely add this place as a stop to your itinerary! read more

See all

Enjoyed the breakfast! Sat outside took a minute for the staff to organize the outdoor seating, but then off to the races! I now am a big fan of down town Carpenteria!! read more

Great service! They accommodated our large party and even gave us separate checks. The food was delicious huge portions most of us took half home. My fish was fresh and my salad was amazing not just boring lettuce but mixed green zucchini lots of avocados tomatoes mushrooms and cheese! Also had the milkshake and my friends loved the signature el salvadorian coffees read more

Esau's Cafe - Grilled fish sandwich and side salad - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Carpinteria, California

See all

For starters, food is good! Easily a 4 star....however, service was terrible. We were never greeted by the young man who seated us or our server, not even a smile or "good morning." Country fried eggs, pancakes and homestyle potatoes were all good. read more

Everything is delicious. Every. Damn. Thing. Pro tip: Get the food to go and head down to the beach or over to Island Brewing, which allows outside food. As good as the food is, the atmosphere at the beach and Island Brewing is far nicer than the atmosphere at Esau's. read more

Nice place with a great beach diner feel. When we stay in Carpinteria we will make sure to have a meal here. Good food, had the fish fillet and eggs for the breakfast meal. One late night meal just before closing my wife and I split nachos. We actually were the last customer and they graciously said we could come in and order. Big shot out. Also serve a great burger! read more

One of my favorite restaurants anywhere. I love biscuits and can't find many places with them in SoCal. Must try them!!!!

Came to Carpinteria to check this place out. After a reasonable wait out front, I asked if as a single it was okay to sit at the counter. The tall, quiet host who seemed bothered that people were there, showed me to a bar seat. Before sitting down, I noticed creamer spilled on the seat so I retrieved a napkin and wiped it down myself. I sat down with a smile, thinking the place had a pretty cool, old school, vibe. After saying hello to 6 different employees that passed, nobody acknowledged me or even brought me a water. Ten minutes, sitting there wondering if someone was going to acknowledge me. I picked out the Lox Benedict and was looking forward to comparing it to my local favorite. 5 more minutes went by and I was watching the chefs in the kitchen bicker a little, one with black gloves on the other, thicker, chef with no gloves. Then I watched in horror as the one with no gloves sneezed into his hand and then rubbed his nose briefly. I expected he would head to wash his hands but nope. Straight back to cooking. I glanced around a busy restaurant and thought, wow....nobody saw that? No thanks! I got up and quietly exited. Too bad. I had been anxious to check this place out since buying a place in town a year ago. read more

Breakfast options? Yes they have improved. A more timely response to what people want to eat for breakfast. Healthier choices are important options for your dining wake up coffee and eats! Let's keep improving, better quality = taste better. Enjoy-o-matic! Hopefully the restroom has been improved. read more

Great food, and perfect location for everything. Walking distance from camp. We've eaten here multiple days, and everything was delicious! Good for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I suggest they it all. read more

Not much space. Arrived and was indigente told there was no seating inside and my Pomeranian wasn't allowed. I had to ask if I could order to go instead of being offered. Food was decent with good taste. read more

Taylor's salad with ranch dressing , could be the best I've ever had! I'm not a salad person, but this was absolutely delicious. Warm Fried cut chicken with fresh greens, goat cheese, figs and green apples. Yum!!!' read more

Food was good employees were nice but these junk tax surcharges need to stop.! Ask for the inflation tax charge to be removed! They have to remove it. Shame on the price gouging ! read more

Is it a restaurant? Is it a fast food place? Or is it something in between? You may find yourself asking such a series of questions if you visit Esau's café. After finding parking on the street or somewhere other than a parking lot which doesn't really exist, you sort of stand around, watching people eat... Then make a mad dash for a table as soon as it becomes available. You see, dear Yelp reader, no one takes your name here - - you just find a place to sit, and wait for someone to come out and take your drink order. Once you have a place to sit, the menu is fun, and the food is pretty good. Try the gnarly burrito, The redneck Benedict, or any other number of brunch foods. I would like their hashbrowns, and ordered them extra crispy... They did not disappoint. Large portions and hot coffee. This place was a little reminiscent of Blue Dolphin cafe in Isla Vista... but maybe that's just the dolphins on the sign. Considering people are waiting for your table, and service effectively ceases once your food and check arrive at the same time, don't be a camper! Especially on a busy weekend morning. Get up and get to the beach! read more

Absolutely horrible service and food. Waited 40 minutes to get seated. Once seated waited 15 minutes for a server; tired of waiting we literally waved our hands in the air to get someone to bring us two (2) glasses of water. Then, waited another 10 minutes; waved our hands in the air again to get someone to get a staff member to take our order. Took another 5 minutes for a staff member to come over. Waited another 15 - 20 minutes for our order to arrive. My boyfriend got his breakfast. I got my toast and then waited another 5 minutes for my breakfast which was completely burnt. I motioned the server over and indicated that my breakfast was inedible. I was asked if I wanted them to fix me another. I said no. We asked for the check and waited for it. The server came back 5 - 10 minutes later and said that we would not be charged. Don't go to this restaurant. It's the worst that I've ever been to. read more

We tried Esau's last night for dinner and we certainly weren't disappointed. The food was great! I had a patty melt, my husband a BLT, and my sister-in-law a blue cheese burger. The portions were huge! It's a great addition for dinner in Carpinteria. We love breakfast and lunch there but now we can enjoy dinner too! read more

We loved this place! The service was impressive. We went during Sunday brunch and everyone was so friendly. Our waitress took our order and ensured everything was done correctly. The chef made my sandwich special since I needed gluten free bread. My husband absolutely loved his breakfast burrito. The guy who made my mocha even asked me how much chocolate I wanted in it and made it perfect. We would definitely go back! read more

Esau's Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Carpinteria, California

See all

Great food. The place is nothing to write home about but the food and service are wonderful. They are known for their coffee so I had to try it even if it was only decaf it was amazing. read more

While my friends touted another popular brunch place as "the best in town," we ended up at Esau's Cafe after the other hot spot proved just too busy to wait for. I was disappointed at first, but this turned out to be a welcome change. I actually felt that Esau's was every bit as good, but just maybe in different ways. The menu claimed that pancakes were a specialty, so we started out our brunch with one order of pancakes for the table. Wow. All I can say is that Esau's has every right to brag about their pancakes. I'm not quite sure what makes a pancake perfect but this was it. They achieved a combination of light texture and rich flavor that made several of us declare these the best pancakes of our lives. For my main brunch course, I had chicken fried steak and eggs. This was good, and I'd get it again, but it didn't completely blow me away. On the other hand, the BISCUIT I got with it was unreal. It was a mile-high and basically the gold standard for biscuits. I couldn't finish it. but I'm still dreaming about it and hoping to find one like it closer to home. I would say that Esau's easily wins out over the "other place" in town when it comes to breakfast breads, and if that's what you're craving, I'd come here for sure. read more

The breakfast on the patio was perfect! We went back 3 times on our trip. The breakfast is so good. My teenage boys loved the pancakes. My husband I had different things each time all good. Their jam is homemade and even bought some to put in the suitcase. So good! read more

A good old fashioned restaurant. Great service. Great food. I used to be a regular at their location onState. St. ages ago. Great location. Lots of parking nearby. read more

Our favorite breakfast place has now also become our fave dinner spot. Dinner menu is perfect - something for everyone, and absolutely delicious. Generous portion sizes and food is super fresh. Also, it was a big hit with our kiddos - they're already begging to go back! Highly recommend! read more

Excellent service and the best food in town I always come and eat every time I travel north. read more

Esau's Cafe - Breakfast at Esau's our favorite - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Carpinteria, California

Had another excellent breakfast at Esau's. We used to frequent the Santa Barbara location. But now we make the drive to carpinteria once in awhile to experience their awesome breakfast. I haven't ordered anything I don't like but my go-to is the chilaquiles. They also have very creative specials and a lot of times have Tex Mex inspired dishes. The waffles and pancakes are great too. read more

Excellent food. Everything we have ordered from Esau's has been excellent. Service is prompt and friendly prices are very reasonable and food is super tasty. They are always very accommodating to children. Highly recommended!!!! read more

I had the "Greek omelette" which has Italian sausage in it haha. I like Italian sausage and the combination of ingredients that are in that omelette though. The description said it was topped with guacamole. In actuality, it was just avocado. Overall, with the side salsa it came with + a little tapatio, the omelette was good. The loco moco was ehh, okay. Had higher hopes for the meat patty, but it was thick and dry and it's noticeable even through all the gravy that's on top. Prior to that, I tried some of their clam chowder. It's not a thick chowder, but it was quite tasty. The big winner for me was the French toast. We were caught between the crunchy French toast and the banana coconut French toast. The server advised us that we can have the banana coconut WITH the crunchy French toast which is what we did. It was delicious!! I loved the crispy coating!! I've had crunchy French toast at a few other places and some have an oily consistency; this did not. It was delicious and definitely a must-try!! read more

See all

Great place if you are very hungry ( portions are great size) and would like good breakfast choices or daily specials. Great service also. It was our first time and is very close to the beach. We will definitely are coming back. They are not open on Wednesday. read more

Esau's Cafe - Fish tacos - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Carpinteria, California

See all