Came here with my girlfriend for brunch. The location is clean and spacious. The customer service was great. Everyone was so kind and polite. The menu was very robust with lots of yummy options at good prices. I ordered the chilaquiles with asada, and my girlfriend got the garden omelette. Both were exquisite. The presentation of the food was awesome, but the flavor and taste was 5 stars. I especially liked the flavor of the red sauce. I would highly recommend this location. It's a great location and I plan to come back again soon. read more

Esmeralda's Cafe - Veggie omelette plate - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Sacramento, California

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The food is straight up delicious so I can accept the bizarre customer service. Today we were there for 6 straight minutes without a single sign of acknowledgement (it was not busy at all--only one table in use). Not a hello, not even eye contact. I think they may have been deliberately ignoring us but it's hard to say. It got too awkward so we just left. We have eaten here two other times and it was similar treatment. Once you do get acknowledged and seated, you'll still be mostly ignored. For example, it took 15 minutes past empty plates to get a check the first time we ate here. Again, the food is amazing. Depending on how much free time you have, it's probably worth feeling completely unwelcome. read more

A friend and I decided to go for Saturday morning breakfast, and I have been meaning to try this spot for awhile. It's a quarter mile, basically walking distance from me. It's tucked away in a 4-business strip mall on Madison Ave near Manzanita. There is additional parking and an entrance in the rear which was very convenient. It was around 11 am, and the restaurant was pretty busy. The decor is simple and uncluttered, and the vibe very relaxed. I saw a lot of families with children, so it's very family-friendly. Our server was very personable and polite. I always like to ask for recommendations or what they would choose from the menu. She got us started with drinks. They have a nice selection of flavored mimosas, which I wasn't expecting. I started with a mango mimosa, which was delicious! The menu has a really good selection of traditional breakfast and lunch food, but with lots of Mexican additions. My friend ordered the ribeye steak and eggs, and I ordered the chipotle Eggs Benedict. We both selected country potatoes instead of hash browns. He also added a pancake. He was hungry! Now, do you want the good news or the bad news first? I like ending my experiences smiling, so let's start with the bad. Now, the bad isn't terrible here. My friend had egg shell in their eggs, making him not want to continue to eat them. Now, it happens, not a huge deal, but we know how cautious we get once that first shell crunch happens. You really aren't enjoying your food. You are basically trying not to bite down hard on another shell piece. The second negative was the steak. We were not sure if it was actually ribeye or not. The texture and chew was all wrong. Maybe the cut was off, we are not sure, it just didn't have the correct mouth feel of a medium rare ribeye. Now, let's get to the good news. My chipotle eggs Benedict was fantastic! It was an English muffin layered with spinach, turkey, avocado, and a perfectly poached egg covered in the most delicious chipotle hollandaise sauce. I thought the unique combination really turned out to be a winner. To end this review, we did mention the eggshell and steak issues to our server, though we fully intended to pay for our meal. She thanked us for letting her know and said she would share our feedback with the chef. When our check came, it came with a 20% discount! Wow! Esmeralda's is a class act! I will be returning, but my dish was so good I will be fighting with myself to try something new on the menu. read more

Esmeralda's Cafe - Chipotle Eggs Benedict with country potatoes. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Sacramento, California

We stopped in to try this new cafe, which is conveniently located near Carmichael. The staff were very friendly and accommodating and also gave suggestions on some of the dishes. I ordered the carne asada, and it was more than enough to fill me up with leftovers to take home for later. I like that you can order either breakfast or lunch at any time because I am not much of a breakfast eater, but my friend chose breakfast instead. This is definitely a great place for great food and great value. read more

Esmeralda's Cafe - Carne asada - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Sacramento, California

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Wonderful place! Very nice staff. Great authentic food. A friend of mine visiting from Massachusetts met me there for breakfast. She had the chilaquiles green with eggs and I had two enchiladas green with rice and beans. Delicious! Shared home made chips. I had churros for dessert. We were left alone to visit for three hours. What a great place. Very clean (including bathroom). I highly recommend. read more

Esmeralda's Cafe - Enchiladas - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Sacramento, California

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Open for almost a year, this latest strip mall dining spot in Sacramento has it all going on. It was so refreshing to hear two women walk in and say I've heard such great things about this place. It echoed exactly what I have been reading as well. The menu had tons of outstanding options. My husband chose to go to the Mexican breakfast route and I chose a standard American lunch. Both were delicious. Service was absolutely outstanding, and the place was about as spotless as it gets. Sadly, there is little signage so if you don't know it's there, you might not know it's there. Fortunately, you all now know it's there! read more

Esmeralda's Cafe - Chili verde omelet - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Sacramento, California

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Esmeralda's is lovely. We try to come here and support as often as our time and budget will allow. The food is delicious and savory, and comes out quite fast! Excellent service and quiet ambiance give this joint a relaxed and pleasant environment. I recommend the folded pancakes, the homemade cinnamon roll, and the breakfast burrito. Yum! read more

Cute family owned business. Food was good. It was so busy but the girls did great serving all and getting food out under pressure of all eyes on them. Definitely worth going. I love to support family business and if you do too go check them out. read more

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We have wanted to try this restaurant for a while and are so happy we finally were able to. Very clean, friendly staff, and delicious food. We went for breakfast and will surely for lunch another day. read more

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Wonderful selection of Eggs benedict...Traditional , Florentine, Chorizo, Chipoltle. As well as several different juices for Mimosas. We all 3 had different Benedicts, all were excellent. read more

Delish and the service is amazing. Always a crowded house but somehow the staff makes you feel like you are the only ones they are waiting on! Definitely will put this on my rotation. read more

Delicious food. Breakfast menu has lots of options and everything very tasty. Nice to find another good breakfast in the area. Friendly and professional. Will try lunch or dinner in the future. read more

Came to visit my boyfriend in Sacramento and we came and tried Esmeralda's Cafe! This was our 2nd time here and the food was so delish!!! Recommend the huevos rancheras, chilaquiles, chile verde omelette, and chicken fried steak. read more

Me and my best friend always come here after school. The food is always so good!! and the service is amazing! get the ice coffee its delicious. read more

Esmeralda's Cafe - chicken pesto panini - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Sacramento, California

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We went here for the first time. 10/10. The customer service was amazing. I'd definitely come back. The asada was amazing! The lady treated my daughter so nicely- that alone would have me coming back. read more

I love this place! I have tried the chipotle Benedict and the green chilaquiles with eggs breakfast and they were excellent. I particularly liked the chilaquiles were crispy and spicy. The staff is very friendly and the food was prepared timely. I go there every time I have a chance! read more

Excellent attentive service. Open welcoming atmosphere. Delicious food. I had the chicken fried steak with scrambled easy and crisp hash browns. Made to perfection. The homemade cinnamon roll was supposed to be to go, so warm lite with just the right amount of sweetness...never made it to the box. I'll be back so much I want to try. I like the menu is Mexican and American I was told weekend brunch is super busy. read more

Esmeralda's Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Sacramento, California

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I saw the great reviews for this place and decided to stop to pick up some breakfast. I made the mistake of not checking their prices before I went there, but after seeing the breakfast burrito was $17.99 I decided to get one to share. I asked 3 times for extra salsa on the side. The burrito was freshly made so it took a bit but when I got home to see the size of the burrito, I was very disappointed. It was good, but not worth the money I paid. The hash browns were only a bit brown on the top and the rest were soggy and not really done. There was no salsa inside and we only got one salsa on the side. When I left I noticed there was a Taqueria across the street. I wish I would have gone there instead. read more

Esmeralda's Cafe - Breakfast burrito with bacon and hash browns on the side. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Sacramento, California

A great family style restaurant, with amazing food, great service, and wonderful music. A must visit for family and friends!

Visited Esmeralda's Cafe on a Sunday afternoon. There was no wait time however as we waited for our food the place definitely started to fill up. I highly recommend giving this cafe a try. You won't regret it! Our table ordered the Carne Asada omelette, Pastor Chilaquiles with verde sauce and the Chicken fried steak and eggs! Every thing was a 10/10! The pastor meat and asada was so flavorful... the breading on the chicken fried steak was so seasoned it was delicious. 10/10 will return! read more

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A true gem. This is my partner and I's go to since we moved to the area early this year. I've tried chilaquiles at multiple restaurants and am always disappointed. This place does them perfectly!! I crave them all the time. Dulce de Leche pancakes are to die for. Fluffy, warm, soft. I take my family here every time they visit and have them try the pancakes and chilaquiles. Presentation is beautiful, taste is authentic - they make everything from scratch, squeeze the oranges, legit spicy salsas, etc. Clean, fast service. Owners are so nice. read more

Esmeralda's Cafe - Chilaquiles con carne asada. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Sacramento, California

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My husband and I came to check out this new spot. Is Mexican American type of food. I'm not mad at it. Was the food delicious? Yes it was. Huevos rancheros was super good. It has chorizo and it had a lot of flavor. The sausage egg Benedict it was ok. The sausage didn't have a lot of flavor and the hollinadse it look like it was broken wasn't silkily and smooth like I order another place. Overall it was ok. The last was really nice and very welcoming and we came in she smile which is very refreshing. This place has a lot of room and well set. Do I recommend this place? Yes I do. read more

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The food was amazing. Everything is homemade kids menu is legit too. We definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for good brunch as we came around 12 o'clock. Food is stupid good! read more

Esmeralda's Cafe - Homemade chicken fried steak - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Sacramento, California

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Emergency Room review- My wife and i ate there today. Order the huevos rancheros and a chile verde omelet. Something just tasted off, the service was interesting (not professional). 3 hours later my wife started with food poisoning symptoms. We ended in the ER. I would not wish this on anyone. read more

We were the only people in the restaurant, and the service was amazing! Food was fast and absolutely delicious. We would definitely come here again! read more

Let's go visit this new restaurant in Carmichael!!! Great food - we had the chorizo & eggs and a veggie omelet, both delicious!!! Fluffy eggs , fresh veggies, the chorizo had the right amount of spicy , and the coffee was good and strong ! I highly recommend coming here !! read more

Esmeralda's Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Sacramento, California

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Stopped into a new spot for breakfast. Incredible service! The food was good not huge portions. They do serve the Mexican coffee, which was delicious. They are priced about the same as you would see at lumberjacks across the street or even black bear. But they were very sweet people. read more

This is a really nice place where I've gone for breakfast a few times, partly because they have buttermilk. It's not on the menu but is available and it's the only place in the region I can find that has it. I really liked the juevos divorciados for breakfast, especially because the chef made me some delicious pico de gallo to go with it. It says breakfast, lunch and dinner on the window but has quit serving dinner. read more

Compliments to the chef! 2nd visit. On our first visit, our server, Griselda, shared that everything is freshly made to order. It may take a few minutes but it does not disappoint!! I ordered the Taquitos/Flautas both times we came. So delicious! I cannot do spicy and the green sauce is so flavorful. They also have a red habanero salsa for you spicy folks. 1st time we came my hubby ordered the milanesa torta. He loved it and he is very picky about Mexican food (being from Mexico himself). Today he ordered the sopes. Also amazing. We had great service in both visits!! I think we will be regulars here. read more

Esmeralda's Cafe - Taquitos/Flautas. 3. I got one chicken and 2 potato. These are made to order. Everything is!! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Sacramento, California

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The food was amazing and the service is top notch. Small family owned business with such friendly people and very delicious food. read more

Esmeralda's Cafe - The enchiladas verdesso good - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Sacramento, California

Stopped in here as a quick stop after shopping and was welcomed by an amazing waitress! They were so quick and the food was amazing! It was perfect becuase I got breakfast and my friend got Mexican - the best of both worlds! read more

Great food, Great Service. I'm happy they're now open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Awesome cafe for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Menu is american and mexican. Food is fresh and delicious. A couple operate the cafe and they are proud of their fresh made approach to every meal. We've eaten there 3 times and each time it's real good. High five on the chile Verde omelet with lots of soft pork and plenty of sauce. My order included the red potatoes--Yum. And the coffee is very good too. Definitely returning. read more

I love this place! Great food and customer service. The restaurant is kept clean and all the workers are nice. I highly recommend the chilaquiles both green and red, they are made fresh and taste like authentic Mexican chilaquiles. Also love their pancakes! read more

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Had some homies in town and they asked me to pick a brunch spot and if we couldn't find one we would do an old faithful. But I spotted this gem on Yelp. Service is warm and friendly, You seat yourself. I went with the blueberry pancakes, eggs & bacon. They checked on us often and also made sure we had refills for drinks. It was also explained to us they take a little time with orders cause everything is made in house and I must say it shows. Pancakes crispy on the edges and thick, fluffy & soft in the center, bacon crispy, Eggs scrambled just right. My friends also enjoyed their meals. All in all an enjoyable brunch for sure. I will be back to try more for sure and for the sign outside that says "fresh made cinnamon rolls" haha. read more

Esmeralda's Cafe - Blueberry pancakes - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Sacramento, California

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We love having a breakfast at Esmeralda's cafe on Saturdays. Food is great and also the portions don't make us regret what we eat all weekend! We understand you don't have to eat all and can take box home but breakfast leftovers are not as good as the first day so we appreciate Esmeralda's providing human size portions. Service is very friendly and fast. Restaurant is very clean and spacious. read more

This place is amazing!!!! Husband had the carne asada chilaquiles with eggs and a side of chorizo. And I had the special request chicken fried chicken (since they bread every thing fresh). And it was nothing short of delicious and flavorful! Chefs kiss. We will be back. read more

Esmeralda's Cafe - Chicken fried chicken. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Sacramento, California

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The eggs were undercooked and the service was not great. The table were clean The food was brought out pretty quickly overall read more

My favorite Mexican breakfast in the area! The food is so flavorful & the portions are HUGE. They also offer freshly squeezed orange juice which is a huge plus. The service was great & they stay on top of things read more

Esmeralda's Cafe - Chilaquiles con carne asada + Huevos rancheros - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Sacramento, California

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I came for a breakfast with some great Mexican flavors. The place was empty of guests at 8:30am. The chef came out to take my order. I ordered chilaquiles and a cup of coffee. After about 20 minutes the chef brought out the dish. 2 eggs sitting on what looked like some Doritos. No sauce no flavor and believe it or not it was cold. On top of that there were some brown avocado slices! read more

Esmeralda's Cafe - Brown avocado slices - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Sacramento, California