There's a simple truth in life, shit tastes good when you pour syrup all over it. That fact keeps places like IHOP and Denny's in business; well, that and stoner kids trying to get in some quick mozzarella sticks before they have to get home. Anyway, it's easy to make pancakes. Pop in a little sugar, mix in some baking powder and soda, maybe a little vinegar for a hint of sour, and then a quick bake and eat. Some places mix stuff into them, fruit, chocolate chips, a whole Snickers Bar, one place I was at mixed in bacon and sprinkled it with cheddar. And regardless, it all tastes the same when you smother it in syrup. Only the consistency remains in each bite. So, something needs to be extra special to elevate a typical diner above the sugary din. For some places it's a single dish, or that their pancakes are the size of manhole covers, or they have 20 kinds of coffee, or whatever. Here at Honey's everything is actually pretty good. And I've had quite a bit on their menu after the last decade or so. Their eggs are typically cooked firm without being greasy or overcooked to rubberiness. Their Croissant Sandwich is light, crispy, and the bacon thick and nicely salted and sweet. They have a full page of Benedicts, the eggs are usually well poached with a good Hollandaise; I'm a fan of the Corned Beef and Chilaquiles Benedict myself. The Strawberry Stuffed French Toast is tart and sweet, gooey, yet impressively put together. The ABC Omelette is basic, but the avocado is always fresh, never a bad cut or bruising. And there's a big case full of muffins and donuts, freshly baked goodies that are a great treat to take home. I'm not a fan of their potatoes, but I don't think I've ever found a place where I actually really enjoyed them. Sometimes the seasonings can be a bit light, which is why this is on the light 4-Star side and not more of a rousing review. And the place can be a bit uncomfortable when it's packed, which is pretty much all the time. But, you can sit outside and downtown Encinitas is a hell of place to enjoy a morning. In the end, it's a good place to eat. read more

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It was pretty busy but they had a lot of seating! I like how they had the outside seating and they renovated the inside to be more spacious. The servers were great and gave some nice recommendations. The steak Benedict was really soft and tender. It was very well balanced with the house made potatoes. I also tried their chai latte and it was amazing. Very subtle not bitter or anything overwhelming. A very well balanced drink. It was a good experience over all, I hope they bring back bloody Marys soon! read more

Honey's Bistro - Steak Benedict - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Encinitas, California

Amen to a restaurant owned by the workers! They have tons of coffee choices which I loved. There are lots of smoothie choices (all sounded amazing). This place was super overwhelming with all of the smells, the crowd of people, and me stalking the dining area for a table. I opted for the raspberry pancakes which were light, fluffy and delicious. The eggs they came with were perfect and bacon.. well.. I have yet to meet a piece of bacon I did not like. The plus one liked his French Toast... his friend got the Chiiquilles which looked nommy. Overall.. I would come back. read more

Honey's Bistro - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Encinitas, California

The place is great. My friends and I go to Honey's in large numbers and the service is still better than best. Delicious food, fresh mimosas and a very friendly and capable staff. Definitely don't skip this perfect spot in Encinitas. read more

I had super breakfast at Honey's Bistro. I came by early on a Saturday morning and the place was just starting to get busy. I ordered one of their breakfast specials, the California Veggie Scramble with mushrooms, asparagus, spinach, and zucchini, cheese, and topped with sliced avocado, a side of whole grain toast, and a side of fruit, (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/n72--MemyttqRxtG599A9A?select=G6IhgEKgXe872oeenESW3Q) The scramble was not only very eye appealing, but it tasted awesome. All the veggies were fresh and crisp. The eggs were cooked perfectly and tasted great. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/n72--MemyttqRxtG599A9A?select=W4ukVXyw_MEQ98DgcBhgNA) The toast was very good and the fruit was fresh. I also had some of their drip coffee. I had the Costa Rican which was nice and smooth. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/n72--MemyttqRxtG599A9A?select=Cphe8VPeCTDZAQ1wy0B2cw)The service was great and friendly. The Ca. Scramble cost $8.95 and the unlimited coffee a couple of bucks. I really enjoyed my breakfast here. read more

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They were grossly understaffed. Holly cow. 40 minutes to get our food. Order came out in pieces. 8 minutes from 1 to last dish. We only Had 4 people. Heck a pancake was the last meal completed. Food was good, but dang the wait was not worth it. read more

Went this morning and safe to say it was abysmal, 120$ is decent for 5 people however everything is self served including water and coffee. The water container is a plastic bucket with a spicket, all the coffee was lukewarm and had probably been sitting out for a few hours. Not to mention there are no waiters and you are expected to tip as if it were a normal restaurant. I recommend going to this place if you're expecting to have cold and underwhelming food. read more

Yummmy! What an encinitas treasure! Local friend too me here for hangover food, it's no pho but it is some comfort food up in this hub. Located in downtown Encinitas, have to find street parking, and seats. Line up to order and hunt a seat inside or outside the area. Small joint but great workers there. Everything is self serve. Yum to almost everything!! Supposedly known for their waffles though. I got the Lobster Egg Benedict....it was soooo good I got it again the next morning!!!! I swear I'm going to visit SD just for this place haha jp, but Yeah when I feel like homey food around the area this is going to be my hub to chill at. They have water cups if you want water and they take credit card, tip at the front. Price? Um... yeah its what you pay for kinda, actually the Lobster Egg Benedict felt like at $20 meal but it was only around $10....reason I'm in love with this place. Gourmet food but for affordable prices, definitely not an everyday place too eat though.... you'll go broke haha read more

I really can't believe it took me so long to come here, really enjoyable place for a great breakfast that is just good food that isn't pretentious. Expansive menu and while I've only had a few things they've all been flavorful and similar to what I'd make at home but I didn't have to make it. Also love the self serve coffee with all the different kinds of beans, yeah it's drip and not a pour over or anything amazing but most of the time I just want something simple like that, and it's very tasty drip coffee. Breakfast burrito is not heavy or greasy even with bacon added and California scramble feels healthy but also lots of flavor. People working here are very friendly and I'd say it's kid friendly. Now that I've been here I'll be back frequently, I can't believe it took me so long to try it, winter is probably the best time to go though so it's not so busy, but just a solid good no frills breakfast that is very satisfying. read more

Great food! Quick service, and had gluten free options available. I had the green omelet and enjoyed the potatoes! Didn't get the opportunity to get a drink but the Bloody Mary looked amazing. read more

Honey's Bistro - French Toast, side of eggs and bacon - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Encinitas, California

Well.....heard good stuff about this place so we gave it a shot on the coldest Rainey day in San Diego So to keep it brief ...food was ok ...but not outstanding. The 2 stars are mainly over a logical request and interaction with a rude waitress. I simply asked to shut the door because it was pretty cold....and I figure a comfy atmosphere is ideal. I mean everyone inside had jackets and beanies on the whole time Waitress told me they won't shut the door because it's convenient for those customers waiting....So I asked what are we?? Customers as well? Do we count? She says to me....I'll go get you a cup of water to warm your hands and turns her back on me??!!!? This is unacceptable and just for that we will not be returning....Simple read more

I love everything here, except the line. When I come here, I expect to wait, especially when the weather is nice. My favorite items include a plain garden salad with a side of chicken, the vogue salad (poppy seed dressing is awesome) and breakfastie things like the scrambles. I also love the amount of coffee flavors they have. They have tons of baked goodies and their granola is my all time favorite. Get it with yogurt and fresh fruit, it's in the açaí bowl, or just get a quart of it to go and put it on everything! Perfectly toasted and lightly sweetened, it's loaded with sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, dried cranberries and raisins. They're only open until 3 so you better hope your cravings for this place happen during business hours! read more

Went on a weekday around 8am and it was a lot more crowded than I expected! About half the indoor seats and outdoor seating was taken. They have a great outdoor seating area since Encinitas let restaurants push out their patio area into the street. This place is great, will definitely come back. Service was quick and staff was very polite. We ordered the salmon Benedict and Ensenada omelette. Both were good, though I wouldn't get the Ensenada again. It wasn't bad, but wasn't amazing. Just decent. The salmon Benedict was really good. I say I would t get the Ensenada again because it didn't knock my socks off snd there are a lot of items on the menu I'd love to try! FYI - salmon Benedict is very rich, but delicious! Only real bummer or complaint about the food was the side of potatoes served. Just mushy and soggy. Needed more crunch/crisp. Definitely will be back! read more

Honey's Bistro - Breakfast Menu - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Encinitas, California

THE FOOD WAS SO GOOD!!!! I can go on and on about the meals but the staff is what was what made our first time so memorable. Donnette, I believe her name tag said "Director of first impressions" is 100 % facts! She was amazing. Our server, Charlene was so attentive and kind. Thanks so much Honey's. From your Escondido girls :) read more

I have been coming to Honey's as of 2007 for occasional breakfast gatherings, or quick to-go options. I have always been in love ordering the food prior to seating. The quality of the food is always top-notch, and I always recommend this spot to people visiting my hometown of Encinitas. The place is quaint, and you should know that if you plan to have a Mother's Day brunch with your family in there or not (probably not), but that being said; If you are in a group of 2-4 people and want a nice place to eat in the heart of old Encinitas, this is the spot! Food: Eggs Benedicts are on fire, the açaí bowls or any smoothie option is great, coffee selection is on point. Don't be afraid to order anything you like, it's going to be the best version of that you've had. Also, during COVID, I have had no issues ordering with grub hub (aside from grub-hub not having all the options they should have for the business, not honey's fault), and I have been able to enjoy what we love in the safety of our home with my family. read more

The line looks worse than it actually is and once you order the wait time is not long. The food is excellent and the staff is very friendly. It's the perfect breakfast / lunch spot for Encinitas read more

Love The Salmon salad!! The bacon is so thick and crispy! Poppyseed dressing is amazing! Donnette was our server and she is so friendly, and fast! Love it here read more

Ordered group order through the Uber Eats app and had multiple missed items with the worst being the steak salad that had no steak and welted old lettuce greens. Don't recommend. read more

I have to say that the place is really nice. Service is awesome and food presentation is espectacular. I used to go often but the last 3 times I ate there, end up with a pain in my stomach and very bad situation in the bathroom. I think the need to do some cleaning in that kitchen or have the health department give them a visit. If you are planning to stay around downtown Encinitas avoid this place. There's no enough public restrooms to take care of what's gonna happen after you eat there. read more

Food and coffee was delicious! Great service. We will be back! Thank you for a great experience!

Encinitas is filled with delicious breakfast nooks, and Honey's Bistro & Bakery is one of them.   If you can steer yourself away from the cheesy, eggy, carbohydrate-rich breakfast items, you will find a menu filled with healthy, unique, homemade lunches that will pleasantly surprise you. The portions are large, and the prices are reasonable.  There is something for your whole family to love, so bring the kids.  Honey's Bistro & Bakery, we will be back for sure! To read my full review, please visit www.diningonthe101.wordpress.com read more

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The Inside of the restaurant is really nice, we sat at a booth and there were lots of hanging plants along the wall. You order at the counter, they give you a number, and servers bring the food out to your table. Unfortunately, they weren't serving any hot drinks that day other than the self serve coffee. No biggie. We ordered full stack of multigrain blueberry pancakes, and the salmon scramble. My sister received her salmon scramble first. 30 minutes after my sister received her scramble, my pancakes were dropped off. In total, we waited a whole hour for 3 pancakes, eggs, and bacon. The pancakes were ok, nothing special. We spent $60 on 2 entrees, an orange juice, and a Pacifico. read more

Great cute place. Came for breakfast/brunch and had their strawberry French toast. It was very tasty! Would love to come back and try their stuffed French toast and eggs Benedict read more

Service was horrible only got one order out and second order never came out. Had to ask for a refund and leave. Horrible service.

My friend and I ate lunch here today and ordered the Salmon Teriyaki well done with brown rice and vegetables. They would not substitute the fries for the rice so we ordered a side of fries. The salmon was not well done and the rice was very cold, like right out of the refrigerator. The iced tea tasted old and bitter and when I asked for sugar, they just pointed to the front of the restaurant to get it myself. You have to get your own silverware too and the ketchup on the table was empty. The busboy was friendly but the server/hostess was not. She did not check on us, clear our plates or ask if we needed anything. It was not that busy either. read more

There were 4 of us. I ordered the chilaquiles. They were slimy and gross. The beans and rice that came with were cold and unflavored. One of my friends had the tuna sandwich which she couldn't eat due to the lack of seasoning and lack of flavor. My other friend was not impressed at all with her sandwich either. Only thing good here are the drinks. read more

Located on a busy street, you'll need to search around for street parking. We were lucky to find parking up front just a few steps away from the entrance. There are indoor and a few outdoor seating areas available. The staff was nice. The service and the food were OK. When you walk in, you'll need to walk up to the register to place your order. They have the menus in a basket on the front counter and also a list of additional options on chalkboards up on the wall. They have a variety of coffee flavors available for all of you coffee drinkers. After you order, you're given a number and you'll need to go find a seat and your order will be delivered to you. The morning we went, we made it in before the breakfast crowd. We didn't need to wait in line and it was easy for us to find a seat. The person at the register was very nice, but was extremely slow at taking our orders. Not sure if it's the system they use or if taking orders wasn't that person's normal job, but it seemed like a very lengthy process to place just two orders. The restaurant itself was fairly cold... a little too cold for our liking. We ordered two breakfast plates. The first order was the Italian Omelette with Country Potatoes and an added side of Bacon since this omelette had no meat. The omelette ended up being a little boring... it didn't have a lot of flavor and eating the side of bacon helped a little. The potatoes tasted a little strange. The second order was the Banana Pancake meal which came with Eggs and two slices of Bacon. The pancakes were pretty good. The scrambled eggs were... scrambled eggs. The bacon was cooked nice and crispy. The portions of both meals were very large. Overall, the food was OK. Although they are completely different, if we had to choose between the pancakes and omelette, we'd choose the pancakes. read more

Honey's Bistro - View of the Outside and Inside - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Encinitas, California

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The vibes are great! The service is really quick and the staff are very nice. I went with a large group and we all had our food within 10 minutes of ordering. The music is great as well but not a place to have quiet conversation. Highly recommend! read more

was excited to come here and was worried if they were busy. the place was half empty. i was in and out in less than 30 minutes. they didnt have a drink menu. im like soo wheres the mimosas? i got the pineapple and it lacked flavor. i got the eggs benedict it was not hot and was bland and nothing special. i also got the stuff french toast. needed sauce it was very dry and bland. paid $35 for bland dry nothing special food. read more

Great food, warm atmosphere and good service. Def recommend the coconut French toast. A great local gem in Encinitas

We are from out of town and was visiting our son who lives in Cali. We went to watch him surf and then wanted to grab a quick bite. I am so happy we ended up here. I am usually not a fan of standing in line to order but we found a nice table outside and waited for our food. I ordered the Popeye omelet with egg whites. OMG, so good! My husband kept taking bites when I wasn't looking. The service was super friendly and we loved the fresh squeezed OJ. Next time I'm in the area will definitely return. read more

Such a cute brunch place! You ordered first and then seat yourself, which is a bit strange and I feel like it doesn't give you enough time to really look at the menu but I did check it out the night before on yelp so I had an idea of what I wanted. I got the lobster benedict. I was between the cubano sandwich and the lobster benedict but I decided to go with the lobster because of everyone's reviews about it on yelp and it did not disappoint! The hollandaise sauce was perfect - not too creamy or milky tasting and not too flavorful that it overpowers the egg or lobster. The egg was just perfect - I cut it and it didn't explode all over my plate and make everything taste like egg. The lobster was fantastic - not too strong or rich, it was great and really complemented the sauce and egg and biscuit. I ended up finishing both biscuits because it was so good. The total was about $13 which isn't bad for a lobster dish. A regular benedict is about $8. I would definitely come back here again!! Only downside was that tables are not always clean and one of our cups had a lipstick stain on it but none of us were wearing lipstick.. so just make sure you double check if everything is clean before you start eating! read more

Honey's Bistro - Lobster benedict with side of fruit ($13) - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Encinitas, California

We love this place! Food is always super yummy! Service is fast for the most part! Ambiance, love being able to sit out front, the only thing i don't love is the self serve water, cups that sit out kind of icky for me since dogs and such are passing quite often. read more

I was given a couple of recommendations for my vacation down to SoCal. Honey's, I was told, was a great breakfast place in Encinitas, and I should definitely try it. For 2 weeks we were running here there and every where and hadn't made it to Honey's. We decided (stupidly) that we would hit it really quick before heading to the airport (on a Friday). Besides getting a late start, and hitting rough traffic, we got mixed up on directions, so we had 22 minutes to park, order, and get on our way, since at that point we would only be arriving an hour before departure. As we rolled into town there was NO PARKING ANYWHERE. We wasted time circling around and around before we were about to give up. Finally we just pulled into 7 11 and I sent my girls down to order to go, while I stood in line at the Sev for water. When the girls came back, one had ordered chocolate chip pancakes, the other fish tacos (I had the same). I can say whole heartedly I WISH WE HAD GONE THERE SOONER!!!! That food was so delicious.. I wish we had eaten there a few times while on vacation. My daughter lives down not to far from there and will be making this her regular stop every time she has to pick up or drop off at the airport! I didn't even see the pancakes my youngest devoured them so fast... She said they were amazing. I eat fish tacos every where I go... And these were the best I had in California! They definitely beat several I've had anywhere. Fantastic food! Take out was speedy, and every one was nice.... I'll be back!! read more

Honey's Bistro - Honey's - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Encinitas, California

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Came in at 10:30AM with a friend for a Tuesday brunch. She's originally from SD and loved coming frequently with friends. The interior is like a homey diner with options to sit inside and out. You order at the front, pay, sit down and wait for your meal to be served. There are plenty of options! I ordered a stack of orange raspberry pancakes with a side of egg whites (and option for ham or bacon as well), only costs $12 for a pretty big serving. My friend ordered the multigrain waffle with berries and a side of eggs. We sat down and our food arrived within 10 mins pretty warm and hot. My pancakes were scrumptious with actual pieces of orange and raspberries and still steaming. There was powdered sugar dusted on top. I finished my eggs, but only had half my stack of pancakes, boxed the rest to go! It was still piping hot when I boxed it. Definitely a great place for an affordable meal running the gamut of breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. If I was a local, I'd come again! read more

One of THE best spots by the beach. Their smoothies are all amazing as are the Açaí bowls. I recently had a special Spicy Shrimp Caesar wrap which had rice inside as well and it was so delicious. (this was on their specials board posted outside, not sure how often they sell). My husband ordered the BLT sandwich and loved his. The portions are large so come hungry or ready to share. Prices are reasonable. Smoothie is roughly $4-$5 each but they're a larger size and the sandwich combos were all around $10-12. Would recommend visiting this spot if you're in the area read more

I've been coming to Honey's for breakfast for nearly 20 years,... but this is not your old Honey's ! It's had a major improvement in the decor and energy level of the staff, as well as in presentation of the food. My wife and I had a very nice breakfast. However I'm not sure i'll be going back as we felt uncomfortable. As it always was, you line up and order at the register, and then if you're having coffee you go and pump it yourself before finding a table. No problem. If you want someone to wait on you and bring around a carafe of hot coffee to refill your cup there are plenty of other cafe's on the 101. But despite this no-service approach they expect a tip of 20%, 25% or 30% when you order your food. I'm sure there is a way to enter a smaller amount, but then I feel like I'm cheaper than the cheapest option they expect. Not a good feeling. Fortunately I am in a position I could tip 20% for good service, but if I'm going to do that anyway i'll instead go somewhere I at least get table service. Shame as the food was good. read more

It's pretty much self serve, you order at the counter & they bring your food to you. Get your own silverware, water, coffee, condiments & to go boxes. I actually didn't mind & wish more places were like this. Super convenient and laid back. The food was 6/10 the chilaquiles were soggy, not bad but lacked flavor. The pancakes were the best thing on the menu would come here just for the pancakes! The sausage was average nothing special. The eggs were horrible no flavor, chunky, & hard do not get the eggs!!! The mimosas are pretty and have flowers inside the drink. The staff was friendly, the music is mostly hip hop, good vibes but 6/10 for food $70 for 2 people. read more

This place never fails, food, service, their coffee and all about this place is 5 out 5. Keep up your great work guys. read more

Hole in the wall place at Encinitas that my friend saw on TikTok, so of course we had to try it! First glance at 10am we thought we got lucky cause there were tons of tables but then we realized it's an "order at a cashier" then go sit kinda place. The Gen-Xer in me hated that. Like it is not a small menu and to have to decide while waiting in a line was super anxiety ridden for me. But we did it. We ordered the California Benedict, the stuffed French Toast, a caramel latte, Bloody Mary and a Michelada. We sat and food came out after about 15 min. Our consensus was the French toast is just too much (size) and too sweet. We really loved the nuts on them though. They helped with the texture. It was drenched in syrup, which I would have preferred on the side. For the Cali bene, too much hollandaise. It was good, but less is more. The avocado was really fresh. I loved the potatoes, I'd like some more burned ones lol. The latte was too sweet, did not finish. The bloody and michelado were good, just really big mugs. I had to add spice to my bloody, as it was pretty plain and nothing like what I saw on their website. No bacon :(. We noticed halfway through our meal a lot of standing water under our table (it's been raining a lot). But that still should have been noticed by staff at some point. All in all give it a go! I'd go back if friends wanted too but probably not on my own read more