I have been going to RJ's for about a decade now. This last visit was probably the best experience I've ever had there. The staff are over-the-top attentive and patient and never miss a beat to top off the Almighty cup of coffee. I decided to go big and try a chicken fried steak. I could not believe how forktender and delicious that thing was. The potatoes are always spot on and the coffee though it's from a pot is exceptional coffee even their choice of sauces, jellies, etc. are more than you could ever want if you've been on the fence about RJ's, you need to get down there right now and make a memory that'll last the rest of your life and a good one to boot. Unbelievable service and quality that's what a breakfast restaurant should be all about and they are that and much more. Their head manager, Obie Scott is nothing short of a legend. He knows his stuff and he keeps that place running like a well oiled machine. I'm getting hungry as I write this so I'm gonna head down there and get another breakfast. God bless you RJ's Staff read more

This place is a great find. The food, service, and ambiance are spot on! The indoor seating is like reliving that warm & cozy throw-back cafe. They even have a fantastic assortment of signed headshots of old-timer celebrities who have visited. The outdoor seating is very comfortable and pleasant. The Cheeseburger and Fries were one of the best & biggest, ever. The cup of clam chowder was also excellent. We actually came back the next morning and enjoyed a delicious breakfast. The pancake and sausage were so good. I had the huevos rancheros and was very pleased with the delicious flavor, mild heat, and generous portion. I would highly recommend this place for lunch or breakfast. read more

See all

It was such a beautiful Sunday that we had to go to RJ's Cafe. We love going here. Parking was tight but luckily a car was leaving as we pulled in and we were able to take their space. Brunch crowd was lined up deep that we waited a good 20-30 minutes. We sat at one of the stone benches and waited for them to call our name. Glad the sun was out and a nice breeze coming from the ocean. Finally we were called and we got sat inside in one of the booths by the large windows. Our server was nice and friendly. We placed our order and waited about 10-ish minutes for our food to come. We ordered the onion rings special last minute and that came first. - Breakfast Burrito - Half Sandwich and half soup - Taco Omelette (New Item) - Side Onion Rings (Special) - Coffee - Root Beer Soda - Water Food is always delicious. Atmosphere is always great. Restaurant clean and inviting. Servers friendly, welcoming, and attentive. read more

See all

One of the best breakfast options in South OC. This area has a lot of great dining options, this being one. It can get quite busy but the line moves fast. It's in a small shopping center so there is plenty of free parking attached right out front. Our waitress was very polite and everything that we ordered came out very fast. The restaurant itself is pretty large, they have a lot of indoor and outdoor seating options. For breakfast we started off with the Cinnamon Roll which is not as good as the main breakfast, I think they should use glaze instead and have it be a little lighter and less cakey, more gooey. For breakfast those I chose the Lobster Benedict and loved it. It had great flavors and I enjoyed every bite. I would highly recommend for breakfast to anyone. read more

See all

Stopped for a quick bite after walking the trail and wanted something to replenish carbs so I went for the cinnamon roll French toast and it was buttery and not too sweet which i appreciated. Lots of options and decently priced. read more

RJ's Cafe - Cinnamon roll French toast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Dana Point, California

We decided to spend a few days staying along the coast for a quick getaway. We aren't familiar with this area on where the good places to eat are. We decided to try RJ"s Cafe. Hands down the Best pancakes I have ever eaten. And my husband said his omelet was the best omelet he had ever had. Now I know this is just breakfast; however, I am serious about how delicious the food here was. We will be returning to this place in the future! read more

The food here is quite good and decently priced for the location. Some decent clam chowder and really great breakfast dishes - particularly the French Toast variations. Friendly service in a nice, scenic (but touristy) area. It's a good stop if you can find parking. read more

I had been looking for a good breakfast spot close to San Juan Capistrano and RJ's was perfect! They have an extensive menu with plenty of options for everyone, including healthy options. We ordered the feta scramble with sweet potato fries, cinnamon roll french toast with sausage, bacon and eggs, fruit bowl and lobster benedict with home-fried potatoes. It was all excellent but my favorite was the lobster benedict. What I liked most about RJ's was their exceptional customer service. Our server, Monica, was the nicest server and really went above and beyond to make us feel welcome. She was so sweet, explained everything well and brought out our food right away. Besides that, I like that they have a dog-friendly outside patio. It was not very busy when we went around 2 p.m. on a Sunday. I will definitely be back to try more from their menu. read more

See all

I wanted to get some breakfast and was looking for a place I haven't tried. I decided on RJ's. I decided on the biscuits and gravy after seeing someone at another table getting some. I had a side of bacon too. These biscuits were huge, the biggest I've seen. There were delicious. The bacon was the perfect side. I think the best part of eating here was the service from Monica L. She is amazing, so cheerful and friendly. You can tell she loves her job. There may be a wait at times, but it's worth it to get on the list. read more

RJ's Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Dana Point, California

See all

Really glad we stopped in before leaving OC. Great way to cap a long weekend. Highly recommend. Pancakes were light and fluffy. Omelet was good. And got the biscuit with gravy. A little dry. But massive. Good flavor. read more

See all

Located across from the Dana Point Harbor. They have outside patio and indoor seating. It can get busy so don't be stressed if you need to wait a bit - believe me the food is worth the wait. Can be a little pricey depending on what you order but I feel it was good for the portion size, quality and freshness of the food. Service was attentive. Relaxed breakfast and lunch. I enjoyed the egg white, feta and spinach scramble with added turkey sausage (10/10). A nice fresh avocado sliced on top and served with sides of toast and country style potatoes. My friend had the cinnamon roll (8/10) - delicious, warmed, soft but a little overly sweet. Better to share it. Good coffee with flavored creamers too. read more

See all

The food was cold and awful! I will not be returning here! While the staff was nice and polite the food lacked flavor, too bad it's a nice location read more

RJ's is a great breakfast and lunch cafe. Friendly Staff and a perfect and consistent breakfast spot! We enjoy looking forward to going there especially after church. You can sit inside or outside. read more

A fantastic spot for breakfast! The menu is huge, with plenty of options for both breakfast and lunch. I highly recommend the Eggs Benedict--it was amazing. The biscuits and gravy were also a hit, and the portions are giant. Service was great and there was easy parking, which is always a plus. read more

RJ's Cafe - Eggs Benedict - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Dana Point, California

See all

Always disappointed due to they are always out of Cinnamon rolls. This is my third time in the last month.

Let's talk about the best food money can buy! RJ does not skimp he buys quality food steak and eggs are the best in Orange County County. His staff is professional and courteous If only other restaurants would follow his example read more

Friendly, efficient service, good value, and tasty breakfast items. Great place to start your day by the harbor!

Initially went to DP for Jon's Fish Market's last day operating before permanently closing its doors and was disappointed to hear that they didn't plan well enough to consider the high demand. Oh well, their customer loss is RJ's gain when we drove across the harbor to eat at RJ's. Food, ambiance and service were amazing!! We are definitely coming back to RJ's, next time with our dog. We had great omelettes (the Doheny and Hole in the Fence) as well as their cinnamon rolls. Made for a terrific Sunday brunch outing. I would recommend leaving the sad harbor dining options and making your way to the plaza across the street and discovering the great dining options there. In the same plaza we also went to It's All About the Cake Cafe for desert and coffee -- another awesome DP find! Happy people everywhere!! read more

My husband and I were in the area, and he had heard from locals that this is the place to go. It was busy for a Monday late morning (11a-ish), but we were seated in about 10 min. They had outdoor seating but my husband didn't want it. I preferred the patio but didn't make it clear, so they ended up seating us inside. The interior was okay. We got the Carnitas and Eggs, Hole in the Fence (with a bread upgrade to a biscuit and gravy) and a cinnamon roll. My husband enjoyed the Carnitas. The cinnamon roll was big but not that good (I could taste the preservatives or something weird), but oh my... my omelet and biscuit and gravy were AMAZING! I think that is the best omelet I've ever had (and I have eaten many and make a pretty mean one myself). The biscuit and gravy was also so good. I would have never thought to make a biscuit pan style, so it can soak up more gravy. If you want down home breakfast cooking, this is a solid place to go. read more

See all

Great restaurant with good food and excellent service. Kimberly is our favorite server and Fidel always go out his way to make our breakfast better. read more

Eggs Benedict was amazing! Super friendly service & great food! Would have been great if I could have had a margarita too - but still really yummy. Lots of parking available too. Definitely check them out! Shout out to Nancy - she definitely made us feel like we were home! read more

Such a great breakfast spot. The wait wasn't to bad for Sunday morning-25 minutes. I got the feta avocado scramble. It came with hash browns and side of toast. Very delicious and plenty of food. I'll definitely come back and get one of the many other amazing options I didn't get to try. read more

See all

We were there for breakfast a couple of weeks ago, it was Delicious! This was the first time I've been there and we weren't disappointed! From my understanding they are famous for their Cinnamon rolls and they are Amazing! The service we had was Very good! I Highly recommend coming to Experience the food and casual atmosphere down near the Harbor! read more

RJ's Cafe - Celebrating RJ's Cafe! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Dana Point, California

RJ's is one of our local go to places. They have an indoor and outdoor seating area. They do get very busy on the weekends so you'll be looking at anywhere from a 15-30 minute wait if you get there a bit later in the morning. The French toast is a must if you're into sweets. The omelettes are very tasty and they do a good job of keeping your coffee full. The service can be slowish at times but it's part of the RJ's experience. I wouldn't recommend this place if you're looking for a quick meal. If you have time on your hands and want to bring the family and friends in, this is your place! Cheers! read more

See all

RJ's cafe is a cute Dana Point cafe, uniquely tucked away in such a crowded area which is part of its charm. The food was diner style, pretty common diner meals were available, such as burgers, melts, omelets, corn beef and hash, etc. Good tasting, nothing I would "write home about" but if you are visiting the area and need a spot for breakfast/brunch it's worth a try. Living in the area I'm not sure I would frequent this spot but again glad to have tried it. The staff were straightforward but nice. I can't speak to the indoor seating since we sat outside but the patio seemed great, outside with plastic enclosure to keep the wind out. We unfortunately were seated outside of the outside patio. We were placed right out front by the hostess stand, which we could have said something but were hungry and it was as good a day as any to have been seated there. I think restaurants should not normalize just throwing tables out anywhere "near" their establishment when eating within the confines of the restaurant you're visiting can be part of the experience. Many dogs, big and small were all over the patio, wagging their tails near the food this should be kept more in check. But while I know this place is a novelty here in DP however the structure and flow leaves me and my family looking elsewhere for our brunch experiences. read more

Trying another Breakfast Burrito place in the San Clemente Metropolitan Area took me to Dana Point Harbor region. Warning TMI: I had an early doctor appt in Newport, so on my way back to SC, decided to try RJ's since I had hear good things about their massive breakfast burrito. One buddy told me it was the size of his forearm. Intriguing. Very friendly staff as soon as I walked in and was then asked if I wanted to dine inside or outside. Beautiful day, so I chose a table outside on the big patio. It was bustling at about 11am on a Thursday. I noticed that the hostesses and servers were greeting a lot of people as regulars, welcoming them back. Very cool to see that. My server was friendly as she took my drink order and I asked what she recommended. She offered a couple of ideas, but she did not know my secret that I was actually only here for the breakfast burrito. I hid my identity as a semi-professional, mediocre critic obsessed with finding the perfect breakfast burrito. She had no idea as I feigned interest in the other items... After some time reviewing the massive menu I, of course, chose the Big Breakfast Burrito with sausage: Choice of chorizo, bacon, sausage or ham; eggs, onion, potatoes, salsa and cheese. It was pretty crowded at this point, so the order took a bit of time to get out to me. That was fine, since it was a nice day and I was just hanging out enjoying my cold diet coke. When the burrito arrived, I was surprised that it was served wet, with sauce and cheese on top. I do prefer my breakfast burritos dry, so I can pick them up and eat instead of using fork and knife. That's just me. The other observation I made was that the buddy who said the burrito was the size of his forearm must have very short, very fat forearm. Funny I never noticed that on him. Ok, let's get down to the burrito: + It is a pretty large burrito. Not a forearm, but a fatty nonetheless. + I was not thrilled with the sauce on top. I could not pinpoint my distaste, just tasted a bit ketchupy, but not really. I would pass on it. Again, I prefer a dry breakfast burrito anyway. + A lot of potatoes. Also, I like hash browns in my BB, so that's just something that is my personal preference that is what it is. + Eggs and sausage were great, but the potatoes overshadowed them. It tasted decent, but not one of my favorites in the area. I believe that some people would love this version of a breakfast burrito, but just not me. Service and all employees were great, so the three stars is soley based on the breakfast burrito. Service was 5+ stars. Since there appeared to be so many regulars, I will plan to come back and bring the wife. I am confident that other items on the menu would be great and I would like to try. RJ's is open for breakfast and lunch only. Go. Eat Pretty Good. HAVE FUN! read more

See all

My first time here and it was terrible. Our server never checked on us, service was extremely slow, and the food was not good. Mind you, we were there on a weekday after the lunch rush. I had to flag her down to ask for a side of ranch and she seemed in a hurry as if I was bothering her. My daughter usually loves clam chowder but didn't enjoy hers at all; it was bland. My pesto chicken sandwich was not good; I could not finish it. Fries were soggy. I actually felt nauseous when I left. After waiting a while I finally had to get up and ask for our check and they told me to pay at the counter. Just an all-around bad experience. Now I know why my dad never chose this place over the years whenever we dined in Dana Point. Will not return. read more

RJ's Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Dana Point, California

Been coming here for years but yesterday was my last. Dogs, dogs, dogs. Barking dogs, dog hair in the air, dogs in chairs. Give me a break, grow some and put a sign up. NO DOGS. This is a restaurant not a dog park. read more

RJ's Café was fine. Our server was pleasant, when she finally got to us. I had a patty melt that was cooked as requested. Again, nothing special. It did not have a whole lot of flavor. On the upside, it was a good-sized burger so I took half home. The dog loved it. The fries were fine while they were hot. They cooled off fairly quickly and, like most, whilst their appeal. There are a lot of restaurants packed in Dana Point Harbor. Yelp liked RJ's so we came. Normally, I would not have written an ordinary review but Yelp nudged me. I responded. We were slightly disappointed because with all the surrounding competition, we expected it to be fabulous. There is nothing wrong with RJ's but when we go out, we want more than they delivered. There are so many places nearby and next time, we'll try someplace else. read more

This is a great local restaurant! Great food, service and unbelievably inexpensive prices. It's Dana Point, you think the pricing would be double what they charge! read more

Riane and Jacob's cafe if I had to guess. I dunno. It's ok food. I'll be back later for breakfast/brunch tomorrow. We will see if JCs coffee spot is on. read more

I feel that a lot of locals love this place from what I've heard but I wasn't impressed. It's like diner breakfast quality... not great but not horrible. read more

Basically hospital cafeteria food near the beach. Overpriced for the quality that you get. Everything tastes like it comes straight off of a Sysco truck. I ordered the cheeseburger with chili cheese fries and what I got was essentially flavorless. Also they charge you extra for pickles and onions on a burger. The patty tasted like it was boiled first or something. I've never had a patty so lifeless. Also the hostess on duty was very rude and said "we can't combine tables" and made a fit about it while another just went and did it for us while the other was complaining. Does she think it's some technically infeasible task? I suspect she was just lazy. I wouldn't go back. read more

I cant imagine anybody writing anything but a 5 star review. I have been coming here for over 15 years and it has so much character and great food. The roles are so good but it feels like eating dessert for breakfast. read more

Drove an hour to get here so we were determined to try several things. The stuffed French toast with bananas OMG delicious there are no words! The new omelette "The Taco" with the potatoes...very good. Definitely didn't skimp on the ground beef and a splash of tapatio on top was perfect! We also got a side of bacon which was thick and crispy. Lastly was the cinnamon roll French toast. Too stuffed to eat it but had a couple bites and it too was amazing! Would definitely make the drive to come back. It's across from the marina so you can see a little bit of ocean. Plenty of parking read more

See all

RJ's only serves breakfast and lunch, but it does it all day. The place is really comfortable, you can eat inside or out. They also have take away and I bet they have someone who delivers. All of the seating is comfortable and cozy. The place is spotless. It really is pretty. The service is excellent. The servers are s very nice and they are fast, but do not rush you. I love them. The prices are fair for the great food you get. They have wonderful selections for breakfast and lunch. We have been a few times now. Their French toast is wonderful and if you want you can have it stuffed with all sorts of stuff. I like it plain. The eggs Benedict is great. It has a perfect sauce. You will like it. Their feta avocado scramble is amazing, it has scrambled egg whites with spinach and tomatoes, with feta cheese and avocado. They will give you their homemade salsa but you have to ask for it, but it says that on the menu. It also comes with home-fried potatoes and toast. All of their melts are great. My favorite is the tuna melt on sourdough with soup, salad, French fries or sweet potatoes fries. I don't care for the sweet potato fries but you might love them. Their Steak Sandwich on a grilled French roll with lettuce, tomato, and mayo. Served with soup, salad, or fries. I always have just a little mayo. I also ask for my steak rare. It is great. There is just nothing not to love here. Have fun read more

Came to explore the area on a Sunday afternoon and stumbled upon this cute restaurant with both indoor and outdoor seating (with heated ceiling lamps for the cold awkward California weather we've been having!) Wait time was kind of long, was about 45 minutes for a party of two. They text you when your table is ready though, so you can walk around for a bit and not tied down to one location. Food was amazing. They had a lot of options on their menu. They're pet friendly on the patio! Lastly, staff were attentive despite how busy they were. read more

RJ's Cafe - Corn beef hash with cheese omelette and Fish and Chips - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Dana Point, California

Good portion size and presentation of all of our meals. Dining on the patio was a weird experience with an employee using a water bottle to make the birds go away. I guess that's needed when so close to the ocean. Our server was attentive and nice, but the woman who brought our food out was so cold and harsh. She yelled out our items like a Drill Sergeant while abruptly putting them down. She would be great working the line as like an expo, making sure all items are ready to go. She was a little too aggressive for working with customers. The food was really fresh so I will definitely come back and try again. read more

the employees were nice and efficient. the food was good and plentiful for the price. it appeased my pregnant sister, so that's a win! the location is amazing because of the short walk distance to the harbor. read more

RJ's Cafe - chorizo, egg, and cheese - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Dana Point, California

Why would anyone give RJs less than 5 stars!? So delicious! I went with a party of 5 on a Saturday and only had to wait about 15-20 minutes, which was not bad, especially since there's a great courtyard and benches too. They have plenty of seating inside and outside. The location is fabulous, right across from the beautiful views of the Dana Point Harbor. There's plenty of free parking in the front and back lots. I highly recommend the stuffed apple French toast and hot chocolate with a mile high amount of whipped cream! All their breakfast items are delicious. Service was great too. No complaints here! read more

RJ's Cafe - a cup of coffee with whipped cream - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Dana Point, California