Family favorite. Great everything. Love the omelettes love the pancakes. Go early avoid the wait

Love the food! Friendly staff. I'd like to give 4.9 stars, reserving the last 0.1 for fresh squeezed juice...the remaining element to perfection. I'm almost certain the Heavenly Potatoes will be served in the afterlife. read more

RJ's Cafe - On the heated porch with great food! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Dana Point, California

Me and my friends come here almost every other week, sometimes every Sunday even. This place is consistently one of the best brunch spots I could highly recommend to anyone in the area. Whatever the wait time is, it's worth it. The servers are genuinely nice and helpful staff members, the environment is fun and social, the food is amazing, the mimosas are always a favorite (wish they had pitchers or bigger portions), and prices are average but reasonable! Food, I frequently order the chilaquiles with green sauce and add carnitas with a side order of a plain cream cheese bagel. Then while the kitchen is working on that, polish down 2-3 mimosas. Restaurant also indoor and outdoor patio seating, so it's dog friendly! Invite your family and friends here and give it a try! read more

Pre-Coronavirus Lockdown | FEB 2020 I've seen RJ's pop up numerous times browsing the yelp* app in Dana Point but had never stopped by until this morning, a brief "pop-in." This AM, I need cash for a sailing trip out of San Diego Bay. I was meeting my friend & 1st mate, PM @ DP Harbor and carpool down to San Diego. I always forget there's a Well Fargo ATM right in the same plaza as RJ's. It's great to know that; now if I can only remember it! I withdrew some cash but needed to have one of the $20 bills broken up into fives & tens. Restaurant Front - https://www.yelp.com/writeareview/biz/XxNTZWDkE6yx6yfA3CJO4A?return_url=%2Fbiz%2FXxNTZWDkE6yx6yfA3CJO4A&source=biz_details_war_button I walked into RJ's, the dining room was about 90% full; the locals do like their neighborhood coffeeshop. I walked to the back of the restaurant towards the coffee counter. One of the waitresses who was bustling about was keying in an order, "Hi, can I help you?" I asked her if it was possible to get a coffee to-go? "Sure, it'll be a few minutes." - Perfect. As I waited for my coffee, I walked around & took a few photos. Celebrity Wall of Fame; see below for a few of my favorites. Billy Crystal - https://www.yelp.com/writeareview/biz/XxNTZWDkE6yx6yfA3CJO4A?return_url=%2Fbiz%2FXxNTZWDkE6yx6yfA3CJO4A&source=biz_details_war_button Harry Anderson - https://www.yelp.com/writeareview/biz/XxNTZWDkE6yx6yfA3CJO4A?return_url=%2Fbiz%2FXxNTZWDkE6yx6yfA3CJO4A&source=biz_details_war_button Don Rickles - https://www.yelp.com/writeareview/biz/XxNTZWDkE6yx6yfA3CJO4A?return_url=%2Fbiz%2FXxNTZWDkE6yx6yfA3CJO4A&source=biz_details_war_button By the time I returned, my to-go, cup o'Joe, was sitting next to the register. (Thumbs up) I can't really comment on "food," since I only ordered coffee. The clientele/vibe was nice, laid back; looks like a great place to start the day. The service was equally good; friendly, helpful, and accommodating even in the midst of their morning rush. Coffee was good; price fair. Thanks for the aloha! Front Patio - https://www.yelp.com/writeareview/biz/XxNTZWDkE6yx6yfA3CJO4A?return_url=%2Fbiz%2FXxNTZWDkE6yx6yfA3CJO4A&source=biz_details_war_button Mind you, my visit to RJ's was before the current "Stay @ Home," order. I look forward to returning and having a nice sit-down breakfast here. During the COVID-19 Lockdown, I wish all the best to our local businesses like RJ's who are trying to survive this very crazy, global pandemic. This is a surreal time for all of us, we will get through this. Someone asked me when I thought this was going to be over; I don't think it will. It's just starting... 2020 will be remembered as a time when, "COVID-19, The New & Improved Flu: Influenza +" made its big debut on the world stage. (*Sigh - Thanks China.) Welcome to our new reality and the numerous changes we'll all need to adapt to as we continue to learn more & more about COVID-19. Be well, be safe. - Big Aloha! Food: 3+ (Coffee only) Ambiance: 4 Service: 5 Value: 3 read more

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Food was bomb! I had the chicken fried steak and eggs with country potatoes and their squaw bread toast...WOW! The portions were nice and they were cooked perfectly! I also had their cinnamon roll with coffee and that was awesome! Ambiance was your typical cafe style and the service was a little slow but to be fair they were super busy. I'm definitely going back because the rest of the menu looked fire! read more

RJ's Cafe - Chicken fried steak and eggs with country potatoes - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Dana Point, California

I hoped to have a nice lunch with my son near the ocean, but after two tries I gave up. My son's omelette arrived, but his toast never arrived even after he asked. The omelette was good however. My order arrived when my son was half way through his lunch, but it was not what I had ordered. I had ordered a Veggie Melt, and was presented with a Veggie Burger on toast. The waitress took full responsibility for the mistake. After a wait, a kitchen person came with my order, this time with a Turkey and Cheese Sandwich. Not even close to what I had ordered. I had ordered a Veggie Melt, from the menu. The waitress asked if I would mind waiting for the order to be corrected and I told her no and to take my order off the bill. By this time my son had long finished his meal. We left, will never return, and will tell others to stay away. It looked like a popular place and I can only wonder what went wrong with my order. read more

My husband and I stopped in for breakfast after a nice hike on a Sat morning a few weekends ago. The wait was only about 15 mins around 9:30am. The place is so cute ... feels like a "local" spot ... extremely friendly and happy staff. Pretty sure the owner was walking around greeting people, and just felt like an older cozy beach cafe. Lots of dogs on patio. Very laid back and casual homey vibe. We ordered basic omelettes, potatoes and coffee. Food was lightly seasoned - I just added salt and pepper. Because of the busyness of the staff, I didn't want to be a bother by trying to accommodate all my allergies so I'm sure some things were cooked in butter, dairy or oil that contains soy because my stomach did start hurting shortly after. No fault of the restaurant because I ordered straight off the menu ... just letting people know who may have food allergies like me. The service was really good and prices very reasonable which earned a 4, food taste more a 3. Cute spot! read more

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Starting off by saying how much we adore RJS (we have been coming here since they opened!) it's our favorite local spot, and we know how packed it can get (as it's clearly many other locals' favorite spot as well!) That being said, even when they have been slammed during our past visits, are have always been met with kind, attentive, realistic service, and the MOST fabulous food quality! This morning we enjoyed a Sunday brunch there, and while the food was yummy as usual, our service was lacking to the point where we almost felt stranded at our table. After being sat for 10/15 minutes, we had to get up to find out who was supposed to be helping us. We efficiently ordered everything at once when our server arrived so she wouldn't have to revisit us; but when our food came multiple things were missing/incorrect. Our server never came back for a quality check, so again after another 10 minutes we had to get up and ask for our items that were forgotten. The holiday season is tricky for every profession, especially service, and coming from a family in the industry we understand that everyone has bad days! But that being said, we were disappointed by our experience and hope this message can help adjust some things for a more seamless service next time read more

RJ's is our absolute favorite when our family is in town and we are in the mood for a great breakfast! Prices are reasonable for a beach town and you can't beat the location and friendly staff. The food is great....did I mention you have to try a cinnamon roll? The absolute best! If you haven't tried this place out, be sure to try them out soon. read more

Finally gave this place a shot. I had heard about it and read the reviews. Came here on a Sunday, place was very crowded with a wait, but the wait wasn't too bad. Once inside the server, I think her name was Tammy, was super friendly, and the atmosphere was super laid back. The most important thing, the food was great. I ordered the breakfast burrito and my gf got the langoustine Benedict . We also split a stack of pancakes. The pancakes were thin and super tasty. Some of the best pancakes i have ever had. It reminded me of the crepes that I had in Europe. I enjoyed my burrito and the gf definitely liked her Benedict. If we are ever in the area, we will definitely be back. read more

Excellent food, great service... cinna roll was gooey, warm, and soft. Pancakes were very undercooked and I had to send them back :/ read more

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

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We have been coming to RJ's since they first opened. The food is basic and generally good, The coffee is terrible. I don't understand how they can have such bad coffee at a breakfast place. We enjoy having a locally owned restaurant close to home and will continue to go, but can you improve the coffee please? read more

Amazing breakfast spot in Dana Point. The pancake was to die for! We will definitely be back!

Good food. Good service. Fair prices. I had the Doheny omlet but with feta instead of cream cheese and it was a winner.

Still a Great place for breakfast. Carnitas and eggs still muy bueno Ample parking too.

Outstanding! We reserved a small room for a breakfast get together among friends. Having it at RJ's was not a mistake. Outstanding service from nice folks and everyone's food was perfect. Real good coffee too! Doing it again next month! read more

Food was great with ant options but nothing gluten free. Service was friendly and attentive

Breakfast and lunch service. Small cafe, with large fully covered patio area. The best cinnamon rolls. Everything else is good there too. They cook their own turkey here! Always moist and delicious. read more

Best breakfast I've had in a long time!! The egg and bacon were cooked to perfection!! Will have to come back and try the delicious looking pancakes. read more

We haven't been to RJ's for a long time so thought we'd go back on a beautiful Sunday morning. I've always enjoyed RJ's, except for this morning. My boyfriend ordered the pancakes, eggs and bacon. It was great. I ordered the lobster Benedict, and asked for a "little bit extra sauce", thinking it would come in a small dish on the side. Usually you get a spoon of sauce on top of the egg and I order a little dish of extra on the side. When our breakfast arrived, my plate was swimming in sauce, I couldn't even see the food underneath of it. I had to get another plate to scrape the "extra" sauce off of it to get to the food. It was disgusting. I was hungry so I ate as much as I could of the mess that was served, especially because I was paying $20 for the meal. The eggs were well done, not poached as they are supposed to be. My guess is that the chef/cook loaded the plate with the Benedict sauce then placed the food on top of that and then smothered the rest with more sauce, which by the way came out luke warm, not hot. Even the potatoes had been set in the sauce. Katie, our server, who was great, even mentioned that it was a bit too much and said she told her manager about it, however, that must have fallen on deaf ears because the manager never came to check on it. Anyway, Katie still got a good tip (I like to tip 30% for good servers and she was good) because it wasn't her fault, however, I probably won't go back for awhile and definitely won't order anything Benedict there again. I thought maybe the manager might take off the extra charge for the "extra" sauce, but he didn't so I paid extra for that mess. I still have an upset stomach from it. Bummer. read more

Local diner across from the Dana Point harbor, so convenient to locals and visitors. We've been coming for weekend breakfasts for about seven years and sadly witnessed the slow decline of RJ's. While the food is decent when they get it right, waiting times have increased, prices continue to rise and their service declines. A couple of friendly long-times servers, but several surly and abrupt severs that regularly botch our orders ruin it. Lately it's feeling grimy and tired (plus insanely loud on the patio that doubles as a dirty dish collection zone),and with higher prices yet again, it may be time to move on... read more

We are always on the hunt for a hole in the wall breakfast places and RJ's Cafe was a disappointment. The food wasn't anything special. It's hard to mess up french toast and eggs. But the cleanliness or lack of which is the reason we won't be coming back here and highly discourage others to do so. 1. Waiters who interact with public and touch what everybody else touches, the menus, plates, etc. are also responsible for making the toast, by hand. No gloves or tongs. 2. Cinnamon rolls are sitting out in the open in front of customers who are eating at the bar, inches away from their faces. 3. The worse was at the end while we were waiting to pay, the lady behind the register picked a french frie from the plate that a waitress was taking to a customer's table. This was when she was handling cash. These are serious health concerns and violations of the health code that must be addressed ASAP. read more

RJ's Cafe - Waitress is making toast. No gloves or tongs..... - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Dana Point, California

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Had a lovely breakfast at RJ's Cafe in Dana Point with my husband and two Yorkies. RJ's offer lovely patio dining, great service, and delicious fresh meals. I ordered the chilaquilles! Not an easy dish to prepare and usually at other restaurants the struggle is that the tortilla chips are soggy. Nothing worse than soggy tortilla chips! RJ's chips were fresh and crispy and the green chile was to die for! The table next to us ordered a cinnamon roll that looked AMAZING. Unfortunately, we were all done with our meal when we caught a glimpse of it... otherwise, we would have ordered one as well. A sign of a great breakfast restaurant is that our coffee cups are always full. And yes, they were ALWAYS full. Cant wait to come back! read more

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

Food has a Good diner type feel to it yummy every time so far. The service even when they are slammed they are attentive to the customers and super pleasant about it. Staff seem to have a great attitude hope they are paid well they make the experience for sure! read more

Very fast service with a staff working as a team to make your experience as good as it can be. Super busy and still great attitudes and a clean environment. The food was top notch for a breakfast / lunch restaurant. Very highly recommend for a great food experience. I guess the only thing I will say that can be anywhere remotely close to a negative is I had to keep remixing my coffee because they were refilling it so often. read more

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Was a little disappointed today. Went in around noon and ordered carnitas and eggs. The eggs were Luke warm, beans were cold and the cheese didn't melt on them. The potato's and carnitas were very good though. Needs some improvement read more

Please don't ever change! This is another "restaurant for everyone". Here it is in the most primo location imaginable - right at the harbor. But this place has a menu for any budget and the food is great. Most importantly about this place is the service. Every single person we encountered made us feel welcome. Said hello, goodbye, greeted us with joy and warmth. This is rarefied air territory. The server was very gracious, knowledgeable and very energetic. The menu is great - with a broad mix of American and some Mexican favorites. Here's what we got: * Cream cheese omelet - this omelet was beautifully cooked (not over done or underdone). The cream cheese was my wife's favorite. She's not a cheese nut like I am but she loved this combination and the way the egg and cream cheese meld was undeniable. Great flavor and execution. * Chilaquiles - a Mexican favorite. This was a great combination of crunchy tortilla chips (which appeared fresh!) with a very nice amount of cheese and a crema. Let's talk about seasoning. It is very authentic. Some places try to get "smart" and add a bunch of cumin (yucky when overdone) or other "embellishments". This was just plain good without anything overpowering or "smart alec". I ordered it with over-medium eggs which were perfectly executed. Over-medium is something most places just can't do but these were great. Mixing that up with everything created an incredible combination. It's served with refried beans and they were a perfect side. * Special note - the potatoes. I'm a hard core hash browns man for breakfast. When I saw the "home fried potatoes" on the menu - I was skeptical. The potatoes were absolutely great. They have all the great attributes of hashbrowns, with a good amount of caramelization while still having some good tender potato texture. Beautifully done. Also - great seating outdoors and dog friendly! It was really fun with a lot of people with dogs! Every single one well behaved. read more

RJ Cafe is "on point" at Dana Point. I love love love breakfast, so I like trying different breakfast places. Who's got it going on? Who doesn't? Who's who when it comes to that first cup of joe? What's on the breakfast part of the menu? And, do they serve breakfast all day long? Funny but while reading through some of the other reviews, service was defined as sub standard. Great service does bring a huge positive note to the entire dining experience, but for me it's not a complete deal breaker. So how was the service to me? Ohh I'd give it a B+. RJ's is a breakfast and lunch establishment. They open at 6:30am and close at 3:00pm. We arrived at about 9am on a Thursday morning. The restaurant was crowded but the waiting area was empty so we we're seated within a few minutes. Now how about that menu? So many good things on it. Not just a salad or two, many salads! Not just an omelette or two, many omelettes! We're talking breakfast people. Like stratosphere, hemisphere, intergalactic breakfast. Steak and eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, french toast, chicken fried steak, biscuits and gravy, huevos rancheros and more! There's a lot of photos and other reviews to back up my claim. So wake up and break that fast at RJ's Cafe. Breakfast that's "on point" at Dana Point. read more

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As a regular to this awesome cafe I've got to say everything I have eaten has been perfection The service has always been top notch The location right across from the bay is great as well. I live eating outside in the nice clean air Needless to say I will be back again and again My fav for breakfast is a veggie omelette made with egg whites My wife loves the French toast. Beyond good! I hope this helps you decide. read more

Awesome breakfast at RJ's! We had a large group get together and the staff was on top of our orders, coffee refills and very friendly. The food was fresh, served hot and has a good value for the price. read more

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

Perfect Breakfast spot. Not fancy, but big portions & wonderful service. A definite must try in Dana Point

The cinnamon rolls are where its at! Katie is the best server and has been working at RJs for years. All the waitresses are super friendly! We love coming here for breakfast & brunch read more

On the way home from a trip we randomly chose this place for breakfast on a chilly day. We were seated outside with warm heat over our seats. I had steak and egg. My husband had a burrito and liked it but my steak had no seasoning and flavorless. The eggs were cooked medium as requested. The service was good. read more

I went to this RJ's Cafe this morning for our breakfast! Everything was right until I asked for the Bill ! There was 4 of us with 4 order of breakfast! I read the Bill and there was 1 line item that charged us $6 for a piece of French toast ! I asked the waitress and she said it was because I wanted to replace the sourdough with the French toast so they have to charge me $6 more! I really see how dishonest this RJ's cafe was! The waitress should have told me that it will cost me $6 more for the French toast and she decided nor to tell me at all! Very disappointed read more

BREAKFAST SERVED ALL DAY LONG! Being late risers that's super important. Close to the Harbor with a nice Ocean Breeze if you sit outside and a very, Very friendly staff. It's really just another café but highly recommended for the fact that they serve breakfast all day. The food was good overall. Stay away from the Mexican food; not AUTHENTIC. Ordered the Huevos Rancheros which were I'm sorry to say the worst I've ever had in my life. We all joked about the possibility that what was supposed to be Ranchero sauce was really spaghetti sauce. DONT ORDER THIS. Next we ordered the Green sauce Chilaquiles Which were GOOD. The pancakes were almost like homemade when you don't know exactly what you're doing, thin, not fluffy but OK with butter and syrup. If I ever end up here again I'm sure I'll just go for a traditional breakfast. Bathrooms were clean and the staff was really friendly. We walked so I'm not sure about the parking but it's a shopping center even though it's not in the traditional sense like store front but I'm sure there's parking all around. FOOD COMES FAST! On our way out we did notice there were other businesses advertising breakfast being served and it was early afternoon. The Mimosa was single serve champagne with not so good OJ. read more

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First time, LAST time. Bland mass food .....Like you would find in all you ca eat buffet, Huevos Rancheros sauce was like a cross between spaghetti sauce and salsa Egg white feta cheese with spinach and tomatoes had no flavor and was watery to say the least. Home potatoes was more like mash soggy potatoes read more

Went here for breakfast as we heard of this place from a friend of ours. Glad we tried it as the food was great and the service was exceptional. Couldn't believe the selection. Definitely one of our breakfast place favorites. Location was amazing. read more

Just stopped in for breakfast and we LOVED this place. We sat outside and had nice heaters to keep us warm in the slightly chilly weather. We loved greeting the well-behaved dogs belonging to other customers around us and enjoyed the beautiful scenery surrounding the restaurant. Leslie was our server, and we adored her! She was upbeat, knowledgeable, genuine, kind, and on top of it. Menu favorites include breakfast burrito, banana pancakes, and breakfast potatoes. We'll be back :) read more

We were visiting the area and was researching a breakfast place near the marina and this place made the most sense for us to walk since we don't have a car. The first time we came here was during the week (Wednesday) which was quiet and less people so we had a good service. We came back on Saturday in the same week but the wait was way too long but we waited.. Again, because it was close to the marina. We finally had our food after like more than an hour including waiting in line after we sat down. The food was ok, my coffee mug had lipstick on it when it arrived so I asked to replace it. I think the locals like this place perhaps for convenience? read more

Great food , service and ambiance. Pancakes are delicious. Rose was our waitress and she was outstanding. She was professional, patient and attentive. She gave us great food recommendations after asking for her opinion. Will definitely be back. read more