There's a reason its the only place with a line. Great breakfast, expedient service, friendly atmosphere. Well worth the wait. Stuffed, nice little walk along the beach across the street to work it off. read more

RJ's Cafe - Apple stuffed french toast with cream cheese, sausage, scrambled eggs with cheese. OJ. Coffee. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Dana Point, California

They really know how to make a hearty breakfast. I have the corned beef hash omelette. It was on point. The corned beef hash was crispy and cooked perfect. This restaurant has a ton of value for what you pay. Your not paying for the ambience, however it's very clean and the music is very nice. However, come here for the big breakfasts. They have a ton of room to seat you without a wait. My wife and I were highly impressed. You don't need fancy food to make us happy, just make solid food and charge a fair price. JoJo was also an awesome waitress. Very friendly. Our coffees were always filled and it was an awesome experience. read more

We went to RJ's cafe for Monday brew CJ. The cafe is quite small with outdoor seating. The place was packed with a 30+ minute waiting list. I Odered the Lobster Egg Benedict (Langostino) with home fried potatoes. My husband ordered the club sandwich. To be honest I was really disappointed because my food was cold. And Langostino did taste good at all. The Home fries were Luke warm but had a great flavor to them. My husbands sandwhich was ehhh nothing to write home about. The portions are large...Maybe one day we will try this place again... who knows read more

Went here for the first time on Saturday. Food was great and the servers were friendly and efficient. Great find!

Such a great place to have a family breakfast and the staff are the friendliest ever. We go here often and never walk away with any complaints. read more

Chilaquiles were perfect. Service was great! We ordered mimosas and they come with the little glass bottles of wine called splits. Also, you get a plate that has a decent home-served amount of food on it. So you're 99.9% likely to eat everything off it. read more

QUESTION: Did you guys recently start using different eggs? I always get scrambled eggs, and they definitely don't taste the same. Different texture too. Love you guys tho! Everything about you. We prob come once a week at least! read more

They keep charging me for coffee that I don't order and I don't catch it all the time but when I have caught it lately they have apologized and took it off and then out of curiosity I went back through my old credit card receipts and it's been an ongoing problem. Foods ok but check your receipts before you leave. read more

This is our go to for breakfast in Dana Point, always busy in the morning... The cinnamon roll to start, we've enjoyed the omelettes, breakfast burrito, crispy potatoes, pancakes, and jalapenos cheddar sausage. read more

I dint know who you are or what you do but I want to let you know I have a particular set of skills: I know fantastic breakfast spots. RJ's is a place you must try. Lobster Eggs Benedict! Really! Fantastic! The lobster was great and could have been served in any 5 Star restaurant in LA. There were 4 of us and we all had a wonderful experience. Come try this place! read more

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

We are vacationing nearby and after reading the reviews on Yelp, we decided to go here. We had a great breakfast and wonderful quick service. Nice menu selections and a choice of either outdoor or indoor seating. We chose to sit outside on the covered patio and it was very pleasant and nice. We both had veggie omelette with fruit instead of potatoes. Very tasty and nice. I'm sure we will be returning here. read more

The food was exceptional. The service was great. Food came out quick. No complaints on my end. Great for brunch

Awesome breakfast spot!! Easy parking and the wait wasn't bad ! Server was great food was delicious I'd highly recommended this place and definitely will be back read more

Food was very yummy and came out pretty fast. However, I feel that we weren't treated the best. Being the only two brown/Latinos walking in I felt a little Hesitant but I was hopeful. I was disappointed. Our waitress's customer service seemed forced and a little passive. The diner was slow being a Tuesday morning, and she was already rushing us with the check before we had even finished eating. I noticed there was another American, older couple who was there longer than us and they hadn't received their check yet. Felt unwelcoming and very uncomfortable. read more

I had originally posted a review for last Sunday March 21st. Somehow my review did not get posted. I will post it again. Hopefully the review will be viewable. So, last Sunday I went to this restaurant Rj's . We arrived got seated before we could even put our Bottoms in the chair our server abruptly comes over to the table. Her verbiage was strong and direct . What would you like to drink? She says... we all kind of looked at each other and we're like... She wasn't suggestive offer a specific beverages. I order hot tea she didn't even give me a selection of the tea available. She brings me Lipton black tea. When I asked her for a different kind of tea she seemed very put off. Everything kind of went downhill . I asked for a booster chair I had to wait .I had to ask again. I had my older grandson ask the bus person, They brought me a highchair and I asked her to take it away her reply was I don't have time I'll take it when I have time. My three-year-old grandson needed to use the potty. As I was walking out I noticed the check was already at the table. I asked Teresa our server if she would kindly pick up the check as I wanted to pay and not wanting my daughter to pay. I can't do that right now she says ! I'm too busy !! I could just print you up a new check. When the manager Matt approached the cash register he asked me, is everything okay? As I was about to tell him Teresa the server walks up to the cash register in front of other customers and yells at me saying... I told you, I was busy! Matt the manager stands there and does absolutely nothing. I told Matt this is exactly what I was about to explain to you your server is very rude. Matt still did nothing but ran my credit card immediately ran my credit card. I spent $62 and change that morning for breakfast. It's not about the money it's about the level of respect and dignity or lack of! How in the world can a manager allow the server to treat a paying customer this way. As we were leaving the server yells .... Have a great day! I played it off as I did not want my family to know what was going on. I was thoroughly humiliated and embarrassed. My daughter said, is she talking to us? I said no, I don't think so. As we all got into our vehicles , I posted the original Yelp that somehow disappeared. I was so upset I had to step out of the car away from my grandsons and I called Matt trying to find some understanding on how he could possibly allow this as a manager... allow an employee to treat a paying customer this way. As I said I hid this from my family. So there is no fault on myself for her to be so rude to us. With the phone call I gave to Matt I still got nowhere with him he assured me that disciplinary action will be taken but somehow I don't believe him. Monday morning the next day. I receive a phone call from RJ the owner. I didn't know who he was ...he said hello , Tina this is r.j., I said RJ, he said RJ the owner of RJ restaurant. I was very excited about the fact that he took his time to call me. Hoping that he would give me some resolution to the situation. No quite the opposite his first words to me were... I will just let you know right from the start I have an attitude with you because I already saw your Yelp you posted. He saw my Yelp? Was he somehow able to remove or have it removed. I don't know. The conversation went nowhere with him he made excuses for his rude staff his & inadequate manager. The conversation like I said went nowhere. However he did let me speak my part. Took no responsibility for his server's attitude. Never offered any type of refund. Which is not what I'm looking for. I did not have a problem with the food. My eggs were a little over cooked but I did not let that bother me. I didn't enjoy my food because of my stomach being so nervous from this rude server Teresa. I followed with a email after the phone call are they had given me hoping that he would be courteous enough to let me know the outcome of my complaint.. Of course he did not reply at all. Sorry for the long Yelp as I wanted to make sure that I got everything in. This restaurant has been voted a year ago best breakfast in Dana Point. I don't think so anymore. I definitely will never recommend or go back to RJ's restaurant ever again. It seems like the servers with attitudes run the restaurant and not management or the owner. Matt did however tell me RJ is trying to step back a little bit. Maybe he needs to get in the restaurant and see for himself the attitudes that are coming from his staff. Monday March 22nd a Party of 5 posted a Yelp the very next day .... and they say they won't be back either because of attitudes from the hostess.!!! A customer should never be able to leave a restaurant upset because of the service or lack of the service. Shame on you Teresa if you are not happy in your job you should be in a job where you can be happy. RJ's needs to take responsibility!!!! read more

RJ's cafe is located across the street from the Dana Point Harbor in a small business center. The outdoor area is pretty big and nice, the wait staff is always friendly, and the wait is usually pretty reasonable. It's a pretty standard breakfast and lunch place with your typical diner fare, pancakes, eggs benedict, sandwiches, burgers, etc. The prices are reasonable and on par with other diner type places in the area. The portions here aren't huge but in my estimation just right. I've been here twice now in the last two months, seated promptly and courteously. I've had the vegetarian sandwich, served on a soft french roll, and Eggs Milanes, fried eggs served over sauteed tomatoes and herbs. Both were tasty. This is not a wow, amazing place, but the food is consistently good and it's a place you can rely on for a good breakfast or simple lunch. My daughter says the Eggs Benedict at Sun Dried Tomato are the best ones she's had in the area, the one here seemed like the sauce was not home-made, more like a packaged sauce, I could be wrong but it was just a bit too laboratory tasting for me. Pancakes are big, fluffy and tasty. Veggie Sandwich is yummy and the sweet potato fries are delicious. For a regular go-to place for a quick breakfast or simple lunch, I would head on over if I'm in the area. read more

Great local restaurant, food great! Nice location, close to beach! Would return for sure! read more

Similar to iHop but located in a nicer area! Their breakfast is not a WOW but the potions are big and generous. Basically with not going there, you are not missing anything! read more

We stumbled across this spot trying to go to another restaurant in the same center. They were pretty busy and though the server forgot a few things, it was a pleasant experience overall. We ate the breakfast - I had the Eggs Benedict and liked it. Certainly would recommend this place if you're in the area. It's located directly across from the Marina. read more

Excellent food, comfy ambiance and great location!! We can't go wrong We always pick a local spot and never disappoints. Thanks RJ's!

Food and service were both fantastic. Lobster eggs Benedict was so good. Grabbed a jalapeño cheese sausage for a side and didn't regret it. Chowder? Good. Fish and chips? Good. Pancakes? Gooood. read more

Solid breakfast/brunch located at the Dana Point Harbor. A favorite spot for locals and now a favorite spot of mine :) Spacious patio dog friendly seating, a separate dining room with about 5 tables and a larger dining space. Tahitian style decor. No view of the ocean or the harbor but it IS walking distance....like 'across the street from the harbor' walking distance! Servers are accommodating, very friendly and the food is spot on! Came on a Saturday around 11am and although the restaurant was packed, there was an open booth so my boyfriend and I were seated immediately! Score! After perusing the menu options, I saw that RJ's offers a wide variety of breakfast options on their menu. Everything from your traditional breakfast choices such as eggs benedict, pancakes, scrambles to the more adventurous choices such as Stuffed French Toast and "Awesome Omelettes" named after landmark spots in Dana Point (Doheny, Hole in the Fence, Salt Creek, Strands, The Point) Loved that. Now, I love me some Eggs Benedict but my boyfriend said we absolutely HAD to try the Feta Avocado Scramble (he frequents RJ's). It comes with scrambled egg whites, spinach and tomatoes. Topped with a generous serving of feta cheese, half an avocado and served with home-fried potatoes and toast. Sounds like a healthy and appetizing dish, amiright? It was! It was! The red salsa that comes on the side tasted wonderfully with the scramble but I felt that they went a little too heavy with the feta cheese. Not a big deal though, that could easily be scraped off to the side. There is the option to add protein (turkey or chicken) for just a wee bit more $. We felt that we had to balance out our healthy egg white scramble with something sweet and naughty so we went ahead and ordered the Stuffed Banana French Toast. AWWWWW YEEEEAAAHHHH. It was so bomb and indulgent! It comes with two huge pieces of french toast and caramelized sweet bananas on top. Also on the side is two bacon or sausage and 1 egg. When we dug into our first bite, we were thoroughly surprised to find warm delectable cream cheese wedged in between the two slices of French Toast! Heaven in my MOUTHHHHH!!!! Must get! They also offer other stuffed French toasts such as Apple, Mango, ala Orange and Cinnamon Roll French Toast. One thing I will say is that the food took a little bit to come out. About 20 minutes. My boyfriend said the food doesn't usually take this long so maybe the kitchen was a bit slow or understaffed on this day...? When our server brought our food, she asked us if we liked hot sauce. We nodded yes and I thought she'd at most bring the common hot sauces like Tapatio, Cholula, and Tabasco but she brought over 6 different types of hot sauces! HA! I was curious about two of the hot sauces she brought over called Ring of Fire. Sounded spicy so I had to try! Very good! Not too spicy and not too mild. Just perfect. Our server asked us if we would like to try some of their freshly homemade cinnamon rolls. We kindly declined but now I totally regret it! All good though, just another reason to visit again. Thank goodness my boyfriend lives down the street from here. I'm a fan of you, RJ's! See you soon! read more

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Breakfast is good and a great vibe, lunch (albeit to go) not so much... I ordered a salad (iceberg lettuce !?) which seemed hastily prepared as did the sandwich. Understand they were busy... read more

benedict was very good- eggs perfectly poached, great hollandaise, and heaped with lobster. potatoes were nice & crispy. tried a bit of cinnamon roll, also delicious. would definitely come back here. read more

RJ's Cafe - lobster (langostino) benedict - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Dana Point, California

On a weekend expect a long wait. A weekday? Honestly could still be a wait--it's that good. Best breakfast in Orange County good? In the running. When indoor dining is open, RJ's Cafe has that semi-upscale beach town diner feel, complete with sandy feet in Rainbow sandals, a police officer or two, and kids (or my older sister) spooning a heap of whipped cream off their hot chocolates and into their mouths while a bottle of bubbly pops somewhere in the background. Yes, they have mimosas. Currently, with only outdoor dining available, they have an extensive network of tents in addition to their usual covered outdoor patio... you know, for when it rains that one time. Ok, maybe it is to provide ample shade; this makes more sense. This to say, there is still plenty of space available for you to get your grub on. Their menu is extensive, serving both breakfast and lunch. Though, admittedly, I fall into the camp of ordering pretty much the same thing every single time... Full review can be found here: https://emeraldandgoldblog.wordpress.com/2021/01/15/rjs-cafe-dana-point/ read more

Always friendly service and well prepared food with a great menu. Love the breakfasts.

What's not to like about RJ's? OK, maybe the wait ;), but even that is getting better with the new larger patio open now. RJ's is awesome. We've been coming here for years on Sundays and I don't think I've ever been there when RJ is not running around handling anything and everything that needs to be done. RJ's a very nice guy and if you come in enough, he's bound to get to know you.. The servers all seem happy and they work their tails off due to the volume they handle. 12/07 Visit.. I'm updating my review today due to the last couple of visits that they have really done a great job on service and the entrees. We come here often and they are pretty consistently awesome. LOCATION (Rating 5) RJs is located in a center with numerous other small businesses and a couple other restaurants. It's not easy to find, but the center itself is located directly across from the bay. They've been going through growing pains and have opened a small room next to the main room in an attempt to accommodate more patrons (I think they should have taken the wall down however, as if you're seated in there the service is not nearly as good) and they've been adding a ton of outdoor seating as well. Now, they've started work on what I think is an "official" patio area. Hope so. The wait is typically about 30-45 on Sundays prime time and sometimes up to an hour, so come prepared. The interior is "Casual Hawaiian Cafe" on to match RJ's shirt selections I think. ;) It fits perfect and you'll like the casual feel. SERVICE (Rating 4.5) This place is hoppin! So the service can vary a bit, but overall they do a pretty good job. My suggestion, think about any extras you'll need before the foods delivered as these gals don't typically have the time to keep coming back to your table. It's somewhat easy to flag them down however, as the place is small. If you're in the extra room, my advice makes even more sense. FOOD IN ORDER OF WHAT I LIKE HCM HAM CHEESE & MUSHROOM Omelette (Rating 4.5) I add onions to mine. It hits the spot every time I have it. The ham used is large diced ham steaks which I think is the same ham used for the Eggs Benedict. It's of great quality which really adds to the flavor. The mushrooms are of good quality again and typically cooked just right. Not mushy, but not crunchy. The egg itself is typically not overcooked but from time to time the chef's will brown on the outside due to the pan being a little overheated when the cooks are working too quickly. Add to this a daub of sour cream and you're stylin! VEGGIE Omelette (Rating 4.5) This has got all the veggies I love on an omelette. The only thing missing is ham. So you guessed it, I fix the incomplete veggie omelette by adding ham. It comes with sauteed mushroom, spinach, green pepper, onion, tomato and cheese. EGGS BENEDICT (Rating 4.25) Good old fashioned Eggs Benedict with a very good / bordering great sauce. The ham steak is thick and of good quality and the eggs have always been cooked to perfection. They chef's really do know what they're doing and for the speed they are kicking out stuff it's surprising to me how good the entrees are. STRANDS OMELET (Rating 4) a generous size omelet with bacon, spinach, onions and cream cheese. The ingredients are a great idea and I've had this many times and it typically is a winner, but every once in a while there's just a little too much moisture from the spinach or it's cooked out and the spinach can be dry. But when they hit it right, it's really good! read more

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

Long lines worth it tho. Great patio protected from sun.very dog friendly.there is this home made salsa thing that is green with huge chunks of garlic and served warm. I think it's called hot green sauce. read more

The Doheny Omelet is amazingly delicious!!! The service is outstanding. Highly Recommend

I've been here several times but this is the first time I've actually written the review. This place is great for homestyle breakfast and lunch items. The menu is huge and has pretty much something for everyone. My mom loves it because they actually had gluten-free bread so she was able to have toast on another visit. We usually come for breakfast and love the omelettes and the RJs potatoes. Although we have eaten inside, we preferred to eat on the outdoor patio because we like to bring our dogs. During the off-season, it is an enclosed patio with heaters. I love the sausage and cheese omelette which is definitely not healthy, and my hubby gets the vegetable omelette but scrambled. Super friendly service. Tons of parking out front. We do like to get there early Because it really starts to get busy closer to 9 am pretty much any day of the week. Weekends are definitely very busy. Just be patient and nice and everyone will get seated. read more

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The chicken fried steak is great - lots of food and gravy. My husband wasn't impressed with the spicy chicken sandwich - small and average tasting. RJ's is probably best for breakfast. Trevor was so friendly and polite - and such a hard worker. read more

Our waitress was absolutely amazing, she only works weekends. Food was amazing, totally worth the wait and hibiscus mimosa was delicious. We will be back to this place for sure read more

RJ's Cafe - Lobster Benedict......To Die For - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Dana Point, California

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I love going to RJ's for breakfast. My boyfriend and I love the service and the food! It's nice to walk in and feel like they know you and you are always greeted with a friendly face. I personally love their breakfast burritos but if I am in the mood for something sweet, they have the best pancakes in orange county!!! I love this place. read more

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Not a bad restaurant but definitely not a great restaurant. It's pretty clean, small and the employees seem nice. It's the standard American breakfast food and nothing really spectacular. The prices aren't too bad and the quality of the food is alright. It can be a little busy because it's so small also it's not a hipster crowd or even a younger crowd like Stacks if you know what I mean. Like I said it's not bad but it's not really anything special. I really don't see myself coming back here also try not to sit by the door because every time someone comes in a gust of wind will hit you. read more

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The food here is delicious and they have a great selection so there's bound to be something that looks appetizing for you & any people in your party. The wait staff is very friendly as well, always there to help you out with whatever you need. The only downside is the wait. If you come here for brunch, especially on a holiday weekend, expect to wait a very very long time. Yes, it's worth the wait, but I wouldn't come here on a whim or when you're already hungry. Plan on coming an waiting. Work around your stomach. Also, in just my opinion, if you're looking for breakfast, I'd skip the Machaca. It's not very flavorful. I bit of a disappointment, but not horrible. Maybe I just have higher standards since that's my usual go-to when I see it on a menu. read more

I'm not huge on breakfast, but my friend picked out this place and I was willing to give it a go. I ordered the veggie omelet and a side of pancakes. It came with sourdough and a side of potatoes. So yummy!! I don't know what my friend got, but I know he ate it all(: read more

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

Cinammon french toast was delicious. The server, Monica is such a great host /server. Very sweet lady. read more

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

Always consistent, always good, plenty of food, and a wide variety. My "go to" place when I'm in town.

This is one of my favorite hole in the wall breakfast joints. They are known for their omelettes. They have an outside dining area where you're allowed to bring your dog. The portions are decent especially for the price. The place gets packed, so be prepared to wait about 20-30 minutes. read more

The apartment we staying had a list of places to try and this was one highly recommended! It was simple and delicious.