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    SC Cafe

    4.5 (402 reviews)
    Open 7:00 am - 2:00 pm
    Updated 3 weeks ago

    Order SC Cafe Takeout or Delivery

    SC Cafe Photos

    SC CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - SC Cafe

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    The Rancho Omelette
    Kevin M.

    [[HIGHLIGHT]]S.C. Cafe is a small, old-school breakfast diner in San Clemente with a classic mom-and-pop feel and solid comfort food.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Pros: [[HIGHLIGHT]]This is a very small diner-style spot with both indoor and outdoor seating, and it has a really classic, no-frills breakfast vibe.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]The interior has a lot of character with wall decor that gives it a more old-school feel, and even the way they bring the check out on paper adds to that throwback diner experience.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The food was really solid for a breakfast spot. I got an omelet filled with mushrooms and steak, which was cooked well and pretty filling, and the hashbrowns were also good crispy and simple. My girlfriend got the biscuits and gravy with sausage and eggs, and that was also a strong breakfast option. I also had a black coffee, and everything came out quickly despite it being pretty busy on a Saturday. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The vibe overall is really good casual, local, and consistently busy, which says a lot about the place.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Cons: Parking is limited. There's a small lot, but it fills up fast, so most of the time you'll end up finding street parking nearby. The lot itself is also tight, so it can be a bit difficult to maneuver when it's full. Verdict: Really solid breakfast spot in San Clemente. Good food, fast service, and a classic diner feel that makes it worth coming back to. It's also right across from Surfin Donuts, so it's a great combo stop if you're in the area.

    Amazing potatoes! Spicy salsa!

    We literally just left SC Cafe and I need to write this review! It was our first time eating here and it was 10/10. Two of us got seated outside right away and served drinks so quickly! Coffee was excellent. Banana-chocolate chip short stack was amazing. Fresh ingredients and impeccable service. This was the quick, quality, casual place we were looking for and will definitely be back!

    Alicia N.

    This Mexican restaurant in San Clemente is such a gem, and the fact that it's just minutes from the beach makes it even better. I ordered online, and the process was super quick and easy. By the time I arrived, my food was ready, piping hot, and packaged perfectly. Let me just say these were the BEST chilaquiles I've ever had, hands down. The flavor, the texture, everything was on point. And the bean & cheese burrito was absolutely delicious! They also went above and beyond with the little details: they included salsa, butter, and even syrup for the pancakes without me having to ask. It's small touches like that that really make the experience memorable. Service was fast, friendly, and efficient. Overall, I'll definitely be back. Highly recommend this spot for anyone craving great food near the San Clemente beach!

    Bacon and Eggs, with crispy Hash Browns, and a pancake. Bomb
    Mo H.

    Love this breakfast spot! [[HIGHLIGHT]]Great food, awesome staff, chill neighborhood spot.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Supports local businesses.

    Menu
    Peyton L.

    Love coming here for a weekend brunch when I want classic breakfast! Service is welcoming and relaxed but attentive. Portion sizes are more than enough and food tastes fresh. Highly recommend the country mix and could honestly be shared among two people.

    Waffle Combo
    Mildred O.

    [[HIGHLIGHT]]We got there at opening on a weekday and had it all to ourselves.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We were greeted promptly and service was quick. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It's a small diner with booths and counter seating.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The food was simple, but other than wishing there was more sausage in my biscuits and gravy, it was good. This place is easy to miss, but it's close to the donut place beside it. There are a few parking spots out front, but there are more in the back (one way through). Just be careful your car might bottom out getting out of the parking lot in the back.

    Beas Omelette with cottage cheese and toast
    Tiffany B.

    First time trying this place. My friend had an appointment down the street from here at 9am, so we decided to meet here for breakfast. We were the first ones here around 7am. Cute and quaint cafe. Had a cozy/ local feel. Friendly staff. I'm sure most of their customers are locals here based on interactions I saw. I'm also pretty sure they can tell we're not their regulars. Food came out fast since it was literally just us. Both ordered Bea's omelette and hot teas. The omelette was decent, nothing overcooked or overly salty. The food itself wasn't bad at all. Bathroom is tucked away outside of the restaurant-- clean. Not sure if this is the standard here, where people ate and left quickly. We had hoped to stay until about 8:30am, but ended up leaving sooner. Mind you, we got inside around 7:15am. Sure, people trickled in while we were there, but I wouldn't say packed or people waited for seats. Felt kind of rushed as staff after staff continuously came back to "check on us" (although all were extremely nice, felt unnecessary to get checked on that much) While we were still eating, a check was placed on our table. The experience wasn't bad and it wasn't good either. Definitely experienced better elsewhere. It was a fair transaction, but not somewhere I would make a stop at next time to be frank.

    Gabi's Burrito
    Haley W.

    Food was very good and fast! Such a cute and fun vibe for brunch with friends. Would recommend!

    Chilaquiles

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    13 days ago

    Good food! French Toast, eggs and hashbrowns were perfect. Good mimosas. Pretty good service!

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    10 months ago

    This place was great! Food and service! There were 14 of us and Lexi took great care of us! I highly recommend it!.

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    1 year ago

    Everything is mid but I just like coming here bc the staff it pretty cool and [[HIGHLIGHT]]I feel cozy here[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]

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    1 year ago

    Went here for breakfast with family and had a great meal. Very fun inside. Very much old school San Clemente.

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    Page 1 of 11

    Ask the Community - SC Cafe

    Do you have wifi?

    No, we do our best to keep the conversations flowing.

    Do they take reservations?

    No. First come, first serve here at SC Cafe. But if you have a large group or special event, we can work with you to accommodate that!

    Can you please tell me if you have gluten-free breads or gluten-free pancakes? Thank you?

    Hi! We do have gluten free bread and gluten free corn tortillas, but no gluten free pancakes. Thanks!

    Do you have a suite number?

    Suite A

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Coastal Cowboy

    Coastal Cowboy

    4.4
    (287 reviews)
    0.9 mi
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    Kid friendly
    Pet friendly

    We moved to SC in early May and have been wanting to try Coastal Cowboy ever since. No seed oils…read moreand garbage in their food, our kind of food. The first move is you walk in and order at the counter, the line moves quickly and the girl who took our order was very knowledgeable and friendly. You can tell these employees are trained well. They give you a number and you grab a table. We were there on a Saturday night at 6:45 and we had no problems getting a table. Pro tip: Order beers & appetizers at the counter and then hang and have a couple of drinks and order dinner with your waitress. The food: Tallow Fries - Must order, the best fries you'll ever have. With the homemade ketchup good lawd! We got 2 baskets for 4 of us. We should have gotten 3 baskets. Coastal smash - 2 Pattie's, no seed oil sauce, pickles, onions, cheese on a fabulous brioche style bun. My wife LOVED this. Brisket tacos - An absolute winner. Smokey, salty, tangy, plenty of umami with cilantro and pickled onions. Fire! The only thing i would have loved was some sort of salsa. Maybe there was and I missed it. Caesar salad wrap chicken - this was a sleeper hit. My daughter is a Caesar salad conissuer and this was right up her ally. And with avocado oil Caesar dressing, no garbage! Comeon. Grilled fish tacos - very fresh and good. I think there was a sauce but these were dry. It needed more sauce and some salsa. Mind you the quality was there, so I had no problem eating them. But they were a bit bland honestly. 10/10 friendly service 10/10 easability if ordering and seating. 9/10 Food This will become one of our favorite family spots no doubt. Thank you Coastal Cowboy for caring enough to be seed oil free and health conscious with your cuisine.

    Great menu and very clean place. Looks new. Ordering at the counter isn't my thing and then…read moreasking for a tip. Ugggg. I don't mind tipping servers however ordering at the counter isn't service. Cool that you can eat at the counter but still having to order in a line rather than a server. Restroom very clean! That's a huge plus. Pricey place however what do you expect from a tourist place. Ahhh. Restroom so clean I had to leave a gift Food was very tasty . Got fish n chips and a side of rice. The rice was A+. Fish and tarter was very good. . Why not give five stars. Well. Service for a 22 buck 2 piece fish n chips could use some help.

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    Flights & Irons Urban Kitchen

    Flights & Irons Urban Kitchen

    4.4
    (710 reviews)
    4.1 mi
    $$

    I stopped in before it got busy and ordered the French onion soup and shishito peppers. Both dishes…read morearrived hot and were very good. The service was attentive, the atmosphere was nice. I'd definitely come back.

    I'd give it 3.5 stars, maybe on a different night it would have rounded up. Service was pretty…read moresparse so I rounded down. Every time a server came over we had to flag someone down. We sat for probably 10 minutes before anyone greeted us, it was 3:30pm so it wasn't very busy, maybe 3-4 other tables. Every time someone came after that we had to wave someone down for water refills, never asked anyone if we wanted more drinks from the bar, nothing. Had my father in law asked for more ice tea and they never even started a new pitcher in 15 minutes. It was not busy. The place had a to of gluten free options which is a reason I wanted to try it. My server had no idea what gluten was. For a place that had half the menu marked as gluten free I was really surprised she really had no knowledge of the menu, but she was nice enough to go ask some questions when i pressed a bit that I wasn't vegan, and it was like an allergy. The food was good, portions were large enough and everything was pretty good as far as the food. Not sure why the service was so incredibly patchy and absent when we ate at 3:30 and the place was 2/3 empty. It was pretty good, I may try again but for the price point I think the service can be a little better. Nice...but slow. Definitely need more training on the menu! Mid. Not bad. Not great.

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    Flights & Irons Urban Kitchen
    Burger (with wedge fries)
    Burger (with wedge fries)
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    The Riders Club Cafe

    The Riders Club Cafe

    4.3
    (1.2k reviews)
    1.8 mi
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    This place is so cute!!!…read more The food was really good and the buns are excellent. My only issue, was that the veggie burger made me super gassy, which is not the fault of the restaurant at all- they did what they are supposed to do- make the food I ordered, make good suggestions, and let me enjoy their beautiful patio happily- hence 5 stars... but man... the farts. That was surprising. They had a bunch of housemade sauces. I would not suggest the homemade ketchup. It's more like a homemade tomato sauce, which is a weird thing to dip fries into. As for the rest of the sauces, I would for sure pour them into my mouth. And a hard yes to the strawberry shake. That tasted like it was made from actual strawberries.

    These are the best burgers I've ever had. Everything I could ask for in a burger, and they do it…read moreright, every time. The variety of toppings is also plentiful and perfect to build the burger of your dreams. The best thing though, hands down, their waffle cut sweet potato fries paired with their house ranch. I can't recommend them enough. I love that they both always taste fresh and delicious. I would include a photo, but every time I order them, they are gone in a flash. Service is done with a smile and a friendly energy. As far as ambiance, I'd say it's like a casual beachside kinda joint. (in my opinion anyway, ofc) I've been a loyal diner here for the last 10 years, and I'll keep coming back.

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    Front counter and grill
    Front counter and grill
    Two Hot Dogs Meal and Fries
    Two Hot Dogs Meal and Fries
    Outside signage.

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    Outside signage.
    GiGi's by The Pier

    GiGi's by The Pier

    4.0
    (945 reviews)
    0.9 mi
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    Great location!!! Just steps from the beach, great views. Greeted by our host/server. We were…read moreable to choose our table and I chose one with a view of the pier and ocean. The food was good. A few surprises My sister ordered the Cali eggs Benedict the potatoes wee supposed to be smashed, they were halved. The avocado slices looked old due to the dark tone on them, not the normal green. My chilaquiles had black beans, not mentioned in the menu description; great surprise. There was supposed to be sour cream on my chilaquiles and there wasn't any. It would have cut some of the sourness of the chile verde sauce. I chose poached eggs in stead of fried ones. My eggs were over cooked and cold. I am pretty sure they were precooked. I would give them another try, maybe for lunch.

    Service: The service was excellent. The waitress was very…read moreattentive and energetic. Everyone there had a very positive attitude. Which is a big plus. Food: We started off with the coconut shrimp. The coconut shrimp was good. The coconut was crispy and the shrimp was well done for the main dish. I got the Cali Benedict. It was Soooo good. The hollandaise sauce was so tasty. The shrimp was fully seasoned and the potato's were well seasoned and huge. I recommend people getting this dish. Ambiance: The ambiance was great. There wasn't really a lot of people so that was nice. Just kids screaming and cry from time to time.

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    GiGi's by The Pier
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    Hapa J's

    Hapa J's

    4.1
    (1.4k reviews)
    0.1 mi
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    Was in town for a wedding and decided to give this place a try…read more If I could give more stars I would. Delicious! I've never had a Spam tempura and now that's all I want from now on! The bar area was cute and TV's playing sports games. We were seated quick, our food came just as quick and left with full happy bellies. Will comeback when craving a Spam Musubi and in the area!

    Went here for date night last week- it has a lot more seating inside than I had expected!…read more Good service- 5/5 The ambience - 3.5/5 - the ambience wasn't my favorite, maybe it's a little better in their main restaurant area but we were seated to the left when you walk in and while there are a few booths in that area it was mostly outdoor chairs and tables and sort of odd lighting. Just very very casual and not totally comfortable. Food- 3.4/4 out of 5 - I got the Luau plate and LOVED the chicken!! Everyone else was right- that chicken thigh deserves its own plate. I also really enjoyed the coconut pudding/jello thing that came with it and the sausage link. The pulled pork was just okay, not very well seasoned but not bad. The side of "dressed greens" was just some lettuce without dressing on it, and I thought the macaroni salad was fine. The last thing that really disappointed me were the sautéed veggies :/ they were just soo oily and had no seasoning to them at all. I didn't eat any of them or the un-dressed 'salad'. My husband got the chicken katsu plate, he said the chicken katsu was fine but the fries on the side were cold and not crispy, they were kind of chalky in the mouth and didn't taste fresh. Some parts were definitely a 3/5 but my chicken thigh was so good and the portions are *huge* so I feel like they deserve a 4/5? All in all, I think I'd come back if I wanted to go out with someone but save some money and we'd split one of the plates (the portions really are huge).

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    DA BIG MIXED PLATE
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    Feeling the Aloha at Hapa J's
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    Brussels Bistro

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    4.4
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    Second visit at Brussels Bistro and both times were solid. Perfect spot if you're looking for a…read moregood list of Belgian beers, both bottled and on tap. Food is also great. It's tough to find good mussels with a very of sauce options but they've got that covered for you here. First visit, I had the White Beer sauce and that was fantastic. It was just the right amount of beer to not be overpowering. Second visit, I had the Garlic and Crème and wow - if you like garlic, this is an excellent choice. Creamy, garlicky, but again not overpowering. My toddler had the chicken breast plate and luckily it was a hit for her (of course the fries more than anything else). The chicken breast was moist and tender, so that made this an easy choice. Brussels Bistro is now becoming a must visit when in San Clemente - can't wait to go back!

    Came on a weekend afternoon. Was able to find street parking a block away pretty quickly. Street…read moreparking was not metered and free on Avenida Del Mar. Place was not busy when we arrived. They had a few tables. They originally wanted to seat us inside, but we requested the open window seat. Our waiter tried to sell us wine when we sat down. We ordered the Creamy Chicken with Ratatouille for $29 and Steak Frites with red wine sauce for $34. The Creamy Chicken was really good and fun to eat with the puff pastry. The Ratatouille was alright, we were not a fan. We got the Steak Frites medium and felt like it should've tasted better. We did appreciate that we did taste the red wine. The Belgians fries were hot and crispy. They were quite generous with the salt. The decor was nice. The food was descent. The kept refilling our water without us asking which was nice. We did not like that the waiters kept rushing us to leave at the end when there were plenty of open tables. The place was packed by dinner time when we returned to the area.

    Photos
    Inside decor
    Inside decor
    Lettuce wrapped burger
    Lettuce wrapped burger
    Inside

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    Inside

    SC Cafe - tradamerican - Updated August 2026

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