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    SC Cafe

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

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    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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    Amazing food and service! This needs to be on your "do not miss" list for San Clemente. The…read moreBerries & Cream Crepe was so delicious! I have been to Paris many times, this was spot on! The day before I had the Chicken Crepe for lunch. I selected the roasted potatoes for my side! Crisp and flavorful, and the roasted chicken was phenomenal. We had the same young man wait on us both times. Very attentive and genuinely friendly. Thank you for a wonderful experience!

    I seriously cannot say enough about this bistro! First, the ambience is beyond gorgeous, me, and my…read moredaughters sat outside on the patio and was able to look out at the ocean view. Secondly, the service was the most amazing service, I had my whole entire week in San Clemente. All the ladies who helped us were so kind and friendly! This service made me come back 3 times in total, to enjoy the food and views. My last day in town, I spoke with the wait staff and let them know what a great job they are doing; They were friendly and so grateful. The food was delicious and so delightful. The chicken sandwich had roasted chicken with bacon and a delicious aïoli. That was honestly such a good mix. The brioche bread they put the chicken on was fluffy and flavorful. My daughters got a Nutella crêpe and berries and cream crêpe. Both were delicious and a good portion size. Their sourdough toast with jam was a favorite of ours, we got it every single time we went. I cannot wait to come back and try maybe one of their delicious salads or maybe Hardy breakfast! Definitely a top-tier restaurant. I must try!

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    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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    Antoine's Cafe

    Antoine's Cafe

    4.2
    (731 reviews)
    0.8 mi
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    I've already reviewed Antoine's in the past but I have to give another review for another item that…read moreis a total knock out on the menu. Today, we got the Lox Bagel and the Avocado bagel and they were both so good. The lox was very fresh and so was the avocado. Don't be fooled and think that you are getting something light and small because both of them are massive, I had to take half home. They both had amazing flavor, and the coffee is always good and strong. Our waitress was friendly, efficient, and made for a nice experience. We sat outside on the patio and whether you sit in or out you will be pleased. If you haven't checked this place out, you need to! Always a winner

    Alrighty, it has finally the time for me to tried out this place and keep in mind ya'll, I've been…read morein San Clemente for a long time and I'm sorry that I haven't eaten here. I wish I did sooner! I past by this place on my way to work every day. Literally. Its on route for me and I never thought to myself to eat breakfast here nor check it out, I know on the days when I head back home it's always pack and people be waiting for a table. And that's on a sunny day. Well I was wrong for thinking oh it wouldn't be crowded on a rainy day. NOPE. I was sooooo wrong. It was PACKED and busy. Ain't even the rain gonna stop people to get some good food. What supposed to be a long day at work, tournament was cancelled last minutes and my staff was really bummed because we did travel to work. (I work two jobs and the other is a bit of commute to get to) so with that I was thinking, heck, it's still early in the morning (7am on sunday, a rainy sunday) and suggested breakfast. A bit of yelp search, i stumbled on Antoine's and saw a couple of Elites reviewed and ask my staff if they wanted to eat here. Took less than a couple of second but everyone agreed. By the time we got there (around 10am) it was packed and the rain was just picking up because before we got here, the car in front of us hydroplane and skid off the road and hit the curb. Yet, this place was still pack and parking was full. (We found street parking near Starbucks) I had my staff placed our name down since she lives closer, but they won't see you until all your party is here and that's fine. We ended up seating at the bar and left the booth for other parties. Love the teamwork, the staff were super stars doing a rush like that, let me tell you it PACKED HOUSE and we got our food and drinks on time, no one in my party had to wait to eat and I forgot to take pictures of my staff meals, only took mines and what I got for the table to share was a croissant french toast, which I believe was their special of the day. I got the chicken fried steak and the portion are MASSIVE!!! All of us took our food home because the portion size are insanely big and bang for the buck!! Great place to eat breakfast or brunch or even a 'Team Building Breakfast Time' LOL Just happy to treating out my amazing staff on their work. I will be coming back again to try out their lox bagels and chai tea. (It was in a massive cup that reminds me of the show FRIENDS.)

    Photos
    Everything you could want for your coffee!
    Everything you could want for your coffee!
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    The Cellar

    The Cellar

    4.5
    (905 reviews)
    0.9 mi
    $$

    Truly one of the best restaurants meets coffee shops in all of Orange County. Every single employee…read moreis friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. Cole is our guy! It feels like a local spot with endless options to enjoy. Their baristas (Lucy is the best) can make everything but also don't shy away from suggesting something new. I've recently fallen in love with an iced flat white with vanilla for a little summer sweet treat. Their drip coffee is divine too! Talk about range... we frequent for brunch/lunch/date night too. Their wine list is truly endless. You can sit inside at the bar, at a gorgeous table with air conditioning, under their adorable pink-striped umbrellas on the patio, or in an extended patio off the sidewalk with plenty of seating. You will be treated with exceptional service regardless of seating. Their brunch menu is delicious. Their chive biscuit breakfast sandwich is incredible, as is their breakfast burrito, chilaquiles AND biscuits and gravy. To be fair, we visit most regularly for a cheese board and meat with a glass of wine. Recently enjoyed the ceviche and smash burger with side-winder fries which was hand crafted and filling. Even our young boys enjoyed every bite. On Sunday's (1st and 3rd of the month) they have live music which is wonderful. Last thing, the cellar cookie is incredible. It's hard to just drop in for a coffee and not leave with one when available. You will never regret a visit to The Cellar! One of the best places in San Clemente.

    We stopped by The Cellar in San Clemente for a night out and found exactly the kind of atmosphere…read morethat makes a place fun to linger. The restaurant was busy, with a lively crowd. It was the kind of place where sharing plates and a bottle of wine make sense. From my visit, we tried the Charcuterie & Cheese Board, sliders, ceviche, and the Burrata Salad with grilled peach. Everything was solid, but the Burrata Salad was the clear favorite. The combination of creamy burrata with grilled peach, heirloom tomato, fresh herbs, and the bright vinaigrette had a great balance of sweet, savory, and fresh flavors. It was the dish I'd come back for. The other plates rounded out the meal well, especially for sharing, and the wine selection was a highlight. For tips, I'd come ready to share several small plates and take advantage of the wine program. Since the room can get busy, expect a more energetic experience during peak times rather than a quiet dinner. This is a good fit for date night, catching up with friends, or anyone who enjoys wine, cheese boards, and a lively downtown San Clemente setting. The only small drawback is that the busier atmosphere may not be ideal if you are looking for a calm, intimate meal.

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    Draft Cabernet Sauvignon and Espresso Martini
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    Upgraded lunch menu with a full line up of salads and sanwiches!
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    SC Cafe - tradamerican - Updated August 2026

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