The menu is varied; something for everyone. The pancakes are fabulous!…read moreGood coffee! Considering the lines of people waiting, they move very quickly to get customers in. The heated cement seats are warm and cozy outside. I usually order food to go on the weekends so my grandchildren can have their favorite pancakes.

As locals, we have had the opportunity of visiting First Awakening since they first opened down the…read morehill. The quality of the food, the service, as well as the pricing of the plates, has been consistent since the opened. They may have to raise prices given our wonderful economy, however, and we make this point, the selections, and portions of food is never reduced. Now for those who always seem more intent on complaining about food ,or service, Have we experienced less than great servic,certainly. Have experienced poor food, NO. Now for those whose visit seemed to be a disaster, rember, Cannery Row has many fine restaurants. Too the rest ofus, just keep on smiling.

Do not come to Monterey without going to the Wade Street Cafe for breakfast or lunch! The food…read morechoices are plentiful and the quality of the food is fantastic!! The service is bar none!!

Second time eating at Wave Street Cafe, and it definitely won't be our last!…read more Overall, the food was amazing. My husband wasn't a fan of the grilled chicken, but everyone else's meals were delicious. The potatoes were perfectly cooked, the eggs were great, and the thick-cut toast was fresh and so tasty. But the real star of the meal was the Cinnamon BUN Pancakes... WOW. They were absolutely delicious! Soft, flavorful, and honestly some of the best pancakes I've ever had. I couldn't get enough of them. The prices were also very reasonable, especially for being so close to the beach. Great food, great location, and a place we'll continue coming back to. Highly recommend! My picture does not do it justice

Great service always. Views to die for on the water…read more My spouse had chicken piccata which was over cooked and dried out unfortunately. I had pasta bolognese with short rib. Delicious! Good wine as well . Nice spot to dine with ocean views!

Cocktails and seafood at the bar...YES PLEASE!!! Schooners is inside the Portola Hotel and I'd say…read morethe location, atmosphere and service are definitely what made this a 4-star visit for me. We sat at the bar, had a couple drinks and ordered a few things to snack on. Service was great--friendly, attentive and we never had to hunt anyone down for another drink, which is always a plus! We ordered the Schooners Seafood Tower, although "tower" is being a little generous lol. It's more of a seafood platter served over ice with oysters, shrimp, crab, mussels and tuna poke. Everything was fresh and the presentation was nice. Is it some huge over-the-top seafood tower??? Nooooo lol, but this also isn't that kind of restaurant and I wasn't expecting it to be. The tuna poke was probably my least favorite. It wasn't BAD, it just didn't do much for me and I've definitely had better. Now the Big Little Lies cocktail...that was another story!!! Delicious and I would absolutely order that again. We only stopped in for appetizers and a few drinks, so I can't really judge the entire menu without coming back for an actual dinner. Location, atmosphere and service get the 4 stars from me. The food? Jury is still out...looks like I'll have to go back and eat some more. Tough job, but somebody has to do it! ;)

The service was fantastic-friendly, informative, helpful, etc…read more The bread, cheese, coldcuts, sandwich toppings were all top Quality, plentiful, and delicious. I visited here twice in as many days. Yum!

This is review is a weird one for me. I wanted to love everything about this experience but the…read morething I came here for was a bit of a let down. I'd seen the reviews/pictures, and was in the area, so I figured I'd give them a shot. The restaurant was super clean, staff extremely friendly, the offerings were vast but the sandwich was really a bummer. I ordered two different sandwiches and nearly everything was great but it just felt like they were missing something. The bread and ingredients were fresh but there was no seasoning to speak of. Both my and my wife's sandwiches had bread, meat, cheese but no onions, mayo, mustard or anything to bring it all together. The sandwiches stood on their own but it just tasted like the ingredients on bread, nothing else. AGAIN, all those components were great but it just didn't come together well at all. I'd still give this place another shot, maybe I mis-ordered, but both sandwiches just felt like they were missing "something".

The jawaiian jerk chicken and the crusted salmon were phenomenal!…read moreThe feel of the restaurant was great! The drink as well as the drink ware were fantastic. Alice has been a great presence! She made my entire trip, always on point with the suggestions.

A must have, the food is so good. So many options! The…read moreservice from the hostess to our waitress Marrissa is spectacular. The table next to us just happened to be the owner here and his brother thebowner of Hulas in Santa Cruz. We sat out in the patio which was so romantic! If you never have eaten here give it a try.

Farm to fresh vibes here with delicious daily from scratch SOUP option. I had the ginger sweet…read morepotato which was so nourishing and cozy. Great HEALTHY option!

Love this place! The drinks and food are delicious, and I especially appreciate the vegetarian…read moreoptions and the fact that there are plenty of choices without eggs. It still feels professional and thoughtfully run, while retaining a personal character. You really have to engage first. People are pleasant, but there isn't much engagement with anyone they perceive as a tourist. It seems to be a common experience in this part of the peninsula. I also love the separate area for goods and finds for the kitchen. There's always something interesting to discover. The thoughtful personal touches, even in the bathroom, add to its unique Monterey charm. A welcoming spot with great food, character, and a wonderful local feel! Indoors or outside.

Great location. Great tasting pizza. Great customer service. Great quality…read more Good prices. Good parking lot. Clean bathrooms, lots of room for small-large groups, self-serve beverages, gelato for appetizer (or dessert). Locals' & Tourists' favorite spot in Monterey! Order take-away or delivery for additional fee. Apple Pay, credit card, & cash accepted for payment.

Unfortunately a bit overrated…read more I came to Gianni's with a large group (nine people) and didn't love our experience. When we arrived on the Fourth of July, it was very busy. There were no tables available that would fit our party. We walked around the restaurant a few times until we saw the back section that had a few large tables. There was a reserved sign for this section but nobody seated there. We asked if they had it reserved for a party or another large group but the employee curtly replied "just go sit there." There were some racks and trays spread out throughout the tables that we ended up rearranging ourselves while the others in our group placed our order at the counter. The staff at the register definitely weren't the friendliest which was a little disappointing. I hope their curtness was due to it being busy. I wasn't necessarily thrilled with the food either. The pizzas tasted good but were super impractical. They were not sliced all the way through and the toppings were the consistency of soup. As soon as we would rip off a slice, all of the toppings would slide right off. The only thing that was left was the dough with some sauce. We had to literally scoop all the toppings up with forks because everything was so soupy and soggy. Their soda machine had really good, crisp soda though! I loved the interior of this restaurant. The decor feels very nostalgic, with the checkboard table clothes and sky-painted ceilings. There is a small bar with TVs and ice cream sold at the entrance. I'd like to give Gianni's another shot!

3.5 Stars We came…read morehere after exploring the aquarium for an early dinner! We split a few apps - the ahi poke, calamari, and coconut shrimp. I thought everything was nicely presented and tasty! The views are amazing, the inside is sort of dated (old furniture and flooring), and the service staff are super friendly.

Stopped for a late lunch. Has the vibes of a cruise ship…read more Or server was attentive and quick to greet and serve us. I ordered the crab and bacon melt. It was quite tasty. My only regret is that I would have just ordered the crab cakes because the sandwich was huge. Fish tacos are also a good choice. The view is great. It's easy to access and our lunch was tasty. Stop in and try it for yourself!!

After a long visit to the aquarium, I searched for a place with gluten free food bc my husband has…read moreCeliac. It was a nice walk to the marina on a beautiful sunny day. We met Raul at the counter. He is by far the most friendly, kind and informed restaurant staff (about gluten sensitivity, gluten allergy and what it is to have Celiac) we've ever met. He explained how he prepares the gluten free dough separate, bakes it separate and plates it separate. Based on Raul's genuine concern and knowledge, my hubby decided to try it. Our family had various different sandwiches. (I had the very delicious Vegetariano.) We all agreed they were THE BEST SANDWICHES WE'VE EVER HAD...EVER...ANYWHERE...(mike drop).The freshly baked bread was incredible, all of the ingredients were fresh, even the side salad was amazing!!! The service was straight out of the old days, when people actually had pride in their work and genuinely cared about how you were treated in their establishment. We wish every restaurant that offers gluten free options could have someone as friendly, kind and knowledgeable as Raul. The ambiance was very cute/quaint inside and out. It was a beautiful sunny day so we sat outside to enjoy the sunshine and listen to the sea lions. Raul came out to check on us and we could not thank him enough for his amazing food and hospitality. When we said how much we enjoyed the gluten free bread, he told us he sold the flour (from Italy) inside. My adult son immediately bought some for us to bake gluten-free bread at home. (We've since baked gluten-free bread and it was just as amazing) I've told everyone I know about this amazing place. It has the trifecta of what makes us want to return frequently: *****Food *****Service *****Ambiance Until next time Piccolo!

Small, cute spot by the water. There are a few tables inside and more tables outside (though it was…read morebreezy when we went). Note that this restaurant is on the ground floor and there is a different restaurant up top. We ordered the Mortadella Pistachio Panini and the Piccolo salad. The panini was absolutely awesome and the meat was sliced so delicately thin. The salad was good, but the panini was way better. Service was quick. Note: The restaurant doesn't have its own bathroom but there is a public restroom across the street. The public restroom was a bit gross when I went in (lots of flies swarming) and did not have a diaper changing table.

What a cute place! The falafel wrap was one of the BEST I ever had! So fresh and made with love…read more The SPICY LEMONADE was outstanding, we never had anything like it. A wonderful surprise and a joy for our tastebuds! Small and comfy area to sit. Very casual and awesome! One man show and made with love. THANK YOU!

What an amazing little hidden gem. This place is the real deal. Very authentic, and very…read morethoughtfully cooked. The man who made our food was making it to Order and he had been running this business for over 40 years! The service was excellent and it felt very personal. The food was absolutely delicious! Everyone in our party completely agree agreed that they loved everything they ate. There were two omnivores, one vegan, and one vegetarian. And the vegan baklava! What an incredibly unique and special treat to find baklava vegan! Absolutely delicious! I'm a huge fan of spanakopita, but I haven't been able to eat it for a long time because I'm the vegan in the group and when I said something about that out loud, he said he would make me a special vegan spanakopita! Right there! Made To Order! This man is amazing. Seating is very limited, so several of the people we saw that came behind us got their food to go. I think most people there need to expect there would be a little bit of a weight and that seating is very limited and it's outdoors. Although the outdoor seating does have covering. All the people in line, waiting for food seem to have no problem waiting for it because they knew it would be worth it. And honestly... Considering the line of people we saw behind us (10-11?) and the fact that there were three ahead of us... no one really had to wait very long at all! It was really impressive how much he could get done by himself. The next time you're in Monterey, California, you definitely need to check out Paprika. I only managed to get one photo of my plate of food because I was too distracted by deliciousness to remember to take photos of anyone else's food. And obviously, by the time I remembered to photograph the baklava.... Several pieces seem to be missing.