I've tried to go to this breakfast spot on a previous visit, but there was a line out the door I guess that means something So on this visit, my daughter and I were able to walk right in with plenty of open seating. That did not last for long, the place filled up quite fast I ordered the chicken fried steak and subbed out the potatoes for a bowl of berries. Everything was delicious. My daughter had a breakfast sandwich and she said it was the best she's had in a while She also ordered some fancy coffee drink. I tasted it. It was delicious. I don't remember what she had. I had black coffee. It tasted like black coffee from a diner. I gave my leftovers to my son later and he devoured it. Definitely my favorite breakfast spot in the area. It had good food good service, and good seating. There is one other place that we liked, but the only thing lacking there was the seating read more

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Came here for a late breakfast after arriving from the airport. The potatoes were so good as well as the pancakes. I usually can never finish pancakes but I almost did with these. Customer service was great! I even called my dad to tell him how much he would like their breakfast. read more

Here's the deal: Wonderful gem on the square of Arcata! Everything is made fresh and they offer a diverse menu and chalk board specials! Will not go wrong with any meal at this place!!! read more

The Big Blue Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Arcata, California

Amazing breakfast. Just looking for a place to eat and found this place. I had the french toast sandwich which of course i loved. The hashbrowns were the cake though. They were perfectly cooked, thin enough to be thoroughly cooked and yummy. The different flavors worked perfectly together. read more

A nice place for lunch. Ordered the BLT and it was good. Casual vibe, great for food after the farmer's market

Love the food it was very good and their service was great and the staff was very polite and they're fast with their orders. The atmosphere was great. read more

The Big Blue Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Arcata, California

This is my go to spot in Arcata to get breakfast, the food is amazing and they always have new unique specials on the menu that hit the spot. The seating is limited so sometimes there is a small wait but it's definitely worth it. They also have their own espresso bar so they can make many different drinks that are really good. Overall it's a great spot to go if you're looking for a nice relaxing meal and coffee on a Sunday morning. read more

I would say 5 stars for ambiance and service, but only 3 for food. My Philly cheesesteak sandwich was salty, overcooked, bland, dominated by the bread, and salty. Quite salty. Her veggie wrap was good, a solid whack of vegetables, but a bit oily. She wasn't sure why grilled vegetables should be so oily. Her sweet potato fries were very salty. read more

Came here a few years ago and thought it was great, so I decided to come back while I was in town. I got The Butler, which spiritually feels like the vegetarian stoner cousin of an eggs Benedict: melted cheese, veggie gravy, tomato, scrambled egg, green onions, and an English muffin. I added veggie sausage. It was amazing. Our server was friendly and attentive, and the decor was lots of cool local art. read more

Ordered eggs Benedict, ham and spinach. A cappuccino. Food was excellent. Service by Matt was excellent. Ambiance is a nice California coastal look read more

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Solid good food. Partner had sausage patties with pancakes. He said really good, I thought the pancakes were to heavy. I had the Philly cheese steak 100%! Roast beef made in house and you can tell. Nice and cheesy, good bun and the crispy onions are a good variation. The fries are fresh cut, salted well and top notch! It was busy but service was ok. All in all i would come back again! read more

We stumbled upon this place as it was raining and we were craving a hot chocolate and a mocha. The hot chocolate was one of the best I've ever tasted as it was made using milk chocolate and blended perfectly with the whole milk. They gave a lot of whip cream on top of the drink too which was nice. It was reasonably priced too at $4.25. read more

The Big Blue Cafe - Hot chocolate - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Arcata, California

This was my first time at the Big Blue. I came because my daughter and her friends live in Arcata and they like to come here for feel good food as a treat. I tried The Butler because it looked very unique: scrambled eggs, on a toasted(crunchy good) English muffin with veggie gravy, slices tomato and green onions. I added some ham (served as thin slices of crispy bits over the top). It was exceptional! Very good coffee and timely servers. Def hit this spot. BTW they serve lunch all day. read more

The food has gotten a lot better and the ambience is fun for brunch. One time I found a hot metal bolt in my French fries, which was alarming but the staff gave me a new basket for compensation. I still go here pretty frequently, I still check the cups and plates just to be sure lol. read more

I absolutely loved this place! Our waiter was enthusiastic and great personality. I didn't take any pictures because the taste is what makes it amazing. Trust me! If you're in Arcata try out the coffee or the delicious tea blend. I had the chicken fried steak and eggs and the gravy was so tasty and chicken fried steak was perfect. The home fries were amazing and so were the breakfast potatoes. Omelette was tasty and I was amazed at how good the food was here. My son lives down the street and suggested and I was like ehh ok but man am I glad he did. My favorite breakfast in a few years to be honest. read more

The friendliest waitstaff I've seen in some time - my waiter actually introduced himself! Great food, minimal wait time - highly recommended! read more

If you can't feed me at least keep the coffee coming. Service was dismal my side dish arrived after my meal was eaten. read more

Had an excellent lunch today at Big Blue. Service was fast and friendly, the staff was great, and the Philly was delicious -- highly recommend! I visited around 1:30 pm and everything was perfect." Ambiance cafe style and quiet at 1:00. read more

The Big Blue Cafe - Yumminess - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Arcata, California

my favorite place for breakfast. The Country Potatoes with gravy and a fried egg is all I'll ever need in life. read more

The Big Blue Cafe - Country Potatoes - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Arcata, California

Small children friendly, great food, wide selection with a children's menu as well, very clean and tidy place with a small town feel and awesome service and very helpful read more

Great cafe in downtown square. Hearty breakfast sandwich, delicious breakfast burrito with great presentation. They use mostly local ingredients. Typical cafe ambiance, friendly service. A bit expensive but what isn't these days. I highly recommend this place for really tasty breakfast and lunch options. read more

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disappointing service. We were seated in a very uncomfortable booth with a very unbalanced table. The eggs Benedict we ordered came with an extremely sour tasting hollandaise sauce that we both couldn't finish due to flavor. They gave us a 8$ discount but not a refund for the food we couldn't finish. read more

Good food, great service. A little pricy, though, but maybe everything is now post-COVID. A cup of brewed coffee is $3.50, so make sure you at least get a refill or two. Lol All of our food was tasty. The place is relaxing and has a beautiful view of the Arcata Square. Only thing we disliked was the Lakers, Chargers, and Dodgers signage on the wall. Come on, NorCal!!! Lol read more

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Wow! I used to LOVE Big Blue. Used to be one of my favorite local restaurants, hadn't been for a few years, and my most recent experience has ensured I won't be back for a few more years, if ever. Food: Ordered a BLT with ginger garlic potatoes. Okayish. The bread was sort of "toasted," but certainly not warm anymore. The potatoes?!? Well, I stopped eating after a few bites- last bite I had to spit into the napkin- SO gross, so I stopped eating. Used to LOVE these potatoes, a Big Blue speciality, but mine were literally almost black. Tasted like they had been in the fridge for a week and had just been microwaved. Did NOT taste fresh or even cooked that day. My son's burger seemed edible, he ate about a quarter of it, but he didn't touch the sogging wet fries and I wouldn't have either. Soggy French fries? Yeah- that's a no go. Now, I'm not that critical. I can usually turn a blind eye to subpar food if the service is decent, ya know? HOWEVER, WOW! The "service" we received was mind-boggling piss poor. Like the whole staff was just angry from the moment we walked in the door around noon on a Monday. It's not like it was crazy busy or anything, merely halfway full, so WOW. Mind blowing. Barely greeted, sat at a table, delivered water. Okay fine, guess someone wasn't feeling the most cheery that day, no biggie, it totally happens. But when asked if we wanted other drinks, and my reply was a polite "No thank you, water is fine," the greeter gal walked away in what I can only describe as a silent huff. Like, I know beverages help the bill go up, therefore the tip goes up, but we seriously ONLY wanted water and weren't interested in a $4 juice or $6 coffee. (You would think with prices like that the food AND service would be stellar, right?!?) Anyway yikes - way to feel even more unwelcome. Male server comes up, doesn't greet the table, merely gives my 7-year-old the evil eye for playing with the cutlery. (Dude, c'mon, you were 7 once and probably went to a boring restaurant with your boring mom- I'm sure you messed around with forks and napkins too at some point as a child.) For the record, my child is quiet and well behaved. It's not like he was screaming under the table and licking the salt shaker, but from the look of pure hatred from the server you would've thought he was. YIKES! Asks what we want, we order, I always say thank you, always pleasant, etc. In fact, I was sort of trying to make it a teachable moment- like modeling polite behavior as obviously none of the Gen Z staff knew how to actually interact with other people and make polite conversation. I mean- NOT that I was looking for polite conversation- but any sort of acknowledgement that I was a customer and to be treated with a bare modicum of congeniality would've been nice. Server dude barely mumbled. Sorry I'm white? Sorry I'm a middle aged woman? Sorry for existing? Sorry for ruining your day as you might have to work at the job you're employed in? HOWEVER, I am far, far from any sort of "Karen." Maybe if I had taken my sweater off and shown my ink I would've been treated better?! I dunno- as another reviewer quipped if you don't have blue hair and a septum piercing... well, basically you get treated like poo - and that goes for the whole of Arcata these days, actually, land of "kindness" and "inclusivity," right?! LOL! The whole vibe of the staff was basically a big "eff you, I hate you, leave me alone." Food arrives. "Want anything else?" Yes, I respond, ketchup would be great, thanks. As if I had just ask for him to make it from scratch or something, he resentfully sets down a bottle of ketchup, again no words. Wow. Not that any ketchup was needed in the long run as the fries were wet, limp & inedible and my potatoes tasted like week-old trash that no amount of ketchup could cover. Even thinking about those nasty potatoes a few days later makes me queasy, which made me compelled to write this review. Server did NOT check on us once throughout the meal. Left check on table next to empty water glasses. (A refill might've been nice?) Left card on tray for server to pick up as per usual, but not unexpectedly server never came to table so I took check up to register. So was NOT going to leave a tip- and I'm a consummate overtipper- ALWAYS- but since dude was at register I left $4 on a $29 tab. If I was treated like an actual human, however, it would've easily been $10. So, no. I will NOT be going back to Big Blue, again a long-time historical favorite of mine for the last 20 years or so, until they stop microwaving potatoes that are long overdue for the trash, and until they hire some Gen Zers who can, ya know, actually act like paying customers aren't the bane of their existence. One of the worst "dining" experiences of my life. Shame on you, Big Blue. Nothing but disappointment for your disrespectful food and service. Straight-up YUCK food coupled with YUCK vibes. read more

Just had a hearty breakfast here- Karen potatoes and a cheese omelette, and these potatoes are the best I've ever had! Another thing I LOVED- there was no loud, annoying music in the background, and I could actually have a peaceful meal. The service was amazing as well! I recommend this place 100%! read more

Food is amazing, their biscuits and gravy were super good!!! The fried eggs were cooked to perfection and I don't know what pepper jack they use but it was top notch!!! Our server Lenny was awesome super sweet and found a table for us pretty quick. Highly recommend!!! read more

The Food: It was good! The Cheese Omelette and Potatoes were great. If my review was only about the cook, this would easily be possibly 4 stars for the location. The Service: it was quick during the time that I ate there before the afternoon. It took a while to get seated, however. Time was given to me to pick what I wanted in the menu. Things did come out in a prompt manner while it was slow. The waiting spot is too small, and it felt a bit cramped, I don't know how busy it can get, but if enough customers were to wait in the front of the cafe, it would be quite crowded. The waiter and waitress made it feel like they wanted me to get lost, I couldn't even finish 3/4 of my meal before they handed me the cost of the meal, not only that, I had to disturb them because I didn't want to wait an extra 5-10 minutes for them to ring me up. Again, this was during the time that it was not busy, and customers were slowly eating their meals. Ambiance: This is where its appearance belies its interior. The music and the decor match the theme of the place, it is a cafe for the most part. There is two all-gendered restroom where guests can go in and lock the door. All that thrown out the window because I couldn't hear the cafe music because the waiter and waitresses were talking so loud, possibly because of the vicinity of the tables to them. I couldn't help but notice one customer was consistently listening in on their conversation while she was having her meal. A relaxing late morning just becomes a loud mess. I wouldn't mind the noise, especially when it was busy with customers, but it was not busy. I was.... close to being a bit annoyed(almost couldn't finish my bread) because I couldn't relax and enjoy the food and music because, my ears were being polluted by erroneous noise (not even from the customers in which I am normally okay with.) As a student, still too expensive, especially for the ambiance. Food? Good. Service? Could be a whole lot better. Ambiance? Out the window because of the waiter and waitresses. Will I be back during my time at Arcata? That depends on how this place is willing to change. Expensive for mediocre service, and for some, probably a deal-breaker because if the waiters and waitresses continue to act like that, I might as well go somewhere else. read more

The breakfast club was incredible. A beautiful melding of sweet and savory, if you are a sweet breakfast lover I would highly recommend. We also got the breakfast burrito. It was also great, but was so overshadowed by the breakfast club! Server, barista, and expo staff all provided excellent, friendly service. read more

The Big Blue Cafe - Breakfast club - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Arcata, California

I have been in Humboldt County for over 5 years now, and I never visited here not until recently, about a year ago when my husband moved up here. I would say this visit was our 10th time together at this place and we never were disappointed. Staff members are always nice, has smile on their faces and very attentive to customers. The food is really great. I love the flavors and freshness of their dishes. My husband and I sometimes would get the same plate because we really enjoy it - the Huevos rancheros . The orange juice is a must. We only go here for breakfast but my friends really love the lunch menu. One thing I would suggest, the sweet dish's like pancakes or French toast aren't the to choices her from my experience, but still yummy. Give them a try you would love it. read more

The Big Blue Cafe - The butler, Huevos rancheros, OJ, double shot cappuccino - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Arcata, California

I called in an order and the person told me to place it online so I did. It said a breakfast croissant would take 45 minutes but i thought I'd walk and get it. When I got there, they said the online ordering doesn't work (I gave card info). They made it and said it would be 10 minutes. It took 20 and they forgot my drink. read more

We went to the cafe for breakfast. The best thing I had was the mimosas. I tried a grapefruit mimosa. It was good. Not fresh squeezed, but still delicious. I then decided to try the traditional Mimosa. Supposedly the oj was fresh squeezed. It was also very good, which is a good thing because my meal was not. I ordered the Huevos Rancheros. The menu does not lie, the beans are red chili beans. Unfortunately they tasted like they were out of a can. So the meal was three tostadas with canned red chili beans and an egg. I took two bites and couldn't go on. My husband had the chicken fried steak and said it was good. The wait staff was friendly. It is located right on the Arcata Plaza. read more

The Big Blue Cafe - Chicken fried steak. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Arcata, California

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Stopped here based off reviews for breakfast traveling from Stayton back to San Diego... What a delicious find!!! I love a good breakfast spot. We drive to Oregon every other year for Thanksgiving and will be making this spot for breakfast part of our tradition for this road trip! Everything tasted so fresh! Everyone was so friendly and sweet! I got a plate that normally comes with pancakes, eggs and meat and substituted the meat out for an English muffin. The eggs were hands down the best eggs I have ever had in a restaurant. Usually at breakfast places I dive into pancakes first, but the eggs were so delicious that I couldn't stop eating them and actually finished my eggs before trying anything else. That never happens! The potatoes were cooked perfectly. Not too cooked that they were too soft but cooked enough that they weren't too hard. I'm VERY into my breakfast restaurants. Usually when I find somewhere new I will like something and say "these pancakes are great but the potatoes aren't as good as that other place we go" but there is not one item on my plate that I can say I like better somewhere else. Now I'm just super bummed that I live so far away and I can't come here more. W read more

The Big Blue Cafe - Potatoes - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Arcata, California

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I thought this place was great. It was busy, we came at the right time. Got a table right away. I love sausage gravy biscuits. These were good. They had a bone meat version. I had the meal one. Nice pepper bite, just how I like it. Biscuits was nice and caramelized on the bottom, standing tall it was smother in gravy! With a big glass of fresh orange juice and my belly was HAPPY! If your in Arcata you should stop here and eat breakfast! Thanks for a great eat! Ginalouisestyle.com Gina J read more

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Nice little cafe on the Arcata Plaza. I'm a purist with simple tastes - I ordered two eggs over easy, potatoes, and bacon. Ah, but one thing about simple food is that the kitchen can't fake it by loading lots of strong flavors on the plate. If the food is f'd up, there's no way to hide it. Eggs: Perfect. Bacon: Perfect. Potatoes: Perfect. Muffin: Perfect. Now on to the service: It was excellent. And then it got even excellenter. I realized, while waiting for a delayed flight, that I was missing my credit card. Called Big Blue. Yep. I left it behind. So, Michael (the most-excellent waiter) said: I'll bring it out to you at the airport. Wait? What? I live near Los Angeles where people will happily return your credit card - right after pigs fly. One of the many reasons (and there are many more) I love Arcata. read more

Cute cafe with great service and food. Breakfast potatoes w scrambled eggs were fantastic. My kid loved that at 10am she could have lunch while rest of us breakfast and loved her bit. read more

Came here while visit family. I got the biscuits and gravy they were really good. My husband got the chicken fried steak. Which was also good. Definitely would recommend. read more

Jeff and his crew food is always pleasing. You can tell they love what they do. Come early to get a seat. read more

When you walk in the door at Big Blue Cafe, you are going to be greeted by the nicest/warmest women ever. It felt as though you were walking into their house and they were there to make you feel comfortable. We originally wanted to eat outside and yelp sorted this place through outdoor seating. They only have one table that seats two people. We were then going to order to go since the table was occupied, but ended up staying and eating. The waitress and hostess were so incredibly friendly. We ordered the ginger garlic roast beef and the focaccia sandwich. The ginger garlic roast beef was legit. It tasted freshly made and served right away. The focaccia sandwich was a little bit of a let down. This sandwich consisted of lettuce, tomato, olives, cheese, meat if you choose and/or avocado. We went with the avocado. The inside was warmed as the cheese was melted, but the bread was cold and dry. It would have been an A+ sandwich if they put the whole sandwich in a panini maker. The regular fries were a bit soggy, but the sweet potato fries were really delicious. Back to the service, we needed warm water to warm our baby's bottle and they couldn't have been more accommodating. If we come back, we'd definitely try other things on their menu. read more

Overpriced and mediocre. But sadly, not too many choices easily found in the area. I can't recommend. Another breakfast place just phoning it in. The server was great but the food is meh. Nothing special and a little over priced. Inflation don't you know. read more

Support local business! The atmosphere was pleasant and artsy. Located right on the plaza in Arcata. Food was fresh and the staff very delightful. Quiet and quaint. Breakfast was wonderful! read more

The Big Blue Cafe - Menu cover - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Arcata, California