The owner. SO KIND. The servers AWESOME. The food AMAZING! So impressed with everything and will DEFINITELY be coming again. All the food is homemade and so fresh! Love it all!!! I definitely recommend this cute cafe! read more

BREAKFAST...BREAKFAST...BREAKFAST! Who doesn't love a place with great breakfast, and this place is one of them. We are in Carpinteria every year for the Avocado Festival and this year found The Worker Bee Cafe. We had breakfast there and the service and food was excellent. I am a big fan of hashbrowns and this place has some of the best hashbrowns I've ever had. This is the first place that asked me how I'd like my eggs: rare, medium or well done! Right than and there i knew i was in for a great plate of breakfast. The biscuits are plump and fresh, and the gravy was super tasty. Definitely a must try for a good plate of breakfast if ever in Carpinteria. The place is decorated with bee paraphernalia everywhere (hence the name) and the service and food was great. What more can you ask for. Honorable Mention: Anything on the Breakfast Menu that includes hashbrowns! read more

Great food, great people, cozy little spot, but I gotta give 4 stars for the time it took. I understand why they are slow, but they were EXTRA slow while I was there with my 3 kids. 3 kids and show never is a good combo. Anyway, some of the best breakfast that I have had. I will probably go back and try again without kids so I can enjoy the wait. If you like bees....(not real ones) just decor ... you will LOVE this place. I highly recommend the food, and service just be prepared to WAIT FOREVER.... read more

The Worker Bee Cafe - Kids love the chocolate milk. This is the way they serve it. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Carpinteria, California

Every time we go up north ( I live in southern cal) we always stop and eat at this cafe, and every time it's always good. Friendly staff, awesome food, the owner is very attentive. Go ahead and try it, you won't be disappointed And there's a patio so you can relax while you're eating. read more

We stay at Carpinteria State beach every summer and just discovered the Worker Bee Cafe. We had tried the Camomile cafe nearby, but my husband is not OK with non-meat breakfast meat and roasted broccoli for breakfast (I don't blame him.) I am a total health foodie but roasted broccoli for breakfast is a bit much for even me. Once I walked in the door of the Worker Bee I thought it was really cute, kind of a cross between an old time diner and your grandmother's living room. I did notice that it was very well kept and clean, despite the numerous bee-themed "tchotchkies." Still trying to figure out the one wall that is a tribute to the Wizard of Oz though. Anyways... Both times I got the cinnamon roll - to die for!!! Comes warm with a SIDE of whipped butter! C'mon!! That is awesome. I get cinnamon rolls wherever I go and this one was very good. Our breakfasts were done extremely well - nothing fancy and no exotic ingredients - just really good diner breakfast food. They have the hashed browns and home fries down pat, eggs are perfect and the biscuits (fresh baked) are mighty good. The coffee was well attended to and we got our food quickly. Oscar (the owner/cook) is great. Very friendly and quick with the humor - he comes out and checks to be sure everyone is happy with the food and even saw him sit at someone's booth. We peeked in the kitchen window and saw his potatoes cooking and commented how great they looked and the next thing we knew we had a sample bowl of each kind in front of us. We hadn't even ordered yet - mmm! I would drive to Carpinteria just to have some of the food from this dandy establishment. read more

Very friendly efficient service and great food (if you're on a cheat day from your diet) Chili omelette special was great and the biscuits are heavenly. read more

Amazing little place to have breakfast on a beautiful morning. Stumbled upon this cafe on a trip to Santa Barbara and I'm so glad I stopped in for breakfast. The breakfast food was sooo yummy and great if your wanted a nice big home cooked meal. I ordered the egg and sausage breakfast that came with toast and home fries. With a side of coffee it made for a memorial dining experience. And to top it off the service was quick and the cook came out to personally let me know that my food was coming right up. I'd recommend this place!! I am definitely coming back!!! read more

Absolutely fantastic brunch! Fantastic eggs, bacon, and the potatos - OMG!!! The food does take a while, but its GREAT FOOD, not FAST food!! read more

OK. I'm going to say it. Here it comes. Ready? THIS SPOT HAS THE BEST HASH BROWNS I'VE EVER HAD!!!!! My god they're amazing. On the way back home, from a trip to Santa Barbara, we decided we'd make a little pit stop in Carpinteria (before we made an unexpected pit stop at WalMart, which is an entirely different story) to find a place to grab a quick bite. Naturally, I bust out my handy-dandy Bat.........er........smart phone and launch the yelp app. Next thing I know, we're walking into this unpretentious, relaxed, cute, charming, little hole in the wall called The Worker Bee Cafe. I'm thinking to myself, "ihop or Denny's without the marketing budget." But boy was I wrong. Very wrong! This is food, people. REAL FOOD! It's obviously the place where the locals come to enjoy a fresh, home made, delicious breakfast. I love those kind of places. We were greeted by a very friendly gentlemen who sat us in a booth next to a cute little window overlooking the street. We ordered some coffee and began scanning the menu. Basic fare of any cafe/diner. The same guy approached us and walked us through some of our questions. This guy may have been the owner. If not, the owners should feel very comfortable with this guy running the place. Helpful, polite, cool, friendly, knowledgeable, attentive, you get the point. I go for the "Worker Benedict". A fresh, flaky, homemade, biscuit topped with sausage patties, homemade gravy, and two perfectly poached eggs. The biscuits were tender, flaky and still warm, the sausage patty's were perfectly cooked with a lot of flavor, the eggs yolks were runny and perfect. I enjoyed every morsel. You can taste the freshness and love in every bite. Now, for the hash browns. I cant say enough about these hash browns. When I placed my order, I asked for the hash browns "well done", the way I always do. The guy told me, "we cook them a little more well done than most places anyway. Trust me. We're famous for them." I'm convinced. Bring on the potato-y goodness. The plate hit the table, the steam hit my face, the aroma hit my nose, and my entire mouth just filled with water!!! My eyes went straight for the browns. Dark golden brown. Almost burnt edges. Steam billowing off this glorious mound of spuds. I (literally) crack through the crust to expose its inner glory. I don't know if they use Yukon gold potatoes, or just a lot of butter, but the flavor just consumed all my senses. The texture was almost like mashed potatoes. Surrounded by this crispy, crunchy, shell. Seasoned perfectly too, I might add. Those who read my reviews know I salt everything. Not with these bad boys. Salted and peppered just right. If you ever find yourself in Carpinteria during breakfast hours and hungry, do yourself a favor and make a bee line for the The Worker Bee Cafe!! Ha! See what I did there? The best breakfast I've had in a very long time!!!! read more

Wow what can i say but Amazing. The chicken fried steak was the best I ordered the corn beef hash and we shared both breakfasts everything hot fresh the owner took care of us we really felt at home. He has several gluten free items 1 being the raisin french toast which i will try next time we stop great place. read more

The Worker Bee Cafe - Our cinnamon roll yummm - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Carpinteria, California

Breakfast: So we went this morning with 6 people. This charming mom and pop restaurant is really very good. My food was great, as it was for everyone at the table. Everything came out at the same time and no one had one complaint. For a group of 6 that's good. The owners are there talking to all the guests and taking our orders. It was friendly, warm and good. I will recommend this to any one who ventures up north. read more

Such a fantastic little place! Stopped in for breakfast. Service was very friendly, and pretty speedy. Ordered the eggs benedict. DELICIOUS! If you're in Carpinteria or the area, definitely check this place out! read more

Excellent!! We are here on a weekend trip and had our food delivered by Grub Hub. Which was super fast and the food was still perfectly warm. Chicken Fried Steak, eggs, home fries, cornbeef hash, so yumm. The stand outs, jalapeño bacon!! Cinnamon Roll, and the fresh squeezed OJ. Definitely come here for breakfast if you are in the area read more

Great find! Came in for breakfast and found a hidden gem! Has a great variety of American style breakfast and the homemade corned beef hash is out if this world. To top it off...great music selection! Great for families..they were so helpful and accommodating with our family. Will be back read more

Great food. Great location. Service was only okay. Had the chicken fried steak...nice. The wife had their original Eggs Benedict dish...fantastic. Homemade biscuits are quite rad. Hash browns are amongst the best I've ever had. read more

We recently ate at this place and enjoyed it very much. First of all, it is a cafe that is not fancy by any means. It reminded us a lot of a small town cafe one would find in the midwest. That is meant as a compliment, as small town midwestern cafes have great food. To add to the quaintness of this place, there's even a tiny window between the eating area and kitchen where food is passed from the cooks to waitresses. I haven't seen that sort of window in a long time, so it added a touch of nostalgia to the meal. My husband's patty melt was one of the best he has ever had. It was perfectly cooked and seasoned. I ate french toast, and it was thick and full of flavor. We were both very happy with our late morning meal. Our waitress was efficient and helpful. Even though she was waiting on all the tables in the entire restaurant, she handled it very well. We will return here on our next trip to the area. read more

What a wonderful breakfast! So much so, that we came back a second time! The gluten free options are delicious.

The worker bee is awesome and Rick, the owner, is such a great guy! The food is the best! We camp nearby fairly often and go there for breakfast every day. read more

I will begin by saying that we've eaten at the Worker Bee Café several times during our visits to Carpinteria. The last time we were there they still had their collection of bee trinkets and tchotchkes all over the place, but it seems they've renovated a little and have since changed the décor. That 's not an issue with respect to this review, just an observation. In the past , their food has been pretty good, so my review is not targeted at the quality of the food. We ate breakfast there this past Saturday, and they were short a server. It took nearly an hour to get our food. We were at the very limits of our patience (and hunger!!) They were clearly understaffed and they should have then closed the patio in the back because the one server who did show up could barely keep up with the orders. When we finally got our food, one of the staff apologized and said that they were down a server. Since we've been there before and have experienced the warmth of the owners and the very pleasant staff, I'm not holding this against them. They did however ask for feedback, good or bad, on their new chalkboard wall and therefore I am sharing my two cents here. Bottom line, if you're short on staff, don't have the patio open!! read more

Very good breakfast. The food came out quickly and the server was by himself. Even though it was really busy he was very attentive and refilled our coffee when needed. My omelet was excellent and the hash browns were nice and crisp on the outside and really creamy on the inside! read more

Outstanding service, great food, and gluten free french toast! Wow, this place is really what small businesses should use as a model. This is what it's all about! The workers here are so kind and make you feel more than welcome. It was an all around fantastic experience! Thanks Worker Bee Cafe! read more

The Worker Bee Cafe - Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin French Toast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Carpinteria, California

Slow. Overpriced. My order was incomplete. Missing butter and syrup for a waffle. Won't be back.

The Worker Bee has the absolute best corned beef hash. Period!! Never saw corned beef hash in a restaurant that had with big chunks of lean, perfectly corned meat! The French toast special with caramelized fruit was also really good. My wife ate every last bite! Found it by luck! Want to return to try other unusual dishes like the eggs with chicken fried steak! Great people working there that live up to the place's name! read more

We waited for an hour after putting our order in and still no food, no update, no apology. Every other table had turned over, got new patrons and they all had their food and we're turning again. We left after the table next to us turned twice before we got our food. If the food is anything like their service I would expect some cuddle time with the toilet. read more

Outstanding!!!!!! No complaints here. We ordered 2 scrambles, an omelet, and French toast. Oh yea the jalapeño bacon is to die for. There was a line when we approached which is always a good sign. The staff was friendly and greeted us quickly. When the plates arrived I was definitely blown away. Yummy!!! Going back tomorrow for a repeat read more

It's my second time here and the workers already recognized me and were super friendly! The food is fast and delicious, and they had nice outdoor seating. read more

I can't believe I haven't reviewed the Worker Bee yet. I've eaten here easily a dozen times in the past few months, and it's definitely my favorite go-to place for a late Sunday breakfast. This is a little narrow restaurant with simple diner tables and a couple of booths as well as a nice shady patio out back, and it would be easy to miss were it not for the distinctive bright yellow entrance. Rick the owner is usually present and can take rightful pride in running a very clean, cozy diner where the coffee is fresh and hot and the food is served with a smile. They have quite a few specials, as well as an impressive array of gluten free options if you're into gluten free, and one of these days I'm going to treat myself to the jalapeno avocado shake just to find out what that's all about. But that's not what keeps me coming back. The Worker Bee has utterly ruined me for anyone else's corned beef hash. If I could write a food poem, it would be about that hash. We're talking real corned beef brisket, cooked perfectly, cut into big meaty chunks and grilled up with onions, potatoes and bell pepper (they leave out the bell peppers at my request because I detest bell peppers, but I digress). I happily drive all the way from Thousand Oaks to Carpinteria for that corned beef hash. They serve it with eggs and a huge fresh baked biscuit, but it's really all about the corned beef hash. Speaking of eggs, do you like farm fresh eggs? Truly free range eggs from chickens who spend their time pecking around under local oak trees and living the good chicken life? If you're lucky you might just be able to get a dozen of these eggs from Rick who brings them in from his ranch in the Ojai Valley. Actually everything about the Worker Bee embodies what I like best about small independently owned restaurants. You know you're going to get a very good meal at a very fair price, and even better you are going to feel welcomed as soon as you walk in the door. Carpinteria is fortunate to have quite a few dining options for a relatively small community, and I suppose I should try some of the others, but they won't have Rick's corned beef hash... read more

We stopped there on the way to Santa Barbara, fantastic service, nice diner atmosphere, a little pricey which surprised us, food was exactly what we had hoped for and we will be back. A few nice shops in the area make it a worthwhile stop... read more

If you like Dennys, IHOP & other places of that ilk, STAY AWAY. This is a fantastic place. Friendly owners, lovely atmosphere, excellent food. It takes them a long time to get the food out so if you're in a hurry, go elsewhere. But if you have the time this is the place for you. Just listening to their conversations with other customers kept me laughing. read more

This isn't the average "diner" type of breakfast restaurant. The atmosphere is comfortable and inviting, the service attentive and gracious as you'd commonly associate with a diner but the food is incredibly delicious. There's an attention to flavor and ingredients in every dish. This attention to detail seems to take a commonly placed menu item and turn it into a gourmet delight usually reserved for, or seen in dinner items. A must if you're in Carpinteria or traveling through on your way to LA or SF read more

Breakfast Burrito & Cup of Homemade Salsa was on point. I picked the "perfecto" Homemade Corned Beef Hash as my choice of meat. I HIGHLY SUGGEST You the same. Great service as well and the coffee refills kept coming strong to keep you up on a road trip! read more

The Worker Bee Cafe - Breakfast Burrito & Cup of Homemade Salsa with the Homemade Corned Beef Hash. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Carpinteria, California

Delicious! Love the cleaned up decor and the food has been seriously upgraded. Special huevos rancheros is spectacular! read more

The Worker Bee Cafe - Huevos rancheros special of the day! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Carpinteria, California

Best corned beef & eggs anywhere! ...according to my wife, the corned beef connoisseur! Everything is made in house. Tasty biscuits, the best gluten free toast, free range eggs for extra charge. Cool atmosphere. Nice owner. This is our new favorite breakfast place. Excellent omelets. read more

The Worker Bee Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Carpinteria, California

Local diner that serves all the breakfast classics. Seating is limited. Tables are set for 2-4. Do not plan on coming with a huge group without calling beforehand. Food is great. Highly recommend the corn beef has and pancakes. Amazing service. I will be coming back if im in the area. read more

Stopped here on the way home from LAX. It is definitely worth the stop. I had the potato hash with jalapeño bacon and the homemade salsa. It was one of the best egg breakfast dishes ever. My wife had the cinnamon French toast and also some of the best we have ever had. The owner is hands on and very friendly with great recommendations. read more

The Worker Bee Cafe - Great dish - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Carpinteria, California

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Jalapeno bacon ... Nuff said .. awesome little spot for breakfast and a drink. Came after a hike on the Franklin trail and was full, satisfied, and left happy . Drink specials sounded yummy but didn't partake . read more

Best chicken fried steak ever. Period. Kombucha mimosas? Yes please. Awesome local vibe with great classic rock and blues always cranking inside. Can get busy during peak season and the kitchen is small - you do the math on that one... super friendly staff are highly attentive and always have a smile on their face. read more

Excellent food, friendly service. I will be back. The cafe had a small town feeling to it. Robert, our waiter who I think is also the owner explained the process they go through to deliver flavorful and high quality dishes. read more

The Worker Bee Cafe - The House-Brined Turkey Melt with beer battered onion rings. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Carpinteria, California

Food and service was delicious! Perfect spot for a spontaneous brunch. Only critique is that someone offered more coffee nearly every 5 minutes, which was a bit much. read more

Always feel welcome with the great service and solid dinner food. A fun place to park yourself at the counter and chat with the owner Rick. Worth a visit.... read more