Came here for an event and the next day I knew I wanted my husband to come and try out their breakfast with me! We both got a breakfast sandwich except he got the croissant! I thought mine was great and he also did as well. Their vanilla latte was great and the coffee had a nice flavor to it. Their syrups are house made. The ingredients here are fresh and amazing quality. My egg yolk was a deep orange color and tasted fresh! The service was good and I was even brought a little stool to put my purse on. It was a nice touch. The place itself is what it is labeled, a neighborhood cafe! It is homey and comfortable. read more

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I'm embarrassed for the owners of this restaurant. The service was friendly but wow, I just paid $30 for one lettuce heart sliced into 4 little spears, 2 boiled eggs and 2 caperberries with random splashes of dressing. I could've made this at home (all organic) for $2 and I'm not even kidding. This is not an exaggeration, and I spent $5 more for the second egg. Writing this so that people know before they waste their money. read more

Unfortunately the quality has gone down and the portion size has also gone down considerably. When I mentioned the salad used to come with more they told me I could order a side salad. read more

Came here for a birthday brunch with my friend, and she had been here before, so I let her take the lead on what to order. We shared the salad and the chilaquiles, and both were absolutely delicious! The salad was actually my favorite--the capers added so much flavor and made it really memorable. For drinks, we ordered the passion fruit cocktail and a Bloody Mary. The passion fruit cocktail was definitely more my vibe, but the Bloody Mary was also really good. We asked for it extra spicy, and it had the perfect kick. The restaurant itself is super cute, and the service was so friendly and welcoming. Seating is mainly outside. Even though there was shade, it was still pretty hot, so I ended up sweating throughout brunch. Other than that, it was a great experience, and I'd definitely come back to try more of the menu! read more

Ubuntu - Cafes Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

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Amazing service and food!!! The environment is so pretty and relaxing. We Recommend the brazilian bread and the chilaquiles.

We've become regulars here, and came back for the new menu. Once again, our favorite server, Amanda, gave us great suggestions and took excellent care of us! I was SO impressed that she remembered our names, our favorite cocktails, and put in our order for the Brazilian Cheese Bread that we love almost as soon as she saw us. We were disappointed that they were out of our favorite Potstickers appetizer, hopefully they will come back in the fall. We tried the new Shrimp Linguine dish, and she helped us by recognizing that it might be a little too spicy for our taste, so she put it in with the request to limit the spicy oil. She really is the best! We ate everything before we could get a photo, we will try to remember next time, lol! read more

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This is the second location of this restaurant that I have been to. The first is Long Beach and I really liked the restaurant so much and I did write a review. This new location is located in the River St., San Juan Capistrano area. This river Street is such a nice venue . It feels very carefree and open with many shops and restaurants and many open areas with children happily playing. I came for lunch and the brunch menu is being served. I ordered a delicious Aji salad with fresh greens and homemade miso dressing. Once you pay for your food, your food comes out very quickly. The outdoor shaded patio is very pleasant and it also features peters for evening time. It was a very pleasant lunch with very high-quality food. read more

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Great brunch spot located in a small shopping center!Service and food were amazing. My grilled cheese was super cheesy and grilled to perfection. read more

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$18 for a breakfast sandwich ... literally just a small sandwich with no sides or salad. Flavor is good but the price is just too crazy. You will still be hungry after this. The breakfast short rib chilaquiles is a larger, more filling portion. Kids chicken tender is two pieces with small side of fried. Okay food but not the best value. read more

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We're not used to dining with two young kids and the effort it takes, but we were babysitting and decided to take the kids here. The servers were SO accommodating! There isn't really a kids menu per se, but they offered to make the lobster Mac n cheese minus the lobster- kids loved it (as did I and usually dislike Mac n cheese). They were out of the Brazilian cheesy bread, but not to worry, they offered to slice up a baguette, toasted each slice and served it with olive oil, butter and jam. Perfect to much on before the main courses arrived. The short rib ragu did sound too hearty and large, but decided to give it a go and the portion was delightfully manageable, balanced flavours and extremely tender. I'd also recommend the crispy skin branzino, full of flavour and again, the size was not overwhelming. read more

Vanilla Latte -- really good but I didn't like how my cup warped. The micro plastics leeched into my drink is not worth the continuous sipping :s also why I wanted an iced drink so I wouldn't have that happen but next time maybe time? The 3.5 is really because of the cup situation My husband said the service was good no complaints read more

Ubuntu - Vanilla Latte - Cafes Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

The avocado toast is everything! They actually put everything bagel seasoning on top and makes it slightly crunchy and delicious with the radishes, perfectly seasoned avocado . The Chilaquiles is also very good .. as well as their delicious lattes. This place was packed today very dog friendly. They do have blankets for your laps if you get chilly. Their system is you order and then you sit down we did the opposite. We grabbed a table and then we ordered. It seems to be the perfect way to do it. read more

Ubuntu - Cafes Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

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This review is a hard one to make because there is some good...yet not enough good to make it higher than a 3 star rating and comes from it being just an odd experience. 1st the Good. Millionaire's bacon is amazing. Worth the $11 - thick cut and tender, it's a must try. Wait, that's about it that I can remember. Everything else was bleh. THE BLEH: -the Menu - they have multiple locations and the website has only one version of the menu but does not indicate which location it is referring to. Unknowingly, when we tried ordering some food from the website version of the menu, the order taker informed us that they don't serve it (talking about the bread pudding shown online). -Staff Knowledge - this bread pudding that we ordered...well it actually WAS available on the backside of the in house menu...so the staff didn't know they serve that? Also, when we pointed it out to her on the in store menu, she then changed her answer to "oh we ran out of that". -Availability - we went for Sunday brunch...and they told us that 4 of the things we tried to order were out of stock. -Seating format - when you walk in, your order and pay and then seat yourself. I noticed that there was a jug with water and glasses next to it so I assumed I would be allowed to serve myself a glass of water and take it to my table. Nope. I was informed (in a very dry, awkward way) by one of the staff that I shouldn't be using that and there is water at our table. It was a very weird interaction. -Food preparation and delivery: When the food arrived (going back to staff knowledge), our orders were not what we expected. Many of the items on the menu have bolded add ons underneath and apparently when you order one of the add ons, it comes out with your food but on a separate plate and not prepared in the dish as you would expect. For example: we ordered an omelette and added Portuguese sausage on. Since it's an omelette, you would expect the sausage to be mixed in, right? wrong - it comes on the side, uncut...just sitting there...so odd Also "famous scrambled eggs" were very wet and runny...is that why they're famous? The two pieces of bread that came with it were also hard as rocks so that was slightly unpleasant. Finally, the fingerling potatoes that came with it were ultra bland. -Outside seating - they have staff wandering around ready to fill water and clear plates which is nice but how are we supposed to tip them if we already paid before we sat down. I am just confused about this aspect. Do I want to go back? Not really.... read more

Ubuntu - 3 eggs served very runny and some bread that's as hard as rocks and some potatoes with no flavor - Cafes Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

Was just so impressed by these COFFEE ICE CUBES in my nitro brew. It's the first time I've ever seen a coffee shop do that. I just had to share. read more

Ubuntu - Nitro brew coffee. - Cafes Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

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This is a cute little cafe in a fun and unique shopping center. The ambiance is relaxed with walk up ordering and then table service. I ordered my daughter the unicorn toast and while she thought it was cute, she didn't really like the taste and ate my omelette instead. I thought it was good though! I ordered the classic omelette which was decent, but for me the star was the roasted potatoes! My only issue was the baguette that came with it was so hard it was inedible. I also had a Spanish latte and it was yummy. I loved that the ice was frozen coffee which was flavorful and helped not to water down my beverage. There's a nice grassy area for kids to play so my daughter got some wiggles out after breakfast. read more

Ubuntu - Unicorn barf toast - Cafes Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

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I'd never been to Ubuntu before and my friend and I decided to stop by for a bite, while shopping. I was so impressed. At first I thought it was just a cute coffee shop, and then come to find out, they have a whole, delicious menu. They have an indoor space and super cute outdoor space too - tons of seating areas! I loved all the decor and florals! I especially love that they have blankets on the patio for breezy nights. That is so thoughtful. The food we ordered was plated with care and didn't just look visually appealing, it tasted so amazing as well. The grilled zucchini came with this delicious pistachio cream spread that was bursting with flavor. The cheese board had a fantastic selection and the goat cheese balls with apple slices and hot honey were a dream. Only thing I'd add would be a lot more bread! Our service was fantastic too! I'm coming back soon for sure! read more

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Swung by for coffee while I was in the area. Ubuntu is centrally located in the new River Street Marketplace. They've got plenty of outdoor seating overlooking the central area, and staff is very friendly. I got their French toast latte and an almond milk latte, and both were great. I also loved that they use coffee ice cubes, and frankly more places should do that. I do plan to come back, and want to try their food next time too. Be sure to check this place out next time you're in the area, even if it's just for a coffee. read more

Good matcha and good service!! Loved the breakfast food!! Such a fun way to start the day, the ambiance is cute!

There's plenty of seating outside. I especially love the beautiful flowers set on every table. Absolutely my highlight with this little detail! We got the Lobster Omelette and Brazilian Cheese Bread. We shared amongst the 4 of us and it was surprisingly filling, especially with the bread. I particularly enjoyed the bread. It was warm and cheesy, the guava jam and butter just added so much. The staff were very friendly and the food came out relatively quickly. read more

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My wife and I went to Riverwalk not knowing which restaurant we would go to and as we passed the restaurant the outside patio seemed to have a nice vibe and was laid back. Once we got in we were asked if we were dining (there is a cafe/bakery element to it). Got a seat by the edge of the patio. Comfortable seats. My wife is vegan so the menu options are everything. I'm pleased to say, not only did they have a few great options but the server was friendly knowledgeable about vegan options - somehow that is rare in Socal - but it was very appreciated. My wife loved the ratatouille. Staff were attentive, had a sense of humor (also rare in SoCal) and we felt like we weren't just another table slot being booked for the evening. Don't normally write reviews, but this restaurant and staff deserved it. read more

At this point, I should start a fan club for Ubuntu and I will proudly be the first member of the club! This is the third location of Ubuntu and I've dined here yesterday with my family and hence I have been to all of their three locations! SJC Ubuntu is located at the River Street market plaza/Los Rios Historic area. This location is their latest addition and I think they really took the other two locations into consideration when they designed and opened this one. I think the layout is the best out of three. There are tons of food choices and restaurants in the area and I've decided to still go to Ubuntu instead for our lunch. Here, you order at the counter and then grab your seats. You can still order service at your table once you've seated and placed your order at the counter. But I like this concept it makes me feel like I'm dining at my neighbor's backyard! The pastries display here is big and you have a big view of it when you enter. If you haven't had any of their pastries I really commend just any of it because they are all so good, but my favs are any of their croissants. For food, few of my favs are their toast variations, the millionaires bacon or million dollar bacon, the grilled/roasted veggies sandwich, the grilled salmon salad, short ribs chilaquiles, breakfast croissant sandwiches, and the omelettes. They also make their pistachio milk in-house so I often get a latte with pistachio milk. One think I noticed is the chilaquiles here, the tortillas chips were super soaked and soggy though. I think they might've accidentally poured too much juice of the pickled onion or something in there that the tortilla chips were like wet bread. However flavor and taste were still good so I forgot to mention it to the staff. John helped us at the counter and also at our table here and there and he was super friendly and knowledgeable about the restaurants, its visions and plans. Overall, I love Ubuntu! I think few of their signatures is the fresh beautiful flowers that is the center piece on every table, their yummy pastries, the Millionaire bacon, and the super friendly staff and environment you get here. I read some not so great reviews posted here and I don't understand if you actually talk to any of the staff here, how would some misunderstanding would take place? I've witnessed they really went out of their way to make sure their customers are actually happy and satisfied with their food and drinks, even when they are in Togo cups! So, in conclusion, highly check them out if youre in the area! Either morning lunch or night, stop by and you won't regret! read more

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This is one of the cutest cafes! It is so homey and welcoming that you can't just pass by it without going inside and wanting to get something from it. I only got their latte. Unfortunately it was not anything special or memorable. But since the restaurant itself is so cute and trendy, I am writing this review. I am gonna go back for sure to dine in and try their food! read more

Just had the best service at this cafe. The Coffee drinks are lovely and the setting is clean and peaceful but it was the staff that made our experience a memorable one. We will be back. read more

"But don't tell me about the things you've heard Maybe I'm wrong, but I want to believe in humanity" (Carole King) Ubuntu is an ancient African word meaning 'humanity to others'. Three of us had lunch at their San Juan Capistrano location and sat at one of the outdoor tables. One odd thing I noticed was that every table had a red blanket draped over one of the chairs. My cousin that lives locally told us it gets chilly here at nights, so some restaurants provide blankets for their customers. OK, that's a new one on me. We ordered a tomato bisque ($13) - "fresh tomato soup - served with basil and toasted country bread", the Quiche Lorraine (22) - "ham & cheese served with organic field green lettuce salad", and a Roasted Veggie Sandwich ($19) - farm roasted butternut squash, fennel, arugula, crispy onions, goat cheese, house-made Calabrian chili jam spread on toasted ciabatta bread & organic field of greens lettuce salad. I added on sliced avocado for a $4.50 upcharge. My Veggie Sandwich was very good, a real nice blend of colors and textures and tastes on soft and fresh ciabatta. There are quite a few places to eat in the River Street Marketplace, and Ubuntu was a solid choice. read more

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I came here with my son when my brother was in town. My brother had found the River Street Ranch when looking for kid friendly outdoor activities. We came here with an appetitie. The menu was very appetizing and the seating overlooked a green belt as well as the other shops. I ordered the American Cheeseburger along with an Iced Oat Milk Latte. My brother ordered the Angry Fried Chicken Sando. I also ordered a side of fries for my son. The staff member sold me on the parmesan fries for my plate but I told him to make my son's fries as plain as possible as he is a picky eater. He said it was no problem. The food came out promptly but the staff member came out with the fries just missing the parmesan cheese. My son took one look and when he saw the herbs on the fries was like no. I told the gentleman I believed I ordered them as "plain as possible". He responded "against my better judgement I thought I could just bring them without the parmesan". He appologized and offered to fix it immediately. My son devoured the plain fries with the lunch my wife packed him. I still hold out hope that one day he will try the food we offer him when we go out but Ubuntu wasn't his day yet. read more

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I'm so excited that they are finally open! The owners are super sweet and they are from Brazil so of course they are the nicest people ever. They have a few gluten-free cheese, free options for me like scallops. They also have beautiful baked goods as well as coffee and overnight oats. I ordered the $37 scallops and they were rubbery and overcooked. My girlfriend had two glasses of wine and dog treats for her Frenchie and they charge five dollars for that. What a great idea for restaurants to charge for dog treats!! read more

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Really good food and the staff is incredible. Friendly and attentive. My favorite is the scrambled eggs, but everything is good.

Came for a quick drink and snack and ubuntu did not disappoint! The passion fruit margarita was sooo good and refreshing. Tequila was smooth and didn't taste like it was overpowering, which I enjoyed! The kouign amann was flaky, sweet and delicious! Their other pastries looked really good too and I'd love to try another time. read more

Ubuntu - passion fruit margarita - Cafes Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

Came here on a Sunday afternoon for my mom's birthday brunch and the food was delicious! Unfortunately the wait to order our food was almost an hour. I'm not sure if we caught them on a bad day or if it's always this slow, but the staff was extremely kind and apologetic, going above and beyond to make up for the wait time. The food came out very quickly after we ordered and everything was delicious. They also use coffee ice cubes in their iced coffee drinks which is a huge plus! This location at the Riverstreet Market is a great vibe and perfect to walk around after your meal- note they do not validate parking. After getting through the line to order, it was a great experience and I would consider coming back because of the customer service and fun location. read more

Ubuntu - Angry fried chicken sandwich, avocado toast, omelette, & lavender latte - Cafes Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

Service was great staff was friendly but pretty let down considering it's a Monday morning and not many people. My friend and I ordered the same breakfast sandwich. Our food tasted cold and the brioche bun wasn't soft it tasted like everything had been previously cooked and been sitting for awhile. $17 for a cold breakfast sandwich that's super small and comes with no sides. The coffee good but $1.50 for milk sub? read more

Ubuntu - Breakfast sandwich - Cafes Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

Picked this restaurant during our day at River Street Marketplace and kinda wish I picked something else. Expensive for what it is. Ordered the chilaquiles. Just by looking at it, I was worried about the portion size and the lack of sauce and color. I was real surprised that it was pretty flavorful. Although good, it didn't blow me away. For $22, I expected more and this didn't even have any sides. The texture of some chips were hard and the avocado was not ripe. Couldn't even cut the avocado with my fork it was so hard. No complaints about service but nothing to rave about. Nice outdoor patio vibes on a beautiful day. read more

Ubuntu - Chilaquiles $22 - Cafes Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

Service was horrible This is my first time I give a one star. I came excited to try their ice coffee and wine!! I got attitude and rude service. Sadly to say he is female Hispanic. Her coworkers were friendly and polity. Girl if you do not care for customer service then you are at the wrong place! read more

Ubuntu - The cashier female sadly to say Hispanic. Sooooo rude!!! - Cafes Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

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Perfect Cafe to stop for brunch or lunch! Situated in the River Street marketplace, Ubuntu Cafe has an extensive outdoor patio (also dog friendly) that is both tastefully decorated and thoughtful. Each hardwood table was decorated with fresh seasonal flowers (delivered each week), and offered a blanket for patrons to use (in case you were cold), and also had heaters throughout. They had a full selection of pastries the morning I went, from various croissants (guava, chocolate and almond) to cakes (tiramisu, dulce de leche cheesecake) and also had healthier options like a fruit parfait or overnight oats. You pay at the cashier, and then they will bring your food out to you. We ordered several espresso drinks, almond croissants, a ham and cheese quiche and the vegetable sandwich. The almond croissant was divine, came out fresh flaky, and buttery - also very generous with the almond filling inside. Both the entree dishes were delicious, and I love that it came with a large serving of mixed greens. The ham and cheese quiche was thick and flavorful, but do keep in mind that this dish takes a while to make (over 30 mins). Lastly, service was great! The servers were constantly checking in on us, making sure our drinks were to our liking, waters were refilled and that we had everything we needed during our visit. Will def stop by again next time Im at river street! read more

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My friend and I popped into this cute cafe after dinner. We were looking for some coffee but got so much more. Upon entering we were fascinated by the beautiful display of sandwiches, pastries, and goodies in the case. While we drooled over them all Ashley walked up and greeted us. She was incredibly knowledgeable and welcoming. We thought she'd worked there for years but she told us she was new and had only been there a few weeks. We were shocked! She truly had such a light and knew so much about the food and selections. We ordered some drinks and made our way out. We will definitely return to try the food, and to see Ashley again. read more

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What a wonderful place to have brunch. I came here with my husband and son earlier this afternoon and enjoyed every minute of it. The ambiance here is great and the customer service is amazing. Located at the River Street marketplace you will find lots of delicious food items and desserts and drinks. Loved everything we ordered and the cold brew was perfection. Service over coffee ice cubes. Now that's impressing. Lovely place to meet family and friends at. read more

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This first visit to Ubuntu also marked our first visit to River Street Marketplace. Immediately, I felt the welcoming warmth and friendliness of the staff, eager to assist and accommodate our needs and requests, boosting my excitement to be there and putting me at ease! The entire staff was fabulously personable, professional, helpful, and efficient (5+ stars!!)! The creative entree names on the Kiddos Menu had all of the adults at the table chuckling! The presentation of the Kiddos meals was attractive (and well received by our kiddos), too! As for the adult entrees, a few of the menu items I tasted included the: - "Millionaire's Bacon" ($11), which consisted of a single slice of pork belly (not what we'd expected); - Famous Scrambled Eggs ($18), in which I most appreciated the farmers market green lettuce salad; - pastries (Kouign-Amann and Butter Croissant): while big-&-attractive in size and presentation, both lacked the textures and buttery flavors that I was expecting and desiring. Great location and atmosphere for this counter-service restaurant, offering spacious outdoor patio seating (with a nice touch of a throw blanket, too!), attractive furnishings, and fabulous staff and service. read more

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Ubuntu Cafe offers a limited but fresh and tasty menu, pleasant counter service (food brought to the table and cleared) and an upscale ranch style outdoor patio. The crab cake appetizer was delicious and big enough with the mixed greens to serve as a lunch entree. Charming lunch spot. read more

Ubuntu - Wonderful salad - Cafes Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

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A great spot for a family meal with a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere. We were really impressed with the kid-friendly touches, like the selection of children's books that kept our son happily occupied. The food was, for the most part, excellent. The star of the show for our little one was the Unicorn Toast - a fun and whimsical creation that he absolutely loved! The Deviled Egg Toast was also a standout, perfectly prepared and full of flavor. Both the lattes and the fresh-squeezed lemonade were delicious hits as well. Service was fantastic throughout our visit. The staff was attentive, kind, and responsive, which always makes a dining experience better. The only dish that missed the mark was the Angry Chicken Sando. The chicken was unfortunately overcooked and rubbery, and the overall flavor was unremarkable. While I wouldn't order that specific item again, it wouldn't deter us from returning. Overall, we had a wonderful time and will definitely be back to try some of the other intriguing toasts and menu items. read more

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Tried the scrambled eggs breakfast and also the Devil's eggs on toast. Both were just as good! Service is impeccable. Ambience is great and relaxing. Good for catching up with friends and private conversations. read more

Ubuntu - Open- Faces Devil's Eggs on toast - Cafes Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

With so many options in River Street we walked in blindly to Ubuntu. We were met with amazing staff and food that left us wanting more. Trust me and order the Brazilian cheese bread and curry chicken. The quality of food was so much better than I've had with other stores in the area. Thank you Dani for going above and beyond in her service. Very eager to return soon! read more