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    Urbane Cafe

    4.4 (343 reviews)
    ModerateSandwiches, Salad, Soup
    Closed • 10:30 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

    Urbane Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    URBANE CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating

    Recommended Reviews - Urbane Cafe

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    Reviews With Photos

    Salmón bowl
    Clara A.

    This location has the best service, it was 4 min until close and although they were cleaning up they still took our order and had the cheeriest attitude. Thank you Rafa and Tristan for being so kind. Food never disappoints. My fav location for sure

    NEW MENU "A Really Good Fish Bowl"
    Vinie M.

    Places are big and chill. I gave 3 stars because my soup is luke warm or not even. Is like 3/10 for the temperature likewise. I like my soup to be hot at least warm. Not like boiling hot but it just "cold" for me and is on a cup for $8? I try the NEW salmon bowl. Supposedly come with the sauce which I don't know but they gave it to me once I finish my bowl and I don't really needed I guess. I can understand the customer service likewise but again it just the food itself and not that fresh, rice was cold as well and took longer to made. There is only 1 person working at that time I don't for the wait time it just the food taste for me. For one time try is ok I might give it a try again in the future. The thing I love for first time try here is the bread only. Is savory. They need to clean all the table and sanitize as well each time customer leave. I Will try again in the future.

    Club Turkey Sandwich.  Very nice and fresh.
    Craig W.

    It's a very attractive restaurant but we ordered our food to go. It was ready on time and we received exactly what we ordered. The Santa Maria BBQ sandwich has good BBQ flavor, although it won't be winning any awards in any BBQ contests. It comes with bacon, cheese, slaw, and dressing. It's a solid choice. The Club sandwich is also very good. It comes turkey, bacon, avocado, cheese, and some various veggies. Both sandwiches came with a very nice and fresh side salad. The bread here is obviously made fresh. If you order on the app, first time users get a freshly-baked cookie. And that cookie is very good. Solid choice for very fresh sandwiches and an excellent cookie.

    Sacha B.

    Urbane Café - Great Post-Workout Lunch Spot! I stopped by Urban Café after a workout and ordered the pastrami tip sandwich with a side salad -- and it was absolutely delicious. The sandwich came with a honey mustard sauce that really brought everything together, and the bread was soft and fresh. For about $13.55, it was a solid deal. The place is clean and has a friendly vibe. You order at the counter, take a number card to your table, and they bring the food out to you. I also used the restroom to wash up before eating and it was clean and presentable. I definitely plan to come back and try another sandwich. For a quick, tasty lunch in a casual setting, this spot hits the mark.

    Juliette L.

    Oh my gosh--the food here is so good! I had the chimichurri steak sandwich, and my husband had the pastrami. Both came with a small side salad, which was a nice touch. Even the cashier was super friendly and helpful. Easy 5 out of 5!

    Bridgette B.

    This is a go to spot after I get my braces adjusted. I get the Ben with either the chips or the salad. Or you can have fruit. I tend to opt out from the fruit so I couldn't speak on what that's like. It's right off the Kids Menu. I get it because it's kind of an upscale grilled cheese and it has bbq sauce and chicken....And because it's one of the softer option...Hence it's ideal for just after the Ortho adjustments :-) I love the focaccia bread. The staffers are friendly enough, the place kept well managed, & has a nice open floor plan if you like to dine in. It has bench wall seats and high top style tables. The only thing today was the soap was out in the unisex bathroom that I went into (I let the young lady know & she received the information kindly) My chicken had some cold spots so as I'm sure the tender chicken "cold cut" pieces just needed some extra time on the heat. I didn't mention that to the staff. I'm pretty sure the chicken was just cool and not a raw type situation. So it wasn't that big of a deal. A little bit warmer and it would've been perfect. What I found adorable was some kids thought the bread was pizza. What a novice idea! I bet the bread would make a lovely individual mini pizza for the kiddos. The kid at heart in me would probably order that if something like that ever became a thing here. Chill dinning experience and this time I gobbled it all up. Sometimes I get a side soup too. Also, I mentioned to the Hubs that if it wasn't for an official Yelp event here (years ago) I wouldn't have even known about this exact place. We've been to the O'side one as well. That's a newer location. Lots of pick up/take out orders here. Check them out!

    Nell C.

    Great service and food! Lovely, clean environment in Encinitas! Great cookies and salad

    Looks like a sandwich full of turkey meat, but when you open it up , only 1/4 of the Bread actually has meat in it.

    Looks like a full turkey sandwich , but when you open it up, only 1/4 meat on it. Where's the meat?

    UC Banh Mi Chicken Sandwich...delicious!
    Charles H.

    Seriously- the perfect lunch place. First time ever here. Didn't realize it was a chain, because it didn't feel like one. Went with the Chicken Bahn Mi and side salad. Everything was super fresh and delicious, and the price was reasonable. The little red peppers in the sando have a kick! The side salad with the mandarins and feta was simple and perfect. A welcome break from fries. Super stoked to know there's a closer one in Mira Mesa.

    Anderson D.

    Each time I have this cookie I'm eating the best cookie I've ever had. Review over Over Ove Ov E R

    Tri tip Pastrami sandwich
    Lyn V.

    We were in the area and about to go to Cava since that is our favorite spot but decided to see what this place was about. So glad we do! Customer service was good and the food was delicious as well. I was fulfilled with my salmon bowl. I also had a bite of the tri tip pastrami sandwich, pretty good. The food did not disappoint

    Chimichurri Steak Sandwich
    Colin T.

    After a long days work of watching friends and spouse at tennis camp, what better way to refuel than healthy salad and a filling sando? The restaurant has a pleasant sit down style layout with more cushy seats on the far wall, but we weren't just looking for a place for its looks. Our cashier took our orders with lightning speed and we got our food in less than 10 minutes with 5 ppl ordering. Service to get seated was *chef's kiss*. Wife ordered the steak chimichurri sando and I got the keto salad with extra meat. HIT THE SPOT. After nearing food coma, we brought our plates back to its storage home for clean up near the exit, and went back home on our merry way. Would I come back here? You darn right I will. Let's go!!

    Indoor dining
    Tammy D.

    Good variety of menu. Counter help couldn't answer what kind of salmon, food was tasty but too much sauce for my liking. Love the bread

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    2 months ago

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    Estela G.

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    2 months ago

    Went for a late dinner and the staff was amazing! Rafa, Tristan, and Natalie were so sweet and attentive! Great service!!!

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    Estela G.

    Thank you for being our guest Jasmine! We hope to see you again soon!

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    3 months ago

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    Caprice W.

    Helpful 11
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    8 days ago

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    Estela G.

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    2 months ago

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    Estela G.

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    8 months ago

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    Caprice W.

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    2 years ago

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    Caprice W.

    Helpful 1
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    1 year ago

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    Estela G.

    Helpful 1
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    1 year ago

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    Estela G.

    Helpful 1
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    1 year ago

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    Julia H.

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    Photo of Nell C.
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    1 year ago

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    Estela G.

    Thank you for being our guest, Nell! We hope to see you again soon!

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    4 months ago

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    Estela G.

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    2 months ago

    Christian was really helpful and friendly. Food and atmosphere was great and clean. We love this location.

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    Estela G.

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    2 years ago

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    Caprice W.

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    2 years ago

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    Julia H.

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    6 months ago

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    Caprice W.

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    2 years ago

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    Caprice W.

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    1 year ago

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    Estela G.

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    3 years ago

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    Estela G.

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    1 year ago

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    Caprice W.

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    1 year ago

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    Estela G.

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    2 years ago

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    Estela G.

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    11 months ago

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    Caprice W.

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    2 years ago

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    Caprice W.

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    1 year ago

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    Estela G.

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    1 year ago

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    Estela G.

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    1 year ago

    Great food, nice environment! Healthy options & tasty. Love the salads and soups. Helpful staff.

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    Estela G.

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    1 year ago

    I love this place! We had the best service, our servers name was Melinda! We'll l never forget her! Going back next weekend!

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    Estela G.

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    2 years ago

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    Caprice W.

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    1 year ago

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    Estela G.

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    1 year ago

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    Estela G.

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    1 year ago

    Great food and good service. The tri tip sandwich is my favorite. Extra helpful that they have a non-udis gluten free bread!

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    Estela G.

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    2 years ago

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    Caprice W.

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    3 years ago

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    Julia H.

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    1 year ago

    Amazing customer service start to finish! Marisa is incredible!!! 5 star. We will be back for more.

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    Estela G.

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    10 months ago

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    Estela G.

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    2 years ago

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    Estela G.

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    1 year ago

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    Caprice W.

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    1 year ago

    Best customer service ever! Had to try the cookies got me a So Cal sandwich looks very delicious.

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    Estela G.

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    2 years ago

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    Page 1 of 9

    Ask the Community - Urbane Cafe

    When will the Carlsbad or Oceanside location open?

    Thank you for reaching out Nicole! We hope to open our Oceanside location at the end of this year!

    Went today and were told they closed at 3 by the employee signaling to us, but the sign said differently. We drove from Carlsbad based on the published hours. Is this new?

    I have been an Urbane Cafe follower for a bit over a year and although I didn't receive an email about it this year, I remember an email about holiday hours last year. UC management hosts a holiday party for their employees and I bet that was the… 

    Is this place dog friendly on the patio?

    Yes, there are a few tables outside and dogs are welcome!

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Dumpling Bar

    Dumpling Bar

    4.0(395 reviews)
    1.4 mi
    •$$
    All you can eat
    Casual dining

    Finally tried dumpling bar after seeing countless videos online and overall really loved it and…read morewould come back! I was bringing a party of 7 all of us trying it for the first time (two folks from Europe/South America visiting the US/San Diego for the first time) per my suggestion. It was important that I suggested a good spot for them to try since I wanted my out of town visitors to have the best experience and thought AYCE dumplings would be exciting and different. Since it was a Saturday afternoon, I called ahead to ensure there wouldn't be a significant wait since we already pretty hungry and were traveling from about 30 minutes away. The person who answered the phone informed me that they don't take reservations and that they have a waitlist but they cannot add someone who calls in to the waitlist, we must add ourselves in-person. He estimated an approximately 45-minute wait once we arrived but said we could get lucky and it could be less. We decided to give it a try anyway in case we would get lucky. We arrived and I realized how small this place is and every table was full. The waitlist had 4 parties in front of us and estimated wait time on the waitlist kiosk said approximately 45 minutes, and it wouldn't allow me to add a party larger than 6, and the kiosk has a note that says "for larger party, speak with our staff". I added us as party of six but I then stood there for about 7 minutes trying to get a staff member's attention to let them know we were actually a party of 7. Understandably, the staff was just focusing on serving their tables, and while they did notice me, I believe they were not aware or thinking about the kiosk message directing patrons to speak to them so they just went about serving their tables. Finally someone came and said that a party of 7 is fine and it would be about 45 minutes from that time (now already 10 minutes since we got there, almost an 1.5 hours since I called) We ended up wandering around Trader Joe's a few doors down in the meantime and buying some snacks to kill some time. (Not great for a business, you want us spending money at your business, not next door) At about 45 minutes, we came back to check and were informed our tables were ready, it was two tables of four one behind another so our party would be separated. We asked how long the wait would be for tables we could put together and they said maybe another 30 minutes so at that point we decided to take the tables that were available. We asked if we could rotate the orientation of the put the tables to put them together if it didn't cause any issues for the staff to be able to get around them (again, a very small and tight space), and at first were told no, but then another staff member said it was okay they do it all the time, so they let us which we really appreciated after waiting so long to be able to sit together. The ordering process was a bit confusing because there is no separate menu for AYCE, you just order from the regular menu and tell the server you are doing AYCE but then there are some restricted items you have to watch out for. Our servers were fantastic and did a great job of taking orders and keeping the food coming. The food did take a while but it just seems like the kitchen is small and for that many patrons it's difficult to keep up. The food was absolutely fantastic and I really enjoyed the cucumbers, the short ribs were surprisingly tender, sweet, and savory. We also tried the pork XLB, and the chicken won tons with chili oil (broth was so savory) and the beef pot stickers. The garlic edamame was served cold which I wasn't expecting and wasn't really a fan of. The green beans on the menu stated that it's a cold dish so it didn't sound appealing and we skipped although I usually love that dish. The chocolate quality inside the bao buns wasn't very good but still an enjoyable dessert. The Chinese churro was unique and really nice! The ice cream choices were great and the area is self-serve and was kept clean. Only problem with self-serve in such a tight space was a line was forming and blocking the access to the kitchen. A few suggestions for improvement: Turn on the setting to allow people to join the Yelp waitlist from the Yelp app when they are within a certain radius of the restaurant to prevent the excess waiting for people that are on their way. This will keep customers from spending money at nearby businesses while they wait or deciding to go somewhere else all together. Serve the garlic edamame and green beans as warm dishes (or at least state that garlic edamame is a cold dish on the menu) Create a separate menu for AYCE and use numbering so people can order more easily by number. Label the pictures on the menu so people know what is what, but ideally have pictures of each item. We wasted a lot of time Hoping this business keeps improving enough to expand perhaps to a second location to help with the overcrowding/tight space issues!

    Extremely disappointing experience. We arrived at 8:00 PM (an hour before their 9:00 PM closing)…read moreand were seated right away, but that was the only prompt service we received. After sitting down, we waited for 15 minutes without a single employee acknowledging us. Multiple servers walked right past our table to check in on every other table around us, some of them multiple times. We were never brought water, never asked for our drink or food orders, and never checked on. Looking around, every other table was filled with white customers who received attentive service, while we were completely ignored. It was hard not to feel like we were singled out and overlooked. After sitting there feeling invisible for 15 minutes, we finally just got up and left. I will not be coming back.

    Photos
    Dumpling Bar
    Dumpling Bar
    Dumpling Bar

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    CHIKO - Fried rice // ribeye & rice cakes // spicy soy wings // potstickers // orange-ish chicken

    CHIKO

    4.4(747 reviews)
    2.0 mi
    •$$

    for nearly two years, Scout, my orange, husky-looking mut and I have been driving by their…read morenow-shuttered Encinitas location four times a week after playdates at Power Lines Dog Park. every time we do, I think "we gotta back there for another visit." pretty sure CHIKO has aged out of my draft queue. now that I've finally gotten around to finishing the review, they've been closed for months. in the draft, I suggested CHIKO might not be a destination restaurant, but if you happen to be in the neighborhood, it's definitely a place worth stopping by for eats. if you wait long enough, like I did, the nearest ones are in the DC area and probably not worth a cross-country trip. sad.

    Post-mortem... I was sad to hear that CHIKO permanently closed their doors at the end of last year…read more It's rare for an East Coast based Asian chain restaurant to migrate to California, but that was what CHIKO did. As noted by its name, this place served a fusion of Chinese and Korean cuisines. Their Encinitas location took over what used to be a roadside diner along N Coast Hwy 101. The seating capacity was less than 40 people which included a few high-top counter spots. At my last visit, I came for a late dinner before their closing time. A large menu was posted on the wall behind the service counter that listed about two dozen food offerings. The items seemed to be comfort food like pot stickers, spring rolls, fried rice, and chicken wings but flavored with unique combinations of seasonings and spices. I started my meal with the Marinated Beef Tri-Tip Skewers which came as a set of three and a Chinese mustard for dipping. The meat was very tender and well-seasoned. I also ordered the Cumin Lamb Stir Fry which the cashier said was medium spicy. After tasting a couple of bites of the noodles from the serving bowl, I agreed that the heat level was moderate, even for my palate. I thought the portion size should have been more for the price. That was my main criticism for both items, otherwise the food was solid for an Asian fusion eatery.

    Photos
    CHIKO - I love chiko-lada! Soju is deadly (good).

    I love chiko-lada! Soju is deadly (good).

    CHIKO - Pork and kimchi potstickers

    Pork and kimchi potstickers

    CHIKO - Sesame custard

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    Sesame custard

    Urbane Cafe - sandwiches - Updated September 2026

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