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    Windmill Cafe

    3.8 (409 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 2:00 pm

    Windmill Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    WINDMILL CAFE ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - Windmill Cafe

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    Matcha late and lox on sourdough
    Anna F.

    Yummy food and lots of good options! Order at a counter and food is brought to you. Cute seating areas.

    Drink Menu
    Leah Y.

    I love the decoration of both the inside and outside of the cafe. It is so unique and interesting! When I walked in I was super impressed with the menu. Extremely reasonable prices for unique and interesting food. They also have a sauce variety of drinks, smoothies and homemade pastries. Plus the people that work here are super nice! What caught my attention was the Grilled Goat Cheese with Smoked Salmon, Tomato and Dill. Super simple ingredients, so each as every flavor was able to shine through very well. The goat cheese paired really well with the salmon, and was warm and melty on the bread. I loved the tang from the goat cheese and the salmon flavor, a little unexpected to see on the menu but it just works! The bread itself was lightly toasted so it had a great crunch when you bit into it. The tomato gave a good bit of freshness to each bite. The salmon was super good, but I would have probably appreciated another slice. Honestly thought, for the price I paid, the food was extremely well put together flavor wise. Extremely fair price, and would definitely order this again. I also order a herbal raspberry tea and had no issues with it. Total for the sandwich and tea was only $15. Worth every cent! A great place to get delicious, great quality food without costing an arm and a leg. I definitely want to come back here again and try some of their other food and pastry options. Probably a new favorite cafe in the area.

    Surf's Up Breakfast
    Christie B.

    I decided to head over the hill to Santa Cruz this morning to get some sand between my toes. After my walk at Seabright, I was getting hungry and popped into Windmill Cafe for a quick bite before heading home. The small parking lot was full when I arrived so I had to drive around a bit and finally found a spot across the street. There's seating inside as well as patio seating which is where I sat. I needed some sunshine and fresh air. You place your order at the hostess stand which is oddly placed blocking the door. If you want to sit inside you need to squeeze past which felt odd. The menus are outside hanging on the wall. Here's what I ordered: SURFS UP - 2 scrambled eggs, 2 slices of thick cut bacon, home fried potatoes and a piece of sourdough toast with butter and jam. This was your standard basic breakfast. Everything was good although $13 felt kinda high especially with the portion size being pretty small. MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE - I love a good Mexican hot chocolate but this one needed to be much warmer and more spice. The temperature was barely lukewarm. Service was wonderful. Super friendly staff. Not sure I'd drive all the from San Jose to eat here but I'm sure the locals love it. Fast, unpretentious and many items are gluten-free.

    Photo taken at the Windmill after this Monarch Butterfly left its cocoon. This is why I love this place. What a gem.
    Nanci B.

    Great service. Lovers of nature and protectors of habitat. They planted milkweed to attract monarchs. Now they are nurturing and protecting them.

    Alexa P.

    Cute, good food, listed as good for kids (I think it depends on the kids :( ) very sunny outside small cute look inside. Likely won't go to again :) Not a fan when people make any amount of comments about little ones and volume it's not like they are phone controlled at the age of 1-3 :).

    Gluten free waffles, gluten free French toast, potatoes, and sausage.
    Cory C.

    Having celiac disease, along with other diet restrictions, it is hard to find good options to eat at on vacation. I have passed this hidden gem countless times over the years, and it is now my absolute favorite place to eat in Santa Cruz. Literally every item but one in the menu was gluten free. And they sell amazing gluten free baked goods as well. This place is a dream come true. The guy greeting us at the door was extremely kind and very helpful and patient as we asked about the menu. The kind service and cozy vibe at this cafe is enough to bring us back over and over. The food though... The food was honestly so great. Gluten free/vegan food can look strange in some cases such as these waffles, but they were absolutely delicious, and the French toast was incredible! 10/10 overall.

    Inside Seating

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    5 months ago

    The food was great, the service was pretty fast, super cute vibe and outdoor seating.

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    7 months ago

    Great latte's!!!! At least once a week, gotta have one. Soy milk latte is my fave and they know how to make them perfectly.

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    1 year ago

    Adorable, dog welcoming, friendly place to get gluten and dairy free pastries, smoothies, and etc. Loved it and would return

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    Page 1 of 11

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    Do they still serve gluten-free waffles?

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    11th Hour Coffee

    4.4(659 reviews)
    2.1 mi
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    This spot captures the Santa Cruz beach vibes. Just blocks…read morefrom Natural Bridges and the Light House surf spot the morning customers have their shorts and hooded sweaters and wet hair baptized from surfing in the waves. The service is fast and chill. The food and drinks are made with care. The seating area has shade but some of it gets the morning sun so you can warm up as you sip your coffee.

    SUPER CUTE CUPS! Coffee is okay. I forgot I've been here in the past, so wanted to write a review…read moreto jog my memory in the future. They now change $0.25 for to-go cups, which I guess is a Santa Cruz ordinance. Can you imagine them doing that elsewhere? Oooooh my city would make a killing off that! Husband got his usual cold brew ($6.25 inc cup fee). No complaints except they don't fill it to the brim even if you don't want room for milk/cream. I got a tiramisu latte ($8.25 inc cup fee). I could see why they call it a tiramisu latte because of the mascarpone foam and the lady finger. It was decent, but I think I would have enjoyed a standard vanilla latte more. I also personally didn't like how the cold foam dripped down the side of the cup because it got all over my hands! As a former barista, I always made sure my drinks were clean before handing them out.

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    11th Hour Coffee - Apple tart this morning and I am not disappointed. Great apples, not too much cinnamon w/ crunchy crust.

    Apple tart this morning and I am not disappointed. Great apples, not too much cinnamon w/ crunchy crust.

    11th Hour Coffee - Strawberry cream latte, Oh my goodness!

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    Firefly Coffee House - Jalapeño cheddar breakfast bagel

    Firefly Coffee House

    4.3(698 reviews)
    1.7 mi
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    This was my first time ever at this particular coffee shop, and I was so happy I found it when I…read moredid!! I was looking for something heavier than a pastry and found out they had breakfast sandwiches and their own bagels! Score!! To my surprise, they also had specialty drinks so I had to get the Blondie latte with a plant-based milk. I asked the lady if it was sweet and she said it came with a tablespoon of brown sugar. But they could switch it and make it a teaspoon instead. Perfect! As I got my latte it was amazing!! The espresso used in the latte was actually a mild roast coffee so I really liked the flavor of it roast and it was Organic!! Win-win!! Since I'm trying to avoid dairy at the moment, I asked if I could get the lox bagel sandwich without cream cheese and replace it with avocado. The lady at the register asked another barista behind her and she said it was fine! Perfect!! You also get to pick out what type of bagel you want, so I wanted to try something different and got the sun-dried tomato and basil or something like that! The sweet flavors of the herbs in the bagel and then the juiciness of the tomato baked into the bread once simply wonderfully with my breakfast sandwich!! There's a cute little waiting area inside with at least 10 tables or seats along the breakfast bar counter and a couple of tables. There's also a very large outdoor seating area, but I was cold so I wanted to sit inside to warm up my body since I was going to go to yoga on the beach. I had only planned on eating half the bagel sandwich but honestly, it was so good when it came out. I sat there for a good 20 minutes until I ate the whole thing!! Lol so funny!! I was so stuffed I had to walk an extra mile before I could start my yoga on the beach! As I sat enjoying my breakfast sandwich, I got to overhear the two barista's talk about music!! One of the baristas allowed her device to search new genres of music while the other barista specifically looked up different genres of music she liked and then would tell her device to find music of that era. So interesting to hear their discussion!! I honestly loved everything about this quaint little coffee shop, and I will definitely be back again and again!!

    Stopped here for breakfast and coffee, bagel sandwiches are soooo big! Definitely worth the $…read moreWorkers were very sweet, order came out quick! Can't wait to go back!

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    Shrine Coffee - Awesome after ride cappuccino

    Shrine Coffee

    4.7(170 reviews)
    1.9 mi
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    A fabulous coffee house attached to the Catholic Church on Westcliff. The coffee is excellent, the…read moreservice is friendly and doesn't take too long. The pastries are delicious (we loved the ginger raisin scones). It's set back from the road so it feels a little bit hidden but not so hidden that all the tables were occupied on a sunny Sunday morning. There's indoor and outdoor patio seating, next to beautiful gardens, with a gentle ocean breeze and a lovely atmosphere. Grab a coffee and enjoy the walk along the water!

    Such a cool, tucked-away coffee shop. This feels like one of those hidden gems you're happy to…read morestumble upon. The location is unique, set behind a church, which gives it a quieter, slightly off-the-beaten-path feel. It's a great stop if you're walking from nearby hotels or just exploring the area. The space itself is cozy with a relaxed, peaceful vibe. There's indoor seating, and on a nice day the patio is a great option. It's not a huge shop, but there's enough seating to sit and enjoy your drink. Drinks were really well done, my favorite was Our Frother. Everything tasted balanced and thoughtfully made. The atmosphere feels calm and welcoming, perfect for a slow morning coffee. Overall, a charming little spot with great coffee and a unique setting. Definitely worth a visit if you're in Santa Cruz.

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    Shrine Coffee - Main entrance is behind the silver car, just to the right of the statue

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    Main entrance is behind the silver car, just to the right of the statue

    Roxa Hammock Cafe - Acai bowl

    Roxa Hammock Cafe

    4.0(253 reviews)
    1.9 mi
    $$

    Came here not really knowing what to expect, especially being in the middle of a food mall, but it…read moreended up being a really solid find. The staff gave some great recommendations and the dandelion tea was honestly amazing, smooth, earthy, and just hit right. The vibe caught me off guard in a good way. It felt calm and intentional, not rushed or chaotic like you would expect in that kind of setting. Definitely a cool spot to slow down for a minute and try something a little different. Would come back for sure.

    We had high hopes going in to this place .. visiting from LA…read more We love to try new businesses and support them as I was a small business owner myself. I know how hard it is to make it. The place is cute and a cute concept. I ordered a bubblegum smoothie and my husband ordered an acai smoothie. When I rec'd mine it was barely cold and super watery... this drink is $13 plus I left a $2 tip. I was not happy with the flavor or how soupy the drink was ... it should not have been called a smoothie. My husband liked his which was thick, creamy and cold. I went up to the two girls working there and told them I was not happy with my smoothie and if they would be able to make me something else. One girl answered yes while the other said I have to ask a manager first. They got back to me and said sorry we can't make anything else. I asked if the manager was there and again one girl said yes while the other said no. So whether or not the owner was there .. I wasn't sure. They refused to make me another drink while I left my $15 so called smoothie by the dirty dishes. I was so disappointed with how they treated me and I would visit this place with caution. So I spent $15 on no drink and sitting in a hammock. Maybe they should rethink how to treat people and how to give good customer service.

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    View from the top of the stairs! Hee

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    Bottom floor from the register

    Windmill Cafe - cafes - Updated May 2026

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