Beach Grass Cafe
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159 S Highway 101(between Lomas Santa Fe Dr & Plaza St)
Solana Beach, CA 92075 (858) 509-0632
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street, Private Lot
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Breakfast
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
29 Reviews for Beach Grass Cafe
Though it is open for dinner, most people go here for the breakfast where you can expect to wait a while for a table. This old gas station from the 1960s, turned restaurant, has a great open feeling inside and you can still see the internal structure of the 1950's built big-beam, brick construction. The breakfast truly sizzles! Try the turnkey hash, very filling, very saveur. I usually split the banana, blue berry pancake with a friend, but don't miss the homemade jelly that is on every table. This goes exceptionally well with the pancake along with the maple syrup. The staff works diligently, knowing you just waited a while to get a table. Enjoy and see you out dinning!
5 stars for the breakfast
THE PANCAKES ARE SO GOOD. sweet and salty and fluffy and perfect.
pancakes pancakes pancakes!
do it
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Eh. I keep hearing how great this place is. Went there for lunch on a Wednesday. nothing special. the best thing about it was the waiter who looked and sounded like Enrique Iglesias, Hot! We sat inside, rather than be subjected to 101 traffic whizzing by. The first thing I noticed was that the restaurant could use a good scrub down. The light wood flooring showed all of the grime around the edges of everything, yuck! We sat by the back window, where the window sill could use a good vaccuuming. I think I killed 3 flies.I had a lovely view of the garbage dumpster. The booth we were in had a vinyl seat, which is ok, but the fabric on the back was super scratchy. Cheesy fake wood formica tabletop. The food was ok. I guess I'll try again for breakfast.
1) Cozy seating
2) Ample parking behind the restaurant
3) Decent wine selection
4) Good variety on the menu
This is not one of my favorite places but not bad too..I found the service here a li'l too pretentious..Other than that, the food was good. Perfectly seasoned with perfect flavor of the ingredients, no overpowering spices et al. If i remember it right, we had the spicy fire shrimps, the sea-crab soup. Don't remember the main entree that we ordered..
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This is one of my favorite breakfast/brunch places in all of San Diego (next to Potato Shack in Encinitas and Hash House a Go Go in Hillcrest).
Positives: The ambiance is great - relaxed and casual and very beachy. They are welcoming of dogs on the patio and the wait staff is usually great. I love the location due to the proximity to the beach and Cedros - it's a bit tucked away and it's easy to drive right by it (it's right next door to Mirabella Mansori Spa off the 101 near Lomas Santa Fe Drive). The parking is not bad - there is a small lot immediately behind Beach Grass but it is filled quickly; there is a very large free parking lot further behind Beach Grass and parking has never been an issue. The menu provides a great variety and offers many combinations that I haven't found in other restaurants around San Diego; I consider it very gourmet for a reasonable price. The patio is wonderful on a nice day.
Food recommendations: Blue corn pancakes (EXCELLENT!), sweet corn polenta in a banana leaf with eggs and Louisiana sausage link, oven-baked eggs with parmesan and grilled baugette, cafe french toast, vegetable hoagie (so good we remake it for lunch at home sometimes), Mexican hot chocolate.
Negatives: The wait can be a bit long during the breakfast rush, but it tends to cool down around brunch time - 11/noon-ish. They do attempt to make the wait more comfortable by providing a free coffee cart outside. Not a big deal but since I'm reporting anything that I considered a negative, the bathroom location was a bit awkward. You have to walk through a part of the kitchen/dishwashing area to get there. Also, there are no sinks in the bathroom so you have to walk into the dishwashing area to wash your hands, which was weird, but it really added to the laid back vibe more than anything else.
I haven't eaten at Beach Grass for lunch or dinner, but I have had a couple of items from the lunch menu and they were fantastic.
Once you're done and full, it's great to take a nice stroll to the beach or down to Cedros for a bit of shopping. Excellent location! Overall I love this place! A++ and I definitely recommend eating here!
This place is great for breakfast/brunch w/in walking distance to the beach on the southbound 101 hwy. There is a different twist to traditional foods such as turkey hash or even their beach Benedict's which have some Latin touch to them. Our dishes were yummy. Would come here again to try their pancakes which looked good based from the table next to us.
Waiter service can be alittle slow in picking up the check or filling up water, but it can get busy in here.
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Ahhhh. The Beach Grass location which actually knows what it is doing. There is a reason for the long wait here, folks.
Gourmet breakfast food. Good, homey service. Beautiful presentation.
Encinitas location: Get a clue!
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The service was excellent and so was the wine. I must be getting very hard to please or I'm just a simple girl but the menu was a little much. All sorts of wacky stuff going on in the food and whoooooa I just couldn't handle it. My food was good though. I had the shrimp with linguine because it seemed the simplest thing on the menu. My cousin had some crazy chicken dish with olives and pepperchinis and mushrooms and polenta. She loved her food so I decided to give this place 4 stars. This women has eaten monkey so she's a little more adventurous than me.
I will be coming back and trying the brunch though. I've heard they serve mimosas in a wine glass.
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I LOVE this place! I got the Summer Veggie Quiche and it was amazing. The atmosphere is chill and friendly. I can't wait to try other items on their menu.
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When I want to change it up a bit for breakfast I come here. Fresh healthy ingredients with steller service. Fresh baked muffins, homemade granola. Ohhhhh yeah! I love the pineapple upside down pancakes or the Gruyere cheddar and fresh herb omelet! I've been coming here for years and the quality is always peak. If you go on the weekend, be prepared for a wait. It's worth it!
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#7 on the list of the best pancakes in the US! Pretty impressive in my book. I guess I'll have to come back and try them because by the time we rolled up for a late lunch, all I wanted was french fries.
Ok, I really just wanted ketchup, but I needed a vehicle for the ketchup because squeezing it out of the bottle onto a spoon just isn't considered lady-like anymore. ::sigh::
So, I "settled" for the salami and provelone sandwich (with fresh tomatoes and basil on it and slathered with a balsamic vinagrette) AND, of course, fries. After we ordered, the waitress came out and said they didn't serve that sammie on the weekends - we had a little menu mix-up, I guess - so I offered to order something else. She said it was no problem and they were already making it. I'm glad they did, because it was delectable! A little heavy on the tomatoes, but the salami was thick-sliced and the fresh basil was perfect. The fries were grrrreat, too. Just enough salt and hand-cut.
Other people in my party ordered the burgers, fish tacos, fish and chips, veggie quiche, and plain pancakes - and all had good things to say about them. Overall, very reasonably priced and quick. A relaxed atmosphere and some nice tables outside (maybe when it stops raining.... honestly!).
Next time - pineapple upside-down pancakes!
Annnnnd maybe a side of fries.
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Fun place. I had the fish tacos. A lot of food! I can usually eat two fish tacos, but I had a hard time finishing these. Grilled fish was great. And who knew shredded apples tasted good with hot sauce? They serve an apple salad of some kind or just apple shreds, don't know, with the tacos. I just piled it on the taco and well, now I know apples and hot sauce. Sounds weird, but tastes great!
Oh, and the chamomile eucalyptus tea was good too.
A lot to choose from on the menu. I will have to go back and try some more.
I am a purist when it comes to pancakes. Plain. A little butter. A little syrup. Done. The only intruders I allow in this perfect trio are blueberries and for those who can do it right - ricotta. But that's a whole other story. No bananas, no nuts, no cinnamon, and forget about hemp or wheat. But then a friend recommended the pineapple pancakes here and my whole pancake-eating universe came to a halt. I was in pancake bizarro world. So I says, "Alright, Beach Grass. I'll give you props on the pancake, but what else ya got?"
What else? WELL......I'm not a vegetarian, but their vegetarian scramble is amazing, and their eggs benedict is incredible too. I just haven't tried a meal I didn't like here. And you cannot - should not - leave the table before having some of their strawberry-rhubarb preserves. I will order toast on top of all the other carbs that come with my meal just so I can top it with that delicious, homemade fruity goodness.
Staff is spunky, and the decor is cool. There's a wait just as you would expect. And also expected of any good breakfast place - they've got good coffee too.
Beach Grass, thanks for expanding my pancake world.
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Fan of the old Cafe on Park? Parkhouse Eatery? Not hungover enough for Hash House? Take a drive up the coast and dine here. Clean, friendly atmosphere, and a creative and tasty menu. It will be your north county coastal "go to" (but go early, because the place is tiny, and the wait is a bit of a buzzkill.)
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We have found ourselves here twice on vacation -- twice we have been stuck in traffic, hungry and looking for breakfast -- and twice it has been fantastic.
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this is a good place for all sorts of breakfast food. if you go at a bad time, the wait is quite substantial since its so popular. but otherwise worth it. i tried their breakfast pizza once, and it simply was just overwhelming. you have to get it if you can handle little veggies and lots of cheese & bread. don't get me wrong, this is an excellent place, and if I'm ever back at the Solana Amtrak station, I'd definitely consider stopping in.
This is one of my favorite breakfast places in the San Diego area. One of the attorneys at the law firm I work for recommended it. Their menu is pretty unique and takes on some awesome Mexican, Asian, and French twists on American breakfast. I had the BGC House Hash and loved it! I love my eggs over easy and runny all over my potatoes and the dish was also kind of spicy too, a little oily though IMO. However, the hash was perfect and baked to the best crispyness. My friend ordered the smoked salmon omelet and it was stuffed with salmon and it was pretty damn good.
There's a long wait on the weekends so come early or have a free cup of coffee while you wait.
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Whenever I want some fabulous clam chowder I head straight to Beach Grass. And sometimes I come here just for that and a Caesar salad. We've eaten here as just a couple and with the entire family (i seem to recall they have a kid's menu and crayons). It's a nice casual place with nice service and cute decor. The portions are very generous. So keep that in mind when you order. We've had breakfast, lunch and dinner here, and I've enjoyed the food at each meal. One other dish that sticks out in my mind was a very fresh tomato and basil salad. I'm not a big fan of tomatoes but I can't wait to return to see if it's still on the menu. Try the rice vodka martinis. I really loved them. I had the pomegranate one. Mmmmmm. One last alcohol tip - they have a nice wine by the glass menu. Not pricey.
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great ambience....we've been to lunch there about three times and the food and service have been great each time. dinnner is also great. good quality tasty food for reasonable prices. the servers are also very friendly. this place is a hidden gem....
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Nate is the best! He is always smiling and provides excellent, warm and friendly service to everyone. The food is great and so are their mimosas, which are served in wine glasses. Beach Grass is dog-friendly and is a place not to miss in Solana Beach.
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OK. Nothing all that special. Was expecting big things after the reviews. Ordered the pancakes. They were all right but a little dry. Nothing to write home about. Pleasant wait staff. Decent ambiance. Just nothing to get excited about. Maybe I'll try it again.
I have been here a few times, the first was amazing. But now, I overlook it.... I'd rather eat somewhere else. I have a couple of favorite dishes, but it doesn't WOW me. Maybe I'm just bored with the menu.
The fruit pancakes are delicious, served with potatoes and fruit.
The omelets are tasty as well...
French toast is delicious... made with sourdough baguette... a little powdered sugar... mmm!
Not pricey, cute little area.
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I simply love this place. It has ultra-hip wait staff, interesting decour and a very creative menu. Get the scrambled egg fetuccini pasta if they are still serving it. Out of this world and soooo satisfying.
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Beach Grass is a delightful little cafe that serves refreshing and innovative dishes. It attracts an eclectic mix of people as it's laid-back atmosphere allows you to feel relaxed whether casually dressed or styling. The food is superb as well with a nice assortment of healthy vegetarian dishes always consisting of the freshest ingredients. My favorite is the risotto with roasted winter squash, wild mushrooms, shaved asiago cheese and fresh sage with a touch of cream. Mico brews and boutique wines are available to complete your dining experience.
The crab cakes, Moroccan-style, served w/ lemon spiced tartar make a great starter and the grilled salmon featuring sweet-soy lacquered w/ mashed potatoes makes a great entree.
They have a lovely outdoor Euro-style patio as well as comfy seating inside. At night enjoy dining the the rhythms of live locals musical artists.
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Beach Grass has excellent food, great coffee, cool mugs that seem to have been handspun on a potters wheel and a hip beachside Solana Beach address. Unfortunately, they also generally have an extremely long wait (at least on weekends). As long as you've got the time, don't miss it... you can be sure to leave with a pleased palate.
NOTE: The breakfast is great, and lunch seems pretty good too. I wasn't as happy with dinner.
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i usually hate seafood. if it's not fried shrimp, i'm usually not eating it. i'm telling you...get the fish and chips with sweet potato fries here. i actually went to this place twice within the span of two days, and i got it both times. SO GOOD!
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My wife and I thought it was decent brunch fare. Our grapefruit and orange juices didn't taste quite fresh-squeezed. My wife had a vegetable quiche, which wasn pretty bland. It came with mashed potato cakes, which had too much sour cream for our liking, although we liked the texture and the concept. I had a Machaca tacos (scrambled eggs, onions, and marinated pork topped w/ chedder cheese). It was flavorful and an above average dish. The service was competent.
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As noted in the "about me" section of yelp, I am noted to be a bit of a cheap skate. Over the years, I have perfected almost every type of common American bfast(pancakes,waffles, eggs Benedict, etc.) due to the enormous ripoff that going out to bfast has become in the US. $10 for pancakes that might cost $.25/each or $4 for a side of bacon or sausage makes me sick. It isn't like these freakin' places have to pay their waitstaff but about $2/hr! Again, can you believe that these places have the gall to charge for a side of bacon? If you can't make great food at a reasonable cost and charge a fair price, i wish you out of business. Anyhow, enough of my ranting. This bfast restaurant is worth the money, every once in a while! They give you huge portions that you can share amongst your friends and family all at reasonable prices. Their pineapple pancakes, scrambles, and hashes are fantastic. As well, they give you a great cup of coffee. I would never say eating out for bfast is ever better learning how to make your own, therefore 4 stars, but if you must leave home for a nice bfast, this is one place I would recommend.
Beach Grass is fun, creative and clean. The wait staff is better than your average here in North County San Diego and the food is good.
The breakfast is great there, their pineapple pancakes are very, very good but a little undercooked sometimes. Their lunch is not as good as their breakfast but still solid. Try the kahlua pork sandwich. Dinner is nice as well and reasonably priced.
Good wait staff, good food.
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