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Seaside Cantina
Categories: Restaurants American (New) Restaurants Mexican American (New), Mexican [Edit]
4111 Ocean Blvd(between Ocean Front Walk & Oliver Ave)
San Diego, CA 92109
Neighborhood: Pacific Beach
(858) 273-0775
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Breakfast, Brunch
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
34 reviews for Seaside Cantina
Review Highlights
"...was the most incredible breakfast burrito I have ever had."
(in 5 reviews)
"Right on the Boardwalk facing the ocean."
(in 10 reviews)
"Perfect place to go on a warm day."
(in 3 reviews)
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34 reviews in English
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Review from Jenny L.
2/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
The most awesome gingerbread latte came from this little window shop. OMG. So good! The coffee was smooth and it was perfectly sweetened. Perfect for a semi-brisk morning stroll on the boardwalk.
It kinda makes me want to try the food now... -
Review from Lauren L.
1/6/2012 2 photos
Each and every morning my friend and I would run by this little cantina. They have their latte's listed on a chalkboard and the first one on the list was a Pumpkin Spice Latte. The minute I saw that I knew I needed to have it. After having breakfast at The Mission one morning, we hopped our bikes and made our way to the cantina. And when they say seaside, they aren't joking!
I ordered one Pumpkin Spice Latte, a small, for $4.00. The man from the window disappeared and I heard the whipping and steaming of the latte process going on in the background. As I waited, I looked out over the ocean, loving my life. As I turned around I saw my latte waiting for me in the window. We grabbed a table and took a load off. The first most amazing thing about this coffee was that it was the perfect temperature. You know that temp where you can just have a sip and it's not too hot, its just right? Yah that was the temperature. Now if you are a pumpkin lover like myself, you need to have this. Not only was the pumpkin flavor right on, but it was extremely flavorful and had hints of cinnamon in each sip. It was well worth the $4.00 and nothing beats sitting seaside watching the sun come up over the ocean. -
Review from Joe S.
9/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
Top three best people watching spots in SD. Good iced tea with a nice refill policy, not to mention very friendly staff. It's what P.B is all about.
Awesome view of the Pacific and beach culture 101, level to the boardwalk where thousansds of people cruise by on their cruisers or skateboards, and every other form of transfortation known to man kind. Go and you'll see for yourself...a lot of new contraptions and ideas. From new weird bikes to old-school roller-skates.
Head up-stairs for a private Birdseye view, or stay level with the people just 12-24 inches away from you. Grab a beverage and just relax and breath that salty air, check out all the old and young people enjoy San Diego in all it's glory, a seriously great place to just relax and melt away your stress. 4 stars easy.....with cold beer or bloody mary's a 5 star joint, to bad there is no booze. -
Review from Jennifer M.
San Diego, CA
1/27/2012
I have seen the food at this place go down hill over the years. Love the view and my cup of coffee. Probably the best place to sit down and people watch while catching up with a friend or reading a newspaper.
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Review from Tyson G.
Updated - 1/27/2012
Food hours so spotty it's not even worth the trouble anymore.
Listed in: Dog-Friendly and/or Outdoor…, Lone Wolf, Mexi-can
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/19/2009
Possibly the best breakfast in San Diego.
This place is great -- it's right on the boardwalk, facing… Read more »
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Review from Jason D.
San Diego, CA
12/23/2011
Went around 10 am and no one was in line or on the patio. Ordered two expresso's at the window and a burrito. Waited 25 minutes and still no burrito. Asked about it and was told "I'll bring it when it's ready". Are you kidding me?? Went back 5 minutes later and asked where's the burrito and istated no one was here when we ordered. I asked for my money back and left. With lack of work and a crappy economy, there is no reason for a bad attitude. Won't be back.
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Review from Lisa W.
8/28/2011 1 photo
Location: awesome
Food: Not bad
Service: alright
Food: HAHAHA my friend ordered the Italian soda and there were BUGS not one, not two but FOUR in the cup floating around and chilling. We weren't sure if it's the cup or the drink itself. Other people didn't have any bugs in their drinks though, so we concluded it was that favor of the Italian soda... but the waitress was nice to replace her drink with bottled sparkling water and didn't charge us for that. And we had 7 people and we didn't get that auto-grat. That was nice too.
I got the turkey sandwich--it was okay, not bad. I like how they melted the cheese. Turkey sliced was thick and grilled. It's not my favorite place on the beach, Kono's is still the best. -
Review from Alex S.
Not a huge amount to say since I saw they were open at 7:45 while walking by and went for breakfast but apparently they are only coffee till 8:30 when the cook arrives. I will say that the meals looked a bit expensive for what appeared to be run of the mill breakfast food (I think like $9 for eggs) but their location absolutely cant be beat so it is probably worth it.
I did have coffee and that was a really well brewed dark roast. Also the guy serving it was super friendly and relaxed which may be the norm in San Diego but my Baltimore state of mind was pretty impressed with it. -
Review from Kait F.
San Diego, CA
8/30/2011 2 Check-ins Here
LOVE THIS PLACE! I just moved to the area and both my best friend and my roommate suggested it to me. after searching for about a half hour because I chose to walk the wrong way on the boardwalk... I was pleasantly surprised by the freshness of food, quality of food, and great service. The waitress was adorable, helpful, and friendly. I was hungry and had mentioned to her that I got lost. She made sure my food was there fast.
I order the breakfast burrito with the addition of jalapeños because I love spicy. This was the most incredible breakfast burrito I have ever had!
My boyfriend ordered this bagel sandwich thing that was so good! It came with the most fresh fruit I couldn't help but pick off his plate! If I had the money to I would be here every morning.
One quick tip: no bathroom! Try to go before because you have to use World Famous's if they let you. -
Review from Matthew H.
San Diego, CA
9/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
Delicious breakfast burrito and many other delicious looking options. If you can make an effort to get a seat up top. The patio is small but the people watching during breakfast is epic. The coffee isnt bad either, I recommend it.
SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS! -
Review from Brittney G.
San Diego, CA
11/21/2011
I highly enjoyed my breakfast experience here. The food was piping hot, had great flavors, and the skillet potatoes were crispy and perfect! The coffee was also perfectly brewed. Service is fast and friendly. The food arrives on a plastic plate, so this is not a white linen dining experience! But very enjoyable nonetheless. And how can u beat that ocean view?!? I haven't had any other meal here besides breakfast so I don't know how they prepare those dishes...but I would highly recommend Seaside Cantina to locals and tourists alike who want a casual dining experience with great food and a fantastic view!!
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Review from Captain H.
San Diego, CA
5/31/2011
Great place to drink coffee and people watch.
Also a great place to take out of town guests for breakfast. The location can't be beat and the food surpasses that of most local breakfast joints (the Mission excluded). Most breakfast dishes are meat free.
I love the seaside chorizo scramble (this might not always be available as it's a special, but it probably won't hurt to ask) and the artichoke scramble (+ chicken, as I love my protein). My friends from Florida raved about the avocado scramble. The side of bacon I got once wasn't crisp so I can't recommend that. They also have "healthy" wraps filled with things like egg whites and jalapenos, a pesto-veggie scramble that looks good, and many tempting varieties of pancakes and a house special chocolate-milk french toast for those that like sweet carby breakfasts.
I love that their eggs don't have that fake-butter taste, something that bothers me about Mad Dogs and Sweet and Savory. I don't like that taste, and I'm sure it can't be healthy!
The portions are large, the rosemary potatoes are fresh, crisp and delicious, the salsa and the black beans are A-OK. If you're in a hurry you can order at the counter. -
Review from Veronica W.
San Diego, CA
9/30/2011
I love Isabel's Cantina so much! its definitely one of my FAV breakfast spots. So when my mom came to visit me from Palm Desert, I wanted to take her to a good breakfast place on the beach. Isabel's is off felspar and its just like seaside cantina (same owners and similar menu). So I found Seaside Cantina on Yelp and was so excited to try it. Its like all of my favorites from Isabel's right on the beach. My fav at both places is the soy chorizo which comes with black beans, a whole wheat tortilla, potatoes with pico and cilantro, YUM! So good! They also have VERY good sweets like pancakes with fruit and french toast. The view is amazing, Great people watching. You can sit on the top of the restuarant and overlook the beach. Its a great place, even prob just for coffee (which I don't drink, so don't quote me). I LOVE This place and just needed to Yelp it!
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Review from Christine G.
New York, NY
1/9/2011
Isabel's Cantina was one of my fave brunch spots when I lived in San Diego, so upon my visit back I wanted to try the new Ocean Blvd. spot which I had hoped to be Isabel's with a view. I was surprised by it being just OK, I wasn't over the top happy with it. Obviously, the location is awesome right on the boardwalk. The people watching alone really added to the meal since I saw myregulars go by on the path... SLOW mode, the guy who roller blades by in slow motion. That was worth the visit alone.
But really, the food wasn't as awesome as I remembered Isabel's to be. -
Review from Maribel F.
San Diego, CA
8/1/2010
Came here for breakfast today, because we love Isabel's Cantina (same owner). Save your money & time...go to Isabel's Cantina instead!
First of all, the service is painfully slow!!! This is the type of place were you could eat & go...good thing people are honest! They would never even notice! Really. We decided to get up & pay at the take out window, but were told we had to pay the waitress directly. Ok...it wasn't an easy task to hunt her down!
The worst part is the food...it is just okay, yet pricey. Stuff you can really just make at home! We had the chicken pesto sandwich which was good & simple with just chicken, cheese, & pesto between some bread with a side of tortilla chips & salsa. Also had the breakfast burrito (highly recommended by the waitress) which had potatoes, black beans, egg, cheese, & sour cream. It really was just a regular burrito for $7.25. We found it to lack flavor...good thing it came with a side of salsa. Also ordered a cafe con chocolate which was good.
I also didn't like the atmosphere which was chaotic. This place is located right on the ocean front boardwalk in PB where there was lots of traffic! Bikes, roller blades, skateboards, strollers, tons of people walking by...yelling, screaming, crying...you name it! It wasn't the nice relaxing ocean front breakfast that I imagined! :-/ I do like that they have outside seating that is dog friendly. Except my pup was a little anxious with all the activity going on.
I probably would only come back for a cup of coffee or tea if in the area but that's about it!Listed in: Puppy Friendly Places
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Review from Cat S.
11/7/2010
Great location with beachside tables and an ocean view... but lousy coffee and muffins.
It's a coffee shop and they don't make espresso drinks? huh? That's lame. And the only pastry they had was a white flour chocolate chip muffin. I ordered one because I needed to eat something, but I could only eat half of it. It tasted like it came out of a cellophane wrapper (ie, definitely not fresh baked). Gross. -
Review from sumner l.
San Diego, CA
2/11/2011
Best breakfast spot in San Diego.
Mix the beach, the sun, and great breakfast food and you have the perfect place for a sunday breakfast. Ride your bike to get the best experience, and make sure to watch for Slomo, the cool-roller-skater, The Flash (i think he's gone though), and that ultra-blonde cougar rollerblader as the masses pass by.
I recommend the breakfast Croissant, the breakfast burrito, and the scrambles.
Also make sure you grab your own menu when you sit down or you will feel the wrath of the grumpy waitress. -
Review from Steve S.
San Diego, CA
2/6/2011
Good food, nice view.
They might have slow service when they are busy but the location makes up for it. On a busy day don't forget to look for extra seats on the roof.
The other Cantina (near Cass st Bar and Grill) is bigger and supplies the home made bread and recipes.
All in all good food and drinks not so quick service, on a busy day. -
Review from Gemma H.
San Diego, CA
1/4/2011
I love this place for their location and food but the service is horrible. So sad. Not happy to write this review. I have even left a note with suggestions but it hasn't improved in the past year.
We still frequent the place when we are open to tolerate bad service. Sometimes you get lucky and get a great server but there is one that is there most often that refuses to bring you a menu or sugar for your coffee.
If you want a great tip, give me great service! Don't point to where the menus and sugar are on a table you set up to make your life easier. And stop getting all stressed out when people move your tables around to accommodate their party. Be nice! -
Review from Jessica C.
San Francisco, CA
10/21/2008
Perfect place to go on a warm day. Any day, really.
This is a really cute little hole in the wall (can i call it that though, with only outdoor seating? I guess it would just be a "hole"), with beach worn tables, and sand on the boardwalk beneath your feet. And unbeknown to many, there's a secret upstairs...look for the closed door to the left of the window where you order your food. Personally, I like the upstairs even better than the downstairs...you get a bird's eye view of everything -- not just the ocean, but the interesting characters peddling / running / skating / biking / drifting by. And they probably won't even know you're watching. I sound like a creep, I know. But who DOESN'T like a side of people watching with their food? :)
And speaking of food, they do it well. I had the veggie wrap, and it was delicious. It's actually more of a burrito - a huge wheat tortilla, filled with black beans, tomatoes, portobello mushrooms, spinach, cheese, and a side of salsa. I also tried my bf's pesto bagel, and that too was perfect; fresh. Very flavorful pesto, deep red tomatoes (none of those bland, pale, gritty tomatoes here!), and cream cheese. Nothing was heavy or greasy, either. Coffee -- good.
I also peeked at my neighbor's plate, and my mouth nearly watered...I had to fight to keep my hands from.... In front of her was a plate packed with colorful fresh fruit, fresh scrambled eggs sandwiched between a bagel, tomato, cheese...I told myself i would get that next time for sure.
And there will definitely be a next time. -
Review from Christopher V.
Chula Vista, CA
7/26/2010 2 photos
The other half and I routinely stop here to ensure that we negate any physical benefit from our bike ride with a plate of great food.
I have enjoyed everything I have had here... breakfast burritos, nachos, and most recently, the chicken wrap.
Typically beach food blows chipmunks, but this is a notable exception. The fact that this place is beachfront is just a bonus.
This is a regular haunt, which I can wholeheartedly recommend. I didn't realize that this place was called "Seaside Cantina", though, until I had to hunt it down here and confirmed by the photo that I had the right place.
We just call it "Bi-Curious", a play on the restaurant's sub-title on its sign: "Be Curious".
Go enjoy. -
Review from Molly N.
San Diego, CA
1/17/2010
I am over this place. I have been a regular patron at Seaside Cantina, for over a year and my past 2 experiences have made me never want to go there again.
The service is terrible. They are not consistent at all. Some days you seat yourself, some days you have to wait to be seated, and there is no indication of which is happening on any given day. The waitresses take an extremely long time to come to you, give you a menu and take your drink order. Then they never return, and you have to go and hunt them down to come back to your table, they then take an even longer time to bring out your food.
I went to Seaside Cantina last weekend with 2 friends and we were there for about 2 hours. I had to ask twice where our order was, and the waitress kept saying it's coming, it's coming and how they were extremely busy. This may be true, but it happens every time we go there!
The food is really good, but I would not go through the frustration of dealing with the terrible service to eat there. I think the regular Cantina (on Felspar) may be better for service (although the last time I went there they accidently charged $436 on my debit card!?...a whole other review is needed for that fiasco!)
I think Seaside Cantina needs to get a new plan for serving customers, because what they are doing now just isn't working.
P.S. Trying to do a take out order from the window is not any quicker and your order will most likely be forgotten as well. -
Review from Genevieve J.
San Diego, CA
7/15/2011
After 3 years of walking by on the boardwalk and enviously eying the food... I finally stopped this morning. Seaside Cantina was all that I expected it to be. I shared the avocado scramble with rosemary sauteed potatoes, black beans, whole wheat tortilla and salsa. Scramble was full of avocado chunks, potatoes tasted like rosemary with a perfect mix of crunchy outside/soft inside, black beans were spiced right and the tortilla was warm. It was more than enough to share, I do not normally eat that much in the morning. I was pretty full however, I still felt light and energized, which tells me that the food is healthy. I was goofy enough to bring my Starbucks Americano so.... I didn't get to taste their coffees. I sure will be back for a morning brew to go along with their amazing food. Also had a really good time with the staff.
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Review from M E.
San Diego, CA
7/20/2008
Fabu view! Decent seating choices on off days and/or when tourists are not invading. Great bfasts that won't make you feel guilty. The Zen bfast is great. Trust me, you will eat it all!
Coffee is eh. Service can be a slow, so be patient.
Great views of the ocean and people wandering by. Great meet up spot for those on bikes.Listed in: My Neighborhood
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Review from M P.
San Diego, CA
7/31/2008
It's great because it's right on the boardwalk, their food is yummy and doesn't take as much time to get as it's sister/brother restaurant up the street. It's the perfect place to people watch, ocean watch, and have a coffee. It can get crowded, especially on the weekends, so go early and/or on a weekday that you may have off.
By the way, people, the boardwalk operates like the road. If you're merging from a side street, check both ways before you enter the main road. Then you won't get run over/cause an accident. Also, since we're in America, stay on the right. And try and be aware of the fact that there may be people behind you and don't just stop in the middle of the road without warning. And please don't walk 4 abreast and take up the whole road. Share. All in all, just be aware that there are other people walking the earth besides you. All of this applies to the grocery store, too.
Sorry, just had to get that off my chest. -
Review from Tiffany M.
San Diego, CA
3/30/2011
I have to say, this is one of the best places to go (not to eat), to go for brunch. They serve some morning cervesas, as well as different kinds of coffees n' teas. I liked my meal, the service was slow, BUT, you've got the sea breeze, ocean view, and people watching! What! I say what could be better? They have an upper level that it bar stool sitting but it let you see over the people walking to board walk, for one of the best places to enjoy our breakfast, ever!
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Review from Aileen V.
Alhambra, CA
5/28/2008
What a cute little place to have some breakfast and watch the people go by and the surfers do their...well surfing...
We stopped by here becuase almost every breakfast spot was jam packed with a 1.5 hr wait on memorial weekend! Its a good few steps from World Famous and since we were in a semi-hurry. We decided to stop by.
I wasn't looking for something too big of heavy, so I got the pesto bagel and the fruit platter. The pesto for the bagel was pretty scrumptious! Along with the cream cheese and tomato slices. The fruit platter was pretty packed! It has a kiwi, two strawberries, a banana, and an orange..all sliced up! It was definately too much to finish....My comrades got the grande breakfast burrito and the strawberry banana pancakes and said it was pretty scrumptious. It was a pretty good and quick breakfast along the beach. Perhaps next time we could linger a bit more and enjoy a great day at the beach while we're at it! -
Review from Cindi C.
San Diego, CA
11/16/2010
I will not go here again.
Good coffee, horrible service.
My mistake I guess, I wasn't aware that the coffee Natzi worked here...
I ordered a cappuccino and after she started making it a asked what kind of sugar free flavors they had, she told me, then I asked her to put a bit in my cappuccino. She yelled at me " fine! fine! whatever! "
At least she said "thank you and have a nice day" ??? I left there confused. -
Review from Tara G.
San Francisco, CA
2/16/2007 1 photo
A great place to grub on PB... it's right on the beach where everyone strolls by and coasts on their modes of transport: Beach Cruisers, skateboards, rollerblades (apparently their back in style!). I had this awesome mix of potatoes, jalapenos, salsa, cheese, sour cream and a side of black beans while the bf had the quesadillas. One downfall is that they have no beer and this is the perfect scope spot for all the local flavor. We got to experience the G-string cupid, complete with pink wig, wings and a heart drawn on his ass! And then there's "Slo-mo"... this old dude who spends his days doing figure-rollerblading in slow motion. Classic spot.
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Review from Shannon D.
San Diego, CA
1/3/2010
Wonderful food. Amazing View. Right on the Boardwalk facing the ocean. What more needs to be said.
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Review from Alison F.
8/4/2010
I love Isabel's Cantina and the Seaside Cantina is another one of her locations except on the boardwalk. After a short bike ride, we were really excited about having a good cup of joe and satifying breakfast. The seating is a little chaotic and everything is outside, except the kitchen. You can sit on the boardwalk or on a small patio upstairs. After talking to the server downstairs, we decided to go upstairs initially. The view was spectacular and we were enjoying watching the people on the boardwalk, beach go-ers and the sun glistening on the ocean waves. That is, until we realized a server had not come upstairs for about 20 minutes. I get a little cranky when I'm craving my coffee and I hadn't ordered yet. Finally a waitress came upstairs but completely ignored us, cleared some plates and left. Mind you, there is seating for about 8 people upstairs, so it wasn't like we were in a sea of people and she just missed us. We are pretty patient and after waiting 20 more minutes I went downstairs to talk to a waitress. She took my order on the spot and said she would put it right in. I went back upstairs and we wait another 20 minutes. We could see others downstairs getting their orders that came in long after we did. At that point I decided we needed to be downstairs because it was apparent that if you went upstairs it was like you had gone into an abyss. We moved downstairs and the same waitress that had been upstairs cleaning plates came to our table right away and asked if we would like anything. I told her we already ordered. When the waitress we ordered from saw us I watched as she went to the kitchen and brought our food to us. Out out of sight out of mind I guess. Anyway, the food was the only redeeming part of this experience. I will go back but we plan on ordering our food to go and then take it upstairs.
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Review from L F.
San Diego, CA
10/6/2010
Logged on to Yelp to report "great view, great food but HORRIBLE service," and noticed a number of similar reviews. With so many people looking for jobs these days why not get new servers?
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Review from Hannah P.
San Diego, CA
8/9/2010
This place is great -- good breakfast food, ocean view, good service, low prices. I went here for breakfast on a pefect cloudless sunday morning and the outside patio was full so we went upstairs to a small deck overlooking the boardwalk & ocean. I had the artichoke scramble which came with a side of salsa and rosemary potatoes. perfect amount of food, and tasted great. my friend had the chocolate chip pancakes, which I also tried. I don't usually like pancakes but these were amazing. also, apparently their other restaurant puts peanut butter on these...YUM. my only complaint is that we didn't get our water refilled, but the service was fine even being upstairs. I'll definitely come here again when I wanna switch it up from my usual breakfast at Olive Cafe in Mission Beach.
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Review from Chris B.
South Lake Tahoe, CA
4/24/2010
This is my first stop on all my trips to PB. Great relaxing atmosphere and healthy food. Great Breakfasts!
