Cafe 976

Recommends

GMS123

Joined 3 years ago

Great Food, Nice Outdoor Atmosphere. I loved the atmosphere of this place from the moment I arrived. The waiters offered a bunch of options for vegetarians as soon as I mentioned it.....a comforting change from the typical waiter who has little to say outside of "eat hashbrowns". They have a pretty unique menu in the way of experimental waffle and pancake dishes:) I'd recommend getting adventurous.

Inside is a little crammed, and eating outside flies will typically swarm you. That said. It's a great spot with tasty food and a relaxing environment to wake up in.

Recommends

yoyomomma

Joined 5 years ago

Best garden setting, friendly staff, iced almond joy is perfect for a hot day. Just spent a lovely afternoon at Cafe 976. Had lunch and the Hot Caprese on sourdough with chicken added was mouth wateringly good. With the magnolia tree providing shade and the flowers everywhere I feel transported away from my busy day. The iced almond joy was so good I had a second one with the lemon bar. Caffeine and chocolate to keep you buzzing. That is seriously the best iced coffee drink I have ever had. Sometimes you have to switch to the Thai iced tea for a change of pace. Being a transplant, I love how friendly people are, both the customers and the servers. The table service is really an improvement over the old system and if you just want drinks or to go items you don't have to wait in that line anymore on the weekends. I love to bring out of town guests here. It really shows off what PB and San Diego is about, a relaxed good time.

Doesn't Recommend

Erin Chambers

Joined 7 years ago

Beachy cottage with lush garden and patio seating happily stands as the quiet, neighborhood breakfast spot for north PBers.. In Short
The yellow craftsman-style house with wrap-around front porch isn't the only thing that makes it feel homey -- the menu of buckwheat pancakes, waffles, hommade granola and breakfast burritos is full of comforting, old-fashioned favorites with a health-conscious bent. Free weeklies, coffeehouse newspapers and random postcards charmingly clutter a vintage buffet table of coffee acourtrements inside, while chunky wood tables--many with dogs a tether-- fill the surrounding garden and patio.

Doesn't Recommend

katiapolster

Joined 5 years ago

Great PR mikewag. I can bet mikewag is either employed by this cafe or their PR firm. Hard to believe anything is good about this place after reading the reviews. Luckily for me, I have never been and will now make sure to never go. I don't support businesses that treat their customers this way. They will eventually go out of business.

Recommends

jbennie

Joined 5 years ago

Perfect service, killer food, interesting people watching, great garden. We came for the garden and fell in love with the food. Our waitress Stephanie suggested the Acai Bowl (get it with the works!) and then I opted for the good morning bagel, which filled me up. Liz got the waffle and stole some of my Acai bowl. Get the Almond Joy, iced, if you want a treat. Stephanie took care of us, gave us directions to the surfing beach, and was fast, friendly and anticipated our every need. What a perfect meal. The sun filtering down on us, the interesting people going by or at other tables, the fragrant roses and other colorful flowers and hummingbird babies in a nest in the Magnolia tree! It just doesn't get any better, until we ordered a piece of crumb cake to go, which did the trick after surfing. We loved everything about this place right down to the great art on the walls (and the cool old time photos in the bathroom). I think I want to move in here.

Recommends

mikewag

Joined 5 years ago

great atmosphere, fabulous food, and friendly service, love the new table service on weekends. WOW! I have read the reviews from February 2008 and all I can say is what liars! This place was voted best breakfast 2007 for a reason, they have awesome food and service. People who think they are renting a table for a day with the purchase of 2 food items need to get a reality. I think Katieblue and Shabazz420 (is that a cannabis reference?) are the nasty couple we encountered there on a Sunday in Feb. It was a lovely day and people were swinging from the trees, hoping to get a table. We (5 of us) asked this couple who had GMAT books out if they were leaving any time soon and they said no, even though they had no food in front of them and nothing in their cups. We got a table after an half hour wait, right behind them.

An hour later, the owner identified herself and explained to them that she had noticed they had been there for more than two hours after eating and that if they wished to study or use the internet during peak hours they were more than welcome to take a table inside. She thanked them for their patronage and explained that especially on busy days it wasn't possible to occupy an outside table indefinitely. They said they understood and would move. Yet right after the owner left the gal said she had no intention of moving. As we were leaving 20 minutes later, the owner again talked to them and the guy just started screaming at her about how come she was picking on them. "How come she was KICKING them out?" She again calmly offered them a table inside and a refill of their long empty drinks, but reiterated that with a full restaurant and people waiting, it was policy that the outside tables are not for studying or internet use at that time. They left, yelling at her the whole way.

As a student I hope other students learn what peaceful co-existence is. The guy has gone there for 5 years yet claims he didn't like it at all? Pleaze! It's a cafe that allows studying, not a study hall that sells food. Don't ruin it for the rest of us.

Doesn't Recommend

travelbug29

Joined 6 years ago

Costumers unappreciated. I was sitting in a quiet sunny nook of the cafe for about 45 mins, reading and drinking my coffee, when the owner of the the cafe came over to tell me to move so she could squeeze 8 people around the table I was sitting at. In exchange I could take the groups previous table in the middle of the chaos by the entry way. So moral of the story, unless you have a large group your service is not appreciated.

Unfortunately I have already given this place a good amount of service. It's good to know there are other great coffee houses in PB that will appreciate my patronage.