Americana Restaurant
1454 Camino Del Mar, Del Mar, CA, 92014
Americana Restaurant Menu
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Starters
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Thin Crust Pizza
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Grilled Burgers
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Grilled Sandwiches
Healthy Meal suggestions for Americana Restaurant
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Starters
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Thin Crust Pizza
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Grilled Burgers
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Grilled Sandwiches
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Address :
1454 Camino Del Mar
Del Mar, CA, 92014 - Phone (858) 794-6838
- Website https://www.americanarestaurant.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :7:00 am - 3:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Breakfast
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Ashwin M.
I am not so sure about this place yet. I heard nice things and saw the sign claiming Voted Best Breakfast...so I went there for brunch on a Sunday. The place was neat...outdoor seating was perfect with the sun on my face and the sea spray behind. The coffee was nice and strong. However, the food...I can't rave about. I ordered Eggs Benedict with potatoes and it looked like they were feeding me after a famine with 3/4ths of the plate filled with potatoes and the hollandaise sauce barely palatable. I might have to come back again and try their eggs done differently to agree they are the best Breakfast place.
(3)Juliet S.
So I want to order a make your own omelette, but they charge you an extra $1.99 for cheese?? Are you kidding me? Isn't cheese a staple in omelettes?? Not only that, but the service was extremely slow AND I got charged and additional $2.50 for french fries that I didn't even order! I will never step foot in this place again. Good riddance!
(1)Mark B.
I came to visit a close friend (who I was trying to get closer to) in San Diego this week, and hoped to impress her by having breakfast at your quaint place near the beach on Sunday (5/5/13). From the description I was given, I had expected more of an ocean view from the patio, but no worries. The place looked pretty cute nonetheless. We were seated pretty promptly, and the food was good enough, but nothing up to this point would have warranted a Yelp review, good or bad. The problem started when the waiter brought the coffee, much of which was in the saucer already, and also quite a bit of sediment in the bottom. OK, no big deal. It was when the rest of the food started coming, with the same lack of care taken in the presentation. The glass with my date's orange juice was completely sticky. The syrup dispenser for my pancakes was not only disgustingly sticky as well, but also 2/3 empty. The worst - her plate had smears of her food all the way to edge of the plate about 1/4 of the way around. The meal still could have been salvaged from our perspective if the waiter had handled it appropriately, but when it was brought to his attention, he said "oh that was probably just the cook using his rag to clean the plate up a little." REALLY? No "I'm so sorry" , or "we'll comp that for you", or "let me bring the manager over"...nothing. Not acceptable. So again, given the food and the ambiance, we might have been back. But because of the food delivery and the service, extremely unlikely.
(1)D D.
great breakfast place! love the outdoor seating and the service is always great
(5)Jon N.
Just left this place FURIOUS!! We ate here once before and it was pretty good. This morning was a complete atrocity. We waited in line for about 10 min and they seated us to our table......but that's as far as it went. We waited.....and waited.....and waited.........(and yes we waited patiently understanding that they were busy) but no one came to ask if we've been helped. But the people that came way after us were served. So my wife went and told the receptionist and all she could say is "I don't know what happened, can I just get you something to drink?" Are you serious?!!! We just told you we've been waiting and all you can offer is something to drink? How about getting someone to take our order? I never want to pull the race card, but is it because we weren't "White"? Anyway, this place is not that big for them to keep missing us. So we got up and walked across the street and ate at Pacifica Del Mar, which actually turned out to be an enjoyable breakfast for us! Do yourself a favor and STAY AWAY from this place.
(1)Humberto G.
I used a Groupon here two weeks ago after a Torrey Pines hike. I would agree with others that it is a little on the pricey side, but then again you are in Del Mar. So I guess we pay for the real estate. We had the Grilled Portobello and the Grilled Chicken sandwiches, and I also had the tomato basil soup. None of them were anything to write home about. While both sandwiches were just "ok", the Portobello sandwich was falling apart. It was seriously messy, and not in a Carl's Jr. messy kind of way. I was disappointed, but at least I can cross it off my "to go list. One of the annoying aspects was that there was a $2.50 surcharge to get fries instead of salad with your meal. Really? So even after using the Groupon I was still on the hook for an additional $39. It would have almost been $60 for lunch for three people. The only thing I can really say for this place was that it is in a nice location, and you get an ocean view if you are on the side patio area. Beyond that, I would rather get lunch someplace else in Del Mar.
(2)Banu K.
Hubs and I went here for impromptu lunch one Wednesday. I ordered the vegetable omlet with ham in it. I am Gluten free (not allergy, just choice), and therefore asked her to substitute the toast for tomatoes. She said "sure, no problem". Next thing I know, she charges $2.50 for the tomatoes, and the original price of the omlet. Thanks! Anyway, Hubs got the turkey burger, it was good, he loved it. We used a groupon coupon, and I showed them the coupon, and guess what....they wanted to take my phone away to "process" the coupon. I didn't see my phone back for about 10 minutes, and needed a couple of drinks in the meanwhile, sweating over it. Anyway, I like the location since it's so close to the beach, but will not be going back unless I have to prove to my family what a great place I live in, that has a brunch type place, next to the beach...
(3)Andrea J.
Ah, beautiful Del Mar..this restaurant gets a lot of love from me simply because of its perch atop the seaside cliffs; it's a short walk to a serene, grassy park that overlooks the ocean. But I tried the Portabella Omelette on my first visit there and I've been an addict ever since, always ordering it on return visits. I'm even working on recreating the dish for myself at home! The service is so-so at Americana~I've had very long waits for this simple omelette dish and very short waits. The last time we went, my fince and I watched as two other tables who were seated about 10-15 minutes after us received their food about 15 minutes before we did. What was our order? My Portabella Omelette of course and a Ceaser Salad with Chicken and Steak. This last meal, the potatoes that came as a side were under-seasoned and soaked with oil, too. At least my Omelette didn't disappoint and this one consistency will keep bringing me back for more! Little side note: there were quite a few patrons with their dogs on the outdoor street patio where we were sitting~I'm not a fan of dogs in general and I really don't like them around when I'm trying to enjoy a meal, whether I'm outside or not (exactly how I feel about smoking at restaurants, too!). I know I'm in the minority here, but I strongly urge restaurants to not allow dogs in any parts of restaurants. Not everyone likes dogs. I'm a cat person but I wouldn't dream of bringing my cat to a restaurant because I understand that not everyone is a cat person nor is it sanitary or considerate to do so in the first place!
(3)Bob K.
Nice little restaurant with ideal outside seating. Burgers were excellent. Flatbreads were also very good. Had three kids of varying ages and all enjoyed their meals off the simple kid menu. Service was also very good. Considering we wanted something extremely casual coming off the beach, this worked out very well. Good tap beers, too. Totally met expectations.
(4)Shanon L.
I've been going to Americana for the past year and the service and food was great. In the past 2 months it has gone completely down-hill! The last 2 times we went for breakfast it took almost an hour to get our food. When it did come it was cold! The place was not busy so no excuses! I'm tired of going to kitchen to ask where my food is. Finding a new place for weekend breakfast!
(1)Foodie C.
We are locals and frequent Americana for breakfast. It is one of our favorite places for their outstanding coffee...nice and strong and flavorful egg dishes! Randy is more hands on with customers now which is good. Happy customers, happy owner! He personally came to our table and apologized for the wait..meh, no biggy...it's Sunday. The waits can be long for breakfast...which speaks for how good the food is. We are going to give the happy hour a try on Friday night!!! Can't wait :)))
(4)Karen B.
My husband and I stopped here for breakfast while we were on vacation. The food here was pretty tasty, though maybe a little on the pricey side for what you got. The atmosphere was extremely charming and cute. They were a little busy, so we didn't see the waitress very often, but we're not overly needy people. My husband had the waffle, which he really enjoyed. I had scrambled eggs with potatoes. The potatoes were very flavorful, but on the dry side. Would like to come back for lunch or drinks- they had a very interesting-looking drink menu with lots of things I would like to try.
(4)Gregory O.
Decent outdoor seating, dog friendly, solid food and an excellent location. Wait staff is only okay, food is pretty standard (not bad, not great) and it is a little spendy for what you get. There are better options nearby but it is a nice enough option in the area and we return maybe once a quarter.
(3)Everett H.
This is our second try eating here. The first time we had to wait some 20 minutes to be noticed -- sitting inside! Breakfast was good, coffee excellent. Overall experience a C+ Today, trying for lunch. Good service. Good hamburger with Gorgonzola and bacon, a bit inconsistent: ordered medium and it varied from well to rare in various spots. Overall pretty good. My wife had the chicken sandwich and sent it back. Rubber chicken! Even the potatoes were inedible. Slaw was good. We won't try again.
(2)Victoria O.
I love everything about American Restaurant: the décor, the view, the food, the prices, the service, and the location. They need to open one in Santa Barbara: it's like a lower-priced cross between Tupelo Junction (which has dinner and happy hour) and Jeannine's, which is overpriced and overrated except for the downtown location. Jeannine's has added some menu items in the last year or so, but I haven't been a regular for years. Most of my Montecito friends gave up on the Coast Village location years ago. For breakfast there are two dozen options including the special waffles and pancakes. Usually I'm not a fan of egg-whites but the mushroom and goat cheese egg-white quesadilla is heavenly. I judge breakfast places by their potatoes and these are exquisite roasted potatoes with just the right amount of rosemary. Brown and crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, they're what roasted potatoes should always be. We saw several pancake and waffle variations at the next table and all looked great. The happy hour prices--5 for most appetizers--are as impressive as the variety (duck and corn quesadilla sounds divine!). The artisanal cocktails are a bargain at 9 and my Bloody Mary was great. I love Del Mar and this old standby is a must-try when in the area. I liked L'Auberge but the breakfast/brunch menu is more expensive and the food no better. You're paying for the view and it's perfectly pleasant, but I'd choose Americana over L'Auberge and go regularly if local.
(4)Anne C.
Perfect dog friendly breakfast spot in Del Mar. Excellent eggs benedict, cinnamon toast and cheese grits. Service was ok, they were super busy! We loved the location and ambiance! Fun, relaxing place.
(4)Tom N.
Good News: Dog Friendly. The rest of the news, great location probably keeps this place in business at the level it operates. The food is usually ok and the service is usually poor. Note I've only sat on the outside patio, will continue to come here for the location and casual atmosphere...
(2)Pnina N.
The food was very poor and the restaurant located on the main street ,lots of noise.i ordered for my son black beans soup and it was awful. I ordered a chicken toast and it came with bread only and potatoes no vegetables no noting! The chicken was dry and burned too much. Never eat there again.
(1)Lauren S.
We frequent this place for brunch on the weekends- it's close to the beach, has home-y vibes, and up until today, pretty solid brunch and lunch options for a decent price. I ordered the grilled chicken wrap with avocado and bacon today and my mom had the Cobb salad- both listed avocado as one of the main ingredients on the menu. That's why I ordered it. When our food came out, I started eating and noticed no avocado, the salad didn't have it either. I asked the waitress and she said 'Sorry, we just ran out of avocados....' Fast forward 10 minutes, the table next door ordered an omelette that miraculously had an abundance of avocado on top! She also said 'found ya some avocados.' Hmmmm...... I wonder where they were hiding? Or maybe they just forgot. Either way, Americana be throwin' the shade and I didn't get avocado in my wrap.
(2)Angela C.
Really cute restaurant with nice heated seating outside. I give three stars due to mediocre service. My friends and I sat outside looking towards the ocean. Very nice setting. I ordered a mimosa and the eggs Benedict with bacon and tomatoes. Very good. My friends liked their breakfasts as well. The service is another story. The young hostess did not greet us or smile. She clearly did not want to be there. We sat at our table for a solid 15 minutes before our server came along asking us what we wanted to drink. Food came another 30ish minutes. Not once did our waitress ask if everything was okay, and then she brought the bill randomly. Overall I have mixed feelings.
(3)Ali J.
Went here for happy hour before a concert after the Del Mar Horse Races and was pleasantly surprised! Got their freshly made iced tea, crab cakes, chicken satay and a flat bread. Spent around $40 or so and left very full! Could've had left overs if I wanted. Service was great and the location is quaint and very relaxed. Would recommend for a first time date for something low key that is close to the beach. You can easily leave and walk around and window shop if that's your thing or head down the hill for a romantic walk along the beach if you're up for it. Offers a lot of variety on the menu and doesn't lose its flavor! So refreshing to see so many options and still get great food. Will come back when in the area!
(5)Wen H.
Monday morning stroll in Del Mar. Americana Restaurant has an adorable outdoor seating area, and the inside has a great, relaxed atmosphere. The food was good, the staff was friendly but not necessarily the most attentive. I'd give this place another try.
(3)Crystal B.
We came in to give this place a second chance. Sat down inside in the corner with great view of people & outside. I ordered a unlimited cup of coffee, dad ordered a mimosa. Buttermilk pancakes w\ chicken sausage & apple. They didnt have turkey bacon, but the sausage was sweet and spicy.Mom ordered a denver omelet.There is a bar inside to the left as youcwalk in. Its kind of hidden if your not paying attention. Also they have happy hour menu with wine, draft specials, and even well drinks. I may have to come back to try it out. Looks like select days and times Tues-sat 4-630 The buttermilk pancake turned out alright. The first time I had it it was soft and sweet like cake. I think they cooked it too long this time. But I did enjoy the coffee, had about 3 cups. Bob even came over and chatted up my dad. He seems like a kind guy and may hit up this place again if I'm in the area
(2)Ruby R.
I liked the outside and inside of the restaurant. The decor was simple but charming. I had the Greek omelet with feta cheese and spinach. It was good but it was too milky or runny for me. Could of used some spices or seasoning. So I put a lot of salt and pepper on it. The latte was average, and the service was okay. I would go again to try something else.
(4)Stephen L.
Nice restaurant, nice pastries. Well worth a visit. My wife ordered the Huevos Rancheros, and I had the Roman Breakfast. Also, there are some great pastries st the entrance you can order, I love the muffin with cream cheese filling. We have had dinner here in the past and it is very good. The meals are nicely presented, with excellent sauces. This restaurant is situated in downtown del-mar, so they will get business regardless. But this restaurant continues to please years after our first visit. Don't miss out if you live in San Diego, or are just visiting from out of town. If you have trouble parking, go to the mall kiddi-corner to the Americana, and park underground. It might be expensive but you are in Del mar, what did you expect? Worst case drive up the hill (east) and park in the residential area, the beach-side will be packed.
(5)James H.
Best waffles. Get a waffle! Only downside is if there's a screaming child in there which there was when I went. Not the restaurants fault but that's the vibe.
(4)Dale W.
The ambience is nice, the food is pretty good, and the service was very good - bravo Richard. My only real complaint is the coffee cup. Obviously this cup was chosen by a non-coffee drinker. The profile is too shallow for how wide the brim is. It's wobbly and you're guaranteed to spill your coffee. You have to hold the cup with one finger in the loop, your thumb pressed down on top of the loop and your middle finger pressed up hard on the loop. If you have arthritis or carpal tunnel, you can forget about it! The saucer rim is too high up, so it is impossible to put the cup down without tilting it forward and spilling the coffee all over the place. Come on Americana, get a good old-fashioned coffee mug!
(4)Sheri H.
Everything was wonderful and very tasty! I would give 5 stars BUT... The PROS: Flatbreads were yummy! We had the artichoke. It's a must try! Potstickers are great and the sauce is perfect. Mojitos were perfect! Grilled veggies for dinner go perfect with a friends steak! Very big portions. Best to share plates. Ruby our server was awesome. The outdoor seating that faces the ocean is super cool! :) yes, they have heaters. the CONS: using the passport dining card and having them add back full rates to happy hour prices and then applying the discount. I don't think it would have killed them to keep the happy hour prices on our bill and give us the 1 free entrée we get through passport dining. A little tacky! I would have tipped more if they wouldn't have tried to squeeze an extra couple of dollars out of me in a classless kind of way. Also, not a fan of the handwritten tip suggestion with only one amount. Give 3 variations if you want to be helpful. Otherwise, don't do it. Tacky. Overall, I will totally go back. If they class up the money aspect a bit and greet people like they have never been there vs. assuming they know their way around, I'll change to 5 stars.
(4)Chelsea L.
Quick overview- there were too many bad moments to even recount. Staff seemed too busy for us from the get go. - Had an amazing one year anniversary dinner at nearby Rendezvous ( see review) and wanted to continue our night - Cold/ too busy servers ( Sharon was ours) - After delivering our tea and coffee, our server did not return for over 15 minutes then asked if we were ready to order - refill of coffee was ice cold. Thank you for the unpleasant experience. Will not be returning.
(1)Jonalie I.
On a gorgeous sunny afternoon, my lunch buddies and I decided to check out this cozy little restaurant on the corner of Stratford Square in Del Mar. We scored a table on the front sidewalk. I ordered the Grilled Salmon Salad which came with green beans, red radish, tomatoes, red onions, and quinoa on a bed of baby spinach. It was coated unevenly with a lemon oregano vinaigrette. The grilled salmon was cooked oh-so-right. There were charred bits of the herbs that were sprinkled on top. Inside was the moist heaven where good little fishies go. It could have been improved slightly with just a dash of salt (my tastebuds tend to prefer dishes on the salty side), but still very well executed. My only official complaint about the salad was the fact that a few pieces of the spinach was about two days past the optimal serving date; there were pieces that had lost their deep green color and even starting to yellow. If I was preparing that salad at home (and especially if serving it to someone), I would definitely pick out each piece that does not pass the quality test. This certainly wasn't enough to damper my lunch experience though. My lunch mates enjoyed their meals as well. One got the Ben's Grilled Chicken Reuben and the other got the half turkey sandwich with tomato soup. Apparently, the Reuben was supposedly really good. I never even got to see the inside of the restaurant, so I have no clue what it looks like in there. We were all very content eating our tasty meals outside, basking in a wonderful Sunny Diego afternoon.
(4)Joseph Y.
I was going to be hiking in the North County area on Veteran's day morning, Americana Cafe came recommended to me by a friend and had tons of good Yelp reviews, after eating there it was easy to see why it was so well liked. My friend and I came early in the morning, about twenty minutes after they opened. The restaurant was pretty much empty but completely setup and ready for customers (some places struggle with this). Our waitress showed us to our seats and the coffee menu ( yelp.com/biz_photos/amer… ) immediately caught my eye. They offer quality coffee here and give you options for brewing processes, I decided to go with a pour over to start the morning off. The coffee came out in a nifty little mason jar ( yelp.com/biz_photos/amer… ) at the perfect temperature for drinking. They have a little brew station ( yelp.com/biz_photos/amer… ) up front where they make your coffee fresh. After scanning over the menu and making our choices, I noticed the large amount of variety of breakfast items this place offered. They offered a wide range of items, including quiona as a side for breakfast, never saw that one before. My friend ordered the omelette with a side of quiona and I really wanted a waffle that morning. The Oscar's Choice was my selection, the absolute basic variety of an item from the griddle, some eggs and a protein. I ordered the waffle, scrambled eggs and bacon ( yelp.com/biz_photos/amer… ). The waffle was cooked amazingly well and had that perfect crispiness to the outside that gives you a crunch when you bite into it, yet still soft in the inside. The batter they used was filling but not too sweet or rich. The only thing I would have changed would be to put the butter on the side to allow customers to decide how much butter they want to add, even though the butter tasted great. I can't comment on the syrup because I don't eat syrup with my food. The eggs couldn't have been cooked better and went well with the side of pico de gallo the waitress brought for me. Bacon was a little on the crispy side, but tasted delicious none the less. Everything on my plate was so good that I ended up finishing the entire plate. My friend ordered the create your own omelette with a side of quiona ( yelp.com/biz_photos/amer… ). Since she is vegetarian, the omelette consisted of all veggies, which she noted were very fresh and they added the perfect amount of veggie to egg ratio. Her side of quiona was one of her favortite parts, it contained pieces of kale and was seasoned spot on. The breakfast here is definitely on the more expensive side, my bill ended up being around $38 for everything (the waffle was extra charge, etc). But being in Del Mar right off the strip, you can expect a higher price for premium food and service. This place exceeded all my expectations for service, food quality and atmosphere (the place is setup really nice). I will most certainly be coming back to experience more of the menu for breakfast and perhaps lunch sometime. This is truly a great restaurant which deserves all five stars.
(5)Jenny L.
The main reason I love coming here is the location. Great people watching outside, a cute boutique next door, and steps away from the beach. The food is always decent, and they have healthy choices/substitutions. There are always familiar waiters here and the service gets spotty when it's brunch on the weekend, but other than that, I always look forward to eating at Americana!
(5)Hayley F.
Average breakfast fare, but I gave it an extra star because of the adorable interior and friendly service. I really like their sausages (both pork and chicken apple). However, a side of the chicken apple is almost $5 and you technically only get one and a half links because they slice them in half, kind of strange. I asked my waitress about it and she said that's how the owner does it because she's questioned him before. So just FYI...
(4)Anna B.
Went to Americana for sunday morning breakfast. The food was good but nothing too special, and in my opinion too expensive for what you get. However the real problem was our waitress. At the end of our meal we asked to have the check split three ways. The first time she came back with the check it was all one bill. Then when she brought it back again, the orders were messed up. The third time she brought it back she had charged my friend's card twice and neglected to charge mine. The fourth time she finally was able to sort it out. In all we probably spent 30 minutes just trying to sort out the bill. If I had better service I can see how it wouldn't be a bad breakfast spot.
(3)Ben S.
*cracks fingers* oh boy, here we go. I recently had the pleasure of being seated at the Americana Restaurant on a lovely Saturday afternoon. Plenty of seats were available, and the disheveled. middle aged server with Aspergers mumbled, "sit where ever you want", then grunted, dropped a fork, and shuffled away sucking in the salty air through his cavernous mouth. We sat at an outdoor table, near a handful of other patrons who were happily munching and chatting. We sat...and waited...and waited. Server after server rushed past us avoiding eye contact at all costs. "Perhaps they think we're just loitering," we thought. "Are we dressed too casually? or not casually enough? or maybe we smell like butt? Good God, what's wrong with us?!" Finally, we waved down a young busboy, who quickly grabbed us menus and assured us a server would be by shortly. This busboy, who turned out to be a Goddamned liar, is the only redeeming quality this restaurant has. Fast forward 30 minutes, now with menus politely closed, peeking out of our booth like the town gossips, we made every attempt to wave down an actual server. But to no avail. We eventually threw our hands up and screamed to the heavens, "You win, Americana!" The ineptitude of your servers has pushed back the army advance of our midday snack cravings. Waving the white flag, we stumbled by the more satisfied patrons, half jealous of their french fried bounty, half hoping they get dysentery and die on the toilet like Elvis. Fuck you, Americana, we're going to Burger King.
(1)Stephanie B.
Love love love Americana, I usually have breakfast with my dog, service and food is fantastic ! French toast, huevos rancheros and green eggs and ham are my favorites! They also serve lunch and dinner and offer 1/2 price bottles if wine tues we'd and Thursday !
(5)Jack M.
This is a nice cozy place. I stopped in early in the morning for two shot Americano and cinnamon raisin scone. The Americano was highly priced at $4.99, the most I have ever paid for one, and the scone at a fair price and two dollars and some change. ( yelp.com/biz_photos/amer… ) The Americano was smooth, but a little water down or had the strength of a single shot, and unfortunately there were some coffee grounds in the coffee. This Americano was not worth the $5 price tag. I would not recommend this, unless they make a serious effort to improve it. The cinnamon raisin scone was alright. It was not close to the best I have ever had, just okay. I did like that they served it with a pad of butter which I spread onto the cinnamon speckled scone. ( yelp.com/biz_photos/amer… ) The scone had good flavor, but its texture made me feel that it was not the fresh batch of the day. It was a little dry and it texture did not provide that dense moist feel of a good scone. ( yelp.com/biz_photos/amer… ) Also, they warm it up in the microwave, so the warmth inside was not evenly distributed. The girl who served me was nice and prompt. For some reason, I expected better from this place, but I have to me honest, I have had better espresso and much better scones, so two stars are in order.
(2)Cheryl C.
We had dinner there last night. It took forever to even get water to the table - that should have been our first clue. After finally placing order, our appetizers came out at the same time as our dinner. Even though we requested bread twice, we never got it. The soup I ordered never came. Someone in the group asked for their diet coke to be refilled - their drink was NEVER brought back. Food was good and our waitress was nice, but that can't make up for slow service and never getting some of our items.
(2)Amanda S.
This is the perfect spot for brunch, not only for the price but the food is great. They had a variety of breakfast options. If you sit on the patio you can see the beach. The customer service was great. If you check in on Yelp, you get a free cup of coffee. Next time you are in Del Mar, I would recommend this spot for brunch!
(5)Michele R.
Perfect Outdoor Lunch Driving up 101 we decided top stop and walk about Del Mar and chose this establishment as they offered a lunch special salad, mahi mahi grilled with olive tapenade and a host of other ingredients including a large bed of greens. The portion of fish was more than generous and grilled to perfection and the cost was quite modest. Very relaxing and pleasing experience. We'd love to have chance to return.
(5)Heidi G.
My family and I were just at this restaurant and we were seated where we could see into the kitchen. The waiters and waitresses were eating off of the customers plates before they brought the food out. One guy in particular was double dipping. I was horrified and planned on telling the manager. A few minutes later the manager went into the kitchen and the waiters were eating food off of the plates In front of him!! Obviously this is common practice here. I spoke with the manager when he came out and told him we could see this going on and he just shrugged and walked away. Talk about getting sick. I will never go back. Gross and very unhealthy!! Be warned.
(1)Borneo G.
Is service hit or miss here? When we came here, we had a lovely experience. Granted, we also came in on an early Sunday morning, when it wasn't crowded and we were still able to find parking. Food itself was actually reasonably priced and tasted good! I had these awesome multigrain pancakes while he chose the green eggs and ham (served with cheese grits on the side). My server always refilled my coffee and we just overall had a decent time eating and chatting. Although the interior is nice (very quaint), I would recommend eating outside in one of the booths. Seating is spacious and you get a good view of Del Mar and the ocean. We only came in during a weekend morning, so I can't speak for the later hours. However, I would recommend stopping by for a nice day date or gathering with friends.
(4)Courtney H.
Great breakfast spot. My favs are French toast, bacon and iced coffee w/ coffee ice cubes. Fresh oj is really good. I've been here several times and it's always been great!
(5)Bill B.
Good menu choices. Good location. Attentive wait staff Glad I came here as breakfast was great. Fruit bowl had good variety. Blackberries too. Not the usual grapes and banana Coffee? It's good too Must try this again
(4)Ryan J.
Stopped by with girlfriend & pomeranian, wonderful warm Del Mar afternoon company, on Tuesday afternoon. $4.50 local draft beer / $5 margarita (tasty, strong) HH starts @ 4. The place's nearly empty (my guess is the time) which I'm ELATED ABOUT because of a stellar corner perch with sunset view. A patio outdoor booth more attuned to parties of 8 - but I'm not complaining! - very comfy for 2 & pooch. Fantastic soup bowls for 6.95 & and a selection of $5 HH appetizers: Duck Quesadillas + Goat Cheese Tomato Basil = divine combination. Everything was great yet the soup was really out of this world. Lynda was prompt with fabulous service & recommendations. Delicious free bread & basil butter. Take a significant other and enjoy the sunset.
(5)Vanessa B.
Amazing! Great food in a great location! Good prices! My husband and I were looking for a quick place to grab breakfast and stopped here. The patio seating was perfect, with plenty of shade. I ordered a cup of coffee that was amazing! Strong with a chocolate finish and with a little cream and sugar it was a great start to our meal. I ordered the eggs Benedict and it came with roasted tomatoes,basil and bacon with a side of red roasted potatoes. It was delicious! My husband ordered the 3 egg omelette with cheese ham and sausage It was nice and fluffy and was a delicious choice. After our meal we bought a bag of the coffee since it was so good! Definitely will be back!
(5)Michael S.
One night eleven or twelve years ago my girlfriend at the time, who is now my wife, and I came to this restaurant and had an amazing cupcake. We must have had food too but what we remember is the cupcake. We've been back maybe three or four times since then but until last weekend not in a couple years. Most of the buzz on Yelp for Americana currently focuses on their brunch but they have an interesting menu for dinner as well. They have a $30 prefixe selection that includes wine, appetizer, main and dessert. My wife went this direction and had the tomato soup, New York Steak with fries and spinach and a chocolate cake a la mode. My wife's food was ok but under-seasoned throughout, except for the spinach which had too much salt. My two children had the kids meals with the noodles (with Parmesan) and the Mac and cheese respectively, both followed by ice cream. Both kids' dishes were even more under-seasoned than my wife's, which is unusual given what they ordered. My almost 6 year old called her noodles "bland" which was right on point. The kids meals were supposed to come with drinks but they charged us anyway for juice - not sure what that was about. I had the Cioppino, which I liked - it was probably the strongest menu item at the table. It too was under seasoned, albeit less so than some of the other dishes we ordered. Americana has great outdoor seating on two sides of the most prominent corner in Del Mar. With a location that good, Americana should be better. I think with a remodel they could re-launch and take the opportunity to improve their offerings. Otherwise we'll probably stick to their brunch if we go back.
(2)Eddy C.
I came here on a Tuesday morning. The place was mostly empty. Tons of indoor seating and a bunch of tables outside. If you sit around the corner on 15th street, you'll be able to see the ocean. The atmosphere is very casual, with light pop music wafting over the sidewalk. I had dylan's eggs benedict ($10.50) featuring a basil hollandaise and smoked bacon. This was excellent. Eggs were poached and very runny :) Bacon was crispy. English muffins toasted well but not burnt. The tomatoes added great texture to the dish and the fresh basil really accented the eggs well. It came with a side salad of fresh greens. Coffee was quite good. Service was excellent: my coffee was refilled 3 times. Overall, I was very impressed.
(5)Gus L.
After driving around Del Mar for a spell this past Holiday weekend, my family and I were glad to find Americana for what we hoped would be a nice breakfast by the beach. If we knew what was in store we may have kept walking. This experience is a good example of a few small things, or perhaps one person, having an off day... and effecting a customer's desire to come back. We were seated fast int he cute outdoor, sidewalk style seating area. Some of the outdoor seating is tight, but it does go with the style of outdoor dining on this busy beach city corner. The food was OK, nothing memorable. With the exception that half our drinks and half our food orders came out wrong, they were good when they got it right. To be fair, the waitress was quick to get a fix coming. The omelet was good, as were the roasted potatoes it came with. The huevos rancheros was also tasty, but with the over easy eggs on top and the side of black beans, the plat soon became a small soupy ocean. If I ordered it again I would ask for some additional toast or rice to soak up all that goodness. I am not sure if they were just short staffed, or if our waitress was having an off day... but on top of the order errors, the amount of time it took to get items, and to get the check was especially long, and frustrating. These simple issues alone would preclude us from coming back under normal circumstances, and I hope they are able to streamline or improve the process as bit, it would be a shame for breakfast seekers here in Del Mar to be relegated to the Starbucks with everyone else.
(2)D C.
Service was slow and unpleasant, not once did she ask us if everything was ok. We were sited at a table that was very tight for 3 people and they did not even try to arrange the chairs so that we are comfortable. The food is average at best, nothing special, for an area that has so many good restaurants, it needs to do better.
(1)Mike A.
Eating at this place weekly is something my fiance and I enjoy.
(5)NaTali N.
excellent food and not too expensive for del mar. I've been there for breakfast and dinner with great service both times. Lovely view from the side street seating area. Will come back :)
(4)Deb N.
This place has happy hours - yummmmm Definitely check it out Chicken satay Grilled fish tacos Caprese salad All so good
(4)Stella's Mama L.
This is the spot to relax and enjoy a good cup of coffee with my Stella! It's right by the beach and always has amazing patio seating with perfect shading They even kept my credit card safe when I left it there for a week! Thanks Randy!
(5)E A.
I was very optimistic about this restaurant because the location is great and the food looked really good on the menu but I was severely disappointed. It took 25 mins for them to bring out a CUP OF SOUP, on a Thursday. This was after the 1100-1300 lunch rush so there was really no reason for the service to be so slow. Our sandwiches took 40 minutes to make their way to our table, after the waitress forgot what sandwhich one of us had ordered, and she tried to bring someone else's sandwhiches to our table. We weren't the only table that waited this long 2 other tables that had say before us must have waited at least as long, if not longer than us. This was my first and last time at this restaurant, In-N-Out has better customer service and speed of service than this place.
(2)Spence K.
My family and I have been here multiple times. The food is great, and I have enjoyed the casual (and kid-friendly) atmosphere. Thank you for the good food!
(5)Chris W.
If I could give 0 stars I would be happy to do that. DO NOT EAT LUNCH HERE!!! Nothing that was on my plate was fresh at all! Horrible food and I do not see why anyone would eat here. How do you mess up a chicken sandwich? Well first of all over cook the chicken that you can't even cut with a knife. Dry dry dry!!! There was pesto on the bred which was brown in color which tells me that it's old and not fresh. Also, who makes a chicken sandwich and puts it on toast??? Hello square toast??? Not a roll?? So when it came out the hard chicken was smashed between soggy bread. Horrible. The cole- slaw was about a week old they served me?? Really?? Came with potatoes which were cold and not crispy which again not fresh ! Never again!
(1)Don F.
Saturday morning brunch, omelette, roasted potatoes, blue berry whole grain pancakes and eggs over easy with sausage links; all very good! Best thing is the place is in Del Mar!
(4)Chara W.
Other than the location, there is absolutely nothing redeeming about this place. The service is HORRIBLE! The server, a middle-aged gentlemen with socially-impaired people skills told us we could choose any seat outside, then forgot about us. When he begrudgingly came over to take our order, we had to wait another 10 minutes just to get our waters, and then another 30 minutes to get our food. My omelette was soggy and disgusting! We should have walked out long before our food arrived. Never ever coming here again.
(1)Emily T.
Service was terrible. Food was even worse. Waitress ignored our table, even when the restaurant wasn't busy. We were served warm water without ice, even when we specifically asked for ice in it a second time. Food was either strange tasting or bland and we ended up sending an item back. Overall, would not recommend.
(1)R P.
breakfast food was tasty but the wait to get our food and the poor service is why id give it only 3 stars
(3)Kristin P.
We are local. I have had decent experiences eating breakfast here, but my dinner experience tonight was disappointing. Our server could not appropriately describe both drink and dinner items and simply responded with an "I don't drink" and I never tried that item. Really? You work at this restaurant. No one bused the dishes off our table including a very greasy played item. In fact, the waitress served the dessert prior to removing the dinner plate! This waitress should be doing something else as a career because she is a terrible waitress! We will not come back here anytime soon. I hope that the owner will work at hiring much better staff.
(2)Coco C.
The location is nice, I like the outdoor seating. My French toast was just ok.
(3)Gina C.
My husband and I are sitting here waiting for our check right now (been 15 minutes of sitting with nothing) and we just cannot stop talking about how horrible this place is. We are locals of Del Mar and decided to try this place out but we will never come again. It was a bad sign when the couple next to us were frustrated that no one had come to greet them after what looked like them waiting a long time. At that point my husband and I thought we should probably just leave but we wanted to just stay and try it out. It took at least 15 minutes for someone to come to our table and from there the service got even worse. One OJ came out and then 10 minutes later the waters. I guess the couple next to us who had been here longer then us also ordered a hot chocolate because both of ours came out at the same time after another 10 minutes. Finally the food came and we thought at least the food would be good?? Food is definitely one star too. Just ok and nothing special. We witnessed many people getting the chef/owner at their table to complain. I hate to be rude but the hostess is such a mess too. This is Del Mar, not PB. She is wearing yoga pants and uggs and hasn't even brushed her hair. It just leaves a bad impression. Our conclusion is the only way this places stays open is because of the tourists. Sooooo bad!!! Marcus Lemonis needs to do a number on this restaurant. I'm not even sure he could save this place! The location is so good and a good restaurant would do so well here. It's kind of sad that they haven't tried to improve! There is no excuse for saying this place is too busy- no one seems to care that the service is terrible.
(1)Cass C.
Delicious black kale salad, and the side of green beans were perfectly done. Two thumbs up from me.
(5)Leslie G.
BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE. WAITER WAS RACIST. On a recent trip with my significant other to Del Mar we decided to have brunch at this cute little place by the beach. As we entered the place, and after standing there for a couple of minutes waiting to be seated, some lady at the bar looks up and just says "choose a spot." My BF and I naturally want to sit out in the patio with a view of the beach so we head in that direction but realize it is completely full. As we walk back inside we are met by our waiter who gets mad at us for some apparent reason for being indecisive? IDK. Anyways he sits us and has the worst attitude ever. He doesn't introduce himself, doesn't smile, or welcome us. His name, I later found out, was Patrick. He was a middle-aged caucasian man. We proceed to look at the menus. The selection was O.K. I've seen better. We order a muffin a cup of coffee and told him we were not ready to order food. He brings it 5-10 mins later along with water with no straws, takes our order and leaves. We see him 5 minutes later and ask him for straws. He doesn't bring them immediately. So again in 5 minutes we remind him. 5 minutes pass and he brings them. Ok so this is the part that made me REALLY MAD. I saw people that were seated way after us get their food before us! We alerted some lady that was apparently in charge that we had been waiting for about 45 minutes to an hour for our food. The place seemed busy but not THAT busy. She apologized and went to check what was wrong. She comes back in about 5 minutes and tells me that the order was placed 10 minutes ago! Like WTF! I told her that was a total lie and that i had been waiting for an hour. She apologizes and says "I don't know what else to do, your meal is on the house." The waiter comes back and gives us our food. We received the most insincere apology. He said "sorry i forgot." This guy didn't refill our waters nor coffee or check up on us periodically. I sat there and tried to make sense out of this. What did we do to piss off this waiter? We were polite, said please and thank you, and smiled! My B.F. said he had been to this place before and had the same waiter. He had no problem with him then. I came up a conclusion. I WAS BEING DISCRIMINATED. My B.F. and I are Mexican. He doesn't appear to be because he has light skin. I on the other hand have an olive skin tone. Nobody else in that restaurant looked like me. It made me feel really sad because I have never experienced this. It was a gut feeling. So if you get this PATRICK guy you are pretty much screwed.
(1)Mich S.
Great "neighborhood" eatery that's open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I was staying in Del Mar for a week and I kept returning to this restaurant for different things. Had dinner, breakfast, mid-afternoon snacks and the best was their iced coffee! They use iced-coffee cubes, so as they melt, the flavor of the coffee is not diluted. And trust me, with the flavor of the coffee, you don't want it diluted. They told us that they are truly farm-to-table and use local farmers. The coffee is specially roasted for them (no wonder it's so delicious!). If you're in the area, I would highly recommend it!
(4)Jacques C.
The nice thing about a breakfast is a hot cup of coffee and hot food. THAT was not the case here My food was barely lukewarm toast was crunchy from sitting there and potatoes untouchable. The owner didn't care @ all. The only thing the place has going for it is its location
(1)Paul A.
My daughter and I recently stopped into Americana for breakfast, after doing a little shopping in Del Mar. After the terrible experience that we had, I will never return to this restaurant! When we initially checked-in with the hostess, she told us that it would be about 10 minutes until we'd be seated. The outdoor, sidewalk style seating area was only 20% full of customers, but the empty tables were full of dirty dishes and needed busing. I offered to help the hostess to bus a table or two, if it would get us seated sooner. She rejected my offer. Granted the restaurant is not all that big, even with the outside seating area. However, once I saw the bus boy in action (or lack thereof), i quickly ascertained why it took so long for the tables to get bused. The young man was moving as though slow motion was his top speed. I then wondered why restaurant management wasn't directing the busing activity or even rolling up their sleeves and pitching in. I even noticed that servers would walk past tables that needed busing and could have easily bused the tables since they were walking in and out of the restaurant anyway. This dysfunctional operation was so ludicrous, it is reminiscent of our federal government! In retrospect, we should have just left and went to breakfast elsewhere. Unfortunately, the level of inefficiency of this restaurant's operations intrigued me to the point that I wanted to see this scenario play out. Like the analogy of a train wreck, you are compelled to watch and see just how bad it gets. It was a study that perfectly depicted exactly what to do in order to provide poor customer service. After twenty minutes (twice the original estimate), we were finally seated at one of the tables that somehow managed to get bused. However, even though we now had a table, the service level just continued to decline. It took forever to place our order, to receive our food, and to pay our check. The food was cold and less than desirable. In addition, even though this restaurant is supposed to participate in the Passport dining discount program, the server decided not to honor the discount dining program when we checked-out. Overall, going to breakfast at Americana was a terrible mistake -- one that I will never repeat! I have no idea why this restaurant would EVER have repeat customers.
(1)M L.
I can't see why this place has an average rating of 3 stars. It's super quaint. Great outdoor seatipng. Plenty of indoor seating if you prefer. The manager and wait staff are friendly. May be a little slow but it moves at the pace of the city around it. You're at the beach. Relax. They serve their iced coffee with coffee ice cubes. Rad. Breakfast until 3pm. Rad. Good food. Go here and relax.
(5)Jordan A.
I discovered this perfect breakfast, lunch and dinner diner this summer. The hostess is amazing and the waitresses are great! The service is very fast and the food is delicious. There are so many opinions. If you go on the weekends during the summer you might have to be on a waiting list but it's usually not a long wait. You might get an ocean view but where ever you sit it'll be great. It a dog friendly environment. The staff will get you a dog water bowl right away. Great for dinner parties and even a date! Way better than Claire's on cedros and jakes! If you want high quality food with fast service and nice waitresses with beautiful scenery this is the place for you. This place is one of my all time favorite restaurants in San Diego.
(5)Jayd B.
I wandered into Americana on a Monday afternoon after driving to Jimmy O's and realizing they aren't open before 4:00pm. I'm always looking for low-key, fairly quiet, and brightly lit places to have lunch while I work on my laptop, and this place was exactly that. The menu has lots of healthy alternatives, which I appreciate. I had a sandwich and a cup of coffee, which were pretty good. The sandwiches come with a spring mix salad instead of french fries, but they kind of just throw it on the plate instead of putting it in a nice bowl or something. I didn't realize the gluten-free wheat bread automatically comes toasted, which makes the giant sandwiches kind of difficult to eat. Next time I will request it without toasted bread. The server seemed pretty busy, and apologized for ignoring me, but he was super nice. I would have liked a coffee refill, but he didn't offer. Anyway, I'll still be back. Pros? Amazing view if you sit outside. Prices aren't outrageous. Cons? Parking always sucks in Del Mar. And terrible music! ;) Outdated, crappy music that was actually distracting. For such a cute restaurant and great view, they could definitely benefit from enhancing the atmosphere with a better Pandora station.
(4)S M.
This place sucks. Every time I try to give them another chance I'm disappointed. Over the years I've found: Their pancakes are just Krusteez pancake mix, hair in my food on 2 separate visits, poor/rude service almost every time, overcharged on bill and the server argued and refused to reverse the charge, coffee never quite makes it into the mug without being spilled all over the table and saucer, broken/chipped coffee mugs, dirty silverware, & aloof management. Needless to say over the years every time I tried to give this place another chance it got worse... Americana ... I'm officially done with you. I feel bad for the Del Mar tourists that don't know any better and end up here based on location alone. As for management, it appears that they respond to yelp reviews by stating the customer should have raised their awareness of the unsatisfactory experience. I can tell you from experience, this will just lead to a useless argument with management. The staff is pompous and less than willing to rectify a mistake. On my recent and last visit I overpaid my bill by $27. It's not about the money, the experience sucks and I'll NEVER be back and make sure none of my friends/family go there either. With so many options, why go someplace that will just take your money, insult you, serve you mediocre food and you leave upset.
(1)Deena R.
This is my 2nd visit to Americana for lunch with the same friend. The service and the food was just as good as the 1st visit. Actually, this experience was even better. We sat outside this time and our server, Patrick, turned on the heat lamp so that we were very comfortable. My friend ordered the warm spinach salad...again! She loved it so much the first time that she ordered it again. I had the turkey burger which was delicious. Last time, I had one of their salads...can't remember which one, but I remember loving it. We will definitely go back. Btw, if you sit on the north side, outside, you get a view of the ocean.
(5)Mercedes R.
Great views from patio. Service was good. Food was bad - breakfast sausages and potatoes tasted a couple of days old and reheated. Three stars for the views, food not worth going for.
(3)Brett M.
The service is terrible but the food is decent. It seems to be a theme that the server asks a question but doesn't listen. My waiter, and another's waitress, took our orders then failed to deliver. When called out, my waiter owned up, the other party's waitress blamed the customer (I only mention the other party because I heard him order and the miscommunication was clearly the waitresses fault but she tried to blame the guy for her failure). Overall, the soggy fries and flat beer reduced the tasty bacon cheeseburger down to 3 stars, the service isn't good enough for me to go back but I won't discount my review for that.
(3)Pam M.
So happy I came here with Miss GG!! Beautiful, comfy patio. Great wine list n food. HH drink n good specials .... Great service, 2.
(5)Christine R.
The service is excellent, and the food is delicious and consistent! Thank you for providing a wonderful place for me and my friends to meet for nice meals!! We especially love the grilled veggie plate, the polenta. They have the best happy hour fish tacos I've ever tasted! Yum! A great place for happy hour!
(5)Ryan F.
My friend and I frequent Americana on the weekends. We usually hit up Torrey Pines and then stop at Americana for lunch. The food is solid and the staff are super friendly and candid. The views are awesome and is the perfect location for some people watching!
(5)Monica V.
Nice quick and easy...and everything was ok. We were worried at first that the service was slow, but it wasnt too too bad. But...thank goodness for the hot sauce otherwise the chicken Ceasar wrap would have been boring. I pulled the chicken avocado and bacon from one side of the wrap to have at least one worthy half wrap and doused it with hot sauce. The OJ tasted fresh squeezed, and my hubby didn't have any trouble gobbling up the eggs Benedict but admitted it wasn't "the best." It was ok enough to try it again next time we're in town.
(3)Kaitlin K.
Such a cute spot. We were unfamiliar with the area, and found it using Yelp. And we were not disappointed! They had breakfast and lunch options. I had breakfast, and it was delicious! A very fresh, tasty meal and tasted great. The service was friendly, and you could tell it was a mix of tourists and locals. It was a nice affirmation that it is a local spot too! The atmosphere was very charming, and they had some great, dog friendly outside seating options. We will definitely come back next time we are in the area!
(5)D'Arcy C.
Great service and food was delicious. Ahi tuna rocked it!!! Drinks were amazing. Bartender even shared her recipe...the best. Highly recommend.
(5)Scott H.
We had a nice outdoor lunch on a Sunday at Americana. The area was crowded, as it was a beautiful day in Del Mar. We were sitting in a table that was halfway in the sun and halfway in the shade. Toward the end of the meal it got cold in the shade, but they have heaters they can turn out. Very comfortable outdoor seating. The menu is large, which usually worries me. I figure it's better to do a few things well than a bunch of things average. I had the grilled NY steak sandwich. This is a decent sized steak on a huge focaccia (the menu says it ciabatta, but I found it more similar to focaccia) bun. It's great bread, it was crispy on the outside and light on the inside. But, it's very large, they should either add more steak or bake/purchase smaller buns. The ratio was just off. I ordered the steak medium rare, and it came much closer to medium. The sandwich is served with gorgonzola, roasted garlic, and arugula. Tomato and onion are included as well. The crisp onion was perfect for this sandwich. The bites when you got cheese, arugula, onion and steak were excellent. But, there was a lot of bread to get through to get to the steak. Also, the steak wasn't sliced. It's just a 6 or so ounce steak put on the bun. This made it hard to eat in spots. If there was less bread and the steak was sliced, you'd really have something here. But, as the sandwich was served I still enjoyed it a great deal. The sandwich is served with roasted herb potatoes, which were good. They were thoroughly cooked, which I prefer. I don't care for the crunch of a raw or undercooked potato. They could have used a little more seasoning, but you certainly get the herb flavor. My dining companion had the grilled asparagus with roasted red pepper sandwich. This is served with mozzarella and an olive tapenade. I had a couple of bites, and loved it. The asparagus was cooked very well, as was the roasted red pepper. It's nice, creamy mozzarella, and plenty of it. The tapenade was sort of lost. I didn't get a ton of that flavor. But, I'd definitely order this sandwich, and I don't usually go for veggie options. We split an order of onion rings, and you get a hefty serving. They are beer battered, and it's a lighter batter, which is nice. Most of them had a nice crisp, but some were soggy. Also, no salt. These were crying out for some seasoning. I probably wouldn't get them again. I'd give this joint 4 stars but the service was bad. Had to wait a long time for an iced tea refill as well as additional napkins. Also, she wasn't super friendly when taking our order, particularly when we asked for more time to look at the menu. So, the sandwiches were very good, but the service was spotty at best.
(3)Sarah P.
My husband and I were really looking forward to eating here and finally had the chance. The vibe from the very beginning was not good and it went downhill from there. The bartender, who I believe is the manager, older lady with short dark hair, barked orders at the servers and is the least bit interested in customer service. A customer came to complain to her about the wait time and his sandwich, and she mocked him around the corner to the server. As we waited for our food, 5 customers came to the bar asking for their bill. We were there at 1:00 and the restaurant was only 20% full. I'd hate to see the service on a busy morning. I had the Salmon BLT which was really good, but ask for extra tomatoes. It only comes with one Roma on each half. My husband had the special ruben, which was average. We won't be going back.
(2)Kerri T.
Came here for dinner and it was fantastic! Huge portions, outside seating and very friendly staff who know their menu and how to suggest a tasty wine!
(4)Eileen B.
Great brunch spot. Definitely aim for patio seating. The eggs benedict and Roman breakfast are must-haves!
(4)Adrienne K.
Excellent service! Super cute and inviting interior. But; The Breakfast? Pancakes were like cardboard, and the coffee was extremely watered down. Bummer.
(2)Kathy M.
I had breakfast.. A special for the day, quesadilla with egg, sausage and feta. It was very fresh and delicious. It's kinda fun to sit outside on their patio.. And be a part of beautiful Del Mar
(5)Aaron V.
Great food and great service! Huge portions. Not a bad idea to split a meal though. A great stop right after a morning jog on the beach! So yea the view was awesome!
(5)Jim W.
Cute place, really nice waitress and a good kids menu. We ate their twice mainly bc it was affordable and close and seemingly the only breakfast place within walking distance. They try too hard on their adult items. Eggs Benedict with bacon, spinach... Just not right. Then had a breakfast burrito with the wrong kind of sausage and too many beans.
(3)Monica T.
HORRIBLE SERVICE. Went to breakfast with my parents and there was a lipstick stain on the cup of coffee. Sent it back and the owner himself brought out the same cup with lipstick on it, and there was lipstick on his thumb where he had attempted to smear it off. Sent it back 3 times before getting a clean cup of coffee... And they didn't even comp the coffee after all that. Pfft. Our waitress even told us it was her last day basically bc the owner is not a nice man. 2 stars instead of one bc the food is good just poor ownership and service.
(2)Ryan H.
Apparently a glutton for punishment, I went here again. My party ordered a burger with salad, the portobello mushroom salad, and an omelette. I think the omelette was edible, and I think the burger was edible (albeit well-done, not medium, as ordered.) But all the plant matter was limp and overdressed. No changes to previous rating.
(2)Carol K.
Wow! After the experience that I had at Americana restaurant- I was really surprised not to find an overall higher rating for the place. For on my visit, the food was quite good- the service terrific and I loved that the chef/owner, Randy, came over to not only talk to some of his regulars, but to me as well. So on this lovely Southern California day- I wanted to sit outside and have lunch. I've walked by this location several times but have never ventured in, surprisingly so. I stepped in the door and Randy was quick to find me a seat on the patio, in the sun which was perfect. And yuou can bet that people watching on this busy corner of Del Mar- is entertainment enough! The good news is that you can have breakfast or lunch but I had my heart set on a Cobb salad and some of the soup of the day which on this day was Leek. The soup came up quickly and was quite good. And the salad had a nice bed of mixed spring greens topped with all the things that make a Cobb salad terrific. And when Randy showed back up with a bottle of wine in hand, I knew I had found a new favorite place. My server, Patrick was quite good and I like that they seemingly all work to help each other. And as I mentioned, the place is full of regular clientele who those who work there are able to call by name. And there are plenty of daily specials for both breakfast and lunch. Whether you sit inside in a bistro atmosphere or out on the spacious patio with views on one side of the ocean, you can be assured that this place will take care of you. Next time you are in Del Mar- you should check it out!
(4)Dianne R.
My husband and I have lived in Del Mar for years, and often go to Americana for breakfast which is always great. The few times we have gone for dinner, we were a bit disappointed until last night. Sharon the waitress was delightful and the food was excellent. We noticed some updated items on the menu which was nice. For a Saturday night, it was perfect. The weather was ideal on their outdoor patio, and food excellent and priced well. My husband ordered their special salmon, and I had their fresh tomato basil cream soup, and the kale salad. All yummy! We will be back
(4)Anna M.
I can here on Saturday morning with my brother and sister for breakfast. We were seated right away but it took out waiter at least 10 minutes to get to our table. We ordered our breakfast and that also took a while to get to our table. However, the food was very good. I had multigrain pancakes with granola inside while my brother had the French toast and my sister the breakfast sandwich. Despite the bad service the food was good. With a little improvement in service this place can be really good.
(3)Henry L.
The service was great and the food was even better!!! We had breakfast here and the food was so fresh and flavorful. Can't say enough good things about this restaurant. I highly recomend this place and I will definetely come back again!!!
(5)Lizzie P.
Lovely breakfast and a great setting. Service was good too. I had the poached egg with spinach and goats cheese and gluten free bread. Was really tasty. Only negative was the fried potatoes, they seemed like they had been sitting a while and got a bit hard.
(4)Shara L.
I've been to this restaurant twice so far, and both times I had a pretty decent experience. Lunch: When I came for lunch, it was a very busy Sunday afternoon, and really hot. There were open tables inside, but it felt like a sauna. Seriously, they do not have a/c or ceiling fans or any type of ventilation in this place. I get that it is super close to the ocean, but still. San Diego does have a summer, and this restaurant is on the corner so it is blocked by surrounding restaurants and there is no ocean breeze inside. We had to sit outside in the heat, which wasn't much better, but at least we could breathe. There were four of us, and we were seated a very small table, and it was extremely close to the other tables. For lunch we had a friendly enough server, and he was able to take care of his tables and joke around with us about the hoity toity Del Mar patrons when our entire table ordered our food "exactly how it comes, no substitutions" so that was pretty entertaining. It wasn't the fastest service, but again the place was packed. Quicker refills would have been nice, but other than that, it was fine. The food was very reasonably priced and large portions. All of us had something to take home for later. I love that their tuna salad sandwich is made with real fresh tuna, nothing canned. Their fish and chips were also amazing! Dinner: When we came for dinner it was just two of us, there was almost no one there, and again we had to sit outside because it was swealtering inside, even at 8pm! Our server was not attentive at all, but it was late and we were talking, so maybe she wasn't trying to disturb. My husband had the fish and pasta special and I had chicken breast. They were both good, but the sides that mine came with were awful and I didn't eat more than a taste of them. It would have been nice for the server to notice that I wasn't eating them and to offer something else. All in all, this place is good for the price and for the location. Parking is not great, so you might have to drive around for a while, or park across the street in the plaza.
(4)Nuyu M.
We used to come here a lot and have noticed that it isn't as crowded as before. The service is pretty slow at times. And maybe the outdoor furniture needs replacement.. My husband and I always order the green eggs and ham and the portion size seem to be getting smaller and smaller. Though it still taste good. Still a great breakfast location close to the ocean and for people watching!
(3)Row Bear F.
Fantastic food and service. Owner is on premises, and that makes all the difference.
(5)Connie G.
The Sun was Shining the birds were chirping! It was a perfect day to sit outside! We had no problem finding free parking and we were seated right away. The service was good and the place was clean. What I ordered: Oscar's Choice 2 buttermilk pancakes, 2 eggs any style, choice of bacon, ham or sausage. substitute french toast or waffle add 2.50 $9.99 The food was A Ok not horrible but not the best breakfast I ever had. Very simple and traditional type of food. This place got full quick so I am glad we got there when we did. Great spot on the strip with other places to eat.
(3)C. P.
We found Americana on the second to the last day of our vacation. Atmosphere at the cafe tables is casual and definitely what you would expect in Del Mar. Food is fantastic! Had the eggs Benedict, yum to a creative spin. Pancakes, bacon, and all varieties of eggs were done well over two days of breakfast. I would have kept going back if I was still in town to work my way through the menu. Delicious food and pleasant service. Expect to wait a bit for your food, it's totally worth it. If you're in a hurry, go somewhere else. Fast food is one exit up the freeway.
(5)Mary M.
The food is pretty good but the way they price "create your own" is absolutely a crime. DO NOT BUILD YOUR OWN OMELET it could be your 1st $20 omelet, your stomach wouldn't know it but your wallet sure will. They offer promotions but have so many stipulations that they become unusable. The owner/chef is a shrewd business owner that doesn't understand what good customer service is. Just read the one and two star reviews - there is a common thread. There are plenty of other choices in town that have much better customer service.
(2)Stephanie T.
Nothing great to say. I'm not a picky eater but I thought my breakfast burrito sucked. The sausage in it was too smokey and overpowering. I ate around the sausage and it was a completely bland burrito. I tried my friend's pancakes. They also were very disappointing. They tasted like a bag of flour. No deliciousness whatsoever. Ok, the coffee was good. Not going back...
(2)Vanessa M.
Absolutely amazing and fresh! I've never had a better breakfast! Healthy and delicious.
(5)Richard G.
Can't believe I'm writing a third review in a week, but something is going on in the San Diego dining scene. It's not good. Been here many times and find it pleasant with good fare. But sad to say, I'll be looking elsewhere next breakfast in Del Mar. Do you like your coffee hot? I do, but if you don't, no worries. First cup of decaf was luke warm. Refill wasn't even that. When an American breakfast joint can't serve hot coffee, we're scraping bottom. Scrambled eggs? You want them on the hard side and a bit rubbery? You got 'em! On the bill, I noticed it said Scramble Hardened. How did they decide that? I wasn't asked if I wanted them scrambled soft, medium, loose or hard. Maybe hard is the default setting. Well, the potatoes were good and the waitress was pleasant.
(2)Andrew G.
Americana is a great restaurant. The food is great. The location is idyllic. The owner is very personable and a pleasure to talk to. I went there with my wife and kids for brunch and plan on going back soon!
(5)Renee W.
Americana is right smack on Main Street going through Del Mar; cool location and walkable to to the beach. We were a party of 8 and sat quickly at 10:00 am outside which was nice. The menu has a lot of goodies on it! From pancakes to eggs, hash, you name it, I chose the mushroom, asparagus and Parmesan omelette with a side of sourdough and grits. Here's the thing about the grits: they were runny. I like them thicker and slathered in butter. These were super watery and borderline in edible in my opinion. The rest of breakfast was yummy; and if you're looking for an iced coffee with legit coffee frozen into cubes to increase your buzz, Americana delivers!
(4)Alyssa R.
I am a regular here at this quaint little sidewalk cafe. I come here at least once every two weeks and I always have the best time. The Iced Coffee is the BEST. Why? The ice cubes they use are not water cubes but ice coffee cubes! Need I say more? Now that I've pumped myself up, I may actually go tomorrow morning ;)
(5)Bao T.
Cute little restaurant in Del Mar. Service was kinda slow, but the food was good. I ordered a Smoke House Bacon Cheeseburger and it came without buns which was kinda weird. But once I got my buns, it was all good. Delicious burger.
(4)David B.
I think this may be the best restaurant in Del Mar. Inventive dishes that are always tasty, morning, noon or night. Have eaten here dozens of times and never have been disappointed. A must visit.
(4)Joi W.
I came in here today on my lunch, and I stood there for two minutes looking at two servers debating over something. I saw three tables that were actually seated inside, plenty of open seating, but when I waved to them and asked if I could sit anywhere, they told me to keep waiting. Unreal. I didn't have time, so I left. I have been here before and I liked the food, but the service was bad then and even worse today. They really need to do an overhaul of their staff.
(2)Laura S.
This place was lovely! We sat outside for breakfast. The waitstaff was very friendly and attentive. I had a lox bagel with cream cheese, which was delicious. My Mom loved her eggs benedict, which came with large chunks of bacon. We will be back for a happy hour, which has some good specials and drinks.
(5)Tiffany S.
Service was slow. Our waitress was unresponsive. Coffee cold & our food less than average.
(2)Ivan M.
Food: excellent breakfast. Service: Excellent Location: Convenient I had the Roma Breakfast: two fried eggs over muffins with salad on a side. Taste was great combination of grilled tomato with prosciutto topped with cheese. Coffee (latte) was excellent as well. Waitress was helpful and attentive and made great suggestions upon asking for her opinion on platters. Price: worth it. Provecho!
(5)Gabriela M.
Not a pleasant experience. I stopped here for breakfast with my mother, sister and niece on our way to San Diego. There were plenty of empty tables so we asked to be seated in a corner table to enjoy the view of the beach. We were seated instead at the next table because the owner told us he was saving the corner table for a much larger group. Ten minutes later they sat a party of 3 at that table. After placing our order and waiting at least 20 minutes for our order (which would not have been a big deal if our waiter had come by to refill our coffee while we waited), but we never saw our waiter during this time. And when we asked the other staff for more coffee, they were upset. The food was fine once it arrived but by then we were upset and just wanted to pay the bill. Not sure if this was discrimination (we were the only Latinos here), but it sure was lousy service and we find no need to ever return.
(1)Sara C.
Came here on a weekday morning for breakfast... boy was it crowded. It's a cute little spot in a great location with a nice patio, I will give it that. Great place to "people watch" and a few blocks from the beach. For some reason on this particular morning there was a strong breeze out and I was FREEZING even sitting inside (sometimes I swear, my body does not regulate an adequate core temperature!) and hungry of course. Ordered an omelette... needed something warm (and quick!). Service was terrible... we waited FOREVER to get our omelettes. Not only that, but my omelette was served COLD :( The cheese inside wasn't even melted!! What kind of shenanigans is this?! I almost sent it back to be re-heated (I wouldn't care if they nuked it in the microwave for a minute or two)... but I feared that would take another 30 minutes so cold eggs for breakfast it was.
(2)Kristina K.
Best breakfasts, so many delicious options. Very good service, attentive but not bothersome or rushing you to leave. Not your typical American menu options. And can't beat sitting outside under the umbrellas enjoying the sunny weather. Will go back any time I'm in Del Mar.
(5)William C.
Owner Randy & his Savvy Service Team have been my ' Go To ' breakfast place , for Years . Great ' People Watching ' on Del Mar's Main Drag ! Their location , a Landmark former Pharmacy , is on a sidewalk caf'se perfect corner ( Ocean View ) ! Tryed All their Omelettes , Egg's is an Art , Damn Good ! Nice new Coffee Station with Classy Blends . My ' Cobb Salads & ' Turkey ' B.L.T.' , consistantly ' Spot On ' ! Special's keep it Surprising , Chocolate on Waffles - Pancakes & more , Party in My Mouth ! I Like It and Trust You Will Too !
(4)Jen W.
This is a good place if you are looking for something casual in Del Mar. It is located in a cute, Tudor style building on the corner of 15th Street. It has indoor and outdoor seating with nice views of the sunset. You can watch the traffic go by this busy corner. The menu has sandwiches, burgers, salads, pastas and entrees. They have a decent drink selection. I enjoyed the spinach linguine with asparagus and prosciutto. The hubby had the fettucine with portobello mushrooms, tomatoes, spinach in a basil cream sauce. Both pastas had a delicate and flavorful cream sauce. Overall, a cute place that is more like a 3.5, not quite a 4.
(3)APS i.
Very friendly staff - great menu, lots of choices, coffee and food, kids options - they seated 10 of us without a problem, and kept our mugs full as we are. Good atmosphere, great location, recommended!
(5)Julia Z.
Came here for Sunday brunch. Waited for a long time for a table and waited a long time to order and waited even longer for food. They do have a very robust brunch menu, lots of eggs and sandwich choices. Food quality was ok. The best ones are probably the eggs benedict type of dishes. I'm pretty particular about the egg having the right level of doneness, and theirs is poached well. The yolk is not raw but still runny so you can coat the toast with it. A friend who ordered baby lamb chop with salad said that was well executed too. Our outside seating had a glimpse of the ocean, which is nice. There is only street parking, so that could get challenging on weekends as well.
(3)Rashad P.
Sucks..mediocre food...small establishment.food and drinks over priced..I cant speak for other waiters but ours was terrible..he forgot us clearly.and gave is the wrong bill...smh
(2)Alan G.
Once seated waited forever just for water and coffee. Had to get up and find someone for a second cup. Great location and a very intriguing menu but judging by the wait menu is to big for the staff. Wasn't worth the wait and subpar service.
(2)Denise D.
We happened upon this place while driving 101 and doing some sightseeing. Loved the outdoor seating. There were lots of options available, and we picked a perfect table with a view of the ocean. Mojitos were part of the Happy Hour $5 specials, and it was good - not a watered down happy hour version that sometimes is served at other places. Everyone was happy with the menu variety and left happy. Burger was cooked perfectly to order and was definitely freshly made. The flatbread (my meal) was awesome. Could have been shared between two people. One person had the shrimp Caesar salad. The shrimp was grilled and looked perfect. Kids had chicken nuggets and grilled cheese. You'd think those are un-mess-up-able, but you'd be surprised. Both boys went home with clean plates and happy bellies. The service was a little slow, but I realize we are at Chicago pace and not beach pace. Our kids just get a little antsy after sitting for so long and we were pushing the limits. Had I been with girlfriends, it may have been a perfect 5 star.
(4)Stephanie W.
Great Restaurant! Day or Night dining. Love the staff and the welcoming feeling of the place. Don't understand the negative yelps on the owner and manager their both great and treat our family wonderful. The food is fantastic the Oscar's choice, chicken Rueben and New York steak. Again a great restaurant and customer service is always right on!
(5)Melody G.
Love their salmon blt on sourdough. Super yummy. Just wish the mimosas weren't so expensive. Alot of places around here have bottomless mismosa on the weekends for the same price as 2 of theirs. Great pancakes too.
(4)Michelle H.
If I was writing a review on the food alone I would give this place 3 or 4 stars. The food was pretty good except that they serve their coleslaw (which is really good!) in a small paper cup so it gets super messy all over the rest of the meal. However I am writing this review because I am still horrified 2 days after eating here over watching the way the manager treated the staff. What an awful woman. Perhaps she had no idea that every time she snapped at her staff or yelled at them that customers could hear her.. But she was doing it 2 feet away from our table so... Anyways all of the staff appeared miserable. I watched her scream at a bus boy and then snap "you do not want to get attitude with me" and I watched him scurry away practically in tears. She yelled at the hostess many times and all of the servers seemed to be running from table to table (they weren't THAT busy when we were there). Because anytime they would stand still for a second she would tell at them. Our server was pretty bad too. I asked her opinion on a few different dishes and she definitely did not sell me on any of them... I just couldn't believe the way this manager treated her employees. It was awful to watch. Someone should report her to the better business bureau.
(2)Stephie H.
The Best breakfast I have ever had the eggs Benedict were amazing with the basil hollandaise sauce. And oh my gosh they make a bacon infused bloody Mary that is to die for! We spoke to chef Randy seems passionate about what he creates. I wish my husband and I lived closer we would go here all the time!!
(5)Ryan E.
The food here is amazing! But the wait was very long and once the waitress brought our waters. She didn't come back for a long time. We had to ask for bread. The food was worth the wait. We sat outside as the sun went down tonight. The view was great.
(4)Julie E.
Super friendly staff Jenna is the BEST ! Food always great ~ Love the breakfast! Will be back!
(5)troy p.
I've been here for dinner before and it was great. I decided to try their breakfast and wasn't disappointed. They have a lot of gourmet type breakfasts on the menu (my wife had the Green Eggs and Ham and loved it), but I was in the mood for the basics. Bacon, Eggs, Grits and Toast. Man was it good. Eggs were cooked perfectly (So many cooks don't know what over easy means), the bacon was the best I can remember having, and the grits were creamy. We'll definitely be coming back. Oh ya, the coffee was good too.
(5)Mari A.
Still one of my fave breakfast stops and definitely a comebacker! Love coming here after a run and/or hike up on Torrey Pines reserve, Just wanted to update on what I got on food in case you wanted to know whats good! Still got my spicy bloody mary and it's still delicious. Got the salmon cakes benedict, no biscuit was added to the dish like most benedicts but no biscuit was needed either. DELICIOUS! So the positives: BLOODY MARY GREEN EGGS AND HAM OMELETTE SALMON CAKES BENEDICT Each were under $10... again beautiful view and DOG FRIENDLY! The negatives: NADA
(5)Dean L.
(disclosure: this review is from a year ago, but I only today realized it never posted, so here it goes. . . ) Came here with my wife for a quick bite before and was happy with my steak salad. This night was different. Came with wife, another couple and our baby. We got the table in the back which was spacious and things went downhill from there. Nobody took our order for 40 minutes so I yelled at a girl from the kitchen. She took the order and it took another 25 minutes to get just the salads. Meanwhile our baby is starting to cry. Now our main courses come out and iwe get halibut instead of steak frites. How do you get them confused? She rushes back to the kitchen and brings our steaks in 5 minutes. Medium rare now looks like the animal is alive and the top of the steak is overpeppered. Bad service and so so food. Not a good night for Americana, but we are local and we will give it another chance.
(2)Michael M.
Not impressed one bit. I ordered fish and chips. The fries were cold. Ordered a salad and asked for dressing on the side. Brought it back twice with dressing on it. Ordered Eggs Benedict without the Hollandaise sauce and guess what happened. yes, doused with Hollandaise. Basically, I'm not going back. They won't miss me or you though because it is always going to be visited by tourists because of the location.
(3)Sonya S.
I work across the street from this cafe. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE their oatmeal!!! I know ... boring you may think ... however, it is the BEST oatmeal around. I find myself going in early just to run over to get my fix. Fresh apples, sliced almonds, brown sugar and creamy yumminess like no other. I highly recommend it.
(5)Colette G.
Adorable atmosphere and delicious food!!! A little pricey (for example the fruit mimosa I ordered was like $9 and it was a tiny champagne flute.. Definitely not bottomless :/ like some other places that even charge only 1/2 the price) the service was so-so, albeit it was a slow time of day when we went. All in all, still great food and atmosphere. I'd go back soon :)
(4)Mike B.
Food is OK, terrible service across the board. Staff needs training badly. 2+ hours for lunch is just wrong. Waitresses are incredibly awkward here with no smiles.
(1)Danny S.
Went here for breakfast with the family 3/7. Kids were welcomed and treated very well. Service: great. The server was very accommodating and made suggestions off of the kids menu (however charged us for everything). Coffee was refilled quickly. They had plastic cups with lids for the kids. Food: Lots of variety for breakfast. My wife had the 3 eggs with salad and toast. I had Lina's breakfast sandwhich (eggs/chicken sausage/spinach). The sandwhich was a tad on the bland side and was messy. It came with a side of salad. The kids had pancakes which were light and fluffy. They also tried the blueberry/strawberry muffin which was good (came with option to have it warmed). All in the all, the food was decent, but nothing spectacular. Value: We made some request on the orders and additions and thought they were really accommodating. Later, we found out that we were charged for everything. For example, my child as for a little cheese on his 1 egg scramble...cheese=$1.99. My wife asked for a little pico de gallo for her eggs...salsa=$1.99. My wife asked if she could take her coffee togo...cup=$0.55. So be aware before you make your request. We were disappointed because the weather did not allow us to eat at Stratford Cafe. So this place was our second choice. Nice variety but paid for it.
(3)Usha D.
Friendly and attentive service, outstanding food, comfortable setting. I'm a bacon snob and this is some of the best bacon I've ever had. Couldn't ask for more! We had the Americano Omelette and added Andouille sausage and a side of smokehouse bacon. Shared the breakfast with hubby and it was One of the best breakfast we've had. Definitely recommend this place.
(5)Frances S.
First off.. Seating Was super tight. Hubby chair kept getting hit with people...After being seated and almost 20mins of waiting for a waiter .. nothing.. so my husband had to ask hostess who was our waiter was.. after watching them arguing about who was assigned to our table.. a frazzled waitress came over to get our order. . We ordered our drinks and we said we were ready to place our order.. she says.. oh let me get your drinks first.. ok .. y? I don't know. Now picture this.. other's around us who were seated after us.. have drinks.. and their meals .. having good time yet?? Not us.. now we ordered 1 ice tea .. 1 water. . Got 2 ice teas. . 2 waters. . Asked for lemon for ice tea. Never got it .. ordered a BLT to share. . Only 2 pieces of bacon on sandwich. for $9.95 .. $2.50 extra for herb fries which were like Mc D fries sprinkled with herb.. yuck .. $20.00 for ONE terrible sandwich..and even worst customer service.. never will recommend ..or go back.. sad. .
(1)Neal M.
This place is turning from a regular favorite spot to hit or miss. The happy hour used to be great and now the service is so slow and the outside booths are dirty. How much does it cost to clean or change the cushions on the outside booths, they are gross.
(2)Howard F.
Excellent place to have breakfast in terms of both food and location. Nice way to experience Del Mar. Really nice sweet and spicy caffeine free tea. Omelette with quinoa is my favourite
(5)Brinda J.
Came here for brunch with my bff. She had a living social deal so we decided to get two plates and split it. The food was pretty good. Very tasty and a lot of it. However, service was horrible. We had to ask several times for things and had to wait a long time for it. So a good place for brunch if you don't mind waiting.
(3)Pamela B.
Had breakfast with my parents and boyfriend. I chose the french toast; my boyfriend had the pancake breakfast w/eggs & bacon; mom had eggs benedict, and my dad had eggs; sausage & potatoes w/an english muffin. My french toast was not as hot as I hoped it would be. Good, but not hot. Everyone else enjoyed their breakfasts fine. The coffee is served in a little teacup sized 'mug'; difficult for the men to hold onto! The restaurant is in a fabulous location.
(3)Abdulrahman A.
I got the mushroom & asparagus omelette. It was good but was served cold. Also the service wasn't the best.
(3)Brad W.
Great location and a nice quaint little patio around the corner from the beach. Our server was awesome and super accommodating. I wanted so badly to love this place, but I didn't. I started with the tomato basil soup, and it was as bad as it gets. Almost a negative amount of flavor. My lunch was the grilled chicken club and it was overcooked and lack luster in flavor. The fries were good and the beer was cold. That's the best I can do. I have heard the breakfast is better so I will hopefully give that a shot soon. #Disappointed
(2)Melanie V.
I ordered the plate with poached eggs with spinach, goat cheese, quinoa, etc. The eggs were cooked well and the flavors blended deliciously. The gluten free toast was not very good. The potatoes were Ok. Outdoor seating was nice. Coffee was pretty good. They do not allow any substitutions for anything.. Service was OK.
(4)Jay C.
Did brunch with my wifes fam and had a great meal. She got the halibut sandwich, woah that was good! Cute spot, 5 buck Stone Pale Ale, yes please!
(4)Chrissie O.
This is for my February monthly brunch. A little late in the month but my friends and I somehow found time to meet up. Trying to find more spots up north so my friend recommended Americana. I do love Del Mar. The location was great and it's a cute little restaurant. It's kinda hard to locate. Well I was looking for a sign when I was driving by but couldn't see any so I was looking at the addresses instead. We had the corner table inside but you can seat outside as well. Good on a hot day but it was cold out so we sat inside. Food was reasonably priced. I ended up ordering Casey's Call. It was poached eggs with spinach and cheese on toast. I think I would've liked it better on regular toast bread. It was a tuscan toast they used. Im trying to be neat when im eating but that wasn't working. It tasted okay. Overall, it was an okay experience. Nice atmosphere, friendly servers, okay food. I'd want to try this place again in the future.
(3)Robert T.
Americana serves breakfast all day. That's a plus, in my book. I love a plate of Lina's, a cup of coffee and sitting outside and just soaking up the ambiance. One of my favorite breakfast spots.
(4)Briana B.
The portabello mushroom salad is one of my favorite salads of all time! So filing and the homemade dressing is so good. The beats in it add a little sweetness too :). I recommend going when it is not super busy because they usually let you choose a table. Also, sit outside! it can be really good people watching especially in the summer. On the brunch menu, where do I begin! Everything I have had on it so far has been phenomenal. Green eggs and ham, Casey's call, Lina's breakfast sandwich, and the Breakfast banana split are some of my favs!
(5)Caroline S.
I had to update my review since previously it was based upon breakfast only. My husband and I went here for dinner last night for the first time and it was terrible! I ordered beet salad and tomato basil soup and my husband had the veggie sandwich and caprese salad. He also ordered a mojito. The mojito was awful. It tasted like cough syrup. My beet salad was wilted greens topped with some small cubed beets, goat cheese, and cranberries. It didn't taste bad but wasn't worth the $8.95 it cost. And the wilted lettuce did not help. The tomato soup was homemade but was so bland I had to add a ton of salt to it. The caprese salad was fine. My husband hated the veggie sandwich; also bland. The fries were good. Luckily I wasn't very hungry but my husband was so he ordered the fish tacos off their happy hour menu. He liked those, though they looked gross to me. But we both agreed we're never coming here for anything other than breakfast ever again. I'm giving them a 4 because their breakfasts are really good. If I was judging on dinner alone, it would probably be 2 stars.
(4)Jennifer A.
I really want to like this place more because it's in a great location and has a nice patio where I can sit with my dog. However, I've been here for both brunch and dinner and I think the food is just so-so. Brunch gets very busy, but my friend and I didn't have to wait for a table around 11. I had the Casey's Call which is poached eggs with spinach and goat cheese on toast. I remember thinking it was both a little bland and had too much cheese. My favorite part of the meal was the iced coffee which had frozen cubes of coffee instead of ice cubes - a nice touch. I also randomly popped in here for dinner with another friend after walking my dog. It is definitely a lot slower at dinner time and I only saw a couple of tables filled. We sat on the patio because I had my dog with me, but they don't really have lights, so it was a weird, dark dining experience. We both had the $30 prix fix menu which includes, soup or salad, entree, dessert and a glass of wine. My lentil soup was a little bland a bit watery. I had the steak au poivre as my entree and omg was it ever peppery. I know it is a pepper crusted steak, but wow, LOTS of pepper! For dessert I had the strawberries and figs with ice cream. I was expecting fresh figs because they were in season at the time, but I got dried ones instead and they were like rubbery fig gummies. Both times, I just felt a little disappointed with everything. The food just didn't live up to my expectations. There is so much potential, I'm just not sure where it went wrong!
(3)Vou A.
We love coming to Americana for breakfast/brunch. By far, they have one of the best cobb salads I've ever had. My boyfriend loves their egg breakfasts. They get 4 stars because mistakes have sometimes been made with my salad, the wait staff has forgotten to bring our drinks or has not serviced the talbe weill. It's a very busy restaurant in a small space. It seems that during rush times they don't have enough wait staff and maybe there' s just not enough space in the place to have more employees running around. However that's what knocks the place from 5-4 stars..
(4)Christian M.
Got the three eggs breakfasts. You know, a breakfast thats very hard to mess up....not for these guys. The potatoes were slightly hard and very dry with an extra helping of no taste....how do you mess up rosemary red potatoes?!?! The english muffin was barely toasted....seriously guys...and all for a highly expensive price......denys is better and I hate denys.
(1)Anna P.
this place has my absolute favorite breakfast. I usually order the Portobello and goat cheese omlet with greens on the side. Yes try the side salad because it's absolutely amazing for breakfast! It's a kind of thing you usually only see in San Francisco. I also really love the roman breakfast as well and for lunch I love the steak sandwich. be prepared for a long wait on weekends but its well worth it.
(4)Dustin G.
My low rating is due to how poorly run this place is. The food is actually quite tasty. I had the pasta bolognese and I tried their flatbread pizza and some salads. Everything was delicious and arrived piping hot. The wait staff isn't bad, but they are clearly struggling to deal with ineffective/overbearing management. The waiters all looked stressed and tired. The owners/managers kept telling them different things about closing and seating times. Also, they wouldn't let the waiters make our drinks so every cocktail took forever. I overheard more than one awkward exchange between the management and wait staff and I heard some waiters talking about how much they hated working there. It's a shame that this cute place in a such a nice area has great food but provides such a poor experience. I didn't feel relaxed. We all asked for boxes about halfway through our meal and then went home. The food was much better in a calm and sane environment. The management/owners need to learn how to work with wait staff to provide a good dining experience. This place could be great.
(2)Amanda D.
They messed up in too many ways Took a while to be seated and greeted by the server. They run out of glasses for drinks. I only have a side of sauteed vegie and my friend had some omeletes. They are very slow cooker indeed. The table that came in later got their food first. The best part is the view... I was only in town for visiting so there is only this one shot, one shot that they have missed.
(1)Pooja B.
Americana is a cute, homey place set right off of scenic Camino Del Mar--there's gorgeous views of the Pacific from the patio, and on a sunny day, you can people watch all the dog-walkers and surfers strolling down the sidewalk. A friend and I decided to give Americana a try for lunch one day (mainly because of the delicious smells emanating from within, but also because the place just looked so damn quaint and beachy) and we definitely weren't disappointed. I ordered the grilled portobello sandwich and she had the tuna melt: you know a meal is great when there's a mutual understanding that absolutely no talking is allowed within the first five minutes of the plates hitting the table. Beyond a few appreciative "THIS IS SO GOOD"s, all you could hear were the extremely attractive sounds of us slurping and chomping our way through our meals. The grilled portobello sandwich is served open-faced, with a huge helping of potatoes and coleslaw on the side. Aside from a giant, extremely well seasoned portobello shroom, the sandwich boasts juicy roasted red tomatoes, sauteed spinach, and creamy gorgonzola cheese that all melt together in your mouth to create a savory burst of flavor that keeps you eating long after your stomach is full. And don't even get me started on the bread. Light, flaky, soft ciabatta perfection. Bonus: There's a sign outside that says passers-by are welcome to rest their legs and have a sit down in the outside seating area, even if they don't want any food. Good people points for the owners of Americana.
(5)Rebecca D.
We were really excited to eat breakfast there with our daughter who flew in from SF and with our son, daughter in law and our 2 yr old grandson for the 1st time. We checked in at 9:50 am for a party of 6. Hostess said it would be a 30 min wait. Ten mins went by, then 20 mins, and finally 30 mins. Okay we should be next? Nope...only parties from 2 to 4 who check in after us were getting seated before us. I would say at least 8 parties were seated who came in after us. I ask the Hostess how much longer? She would check, but really did not get an answer. The manager walked by and mumble like "it is like camping". It was a raining, Sunday morning, Jan 11, 2015. And while waiting, my 2yr old Grandson was eating a muffin at the bar seats. Finally 40 mins past, ask the Hostess what booth are we waiting to be seated at? She did not answer. Finally a family of 4 to 5 adults with 2 small children came in and got seated in the front booths facing the bar/TV. My frustration started to grow...50 mins past, feeling very hungry and wasting my time just waiting for nothing??? Poor Grandson is getting tired too! Come on now...we were waiting a long time... 50 mins. I just had to walk out (already frustrated) while my Daughter-in-law paid for my Grandson's Muffin. If you really had any customer repoir, you would have explain or apologize for the length we had waited. And should had offer the Muffin at "No Charge". Feeling of being ignored, I was very fustrated and I will never return. If you are a party of 2 to 4.....you will get seated before the larger Party. Or maybe, it was because we were an Asian Family??? Look at the restaurant's name "AMERICANA".
(1)Heidi S.
Food looked much better than it tasted....I wouldn't return. I had the french toast, which looked amazing....but flavor was lacking and my $5 side of potatoes were cold and undercooked. Next time I am staying in Del Mar, I will try someplace else for breakfast.
(2)L L.
Had a made to order omelet with potatoes and sourdough bread. YUM. No complaints. Server was super efficient, sweet and pretty dang handsome.
(4)Julia N.
I love their breakfasts: omelettes are tasty (and not overpriced), coffee is good, outdoor seating allows for people watching. This place is also dog-friendly.
(4)Carolyn S.
This place has the potential to be a little gem: tasty food, varied menu, decent prices (with exceptions), fresh ingredients, usually pretty good service and what's not to like about the location? They're in the heart of Del Mar (directly across the street from L'Auberge) and walking distance from the ocean. Now, the last time we were there our waitress seemed afraid of her own shadow (or maybe she was afraid of the management?). I brought in a friend from LA and we both felt nickel and dimed. I'd ordered an ice tea with about an inch of lemonade in it for sweetening; she actually flinched when I asked for a refill. She explained that "lemonade is expensive...we're gonna have to charge you for a whole nother drink". We once ate there and discovered that some of the fruit (I think it was melon or pineapple) although looking fresh, tasted as though it had picked up the flavor from some other food (who knows, maybe the dish wasn't that clean). The owner/manager was offended. He actually came out, sat down and lectured me for my impudence of thinking something didn't taste right. Hmmmmm?!?
(3)Marc N.
First the bad(ish): - Our (outdoor) table was a little sticky. - The Tabasco Sauce bottle on the table had something in it that wasn't Tabasco Sauce. Now the good: - The food was good. - I'm new in town and it was fun people watching on the sidewalk. - The wait for a table was short even though we went for lunch on Mother's Day. "15 minutes..." the hostess said, so we took the baby and walked down the hill to the park. We had just enough time to take in the view, smile about the weather and trundle back up to be seated. How splendid!
(4)Steve R.
Americana makes me proud to be an American! Here's what I really liked and my review may be biased because I'm not a fan of unhealthy/greasy breakfasts. Usually when you go to a restaurant and order an omelet with egg whites you receive a tiny little portion because they still use the same amount of eggs. At Cafe Americana they have this great Power Breakfast where they make an omelet of your choice with 5 egg whites!! Yes you heard me right 5! Moreover, the location is stellar and the service is excellent. I highly recommend this place for breakfast!
(4)annalee m.
my absolute favorite restaurant in all of del mar and definitely on my top ten favorites of all time. quaint atmosphere, delicious food, attentive staff. doggies are allowed outside.
(5)GAIL W.
What's with this location? It has been half a dozen different names in the past decade. Strangely the food stays the same as well as the uninvolved wait staff. Not impressed with ANYthing I have ordered here.
(2)Katee M.
Best pancakes ever, hands down. Killer amazing coffee. This is more of an upscale breakfast place, not a diner. Awesome outside seating. A bit pricey for breakfast but worth every penny.
(5)Nikki G.
Service was pretty brutal and food was just average. I had the egg white veggie quesadilla which was not that good and my husband had the granola banana split thing which was actually pretty tasty. The food took forever and the staff didn't seem to care at all. I live just a couple blocks from this place and I really can't imagine why I would go back. I'd hit up Stratford cafe or Pacfica Breeze instead.
(2)Erica L.
TAsty, tasty, tasty! Their pizzas and salads are too good!! Americana is the perfect place to go for a casual setting, but well thought out and created food...chef is amazing!
(5)James H.
Gotta come here for breakfast! My wife had the iced coffee and loved the coffee ice cubes. I really liked the the regular coffee. My omelette was awesome, as were the pancakes. Site outside, see the ocean, and enjoy your breakfast!
(5)Kevin T.
This restaurant is located at a very nice location and there's a certain charm to it when you first walk in. However, its charm does not make up for the lack of quality in their food. I came with a group of friends for dinner and we just thought this place was mediocre. We had somewhat high expectations as most of us should when we walk into a high-priced restaurant. They served us a "shot" of soup in a shotglass, which was "unique" but extremely unsatisfying. Good thing it was on the house! Bottom line, I could get a way better meal with the price I paid elsewhere.
(3)George H.
Went here for San Diego Restaurant Week. The steamed mussels, rack of lamb and all the desserts are a must try. cobrakai.posterous.com/s…
(3)T S.
wasn't nearly as good as the last time I went. Should prob stick to breakfast. Got the egg salad--pretty bland and boring. I was expecting more from them as every other visit was fantastic. I also ordered the potato leek soup--too viscous and more like a cream of potato soup. The highlights were my cheesy grits.service was also pretty slow and spotty. on my last visit, i got the roman plate--way better than the egg salad or soup.
(3)Jessica W.
amzing food and gorgeous location. watch the sun set with a grilled portabello mushroom sandwich... mmm
(5)Claire S.
Perfect Sunday Brunch location and food. Interesting twists on the staples of brunch. Sometimes the service isn't spot on but who wants to rush a Sunday morning?
(4)Jane K.
Good for breakfast and kid friendly. I feel like the service has been spotty in the past but better more recently.
(3)Iain Y.
When I lived in San Diego, Americana was my Saturday breakfast spot every week. We would take the Dog, sit on the patio, enjoy breakfast and people watching before heading to Dog Beach a bit further up the coast. The breakfast was always very good and I tended to get the same thing - Freshly squeezed orange juice and banana-blueberry buttermilk pancakes with a side of Chicken Apple Sausage. The OJ actually was freshly squeezed as opposed to freshly poured out of a Tropicana bottle and was sweet, tangy, pulpy and delicious. The pancakes were a thing of beauty: fluffy and light, stuffed with mounds of freshly sliced bananas and plump blueberries topped with a touch of whipped butter and maple syrup. They are truly the best pancakes I've ever had, and no matter how hard I try to replicate them or wish them into existence at other places around the country, they are irreplaceable. The sausage was also very good - a savory combination of salty and sweet with exceptional flavors and an excellent compliment to the delicious pancakes. I occasionally got lunch there and the sanny's were good, but not as good as the breakfast. The fries were very good though - hand cut and tossed with salt and fresh rosemary. Very tasty. Service was always a bit on the slow side, but it never bothered us as we were happy to sit outside in the great weather.
(4)Sara L.
I had the cheeseburger which is certainly not "the best" as the menu states. It's served on ciabatta bread so huge its impossible to eat. It came with potatoes which were poorly seasoned and cold. The lemonade was good.Its a great place to sit outside, maybe the breakfast food is better.
(2)Gretchen B.
I really want to like Americana, but they make it hard to do so. I have always gone for breakfast and found the food to be decent and the service to be slow and the waiters aloof. I have always chalked it up to how busy they are at breakfast. The other night we stopped in for dinner for the first time, as there were only 2 other tables at the time, we figured that would solve the service issue. Not so. Both our waitress as well as the owner (manager?) were gruff. When we didn't immediately (within seconds) of sitting down know what we wanted to order for dinner, we were then left for 15 minutes (again, only 2 other tables in the place). My husband had to go ask the waitress (who was chatting with the owner and one other waitress) if we could order (we had 2 kids with us under the age of 5), and when he politely said "we are ready to order now" she looked at him and said "are you sure?" We should have left right then. She was a bit nicer through the rest of the meal, but the food was again mediocre. As we left I said "thank you" to the owner/manager behind the bar, who looked up at us and said nothing. Again, I want to like this place, but the food and service make that hard. It only survives due to its location. Go to Stratford instead- at least they are friendly.
(2)Kit E.
Any place that serves me hair with my food has got to receive 1 star. We started out with the foie gras appetizer, it was OK, but had a bit of a bitter taste to it. But then I ordered the spinach linguini with shrimp and scallops. Scallops were overcooked and thus chewy, but I had finished half my meal before twisting my fork into some more pasta and finding out there was a hair in there! Yuck! It was too coarse to be my hair, and they were nice enough to take the dish off the bill, but still....not really going to come here ever again.
(1)Brad O.
Americana is excellent. In the off season they have a fixed price menu which is a fantastic deal. They are one of the few restaurants than can cook scallops perfectly every time. They have excellent entree salads for lighter fare, all of their starter salads are wonderful with fresh ingreients. They make a killer risotto For mains you really cannot go wrong. I've had everything from their mains and have never been disappointed. Pesto halibut and scallops are a memorable highlight. They also never disappoint with the New York strip. If you do go here, the only place to eat is outside. Inside is a bit cramped, but outside is perfect for people watching and to have the nice sea breeze. Their wine list is very good with very reasonably priced selections.
(5)Tamara B.
Great little place on the beach...we'll be back!
(5)Lee F.
I've only eaten here once (so far), and it was after a long, exhausting day of wine-tasting (glugging) in Temecula. But in my sleepy stupor, I was entirely enamored with the cheeseburger I got. From the website: "americana burger with roasted garlic, gorgonzola, lettuce and roasted tomatoes on ciabatta served with pommes frites 11.95" Delightful! This is one of those cases where the flavors are just 'right'. Anyway, I don't wanna rant on about just one dish. It was delicious. The space it a bit cramped, but fortunately it was pretty empty when I went. I think. I dunno. I may have still been drunk. This has been my worst review ever. Sorry! Order the burger!
(5)Sabrina G.
My favorite is the cheddar cheese burger served on ciabatta. Yum!
(3)Kenneth T.
I always get the Nova Salmon bagel when I'm there, because I love smoked salmon. My mom gets the Portabella mushroom sandwich, which is good too. The waffles are good, and so are the pancakes. My brother got some pancakes, which were drowning in butter. ORDER WITHOUT THE BUTTER! I like this place a lot. Plus, it has great access to the beach (2 blocks away).
(4)Jessica P.
Due to the charm and Zagat rating we had high expectations but it fell short in every possible way. The staff was cold and rude. The food was burnt. I had a chicken sandwhich, the chicken was chared. My husband had burnt halibut and my kids shared a burnt cheeseburger. The children left hungry and we left dissappointed and insulted. I wish I could have my afternoon in Delmar back.
(1)Paul C.
We recently took a couple that we're good friends with to Americana for their first meal on a busy Saturday morning. It wasn't the best service that we've received there, had to ask for sugar twice (for the coffee) but the food made up for the service. We only go to Americana for breakfast so I can't say how their lunch/dinner menu holds up. But for anyone who likes egg benedict, their dillan's eggs benedict is fantastic. It comes with a side salad that's also delicious. Price is reasonable, the coffee is good, and the atmosphere of relaxed downtown del mar is just superb.
(4)Annie O.
Worst Service Ever (2 different days in a row)!!! - - Today The breakfasts were good, atmosphere warm...but I have NEVER had worse service in my life (twice in 3 days). The first day we were met by a tall dopey waiter who just didn't care and seemed to almost be on drugs. In 2 hours, he never once refilled our coffee or iced tea w/o being asked. I ordered Huevos Rancheros and asked politely for an extra tortilla. His response was, " you don't need one, there is one underneath the eggs." REALLY??? I already know that! I kindly said that I would still like an extra tortilla. He forgot it 3 times and huffed when gently reminded for the 3rd time. By the time I was finished with all but my last bite, he came by and said, "do you still want that tortilla?" I said "probably not, since I am on my last bite"...and he said "yeah, that is what I was thinking-I already canceled your order". I could NOT believe how rude, inconsiderate, unaware, and generally unavailable he was. Sooooooo, loving the breakfast, not the experience, we decided to try again on a slow day (Monday). We asked for another waiter/waitress. We got a gal who was nice, but did not concern herself with refilling our coffee or iced tea either. We concluded that this restaurant relies on their food and spends no time training and managing their horribly qualified/unqualified wait staff. Another important notation is that the wait staff seemed truly unhappy and cranky...like they were not willing to do much more than take your initial order, when "they" were ready, and then get it to the table. End of deal. For a stark comparison, try out George's in La Jolla and just take a look at how happy and full of pride these workers are to be there. I have never once been to Georges when the workers were not truly happy to be a part of their workplace. It is truly a pity to see a restaurant with such potential (Americana), go so very wrong. The food may be "good", but the mood of the staff showed very low morale and was completely dismal and depressing. Dining is a "full" experience - and not just about the food. In this economy and with the large number of wonderful restaurants in Del Mar/La Jolla - I am there are many other options to spend one's time, energy, and money. In closing, I know many locals and after speaking with some of my friends who live in the area regarding my experience - they all said that Americana is known for their horrible service. I wish I would have known this earlier...but in hind sight, I am hoping that someone wakes up and decides to motivate, train, and hold their servers accountable at Americana. Until then, you have lost my business - unfortunately.
(1)Tom V.
Sunday morning at 9:30, great, friendly service and the green eggs and ham were delicious. Four of us were out in about an hour and everyone was full and happy.
(4)Robin C.
Never again! Here's my Americana experience in a nutshell. Moved to Del Mar 9 years ago. A year or two in went to Americana with my mom. While still waiting to be seated we were treated rudely by what appeared to be one of the cooks. When we complained to the hostess, she explained that he was the owner. Needless to say, we left and never went back, despite living walking distance from there. Fast forward to this year. Two coupons on Groupon for Americana - one for dinner and one for breakfast or lunch. What the hell, let's give it another shot. Use the dinner one first. It was a Saturday night, prime dinner hour, the place is almost deserted. We soon learned why. Lackluster service (at best) and mediocre food. Hubby and I both felt it was a waste of money. But, in fairness, the place is known for lunch and breakfast, so we figured we might still score with the lunch Groupon. Went today. Had to flag down a server to get waited on, but after that the service was good. Food was actually okay. Nothing to write home about, but very decent. The Bloody Mary's are, as others have stated, excellent. Cut now to the bill. I insert my handy little Groupon and credit card into the check thing. Next thing I know, the owner is at my table explaining that I had already used my Groupons for both dinner and lunch. I explained that that was impossible as I had never in my life eaten lunch or breakfast there. He suggested that I had "forgotten." I again explained that I just lived up the hill and surely wouldn't forget having eaten at a place I see pretty much every day! He continued to insist that the Groupon was used. He also yammered on about how he does Groupons for "good will." Really??? How much good will did you just foster by all but calling your customers cheats? So, I guess my initial experience with the owner all those years ago was right on. Lesson learned. Go with your first instinct about a place.
(1)Andy S.
We decided to eat here after spending the morning at Torrey Pines Beach....after seeing that Del Mar Pizza was quiet a dive... We chose to eat outside here, which is very nice with the bench seating. The hostess had no personallity and was totally absent as she seated us. Our waiter must have been having a bad day because the service was aweful! My kids suck down lemonade, hey if your going to charge by the glass of lemonade don't you think you could warn the parton when they order? Several people were served before us, even though they arrived 20 minutes after us.... The waiter even brought us our check BEFORE we even received our meal? What a space case! I ordered my Chedder Burger "medium-well"... Here I guess that means "burned on the outside and pink in the middle"... I guess the cook was having a bad day too! I think everyone that worked this day was having a bad day! My wife's potatoes were so hard she could not eat them. My son ordered the "noodles with butter"....$5.99 for noddles with butter? The serving wasn't even that big! All in all, I would not return to eat here... unless I was really drunk and didn't know where I was!!! STEER CLEAR OF THIS PLACE.... You can do a lot better else where in town!!!!
(1)R E M.
This is one of the most wonder little gems of Del Mar. Food is excellent, service extremely friendly and the location is wonderful. Nice sidewalk cafe to enjoy an evening dinner or Sunday brunch.
(5)Dan B.
My wife and I visited Americana during Restaurant Week. Americana appealed to us based on their menu choices for Restaurant Week. I was completely disappointed with my entire meal. I ordered the "Grilled New York Steak Au Poive served with roasted garlic butter sautéed spinach, roasted beets and pommes frites with beurre rouge sauce". What I received was a low grade overcooked sirloin steak covered in black pepper served with some frozen spinach with canned beets mixed in and cheap overcooked French fries (pommes frites , really?). For desert I ordered "Caramelized Strawberries and Figs with balsamic glaze, served over vanilla Haagen-Dazs ice cream." The strawberries and figs were not even close to caramelized and were served below melted ice cream. The service definitely did not help to mask the sub-par food. When the server found out we were interested in possibly ordering off the Restaurant Week menu we were treated like second-class citizens. Based on the other reviews posted here for Americana, it seems as though this place is "hit or miss".
(2)Julie R.
Last weekend, my friend and I decided to try the breakfast at Americana for the first time, as it had come highly recommended by another friend. We got there about noon or so, as most other customers were finishing their meals. We were seated immediately by a very nice hostess, but had to flag down an employee after about 5 minutes so that we could order coffee. The coffee finally arrived along with the waiter, who seemed really upset at being sat. We ordered and waited at least 25 minutes before getting our food. The food had obviously sat for awhile before getting to our table as the butter had completely melted into my pancakes. After eating, we had to ask for the check when our waiter finally made his way to our table again. Then we had to track him down again to give him the credit card payment. The restaurant by this time was nowhere near full, and we saw that other tables had attentive, friendly waitstaff, so no excuses on the service we were receiving. It seriously took us an hour and a half to get in and out. The food, as others say, is good. Nothing but nice things to say about the breakfast. And the location is good. However, the waitstaff seems very hit-or-miss. I don't plan on being a regular here, due to the poor service.
(3)Amanda S.
Americana is good. It is an above average neighborhood eatery. The service is not great but their food is delish and I love that I can take my dog with me to breakfast outside. It is charming, the menu is inventive, and it is a fine for an early morning breakfast. I only have had dinner there a few times and think there are better options close by, but they do have a half price wine and pizza night on Tuesday or Wednesday which is a good deal.
(3)Taylor S.
Americana has a fantastic breakfast (I haven't had lunch or dinner). Although it is always busy on the weekends, it is well worth the wait for their extensive menu of great foods. Try the chicken sausage and goat cheese scramble! The service is friendly and quick too!
(5)Karen F.
um yummy delicious goodness? yes please!!! cafe americana is the karen f and daddy place. we go here all the time. we're obsessed. it's our place. let's begin with the coffee. order the coffee. now i'm not a typical coffee drinker, i much prefer vanilla tea with some soy and one packet of splenda. BUT, i love americana coffee. it's divine. robust and smooth with a strong nutty flavor, the coffee rolls down your palate and into your belly very easily.... trust me, i always end up having 6 or 7 mugsfuls. see karen wired. now the food. great for brunch. i vacillate between casey's call (eggs florentine with goat cheese), any of the amazing omelets, veggie white quesadilla, and the breakfast banana split. they are all really really really really fresh tasting and delicious. my dad pretty much always gets pancakes.... he's clearly an original person.. and by original i mean likes what he likes and sticks to it, so like not original at all. now, i recently broke up with dairy, so coming here is going to be like throwing an alcoholic into a winery. not pretty. the selection of cheeses for your dishes are exquisite. goat cheese, fresh mozzarella, cheddar, feta, etc etc. you get the point. they have an array of vegetarian options that don't make you feel like your are eating cardboard--- in fact, all their food is rich in flavor. listen to a description for casey's call, "poached eggs, spinach and goat cheese on Tuscan toast with roasted herb new potatoes." doesn't that just scream YUM. the answer is yes. lunch is great too. the salads, sandwiches, and quesadillas are all innovative and pair together unique ingredients for an overall delightful culinary experience. now, when dining here you are in the heart of del mar. beachy, chillax ambiance with an occasional beach induced overcast that keeps the area cool. they love my dog too. bring your puppy and they'll lavish her with doggie treats, a personal water bowl, and room for roaming or lounging. i believe the mitzy appreciated it whole heartedly. i like sitting on the patio amidst the greenery and seasonal flowers while i people watch. if you decide to eat indoors, when you enter, you are greeted with an abnormally extensive array of tempting muffins (don't get them just because you are hungry. trust me. be a patient puppy and you will be rewarded with better food after you order from the menu) and a large and in charge espresso bar that as aforementioned, makes the greatest coffee drinks known to man. inside is a much more intimate setting with a slight jazz theme (note artwork of jazz musicians a la picasso on the walls and a soft jazz saxophone hum heard under the buzz of the restaurant commotion). there are small personalized vases with daisies at each of the tables which add to the homey atmosphere. side note : the bathroom is kind of out of the way. when you enter americana go straight and it feels like you are actually leaving through the back of the restaurant.. that's because you are. the bathroom is the one for the entire building...just go down the hall and make a left or a right (i can't remember), you'll see it. also, parking sucks in del mar. its all pretty much 90 minute parking unless you park a little bit farther away. so be prepared to walk a tad. good job americana. i support you.
(5)Christine C.
memorable brunch & nice selection of beers on tap
(4)Kristin S.
Eh. I guess I didn't see the note on the menu that mentions that service takes forever. We ate here last week and service was really spotty -- we ordered, then about 15 minutes later our kids meal came, then about 5 minutes after that, our appetizer (shrimp quesadilla -- pretty good) arrived, then maybe 10 minutes after that our own main courses arrived. By that time our kids had had it with the restaurant and wanted out. Plus for the outdoor seating. Minus for the Salmon Caesar salad which didn't taste like any Caesar I've ever had -- dressing tasted like bottled Ranch although the salmon was nicely cooked and hot. Another minus for having to ask 3 different waiters for bread, which every other table had the minute they were seated. I finally ventured inside the last time, as no waiters had appeared outside for 5+ minutes (there was only one table seated inside). I happened upon the waiters bellied up to the bar which, having worked in a few restaurants, I found kind of unprofessional. I don't live in San Diego but regardless, we won't be back.
(2)Suzu T.
My friend and I just had breakfast there, she ordered Oscar's choice (pancakes, eggs, sausage) and I ordered Dylan's eggs benedict (with roasted tomatoes, green salad, basil and rosemary hollandaise sauce). We liked the eggs benedict a lot, pancakes were kind of OK. Service was fast and friendly.
(4)Kate T.
This place is awesome. Super close to the ocean & great food- I highly recommend the breakfast sandwich. There is also seating outside.
(4)Annie H.
Good service, reasonable prices (not dirt cheap and somewhat pricier than average (though not by much), but that's expected given it's Del Mar, and not quite your hole-in-the-wall type of place), fresh food, relaxing atmosphere. :) Came with a friend for breakfast - she ordered the Roman Breakfast and I the Americana Omelette, which I thought was well-sized with good portions and enough to fill me up! :)
(4)J J.
The few times I've been here has been wonderful experience. Great place to have breakfast (especially, in clear San Diego weather) Since it's right by the beach, it's perfect to have a little stroll down to the shore after a meal. Food is fresh and delightful.
(5)Nicole C.
Great location for outdoor eating. We went for brunch one late Sunday morning and were delighted at our finds. We had decent mimosas, delicious twists to old fashion favorites (ie. Belgian waffles and eggs Benedict) and enjoyed the sun kissing our faces. I recommend a side the sage chicken sausage. It was a little more than your average breakfast fare but worth every extra penny! I look forward to trying lunch and dinner sometimes soon.
(5)Laura C.
Loved sitting outside in the sunshine for brunch. Service was very good. Food was a disappointment.
(3)Lauren p.
For Americana I would say the food is good to okay depending on what you order, but we had absolutely horrible service. I went here my with boyfriend on a weekday morning for a late breakfast and there was barely anyone else in the restaurant. Our server took our drink orders pretty quickly and we asked for another minute or two to figure out what we wanted to eat.... after about ten minutes of waiting for her to return I actually got up and had to track down another server to take our orders. By the way, our server only had one other table. Our waitress took forever to bring our food out and after she dropped the check she actually came back and grabbed it up to see if we had paid (without asking) and then cleared our food (without asking if we were done which i wasnt). So rude. I will say my bf ordered the eggs benedict and they were amazing. I got the granola with fruit and it sickeningly sweet. THe prices are astronomically high for such mediocre food. I would maybe return here someday but there are plenty of amazing restaurants in San Diego that dont have horrible service and do have more manageable prices for better food.
(3)Kerin S.
its good! not great, but good. had the corn and chicken quesadilla, and my friend and the chicken salad. our waitress was very pleasant and on top of things- the place is quaint. the music was really loud- and the table next to us even asked them to turn it down which they did. they also started cleaning up while we were eating (like turning chairs over and stuff which was kinda discomforting and made us feel rushed). It was definitely a place that I'm glad I visited, and will DEF recommend and visit again for dinner!!
(3)M S.
Great location, and we had a decent breakfast there years ago. But sadly the service and food have gone downhill. We were seated outside for dinner on a warm beautiful night. Things started going bad when I asked our waitress (waitperson) what kind of meat they used for the hamburger (expecting perhaps Niman Ranch for the kind of price they were charging.) Our waitress give me a very condescending look, and said in a gravely voice that could scrape the paint off a wall "it's ground meat hon, what do ya want in a hamburger?" And when I decided to peruse the menu for another option, she rudely told me I better make up my mind fast because "it's busy and I won't be coming back this way for a while." We should have left right then. I ordered the tomato soup, which was gritty and tasteless. My wife ordered the burger, which came on a soggy bread that disintegrated almost immediately. And this regrettable dining experience came with a rather pricey tab. Do yourself a favor and go a few doors down to Sbicca instead.
(1)Cass N.
On the way home from a long night in PB my girlfriend and I stopped here for a late breakfast with some of the friends we had met up with in San Diego the night before. Parking was easy, a surprise for that area! It was a beautiful day so we chose to sit outside, the outside is a bit crowded & cramped and tables were on the "rubbished" side (maybe I mean dirty but I am trying to be nice here). Noticed that you could dine outside with you dog, which we did witness a dog fight. Very friendly waitress that helped us figure out what goat cheese would taste like. Plus it was a Sunday morning & she had quick service that we were all in awe of. We all ordered different omelets; they have a very wide selection! Orange juice was great (I'm a juice freak), but unless you want 1000000% apple juice, stay clear.
(4)A Real Person Y.
Loved this place! The decorations were simple and classy. The staff was super nice and attentative. The food was DELICIOUS! My friend had the Lox Bagel and I had this dish with spinach, poached eggs and toast and it was soooooooooo good. I was kinda sad when I was done cause I wanted to keep stuffing my face with deliciousness.
(5)Jerome A.
Poor experience. A total rip off and the owners are the worst. I know that from personal experience as well as from ex and current employees. Avoid at all cost. The food is.. ok... but there is no reason to give business to horrible people. And I mean it.
(1)robert h.
Message:we usually love this restaurant due to the food and the ability to take our dog.Today was quite the bizarre experience-we had inadvertently shorted our bill by ONE DOLLAR-left a $3 tip.Someone from the restaurant came all the way across the street and hollared at us before we entered Harvest ranch that the bill was short-we mistakenly thought we'd left a single instead of a ten or twenty.To be embarrassed and humiliated at another venue for one dollar is inexcusable,Our business will not be forthcoming-you should be ashamed
(1)Ryan B.
I have eaten here several times. This is one of my personal favorites for breakfast. The food is great and the service is consistently decent. I love the location, I highly recommend sitting outside if the weather is warm. The only reason I'm giving Cafe Americana 4 stars is it's a bit pricey, but it is Del Mar after all.
(4)KURT M.
went here late morning on a sunday. sat almost immediately, and was quickly served. bloody mary was ok, but the menu made my tail wag. they have country ham as well as grits....fantastic. well neither were the best i have had, but certainly the best(and only) i have had in SD. pricey, but to me, it was worthy.
(4)Kaitlin M.
Great breakfast - favorite items are oatmeal (with all the fixings), ham, and pancakes. Good place to go if you just want a casual place to read your newspaper, take your dog and sit outside on the sidewalk seatings or just chill by yourself. The only downside to this place is the perpetual slow service and the lukewarm coffee. Would give 5 stars if they could only heat up their coffee....
(4)V T.
AMERICANA RESTAURANT has a bizarrely rude staff -- so cold, condescending, and supercilious toward customers that one assumes the owner purposely hires only the most mean-spirited, misanthropic folks around. It's so easy to be warm and gracious toward customers -- one wonders why Americana finds that impossible.
(1)Maria B.
My girlfriends and I tried this place over the weekend. It looked cute, close to the beach, and the menu looked really good. We were sat pretty quickly by a nice gentleman in a chef uniform that turned out to be the owner. Our waitress was friendly bur clearly busy and not overly attentive. We got out lunch and it was good, nothing amazing, but good for sure. Everything was generally fine until the bill. They charged my friend $7 to add chicken to her spinach salad. The menu listed add chicken to s Cesar for $3 she thought it would be the same. It ended up making her salad close to $20 and believe me, it was not a $20 salad. We mentioned it to our server and got s somewhat condescending answer. Then we paid the bill, which was messed up with 2 payments and we got overcharged. At that point the manager came over and fixed the bill situation but met us with the same condescension. All three of us have been servers/bartenders in our recent pasts, and we don't go out of our way to complain but I really felt it was justified in this situation.
(2)Dolores H.
I love this place for breakfast. The owner is the biggest grouch you have ever seen, but he is also why this restaurant is always full. He works hard so that everything is perfect. Plus, he is not too good to bus a table or get you a drink. Added bonus...he's kinda sexy! They make fresh coffee drinks and fresh squeezed juice of many kinds...even apple (Its poop brown but delicious). I love the Eggs Benedict and they usually have a delicious special. I've spent summers in Del Mar my whole life...and this place has changed hands many times...he must be doing something right!
(5)benjamin c.
Located in the heart of Del Mar, this lovely breakfast joint wins hearts with its 1940s american decor and architecture. It's a melting pot in food and in customers, serving a wide array of delicious breakfast dishes and many others. My personal favorites are the omlettes and banana french toast, cleansed down with a shot of espresso. And after your meal, take a stroll down the beautiful beach of del mar. This is one of my favorites brunch spots on the weekends in San Diego.
(4)Mary L.
coffee is almost always luke warm. is it that hard to give hot coffee????
(2)Brittany F.
Went here today for Sunday brunch, and genuinely had a lovely experience. Very cute, laid back beach feel, delicious food, I had the Linas Breakfast sandwich, which was basically an egg scramble with spinach, goat cheese, chicken sausage and roasted tomatoes. Superb! Even the toast under was tasty. The service was fine, the servers wore interesting, sport bar type uniforms, but she kept my coffee full and brought the check back to us quickly, so really no complaints. I definitely will be back for the 1/2 off wine bottles tuesday-thursday!
(4)Denise P.
Early Saturday Morning Tradition for MTK and I after our 3mile Run. I order the Coconut Pancakes with Chocolate Chips but sometime I will go with an omelette (Sun Dried Tomato, Goat Cheese and Spinach), and MTK gets the Coconut Pancakes with Bananas and a side of Bacon and we wash it all down with a BIG Pot ) yeah I said POT) of Coffee...extra creamer please! I have yet to have lunch or Dinner here but I heard from various foodies that its "So YUM!" and really if it's anything like Breakfast then sign me up!!!!
(4)Willy E.
We went for brunch and left very satisfied. Two of us had cheeseburgers, while the other two had traditional breakfasts and all left pleased. Service was great - the waiter was a pure "dude" who gave us numerous suggestions, all of which paid off. The reason for leaving a Yelp review? I swear, every single tray of food that a waiter carried past us smelled delicious. And we were outside on a breezy day, so we may not have gotten a full sense of all the flavor. We don't live in Del Mar, but look forward to trying American again soon.
(4)kevin s.
This place is lame. My wife decided to take her friend to this place for breakfast with a 2 for 1 coupon. Food was decent but pricey. The waitress denied the coupon saying it couldn't be used for breakfast, only dinner (despite that it didn't say it on the coupon). About a week later, I took my wife back for dinner with the same coupon and ordered a couple of individual pizzas. Pretty average pizzas, nothing special. When the check came, they denied our coupon again. What? We were supposed to order from the "entree" section only. Ok... Any flexibility? No way. $50 for two average pizzas was BS! I don't think we'll go back...
(1)Marie Francesca M.
Bloody Mary spicy enough and good flavor but seemingly without alcohol. Asked for a top off, just a shot, from the owner (who was the sore thumb of the otherwise very warm and efficient staff). He responded that it would be an EXTRA $8 (to make my spicy flavored tomato juice an actual bloody mary). Would rather have had a normal serving of grade A goat cheese in omelette instead of 1/2 a cup of grade C goat cheese. Everything else was cooked well, service was quick yet thorough. Had heard from other people that the owners' cheap attitude was the black cloud hanging over the otherwise quaint, inviting restaurant.
(3)Austin D.
I have visited several times over the years. I've brought visiting family here and gone on a date or two here. Pros: - Great "first date" brunch place to take someone - Great location in middle of downtown Del Mar - Fresh-baked (I assume in-house) pastries - Nice outdoor seating area - Nice coffee bar, GREAT coffee and espresso drinks Cons: - Decent (not stellar) breakfasts - Food can be hit or miss - Waitstaff can be unfriendly - Dirty tables
(3)Mimi L.
A few of my relatives are visiting from Taiwan, and I took them down to San Diego for a few days. Aside from showing them the typical stuff - Sea World, the Wild Animal Park, and Old Town - I wanted to show them that Denny's was not exactly the best representative of good American breakfast, and Americana helped me do just that. At first, I was a little hesitant because I'd read the Yelp reviews, and a lot of people mentioned bad service as one of Americana's major flaws. However, and maybe this is because the staff noticed the reviews and tried to change, I'd just like to point out that the service we received deserved 5+ stars! Our server was beyond friendly, our coffee cups were never empty, and our food arrived relatively quickly. The food at Americana is solid. I'm not going to say that it was the best I'd ever had, but everything we ordered tasted good - French toast, green eggs & ham, toasted nutty oatmeal, and so on. (Yes, I order oatmeal at restaurants.) What really stood out to me was their cinnamon toast - I definitely recommend getting that on the side! What makes Americana even better is its location. After you stuff yourself, you can walk around and check out the cute shops nearby or walk down to the beach, which isn't too far away. Perfect!
(4)Tina T.
Excellent place for people watching right smack in the middle if the village. Good lunch, good service.
(4)Lissa K.
This place combines a varied menu with the fun of dining al fresco and people watching. We went for a late Sunday brunch and were pleasantly surprised to find lots of breakfast and lunch selections. Service wasn't super speedy or overly enthusiastic but since we were in a laid back mood, we didn't let it bother us. The chicken club and Reuben sandwiches were both really good and though I'm not usually a fan, the coleslaw was awesome. Our bill was $50 for 2 cocktails and entrees and we didn't have our pup with us but they definitely seem to cater to the del mar dog lovers. Worth going.
(4)Ava L.
I would say the reason this place is so busy is because of their location. I went here with my family and almost everything we got was bland. My boyfriend got the Huevos Rancheros and he thought it was just a blob on his plate that needed to be drenched in hot sauce. I got the eggs benedict and I felt the same about my meal. My eggs were too runny (my fault for not asking them to be medium) and what SHOULD be the best part, the holondaise was so bland, I should have just had it without any sauce and would have gotten the same taste. One thing I thought was funny, after being a server myself, that immediatley after our food was brought, we got the check a minute later. Really? It's okay server, you don't need to bother to ask us how meal is before dropping the check. Overall, don't let the location fool you.
(2)V K.
Reading some of these other reviews, I wonder if I've just had some "off" experiences at Americana. I've been there once for dinner and don't really remember anything about it except that it seemed overpriced. Went once for coffee with friends and it was fine. This morning's breakfast was really disappointing, though. I had a veggie omelet that was terrible--watery with barely enough egg to cover the veggies, and pretty much no flavor at all. Probably one of the worst omelets I've ever had. It came with potatoes that were greasy yet undercooked and mostly inedible. It also came with toast, and apparently no jam. Dry toast = no fun. My husband had the eggs benedict and said it was mediocre at best. I saw a half-piece of undercooked bacon that he left on his plate. He said his potatoes were also undercooked/hard. Yuck. Service was friendly but very slow/inattentive; my water glass was completely empty half-way through our meal. Our friends had lunch items, which might have been better. Great location of course. Wouldn't return.
(2)Michael L.
If I could give this place negative stars, I would. Food was good, but service was terrible. We met friends at the restaurant at 6pm and didn't finish until 9:30pm based on the speed of the food coming out. Biggest issues...soup and salad took over 30 minutes to arrive. Meals took another hour. First two desserts came about 30 minutes after dinner was finished and the ice cream had already started to melt (obviously sat waiting to be delivered). Other two desserts never came. Coffee and tea came 20 minutes after desserts. Then the server tried to charge us for the two desserts we didn't receive. Management offered no discount for the crappy service. I am not impressed and would not recommend this place.
(1)Kristina M.
Delicious food with plenty selection so everyone in your party will be able to find something to their liking. Also have some great daily specials and some imaginative food like the breakfast banana spilt made with fruit, granola, and fresh yogurt! We didn't order that but saw a peak of it heading out to it's place. Food is decently proportioned with not a heavy after feeling. French toast was amazing! If you are a fan of eggs Benedict like me then you will be pleasantly surprised by the hollandaise sauce. Now on to the reason for my three rather than a five based on the quality of food. The service is mediocre you look around and it takes a while to order food or get check let alone pay. You have to often flag people down. The space in the restaurant is really cramped so get ready to join the conversations of your neighbors real quick. The way the staff dresses looks like they are hanging around the house not at a business establishment. My quick tip would be to sit outside when possible so you don't have to sit and stare at the short shorts worn by the hostess. Bring the dog and sit outside. If you are looking for a good moderately priced breakfast with a home cooked feel then this is the place for you!
(3)Lindsey P.
Location, Location, LOCATION! Without this, the Americana Cafe is an extremely "OK" place to eat. Our server barely knew we were there so it was a good move to ask if we could keep the coffee carafe at our table. We enjoyed sitting outside to enjoy our meal, which for the money ($9.99/plate) was worth it. $8 for a bloody mary (although very well presented) is really high, especially when it is called a "spicy" bloody mary that I had to add more tobasco sauce and pepper to make it taste right...if I had noticed that it was that much, I probably wouldn't have ordered it, or fixed the nearly virgin beverage to taste the way I expect a spicy bloody mary should. There was an excess of food, but not an excess of flavor. I would prefer to have less food, better flavor in the future. You cannot beat the location, they have flowers and beautiful window boxes (I think I saw the same ones at hooksandlattice.com ) and the price point for that area of Del Mar cannot be beat! I give this 3 of 5 stars because of the lack of service and lack of flavor. May go back to try it again at a different time of day (we were there for a late brunch around 11-12), maybe things will be different!
(3)Ryan S.
Best eggs benedict I have ever had and I love me some eggs benedict. Sun dried tomatoes were a great touch and the bacon was high quality which is important to me. They also have an outstanding bloody mary. Service was great as well and the setting is perfect. I will be coming back for sure next time I am in town.
(5)Jason W.
Excellent location close to Del Mar beach and in the middle of excellent shopping (Del Mar Plaza). Americana is probably one of the best breakfast places in North County. Lunch/Dinner is okay, but breakfast is fantastic. Fresh ingredients and very tasty. They have a nice outdoor seating area that is quite dog friendly. After breakfast, take a stroll through the shops or walk over to the nice beach just a block west of the restaurant.
(4)Amy M.
Dammit Cafe Americana! I LOVE your grilled portobello sandwich. Alas, I feel absolutely compelled to negatively review my recent experience. Came here after giving up getting into the fairgrounds. I was craving fried food, as the case commonly may be, and I knew that Cafe Americana has really good french fries. And they do, they really do. HOWEVER, that's where my happy time review ends. Americana, you get 2 stars for my sandwich and fries. Grilled portobello with blue cheese, grilled tomatoes and spinach on focaccia. OoomgbgASbiQE yum. Our waiter, Patrick, was incredibly curt. He didn't say hello. He didn't ask how our food was. He seemed incredibly mad that we ONLY ordered a sandwich and a bowl of soup. Well, screw you Patrick. I tipped you a dollar. Remember people - TIPs are to insure proper service. Anyway, underwhelmed with the tomato soup with goat cheese, which was like thickened campbells with a dallop of goat lactate on top. Their breakfast is generally excellent. Usually we get really good service. Unfortunately, this time I was there with the intention of writing a review afterwards.
(2)Cheryl B.
I keep coming back and bringing new people that I want to introduce to one of my fav restaurants in Del Mar. I drive from Carlsbad to come enjoy Randy's wonderful food and ambiance. He has just added some exciting coffee options and he's passionate about serving a good cup of coffee. Ask for a pour-over of the new "fruity" coffee bean from a female cooperative in Africa. It's amazing. The outdoor seating is so relaxing. The service impeccable. The food consistently delicious. If it isn't to your liking for some reason - tell Randy and he'll make sure you leave a happy and satisfied customer. In this world of more and more mediocrity and things you can't count on - I know I can always count on Americana's to leave me smiling. Breakfast all day - what more can you want! Tried the challah french toast this afternoon with a shameful amount of refills on the delicious coffee. Couldn't help myself - I didn't want to leave!
(5)Jon Y.
I dig this place. For me, it's as good as it gets for a nice brunch stop on a sunday afternoon. Good: -They make a mean Eggs Benedict. The English muffin on the bottom gets a bit tough, but the surprisingly tasty tomato kicked the whole dish up a notch. Also, the eggs could've been a bit runnier, but that's just my preference. -Cheesy grits on the side. -portabello mushroom (w/ balsamic vinegar) omelet. -good prices -friendly staff -nice outdoor seating to people-watch in this really-chill neighborhood -awesome menu Bad: -i guess you could complain about the parking availability and the limited seats, but otherwise, i aint mad.
(5)Yas S.
A group of 5 of us had breakfast here last weekend. It was not crowded when we arrived, which surprised me for a Sun morning. We had 2 dogs with us, and the restaurant is pet friendly so we sat outside, nice tables. They tried to squeeze us into a really small table, we requested a move and they accommodated us. Service was super slow, several orders were incorrect or mixed up, everything came piece by piece. Food was not good once it did arrive. Had to flag down waiter for more hot water for tea. I'm not rushing back here have to say.
(2)Elizabeth E.
Make sure you have a lot of time! We walked in and though "wow! this place is AWESOME!" The menu looked great, the place is super cute and we thought we found out new breakfast place. We ordered our food and 30 minutes late after nothing came we started to wonder as we saw other people who arrived after us get theirs. Turns out they lost our order. We had to ask for coffee- which was cold and another 30 minutes goes by... still no food. FINALLY our food came one hour after we had ordered. Our waitress was hardly around but was quick to drop off the bill. I've worked in a restaurant for years and since we never received a simple "i'm sorry" I thought surely they would comp our meal. Nope. Not even our $3 cold coffee was comped. The manager was even behind the bar and knew this was going on. I have people coming into town for business and staying in Del Mar all the time. Sadly I won't recommend this place unless you have a lot of time. I get that accidents happen, and we would have been a lot more happy had they said "i'm sorry."
(2)Stephanie M.
This was a horrible experience and I will never go back. The waitress, Christy, was beyond rude. Everything from a bad attitude, to spilling coffee on us, to snippy remarks. When the manager came out and we told her this, she took my breakfast off the bill which I didn't care about. She didn't care much either, and did nothing to try and make it right or ensure future business. It wasn't the money, it was the lack of professionalism, courtesy, and zero customer service served with a large side of bad attitude. Two thumbs down for this place. Do yourself a favor, and don't waste your time.
(1)Rajvi B.
Delicious Belgian style waffles! This place sources local and in season produce and cooks it to perfection. Highly recommend!
(5)Nell C.
The Americana Restaurant is pretty good. Despite its touristy corner location across from the Pacifica Del Mar, it is easy to find. We are locals and have always driven or walk by but never had tried it. The menu variety is good. I think it has something for everyone. Kids too. The Del Mar PowerHouse breakfast is very good. If you love egg whites like I do this plate has 6 scrambled egg whites with tomatoes and herbs. It comes with a cup of fruit and toast. The breakfast burrito was not bad. It had chicken sausage was very tasty. Overall Americana is pretty pricey, the service is great and it brings business for Del Mar from the tourist!
(4)Kelle H.
The food was mediocre at best and considering it took us nearly 35 minutes to get our food from an incompetent waiter, I certainly will not be back. I went with two friends and my fiance for brunch Sunday morning and by the time we were done with our meals and waiting for our check, it was about another 20 minute wait. My friend literally had to ask one of the busboys to get our waiter for us so that we could pay the bill. The restaurant was busy, but our waiter was no where to be found, and there is no excuse for the wait staff to ever disappear. I was overall very disappointed, which is frustrating considering how excited I was to try it.
(2)John D.
Food was good but the service was a little slow. Also, we brought a cake and they charge a "corkage fee" for plates for the cake. Never experienced that before, I guess places will do whatever to make an extra $1.50.
(2)Shayna S.
Americana is never a let down! I go there all the time and the food is always fresh and fantastic. I don't think I have ever been disappointed. It is perfect for a nice day when you want to sit outside and enjoy the ocean breeze. One of my favorite entrees is the portobello sandwich I can't get enough! The reason I give it 4 out of 5 stars is because there are a couple servers there who are not up to par.
(4)Danielle W.
Great weekday happy hour! A couple friends and I started at Americana and walked our way around Del Mar appetizeing- Americana had a great selection of tasty appetizers and mid-afternoon drinks for a reasonable price.
(4)L F.
We've been by this restaurant many times while visiting Del Mar. The outdoor patio always looks inviting - finally we went in for breakfast. The menu had a nice variety, the prices were reasonable and the food was good - not great, just good. The service seemed a little scattered, especially given we were one of the few patrons dining at the time. Nice place to sit and enjoy an a-ok breakfast.
(3)Tammy B.
Not often do you find a place with AMAZING food, GREAT service and a team that has such pride in what they do! It all starts with the owner...in the short time my husband and I visited this spot for Sunday brunch we saw the owner, behind the bar making drinks, rolling silverware and refilling coffee cups. His willingness to step in and help out shows how much pride he has in his business and translates to the quality of food and overall experience. Well done. Keep up the good work!
(5)Tim B.
Nice looking place but that's as far as it went. Hostess was most unfriendly, led us to a table, threw down menus and stalked off. Wait person seemed to try but our breakfast order never arrived after 45 minutes so we gave up and went to the entrance where I courteously informed a middle aged manager looking man what happened and asked to pay for our juices and coffee and leave. He said he would check our order and went to the kitchen. A moment later, our waitress came flying out with our eggs Benedict orders that appeared thrown together with some raw lettuce on the side. Then she rushed the check to our table. No one so much as offered an apology and we created no scene. Obviously this is a tourist trap. Don't go there!
(1)Skye D.
I am a really light eater, usually when my mom takes me out to breakfast I play it safe and have some egg-beaters or plain oatmeal. Well, I decided to splurge when I came to Americana and let me tell you, I did not regret it! It was the best breakfast I have had in YEARS (not an overstatement)! My meal was incredible, the spinach and bread was so fresh, the eggs and potatoes looked like something off of Food Network. I was so impressed, when the waitress came out with it, my jaw actually dropped. I wished I had more room in my tummy to eat all of it because they gave me such a generous helping! And my iced mocha was incredible also, it came in a really cool glass. Overall I definitely recommend this place for breakfast, it's right on the corner of the loveliest street in Del Mar overlooking the ocean itself and their food is A++!
(5)Mo A.
So we went there for dinner....I'll start out by saying they are awesome awesome awesome for breakfast. However we decided to have dinner there around happy hour time and I gotta say much less than impressed. I ordered a mojito which was pretty good, a mushroom sandwitch and caprese salad and fish tacos. I had a suspicion that the happy hour menu was gonna be pretty good and I was right, the fish tacos for 5 bucks were great and an amazing portion too. But the mushroom sandwitch was amateur hour at best. The caprese salad also off the happy hour menu was decent, very little flavor though. I tried my wife's tomato soup and it was actually pretty inedible. So I don't think I will be going back there for dinner but I will still go there for bfast and probably give them their 5/5 for their bfast.
(3)Ross D.
Place is way overpriced. Side of salsa was $1.55. Way lame.
(2)Red M.
First it was Carlos and Annie's and it was good. Then it was Café something-or-other, and it was fair. Now it's Americana and it is completely unpredictable. I've had good wine with perfect lamb chops. Last week they could not cook a burger - after 3 tries, I gave up and went to Roberto's for tacos. It didn't stop there - my husband's eggs were cold and rubbery and my daughter's potato soup was so cold it had separated and congealed - ugh. I think I'll wait a while before trying again.
(2)Michelle P.
Came here with my gf yesterday after a nice walk on the beach. They had a nice, open patio that we sat at bc we had my gf's dog with us. They are dog friendly in the open patio, which is awesome. Reasonably priced and the food was good. I had a mimosa and French toast, bacon and eggs. I know how can you mess that up??? But you would be surprised at other places. My gf had the steak, eggs and this Roma tomato potato mix. I do have to say I will be getting that next time....the tomatoes and potatoes were tasty and seasoned well...the steak was super good too...great flavor, tender and cooked perfectly medium like she asked. Gold star!
(4)Ashley L.
Friendly folks, hot spot for people watching, and the Portobello Omelette is pretty darn tasty. They marinate the mushrooms in balsamic vinaigrette. That's what's up. Sit outside and try the Mexican hot chocolate. You may have to ask for utensils and jam... and don't expect a refill on your coffee, but hey, it's a chill atmosphere. Just right for a Saturday morning.
(3)Josie G.
We went in for breakfast this morning. Boy, this place has gone downhill. There were three of us in our party, none of us has the urge to return anytime soon. To begin with, when's the last time this old restaurant got a good cleaning? I shivered at the filth ofn the bar area when we stepped inside. My son couldn't stand the odor inside. Greasy food of some sort that hadn't adequately vented out. So we took a spot out front. Our wait for our drinks and food was a long one. So too was our wait for our food. They nickel and dime you every which way you turn here. Charged us for every freaking refill. I'm talking iced tea here.
(2)Jeff B.
I had brunch with a friend a couple of Sundays ago. The place was packed, so we sat at the bar and were served by the owner of the place, Randy. Real nice guy, and a damn good waiter! The chocolate waffles were amazing and my veggie omelet with fried potatoes were dang delicious. For as packed as the place, was we were served quickly and with smiles. My only complaint was that the drip coffee was pretty weak. My friend did like her latte.
(5)Kevin R.
Very fun outdoor experience & the food isn't to bad either! I always stop here for breakfast when I am driving around in Del Mar. Nice array of food on the menu and they serve lunch and dinner as well. Scheduled for breakfast there this Thursday again lol
(4)Russell Z.
Not really inclined to come back here... First, don't get me wrong to start. I used to come here a few years back. It used to be a good hang out spot by the beach for me and my friends. Food was good, service was attentive, and overall a good treat for a once in a blue moon type visit. So, naturally, I thought I could take my girlfriend here this past weekend expecting the same or similar experience as my many experiences in the past. Was it? Hell. No. For starters, when we came in, seating was packed, as fuck. Excuse the vulgarity, but back when I came here with friends years back, seating was cozy but comfortable, not packed and constipated-feeling. When we finally got a table, we asked for coffee and water. We were at the table right next to the food prep area where the coffee maker was. It took over five minutes just for the coffee to arrive. Five minutes doesn't sound like a long time, but think about how long five minutes can be in the morning when you haven't had your coffee yet. Yeah, five minutes can feel like an hour. That's why most restaurant industry leaders stress the importance of being punctual with serving beverages to customers, ESPECIALLY breakfast beverages like orange juice or coffee. Ok, I said we ordered coffee and water, right? Only coffee came. Asked for water again. Still didn't show up. Our food order took almost 40 minutes to come out. All I ordered was a chicken sandwich. My girlfriend got a grilled cheese. Both our orders came with herb sauteed potatoes. And coleslaw. I'm sorry, but I could've busted out 10 of those orders, and maybe more, under 25 minutes. Oh, and put more food on the plate, like you guys did years ago. Before you go "well maybe they just had a food shock that day", look at other reviews lately on the Internet, and here on Yelp. The wait is just as slow, if not longer, for others. Whoever is cooking, or whoever the owner is, needs to get their shit together at this place. Our check took even longer, and our server walked by our table almost ten times before noticing that I was WAVING my arm at her with check and payment in hand. She was too busy getting hit on, and hitting on another customer at another table. Who, by the way, got his food within 10 minutes of ordering. Yeah, we were there that long after the check arrived. Breakfast that should've only taken 30-45 minutes tops took nearly an hour and a half. What happened to this place? It used to be good. Shame on you, Americana.
(1)Steve V.
The place hits the "spot." 1) The food hits the "spot" - Went here with a group of 4 of us and none of us had any complaints. We had a variety of dishes as well. Some had egg dishes, others had french toast, and one had a breakfast burrito. The smoothies are good as well. 2) It is in a good "spot" - Located right in the heart of Del Mar, it is a short walk down to a beautiful park and beach. Park once, and enjoy the benefits of two great ways to spend your day!
(4)Shannon D.
yum. what a cute little place. i love the diner style inside. we happened to sit outside the day we came, and its such a fun corner to sit on and people watch. i had a burger which was surprisingly good and juicy, the fries are steak cut and deliciously seasoned. our waitress was super friendly and fast. for sure want to go back for breakfast one morning!!! : )
(4)Sarah C.
Restaurants like this are the reason I love San Diego. Delicious food is always good, but when you add in a gorgeous outdoor seating area and a three block walk to the ocean, it's pretty much an unbeatable combination. My family spent a day in Del Mar back in September and Americana caught my eye because its sidewalk tables were beautiful dark wooden ones, enclosed by a quaint brick wall and overgrown trellis. It is like a little park! So lovely. Of course, I was delighted when we ultimately decided to stop here for lunch. I had the quite serviceable Americana BLT. Like any good California sandwich, it came with avocado, an immediate plus in my book. Other than that, though, it was pretty standard and not something I would especially recommend. My aunt and uncle split the fish and chips, and while I did not sample any, it looked quite tasty and they did not voice any complaints. What I did try was my dad's AMAZING prosciutto sandwich. Fresh mozzarella and delicious salty prosciutto sliced paper thin with roasted tomatoes and arugula between two crusty slices of bread. My brother got some fantastic New York strip steak with sunny side up eggs, sauteed spinach and some more of those yummy tomatoes. I didn't know it until quite recently, but I am a huge fan of roasted tomatoes, and both of those dishes employed them to great effect. So good. The rest of the menu was quite intriguing, and I would definitely love to come back and order something a little more exciting than a BLT. Bad job on me. Don't you hate it when everyone else orders better than you do? Food and decor aside, the service was good natured but frazzled. We definitely caught our waitress at the end of a long lunch rush and she was not at the top of her game. That being said, she was extremely apologetic and her forgetfulness did not negatively effect our meal. Americana is a quaint and cheerful little restaurant, and I'd be more than happy to stop in again next time I'm out visiting.
(4)Samantha G.
Breakfast was great but nothing special. Perfect location and service was good.
(3)Joe L.
I can't count how many times I've told people not to go here. The service sucks and the food is inferior to other restaurants in the village. My wife ordered a Benedict once, which was topped with prosciutto, and yeah...not too appetizing because, uh, it was GRAY and nasty tasting! We told the server about it and the next thing we knew, the chef/owner came out to our table and defended the prosciutto and asked what we found wrong with it. Seriously? So, that's just one lovely experience I've had here. Fool me once...
(1)Cassie H.
Came here for lunch. The service was good, everyone was nice and attentive. But the food just wasn't good in my opinion. It was missing some stuff it had listed in the menu. But even aside from that, it was just adequate, nothing tasty. Probably something I could make at home. However, I do notice that this place is more packed during breakfast hours rather than lunch. So I'll probably come back for breakfast and give it another shot.
(3)Jessica R.
I've eaten at Americana at least a dozen times, but it was only on my most recent trip that I dared to stray away from the tried and true breakfast menu. It turns out that lunch is just as great as breakfast! We had the pesto halibut sandwich and the tofu and veggie quesadilla. The sandwich came with a hefty piece of halibut served on crispy, flavorful ciabatta bread. We opted for the fries, which came sprinkled with herbs. The quesadilla was also generously stuffed, and the tofu was almost unrecognizable as tofu, which in my opinion, is the best kind of tofu. The accompanying sour cream was light and subtle and definitely isn't your run of the mill sour cream. For breakfast options, my boyfriend and I usually share the apple cinnamon pancakes and the veggie white quesadilla (we love quesadillas - can you tell?). The pancakes are always spot on and perfectly cooked. The quesadilla is equally delicious and pretty healthy (egg whites, veggies, herbs and parmesan cheese) and is a great savory balance to the pancakes. Another staple is the coffee! The iced coffee comes with coffee ice cubes, a sure sign of a place that knows coffee. Both the indoor and outdoor seating are really nice. The inside is airy and filled with light with cute accents like little vases and various knick knacks on the window sills. There are two areas of outside seating - the patio area has great views of the ocean, and the other area (closer to the entrance), while sans the ocean view, is also very pleasant. They let dogs sit outside and bring them water bowls, which complements the friendly neighborhood feel. Americana has consistently great food and the atmosphere and location (right in the heart of Del Mar) is perfect for dining with out of town guests.
(5)Shauna M.
Food is consistently four stars, service two stars, so average three. What to know before you go: My main beef with this place is that THEY REFUSE TO DO SUBSTITUTIONS on their breakfast combos. I do not eat bacon or sausage, but they refuse to make substitutions, and they do not offer a combo without meat. I find this incredibly frustrating, and the manager had to give me a pissy attitude when I asked for some potatoes or extra bread to make up for my lack of meat, and she flat out refused. I had to stop eating breakfast here because it frustrates me so much. Lunch and dinner is still worthy of a stop, and I love the ocean view from the side patio, but vegetarian breakfast combo lovers beware!
(3)LisaLisa F.
The BEST Bloody Mary's I have ever had in my life. Simply life changing the bloody mary mix is that good!! Breakfast is so good my sister and I went there two days in a row. My personal favorite? Green eggs and ham (fresh basil pesto mixed in with the scrambled eggs - OMG, heavenly). Service is attentive. Sit outside and watch all the overzealous, fanatical dog owners...it is hysterical and completely annoying all at the same time. so yes, this place will allow you to bring your furry Fido rat or monster with you. sidenote: I do NOT recommend the Portobello mushroom omelette (bleck). they are doused in balsamic and very pungent.
(5)Haide R.
After walking on the beach from Torry Pines to Del Mar plaza me and my boyfriend and our 3 dogs decided to stop by to have lunch at AMERICANA restaurant for a quick break before heading back. Really nice place to sit down if you have 3 Little dogs with you. Good view and you can feel a nice Breeze. Good costumer service. Besides that this place is sooo expensive. My Boyfriend ordered a Bacon beef burger with fries and Avocado on the side $11.00 plus $1.99 for Avocado. 1 Diet coke $2.95. I order a Greek salad $10.99 plus add chicken to it $6.95 !!!!!!. The waitress failed to mention the price for adding chicken to your salad. Well it ended up been an $18.00 salad. I though it will be about $3 to add chicken to your salad just like other restaurants charge. Who charges almost $7 for adding a piece of chicken breast to a salad. You can go to the grocery store and buy a pack of 4 chicken breast for less than $5. I guess somehow we had to pay for the nice breeze and location. Well the total end up been $36.84 plus tip. If we deide to eat here again, we will be sure to ask about the add-ons. Me and my Boyfriend spend about only $20 for lunch every where else. We are not cheap but we like to make sure we eat lunch at a place with considerable prices. The corner bakery have better food than this place.
(4)Do G.
Americana doesn't fool you with it's name, the food is Americana - simple ingredients, simple flavors, but when put together leaves an impact. I ordered the Roman Breakfast. I felt daring eating eggs despite drinking the night before, and I have to say that I never thought of putting these ingredients together, but it worked. The balance of sun-dried tomatoes, prosciutto, and mozzarella really worked well together to balance out the egg taste. There's simple of course, such as Oscar's choice which my foodie companion got. Can't go wrong with fluffy pancakes, eggs, and sausages...plus all the maple syrup you want. I watched him literally devour it. Kemosabe had some flavor. The space is a little cramped, but something I can ignore when having great food.
(4)Katy R.
WAY TO OVER PRICED! I had an hour break between clients, so I thought I'd enjoy a good breakfast and do some people watching, it being Opening Day an all! I sat down at 10am. The service was friendly and prompt. I order my cofee and my breakfast as soon as I sat. Now maybe i should have paid attention when I read the menu. I ordered from the Griddle- french toast My waitress asked if I'd like bacon or sausage with that.. not paying attenton, I thought it came with the meal... I said bacon please. Ok I ordered... now I'm watching people, made a phone call..and watching .. check FB... 40 minutes later still no food.I asked my waitress if I can get my order TO GO now cuz I have to get back to work. She was super nice, fast friendly..brings me my order TO GO and the check I quickly look it over $17! I look the check over again $9+ for french toast $4+ FOR BACON plus $2+ for coffee. Ok what ever I leave a $20 bill and leave. BUT to kick it off its only three peices of French Toast and three pieces of bacon, WTF??? They were good, thick peices BUT that is WAY TO MUCH MONEY for French Toast even if its really reallly good.. but no fruit, no potatoes, nothing for $20 I will not be back.. And to top it off I didnt really like it to go and it looked so bland and boring I didnt even finish it. It was good bacon but by the time I ate it it wasn't so great I didnt finsh that either :(
(2)Teresa P.
ugh... disappointment. And we were thinking, "omg, this place is in the heart of del mar, it must be good!" Ha. No. Americana, you are soooo deceptive. You look all nice on the outside, and your menu sounds so darn delicious. But no offense, you taste like MAJOR CRAP. You know those guys who look hot and are super charming, but when they kiss you, they suck? That's how Americana is. I ordered the "green eggs and ham" which was pretty much a spinach, pesto, and ham omelette. Pretty hard to mess up, but lo and behold, my omelette arrived in a puddle of spinach water which was super unappetizing. I don't think I've ever had an omelette that's sopping wet and gross. Additionally, the side of potatoes were probably the most dry, tasteless, and cold potatoes that could have been served. So nasty that my boyfriend (who ALWAYS cleans his plate) left a good amount on his plate. Stop seducing people, Americana. You look good, but taste bad.
(2)Meghan F.
It's 6 pm and I am still full from the wonderful brunch I had here earlier today with my cuz. Atmosphere: 4 Stars: It was pretty busy but not overwhelming when we arrived around 10:30 am and we didn't have to wait long for a table (5-10 minutes). The decor is really casual and cute. It's a bit cramped, but in a homey kind of way. I didn't feel like I was elbowing my neighbor's coffee or anything. Service: 3 Stars: Our waitress was friendly but maybe a bit sloppy. I got the bottomless house coffee and she refilled it a few times but always made a huge mess (prob cause she was in a hurry). My water was close to empty for most of the meal (although to be fair I didn't ask for more I kinda just expected it). She was friendly though and we didn't have to track her down for the bill. Could be worse could be better. Food: 5 Stars: We wanted savory and sweet so split the Casey's Call (poached eggs, spinach and goat cheese on Tuscan toast with roasted herb new potatoes) and the special which was a chocolate Belgian waffle with friend bananas and maple pecans and whip cream. Wow. Both dishes were amazing and had great flavor without being to salty or sweet. Their menu was very extensive and they had a lot of ingredients I don't typically see (gorgonzola, feta, chicken apple sausage, etc) that made more familiar dishes a little more special. Everything was nicely presented, the right temperature, and very fresh. Well writing my review has made me hungry again so off to dinner :)
(4)Kim C.
Decor & location: 5 stars Food: 3 stars Fabulous location right by L'Auberge on Camino del Mar. Arrived on a Saturday morning around 11am and were sat right away on the patio. The table was kind of small and awkwardly set up but it worked. Waiter was...eccentric but nice. Very friendly. Once the food arrived, he went MIA and had to track him down via another server to get our bill. Food was fair. I ordered the egg salad sandwich & was puzzled as to why it was served open-face. Flavor was kind of bland. My friend ordered the breakfast veggie quesadilla which was good. Bloody Marys were large & spicy. I'll go back for the experience but I'll try some new menu items.
(3)Barry R.
This is, by far, the best restaurant for the money in Del Mar. I know that's a strong statement but the food is great and so is the service. Their attention to detail in both is quite evident. They aim to please and, in my opinion, do!
(5)Connie C.
I've come here three times -- lunch, breakfast, and a couple hours ago for dinner. I would rate their breakfasts and lunches 4 stars, especially since our waiter (Matt?) was awesome. Service was on point. But I'd rate their dinner under 3 stars. About 3.5 average rating. My friends enjoyed their food tonight, especially the two who ordered the fettuccine with portobello mushrooms. They were both impressed with that. I got the gorgonzola & bacon burger. I ordered the burger medium rare, but for some reason everything about the burger was dry. It was also weird that the kitchen forgot the bacon -- the waitress brought out 2 rock-hard strips of bacon to "fix" it. Just plopped it right on my burger. It was bizarre. The bacon was too hard & cold to put on there properly, so it wasn't really integrated with the burger. I tried smashing it in there, but overall wasn't so impressed with the burger. The fries are good though. My friends thought so too, judging from their snatching fingers. Our waitress seemed a bit off tonight, too. She got my friend's order wrong -- somehow she got the idea that a "grilled portobello sandwich" (a vegetarian sandwich) was ordered when my friend clearly said "the swiss cheese portobello burger," and then proceeded to launch into an explanation on how their grilled portobello sandwich is sometimes also called "The Burger," thus justifying her confusion. Whatever. You misheard, just move on with life. Geez. Overall, love the ambiance & location. It's quaint, laid back, and just down the street from the lovely ocean. Highly recommended for breakfast or lunch. Pass on this for dinner.
(4)Michael R.
Always great service and always outstanding food. Randy the owner has some great award winning dishes.
(5)Jim B.
Service tried to be accommodating but the place was over crowded for breakfast the day after Christmas. Food is average at best. The menu is so-so. Funky names for their offerings, but an omelette is still an omelette and eggs Benedict is what it is. Our orders got mixed up when served and some side dishes were wrong. Sad thing about this area is that it is such a pretty place in the morning. But there really isn't a good eatery that offers unique, memorable dining like you find in Hillcrest or La Jolla. We first checked out Kitchen 1540 at the L'Auberge but were very disappointed to see that their breakfast menu was the former Chef's and had not changed since 2009. Guess the new chef must feel breakfast is beneath him. Why would a good chef be willing to serve someone else's food instead of their own signature dishes? Oh well, once again you screwed up Del Mar! I am going to La Jolla and uptown where food is creative and the experience is pleasurable.
(2)Mandy W.
We have been looking forward to have brunch at this restaurant since my friend told me about it. We went in with two kids and six adults. We have waited 45+ minutes for our food to come, and they came with the wrong dishes... our kids were hungry after the long wait that we had to give them cookies and cheerios to clam them down. This was a very bad experience, bad service and average food. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone.
(1)Mo K.
Place is great! Right by the beach with a good vibe for breakfast. Service was pretty good, but food was awesome. I had the triple stack pancakes with a Liz breakfast for my friend. Both meals were traptastic. Big portions and great value. 4 out of 5!
(4)Esther K.
Americana is a really cute place in quite a historic building in Del Mar. On the corner of Camino del Mar and 15th Street, it is very popular and always crowded. Parking can be a bit difficult, so you might have to park a couple blocks down and walk. Thankfully, my mum and I got seated pretty quickly inside. The menu has a warning that says that the wait can be a bit long because they make everything to order and so it takes a while. My mum ordered the Grilled Portobello and I got the Grilled Chicken with fries. We both liked our dishes, which were very filling (we both had to take home half of our sandwiches). I think my favourite part was the potatoes--my mum's roasted herb potatoes were quite yummy. Overall I just loved the feel of the place. The decor was very quaint and I enjoyed sitting there. It's a bit crowded, but I enjoyed the experience nonetheless. I would definitely like to go back and check out other dishes of theirs.
(4)Chris S.
I live in the Del Mar area and have been here a bunch. After my recent trip, it will probably be my last. The atmosphere is good, servers are friendly but the service is SLOW and everyone is running around like its rush hour traffic and yet forget to check on their clients tables. They also charged for a coffee refill or maybe made a mistake on my bill. I decided to disregard and just pay it b/c it was going to take forever to find my server again. It's just nothing special and they wouldn't have to do much to make it special. Just focus a more on the client and communicate regarding the long waiting time b/t drink order, food order, refills and delivery of food.
(2)Jen S.
The service here has always been and is still horrible. Our only reason for stopping in was because the wait seemed short. The wait was only ten minutes for a seat and the host at the door was very polite and friendly. Suckered in. Once we were seated it took our server some time before she even acknowledged us. She took our drink order and hurried off. She kept right on passing our table with out looking at us. We were trying to wave her down. Oh she did attempt to pass us again when my friend grabbed her and gave her our food order. We both decided on the build your own omelet which I will admit is pretty pricey with all the yummy toppings. Our plates each ended up costing roughly around $15.00 each. They came served with some potatoes and toast. After about what seemed like forever our drinks did arrive. I finished both the water and my drink and wanted a refill. No server in sight. Not surprised. When our food is brought out it is brought out by a food runner. He is very nice but didn't ask if we needed anything else before leaving our table. Which yes I did need a water refill, jam, and my friend wanted another drink. I guess he thought our server would get these for us. I got an omelet with spinach, tomatoes, scallions and goat cheese. Mm mm.. It was served with potatoes, which I'm not a big fan of but no substitutions were allowed. I would have preferred a fruit cup. The food is great but I will not be back. Due to the poor customer service.
(1)Jennifer S.
Went in with a group of 6 and were seated very promptly. We arrived around 11am on a saturday and there was no line...I should've gotten the hint. Ordered mimosas and at $8 a glass it should've been amazing...it was only OK. My dish, the oscar special, was not very special. Bacon here is cut on the thicker side which is nice. Pancakes..nothing spectacular. My boyfriend got the huevos rancheros. Oh man! That plate was soo runny! It was just...a soupy mess. He didn't particularly enjoy it. My friend got the Belgian waffle and that seemed ok (no topping, just straight up waffle). We wanted coffee after our meal, but judging on the quality of food, we went across the street to a starbucks. Overall, food is only OK and overpriced. Ambiance is like your grandma's house--its cozy and smells like food. It's like a fancy-pants Dennys. Good to try at least once, but I wouldn't venture back.
(3)Rachel H.
Updating my earlier review - went yesterday for hubby's bday breakfast and service was MUCH better. It was the same old wait staff, so maybe they learned from all that bad press? Food as good as ever, ambiance is cute. SO happy they seem to have resolved their service issues. We love this neighborhood place.
(4)Katie M.
Went to this place for brunch last week, and it was delicious! I had the huevos rancheros, and my fiancé had the eggs Benedict, and both were amazing! Also, they have a really good bacon Bloody Mary, especially if you like spicy :)
(4)Patrick C.
DO NOT GO HERE! Like other reviews say, we picked this place based on the the menu and location. The menu looked amazing - tomato basil soup with goat cheese, grilled halibut for an entree, desert, and a glass of wine... for $30. Sounded alright. The soup was like a jar of marinara sauce with cream added to it, and then microwaved. The Halibut was cooked through... but the worst I've ever had. The desert was alright... but really how do you go wrong with ice cream and a cookie? In addition, after we were half way through the meal we noticed how disgustingly filthy the kitchen was. This is the worst restaurant we've been to in years.
(1)Karma S.
Returned to Americana for breakfast for a second time a couple of weeks ago, and simply not very impressed with the service. Food is average at best. Still the great location will draw many people; but I probably won't be back here.
(1)Haidee O.
OK - so i've been debating on getting a Yelp account do to the fact that I base restaurants on reviews, but after this day I was set. We walked in around 2:58 not knowing the hours and knowing it's located next to Jimmy O's and a wonderful shopping center. We were greeted by whom I assume was the chef with a lovely "Oh, you'll be the last table we'll be taking for the day" which put me, and others who are in the restaurant business in an awkward situation. Should we stay or not? What the heck we thought... why not!? We're hungry and this place seems like the perfect spot. Our waiter seemed to be pranking us. He walked up smacking his gum and as if he was in a rush. After taking the order he leaves and comes back, but this time with a mouth full of food to the point where he has to wait to swallow so he can speak to us. He never came back to check on us, until the meals were almost done. He made up for it by talking to us a little and joking around. But come on! Who comes out with a mouth full, not only once, but twice! The food was OK. You can't really go wrong with a cheese burger. The Parmesan Halibut was okay. Extremely big! Something you shouldn't get on a date (it's very messy and falls apart easily). I'd have to have no where else to go before coming back again.
(2)Tisha M.
We've been going here for years. Always THE BEST BREAKFAST! My favorite is the roman breakfast! ALWAYS FABULOUS FOOD AND FABULOUS SERVICE!
(5)Peachy I.
I really was only going to give this place a 3 star but decided with the 4 because I truly feel that their waffles are the best ones in San Diego! The other dishes are okay. The customer service is okay and the place is a little cramped. Regardless, their waffles are awesome, which is really the reason I would return to this place.
(4)Emily R.
I want to like you Americana, I really do. But your service just totally blows. Me thinks you are just too full of yourself , having an ocean view and all and you will probably always busy because of that. Your food is good but by all means I will never come here again when I am extremely hungry. The last time we dined here, I had to ask where our food was TWICE (and I consider myself to be extremely patient). And both times (the second being 45+ minutes after we ordered) the waiter and manager seemed like they could care less. Really?! Over an hour we waited for sandwiches and burgers. So I would say if you don't mind waiting...and waiting...and waiting...give Americana a try. But be sure to stash a 100 calorie pack in your pocket/purse like I will be doing if we ever decide to go back.
(2)Anita R.
It doesn't get any better than this. Gourmet offerings, great service, always a comfortable table at the ready. I had to write a review at last because I was really impressed with the breakfast special this past Sunday...chocolate belgian waffle with grilled pineapple and coconut, homemade whipped cream. No cutting corners, just delicious and fresh. My dining companion had the breakfast burrito and a huge side of fruit, generous portions. The prix fixe menu for Mon-Sat $30 looks amazing! Definitely will return again and again!
(5)Kim S.
Although we have lived here for 18 years this was our first time eating here. Food was yummy and they accommodated our special requests. Atmosphere was casual (we had breakfast). Our fav breakfast place in Del Mar is still Stratford Court!
(3)Summer N.
Just created my account to write about this place, which clearly caters to tourists who only are in town for the day. We are locals and have been there 2 times in the past 6 months. The average servers wouldn't be an issue and the food is pretty decent, nothing out of this world. What killed me was ordering a green salad and adding salmon to it. When we received our bill, the salmon was $9 to add, creating a $22 lunch salad. There was a grilled salmon salad with spinach and similar fixings on the menu for $13 and all I asked for was to have mixed greens instead. I always add chicken (which is $7 to add there!) or salmon when I eat out for lunch and have never come across prices like that! I suppose the issue would be a quick fix if the servers let the guests know the price (or put it on the menu!). For someone like me who cooks a lot, I just wouldn't have paid that for a tiny piece of chicken or salmon, knowing the cost of items like that. The owner was a but condescending also, which didn't help. He asked us if we wanted him to knock a couple bucks off the check. It wasn't about the money - it was that I had wanted the grilled salmon salad for $13 (my mind is still blown that they tried charging $22). We won't be back which is sad because the location is nice for when we have friends and family in town.
(1)Hari B.
Great location - 1 block from the beach. Good menu - great service. The kids wanted choc-chip pancakes and scarfed it up. The food for adults was equally good. Despite being crowded - we were seated immediately. Or maybe - I was just happy to be in Del Mar.
(4)Dan T.
Great food but slow service. The location is fantastic, right on a busy corner in Del Mar, a short walk to the beach and to shopping. Lots of indoor and outdoor seating. My wife had chocolate waffles with caramelized bananas, whipped cream, and walnuts. She thought it was fantastic, and I had to agree. I enjoyed a breakfast-style quesadilla, with eggs, peppers, onions, sausage, and a few habanero peppers for thrills. It came with a nice field green salad with a tangy vinegarette dressing, very typical in California. The food was fantastic. If you do go, make sure to get a side of bacon! The service was deplorable! We waited 10 minutes before even being shown to a table. Another 10 minutes before being greeted and offered coffee. By then we already knew what we wanted, so we ordered everything at once. 30 minutes later our food comes out, and we were surprised it was still hot. Was the kitchen really that backed up? Not sure, but I suspect our server didn't put the order in until it was too late. The clincher for me was waiting another 20 minutes to get a check. No apologies, no table visits from the manager, nothing. I tipped accordingly.
(3)Drea M.
Just went for the first time. Very good. Staff was great, food as well. I had the Portobello mushroom Omelette w/Feta and tomatoes, Great! The french toast was fantastic as well. Fresh baked goods too. Cool locale too. Indoor and outdoor seating, a stones throw from the beach. We will return.
(4)Joanne B.
I ate here for dinner last Friday only because Pacifica's was fully booked when I tried making last-minute reservations and I wanted to dine in the vicinity of Del Mar. I went down a list of participating Restaurant Week restaurants and after having no luck with eight other restaurants, this place had no problem confirming my 6:00 reservation. I've never eaten here before, but as we were making our way there, my friend said he has a few years ago and said it was okay. We both ordered what was part of the $30 dollar price fixe menu and started off with the pan seared calamari steaks with capers. It was good, but I like eating calamari round and lightly battered. Before they brought that out, they gave us a sample of their tomato soup served in this long, slender shot glass. I was a little confused by the presentation of this since every table they served it to was warned that it was really hot, but the shot glass they serve it in makes you naturally want to consume it like a shot! I passed on consuming this and managed to dip my bread in it to at least taste it when it cooled down...it was alright. The main entree was pesto grilled halibut over lemon thyme risotto with grilled asparagus. I thought this was tasty, but I only had an appetite to eat half. As we were finishing up dinner, I told our server that we were a bit in a hurry since we were watching Corteo at the Fairgrounds after. She quickly brought out the carmelized banana tart with dulce de leche ice cream and I had room to try some of it. That was yummy and was a good way to end my meal. I gave this place one star because of the terrible way they handled my situation the next morning when I noticed a problem with my bank account. Basically, I used my debit card to pay for my meal and instead of being rung up $43.00 dollars, the server entered my total at $432 dollars! She brought out the correct receipt I signed for $43.00, but she failed to tell me about the error she made beforehand!!! Here I am FOUR DAYS LATER and I STILL see the pending charge on my bank account for $432 dollars and have YET to see the credit applied. I normally don't log on to my bank account on the weekend, but since I woke up super early that particular Saturday morning, I decided to balance my check book. When I noticed this huge error on their part, I called and the "book keeper" guy who answered the phone at 7:30 in the morning didn't sincerely seem apologetic for their screw up. I wouldn't have been so mad had they given me the heads up of this error, but they decided to keep it to themselves and not inform the customer. I know this was an unfortunate error and probably an isolated incident, but the principle of them not telling me and having a "don't care" attitude made me really not want to recommend this place to anyone.
(1)Donna R.
The food was okay. Service, not the server but the length of time for food and drinks to be served and the location of our table was horrible. I made the reservations a week in advance and I had the worst table. We mentioned it was a birthday celebration and we were told "We don't do birthdays". The owner was rude and not open for feedback.
(1)Chris C.
PERFECT FOR FAMILIES WITH KIDS! My wife and I were vacationing in Solana Beach with our 10 month old daughter and 2 1/2 year old son. We were looking for casual restaurants where we could take the kids and feel comfortable yet satisfy our love for trying new restaurants. Americana definitely fit the bill for breakfast! My wife and I shared the pancakes and an omelette. Both were outstanding! The atmosphere is very casual and comfortable. The server made us feel very welcome with kids and was attentive to them. Although you can't see the ocean from the restaurant, it's only a block away and we could feel the ocean breezes as the windows were open. Perfect atmosphere, food, service and friendliness for families with kids! Don't hesitate to dine here!
(5)Lisa V.
Came in here after not realizing the horrible reviews on this place.... Came in and got seated within a couple minutes. I have never had to wait 30 minutes for a waitress to come and literately just take our order. Received better service from the kitchen staff than the actual serving staff. After waiting for 30 minutes, we just paid for our coffee and left. Don't come here if you want to well...actually want to eat? I literally had to go up to the hostess and tell her we had been waiting for 30 minutes and she just seemed like she's heard this too many times before. What really got to me was when our waitress (Sarah) literally told us sorry that it took long as she was taking orders from people who arrived after us!!!! Come on....that really put the icing on the cake of our shitty service. She took an order from people who arrived 15 minutes after us. Tried to flag her down multiple times only to be ignored. I have never walked out of a restaurant in my life and today was the first.
(1)Jonathan P.
My wife and I had dinner here after walking out of Poseidon due to their horrible service. We were glad to find Americana Restaurant and had dinner sitting outside at their sidewalk tables. Food was good, drinks were good, and service was good. We stayed for a couple of hours and struck up a conversation with a group of nice elderly patrons at the next table. It was a great ending to a night that started out horribly at Poseidon.
(4)Ms. Frances M.
I have only tried this place for breakfast but have always been happy with it. The spinach, tomato and goat cheese omelette is my favorite. Also, they have one of the best Belgian waffles I have ever tried and sometime we order it as an appetizer. The coffee and service is also great. Remember that this place is in a busy part of Del Mar so parking may be hard to find and there will be a wait on the weekends.
(5)Kristen L.
I came for dinner on a Wednesday night - and was disappointed. The waitstaff was overworked and it took 30 minutes before water appeared at our table. The restaurant is very strict about combining discounts (i.e. can't use half price wine nights when ordering anything off happy hour menu) which is confusing and misleading. My food was so so. I don't plan to go back.
(1)Angie C.
In our five days staying at L'Auberge Del Mar (just accross 15th) my parents ate at Americana three times, I ate there twice - really that says it all. Classic and delicious breakfast foods with friendly kind service. Sunday morning breakfast was a solid four star experience - after an hour long run on the beach nothing sounded better than lots and lots of foodWe were quoted about a fifteen minute wait but it turned out to be much less. I ordered a big yummy breakfast of sausage and pancakes and eggs. What?! I was hungry. Unfortunately my eggs, which I had requested as soft-poached came out overdone, but as soon as I noticed, the waiter was right near-by to check that everything was ok, and he whisked them away and brought me a new perfectly cooked pair so so quickly after. Ideal? No, but on a busy Sunday I think they resolved the situation perfectly. My parents were both totally happy with their orders as well, and although I loved my sausage, the bacon there is SO. FREAKIN. GOOD. - I knew I'd have to order it next time. Fresh squeezed OJ was delish as was their coffee. Pancakes were awesome, but as a Canadian/Vermonter I can't promise the maple syrup was real, which is hard for me to swallow. Our next visit on a weekday morning involved no wait. I ordered a classic bacon and eggs and this time my eggs came out perfectly. We sat outside on their beautiful little patio and enjoyed watching the town of Del Mar wake up. This visit was pretty much perfect, and I really enjoyed my breakfast. For me, this place is jut shy of five stars - I didn't try some of the more inventive breakfast options and maybe those would have blown my mind, but I can whole-heartedly recommend Americana!
(4)Jodie B.
We went here with a party of 8. The food was average and e service was very slow. From the time we received the first dinner to the last was over 10 minutes. The drinks were good, but it didn't make up for the slow service.
(3)Abbe A.
I was a bit nervous dining here because of the reviews regarding bad service. But, I figured I would give it a try. The neighborhood is just charming. So close to the water and a great place to take a stroll. I went there yesterday (Saturday) at about 11am. We were a party of 2 and while my dining partner had not arrived, I was seated inside (there was a wait for outside tables). The wait staff and hostess were pleasant. Not overly friendly or outgoing but they were helpful. I had a lovely cup of tea while I waited. Once my dining partner arrived, we ordered breakfast- I had the special waffle (chocolate) with strawberries and whipped cream. The chocolate scent wafted from the plate, very nice! Could have used more strawberries and cream, but delicious as it was. The other dish that was ordered was a veggie omlette, toast, and potatoes. Substitutions to the type of cheese in the omlette was no big deal. Our food came out hot and quickly and we were not pressured to eat and run. The issue with the customer service did rear its ugly head towards the end of our visit. Thankfully we were not affected, but I did hear one of the servers yell at a patron "we have a hostess". Rather than say, "the hostess will be right with you", she snapped at this customer. And the other incident happened when a customer had a temper tantrum about a bagel. There seem to be a bit of miscommunication between the wait staff and the kitchen. It was humerous to watch, but didn't really allow the customer service of the restaurant to shine through. Overall, a very cute spot. I'd like to eat outside next time and maybe will come at a less busy time.
(3)pasha m.
the worst thing about this place is its service. always late sitting you down and always late attending the tables. I love dogs, but i definitely don't want a from the next table breathing over my plate. after waiting for 20 minutes and asking the owner to change our table, he told us that would be impossible because he has no table that could fit 6 people inside. "can you at least tell us how long it would take" replied "NO", well, you might have the nice real estate in Del Mar and the history behind your restaurant, but you lag the customer service and common courtesy that is expected. keep this up and you will lose all your customers
(1)Melissa M.
Great service. We ate dinner here and it was GROSS!
(2)Andrew H.
This place has the most schizophrenic reviews for service ever. I guess we showed up on a good night. Our server (I didn't catch her name) made a good effort handling a lot of tables and was prompt and courteous. Maybe some of the reviewers are just dicks. We started off with soups since they looked good, and we weren't disappointed. Both the black bean and sausage and tomato basil and goat cheese soups were rich and filling, which unfortunately made us pretty full for dinner. I had the Daryl's pizza and the lady had the rigatoni, and both dishes were flavorful, properly cooked, and had some surprises. The andouille on the rigatoni was a wonderful addition which I haven't really seen done before. We've lived here for five years, and I'm surprised we haven't been sooner. Family friendly, good brew on tap.
(4)Rita P.
Had a great meal here! You just can't get better sidewalk cafe ambiance! Perfect amount of sun and shade provided by the vine-covered canopy. Lovely! Great people watching! Good service, never had to wait for a fresh coffee refill. The food took a little long getting to the table, but it was worth it! My picky kids inhaled their breakfasts! I had the special - turkey sandwich w/ asparagus (grilled to perfection), roasted red pepper and buffalo mozzarella. So fresh and so yummy! Love the fresh herb seasoning on the fries! The prices are great (for Del Mar) and my whole family left full and happy! Did I forget to mention that the are pet friendly as well? I will definitely be coming back to this restaurant!
(4)Kate P.
I've only been here twice, and both times for lunch, but had a postive experience both times. I tried a fish dish once, which was good, and the other time just a salad. Portions were large. I've heard that they have delicious breakfast so I'd love to go back and try. You can sit outside and get a somewhat obstructed (but still nice) view of the ocean.
(4)Lindsay S.
For San Diego's Restaurant Week this week, Americana in Del Mar. I chose this based on three criteria. 1. Offerings for Restaurant week (Americana offered the best of their menu; other restaurants seemed to offer less tantalizing dishes) 2. I died for Americana's lamb chop appetizer, which I first experienced at the Chef's of Del Mar. 3. Americana's dinner is not what they are famous for, even though their Yelp comments are fantastic. So, I knew it would not be a crowded disaster for restaurant week. Little did I know that it would be nearly empty. Too bad for all those waiting at other restaurant week participants, as Americana's food could beat out most places for best in class. Americana is well situated in Old Del Mar, with views of the ocean from their outside seating area. Their outside seating, though in front of the restaurant, on the busy Coast Highway, is decorated such that you feel you are sitting in a private garden, while still able to people watch the Cougars and their prey cruising the Del Mar area. I was a bit nervous when I first called for reservations, as the matra'd was very impolite. Possibly they were a bit dismissive because really, I did not need reservations. Regardless, the whole attitude was quite different upon arrival, and my worries about rude service were quickly dispelled. In fact, the waitress was one of the best parts of the experience. Probably because they were not busy, they allowed us to set the pace of our own meal. A good thing too, because I needed a rest between the quite large portions served for appetizers and main course. The meal began with the bread course. The bread was crusty italian (my personal favorite), served with freshly whipped herbed butter and some really tasty country olives. Now, I'm a big olive fan, so believe me when I say that this variety was much more tasty than one can buy even at an olive bar in a specialty store. Dinner was off to a good start. For our appetizers, we both got the aforementioned lamb chops. First off, the portions on this app are enough to satisfy me for dinner. Three full sized lamb chops over balsamic glazed eggplant with cherry tomatoes. I do wish there were a few less eggplants and a few more tomatoes, only because the eggplant was very rich and needed to be cut with something a little less so. That said, the main event of the lamb was so tender and flavorful, I actually picked up the chop and sucked the meat off the bone (rather than the more polite cutting with a knife). The lamb was what I chose the restaurant for, and I was definitely not disappointed; the lamb will bring me back. For our dinner, I selected the pesto halibut and my husband had the steak au poivre. The halibut had been recommended by several people who had Yelped the restaurant previously, and I do love a nice piece of halibut. The pesto was a pleasant surprise - it was of the non-creamy variety (which I love because it is not too sweet or heavy so it does not overtake the fish) and the fish came over risotto that was perfectly al dente, and also not too rich. The entire dish had such a nice balance. The piece of halibut again was a very large portion, which is a surprise for restaurant week because halibut can be quite pricey, and this meal was not (on the regular menu, however, it would have been). My husband's steak was slightly overcooked for his medium rare request (more on the medium side) but the sauce more than made up for it. Absolutely lick-off-the-plate delish. We finished our dinner with the creme brulee. Here is my big tip...regardless of the other choices for dessert, DO NOT SKIP the creme brulee. I am a connoisseur of this dish and I have to tell you, it was one of the best in terms of taste and texture I have had. DEFINITELY RECOMMENDED.
(4)Carly G.
I had heard about this place from friends, but then was a little nervous after reading numerous reviews that the service and cost were poor. We decided to give it a try anyhow because we were in the area, and we had a great experience here. The restaurant itself is small, but charming with a very nice outdoor eating area. My family of four were seated immediately - no waiting, even though it was a Sunday morning and the town was full of events. Our server Patrick was very friendly, and attentive. I didn't see any of the negative qualities that other people yelped about him. He was very polite, and never let my coffee get cold, he was constantly coming by to fill it up. He stopped to chat with people, and had a very pleasant personality. The prices here were higher than say a Denny's, but I think were still reasonable, considering the Americana actually makes real food with quality ingredients and is located on one of the most expensive real estate corners in the county. My kids ordered the waffle special which was came with carmelized bananas, chocolate chips, whipped cream and walnuts. I snuck a taste, and it was great. My breakfast sandwich special was so good- proscuitto with scrambled eggs, tomatoes, basil and fresh mozerella medallions over delicious toast. My husband's classic eggs, bacon, waffle and toast was also great. The food came fast and hot and tasted great. The wait staff all help each other out- I saw other waiters helping take bills to one another to help out a team member who had his hands full. No one was rude or snotty- they were all really busy. I would totally eat at the Americana again- and if you want a delicious breakfast with no pretentiousness in a nice environment, you should too.
(5)cat n.
I am disgusted at this place. We actually got up and left! We went there on a Thursday at around 11:30am. We were seated immediately and then completely ignored for 15-20 minutes. Others were also seated and orders taken. We were never even provided water. We saw 3 waiters go by several times and not one time were we ever acknowledged. Very few times have I EVER gotten up and left a restaurant. I will NEVER go back here. We ended up walking to Board & Brew instead.
(1)Fatchi C.
Great location but the service is terrible. We went to to Americana again for lunch for a second time. We are fine standing on the sidewalk waiting 10-15 minutes for the tables as usual. However the waitress did not come to take our order or serve any drinks/water after we sat down for 15 minutes. That was 1:15pm and not many customer. We waited another 40 minutes to get the food. Food is average at best.
(1)Jeremy S.
Tuesday, 22 Sept 2009, lunch Turkey sandwich w/ fries ***generous portion of fries ***wonderful outdoor seating ***great location ***reasonable prices ***seated ourselves outside, average attentiveness wait service ***doesn't really scream "Del Mar!" but a reasonable, quick, average, standard menu ***street parking (as always in dt Del Mar) might be a challenge (though it wasn't for us on this visit) n.b. The outdoor seating of this establishment is open to the public...meaning you can sit there and you don't necessarily have to order anything. If you can't enjoy one of their delicious sandwiches at lunch, brown bag it with a friend for a great outdoor lunch experience. I would come again. I would take a friend.
(3)Jessica H.
I am a HUGE fan of brunch and this is one of my favorite brunch places in San Diego. I've been going here for years and I love the food. I've brought my friends too and they all keep coming back. It's right next to Del Mar beach so on a sunny day it's nice to sit outside and enjoy the weather. I've had the Smoked Nova Salmon, Dylan's Eggs Benedict, Lina's Breakfast Sandwich, the Roman Breakfast, Casey's Call, and probably some other ones i can't remember. See....i told you I've been going here for awhile. Everything I've ever had here as been very enjoyable. The Smoked Nova Salmon is basically Lox with tomatoes and onions. I remember i was in a salmon mood that day so this dish was perfect. I could see it being too much salmon though and getting sick of it. Dylan's Egg Benedict was delicious. I love eggs benedict and I'd have to say this one makes my top 5 list. Lina's Breakfast Sandwich and Casey's Call are also very good. They both have goat cheese and I'm a sucker for goat cheese. You can never go wrong with goat cheese in your dish. Another thing i'm a fan of is prosciutto so if you're a fan too you'll love the Roman Breakfast. Similar to the Smoked Nova Salmon, i can see it being too much prosciutto and getting sick of it if you're not in the mood. The last time i went i tried the Iced Coffee with coffee ice cubes. I rarely drink coffee but a couple of my friends got it and I was intrigued by the coffee ice cubes. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would get it again. The only thing i hate about this place is the wait. Just like any other good brunch place there will always be a wait. The last time i went the wait was ridiculous. Of course we were all starving so that didn't help. They had told us 20 minutes and i think it turned out to be an hour. Usually places will give you an over estimate of the wait time so you'll be pleasantly surprised and pleased when the wait is shorter. I will never go here with a group bigger than 4 now because it took FOREVER to get a table. Everyone kept getting seated before us because they were a smaller party. I've never had to wait so long at this place before. That won't keep me from going back though. I will just have to make sure to go during a better time or have a snack before.
(4)Pepper P.
I have only been here once, for early breakfast. I thought it was delightful. I had efficient and polite service, the gals were attractive and engaging. I had a portabella omelet, coffee and oj. The tomatoes in the omelet were bursting with ripeness and they didn't save any mushrooms when they packed them in! The atmosphere could hardly be better for a super early morning wake up. I'll be back....
(4)Maria K.
My bestie & I come here often! Mostly after our weekend walks in the morning. We love the endless cups of delicious coffee that pour! SOO good! The BEST coffee! You can make your own pancakes!SO BOMB! I get the coconut & banana pancakes and my bestie will sometimes get chocolate chip & banana pancakes! You can throw in whatever you want (with the choices they have) Staff is great! We love this place! So much to choose from menu!! MUST TRY!
(5)Hai B.
I came here for dinner and it sounds like this restaurant is definitely more of a breakfast place. The restaurant is a hip vintage like diner with some newer tables and chairs. The wainscoting and wall mirrors definitely give it more of a diner feel. I ordered the grilled chicken reuben sandwich which came with rosemary seasoned french fries. The french fries were decent. The sandwich was all right. It was nothing to remember and I could've made a better sandwich. The top slice of my bread was grilled and crunchy yet the bottom slice was soggy from the coleslaw that was added to the sandwich. My husband's bottom slice of his portebello mushroom sandwich was also soggy. Our sandwich became a dripping mess. The tomato soup was just all right. The goat cheese that they used seem to overpower the flavor of the soup. We also ordered two glasses of wine with our meal and some how the total bill was $60 (tax + tip included). Seems really expensive for a mediocre meal that was just soup and sandwiches. Service was attentive and nice. We may come back to try their breakfast but definitely never dinner.
(2)caitlin l.
I love being able to come to Americana and sit outside. The food is delicious and the wait staff are really friendly, especially Matt, but the service is slow. My favorites are Casey's Call (poached eggs, goat cheese and spinach) and the Leo Omlette with smoked salmon, eggs and caramelized onions. The only downer is this place's popularity. There is usually a wait for a table, especially on weekends, and sitting at the bar is a tight squeeze. I haven't been here for dinner, so I can't chime in on that part. Overall it's a super breakfast joint.
(4)Amy K.
How I love Americana - the country potatoes, the bread, the strong & yummy latte's. I could go on and on... This is my hands-down favorite breakfast spot in San Diego (or Del Mar, if you want to nitpick). It has outdoor seating and you can bring your dog without people being mean to you. It is also located across the street from a Starbucks (if the wait is long) and a Banana Republic (if a full tummy makes you want to try on clothes) and the ocean is a block down. The service is quick and friendly and there is a casual beach-city vibe all around. I almost always build my own omellette but my friends swear by the Eggs Benedict and pancake dishes. They offer healthy alternatives like white egg only for a small surcharge (it's either 99 cents or $1.50 more). I've always had a wonderful experience here. It's a great place to come on a leisurely weekend morning to grab a hearty breakfast & sit with friends. Love it!
(4)Rachel C.
Delicious breakfast! Had the green eggs & ham breakfast and I highly recommend it! Cute little restaurant with nice outdoor seating where you can bring pets. It is a small little place but that definitely goes with the quaint atmosphere. Definitely planning on coming again!
(5)Jaime B.
Very friendly staff, conveniently located near the beach. They had an excellent tomato basil soup. My burger, ordered medium, was served well done (sigh). I asked the waitress to recommend an amber and she said she didn't know any of the beers, but she offered me a sample of a Scottish Ale. It wasn't for me, but I bring it up to convey their customer service. Also, when I asked for yellow mustard, she explained that all they had was Dijon. I said "oh, okay, no problem," but she must have seen the disappointment on my face. A few minutes later she brought me some yellow mustard; she had gone to the restaurant next door and borrowed it for me. If you're in the neighborhood and wanting some grub, give them a shot. Just don't expect your burger, ordered medium, to come the way you order.
(3)Romeo And Lola K.
Stopped in for brunch and had a decent meal although we were not blown away by any means. The breakfast sandwich is a misnomer...it's a scramble on some bread which cannot be picked up like a sandwich at all. Their chicken salad is also good; light and not heavy on the mayo. The fries were delicious and crispy. The outdoor seating is pleasant although a bit cramped.
(3)Avi G.
This was a suggestion of a friend of ours to meet, hanging w/ him the wife and two kids. It was good for casual breakfast dining with the family. Parking is not that bad in Del Mar, but nothings dedicated to it. I had lox and bagels and started out with a plate of fruit as we waited for friends to arrive. The Waitress was attentive, the food was nothing adequate, nothing spectacular but if you're looking for a prime location and decent breakfast fair, I'd give it a thumbs up.
(4)Sean S.
I used to absolutely love this place. So much so that I would make it a point to eat there atleast once a week. They have one of the best steak sandwiches in the city. Unfortunately that steak sandwich is about $15. Not a problem until recently when they began giving half the amount of steak in each sandwich. You'd think the price would change accordingly but no dice. Throw that together with easily the worst wait-staff in North County and two stars is what you end up with.
(2)Andreea S.
Wasn't sure what to expect from all the mixed reviews, but we needed a good place to meet friends from out of town for breakfast this morning. Does the fact that I'm still thinking about it mean anything?? I would go back to Americana in a heartbeat. Everyone else loved it too~ Two of us had Roman breakfasts (yummy with potatoes OR salad!) and the boys ate Rosa's breakfast burrito and pancakes. Would definitely return!!
(4)Susan B.
The food was ok. Nothing terrible, but nothing to rave about either. On weekends the wait is a bit long. Inside seating is a bit crowded. I have a 10 month old so not really easy to maneuver a stroller around. Luckily they had a booth on the patio outside. You could get a nice view of the ocean from the patio. Once seated it was great. Though things did feel a bit sticky. I'd still go back though.
(3)Romney S.
AMERICANA?!?! What are you doing to me here?? I am uber disappointed in the direction my beloved Americana is going. A few weeks ago we went around 4:30 on a Sunday and while our food was very good, the service was not. We've never before had any issues with service here. We used to live nearby and come here often and I can honestly say we never got anything even close to poor service, so we chalked it up to maybe being very short staffed, or having new staff (we only recognized 1 server). Today we went back around 11:30am and once again, the food was great but the service was just awful. Our server was clueless-he kept asking to refill my "soda", and I was drinking coffee. When he brought our order, the boy asked for a small side plate, to which the server replied "is that plate too big?". I wish I could say he was joking, but he was very serious in both situations. Odd. After we ate, we were sitting looking at paint chips and drinking our coffee, the restaurant wasn't full so we didn't feel like we were taking up a table but about 10 minutes after he took our plates (at which point we told him he could bring the check, but also said we would be staying for a while) he came back over and very rudely asked "look, do you want anything else or just the check?" so at that point we paid, gathered our things and left. Good food isn't reason enough for me to put up with terrible service. I guess for the next couple months we'll just check other yelpers reviews and hope the service improves before we decide to go back.
(2)dennnis n.
Unfortunately, Americana misses the opportunity to be a great Restaurant. The food is very good and priced well for the location. However, the service is slow. I know I have been there 15 plus visits over the last 2 years. Don't expect much and if you do get great service you will be one of the few. You won't need a dinner reservation any night of the week and you will never wait. The reason is the service and the too bright lighting at dinner. Food rating: 3 out of 5 stars Service rating: 1 out of 5 stars atmosphere: breakfast 3 out of 5 - dinner 2 out of 5.
(2)William P.
We needed a quick meal after the long drive south, and this place was right down the street. They had an egg cream on the menu, oddly enough. The burger was tasty, and normally I don't eat french fries, but these were herbed, and quite tasty.
(3)Sara D.
This place looked so promising. The menu is vast & everything sounded good. I quickly decided a was having a turkey burger. My friend had an omelet & the Hus had the soup & sandwich. They both liked what they had. My turkey burger had roasted tomatoes & grilled onions. Sounds tasty, right? Wrong! It tasted like spaghetti on a bun. I ended up taking off all the tomatoes which left me with a bland burger. I was so disappointed with my choice. It's a cute place, the service was okay but the food just didn't cut it.
(2)Kina D.
Waitress forgot a few it's we had ordered.
(3)Khloe S.
Tried this place for the first time over the weekend and boy I''m impressed! First off my friend and I came for their happy hour menu which started at 4 and we got here around 3:30. Our waitress gave me the happy hour price for my mojito which impressed me a lot since a lot of places make you wait to order the happy hour price! Their mojito's were amazing! and they were only $5 from their happy hour menu on a Saturday! I also ordered the fish tacos which were also only $5 and wow they must have been one of the best fish taco's I've ever had! Just ask for the chipotle sauce on the side because it can get very messy and soggy! Overall, my Saturday afternoon couldn't have been better.. yummy strong mojito, delicious fish tacos and a great view of Del Mar Beach under $15? count me in! and our waitress was super helpful and friendly! Will be back for sure!!
(5)Jennifer W.
My husband and I are from Oceanside and are very loyal to our favorite breakfast place so finding such great food this far "south" was a treat! He had Oscar's special. The eggs were cooked just right and the French toast was incredible. So pillowy and delicious-not too sweet! I had the Del Mar Powerhouse. The egg whites were so flavorful ( I know, right?!) that I hardly needed hot sauce. Rosemary was present but not overpowering, and they seemed very hearty without being greasy, which I have experienced at other places. We ordered their muffin as an "appetizer" because it looked so beautiful- overflowing with berries and crumbly. It did not disappoint. Our server offered it warmed with a side of butter. Yum! We will definitely come back when we are in the neighborhood. My hubby is picky too. Even he was impressed. Great service too, by the way.
(5)Eric P.
What a wonderful place to stop by for brunch on the weekends. I generally like to swing by here after a nice hike through Torrey Pines State Park. I normally get the Powerhouse breakfast (which is egg whites, tomato herbs with wheat toast and fruit), with fresh squeezed orange juice. Its a great healthy start to the morning and always done great. Toast is never burned, eggs are never over cooked, and service is always done professional and quickly, even when they are slammed packed on a saturday morning. Would recommend this a great go to breakfast spot!
(4)Tom V.
We were invited here for dinner by our son and his fiancée for his mother's (my wife's) birthday dinner. Being young and frugal he had purchased two LivingSocial deals and although the certificates state 'one per table' he cleared it with the staff when he called to make reservations for a Friday night that apparently were not needed; that or we would gladly sit at two separate tables to use them. Upon our arrival, at about 6pm, we were "greeted" by a not so friendly / personable hostess / manager (who some on here have intimated may be the owner / chef's wife). Unless we had a red neon beacon flashing over our heads that we were the 'LivingSocial' deal people (or we were not dressed YUPPY enough) we were taken aback by the not so gracious greeting and escort to our table. The place is quaint and attractive inside and they have outdoor seating, but the quarters are somewhat cramped. We would have chosen to sit outside, but they had not fired up their portable heaters yet and it was already turning cool. In hindsight we should have asked them to fire up the heaters, since they did so about 20 minutes after we were seated. We saw that Happy Hour was until 630pm, but you could not get HH prices at your table. The future daughter-in-law decided to go up to the bar at about 615pm to order a couple Mojitos. The bar was not crowded (as the restaurant itself was not) and she stood there being ignored for over 10 minutes, which was just long enough to get disgusted and return empty handed. Sad thing is (and I am not being biased) she is a very attractive woman (as is my wife), which shocked me even more that she did not get served in a timely manner (which should not have any bearing on it anyway). The waitress finally arrived and thank God she had a decent personality and did not treat us like crap, as we already felt by the hostess and bartender. She heard about being slighted at the bar and, although it was now past 630pm, stated she would get us drinks at the HH prices (which she did). She was amicable enough, but overall the service was slow. After taking our orders she was to bring us some bread, but we had to remind her over 10 minutes later and after seeing others being served their bread (who came in after we did). Took a while to get our entrees as well... Overall, our waitress was unable to overcome what we felt was a crappy reception and the bartender snub - as related to the overall service. I would give her a 3+ rating, but the 1 rating by the other two kicked the overall into the 2- category. My wife says I am being over-generous to our waitress, due to the x2 negatives, but it's my review! But, the most important aspect to me when rating a restaurant is their food. The food was fantastic. I ordered the fried calamari appetizer, which came with two homemade dipping sauces (chipotle tomato sauce and lemon pepper aoli, the later reminding me of a very good tartar sauce). The calamari was perfect - not under or over fried and the sauces were quite tasty. I wonder how those sauces would be with their fish & chips? My son and I chose off the menu, with my son getting the Ben's Grilled Chicken Reuben (swiss cheese, napa cabbage slaw, thousand island dressing on grilled challah) and me getting the Swiss Cheese Portobello Burger (medium rare with carmelized onions, roasted tomatoes and lettuce). Both plates came with Seasoned Fries and a small portion of coleslaw. We both enjoyed our meals and I have to say that my burger was one of the top 5 I have eaten in as many years. The Fries were also in my top 5, but the coleslaw was just okay. The women chose items from their dinner specials: wife ordered the salmon fillet with quinoa & kale salad and sautéed green beans. She loves her salmon and was very pleased with her meal (4 stars). The to-be daughter-in-law had the lamb chops with mashed potatoes and asparagus. She also enjoyed her meal (4 stars). My son and I sampled a bite of the lamb chops and agreed they were perfectly done. There are a lot of negative reviews as to the food, but we all really liked ours. It was the overall service and snubbing that got under our skin. Isn't promoting your establishment by giving out deals, such as via LivingSocial, supposed to be a way for you to entice new customers to come back? My son had to mildly argue with the manager about using both, as was approved beforehand. In the end we used them both, but talk about being treated to feel like crap... As for the food, my son and I would eat here again should we find ourselves in Del Mar; but the women said they would not accompany us due to the service. 2 stars for the overall staff + 4 stars for the food quality = 3 star
(3)Vic S.
I've been here a couple of times now. Often in areas frequented by a lot of tourists a restaurant gets complacent. They don't see the same clients every day. The staff doesn't get to know the customers personally. Once you eat here you will realize that everyone here is treated like a regular. The owner Randy is passionate about his food, the cleanliness and his staff. He is a truly nice man serving generous quantities of really fine food. Go here early in your stay so you will have time to go back. You definitely wlll want to!
(5)Mark M.
More like AmeriCrapa. Worse 56$ spent on lunch ever. Burger was almost decent, if they got it right the first time. herbed fries were terrible. How do you mess up french fries? Bloody Mary was good but the service was virtually non existent. The table next to me got up and left because nobody came to get their order. Maybe if the waitress wasn't stuffing her face in the kitchen... Maybe This is what Del Mar hip is. Over priced menu, crappy food and no serivce
(1)K V.
I was expecting crappy tourist food this close to the beach but had a really nice lunch out on the sidewalk. They offer breakfast till 3 pm as well, so the pancakes were a hit with the kids.
(3)Susan W.
Went here for Saturday brunch recently -- it's neither the best nor worst brunch in SD, but yes they are DOG FRIENDLY on the patio!! I'm not sure if we were there on an off day, but we waited for about 10-15 minutes to be seated even though I could see plenty of empty tables. Also, by the time we started eating, it wasn't busy at all but our waitress was always running around and approached our table...to take our order, bring food, re-fill water...while at a slight jog...slightly off putting. It wasn't too long ago that we ate there but I already don't remember the food being particularly memorable, just standard breakfast fare. On a plus note, the coffee was good and they were nice to my dog!
(3)Patrick H.
Very good place for breakfast. I had the Oscar's choice which was pancakes, eggs and bacon. It hit the spot. Really crowded on the weekends.
(4)Cathy T.
Where do I begin .. Horrible service from start to finish.. Asked the hostess for something to wipe the chairs after it had rained and she handed me 3 paper napkins ..ordered a cappuccino and asked the waiter 3x for extra foam.. He never acknowledged the request and needless to say.. Barely came with any foam at all.. asked for dressing on the side for my salad and got served the meal of course minus any dressing..I asked 3 different people for the dressing and waited about ten minutes before it came, which worked out because they only served 3 of the 4 meals. I got up and asked the waiter, the hostess and the bus boy where the 4th meal was and I was assured it would be arriving any minute, but ten minutes later....,Still waiting. I then asked for the manager who could not be found & hooray!!!...my friend finally got his lunch.. When it came time to pay, my friends had a card that they had previously purchased on line which would get them 1 free meal with the purchase of one.meal. The waiter told them it's only applied to lunch meals and even though we ordered at 12:30 from the menu that had included both breakfast and lunch items, the restaurant could not accept the card bc they ordered breakfast items. My friend asked for the manager/owner and he would not honor either. In his ambivalent tone, he have his less than sincere apology. He then went on to vent about his bad day because of the rain and his ice machine breaking ... Really???? My friends are sharing their concerns about the service and now they have become his emotional supporter!!! There are plenty of choices in the area to eat.. Do yourself a favor and skip this place
(1)Shanda B.
Classic eatery. Welcoming staff. Great food! Found this place after a long walk on the beach from Torrey Pines to Del Mar. We were super hungry and a local pointed us to Camino Del Norte which is where we stumbled across 'Americana' as we rounded the corner. Bonus...they have outdoor seating and on a beautiful day who wouldn't want to eat outside! Another bonus...nice selection of imported beer which perfectly paired with my burger. I got the Smoke House Bacon Cheddar Burger and it was right on!
(4)laurie c.
Had brunch here with a girlfriend on Sunday. It was a beautiful day in Del Mar, and while we were hoping for outdoor seating, we had also just finished a hike at Torrey Pines and were starving! We were able to sit immediately inside, which was fine, although the outdoor patio looked ridiculously charming. Food was fabulous- I had a breakfast sandwich that featured apple sausage, goat cheese, fluffy scrambled eggs and Tuscan bread. My friend's breakfast looked as amazing as mine tasted. Our waiter was a totally cute "surfer dude" with a dark tan and bright blue eyes. He was completely cheerful and efficient. The price wasn't bad either, not the cheapest in town but you're in Del Mar, you gotta pay to play! I'll definitely eat here again if I happen to be in the area for breakfast/lunch.
(4)Danielle H.
Such a cute, unique restaurant located right in the heart of downtown Del Mar. Sitting outside on a sunny Saturday morning with my girlfriends and having some brunch was such a treat! I had the veggie omelet with various veggies and parmesan cheese, served with their roasted rosemary potatoes and two pieces of toast. Such a huge portion! The only downside was that the parmesan cheese was kind of just tucked inside and not melted :( The potatoes were the best I've had in a while- perfectly seasoned and crispy without being overly greasy. Friends ordered Casey's Call (poached eggs on goat cheese, arugula and toast) and Breakfast Sandwich with apple chicken sausage and side salad. All were very tasty and well-portioned. A lot of the reviews I see took stars off for poor service and lukewarm coffee, but I found the waitress to be extremely friendly and the coffee was hot and filled promptly once I asked for my first refill. I will definitely be back!
(4)Joe A.
Living proof that it's all about "location, location, location!" Deceptively charming look, but half-hearted service, simply average food, and a menu that looks like it was priced out by the Pentagon. I ordered an omelet with three ingredients (cheese, jalapeno and sausage), and their three-tiered pricing structure for omelet add-ons took my $7.10 "base" omelet to more like $13. Not a huge big deal, but I'm a fan of simplicity, and I don't want to bust out a calculator to determine if I can afford breakfast. Our server was efficient, if not friendly, but the food quality wasn't what you'd expect for the price. Sourdough toast would have made for an excellent side of croutons, and the hammerhead I ordered was conspicuously lacking that caramel cream that's the sign of a good espresso. Sad that, with a neighbor like L'Auberge (whose restaurant is still being remodeled, or we'd never have left the property!), this place isn't stepping their game up a bit to take advantage of the increased traffic. Then again, with a location like this, they'll probably continue to make a very comfortable living off of one-time guests.
(2)c l.
This Restaurant does not deserve any star. Location is good - but the restaurant is awful in many ways. It can be voted as the WORST restaurant in San Diego. 1. We sat at a table near the wall - the space between tables is very small so the behind of waiters will be in your face when they take the orders of the next table. Disgusting when I think about it. 2. The food is awful. My potatoes was not cooked (first criteria to be chopped). The omelet was cold and watery. Yucky. 3. It was my faults since I did not read the menus carefully. It was the MOST EXPENSIVE omelet I've ever had. $7.10 just for the eggs +x $1.55 for onion + $1.55 for scallions + $1.55 for fresh tomatoes + $1.55 for spinach + $1.55 for the mushroom. Then the waitress dumped a fresh salsa in a small plastic (Costco sample size cup) add $1.55 more. 4. The service and the food have the same grading. 5. My husband asked me to add "His huevos racheros SOUP was not good either" Should I come back? NOPE
(1)Tayler B.
Americana, you never cease to amaze me! Against my better judgement I have visited the restaurant several times over the years and have yet to see any type of customer service exhibited. It wasn't until my latest visit that prompted to me even make a yelp account so I can finally gripe about the most horrible service I have ever experienced. It was not a particulary busy morning as there were many open tables and once we were finally acknowledged they told us to take a seat. (By acknowledge I mean do more than make eye contact and walk the other direction. I'm not expecting to be seated immediately-I know you're busy- but a simple "hello" would sufice). After waiting 20 minutes for a waitress and another 20 for a water, she took our order. The food was not great, but also not bad...that is if she got the orders right. But alas, it was too late to ask for what we actually wanted, as she brought our check out along with the meal. (before offering anymore coffee/drinks or even asking about the food) Not trying to be rude, we decided against saying anything and paid the bill. As this experience wasn't significantly horrendous, my problem was it's predictability. My friend and I had been there before and decided to bring her boyfriend as we were already in the area. Before even walking into the restaurant we warned him about the bad service and I guess you could say Americana met our expectations. As other people have said before, the only reason this place does as well as it does it LOCATION. Again, despite getting the orders wrong, the food deserves maybe 3 or 4 stars at best. But as a local in the area there are far better places in Solana Beach or Encinitas that are worth the short trek.
(2)Steven M.
The food here is great. My girlfriend and me came to Del Mar for the evening and walked down the road checking out all menus and restaurants and this once looked right up our ally. Cute inside decor and an awesome outside patio. I had the pizza (super good) and she had the mussels in the broth (also awesome). Food perfect. Atmosphere perfect. Server Perfect. Lady who ignored us at the entrance for a few minutes while watching tv behind the bar then sighing as she asked us to follow her to our seat...Kinda Rude. But didn't come here for her. Would for sure go back!
(5)Shell B.
Pretty disappointed in their customer service. I purchased an Amazon Local Deal to try their brunch and invited friends to come along. We spent over $150 on brunch to find out that our $24 discount through the Amazon Local deal would not apply (really only a $12 savings since we purchased it for $12). We understood it was our fault for not reading that the deal only applied to dinner and 4 months later tried it for dinner. At dinner tonight we ordered over $80 to again be told we couldn't use our $24 Amazon local deal, because once again we didn't read the fine detail that it wasn't allowed on any pre-fixed dinner menus. We explained that we had already tried to use it before and hoped they could honor our discount since we didn't realize there were so many rules to our $12 savings on this local deal. A mere sorry and shrug of the shoulders was given. The deal got us in their twice, but won't make us a repeat customer. There are plenty of amazing brunch and dinner places in Del Mar that we enjoy and are excited to frequent instead.
(1)Julie G.
This is a great gourmet-style restaurant that is very reasonably priced. Located in the heart of downtown Del Mar and featuring an attractive and tasteful interior that is reminiscent of 1040's Americana. It reminds me of places in NYC where the food is always very fresh and stylish to boot. Brunch is great here and since it is very close to a great beach/park that is within walking distance, you can make it a day and go for a stroll or swim after you eat. Great waffles and the kid's menu is awesome as well.
(5)F. A.
Great food and ambiance. Can say without-a-doubt that they had THE BEST eggs benedict I've ever had, anywhere.
(5)Jac F.
americana has great breakfast.
(4)Gagan A.
Decor of this place begs for a change... Food 2 stars Ambiance 1 star Slow service
(2)Checko-Wing S.
This was an awful experience. The service was awful, and the food was overcooked and soggy. We were there for almost 2 hours and didn't even eat!! I understand that things can happen. This was a busy weekend and it was our waitress' first day. The problem was that none the other servers helped her and the manager/owner didn't seem to care. The manager/owner never apologized, offer to comp the meal or anything... The manager/owner does not know how to run a business, but it doesn't matter because he has a great location that will always get business from tourist so he doesn't need to have standards. LOCALS BEWARE!!
(1)Valentina V.
Can't believe I've forgotten to review this place.... I just happened upon it about a year-and-a-half ago, after a good date turned into a bad morning, and really enjoyed myself - despite my bad mood. So I've frequented back quite a few times, and really had only one bad dish so far. It was just bland and blander - I believe it was the "Casey" dish?? BUT, the eggs benedict are great, the coffe yummy and ever-flowing, the staff is friendly (one guy was maybe TOO friendly), and the place is adorable. I am going there again next Saturday morning -- it's my go-to place for an inbetween spot between North County (where I live) and south of Del Mar(where everyone I know lives).
(4)Nancy H.
Well known for breakfast, but a very solid choice for dinner as well. I distinctly recall a great duck main with Israeli couscous and cranberries... In my experience, service can be slow at breakfast or lunch, so best to come without time constraints. The dinner scene is apparently variable: I've been when it is deserted and when they've turned us away without reservations. Love the classic cafe decor, fits the name perfectly.
(4)Ana S.
This is an updated review, as there have been some noticeable improvements at this restaurant. Location/ambiance-overall excellent. You can sit inside or outside, with your dog(s), if that pleases you, and it's charming, sunny, with an ocean and street view, great for people-watching. Food-I have never had a bad meal here. The salads, omlettes and entrees I've had have always been delicious, and my friend says they have the best grilled cheese sandwich she's ever had in her life. My favorite burger in the world is here, as is my favorite waffle, and dinners are just as delicious. Service-Service with a smile, although expect this place to be so busy at times that it may not be as fast as you like. It is worth the wait. Americana has been one of my favorite places in San Diego to go for breakfast, lunch or dinner since 2007. And my dogs agree!
(4)Kristin M.
The only good thing about this restaurant is the location! Went for breakfast with my husband, and had the worst meal hands down! I ordered 2 eggs over easy with a side of bacon and whole wheat toast. Clearly the food had been sitting there for several minutes before our server brought it out as the toast was cold and hard as a rock. The potatoes were also cold and tasted as though they had been sitting around for the last week. The easy were over hard and the bacon was the worst tasting bacon I have ever had. The coffee was the only decent thing, even the water tasted like soap! Service was mediocre at best. Never will I return to that restaurant again!
(1)Brandy A.
Finally made it back to the Del Mar area this weekend and hit the Americana Restaurant again. Still one of my favorites, they did not disappoint the second time around. Made it there earlier today for brunch - it was raining like crazy, the place was packed and even with the rain there were people sitting outside under the umbrellas. This time I had Casey's Call (poached eggs, spinach and goat cheese on Tuscan toast with roasted herb new potatoes) - soooo good!! Even with the place fully packed, I was seated fairly quickly and the service was wonderful. I will be back again and again.... :)
(5)Steve T.
We had dinner last night - Friday July 17th. Just awful and I don't recommend you try this except for breakfast...and then it's OK. They have a kids menu....my kids ordered chicken strips. They were chicken breasts cut in half...very thick....with heavy batter....not breading. My kids would not eat them. I had fish and chips....after all the British Open is this weekend. I had more batter than fish and the chips were not freshly cooked. They had been cooked in advance and heated in the oven.....not crisp but soggy. The kids were the same way. The real downer was the service. Waiter named Patrick....you do not want him ever. When he brought our dinners my wife order another glass of wine and I ordered a beer on tap. 10 minutes later....most of our dinner gone....the drinks had not arrived. I go to the bar and asked another waiter to help me. Patrick comes around the corner and tells me "I'm very busy". The other waiter pipes in: "our beer tap is very slow tonight!" Are you kidding me? When Patrick brings the drinks he just sits them down and doesn't say "I'm sorry", "excuse the wait" ..... nothing. I gave him a tip less than 10%. I regret not making it zero....that is what he deserved. When you see empty tables on Friday night....I guess that's a clue. The place is not air-conditioned and they thought I was a pest because I asked them to turn on the ceiling fans. They say "more than breakfast". Don't believe it. Let them do eggs and ignore them for the rest of the day. And avoid Patrick at all costs. I'm not sure what business he and they think they are in, but customer service is not it!!!!!
(1)Alison P.
Sitting outside on a sunny winter day, sipping good brew and eating a killer veggie egg-white quesadilla with The Fam. What could be better? Turning down the ringer from the old dude next to us getting calls from his 1-800 hooker and some valium spiked kibble for the mass of dogs sniffing around the place. But then again what would SoCal be without cellphones and canines? Otherwise, mmm mmm good.
(4)Michelle C.
Don't go on Father's Day ... do go on any other day! This place is delicious. It's right on the corner in Del Mar. You have to eat outside. The menu is a great selection of food, the service and staff is so-so. The hostess looks like she needs a lesson in how to dress and behave. She ignored us and then flashed us her underwear ... not a great way to start off. The waitress was a little brusque, but she got the job done. Personally, ORDER a MILKSHAKE! I mixed the coffee and dulce de leche flavors ... it was INCREDIBLE! We had another ... but it could've been because we were so hungry after paddleboarding. I had the Gorgonzola burger, it was HUGE! Our guests ordered fish and chips, and the half soup/sandwich plate. They said they really enjoyed it. I also had a cup of potatoe leek soup ... quite delish! The eggs benedict was also a treat. All in all, pretty good food and a charming atmosphere. Not sure I would go back again w/out a groupon since there's so many other places to try in the area!
(3)Adam P.
Nothing special, but a solid American breakfast spot in Del Mar.
(3)N A.
I would give this 3.5 stars, but I rounded up because of the great outdoor seating. I had a latte (which was quite good) and the Lina's Breakfast Sandwich, which is listed as 2 scrambled eggs, chicken apple sausage, roasted tomato, spinach and goat cheese on tuscan toast. I was expecting it to be a layered sandwich with the ingredients listed, but it was more of a scramble on toast with a side salad. The balance of ingredients in the scramble was a bit unbalanced.. too much of this & too little of that. It was good, but a different experience than I was wanting. My boyfriend ordered the Greek Omelette of spinach, feta cheese, fresh tomato and onion. This came with potatoes. The food was good & the service was great, but it was a bit overpriced.
(4)Michael B.
This is a great place to visit for Happy Hour following a day at the beach. I come here for Happy Hour myself after spending the day at Del Mar Beach. The Happy Hour prices were very reasonable and the food was delicious. The atmosphere is casual and relaxing. I enjoyed a burger with couple of Arrogant Bastard Ales while relaxing on the outdoor patio area, over looking the ocean. The service was great and the staff was very friendly. This was definitely a great way to end another beautiful beach day in Del Mar!
(4)Shayan R.
When you feel like a good breakfast done right, Americana is the place that really hits the spot. The location is in the prime area of Del Mar near the beach and the outdoor patio is very pleasant on summer days. This is the kind of place that has become the Sunday morning favorite for my girlfriend and I. I'm a fan of Oscar's favorite and the Roman breakfast here. Oscar's is your typical breakfast with eggs (how you like it), sausage or ham, and pancakes. I always add potatoes on the side as well. The portions are perfect and the flavor simply hits that spot I was talking about in the beginning. I really like the pancakes, the right amount of fluff and that little saltiness that makes you just say mmhmmm. Definitely hit up Americana if you're looking for a breakfast done right in an inviting setting in Del Mar.
(5)Jen W.
I am posting the actual email I sent to "americana restaurant"- and I actually never received a response... I was a bit irate when it actually happened, but have since calmed down. I had asked the server about the extra cost, and she basically blew me off. So, if you go to the Americana, be sure to ask what costs what. A piece of lettuce added to your sandwich may be $2.00 :) It was a very expensive brunch, to say the least. But, they do allow dogs on the outside patio! This email was sent on 11/12/07 I had lunch at the Americana Restaurant on Sunday, and overall had a great experience. I was a bit disappointed to find out that it costs $1.50 to add a slice of onion to a sandwich. I did not know this until I got my bill. First of all, it seems a bit pricey to charge $1.50 for a slice of onion. Secondly, I had no idea it would cost extra to throw a slice of onion on a sandwich. I would understand an additional charge for extra cheese, bacon, avocado- but for a slice of onion?? I have worked in restaurants from the age of 12, and I have never heard of something so ridiculous. That is just my two cents worth. If you are going to charge that much money for a slice of onion, please inform the customer. That is it. Let us make the decision as to whether a slice of onion should really be worth $1.50. Thanks for your time...
(2)Bob S.
Been coming here a long time - for breakfast the best choice is oatmeal - probably the best around. But they really don't get eggs or potatoes - probably the worst around! Generally nice service but will serve anything out of the kitchen - even if obviously not right...
(2)Jon C.
The only reason this place is still in business is because of the location. The food is mediocre, the owner a curmudgeon, and staff rude. On my absolutely last visit there ever, I ask the waitress about a particular glass of wine and she said "I don't know honey, I don't drink wine." On the same visit the manager actually yelled at me for sending our food back that was not the correct entree. Unreal. Never going back. Never.
(1)Erin K.
I have eaten at American four times. The food is good, and it's great to find a menu with so many good choices! It's even hard to choose a beverage since they offer everything from local beer to New York egg creme. It's a cute atmosphere in a nice area, but the service was progressively terrible during my trips there. The last time I visited, I took a friend from out of town and found myself apologizing through the entire meal. We were ignored at the hostess stand, and literally did not see a server for 30 minutes. The hostess and waiter were inattentive and unfriendly. I have not been back. I like tuna sandwiches and all, but I can make a better one at home where everyone is nice to me...
(2)James O.
Indifferent service at best. They got our order wrong and at least one other from the nearby tables. This is the 2d bad experience here. Off my list and it should be off yours. Terrible
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