This place is so cute! We were trying to find a nice place to get some breakfast in Santa Monica and both the places in my guidebook were a bust. We knew there were lots of places on the Promenade but weren’t sure about breakfast. This place appeared to be open and was still serving breakfast (~11am) so we jumped on it. It was a beautiful morning so we opted to sit outside on the patio (see picture below). It was really quiet and laid back. Just the right place to start out a hectic day of siteseeing if you ask me.

The food was one of the best breakfasts we had on our trip and very inexpensive as well. I had the “3×1 Breakfast” with some great pancakes, meat, and FRENCH FRIES for $6.75. I mean, where else can you get fries for breakfast??? Mom claimed the coffee was really excellent as well. It was windy outside and the birds made friends with you, but it was worth it. Our spot was coveted as well since it was so sunny.
If you prefer, there is ample seating inside and it looked very cute in there. I think there is a “Route 66″ ambiance to the place.

A good place for a relaxing breakfast in Santa Monica if you ask me.

Website: Barney’s Beanery

While researching my trip to San Diego, I came across a few mentions of this place as an excellent place for breakfast so we thought we’d try it out. I have to say that it was probably the best breakfast we had for the whole trip! They had great food and the place is really cute. Perfect place to spend a foggy morning in San Diego.

When we arrived there was quite a wait to get a table, but I figured that was actually not such a bad thing. Busy places are usually good!! I think we may have waited almost an hour. It was cool outside but they had tables both inside and out, as seems to be common in most of southern California. Anyhow, we ended up at a tiny place inside (everything inside is tiny — I think that explains the wait). Anyway, the place was really cute with some very funky decorations on the walls and such. The menu was very complete and innovative, including lots of fruit items. I had some really awesome french toast! I think the pancakes sounded good as well. Mom had an omelette that looked to die for. Everything seemed very fresh. Most items on the menu were under $10. I totally think this is worth a wait if you want a good breakfast at a reasonable price! Highly recommended!!

Website: Cafe 222