Café Topés - La Costa

Bustling brunch spot in Carlsbad! I came by Cafe Topes after finishing a glass blowing class around the corner. I had never been before but my friend said it was good She was definitely right! They have a fun mix of classic brunch items (e.g. scrambles, egg sandwiches, pancakes and unique food items/speciality lattes (the blueberry lemon ricotta pancakes we're calling my name, but maybe next time . I ended up ordering the Chorizo Benedict with hashbrowns. I enjoyed them but would mix it up next time since literally everything on the menu looked delicious. The line to order was pretty long when we went, but it went quickly and gave me time to peruse the menu. Didn't have any trouble finding a seat outside either. The restaurant itself is very cute and clean. Would return Maybe for those blueberry lemon ricotta pancakes ;

I don 't think I 'm too harsh of a critic but I must say these other reviews have led me astray. The ambience is super cute and I love that it 's dog friendly. You order first then grab a seat Food wise, my group offered the crack burrito, lemon ricotta pancakes, almond poppyseed pancakes, the cinny roll and the chicken fried steak. The famous cinny roll.... It 's incredibly doughy and not moist. I had to chug water with this. The icing is alright. Nothing spectacular. The burrito .... Very mid but I did like the salsa that came with it. Chicken fried steak , I was expecting it to be a bit bigger and it was on the saltier side. Also why are the hashbrowns beautifully crisp on one side and steamed on the other??? Why not both crispy? The lemon ricotta pancakes was the only saving grace. The almond pancake ... it smelled wonderful. But texture wasn 't there even for almond flour. This is on my mislead do not come back ever list.

I was excited to try this place, especially based on the reviews. I 'll list what I enjoyed first: *Yummy Potatoes *Flavorful Pancakes Here 's what I didn 't like: *Donuts were directly at the edge of the counter, uncovered, with what looked like little fingerprints in the frosting and flies on them. There was also a patron with a HUGE DOG that put its front legs onto the counter to sniff the donuts. I lost my appetite... *The crack (tri-tip) definitely lacked flavor, compared to the crack at the Seaside Market-where the meat comes from. *The Manho Arnold Palmer didn 't taste like it had any mango in it at all. *The syrup is thick and tasted cheap. I definitely don 't plan on ever returning. I regret the huge tip I left (I paid at the register when ordering before I got my food).

I've eaten here several times and never had a bad meal. Food is made to order. You might see a line out the door but it is worth the wait. Very good food and service is good.

What a great place!! We came on a Tuesday for lunch and sat outside. The food was delicious and the prices very reasonable. The side of fries is enough for 3-4 people! My favorite was the salsa they serve (hard to find good salsa)! The staff was so nice and even gave us free donuts because they were closing for the day. It's just a great place to go for a casual and quick lunch. Highly recommend.