Café Topés - La Costa

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).

Carlsbad, CA Order at the counter, food is brought out to self seated patio or indoor self seating. Prices pictured on existing Yelp photos are not accurate. I forgot to take a picture of the menu. Long lines and a popular spot, tucked away in a mixed use residential neighborhood. Street parking. Coffee, even though Stumptown was average at best. The first cup came with grounds in it but the second cup was replaced per request and was better. We got a cup to go and I only took a few sips and tossed it. As a preface, I am super picky about breakfast because I feel I can almost make anything better than what I can get in a restaurant, and I am often disappointed, so my review may be overly critical. We have not eaten out for breakfast in a long time so this was a rarity. Crack Breakfast Burrito...eggs, steak, cheese potatoes...around $17 Steak was tender, chips and salsa were good. Forgot to ask for it not cut but whole and wrapped in foil or paper. The potatoes, especially on the side of the eggs benedict were fantastic. My husband enjoyed the Crack eggs benedict with steak, around the same price as the burrito, I took a bite and was not interested in another, although he enjoyed it. Overall, breakfast was pretty good. There is another breakfast burrito place in the area that I wanted to try, but I went with the request of my better half to try this spot for the first time while we were in the area. The breakfast satisfied, although my husband enjoyed this more than I. Pleasant and adequate service, they come to your table once to deliver the food and not again unless flagged down.

The food was great and it came out pretty fast! It is a little tight with tables so I can imagine how hard it will be on a busy weekend. I got the 2 eggs with sausage patties and 2 french toasts. I was pleasantly surprised that the french toast came with some whipped cream and fresh fruits! My friend got the same except she got pancakes instead. We both felt that her scrambled eggs did not look like a full 2 eggs though and sadly she did not get any fresh fruit with her pancakes. We did still enjoy the meal and I would come again only if it is not packed

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.