Breakfast With A View
Memories of The Beachcomber Café in Crystal Cove, California
We all have that restaurant. You know the one I mean. Your go-to for celebration, the place you bring visitors and new friends, the backdrop for so many precious memories. For me, that’s the Beachcomber Café in Crystal Cove, California.
I’ve always believed that this oceanfront restaurant had been around my entire life. However it turns out that in 2006, when American Idol reigned supreme and Twitter was born, the Beachcomber Café opened for its first service. Over the past 18 years, I’ve celebrated and indulged more at the Beachcomber Café than any other restaurant. Today, I share it with you.
The Beachcomber sits on the sand at Crystal Cove State Park, a 12.3 acre stretch of Orange County coastline that has been owned by the state of California since 1979. It is one of my favorite beaches because, unlike most parts of the OC, Crystal Cove has been kept relatively untouched. There are tons of hiking trails, cliff-adjacent coastlines and a series of rental cottages that date back to the 1930s. No matter the season there are families, hikers, and towel-toting beachgoers exploring the seashore.
Before you can dine at the Beachcomber Café, the journey actually begins with parking across the Pacific Coast Highway in a paid lot on Los Trancos. As you can see noted in red on my lovely map below, you then have to travel a heck of a long way to get to the Historic District.
There are two options: Take a $2 shuttle down to the sand or hoof it. I highly recommend the latter. It’s a ten-minute downhill walk from the parking lot to the restaurant, but you trek past beautiful, lush greenery until reaching a tunnel that is covered in children’s paintings. Many local classes and girl scout troops visit Crystal Cove to learn about ocean conservancy. Once you exit the tunnel, Voila! You’ve arrived! I consider this trek part of the Beachcomber experience. At its worst it can provide a little natural beauty to precede your meal, at its best it can provide its own entertainment.
I think of 2019, a year where all of the conditions in California were just right for a super bloom—heavy rainfall, cool weather, cold nights—and wildflowers suddenly blossomed across the state. All of the greenery along the usual trail was covered in bright yellow flowers.
Then there was 2016 when one of my best friends had flown out from New Jersey just to celebrate my 25th birthday. We went to Disneyland one day and the Beachcomber Café the next. That year, however, the weather was not so nice at the beach in January. The rainy walk was no big deal until we realized that the tunnel had flooded. Rather than turning back to hitch a ride on the shuttle, we ran headfirst into the tunnel, wading through water up to our knees. We were cold and wet by the time we sat down for brunch, but it was hilarious (and worth it).
Once you’ve finally arrived at the Beachcomber, all guests check in at a podium on the sand. The restaurant itself was converted from one of the original 1930’s cottages and consists of a covered outdoor deck with full ocean views, a small indoor dining room, and the Bootlegger Bar around back. I’ve never eaten anywhere besides the deck because that view makes any wait negligible. And there’s always a wait, but since that entails hanging out on the beach at Crystal Cove, I never mind it.
Our meals at the Beachcomber tend to follow a tried and true routine: We start every breakfast with bloody marys and beignets for the table. The bloody marys have evolved throughout the years now donning the name “Big Bad Bloody Mary” and called the “Best in the OC” by the OC Register. It is served in an extra large mason jar with over-the-top garnishes including a jumbo shrimp and a hulking crab claw. The bloody mary itself is zingy and spicy and, if you’re a fan of the drink, I definitely recommend ordering one. Back in the day, these were much more humble in presentation, but now they’re revved up and selling for $21.
I’ll never forget in 2017 when had his bloody mary brought to the table with a bumblebee somehow submerged in the ice. He is highly allergic to bees, so the situation was equally scary and icky. When we notified our server, they said OOPS and brought us a replacement. Apparently nature happens when you’re eating at a restaurant out in, well, nature. But to this day I can’t believe our beignets weren’t comped.
And speaking of beignets, these are a must-order. I’ve never missed an opportunity to split a plate of these airy, fried pastries blanketed in powdered sugar and served with syrup and whipped cream. The Beachcomber's beignets are simple, sweet, and make life worth living. They are also a perfect starter ahead of savory brunch plates.
I love this point in the meal. You snack on your little pillows of sweetness, sip on your drink of choice, and take in the ambiance of the Beachcomber Café. The patio is always busy with local families, older couples, gal pals, and everyone in between reveling in the sights and the bites. The environment is casual with most folks wearing sweatshirts and flip flops when the mornings are brisk. And you can’t beat the view of the Pacific ocean with Catalina Island’s silhouette in the distance.
It is not uncommon to see dolphins in this area, their sleek gray fins occasionally popping out of the water in groups of two or three. But in 2019, we nearly dropped our beignets when a whale approached the shore. Everyone leapt up and started snapping pictures. You never know when breakfast can turn into breakfast and a show.
Then it’s time for the meal. Believe it or not, people don’t just come to the Beachcomber Café for the atmosphere. The food stands up to and supports the exceptional environment. During our May 2024 trip to the Beachcomber, Jake and I ordered the following:
The crab cake Benedict felt like a beach-appropriate choice. It came out with two organic poached eggs each resting on top of a crab cake and English muffin and topped with Hollandaise sauce. The egg yolk was almost jammy in consistency, the crab cake a balanced mixture of fresh herbs and tender crab meat, and the hollandaise classically rich. My only want for this dish was a harder sear on the crab cake, as it was too similar texturally to the English muffin. The whole plate, while delicious, could've used a crispy element.
Jake ordered his go-to from the Beachcomber’s Savory Specialties list: Steak chilaquiles. You might recall that we also ordered chilaquiles at Chica, Chef Lorena Garcia’s hotspot in Las Vegas. Fun fact: The Beachcomber Café is where we, but especially Jake, fell in love with the dish. It is a deceptively packed plate of tender steak braised in a smoky guajillo sauce, eggs, pureed avocado, pico de gallo, cheese, and cilantro, all atop a bowl of tortilla chips. It is delicious and very filling, as even my always-hungry husband has never cleaned that plate.
If you’re in the mood for something sweet, the lemon ricotta pancakes are a great choice. They taste fresh and lemony and are as fluffy as a cloud due to the whipped ricotta in the batter. If that wasn’t enough to entice you, the pancakes are topped with a warm blueberry chutney and a generous dollop of whipped cream. I am sad every time I don’t order these—this last trip being no exception.
My love of the Beachcomber must be genetic. I received a text from my parents last weekend—coincidentally while I was working on this draft—and guess where they were? My Mom has since undergone knee replacement surgery and wanted to visit the café before embarking on her recovery journey. There will be no hikes through tunnels for the next couple months. She also ordered the beignets and a crab cake Benedict. We may be related.
No matter the season or occasion, the Beachcomber Café is a wonderful place to dine. I’ve celebrated turning 25, 28, and 29 there. I’ve gone wrapped in scarves and sweaters. I’ve also bypassed summer crowds by arriving as close to the 7:00 am opening as possible. One day, I’ll eat dinner at the Beachcomber and maybe even attend a private event—they do rent out for weddings.
As much as this is a love letter to a restaurant on the beach, it is moreso a tribute to my family and my husband, for all of the memories we’ve created over the last 18 years at this beautiful place. I couldn’t wait to visit on our most recent trip home, and I’m sure I’ll return the next time I’m in California. I hope one day you’ll eat there as well.
Beignets and Bloody Marys at the Beach.
Ergo Yum.
Loaded bloody, beignets, Jammy egg yolk, in a secluded cove / beachfront locale, no wonder you have all the memories here. Incredible!