Esau's Cafe

Debbie Goodman

I love this place! It’s family owned, and it reminds me of a 50s diner. We got the breakfast special, I had two slices of bacon, two eggs, and two pancakes plus coffee was less than $15! Our waitress, Bo, was very sweet. She looked like the quintessential California girl: Long blonde hair, and she looks like she surfs. Her mom was sitting at the counter and she looked like she had been a surfer girl in her youth.

Xbox User

MUST TRY: Biscuit & Berry jam👌🏼💯👍🏼 I love this spot, I'll stop and grub every time I'm in Carp. It's a local and tourist favorite. Great food Large menu Po Weekend wait times (it's that good). Flexible menu request Dog friendly patios Everything's Good! I ordered the corn beef hash, poached eggs, home fries and a biscuit.

theodore harrell

Amazing old school cafe style breakfast. Mimosas were huge and replaced quickly, Sunday drinking with the wife at its best would give 7/5 if possible!

Crystal H

Absolutely incredible! The food was made perfectly. The staff were all so kind and nice! Just a perfect way to start my day. Thank you Esau's Cafe!

Andrew Olsen

What is perfection? Let me tell you. Swift service, kind employees, succulent, mouthwatering delicious food that leaves you completely full and satisfied. What gives you all of this you may ask? Esau’s cafe does. From the moment we arrived at the restaurant the workers were smiling and happy to help our large group of 13. They sat us quickly in a secluded patio next to the restaurant. They wasted no time, taking our drink orders and bringing us our drinks almost the moment we putt our bottoms in the chair. They gave us the proper amount of time to figure out our orders, then it felt like no time had passed and the food was right in front of our faces. It was spectacular. My chicken fried steak was soft, juicy, and flavorful. The house fries tasted what I imagine heaven tastes like, and the eggs were the perfect consistency. Overall, the quick service for our party of 13, the delicious food, and the kind employees made for the perfect eating experience. I don’t live in the area but when I come back to carpinteria, you bet your bottom dollar I will be coming back to Esau’s!

Endymion Rides

My fiancé and I went to Esau's Cafe on a whim and we are very happy we did! She had the western omelette with hash browns and english muffin and I had the pancakes combo with scrambled eggs and sausage. All of it was very tasty. Whatever they have been doing to that batter for sixty years I hope they keep doing it! We will definitely be coming back again!

Ronjon Hartman

Love the nostalgic beach town vibe here. The food is really good and the service when I went was attentive and fast. My group was 7 people and the food came out so fast and hot off the griddle! Delicious diner food.

Giovanni Brito

My wife & I were looking for a spot to eat and came across Esau’s, I’m glad we did. The atmosphere was classic sit in dinner. I went with the Esau’s Deluxe Burger, it came with everything I love; guacamole, jalapeños, grilled mushrooms ❤️ our waitress Yadira was very friendly and attentive. We are not from the area but we are defiantly coming back here!

Clare Cast

This little cafe is so cute and I loved that the menu included a little history about the cafe. My husband and I came here for breakfast and we definitely left with full stomachs as the portions are very generous. The flavors were excellent. Great service also.

Kyle Baxter

Small town diner that packs big punch. The staff is warm, welcoming, and accommodating. The El Salvadoran coffee is mind-blowing. Best coffee in town by far. The food is exceptional and reasonably priced. The fresh cinnamon rolls taste how you think cinnamon rolls should taste: decadent, fluffy, and rich.

* dnainsb

When my wife and I arrived in Santa Barbara, 1985. We used to go to the Esau's Cafe on State Street. Today we visited a excellent representation of what the original Esau's was meant to be. We will definitely be coming back for their food. They are extremely busy in the morning. But if you can get a table or a seat you will not be disappointed by the quality and huge menu that they have. We can't wait to go again and eat at Esau's and stroll Linden down to the beach.

Our weekend breakfast spot. Incredible service always. Food is always 10/10. Everything is made from scratch even the hash browns and corned beef, so you can’t go wrong on anything on the menu. Just damn good real good.

Foods Great liked it .Put your name down on list to get seated . Very clean environment

We got there early as we were leaving our campsite and moving on. It was the middle of the week. This place was hoppin! The food was fresh, tasty and obviously made onsite. The biscuits and jam are AMAZING!! Get in here!

I grew up in Carpinteria, and anytime I get a chance to visit my hometown, the one spot I always make tomw for is Esau's. There food is still just as great as I remember it!

Great breakfast, delicious Pain Perdu/Croûte dorée (French Toast)! After a quick stop coming from LA on our way to a wedding, the friendly blue-eyed server was really helpful with tips about the route to our destination. Great atmosphere, busy with locals which is always a good sing. A++++

The Huevos Dovorciados was great. It’s Rancheros with both ranchero and verde sauce. Comfortable booths or sit at the counter. Outdoor seating as well and I saw a dog at an outdoor table- a good thing imo. Full house and still prompt attentive service. Someone at the table raved about the fish sandwich.

Lovely place, short walk to the beach. Nice, friendly staff. Plenty of options on the menu to satisfy everyone. Good portions and reasonable prices. Highly recommend this place.

Kaleb Medel

I grew up in Carpinteria, and anytime I get a chance to visit my hometown, the one spot I always make tomw for is Esau's. There food is still just as great as I remember it!

Margaret Henneman

Our weekend breakfast spot. Incredible service always. Food is always 10/10. Everything is made from scratch even the hash browns and corned beef, so you can’t go wrong on anything on the menu. Just damn good real good.

Don Showers

We got there early as we were leaving our campsite and moving on. It was the middle of the week. This place was hoppin! The food was fresh, tasty and obviously made onsite. The biscuits and jam are AMAZING!! Get in here!

Joël Dupont

Great breakfast, delicious Pain Perdu/Croûte dorée (French Toast)! After a quick stop coming from LA on our way to a wedding, the friendly blue-eyed server was really helpful with tips about the route to our destination. Great atmosphere, busy with locals which is always a good sing. A++++

Erik Hoagland

The Huevos Dovorciados was great. It’s Rancheros with both ranchero and verde sauce. Comfortable booths or sit at the counter. Outdoor seating as well and I saw a dog at an outdoor table- a good thing imo. Full house and still prompt attentive service. Someone at the table raved about the fish sandwich.

Kimberly Davis

We came for lunch and ate inside (vs. outside on the sidewalk) and was seated right away. This place is unpretentious and has a diner feel, warm & welcoming. Service was good, food was good, and the place looked very clean and organized. We loved it! Highly recommend.

I have two rules for choosing a restaurant. Actually dozens, but only two that are applicable to this conversation. 1. Any place that calls themselves World Famous is to be avoided; and 2. A good restaurant has both Crystal and Tabasco hot sauce on the table (at least back south anyway). If they're really classy they'll have a bottle of pepper sauce too. Esau's Cafe brags that they are World Famous since 1939. They also have Tabasco, Tapatio, and Cholula on the table (good alternatives to Crystal on the Left Coast) . These are contradictory signs and I wasn't sure what to think. I was greeted with huge portions of good, fresh food. The biscuit was gigantic. Their New Orleans Scramble wasn't bad (especially with Tabasco), and the home fries were perfect. The Breakfast Burrito was devoured by my better half. Well, only half devoured. It was huge! The staff was very friendly. Service was a little slow, but it was packed and the waitresses appeared to be overworked. The place is pricey, but not out of line for the area and location near the beach.

I ordered the fish sandwich, it was many small pieces grilled, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and onion were crisp, a great bun and awesome fries. Nice outdoor sitting.

Mark Y

I have two rules for choosing a restaurant. Actually dozens, but only two that are applicable to this conversation. 1. Any place that calls themselves World Famous is to be avoided; and 2. A good restaurant has both Crystal and Tabasco hot sauce on the table (at least back south anyway). If they're really classy they'll have a bottle of pepper sauce too. Esau's Cafe brags that they are World Famous since 1939. They also have Tabasco, Tapatio, and Cholula on the table (good alternatives to Crystal on the Left Coast) . These are contradictory signs and I wasn't sure what to think. I was greeted with huge portions of good, fresh food. The biscuit was gigantic. Their New Orleans Scramble wasn't bad (especially with Tabasco), and the home fries were perfect. The Breakfast Burrito was devoured by my better half. Well, only half devoured. It was huge! The staff was very friendly. Service was a little slow, but it was packed and the waitresses appeared to be overworked. The place is pricey, but not out of line for the area and location near the beach.

Steven Marquez

I ordered the fish sandwich, it was many small pieces grilled, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and onion were crisp, a great bun and awesome fries. Nice outdoor sitting.

Before I was plant-based I loved this place. Wonderful atmosphere and friendly and speedy service. None of that has changed. But the vegan and plant-based menu items are lacking. There's so much food on this menu that it seems like there would be room for more vegan options. Especially with all the options nowadays and the fact that Southern California is a hub for plant-based cuisine. Currently they have tofu tacos, a tofu scramble and tofu burrito. But. It is not scrambled tofu. They are cut in large chunks. Bigger than bite size. Bigger than a piece of meat. And grilled. I've eaten (and cooked) so many delicious tofu scrambles, I was hoping to see one here because I love this restaurant so much. I ordered the tofu burrito without cheese once I discovered the scramble was not actually scrambled (mashed) tofu. There were some surprisingly tasty veggies in the burrito: broccoli, zucchini, bean sprouts. I ordered it with avocado and it must not have gotten through because it did not arrive with avocado in it unfortunately. I also didn't see many of the hash browns but it said it came with. And it was so loosely wrapped that I had to use a fork and knife to eat it because it fell apart when I tried holding it. I was pleased to see that they had various plant milks for my coffee which was awesome. And while I appreciate the attempt at more plant-based foods on the menu, unfortunately I was disappointed. I won't give up though and would go there again in hopes that the vegan menu items continue to grow.

Chelsea Kenna Baxter

Before I was plant-based I loved this place. Wonderful atmosphere and friendly and speedy service. None of that has changed. But the vegan and plant-based menu items are lacking. There's so much food on this menu that it seems like there would be room for more vegan options. Especially with all the options nowadays and the fact that Southern California is a hub for plant-based cuisine. Currently they have tofu tacos, a tofu scramble and tofu burrito. But. It is not scrambled tofu. They are cut in large chunks. Bigger than bite size. Bigger than a piece of meat. And grilled. I've eaten (and cooked) so many delicious tofu scrambles, I was hoping to see one here because I love this restaurant so much. I ordered the tofu burrito without cheese once I discovered the scramble was not actually scrambled (mashed) tofu. There were some surprisingly tasty veggies in the burrito: broccoli, zucchini, bean sprouts. I ordered it with avocado and it must not have gotten through because it did not arrive with avocado in it unfortunately. I also didn't see many of the hash browns but it said it came with. And it was so loosely wrapped that I had to use a fork and knife to eat it because it fell apart when I tried holding it. I was pleased to see that they had various plant milks for my coffee which was awesome. And while I appreciate the attempt at more plant-based foods on the menu, unfortunately I was disappointed. I won't give up though and would go there again in hopes that the vegan menu items continue to grow.