Cafe Brasil

One of the best breakfast / brunch places in Santa Cruz! Be warned that this restaurant is so good that people will wait for hours to get a table on the weekend. I’m not sure if the wait is still as long, after the pandemic, but the food is still as good. I’m not fond of most breakfast foods, especially eggs (which I find to be one of the tastes and textures I despise more than almost any other “food”). However, Cafe Brasil’s egg dishes are actually something I look forward to eating! Honestly, I can count the number of egg dishes that I have ever liked on one hand (before trying the egg dishes here), and still have spare fingers. Yet, Cafe Brasil has several egg dishes that I really like! If you don’t want eggs, though, they have so many other options that you are guaranteed to find at least a few dishes that you will fall in love with, from standard American fare to the very unusual. The most popular item on the menu is the “acai bowl”, which is similar to a frozen smoothie made from raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries (the flavor of the açaí berries) with crunchy vanilla granola on top, and then sliced strawberries and bananas topping all of that. I promise that this açaí bowl tastes even better than it sounds like it would! Yum! I found this restaurant because a friend introduced me to it and I fell in love with the food. Every person I have brought here still talks about it when they visit, and asks to go back. — The restaurant has both indoor and outdoor seating. — The outdoor seating is dog friendly. — There are plenty of options for most people with dietary restrictions; just let the staff know when you are ordering. (I am vegetarian and at least 1/2 of the menu is available for me to order with only a few items needing any adjustments. There are plenty of vegan options as well as gluten-free options. Just note that if you don’t tell your server, you should expect most dishes to come with fresh cooked bread and butter, and often pan fried potatoes.)

One of the best brunch options on the West Side of Santa Cruz. Great options for everyone. Lots of great gluten free menu items.