claire’s on cedros / solana beach – san diego, ca

I had an old friend visiting from out of town and decided to take her someplace new for breakfast one recent Sunday morning. It was kind of on a whim. I hadn’t really heard much about Claire’s on Cedros in Solana Beach, but I took a peek at their website (which I loved) and at their menu and saw that instead of pancakes they had “Clairecakes”. I thought that was so cute! And that’s was the deciding factor. Cute things really catch my interest.

We went pretty early on a Sunday morning. The restaurant is a renovated old house on the edge of the Design District in Solana Beach, right near the train station. The place was pretty busy, but luckily we got there early enough that we only had to wait for a few minutes before being seated. The restaurant itself had a very natural, organic, nature, DIY kind of vibe to it. There were all sorts of nature knick knacks all over the walls. There’s an outdoor seating area in the back patio (which is dog-friendly) and a bakery in the corner for to-go goodies (such as scones, muffins, cookies, jams, coffee, granola and more).

My friend and I were seated in a lovely spot near some windows where we were able to chat and enjoy the early morning.

[Chai Latte – $3.75]

She started off with coffee. I am no longer able to drink coffee without having a major stomach ache for the whole day, so I opted to get a chai latte instead. It makes me feel like I’m having coffee without all of the coffee. This particular chai latte was really warm and lovely. It was sweet, but not overbearing and the mixture of spices smelled and tasted wonderful.


[Pumpkin Clairecakes Combo with cinnamon butter – $9.95]

For their pancakes Clairecakes options, you can get Original (cinnamon), Multigrain (oat & whole wheat), or Pumpkin. There are also a variety of add-ins (add for 1.00 each: pecans, choc chips, bananas, strawberries, blueberries or add for 2.00: mixed berries) for your heart’s desire. I got the combo which came with 2 eggs and your choice of meat (mine was bacon). My friend and I got the same thing and we agreed – these pumpkin clairecakes were really awesome!

The cinnamon butter was also really excellent – smeared on the pancakes it gave it a great kick of flavor. I didn’t need much syrup poured on these – they were light, fluffy and moist. I actually only ate one and brought the other home for Jake to try. I tried to save him some bacon, too, but I just couldn’t do it. The bacon was perfectly crispy and thick cut and I gobbled it all up. I couldn’t help myself. Even the scrambled eggs were good – fluffy and moist and not overdone.

All in all I was pretty happy with the food I tried out here. I also got some cookies and a lemon glazed scone to take home for later, and the baked goods were also really excellent.

If it were a bit closer, I would be here way more often. As it is, I might either sneak off one day for breakfast by myself or drag someone to come up here with me. I need more bacon and Clairecakes in my life!

Claire’s on Cedros
246 North Cedros
Solana Beach, CA 92075
Phone: 858-259-8597

Claire's on Cedros on Urbanspoon


3 thoughts on “claire’s on cedros / solana beach – san diego, ca

  1. I’ve always wondered about that place! It look so cute from the outside but I always manage to forget about it when considering new breakfast places to try.

    It’s a good sign that the Clairecakes don’t require a lot of syrup to add flavor. I wonder if that can be replicated at home?

    1. It’s just as cute on the inside! The Clairecakes were super moist and fluffy – I really loved them! I’m sure with some testing they could be made at home. I think I’ve made pancakes from scratch maybe 2 times in my whole life.

  2. I read your blog and love it, but have never commented. I wanted to add that Claire’s has an awesome Gluten Free menu. I make a special effort to drive up though because it is worth every mile. They are also have a garden throughout the property which they use on their menu.

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