Redwood Cafe - Breakfast, Cambria

2094 Main St,Cambria, CA 93428
(805) 927-4830
Parking: in parking lot

Last Visited: December 2008

Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 2 to 3 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $$

I was staying at the Bluebird Inn in Cambria and since their breakfast was comprised of a plate of some cold store-bought bread, I asked them for a recommendation for breakfast. The person at the front desk suggested we go to Redwood Cafe.

Walking into Redwood Cafe, you feel like you're walking into a very traditional cafe. The decor is a bit older, but comfortable.

- French Toast with Butter and Syrup $7.50

- Two eggs any style with choice of toast $7.25

The food was okay. My experience was fairly standard in every way. Although it was about 8am, the place was packed and there wasn't a table for four, so we separated into two tables for two. I appreciate their being accommodating in this manner, but in general, I would say Redwood Cafe is an okay place to go for breakfast. Service can be a bit slow since it's so busy, but if you have time for a sit-down breakfast, you probably won't mind that.

Main Street Grill - BBQ, Cambria

603 Main St, Cambria, CA 93428
(805) 927-3194
Parking: street parking
Hours: Daily 11am - 8pm

Last Visited: December 28, 2008

Food: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $$

As you come into Cambria's downtown, this is one of the first places that you see. If you're looking for a casual spot for a reasonably priced meal, Main Street Grill is a terrific place.

You walk into the large space (it feels a little like a warehouse) and order off the boards above the counter. There are a number of choices including BBQ, sandwiches, and burgers. After ordering, you wait for your number to be called, and retrieve your food.

We ordered a half rack of pork ribs, a burger, and fries to share. The ribs were fall off the bone tender and the burger was juicy and fresh. The price was good and service during our visit was fairly standard (not outstanding in a good or a bad way).

Cambria seems to have a lot of expensive fine dining restaurants along the downtown strip. Main Street Grill is a terrific option if you need something fast and tasty, and it's family-friendly.

The Tea Cozy - English Tea, Cambria

4286 Bridge Street, Cambria, CA 93428
(805) 927-8765
Parking: street parking
Hours: Wed through Sun 11am - 4pm
http://www.teacozy.com/

Last Visited: December 28, 2008

Food: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: 4 to 5 stars
Service: 2 to 3 stars
Price: $$ to $$$

First things first. You may not know what a tea cozy (or cosy for Brits) is, so let's get everyone on the same page. It's a padded cloth or wool covering used to keep a teapot warm. It can be knitted crocheted, sown, and more. In North America, they came into fashion around the mid-1800s.

Owned and operated by Tina Nickell, the Tea Cozy is located in Cambria's historic downtown. The Thorndyke House was built in the 1870s and this quaint cottage gives the place a romantic and rustic atmosphere. Walk into the place and the wood floors and carpeted rooms invite you to either go to the store in the rear where you'll find lovely tea, jams, biscuits, and other items or wander into the dining areas or soak in the assortment of decorations all around.

There are dishes, teapots, framed items (like the picture of the queen), and of course, you can find more than a tea cozy or two. The knitted ones look so home made and warm, and of course the variety of patterns and colors are fun to look at. If you enjoy knick-knack shops, you'll love this place.

The tea menu offers numerous choices including green tea, black tea, flavored and blended teas. You'll find items like Peppermint Rose - a Moroccan mint blend with rose petals, Glory Bee - a blend of blueberries, pomegranate, and vanilla, Lapsang Souchong, Mango Indica, and Green Gunpowder. It was a little bit before noon when the four of us arrived, so we tried a variety of items and two pots of tea.

- Royal Tea for Two - You can order royal tea for one and add additional people to the order. We ordered royal tea for two and enjoyed an assortment of three tea sandwiches (your choice), cakes, petit fours, homemade scones, homemade preserves, double Devon cream, fresh fruit plus a continuous pot of tea. The tea pot comes in a tea cozy. You can see from the photo how cute the three tiered server looks and all of the cream and preserves accompany the offerings. Choices of sandwiches include English cheddar and chutney, salmon and cucumber, cream cheese and tomato, or egg salad and sprouts. The food is good and the items are fresh. It's not meant for someone with a huge appetite, but will suffice for most folks whom desire a light lunch. $35

Also, you can add champagne for $4.50 or add sherry, wine, or port for $3.95.

To supplement our meal for four, we also ordered their special tea sandwich that was featured on the monthly menu. Tea Sandwiches are available $4.75 or the Special Sandwich is available for $5.75

Other members of our party split a soup and salad combination. Other items on the menu include soup and choice of sandwich (alternately, you could get a salad and choice of sandwich), British Pasty which is a combination of meat and vegetables baked in a pastry shell, fruit and cheese, and frittatas.

For four people, our bill was about $70 for lunch (including tip) and we were comfortably full. It's a delightful shop to visit, and while service was a little lacking due to the sudden rush of people without reservations, it was certainly leisurely. We sat for quite some time before someone came to take our order, and then we sat some more as we awaited our first pot of tea. The food came a bit after that and the check also took some time to come. This is not a good place if you need to rush and be somewhere else after, but if you have the time and don't mind that the pace may be slower, you'll enjoy the atmosphere. This is an excellent spot to take your grandmother, mother, aunt, niece, or daughter to spend some quality time and chat.