Stratford Court Cafe — Restaurant in Del Mar

Ah, Stratford Court Cafe. A curious little establishment nestled in the heart of Del Mar Beach. One might say it's akin to a mid-level operative - shows promise, but ultimately fails to deliver on its full potential.

The burrito, I must admit, was a pleasant surprise. It stood out like a well-crafted dossier amidst a sea of redacted documents. The smoothie, however, left much to be desired - reminiscent of a poorly executed counter-intelligence operation.

The atmosphere benefits greatly from its proximity to the beach, much like how a mediocre safehouse can be elevated by a strategic location. But make no mistake, if you're seeking that picture-perfect ocean view, you'd be better off chartering a yacht.

In the grand tapestry of culinary experiences, Stratford Court Cafe is a single, unremarkable thread. It's the sort of place one visits once, commits to memory, and files away - never to be revisited unless circumstances dictate otherwise.

Like a compromised asset, it serves its purpose but doesn't quite inspire a return engagement. Three stars - adequate, but in my world, merely adequate is often just not...

First time to this restaurant. Very quaint and charming cafe. A place to go for ambiance and to be in del mar, not really for foodies. No inside dining, all outside on a large patio, underneath that nice California sun (though there's plenty of shade so that's not too much of an issue). Close enough to the park overlooking the beach and the main road, but still pretty quiet.

Food was alright. Nothing to keep going back to personally. Everything was pretty expensive ($15+ per plate in picture) but on par with del mar pricing. Pretty sure the Stratford scrambled eggs had bacon bits instead of fresh bacon. The waffles tasted good, were soft inside, and slightly crunchy outside. Pretty plating, but overall forgettable. They do serve sandwiches and fruit bowls as well.

Service was pretty good, water is self service, but servers did come by to clear the table when food looked done.

Dogs are ok as it's patio seating, but please make sure your dogs stay near you (looking at those people with retractable leashes that aren't locked). It's very inconvenient when those leashes...

The food was great, but...... We showed up, no sign saying wait to be seated or anything, so we took a seat. A guy, I believe the owner, looked at us a few times, never said anything. Finally I asked him if we would get served, he said, "you need to go inside to order", he walked us in, and pointed out the specials, then walked off. A gal was there making coffee, and for a long time, she ignored us as she continued to make coffee, not even an acknowledgement. The first rule of customer service, LET YOUR CUSTOMERS KNOW YOU SEE THEM, AND WILL HELP THEM AS SOON AS YOU CAN!!! After a long wait, she finally started yelling to the guy to help at the register. After he took some more food out to other customers, he finally yelled in, "I'll be right there", he took some more food out, then came back and took our order.

We went back out and waited for the food, and all was great from that point on. The food was great, had the breakfast panini, she had the preaches and cream waffle.

I think if you are a local, you will get much...