Café Mia Brew Bar & Bistro — Restaurant in Marina

Dirty environment. Microwaved food in plastic containers. Staff was friendly but no hairnets.

In my opinion... Everything looked dirty. It was severely disappointing. The pastry case looked like it hadn't been cleaned in months - filthy glass, crumbs, dirty old containers. The floors, chairs and tables were dirty, and nobody was tending to them as customers left so good luck eating there unless you like cleaning your own table which is one of the reasons this place defeats the purpose of eating out. The counters were dirty. There were flies inside - yes multiple flies not just one pesky fly that entered randomly. It did not look like they had proper exhaust for their kitchen either. As far as I saw, the cashier did not handle the food directly, which I do appreciate. However, I did see him taking out food and utensils and he (not accidentally, but purposefully) banged the utensils against the wall. Ew. The wall is dusty and dirty. Nobody is cleaning the wall, why would you touch eating utensils to the wall. And of course the patron didn't see it or know Nobody was wearing hairnets, yet everyone in the kitchen had hair. Some had beards even, and if they won't shave a beard net should obviously be required. Absolutely not professional, and absolutely a risk if you don't like eating hair. How is this not a health inspection violation?? Everybody should be wearing hairnets all the time. They MICROWAVE nearly everything. That is so ridiculously insulting to me. Why the heck would anybody want to pay for microwaved food? (Please note, my boyfriend took me here so I did not voluntarily come here, and if I did I would have left. I did express my concerns to him and he agreed. It takes multiple people to open eyes sometimes) I could eat for much cheaper at home using the microwave - if I wanted microwaved food I could buy a whole box of microwave burritos or egg sandwiches for $5 or less. The reason most people like to go out to restaurants is because they don't want to cook, so somebody who likes to cook (a chef) will craft them delicious meals. Chefs use quality ingredients and enjoy cooking properly - stove top and oven. So incredibly disappointing. The worst part about the microwaving is they microwave everything in crappy PLASTIC CONTAINERS. I cannot understand why they wouldn't invest in glass containers. Not only does plastic slowly soak up scents and flavors of what you put in it, heating it makes it worse. Are they at least BPA free?? Nobody knows. Heating up plastic is controversial in general, heating up BPA plastic is absolutely not good for your health. I really hope they're at least using non BPA plastic. But who wants to eat eggs heated up in plastic in a microwave anyway?!??

I did not use the bathroom so I cannot say anything about it, although I wish I would've because that is also a major part in reviewing restaurants. I did not try the coffee so I cannot review the coffee.

Overall, I would never go back to this place. This is basically a glorified, expensive fast food joint, but less so. It's not fast - we waited at least 15 minutes for microwaved food - and the ingredients used are compromised due to being microwaved in plastic. Even McDonald's cooks their eggs on a grill. I'm not a fan of fast food because I'm food conscience, but fast food joints are at least faster and cleaner, because they have standards and rules to follow.

I really would give one star but I do appreciate that the staff was friendly. Regardless, as previously stated, I won't...

A Cozy Corner of Culinary Delight: My Visit to Café Mia

During a recent nostalgic trip from Phoenix, Arizona, (where I currently reside) back to the familiar and cherished central coast where I grew up, I found myself stepping into the charming embrace of Café Mia, a recommendation from a close friend who treasures not only the food but also the café's commitment to community.

Upon entering Café Mia, I was immediately struck by the welcoming buzz of local patrons and the enticing aroma of freshly brewed coffee that filled the air. The café's atmosphere was vibrant and impeccably clean, radiating a warmth that only a family-owned establishment can offer.

The highlight of my visit was indulging in an apple danish that seemed to melt divinely on the tongue. The pastry was a perfect blend of buttery, flaky layers, with a beautifully caramelized apple topping that was neither too sweet nor too tart, but just right. Accompanying this delightful treat was a cappuccino that was nothing short of perfection. Expertly crafted, the cappuccino boasted a rich, robust espresso base topped with a silky, frothy milk cap that made each sip a comforting experience.

Manning the coffee machines was the owner himself, whose enthusiasm and friendliness added a personal touch to the visit. His expertise in coffee making was evident in each cup served, and his engaging interaction with customers brought a lively, communal vibe to the space.

Café Mia not only captivated my taste buds but also impressed me with its crisp, lively environment that is clearly a favorite among the locals. This little gem of a café stands out not just for its culinary delights but also for its heartwarming involvement in the community, making it a place that feeds both the stomach and the soul.

As I left Café Mia, I carried with me not just the satisfying aftertaste of a superb danish and cappuccino, but also the joy of having experienced a place that so beautifully blends delicious food, excellent service, and community spirit. For anyone traveling through or residing on the central coast, Café Mia is a sensory delight not to be missed! An exemplary model of what a local café should embody. I will...

🙅🏾‍♀️If you're a person of color and not from this town, you're better off going somewhere else. There is such irony in their mission statement: “It’s all about the Love. Love of God, food, coffee, community, and customers.” I did not feel this at all from my experience here; the owner and workers need to reevaluate how they treat ALL people and see if they’re really living up to their mission statement.

I'm all about supporting local businesses; that's why I came to this cafe after seeing the 4 1/2 star reviews on Yelp. After my dad and my recent experience here, I decided to read the actual Google reviews and Yelp reviews and although some raved about this establishment, there were the minority who mentioned the same thing about the mistreatment of people of color and Yelp reviews of complaints of long wait time and preferential treatment of locals and their particular favorites.

👎🏽This cafe gives unwelcoming vibes to people who are not locals and people of color, particularly brown in color. I went here with my family after the Handcar Tour the other day, so tourists beware.

With this cafe’s lukewarm, sub par coffee, dirty looks from their female server, 15 to 20-minute wait time to get a sandwich to-go (that happened to be disgusting) and defensive, curt replies, and disingenuous smile from their apparent owner to my dad, I'd give them 0 stars. The way they treated us made this part of our road trip very disheartening💔. It surprised me that there are still some small towns in California who treat outsiders and people of color this way.

When I found out the Handcar Tour is permanently closing in August due to politics, it was all starting to make sense…

This cafe won’t have to worry about having their customers after that anymore, but I pray that they will receive conviction on how they treat ALL people and rethink who they choose to represent their business and live out their...