"When I say I’ve been coming to Sunrise Cafe for a long time, I’m not over-exaggerating. I used to come here every Sunday with my grandma growing up—this was my spot! Not to date myself, but that’s in the range of ~30 years ago. We had a usual booth, usual orders, and we saw the same waitstaff and cooks every week. This was a tradition I looked forward to all week long, since it was one of the only times I got to eat breakfast out at a restaurant regularly. While I live up in The Peninsula now, my parents are still down in Aptos. It was long overdue, but I had been telling my wife for years when we’d drive by the story of how I used to go there, and she’d always suggest that we go back one day. Well friends, that day finally came! On a recent trip to visit my folks and a childhood friend, we decided to take a family outing to Sunrise Cafe on Sunday morning for a good ol’ nostalgic breakfast. PARKING: There is both street parking, and a dedicated lot in the back. Since the main entrance is located right on Soquel, I definitely recommend using the back for a more private and safe parking option. They also have an entrance in the back so you don’t have to walk all the way around! SEATING: You check in towards the front end of the counter, where the register is. Since we came on a Sunday, it was full when we got there. There’s a counter with eight (8) seats, as well as a half dozen or so booths on the left as you come in the front, and some other seating on the right. It did appear as if they shortened the tables, as they didn’t reach out to the end of the booth seats. We ended up having to wait around 10 minutes, which wasn’t too bad. DRINKS: They have a lot of the standards you’d expect to find at a cafe. Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, juice (apple, orange, grapefruit, cranberry), soda (Coke products), iced tea, and mimosas ($6.50!). A few of us ordered coffee—good, not epic. The OJ is from concentrate, otherwise I would have ordered a glass. FOOD: A nice 3-page menu of breakfast and lunch options. Many of the standards, with combos of eggs and breakfast meats (bacon, sausage, ham, Linguisa, chicken apple sausage). There’s a list of scrambles, omelets, eggs Benedict, and “Solar Delights” which has corned beef & hash, country fried steak, and a tofu veggie dish. For lunch they have a variety of sandwiches (hot & cold), burgers, and salads. We went for breakfast, and between the four of us we ordered: Sunrise Special (2 eggs, 2 strips of bacon, home fries & toast or biscuit), French toast, corned beef & hash, and the Western Scramble (Corralitos jalapeño sausage, onion, topped with 2 scrambled eggs, chili beans & cheddar cheese). The food was all solid. The corned beef was chunky and seemed fresher than “from the can”. The French toast looked tasty, and my dad said he liked it. My mom enjoyed her Sunrise Special, as a standard cafe breakfast. I ordered the Western Scramble and it was pretty wild; a huge mound of hearty deliciousness. It was enough food that I was able to take some of it, plus half a biscuit home and enjoy it for another breakfast a few days later. The potatoes were one of my favorite things growing up, so I do wish I had ordered a side, or something that allowed me to enjoy them on their own. OVERALL: This was a great nostalgia meal, and I’m super glad I came back. We found out that they changed ownership around four (4) years ago, so while it’s not quite the exact same place, it’s pretty darn close. I appreciate the friendly and hardworking staff, and will definitely come back on a future visit home! IG: @bbnem.eats"

"Amazing little place with genuinely good food and nice staff it’s small but welcoming and hot just the right spot for nostalgia and good vibes."

"This is our first time visiting Sunrise Cafe, based on reviews we read online. There is a nice selection of breakfast and lunch options. We were really impressed by the food. The ingredients were fresh and genuine, and the prices were quite affordable. We both ordered breakfast: I had eggs, potatoes, and bacon, while my companion chose French Toast with a side of bacon. Everything was fresh and hot, which means it was freshly made. We plan to keep coming back whenever we visit the Soquel/Aptos/Capitola area."

"Fantastic old school diner with booths and round swivel stools at the counter. Super friendly family run cafe. Coffee is excellent and big breakfasts with vegetarian options. Highly recommend it."

"Great lil cafe with friendly staff - the food is delish and served right away. Love this place!"