Sally’s Waffle Shop

nooo! How can this place be closed! I went for breakfast every day of my trip here in 2011. Great food every time!!! Now where am I going to get the best breakfast on the island when I go next time???

This is place is over priced and they have bad service. I came here over the weekend with my girlfriend to eat some breakfast after we docked on Avalon port. There was a wait time so we had to wait outside in the sun for like 15 minutes. After we were finally seated my gf ordered a coffee and I a coke. When we got our beverages it looks like we had no milk for my gf coffee I got up and ask for some milk but by the time they actually got the milk my gf coffee was already cold. There meals are over priced and I didn’t get filled up but ended up paying like 40 bucks for two (an omelet, and a waffle) I think this place has potential but it needs better service and friendlier customer service! I would rather try out the other locations instead of this place next time.

For everything being so slow on this island, Sally’s was super fast in their service. I guess it can feel a little rushed, when we said we needed an minute more to decide and she literally came back in 1min sharp…
Ugh this is the epitome of food being overpriced in Catalina. The waffle looks like Eggo, I actually did a double take on them because of the resemblance. Ok it’s slightly bigger so it’s not Eggo but just as thin and not appealing looking. And $ 9 for a single plain waffle??? Please let me make you one and charge $ 5 and I’ll make a killing.
The hash browns also looked and tasted like it came out of a huge freezer bag.
I looked at the menu for a good 10 min and NOTHING looked appetizing, so I just got the fruit/​granola/​yogurt. I do not eat healthy when I dine out for breakfast, so this says a lot…

They serve breakfast «all day»…which is really only until about 1 pm since they close super early, but hey, at least we were still able to GET breakfast around 11:30AM on a Wednesday.
Reasons for only 2 stars:
–the booths were RIDICULOUSLY small and uncomfortable. OMG 2 people per side and we were HANGING off the side!
–I didn’t really appreciate the service. She took a long time to take our orders and then she brought out our friend’s 2 dishes when our’s wasn’t ready for another 10+ minutes. They couldn’t have made the waffles together? Also, from the second she set the food down we felt really rushed and like we were a chore to her. I usually tip REALLY well 20%+, but she barely got 10% from me.
–I was unimpressed by the food. For somewhere that calls themselves a WAFFLE HOUSE the waffles should be bomb. These tasted and looked like Eggo waffles, just bigger, but they were super thin. My waffle maker at home makes big, thick, fluffy, beautiful waffles. they should get one from Bed, Bath, and Beyond!
–I ordered the peanut butter waffle thinking it would have peanuts mixed in, or peanut butter mixed in to the batter or SOMETHING that warranted it being on the menu. Instead I got a plain waffle with a scoop of peanut butter in a cup on the side that I had to spread on it myself. 2 others at our table got the banana waffle which was the exact same waffle with banana slices dropped on top and whipped cream. Our other friend got the Mary’s Breakfast sandwich… that actually looked pretty good.
–I ordered a side of special hash browns… special because they had 2 slices of American Cheese and 2 strips of bacon on them and it was $ 9!!! For hash browns! Wow! There were a lot of potatoes on it, but potatoes are the cheapest thing ever.
None of the food tasted bad, but for that price and the fact that I was really uncomfortable the whole time and being made to rush, it wasn’t worth it.
I wouldn’t return.

Fast sevice and we found it tasty… the pecan waffle was great!

Nice, all around great breakfast! Had waffles of course and they were really good.
Sat at the counter and enjoyed the wonderful breeze off the bay.
Service was good, but when it got busy not many refills were offered since there was only one waitress.

Sorry, even though this place is a touristy place & they charge more buttt… at least your food has to be somewhat decent!
Ordered
— sandwich with a side salad & coke — My complaints start here… the sandwich was OKAY, not that great & not that bad. The platter also came with fries but it wasn’t hot, which made me feel that the fries were not fresh. Also, the side salad was SO bad. The salad came with your choice of ranch, thousand island, or bleu cheese I believe? But the salad was NOT good. I figure no one could mess up on making a salad but I was wrong. The salad was so watered down that when I put my dressing over it & mixed it, it was basically watery ranch… really disgusting. I didn’t finish it at all even though I was really hungry.
Anyways, if I come back to Catalina, I’m definitely not going to come back to this place to eat … no thanks!

I am invariably delighted to provide a 5-​star recommendation for a restaurant or hotel, but I consider it a duty to recommend against an establishment that proves a noteworthy disappointment. To its credit, the server was prompt and pleasant. Beyond that, my breakfast (scrambled eggs, potatoes, beef patty, coffee) was poorly, amateurishly, carelessly prepared. There was no talent or technique involved. If I had driven over this plate for a chassis lube, then my breakfast choice would have been well utilized. On a scale of edibility-​digestibility, I can offer no more than one star, and I appreciate the one overworked server who took my order, poured my coffee. The cook has found an outlet, a means of expression for his misanthropy. Within 20 – 25 minutes after ingesting this greasy mess, I regurgitated every bit of it. It REALLY did not sit well in my stomach!
If you visit Avalon in the off-​season, fewer eating establishments may be open for your breakfast-​brunch options, but I encourage you to choose others… ANY other.

Sorry, Sally — your waffles are only fair. Actually, imagine a big EGGO waffle, and you’ve got a pretty good approximation. Same consistency, same look, and no character. Like other reviewers, you had to drown the waffle in syrup/​butter to make it edible. If you highlight a product in your restaurant name, that product better be great! Sadly, it wasn’t. But it was pretty expensive — $ 8 for a plain waffle.
We also had eggs, bacon and hash browns. The scrambled eggs were pretty good, the bacon was nice and thick and the hash browns were probably the highlight of the meal. But walking in, you see the giant pile of hash browns on the griddle — not sure if that’s the best advertisement for them. How long has that pile of hash browns been there?
Service was OK when we were there, we got refills on the coffee — sounds like we were special if you read the other reviews.
Can’t beat the location, though — right in the center of town, across the street from the beach. I guess it’s popular with locals though? Seemed to be a lot of people there. Is there no other place for breakfast in Avalon? I think we could do better, we’ll try elsewhere next time.

When I walked in with my friend we sat down promptly because no one was there. We decided to split an 8 dollar waffle, 12 dollar swiss, mushroom and spinach omelet, along with a 2.50 cup of coffee (which was never refilled).
We got the waffle. It was bland and tasted like baking soda. We had to cover it with tons butter and syrup to make it edible.
The omelet we ordered had this nasty cheese that looked like mayonnaise, straight up. Swiss cheese hardens up when it cools off, but it still has a fluid-​like consistency at the end of our meal. The mushrooms obviously came from a can. The hash browns that came with the omelet had BACON in it, because they obviously did not clean off the grill that they used earlier. We don’t eat meat. We also don’t really complain about food either, so we worked around it. We pushed it to the side to eat the hash browns. At the same time, we had to continuously season the bland omlete, which we tried so hard to eat.
We got about halfway through the omlete when we noticed a HAIR sitting right beneath it. I dropped my fork on the plate and said «really?!» My friend on the other hand wasn’t surprised because of everything leading up to this moment. I was so upset.
No one was in the front to assist us with this issue, except the non-​English speaking cook. The waitress/​cashier never came to check up on us or refill our coffee. So, the ONLY time we saw her after she brought our food was at the end when the cook brought her from the backroom.
My friend began by asking about her the weird mayonnaise cheese. The waitress replied rudely «it is Swiss cheese.» My friend said «ok, well it kind of makes the omelet taste very strange… the hash browns here had bacon.» «Oh ok» said the waitress with no apologetic tone whatsoever. «We were working around the bacon when we saw this hair, at this point, my friend here lost her appetite.»
She took the plate and flatly said «sorry about that» and took off that plate from our total order, which came out to be 11 or so dollars. My friend is in the restaurant industry as a waitress and felt compelled to leave a tip. We left 15 even though we never saw her face, didn’t try to bring us change or say «thank you» or ANYTHING as we left that hole-​in-​the-​wall-​shit-​of-​a-​place.
Probably the worst dining experience ever.

By the time my friend and I got off the ferry, we were starving and just looking for some place to eat brunch. We passed by Sally’s Waffle Shop and thought we would give it a try. No wait at all! Got a table right away. Note that this was on a Sunday at the end of October. Very cute hole in the wall place.
We both ordered the Jeff’s Pickin omelet, which consisted of ham, tomatoes, cheese, and mushroom all melted together. Came with toast and hash brown as well. It was good and tasty! The service was pretty quick as well. I’d recommend to give them a try.

Three eggs scrambled with mushroom is about $ 10… plain taste, nothing special. Hot chocolate tastes the same as Denny’s but you dunt get a refill here.
People worked there dressed other store’s uniform, not appropriate even they have the same boss.

Though several of the restaurants in downtown are owned and operated by the same people, the quality and experience differ significantly. Take for example, Sally’s. The breakfast was the most expensive out of all three morning meals I had while in Avalon. Around $ 13. Including an extra $ 3.25 just for two small sausage links and one egg. Sort of crazy.
Atmosphere wise, this is a very small stop right on the main strip. Definitely not good for large parties. The max occupancy is 29, with the largest party size being 4.
Note: these are normal waffles, not belgian waffles. There is a difference between the two.
+ Real cream for your coffee.
+ Real maple syrup.
+ The pecan waffle has the pecans cooked in. It is pretty filling.
— The only waffle with fresh fruit is the banana. Everything else is preserved or canned.
— All of the fruit waffles have the fruit on top, not cooked in.
— Orange juice is not fresh squeezed.
So an average 3 stars lowered to 2.5 stars due to the higher cost unwarranted by an average meal with lacking service.

If you want breakfast on the island then… well they are all basically the same. This place shares the same owner and employees as two or three other places.
The break fast really wasn’t anything special and it was super busy so you didn’t really get a lot of attention. You got your order taken, your drinks served and your food served. If you ordered coffee or water you probably got a refill, but if you wanted to change your drink or add to your order you are probably out of luck. On an island full of tourist, it’s probably normal.
I get that when it’s busy things aren’t always going to be great, and I wasn’t expecting anything fabulous. I just wanted it to be good, and it was just… ok.
I order the crab scramble thing, I really didn’t like it, my husband the human garbage disposal ended up eating it. He said it wasn’t bad, what that really means is he probably didn’t like it either but was sweet enough to trade with me so I didn’t have to suffer.
It’s times like this that I wish I remembered, «if you don’t like it, tell them and they’ll most likely replace it with something you would rather have». It’s almost always true.

Using Sandwich Meat for Omelets? :/
I was kind of disappointed when I saw one of the cooks prepping sandwich meat for the omelets. I honestly don’t think shipping fresh turkey meat to Catalina Island is too hard. I guess it’s SUPER expensive for them so they have to resort to using sandwich meat.
If you’re visiting the Avalon City don’t expect gourmet food in any way.
DAY VISITED: Monday morning. It was slow and we were able to walk in and get a seat. If you’re visiting on a weekend this place gets busy and the wait is horribly long.
AMBIANCE: A small diner atmosphere. You seat yourself as tables become available, just like a diner. Very small dining area.
APPETIZERS: Coffee was good.
ENTREES: :/​My husband got the pancake waffle. It’s a think waffle served with peanut butter on the side. I was hoping for a Belgian waffle with peanut butter cooked into the middle. Nah no gourmet flare here. It’s an expensive waffle that doesn’t come with eggs or sausage you will have to order that stuff separately.
I got the turkey and cheese omelet. As I said it was disappointing to see that they used sandwich meat and it was a very expensive omelet that was made with ingredients that I wouldn’t have used at home. :/​
SERVICE:The service is fast. Pay at the front.
WHERE WE STAND: It was a little disappointing not to find good food in Avalon, but I guess it’s because they are an island that is only an hour away from great food in LA. If they had good food everyone would want to come here and that would not be good for a small island.

HORRIBLE SERVICE!!! THESE PEOPLE NEED CUSTOMER SERVICE TRAINING! My waitress stood there and stared at me when I wasn’t ready to order. She brought us our food and NEVER came back to see if I need anything else. She then brought me my check and I asked her for more orange juice for my daughter. OH… SO SORRY… she had to go fix the check now… SORRY TO BOTHER YOU WAITRESS! The food wasn’t all that great either… they use a velveeta type cheese in their omlettes… ewwwww. AND WAY OVER PRICED FOR WHAT YOU GET!
DON’T EAT HERE!!!

Definite hole in the wall type of vibe that can’t hold more than ²⁰⁄₂₅ people at a time. Big groups here= long long waits! Luckily, 2 people here and we had ZERO wait… score!
Service, once seated, is prompt and we had no issues putting in our orders to getting refills for our drinks.
Came here for a 2 eggs combo with Portuguese sausage. I do say, their portions here are huge and you will get full! Huge portions for sausage as well as the hash browns. Place gets the job done of filling your tummy. May not be mind-​blowing taste wise (c’mon, it is eggs and toast after all), but it really gets the basic job done.

Cool little spot on Catalina Island on front street. All they do is breakfast and apparently all they do is WIN.
Decent breakfast, Hole in the wall by every definition. You can watch the cook through the window. That sold me. Ordered my omelette drank my coffee and peaced out.
And my hands go up! And they stay there!

Small place with bar chairs and booths. Food was average. Not so clean and organized. It looked like we were in a kitchen watching the guy cooking your order right in front of you. The only thing we dined here coz my husband noticed that they have a section in the menu for protein rich food. So we opt to dine here. He was happy with his «protein rich» food which had cottage cheese, wheat toast, ham and omelet. They close early and not open for dinner.

So, I’m in dire need of a hearty breakfast to help me nurse a rather substantial hangover from a regretful night of overindulgence with my friend from Ireland, John Jameson.
Thank my lucky stars that the Waffle house is nearby and serving up my favorite type of scramble… thats right… the kind with bacon, bacon and more BACON.
The place is empty so we’re seated promptly and service is great, very friendly and helpful waitress. I get some much needed rehydration via my bottomless H2o cup and I order the chopped bacon scramble which comes with potatoes. The wife ain’t too impressed and has potatoes while my baby has a $ 1.50 banana, yea, $ 1.50…she loved it… so it musta been worth every penny.
My scramble was excellent, fluffy, well cooked scrambled eggs with thick, juicy, chopped chunks of my favorite section of swine in every bite. This went great with the toast and potatoes which were brown, crispy and very tasty.
Thanks to Sally for the hangover helper which happened to be just what the doctor ordered… well, with the exception of the extra strength excedrin my head screamed out for… lesson learned Mr. Jameson… lesson learned.