Swami’s Cafe

I’ve been driving by this building for over 20 years. The restaurant has changed several times and I’ve never been to any of them until today. I stepped foot in this Swami’s located in the Poway Thrift Shop Shopping Center today. The outside is still dingy but the inside was surprisingly better. The menu is pretty big. I’m not a big breakfast eater so I chose the Verde Wrap on the «Lunch Special» menu. I think this is an everyday menu.
Here is the description of the Verde Wrap:
Grilled chicken, spinach, avocado, sprouts, cucumbers, and cilantro ranch. I asked for the ranch on the side. When the wrap came, the chicken was covered in melted Swiss cheese. I looked at the description again and yep, no cheese is listed. I can’t eat cheese without a Lactaid and I didn’t want cheese. Since I didn’t want to wait for another one, I decided to try to pick the melted cheese off of the chicken. It wasn’t easy or working so I ate what I could. There was also a ton of alfalfa sprouts, kind of overpowering. Overall the wrap would have been good minus the cheese and sprouts. I just wish I knew about that darn cheese. I’m the queen of no cheese!
I also am not a fan of the Seasoned fries. Too airy for me, crinkle cut is the way to go or do they have homemade chips?

Great customer service! My boyfriend and I live close to the Swami’s in Poway so we pick up food all the time. Today I ordered the Chicken Swiss Melt but when I got home I realized it wasn’t made correctly. I called the restaurant and the man I spoke with offered to make a new one and deliver it! I really appreciate the quick effort to fix the mistake.

Not impressed. It’s very similar to the restaurant that was previously here; slow service, overpriced, mediocre food.

Two stars might be generous, my gf and I tried this out for the second time and it was just as slow as ths forst time. The staff is friendly but completely unorganized, I see waitresses crossing eachother everywhere, maybe section it off better. Even with the Ipads sending an order straight to the kitchen our food came out cold. My soup was warmish, and her eggs and toast were wet and soggy, chewy toast is no fun…
Our stomachs began to bug almost instantly and I just ate the tortilla soup, I didnt even eat my tuna sandwhich because I truly question their cooking temperatures.
The first adventure here, I saw the «bartender» sniff the oj he was using, he then poured the mimosa out to make another one with a new bottle of OJ but left that out for 20 some odd minutes. It took 30 minutes for to-​go, and they werent even busy…
We like other swamis but not poways… sorry yall.

This is my second time eating here, and last. This is most disgusting food, greasy eggs, fatty meat 3 tbs avocado. They forgot part of the order. This was over 10.00. I’m ashamed of myself, my first experience was also lame. Seeds in the orange chops. Wtf is wrong with these guys?

Fresh veggies, fresh eggs, super service, super coffee. I accidentally popped in here last week because it’s in a really old part of Poway. I have eaten here 4 times since this week for breakfast. One young lady Annalee runs the front with a great cook in the back. Everything is iPad run so orders go in immediately. I have my order in under 5 minutes, and even when the place is packed she runs this place like magic.
The food is what I find at all Swami’s. They use super fresh quality produce. I am a salad person instead of potatoes, so the California scramble is perfect, full of veggies and so much flavor. They have a great coffee station with organic options, and you grab what you want. Quality and service here is top notch.

great smoothies/​smoothie bowls and friendly staff but the food is just ok.
I had the veggie omelette and it seemed to have more cheese than it did veggies and the eggs were blah… I’ve had their home fries I think 3 times now and they’re always SOOO over cooked and chewy. How hard is it to make potatoes?!

First time at Swami’s in Poway. We go up to Swami’s in Carlsbad or Encinitas whenever we get the chance and love their food. This Poway location used to be Beach Grass and we stopped coming because it went downhill with food and service. I was hesitant to try this place because of that. But I’m so glad we came!
Food was awesome and service was great. They have a self serve coffee and tea bar, which was cool. Not to mention the Bloody Mary’s! Beach Grass lost their liquor license, so it was great we could order Bloody Mary’s and Mimosas with our breakfast.
They were also very accommodating with our large party. We will definitely be coming back to Swami’s in Poway!

Been in here in multiple occasions and Swami’s never disappoints. I had their lobster omelette, steak benedict, and some pancakes. And of course a visit to Swami’s will never be complete without an acai bowl. Unless you’re living under a rock you should know that they’re known for that.

** Update #2 ** Good and the Bad are all in this update.
Wife and I went here again this past Saturday. Service just keeps getting better at this place and now Swami’s provides seating and service at the table which is an improvement from the traditional Swami service. Great job with service Swami, and Kudos to your friendly staff!
But… now why only three stars. The consistency of the food! I have been to Swami’s a number of times since it had opened from the previous establishment that was there which was Beachgrass Café… Wife and I loved it.
I agree with many of the other reviewers that the consistency of the food, and the quality of the items on the menu differs extremely! Word of constructive advice for Swami’s, if the food isn’t up to your standard then absolutely do not serve to your customers, take it off the menu immediately, this is absolutely not helping your business! If the food can be prepared to satisfaction then make sure your chefs do so consistently. Not just me who has made this observation or has this opinion, there must be some truth to it.
I will continue to review Swami’s, I’m really not sure why. I think its because we didn’t want to loose Beachgrass and I expect this establishment to hold if not exceed the bar.

After reading all of the Unilocal reviews I was very anxious to try this place out. It seemed family friendly with yummy and healthy options. My goal was to try out their acai bowl, unfortunately after reading their menu I opted for the savory #4 Poway Omelette and potatoes. My toddler got the kids menu French toast with a fruit cup.
Now, let’s start with service. The hostess Hannah was extremely nice and friendly. I definitely had high hopes for the place just from her vibe alone. Kudos to you Hannah!
My waiter, didn’t get his name, was on his first day of work. So, we’ve all been in that position before but he was also very courteous and did excellent for his first day.
The food came out quickly and my daughter’s plate looked amazing. Her fruit plate had melon, strawberry, and even fresh pineapple. I kept sneaking bites of the pineapple because it was so good. Her French Toast was also scrumptious and sweet, I wish I would’ve ordered the normal size of it for myself.
Now why only 2 stars, yes the overall experience is important; if I’m rating a restaurant the food plays the biggest part in my satisfaction. My omelette was gross. First of all, it was $ 12.95 — which is fine if it’s worth it. Definitely not worth it! It had shrimp, pepper jack and cheddar cheese, onions, jalapeños, pico de gallo, sour cream, and I asked for no tomatoes. 1. There was way too much sour cream. 2. The pico de gallo was luckily on the side and did not look fresh. 3. The guacamole was not green and looked unappetizing, also it was too much like the sour cream. 4. The eggs and shrimp lacked any flavor. 5. My side of potatoes were not seasoned at all!
I’ve had much better omelettes at IHOP for almost half the cost.
Also, my glass of water was dirty. I am willing to give this place another try for take out. And I will choose sweet over savory options because my daughter’s French Toast was wonderful.

Tried this place for the first time! It was absolutely amazing! Everything here is pretty healthy and tastes great! I ordered a smoothie called the NIRVANA NECTER –real good. A little on the sweeter side but it’s definitely refreshing! I also ordered the chicken wrap with a side salad. So flavorful and healthy. My friend ordered the Seared Ahi wrap. Super good. Everything on the menu actually seemed really good. I’m super satisfied with what I ordered. Our server was really nice and kind of helped us pick and choose. When she was giving us our bill, I had made a comment saying the a ai bowls are huge here! She then remembered that there was a mistake in the back kitchen and there was an extra acai bowl. She gave it to us for free! She says they don’t like to let food go to waste so she didn’t charge us for it. I’ll definitely be returning here! Thanks Swamis!

Underrated breakfast spot in Poway that’s cheaper than the Original Pancake House and better decorated than Cully’s. Formerly the Beachgrass, Swami’s is now full-​service with traditional waitresses as of 2016, likely due to customer feedback. The coffee buffet is still self-​service, though.
Swami’s is a franchise known for simple but elegant combinations of brunch plates. They use avocado and asparagus in cute, appreciative ways; this branch even offers tofu on the side!
Getting the Waffle Benedict, the presentation is what stood out to me the most. It used just the right amount of hollandaise without overwhelming and not too much bacon as a signature meat. The waffle was a tad undercooked but the fruit on the side was fresh enough.
I highly recommend getting bee pollen added if you indulge in a smoothie, otherwise the selection of self-​serve coffee brews satisfies. Even the decaf-​centric will have a couple interesting varieties to choose from.
The worst part of Swami’s is that the outside looks drab, and the café is situated in a boring mini-​mall full of generic thrift stores; it doesn’t get nearly as much business as the Pancake House down the road or the Cully’s faithful.
My server Annabelle was great! If you’re reading this, Annabelle, don’t go vegetarian. It’s the Dark Side.

I’m super bummed out about Swami’s. I have several friends that love the one over off Cardiff but I never got around to trying it out. You can imagine my excitement when one opened up in Poway, my hometown and where my parents and sister live.
Dj (my sister) and I go on sister dates pretty frequently. This past Sunday we did brunch, a movie and a target shopping spree. For brunch, I immediately pitched the idea for Swami’s. Dj was up for it. Swami’s opened up right after The Beach Grass closed, they had great clam chowder, it will be missed. It’s a nice location with plenty of parking and it’s right next to the bowling ally.
The inside of the restaurant is casual nice with a self serve coffee bar with several kinds of coffee. Killin’ the game on the coffee! The host/​hostess seats you.
We had an hour and 15 minutes for brunch before we absolutely have to leave to catch the movie, tickets pre-​bought. Plenty of time, or so I thought. A nice lady came up and asked if we wanted drinks and pointed us in the direction of the coffee bar. After that it was like being on a deserted island. After about 20 minutes we went to find someone to help us, they were apologetic for forgetting us and very friendly. My sister ordered the ahi salad and I ordered a breakfast burrito with a side of guacamole so it wouldn’t be too dry, I always ask for no sour cream. I’m that person.
The food takes another 20 minutes. Mine comes out with no guac. I reminded the server and tried my burrito, totally dry. So I waited 10 minutes for the side I ordered. After ten minutes, I checked the time and we were already starting to cut it close. I went straight to the kitchen and asked a really nice gentleman for it. It took 30 seconds then I was back at my table quickly munching my burrito, which wasn’t good at all. It was basically halved, boiled, red potatoes with cheddar cheese and onion. No seasoning to be found. I think it may even be the worst burrito I’ve ever had. I had about 3 bites. We had 10 minutes left before the movie started. Since I hadn’t eaten my breakfast burrito, I decided to get a smoothie to go. Hopefully that could hold me over until dinner. I flag down the server and order the smoothie to go and pay for the meal all at once. We sat, finished our coffee. My sister ate the ahi (lovingly) but didn’t touch the salad, she didn’t like it. We sat for ten minutes waiting for the smoothie. The movie had started. We get up and move toward the hostess station so we can quickly scoot as soon at the smoothie comes out. I finally hear/​see a smoothie being made, yay… It’s not for me. We waited five more minutes then we left without the smoothie I paid for. Over 15 minutes for a to-​go smoothie order that our server kept promising would be out in a minute.
Ending note: the staff was so so so friendly! That’s why they have two stars from me instead of one. But sadly, Swami’s has a case of bad service and crappy food, I feel bad I made my sister come there with me.

Ok I loved the Encinitas location, and this is the same! So happy to have it local now! My fav is the Apple Hop juice, it’s Apple and ginger made fresh to order! There salads are also great ! everything is really fresh! service is Great !!

Swami’s is always a good choice! They have such a massive menu, something for everyone! I usually get the acai bowl. Get the half size if you’re not that hungry, because those things are huge!

My mom is obsessed with breakfast (literally) so I am always on the hunt for a new breakfast place to try when she visits. I had been to the Swami’s in North Park once before and though it was years ago, I remember liking it. When I saw the Poway location while driving around, I figured we would give it a try.
I am not a big fan of the order at the counter procedure as it has the look and feel of a normal restaurant. On the other hand, I did like the coffee bar as there was a huge variety of coffee’s to choose from. My one complaint with this is that many of the carafes were empty which defeats the purpose of variety.
As a recent pescatarian, I was happy to see there were a variety of options for me! I decided to try The California Delight which included: avocado, jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onion, sprouts, Dijon (which I forewent) and mayo. It does not sound like many ingredients without meat, but it was huge and definitely plenty of food. In fact, I did not finish the entire sandwich as it also comes with a side. I went with the chips and salsa. I wasn’t expecting much, but I was pleasantly surprised at how tasty their salsa is. I cannot wait to go back and try one of their quesadillas with the salsa!
Overall, decent breakfast/​lunch spot if you’re in the area. The employees were friendly and food arrived quick. I don’t think I’d go out of my way to come here, but as I live down the street, I will absolutely be back.

We called to check for availability after our hike ended to see if they could accomodate 10 and whats the wait time. They said they could seat us immediately. I was the first of the group to arrive and ordered chilaquiles. Indeed, a table was reserved for us behind the counter! I never knew there was extra space behind there. Very convenient, tucked away from the main room but we were never ignored. They checked on is several times asking if we needed anything.
The chilaquiles was delicious. It came with black beans and rice. Love the fresh avocado. Chilaquiles can be a hit or miss dependent on the chips. I prefer a crunch like nachos to scoop. These chips were not stale and not crunchy. Not yet mushy but wet from the being scrambled with all the toppings. Nothing wrong with that. Still very tasty.
The fresh squeeze orange juice is a plus. Very few places offer that.
Other people at the table ordered items like french toast and waffles. The portions were huge but everyone cleaned their plate. Swami’s is a wonderful addition to Poway and I hope they are here to stay.

I have been a fan of Swami’s since I first encountered them a number of years, and after having breakfast at this newest location in Poway, I am happy to announce I am still a fan. I ordered the California Scramble with Rye Toast and house potatoes for $ 10.95.
The scramble came with a mêlée of vegetables and they were all quite good. The eggs in the scramble were nicely down via their seasoning and cooking process. The scramble included al dente asparagus, freshly sauteed spinach, tender mushrooms, green onions, crispy bell peppers, and one of my favorite cheeses, feta, all topped with freshly slice avocado. It was a great scramble and it was great eating in combination with the well toasted rye bread.
I liked that they did not butter the bread, and allowed me to control the amount. Also, the soft butter was served at room temp, so it was easy to spread. Well done. The breakfast red potatoes were tender and lightly seasoned. These were great to eat with their house salsa, which I recommend to try because it is quite good.
I ate at the bar, and the lady who served me was great. She brought me extra salsa after she realized I quickly went through the first container. This location has a lot of easy parking.

We went here today with intentions of dining at Beachgrass Café. When we pulled up to sadly see that it’s now Swami’s Café, we still gave it a try despite the disappointment of the previous café that used to be here is now gone.
Swami’s is a read the menu board with specials, order at the counter, pay for your food, get a number and seat yourself spot. I decided on a simple breakfast since nothing really wowed me on the menu. Eggs, toast, potatoes and a side of bacon. The husband ordered strawberry and banana pancakes with a side of eggs & bacon.
I liked that they have a huge assortment of coffee to help yourself with, but the coffee itself tasted watered down to me, so I drank a third of a mug, if that. I wasn’t crazy about the big plastic bucket of a water dispenser that poured room temperature water with no ice dispenser to help ourselves to, but that seems to be your only option if you wanted some water.
The thing that surprised me was that this large party of about 4 adults and 3 kids that arrived after us got their food before us. How did that happen? Our order was not that complicated and there was only the two of us in our party, so that confused the hell out of me. When our food finally arrived, my sourdough toast didn’t come out with it, so I had to flag down a server (when she actually looked in our direction after roaming the dining area several times) for it. It was brought out, but barely toasted.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve been to many other breakfast joints around town that served up better tasting food than what we experienced here today. Sad to say, but we won’t be coming back here since the meal and service fell short of satisfying to what we paid $ 29 bucks for.