Park Bench Cafe - gton Beach

I have been dining here for a little over 4 years now and the dishes that I’ve had have been delightful.My favorite starters are onion rings with a cup of chili.The best onion rings in OC. Make sure to pair it with the jalapeño ranch.I tend to get the Morning Cristo or pancakes.My wife’s favorite is the Mikes Tuna melt,French toast, and eggs Benedict.Many dishes to list over the years but those are our top.I just dined in yesterday morning and the price changes made recent will probably scare me off.Instead of dining in weekly I’ll be dining once a month.Everything has been up charged once again around $2, just this year. Our favorite dishes from the start have gone up more than $6 dollars since then.The least expensive dish are the build your own omelette at $13 which is just the egg, $1.20 for each vegetable , cheese $2.25, meats are $3 which is actually a $20 omelette and up. At $15 you can get a French toast by itself, or you can add blueberries or bananas for $2 each. Having said that, dishes start at $20 per person.It’s understanding the way the economy is going but the fact that portions are smaller for more money is insane. Usually the portions were decent sized, presentable how they should be but not anymore.It is possible different cooks different portions, but the original Chef has to be present because the flavor profile is still there with every dish.I will finish off by saying that the food is flavorful and does deserve 5 Stars.The rest of the negatives are do to drastic price increases and smaller noticeable portions to usual customers.

This is a great place to have a meal and enjoy the beach

First things first. They don't have bathrooms for the public. They ask you, a paying customer, to use the park bathroom. The adjacent park bathroom does not have:1. Hot water2. SoapWhen brought to the attention of the staff, they said we can utilize the hand sanitizer at the table... Thanks.The food and experience:Came here with friends who had previously experienced the park bench. They had good things to say for a breakfast spot with a view and seating al fresco.I had the brisket Benedict. Let me say this was not that great. 23 dollars for dry brisket on English muffins tougher that a catcher's mitt. Luke warm temperature by the time it made it to the table. The side fries with onions and cheese were the best part of the meal. I do not recommend the brisket. You will be sore the next day sawing through that muffin with a butter knife.Friends had epic pancakes here in the same outing. That's the take away here. Some things work, others don't. Staff is nice.Bathroom game is horrible.

The food is exceptionally bland and always the wrong temperature/consistency/etc. Prices are absurd considering the food is horrible and you’re sitting on plastic tables and chairs (not the actual park benches as the name says . Owner and his wife are horrible to their employees and their customers and nickel and dime everything (no employee breaks, charge for utensils on take out orders, etc… They have a very small certain demographic that they appeal to and anyone else is not even considered. Worst place to go in HB from a local.

Small eatery in a park. My friend absolutely loves the baked beans, I like the brisket. Only downside is hard to find parking sometimes.