by Mary Colarik

San Clemente with its ideal location halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego is a welcoming place to stop, enjoy our charming town and grab a bite to eat. In fact, Actor, Victor McLaglen seized the opportunity to open one of the first restaurants in this newly incorporated town, The Rendezvous, complete with the tag line, “between L.A. and San Diego on U.S. 101, San Clemente, CAL.” 

His eating establishment opened in 1930 on the corner of South El Camino Real, current home to Daily’s Sports Grill. The location was perfect, enticing his actor friends, such as John Wayne, Clark Gable and Bette Davis to stop in for a meal on their way to and from the popular horse races in Del Mar. 

Over the last 95 years our sleepy surf town has offered patrons a variety of dining options featuring Mexican, Italian, Seafood and American menus with Southern California Coastal influences. Many of these restaurants have been owned by local families offering their traditional homemade recipes handed down through several generations to the delight of residents and visitors alike. And … despite an ever-changing world of fickle trends and appetites … establishments from North Beach to the Pier and beyond, are still going strong for the last three decades.

 

This Pizza and Pasta restaurant opened 45 years ago at the well known building that bears his name. Sonny and his siblings grew up working alongside their parents at the family’s restaurant in Hollywood. Then the family moved to San Clemente in the 1970s where they had vacationed for years. 

Mama and Ernest opened Ernesto’s Italian Villa in San Clemente serving up family specialties for 20 years, and in 1980 Sonny and his daughter Julie opened Sonny’s Pizza and Pasta. Sonny hung out in the kitchen making his homemade sauces in the morning and preparing pasta and pizza later in the day, while Julie managed the front of the house. Most nights, driving by the restaurant, there is a large crowd mingling outside under the sign awaiting a table on the open-air patio, living up to its reputation of a town favorite.

Throughout the years Sonny has been dedicated not only to his craft of preparing authentic Italian food but also to giving back to the community with fundraising dinners and donations to local charities. The restaurant offers a Monday Night Special - an entrée of spaghetti with meat sauce and garlic bread for $8.99; add a house salad for an extra $3. A true bargain in 2025! 

Another long-established place to relax with a meal in San Clemente is located on the town’s iconic pier. The Fisherman’s Restaurant and Bar opened in 1981. If you want to dine with a view of the Pacific blue, watch surfers catching the waves as well as lots of other beach activity, this is your spot.

On the right side is a more formal dining option featuring several seafood appetizers, fabulous sourdough bread, and a wide variety of fresh fish entrees, salads, and chowders. But for those who do not eat fish, there are also steak and hamburger offerings, plus a few pastas to round out the menu. Drinks include specialty cocktails, beer, an impressive wine selection and non-alcoholic beverages.

Monday Thru Friday they offer a Sunset Dinner from 4-6pm, with six different selections including, a choice of chowder or salad, rice pilaf, red rose roasted potatoes or steak fries, fresh vegetables, a loaf of sourdough bread and a scoop of ice cream or sherbert. Prices range from $25-$38. 

Directly across from the restaurant’s dining room is the Oyster Bar - a more casual setting that boasts nightly sunset drink specials, an array of appetizers, including oysters, jumbo shrimp, bay shrimp, ceviche, three chowder offerings and much more. Every evening Monday thru Friday there are daily Sunset Happy Hour Specials from 4-7pm. These specials include a featured plate of food and cocktail averaging $14 - $16 for both - quite a deal! They also offer a fabulous breakfast, lunch and brunch menu and a Little Fisherman’s Menu for children 12 and under. 

Many people have made San Clemente their home after a walk along the historic pier and a stop into Fisherman’s for a little libation or meal. It’s one of the absolute best places to introduce out of town guests who come for the view and stay for the food. 

 Antoine’s Cafe

Veronique Price hails from France where she worked in her family’s restaurants as a young teen learning every aspect of the business including bussing tables, washing dishes and cooking. While visiting Southern California, she met Antoine, the son of one of her mother's friends. After a brief romance, Antoine moved to France, and when Veronique was 19, they eloped to Las Vegas. Veronique continued working in several restaurants while the young family lived in France, and it is there that Antoine Jr. was born. As a youngster Jr. worked alongside his mom learning all the intricate details of the service industry. Eventually the family moved to Anaheim and then San Clemente, and a younger son, Vincent, was born in California. 

Price opened Antoine’s Café on a nondescript corner on South Camino Real thirty-four years ago. The lively, friendly spot offers breakfast, lunch and brunch. Most mornings customers are outside waiting for a table inside or at one of the quaint little tables outside; reminiscent of a French Café. Veronique wanted to serve an American breakfast with a touch of France. She told this writer that in France breakfast is most often a “cup of coffee and maybe a croissant.” 

Her restaurant here has a varied menu with omelets, eggs benedict, crepes, pancakes, bagels, avocado tartine, breakfast croissants and south of the border offerings; breakfast burritos and breakfast tacos. The lunch menu has a variety of sandwiches, including Croque Madame, salads, soup, hamburgers, quesadillas, tacos and crepes. The cafe also offers several vegetarian items and gluten free choices. Beverages there include the usual fountain drinks, several delicious coffee choices, cappuccinos, lattes and mochas, tea and several cocktails, including mimosas, beer and wine.

Veronique wanted a community spot, with a “Cheers” type feeling. Her motto, “do something, do it right.” She also is a big believer if a mistake is made, learn the lesson and figure out what to do to change it. In 2007 a former café on Del Mar was for sale. Antoine, Jr., suggested that the family purchase the place. He and his wife, Brittany now run Mimosa Café, a French style Bistro, serving breakfast and brunch. When the previous owner of the Red Fox Lounge decided to sell his place, most likely the “oldest watering hole in town” Antoine Sr. decided to buy it. The gift of being next door to Antoine’s is that the Red Fox patrons can order food that is delivered quickly and efficiently to the divey bar, celebrated as a local “haunt” known for its diverse patrons, and often acknowledged for its generous pours and late-night hours. 

This family has definitely become part of the restaurant culture of San Clemente - celebrating life and offering good food. 

 

If you have lived in LA or Orange County or visited the area you have probably eaten at least one meal at an El Ranchito’s Mexican restaurant. The Avila family opened their first restaurant in Huntington Park in 1966. Over the last 55 years they expanded to a total of 13 locations, with the second and third generations still owning, operating and financing the various venues. 

Victor Avila established Avila’s El Ranchito in San Clemente in 2003, shortly after stopping in San Clemente one day for a cup of coffee in the building his restaurant now occupies space right in the center of Avenida Del Mar. He has converted the place to another one of the family’s renowned Mexican eateries. The menu features a wide range of Mexican specialties, Mama Avila’s Soup being a favorite. They offer all-day breakfast selections, a kid’s menu (a free meal for children with the purchase of an adult meal - Wednesdays 4-10pm), plus a selection of margaritas, tequilas, beer, wine and non-alcoholic beverages. 

These establishments have not only remained in business, but have been mainstays in the community. Their passion, reliable service with consistently tasty food, and a love for the community have enabled their long-term survival. We are proud to have served the community alongside them, and wish them all continued success in the years to come. 

Family Owned and Operated by Don and Ning Laitip, Mongkut Thai has been a mainstay on Avenida Del Mar in downtown San Clemente since 1986 - a whopping 39 years dishing up an enticing variety of authentic Thai food. 

Their large, easy to scan menu is divided by Thai food specialties, appetizers, green salads, grilled salads, dinner salads, soups, red, green and yellow curry dishes, rice dishes, stir-fry, seafood appetizers and entrees; plus several noodle dishes, many with vegetarian and gluten free offerings. Popular selections among loyal, local customers and out-of-town visitors include: Thai spring rolls, Satay, and Thai lettuce wraps. The Drunken Noodles dish is a favorite entrée prepared with chicken, beef, or pork, complemented by red bell pepper, ground chili, tomato, and Thai basil. The Illuminate Emerald and Jade Garden stir-fries are delicious, served with fresh vegetables and mouth-watering sauces, steamed white, or brown rice and sticky rice that can be added for a nominal charge. The Green Chicken Curry is another top menu pick and spices for all entrees can be adjusted to customers preferences, from very mild to hot and spicy. 

Tiny Mongkut Thai is a savory dining treasure. Open for lunch and dinner, carry-out and delivery every day except Tuesday. Lunch 11:30am-2:30pm. Dinner 5-9pm.

 BeachFire Bar and Grill  

BeachFire Bar and Grill is located right on the main drag in town. It has a small-town coastal atmosphere with its California fresh menu and regularly scheduled live music nights. Its interior walls are adorned with artwork by local artists available for sale. 

Although the restaurant has been in San Clemente since 2002, the current owner, Edgar Carbajal, brought a fresh vibe to the place in 2021. His enthusiasm is contagious. He is often onsite, greeting customers and helping as needed in the kitchen. He has developed a lively ambiance there these last four years.
 

This restaurant’s extensive coastal cuisine features appetizers such as coconut shrimp, sticky ribs, ahi tuna and crispy calamari. Main menu selections include a variety of tasty sandwiches, salads, appealing fish specialties and the well-liked Soul Burger. Live music genres include a wide variety of musical artists and bands, including, pop, blues, classic, alternative, country and beach rock, reggae, soul and folk. Happy Hour is offered from 3-6pm. MWTF featuring specialty cocktails, Hibiscus Mezcal Margarita, ‘Local Favorite’ Rum Punch and a Pineapple Express Martini, along with well drinks, draft beers and house wines. Every Tuesday is Taco Tuesday from 4pm - close. A brunch menu is offered on Saturday and Sunday from 10am - 2pm. 

Outdoor seating on Del Mar offers a great spot for people-watching while listening to live music. Inside seating offers several booths, tables and a semi-circular bar, with additional seating available on the back patio. BeachFire also has available an upper-level space that can be reserved for hosting private events, weddings, family gatherings, fundraisers, corporate meetings and holiday parties.