Capital View Cafe

The food and the employees are the best !

We live in the neighborhood so it’s kinda fun to have a local place to go. I’d say their breakfasts are about average, but we come here often because hubby likes going out for brekkie. I just wish they had some interesting choices aside from the stuff we could make at home. We love their American fries, delish! For the most part the wait staff is on point! Always refreshing the coffee and we get served quickly! Fresh blueberries in the pancakes would be a huge step in my direction. Pleeeeease?

I don’t know who I love more Unilocal or this restaurant! I have been using Unilocal before buying Groupons for the past couple of months and this was yet another stunner. The atmosphere is fun, the food is great and very reasonably priced. Add to that the most phenomenal customer service and it is a home run. «Would you like to order?» «Umm, no we’re still looking!» Oh, that’s fine take your time, it’s a big decision.” Not only was she sincere, but she was correct. We ended up with the cajun breakfast and caramel apple french toast.

Really disappointed with the young staff. While our waitress was great, I did decide to buy a cinnamon roll from the cashier. The cashier, who was also a waitress, looked at me and walked away. I was at the counter with money in my hand… Apparently that’s not enough of a sign that I’d like to buy something. My small fruit salad for $ 4 was nothing special. Oh well. Customer service needs to be better. Long lines with «hosts» saying «go sit at the chair over there by the window». I understand that it is busy, but please be professional and walk your customers to their tables and give menus! Hire additional staff, it’s obvious that you need it!!! I won’t be returning even though our waitress rocked and tried to make it better.

I really enjoy coming to Capital View especially for breakfast. They have large filling portions & the waitresses are always wonderful. I feel at home dining here. Typically I order the everything omelette (minus the ham), hash browns & rye toast. Delicious every single time. Its served super fresh & hot. They bring out one slice of toast & inform me if I want more let them know. I love that idea because I won’t waste the bread & more ordered would be nice & freshly toasted. The price is right at this place. The taste is perfect.
Today I came later in the day. (They close at 2pm) so I ordered a grilled turkey, bacon & swiss sandwich with homemade potato soup. Excellent choice!
I live nearby I should come here more often! I’m actually craving an omelette right about now!

Actually, more like a 3.5.
Service was excellent and friendly. Atmosphere was great… seemed like a community gathering place. Hashbrowns were perfectly done, eggs were a little over done (and the machaca, which my husband was very excited about, was lacking in actual meat). We’ll be back!

Very good food I have been here for breakfast and lunch they close at 2 pm.
They have a good menu and a lot of seating the service is good even when it’s busy. I don’t eat here often enough.

St. Paul Classic not uncommon to see local politicians eating breakfast and rubbing elbows here.
Great breakfast and Mexican food so get both, pocket French toast is pretty epic too.

I know there are some here who like corporate chain restaurants where there is total consistency of food and décor. If you’re one of those people, you probably won’t like the Capital View Café. That’s okay. They seem to be doing quite well without you, and I’m so glad. I love this place. I can only think of two other places in St. Paul that hold a candle to the Capital View. I’m giving it 5 stars. It’s not perfect, but it’s way above average.
I’d describe the Capital View as «funky» in the best possible sense of the word. It’s unique; a one-​off casual restaurant that lets its history and personality hang out. The layout is awkward, the chairs don’t all match, and the service can be slow at times, though always friendly. It’s reasonably priced, comfortable and I’ve never had service that was actually bad. Most importantly, the food I’ve had there has always been very good. And I’m perfectly happy with allowing a chef some room to move. Extreme consistency is extremely boring. This isn’t fine dining and doesn’t pretend to be. It’s simply great, honest everyday fare at good prices.
A few cautions are in order. Street parking only, though there’s usually plenty of it. Avoid parking on the opposite side of Smith Avenue if you can. It’s a very busy street. And be warned – they close for the day at 2 pm. I wish I could order smaller portions at reduced prices. Most of the time I have to leave food on the table or carry it home, and I’d rather just pay a little less for a smaller portion. But that’s probably my senior citizen status showing.
I don’t eat much Mexican food, so I haven’t explored that side of the menu. But the traditional American offerings I’ve had have always been well-​prepared and excellent. The french fries are frozen, so I usually go with the hash browns, but both are very good. And they have some great «early bird specials» daily from 7 – 9 am. Big thumbs-​up!

Really good fish fry. Pollock. Crispy and light batter. Highly recommend the Friday fish fry. We also had the ribs. That was good but I’ve had way better ribs. I guess it’s not really a rib joint so that’s understandable. Ok but I wouldn’t order them again. French fries were disappointing. Some were thin and nummy; some were thick and mushy. We saw a lot of people with other dishes that looked really good. Total bill for a huge fish fry a gigantic plate of ribs: $ 20. Really not too bad. We will definitely be back for more.

I have to say, I’ve been here 4 times and 2 out of the 4 were great, and the other 2 were pretty bad. I would suggest something without hollandaise (it’s weak and watery) but their hash browns are fantastic!
Overall, I really like this little place, and it is definitely worth a try.
Also, their baked goods are great. Their caramel pecan roll is my favorite!

Cute, quaint little café that I’d happily return to. Tasty, filling comfort food and cheap prices. Not sure what else you could ask for.
The menu is big but not too much — they keep it simple sweetie, with classic diner breakfast and lunch with a mexican flair.
Lots of reviews had nitpicky complaints, but my experience was spot on. The service was attentive but not aggressive. My water and coffee stayed full.
I was in town covering hockey, a friend drove down from St. Cloud and we sat for an hour on a Sunday morning chatting and catching up. We walked in and waited just a minute for a table to be cleared. We each had a benedict and one of my eggs was a little overcooked, but other than that, the food was perfect.

You won’t find friendlier service. If you’re looking for a hearty American-​style breakfast with a Mexican flair, Capital View is an excellent destination. They offer an excellent all-​day breakfast menu, so I haven’t tried anything else. Great eggs and great takes on eggs benedict.
I’m generally a fan of biscuits and gravy — but the ones offered here were a disappointment. The biscuits were small and pasty. The gravy was uncharacteristically bland. Thankfully, there are many other, better breakfast options.

I had the chili red pork… on top of 2 eggs, beans and corn tortillas. Yum! Fun and local flavor make this a great choice any day of the week.

Capital View is the epitome of neighborhood café. There’s nothing about this place that even kind of looks like it’s trying too hard. From the cluster of random pictures and plaques and knick knacks stuck to the wall, to the windows cluttered with random decorations and an inconveniently placed electric fireplace. it looks like the owner has a thrifting addiction.
That’s not to say it’s a bad thing. It just is what it is. And it is definitely… quirky.
The service here is kind of a toss up. There are a lot of teenagers working here and working together which doesn’t always … work.
But, much of the time you get an attentive, nice enough waitress who keeps your coffee cup full and stays out of your hair.
There are 3 sections here I have learned to avoid.
–The first section is the dining area to the left when you walk in. It’s easy to be forgotten over here but it’s spacious so you decide which quality you prefer.
–The second is the area of booths at the right side of the restaurant. It’s hidden from view when you walk in and it’s easy to get forgotten here as well. Not to mention that this particular section of the restaurant has no windows, so it feels claustrophobic even though the space is large.
–The third section is a very itty bitty tiny little uncomfortable wood booth that is supposed to sit two. It doesn’t. I’m a small girl and it’s uncomfortable for me if I have a guest with. Sit here only if you’re alone and the size of a 7^th grade girl. Also, the backs of the benches are hard wood and sticking up as perfectly vertical as they can be, you cannot slouch in this booth.
Now onto the food.
I usually go here strictly for breakfast or in my case, brunch, because I’m lazy; but I have had a couple lunch options, my favorite being the Chipotle Red Pork. The meat is tender, the sauce is smooth and has a nice smokey heat to it. The tortillas are a waste to me. It’s just filler, really.
I’ve also had their Tuna Melt. I’m a huge fan of Tuna Melts but this one I did not like. It was too wet and too basic.
The Breakfast Menu gives you a ton of options and if you know what you like and how you like it, you won’t be disappointed. I’ve tried everything from sweet to savory and no matter what I crave they always have something that fits the bill.
The portions here are generous so I doubt you’ll leave hungry. They have decent coffee but if that doesn’t suit your palate, head down the road to Amore.
Capital View gets a few brownie points from me for a few reason.
1) It’s super close to my house
2) It’s cheap
3) It’s so tacky inside that I don’t feel bad if I just rolled out of bed and wandered in.
4 stars for this local institution. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.

Everything on the breakfast menu is big enough to share. With, like, three other people.
One of my friends lives in West St. Paul and a group of us ended up here a few weeks ago after a sleepover at her place (following a wonderful night of West Side adventures). She smartly brought us here for breakfast.
I had the Cajun breakfast, which was totally unnecessary health-​wise, but was good idea according to my hangover. It comes with hashbrowns (which I wanted to be crispier), fried onions, green peppers, mushrooms and over easy eggs with hollandaise. I added chorizo instead of andouille sausage because I like it a bit better. Much like chilaquiles, this is one of the more serious hangover helpers… a pile of food that should probably ONLY be eaten during hangovers. Capital View’s version wasn’t mind-​blowing (I like The Uptowner’s better), but it was solid. They also have a full lunch menu and Mexican options too.
The staff was so nice there and the coffee flowed freely. It’s just a warm, neighborhood place. So even though the food isn’t going to win any awards, I just plain liked this café a lot.

We have been to this place 4 times already. 2 times, our server was MaryBeth and she was absolutely phenomenal. My family loves her. She is kind, attentive, and doesn’t forget anything in regards to your order. However, we are giving it 3 stars. Here is the good and the bad.
Pros:
The food is great. It’s always hot and always fresh. I have never had a bad tasting meal here.
The food normally comes out very quickly after ordering, especially on e busy days, ie Saturday and Sunday.
Cons:
There is no consistency in regards to the food. I ordered an omelette 4 times and each time I got a different portion and kind of potato although I ordered the same American fries. One day the omelet is cheesy, the next day it’s not. One day I get 4 pieces of toast with my breakfast, the next day I get 1. Still tastes great, but it sucks not knowing how much food I’m going to get. This right here is the biggest drawback. I hate inconsistency.
The left half of the restaurant is very noisy. We are forced to raise our voice when putting in our order. Not cool.
All the negatives aside, this place does have good food. Just don’t expect to get it the same way each time you order it. Check out Groupon before you go because they always have a 10 for 20 going on. If you can, ask for MaryBeth. She rocks.

Just an initial word of caution; DO NOT sit on the left side of the restaurant in their larger dining area. It’s like the Hunger Games over there except everyone looks hungrier.
How far left is too left, you ask? If you see a sign that says, «Where is your God now?» and you hear the distinct weeping that comes with someone making the decision to barter their firstborn child for toast crumb remnants, you’ve gone too far.
That being said… I’ve been here several times now and I’ve noticed that, above all, this place’s biggest downfall is their lack of consistency.
You never quite know if you’re going to be treated like a paying customer or a temporary annoyance by the staff. I’ve walked in and waited twenty minutes for someone to half-​ass acknowledge me and take my drink order before.
The food, too, alternates between delicious and meh (but it would be good to note that I’ve never eaten anything markedly disgusting here).
Their Mexican offerings are pretty solid and good to start out with if you’ve never been here. The red pork lunch (or anything with red pork) is nicely flavored and tender.
My girlfriend really likes their reubens and tuna melts as far as more traditional fare goes.
The Cajun Breakfast is nice (get it with chorizo) and the Dublin Benedict isn’t too shabby, either. The steak and eggs breakfast? Meh. The cut of steak is the typical cheap, sinewy variety and the price is higher than the quality.
I wouldn’t recommend coming here if you’re in a rush because of the speed inconsistencies but it’s an acceptable place to grab breakfast and lunch every now and again.

This used to be one our regular places for weekend breakfast.
We also used to go because of
certificates. They no longer take these, and their food quality has gone wayyyyyyyyyy down.
To me, I’d rather get something from a fast food place if this were my only other alternative.
In addition to the lacking food quality, the wait staff is highly inconsistent. Once, we were completely ignored after being seated, so we left after 20 minutes. The last two times we went, we had to keep asking for the same things, including portions of our meal, repeatedly.
From now on, I’ll pass.

Really good place for breakfast and even better that it cost next to nothing. Took advantage of my complimentary groupon deal. Luckily, it was for this place.
Have always wanted to try it anyway.
The place is much bigger than I thought it would be. Plenty of tables, booths and little booths scattered through out the restaurant. Also a little country store attached quaint and not in an over priced cheesy cracker barrel way.
Food was great. Service was great!
I ordered the country benedict with sausage patties and gravy. Nutrition wise probably not the best, but whatever. It was very good. The american fries were really cooked to my liking as well.
J ordered the cajun burger which they subbed with a turkey burger. They use the good kaiser buns. He said it was a good burger.
Very cute place. Remined me of something we would see in Elgin or Streamwood, IL
Would defintely go back for breakfast or lunch.