Wanda's is an enjoyable locals spot for breakfast on the Oregon Coast.
We found this place by staying at a home in Manzanita and seeing a cabinet full of Wanda's coffee mugs. Â Hmmm, wonder what's up with Wanda's? Â The multiple coffee cups in the pantry read like a trail of breadcrumbs, leading us straight to the porch of this cozy spot in Nehelem.
On the exterior, Wanda's looks like a truck stop.  On the inside, you'll find a cozy and kitchy 50s vibe: retro salt and pepper shakers, 50s TV turned into a fish bowl and giant plates of home cooked food.  In the back corner, a 50s television has been converted into a "virtual" fireplace  --this particular table looked like a great spot to reserve on a cold, windy day on the coast.
We came on a Tuesday at 11 am for breakfast, which translated into no wait at all for us. Â Just breezed right in. Â Apparently wait times during peak season can be exceedingly long.
For what its worth to those doing the breakfast wait, the food is good. Â We can attest to the tastiness of the Huevos Rancheros (with a creamy version of ranchero sauce), their veggie omelet with a side of fresh fruit, and their thick sliced brioche french toast with maple syrup. Â
Up by the counter, there are lots of plastic wrapped baked goods as take away items (not my favorite way to package a baked good, btw) and over by the magazine rack (a Coastal courtesy) lots of children's books, Bon Appetite magazines and a couple tech zines (Fast Company, Wired) to flip through while eating. Â
Excellent local spot!
Stopped in today after a long day of Spring Break touring on the Oregon coast and wanted to grab a couple of sandwiches to go. Â I was pleasantly surprised by how "cute" it was inside, and will likely find time in the future to return for a "dine-in" meal. Â The staff was very friendly and the food was delicious. Â I ordered a turkey sandwich that had cranberry sauce and lettuce and tomato on it (very good!), and one of the daily specials -- a grilled roast beef and cheddar with horseradish mayo on it (so good I nearly turned around and drove the 10 miles back to the restaurant to get a second one!).
I highly recommend, and as I said earlier, I will likely return for a more formal meal when I'm not in a rush to get home.
This is still one of my favorite breakfast places. Â
So much so that I will roust my family from their cosy beach house beds bleary eyed and crabby so we can get there early.
Princess " Moooooo-oooom I wanna sleep."
Too bad. I managed to get us there by 9:15 and we only waited maybe 15 minutes.
I am sooo good.
Course I thought it was in Wheeler....its Nehalem btw.
Ooops.
Did I mention people were crabby?
They recovered though. Espresso cures all for my family.
It is an addiction but its a functional addiction. Â
We got the yellow formica table by the genie, Â his green lamp, television fireplace and magic eightballl.
Princess was especially happy about the latter.
Food arrived quickly. Service was good, not overly friendly but polite and nice.
Food? All yummy. Hubby said his french toast was a little dense. I want to point out that the bread was homemade. Homemade bread tends to be denser I think.
Princess' omelet was $12. She is 10. She has some spendy preferences. Â Her salmon fixation did it this time. But it was proportioned on the small side so she ate all of it. I do wish they had a kid's menu but could see how if you had two younger kids they could share. Our total bill was just over $42. A lot for breakfast maybe, but it's the coast after all.
Beware the yummy baked goods at the register they will get you. We bought six for later.
Wanda's rocks.
Mr. Kupcakes and I almost always drive over to Nehalem to hit Wanda's Cafe. Everything there is so good. We go for breakfast, lunch, snacks and coffee. All of it is so good. I like how they have something for everyone one from Vegans to Carnivores.
We've had the:
Eggs Benedict
Eggs Florentine
Huevos Rancheros
Biscuits and Gravy
Tofu Scramble
Many Omelets
Waffles
French Toast
Many soups
Many more salads
Vegetarian sandwich
Baked Goods
And so much more.
Everything has always been great. This is another place that we take weekend guests to and they all have loved it. All have asked to go back. The place is decorated really cute, too with lots of vintage decor.
My wife and I were passing through on vacation from Ohio, and listened to the suggestions on Yelp.....I have been home for a week and still dream about the huevos rancheros I had at Wanda's!!! Â Absolutely worth the stop in......service was really good but not fully deserving of 5 out of 5.
Review Source:Were looking for a place to wait out the drizzle on a recent trip down the coast, and happened upon Wanda's. Â We waited a bit on a Saturday during brunch time, but there's a comfortable, covered, outside waiting area, and a very-tight area near the counter for waiting.
We were very happy with our food! Â Between us, we had biscuits and gravy, eggs benedict, chicken quesadilla, and huevos rancheros. Â The ranchero sauce on the huevos was the most disappointing item on the table, and I'm glad I ordered it on the side (it was gloppy, thick, and unnecessary).
The place is cute and quaint with an overflow of vintage collections (board games, salt and pepper shakes, toasters, etc).
My only sadness was not being able to order baked goodies, since I am firmly ensconced in a gluten-free diet. Â They all looked amazing!
I would definitely go back on my next trip down the coast, drizzle or no drizzle!
Been going to the Cannon Beach area for many many years and had been hearing about Wanda's - last weekend I finally tried it. Â
Overall we enjoyed it. Â Fun place and very good food. Â Only downside is VERY SLOW service. Â Got lucky and got a table right away - but it was another 45 minutes before we had food. Â As we expected a wait this wasn't a big deal - but it took awhile to just get coffee & hot chocolates for the kid's.
We were on "beach time" - so no rush. Â We will be back.
Everything you'll read about the long wait time is true, but if you have some time, the whimsical decor, outdoor patio, and delicious bakery make this stop a unique must-see before you leave town.
We read the reviews so expected to wait, and wait we did. And wait. And wait.
11:16 we put our names on the wait list. About 5 smaller parties in front of us (we had 6). About 45 min later, we were seated, and about 30 min after that, they took our order. At 12:52, our food arrived. Total dining experience: 2 hours, 4 minutes.
I ordered the Greek Omelet, which was fine, but nothing to make accolades about. Mike said the French dip sandwich was the best he ever had. My husband had the eggs Benedict and said they're yummy too.
I think their real specialty is in their bakery items. I had their homemade biscuit on the side, and a sample of their macaroon and they were excellent. Also enjoyed my double vanilla latte.
The staff was friendly, but just not attentive enough. No one returned to refill coffee or water after our meals arrived.
Overall, it seems they have more seating capacity than actual serving capacity (cooking and wait staff).
Detailed rating:
Ambiance: 5/5
Service: 3/5 (friendly but understaffed)
Food: 3/5
Bakery: 5/5
We had a moderate wait to get in, but that wasn't unexpected for a large group (6 adults, 2 kids) on a busy Sunday morning and ultimately well worth it.
Only complaint would be that service seems a little slow. Only two servers and a host for the full restaurant, so things took an extra couple of minutes. Food was fantastic.
Last day on the coast and decided to stop at Wanda's for breakfast. Read lots of good reviews and thought if would be worth a shot. Had the eggs Benedict and the eggs florentine and both were very good. The potatoes were ok, they seemed to be a bit over cooked. The coffee was good and the waiter was friendly and the food came out quick. Clean restaurant with cute vintage decor. I would definitely go back.
Review Source:Tried to have lunch in Manzinita, OR but all the decent restaurants were closed for the winter season - Augh! -Was forced to drive down a few miles to the even smaller town of Nehalem and ran into a charming yet funky little 1950's throwback roadside diner.
Wanda's even has a screen door that snaps shut behind you with a 'bang.' Several display shelves show-off various series: old phones, antique toasters, and tube radios. Â Also along the walls were a couple of re-purposed vintage televisions --one into a faux fireplace and the other an aquarium complete with live goldfish swimming around. Â
We had perfectly grilled sandwiches and home-made soups. Â My sandwich was the best I've had all year (grilled turkey on rye with provolone, avocado and tomato). Â They grill and slice the turkey in-house.
I'll have to go back some day because, according to the menu offerings, Wanda's also specializes in awesome breakfasts -- served all day! Yum, Yum, and more Yum!
This place is so popular that even celebrities are seen here! Margo Tufu was sitting right next to us! We had just seen her the night before in Manzanita! I hope she did not think we were stalking her.
I decided to be healthy and got their tofu scramble with a virgin Bloody Mary for extra veggies (and because I had way too much fun night before and needed a cure of sorts). Â As usual, huge portions and very well done. Got my vitamins in a major way.
I had hoped that Margo would have sang a song for us while we ate but no such luck.
Well, there really is no reason to go anyplace else for a meal out, if you're near Nehalem. Â Wanda's is fantastic. Â Their breakfasts and lunches are both quality food at very reasonable prices. Â My favorite is the smoked salmon and dill cream cheese omelette with cottage potatoes and pepper bacon.
The atmosphere is so much fun! Collections of vintage phones, toasters, etc. line the walls, and vintage board games are a kitschy touch to tables. Â Always something entertaining for the kids to study while waiting for a meal!
One word of caution: Wanda's is not a secret. Â Be prepared to wait a bit for a table on the weekend, but know that it will be worth the wait. Â And why not wait with a mocha and homemade pastry to start? Â Don't worry -- when you're at the beach, calories don't count.
Cute little spot with great food. I had the special of the day: bacon and tomato benedict. I also tried my friend's huevos rancheros and my other friend's waffle. The waffle was very healthy-tasting. The huevos rancheros were very good, I loved the home-made salsa. My benedict was delicious and was served with fruit (or potatoes).
The place has a vintage vibe. I liked it... adds character.
We loved Wanda's! Adorable kitchy decor, including antique toasters, telephones & radios. Plenty to talk about in the SHORT wait fir the yummy food!
Fresh ingredients, the eggs flourentine were delicious & kids gobbled up their French toast & hot cocoa.
It was more than worth the 10 minute drive from Rockaway Beach.
Kid friendly, super fast & nice service. Perfect start to a day at the beach!
Cons: no kids menu & kind of spendy.
Cute little cafe in this small town. Â There seem to be a lot of these lovely places up north of Tillamook. Â Wanda's is definitely the most charming of the places I've been. Â We got there just before closing time, around 2PM. Â
They have a nice menu, with some interesting choices. Â I got the daily soup special, a beef stew with a green salad and biscuit. Â The stew was pretty good, with a nice bit of veggies and beef. Â The biscuit was heavy but not greasy, very nice. Â The green salad was served with one of their many interesting salad dressings. Â They had a wasabi dressing for the more adventurous, I chose the pesto vinaigrette which was exacly as described.
Wife got a huge greek salad and son got some good looking french toast. Â Overall, cozy place with good food, will be back if we're anywhere near this place again.
Three stars doesn't mean you shouldn't have breakfast here if you're in the area. It just means I live 8 blocks from the Screen Door in Portland and so I know what five stars means.
Wanda's is cute, friendly, convenient, and pretty tasty. I stopped in once and would consider trying it again next time I'm in town.
I had the green chili omelet, which was good, but not great. The chilis didn't seem to be fresh, which was a disappointment, but the eggs, cheese, and potatoes were all pretty good. Though, the potatoes could have been a bit more hot.
They also have delicious looking baked goods which I'll have to try next time. The espresso was strong and tasty, worth getting if you're in the mood for coffee in the area. They served my iced Americano with decaf ice cubes which meant I was enjoying my drink long past brunch.
It's not the best brunch I've had, but it was affordable, friendly, and pretty good.
A note for groups: They have one large table inside which would work for 8 or so people, and a place on the patio which should seat about the same.
Don't know where to start. This place is adorably decorated, incredibly clean and the food was fantastic. We ate there for breakfast. The food arrived to the table so fast we were shocked. The food was almost to hot to eat (that never happens) and the service was warm and friendly. The coffee was the best I have had in a very long time.
We went on a Sunday morning and squeeked in before the crowds, but knowing what we know now, it would have been worth any wait.
Summary:
in need of improvement: honestly, can't think of anything.
praiseworthy: hot, fast and fresh food. Excellent coffee and service. Adorable decor.
Good food, quirky atmosphere, difficult parking, reasonable prices.
Everything we've eaten at Wanda's has been yummy. Omelets, blueberry pancakes, key lime bars, oh my....
We've eaten dinner here too during the summer and they had wonderful vegetarian options. High quality and interesting, tasty selections.
Stay at the beach a couple of days to "chill out" before stopping in to enjoy Wanda's.
We popped in on a busy Saturday, but got a table without waiting. They only had one server working for quite a while, so it took about 15minutes to get waters and then about 10 more to get our order taken. A second server was brought in and that picked things up a bit as far as drink refills were concerned.
Great menu, moderate prices. Large, fresh portions of really good food. The club sandwich was more than I could finish and the salad was made with fresh greens. My wife's oat pancakes were rich and flavourful.
Very popular spot with locals and tourists it seems. Great decor with a 50's theme that isn't the usual malt shop that is overused by so many.
OMFG amazing... best caramel nut tart EVER... so nutty, not too sweet, went great with coffee.... if you are in the area you gotta go... cruise ship docked in Astoria today, SO GLAD i rented a car and made the beautiful drive down to Manzanita. Â :) Â My tummy is happy now, but my taste buds are filling with longing. Â Oh yeah I had this pie at the Manzanita News, they stock her goods.
Review Source:Very down home, local place. Â Solid food. Â I had huevos rancheros (which can be risky in a little coffee shop) and they were pretty darn good (and homemade salsa that was killer). Â Good job on the basics, too--bacon+eggs+biscuit was well done. Â No charge to sub fruit for potatoes which gets a plus in my book, too. Â The place can get busy so don't expect to zip in and out--take your time, this is a small town place!
Review Source:Delicious, home-made, very tasty, down-to-earth eats. Â A road side diner like I imagine it used to be before food was made in factories. Â A real gem. Â Go out of your way to enjoy this place. Â Really inexpensive to boot.
- great coffee, espresso drinks
- the waffles were clearly "hand made" and were super tasty
- I *loved* my huevos
- great service
We were on our way to Cannon Beach (Oregon Coast) and stumbled across this little gem for lunch. Â What a cool, funky little place! Â Everything was decorated in 50's memorabilia. Â We sat by the board games from the past...lots of memories playing those games as a kid.
The entire menu looked great both for breakfast and lunch. Â Try the Clam Chowder..to die for.
If you like good wholesome food this is the place for you.
Tons of breakfast and lunch options here. Â One of the better casual eateries in the area. Â
The Wanda's Club was huge! Â I don't know how you'd eat it all our wrap your mouth around it. Â It was really good! Â They also double as a to-go espresso bar.
The decor was old 50's style antiques: Â a shelf of old phones, old tv system, old tables -- it was fun.
 The parking lot is crowded, but there is plenty of street parking.
When I saw all the cars parked in front, I figured this was a good stop for lunch. Â I'm a sucker for old collections and antiques, so I definitely appreciated the decor of this place. Â The food was really good, the service was friendly, and there's even a back porch. Â Highly recommended.
Review Source:Breakfasts to die for. None of these humongous plates with oversized everything - it's made fresh, it's fabulously flavorful, and it's just right. Lunches - major awesome.
And if in the summer you by chance drive by and see they're open for dinner, don't hesitate. Slam on the brakes and stop in. Order the special. You won't be disappointed.
You walk in the door and are transported back to a 50s roadside diner. Â Peach and turquoise walls covered in whimsical 'road trip' memorabilia. Â Hanging on the walls are vintage telephones, commemorative plates of different states and tourist attractions (Welcome to the Grand Canyon!), LP covers from the likes of Rosemary Clooney and Patsy Cline, and vintage TVs turned into a faux fireplace and an aquarium. Â
Paper doilies are hanging from the ceiling and each unique table could have come from a different 50s kitchen. Â Bright yellow formica, need I say more? Â Our table had a cool tablecloth under glass with a photo of a woman underneath to surprise diners. Â Literally everywhere you turned there was something to surprise and delight you. Â
The food was equal parts comfort and quality. Â They serve breakfast all day -yum! Â The hubby and I ordered sandwiches and mine was one of the best I've had all year (grilled turkey on rye with provolone, avocado and tomato). Â One son raved about his smoothie and the other enjoyed a waffle, primarily because it came with a BOWL of whipped cream and a second bowl with berries on the side. Â One interesting note was the only berry available was raspberry - so it was raspberry jam, smoothies, waffles, etc. Â Not sure if the berries vary seasonally.
They are a bakery so the quality of the bread and rolls for our meal was outstanding and the selection of scones and dessert items made me want to weep. Â Day old bakery items are only $1 and their coffee was robust. Â
**Not sure of their hours, but they only serve breakfast and lunch.
friggin fantastic.
Closed wednesdays, of course it was wed.
So back on thursday!
Open at 8? Â Try 805ish.
man, I am hungry!
Some guy was inside reading the paper, sippin coffee, so aren't you open?
Well no, he was just some local dude who engaged us in friendly newspaper politics about who Bama will pick for VP. Â Dangerous water to tread before coffee with strangers, but managed it well.
Then we ate. Â
Huevos Rancheros to die for. Â and a playlist to call home.
I bet they had a great pie here too, but too stuffed to even entertain the idea!
The card says "best food this side of Jupiter". Â Believe it.
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