Firefly Coffee House
3500 Portola Dr, Santa Cruz, CA
Crema's Take
“This Santa Cruz gem has become a beloved morning ritual for locals who appreciate a quality cup of coffee paired with surprisingly satisfying breakfast fare—think amazing bagels, burritos, and full breakfast spreads that go beyond typical café offerings. The real magic happens on their outdoor patio overlooking the beach, where regulars kick off their day before a coastal walk, though you'll want to arrive early or bring a towel during dewy mornings. Year-round consistency and friendly service make it the kind of place where you can see yourself becoming a regular, despite the premium pricing that reflects its prime location.”
What to expect
Google Reviews
Great outside breakfast place. Amazing coffee. Great bagels. Burrito’s!
Love this place for a nice cup of coffee and a breakfast bagel before walking the beach. A little expensive but its to be expected given the area. Definitely give them a try
Love Firefly for a simple breakfast. Only complaint would be that tables and benches were wet outside. One guy went to his car to get a towel to dry them off. Thinking this should be part of opening protocol? Otherwise excellent experience!
I’ve been going to firefly cafe for years and the food is always delicious, and normally the service is on par. However, the service at the Portola location was terrible today. Maybe today was a fluke. Either way, great food, great setting, staff needs a lot of work.
Overall - food was very good and served relatively quickly. And the newly-renovated space looks fine, with ample seating indoors & outdoors. The employees were friendly and helpful, but there was apparently only one person to do all of the following jobs: take orders, make drinks, handle delivery app pickup, and give food to people when ready. The team was communicative about the wait while they filled drink orders, but I feel it would be helpful to customers and staff if management could arrange another person to fulfill drink orders.