Tucked away on a residential street in Oceanside, Calif. sits a real-life secret garden.
This secret garden is more than just a hidden gem, it is a full-blown café. Peter Loyola created his dream café only six months ago, back in March of this year. When Britta and I visited this beautifully constructed outdoor café yesterday, Loyola seemed to be the only person working there.
The café is completely outdoors, located right next to the Apotheque Lifestyle Spa on North Cleveland Street in Oceanside. According to Loyola, the spa building was built in the 1800’s! The old building has plenty of charm and character, making it a perfect neighbor to Café.
When you walk into the café, you feel like you possibly fell down a rabbit hole into Wonderland. String lights hover over black iron patio furniture and some comfy green couches. The walls are art pieces themselves, decorated with colored wood, plants, stone, painted tiles and old scrabble pieces. The café gets its name from the hundreds of succulents that fill every single wall. You can purchase these succulents for a variety of prices depending on their size and quality (it looked at though they started at $2).
Of course the café wouldn’t be complete without its full drink menu. Loyola’s menu consists of multiple flavored lattes (hot of cold), tea, smoothies, cappuccinos, mochas and more! The beverages come in two sizes, 12 oz or 16 oz, and range in price from $1.50-$4.95. There are also some pastries, granola bars and other small snacks available at the counter.
The cafe’s Facebook page says they offer free Wi-Fi, however you seemed to need a password to access it (I’m sure Loyola would give it out if you asked him). The place is also pet friendly, which is great for all you dog lovers out there! The Facebook page mentions the café is cash only, but when we arrived we saw that there was a credit card option (thank goodness because I never carry cash).
If you live in NorthSan DiegoCounty, I highly recommend visiting this place. In fact, I demand it. It has such a great ambiance, excellent coffee and even better customer service (Loyola kindly threw away our coffee cups when we were finished!) The location of the café is 322 N. Cleveland St.Oceanside, CA92054…go now!