[singlepic id=363 w=320 h=240 mode=watermark float=left]OK, let’s correct the first big fallacy. Laguna Beach’s Orange Inn is not an inn. It’s a longtime locals’ favorite for breakfast, fresh juices and healthy sandwiches.
Aside from its fantastic coffee – organic with a hint of hickory, and definitely in my Top 5 Coffees in Laguna Beach – the Orange Inn welcomes a long line of locals and tourists who share an addiction for the shop’s:
- Oversized fruit muffins (peach, blueberry, orange and others),
- Monstrous cinnamon rolls
- Homemade granola and
- Egg dishes served with alfalfa sprouts, tomatoes and tortilla chips and salsa on the side. (It’s a beautiful thing – you’re finally eating eggs and feeling REALLY healthy about it!)
[singlepic id=362 w=320 h=240 mode=watermark float=left] This place was first established in 1931 as a refreshment stop between Newport Beach and Laguna Beach for cowboys and field hands. Over the years, it gained immense popularity as a roadside attraction to workers, celebrities and tourists alike. In 1986, it moved to the heart of Laguna Beach on the ocean side of PCH at Cleo Street – it sits right across from the Ralph’s grocery store.
When the move happened, John and Kathy Bodrero took over as the owners – Kathy came up with her super-secret granola recipe and decided other unique menu items while John is officially in the Guiness record books as the “Original Founder of the Smoothie” . . . And what an Orange Inn Smoothie it is – Strawberries, bananas, dates, fresh orange juice and bee pollen all whipped up without a stitch of sugar or artificial anything. Small wonder every juice, ice cream and yogurt place in the world decided to steal the idea from our Laguna Beach Bodrero genius. It doesn’t matter what they do – this smoothie is not only historical,
[singlepic id=364 w=320 h=240 mode=watermark float=right]Insider Tips: Mario, the Inn’s longtime line cook, is a renowned (and now retired) Mexican bullfighter. He’s a bit shy about it, but you might want to pat him on the back for staring down the eyes of beasts you’d never venture near.
The Orange Inn is one of the few breakfast joints in town that many locals grew up with here in Laguna Beach. These diehard fans are still regulars and now bringing in their own generation of grom kids. If you’ve got a directional question or need any advice, just look for the locals – they’re easy to spot. Resident weatherman and local newspaper columnist Dennis McTighe comes in every morning to complete the white board display for the Orange Inn’s front window – the temperature, the water temp, the surf report, etc. Dennis knows Laguna’s waters – and incoming waters – like the back of his hand. He’s as astute and friendly as they come.
Hours of Operation: 7 days a week from 6 .m. to 5 p.m.
How to Find Laguna Beach’s Orange Inn: From Laguna’s Main Beach (the first big beach at Broadway and PCH), continue south on PCH about .4 of a mile. You’ll see Kentucky Fried and Taco Bell on the ocean side of PCH – that next intersection is Cleo Street where the Orange Inn resides.