Huntington Beach Guide: Best Cafes, Pier Walks & Bolsa Chica

Surf City USA! Recommended Cafes in Huntington Beach

What place comes to mind when you think of beaches in America or California?

Besides world-famous beaches like Santa Monica and Venice Beach, there are multiple beautiful and attractive beaches beloved by locals!

This time, as our 6th beach introduction!!, we’ll introduce Huntington Beach, famous as a surfer’s paradise in Orange County, next to Los Angeles!

1. What is Huntington Beach?

It’s a coastal city in Orange County located about 37 miles from LAX airport, approximately 50 minutes by car.

Characterized by its mild climate and beaches perfect for surfing, it’s also called “Surf City.”

The most famous landmark is the Huntington Beach Pier, which is 1,850 feet long (about 563 meters) and is said to be one of the longest piers on the West Coast.

2. About the History

Like other beaches around Los Angeles County and Orange County, Huntington Beach was once an area inhabited by the indigenous Tongva tribe.

European settlement began in 1784 when Spanish soldier Manuel Nieto was granted approximately 300,000 acres of land from Spain, which he named Rancho Los Nietos.

Huntington Beach later gained city status in 1909 under its first mayor, Ed Manning.

The first developer was the Huntington Beach Company, a real estate development company owned by Henry Huntington, which is where the city gets its name.

In 1925, Duke Kahanamoku is credited with bringing surfing to Huntington Beach and Southern California.

The first U.S. Surfing Championship was held in 1959, which became the catalyst for Huntington Beach becoming famous as a city deeply connected to surfing.

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3. Surf City USA

Huntington Beach hosts the “US Open of Surfing,” the world’s largest surf contest, making it famous as a place where top-class surfers from around the world gather.

Additionally, “Huntington” appears in the lyrics of famous songs about surfing.

For example, in the lyrics of The Beach Boys’ worldwide hit “Surfin’ Safari” (1962) and The Surfaris’ “Surfer Joe” (1963).

4. Popular Local Breakfast Spot “Sugar Shack Cafe”

This is a breakfast restaurant located about a 3-minute walk on Main Street in front of the Huntington Beach Pier.

It’s a popular cafe bustling daily with locals and tourists, where you can eat until you’re full at relatively reasonable prices compared to other restaurants.

This time, we ordered the staff-recommended Michele’s Special ($17.00) and Peggi’s French Toast ($11.50)!

Michele’s Special is a set of assorted fruits, grilled chicken breast, scrambled egg whites with bell peppers and tomatoes, and bread – you can enjoy a luxurious, well-balanced, and delicious meal from the morning!

Peggi’s French Toast is made with three fluffy slices of raisin bread, and you can add as much syrup as you like!

Both were incredibly delicious, so please try them!

Check out our Instagram for more details!

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5. Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve

This reserve, with its incredibly vast area of about 1,300 acres (approximately 5.26 square kilometers), is home to a diverse variety of wildlife and has become a park-like spot where you can enjoy hiking.

It’s particularly popular with birdwatchers and photographers, as it’s said to be home to over 200 species of birds, including Ridgway’s rail and Western snowy plover.

It’s a precious place where you can watch wild birds flying and swimming freely.

The trails are easy to walk with no slopes, making it a perfect place for leisurely strolling while enjoying birdwatching!

6. “Philz Coffee” – Where You Can Enjoy Unique Coffee Flavors

This is the Huntington Beach location of Philz Coffee, located in a beautiful mall called Pacific City!

Here, you can enjoy slightly different flavors from other cafes, such as iced lattes with mint, coffee with cinnamon and nutmeg aromas, and coffee with rose cream.

This time, we ordered the staff-recommended Iced Mint Mojito and a hot latte with honey (Tesora)!

Both were delicious, but the mint one was particularly refreshing and perfect for hot days.

Please buy coffee here and enjoy it in the mall or at the beach!

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7. Popular Chocolate Shop “Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory”

This is a popular chocolate shop based in Durango, a town on the west side of the Rocky Mountains in southwestern Colorado.

With about 270 stores in America, the Huntington Beach location is on Main Street, close to the pier!

There used to be stores in Japan, but they seem to have withdrawn now.

We recommend the MILK CHOCOLATE PECAN BEAR, a chewy, heavy-textured caramel mixed with pecans and coated in sweet milk chocolate!

The texture is interesting, and both the chocolate and caramel are rich and delicious, so please give it a try!

8. In Conclusion

Huntington Beach is one of the popular beaches in Orange County!

Please enjoy it freely – whether surfing, dining at cafes, or taking a walk on the pier.

On Instagram, we introduce beautiful beaches and recommended spots in the area, so please check it out!

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