Happy Girl Kitchen Co.

Happy Girl Kitchen Co. sits on Lighthouse Avenue in Pacific Grove, with a storefront that’s easy to spot. Inside, the space splits between a café and a shop: tables line the windows and stretch toward the back, while shelves and counters near the entrance display stacks of house-made jams, pickles, and whatever else they’ve bottled that week. Art from local kids or regulars often hangs on the walls, mixed in with the chalkboard menu. The kitchen keeps things focused and homemade. Coffee stays at the center – honey lattes, cappuccinos, and fresh-pressed apple cider cycle through the menu. Kombucha sits on tap, poured alongside whatever’s just come out of the oven. The food menu stays straightforward: avocado toast on their own sourdough, PB&J sandwiches with jam that shifts by the season, a frittata with a pile of pickled vegetables, and a couple of soups that rotate each week – red lentil and butternut squash, parsnip, and others. Pastries and desserts lean gluten-free, with lemon rose cheesecake and granola bars often filling the pastry case. Everything is made in-house, right down to the yogurt and bread. The shop side is worth a look. Jars of marmalade, pickled carrots, bath salts, and candied lemon peel fill the shelves. Samples are usually out, and it’s common to see someone tasting jam before picking a jar to take home. Most of the dairy comes from the owners’ own cows, and oat milk or gluten-free bread are just part of the routine. WiFi is free, and tables fill with people on laptops or groups catching up over breakfast. The place runs on a first-name basis – family-owned, with the same faces behind the counter most days. Parking is street-side and usually easy enough to find, especially in the mornings. The shop stays open for anyone to wander through, whether stopping for coffee, picking up a gift, or just passing time before heading down to the water.