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Antoine's Cafe
Categories: Restaurants Breakfast & Brunch Food Coffee & Tea Breakfast & Brunch, Coffee & Tea [Edit]
218 S El Camino RealSan Clemente, CA 92672
(949) 492-1763
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 6:30 am - 3 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Breakfast
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
88 reviews for Antoine's Cafe
Review Highlights
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"The french onion soup is worth every calorie." In 3 reviews -
"Amazing fish tacos." In 6 reviews -
"...little breakfast cafe just past Del Mar in San Clemente." In 3 reviews
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88 reviews in English
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Review from Casey C.
Newport Beach, CA
5/10/2012
BEST BREAKFAST IN SAN CLEMENTE!
Best service too!
Me and my fiance have been regulars here for a long time, every Saturday we make the trip down to San Clemente and enjoy our breakfast. Cassandra is our favorite waitress, she is always on top of her game.
Thw owner is very sweet and always says hello to us when we come in. Their coffee is amazing and the food is great! -
Review from Amanda G.
2/26/2012
Love this joint on one of the San Clemente's "main strips".
How can I not?!? The employees are kicked back. The decor is slightly mismatched. The food is amazing. The bathroom is located at the back of the building (have to go outside to get to it). The menu offers a plethora of food items.
Whenever I go here, I am drawn to the chicken sandwich on baguette bread. The sandwich is huge and the sweet potato fries are plentiful! Some of my other faves: eggs florentine, veggie burger, veggie melt on wheat, and nicoise salad. The meals are hearty, but not greasy nor heavy.
Also, there are a few tables outside. I love seating outside, enjoying the beautiful weather, people watching, while enjoying some wonderful food and great company.
What a great place to visit after a fun night out, but do not want to be in a food coma for the rest of the day! -
Review from sybril s.
2/1/2012 3 Check-ins Here
Came here for breakfast a few times. The atmostphere is relaxed and pleasant.
The food is a little bland to my liking. And like other fellow Yelpers said, the menu is alright, nothing spectacular. Still a nice cute place to grab breakfast but don't expect much out of the ordinary.. -
Review from Ned L.
Dana Point, CA
5/18/2012 1 Check-in Here
Great food great coffee just good.
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Review from Jackie D.
Dana Point, CA
4/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
Excellent breakfast, great coffee, friendly local clientele, world-class waitresses!
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Review from Karla P.
Encinitas, CA
12/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
After an exciting, slightly dramatic holiday hen night in Newport, my travel companion and I were looking for something traditional for breakfast fare. You know, pancakes, waffles, eggs, bacon, etc., but we also didn't want Denny's. I guess you could say we wanted a place that resembled a sophisticated greasy spoon. I read the Yelp reviews for Antoine's, we decided to give it a try. Set the the gps and off we went.
Got there just in time...no wait. If we'd been there 10 minutes later we would have had a 15-20 minute delay in getting a table. The atmosphere and decor is above average...think surf joint meats Marie Calendar's. It was cozy. Service was friendly and quick, coffee was delicious.
I ordered my usual...buttermilk pancakes with a side of bacon. I'm singularly focused at breakfast, I know. There were several other tempting options, such as the Eggs Florentine that my friend ordered. Confession, I also considered a bowl of biscuits and gravy or chicken fried steak. I blame it on the extra couple of mai tai's at Tommy Bahamas the night before.
Here's where we lose some stars...the food just wasn't that special. My pancakes were tough and that should never happen. Pancakes are meant to be fluffy and light. These were pretty dense, couldn't cut them with my fork. It should be a crime to serve pancakes that require knife usage to eat. Their flavor was kind of bland, too. Admittedly, my standards for tasty pancakes are pretty high since it's my favorite breakfast meal. I was sad.
My side of bacon was good. It's almost impossible to ruin bacon. The only critique would be that they were slightly overcooked. But delicious. I love pig.
My friend's Eggs Florentine LOOKED amazing. The presentation was beautiful. Bright red tomatoes, brilliant green spinach, perfectly white poached eggs over english muffins and covered in milky yellow hollandaise sauce. It looked so beautiful we both wanted it to taste amazing. Disappointingly, the dish was seriously lacking in flavor. The hollandaise sauce had zero flavor. How does that happen??? The food was entirely unseasoned.
Despite the underwhelming food, the experience wasn't entirely unenjoyable. As I wrote above, the coffee was delicious. I might be enticed to go back and try something else on the menu. Perhaps from the lunch side. The pastries looked good, too. Lord knows I have a sweet tooth! -
Review from Isabella O.
Costa Mesa, CA
5/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
I love Antoine's
Last Sunday they had an AMAZING flavored coffee of the day, it was the Pecan one (please try it). I had 3 cups!! Which is a lot for me, I was definitely on one after that.
The 2 times I've been here have been pretty heavenly.
First time, the BF and I met up with my darling friend who is now living in Chicago. She's a San Clemente native and recommended this place.
We were all very pleased with our choices: Breakfast Croissant, Breakfast Burrito, and Breakfast Crepe (in that order).
Second time around, it was just the 2 of us and it was yummy.
Lox Bagel: YES on an Everything Bagel, please. There was tons of smoked salmon on it, which I love!
Bacon & Eggs: Delicious as well. It was exactly what I needed to balance out the cold lox bagel.
Overall: I'm pretty pleased that I found a cute little place in San Clemente for breakfast. -
Review from Amy S.
San Clemente, CA
12/9/2011
this place is family owned (they own Cafe Mimosa, too) and it's delicious! I love their lox bagel. it's very filling! their veggie crepe is super tasty too. I enjoy coming here, and I would recommend for sure.
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Review from Julie S.
San Clemente, CA
4/17/2011
Came here for breakfast because we heard some great things! There were some pros and cons though. I got the breakfast burrito, which was pretty good. When I asked the server why the $5 difference between the commuters burrito and the menu burrito, she was a bit rude and said we would not get the potatoes or service. If $5 gets me that type of service, then I think I would have stuck with the commuter's burrito.
The hostess was very polite and nice though. My husband got champagne with pomegrante juice. The champagne wasn't very good. They should really invest in some higher end champagne. -
Review from C K.
Orange County, CA
3/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
4 stars: cute place, very much of a breakfast joint. Nice people working there, yummy French bread
3 stars: decent fish tacos with fresh tortillas
2 stars: service was slowwww and we sat at the bar right in front of all wait staff. They forgot to refill our water, bring us salad dressing and we had to ask 3 people to order -
Review from brian o.
Ladera Ranch, CA
3/22/2012
So I have become a regular at Antoine's for a few reasons. First the servers there are great! Personable, friendly and attentive. Secondly the food is good. I sit at the counter and feel well taken care of. I will continue to have breakfast here. The only thing that needs work are the hash browns, fix that get a five!
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Review from Debbie F.
San Clemente, CA
1/16/2012
The best breakfast in San Clemente. We know the owner's and staff. We've been eating at Antoine's Cafe for years. My favorite dish is the poached eggs and my husband's is the breakfast burrito. For lunch the fish taco's are awesome. The service is excellent and the price is right.
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Review from Lorelei P.
Dana Point, CA
9/11/2011
Well... I've been here a few times and really want to like it, I just can't. The service is always good/great but the breakfast isn't even mediocre. Hash browns are always burned on the outside and soggy in the middle. (They even burn the toast on the griddle) It's like to cook doesn't know any temp other than high. So much oil used that even the scrambled eggs are kind of greasy.
A shame since it's a cute place and there aren't too many options in SC. I won't be going back after 3 'eh' breakfasts in a row. -
Review from Melanie A.
Carlsbad, CA
3/18/2012
This is a cute little cafe with excellent food. I recommend the croque madame. The service is friendly and very attentive. Overall you get what you pay for.
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Review from Nathalie A.
Laguna Niguel, CA
1/2/2012
Real crappy food served by a bunch of dumb blondes.. After waiting 20 minutes I got served an onion soup that seemed like it had been sitting there since last night!! So grossed out, I walked out of that dump : ( Yuk!!
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Review from Nick M.
11/22/2010
How can you not love this spot?! The decor is kitschy and it's the kind of place that servers what I call "a big boy's brunch" meaning, eggs, bacon, toast, hash-browns, biscuits and gravy, and maybe a bagel with cream cheese (they are just missing the pancakes but they did have crepes so close enough). I'm not saying I can eat all of that but I'm also not saying I haven't eaten all of that in the past.
All of the food is excellent!! Not your typical greasy dinner, but fresh and vibrant food. What's even better is that you can pretty much order whatever you want, don't even have to look at the menu. I choose the Breakfast Croissant -two eggs, bacon, and cheddar cheese. Comes with hash-browns. Really hit the spot!
So I can see how the service can come up a little short. I think it's one of those places you can't come in starving, thought to be honest our waitress was great and the food came out pretty fast. So maybe it was good luck. I would come back in a heartbeat.Listed in: Travel -SAN CLEMENTE, CA
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Review from Cynthia C.
La Mesa, CA
3/14/2011 2 photos
I was very very shocked that this place wasn't as good as the reviews made it out to be. Maybe it was just my plate, maybe it was the cook, maybe they were having a bad day.
I find it hard to believe that a restaurant can mess up eggs, and no I don't mean mess up as in they brought be over easy instead of scrambled, I'm taking about I ordered my eggs over hard and I got two burnt eggs! Incredible! That pretty much ruined the breakfast for me.
I ordered two eggs over hard, bacon, hash browns and toast.
I'm very particular about my bacon, not too soft and not extremely crisp. The bacon was not good. It was cooked to the point that when you bit it the bacon crumbled.
The hash browns on the other hand were delicious, perfect crisp, good flavor and I liked how they have sliced green onions on them. Gives the hash browns a different flavor.
Toast is toast, can't mess that up unless you brown it a little too much, which they did.
Their coffee was average, not the best not the worst.
What I liked most about this place was the restaurant itself. Small, quaint, and cozy. -
Review from Amy W.
San Clemente, CA
11/29/2010
God I love this place. Although, I have only been here for breakfast, I am sure their lunch is just as delightful because they use high-quality ingredients. Regardless of whether I get a special or just some bacon and eggs, the servers are extremely friendly and never pushy, which is nice since there is ALWAYS a wait. They usually offer three coffee choices, which is nice even though I always go for the regular, but if you like flavored coffee, it's an option for you.
While the wait to be seated might seem daunting, be sure to take a peek at the counter/bar area. It seems like no one ever wants to sit there because we walk right up and sit down pretty much every single time. If you have a small group, it's convenient and a little calmer since people aren't constantly rushing by your table in a small space. -
Review from Lisa N.
10/5/2010
Grade: B
Relaxed ambience, short wait time on a Saturday morning (brunch hour). Friendly servers. Coffee was served while we waited. Parking via lot or street.
Ordered the eggs benedict and hubby ordered the biscuits and gravy.
Eggs Benedict: grade A, good portion, tasty, well-seasoned, eggs were poached very nicely. Would definitely order again.
Biscuits & gravy: grade B-, gravy was bland, needed extra seasoning, sausage was slightly dry but still pretty tasty, eggs were poached well, good portion, hash browns were also good.
Coffee (dark) was tasty, served during wait time.
Overall, we'll be back to try out some other breakfast/brunch dishes. -
Review from Erin C.
Ladera Ranch, CA
2/20/2011
I WANT to like this place, but my first time going was not a good experience. My Mum, Dad, and myself headed down there for some coffee and eggs yesterday morning and were really disappointed with the service, and coffee. I understand that they were busy because it was a Saturday morning, but as soon as the discovered that were were simply there for a cup of coffee and a couple eggs, it seemed like they wanted us out of there, ASAP. Not very friendly. Again, I have some sympathy because they were pretty busy, but still. As for the coffee, we all ordered Mochas, and in all honesty, they just tasted like hot chocolate. Both my mum and myself concluded that they must have forgotten to but the espresso in because really, it was all chocolate. I drank 3/4 of it and tossed the rest.
Aside from our experience, the menu looked wonderful, and the place itself looked good. Next time I go it'll be for breakfast, and hopefully my experience will be better. I hope I can rewrite this review when that time comes. Until then, 2/5 stars. -
Review from Kari G.
St Paul, MN
7/31/2011
A must stop when in San Clemente! I was in town with a bachelorette group and we greatly enjoyed the friendly service and amazing food especially the salads! Check this place out!
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Review from a j.
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
2/13/2011
Worth trying? Well, we had a $20 gift certificate, so yeah... but will we be back? Probably not, unless we get another gift certificate.
Went for breakfast on a Sunday. Wait was about 15 minutes. Not bad enough to scare us off. We chose to sit outside because the temperature inside was about 100 degrees. It was so stuffy that there was no way I was sitting inside. It turned out that outside wasn't great either. Their patio is actually the last parking space of their parking lot. I guess it was a little better once the SUV in the handicapped spot left...
I ordered the Breakfast Crepe, which is a crepe filled with scrambled eggs, ham and Swiss cheese. It came with hash browns. It was a decent meal, and a good sized portion... it just wasn't anything special. I could easily have made it myself. So then I thought maybe I just ordered wrong.
Except my wife ordered Eggs Benedict, which is pretty much her favorite breakfast meal. She was unimpressed. Not that it was bad. She just said she's had better, and mentioned the Eggs Benedict at Canyon in Santa Margarita. Oh, hers came with hash browns too.
We both finished our meals so they couldn't have been too bad. They just weren't anything to rave about.
A quick note on the service... not at all attentive. At the end we waited a long time for the check, to the point where I thought maybe we were supposed to go in and pay at the register. In fact, we never actually saw a bill because we waited so long that my wife finally just put a twenty and the gift certificate on the table. The server eventually came out, took the dosh, and came back with our change. We worked it out in our heads to make sure it was about right... and it probably was. -
Review from Anita L.
12/16/2008 1 photo
Very busy little cafe on the weekends. Be prepared to wait at least 15 minutes. Interior is really cute with bright colors and is bustling with energy. You can opt to sit outside if you have your dog with you, although outside is only plastic furniture.
Menu is your usual offerings, but blackboard has eggs benedict, florentine and other specials. I thought the benedict was pretty darn good ... the muffin was toasted perfectly. The fish tacos were good, but not quite the kind you'd find in a taqueria. If you only like a sparing amount of onions and cilantro, let them know cuz they tend to pile it on high.
They don't have a kids menu so be prepared to just order your child a selection from the sides.
Service is spotty.
I wouldn't go out of my way to eat here, but if in the area, I may come again.
3.5 stars. -
Review from Denise A.
4/12/2010
We were looking for a breakfast place that didn't stop serving breakfast early. I found a BOGO coupon for Antoines and we decided to heads down to San Clemente solely to have breakfast there based on all the good reviews.
I ordered pancakes with blueberries cooked into them and fresh fruit on the top. I got plain, cold, rubbery pancakes with fresh fruit on top no blueberries baked in to them. They server said she was sorry the kitchen made a mistake. My boyfriend said the pancakes were probably sitting there and they just warmed them up and brought them out 25 minutes later...
My boyfriend ordered the French toast and was also disappointed. He thought with the Farmers Market and other great shops nearby that perhaps they work with a local bakery and got fresh bread everyday for the dishes that have bread. Nope, the French toast was made from a regular loaf of bread from the grocery store.
Honestly, we could have stayed home, made something better, and spent less of our time and money. How disappointing. The only thing I liked was that they used fresh fruit on the pancakes rather than that nasty, overly sweet fruit compote.
Sorry Antoine's I will not be back :( -
Review from Robert G.
Laguna Beach, CA
11/18/2008
I have been eating at Antoine's for 10+ years & never had a bad meal. Fresh & tasty for Breakfast or Lunch! They recently started serving dinner which is a culinary treat indeed!
I pay homage to their Eggs Florentine, the little woman likes the Fish Tacos & my gorgeous B devours their Quesada!
Antoine's is a family run eatery: The Mom & two sons work the front of house & the Dad is behind the seen.
For a truly amazing experience try their newly opened, more upscale restaurant on Del Mar called (Oh wait, never mind, I don't want the new place to get too busy! Where will I sit?)Listed in: My Neighborhood
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Review from Casey S.
Capo Beach, CA
1/30/2009 3 photos
Service was good, food was good (but not great), and the atmosphere was perfect for a brunch. I had the Avocado Quesadilla, and it was really good. Elsa had the Veggie Crepe, and it was just ok. Neither dish really had any sort of presentation in mind, but that's a small thing.
I would come back here again for beakfast, but the prices were a little high and the portions were a little small. -
Review from Marisa M.
Updated - 3/23/2009 2 photos
My love affair with Antoine's still burns bright. My husband and I frequent here for breakfast every few weeks, and, like the creatures of habit we are, always get the same things. We both order the French Toast - I splurge on a mocha, and the hubby gets two eggs (always cooked to perfection).
The wait can get longer on the weekends. We always go around 10:00 AM, and typically get right in.
The service is great, most of the time. We have our favorite servers there. A few visits ago, we brought family visiting from out of state, and encountered a server who was aloof and wouldn't look us in the eye. Haven't seen her around since, so maybe she's now gone...
Antoine's truly is a San Clemente gem.Listed in: Caffeine Pushers, San Clemente - I Heart My…
1 Previous Review:
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3/3/2007 First to Review
Love it! Great prices, great food, great ambiance. A definite must-see for breakfast.
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Review from Monica M.
8/1/2011 2 Check-ins Here
This place is awesome. Food is delicious, so is the coffee. Perfect for a Sunday breakfast!
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Review from Amy K.
Irvine, CA
11/12/2008
This place is awesome!
It's a small "hole in the wall" type of place in San Clemente. We stopped by for lunch on our way to the Rainbow Sandals Outlet (which is less than a five-minute drive away).
They serve breakfast until 3 pm, so my husband ordered their 3-egg omelette with bacon, avocado, and cheddar. I ordered their albacore tuna melt which was absolutely delicious. Everything was super satisfying and tasted very fresh. The patron sitting next to us said that he's been going there for 39 years and that he would recommend everything on the menu!
We'll definitely come back the next time we're in the area. -
Review from Rich n Nancy C.
San Juan Capistrano, CA
12/20/2008
Great little breakfast cafe just past Del Mar in San Clemente. Usually quite busy so be prepared to wait a bit for a table. They serve breakfast into the afternoon and have a variety of options from crepes, pancakes and French toast to omelets and Eggs Benedict.
While I prefer their breakfast's, the lunch menu is also decent. They have a selection of tasty sandwiches, burgers and fish tacos plus a number of salad and soup options--try the French Onion! -
Review from Matt V.
San Francisco, CA
8/22/2007
AMAZING food!
Healthy salads/sandwiches
GREAT service
A gem amongst restaurants. -
Review from jeff c.
San Clemente, CA
9/12/2010
Love this place. Inexpensive, local and decent coffee.
The convenience and "food for your dollar" win me over.
I suggest the breakfast tacos or lemon pepper bagel. -
Review from Sabrina I.
Costa Mesa, CA
10/31/2009
Went this morning at 10:00 am (a Saturday). Parking was easy out back. Walked right in and was seated at a booth for two with Mr. I.
He ordered: Poached Eggs on sourdough with hash browns and basil.
I ordered: French Toast with a side of fruit.
Both were delicious and we were not disappointed by the "hype".
The coffee was tasty here too, but something smelled like it was burning. Not sure if there was coffee burning on the bottom of the coffee maker somewhere - but that's what it smelled like.
I did notice something interesting on the menu --
Coffee of the Day: Regular, Strong, Flavored or Decaf
Since when was strong coffee an *option* at a breakfast joint? Nice!
Four other things I appreciated about this place:
1) Very clean
2) Turner Classic Movies on flat screens
3) Bar with nice tall chairs for sitting and reading the paper with your coffee
4) Soups du Jour list: chicken vegetable, french onion and something else I can't remember - just the existence of a soup of the day list always makes me smile
I'll be back to join the SC locals here next chance I get. -
Review from Jennifer L.
Orange, CA
11/25/2009
Yum! Cute little cafe w/ some good breakfast and lunch choices. I had the breakfast crepe, which had scrambled eggs, cheese, and ham all diced up. That came w/ hash browns, but they were kinda burnt. But we looked around it looks like they just do that... kinda weird.
My BF had been there before. He got the tuna sandwich w/ the cup of fresh vegetable soup. It was quite tasty. The soup was also very fresh, as advertised. We saw someone making the lattes and mochas and serving them in these big bowls that made us want them so bad! But we were pretty full and needed to head home so we didn't get any. :( Looked good though! Good food and pretty good service. :) -
Review from Jennifer W.
San Diego, CA
6/30/2009
Okay- so I'm not talking about coffee simply because I do not drink the stuff. But as for the food they serve... yum!
My friends and I stopped into this place just by chance, they wanted a decent coffee before looking for a place to eat. But we noticed the food menu and decided to give it a shot instead trekking our way down to Del Mar. Besides- there's more to life than Beach Fires and El Ranchito, right?
The food was SO good!
Even though we almost always sat at outside for lunch, and felt like guilty a*holes for sitting next to the "scene of the crime" from the night before. Yes, if you sit outside your view is El Camino Real traffic, and Goody's. Which we visited more often than I care to admit to.
I swear, I'm classy!
In all of the lunches we shared there, I don't think any of us had any complaints about the food, and none of had the same dishes.
Definitely give the food a shot! -
Review from Kat k.
San Clemente, CA
1/7/2012
Breakfast menu could have some "wow" items but doesn't. So I had a build ur own omelet. It was good but not fabulous. We sat outside.......service was good and staff was friendly. Good place but I prefer SC Cafe. I'd come back but would try lunch instead.
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Review from Rachel C.
San Clemente, CA
2/18/2010
My husband and I enjoyed Valentines Day breakfast here. The owner is so pleasant and sweet. Our coffee was kept refilled and our breakfast was delightful! I had a bagel with cream cheese, tomatoes, avocado and lemon pepper. The tomatoes were so ripe and fresh...yum! My husband enjoyed the eggs Benedict.
This is a great spot for breakfast and lunch, expect to wait for a table or take a seat up at the counter! :) -
Review from John M.
San Clemente, CA
8/10/2011
We just enjoyed lunch again at Antoine's; thus the inspiration for these scribbles. In short, this is a great little place when you're hungry for breakfast or lunch. Our server, Pam, couldn't have been more pleasant. I love it when your drinks are kept full without asking. And our meals were really good. I chose the classic patty melt on rye with fries; the wife chose the Nicoise salad. Both selections were thoroughly enjoyed by the three of us, the third being the dog. Yes, dogs are welcome, but outside seating only-which is limited. Give this place a try; you will like it.
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Review from Cathy C.
Temecula, CA
12/31/2011
We'll never know if the food is any good because lack of service caused us to walk out. We entered the place and stood by the "Please wait to be seated sign". The staff kept rushing by us never greeting us or even making eye contact. After a few minutes another couple walked in went over to a counter and wrote their names on a list (although I didn't realize that at the time). When someone finally asked us where we'd like to sit, we said "outside", she said she'd have to check to see if the other people who were here before us wanted the last outside table...she proceeded to check with the couple who had come in after us whether they wanted that table. There was no indication that we were to sign-in. We'll never be back.
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Review from Lindsay W.
Laguna Hills, CA
10/13/2010
I arrived at the place about 30 mins early since there was no traffic on the 5. I told the teenager at the check in, outside for four! I went outside to wait and about 10 mins later the perfect table in the shade was open. To my shock another couple walked up and they woman outside said, "OH ya sit down. this table is open."
I do NOT care how awesome your food is, the way i was spoken to was sucky and i don't care if MY PARTY wasn't there. I wanted to sit and drink coffee while I waited.
Whomever served us, you should be happy I didn't get paid because you wouldn't have gotten a tip, other then to wear a condom!
