If you're looking for comfort food with a side of nostalgia, Bonnie Lu's Country Café is basically a time machine disguised as a diner. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Walking in feels like somebody hit play on a 1978 jukebox and never stopped in the best way possible.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Between the down home atmosphere, the classic comfort food, and the steady soundtrack of 70s and 80s hits, I half expected to see my aunt serving meatloaf while debating disco vs. Fleetwood Mac.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The service top notch! [[HIGHLIGHT]]The vibe is pure small-town Americana. No fake trendy farmhouse aesthetic. No $22 avocado toast. Just good people, solid food, endless coffee refills, and music that makes you want to stay for "one more cup."[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] If you grew up anywhere near a family diner, this place feels familiar the second you walk through the door. read more

This is not your typical classic diner! The food is all made from scratch. Our waitress said she's been working at Bonnir Lu's for 10 years and still eats there. I ordered the Elvis Pancake breakfast and asked for their homemade strawberry jam! And the sausages were soooo good! My friend ordered Harmony's turkey sandwich with potatoe salad and they bake the turkey!!! And by the way our waitress was Harmony :-) Can't wait to come back and try some of the other items on menu. read more

Bonnie Lu's - Harmony turkey sandwich 1/2 order with potatoe salas - Cafes Near Me - Ojai, California

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All is good in Ojai! Greeted by the team and seated soon after, we stopped by Bonnie's as we were craving a classic breakfast. We got the Titus Omelette which was egg white, mushrooms with spinach and chicken with a side of country potatoes and wheat toast. The other thing that I'm writing home about is their corned beef hash. Amazing! I was worried since I didn't see it on the menu, but ask and you shall receive. An off menu item, made in house was pure deliciousness. Crispy, hearty with the soft steamy potatoes. We are fans! Their country potatoes are not greasy, they're hot, soft, fluffy, and crispy. The marbeled rye with butter and jelly were also great to balance out the savory I promise it's not burnt! Lol it's marbled. Definitely recommend and would come back to make it an Ojai tradition! read more

Bonnie Lu's - Cafes Near Me - Ojai, California

5 stars! [[HIGHLIGHT]]The atmosphere when you walk in is giving traditional diner with a pink flare.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The staff was kind and the service was 10/10. [[HIGHLIGHT]]There was plenty of seating but not ideal for big groups.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The prices are around $20-25 and all of my friends agreed the food was delicious. I definitely recommend visiting when you're in the area! read more

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I visit Bonnie Lu's each time I'm in Ojai for over 20 years! It's the must go to brunch place in downtown Ojai for my family and I! The service is always super friendly and attentive with smiles. I tried the egg Benedict and it was amazing! My son got pancakes and they were super fluffy & tasty. My daughter had eggs and sausages with toasts and was also happy with her choice! read more

Bonnie Lu's - Benedict eggs, pancakes and a breakfast special - Cafes Near Me - Ojai, California

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]Classic American diner experience.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Cute diner ambiance and friendly service.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Went for the Lori's Chicken Fried Steak $22 (don't worry, it is beef) with sausage gravy and it was SUPER FILLING. read more

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Delicious hearty American comfort food at relatively cheap prices (especially if you're coming from the Ojai Valley Inn and their $75 weekend brunch buffet.) [[HIGHLIGHT]]But what I like the most is the rustic homey ambience and welcoming staff that are very much a part of the Ojai experience.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I had my first Ojai meal here in 2012 (my original Yelp review inexplicably disappeared) and the 'chicken' fried steak is still as good as I remembered. You will leave Bonnie Lu's satisfied in your stomach as well as in your heart. read more

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I ordered Walter's Eggs Benedict which was delightful. Perfectly cooked poached eggs with ample ham slices, the home fries were terrific. The orange juice was refreshing. The service was extremely attentive. It was just a wonderful experience. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Very cute place with a cozy country feel.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Food was great. Open till 2pm. Serve breakfasts all day. I ordered my hash browns "scattered with onions and peppers and CRISPY well done". I told our server these are the first great hash brown I've had in years. They were REALLY CRISPY. Almost too crispy but for me that's better than too soggy. (:-) Next time I'll just say well done and see how they come. The omelet plate shows a side order of caramelized onions that was ordered special and not on the standard veggie omelet. My bacon was perfectly extra crispy as I ordered. This is my friends favorite place so we will be back and I'll try a sandwich! If you find this review useful please VOTE! read more

Bonnie Lu's - Veggie omelet with EXTRA carmelized onions on the side. - Cafes Near Me - Ojai, California

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DELICIOUS FOOD! Employees were very friendly and kind. [[HIGHLIGHT]]I love the location too.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Perfect place for breakfast or lunch![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Cool restaurant with vintage decor right in the heart of town.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The menu items have fun names such as the Strawberry Fields salad, the hippie yuppie sandwich, and dishes named after people like Kens breakfast. Our server was wonderful and very attentive. The food was delicious. They have many vegan options and lots of meat, chicken and fish. They have a wide selection of salads and sandwiches and breakfast is served all day! [[HIGHLIGHT]]Love this place it's down homey with a fun retro vibe.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

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Once again my opinion my review. As we were leaving Ojai we decided to eat something homie. We asked a local, who was pretty funny and we thank him for the information, and he suggested this place. Boy was he spot on on what he suggested. [[HIGHLIGHT]]As we walked in the staff was very friendly and the ambiance was fantastic with everyone saying hello.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We were acknowledged right away and invited to sit anywhere we wanted. The first waitress came over to take our drink order. Then our drinks came right away. The second waitress showed up a few minutes later and took or food order. She made a few suggestions and I ordered the omelet with spinach and mushrooms with avocado and the hubby ordered the biscuits and gravy. Everything was delicious and I can't wait to come back here again. read more

Bonnie Lu's - Spinach mushroom omelet - Cafes Near Me - Ojai, California

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A local saw is looking around and said this is the best place in town for food. [[HIGHLIGHT]]We walked in and had a nice welcoming atmosphere.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Family owned and ran. I am waiting for food but for 1st impression, I am absolutely happy Okay all done The food was very good and the prices were average or in reality comparing to outside world very good price. Okay I will rate it amazing read more

Bonnie Lu's - Steak and eggs John's prime plater with country potatoes (delicious) - Cafes Near Me - Ojai, California

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A charming local American diner and a good breakfast/brunch place! It was Mother's Day and lunchtime so they were busy. My boyfriend and I had to wait about 30 minutes to get a table, and about 20 minutes to get our food. The food was delicious. I ordered Shelly's Veggie Omelette ( side: fruits, English muffin) and my boyfriend ordered Scrumble eggs, grits, biscuits, and gravy. The coffee was good, although I asked 3 servers for the refill of coffee but my boyfriend ended up going to the counter to get it. The service was nice and friendly. I would like to come back here sometime on a weekday. read more

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]Great ambiance (we ate at the counter)[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Great food (the hash browns didn't have onion) Generous portions Bottomless great coffee... ...but more than anything, super nice and friendly service with hearty laughter. Anaïs and Harmony are lovely!! If you are in Ojai, this is a must! read more

We were just passing by to hike around the areas, and originally were planning on thugging it out but saw this cute place and decided we had to stop by! Food was so good, the portions are generous, the service is generous. Everything about this place is generous. Service was pretty slow when we went in, but understandable, we went in an hour before closing and staff was drowning with tons of to-go orders. It took around 30 minutes and the table next to us seemed to have been waiting longer. But by the time the food came? Sublime. I have never tasted fresher food. The strawberries felt like they were made of pure sugar, but not the type to make your teeth fall out, the mushrooms were succulent, the toasts buttery. I will dream of this meal. If I were to adjust it, I don't think the added chicken to the salad was necessary for your everyday, but boy was it enjoyed. I felt pretty full halfway through my plate, but we pushed on to finish everything with delight. Hope to come by soon, just for this place! read more

Bonnie Lu's - Titus' Scramble - Cafes Near Me - Ojai, California

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The food is good. Their sirloin Steak is excellent. And it is reasonably priced. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The atmosphere is like a nice home. It is relaxing and inviting[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. One cannot go wrong by patronizing Bonnie Lou's ! read more

The worst, and I mean the worst, food I have ever eaten. I love a diner but...The side of biscuits and gravy biscuits was dry and crumbly; the gravy was thick and tasteless with zero seasoning. The quiche was simply not quiche. It was so dense you needed a steak knife to cut. The oatmeal was gummy and tasteless. The coffee tasted like burnt chicory. The salsa was watery and flavorless. All for over $100 for two people. Makes me miss the Carrows that was in Ojai back in the day. read more

We stopped into Bonnie Lu's for breakfast while in Ojai. It has the feel of a diner and it was clean with excellent service. We found a table at the window, and dove into the menu. Our server came right over and took our drink orders while we decided on our meals. Mr. B went with the breakfast special, eggs, breakfast potatoes and biscuits with gravy. I chose the one egg and hash brown breakfast. The egg was scrambled to perfection, and the breakfast potatoes were crunchy on the outside, just as I love them and creamy on the inside. Mr. B loved his breakfast. The biscuit didn't look like a typical biscuit, but tasted like a home baked biscuit and was tender and baked to perfection. There is nothing better than a diner style breakfast, and Bonnie Lu's didn't disappoint. read more

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Great place but man is it pricey for common things. People were nice but service could be a bit more attentive.

Lovely place! Definitely the spot to go to here in town and all the staff are amazing. The food is delicious and they serve a hefty portion. I know when, I eat here my day is starting off good and they make sure you leave here happier and more full than when you came in. To all the staff you're amazing! Everyone appreciate all of you here! read more

Bonnie's is your typical diner, good food and friendly service. The reason it gets 4 stars is because they serve grits! My favorite! They substitute for the regular sides that come with breakfast (potatoes and a toast). read more

Bonnie Lu's - Shelly's Omelet made as a scramble, with a substitute side of grits instead of potatoes and toast. - Cafes Near Me - Ojai, California

Stopped for breakfast as we headed out of town after a lovely weekend. We had the quiche w/fresh fruit and eggwhite omelette with cheese & mushrooms. Breakfast was tasty . Our server was very welcoming. [[HIGHLIGHT]]What wasn't so pleasant were two young children running around the restaurant. Thought they were customers kids , but turns out they were someone who worked there's kids because they were running behind counter . I know the restaurant has a " down home " vibe , but you need to know it was really disruptive to an enjoyable meal .[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Just thought it would be helpful to see it from another view read more

Cute ambiance! Service is great, the waitresses are all so nice and amicable and it's a great place to take cute pics with your friend or date. I ordered the original eggs Benedict but substituted the ham for the sausage patty and my friend substitute it for bacon and added avocado. Our Benedict's were great and super filling. The hash brown had almost no salt, but I guess it's better to be under salted than over salted, and they have a salt shaker at the table. Personally did not love the biscuits and gravy, the biscuits tasted underdone and the gravy wasn't anything crazy. Overall the experience was cute but I wouldn't order the biscuits and gravy next time. read more

Bonnie Lu's - Eggs Benedict - Cafes Near Me - Ojai, California

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Everyone is so sweet. Food great. If there's a wait it's always worth it. Good quality food and excellent service. Dr Sean read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]The vibes are it for an old diner vibe.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] But food was not good at all. The bacon was burnt. The food came out cold and everything had a weird alcohol taste to it. The service was great most of the waitresses really serve you with a smile but the one we got did not. read more

It's a diner... so you know exactly what to expect. Typical diner breakfast and lunch food, it's exactly how you'd think it tastes. Not really much to say, other than it's popular, put your name down and expect a 20 minute wait. read more

Wholesome American breakfast spot in Ojai. Food is delicious Services are great. You will be sitting in this whimsical restaurant and having a good time. read more

Bonnie Lu's - Cafes Near Me - Ojai, California

My experience dining here was okay. Bonnie Lu's seemed to have a lot of charm and history so my group decided to make it our last stop before leaving the city. Service could've been better in our opinion. When my group came in it wasn't busy and yet it took a while for any of the staff to acknowledge we were there and seat us. The waitresses were taking their time chatting with locals (I assume) which is totally fine but a quick 'we'll be with you shortly' would have been appreciated so we don't feel ignored. The food also needed a lot more seasoning which was the overall consensus at our table. However, I will say they fry up a perfect medium sunny side up egg. Most places make sunny side ups too runny. I rate this place a 3.6/5 stars. read more

Bonnie Lu's - Steak & Eggs - Cafes Near Me - Ojai, California

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Ok...GOOOOOOO TO EAT HERE! [[HIGHLIGHT]]Great vibe and friendly staff.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Susana, our server, was lovely! We had breakfast on a Thursday at 10:30 and we were seated quickly. The coffee, both caffeinated and decaf, was delicious! The French toast was very good and served with fruit! All the food is made in house, and their bread is organic and great quality. We also had the veggie omelette and hash browns with an English muffin and it yummy as well. Go and support a local family owned business. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It is so cute and the food is delicious![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Everything coming out from the kitchen looked awesome, especially the pancakes. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The portions are substantial and the ambience is so cute![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Super cute little diner vibe! All of the staff was very friendly and attentive. You didn't really have just one waitress, they all helped take care of every table. My mom and I went in around 8:30 for a Sunday breakfast and were sat right away but before we finished our meal the waitlist had started. All of the food was great! Your typical American breakfast which was exactly what I was looking for. Definitely recommend this spot if you're looking for some good comfort breakfast food. (We got the blueberry pancakes, the thin pancakes with bacon and eggs). read more

Bonnie Lu's - Coffee - Cafes Near Me - Ojai, California

We had the most delicious breakfast here! [[HIGHLIGHT]]The decor is really cute and I loved the old diner vibe![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The service was great as well. read more

This was a nice brunch spot in Ojai that serves your usual diner menu. We came around 10am on a Saturday and luckily didn't have to wait for a table. Shortly after we were seated, the restaurant was full and people waiting had to put their name down on the waitlist. I'm glad we didn't have to wait because I wouldn't think this restaurant is worth waiting in line for. There were plenty of other restaurant choices around that you could try instead. Because it is a fairly small restaurant, the spaces in between the tables are pretty close, so when a kid sitting at the table next to us decided to fling his food around, we were easily in his firing proximity. The items that we ordered, French toast, and country fried ham steak, was tasty. read more

Bonnie Lu's - French toast was so delicious - Cafes Near Me - Ojai, California

Unfortunately, the scrambled eggs were cold, asked for patty sausage but received link sausage, and the quiche was dried out. The service was slow so we didn't send the food back to the kitchen. The server never bothered to come back to the table to see if everything was okay or to refill waters. Definitely overpriced for what we received. read more

Over priced place. Doesn't worth it. Won't go back. Both food quality and service are so so, nothing special except the small portion and high price. Very disappointing! read more

Today on a holiday, we only had to wait 35-40 mins while We were guided to go to the back patio while we Shopped, the staff Was really funny and friendly, the atmosphere was family oriented, the mimosas Were awesome the food Was delicious. They did not Have Bloody Mary's Definitely will come back Here read more

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A great brunch spot for us on a Saturday. We were lucky we got a seat right away around 10 am on Easter weekend. The inside is adorably decorated with that diner feel, and no outdoor seating so we were very lucky to get seated right away. It seems like they are good at managing the influx and out-flux of customers. The woman who welcomed and greeted us was Bonnie Lu's daughter and there are pictures of her mother and her on the wall in remembrance. Very sweet story of a lovely family business. The servers were wonderfully kind and pleasant which made the whole experience just that much better. The food came out quickly and in large proportion! The pancakes were huge and fluffy!!! The omelets were jam packed more than I've ever seen before. Finally an omelette worth my time and appetite!!! So glad I ordered the veggie. It was PACKED with mushrooms and spinach and onions and tomatoes. Delicious, and lasted me two meals. The credit cup it came with was also yummy and fresh. And the orange slices were pristine! The biscuits and gravy had a gravy sauce unlike anything we'd tasted before...and in a great way! It had a sweet hint to it. YUM! This was a great spot and the food felt clean. Definitely know why this place is a local favorite :) read more

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We went on a busy Sunday over a holiday weekend. After waiting to be seated which wasn't too bad they called in four parties to be seated (ours being first on the list). Somehow being the first to be seated out of four parties we were the last to order and last to be served. I literally watched the waitress go to the other tables and get them started before us. I ordered egg whites with turkey sausages. When I bit into one of the links it was watery and cold inside. Aside from that the eggs, toast and coffee were good. Our waitress was OVERYLY animated and was compelled to match the energy of a 5 year old kid that sat in the booth behind us. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Every time she came around they both would start yelling pleasantries at each other on volume 9.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

This was my first time visiting Ojai and read wonderful things about Bonnie's however the experience was everything but. We waited 45 minutes to an hour for a seat all thinking the food was going to be worth it. [[HIGHLIGHT]]We got sat in a semi cute diner which had little to no air conditioning.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]It was very crowded and maybe 2-3 waitresses that were taking everyone's orders, hostessing, cleaning, and running the food.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] It was an absolute mess. We waited another hour for our food and it was a disappointment. I ordered a steak sandwich (medium) my steak was rock hard with no sauce or cheese. The waitress did not check in for refills or check on us once. I sat with an empty orange juice and my boyfriend with an empty coffee the entire time. The 3 waitresses/hostess/cleaners/everything else were heard loudly complaining how crowded it was and making very sarcastic comments to people who were asking about their wait. The entire experience took 2-3 hours and I would never want someone to experience this again. So many other amazing food options on the same street. Go there!!!! read more

Take this for what it's worth..... came to Ojai for a day trip to check out the famous Farmers market, after that I was looking for a place for lunch. This place was listed as #1 on Tripadvisor and better yet it was steps from the Farmers Market. Kind of a weird setup, you enter through the front door but then they make you wait out the back door, so it seems like there's no wait until you see all the people out back. So there were only 2 of us and they said maybe about 30-45mins. An hour later we were still not seated, as were many others. We were on a time crunch but really wanted to try it so we continued waiting. About 90mins of waiting we were finally seated but then the waitress told us the kitchen was backed up and food would take up to another hour to come out.....we didn't have another hour to wait, especially considering that didn't include the time to eat. We ultimately made the decision to leave, basically wasted 2hrs of our short time up in Ojai. I recall seeing another review similar to this so it looks like this place can't handle it's own popularity. read more

Bonnie Lu's - 5.29.23 - Cafes Near Me - Ojai, California