I came back here today to get the Atomic Burrito. My favorite for almost 3 years. The menu is diverse, as the special change everyday. I watch the tweets for something good and order it to go. If you have time to let Rick make you something, by all means wait for something good. I have learned a few things about this place since I came here over 3 years ago: 1. Good food takes time, order ahead. 2. It's a small business with 3 employees at most. 3. The food is made with care. 4. There are always new and exciting items on the menu, and you won't always find them there all the time. If it's not on the regular menu, it's a special and you won't find it. Read the menu. 5. Rick caters to local professionals looking for a decent meal, and mostly for takeout. 6. I know Rick, and he is a caring and sweet guy. He's always helped me out and I make the time to talk with him about his selections. 7. I order there almost twice a week, and I've never had a problem that Rick could not solve. So if you are a local like me, and want to take your sometimes adventurous taste buds out for a treat; Rick won't disappoint. read more

First time here. Came in ready to order one of of their dope looking salads to-go, but ended up getting sold on heir dish of the day when Rick himself came out and described the pizza to me. It's one of the best thin crust pizzas I've had. Very gourmet quality. The crust was as thin as a card stock and stayed crispy! The lightly dressed salad itself compliments the pizza very well too. The service and the quality of the dishes here are nothing shy of a 5-star hole in the wall. I'll be back for my salad another day. (This is by far a hole-in-the-wall, but I merely called it that because it's in a business park. The service and atmosphere makes you feel like you're a guest in Rick's home kitchen and nook.) read more

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Very hard to locate the entrance. If you're using GPS, slow way down as you get close, and look for a red banner at the entrance to a business complex. Parking in stalls 113. Order at the first counter you see, take a seat, and wait for food to come to you! Pay afterward. TINY hole-in-the-wall place. Maybe 6 small tables and a couple spots at the counter. Food is fresh and good, and made to order. I got the Ion Panini (chicken, melted swiss, sun-dried tomato paste, artichokes, mushrooms), which had slices of actual chicken breast, not that processed deli stuff. Bread was crispy, ingredients were balanced. I got French press coffee, and they left the press at the table haha. I'm going to be wired! I also got bacon on the side, which came out crispy and gloriously thick-cut. Wish I could stay here all morning and read while nibbling on bacon and coffee, but the chairs aren't very comfortable (small, light, hard plastic, wobbly). Still, it's a place with good food, and everyone has been really nice. Definitely mom-and-pop vibe. read more

Huan, the owner, and his friendly staff members always treat you like family. The food is top-notch and never disappoints me, even when I do take-out. The portions are large, and the price is wallet friendly. It is a must go to neighborhood place that I frequent often. Love their daily specials like Pho and Sushi. Huan handmade the cozy wooden furniture, and the cafe is sparkling clean, always. read more

This is such a hidden Gem. It's hard to find cause it's inside the building. Once you're in there it is a private little cafe with good food options and the staff is very nice. I would definitely recommend it. read more

This place is tucked away in an office complex right by the airport. It can get busy during lunchtime, so I usually call in my order ahead of time. The sandwiches are great. The ingredients and care put into the preparation set this place apart. Rick and his crew are very friendly, and the place has a cozy feel. read more

Great service and great sandwiches! Had a vegan option with house made hummus, crispy romaine, tomato and fresh cucumbers. Would definitely come back to try their other options! read more

Rick's Atomic Cafe has some of the best wraps I have ever had! It was also on the healthy side while being super delicious! Great little spot in Costa Mesa! read more

Truly amazing . They're kind, friendly, and the food is delicious. I got the breakfast burrito and it was the perfect size. It also was extremely fresh. The eggs weren't oily & The vegetables were not sautéed in a ton of oil. They were fresh. The whole breakfast burrito was flavorful, felt healthy & gave you energy rather than other burritos were it's greasy/oily or too big & puts you in a food coma. 10/10 recommend and will be coming back! read more

This spot is amazing! It might be a bit hidden but they take online orders and have delivery options too. The wraps were sooo yummy and they have vegan options. The guy at the front was friendly and suggested a really good juice to try. Fresh squeezed too!! It's a must try place ! read more

I came across this gem when I was referred to the cafe by a paintless dent removal place half a mile away. It's definitely a hidden gem in the midst of the industry center and the airport in Costa Mesa. I was greeted warmly by the owner and his wife when I came in. They were very welcoming and warm which you don't see very much anymore. I asked him about what he recommended for breakfast and he pointed me to the croissant breakfast sandwich. The sandwich was epic - fresh and tasty. Freshly made eggs, secret sauce, cheese, sausage, arugula, and a toasted croissant. This is definitely the best breakfast croissant I have ever had. The owner realized I needed to work a bit so he turned on the AC for me, and offered me for Wifi access. I ordered a beverage and also they brought me bottled water. This is a level of hospitality and warmness you will not get at the normal brands such as Star/Pete etc...;) Give this place a try, you will not regret it, I highly recommend them! read more

We were in town for the day and a co-worker suggested iHop and I thought, no thanks. I read a few reviews about Rick's and though let give this a try. It was way better than I expected. Incredibly firendly people, great food, great service. Yes seating is limited, and there were four of us meeting before an upcoming meeting. We were able to talk comfortably and it was never too noisy. The food is delicious and you can tell everything is made with fresh ingredients. When I'm back out that way I will definately go back there. read more

This place just looks genuine, and the food is just as delicious as you expect it will be. I visited it for lunch for the first time today and consumed a delicious and original Cobb salad - everything so fresh and tasty! I'll be going back for one of their paninis very soon. Bet they're delicious and original, too. read more

Been dying to try this place since I started my new job down the street but it was closed due to Covid. Finally got a chance to stop in. The soup of the day, lentil, was fantastic. I will surely be back! PS Thanks for the free cookie, Ashish! read more

I was a little surprised to see such high praise for what turned out to be a tiny store that reminded me of a cafeteria by its minimalistic set of 2 or 3 tables and chairs with a single podium where the cash register is the first thing you see when you open the door. Knowing I was about to go to work at SNA, another airport bombshell of $10 sandwiches if you want to avoid fast food, I saw a simple breakfast sandwich for $5.25. This business obviously exists for to the business Park surrounding it, but the process are quite fair for the OC. Yelp spaced out on me trying to submit to GrubHub but my order did go through and the nice man behind the counter already had my sandwich ready though I'd only ordered it less than 5 minutes before. They handed me a piping hot sandwich full of well flavored scrambled eggs, just enough cheese not to overwhelm, and some slices of actual turkey between grilled white bread that just held up against its captive fillings. If I'm visiting cargo, I'll definitely return! #impressed read more

Love this place even with the new management. Highly respectful people working here. Try the Sputnik Sandwich

First time here; found it on Yelp and decided to give it a try based on the menu and Yelp reviews. We stopped in for lunch after an appointment nearby, and WOW - we will be back every time we are in the area. This is a small Owner Operated restaurant and the food is fantastic. Tasty and fresh. Good size portions and good prices. The menu includes breakfast, and Vegan dishes and Salads in addition to tasty and tender meats. I had the shredded pork tacos and my wife had a veggie panini sandwich. Both dishes were very tasty. Don't forget to get a homemade "muffin top" cookie and their Americano coffee. Yummy! read more

I give credit where it's due...great breakfast burritos. Good value, decent salsa. Definitely, worth a try and they're on UberEats!

This hidden cafe is smack in the middle of a many airport operations buildings. They are located in Airway. I've been to this place a number of times and it is awesome! The family who owns this shop are very sweet and so helpful. They even gave me a nice lemonade with mint on my way out the door from my pick up. Very tasty and appreciated! I work a good walk away from there so it's a nice way to get some sunshine and good food. Highly recommend! read more

Great ambience. The best grill cheese that include a delicious sauce. Very friendly service. .

Best kept secret - unbelievable home cooking ! Thursday's they have Indian and as someone who has eaten at countless Indian restaurants in the OC and Artesia , I'll say nothing compares to the flavorful Indian dishes here! Ashish is a master chef who will dazzle you with the variety and quality of his Indian cuisine from every corner of his country, I've had lunch on Thursday here for the last three months and I'm constantly amazed and impressed! Very reasonable prices and the staff is fantastic - Please support your local and independent restaurants ! read more

everything you get is amazing and they are so welcoming! great first time back and highly recommend :)

Hands down the best breakfast burrito I've had in the area for a very long time. I had the ham, my boyfriend had the bacon; and we both absolutely chowed down. No sogginess, every ingredient tasted great. And super fast service. Yeah!!! read more

Ordered the Neon salad- spicy Thai beef. The lettuce was mostly good, but several of the leaves had started to decay into slimy blackness. The beef was great and the salad was spicy, they also used a really good blend of lettuce including spinach and spring mix. The few slimy leaves and the overall cleanliness of the cafe were a little worrisome. read more

We picked up a puppy at the cargo area and before driving back to San Diego we decided to get something to eat. This place was nearby so we dropped in. So glad, very friendly service, good food, not too heavy, just right. Give it a try! read more

Wow!! Cochinita Pibil Tacos were on deck, amazing. I was skeptical when I saw Cochinita on the menu but they took this to a different level ..wow read more

Emelia Deli - This place has daily specials but the Cochinita Pibil was amazing, I will have this again ... delish - Cafes Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

DEFINITELY GET THE MENU AND CALL IN ADVANCE WITH YOUR ORDER. Give plenty of advance notice. Fresh and healthy at a fair price point. This cafe is ever so petit, but ever so delish! It reminds me of a small cafe you might stumble upon in a small European town - where you will see mostly locals and the lucky few who've somehow become a regular. Im ecstatic about the healthy, creative and trendy options on the menu and the daily specials are ever so enticing! My little office is in the same building, and it took me well over a year to try this place. WHAT WAS I WAITING FOR! Its a true diamond in the rough and I have a feeling I will be frequenting this cafe from here on out. I enjoyed the Nuclear Salad (a veggie culinary DELIGHT). Opening the box I found a colorful chophouse of my favorite veggies. The veggies were finely chopped tiny to perfection and arrayed in piles surrounding a feta topped bed of fresh leafy greens doused in a light vinagrette dressing. I was able to get a bit of each veggie in every bite... Opposed to a veggie tray tossed in a box. Ive been back to try the Chicken Ceasar, and found it to be one of the best ceasar salads Ive ever had (although if it was made with shaved parmesan opposed to shredded, I think it could be even better!). Phoning ahead is a must because Rich puts so much love his food - and that takes time. Much love to this place for nailing down a healthy and fun alternative to all the fast food/ chain/ corporate takeovers here locally! read more

I want to first start by saying that this is the third restaurant that was highly regarded by people on yelp. I hated this restaurant the the other 2 highly recommended restaurants with more than 4 stars. I have come to the conclusion that you yelpers are pretty dumb and wouldn't know a good restaurant if it fell on you. This place is tiny. Only 4 tables. I noticed most people got take out. Probably too lazy to get in there car and drive to a good tasting restaurant. So I get there at 1:15 pm and place a simple order of a neon salad and the ion panini with salad. There are only 2 people working for a very busy lunch rush. I don't know if someone called out sick or what. Also I went there specifically for the angus burger but guess what THEY WERE OUT. I asked the cashier when they will be getting the burger again and he said that it will be out until NEXT WEDNESDAY. Anyway after 30 minutes of waiting for my food the neon salad came out and was not bad. But my panini with a side of salad was not ready. The cashier did not pay attention to my check and apologized numerous times. 15 minutes later after my guest had already finished her salad I finally got my panini with salad. The panini was okay. It was bland and not very tasty. I was surprised after reading all the reviews about this place. Again like I said before most of these idiots on yelp have NO CLUE what they are talking about and have no idea what good food is. It was a big disappointment. Bad service, bad to okay food and nothing to recommend. And then when my guest got back to work she got sick from the food. So that does not help this places cause. If you still decide to go, order take out, check your order thoroughly before you leave and drink some pepto so you don't get sick. read more

Tried this place based on the high Yelp reviews and wasn't disappointed. My turkey pesto panini was delicious and I got a lot of healthy side salad for just $1 extra. It's not super fast, probably because they care about the food they produce so I'd probably be more of a call-in order person and take it back to my office to go. Looking forward to trying more items on the menu of this hidden little cafe. read more

Really good sandwiches and paninis, plus gourmet salads. Be sure to call ahead if it's between 12 and 1, it's worth the wait!

After reading the Reviews I tried this place alone with my father. I went for the Veggie Burger mentioned by the reviewer below me, an it was awesome! I loved the fact that it has sweet potato mixed in. I selected the potato salad for the side and it was good, but not as awesome as the burger. By the way I chose to have mine on whole wheat toast instead since I was looking for as healthy as possible. My dad had the special that day which was a wrap. I'm not a fan of wraps at all, however theirs was delicious! We will both definately be back! read more

Delicious! Everyone is very friendly and kind. Fresh, healthy, & fast service ! Chocolate chip cookie was great as well! Prices are very reasonable and the menu is easy and clear to understand. read more

Emelia Deli - Cafes Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Went here with a few friends for lunch. I like the mom & pop atmosphere and the owner is really nice. The food does take some time to prepare so allow yourself about 10-15mins or call ahead. Since its a small location and seating is limited, I recommend coming before 11:30am. Their paninis are really good as I ordered this chicken panini and it was pretty big so I ate half of it and took the other half home for later. This cafe does take credit card. I recommend this place if you want a meal that is close to homemade and great customer service! read more

I give up. I have tried this place many times as I work in the same complex. I thought it would be quick and easy, however, it is never quick and never easy. it takes at least 20 minutes to get anything here. You can call it in and its still not ready when you get there. I will give it to them that they use quality ingredients. Just because you use quality stuff doesn't mean it takes FOREVER to make. When you finally do get your food it is Tasty, but your break is over. Sorry Rick , but no more Atomic Cafe for me. read more

I'm so glad I work nearby. Atomic Cafe is amazing. Quality food made right there on the spot. I can tell that Rick definitely has a passion for food. Every day on his Twitter account, there's always a new special - something bold and quirky - that I can't help but try. Definitely try their veggie quesadilla. You don't have to be a vegetarian to enjoy this! It's colorful and flavorful. People who pass by always end up drooling over this whenever I order it. Seriously try to order ahead. You're pretty much guaranteed to NOT have a seat inside, unless it's off peak hours or if it's closed. I try to order ahead by 30 minutes so I know for sure it's ready. They accept credit cards, except AmEx fyi! read more

I went here for a birthday breakfast with a friend after I realized that Old Vine opened up later than our date. Initially, I was a little apprehensive, but I was definitely won over by the owner. The place is a little small and spartan, but it's well lit and there are windows to see outside and into the kitchen even so it's not so bad. The food was good. We both had breakfast burritos with a side of potatoes and french press coffee. Everything was piping hot and well prepared. It was a little on the slow side coming out, but I really couldn't expect for more considering that it seems this operation is a one man show. I would definitely go back for breakfast another time. read more

Talk about freaking delicious! I found this place on Yelp about a week or so ago and stopped in when I had a short lunch to pick up something to eat. Not only did everything on the menu look delicious but they had a special that day of a grilled butternut squash veggie and fresh fruit salad that sound impeccable, and it most definitely was! I even got a side of their homemade potato salad thinking I'd save it for later but man, once I had a nibble I just couldn't stop myself. And stopping by today I found the winner, the veggie burger is TO DIE FOR. Talk about amazingly delicious - their homemade veggie pattie on a potato bun, with what seemed to be grilled butternut squash (mmmm!), cucumber, melted mozerella, baby spinach, and onion with chipotle mayo - I vote #1 BEST veggie burger in all of OC. #1 ! I'll definitely be a regular, Atomic Cafe and their incredibly nice staff, amazing quality of food, and delicious recipes and concoctions is worth more than the 5 stars I can give. read more

I love Rick's Atomic Cafe. Wonderfully convenient, always fresh ingredients, Rick's great service with a smile. What more could one ask for? I always get their Atomic burrito (filled with zucchini, onions, black beans, tomato, cheese) and their huge salads. Delish!! You cannot go wrong with anything on their menu, I only wish he was open on the weekends and for dinner time! read more

Allow 15 minutes for the herb roasted potatoes because everything is cooked to order here which is wonderful. Herb potatoes were nicely seasoned and delivered to my table steaming hot. I also ordered the breakfast burrito (beans, cheese, eggs and salsa) which was great even though it could have used a touch of salt). The presentation was a little boring because it was just a burrito by itself on a big white plate (some fresh cut up fruit might have been a nice touch), but hey, I'm a fan! The day before I stopped here for lunch and ordered their homemade veggie burger which was probably one of the best I've ever, ever had...anywhere. I appreciate it when restaurant owners care enough to serve a fresh homemade veggie burger instead of something frozen out of a box/bag. Rick, the owner, was a very gracious host. He offered us a table to sit down so that he could come over and take our order (it is afterall, cafe style ~ where you would typically order and pay at the counter and then sit down). He also served fresh French press coffee which tasted amazing. I truly appreciated the fresh food being cooked to order (and at such low, low prices) and the rustic feel of the cafe. Yes, I'm definitely a fan! read more

Great across the board. Counter service guy (Jacob I think) was super friendly, knew the menu and was really engaged. A cook/manager leaned out and pointed out the specials. The menu was broad enough to give some choice without being just being a shotgun blast of too many things to choose from or trying to cater to too many tastes. I had the chicken and artichoke panini. It was top notch. Bread was toasted not burned and still had just enough soft chewiness. The chicken was cooked perfectly. Could have used a couple more artichoke hearts. This will be a common lunch spot for me for sure! read more