We chose Cafe Aroma for a birthday dinner and were so happy we did!…read more The bread with garlic in olive oil was a perfect light starter. My husband also enjoyed an old fashioned that was excellent. For dinner he husband ordered the ragu, and I had the penne in creamy basil (without shrimp). Both dishes came out quickly, were well prepared, and completely satisfying. Service was extremely friendly and attentive without being overbearing. We reserved the patio so we could bring our pup, and the staff immediately offered her water, pets, and even a treat. I always appreciate a restaurant that makes dogs feel welcome rather than like an inconvenience. The patio also had a lovely ambiance, with white tablecloths and the same polished table settings as indoors. My only minor note was the live music. The singer was fairly loud and close to the tables, which made conversation difficult. Instrumental music might fit the early dinner atmosphere a little better. If you prefer a quieter meal, dining indoors may be the better choice. Overall, a great birthday dinner and a wonderful experience!

I read a bunch of the 1-star reviews. I read some of the…read more4-star reviews. I have to go with 5-star tho. OVERVIEW of 5 : Seated without reservation (*make one! We got lucky*) Server was amazing Food expediter was super nice Food was delicious Elegant, fine dining experience Music was my mountain playlist (and not too loud) View of mountains for me. View of architecture for my wife. PARKING: Parking can be difficult in the small lot, but there's parking along the street too. INSIDE: It was perfect weather. 68ºF at 6pm after a warm day. They have "indoor/patio" style seating which may be difficult for some to access by multiple steps. We were seated at the top, a table away from the music, along the window side. They have heat lamps - but temps were perfect (lots of people and hot food warmed everyone up). I wanted to walk around the restaurant. The tiered architecture is interesting. FOOD: High End Vegan! Yes - I'm guilty of wanting to give them 5 stars just looking at their vegan menu. (And omnivore selection) Yes - I appreciate the care that it takes to prepare a plate. BUT This food was just delicious by itself. Even in a cardboard box, this food would've been amazing. VEGAN "cheese" appetizer (great for 2-3 people) Nut cheese was warm and tangy. This is NOT just cashews and nooch in a blender. It is spiced with something that brings a little heat. *you will want to lick the bowl. PRO TIP: The welcome bread with ... oh shit.... WELCOME BREAD / Garlic Olive Oil This crusty bread served with microplaned garlic + olive oil is fantastic. Garlic Fiend? You're gonna love this. Not a fan of garlic? What's wrong with you?! I mean... just serve from the oil side. Save some bread for your vegan cheese.... VEGAN CHEESE (cont.) Order the gluten free bread (a little more like Uti's toasted dinner roll) with your vegan cheese app. Omnivores at your table will be surprised how well this vegan cheese and wine pair with each other. TROUT I think my wife got the trout. She loved it. Light and delicate. VEGAN KIMCHI TOFU I've had kimchi. I've had tofu. We all have. This was prepared on a bed of roasty veg that was a great match to the salty kimchi. I don't know if there was a marinade preparation (sesame paste?) with the tofu, or it was made locally, or both, but this firm tofu was excellent. Sweet. Nutty. Salty. Fresh tasting and filling. The vegan menu here isn't just an "alternate version" of an omnivore dish. It is its own thing. DESSERT MISTAKE = not getting it. We thought there would be dessert in town, but we got out late. Town had closed. MUSIC Tonight's music was a pair of musicians playing CS&N, Neil Young, Bob Seger... acoustic session: Guitar, Violin, Mandolin. Quiet & sentimental performance was a perfect accompaniment to a long hike day. THERE ARE 1-STAR REVIEWS of this place. They have their reasons. I've only been here once. But I experienced NONE of the things they've mentioned. Moreover, we experienced even better than what other 5-star reviews suggested. This is an elegant spot, framed by a perfect day in Idyllwild. If I come back to the town, I will want to try other restaurants, but I'll definitely come back here. Not *just* because of their vegan options, but definitely *for* their vegan options.

I ordered the eggs Benedict with hash browns! My wife…read moreordered the Ruben on rye with side of potato salad! It's real busy but not like last weekend as it was a holiday weekend! The employees are great and you're up at over 5,000 ft. This cafe is like you being in your own cabin but with lots of people! We came up here about 3 yrs ago and love the food! Also the atmosphere of the mountains!

***** Five stars for the ambience. ***** Five stars for the…read moreservice. ** Two stars for the food. It's a very cute well run mountain town establishment with limited competition. It's a GOLD mine! The service and friendliness is second to none! Delightful. I was just gonna try a couple of à la carte breakfast items to save money, BUT I was quickly "flipped" to a full meal package (much to my chagrin) and with tax and tip over $21! Well, that's a little pricey for a senior on a budget. I hate to say this, but when I'm traveling on a highway (and there's almost no alternative) Denny's does this right with their "senior menu" offerings at half this price! And that's kind of a grand slam. I make the same mistake frequently and I'm not even a big fan of eggs, but I didn't have much choice other than the veggie burger. I decided on scrambled eggs with hashbrowns and the veggie sausage from MorningStar brand (which origin is rooted in the vegetarian friendly Seventh-day Adventist Church.) My side dish was a generous portion of sliced avocado, nicely plated. To me, this spot was kind of like a "SYSCO" food depot. (If you know what I mean). The standard fair for many cafés. But, the service is very warm, old school charm where everybody chats with you to make sure you're doing OK and comes by and taps your shoulder or gives you a little back rub in passing. Not Harvey Weinstein weird but rather kind, friendly, vibes. I was transported to the set of "Andy of Mayberry" just wondering when Aunt Bea was gonna bring out the apple pie! Next time I'll try a veggie burger because it's a comfortable spot and the people are so damn friendly! Wait a second, is that Floyd the Barber, Goober the Mechanic, Otis on a bender? Oh no, I have to run! I see Barney giving me a ticket! Shazam, Shazam!

Tommy's cooking is amazing! Delicious plentiful meals with all the accompaniments. If you haven't…read moretried it, you're missing out. Just wish I lived closer so I could buy more often. And he's a nice man.

Tommy's is a former restaurant whose chef turned to takeout and the mountain town of Idyllwild is…read moreall the better for it. We've been coming to Idyllwild for 60+ years (100 as a family) and we've seen restaurants great and small come and go. Tommy's right now is one of the top three, ironically as it is takeout dinners with the occasional holiday brunch. This Sunday on Memorial Day weekend we ordered the Roast Lamb special ($24), a robust herbed port wine jus three slices, which came with a dense square of scalloped potatoes au gratin, buttered peas and glazed carrots--with excellent broccoli cheddar soup with croutons--and a white dark chocolate mousse that was the perfect light dessert (I couldn't believe I ate it all). We're having leftovers for lunch or dinner today. What Tommy's gives is way over price value but it's his European culinary technique that elevates the food, even when doing crispy fried chicken with biscuits and gravy. The menu is set, one dish a day, though some occasionally come with vegetarian options. As a bonus, son James bakes excellent French bread--we bought a sun-dried tomato one which was terrific dipped in olive oil. Best of all, for us, Tommy's allows us to not fill the best hours of the evening with cooking and prep. We can sit out on our deck and enjoy the mountains. I'm a food writer among other things (finalist, Best Restaurant Feature, 2015, City & Regional Magazine Association) and author of The French House.

The second I bit into the French fries, I knew something was different. They were hands down the…read morebest fries I've ever had. I immediately asked the owner what they used, and she smiled and said, beef tallow. They actually go out of their way to special-order it, and you can absolutely taste the difference. Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and packed with incredible flavor. Then came the burger... wow. The bun was perfectly toasted, the beef was thick, juicy, and cooked with the perfect crust. Every bite was absolutely incredible. I swear I had a full-on food-gasm. That's how good it was. But what really made this place unforgettable was the atmosphere. It's family-owned, and you can truly feel it the moment you walk in. Every single person made us feel welcome. The owners, the staff, and everyone dining there created such a warm, genuine, inviting environment that it honestly felt like eating at a family member's home. The highlight of the evening? They let my boyfriend serenade me on the piano, and it turned an amazing dinner into one of the sweetest dates we've ever had. It was so romantic that I honestly thought, this would be the perfect place for a proposal. If someone got engaged here, it would be a memory they'd cherish forever.

You're missing out on an amazing breakfast/brunch/lunch if you dare to drive past this hidden gem…read moreof a cafe. It's easy to miss, but you absolutely shouldn't! I've been wanting to go there and only wish we would have sooner. The focus here is on top-quality ingredients and fresh preparation. Everything is homemade right on site -- not poured from cans and pouches. And you can tell! House-made corned beef hash? Top notch. The giant cinnamon roll, made that morning? Out of this world! We've heard great things about the fish n chips and a bunch of other dishes. Now I need to get back there ASAP. I'm hoping they are able to sell some tshirts to spread the word and also put up a BIG bright sign to the left of the parking lot (facing traffic) so people really know they are there and working hard to offer great mountain home cooking in a clean, friendly environment. Outstanding food isn't easy to find up here. Once you stop in, you will be back again and again!!!

Had prime rib tacos they were very good…read more I ordered the molten lava chocolate cake and did not get it Then the manager brought me the right one Makes me happy

Cool setting. There for lunch. I think in tue evening with music and the decks would be a great…read moretime. Food was good

Of all the times we've been to Idyllwild, this was the first time here. We've seen it pretty much…read morealways whenever leaving town as it's along the way back. Finally, it'd time to give it a try. There's a parking lot behind the pub but the main entrance is around the front area. There's a sign posted to where the parking is. You have a little steep driveway down to the parking lot. I don't think there's an entrance from the back so I wouldn't know how you would enter if you parked in the back. There's a fairly decent amount of parking and to our surprise, they even had a little nature trail along it. Anyways... The front entrance has a good amount of stairs up that will lead you to the pub. Quite an entrance I must say but once you reach the top, it's pretty much an open feel. Majority of the place is out in the open. Some seating inside but everything is pretty much outdoor. Nice little sections off the balcony and then you have the whole bar counter that just looks out to the parking lot and nature. I love that concept. Also, they offer food which is a good addition. Most breweries offer food but it's your basics items while this place has a lot of things to choose from. Of course theres beer on tap, wines as well as specialties cocktails. A good selections of items to choose from. We went with their cider which was perfect for the heatwave as it was nice and crisp. Goes down easily which isn't a good thing... lol... Food/snacks, we went with their jalapeños poppers which came with ranch dipping and a jam spread. That was a first time having it with jam and let me say, it worked. Poppers were really good stuffed with the cream cheese and a nice golden deep fried crunch. Highly recommend. And the pretzel. That came with the single or double. Go with double as it's worth the valve, a few dollars difference. That came with cheese sauce, and two different mustard dip. Pretty good starters as well as the cider. The food menu was quite good with what we had but looking at what others ordered, everything looked delicious. The place was great and the open concept looking out to nature was major. It's also very pet friendly as there were loads of fur babies out and about. On either side of the place, there's outdoor balconies that look out to nature as well but I think the main bar counter as you walk in takes the cakes. Finally trying this place out and I would say it's totally worth it. Service was amazing and all the staffs were excellent. Drinks and food were delicious. Would definitely be back next time .

Hmmmmm.... Fried food and gassy brew. I wish the bartender would have not been in a mood. Don't be…read morehappy and dine there. Cheers!

We really enjoyed this asian inspired fusionish brunch spot. They have good food and even have…read morekimchi making classes. We tried the kimchi Reuben and it was a hit. It was a surprising combination, but it worked well. Almost like a substitute for sauerkraut. Also came with fries which were the right amount of crispy. Delicious food here.

An unexpected breakfast treat. We arrived to Idlewild the evening before on a Tuesday. We found…read moreout that most of the downtown area is closed down and I was hungry. We found the MileHigh Cafe. What a culinary treat. My wife had the avocado toast with her fluffy eggs. They gave a ample serving of avocado, which is unusual. The eggs were prepared the way she likes them and the coffee was fresh great flavor and strong I had eggs Benedict wow the sauce for the eggs Benedict is made from scratch the Canadian bacon it was real, I did help my wife eat a good portion of her sourdough bread . the greatest treat was having homemade strawberry jam presented The whole meal was wonderful and the atmosphere open clean and inviting. unexpected experience and I look forward to going back there.

My family and I always come here and they never fail to make us feel welcome, happy, and satisfied…read more The food is your classic American style diner but with beyond meat and plant-based options for vegan and vegetarian friends. Our server, Arcy (please forgive me if I spelled your name wrong!) is always lovely and just a delight to be around. She is very knowledgeable and is very helpful with any questions we have. As far as the restaurant itself, it's very in touch with the mountain, cabin vibe. It's very comforting and a nice change from your average diner. It's safe to say that my family and I will come back as we've done the years before on our trips to Idyllwild.

My girlfriend was craving a fat, juicy, pink in the middle burger and the winner of the selection…read moretonight was The Lumber Mill. It was their unique burgers that caught our eye so we decided to come in and see what's good. The first thing I noticed is that their prices seem a bit pricey for a burger and fries but all the prices here in Idyllwild are elevated so these prices are in alignment with other restaurants. And for me as the prices get higher so does my scrutiny of the food and overall experience. My reason for 3 stars instead of 4 is price vs amount of food you get - and the fact that they charge $5 for a Dr. Pepper. That's a bit obscene in my books, so 3 stars. Now the details... I was gonna get a pastrami burger ($20.99) until I noticed the Bacon Lovers ($19.99) and I'm a huge bacon lover and this is the first time I've ever seen a bacon lovers burger so I had to go with it. It is a juicy beef patty stuffed with bacon bits & topped with American cheese, more bacon and 1000 island dressing served on a brioche bun. They cooked it to a perfect med rare and it was really good. It comes with your choice of side (fries, coleslaw, potato salad, baked beans or garlic mashed potato's. You can upgrade to fried pickes, zucchini, sweet potato fries, onion rings or corn nuggets for $2.50 and our waitress was raving about the beer battered onion rings so I chose those. The burger was great and so were the onion rings, however as you can see from the picture, there were not many onion rings AT ALL. I don't mind a $2.50 upgrade charge but give me some onion rings PLEASE!! Not happy about the quantity fr that upcharge! My girlfriend got the Wild Western burger ($20.99) which is a juicy beef patty topped with bacon, cheddar cheese, BBQ sauce & onion rings. She didn't really like it much. She also upgraded to fried zucchini and she didn't much care for those either. It seems like there are good things here and some not great things here. If there is something ypu want to try here, I would go through the reviews and see what people are saying about it. Again, I feel like I got taken advantage of with that up charge on the 6 onion rings they gave me, but they did deliver on how good they are. I would recommend doing your research before ordering here.