Terrific and friendly service. Tasty food. Deducted 1 star for 2 reasons. 1) The 3% credit card service fee, which is hidden on the menu. 2) $4 for 2 slices of white toast with a small helping of preserves? Ridiculous! read more

This place is fantastic, a local gem . We went there for brunch and it didn't disappoint. The staff was so nice and welcoming, and we were like please come in, sit wherever you want, and we were helped right away. Our hostess, Tracy, was super friendly, made great recommendations and the food was delicious. read more

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I had high hopes for this cute place, what a disappointment. Waited for 5 minutes to be seated in a half full restaurant that holds maybe 80 people. Busboy brought me my water, I waited another 10 minutes for the only waitress to bring the menu. Order was finally taken, food came out pretty fast but uggghhh. Omelet was ok a little underwhelming, hash browns were barely cooked/raw, and toast was incorrect. I ordered sourdough and got white. I sent hash browns back to get cooked, they burned the outside still leaving inside raw and cold. I won't be back, such a shame read more

This was an interesting find. I've been to this shopping area numerous times and didn't realize this restaurant/diner was tucked away in here. Food was good, prices were good, a great place to come with friends or even by yourself, they have a counter.. read more

You can tell this place is hoppin on a weekends but during the week there are only a few customers dining in this diner which seats 92! The menu has everything you expect for breakfast-all the American fare plus a couple of Mexican items like chilaquiles and chorizo con huevos. According to my receipt, mine was the 28th ticket of the day at 8am. I ordered the Biscuits and Gravy plate which comes with eggs, hash browns and two meats. This is the right combination for me to test out the food. The eggs were perfectly scrambled like an omelette. The single sausage link was large and skinless, cooked through and golden brown. The bacon was not thick or think but just right and as crispy as i like but others who like flabby will have to request that. The shredded potatoes were perfectly cooked from frozen but not seasoned. The B of the BandG was a real biscuit split in half and griddled. The gravy was just ok. Tasted like a mix or a can, like artificially thickened and glossy. It was not bad, though, so I ate it all. I always wonder why restaurants don't make it from scratch when everything you need is there and it starts with something you pay to throw away (animal fat). The atmosphere and service were 5/5 so I need to come back and try other dishes. read more

Friends Cafe - Biscuit and Gravy - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Tustin, California

Been meeting a friend here last few years 2 three times a month . Traveled a lot last year and did not come as often. time before last ok not great . We had breakfast last Saturday and not good ! I had oatmeal that came like it was instant made with to much water ! milk came in plastic container like ones use by mexican restaurants for to go salsa. which was fine since the bowl was already full of water . Friends bacon not good like usual . Friend owns a restaurant and said bet it is new owner cutting costs ! Sure enough new owners . Going back the end of the month and hope for better review . Ask nice waitress for a recommendation and she says food still great and we let her take bacon off the bill and said we would be back based on what she said ! My friend says she is a great waitress and is telling the truth or she is already looking around for new job ! read more

The morning menu for breakfast was great . The ambiance was pleasant. The staff were all friendly and quick . I would def try this place again read more

Friends Cafe - Deliciousness - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Tustin, California

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I ordered the corned beef hash and it must have been the worst corned beef hash that I have ever had in my life... I image that maybe they had this can since the 1980's. It literally tasted like dog food or what I would imagine dog food would taste like, a sloppy mush of bland un flavorful so called "beef" or most likely "mystery meat" I literally did not even come close to finishing this dish, I put it where it should have naturally been from the beginning, the trash!!! I will never come back, ever! read more

This is the best little Café in all of Orange County. they're so friendly and the food is outstanding. The prices are lower here than any place you will ever go. today I ordered the biscuits and gravy. It comes with scrambled eggs, hashbrowns, sausage, and biscuits. I also ordered the breakfast croissant sandwich with ham, and I got the fruit with it. Huge sandwich and a huge amount of fruit. I don't know how they do it for the prices they charge then I ordered the club sandwich. Everything here is so good. I'm ordering on GrubHub and DoorDash from this restaurant and the food lasts me for four days for $46 including tip. Can you believe that?!! read more

Friends Cafe - This is the biscuits and gravy with sausage and biscuits, scrambled eggs, gravy, hashbrowns - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Tustin, California

Good food and pleasant ambiance. Took quite awhile to receive our order, but it was a busy day. I will be back l for sure!

This is an amazing little place on 17th. great food at reason price. Service is friendly and prompt read more

Friends Cafe - Mexicali Scramble - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Tustin, California

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I really like this simple restaurant. Prices were good and portions were big. I had the French Toast and it was extremely delicious. Very big inside with plenty of seating. Remember to do random acts of kindness as it will make you feel great Happy Yelping and follow me for more awesome reviews read more

Friends Cafe - French toast breakfast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Tustin, California

Best place in Irvine! Can come here anytime of the day, they have it all and it's all so flavorful. Friendly people there too. Always so welcoming :) I'm obsessed with the shrimp francese and the lasagna... read more

Friends Cafe - Shrimp francese - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Tustin, California

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Being around the restaurant industry for more than 15 years visiting local restaurant and receiving the service the food quality I just experienced. If so, disappointing as much as you wanna go to local places and enjoy meal. It's very disappointed to receive the type of service and quality of food that I received at this restaurant. Where do I start? It is probably that is probably not the waitress fault but management. I asked other waitresses for refills and they looked past our table and one even smirked as she passed by and looked the other way. Our food arrived and 5 minutes later we received our utensils. My stake and eggs had completely 0 seasoning retuned it right away, the egg Benedict's sauce 0 comments, burned French toast and we never received our side pancakes and still got charged. Please save yourself some money and dine elsewhere. read more

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Excellent breakfast gem. So glad we found this place. Great steak and eggs, and pancakes are delicious. Affordably priced and good quality compared to so many others. No frills cafe with good food and service. read more

Was close by with my daughter so we wanted to try this place! We came 1030a Wednesday and there were a good amount of people still here but plenty of room. Pretty large place. My 9 year old go loved her French toast and described her fruit as, "amazing" and elaborated, "It's like fresh", said with a big smile. I couldn't just take her word for it so I tried her French toast, you know to "test" it for her to be safe, and it was delectable (and safe). She ate all the fruit too lol. The country fried steak was cooked perfectly and the gravy was so tasty. The breading wasn't too bad at all, in fact, it was one of the best county fried steaks I've had in a long time. The hash browns were also cooked superbly and after some salt and ketchup it was heavenly! It came with eggs and I did over easy but you can chose how to prepare of course. It's pretty roomy inside and the service was quick and amazing. If we are ever nearby we would return no questions as the other food that came out looked great as well! read more

Friends Cafe - Kids plate with fruit cup and French toast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Tustin, California

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Super cute family owned diner with excellent service! The menu is extensive and breakfast is served all day. My husband loves the chicken fried steak with hash browns here. The bathrooms are also clean and well stocked. read more

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We have enjoyed our meals at this place, but since the pandemic, it's been a challenge to know what hours the local restaurants are open. Hubby and I were happy to see that Friends Cafe is now open until 3pm. We have had good breakfasts and lunches in the past, so were looking forward to a nice lunch last week. When I saw the Chicken Tostada Salad on the menu, I knew I had to order it. The deep-fried tortilla shell was filled with chicken, mixed greens, Cheddar cheese, sour cream, and tomato. I liked the avocado slices (not guacamole) and that it came with black beans rather than refried beans. Hubby got the Philly cheesesteak sandwich with onion rings. The roll was huge! The service is always great, and we love the large and varied menu. We are on the portly side, so I need to remember to sit at a table. The booths are not as forgiving. read more

Friends Cafe - Humongous Philly cheesesteak sandwich with onion rings - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Tustin, California

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We used to go to places like dennys but one night years ago we said we wanted to support small businesses more and decided to try out friends cafe. To put this review short we never went back to dennys because friends cafe is far superior in quality of food, cost vs value, and service. With all those boxes checked why would we ever go anywhere else. I've taken many friends and family here when they're in town for a great bite to eat. I've tried everything from breakfast to sandwiches to dinner entrees and haven't been disappointed. My favorite are the breakfast choices. I'm a big fan of the friends combo breakfast. read more

Atmosphere was not great maybe because the lack customers? Food was ok but not great I'll have to try it again at another time to see if it's better. read more

Cashew chicken salad sandwich. The menu said $13.50, I was charged $16.54. I asked why I was charged $3.00 more and was told because of the bread choice. I was not told there was an additional $3.00 charge for a croissant roll versus a "sqaw" bread. The chicken salad wasn't all that great; it was less than average in taste and quality. In addition, the tip "suggestion" was calculated on top of tax. You don't add tip to tax when calculating the amounts. This cafe is a ripoff! Won't be returning here ever again. read more

Last Sunday my family and I went for breakfast but unfortunately we're discriminated against. We are a Mexican family and waited there for 40 minutes and in those 40 minutes they let 5 white families in. We let the host know we know we were a large group but we were okay splitting up but we still waited. There was an empty large table but unfortunately we did not get serviced as fast as everyone else. Once we were seated they were very slow to tend to us. Our pancakes didn't even arrive on time, everyone had already finished eating and we had to take the pancakes to go. We definitely did not feel welcome. This location needs a lot of service training, we had a horrible experience. We will never return. Do better. read more

Got seated right away though the the restaurant was busy. Somebody came to ask for my drink after I got seated comfortably. The waitress said she'd be right with me and she was and took my order promptly. She checked on me during my meal. Love the service. Love the friendly decor. Large clock. "Let's be friends" which goes with the theme of the Cafe. I ordered there Mexicali scramble with chorizo, chili's and cheese. Avocados and sour cream on top, though I ordered mine without the sour cream. I asked for corn tortillas. For the side I had fruit instead of their hash Browns, but their hash browns looked pretty good. Overall, very good and the scramble. Had a nice kick to it. Will definitely come back again to try their other offerings. Still busy when I left with even a wait on a Saturday morning. Please note the credit card surcharge. Most places absorb the cost. If you want to avoid the surcharge just pay in cash. read more

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We went on a Sunday afternoon to a full house. We got eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits and gravy, and French toast. Pros - everything was really tasty. The French toast was some of the best we had. The bacon wasn't overcooked. The sausages were good too. - friendly waitress - generous portions - reasonably priced Cons - (December 31st) a little cold inside/no heating Overall 8/10 read more

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Great food, excellent service and warm ambience. What more can you ask for? Came here for a company lunch and ordered the PCH sandwich and it was so good I will definitely come back to order it again. Portions were good for the price and everyone is really friendly, hence the name read more

Friends Cafe - Classic look - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Tustin, California

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Using Yelp reviews as our guide, we picked this place to have breakfast / lunch on Veteran's Day 2023. The place was cute as the reviews stated, however the food was average at best and the service was below par. Wifey ordered what was called corned beef and eggs described as corned beef and your choice of hash browns, but what came out was canned corned beef hash. I would have been disappointed but my wife was okay with the canned hash. I ordered the Chili Cheeseburger which specifically says smothered in chili and cheddar on the menu. What I received was a cheeseburger with a spoonful of chili on top. I enjoyed the cheeseburger but i was expecting a lot more chili. As for the service, being Veteran's Day, maybe they were understaffed but there was little to no urgency shown by any of the servers there. Greeting and getting seated was slow. Orders were also taken slowly. Food came out quickly but the follow-up (checking on us and refilling beverages) was lacking. BTW they charge 3% for using a credit card. The place is good just not outstanding. read more

Friends Cafe - Menu states corned beef but what they serve you is canned corned beef hash. Nothing wrong with it but it is misleading. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Tustin, California

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Food was amazing and large portions!! I had the pancakes and they were delicious. Definitely will return!

I've been to Friends a few times and I loved their breakfast. So I decided to come for my birthday with a party of 10. The staff rushed to get a table set up for us right away and had us seated within 5 minutes. As usual, the food was amazing. A special shout out to our server Monica who was so sweet and patient and accommodating. There was also a Hispanic man (I wish I would've gotten his name) helping her with drinks, who was also very sweet and attentive to our table. Thank you to all of the staff, because the cooks were cranking the dishes out as well. This is now one of my favorite breakfast spots. Great food, awesome staff and lovely atmosphere. Til next time friends cafe! Ps. Pancakes and French Toast are the best! read more

breakfast all day!!! friends cafe is a cute diner with a trendy and modern ambiance. i came for breakfast for dinner and was pleasantly surprised with how extensive the menu is. there are options for everyone with all cravings, including breakfast, burgers, sandwiches, pizza, and pasta. i ordered the friends breakfast combo special with cinnamon french toast, scrambled eggs, and tater tots instead of meat. i was super happy that they were able to accommodate this request! :) the cinnamon roll french toast was so soft and delicious and wasn't overly sweet. i was only able to eat half and took the other half to go so i would say it was a generous portion for only $15. it is a very large and clean space and the plaza it's in has a ton of parking, and this all made the dining experience more convenient and enjoyable. IMPORTANT TO KNOW: there is a 3% surcharge for using credit cards. i didn't know this before paying unfortunately. make sure to bring cash (unless you don't care about the fee). read more

Friends Cafe - Friends Breakfast Combo Special - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Tustin, California

Food is so yummy. No silly fads, just good homey style cooking. Friendly service too. Breakfast all day.

The restaurant is so dirty the restroom can't believe the restaurant is so nasty the walls and the entrance floor are black and greasy now is so different lay before the owner had to clean everything and when I said everything is everything and the food is not good anymore I never going back read more

This place is a well-oiled machine. Got there at a really busy time but all the staff were on top of it, helping each other out to ensure everyone got great service. Their food is fantastic too. Pancakes bigger than my head! And, not many people know this, but they offered very low cost meals to seniors during the height of the pandemic. I know because I was one of the volunteers who helped deliver the meals. Great place, great people. read more

Saw the raving reviews, and it's close to my house, so I figured I'd go ahead and give this place a shot. We entered the shop, and we were seated pretty promptly but afterward it took a while to get served. Overall, food experience was also just okay. ITEMS I TRIED: - Mexicali Scramble: got this with egg whites and fruit. It was okay, nothing special. It needed the sour cream to pair with it so it somewhat lacked flavor. It also comes with toast which I got with whole grain, mostly it was typical toast with lots of butter. SERVICE: it was okay, there were several times when the waitress forgot our waters and had to come back twice. I'm not sure if it was just because it was a slower rainy day. PARKING: ample parking in a lot as this place is in a plaza. PRICE: on the pricier side for brunch that's diner-style. Overall, I wasn't too impressed given that the food was just okay and the service was slow. I probably wouldn't come back again just because it's on the pricier side and the food/service was only mediocre. We're in the OC, so there are plenty of options around. read more

Friends Cafe - Mexicali Scramble - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Tustin, California

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Wow wow wow! A great sandwich spot and more. So here is the thing, their menu is huge! And I don't understand how restaurants keep all this food on the standby..but having said that. Their sandwiches are soooooo good. Their menu looks like an old school diner you'd find on the side of the road on Route 66. And for 14,00 it's a steal! Check them out. Their breakfasts look out of this world! read more

Friends Cafe - Club sub sandwich. It's huge! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Tustin, California

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Stopped here for a brunch on Monday morning after a doctors appointment. Parking is ample with many stores sharing the same lot. My friend had the steak and eggs and I had the eggs Benedict, California. Our server was Laura, who did an excellent job with service which far surpassed the grill. My friend had to send her steak back until it was well done, which Laura handled absolutely well. The food was excellent and hot. Well prepared. Definitely worth the price. Special shout out to the homemade salsa, which was excellent if you like spice. Well recommended, we will return read more

It didn't take all that much time to get a booth for our party of four after church. That was cool. Everyone enjoyed breakfast and lunch. Finally a restaurant that puts some bacon on a club sandwich. Sometimes we are in a hurry and Norms and Spires have just failed on the club sandwich. I'm going to check Dennys next. Yes we are low budget and I would order this again in a heartbeat. My pal John had some leftovers and staff hooked him up with extras... It's a big menu and I was afraid that it might be hard to cover all that ground but so far my fears have been laid to rest. A nice brunch and friendly staff. Great for after church and we will come back again for sure. read more

Great food... great prices... even better service! Best Coffee anywhere! San Francisco's Farmer Brothers!! The menu is great! Something there for everyone's taste!All the servers there are so kind and fun! So great to have this awesome neighborhood cafe.... We highly recommend!!! read more

Friends Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Tustin, California

Friendly dinner with amazing service. Large portions at a great price. Would recommend to anyone read more

Friends Cafe - Around the world omelette meal. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Tustin, California

I've been there a couple of times and leave feeling the same way. Food is decent but service is so so. The waitress takes your order and someone else delivers it. But no one stops by to see if you like it, if you need more water, napkins, etc. The next time you see them is when they bring you the bill. This time my charge in my credit card account was .45 more than the bill I signed. Do they charge extra to use a credit card? read more

The food is fabulous. The service is great. This place needs to be packed all the time.!