A very busy place on the weekends, and not sure if it's worth the wait. We waited 45 min as a party of 2. The price for all this was $37.74. The service was okay, nothing that stands out to me. I ordered the hot cocoa which looked extremely indulging in a photo on the menu. However, taking the first sip I was met with dismay as I could taste the nestle packet of hot cocoa mixed with boiling water. I expected more from the portion and execution as the drink was $3.75. The breakfast burrito was amazing. I got the burrito with chorizo and it was beautifully seasoned and flavored. Except, it had bell peppers in the burrito that lead me awry with a bitter taste, as it might've been placed raw and unseasoned in the burrito. The chilaquiles tasted good, but the portion size was not worth the price. Overall, the food experience was a 7/10. As a consumer, looking out for another, if you look below they have numerous health violations (these violations are available on yelp). Entering the restaurant, you can tell it's a very unhygienic environment and maybe not somewhere you'd want your food being made in. There were stains on wall and trash on the floor. I would rate the surroundings a 5/10. read more

See all

Wonderful find in Riverside! Great location right on Van Buren. Open 7:30-1:30 if you are looking for a great breakfast or lunch this is the place to go. Large parking area. Clean and quiet! Family owned and operated. Great service and menu selections. Please support this small local business Jose will take care of you! read more

Joanna's Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Riverside, California

Very nice place very calm the waiter Ms. Lin is very nice I felt like I was in Mexico somewhere having breakfast with my wife food is amazing! read more

Joanna's Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Riverside, California

I gave this a 2 star and being generous. This place is so dirty, I don't think they ever sweep the floors or clean the windows. There was food in the walk way, food on the back of the seat on the ledge. Super gross. My pancakes were burnt and had a old never cleaned griddle taste. my husband's nutty waffle was pretty good. Flavor was good, that is what he said. Service was just ok, I ask the waitress for creamer 2 times and she never brought any. No I do not recommend this place at all. Very small, crowded and was very stuffy. read more

See all

After a somber trip to visit my grandparents at the cemetery in Riverside, the BF and I were aching for breakfast. With a quick Yelp search, I found Joanna's on the way back home and I'm glad I did. I like supporting small business and this place indeed is small but full of customers with more coming in as we were leaving. The BF ordered the chicken fried steak with scrambled eggs and hash browns with a side of bacon while I got their corned beef hash. Both dishes were delicious. Do keep in mind that they are limited on staff so it may/may not take a long time for your food to get to your table. The place is small so it can only accommodate so many people. Also, it's only open for breakfast...they close at 1:30PM everyday. Parking is also limited. Overall, if you get here early you will get seated quickly and be able to put your order in a timely manner. The food make take some time but it tastes pretty good to me. It's worth a try! read more

Joanna's Cafe - Corned beef hash with poached eggs - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Riverside, California

See all

My family at I came here on a Sunday morning waiting about 15-20min to be seated. Staff was very friendly and attentive. Food came out quick and was delicious. It's a small place and gives a off a homey feel. Defiantly will be back. read more

This place is by far the best breakfast joint in riverside! Wish I left food for everyone to see but I devoured it read more

Joanna's Cafe - Food - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Riverside, California

Family run place. Everyone is friendly and helpful. They do get crowded so get there early. Just a bit pricey Food is grub read more

Great breakfast, place in riverside.Stop by and check out Joanna's. Friendly service and delicious food.I suggest you try the omelets.All of them are good.I think i've tried every single one! read more

We came for breakfast and ordered 5 different breakfast items, so we had a decent sampling from the menu. All were mediocre at best. None of the 5 of us liked are meals. Problems were overcooked and undercooked food depending on what was ordered. I could taste the flour in the gravy! I've had better pop out of the can biscuits then the heavy hockey pucks I was served. My daughter's pancakes were served burnt. How do you mess up pancakes? The waitress should have caught that. One sausage on my daughters plate was burnt to a crisp and the other wasn't--go figure. We didn't return any items as the wait staff was slammed pretty hard. Plus we had already waited an hour to eat. We just wanted to get out at that point. We were sat next to the bathroom. There was a strong odor of cleaning solution when we first walked in the restaurant which was a bit off putting. The place is very small and crowded with tables. I would suggest upgrading the booths and tables. Smaller menu and meals that pare on spot. My daughter's pancakes and son's French toast weren't served with syrup. When we did ask for syrup it came out in tiny plastic to go cups. The cheese blintzes were more like a cottage cheese and the blintz was more like a tortilla. Huevos rancheros had no flavor. Fewer tables and maybe a spot to eat outside. We waited for nearly an hour for our food. Then another 30 minutes for our bill. It was so loud in the restaurant that we couldn't have a decent conversation. Waitress was nice. I was hoping for a great new breakfast find but am sadly disappointed. I really wanted to like this place. I would recommend the owners work on quality control. Pare down the menu and serve a few really good items. The place was very busy which just shows Riverside has very few breakfast choices. read more

Cool family style breakfast lunch place. Cozy and great food at reasonable prices. Can get busy but worth the wait.

Great food. Service is outstanding. My daughter and I got there close to closing and they didn't turn us away. Ambience is great, feels like your at home. I highly recommend this place. Just notice they do close early. read more

Best breakfast spot in Wood Crest , the food is delicious and the service is top notch, love that I can get a hot bowl of homemade Menudo anytime of the week not just the weekends!!!! read more

Great comfort menu. Very homey atmosphere, like your in someone's personal dining room. Staff work hard and are extremely accommodating. I dont give 5's anywhere, we all can improve. 3 Egg Breakfast, Huevos Rancheros read more

First time here so we ordered a variety. French toast, pancakes, biscuits and gravy and the French dip sandwich w French fries. Happy to say everything was delicious and the seating in the parking lot was cool and peaceful. Thank you! read more

Joanna's Cafe - French dip sandwich it was very flavorful and delicious - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Riverside, California

See all

Favorite place for breakfast. Great costumer service. Love the French toast plate. Owners are super nice and attentive.

Every single person staffed there was so nice and helpful, such a great experience! The food was amazing like something you'd have at moms house I had the eggs florentine (eggs Benedict with spinach instead of ham) it was really good and my friend got a breakfast burrito that was top to bottom custom made, she took the time to write down every ingredient he wanted and was super cool about the extra effort. I highly recommend this restaurant, its awesome that the people working here really care about you having a good experience, please support this local small business, they definitely deserve it! read more

Great food and service. Comfortable and relaxed atmosphere. Owner is friendly and welcoming everyone with a smile.

Wonderful little hometown cafe. Food is fantastic and so is the service. Thank you for bringing quality to our little town

Just simple good breakfast. Great service. Ambiance matches. Owner and family are great and concerned for their customers!

Mediocre at best. French toast was just bread with powdered sugar on it. Potatoes were bland and coffee was just colored water. Service was very friendly, but I cannot recommend this little cafe to anyone. read more

Very good service and food. Live close by and have wanted to try for some time. Many customers on a weekday breakfast. Enjoyable meal

This spot is a must, food is delicious with a capital D! Service is excellent ran by family that is very friendly and courteous. I tend to always order Country fried steak whenever I order breakfast and I must say today's was perfect ! Their country potatoes are to sooo sooo good! We also had the cHesse Blitz that were amazing ordered it without The strawberry preservers the owner offered fresh berries which made it perfect! read more

Joanna's Cafe - Cheese Blitzes - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Riverside, California

Formerly known as "Lori's Cafe"- Now affectionately known as Joanna's after the new owners wife. Still frequented by long time regulars which speaks volumes about the food. Touting the best bacon in Riverside- they didn't disappoint. Good service, good food and good price point. Hidden gem in the I.E. read more

See all

A lovely little place the continues to keep its community cozy. As much as I love diners, I love being here more. The breakfast you get here is filling and traditional. There's a lovely older lady waitress who's been nothing short of kind, welcoming, and the mom of the space. Have someone coming in from out of town? Bring them here for an early breakfast. Just got out of church? Give Joanna's a try. They put love into what they do. read more

Best breakfast I could ask for! Chorizo enchiladas were incredible with excellent flavor and the service was 2nd to none!

This place was sooooo good!! It was Saturday morning at 11 am and the wait was maybe 10 minutes, it's not a huge place but you can tell they're doing their best to get people sat and served. Joanna herself took our order which we though was pretty cool, we got the eggs Benedict (I sub bacon for ham) with potatoes, a breakfast burrito with bacon, and an order of French toast to share. I loveeeeee eggs Benedict and am fairly picky about the hollandaise, and theirs was delicious!! The potatoes were really good too. My boyfriend really enjoyed his breakfast burrito, it came with fresh salsa and sour cream, and it was so big he took half Home. The French toast was pretty good, the only Thing I'll say is it almost seemed like the bread they used To make it was whole wheat, it wasn't really fluffy like I expected but more dense and not as sweet. But it had fresh strawberries on top and was still enjoyable! We can't wait to be back here, it's conveniently located and super fairly priced. Thank you guys! read more

This was our first time here but not our last time. The service was great and the food was delicious! We will be back soon. I should've took pictures of the food but we scarfed it down. The price was fair too!!! read more

Joanna's is a locals institution. This isn't fancy or pretentious it's just hard working people serving food food. It had been awhile since I had an opportunity to eat at Joanna's Cafe in Woodcrest off of Van Buren Blvd but I was able to rectify that recently. Joanna's was one of those places you really hoped were going to survive the pandemic closures. This is a family business run by Jose and Joanna and their kids. They are day in day out grinders working hard to take care of everyone who comes through the door. The menu has seen a few smaller modifications but the standards they are known for are all still there. Don't look for fancy, just picture a good home style breakfast. Pancakes, eggs, really crispy perfectly cooked bacon and a strong cup of coffee. Joanna's had done some remodeling just prior to the pandemic but a number of the booths need some serious repair. Padding is torn and and honestly presents poorly and doesn't reflect how much heart Jose and Joanna have invested in the place. I'd love to see them get those fixed as it may sour some first timers and a few regulars. Don't expect your food fast. The kitchen is nonstop busy and you are going to see a pretty full dining room any morning of the week. Joanna's is a melting pot restaurant. This is one of those great places where everyone is welcome no matter who you are, what you do or look like etc. You may walk in and see a young family at one table, construction workers at another, firemen and officers or doctors, retirees and struggling musicians. It's one of my favorite things about the place. Can't go wrong with pancakes, large and well made. Bacon is always crispy. Joanna's potatoes are a bit of a larger cut style with peppers and onions, good flavor but I'd ask for them well cooked as they have a tendency to be a bit under for my taste. Waffles, eggs Benedict, custom omelettes are just a few other items. The salsa is always good. Things like salsa and syrup used to be served differently but with Covid changes they have opted to bring more single serve sides in plastic containers but don't worry they will make sure you get as much as you need just ask nicely. There is a distinct western vibe with the decor but honestly it just feels like Woodcrest. I'd give Joanna and Jose five stars themselves for the hard work they put in everyday. The food is a reliable and tasty four stars. The restaurant needs some post pandemic love so I would go 3.5. Overall Joanna's remains a solid 4 and a good choice for your basic breakfast. read more

Food was not fresh, old bacon taste, expired potatoes and salsa no flavor eggs EVERYTHING had no flavor ! I will never return

Had breakfast here this morning and the food was excellent, the staff was very friendly and reasonably priced. First time here and glad I gave it a chance. read more

We came in with a party of 6, we had to sit at tables next to each other but we didn't mind. The food was really good, perfect portions big enough to share. All the servers were nice, and friendly. We'll be back when we're in the area. read more

First time here and just have to mention: as of 8/26/2017, the sign outside the restaurant says Joanna's cafe, but rest assured, it is the same "Lori's cafe" that you see in the reviews on both Google maps and yelp. The name has been changed, but hasn't been updated in here yet. The food was delicious, and the portion sizes are good. It had that home cook taste that proved the food was cooked to order. My reason for the 4 star instead of 5 is simply because the price was a little on the higher end. Definitely more than I was expecting to pay. The service was great, the servers were friendly, fast, and treated you like family. Overall I would definitely recommend this place for some delicious breakfast! read more

See all

I've been in California for 2 years and this is the worst breakfast I've had. While the picture make it look great, the food is void of flavor and seasoning. Would not recommend read more

Back in June of 2021 our first and only visit with Joanna's Cafe my family was rejected service unless we sat outside because my daughter's service dog. I wrote a non favoring review about the experience. The owner did reach out to me and we established back channel dialog and education was provided. I told the owner that one day I will return and that day was today; my daughter, her service dog and I returned to Joanna's Cafe. We were warmly greeted by a waitress and invited us to sit where we would like. Our order was taken and our food was brought out to us. At no time did anyone ask about the dog or asked us to sit outside. It felt good being treated as normal and my daughter and I enjoyed the wonderful food that we purchased. Thank you Joanna's Cafe for making us feel welcomed and I looked forward in brining the all the family next time for a breakfast. read more

Great service, food is good not mind blowing but a good standard breakfast place above average. Prices are super reasonable. Environment is quaint and country. Definitely recommend! read more

Joanna's Cafe - Delicious! Corn beef hash - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Riverside, California

Great food and service! You wouldn't think it was good because it's off the side of the road. But it is absolutely deliciously amazing! Highly recommend!!!! read more

Great food and service. Amazing owners and staff. I go there every 2 weeks with friends and we all agree that the food is incredible and as I said the staff is excellent. read more

This is a very good mom & Pop place. Not very big establishment but non the less a very nice place for breakfast. The nutty waffles were pretty good love that fresh homemade batter taste. My suggestion would be to put the nuts in the batter not just on top. Hubby had eggs & sausage which he felt were cooked pretty well. Kids menu is excellent. Service was extremely good! Sweet & friendly server 9/27/19 things have changed dramatically since we were here last. It is no way ad good as the last time we were her. Hubby ordered the mushroom omelette, it was thin & dry & Very small. My Belgium nut waffles were so very dry! My daughter's breakfast was fair! Sooo disappointed read more

Found me a great breakfast spot deep in Riverside. The place is a bit small so I'm sure it gets jammed packed easily on the weekends and rightfully so because the food was great. I ordered Lori's Hash, a skillet dish with ground beef, country style potatoes, onions, mushrooms and bell pepper with 3 poached eggs and hollandaise sauce. I'm a sucker for eggs Benedict and hash, any type of hash so it was my delight that Joanna's offered a dish that combined them both. It was delicious! The hollandaise sauce was so creamy, the poached eggs were nice and runny and the hash was scrumdillyumptious (did I just quote Willy wonka). You gotta try this place! read more

See all