Hostess with the mostest. Our host was a doll and we came back the next day because the French toast and coffee were too good to miss before heading back home. Thank you kindly for some much needed food cooked with love. read more

Closed Monday and Tuesday. Amazing pizza and zucchini sticks and much more! Clean kitchen and friendly service. They will treat you like family (in a good way lol) read more

I have eaten here several times both before and after change of ownership and it has always been grand ....plus I just want to put in my 2 cents to counter act the dog hater and the handicap access lobby. This is an old building with not a lot of customers so I feel like it is unreasonable to rail on the owners for not having good access for handicapped since it is an old elevated structure likely because it was built when the lake had a LOT more water (they have had to drastically lower the water level since then for flood danger) Yes it would suck if one were wheelchairbound but to be fair it is super easy to check out restraints ahead of time online before driving there....My guess IF the latest owner were forced to bring the building up to latest codes? It would just be financially impossible to justify expense that would never be recouped read more

Came a long distance to go check this place is the most disgusting restaurant I've ever been to. took forever just to get a hamburger and onion rings then it was brought out meat was bloody disgusting Just to find a dog hair on my food disgusting you have to ask for everything you need napkins ketchup salt whatever you need ask for it! it's very obvious this place does not have it together when it comes to customer service. They act like that place is full of people I can just imagine if they have five tables occupied they wouldn't know what to do that's besides the point. As we were leaving we noticed a dog in the kitchen where they were cooking. I don't care about your therapy dog there should never be a dog where they make food. Very disorganized service and will not be returning I do not recommend this please at all..... Health department needs to get involved. read more

Food: 5/5 Drinks: 5/5 Portions: 5/5 Atmosphere: 5/5 Cleanliness: 5/5 Customer service: 5/5 Speed: 4/5 Price: $$ Outdoor seating: no ADA access: yes Restrooms: yes M/F Kid Friendly: yes Vegetarian options: yes Vegan options: no Ambiance: casual Pros: friendly staff. Good food. Cons: very quiet with no music read more

Lake Henshaw Cafe - Resorts Near Me - Santa Ysabel, California

Great spot for, well, almost anything! Breakfast, salads, fabulous burgers, apps, Mexican, even pizza. Good margaritas,Bloodiest, etc. Don't miss this cool spot!! Connected to a fun little community store. read more

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Came here one day from driving back from Julian. There are only far few & better restaurants out here especially if you live off of or nearby highway 79. But they're all not open 7 days a week, mostly just weekends & hours vary open late/closing early. I know this restaurant is closed 2-3 (?) days out of the week but open for all 3 meals closing at 8pm. Anyhow, service was good (our server was doing it all & so sweet), food was good & cozy atmosphere, though it can get crowded during the summer. We'll definitely come back, there aren't very many restaurants coming up from Aguanga to here unless you go back to Temecula, (Cahuilla Casino restaurant, Anza) or towards Julian Ramona/or further San Diego county rural or city. And the other ones are more bar atmosphere (which are fine when you're in the mood) except for the one golf resort with prolonged food wait times unless your part of the local inner circle. read more

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Service was horrible. I had to ask the waitress (who had been juat sitting by the bar) to come take our order. Then 2 tables that came after us got their drinks, we had to ask again for ours (iced tea, nothing complicated) Drinks were slammed on the table. My BLT was fine but my husband's side dishes were either undercooked (rice) or just gross (pinto beans) read more

Charming cafe Good food- burgers, chili , home style , good value too Friendly and outstanding service read more

Visited again 8/7/2022 This was my 4th time eating here. Last time 3 days ago I had The Fried Chicken and was quite pleased with how Crunchy on the outside and tender and Juicy it was on the inside. Great flavor and comes with a large Salad and large Baked Potato. It won't be the last time I order THE Chicken. Tonight I went with The Patty Melt with a side of the Homemade Potato Salad. The Patty Melt was delish and the Potato Salad was very tasty. Next time I'll be trying the old standby Cafe Style, The Bacon Cheeseburger. So far everything I've tried here has been good. That's a good thing for a Little Country Cafe. Well worth the stop. read more

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They did have a handicap parking spot but no wheelchair or scooter access. Boooooo Don't make the drive out there. read more

Great breakfast place! The eggs Benedict are the BEST and come with a fat slab of country ham. It was hard to choose between entree options! Next time I might try the Country Benedict. Super friendly people who love good food and good friends! On a weekday morning the dining room was pretty full and lots of local tribal members were catching up with each other. Overall great experience! read more

This place doesn't look like much from the outside, especially on a quiet Monday afternoon...but its 1 of 2 eateries in a 10 mile radius, and the other is a biker bar. Inside it is clean, with some taxidermy deer to keep you company, and a friendly enough waitress. $12 bought me a shockingly delicious, meaty, greasy and juicy patty melt. I really wasn't expecting it to be this good! The fries were average, but still better than In N Out's fries. Covid19 is still wreaking havoc in America, but for a second I considered dining in since it was just me and one other solo diner in this clean joint...but then a maskless local walked in, took a seat at the bar, and breathed on all the exposed silverware behind the low bar...so I got my lunch to go. read more

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My wife and I were staying about a mile outside Julian. Breakfast spots were limited. We were driving along Hwy 76, and found this place. It was about 10:30 am. We ordered breakfast. My wife got an omelet that she said was the best one she has ever had. I had sausage and eggs with hash browns and toast. What a great meal. And the waitress/cashier/whatever was great as well. Sho's omelette had mushrooms, tomatoes, and spinach inside them. On top was fresh avocado and crumbled goat feta. read more

Lake Henshaw Cafe - My breakfast minus a little potato. - Resorts Near Me - Santa Ysabel, California

We travel often between Borrego Springs and Palomar Mountain and make a stop at the Lake Henshaw Cafe. We love the view of the lake, casual country atmosphere, excellent service and menu selection. Tonight we stopped in and had a wonderful dinner and thoroughly enjoyed our server Alexa. She was kind, friendly, attentive, and thoughtful. We really enjoyed the salsa with the Mexican salad and Alexa brought us some extra chips and salsa to go as we packed up our left overs. Give this wonderful restaurant a try and ask for Alexa. read more

Ugh... it was okay. My favorite thing was the view of the lake. My waitress was very sweet and kind. But the bathrooms were shut down, which we really needed. The breakfast was "ok", maybe lunch is better? It's just very overpriced. I was was looking forward to visiting for a long time, so a little disappointed. Maybe one day we'll try again, but not breakfast. Still a cool location read more

Great service and good chicken noodle soup! Loved the atmosphere and view of the lake. We will be back soon. read more

Lake Henshaw Cafe - Resorts Near Me - Santa Ysabel, California

We stop in every couple weeks , the service and food are great ! Wendy and Greg are always friendly and happy to see us . This is a great place . read more

I have been to the Lake Henshaw cafe many times over the last couple decades. I have always found the fair simple but enjoyable. The cafe had a local community feel always warm and welcoming, until now. On Sunday afternoon, shortly before 4pm, I stopped in with family and a group of 8. We were greeted by a server who was clearly not happy to be there. We were informed that a group of 6 had just walked in before us and it would be a while. That was an understatement. Clearly she was not happy to have 14 more customers. According to her she had been the sole server since 8:00 a.m.. When she saw my wife's service dog in harness, she said I can't have any dog in here, my boss will fire me. When we responded that that was not legal she acquiesced. But then she came back again and tried to get us to take the dog outside blaming the owner. We said that we would be happy to talk with the owner, but were informed that she was not there today. The attitude continued with everything that was put on the table. Drinks were refilled but placed with a thud. I had the pork chili verde burrito, I have no complaints. My wife had an open face steak sandwich and was very pleased with it. I doubt that I will be back. read more

If you're looking for cleanliness this is not your place. Sugar holders and salt pepper shakers were so gross. Literally looked like they hadn't been washed in ages. If that doesn't bother you then eat up. I simply can't imagine what their kitchen looks like if they can't even keep what customers see clean. I passed on eating but my husband did . I would rather be hungry than guess what may or may not be in my food due to the lack of cleanliness. read more

The French toast was well prepared. I added eggs and bacon to the order and they were well prepared as well. The service was attentive and quick. Considering there are not many options near by, stop in and enjoy a well prepared breakfast. read more

Just no. Used the restroom while I was waiting for a menu. Feces on the toilets and floor. Blood on the toilet paper roll. No lie.

Really homey place with great views of the lake. Food was pretty good and the service was excellent! We stopped by on the way home from camping, so it was convenient in that regard. The portions of food were generous and the prices were reasonable read more

Just Had Lunch the food was great and the waitress was very nice i'll be back soon also great view

Food was delicious - yummy pizza and the fried zucchini with homemade ranch dressing was the bomb!! - service even better. Can't wait to come back here. read more

Loved the service! Our waitress Kim was the best ever- we stopped for a beer and appetizers and she was a doll! She was chipper and happy and put smiles on our tired faces! Go here and ask for Kim! read more

On my way to the desert for the 4th of July holiday I stopped at the recently reopened cafe. I was excited to see it had reopened and was hungry for dinner. 4 tables of people 1 had 5 or 6 people already had food. eating and drinking beer 1 had 2 people who were there before me 1 had a guy who followed me in and myself. Not at all busy for a restaurant. the couple ordered, the single guy ordered a pizza to go and then me. Bacon Cheeseburger and water. 20 min in I get the water, the couple gets served then the pizza guy and I get a 2nd water. 55 min in I get the bacon Cheeseburger, Charred overcooked burger patty and even the bacon was burned. the fries were like grocery store frozen crinkle cut. all for only $12 The price didn't bother me or I would not have ordered but "Worst Burger Ever" and the service was nad. At no time was I asked how I wanted it cooked, my bad for not saying unburnt! Nor was I asked how was it? or thanked for coming when she brought the change. Hopefully they can get their act together because it is convenient when going back and forth to the desert which I do several times a month! For what it is worth I heard the pizza guy tell the table of 2 that it looked really good, but looks can decieving. read more

Lake Henshaw Cafe - bacon Cheeseburger - Resorts Near Me - Santa Ysabel, California

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Food was really good and fairly priced. Amelia was very nice. Nice stop on the way back from the desert. Thanks.

Ordered a to go burger. Was raw when I got home. 1st time. Ok. Ordered a large pizza, draft coors and a sprite to go. Bill was $37 tipped $1 and my bank statement waa $40. So the waitress added on to her tio. Do cash only!!! Not cool!!! Do cash only!!!! read more

We stopped in on a Sunday around 6 pm. Husband ordered fried chicken which came with soup or salad & veggies. The potato soup was scrumptious. The chicken was crispy on the outside tender on the inside. Portions were huge. I had the jalapeño burger which was delicious. We're leaving with her tummy is overly full. Prices are very fair. I'd come back. read more

I had such a great weekend despite the rain. This place is super cozy, clean but old (which is not a bad thing, it's super charming). The cabin makes you feel like you're in someone else's house, if a stranger offered you their simple home and said "It ain't much but we got a bed, heat and running water." Our cabin had a queen bed and a single with a fold out bed. Perfect for a couple, family of 4 or friends that don't mind being in close quarters with each other. $86/night--that's including tax!!! We got in really late, around 10pm, the desk lady was kind enough to leave me a message on my phone with instructions on which cabin we had. They left the light on for us along with the heat so it was so nice and toasty once we arrived. The cabin was as clean as it can be, with clean sheets, covers, pillows and a quilt. Sorry to disappoint some people who said there are bedbugs, they didn't have any. No other insects except for moths trying to fly inside where there's light and heat. Bathroom is small but clean, they provided us with a lot of clean towels and 2 small soap bars. Kitchenette has everything you'll need, plates, cast iron skillet, cooking utensils, cups, coffee maker and mini fridge. We brought some of our own food which came in handy because we didn't make it in time to eat at the Round Up Cafe. We had our indoor "camping"--cooked and ate dinner, had wine, played cards and cribbage until we were sleepy. The property only asks that you clean your dishes pots and stove if you used them. Definitely more than fair, otherwise a $25 cleaning fee----- so if you're lazy just pay the fee. Even that isn't much to ask, not outrageous at all. We cleaned ours ourselves but it felt nice because it promotes responsibility and a sense of community that's humbles people. Basically leave it the way it was or better than you found it. The following day I woke up and pulled the curtains to the side to see a beautiful view of the lake, sky reflecting on the water, was so breathtaking. A lot of birds chirping, you can tell there were at least 4 varieties from the differences in chirping. We didn't walk around the property much because of the rain but when we did walk we saw and heard cute woodpeckers stowing away their acorns. We then had a nice breakfast with yummy French toast at their Round up Cafe. It was great food, friendly staff and trendy outdoorsy restaurant feel. Afterwards we went to Himalaya Tourmaline Mine dig, literally 2 minutes driving on the other side of the property. We could have walked too but knowing we were going to bring back rocks, we drove. For those who are interested in Tourmaline digs, this is the perfect place to stay bec you can be at the site for hours and would be able to relax and cleanup at the cabin. Beside the restaurant is a convenience store where you can buy your camping basics, firewood for $6 and allergy medicine for $2.90, says something about how they are not greedy but just want to supply you with what you need as opposed to hiking prices just bec they're the only option for at least 11 miles. I could go on and on but all I have to say is look at my photos and decide for yourself. I will definitely be back, can't wait to see it in spring when the weather is perfect, flowers in bloom and more birds a chirpin! Note: to reiterate someone else's comment, if you're expecting this to be like an actual hotel like the Hilton, you might want to look at this place in a different perspective otherwise you'll be disappointed. read more

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This was not your ordinary resort. Very chill and very homey. But the staff was pleasant and courteous. And the other visitors were welcoming. Our cabin wasn't a 5star but it was definitely very relaxed and I felt as though I was one with nature. Small bonfire, shooting stars, dogs playing, and kids chasing them. This a truly hidden gem. read more

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A hidden gem! Great breakfast. The Chicken Fried steak was awesome. Nice view of the lake. Friendly staff.

Excellent chicken avocado and bacon sandwich, with a side of coleslaw! Both were very good as was the service. Great view of the lake as well. read more

Came to Lake Henshaw for my husband's birthday weekend. He requested dog friend camping with fishing and after polling a mom's group on FB we ended up at Lake Henshaw. First- we are tent campers so no reviews of the cabins. Also we did not dine at the restaurant but the food did smell great and they were consistently busy. Second- the lady working in the shop was.m very friendly. Her name was Edith. She gave us suggestions of site to choose, fishing recommendations, and more. We even put our name down on the list for the following days boat rentals when we checked in. Third- yes there is a trailer park that you drive past to get to the camping. We didn't see or hear anything from anyone in that area. It was a little alarming but overall doesn't appear to be an issue. Finishing up- we had a great weekend at Lake Henshaw. The camping sites were large the bathrooms were sufficient. Not the best or worst that I've seen. The showers were free. We rented the boat for the full day and we caught several catfish out on the lake. Dogs are welcome but must be leashed. There's a fish cleaning area and small playground. And the little shop has EVERYTHING you may have forgotten. Overall a great experience and we will definitely be back. read more

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Good food great prices. Service great too. Nice view to the lake too. Don't miss it .

This place has waitresses that have definitely seen better days, they're terrible at customer service. My wife and I left after more than twenty minutes of waiting for menus and having to flag down the waitress for water/coffee. Once we noticed they were taking orders at tables that came in after us we just picked up and left, got much better service and food quickly just down the road. Won't ever be back, there was some small black bug in my coffee when it eventually arrived. read more

Wow.... Wow by reading the reviews I see these cabins have the same issues since 2012, it's 2016 and still no upgrade??? I just got back from this dump, 1. Outdated 2. Dirty 3. Management rude ....with one exception the store clerk!!! She was very friendly 4. Bugs everywhere ( grounds, inside cabins, huge ants ) 5. And guess what? BED BUGS!!!!!! Pictures added... Two years ago we paid $60.00 and liked the place today's price is $97.00 for one night, they promise pool, and good service, these people don't have an idea of good service... Now my other friend started with red marks in her body... Whatever was in those beds it's now in their house.... read more

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We stopped for lunch and the " ew" owners ( 1 1/2 years or so" have cleaned the place up and rally updated the menu. What a great spot to stop and fill up. The staff was great, the food was hot and really enjoyable! read more

Nice relaxed place to eat. No crowds, great service and excellent comfort food. The Taco Salad is one of my favorites.