Come here if: You've been to Paris and want to relive the baguette experience Stay away if: You're allergic to carbs I just got back from Paris a month ago and I literally just got back to my office from Le Diplomate Cafe. Safe to say, all is still fresh in my head. First thing's first, this little cafe is in fact a bit small. About 3 tables inside that sit 2-4 each table, you won't be fitting any large parties in here of course. Luckily, there's plenty of room outside for you to sit at. Most of the people here either eat out (since it's always sunny in Cali) or take it back to their office, so you probably won't have a hard time getting a table. The sandwich selection is quite large and you'll probably stare at it for a good 2 minutes without progressing in your decision at all. Everything looks good even though everything has a plain name, like Garlic Chicken, Brie or chicken Broccoli and Mushroom. Still, I think it's safe to say whatever you choose it's going to be awesome. Here's a review on the Garlic Chicken sandwich. The full size costs roughly $6.25 and it's 9". Served with chicken breast strips smothered in a garlic aoli, it's really rich and delicious albeit a bit too garlicky for a lunch. I can still smell the garlic after a binge of fruitty tic-tacs on my drive back. Also, if you hate mayo (yes, some people actually don't like mayo) then you'll taste a hint of here in the aoli. It's not to the point where you'll want to regurgitate what you just ate, but it may not be the most pleasant experience. The baguette is warm, pressed and crunchy soft. Crunchy soft??? Yeah, it's a excellent sensation that the french have perfected, and it's really what every bakery in Paris has. You typically see the spongy soft or rip-the-roof-off-your-mouth crunchy around LA, but never the happy medium. But that's exactly what you'll get from Le Diplomate's baguette. And yes, while the food is good, it's not amazeballs, fall on your knees and propose to the cafe good. But for a quick local lunch joint in Irvine, this is a winner in my books. Wholeheartedly recommend this place, you can't go wrong (unless you're allergic to carbs). read more

Obsessed with their chicken garlic (+mushroom) sandwiches and croissants!! Cheap and yummy, although the lines and wait time can be a bit long, especially if you're trying to take a "quick lunch". Service is good! Sandwiches are a good size, filling isn't lacking, bread is delicious. LOVE their croissants but they never seem to have them when I go :( They give your free ice waters in LARGE cups. This is a big plus for me because rarely do I ever see any place generously give you large cups for water (at least the food places I go to lol). read more

If you love garlic, come here. That means all Koreans. The garlic chicken has an amazing garlic aftertaste that you just can't stop eating. Also, make sure you ask for additional garlic sauce. There's siracha sauce if you want to add a spicy kick to it. The food is great and all but, it takes them so long to make it. It took them about 15 minutes to get our food ready even though there wasn't alot of people.. Lastly, I love how they have spearmint gum at the cashier. Make sure you get that gum if you're on a date! Garlic breath for the whole day. read more

This place is my go-to lunch/dinner spot when I'm on campus. Sooo good! Their garlic sauce cannot be matched by any other sandwich place. You really can't go wrong with any of the sandwiches on the menu. Best part --it's perfect for my college student budget. read more

Get the chicken Dijon. You won't regret it. This place is a gem within UC Irvine. They have the best sandwiches and they use the most delicious and softest breads for their sandwiches. Service is great and quick. We always gotta stop by here when we're in the area! Thumbs up Le Dip!!! read more

Trying the famous Le Diplomate Cafe for the first time. We bought 2 different 9″ sandwiches to share - Chicken/Broccoli/Mushroom and Turkey Supreme. I love the warm CBM sandwich! The garlic sauce is amazing! Turkey supreme is great, too. Just not as good as the CBM Sandwich. Price is very reasonable. Can't wait to visit again!! read more

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Helpful staff, best sandwiches I've had in all of socal. The line can get long, but trust me the food is worth the wait. read more

Garlic chicken sandwich!!! That's all. Definitely one of the best places to eat at the university center. Priced reasonably too. I've encountered some bad services but they are probably just students so I don't really mind. I just wish that they were open until a bit later! Make sure you get sriracha for to go too :P read more

You sometimes have to wait, but most of the time its worth it. (sometimes the wait is really really long). If you are in the mood for a sandwich, pick a hot sandwich. Any hot sandwich. They are all good. Garlic Chicken is a long time favorite of mine. It is good. Its even better that I can walk there after/before/during class. read more

This is one of the only things that will get me back to UCI. There weren't as many restaurants/food places over there while I was attending UCI but having sandwiches from Le Diplomate made up for that. The Chicken Eggplant is my all time favorite but I love all the hot sandwiches there! Lots of mayo so be prepared. read more

Absolutely love this place, my favourite restaurant in Irvine. I am proud to say that I have probably tried 75% of the menu. While sandwiches like the French Connection, Swiss Connection, Chicken Mushroom and Broccoli, NY Liason, BLT and Turkey Supreme are great, the flagship sandwich has to be the Bacon Chicken Club. While extremely simple (chicken breast pieces, sliced tomatoes, bacon, cheese, and garlic/ranch sauce) it is incredibly delicious. Everything just seems to go together perfectly, and the garlic sauce and cheese act as the mortar that holds the whole sandwich together. The bread is spectacular. As the sign says, good bread makes a good sandwich (or something like that.) When I first brought my room-mate here, the Chicken Bacon Club sandwich left an huge impression on him. Once we got our sandwiches and found a seat outside, he began to chow down. What followed was a 15 minute conversation on the taste of the sandwich, with deep/though provoking topics like: How mindblowingly delicious the sandwich was, the necessity of the tomato to compliment the rest of the ingredients, how many times he could eat the sandwich in a week and have it retain its level of deliciousness, and what ridiculous things he would do if it entailed a free sandwich. Truly scintillating conversation. Like I said, the other sandwiches are very good as well but they wound up becoming only a change of pace from what became "the usual" for my room-mate and me. The croissants here are great as well, with the chocolate and strawberry cream cheese being my favourites. read more

Oh boy! After reading all the great reviews for Le Diplomate Cafe, I just had to have a sandwich . I just tried the chicken broccoli & mushroom hot sandwich and dang, everyone was right, it is delicious - the garlic sauce is soooooo good!!! I want to put it on everything! I was also craving ice coffee so he picked some up as well - def not impressed with it, I'll have to say that Lee's coffee is definitely better. I will definitely come back and try all the sandwiches - I can only imagine that they are all as good as this one! read more

Just two words. Turkey supreme. My favorite sandwich. Tried a few others, bacon chicken club, french and italian connection, which were all good. Quality is high, lines are long during peak hours though. Definitely recommend if you are willing to wait a bit more for your sandwich than other sandwich places. read more

They have some of the best sandwiches ever! Every time I go here, I always get their Bacon Chicken Club. It is my favorite and have always ordered it for the past 4 years. Their garlic sauce is really good. Best time to go there is before or after lunch time, which is between 11am-2pm, because that is when it gets packed and they have long lines. read more

Love this place. It's the closest, least expensive, most delicious place in the UTC. All the sandwiches are delicious with Le Dip's signature garlic sauce. I love garlic and I LOVE these sandwiches. There are a TON of different options almost anything you could want on it. If you like artichoke get the chicken dijon... omg SO GOOD. It's around 3 something for the half and 5 something for the full. Although the size is smaller than a subway sandwich, these do fill you up like cray cray and are so much better than subway. Yes there are lines but honestly haven't been bothered by the wait in the lunch time crowds, and I'm pretty impatient read more

Love the tuna melts here. Get the bigger size, cuz it's just that good. This place is yum. Back in the day, I used to come here in the morning before class for a chocolate croissant breakfast. Those were the days! read more

I am not an Irvine guy, nor a UCI student. Although everyone from that area is in love with this place and I can probably see why. Simple clean little store, almost reminds me of a donut shop. A nice long menu of various kinds of sandwiches! I have tried their Chicken Cordon Bleu and Garlic Chicken sandwiches. Very tasty! generally hot sandwiches, melted cheese and very saucy. Although these sandwiches can be on the heavier side, lot of people go for sandwiches for "health wellness" reasons but this isnt the place for that. Great place for lunch! Fast, Cheap, Tasty! read more

Great selections of sandwichs....I like everything I try so far. You will not go wrong anything with chicken. Creamy garlic sauce, tender chicken, and other yummy ingredients... It's so tasty that there's always a line. p.s. The smoothie is good, but it's a little bit pricy (compare with the sandwich) It still tastes good, but not a must-order item read more

Good, cheap, convenient to UC Irvine. In the shopping mall near Trader Joes. Small shop, take togo and if coming by during the week at usual meal hours, call in your order. Cafe is a vietnamese inspired cafe with American classics on French bread often with a Vietnamese twist. Every sandwich is good, but not all come topped with their signature garlic sauce. If this is going to be your first visit here, you must, i repeat, MUST order a sandwich with their garlic sauce. Stuff of legend. read more

So I like it here. I'm so willing to come back and try it again. I really liked the garlic sauce. A mayonnaise spread full of garlic flavor. What I didn't like...the garlic sauce. I know, weird huh? The first few bites were great. It seemed to really meld well with the chicken and eggplant. That little acidity from the tomato cut into all that fattiness of the mayo base. But after consuming about a quarter of the sandwich, all I could taste was the garlic. The taste literally sat in my mouth until the end of the day. Now normally I don't mind that garlicky taste, but wow...it was pretty heavy. I think when I order it again, cause I will, I'll ask for more tomatoes or even more eggplant to help balance that for me. The other disappointment was that on both end of my sandwich (I ordered the full order), there was an inch gap of only bread. No meat, or veggie to fill it in. Just more garlic mayonnaise. So I was left nibbling on just the mayo bread at the end. Good bread, mind you, but still wanting a little more "meat". Oh, this is apparently a hot spot for the college scene, so get there early, or be patient. Limited seating inside, but there's a shared courtyard outside. read more

Two words: garlic sauce!! The Chicken, Broccoli, Mushroom (with Garlic sauce) sandwich is bomb. I really enjoyed the garlic sauce with the sandwich because the sauce is creamy and very flavorful. I found it a bit heavy and thick, but adding a bit of sriracha (they have little containers of sriracha on the side) went well with the sandwich. You cannot go wrong if you have the garlic sauce and sriracha in your sandwich :) Definitely coming back to try the other sandwiches!! read more

Got a chicken bacon club and my friend got the chicken broccoli mushroom. It was pretty salty, even though the flavors were good. I'd have no problem coming here if my friends wanted to come, but wouldn't come on my own. Their chicken is coated in some sort of garlic gravy. This dominates the flavor, and it's a good one. But I also think it's the reason for the saltiness. read more

Le Diplomate is pretty tasty and really cheap. I'm not crazy in love with their food, and it's just ok for me. I would definitely recommend for a sandwich and smoothie place. read more

Not much to say other than the fact that the food rocks with the garlic sauce? I eat here a few times a month. Was introduced to it through a 10% off coupon and free drink coupon (credit to www.cheapirvine.com). I always get the Chicken Broccoli Mushroom or Chicken Cordon Bleu. Total is about $5 with the coupon. Very filling and extremely tasty for a good price. You may want to call ahead - approximate waiting time is 10-15minutes. read more

TUNA MELT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's so delicious! The price is cheap. For a great tuna melt and a cheap price it gets me. The atmosphere of the place was okay. The place was kind of small and they could've decorated it better. I give it a three for the ambience. I gave a four for the delicious Tuna Melt and the great service. (: Tuna Melt was delicious. The first bite you get from the bread was a crunchy but not too crunchy, it was just right. The tuna itself was wonderful to my taste buds. It's just a beautifully made Tuna Melt. The waiting time didn't take long at all. (: read more

So I have been craving a mouth watering gourmet sandwich for some time now... and that is exactly what I got when I came to La Diplomat. I tend to consider myself quite the sandwich connoisseur, always in search of fresh meats, warm fresh bread, quality ingredients, and of course there is nothing worse when you feel like you have been ripped off on your deli meat. Well, you can rest assured, my friend, that will not happen here at La Diplomat. I just scarfed down the Chicken Dijon Sandwich and it was so delish that I had to write a review while the flavors were still savoring in my mouth. Annnd... I have to get this review finished so that I can go in for round two and order a second sandwich to go before the line gets long again. Hands down the best sandwich shop that I have found in Orange County. It looks like the Chicken Dijon, Chicken Garlic, and the Italian are hits here... But I don't think you can go wrong. Pros Unbelievable Gourmet Sandwiches Made to Order Great Customer Service Free Wi-Fi Quick Service Well Priced Cons It gets crowded and there isn't a lot of indoor seating. read more

It's like this drug you can't get your mind of. Wait what? For the longest time I only thought of this establishment as okay, until I decided to try the garlic chicken. You know the problem with locations close to campus, especially the ones right across the street from campus is that they can get away with making crappy food and people will still come hither. Well this place, people come hither, and the food is bomb. I had the BLT sandwich and it wasn't bad, then I got the turkey one, and that was alright too. Then one day me one of my friends decides to go and we both get the garlic chicken. It was my first time and OMG it was like some drug, some crazy drug that I cant get my mind of. The sandwich is so amazing, so warm, wrapped with Swiss cheese, garlic, mayo and chicken, and it comes pretty close to heaven on earth. When I consume it at least. Now that I moved back home to the bay, I regret not going 4 more times before leaving, or at least ordering 4 togo. Go here over Lee's, or any establishment near campus that sells sandwiches, its pretty close to unbeatable. read more

Apparently I'm just joining the masses here. I visited a UCI friend a few weeks ago, and after dropping off some packages with the most soulless post office employee I've ever encountered, my friend picked "le dip" for lunch. Even though it was around 2PM, there were still plenty of college students dropping in to pick up sandwiches. I ordered the chicken eggplant sandwich (with the garlic sauce), and seriously, it was one of the nastiest looking sandwiches ever. Smooshed bread. White sauce leaking out the side. Pitiful, stingy filling. I couldn't help but seriously question my friend's choice in food joints. But then I tried a bite, and damn if that wasn't the best garlic sauce ever. It's not gourmet. Not by a long shot. In fact, it's reminiscent of the frozen, bake-in-toaster-oven garlic bread of my childhood, but that's not really a bad thing. Delicious soft bread with pungent garlic sauce. I burped garlic for hours afterwards...in the best way possible. I'll probably never have le dip again (friend is graduating this month!), but if I ever find myself trapped near UCI, I'd definitely make a pit stop here. read more

The best sandwich shop in Irvine hands down. I have never left this place unsatisfied. Some of my favorites: Bacon Chicken Club Broccoli Chicken Mushroom Chicken Cordon Bleu THE GARLIC SAUCE IS A MUST! The sandwiches are also cheap! Nice staff, family owned! Have you watched Harold and Kumar goes to white castle? I would endure all of the things they went through just to get my hands on one of these sandwiches. Any bad words about this place are fighting words. read more

I LOVE Le Dip I have never had anything like it! the chicken, broccoli, mushroom sandwich in delicious garlic sauce with hot sauce is the best! :) read more

This place has amazing sandwiches and perfectly spicey sauce. The downside: credit card gets a fee, and they don't do free refills on drinks. Other than that the food is amazing. I always get a chicken broccoli mushroom sandwich with the garlic sauce. It is to die for. I would recommend that to anyone. Clean, good location, great food, not overly oily and doesn't make you feel disgusted when you're done. Great place to eat! read more

So good! It's affordable, filling and tasty :) Chicken, Mushroom, broccoli and bacon with garlic sauce.. bomb! read more

The BEST sandwiches around. I always get the Chicken Broccoli Mushroom! DELICIOUS! Get the garlic sauce on everything. Can't go wrong! read more

Le Diplomate Cafe--more commonly known as Le Dip--is definitely one of the best sandwich places around Irvine. Being a student at UCI, I'm always looking for a good place to eat that is both delicious and affordable, and this is hands down my favorite sandwich place. Sandwiches I recommend: Chicken Egglplant--My go to sandwich. I nearly always get this one. Perfectly grilled chicken, soft roasted eggplant, salty feta cheese, tangy garlic sauce (omg, the sauce...), aromatic basil. Yeah, I could go on and on about this... Chicken Garlic--Their most basic sandwich. Most first timers to Le Dip start with this one since it showcases the three things that make Le Dip sandwiches unbeatable: perfect baguette, tender chicken, DIVINE garlic sauce. Chicken Broccoli Mushroom--This one is pretty popular. Very very yummy, and they don't skimp on the broccoli or mushroom! Chicken Dijon--Very simple, but the flavors just go so well together. Chicken, Dijon mustard, garlic sauce, and artichokes. And they give you chunks of artichokes, not like some places where I have to search for little pieces of it. You can get half a sandwich if you don't want to get a full 9 inch one, but I don't know why you would do that. The sandwiches are too good to deprive yourself of them. Seriously. Prices range from $5.60ish to $6.14 All of Le Dip's sandwiches are out of this world, so please try as many as you can! I have yet to hear something bad about this place :). Oh, and you have to get the little containers of sriracha sauce they have at the counter! Don't know why, but the hot sauce really gives the sandwiches another dimension of deliciousness. Sometimes, I just come here to buy a baguette because the bread is AMAZING. Does not get rock hard even if I leave it over night. Okay, time to go to Le Dip, my tummy is growling from writing this review. read more

Le dip was always a favorite lunch destination for my friends and I. The sandwiches were decent, and the prices were made to fit a college student's wallet. The 3 stars is for the limited vegetarian selection, the long lines, and the baguette bread. I wish they had other bread options for the vege sandwich. THe baguette bread is just way to harsh for my sensitive mouth read more

This place is great. In the UTC across from UCI, the best college student spot in Irvine. The sandwiches are all good. I've had the garlic chicken, eggplant chicken, bacon club. I always add the sauce that they give to the sandwiches also. Stay away from the gyros and the other middle eastern food. Just not their element. The place is affordable, tasty and convenient. Bit of a wait sometimes, but nothing terrible. read more

Miss this place so much since college. There garlic chicken sandwich is the BEST!!! Whenever my family and I are at Newport Beach, I'll get a large order to feed the family. read more

If I weren't so far along my double major, I would consider transferring to UCI just so that I could eat here every day. No joke. That's how much I FCKN LOVE COCAINE. Ok not cocaine, but these gourmet sammiches and that garlic sauce might as well be! They are addictive as hell. My friends and I got the chicken cordon bleu, chicken and mushrooms, and the chicken and bacon. Holy #garlicfest2011. The sammiches by themselves were no short of a mini-trip for my tongue to Shangri-La. Well-proportioned sammiches and they definitely did not skimp on any of the cheeses or meats! And that garlic sauce! Skeet of the gods. I could eat it forever on anything and everything. Le Diplomate is a big improvement over Subway or something of the sort for a very comprable price. Up your lunch game and dive into one of these tasty smackers. (: read more

Ohhhhhhh SnaP!backs and tattoo$ Just in case you never knew, asians love garlic, and this place was smart enough to put garlic in their sandwich. And even better, they're in UCI = a whole lotta asians. I call that EZ $$$ But for reals, it seems so simple, but it's so deliciousssss. Only been once, and got the Chicken garlic. Regarding how filling it is, I think it doesn't really matter if you get the full or the half since the cheese is pretty creamy, so it fills you up. For other people trying to start a food business, it's pretty easy; just go somewhere with a huge concentration of asians and make sure your food has garlic. read more

Most definitely one of my favorite sandwich places! It's very affordable and most of the sandwiches are served on french baguette bread loaves. You can get it with the garlic sauce, which is to DIE for. My personal favorite, and also a popular menu item, is the Chicken Broccoli Mushroom. It's also a very quaint store. Not too big or snazzy, which is nice. I would recommend you go there for a healthier choice over the surrounding Jack In The Box and Taco Bell. :) read more