Have been going to Mirin Cafe for almost two years now and they still never disappoint! Unfortunately I don't live as close anymore but anytime I'm in north county, I make a stop there for something yummy. It's surely a tiny little cafe but the staff is very friendly and it feels super homey(when you could dine-in). They still offer take out food and their drive-thru makes it super quick and easy for picking up food. I've tried a few of their rolls, the crunchy is really tasty but I really love to get their tonkotsu ramen when I go, it's delicious and their prices are super reasonable. read more

Ramen culture in San Diego has the peculiar distinction of being almost universally good, so I hold any restaurant with the word 'Tonkatsu' in their menu to a higher standard. Ignoring Japanese places that offer it as an after-thought, dedicated Ramen eateries are much rarer than you think in this county. Mirin, despite being far north in Escondido from mainstream San Diego, is an excellent option to scratch that itch that only Ramen can do, in its own warm and magical way. Converted from what looks like an old burger joint, the 'café' moniker is odd given the old venue's pedigree. What matters though, is the taste, and Mirin has in spades whether its their specialized ramen or any of their other Japanese selections. Their house special 'Mirin Ramen' is glorious. Corn is a weird choice but pairs surprisingly well with their homemade miso flavor. The mix of meats, spice, and green onion flavors is perfect and really warms my soul after a few spoonfuls of broth. And for only $7.45! You can't beat that especially given how much ramen comes in one serving. I almost feel bad paying these prices after dining at certain unnamed downtown San Diego sushi joints. This is the kind of place where you're excited to hear the specials. I once came in for lunch and got an excellent Chicken Katsu for less than $5. They also do non-standard ramen as specials like a Veggie Ramen with Tofu. I don't normally order side dishes unless I'm otherwise famished, but their tempura is a nice treat with a homemade touch that lets you know they didn't just microwave it. They also offer plenty of other Japanese cuisine like Udon and rice bowls, but I come here specifically for the Ramen and would regret ordering anything else. read more

Mirin Cafe - Mirin Special Ramen with side order of Mixed Tofu. - Japanese Near Me - Escondido, California

This place is definitely a hole in the wall, and like most, this place is amazing. I just dont know how I havent heard of this place untill now. Theyve been there for 2 years according to them. No such thing as decor really. Just 4 walls and scratched up old window panes. You know what im totally fine with that. This is the kind of place that you dont care how it looks like, because the food and service is great. It makes for a good date night or just a random stop. The food is great. The 2 free eggrolls came out pipin hot. the spicy garlic edamame was also great. They do have Tonkatsu, even though it is not on the menu, and they do a fantastic job. It seems as tho they change it up a bit. The color isnt the same as in others. However it is great. Great place cant wait to come back. read more

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We came here based on my brother-in-law's recommendation, who eats here every week to a week and a half. They always know what he orders and even know him by name! They are accommodating and friendly. Food is always fresh and consistent--the chicken is never frozen--a lot of homemade recipes. The fried rice is amazing! The chicken teriyaki is soo yummy!!!! So are the desserts! Their sushi (limited to a few types of rolls) is quite good, especially in light of the price. The udon and ramen are pretty good and it would be tough to find better in Escondido :) The owners really care about their customers! They even offer drive-through service if you call ahead. The prices are very reasonable and tons of parking! read more

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Needed a place for a quick lunch and decided to try this place in the hopes it would become our go-to Japanese place for homey Japanese food close to home and not have to go all the way to the Convoy area. If you're not extremely picky, this place is OK. I had the black garlic ramen which was pretty good. The broth was lacking a little something, so I added a little soy sauce and it was better. Can't complain too much about the ramen. My husband had the combo fried rice, which was beef, chicken and shrimp. It was....not too fried, still pretty wet. So that was just ok. My sister had the katsu curry, which is the curry with a panko crusted pork cutlet. Apparently that was good and a good portion. All three of our dished were pretty well portioned, reasonable for the price, just unfortunately not that great for my taste buds anyways. We'll probably still come here in a pinch if we need to, but I'd rather go to Convoy... read more

Mirin Cafe - Japanese Near Me - Escondido, California

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I'm so glad we found this place ! We were on our way home from being at Universal Studios and still had about 30 minutes to drive, so we stopped at Mirin Cafe. It was about 45 minutes before they closed and they didn't treat us badly or seem to be rushing us out. The food was fresh, delicious, and prepared with care. The service we received was exceptional and friendly. I felt like I had been there many times with how personable the staff was. The restaurant was clean and comfortable. The bathrooms were also clean and did not reek of odors or chemicals like most restaurants of this size. I definitely recommend it ! read more

The food is great but some of the staff really sucks. They sell canned sodas rather than fountain drinks so if you like more than 12oz of a beverage with your hot ramen you have a 50/50 chance of either getting the really polite waiter who pays attention or the one who wanders around like he just smoked a joint and is completely lost. I once spent 15 minutes trying to get another drink while he was god knows where. read more

First and foremost people need to realize that this isn't a fine dining experience, this establishment was a Mexican restaurant previously and given that they haven't been open for too long, they don't have much to work with in terms of their interior. Get over it. Furthermore, while they lack in that area, they make up for it all other aspects. The service? Impeccable. She was above and beyond in her guest service. Warm, welcoming, fast, efficient and accommodating-- I say this because if you ask nicely, they are more than willing to write down their wifi pass code for you. Who can say no to free wifi? Now the best part of the review: the food. Excellent. Taste, texture, quality all up to par with authentic Japanese cuisine. My boyfriend and I ordered the chicken teriyaki, the tempura udon, and a California roll. Absolutely nothing went untouched. Relatively cheap compared to Convoy and you definitely aren't compromising a thing by checking this place out. Go! read more

Mirin Cafe - From top to bottom: chicken teriyaki bowl, California roll, and the tempura udon. Yum! - Japanese Near Me - Escondido, California

So I went here for the great reviews that this place has. I have driven by this place many times without knowing what exactly it was. This location has had about 2-4 different restaurants go out of business in the past 5 years or at least it would be a different restaurant everytime Id drive by. I like that this "mirin cafe" is actually brining in cliental. REVIEW: I arrived the place was empty as I parked my car I see a man come out of the back and starts smoking a cig in the back. (Not a big deal , hoping he washed his hands) I arrive and get the waitress is super helpful and nice I got the two free egg rolls with yelp check In. (They are small but tasty) I ask questions about the menu and she is helpfull.straight to the point. The food is "okay" nothing extraordinary . The prices are very fair. The sushi is not necessarily the best which I understand since they don't specialize in sushi. The ramen and noodles are a very large portion for a good price . Teriyaki is "good " CONS: they started to get busy and they were super short staffed . Never picked up my dirty plates or asked for more water. Waitress was also cooking food in the back. Pretty much I think they need more staff . I think you should give it a try and see what you think. read more

Mirin Cafe - The mirin ramen. Mehhhhhh it's okay , a little bland . Needs more flavor . Add siracha - Japanese Near Me - Escondido, California

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Don't judge a book by its cover. The first time I came here, I brought a friend who was highly skeptical but I insisted we try it out. Food was great, service was wonderful. Thankful for a ramen place 1. Semi in my area and 2. That offer vegetarian options when I want ramen (don't eat beef/pork so usually can't do any places broth with chicken). Their normal broth is chicken, pork and seafood mixed together so I just do veg ramen with chicken instead of tofu but it was good with tofu too! Drive thru is weird and will confuse you, as it did me, because there isn't an actual drive thru menu. They suggest ordering ahead and picking up at the window or if they aren't busy, will take your order at the window. read more

Probably the best green tea I've ever had! Rolls on point. Gyoza fried perfectly. Will definitely return. The Spicy Tuna was filling as well as bet price in town. Caterpillar roll was a little disappointing, but that was probably due to my taste buds. Spider Roll was amazing. Shrimp lover roll was the tastiest! read more

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Very good food. I wish the portions were a bit bigger, but I eat a lot of food. Good vegetables

This little noodle house is conveniently located in NE Esco and routinely gets my business not only due to its location to home, but the downright, friendliness of the staff! Greeting me by name they are genuinely pleasant and love to chit chat- I feel like I'm seeing my hair stylist. Theres a drivethough, but with people so nice, you may as well go inside. Food-wise theres enough of a selection to please everyone without making the menu cumbersome. Prep is fast and expedient, and packaging always survives my spirited drive home. I frequently find myself in Kearny Mesa and I can't rate the ramen here as high as that in Japantown there, but I'm happy with it. So four stars for umami and cleanliness. read more

With all the new Pho restaurants in Escondido, I was pleasantly surprised to see a Ramen restaurant run by Vietnamese. A good strategy I must say, as there are way too many Pho restaurants around and we could definitely use some Japanese ramen. I always order the house specialty when trying out new restaurants and this time it's Mirin Ramen. I also ordered the California and crunchy roll as well since they're having a special on these rolls. Considering it's a ramen house, I didn't expect much from the rolls and rightfully so as they were nothing special. California roll was rather bland; crunchy roll on the hand was much better due to the crispiness and sauce. You can get better sushi for the same price at Sushiya or similar places around Esco though. The ramen, however, was flavorful and very delicious. The broth is not typical of your Japanese ramen broth. It's infused with Vietnamese flavor from the chili oil and corn and less salty. Also came with the dish were two generous slices of pork and a half boiled egg, both of which cooked nicely. The only thing I did not like about the ramen were the noodles as they do have the same chewiness and thickness I'm used to from other ramen places. If you're in the area, definitely give this place a try before driving all the way down to Convoy for a good bowl of ramen. read more

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Found ourselves a little hidden gem. Great food and prices. Service was friendly and fast with Elvita. We will be returning! read more

Mirin Cafe - Noodle heaven for him:) - Japanese Near Me - Escondido, California

I order from this place multiple times, never had a problem with their food, that was until I found this A real life worm inside of my brown rice. This is just plain disgusting and I can't believe I was this close to eating this, I didn't noticed until I was almost done with my food and I ALWAYS check my food before hand before eating it. I'm glad I did who knows what kinda of damage this thing could have done. NEVER. EVER. Eat at this location they don't know a thing about health rules or what goes on inside their inventory. PLEASE by all means stay away from here read more

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I called and ordered ahead of time. I was told my wait time would be 30 minutes. I ended up waiting 45 minutes. I ordered gyoza, takoyaki, protein roll, spicy tuna and spicy salmon roll, and garlic edamame. Upon paying at their drive thru window, I told the worker I wanted to use my free check in for the gyoza. He watched me redeem my freebie and still charged me for the gyoza. When i reminded him after the charge he told me he would refund me the gyoza. There was no receipt provided which is very unprofessional. I asked for my receipt and he said he would give it to me with my food. As I waited for my food, a new worker came out to deliver it to my car. I asked her for me receipt and she said she would go print one out for me. I asked her for a receipt for my refund as well which she was unaware of. When she came back to my car she told me she processed my refund and provided the receipt. Had I not be so on top of it, it would have slipped the first guys mind and I would have been over charged. Very messy staff. The food was okay. Nothing stood out to me, so that I would continue service here. read more

tried again. UGH. If you are ok with really slow service, great. We were the ONLY ONES THERE. All I wanted was a hot tea. it is 55 degrees today. it came out with my lunch. Lunch was good but should be for 14 bucks. It will be a while, if ever. The salad dressing is delish. read more

Doesn't look like much when you drive past but the ambiance inside makes me feel like I am eating at my moms house. The food here is absolutely delicious and has a home cooked feel to it that I can't really explain. My husband is a big ramen guy and he says this is now his favorite place for ramen. The chicken Katsu with garlic noodles is great as well! Great service is also a plus! read more

Food was good drive up pick up and being able to order online makes it super convenient

I ate here for dinner with my wife. I saw this place on yelp and wanted to try this place out since I've driven by this place a lot off valley parkway. The bad thing about this place is the location. You can only get into the parking lot going east on valley parkway. The place is small. They have a drive thru to order food to go as well. We got the 2 egg rolls because of the check in. We also tried the garlic edamame and the crunchy roll. My wife got the terriyaki chicken bowl and I got the Mirin ramen. The food was all good. The prices were really cheap and affordable. We were the only ones eating inside but we saw a few people go through the drive thru. The waiters were really nice and they also have a TV inside. I asked if they could play the SNF game and they were really nice and put the game on. So that was a plus. The food and service was really good. The ramen was pretty good. This place is really good for the price and I'd definitely recommend this place if you're in the neighborhood. read more

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My husband and I always pass this place up when driving through Escondido. We were always curious about it and decided to give it a try. Trying to drive here can be a little tricky. We went into the wrong entrance and had to get back on Valley Parkway. When we entered the restaurant, another customer was complaining about this issue. Not a big deal though. Its a small cozy restaurant. This place also had a drive thru if you really want the food and don't mind waiting in your car We got the garlic edemame. It was ok. I love when I get garlic edemame and it's garlic overload. This was not garlic overload. We got a crunchy roll which was super cheap. There were 5 pieces I believe but big pieces. I personally don't like huge pieces. I'd rather have more smaller pieces because it's harder to eat if its big. Regardless, the roll was delicious. My husband got ramen which the worker said was the customer favorite. I ended up getting a chicken teriyaki bowl. It was good except the rice was drenched in the teriyaki sauce. I should have asked for the sauce on the side. You get 2 free egg rolls for checking in to yelp. They were pretty good. I'd definitely come back here to try the other food out. read more

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The staff was very attentive - they would check in on you every few minutes to see how you were doing and how you liked the food. I like that. I had the Mirin Special Ramen ~$7.50. It was very nice. The noodles were al dente the way I prefer them. The broth was good, not over powering to the rest of the dish. It looks like they have a drive through, but they do not. A little more remodeling to this place and it'll do well. Overall a good experience. Give it a try. read more

Robert is an amazing server. Always attentive and making good suggestions on what to order and what to add to food. The ramen is so tasty here! Thank you Mirin! read more

Mirin Cafe - Tempura brussel sprouts - Japanese Near Me - Escondido, California

I miss ramen a lot because I'm from Hawaii and we're spoiled with amazing Asian food. I needed my ramen fill and not from top ramen or cup o noodle this time. The real stuff. I found this place on Yelp from searching for you guessed it, ramen. I walked in and noticed a very small place but workers moving quickly. It smelt of tempura oil and hey, that's enough for me. I ordered take it and I got the spicy ramen with extra pork which I thought was tasty but needed more heat. Also the karaage chicken was crispy and tasty. The takoyaki were small but packed so much flavor it was crazy. It's not like home but I'll be back when I need that craving filled. read more

I love going to this place regularly. I would give it a 5 star but every once in awhile they have a different cook or something and the ramen is not too good. Not bad just not it's normal standard. 9/10 times it's amazing. Great staff. read more

I am such a Ramen girl, and to find out that there's a ramen place here in the Valley Center area, I had to check it out! It also helps that when I Yelped this place, it had pretty good reviews and was 4 1/2 stars. When you enter the area, it may remind you of a Mexican restaurant with the drive thru structure but it's all good. We came in on a Saturday afternoon and the parking was decent. The place was cozy and with the way the walls were painted with flowers, it kinda reminded me of a daycare for kids. Anyways, the friendly waiter handed us the menu and they have specials on California rolls and Crunchy rolls. We ordered the Mixed tempura which was delicious! Loved the crunch it had yet the veggies and shrimp were tender. I ordered the Mirin ramen which totally hit the spot! It had corn (which I wished they added more), seaweed, half a salty egg (which I thought could be a bit more salty), and slices of pork belly (which could be cooked/fried a little bit more for my taste). The bf ordered the Beef Udon which was good and tasty! For me, it kinda had a "perfumey" after taste, but idk if that's just me. The noodles were good as well, but I've had homemade udon noodles and I like homemade better. All in all, it's nice to know that we can get our ramen craving satisfied without having to drive all the way down to Convoy area. P.S. They close at 9pm every day. read more

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Checked in on yelp and got 3 free gyoza! Their tuna tacos were great! The sauce was very unique and delicious. The mirin special ramen was bomb too! Ask for the pork because they give you ribs! Which was a nice surprise. And the teriyaki beef was super tender and flavorful. 10/10 will come again. read more

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This place doesn't look like much from the outside but don't let that stop you from going in. The food was soooo good. We had steamed gyoza that was submerged in this absolutely delicious sauce. We also got an order of fried rice which was probably some of the best I've had. And the ramen was great ! I was a little concerned when we pulled up to the spot but the inside is actually pretty nice. It's small and cozy. The staff was really friendly and we will definitely be coming back for more read more

Best food in Escondido staff is great also everything is fresh and hot you need to try it out

My boyfriend and I are regulars at Mirin Café. From the moment we step in, the service is consistently amazing. The sushi they serve is fresh and delicious, and their teriyaki dinner plate is a personal favorite of mine. I must also mention that their seaweed salad is literally the best I've ever had! If you're looking for a fantastic Japanese dining experience, I highly recommend Mirin Café. The combination of great food, attentive service, and cozy atmosphere never fails to impress. read more

Honestly one of the, if not the, best restaurant in Escondido. I would say the place has a don't judge a book by its cover vibe, the outside looks questionable but the food is outstanding! My husband hasn't stopped talking about how great this place is in two days, and it's hard to find some place we both enjoy. The rolls are decent size, not big but not small either. The entire plates are a great value. I can't find a thing I don't like about this place except that maybe it will take me a few trips to try everything on the menu! read more

Crunchy rolls are absolutely delish! My 8 month old daughter loves Mirin's house ramen noodle soup! It wasn't spicy to me at all but I love spicy so I don't know the differences. I was sooooo stuffed after pigging out with my wife and family. Mirin's do play it safe with 'sushi' rolls by only offering few type of sushi on the menu. However, you should really try their iced green tea as we didn't have enough of them even after 6th glass of it! I would recommend it to others and the services are outstanding. Their services' par is way above of the average service and I left %25 tip just for that. Their ramen noodle soup & miso soup are excellent. Their soups contain either none or little amount of msg. At other nearby pho place, My family didn't do well as their had too much of msg but we had absolutely no reactions at this place. read more

Mirin Cafe - Miso soup! Just right! Love the taste - Japanese Near Me - Escondido, California

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Probably the best place to come and eat ! I can promise you that your taste buds will be going crazy! I usually come in to eat Ramen and sushi with my girl all the time. They have the best ramen ever! I always get the spicy sesame seed ramen! Great food, Great environment, great customer service. They always make sure we are satisfied and complete:) read more

Mirin Cafe - Spicy Sesame Seed Ramen + Caterpillar roll & Dragon Roll - Japanese Near Me - Escondido, California

Oh my goodness you guys!!! If I could give them 10 stars I would!! We have lived near Mirin Cafe for years and have had it on our list of places to try for some time. I am so sad we did not try this place sooner! Perfect music playing (80's, my favorite) not too loudly, perfect shows playing on the TVs (Iron Chef!), and perfect food with great prices! How much better can it get? Let me tell you about the foooood as I sit here salivating, remembering how good it was. My husband asked our super nice waiter what people tend to like when they go there. He recommended the Ramen and said they make it from scratch so he chose The Mirin Special. I can't even explain the taste...rich, almost buttery with a little bit of spice. I told my husband the only thing I could think to call it was liquid steak. I got a whole bunch of Tempura because that is what I was craving and I had seen some reviews on here about the Tempura Brussel Sprouts. Also I asked about checking in on Yelp and getting 3 Gyoza, so our nice waiter did that for us! The Brussel Sprouts were delicious, the Mixed Tempura was super good, and the Gyoza was yummy too. The different sauces they all came made them even more delicious. Side note: I usually don't eat the yams when I get Tempura because I don't like them, but I totally ate them here. We were there past closing and were let know very politely that they were taking any last orders because they were going to start shutting down and we decided (after a suggestion from another super nice guy) to try the Tempura fried Green Tea ice cream. Perfect ending to a fantastic dinner! It tasted like an ice cream cake. I brought home my left overs and I can not wait to eat them. I absolutely recommend this place to everybody!! read more

Mirin Cafe - Mirin Special Ramen aka liquid steak.Best miso and Tempura Brussel Sprouts!Gyoza for checking in on Yelp were so flavorful! 10 stars - Japanese Near Me - Escondido, California

Tonight was the second time we ate here, it has become our favorite Ramen joint in North County. The spicy sesame is my favorite (my youngest son's too), my wife prefers the garlic one. Surprisingly good sushi. Robert was our waiter both visits and was attentive and polite and offered good suggestions. Definitely gets thumbs up from our family, worth a trip. Note, it's next to a Popeyes and the entrance comes up very fast so be careful. read more

Best ramen I have had in the US and Japan their tonkotsu has had me looking for places to match it all over the world and have not found a place that has matched mirin. I normally go once a week to get my fix, shows just how good they are!!! read more

Takeout: I had their Volcano Ramen last week and it was delish. I love spicy and the Volcano hit the spot. Today i had a dragon roll and a cali roll. BOMB, fresh and sized accordingly. The crew is friendly, Mirin is my fave in Esco! read more

Love the spicy chicken ramen! Personally I'm not a sushi fan but I've tried a lot of the other items such as the katsuu chicken, teriyaki chicken, white rice, yakisoba and the garlic edamame all very delicious! read more

I have been going here for years and it's always great. The staff is friendly, the ramen is awesome, the rolls, appetizers, and unique drinks are fun and experimental for most people. I've always been impressed with how welcoming and thankful the staff is no matter how busy they are even when challenged with covid regulations. I am happy to support such an amazing group of people. read more