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    Mountain Center Cafe & Grill

    4.4 (153 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 3:00 pm

    Mountain Center Cafe & Grill Photos

    Business Info

    MOUNTAIN CENTER CAFE & GRILL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Mountain Center Cafe & Grill

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    Breakfast sandwich
    Jay T.

    We were heading back to Idyllwild after spending a couple hours on Lake Hemet and decided to stop here for lunch. Interesting little spot all by itself but they served up some pretty tasty food. They were implementing a new ordering system so got several of our orders wrong, but when the correct food arrived, it was delicious, I thoroughly enjoyed my veggie skillet ! it was a bit warm, but the back patio looks like it would've been a nice place to hang out another time. Nice little cozy restaurant, I would definitely stop by again when in the area.

    Live entertainment for St. Patrick's Day.
    David P.

    Tucked away in the small town of Mountain Center near Idyllwild, Mountain Center Cafe & Grill is a great little find if you are traveling through the mountains. There are not many dining options in the area, so it is always nice when a place delivers a really good meal. I stopped in during their St. Patrick's Day weekend celebration. I started with the potato cakes, which were crisp and flavorful, and had the corned beef for my entrée. It was tender, hearty, and very well done. They also had live entertainment for the holiday weekend, which added a fun atmosphere. It is not something you expect at a small mom and pop spot, but it made for a nice vibe. The service was friendly and attentive. Overall it was a very good experience. I will have to come back and try the regular menu.

    Cobb Salad 1/26
    Holli A.

    Cute, casual, pet friendly restaurant; nestled between the woods and post office. The restaurant has new owners and staff, just shy of their first month anniversary. Plenty of parking available in the front and back. The inside is nice, but the star of this place is the amazing outdoor patio. The patio area is nice and the tables are spaced out to accommodate families with fur babies. There are tons of water bowls available too! The menu has a lot of great breakfast and lunch options. Our party of three and two fur babies. We ordered the Cobb salad, patty melt w/sweet potato fries, the French dip with jus & French fries, and the peanut & chocolate pie. We were lucky enough to be chosen to try their chilaquiles breakfast special. The eggs on top of the perfectly crispy tortilla chips were fluffy and tender. The green sauce was tangy. The sprinkling of cilantro and pickled onions were a nice addition. The Cobb salad was perfect the right ratio of protein to veggies and just enough blue cheese. The house made ranch dressing was good. The Reuben sandwich was tasty and the sweet potato fries were cooked perfectly with a tad bit of char. The French dip was tasty. What really made the sandwich was the jus dipping sauce with rosemary. It added a great flavor and very unexpected. The chocolate and peanut butter pie was good. The crust had a nice crunch and the pie was not over sweet. The service and food were outstanding. I love that the base of the tables have hooks for the dog leashes. It started to sprinkle towards the end of our meal and we were offered an umbrella, but we kindly declined. I will definitely be back.

    Country skillet with sausage
    Tatiana W.

    Good breakfast, my kids and I love the waffles my aunt and uncle, like the chorizo and egg all around good breakfast

    @englishbulldogelizabeth approved dog friendly patio. Spacious and they have doggy bowls for water.
    Dakota D.

    Came into Mountain Center, Café for a leisure breakfast out on the patio since we had our dog with us. Upon arrival, we were immediately greeted at the door by the hostess, and were shown to our table on their spacious patio (see photo). This place is under new management and is a stark contrast between the previous establishment that was here. The place is very clean spacious open and simply put quite lovely especially when sitting outside on the patio. Chicken, fried steak and eggs with homemade fried potatoes:5 stars! Chicken fried steak was crisp on the outside and nice soft texture on the inside. Smothered and sausage gravy it is a savory delight. I opted for scrambled eggs, which were perfectly cooked light and fluffy. A great accompany meant to the crispy home fried potatoes with slivers of sautéed onions and green bell peppers. Delicious! I would order this dish again. A side of sourdough toast and butter completes the meal. I look forward to coming back here and trying some of their other options. If you haven't been to this new place yet be sure to check it out. Service: 5 stars! Our server was Emily - very kind and sweet, and she was able to answer questions regarding the daily soups and menu items.

    this is the what mike looks like
    Richard R.

    Had lunch at this cafe, excellent food, well priced, the owner even came to the table and asked about the service and food. five stars!!!! Home made pie rocks too! thanks mike!

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    4 months ago

    The food was amazing, staff were friendly, and the environment was very fun and lively. One of my favorite restaurants.

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    2 years ago

    Amazing food and great service . The patio is beautiful with tons of things to keep little ones busy

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    Ask the Community - Mountain Center Cafe & Grill

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    Cafe Aroma

    Cafe Aroma

    4.2(1k reviews)
    3.4 mi
    $$$

    I read a bunch of the 1-star reviews. I read some of the…read more4-star reviews. I have to go with 5-star tho. OVERVIEW of 5 : Seated without reservation (*make one! We got lucky*) Server was amazing Food expediter was super nice Food was delicious Elegant, fine dining experience Music was my mountain playlist (and not too loud) View of mountains for me. View of architecture for my wife. PARKING: Parking can be difficult in the small lot, but there's parking along the street too. INSIDE: It was perfect weather. 68ºF at 6pm after a warm day. They have "indoor/patio" style seating which may be difficult for some to access by multiple steps. We were seated at the top, a table away from the music, along the window side. They have heat lamps - but temps were perfect (lots of people and hot food warmed everyone up). I wanted to walk around the restaurant. The tiered architecture is interesting. FOOD: High End Vegan! Yes - I'm guilty of wanting to give them 5 stars just looking at their vegan menu. (And omnivore selection) Yes - I appreciate the care that it takes to prepare a plate. BUT This food was just delicious by itself. Even in a cardboard box, this food would've been amazing. VEGAN "cheese" appetizer (great for 2-3 people) Nut cheese was warm and tangy. This is NOT just cashews and nooch in a blender. It is spiced with something that brings a little heat. *you will want to lick the bowl. PRO TIP: The welcome bread with ... oh shit.... WELCOME BREAD / Garlic Olive Oil This crusty bread served with microplaned garlic + olive oil is fantastic. Garlic Fiend? You're gonna love this. Not a fan of garlic? What's wrong with you?! I mean... just serve from the oil side. Save some bread for your vegan cheese.... VEGAN CHEESE (cont.) Order the gluten free bread (a little more like Uti's toasted dinner roll) with your vegan cheese app. Omnivores at your table will be surprised how well this vegan cheese and wine pair with each other. TROUT I think my wife got the trout. She loved it. Light and delicate. VEGAN KIMCHI TOFU I've had kimchi. I've had tofu. We all have. This was prepared on a bed of roasty veg that was a great match to the salty kimchi. I don't know if there was a marinade preparation (sesame paste?) with the tofu, or it was made locally, or both, but this firm tofu was excellent. Sweet. Nutty. Salty. Fresh tasting and filling. The vegan menu here isn't just an "alternate version" of an omnivore dish. It is its own thing. DESSERT MISTAKE = not getting it. We thought there would be dessert in town, but we got out late. Town had closed. MUSIC Tonight's music was a pair of musicians playing CS&N, Neil Young, Bob Seger... acoustic session: Guitar, Violin, Mandolin. Quiet & sentimental performance was a perfect accompaniment to a long hike day. THERE ARE 1-STAR REVIEWS of this place. They have their reasons. I've only been here once. But I experienced NONE of the things they've mentioned. Moreover, we experienced even better than what other 5-star reviews suggested. This is an elegant spot, framed by a perfect day in Idyllwild. If I come back to the town, I will want to try other restaurants, but I'll definitely come back here. Not *just* because of their vegan options, but definitely *for* their vegan options.

    This was my first time eating here I had a fettuccine dish…read morewith chicken It was good the pasta was a little to Al dente for me Music was nice students from the local arts school played very well

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    Cafe Aroma - Inside

    Inside

    Cafe Aroma - Creamy pesto penne

    Creamy pesto penne

    Cafe Aroma - Patio

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    Patio

    Tommy's Kitchen - My buffet plate

    Tommy's Kitchen

    4.8(292 reviews)
    3.2 mi
    $$

    Tommy's is a former restaurant whose chef turned to takeout and the mountain town of Idyllwild is…read moreall the better for it. We've been coming to Idyllwild for 60+ years (100 as a family) and we've seen restaurants great and small come and go. Tommy's right now is one of the top three, ironically as it is takeout dinners with the occasional holiday brunch. This Sunday on Memorial Day weekend we ordered the Roast Lamb special ($24), a robust herbed port wine jus three slices, which came with a dense square of scalloped potatoes au gratin, buttered peas and glazed carrots--with excellent broccoli cheddar soup with croutons--and a white dark chocolate mousse that was the perfect light dessert (I couldn't believe I ate it all). We're having leftovers for lunch or dinner today. What Tommy's gives is way over price value but it's his European culinary technique that elevates the food, even when doing crispy fried chicken with biscuits and gravy. The menu is set, one dish a day, though some occasionally come with vegetarian options. As a bonus, son James bakes excellent French bread--we bought a sun-dried tomato one which was terrific dipped in olive oil. Best of all, for us, Tommy's allows us to not fill the best hours of the evening with cooking and prep. We can sit out on our deck and enjoy the mountains. I'm a food writer among other things (finalist, Best Restaurant Feature, 2015, City & Regional Magazine Association) and author of The French House.

    We decided to camp at Lake Hemet for Thanksgiving this year. Instead of trying to cook for the…read moreholiday meal we decided to eat out or find something else. Ran across Tommy's Kitchen online and gave it a try. Tommy was very friendly online and we ordered for 4 a little late but he accommodated. Did not know what to expect as we had never ordered to reheat later. Luckily my camp grill can double as a simple oven. We were AMAZED at the food quality and taste. Days later I still find myself thinking of the food. Every item of this feast was beyond what we expected. The dessert was the finale. Anyone staying up there in a BnB or camping and have access to an oven should seriously consider ordering from them. Check out their website it only adds to the reasons to support them. Photos show the quality after heating. Missing is the best apple streudel (apfelstrufel with calvados vanilla sauce) I've ever eaten. Was too busy enjoying it to take a pic. Also missing is the awesome roasted cauliflower and butternut squash soup.

    Photos
    Tommy's Kitchen
    Tommy's Kitchen - Even the way they perfect your check is cool.

    Even the way they perfect your check is cool.

    Tommy's Kitchen - Sign from the Entrance Gauntlet

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    Sign from the Entrance Gauntlet

    Mama's Egg House - Chile Verde Omelette

    Mama's Egg House

    4.4(435 reviews)
    2.8 mi
    $$

    Perfect spot for breakfast and bunch! You can either order at the counter and take a seat or get…read moreyour order taken after seated. We found it easier to order at the counter. All of the servers and workers were amazing. All super attentive and friendly. They have both indoor and outdoor seating. The portions were generous. The breakfast burrito was massive and is what you picture when you think of a breakfast burrito. The chilequiles red sauce was good. When my bf and I go out for breakfast/brunch, we love to order something sweet to balance out our savory order. We ordered the tiramisu French toast and wow! It was a proper French toast and it had good flavor. It was a bit too sweet for my taste though. I'd recommend this spot to anyone visiting Idyllwild.

    This was our second visit, and we'll definitely be back. We drive about an hour from La Quinta to…read moreget here, and it's absolutely worth the trip. The restaurant is always clean, organized, and welcoming, and the restrooms are spotless as well. I ordered the chilaquiles with steak and chose the red sauce. I can usually handle spicy food, but this dish definitely had a nice kick to it. Everything tasted fresh, especially the microgreens, onions, and black beans. I also added two eggs over medium, which were cooked perfectly. The steak had good flavor overall, but mine was cooked more well-done than I would have preferred. I wasn't asked for a preferred temperature, so I'm not sure if that's an option. The ribeye is also sliced very thin, which may contribute to it cooking through more quickly. If I could suggest one improvement, it would be serving this dish on a flat plate rather than in a bowl. The bowl made it a little challenging to cut the steak comfortably, whereas a flat plate would make it easier to enjoy. Overall, the food was delicious, the restaurant is consistently well-maintained, and the experience was excellent. Looking forward to our next visit

    Photos
    Mama's Egg House - Interior corner seat

    Interior corner seat

    Mama's Egg House - Chilaquiles with Ribeye Steak

    Chilaquiles with Ribeye Steak

    Mama's Egg House - Breakfast burrito

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    Breakfast burrito

    Mountain Center Cafe & Grill - breakfast_brunch - Updated July 2026

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