Cute little coffee shop at the edge of Idyllwild next to the school…read more Yummy chaggachino as it's my first time trying it. They also have the super refreshing and really good sparkling Yuzuco soda in can which is an elevated sparkling lemonade since it's made from cold pressed yuzu with honey and salt. Bright, bubbly, and undeniably refreshing. Friendly staff. There's a nice seating area outside. Restroom is available at the Mile high cafe Nextdoor. Can be busy at the end of school day as it's a popular place for the kids.

Friendly staff and good drinks! I went to Idyllwild for the first time and this place was on my…read morebucket list... long story short, it did not disappoint! I ordered their Spanish latte and it was super creamy and yummy! I'm a sucker for banana chocolate chip breads and they had that, so I had to try it too; it was not too sweet and sooo good! They didn't really have any indoor seating and it's connected to a restaurant, but there is outdoor seating, I just didn't get a chance to check it out

What a fantastic breakfast place! We got here at 10:00 am on a Saturday and there were lots of…read morepeople but we got a table no problem. This is a restaurant where you order at the counter and they bring it out to you. When we got there, there were lots of people and we we were worried that we wouldn't get a table but it is large enough where tables are rapidly turning over and we got one right after we ordered. The food here is fantastic! I wanted to try one of my go-to's - chicken fried steak and eggs but my girlfriend pointed out that the California Breakfast Burrito ($20.99) is made with seasoned ribeye and comes highly recommended. It also has egg, home potatoes, bell peppers, onion, cheese, guacamole & sour cream - and it is one of the best and largest breakfast burritos I've ever had! So good!! I should also mention that the hot sauce they give with the burrito is a Chipotle hot sauce and is very tasty. This place also claims to be New Mexican which indicates that anything Chile Verde has to be really good and my girlfriend is a big fan of New Mexican cuisine so she got the Chile Verde Omelette ($19.99) which is pork Chile verde, cheddar cheese, sour cream & avocado and this too was fantastic and so tasty - an excellent choice! All-in-all this meal seemed a bit pricy, but then again all good here in Idyllwild is pricy. I would say the price is in the ballpark for other places here. I typically don't mind paying more for a meal but it needs to be outstanding - and this one was just that! Well-worth the price of the meal, this was a 5 star dining experience.

Great place to eat we had the breakfast burrito and it's delicious can feed 2!! Oj was worth the…read moreprice and service was fast Our daughter loved her kids portion Will return when we come back to town!!

We chose Cafe Aroma for a birthday dinner and were so happy we did!…read more The bread with garlic in olive oil was a perfect light starter. My husband also enjoyed an old fashioned that was excellent. For dinner he husband ordered the ragu, and I had the penne in creamy basil (without shrimp). Both dishes came out quickly, were well prepared, and completely satisfying. Service was extremely friendly and attentive without being overbearing. We reserved the patio so we could bring our pup, and the staff immediately offered her water, pets, and even a treat. I always appreciate a restaurant that makes dogs feel welcome rather than like an inconvenience. The patio also had a lovely ambiance, with white tablecloths and the same polished table settings as indoors. My only minor note was the live music. The singer was fairly loud and close to the tables, which made conversation difficult. Instrumental music might fit the early dinner atmosphere a little better. If you prefer a quieter meal, dining indoors may be the better choice. Overall, a great birthday dinner and a wonderful experience!

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.

We really enjoyed this asian inspired fusionish brunch spot. They have good food and even have…read morekimchi making classes. We tried the kimchi Reuben and it was a hit. It was a surprising combination, but it worked well. Almost like a substitute for sauerkraut. Also came with fries which were the right amount of crispy. Delicious food here.

An unexpected breakfast treat. We arrived to Idlewild the evening before on a Tuesday. We found…read moreout that most of the downtown area is closed down and I was hungry. We found the MileHigh Cafe. What a culinary treat. My wife had the avocado toast with her fluffy eggs. They gave a ample serving of avocado, which is unusual. The eggs were prepared the way she likes them and the coffee was fresh great flavor and strong I had eggs Benedict wow the sauce for the eggs Benedict is made from scratch the Canadian bacon it was real, I did help my wife eat a good portion of her sourdough bread . the greatest treat was having homemade strawberry jam presented The whole meal was wonderful and the atmosphere open clean and inviting. unexpected experience and I look forward to going back there.

This is most definitely hands down the best crepes i've EVER HAD. Everything was perfect each crepe…read moremade with live crafted to perfection and such distinct and unique tastes. The chicken pesto crepe is my personal favorite. The service is amazing they are so attentive and helpful and i just love the whole design of everything. For me it's not just the food, but the whole experience from getting up early and driving up the mountain and the sights everything is perfect and then to sit down and have such a perfect meal honestly it's unbeatable.

So many sweet and savory options here! We came here twice during our trip - in the late afternoon…read morefor desserts and the next morning for a savory brunch. For sweets, we did the Lily Rock and Hippo crepe. Both were great, but we were a huge fan of the bubble waffle. For savory, we went with their most popular pick, the Chicken Pesto and the Turkey Bubble Waffle. The pesto sauce was creamy and delicious - we were a fan! For some reason, we were definitely not expecting the bubble waffle to be a sandwich. Nonetheless, both were great to fuel us up for the afternoon. Workers are nice and so are their regulars! We had two dogs with us, so we grabbed a table outside and were also able to enjoy the view. Great place to stop by for a quick bite or especially if you're trying to avoid the crowd as the other brunch spots are packed.

My wonderful friends Wayne and Roger were married here so I knew off the bat that the ambiance was…read moregoing to be cozy and beautiful. The service was great, waiters and host William, were attentive. We had a great time enjoying the view from the window, the rain was falling outside and we were side of the fireplace. My boyfriend loved his steak, said it was prepared just the way he likes it. I ordered penne pasta with veggies vegan style it was delicious. I would highly recommend this restaurant for a date night or family gathering.

Coming up the mountain to beat the heat in the desert is always good thing here in Idyllwild. This…read morewas our first time here but walked by it loads of time. The cute charming look of this place and nice patio area was what caught our attention. When we arrived, there was two other party seated on the patio. As we had our pup with us, patio seating was what we were looking for. But when we checked in, the host put us on the opposite side where there was no one there. At first we thought since we had our pup, this maybe where they put everyone but that wasn't the case. We clearly could see everyone checking in and noticed loads of dogs. But they were seated at the main patio, which ended up full and loads of dogs. It felt like we were singled out the whole time but at this point, we were just like whatever. During the whole dining experience it was just us on that side until they sat another couple next to us. Everyone else was at the main patio. I'm sure when we left, they must have felt the same, left out. Clayton was our waiter which he was very sweet. Host did mentioned the specials when we got seated as well as Clayton. We asked about a a certain dish (fish and chips), which no one didn't quite know the answer to. Same as everyone else, they had to asked each other what kind of fish was being used. It was a little back and forth that we opted out on that dish. Started off with a cold beer. Drinks menu had pretty much everything as well. Food menu, it was a mixture of everything. Fresh baked bread was brought out which was quite tasty. Hot right out of the oven with butter. Something so simple but so tasty. We actually had a second helping of it which was very nice. For mains, the gnome dip. Their specialty sandwich with braised angus short rib, au jus, cheddar sauce with a hint of spice, on a house roll with fries. It was decent but nothing major to rave about. The short rib did have a lot of fat but whatever. Fries on the other hand were nice. And the Gnomies ramen. It's not your traditional ramen. Chefs secret broth with either angus short rib, grilled teriyaki chicken breast, shrimp or pork. First off, it's not ramen noodles that were used but thin spaghetti noodles. It served with carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, hard boil egg, mushrooms and garnished with cilantro and sesame seeds. I went with the angus short rib for the protein. First impression, it's pretty small. Then comes the taste test, the broth was quite salty. And then that's when I found out it was pasta noodles instead of ramen noodles. Not your traditional ramen but their special version I assume. Sometimes it's better to leave things the way they are... That dish was a miss for me. The restaurants itself is quite nice with the patio seating. It's covered with loads of umbrellas which is nice and charming. Right when you walk inside there's the bar area. Two dining sections, one to the right which people did utilized to cool off from outside. The left side was closed but layout was quite nice. Feels like a nice ski chalet with the fire place. Also for the size of the restaurant, there's only one restroom. Overall, the place is charming and cute. Nice patio but being seated away from everyone else did feel like we were singled out. Didn't want to say anything afterwards as we thought it was the section for pets until everyone else walking in with their pets were seated at the main patio with everyone else. Majority of the guest did prefer to be outside but some outed for indoor. Food, it was whatever. Nothing major to rave about. Ramen was a major disappointment but the fries were great. And the fresh baked bread, that was excellent. Service was nice with Clayton, sweet and constantly checking in on us. Everyone seemed a little lost when we asked about the fish and chips. They were asking one another ...lol.... It is a bit overpriced for what it is. It's charming but would we stop by again, I don't want to say it but maybe no. Who knows, maybe it'll be different.

The food, the service and the ambiance was superb. Our waiter was on point. The staff always kept…read moremy water glass full. I highly recommend going...

We decided to give this place a try, and to be honest, we weren't expecting anything extraordinary…read more We couldn't have been more wrong. Since we didn't have reservations, we were seated at the bar, which ended up being a blessing in disguise. Our bartender and server, I believe her name was Katie, was outstanding. She was friendly, attentive, and made the entire experience even more enjoyable. We started with a couple of glasses of wine and the Insalata Burrata with heirloom tomatoes, fresh burrata, basil, olive oil, prosecco vinegar, local microgreens, Maldon salt, and freshly ground black pepper. It was incredibly fresh, beautifully balanced, and the perfect way to begin the meal. For our entrées, we ordered the Lasagne di Verdure with seasonal vegetables, house-made ricotta, mozzarella, marinara, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. The house-made ricotta was absolutely incredible and elevated the entire dish, making it an easy favorite. We also shared the Salame e Funghi pizza with San Marzano tomato sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, and mushrooms. The thin, wood-fired crust had the perfect texture, and the pizza easily rivaled--if not surpassed--many restaurants that specialize in pizza. To finish the evening, we couldn't pass on the Torta di Nocciole, a flourless hazelnut cake served with vanilla gelato, a drizzle of local raw honey, and freshly grated nutmeg. It was the perfect ending to an outstanding meal--rich, balanced, and absolutely delicious. From the exceptional service to the thoughtfully prepared food, every part of our visit exceeded our expectations. We only wish there were a location closer to home. We'll definitely be back, hopefully sooner rather than later. Thank you for an unforgettable meal and outstanding hospitality!

I ordered the eggs Benedict with hash browns! My wife…read moreordered the Ruben on rye with side of potato salad! It's real busy but not like last weekend as it was a holiday weekend! The employees are great and you're up at over 5,000 ft. This cafe is like you being in your own cabin but with lots of people! We came up here about 3 yrs ago and love the food! Also the atmosphere of the mountains!

***** Five stars for the ambience. ***** Five stars for the…read moreservice. ** Two stars for the food. It's a very cute well run mountain town establishment with limited competition. It's a GOLD mine! The service and friendliness is second to none! Delightful. I was just gonna try a couple of à la carte breakfast items to save money, BUT I was quickly "flipped" to a full meal package (much to my chagrin) and with tax and tip over $21! Well, that's a little pricey for a senior on a budget. I hate to say this, but when I'm traveling on a highway (and there's almost no alternative) Denny's does this right with their "senior menu" offerings at half this price! And that's kind of a grand slam. I make the same mistake frequently and I'm not even a big fan of eggs, but I didn't have much choice other than the veggie burger. I decided on scrambled eggs with hashbrowns and the veggie sausage from MorningStar brand (which origin is rooted in the vegetarian friendly Seventh-day Adventist Church.) My side dish was a generous portion of sliced avocado, nicely plated. To me, this spot was kind of like a "SYSCO" food depot. (If you know what I mean). The standard fair for many cafés. But, the service is very warm, old school charm where everybody chats with you to make sure you're doing OK and comes by and taps your shoulder or gives you a little back rub in passing. Not Harvey Weinstein weird but rather kind, friendly, vibes. I was transported to the set of "Andy of Mayberry" just wondering when Aunt Bea was gonna bring out the apple pie! Next time I'll try a veggie burger because it's a comfortable spot and the people are so damn friendly! Wait a second, is that Floyd the Barber, Goober the Mechanic, Otis on a bender? Oh no, I have to run! I see Barney giving me a ticket! Shazam, Shazam!

This is one of my favorite stops on my motorcycle rides through the mountains. The coffee is…read moreexcellent--you can really taste the quality. It's rich, smooth, and always hits the spot. The staff is friendly, the shop is clean and cool inside, and the atmosphere is relaxing. It's the perfect place to take a break, enjoy a great cup of coffee, and soak in the mountain air. I'll definitely keep coming back.

This is a great little spot near the circle with a welcoming atmosphere and consistently friendly…read moreservice. This was our second visit, and both experiences were just as enjoyable as the first. This time, we ordered a chai latte and a protein smoothie, and both were fresh, flavorful, and really hit the spot. It's always nice to find a place that's just as consistent on a return visit. Thanks again for another great experience. We look forward to stopping by again the next time we're in the area!

My family and I always come here and they never fail to make us feel welcome, happy, and satisfied…read more The food is your classic American style diner but with beyond meat and plant-based options for vegan and vegetarian friends. Our server, Arcy (please forgive me if I spelled your name wrong!) is always lovely and just a delight to be around. She is very knowledgeable and is very helpful with any questions we have. As far as the restaurant itself, it's very in touch with the mountain, cabin vibe. It's very comforting and a nice change from your average diner. It's safe to say that my family and I will come back as we've done the years before on our trips to Idyllwild.

My girlfriend was craving a fat, juicy, pink in the middle burger and the winner of the selection…read moretonight was The Lumber Mill. It was their unique burgers that caught our eye so we decided to come in and see what's good. The first thing I noticed is that their prices seem a bit pricey for a burger and fries but all the prices here in Idyllwild are elevated so these prices are in alignment with other restaurants. And for me as the prices get higher so does my scrutiny of the food and overall experience. My reason for 3 stars instead of 4 is price vs amount of food you get - and the fact that they charge $5 for a Dr. Pepper. That's a bit obscene in my books, so 3 stars. Now the details... I was gonna get a pastrami burger ($20.99) until I noticed the Bacon Lovers ($19.99) and I'm a huge bacon lover and this is the first time I've ever seen a bacon lovers burger so I had to go with it. It is a juicy beef patty stuffed with bacon bits & topped with American cheese, more bacon and 1000 island dressing served on a brioche bun. They cooked it to a perfect med rare and it was really good. It comes with your choice of side (fries, coleslaw, potato salad, baked beans or garlic mashed potato's. You can upgrade to fried pickes, zucchini, sweet potato fries, onion rings or corn nuggets for $2.50 and our waitress was raving about the beer battered onion rings so I chose those. The burger was great and so were the onion rings, however as you can see from the picture, there were not many onion rings AT ALL. I don't mind a $2.50 upgrade charge but give me some onion rings PLEASE!! Not happy about the quantity fr that upcharge! My girlfriend got the Wild Western burger ($20.99) which is a juicy beef patty topped with bacon, cheddar cheese, BBQ sauce & onion rings. She didn't really like it much. She also upgraded to fried zucchini and she didn't much care for those either. It seems like there are good things here and some not great things here. If there is something ypu want to try here, I would go through the reviews and see what people are saying about it. Again, I feel like I got taken advantage of with that up charge on the 6 onion rings they gave me, but they did deliver on how good they are. I would recommend doing your research before ordering here.