You're missing out on an amazing breakfast/brunch/lunch if you dare to drive past this hidden gem of a cafe. It's easy to miss, but you absolutely shouldn't! I've been wanting to go there and only wish we would have sooner. The focus here is on top-quality ingredients and fresh preparation. Everything is homemade right on site -- not poured from cans and pouches. And you can tell! House-made corned beef hash? Top notch. The giant cinnamon roll, made that morning? Out of this world! We've heard great things about the fish n chips and a bunch of other dishes. Now I need to get back there ASAP. I'm hoping they are able to sell some tshirts to spread the word and also put up a BIG bright sign to the left of the parking lot (facing traffic) so people really know they are there and working hard to offer great mountain home cooking in a clean, friendly environment. Outstanding food isn't easy to find up here. Once you stop in, you will be back again and again!!! read more

Mountain Center Cafe & Grill - Fresh-baked cinnamon roll--shareable and incredible! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Mountain Center, California

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This place was quaint, quiet, and cozy. It's literally located in the middle of nowhere but it's a spot to stop by if you get a chance. The staff are all friendly and the food made it out in an ample amount of time. The chicken was moist and the salad was good. I was surprised that the coffee wasn't the best. Other than that, the pretty neat place. Enjoy the scenery and the quietness of mountain center here. read more

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I miss the old staff. Everything looks fine and is doing its thing. Just loved the old school feeling of the last place-which I think is the upcoming trend. They did well with the transition but it lacks the heart it once had. Really miss my old waitress but enjoyed the new one as well. Pricing is interesting. $4 for a cup of milk is wild. But I guess it goes that way when it goes to another owner. I'll update with the food etc got the 222 with a coffee. I really miss the spot with the books and memorabilia. It was healing. read more

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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. read more

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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. read more

Mountain Center Cafe & Grill - Live entertainment for St. Patrick's Day. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Mountain Center, California

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. read more

Mountain Center Cafe & Grill - Cobb Salad 1/26 - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Mountain Center, California

Important to know this is a new restaurant that was just purchased from the for and spoon. The new owners are amazing and the food is fresh and delicious. Open for breakfast and lunch only. The menu has a great variety of choices and breakfast served till closing at 3pm . The food tastes fresh and not greasy , you can tell the cooks care about their presentation and integrity of the food . Very good prices and attentive waitresses. Soon they will have their beer and wine Licence. Important to know this is a new restaurant that was just purchased from the for and spoon. The new owners are amazing and the food is fresh and delicious. Open for breakfast and lunch only. The menu has a great variety of choices and breakfast served till closing at 3pm . The food tastes fresh and not greasy , you can tell the cooks care about their presentation and integrity of the food . Very good prices and attentive waitresses. Soon they will have their beer and wine Licence. read more

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

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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. read more

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Cool place to stop by on your way up to Idyllwild or your way down. Clean and friendly, cool music too. read more

Our new favorite. Great food. Friendly and efficient service. Love the patio. The tables are spread out and they play good music. Not too loud, either! read more

I can't remember the last time we had food so fresh, so tasty! Establishment is spotless. We own a food store, so we notice things that maybe don't seem important. They are, and they make a difference. Loved the relaxed ambiance, the artwork, and friendly staff. The music was fab too. Old school Country. Will be going back on a regular basis, and sending our customers there too. A lot of hard work and attention to detail clearly went into re-opening this place under the new owners, and a high standard is obviously maintained day to day too. A rare find anymore. Highly recommended. read more

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! read more

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Had an unexpectedly wonderful lunch. Both food and service were fantastic. Food is fresh and the tomato soup, made from scratch, belongs in a 5-star steakhouse! Met the chef and one of the new owners. I have high appreciation for a hard working small business doing things the right way. I wish you much success. We will be back, for sure. read more

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

Incredible service, a warm atmosphere, and fantastic food! This place literally has it all. There's even toys for the little ones, a dog friendly patio, and a pet fish for us to say hello to. Highly recommend this place for locals and tourists alike. read more

Mountain Center Cafe & Grill - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Mountain Center, California

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Visited this restaurant for lunch on January 28th. We have been here before when it was the fork and spoon. The food was always good with always a crowd. The new owners took out all of the nice plants that were on the patio making it look bare and stark. We arrived with one only one table occupied, a sure sign at 12 noon that maybe the food is not that good! We ordered huevos rancheros and a spinach-mushroom omelette. The waitress was efficient and friendly, however the food was something to desire. The huevos rancheros were topped with a tomato sauce that tasted and looked like they just opened a can of Del monte stewed tomatoes. Tasteless, with very little seasoning and garnish. No onions, no mild peppers, just plain tomatoes chopped up in to large chunks. I ordered light cheese, didn't receive any cheese. Salsas were strange tasting with a strong cumin taste in the green salsa. The spinach and mushrooms omelette we ordered was also tasteless, no seasoning on the veggies. Spinach still had long stems on the leaves. The mushrooms were also insipid, flavorless. The accompanying potatoes were so overcooked and brown that they were dry. The onions and bell peppers in the potatoes were overcooked and burnt. Tasted leftover, we didn't finish them! Two stars for a nice and efficient waitress. read more

New ownership is shining through! Food was great, service was amazing and love the family involvement with the kiddos wrapping silverware. We will definitely make this a regular stop now on our way in and out of town. Congrats on the quick turnaround and you can see all the love and energy that has gone into recreating this place. read more

I normally never leave review, but I have to this time... Unfortunately I ordered the Greek Skillet,and it was terrible first off it says it come with feta cheese, sun dried tomatoes, spinach, eggs, olives, potatoes, and cheddar cheese, I asked for no potatoes. She said that was fine, when I got it, all that was on the plate was a bunch of potatoes, eggs, olives, and spinach, no sun-dried tomatoes, no feta cheese and no cheddar cheese, and then you could see the salt there was so much salt and it was super tasting,awful.. and as a side, I was supposed to get a bowl of fruit which never came.. so I have to say I give 0 - reviews , we will never go back!! read more

Great food, service, and ambiance. Came here new year's day with my lovely wife and it was a perfect setting, sitting by the window, looking out at the rain and sky high trees. read more

Beautifully remodeled, friendly/helpful staff, amazing prices, great food. What more could you ask for? We are so excited to see the quality and warmth come back to this staple resteraunt under new ownership. Exciting times! read more

I visited the Mountain Center Café and had a really nice experience. The restaurant was clean, cozy, and the staff were all friendly and welcoming. One of the first things that stood out was the pricing -- it's much more affordable than other options on the mountain. The serving sizes were generous, so you really get your money's worth. I ordered a skillet, and it came out quickly and tasted great. Overall, solid food, great service, and a comfortable atmosphere. I'd definitely recommend stopping by. read more

Went there today about 11:30am. Meeting family but they were closed. Hung around for a bit and then drove in to town to find another restaurant. No signage explaining why they were closed. read more

Wouldn't eat here again but would definitely poop here again. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx read more

This cafe was really cute. The patio allows dogs and they have a cute set up for them with a bed and water. We had a party of 10 and tried a lot of menu items. Of all of the items, people seemed to like the breakfast best. The French Fries are lightly battered. And were delicious. The Asian chicken salad was pretty good as well, especially the grilled chicken in it. The teriyaki chicken sandwich was also quite good as per my son's best friend. There were a few things like the French Dip that were not as good but still ok. Overall would def return for breakfast. read more

Between the coffee, skillet, breakfast burrito and cinnamon roll we can't recommend one it was a feast of exquisite flavors, perfect size dishes and overall the ambiance and service made it an excellent experience. read more

The waitress suggested I try the chicken steak and eggs. She said it was the best thing on the breakfast menu and she was not lying. I left no crumbs!! My son said his food was delicious as well. We shared the pancakes and they were fluffy and delicious too. Fast and friendly service! Good prices and plenty of parking. Good ambience! read more

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An amazing place to get food when visiting the mountains! Waffles were crispy on the outside and fluffy in the outside, pancakes delicious, bacon perfect and Coffee was also really good! Our family had a delicious breakfast with extra kind staff! Absolutely a do over and love that everything is homemade and real food not just eggs from a bag! read more

We came here on MLK Day which was also the day they were celebrating Betty White's 100th birthday ($12.99). They had a special which included a cup of white chili, 2 hot dogs, fries and a cookie. My husband and I shared the special and upgraded to a bowl of chili. Daughter got a kids meal with pancakes and sausage. Son got the avocado and bacon burger. 1/3 of a pound for $11.50. My husband added a chili cheese fries and shared the cookie with our daughter. The dessert got a "holy sh!t" rating from my husband. In fact, both he and my daughter said this would be the one dessert they have for the rest of their lives. We also met the new owners Brad and Jerry Ann. They are amazing and have done so much with this outdoor space. It's so inviting, bright and joyful. The service is incredible and they are so dog friendly. In fact, stay tuned for a dog menu. Must visit! We will be back many many many more times. read more

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Now I am really not the one to come on here and leave bad reviews unless I am extremely upset. I have tried this place three times since the new owners. The first time was great. The second time not so much there was lint or hair in my blt I sent it back and they made me something different I blew it off and just figured it wouldn't happen again and that the place was clean . Today for the third time I came in ordered the same blt with avocado and egg first of all the avocado wasn't on the sandwich when my food was brought out after I had requested avocado on my sandwich . When I let the server know there was no avocado she had bought it to the table. When I received the avocado that wasn't on the sandwich there was hair on it again. I had sent the sandwich back and said that I didn't want it. What ever they are prepping on in the kitchen is unsanitary. After I had sent the sandwich back the cook Daniel and 2 other servers thought it would be cute to have a disrespectful conversation about me and the sandwich that I had sent back. Everyone in the dining room could hear them. The cook had said that I'm just trying to get free food and that no one complains about his food ever and that I am the only one to complain and send something back along with other disrespectful comments. There was no accountability or accommodation or even an I'm sorry let me fix that. I have never felt so uncomfortable or disrespected at any food establishment in my life. I definitely will not be coming back here. It sucks knowing that this is how they treat their locals. read more

This place is adorable! Great food and great service. Prices are reasonable. Will be going going back again. read more

Mountain Center Cafe & Grill - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Mountain Center, California

Service is a little slow, but that's ok for a sleepy mountain town. I got the triple pork, Applewood bacon, blackforest ham and smoked pork with bbq sauce on a toasted roll. Everything tasted ok, what you'd expect from.a diner though the portions are a little small. Directions and Yelp both had 3 listings for this joint 2 as Mountain Center Café one as Two Forks (as visible on back patio signage, front said Mt. Center). My only issue was the menus not being updated. I was quite surprised to see the sandwich I chose, listed at 10.99, but was 15.99 on the tab with a surcharge for onion rings, though the menu clearly states fries, onion rings or potato salad, and does not mention an upcharge but a selection between the items. Everyone else's items had upcharges or were more than listed as well. #buyerbeware read more

Mountain Center Cafe & Grill - Triple pork, 15.99+ NOT 10.99 - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Mountain Center, California

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Food the owner is a wonderful person love spoons and forks always nice to see people you haven't seen in years are little town and the people who live in mountain Center and the town of Idyllwild I live in Pine Cove for many years and i wouldn't go anywhere else read more

Beware. Menu pricing is not current. I got breakfast there. Price was 11.95 for my meal but when I got the bill it was 15.99. I asked what was going on and the waitress forgot to tell me the prices weren't accurate. So beware. Now that being said. The food and service was really good up to the bill and was worth the 15.99. read more

Food was delish, Diane was kind and efficient, and we enjoyed the great back patio with our 2 dogs. Definitely worth the short drive from Idyllwild! read more

The food was so good!! And everyone working there was so nice and welcoming ...a tad cold inside so order coffee ;0) read more

Mountain Center Cafe & Grill - Behind the resturant so pretty - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Mountain Center, California

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It was around 2021 when we ate at this l cafe. Delicious food , great waitress, love the mountain ambiance. Reminds me when I was a kid in the 50's. We don't get up this way often. We live in San Diego so we come up 2 times a year. Sorry we missed the cafe on Wed. It does not open till 11:00. So we went somewhere else. Hopefully next time on another day read more

Lovely little country cafe. Prompt and very nice servers. Nice patio. I got the Black Forest ham eggs Benny with breakfast potatoes. I asked for salsa for my potatoes and it was pretty good. I think it was homemade but not really very spicy. Perfect poached eggs and very tasty hollandaise. Sister got Florentine eggs Benny and hash browns which she said were perfectly cooked. They're open seven days a week but only from 6:30 to 1:00. They have a pretty big menu. I plan to return and try the sandwiches and onion rings and homemade soup and chili! Oh my! read more

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

This place is absolutely amazing! Came from out of town with friends for the weekend and we brought a dog. We sat out on the patio where each table had an umbrella and the tables were spaced well apart. They're big dog lovers and came with a bowl of ice water and doggie treats. The food was incredible and great fuel for a hike. We ordered the chicken fried steak breakfast, the combo plate with veggie sausage, and THE CINNAMON ROLL which was huge, fluffy, and delicious. They also have a nifty contactless pay system where you scan a QR code on the receipt! Most importantly, our server Bonnie was an absolute delight and such a lovely person to talk to. We left with our hearts and bellies full. Definitely pay them a visit. read more