Hidden gem. Friendly service, nice outdoor patio and fresh food. The Dirty Ghost is delicious and a…read moregreat caffeine boost. I had mine with Oat Milk. Yum! The Turkey Harvati Sandwich was perfectly made and Isa's Berry Salad included fresh strawberries and blueberries that reminds me of a beautiful summer day. I also learned that they just got their beer & wine license and their hours are going to be extended. That's always a plus as it's a good place to hangout and get some work done. I'm definitely coming back. Thank you!

1. The coffee drink would definitely add a lot of energy to any day! The sandwich was delicious!…read more2. The spot has business casual vibes since it is located inside a commercial building! The interior has high ceilings! 3. The staff was friendly and timely with my order! During the lunch rush, my order took about 20 mins! 4. There are both indoor and outdoor seatings! There are a good number of tables available! 5. There is a parking structure available! Note: I did not easily see if this spot has their own restrooms for customers! Photo: Dirty Ghost and Tri Tip Sandwich

Our first visit. Burger Lounge is our "go-to" burger place but this is better…read more Service was excellent - very friendly and help right from the front door. Ambiance was somewhat neutral - quiet enough - lot's of people very busy behind the counter. Clean restrooms, and tables. Quality of the food was outstanding - sweet potato fries cooked perfectly. A Mooyah cheese burger made perfectly - meat cooked just right, lettuce and tomatoes and pickles just the way I like it with some dressing that seemed like thousands island - my favorite - and a very thin and good-tasting bun. Excellent quality beyond anything I've had anywhere. Thanks for a great experience. Two people eating well for $25 is a real exceptional deal nowadays.

Mooyah is a place I like overall, but I wish I could like it more…read more I like the freshness and customization of the burgers. It kind of reminds me of Five Guys, but the meat tastes fresher and more grass-fed, it does not feel as overpriced, and there are more options for cheeses and toppings. I also like the surprisingly generous portions of fried potatoes, whether you get the French fries or potato chips. I only have one big issue with Mooyah, though: they oversalt the hell out of the fried potatoes. It is especially bad with the homemade potato chips, which really sucks because I can tell they are homemade. Unfortunately, when I order online, I do not have the option to request no salt. This is frustrating because I like to control my sodium intake, and I do not get any real say in how much salt is put on my potatoes. I clearly get an overload of salt whenever I eat fried potatoes here. Otherwise, I like this spot. I just have to be prepared to get a small size of fried potatoes for my body's sake, sodium-wise.

Food: This was one of my favorite spots to go to for lunch or to cater from during college!…read moreMendocino's sandwiches are amazing, especially their Not So Fried Chicken, Vegan Banh Mi, and Happy Hippie! I've heard the Peruvian Steak, Prosciutto, and Chicken are good too! My only feedback with the Happy Hippie is that there is slightly too much filling, so it falls when you are eating the sandwich. Each of their sandwiches comes with two halves and is filling and satisfying. They also use fresh, vibrant vegetables, and a store associate told me their bread is baked fresh every day! Service: The service here is half the reason I come! A lovely store associate will guide you when ordering, and they will bring the food right to you! When they bring the food, there are two napkins on the tray. If they see you carrying your tray after you are finished eating, they will also offer to take it for you! Although the sandwich prices are slightly premium, you are paying for their healthy ingredients and exceptional service! Ambiance: This restaurant is spacious with many tables on the inside and outside! Their bathrooms are also really clean and well kept! Please go here for a healthy, non-bloating meal when you're in the area!

8/05/26 5:18 p.m. University Town Center…read more I decided to try the Peruvian Steak today without avocado. I usually order the Not So Fried Chicken, but I wanted to switch things up. I'd rate the Peruvian Steak an 8.5/10. The bread was perfectly toasted, the mustard added just the right amount of kick, and all of the flavors complemented each other well. It would have been a perfect 10/10 if one side of the bottom bun hadn't been completely soggy from the mustard spilling out of the sandwich. I ordered my sandwich to go, so if I had waited until I got home to eat it, I think the entire bottom of the sandwich would have been soggy. That was disappointing. For to-go orders, I think Mendocino Farms should automatically serve the mustard in a separate sauce container to help prevent this issue. My other qualm was with the pickup process. When I received the text that my order was ready, it read: "Your order at Mendocino Farms - 10 - UC Irvine is ready for pickup. Please proceed to the counter." Some restaurants have signs explaining whether customers should grab their to-go orders themselves or wait for a team member to assist them. I waited patiently at the counter for several minutes while a team member saw me standing there but didn't acknowledge me. After about five minutes, I finally asked, "Can I grab my order?" The process felt confusing and could have been communicated more clearly. Overall, I thought the sandwich was delicious and a great portion size. However, I think the to-go process could use some improvement. I ended up eating my sandwich in the restaurant because I could already see the bread becoming soggy when I picked it up, which wasn't part of my original plan.

Just a few weeks ago, i went back to freesoulcafé after a long time. So, this review is slightly…read moredelayed. I have really missed this awesome vegan restaurant. I used to live near by and i used to go there all the time. So, that day, i drove 25 miles to revisit. Freesoul café is located in a charming red brick building in old town Tustin. There is parking out front and around the area. They have indoor and outdoor seating. The interior is cozy with dark tones and low lighting, which makes the space feel intimate. I Love their indoor/outdoor courtyard with a fountain as the center piece, comfortable seating, marble top tables under market umbrellas and glass cathedral ceiling which brings in the perfect amount of light while still being sheltered from the elements. At night, you can dine by candle light. It can be very romantic. Great spot for any occasion but especially good for a lunch or dinner date. This place is more about quality rather than quantity. So, the menu is not extensive but on point. (See full menu in pictures) They also have a breakfast menu not shown here because I was there past breakfast hours. Breakfast is served from 11am-2pm daily. They are closed on Sundays. I started with a bowl of the soup du jour. It was a lentil carrot soup. It was warm and so rich in flavors. I then ordered the Panini Poulet which is a Vegan Chicken panini with cucumbers, pickled Daikon and carrots, hatch chili, cilantro and sriracha aioli. It comes with a side of garden salad. It came out warm. The panini was well toasted and lightly buttered. All the ingredients paired really well with the sriracha aioli which to my happy surprise, was not spicy at all. As you bite into the toasted panini, it is moist and crunchy followed by a burst of incredible flavors. It was absolutely delicious. For dessert i ordered the Key lime pie and an Iced Vanilla Latté with oat milk. The key lime pie was really light, not overly sweet. Just perfect. The crust was soft. The whipped cream on top was so incredibly good. The iced, Oat Vanilla latté was the perfect compliment on this warm day. In conclusion. This is a family owned business. Everyone is so kind. The service is excellent. Prices are reasonable for the quality. Everything is made in house. They use nothing but quality ingredients that You can really taste in every bite. And it is healthy as everything is 100% plant based. I highly recommend freesoulcafé. It is one of my absolute favorite restaurants. It is nice to see that all the same people are still there ever since they opened back in 2010. Hats off to the Chef and Shout out to Bryan and the rest of the crew. Keep up the good work.

charming restaurant in old town tustin. i love the ambience of the outdoor seating environment,…read morewith the brick walls and shaded seating. the menu has a large variety of foods, and i hadn't had a vegan shakshuka in so long so this hit the spot. the portion looked small but ended up being filling, though i wish i had some more bread to soak up the tomato juices. i did overhear some complaints about portion sizes decreasing over the years, though would definitely come back to try their other dishes, as the sandwich menu looked plentiful. costs are a bit high to compensate the high price of vegan items, which is understandable. the interior and bathroom were both clean and decorated in a gaslamp way, and the waiters were sweet. parking can be a little difficult because this is downtown, but there's free parking lots in the area

I enjoyed dining here, and was thoroughly interested in a build your own burger concept. I was…read moreespecially impressed with their value meal, which a lot of build your own burgers establishments don't really incorporate. We really enjoyed the burgers and thought the quality was exceptional with strong flavors and nothing too greasy or heavy. Portions are fair for what you pay for in my opinion, especially if you opt for their value meals. The storefront is spacious with lots of seating and convenient parking nearby. We utilized their self serve tablet which I found to be really convenient!

We had a short window for lunch and decided to stop by Burger Boss. We were able to walk right up…read moreto a kiosk while in line. There were a couple of kiosks for self orders. Maybe because I was in a hurry, I didn't get a chance to fully check out the menu and didn't realize there were some set meals. I ordered a double smash burger, I believe and the Cajun fries. It seemed pretty expensive for those two single items. As for the taste, I wasn't too thrilled about the burger. Nothing stood out to me. I will definitely pass on the Cajun fries next time. It was overly salty and I was not able to finish the fries. Usually I don't leave any fries behind, but I gladly did in this case because the salt level was to the extreme. I'll definitely have to slow down to place my order next time.

How have I not written a review for Vegan by El Zamora yet??? I make sure to go here every time I…read moream in town. The staff is always helpful as well as friendly and kind. They have a nice patio for outdoor dining. Believe it or not my go-to is a side of rice and beans. It's always good! Ordered a bunch of tacos on this last trip bc of its Taco Tuesday, tacos are the way to go! Reminder...everything is vegan! Chicken, Chorizo, Carnitas (mushroom), and Cauliflower. The chicken tacos were everyone's fav.

Came here excited for a casual vegan Mexican meal. I liked the self check out screen. Quick and…read moreeasy to use with lots of menu options. Food came out quickly which was nice. Plenty of outdoor seating with cute table and wall decor. A couple tables inside for seating. My California asada burrito was good. Got to say though, the asada was thinly sliced and tough and the fries dominated the experience. Overall I was left underwhelmed. I did have a bite of the asada crunch someone else ordered that was better so maybe I should have gotten the plain asada burrito instead. I may give it another shot with better luck.

1. The breakfast sandwich was well-crafted, and it came with a delicious sauce on the side!…read more2. The spot has chill casual vibes! The interior is cozy! 3. The staff was friendly and timely with my order! It was ready after 10 mins! 4. There are indoor and outdoor seatings! There are a lot of tables! 5. There is a parking garage! Note: I did not easily see a restroom available for customers! Photo: Matcha Latte and Breakfast Sandwich

This is the definition of a hidden gem. We were staying at the Hilton and this was within walking…read moredistance. For some reason I couldn't find this place. One phone call later we were there. The had tasty looking items on the menu but the breakfast burrito was the call! This burrito was loaded with so much goodness inside.... Hash browns, eggs, bacon.... so good. In addition he had hot sauces! One of them had Carolina reaper. I had to try it. The coffees were great as well. We stayed for a while and he even offered a second cup of coffee! Fantastic service and great food. It's really a hidden gem. So good!

Elixir Superfood - 7/10…read more Beware the tiny women with small appetites who just finished Pilates, because the açaí bowls are MASSIVE. As a dude who picks up heavy things, I was excited about the food volume but I know my partner would need to offload the leftovers to her garbage disposal of a boyfriend. I stopped by Elixir Superfood near UCI for breakfast because I wanted an açaí bowl. Funny enough, I didn't realize there was a Blue Bowl right around the corner or I probably would have gone there. Still, I'm glad I gave Elixir a shot. The first thing I noticed was the size. When they handed me the bowl, it was heavy. This thing is thick with two C's. I was expecting a normal açaí bowl, but this was a legit meal. One thing I wasn't thrilled about was the pricing. There are quite a few upcharges. Adding protein cost me another $2.50, and after a 10% tip the total came out to around $20. That's definitely on the expensive side. That said, I do appreciate that they offer protein. Blue Bowl is great, but it's more of a Chipotle-style build-your-own setup, and you can't really add protein. Since I lift, having that option actually matters to me. Flavor-wise, it's exactly what you'd expect. It's a good açaí bowl. Nothing mind-blowing, but nothing disappointing either. The lid did flatten the presentation a bit, but let's be honest, you're about to destroy it anyway, so who really cares? I was also pleasantly surprised that the rest of the menu looked solid. They have salads, rice bowls, protein bowls, juices, and everything I saw looked pretty good. I only tried the açaí bowl this time, but I'd come back to try some of the other food. Overall, I'd give Elixir Superfood a 7/10. It's above average, mostly because of the portion size. If you're just getting a standard bowl without a bunch of add-ons, I think it's a pretty good value. If you like loading your bowl up with lots of toppings, Blue Bowl is probably still the better choice. But as someone who powerlifts, I actually appreciated getting a bigger, more filling breakfast here.

We're big fans of Elixir in Mammoth and always make sure to get their Power Monkey and banana bread…read morewhenever we're there. I was so excited when they opened a location in Irvine since it's much closer to me. Unfortunately, it just wasn't the same experience. The banana bread was smaller and didn't have the same strong banana flavor as the one in Mammoth. The Power Monkey also wasn't blended well. I could barely sip it because I kept getting chunks of peanut butter. I was disappointed because I really wanted to love this location, but I'm still willing to give it another try.