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    Ruby's Diner

    3.7 (517 reviews)
    ModerateDiners, Burgers, American
    Open 8:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Ruby's Diner Photos

    RUBY'S DINER ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - Ruby's Diner

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    Inside
    Andrew L.

    I came here for lunch and left disappointed. Food: The menu has a good selection of sandwiches,burgers, and salads. I decided to order the albacore melt. It t tasted extremely dry and fishy. The manager was nice enough to give me another dish. I decided to order the patty melt. It tasted a little bit dry and underseasoned. However, the black tea was very good. Service: The manager was friendly and most of the the staff was attentive. Ambiance: I like the decor inside of the restaurant.

    Apple, Pecan & Bleu Cheese Salad
    Marc L.

    When shopping what better way to nourish than with a salad from Rubys. Didn't get the usual burger fries or milkshake. Very pleased with my choice of apple pecan blue cheese salad with added grilled chicken. Very tasty very fresh and satisfying. Service was good fast and friendly. Glad to see this location maintaining its quality.

    Cindy D.

    Nostalgic diner with average food and great service. The mushroom burger was a tad greasy but satisfying. It's nice that you can have a combo of fries and onion rings for a small up charge.

    Steven B.

    Really good restaurant at the South Coast Plaza mall. This one is across the bridge on the 2nd part of the mall. Our Waiter was Alex and he was outstanding. Always checking on our drinks. And helped us order. Super friendly, and we got to know him a bit. We ended up ordering the super burger and guacamole burger combos with fries and iced teas. We usually get the shakes, but we were so thirsty from all the mall walking, we just had to get those fluids going. The wait was quick and it was not very crowded even around noon time. They burgers were excellent. The super burger was cut in half, and I would say that's the only thing my friend didn't care for. I don't even know why. Lol. All in all food was great and service was great. Alex really was good. We will come back for sure.

    Diane R.

    I recently stopped by Ruby's Restaurant for a casual meal and overall had a pleasant experience. The atmosphere has that classic diner feel -- relaxed, a little nostalgic, and comfortable enough to sit and chat for a while. It wasn't too loud, which made it easy to enjoy the meal without feeling rushed. The food was solid and came out fairly quickly. Portions were generous, and everything tasted fresh and satisfying. It's the kind of place where you can count on familiar menu favorites done consistently well. The service was friendly and attentive without being overbearing, which I always appreciate. Parking and wait times can vary depending on the time of day, but once seated, things moved along smoothly. It's not necessarily a destination spot for a special occasion, but it's a reliable choice when you're looking for a comfortable, casual place to eat with dependable food and a welcoming vibe.

    The whole shabangz
    Jimmy C.

    Ruby's Diner has been an all-American classic diner for decades. I haven't been to many but the one at South Coast Plaza serves great food with friendly service. I love how they've maintained the retro ambiance. Very nostalgic. That's a hallmark feature of any Ruby's Diner. We ordered the classic cheeseburger with a garlic fry upgrade and a bacon cheeseburger with an onion ring upgrade. Both burgers were good but I'd say the classic cheeseburger was a bit better as it just had that classic burger taste. The garlic fries were very garlicky and tasty. The onion rings were a bit disappointing as it wasn't as crispy as I would have liked. All in all though, I recommend Ruby's Diner when you're craving some greasy American diner food.

    Nicely done, immaculate
    Emmett F.

    Nice staff, everyone, neat, clean, and well dressed, attentive, place is immaculate, well decorated, and the food is good.

    Chili Cheese Dog
    Brittany T.

    Honestly, idk why we tried this spot. I guess after passing it so many times at South Coast on our mall walks we thought it might be a nice spot for a quick bite. While it was definitely quick, it was honestly just kind of average food? The cinnamon French toast was good but I wish they had all their breakfast items all day, not just a few. My husband got the chili cheese dog which was just a soggy mess. The mint chocolate chip milkshake was more chocolate chips than anything and they all kind of sunk to the bottom. Overall, I think this is the kind of spot that's a quick and easy meal if you have kids but if you're looking for something a little nicer, there's definitely better options around here.

    Vintage clips play for vibe.
    Lynnann W.

    I'd never been to this location and I'm so glad I stumbled onto it. Was greeted and sat immediately. It's bright, welcoming and clean. The vibe is fun. A large TV runs old black and white clips for a vintage feel along with a full size, old school bumper car that rotates mid-restaurant. Service was fantastic (Abygail T)! Clearly popular since there were two groups of kids with an adult, solo diners, couples ... it appeals to almost everyone. The salads are huge and the comfort food (patty melt, onion rings, milkshakes) is on point. They also serve house white and red wine.

    RubyClub (turkey sandwich) with Frings
    Spencer S.

    In the western building across from the main mall at South Coast Plaza. Fronts Bear Street and across from the new Vox as of April 2025. Sitdown, full service restaurant. Indoor and outdoor seating. Family friendly with a classic diner feel. Fast and friendly service! Be sure to ask for the build-your-own cars if you have energetic kids who need to calm down. I tried the turkey club with "frings" (extra for fries and rings, unfortunately, but no extra charge for just fries). Hefty serving, which I appreciated, and tasty! Two adult entrees, a kids meal, and a kids shake ran us $60 including tax and tip.

    Cindy N.

    staff were nice but spread over a big diner so it took a bit for us to get their attention. the food was decent! battered fish from fish and chips weren't overly heavy on the batter, and it paired well with the tartar sauce. sweet potato fries were really good too! would definitely come back if i was craving that

    Overly garlicky fries
    Anh C.

    We got the table after 30 minutes wait. Our waitress was very nice and attentive. The kids got their shakes and I ordered a lemonade. My lemonade came out warm and tasted metallic so I asked for water and she took the lemonade off the bill. We all ordered burgers and fries. I split the burger with my sister since I wasn't feeling too hungry. We got the garlic fries and it came out with a heaping of garlic and oil that became so inedible. My niece's fries had some green on their fries so I think we'll pass on the dinner from now on. 3 stars is for the service. Foods not so much.

    Dia N.

    I haven't been to Ruby's in the longest time, but always pass by it when I'm on that side of SCP, so I decided to drag my family from Newport Beach to this location. The decor of Ruby's is super retro, and I love the uniforms the staff wears. It feels nostalgic, even though I wasn't even from that era. The menu here is very traditional chain diner food. We opted to get some burgers, chicken tenders, fries, and onion rings. This location has indoor and outdoor seating, but we were glad to be sat indoors during the hot weekend. Our server was super sweet and friendly and we loved her! There were a few hiccups with our meals being incorrect, but the amazing staff here was able to sort everything out. The food itself was okay, and probably as good as it gets at a chain diner. I did really appreciate how crispy the onion rings are!

    Eggs Benedict

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    10 years ago

    Ruby's is always a good place for hamburgers, fries and milk shakes. I like the variety and the kids menu.

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    10 years ago

    Excellent service today from Katie. Fast, friendly, and really represents Ruby's well. She's definitely an asset to the Ruby's family.

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    8 years ago

    Service is great and their burgers are good. Beef patty is cooked right and cheese is melted perfectly. Will definitely be back.

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    Ruby's Diner Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Ruby's Diner

    How does a handicapped person get into the restaurant?

    A mall entrance is located directly next to the entrance to Ruby's; same level, a few feet from each other. The actual mall entrance has handicapped parking next to it.… 

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    Cappys Cafe - Cinnamon Swirl French Toast with Eggs and Bacon

    Cappys Cafe

    4.1(1.5k reviews)
    5.6 mi
    $$
    44 years in business
    Family-owned & operated

    I tried Cappy's cafe today. It was such amazing meal. Had me full for awhile for our adventure in…read morethe city of New port. I ordered Cappy bbq prime rib sandwich with house fries. Coleslaw was made to perfection. Perfectly balanced with the sandwich. Usually the coleslaw is really sweet and kills the other flavors but this one was made to go with everything. The house fries reminded me of shakeys so much. I put Parmesan cheese on my mojos. I thought I was weird for it but guess not now!! I really liked how they have bizzy bag. What is it you ask!! It comes with a puzzle, 1 rainbow coloring pencil with book to color, I believe it's shaving cream slime, and a snake. What also cool is you get to keep everything. Take it on the go for your Petulant child.

    I had wanted to try Cappy's Cafe for a while, but unfortunately, our experience was very…read moredisappointing. We arrived around 9 a.m. The parking situation was great, with plenty of spaces, and although the restaurant seemed busy, there were open tables and we were seated right away. From there, the service was confusing and inattentive. The first server came to take our drink order. When my sister asked about lattes, she said they had them but couldn't show us where they were on the menu--and didn't make any effort to find out. We asked for a few more minutes, and then she didn't return for quite a while. Even when she came back, no one offered or brought water for the table or the kids. We tried to give her our food order, but she explained that she only handled drinks and that we had to wait for another server. It took a while for the food server to come over, and then the food also took a long time to arrive. The latte was extremely sweet and not enjoyable. To their credit, they were nice about replacing it with brewed coffee and removed the latte from the bill, although we were charged for the brewed coffee. The food itself was mediocre at best. We ordered one children's meal with sausage and another with bacon, but both initially arrived with bacon. The bacon was very tough. They did correct the mistake and bring out the sausage when we asked. The sunny-side-up eggs were barely cooked, and the pancakes were just okay. My sister's meat-lovers omelet was especially disappointing. It wasn't soft or fluffy--it looked more like a thin egg crepe wrapped around pieces of ham, sausage, and bacon. We also had to specifically ask before we finally received water. For the prices--around $25 per person--we expected much better quality and more attentive service. We spend about the same at places like the Original Pancake House and receive much better food and service. The staff were accommodating when we asked them to correct the sausage and replace the latte, which we appreciated. However, the overall quality of the food, the long waits, and the disorganized service made the experience not worth the price. Unfortunately, we won't be returning.

    Photos
    Cappys Cafe - Pancake Combo

    Pancake Combo

    Cappys Cafe - Prime Rib Melt with waffle fries

    Prime Rib Melt with waffle fries

    Cappys Cafe - Cappy's Club Sandwich

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    Cappy's Club Sandwich

    Pancakes R Us

    Pancakes R Us

    3.8(862 reviews)
    4.2 mi
    $$

    1. THE FOOD WAS AMAZING 2. THE SERVICE WAS AMAZING…read more 3. AGAIN THE FOOD WAS AMAZIN ! I felt so catered to and loved on while i ate at Pancakes R us they are great . When you go in make sure you ask for Juan he's so attentive and friendly! And his experience at the makes him officially an OG and he knows all about the menu he can tell you everything you need to know and more

    Having lived in Southern California for a very long time, I had seen Pancakes R Us when they were…read morelocated down the street on 17th. The place they are currently residing in used to be one of those belt driven sushi bars, but now it's pancakes. Which could have been fun with a belt drive system. But I digress. I had never eaten at this restaurant, but had always wanted to so today seemed like the perfect day to do so. Parking is definitely a little bit limited. I can imagine when it gets busy that it's tough to find parking, but I got here early enough in the morning so I was able to find it. If I'm being completely honest, the inside feels like an upscale IHOP. With a modern twist. The booths are nice and comfy, and the syrups are on full display much like IHOP. Wait staff was friendly and attentive, so I ordered the steak Skillet which came with a 7 oz steak, two eggs, potatoes with peppers, mushrooms and cheese, as well as half a biscuit and two buttermilk pancakes. I was very impressed with the steak, I'll be it a little bit tough, it was still a good size steak and very tasty. The skillet potatoes were amazing and the pancakes were very good. My only complaint about the service was I had to ask for my milk two times. Again, it wasn't that busy to wear. It would be easy to forget, but I will slide them some gray so, give them four stars instead of three. Bottom line? The food was delicious. I would definitely come here again. If you happen to be in Costa Mesa and you are craving some good pancakes, this place should definitely be on your list!

    Photos
    Pancakes R Us - Menu cover

    Menu cover

    Pancakes R Us
    Pancakes R Us

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    Plums Cafe - Plums Dutch Baby-
A baked deep dish pancake, butter, powdered sugar & lemon with mixed fruit.

    Plums Cafe

    4.1(3.6k reviews)
    4.4 mi
    $$
    34 years in business
    Family-owned & operated

    Wow! I can see why this place is so popular we finally tried it for the first time, and the…read morebreakfast food here does not disappoint. You have a choice of eating outdoors or inside. We were able to get seated quickly for a party of six, come early because after we got done eating there was a line already. Tons of parking and located in the corner area. The inside of the restaurant is very modern, and the service was good. The food was a burst of flavors and quite unique in form of presentation and taste. The Famous Dutch Baby was a major hit for our table, and the Lumberjack Stack was quite interesting as you get pulled pork in every pancake layer with crispy onions chips. The service was very attentive, we did not have to ask for refills they would just come by our table and start asking if we wanted more.

    Just okay. The berry waffles, side potatoes, and french fries were great and we highly recommend…read more Drinks were terrible, matcha tasted like the random powder mix from the grocery store back in 2015 that was chalky and grainy and my spritz was refreshing but tasted watered down (also didn't come out until 10-15min later). Trailblazer wrap was nothing special and one of the side sauces was real funky- almost like some type of animal fat/lard sauce, but I'm not sure. Not sure if they were understaffed, but we saw our waitress maybe every 10-15 min and didn't get waters or greeted until 10 min after we were seated, however there was no wait to be seated, and she was walking/talking with no urgency. We asked for one more minute to look over the menu and we didn't see her again for another 10 min -- we were just silently sitting scrolling on our phone before we had even realized we still did not order (since she never came back to check on us) They had indoor and outdoor seating, both were nice and clean with lots of options for larger parties.

    Photos
    Plums Cafe - Giant Cinnamon Roll is as good as it looks

    Giant Cinnamon Roll is as good as it looks

    Plums Cafe - Latte

    Latte

    Plums Cafe - French Dip

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    French Dip

    Ruby's Diner - diners - Updated September 2026

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