Yum yum yum!!! I visited once and now it's been 3 times since discovered last month. Northgate has…read moreso much to offer. The Churreria specifically has delicious churros, hot cocoa, and dipping sauces. I like to get the churro bites and 2-3 sauces to enjoy. There's a seasonal sauce right now guava which is delicious! I'm a chocoholic and always have to get a chocolate and caramel sauce. The line gets very long, as it should, since it is so popular. Once your order is in, you'll have time to wander the bakery and gifts sections to kill time. Personally, I like to watch the staff make the churros. It's fun to see how the magic happens with the machines and twirling. Northgate is great for everyone! It's huge, plenty of seating and even family friendly. Often folks go to the tv/dj area with multigenerational families to enjoy whatever big sporting event is on. Come for the Churros, stay for the liveliness of the Mercado.

The service here is a 3 stars for me but the churros are good. The guy working the counter was kind…read moreof rude. No hello or anything. Just awkward silence. I got the combo, which consists of 4 churros, a hot chocolate and dipping sauce. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to choose the type of hot chocolate but he didn't ask. He also didn't ask what type of dipping sauce I wanted. There weren't any customers either, so it's not like they were busy. The churros were made fresh and tasted great except there were some pieces that tasted gummy/still raw. It's crispy and the sugar isn't too sweet. The hot chocolate was pretty good but very sweet. It is also scorching hot. I burnt my mouth twice trying to drink it. The sauce - I wasn't handed or asked what type of sauce I wanted. I had to ask for the sauce, which I was redirected to the ordering counter where there was a stack. Would have been nice if they had just given it to me or asked what I wanted. There's no labels or signs at all and I blindly chose what I assumed to be the cajeta- caramel but it didn't taste like caramel. At first I thought it was expired due to the sour taste, but after tasting it again a few times, it tasted like apple sauce? I'm not sure what it was but it was interesting with the churros.

Wow the best cheesecake I've ever had probably! Light and not too sweet. Literally perfect. I dream…read moreabout this cheesecake.. seriously.

Yu Cake at SCP used to be one of our favorite places, but unfortunately it just doesn't feel the…read moresame anymore. The cake display wasn't very appealing, and the customer service was lacking, which made the overall experience disappointing. We spent about $60 and left a $20 tip because we always appreciate the effort that goes into serving customers. Sadly, this visit didn't live up to the quality we remembered. It's disappointing to say, but this will probably be our last visit. I truly hope they're able to turn things around.

I've known this spot has been around for a long time, and I noticed it's been receiving more and…read moremore attention. It's summer, so it's the perfect time to finally check this spot out. Parking: They're located in a high foot traffic plaza with a small parking lot so finding an open spot will be difficult. Ambiance/Environment: This is a quick grab-n-go location. No indoor seating. They have four outdoor tables. The donuts are displayed and labeled. Love the decor and vibes. Service: I was greeted immediately every time I entered. Everyone is courteous, quick, & efficient. Doughnuts & coffee: The donuts are surprisingly not overly sweet. Presentation is absolutely eye catching. Their flavors sound intimidating yet interestingly delicious, and it tastes even better. Their flavors sound drinks are a hit or miss. So far, I've only tried their mochas and lattes. Their drinks are sweet. If you prefer sweet drinks, then these are for you. Their cold foams could use some work bc it disappears after 20 min and lack some flavor. - S'mores Mocha (seasonal) - Brown Sugar Latte (seasonal) - Vanilla Latte (staple) - Donuts: Mango Sticky Rice, Potato Chip Streusel, Butter & Salt, Saigon Cinnamon Crumb Pricing: They're constantly offering seasonal donuts and drinks. Highly recommend downloading their rewards app. You'll get a welcome reward and many coupons.

I love the unique flavors of Sidecar and how everything is made fresh in house!…read more The Mango Sticky Rice collab with Van Leeuwen is definitely worth trying if you like the Thai dessert. While the donut itself did not have a ton of flavor, the mango sticky rice topping was delicious, and did not make the donut too sweet. I also tried the vegan Neapolitan and was shocked how that made that donut vegan! It was a strawberry donut, topped with chocolate glaze, vanilla whipped cream, and even a cherry. I really appreciate how the vegan option is a rotating flavor, and I can't wait to go back to try more. I've been wanting to try the Basil Egg Benedict donut, but never seem to get there in time before it sells out. So arrive early if you are in the mood for a savory flavor!

Food was good, if a bit on the pricy side. The major downside for us was the missing $13 steak pie…read morein our order, which we didn't realize until we had already driven back home.

The chicken "pop" pie is really good! I also tried the Apple and Rhubarb pie, both were delicious.read more

amazing ice cream and service each and every time I come. the flavors are all so unique and tasty…read more I always have trouble deciding what I want because they're all so good!! small interior and minimal exterior seating. more of a place to grab and eat in your car.

My son has been raving about Stella Jean's ice cream for awhile now and I finally got a chance to…read morego try it myself and it did not disappoint! I'm Filipino and was tickled to hear about the flavors...Ube Pandesal Toffee, Banana Turon Crunch & Mango Sticky Rice. We tried the Ube Pandesal Toffee and I'm quite amazed how they were able to capture that unique flavor. I grew up with making an "ice cream" sandwich by putting ice cream in a pandesal and tasting this just unleashed a core memory of being young and making an ice cream sandwich that way. We will definitely be back to try the other flavors! When we arrived there was a few people in line and when the line grew a bit, I think it was a manager that stopped what he was doing to jump in and help with customers which I thought was very considerate of him to do. Lastly, the location was charming and tucked away in the corner of the plaza. It had a few tables outside and in the adjacent Pop Pie shop to sit for a few minutes to enjoy the ice cream! It's nice to support a small businesses that cater to the community! Good luck to the Stella Jean family...wishing you success! I'll be back for my Turon & sticky rice!

Stricklands is back! As a long time fan of their Irvine location, I was happy to know it came back…read more I've heard about the comeback for a while, but just never ventured out to Costa Mesa. Well, after dinner with some friends, we wanted to grab some ice cream - what better idea than trying Stricklands??? The ice cream is still as delicious as ever - I made the mistake of not checking that flavor calendar before we went, but we were still happy campers. And best of all, I got to introduce Strickland's to my kiddo (who ended up eating almost all the ice cream, lol). Not much in terms of seating, but there was a bench where we sat and eat the ice cream prior to leaving. Plenty of parking - location is on the edge of the mall if you have any issues finding it.

Nothing is better than handmade seasonal ice cream. The thoughtfulness behind the owners flavors…read morefor this ice cream parlor makes each bite unique and something to look forward to for each month. Service was quick an easy, and you get to talk to the owner yourself!

I finally got the chance to checked out this matcha soft serve spot that's tucked inside Mitsuwa's…read morefood court. Since I wanted more of a chill experience, I came on a weekday around 4pm. I highly recommend if you're not into crowds. There was only one person ahead of me and ordering was super easy through the kiosk. I went with the matcha and the hokkaido milk swirl on a cone. First bite, I tried the milk side on its own, and I loved how light it was. Not overly sweet. Then I tried the matcha by itself. It tasted earthy and had that matcha flavor. When I combined the swirl together , the matcha definitely took the spotlight. It kind of overpowered the milk swirl but I didn't mind it because I'm a matcha lover. It still balanced out nicely. Just more on the earthy matcha side. Oh, and let's not forget about the waffle cone. It was perfectly crunchy and tasted so good with my soft served. Also, shoutout to the employee who handed me my order. He was super friendly, welcoming, and all smiles which always makes the experience better.

matcha mont blanc ($9.2) - this is just a low quality…read morediluted matcha mont blanc that doesn't taste satisfying nor does it taste like what it should be - the matcha isn't strong but too milky and light - mont blanc also wasn't thick enough with the flavor - super expensive for such a small cup and low quality - below average and would not recommend rating: 2/5 - this was below average with everything tasting diluted and low quality - ambiance is noisy and casual since it is located inside a supermarket IG: @nom.noms.only

Salt & Staw will always hit, and it did it once again for me. Came here on a Wednesday night after…read moredinner and it was the perfect sweet treat. I got their seasonal strawberry pretzel salad and cinnamon snickerdoodle. This was my first time getting both of these flavors and let me tell you, they are definitely must tries. The strawberry pretzel salad tasted like strawberry cheesecake, which was right up my alley. And if you love cinnamon, you have to get the cinnamon snickerdoodle. It is the perfect amount of sweet and tastes just like a snickerdoodle cookie. I also appreciate the good amount of mix ins for both flavors.

First, great tasting ice cream!! But you expect and want that and this delivers! Creamy,…read moreinteresting flavors as well as more traditional ones. But customer service is a real plus. The lines can be long but the wait is worth it. The workers take their time and make sure each customer is taken care of. There are many options and they are willing to let you try as many samples as you want. They have real metal spoons the samples come on- this means more work for the staff. But that is part of a customer oriented store. It is also pet friendly! So come when you want to be treated right, take your time and enjoy unique flavors for something out of the ordinary or enjoy a flavor you're more familiar with. Either way you won't be disappointed.