We visited the Nest on 04/04/2026 at about 6pm, before a show at the Ojai Playhouse. We actually came here after another restaurant had too long of a line. You pony up to the line, which moves pretty fast. You order your food, which will be brought to your table. All the seats are outside, most under some kind of shade. There is a large keg of water outside, that you can keep refilling your glass from. We were with a party of four; however, the two of us had the Pesto Chicken Pizza, which was yummy; however, quite a bit of the bottom/crust was a bit overly burnt -- otherwise, quite yummy. We also had the Fried Chicken Sammy with a Vegan Cesar salad. The chicken sammy was great with some bacon jam and onion. I was given a salad on the side; however, it was not at all a Cesar salad -- so I'm not sure what it was (I couldn't replicate it on the menu) Overall, a good experience; however, it just seemed that the order may have been rushed a bit creating a few too many mistakes. I would still return though. read more

Casual counter service restaurant with al fresco seating. I started with pint of Lucky Day IPA while we waited for the meal. The Fried Chicken Sammy with the bacon jam was amazing! I would totally order it again - we'll seasoned, crunchy, and slightly sweet. The Pesto Chicken Pizza was a nice medium size - six slices of yummy cheese, herbaceous & nutty pesto, grilled chicken, and sweet sundried tomatoes. A yummy pizza - I personally would have liked blistered cherry tomatoes in it for a brighter pop of freshness. Quick, easy and delicious. read more

A really cute spot with a lot of food options and drinks. As has an open seating patio which is dog friendly. I went on a Monday holiday and they had been really busy so they were out of a lot of food, which was a bummer. I wanted to try one of the fish tacos but they were out of both, probably for good reason as they sounded amazing. The smash burger was great and the fries were A+. Some of the best fries I have an in a while. I also love when the iced tea is served in a nice glass. The pizza was very basic, good but nothing crazy. I would definitely want to come back to try some of the options they were out of. Service was great and the food came out really quick. read more

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This place was such a cool vibe. Everyone was so friendly and the outdoor seating is absolutely beautiful. Everything was delicious and so fresh. I don't think you can go wrong with anything you order. read more

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I'm catching up on my reviews. We came to Ojai a few weeks ago and we had dinner at The Nest. My boyfriend heard this place had some popular Vegan Cauliflower Tacos. Omg! Delicious! The cashier was friendly and the restaurant is nice, clean, mostly outdoor seating. It felt a little romantic to me outside. We definitely plan to stop by again. read more

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Delicious food and a nice casual spot for lunch or dinner! You order at the window and seat yourself which is nice but with actual good quality food! I've seen this place very busy during the summer so was happy to eat here easily on an "off season." My boyfriend and I ordered the jalapeño smash burger and fried chicken sandwich with fries and split both to try. While they were both very delicious, we agreed that the chicken sandwich was the best. Nice thin crispy fries, an so many more things on the menu sounded delicious. We ordered the carafe of wine but their machine broke so we only got half that they still have to use and comped which was quite kind. We will definitely be back! read more

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Delicious salad! We had the Nest Salad, I think it was called?? It had goat cheese, pistachios, dates, and snap peas...we topped it with a large portion of salmon grilled to perfection. Really hit the spot on a hot day of walking and sightseeing around town. We also ordered the Hawaiian pizza which was good too but clearly that salad was the star of the show. While it is more popular to sit outside. We welcomed a break to sit inside their space inside with some AC. read more

The Nest - Waffles Near Me - Ojai, California

Solid spot for a casual lunch in Ojai. They have a great outdoor seating area as well as a few booths inside. You order at the counter and they bring you your food along with napkins and silverware. There's also a self serve water station. I ordered the kale caesar salad and the french fries. The caesar salad was delicious, especially for having vegan dressing! I added grilled chicken to it and loved the extra crunch from the chickpeas - nice touch. The french fries were a lovely shoestring consistency and super crispy. My brother had been here before and mentioned that he remembers the fries being different in the past but these were even better, so perhaps they made some changes to their menu recently. Either way, I'd recommend checking out The Nest if you're in the area! read more

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The Nest has some strong menu items but suffers from an inconsistent menu, a slow line and blatant shrinkflation. I've had some excellent salads there that disappear as suddenly as I'm delighted by them. The urge for a menu to evolve is understandable but is it unreasonable to expect the meal you've enjoyed to remain somewhat constant? I'm not saying a menu should be stagnant, but we're talking counter service here, not farm to table tasting menu. Also, we've seen the overall portions of certain dishes shrink while their prices remain high. Notably, the ahi bowl has graduated to a much smaller dish, and, as you can imagine, the portion of rice and pickled ginger has remained abundant while the ahi itself has gone down precipitously. Despite these gripes, I'm grateful they offer a satisfying vegan Caesar salad on which they added sun dried tomatoes as a special request. The dressing was delicious (albeit not especially Caesar-y and perhaps a little too generous) and coated the kale very nicely. I'd return just for that dish but don't think it's ideal bang for buck. Still, it's a charming atmosphere (props to newly renovated interior seating area!) and can be a perfect choice for different parties including dates and families. read more

The Nest - Vegan Caesar with added sun dried tomatoes - Waffles Near Me - Ojai, California

Ojai's got plenty of great food options, but somehow, we always end up at The Nest. And honestly, we've never regretted it. The open-air patio is a vibe. It's dog-friendly, grapevines are crawling up the walls and a chill playlist matches the easygoing crowd. The food? A little on the pricey side, but you feel the love. Even the fish tacos feel elevated. They're perfectly battered flaky fish, crisp shredded cabbage, and ripe cherry tomatoes that pop. There's real care in every detail. It all just hits. That's why we keep coming back every time we're in town. read more

The Nest - Two types of tacos: general fish taco and the ahi taco. Both amazing. - Waffles Near Me - Ojai, California

Had a great time visiting Ojai for the first time and stumbled on this restaurant on Yelp. We got the sausage fennel pizza($25) and chicken sammy($24) with the vegan cesar. The pizza had tomato sauce, fennel sausage, mozzarella, ricotta, castelvetrano olives + cremini mushrooms. I loved all the toppings on the pizza but thought the ricotta didn't pair as well with the pizza. It was a well made pizza and definitely shareable between two people. The chicken sandwich was so good!!! The chicken was tender and juicy and I loved the well crispy well seasoned breading. The aioli paired perfectly with the bacon jam with onions which brought out an amazing sweetness. One thing I would change is that I would use pickled red onions instead of the regular red onions they put on the sandwich as well as add some arugula to cut out the heaviness. I would come back to ojai just for the chicken sandwich. I wasn't expecting much from the side salad but I really loved it. The vegan cashew cheese added a salty taste with the well dressed greens. The service was quick and I love how the food came out freshly made and quickly. I loved the outdoor seating which had a lot of plants and greeny. read more

The Nest - Sausage fennel pizza - Waffles Near Me - Ojai, California

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The cauliflower soup and the Greek chopped salad were excellent. The wait staff was very friendly and helpful. read more

The Nest - Chopped Greek salad - Waffles Near Me - Ojai, California

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Had a great experience at The Nest. I ordered the smash burger with fries, juicy, well-seasoned, nicely smashed with crispy edges, and the fries were perfectly golden and fresh. My friend got the tacos and absolutely loved them as well. You order at the counter and they bring the food to your table. I can't really comment much on full service, but the girl who delivered our food was very friendly. The vibe of the place is excellent, especially when the weather is nice. Outdoor seating is perfect, and it's dog friendly, which made it even better. Would definitely come back. read more

The Nest - Waffles Near Me - Ojai, California

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The chicken sandwich was really good, the fries. I did not like because they were cold, the drink was very sweet, but pretty good. Overall, the aesthetic is very pleasing and peaceful, and the service was fast. read more

The Nest - Chicken sandwich, fish tacos, Arnold Palmer - Waffles Near Me - Ojai, California

First time here and I am IN LOVE! The service was okay, not overly friendly but the food and value made me look past that. The fried artichoke hearts were the absolute best that I have ever had. I also had the cauliflower tacos, they were great but even better with their homemade salsa. The dining area was very clean and staff were quick to turn tables. I can not wait to go again. read more

The Nest - Fish tacos - Waffles Near Me - Ojai, California

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The Nest is a very cute spot in downtown Ojai with a terrific healthy Brunch type menu. It's partially self serve and very dog friendly on their cute grapevine covered outdoor patio. To start we ordered a couple of cocktails because hey, it's brunch and we're on vacation . Tried the mai tai and the moody blue. Both cocktails were not only pretty to look at, but very tasty, particularly the mai tai. Then we feasted on the delicious Smashburger, which was Wagyu beef, American cheese, grilled onions, pickles, and their delicious nesty sauce. I really wanted to go for their great looking fries, but instead, I opted for the healthier option of the wonderful arugula side salad. Hubs ordered the Philly cheesesteak sandwich and sadly was not impressed however as it was drowning in a heavy mayonnaise based sauce and not enough, onions and peppers. The fries he had, though were excellent! The menu overall is just awesome, I would love to go back because there are so many more things I would've liked to have tried including their root beer float.....Next time. read more

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Visited downtown Ojai and stopped by The Nest for lunch. Cute little restaurant with plenty of outdoor seating in their patio area. So how it works here is you line up to order and pay at the window, and you're given a pager that will buzz once your food is ready for pick up. The girl working the register was super friendly. Unfortunately they ran out of pizza dough right when I stepped up to order. So we ended up ordering: * side house salad - for a side salad, the portion was pretty big! * jalapeno bacon smash burger - the patty was so juicy but a little too salty. The fries were nice and crispy. * calamari tacos - avocado was not ripe. The calamari was good though. * el sully mexican style lager beer They can get pretty busy so I would suggest coming early or later. It got a little uncomfortable towards the end when I had a family of 4 stand next to my table waiting for me to finish eating so they can take over my table... read more

The Nest - Waffles Near Me - Ojai, California

My friend and I were wine tasting in downtown Ojai and started to get hungry so we looked into restaurants to try. My friend had been to the Nest previously and recommended that we give them a try. I was happy as they had been on my to try list for a while so we walked over for an early dinner. I've heard that this spot gets pretty busy but for such an early dinner around 3pm it was pretty much dead here which worked out to our advantage. Plenty of seating to choose from and the food came out within 5 minutes. Worked out just great as we were starving. This spot you actually order up at a counter and then they give you a pager for you to pickup your food once ready. The gal working the register was nice and quick. She also made our cocktails to order in front of us which I appreciated. The menu here is pretty big to be honest. Lots of tasting looking options and I also loved that they had 5 cocktails on their wall to choose from. I think this restaurant has a good variety of options for any type of eater. Sitting outside was pretty nice and the vibe was very casual and relaxed. The cocktails overall were more like a 3/5. Happy to have tried one but the flavors to me were just okay. I tried their Pear Necessities (cute name). It was fine, nothing special - could have honestly had more of a hint of pear vs what tasted like a lot of lemon. I also think the price point was too steep for them. Cute glass though, so despite being a counter service bar I appreciate that they do serve the drinks in nice glassware. While the cocktails were mid the food was very very good! My favorite bite of the night were the calamari tacos and side of fries. My friend and I devoured these dishes. The fried calamari had a wonderful batter and I loved the chipotle cream. Topped with plenty of cabbage and avocado, it was a great taco. The fries were cooked to perfection and salty so good, loved the aioli dipping sauce. Both the tacos and fries were a 5/5. Another honorable mention was the ahi poke bowl 4/5 in my books. Super fresh and generous portion of ahi tuna. Visually appealing and very tasty, another good dish. Happy to report the food is pretty dang good. I docked one star just because the cocktails seemed pretty mid (at least speaking for mine) my friend did like hers more I think so that's good. Also the price point kind of had me shook. Like other reviews noted I do think it's too pricey for what it is here. When you dine somewhere that is counter service and you aren't waited on, I guess I expect the price point to reflect that. For example two cocktails and the one ahi bowl came to $58. How?! That's almost $20 an item. I still left a generous tip but did feel a bit surprised at what they are charging. Was I happy with my meal? Yes! Service was friendly and the relaxed casual atmosphere was much needed after a long day. But I do think there are other more reasonably priced spots in the area. I think the Nest is a good spot to dine or to sample some smaller bites with friends. Again, really loved the tacos and fries. Also think it's cute that they have an attached grocery / gift store. The findings in there were cute and some reasonable prices. Also clean bathrooms. No issues there. read more

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I love Ojai and I love The Nest! Beautiful patio seating and incredible service, coupled with delicious and fresh food and the most amazing drinks I think we have ever had! The ahi poke bowl is outstanding and the tacos are so good too! Go to The Nest! read more

The Nest - Waffles Near Me - Ojai, California

The Nest is a great casual brunch spot in Ojai. You place an order at the counter (no Apple pay currently accepted) and just choose a table in the outside seating area. For appetizers, I ordered the spicy shrimp + crispy rice. They have two options- 3 piece or 6 piece but it's a great twist to the usual spicy tuna crispy rice (but with shrimp instead obviously). I would definitely recommend as a shared appetizer for the table! I ordered the Tico salad which is a taco in a salad version- it has all the same ingredients as a taco like ground beef, beans, cheese, tomato and instead of the taco shell, they top the salad with fritos chips. I really liked the added crunch from the fritos chips. The salad dressing they use is thousand island which I thought was the perfect dressing to tie all the flavors together! read more

The Nest - Tico salad - Waffles Near Me - Ojai, California

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We were in Ojai for the day and wanted something refreshing so we shared a CRISPY RICE SALAD ($24) (tamari chicken, crispy rice, cabbage, carrot, snap peas, cilantro, mint, peanuts + yuzu chili dressing). It was alot of chewing involved but the place is nice and they have self-serving water and cups available. There was outdoor and indoor seating and we opened for indoor seating to avoid the heat. Service was quick. read more

It's definitely my fault for not checking the description for the margherita pizza but to my defense....look at my photo (attached) and tell me this looks like a Margherita pizza. Chili flakes? And maybe 3 strips of lazy basil within the cheese? It was definitely not the business. Even if this was labeled correctly, the cheese had that "plastic" feel to it, it just wasn't that good. Not awful, but I'm sure u can find a better pizza somewhere else. read more

The Nest - Odd Margherita Pizza - Waffles Near Me - Ojai, California

We passed through Ojai today and stopped for a quick bite at The Nest, where we were met with a wonderful surprise. We ordered the Spicy Shrimp + Crispy Rice appetizer, which turned out to be cī fàn gāo (粢飯糕)--a childhood favorite of mine that I haven't had in years! The tacos were also incredibly fresh and flavorful. It was such a treat. read more

The Nest - Front entrance - Waffles Near Me - Ojai, California

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I can't explain how incredible this place is. I'm almost embarrassed to say I've been here 3 days in a row. We got the elote fries (addicting!), the fried chicken Sammy (2 days in a row and just as good), the salmon tacos, and yep, every 3 days, the strawberry filled curious!!! Yum! My mouth is watering just typing this. They also have my new fav drink, it's a whiskey drink with froth on top. One of the best things about this spot is the consistency. This is a must go read more

Mediocre pizza, and the Margherita pizza has chili flakes like what? Cheese tastes plasticky and there were no sliced tomatoes on the Margherita at all. They put 3 big slices of basil, so only 3 slices had basil on it. Really disappointed we drove all this way for disappointing pizza. :( read more

Love their fish tacos and smash burger. Great spot for a nice lunch. Clean and in the middle of downtown Ojai. Good service. We will be back here for sure. read more

The Nest - Waffles Near Me - Ojai, California

We stopped here for lunch! The line was pretty long but it goes by fast! Their food was very good , we got the fried chicken sandwich, it only had bacon not pickles as someone who loves pickles I was not a huge fan but it's a pretty good fried chicken sandwich. Our favorite item on the menu Meza platter which had hummus and some pistachio flavored dip, and. Garlic dip. That was very good. Their smash burger was 10/10! It's a very nice lunch spot we ate outdoors and it was beautiful summary and cozy! 100% recommend read more

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We stood in line to order and it went fairly quickly. Cute spot with indoor and outdoor seating. Our food arrived to us shortly and was delicious. We ordered the elote fries, brisket tacos and chicken Caesar sandwich. Can't wait to go back and try other things on their menu. read more

One of our favorite places in Ojai. Their food has never disappointed and you get to enjoy a nice view of the mountains of Ojai sitting in their outdoor dining area. I've enjoyed various pizzas and the fried chicken sammy and all have been great. It is slightly spendy, but they are clearly using quality ingredients, so that will cost what it costs. Atmosphere is nice and casual, appropriate for both a date night or a post-beach dinner. read more

Great service food and experience would def recommend to visit for happy hour or brunch read more

The Nest - Waffles Near Me - Ojai, California

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I was in town visiting in-laws and was very much excited to try this place for a late lunch. We arrived a little before 2pm and the line wasn't too long - 5 people ahead of me. I thought it wouldn't be long before I could place my order. I waited in line for 40 minutes to place my order! Quick tip! Call in your food order if you're not ordering any alcohol mixed drinks. I didn't know that when you place a food order, they are also making your mixed drinks on the spot. This created a longer line! I'm starving, my kid is starving, we get the food and it's such a small portion! It's way overpriced! I ordered the crispy rice chicken salad and the chicken were tiny bite size pieces for a toddler. The sauces were overwhelming while the entire entree was underwhelming. We won't be coming back. read more

The Nest - Underwhelming crispy rice chicken salad. $24 toddler bite sized pieces of chicken. Crispy rice where? It got lost in the sauce. - Waffles Near Me - Ojai, California

We were excited to finally try this spot. It was exactly what I needed. The menu was well balanced and it made for a light lunch fare find. The polenta avocado toast was a feast. I'm excited to go back and have it again. My husband said the ahi bowl was delicious as well. Kids pizza seemed wood fired which was a nice surprise. Just a short walk from the center of downtown. read more

Ok let me get this out the way before I continue with the review, the chicken is amazing When I came here on October 15th with my Baby Nephew to try it out because of Tony, I NEVER expected to be begging for more pocket money to buy some more of that chicken. Genuinely one of the best chicken I've EVER tasted, my condolences go to the chef also the nest is very pretty. With much love, Andy read more

Super delicious. I had the figgy piggy salad and my husband got the tacos. They were both great. Plus you have to try the horchata latte, really good. Not too sweet. I'll be back. read more

The food here is amazing! We tried the Figgy Piggy Salad with arugula, dried figs, butternut squash, bacon, goat cheese, marina almonds and balsamic vinaigrette! The Chicken Caesar Sammy is one of the best sandwiches I've ever had! It was herb roasted chicken, greens, Parmesan, roasted red onions, and almond Caesar dressing all in focaccia! Amazing! Great indoor/outdoor seating and friendly service makes this a must any time you're in Ojai! read more

Service is always excellent. Food is good and fairly priced. Ambiance is nice. Drinks are a bit overpriced. I purchased one Coke, cheapest glass of wine, cauliflower tacos and a side of fries. Roughly 52 dollars. read more

Great food selection from pizza, sandwiches, tacos and toast. My favorite is the spicy tuna and fried rice. A delicious coconut margarita and Oaxaca are two drinks I highly recommend. It's pricey here but the food and the views are great. Wonderful and friendly service. read more

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Had 6 meals in a month and my takeaway is lack of quality control and ordering window order input isn't followed. Have been served wilted green and cold chicken vs warm for $27! The brisket was dry and nost importantly when to gos returned the staff is indifferen. read more

If heaven was in a burger and drink it would be these two. Oh my god I am still reveling over this meal. A friend recommended it to me a while back and I have been itching to go ever since she told me about this burger. It was worth her hype up. Quite easily the best burger I've ever had in my life, no joke. And the horchata... it was out of this world. The flavor, presentation, and concept were so thought out and it was wonderful . Amazing experience at the nest!! If you're in Ojai you have to check it out! read more

The Nest - Jalapeño bacon wagyu smash burger - Waffles Near Me - Ojai, California

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The place is a little pricy. They have an interesting menu. I got the cauliflower tacos and they were probably the best ones I've ever had. At $18 for 2 tacos I'm glad they were. Service was fine and it was a beautiful day so the patio was nice. read more

The Nest - Cauliflower tacos were awesome - Waffles Near Me - Ojai, California