What a great place! The food was so good and tasty, nice portions and fresh ingredients. The smell of fresh tortillas lingers throughout the place making it feel like you're eating home cooking. The jungle/country vibes are great, the first thing I told my partner when we got here "this place is giving jungle cruise vibes". The staff was friendly and got our food very quickly. Will definitely be back. read more

Café Escondido - Mexican Near Me - Sylmar, California

Food and vibes were great but not worth coming back. They have potential if they changed their system. I rather wait 1-2hr to get seated for quality service. This place rather seat people and have them wait untill they could service them. The issue is theres a 20min wait time for any acknowledgment, items on the menu become sold out/ unavailable, n then have 1 waiter for ton of tables. (Took us 2 hrs to get food and never got water that a requested more than 4 times) The restaurant would benefit from seating only as many guests as they can properly serve. Maybe close off 1 section of the establishment Also the host kept trying to seat people under the sun knowing the service is slow. Every time each party asked to be seated elsewhere creating a new problem. Literally this place is a hot mess but I wish them the best of luck. read more

I went to Café Escondido excited to try what I thought would be a hidden gem. Unfortunately, instead of a pleasant meal, we got what I can honestly say is the worst service I've ever had. We were seated at Table 1, right in front of the cashier and kitchen, and told we'd be served soon. Instead, waiters kept walking past us without any acknowledgment. After about 15 minutes with no one coming to our table, we had to ask several different waiters just to take our order -- and the restaurant was mostly empty. We ordered an appetizer and two combo plates that came with salad, rice, and beans. When our food arrived, the plates had no beans. We asked the server to confirm if the combo actually came with beans (the menu said yes), and she replied, "Oh yeah, it does." We also had to ask again for our appetizer and condiments. Another 15 minutes passed -- still no guacamole with jalapeño. We asked again. After another 20 minutes, the guacamole finally arrived, but without the jalapeño. So not only did we have to beg for service, but our order was also wrong. The food itself was mediocre at best -- basic wood-grilled meat, rice, and beans. Sadly, I won't be returning. I can get better quality food and much better service at many other restaurants. read more

I always love Mexican breakfast! I'm glad my husband discovered this relaxing spot. We had Asada & Pollo Combination Plate, Menudo, café de olla, and boing mango. I enjoyed the food! All staff are attentive, approachable, and quick to attend to guests, from the receptionist to the servers and the Cashier. We also bought plants. The owner is nice! Come and check out this spot. read more

Café Escondido - Caffe de Olla Menudo Asada & Pollo Combination Plate - Mexican Near Me - Sylmar, California

Ambiance is 10 out if 10! Very authentic from decor to plates, etc. Food is good, the coffee is legit! Service was great, it's a family owned business and all hands are on deck. The only reason I slashed off a star is when it got dark there wasn't enough lights esp in the bathroom area. read more

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I really wanted to like this place because it looks cute and has potential, but honestly the experience was terrible from the moment we arrived. The parking situation is an absolute nightmare -- tiny, stressful, and nearly impossible unless you want to circle around forever. Then came the wait. About an hour and a half just to get seated, and another incredibly hour and a half wait for the food to come out. What made it worse is that they don't even seem to have any organized system for managing customers. They literally write names down by hand in a notebook to keep track of the waitlist, which feels ridiculous considering how busy the place gets. The hostess's attitude was also really unpleasant. Not welcoming at all, seemed irritated whenever people asked about the wait, and overall made the experience feel even more frustrating. The food might be okay, but nothing is worth wasting hours of your day dealing with bad organization, terrible parking, and poor customer service. There are plenty of better breakfast spots in the Valley without all this chaos. read more

Café Escondido - Mexican Near Me - Sylmar, California

We have a bd experience with the food no taste at all too small portion of chilaquiles if you add 2 eggs will cost +$4 and the barbacoa was no taste not good food , coffee and conchas was ok the staff they don't know what tables order what they confiuse the orders in 3 diferet tables one of those was ours . Tables and chairs was dusty . The place got a nice look alittle hard to find the entrance theres no sings of the restaurant outside read more

Café Escondido - Barbacoa and coffee - Mexican Near Me - Sylmar, California

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The worst customer service experience. We came here super excited. As we were attempting to order a lot of the options were no available for the day. ( it was noon). We ordered food and waited over an hour for our coffee. I had to remind the server about our drink. He apologized and brought our cafe de olla. It came with cold coffee with no utensils available. We waited another 45 minutes and our food never came. People around us seemed disappointed that they had been waiting longer. Absolutely ruined our morning having to have waiters over two hours for service. Never coming here again. Never recommending this place to anyone. If they do not have the staff to serve people , don't sit them down. read more

A weekend only very hidden gem in a nursery with a flavorful menu and great friendly staff. Upon arriving you immediately smell the aromatic wood fire coming from the open kitchen. This is a must go to if you want a different experience in the valley. We saw a lot of large parties enjoying themselves and embracing the nature surrounding them. I will be back! read more

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Food is more than excellent Just the waiting time but is worth because food is almost perfect read more

DON'T BOTHER unless you're prepared to wait over two hours for your food. And that's not including the wait to be seated. What made the experience even more frustrating was that the food wasn't even served hot all the way through. Some items were warm while others were already cold, which makes it seem like parts of the meal had been sitting out waiting for the rest to be finished. When we asked about the delay, the explanation was that everything is made after it's ordered. While I appreciate fresh food, the menu consists of items like rice, beans, menudo, beef, and chicken--foods that are typically prepared in advance and kept fresh throughout service. Most restaurants are able to serve these dishes in a reasonable amount of time without sacrificing quality. The result is that you're left waiting so long that by the time the food arrives, you're beyond hungry and too frustrated to enjoy the meal. The food has good flavor, but there is nothing so exceptional about it that justifies a two-hour wait. There are plenty of other Mexican restaurants that serve equally good food in a fraction of the time. Unfortunately, it seems the kitchen struggles to handle larger crowds, and the explanations given suggest little interest in improving the situation. The restaurant itself is very cute and has a nice atmosphere, but the service and excessive wait times are the reason for my low rating. read more

I genuinely wanted to love this place but left embarrassed for bringing our guests here. Maybe the quality has declined recently, or maybe I should have read the yelp and TikTok review before driving over. The good: The place is beautiful. The café de olla was delicious. The barbacoa had good flavor. The grilled meat was flavorful too. Now for the adventure... My daughter managed to hurt herself multiple times on exposed screws sticking out of the "rustic" tables. Apparently tetanus is part of the dining experience. Then came the wait. And the wait. And more waiting. Over an hour for food. Not an exaggeration. During this time, there were no complimentary chips, salsa, water, bread, emotional support, nothing. We ordered guacamole, chips, café de olla, and sodas for the kids. By the time the food arrived, the sodas had gone from cold and fizzy to warm and philosophical. After an hour, the waiter informed us that the chilaquiles were holding up the entire table because they're the house specialty. At that point I wanted to cancel them so everyone else could eat, but he assured us the wait would be worth it. Spoiler alert: it was not. If you order the chilaquiles, prepare to upgrade them. Pay extra for eggs. Pay extra for meat. Pay extra for hope. The waiter also explained that they purposely held all the other dishes so everyone could enjoy their food hot at the same time. Great concept. Unfortunately, the food still arrived lukewarm, bordering on room temperature. Also, don't come expecting homemade tortillas. Or soft tortillas. Or enough tortillas. Most plates came with 2-3 tortillas, and if your meal required more than that, get ready to pay extra. And let's talk pricing, because that part was almost as confusing as the wait. About $16 for a "menudo con pata" where the pata apparently got lost somewhere between the kitchen and the table. Around $20 for chilaquiles with two eggs. Then roughly $25 for a plate featuring one piece of carne asada and what could generously be described as a single chicken thigh. By the end of the meal, I wasn't sure what was tougher: the carne asada or the tortillas. Oh, and there was a hair in the menudo. Normally, finding a hair in your food would be the headline of a restaurant review. Somehow, after the exposed screws, hour-long wait, warm sodas, cold food, missing pata, tortilla rationing, and disappointing flavors, the hair barely cracked the Top 10 list of problems during our visit. read more

Hidden gem! It's literally hidden from the road but once you enter, it's a lush paradise. The staff is super friendly & the food was fresh and delicious. Limited, small parking lot. Clean but septic tank bathroom (no toilet paper gets flushed). No hard alcohol or wine but they have bottled beer. read more

Café Escondido - Fiesta bowl - Mexican Near Me - Sylmar, California

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I came here on Mother's Day and honestly loved the whole vibe of this place. The only thing I'd say is that the food did take a long while to come out, but considering how packed it was for Mother's Day, it was understandable. The atmosphere is SO welcoming. Right when you walk in, you can smell the authentic Mexican cheese and the firewood they use to cook, which gives it that cozy ranch smell that reminds me of Mexico. It seriously feels like you're hanging out in a ranch in Mexico. The place is inside a nursery, so there are plants and greenery everywhere which makes it feel super peaceful and unique. The food was super tasty and authentic, the pricing is good, and the staff was attentive and kind even during such a busy day. They also have tons of seating and an exposed kitchen which is really cool to see. To check out, you just pay at the front register which was easy and convenient. Totally recommend this place!!!! even if it's just to grab a cofecito and some conchas! read more

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I do not typically leave bad reviews, I usually like to highlight good experiences because I want waiters, cooks, and staff to get recognition, but after sitting with this experience I think others should know what to expect, go with caution and set your expectations, I hope they improve. We showed up at 8:40ish am on a Sunday right when they opened, excited to finally try this place after hearing good things. Parking was easy since we were some of the first customers there, and only two other tables were occupied. We walked in and stood around for a bit with no one greeting us. After waiting, someone finally told us to just sit wherever we wanted. We picked a table in the middle of the restaurant with a view of the kitchen, thinking it would help us stay visible so we would not get overlooked. Our party was five people. We started with coffees and waters. Just a heads up, the water is bottled Kirkland water so you will be paying for it, no tap water option. The cafe de olla was okay, but one person in our group had coffee grounds at the bottom. Also, that is the only coffee option, so if you need something without sugar, there is not really an alternative. We ordered menudo and chilaquiles, but when someone finally came to take our order, we were told they had run out of eggs. This was surprising since they had just opened. Service was slow even though the restaurant was not busy. When food started coming out, only two of the three chilaquiles arrived. After we got our chilaquiles, the menudo took another 25 to 30 minutes, so you will not be eating at the same time as everyone in your party, and that was only after we asked about it. When it finally came, it did not include the usual sides like onion, cilantro, oregano, or chiles. After a long time we asked the waiters for some sides and napkins too (never had any to start off), but nothing came. I eventually went up toward the kitchen because I kept seeing our waitress off to the side on her phone, not using the tablets for orders, so it was clear she was not busy. We kept checking in about the third chilaquiles dish and tried to be patient and polite about it. Eventually everyone else finished eating and that last plate still had not come out, so our fifth person just ate leftovers. When we asked for the bill, that missing chilaquiles dish suddenly showed up, well after we were done eating. We asked to cancel it since we no longer wanted it, but were told they could not take it off because the kitchen had already made it. To pay, you have to go up to the front instead of getting a bill at the table, and they ask you what table you sat at and what you ordered, which felt a bit confusing. After explaining everything, they did remove the charge without much argument, which we appreciated. While we were there, we noticed other tables having similar issues. One group waited a long time just to get menus, another had menus but no one came to take their order, and they eventually left. Another table also had to speak up about delays, though the staff did apologize. The food itself was good, but not good enough to make up for the overall experience. I really wanted to love this place, but the service needs a lot of work to match the quality of the food. read more

Food and the Ambience is good! But honestly the service sucks. How are you going to be working at a restaurant and not know how to have basic customer service for the customers. No one checks up on you, you need to always catch the servers attention for everything when we shouldn't even need to be doing that. I asked a server a question and she never came back to give me an answer but she was walking past me the entire time and using her phone. I won't be coming here anytime soon and you're just waiting there for 2 hours or more for your food to just leave 20 mins after. Hopefully all these negative yelp reviews help them improve or something. read more

I had a terrible experience at this restaurant. We had to wait an hour for a table and then another hour for our food. On top of that, the tables were very dirty, there were several flies around, and the kitchen seemed to have very poor hygiene. The service was also disappointing and when we mentioned the long wait, the staff was unhelpful and dismissive. I would not recommend this place and will definitely not be coming back read more

Food was great! Great service! Expected wait time. Will definitely be back. Just have to be lucky with finding a parking spot. read more

Café Escondido - Mexican Near Me - Sylmar, California

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Review in Español y English English: My family and I were excited to come here, but we left feeling very disappointed. 1. A 2.5-hour wait to get our food is ridiculous. I can understand if the food was extraordinary, there would be exceptions but sadly, it wasn't. 2. The food lacked flavor and had a very generic palate. Our rice was half way cooked which they did replace. Nothing really stood out. The only thing I can say is that the menudo tasted clean. 3. The price for the portions felt like an insult after having to wait that long. You got very little for what you paid. 4. Selling the idea of hacienda-style food and then serving store bought tortillas just adds insult to injury. 5. The service was decent, nothing special. They were mostly just trying to keep people from walking away. I really wanted to like this place, but sadly it was very disappointing. It honestly felt like a scam, and the sad thing is that most of the clientele were working-class Latinos trying to enjoy a day off, and everyone looked disappointed. Every table around us was waiting the same amount of time, or even longer. It just felt like the community was being taken advantage of. On top of all of this they charge $5 to use your card. From my understanding it is illegal here in the US for a merchant to charge you to use your card. So that's totally wrong. Look it up, inform yourself. Español: Mi familia y yo estábamos muy emocionados de venir aquí, pero nos fuimos muy decepcionados. 1.Esperar 2 horas y media para recibir nuestra comida es ridículo. Lo podría entender si la comida fuera extraordinaria; en ese caso habría una excepción, pero tristemente no fue así. 2. A la comida le faltaba sabor y tenía un perfil de sabor muy genérico. Nuestro arroz no estaba completamente cocinada. Si lo cambiaron. Nada realmente destacó. Lo único que puedo decir es que el menudo sabía limpio. 3. El precio en relación con las porciones se sintió como una falta de respeto después de haber esperado tanto tiempo. Recibías muy poco por lo que pagabas. 4. Vender la idea de comida estilo hacienda y luego servir tortillas compradas en la tienda solo añade más decepción a la experiencia. 5. El servicio fue decente, nada especial. La mayoría del tiempo parecía que solo estaban tratando de evitar que la gente se fuera. Realmente quería que me gustara este lugar, pero tristemente fue una gran decepción. Honestamente, se sintió como una estafa, y lo más triste es que la mayoría de la clientela eran latinos de clase trabajadora tratando de disfrutar un día de descanso, y todos se veían decepcionados. Todas las mesas a nuestro alrededor estaban esperando la misma cantidad de tiempo, o incluso más. Simplemente daba la impresión de que se estaban aprovechando de la comunidad. Además de todo esto, te cobran $5 por usar tu tarjeta. Según tengo entendido, aquí en Estados Unidos es ilegal que un comercio te cobre por usar tu tarjeta. Así que eso está totalmente mal. Búscalo e infórmate. read more

Café Escondido - Carne asada with half cooked rice Carne asada con arroz mitad cocinada - Mexican Near Me - Sylmar, California

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I really enjoyed the food here! It was flavorful and well prepared! I loved the atmosphere here as well! It was so greenery, makes you really connect with nature while enjoying your food, which makes the experience much more pleasant. Mayra, our server, was very friendly and a great server! She was really attentive and checked in with us throughout the meal while also not being overbearing. You can tell she made sure we had a good experience! I'd definitely come back again and would recommend this place to anyone looking for good food, welcoming atmosphere, and friendly service! read more

This place is amazing, the food was great, had alot of flavor, the coffee was FIRE. I got the carne asada and chicken plate, my wife and mom got the chilaquiles and both were delicious. Dont listen to the people writing bad reviews about this place for the lack of customer service. It looks to be a family owned place where even the kids are helping out. If you have the patience and dont mind waiting a little for your food, then youll love it here. read more

Café Escondido - Mexican Near Me - Sylmar, California

DONT COME! Terrible service. Waited 1 hour and a half for a table. Waited another hour and a half to be told they didn't have what we ordered so we had to get whatever was left. TOTAL BS. Workers need serious training. Unacceptable. -100/10. Once we got food, we got 3 napkins for 6 people no lemon, no salsa and missed 1 drink they nerve brought. And sassy attitude back from servers, very upsetting. I shouldn't even be marking a star but I have to. read more

This was a nice quiet outdoors Restaraunt up in the hill. The ambiance was great . Took me back in time ... old Mexico . Staff we attentive food was authentic . Defiantly coming back . Parking was In the front look for signs or your will miss this hidden gem! read more

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It took over an hour to get our food. The first waiter asked if we wanted a drink- completely forgot about us, the second waitress came and asked if we wanted a drink...did the first person forget? After an hour we asked where our food was....it wasn't put in. We reordered (sunk cost fallacy at this point) and specifically ordered to-go item for a sick family member....and this wasn't put in until we'd asked repeatedly for our check and the order. I'm sure their bad service has to do with a flood of customers thanks to their viral spread on TikTok- but come on, be prepared. You skyrocketed on social media....is there a direct correlation to your tanking yelp reviews? Let's get fixed and do better. The food is decent- but not worth the headache. read more

Loved the ambience, service was good.. but a bit slow due to the amount of customers. The food was ok.. not super impressed with the food. I did like the cafe de olla. What I liked the most was how relaxing the ambiance was. Tip: it gets super busy. Be there at least 1hr before it opens to get parking and make line. read more

We came across this restaurant on Instagram and instantly fell in love with the photos, videos, and overall vibe. Since we enjoy authentic Mexican food, we thought it would be the perfect spot for a Saturday morning outing. When we arrived, the ambiance was just as beautiful as advertised. Unfortunately, the experience quickly went downhill once we approached the check-in area. No one greeted us, and we had to ask where to sit. We were told to sit anywhere and that someone would come to us. The layout made it unclear how staff keeps track of guests, as some tables are tucked away and not easily visible. We found a table and waited 15-20 minutes with no service. One of us eventually had to go to the front to ask for help and grab menus ourselves. We tried to be understanding and patient. About 45 minutes later, a server finally came. We ordered drinks, an appetizer, chilaquiles, and a quesadilla. About 20-30 minutes later, an appetizer arrived--but it wasn't ours. Our drinks were also forgotten, and we had to remind the staff multiple times. Our correct appetizer eventually came, but still no drinks. After waiting another hour, we realized this wasn't just a delay--other tables around us were experiencing the same issue. After two hours, we decided to leave. We paid for the drinks and appetizers we received and canceled the rest of our order. When I asked the staff at the register if this wait time was typical, the response was disappointing. I was told, "We only took your order 1 hour and 7 minutes ago. We usually serve pozoles first, then dishes with meat." There was no apology or acknowledgment of the situation, which was the most frustrating part. There's simply no justification for waiting two hours without receiving proper service. We repeatedly had to track down our server and follow up on our order and drinks, which made the experience stressful and disappointing. Thankfully, we went to Black Cow in La Crescenta afterward, where we were seated promptly, served quickly, and enjoyed a great meal. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend Café Escondido unless you are prepared to wait several hours and remain extremely patient throughout the process. read more

Worst place I've ever been to. Parking was a nightmare! Waiting list was over 1.5 hours and food never arrived! Waited over 1.5 hours and then when I asked the waiter and hostess for the food they disappeared. I had to go figure it out myself by speaking to the cooks. After that they said it would be another 30 mins. We have already been waiting over 1.5 hours, so we decided to leave. Would be much faster to go somewhere else. Plus they didn't even know which table we were in and even after showing them where we sat. They still didn't know the table number. They couldn't even figure out what our order was. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS PLACE! read more

Food is authentic and great portions, service could use a little help... but the atmosphere is AMAZING!! It's all outdoor - Mexican ranch alfresco with an open kitchen and the wonderful smells of all types of bbq, soups, handmade tortillas, etc.... Only open Saturdays & Sundays but well worth the wait!! read more

Café Escondido - Ranchers having breakfast with their horses parked on the side... - Mexican Near Me - Sylmar, California

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The food was phenomenal and very healthy servings. My only complaint is they close the kitchen too early... It is a BYOB kind of place which I like even more and everyone was very satisfied with their food. read more

I always see it on TikTok and it looks very nice and inviting but the first time we made the drive they told us they didn't had enough staff to work so they couldn't give us a table. And I tried it again different time different day and beautiful lady in the front seating people 2 1/2 hours wait but it was Harley anyone there there. read more

Yes on the menu it says it maybe up to 45 min for food. We and just for the cafe de olla it took then 30mins. They bring the plates out one at a time and th e barbacoa was 1st and cold 2 out 3 platos. We were still.waiting for menudo. Person that took orderww saw 2 times. Don't get me wrong the setting is nice ranchs style.oh and the table we where needs robe replaced. read more

Customer service is extremely bad definitely not recommended. After waiting for 2 1/2 hours they don't offer water or chips the food takes for ever ! DO NOT COME !!!!!! If you are hungry and love the customer service to be on point ! ! Bad experience ! read more

Beautiful place with great vibes, but the service was extremely disorganized. We came right when they opened with only a few other parties there, and it still took 1.5 hours for our food. Drinks took forever, no one seemed to know who our server was, and we had to repeatedly ask for simple things. Food was okay, but the poor service made the experience disappointing. read more

Extremely disappointed with this restaurant. The food was horrible, the customer service was even worse, and the wait time was completely unacceptable. We waited almost 2 hours for our food and over 1 hour just to get our drinks. Staff seemed unorganized and unapologetic the entire time. Definitely not worth the time or money. I would not recommend this place to anyone. read more

Wait time is horrible!!!! The food is so mid!!! You can get better food and service from some other Mexican restaurant! The place is beautiful but not worth having to wait 3 hours just to be fed appetizers smh! read more

I was really looking forward to trying their food, but unfortunately we never received any service. We were told to have a seat and that someone would be with us shortly, but no server ever came to our table. The staff seemed completely absent. After waiting about 45 minutes without being acknowledged, we ended up leaving. It was a very disappointing experience. read more

The stars are for atmosphere. Came in on a Saturday just before noon. They weren't really busy and we waited for someone to tell us whether to sit or not, well it's self seating. We were told we would have to wait two hours for our food, so I can't really rate the food. Cute idea but they lack organization read more

If you are hungry, this is not your place. Stale chips, long wait for service, and everything within the menu was not available, serving are small. We waited for service for a long time. read more

The place is beautiful and has a great atmosphere, kind of like Rancho. The food is okay, but the service was disappointing. There was no sense of urgency at all. I waited around 40-50 minutes just to get a coffee, and the excuse I got was that it was still brewing. I understand places can get busy, but the long wait and lack of communication made the experience frustrating. I'd still give this place a second chance because it has potential, but the service definitely needs improvement. read more

This place is Fukn Horrible, wait time gets a 0, custom service 0, food 0, I could have gotten better everything off a food truck.. wanna go waste your money go ahead but like me you going to regret it! Read the rest of comments and they are true! Your gonna wait around like 2 hrs just to get cold food, or you gonna want to leave and they expect you to still pay for what you ordered. And they have the nerve to tell you "you just ordered like 1hr ago lol" fuk wtf is wrong with these people read more