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    Café Irvine

    4.7 (18 reviews)
    Closed 8:30 am - 2:30 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

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    CAFÉ IRVINE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating

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    Phoebe C.

    I had to write a review because Café Irvine absolutely exceeded my expectations. I ordered the breakfast burrito with bacon, and it was huge -- packed, flavorful, and they give both green and red salsa, which I appreciate since I always run out elsewhere. The portion was so generous I only ate half and saved the rest. I also got the iced Spanish latte, and it was perfect: strong coffee flavor, not overly sweet, with a subtle cinnamon finish. Easily one of my new favorite coffee spots in the area. The café offers healthier options, and the entire deli is kosher and halal, which is impressive for a place this size. The menu rotates every few months, so there's always something new to try. Location-wise, it's inside the 19000 MacArthur "pancake" building with free parking validation, which is a huge perk in this area. UCI students and building employees get 20% off. What really makes it special is how passionate the owner is -- not from the restaurant industry originally, but genuinely invested in serving good, wholesome food. Minority-owned, community-oriented, and it shows. Whether you're working nearby, staying in a hotel close by, or just passing through the Irvine/Newport area, this spot is absolutely worth checking out. I'll definitely be back -- and I'll be using them for catering soon too.

    Pesto panini

    Got a cute yummy sandwich. Like this place! Customer service is. Love the breakfast sandwich too !

    Inside
    Binh T.

    Nice little hidden gem near the airport. Great food and great service. I work in the building and would much rather get something made from scratch from a local business than go to one of the fast food chains nearby. You have to enter a parking garage to access it, but they validate parking.

    Bacon Egg and Cheese on sourdough w/ half green half red salsa

    Team is always super friendly and their home made salsa is FIRE. Great place to grab a bite then run back up to the office!

    Chicken sandwich

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    29 days ago

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    7 days ago

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    5 months ago

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    6 months ago

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    Fred N.

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    1 month ago

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    Fred N.

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    9 months ago

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    Fred N.

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    8 months ago

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    Fred N.

    Thank you for your comment

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    7 months ago

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    Fred N.

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    5 months ago

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    Fred N.

    Thank you for your support and review Brianna

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    5 months ago

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    5 months ago

    Their Greek bowl is really good. The chicken is very tasty and the salad is very refreshing. It's a must try!

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    6 months ago

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    Fred N.

    Thank you !

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    9 months ago

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    5 months ago

    1st time at Cafe Irvine i was very pleased with there food very clean and healthy .And the staff was very nice i highly recommend this place

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    5 months ago

    Love everything about this place. Food, ambiance, service. Definitely a new favorite for me.

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    8 months ago

    Freddie does great job at this place, the food and ambiance were great and Alex is an amazing chef. I'm hoping have a future event here.

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    Fred N.

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    7 months ago

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    9 months ago

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    Ask the Community - Café Irvine

    Review Highlights - Café Irvine

    Their Greek bowl is really good.

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

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    Board & Brew

    Board & Brew

    4.4(158 reviews)
    3.3 mi
    $$

    I consider myself above average in the field of sandwich expertise. I work in the field as a…read moreRegional Manager, I enjoy sandwiches still and I try out different spots often to see what the "competition" is like. Board and Brew is definitely top notch! I was deciding on where to snag lunch on my way to another store doing my rounds and I really wanted a sandwich. I decided to get the Turkado, some dirty Maui chips and drink. The total came to $17 and some change, not bad about the avg for the area and any lunch. The service was great, the woman who helped me was nice, and efficient, she helped me select what chips to get. Not much bantering but I do enough of that at work, so all good here. The store was clean, nice vibe, music. My order was ready in the time it took me to fill my soda cup and sit down to scroll 1 scroll thru outlook emails. Maybe 5-7 mins the woman who gave me my order asked if I wanted some secret sauce on the side, and put it in the bag. The bag felt heavy! The sub was huge! Probably 8inches bread was nice and springy, there was enough lettuce, tomato and sauces on it. I love the sunflower seeds, gives it a nice little crunch. The meat is more of a very thin piled high but there is a lot of it! I like how the sub is assembled meat, cheese, toppings sauce, it seems to hold together nicely.

    This review covers my experience across multiple locations, including Harbor Boulevard in Costa…read moreMesa and Beach Boulevard in Huntington Beach. When I first started coming to Board and Brew, I would have given it a solid five stars, but my perspective has shifted after six years of exploring other local options in the county. The Evolution of the Experience: * Ingredients: While the food is definitely better than a pre-made deli sandwich from a grocery store, it isn't exactly top-tier. The bread and meat are good, but as you try more specialized places, you realize these are fairly standard. * The Famous Sauce: Their signature sauce is tasty, but it feels like it contains a high amount of monosodium glutamate (MSG). MSG is a neuro-exciter that can make people feel overstimulated or unwell after eating it, and it feels particularly intense in this recipe. * Consistency: Both the Huntington Beach and Costa Mesa locations were great initially, but they now feel more like a solid, middle-of-the-road option. The Best Use Case: * Catering & Events: Even with a three-star rating, this is absolutely the place I would go if I needed catering for a birthday party or a large event. Their pricing and preparation for bulk orders are hard to beat. Final Thoughts: If Yelp allowed half-stars, I'd probably give this a 3.5. It's a reliable, solid sandwich shop, but the ingredient quality and the intensity of the MSG in the sauce keep it from being a five-star favorite for me anymore. Edit: The owner replied to my comment about how their food is high quality, but 6 years of taste testing says otherwise. While you may not add pure MSG crystals to your sauce, it still contains MSG.It is misleading to claim "No MSG" or "High Quality" when the sauce relies on ingredients that are chemically identical to it. For instance: Tomatoes and Tomato Paste: These are among the highest natural sources of free glutamate. If the recipe uses tomato paste--as many copycats do--it will test positive for MSG. Soy Sauce & Worcestershire Sauce: Both frequently cited in recipes for this sauce, these contain naturally occurring MSG through fermentation or hydrolysis. Nutritional Yeast: Often used to provide a savory flavor, it naturally contains high levels of glutamate.Hydrolyzed Proteins: Ingredients like "hydrolyzed vegetable protein" (HVP) or "yeast extract" are processed specifically to release glutamates. Legally, a company might say they "don't use MSG" if they don't add the pure additive, but that is a technicality. MSG is linked to various health issues for sensitive individuals, and just because many consider it "safe" doesn't mean it's healthy or non-harmful. If the food is truly "high quality," why rely on these additives to create flavor? Best Wishes

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    Board & Brew
    Board & Brew - Online Order rack for easy pick up!

    Online Order rack for easy pick up!

    Board & Brew - Chicken club: marinated chicken breast topped with bacon = $10.95

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    Chicken club: marinated chicken breast topped with bacon = $10.95

    Café Irvine - tradamerican - Updated May 2026

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