Ever had to take back your words and eat them? Such are my thoughts about El Cerrito Cafe. Quite awhile ago we had breakfast here. Their Chicken Fried Steak was not an experience I chose to remember, with uncooked heavy breading, and clearly not hand dipped. Even the gravy failed. So, it took us some 5+ years to return. It was only because the Yelp masses kept giving them the thumbs up that helped change my mind and try again. This time we left happy. My better half was very happy with his hard taco plate. The shredded beef filling was very good, and because there were three tacos, there was more than enough to ensure he had leftovers. The rice and beans were nicely seasoned as well. The rice never made it home, I found it too irresistable, so gobbled it down myself. Very unusual for me. Then came my breakfast burrito, the El Cerrito Burrito (my sneaky way of tasting all the traditional breakfast meats in one fell swoop). It's a hefty conglomeration of ham, sausage, and bacon, scrambled egg, fried potato, and big chunks of fresh avocado. Wonderful. A little over half of that came home for a second meal. And I could not get enough of their fresh, lightly spicy salsa. It paired perfectly with the burrito. So, while I still cannot vouch for their Chicken Fried Steak, I can assure you, we are going to add El Cerritos Cafe into our rotation of good, local breakfast spots and let bygones be bygones. Final tip, everything was moderately priced, making it a great choice for budget minded families. Service = great. Ambiance = super cute, rustic Western themed. Hospitality = very friendly The only thing missing? No homemade pies lovingly baked by the little ol' granny hiding in the back. I could get pretty excited over that! read more

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The beautiful and wonderful thing about YELP is the ability to do a quick local area search, even for places that has not been ventured yet. El Cerrito Cafe is such place. We've lived in the area for over 5 years and not once went in until today. How did we miss this place? We drive by it all the time coming through Ontario Ave side street to get home. Talking about great customer service under limited server and plenty of guests arriving at the hour. That means, Ms Waitress was serving all the arriving guests ALL BY HERSELF!! Just amazing. This establishment, tucked on the side road along Ontario Ave in Corona towards El Cerritos Middle School is ACTUALLY a gem of an eatery. Upon arrival, our waitress welcome and greeted us with open arms. Her vibe gave out the "you're home to home cooking"!! For a party of two, we were seated right away at a nearby booth. There are 7 big booths and 2 large tables in the main room; seating up to 4 people. The Catina looks to be an additional few more tables and chair setup. Their slogan: "Good Food, Good Friends, Good Times" We order the Breakfast Burrito and French Toast meal along with two cups of coffee to help process the food :) The burritos was just as magical and delicious as this tucked away place. The French toast was made well and just perfect to go along with the syrup. We also ordered a pancakes to go which we know will be enjoyed by our little one. HIGHLY Recommended this establishment to everyone near and far to give it a dine in try. We'll be back for more things to try next time. read more

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This is still a solid place in my book! I had raved about it to my husband and finally brought him here. His first experience was great! The service was a little on the slower side but warm and friendly. This time I tried the top skillet and substituted the toast for a pancake. There was an additional $2 charge. For that thick fluffy pancake, it was well worth it! The skillet was savory and delicious. My husband got the cerrito burrito and loved it. I feel like this is a place where you would be satisfied with any menu item you pick. The interior could use some updating but we didn't mind. We came for the food. read more

We love coming here. If you ever feel like having a home cooked meal away from home, this is the spot to try. The menudo tastes like your abuela made it. The girls that work here are always nice and friendly. read more

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Sad to hear this place is closed. I drove by this morning to see for myself if the post was true about it being permanently closed. I've been craving their Chilaquiles verde for a while but had not had the time to come down until this morning, only to be disappointed by the news. This place for the past 15 years has been by far the best Mom and Pop restaurant, hands down, above all other breakfast restaurants in the area that really made me feel like I was eating a home cooked meal. The service was always on point and courteous and well attentive without being pushy. The ambiance was as if I was visiting family while eating at my grandparents house. I'm really going to miss this place. Thank you for the delicious meals you've provided, the great service and pricing all these past years for me and my family. - Juan M. read more

Menudo is good! Building could use some AC but food makes up for it French toast was also really good, fast service and food fresh. read more

El Cerrito Cafe - Menudo - American Near Me - Corona, California

Stopped by for a Sunday breakfast. Really cozy place. Ordered the chilaquiles and chorizo & egg. Both were satisfying. Just wish the parking was better but that doesn't affect the food or the great service! read more

Went here at around noon on a Sunday, we were seated quickly at a large round table, but we were only a party of two. It was our first time here, not sure if it's always hot, but it didnt appear that the AC was working. They had a couple fans blowing, but it didnt help any. I ordered the corned beef hash, eggs, and French toast; My wife ordered the chilaquiles. It took a looong time, about 45 mins for my food to arrive, when it did, it was only my food. My wife had to wait about 10 additional minutes for her food. By that time I had almost finished eating. I think they forgot that I ordered the French toast because that came out a few mins after the chilaquiles. The staff was friendly and felt bad for the long wait, and comped the chilaquiles. The server said that the kitchen was backed up, but I noticed tables that were sat well after us get their food first. We didnt get refills on our drinks until I flagged down a server. Overall the food was good, but I don't think I'll be back, especially with Rodeo Cafe right down the street, which is always a good experience. read more

First of all, love the atmosphere, not crowded. The food is really good. I had chilaquiles. Also, the service is great.I would definitely come back.. read more

Green Chilaquiles's are amazing, the green chili tequilas have little pieces of pork meat with eggs on top, which gave you the perfect combination of flavors Pancakes are also very tasty and fluffy Steph is very kind and helpful read more

got steak and eggs with French toast Steak was not a ribeye like the menu said and it was cooked well done and no medium like we asked. Other then that the food was okay. Home patotes where delicious I ordered the chilaquiles and asked to modify for a red sauce and add chili which they don't typically do. It was nice they where able to accommodate me. Sauce was spicy and the tortilla chips had a nice crunch! Over easy eggs where delicious along with the hasbrowns read more

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Really good spot . Good portions and the food is fresh. Once of the best breakfast spots in corona and the service is good . Will be coming here again read more

Our friends have recommended El Cerrito Cafe to us for breakfast. They rave about their chilaquiles. The restaurant was filled to the brim. But we were promptly seated. It did however take some time to get menus, then drinks. But no issue as we were not in much of a hurry. Once we got our drinks the wait to order was quite long. The kids ordered chilaquiles and we ordered the steak and eggs special and menudo.. but they ran out of menudo so I ordered the chorizo and eggs. I had an option of corn or flour tortillas, I went with corn. Please be patient, it's relevant. We adults got our food first and again an extreme amount of time went by before my daughter got her chilaquiles.. but it felt like an eternity for my son who received his chilaquiles. The food was hot and tasted good. I opened my tortillas to find flour.. so I asked for my corn. The wait for tortillas was well, you get the theme. Long. I was two bites away from being done by the time they arrived. If you go, go early so you can try the menudo. Prepare to wait. And before the server can leave make sure you have everything you need for your meal. The food was yummy, we were full. But we did not expect to spend over 2 hours at breakfast. We paid and left... only to realize that we were charged for the menudo, and an additional meal. We had to turn around to be refunded over $22. So bit of an inconvenience but handled promptly by the staff. Food was good, staff was pleasant. Waiting for food, drink, service was long. read more

El Cerrito Cafe - American Near Me - Corona, California

Great food and and great service. Server is attentive, patient and has great attitude. The country fried steak and chilaquiles plate won't disappoint and decent pricing. read more

Food is delicious. The service has always been good. Always get the chilaquiles here. read more

El Cerrito Cafe - Chilaquiles verdes - American Near Me - Corona, California

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The food was very good. We had the breakfast quesadilla and the chorizo with eggs breakfast. The food was plenty hot when i arrived and the service was great even with only one waitress at that time (8 am on Friday morning). I totally recommend this place. Shop/Eat small people. Support small businesses. read more

Voted BEST huevos rancheros in SoCal by aficionado Scoop Huevos.... This is a must try when in the greater metropolitan Corona region. STRONG BUY recommend read more

El Cerrito Cafe - The BESTA HUEVOS RANCHEROS in socal - American Near Me - Corona, California

I miss you guys every Sunday, for Menudo! Please advise the customers who love this place if you sell even from home! Wish you would have advise you were closing! Best wished. El mejor menudo de Corona!! read more

This was our favorite breakfast place. They had the best chilaquiles I've ever had and we both loved their food. The family owned business was so kind and the servers were so friendly. My husband and I will miss them so much. We walked from our house in the mornings sometimes just to have a nice start to our day. I hope their family reads this and knows you will be missed. read more

Roaches in the food. Coworker bought a breakfast burrito. We cut it in half so we could share, a few bites in... surprise! They should shut down operations and do a deep cleaning of this place. Food inspectors should pay them a visit. read more

El Cerrito Cafe - American Near Me - Corona, California

What a hidden gem!!! I used to drive by this place twice a day (to and from) on my drive to work. Always wanted to stop but they were only open in the morning. When I walked in today, I was greeted with a cheery hello and seated quickly. I was alone, so I already knew I wanted a chicken sandwich. It came with the crispest iceberg lettuce salads with fresh veggies. It was fantastic. My sandwich was HUGE! And the bread it was served on was so soft and toasty delicious. I also found out the do mimosas and beer. I've found that little hole in the wall that was truly adorable. Can't wait to take my family back. Oh btw... I was excited to think I had the other half of my sandwich still, but when I came back to the fridge after cleaning the house, I only found the empty box! My son "jacked" me. So it looks like the trip back is likely to be sooner than later. read more

El Cerrito Cafe - Only got half the sandwich. And this photo doesn't do it justice. Maybe that's a good thing. So they don't get too busy and stay quaint. - American Near Me - Corona, California

Large portions, yummy food! El Cerrito Cafe is a great option for a simple, no frills breakfast/lunch. Out of the things we ordered, we enjoyed the El Cerrito Burrito and Chilaquiles the most. The crispy potatoes in the burrito was a pleasant surprise and the tortilla was thin and not overly bunched up. The chilaquiles was very flavorful- definitely a must get here. We wanted to try the menudo, but unfortunately that is only offered on the weekends. Seems like you can't really go wrong with anything here. We enjoyed the large portions and homey cooking! read more

El Cerrito Cafe - El Cerrito Burrito - American Near Me - Corona, California

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The food here is good and they have a good mix of everything. The service is also very great! I will definitely recommend

The food is delicious, and the staff are very friendly! It's a quaint lil spot right off the freeway that you've gotta try for breakfast & lunch. Definitely try their chilaquiles and their chile verde plates! read more

Visited this restaurant for the first time. The inside dining area was very clean and pleasant compared to the outside. Our waitress was friendly but did not bring our utensils to us until sometime after our food was served. The food was pretty good, unfortunately we had to wait a long time for it. I really hope the server's get faster and better at refilling our drinks and be more attentive. It seemed like we had to wait for everything we requested, including the check. Dining out for us is more than just the food is the total experience. Not sure if we will come back read more

Their feed kept popping up on my Instagram so we gave it a try. Definitely a neighborhood spot and respectfully so, but it was a miss for me. Our waitress was patient, kind and even accommodated my meal restriction request. Full bar and televisions for news/sports. Enjoy if it's your spot and keep going. read more

Quick and easy. Their food is pretty good and it's a really tiny place. The service is usually all by one waitress.

Nice little spot for breakfast. Got a little hot inside after a while but decent prices and good size servings... definitely will try it out again but probably not during 90* weather. Over all. Great place. read more

El Cerrito Cafe - Nice breakfast for a decent price. Biscuits & gravy, potatoes and scrambled eggs. - American Near Me - Corona, California

Sat for over an hour waiting for food. never came. The rice beans from our Fajitas came. They were good. Waitress said 10 more minutes. We left. Sad, I really wanted to try it. read more

I've known about this place for years but never given it a shot because the outside of it looks like a saloon that had closed down. Definitely don't judge a book by its cover, this place was amazing! Despite the look from the outside, you walk into a home-like little diner. From the moment my husband and I stepped inside, it felt like we were at a family members house for a meal. The service we received from Marisa was incredibly kind, fast and attentive. The food was out of this world!! My husband is not a fan of chilaquiles but he wouldn't keep his hands off mine. The flavor in the chilaquiles is so impressive! My husband ordered the chorizo and eggs plate and licked his plate clean. We also got a chocolate chip pancake that was so fluffy on the inside and crisp on the outside. It was PERFECT. read more

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This is a cute, family-owned place and the food is good. I hardly ever order biscuits and gravy because I'm from Oklahoma and haven't found a place here that does them right. This place does them right. My only complaint was the sausage links were a little burnt, but I guess that's better than undercooked, ha. My eggs and potatoes were delicious. The booths are pretty beat up and could use some reupholstering, but it wasn't a big deal. I would definitely return (maybe for lunch next time!). read more

El Cerrito Cafe - Biscuits and gravy - American Near Me - Corona, California

This review is mostly for Kylie! A full restaurant and she was the host, server, bartender, busser, food runner, and handling to-go orders. And made it look easy while giving pleasant service. I always get the chilaquiles and it's a good portion, usually don't finish it or have extra to share. I appreciate the flavored coffee creamers as well. Any time I've gone in it's busy and has a nice hometown, local feel. read more

El Cerrito Cafe - Chilaquiles - American Near Me - Corona, California

We have eaten here many times. My husband and I always order 2-egg breakfast. Best hash browns ever! My husband usually adds a pancake to his breakfast. Love that they offer that. I have health issues and haven't been there for a few wks. . B back this wk!! read more

Great service and great food, family owned been going here for years now and the best menudo in town

This place is very welcoming. All workers at this restaurant are very kind and attentive. The location and food reminded me of my mom's cooking. Food is authentic. I will return to this place. read more

El Cerrito Cafe - Chilaquiles plate - American Near Me - Corona, California

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Great service and food. The bathroom & bar areas felt dated, dirty and old but the workers and food made up for it. It was also cool that we happened upon Santa and Mrs. Claus there on a Saturday and they gave little gifts to our two boys. (Of course they were sitting in the bar which felt a bit like a movie with a drunk Santa but it was just in my mind, my kids didn't notice anything.) Sorry about the noise with the boys new car sounds, but at least it wasn't screaming. lol. read more

This place is our go to every morning for breakfast. Best value in town and the portions are huge. Owner Miguel's does his very best to serve high quality food and he's very consistent. Little hole in the wall, but well worth trying! read more

I'm Back! this time for take out. And if the food taste just as good that way... let's just say I got my burrito again and it hit even better! But I noticed it's Menudo day and I never get the chance to try it but today was that day and my god! The Caldo is so rich and full of flavor. I love menudo and not many can get it right but wow... Miguel... the Menudo gods are watching over you brother! Keep it up sir! Waiters were very polite and made sure I left with everything I neede. I'll definitely keep coming back! read more

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My family enjoys their food. Freshly made. Complete satisfaction and good costumer service.

5+++ place I've been to a couple times now and it's great consistent food every time, so much I crave it often. Not greasy oil dripping from your food, but you don't miss on any taste. I got the "a la Mexicana" and my husband got the "machaca" and both of us enjoyed every morsel. Clean, delicious food I am happy I discovered in this town. The service is wonderful and sincere and the staff all work well together with the kitchen. read more

El Cerrito Cafe - Breakfast - American Near Me - Corona, California