Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Forest Cafe

    4.5 (179 reviews)
    Closed • 6:00 am - 3:00 pm

    Forest Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    FOREST CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Forest Cafe

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Menu
    Jeff B.

    It's a small seating area, so consider to go or there's more outside seating than inside. They also have great tasting doughnuts here. Come early as they get real busy around 10 am. It can be slow for your food coming out too! I I recommend the verde chilaquiles and my wife loves the crepes. Enjoy this little hidden gem!

    Coffee mugs to-go
    Brenda L.

    This spot is super cute! It's on the smaller side, but they do have outdoor seating. A little outdoor décor would totally level it up though, because right now you're basically sitting in front of the parking lot, but hey, the vibe is still chill. Speaking of parking, there's plenty! I also love that the entry is handicap-friendly, yes, there's a ramp! The inside is a bit tight but you can definitely make it work. The staff was super friendly and welcoming. I just had a fresh donut and coffee, and both were amazing! The donut was so soft and fresh I almost went back for a second one haha. The inside has a fun colorful Frida painting. I actually came here to meet up with a friend from the Rancho Santa Margarita Magazine. She's a little ways from home but totally recommended this spot, so of course I had to check it out. She got the avocado toast and loved it! Their menu is solid and the best part is they can adjust to your needs. If you have allergies, no problem, they make everything fresh so they can easily take out ingredients for you. Overall, I definitely recommend stopping by! With just a few little touches this place will be booming in no time, so go now and enjoy it before everyone else finds out!

    Huevos Rancheros
    Marisol R.

    Good ambience, service was excellent! The gentleman that brought our food was very attentive. I asked him for spicy salsa I assume he thought I was going to be spiced out, but I actually enjoy habanero and he was so kind to bring me his spicy oil sauce chili and also came back and gave me another one! The gentleman did make an error on the type of sandwich my husband ordered the Turkey sandwich and they gave him the BLT which has pork / Ham. My husband was going to remove the pork and the gentleman said no, it's okay I will bring you back another one. Loved it! Just a small place with outdoor and indoor seating. Could be a little on the pricey side but yummy and delicious food.

    Chilaquiles with cheese
    Mitchell N.

    We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Forest Cafe. It truly felt like a hidden gem. It is a small cozy spot and when we went after church there was hardly anyone there which made it even better. We originally found it through Yelp and saw people raving about the homemade food and it absolutely lived up to the reviews. I ordered the Denver omelet and it was excellent. The eggs were perfectly airy and creamy without being runny. The flavor was simple but spot on and the avocado paired really well with it. Nothing felt off or overdone. We also tried a few other dishes at the table. The chilaquiles were fantastic. The tortilla chips had a great crunch and were not soggy at all. Even though they looked heavily sauced in pictures the ratio was actually perfect. Enough salsa for flavor while still keeping the chips crispy. The salsa itself was very good and the egg on top was perfectly runny and yolky which was a big plus. The version with added cheese was also great. Service really stood out. One of our friends asked for no cheese on their chilaquiles and it accidentally came out with cheese. The staff handled it so kindly. They took it back immediately and as an apology one of the owners or cooks came out personally and brought us complimentary pancakes. That small gesture really showed how much they care. The owners were incredibly sweet and kept checking in asking if everything was good and sharing how much care and time they put into making everything homemade. You could genuinely feel that passion. Huge props to Forest Cafe. I would absolutely recommend it. A great little brunch and breakfast spot and definitely a place we will be coming back to.

    Chorizo Burrito + Avo
    Mark T.

    Best breakfast burrito around! The chorizo is so good. Not dripping wet greasy. Green and red salsas are delicious! Come with a hefty side of potatoes. Highly recommended.

    Forest omelette
    Preston P.

    Usually we enjoy a good breakfast here but what we got yesterday for Mother's Day was very disappointing! I ordered a Forest omelette, the avocado was brown, the vegetables weren't cut and the whole bottom of the tray had water under the omelette. You can see the napkin I used to soak up the water. I expected the omelette to be a lot better for the price.

    Shrimp enchiladas
    Nikki P.

    Unassuming place but the food is so fresh and good!!!! Shrimp enchiladas (5/5) are my favorite i've had anywhere. I randomly went here with a friend after school and have been bringing my family members here one by one to try their food. Workers are also super kind and food does take a while but you know they're making it hot and fresh so it's worth the wait!

    Hot donuts now sign 7/15/24
    Lilah J.

    When you walk in, there is a counter of donuts and typical donut shop seating. Do not be fooled! There is some good breakfast eats happening here! Hubby got the chilaquiles which was a solid brunch. As for me, I went kinda donut shop breakfast style with a egg, bacon, and cheese croissant sans a donut. Meals were made to order. Beverages were orange juice for the hubby and decaf coffee for me. All good. The ladies at the counter are as polite and welcoming. When in the Lake Forest area, we'd definitely stop here again. 4 stars!

    Huevos Rancheros layered with chorizo, black beans, fried egg, cheese, avocado and salsa verde !
    Jaqueline D.

    The menu is bountiful! So many delicious choices I had a hard time deciding which breakfast item was going to make me the happiest! So I took the servers recommendation and boy, I'm so glad I did ! We sat outside in the shade and enjoyed that our food came out soon after we ordered! The service was superb! Our waitress offered us a special salsa she had made herself since we told her we have a crazy appetite for SPICE!

    Enjoying their donuts
    Deanna M.

    This was my third time coming here. The third time was my son birthday this past Saturday 2/1/25. The ladies are always so welcoming and friendly. She definitely made my son birthday and his little sister day. Blessed this restaurant and the associates. Also, the food there is so good. Inside the restaurant seems very cozy, home feels like, comfortable. Everything about it just feels right! Not overwhelming!

    Breakfast burrito with roasted potatoes

    See all

    Photo of James V.
    171
    73
    26

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Marv M.
    25
    217
    14

    2 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jeff B.
    650
    342
    1125

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 3
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 2

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Mark T.
    167
    33
    17

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 days ago

    Such great people I feel like they go above and beyond for locals. The food was excellent!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    20 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Best donuts in lake forest. The workers are all super nice and welcoming. They serve breakfast and lunch and have a great variety

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Food was okay but the prices were ridiculously high, and the atmosphere isn't appealing.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 24
    Thanks 7
    Love this 24
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 2
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Sahar L.
    59
    59
    66

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ryan P.
    48
    91
    114

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Franci F.
    132
    55
    106

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Dim M.
    7
    55
    17

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Trent C.
    200
    182
    288

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 2

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Super good Mexican food. They were super nice and got me my food as quick as possible. I would highly recommend you give it a try.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    The food was excellent and it all tasted so fresh. The donuts were also delicious. Very highly recommend if you want good Mexican food

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ed L.
    545
    488
    15774

    4 years ago

    Helpful 17
    Thanks 2
    Love this 19
    Oh no 1

    4 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    Page 1 of 5

    Forest Cafe Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Forest Cafe

    Do you have inside seating?

    Yes, they do, but it is very limited.

    Do they serve the breakfast burritos a la carte?

    Yes. We serve them a la carte. :)

    View All 3 Questions

    You might also consider

    Kona Coffee District

    Kona Coffee District

    4.3(224 reviews)
    1.7 mi
    •$

    First, and foremost, I've tried lots of food and drinks from here and they all SLAP. My go to is…read morethe Golden Chai, dirty (with 2 shots). So good! I recently had a strawberry banana smoothie since I was off caffeine for a week and it was not I overly sweet. Perfect. My son gets their Chipotle turkey sandwich, but usually skips the Chipotle (lol) and it is still a very solid Sammie. The bread is just the right combo of chewy and soft. Next, the staff are friendly, knowledgeable, and great at crafting their drinks and food. Their music choices are top-tier as well!

    I spotted this place after a physical therapy session in the same large plaza. I needed to reward…read moremyself with a good coffee and pastry. There are hints of a Hawaiian theme inside. Most seating is indoors with a couple of outdoor tables too. I ordered a hot Spanish latte plus chose a blueberry jam muffin from the pastry case. And a Campfire Cookie as a bonus. The place was fairly full but I found a seat at a counter. The Spanish latte was superb with smooth coffee and cinnamon flavors that blended for a perfectly balanced profile. I appreciated it was at an immediately drinkable temperature. The muffin was really, really good. Really. It was moist, fresh, and full of blueberries and a layer of blueberry jam. The big cookie was quite good, although in all honesty I've had better in this genre. I didn't stay long as there was some annoying guy who'd set up office at a table with his AirPods firmly inserted and loudly giving legal advice in an obnoxious manner that is typical of ambulance-chaser lawyers. Why do coffee shops put up with this?

    Photos
    Kona Coffee District - La Marzocco KB90 espresso machine.

    La Marzocco KB90 espresso machine.

    Kona Coffee District - Pastries

    Pastries

    Kona Coffee District - Almond croissant

    See all

    Almond croissant

    Burnt Crumbs - Country fried steak and Vietnamese Iced Coffee

    Burnt Crumbs

    4.3(2k reviews)
    3.8 mi
    •$$

    I had a really great experience at Burnt Crumbs! The food was delicious, fresh, and had a lot of…read moreflavor. Everything we tried was really enjoyable, and you could tell that a lot of care went into making the food. The portions were good, and the overall quality was definitely worth it. The atmosphere was also really nice and made the experience even better. The staff were friendly and welcoming, and the service was great. Everyone in our group enjoyed the food, and it was honestly hard to pick a favorite because everything was so good. I would definitely recommend Burnt Crumbs to anyone looking for a good place to eat. It's a great spot to come with family or friends, and I would happily come back again. Overall, I'd give Burnt Crumbs a 10/10 and I'm already looking forward to trying more of their food!

    I have seen this place so many times on social media and finally got to try it out. Parking can…read moresometimes be tricky in this plaza but it's a huge lot so not much struggle there! Walking in, the setup is like ordering at the counter and finding seating either indoor or outdoors. My boyfriend and I decided to take it to go since we had plans and ordered the Carne Asada Omelette and Strawberry Soufflé Pancakes. First of all, I'm definitely coming back for that omelette, the potatoes were so nice and crispy and the omelette was so well seasoned and delicious (I loved the pico that it came with too) and overall delicious! The soufflé pancakes were good but I personally don't think I would re-order them but it was a good sweet bite to pair with our savory one! The service was incredibly sweet here and for that alone, I will definitely be back for brunch.

    Photos
    Burnt Crumbs
    Burnt Crumbs - Strawberry soufflé pancakes

    Strawberry soufflé pancakes

    Burnt Crumbs - Nashville Hot Chicken

    See all

    Nashville Hot Chicken

    Forest Cafe - breakfast_brunch - Updated September 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...