4.5 Stars. I'm so impressed by this little cafe! I've eaten food from here three times now and each experience has been better than the previous one. The first time I wanted to order a breakfast sandwich to go (ham, egg, and cheese on a croissant) but they were out of croissants for the day so I went with a croissant with ham and cheese already baked in it. It was very tasty but also a bit heavy for me. The second time a friend of mine brought a bag of donuts from Forest Cafe over for breakfast. I was shocked by how tasty the donuts were! There were both raised and cake donuts with a variety of toppings. Clearly freshly made with the most delicious texture (somehow simultaneously fluffy and chewy?!). I was *very* pleasantly surprised. This morning my boyfriend and I went to try their actual breakfasts. He got a sausage breakfast burrito (which came with a spicy/flavorful homemade salsa and breakfast potatoes) and I got the huevos rancheros. He loved his burrito (in his words it was his 2nd favorite breakfast burrito he's ever had in Orange County), and I thoroughly enjoyed my huevos rancheros. It was so flavorful and everything was perfectly cooked. (It's hard to find a well cooked over medium egg and these were literally perfect.) The salsa verde, chorizo, refried black beans, crispy tortillas, eggs, sour cream, avocado - everything was super flavorful and the texture was fantastic. Every bite was a perfect bite. We also got a bear claw donut to share (delicious) and coffee (freshly brewed diner coffee, which I'm personally a big fan of). Service was prompt and friendly. It's a little pricey for a counter service establishment but honestly I think it's super worth it - portions were large and everything was freshly made and delicious. Although it's a relatively small restaurant, there were tables both inside and outside and we enjoyed sitting outside. The only drawback was the plastic utensils, which weren't the best at cutting through the crispy tortillas of my huevos rancheros. Overall I had a fantastic experience and I'm so impressed by the quality and flavor of all of Forest Cafe's offerings that I've had so far. I'm really looking forward to going back and trying more donuts and breakfast items! read more

Forest Cafe - Huevos rancheros and a sausage breakfast burrito - both delicious! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Such a great little local brunch spot. Stopped by here in between work and got the huevos rancheros absolutely delicious! The eggs were cooked perfectly and whatever amazing green salsa they're using is sooooo good! Service was great too the server is so sweet! Anyways definitely coming back here to try their other menu items! So glad I found this little gem today! read more

Forest Cafe - Huevos rancheros - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lake Forest, California

This place is a hidden gem. Tucked into a shopping center I almost missed it. I ordered the breakfast chilaquiles with carne asada and it was amazing. Tons of flavor, fresh ingredients and a reasonable price. I've had it twice more since then. There are always a few more people there than last time when I go for breakfast. This won't remain a hidden gem for long. read more

Incredible absolutely amazing i love it and cant get enough of it, don't hesitate to walk in and order to your hearts content.

daily custome,Fresh food all the time ! great service and free donuts some times ! Staff are lovely here and polite read more

Forest Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Prices are INSANELY high. Also my girlfriend and I got sick later. Tiny and loud dining area. Avoid this place like the plague.

Consistently good food. High end resort style presentation Family owned very attentive to customers. You feel Very welcomed here. They also have amazing donuts and sweets. You will not be disappointed! read more

Forest Cafe - Amazing huevos rancheros. Best we've had in a long time! Every time we come here they continue to deliver! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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Amazing service and the food is so awesome. Loving especially the last time we went. Went for my son's birthday and they surprised us with extra food and a delicious donut. Well done forest Cafe and we definitely recommend stopping by for the whole family. read more

This is definitely a spot that we go to regularly because the food and donuts are just delightful. Specifically, the shrimp burrito. It's the perfect blend of shrimp with cabbage, rice and a spicy creamy sauce... to die for. Protect this place at all costs! read more

Forest Cafe - Shrimp Burrito... perfection - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Amazing food! We ordered the pozole, birria and huevos rancheros, delicious. Donuts as well. The ladies were wonderful with their service kindness and professionalism. We will be back. It was our first time and recommend this little gem! read more

I was there for breakfast but someone had mole and I switched up my order - got an old fashioned glazed donut and vanilla coffee with mole - so good!!! Two people told me how good everything is here so that's high praise. I was not disappointed with the mole more sweet than spicy. Service is ofer and sit down however everyone was so friendly here staff and customers! It's a takeout mostly but there are tables inside and out to eat. I'll definitely be back! read more

Forest Cafe - Mole and rice - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lake Forest, California

As much as I loved this place I'm very disappointed.... My kids enjoyed the place and so did I but my server forgot to put my order in and my daughters... we got our food more than 50min after my husband and other daughter received theirs! The waiter came up to me and said I'm going to be honest with you i forgot to put your order in!!! I'm very disappointed after speaking to the manager I only got a 20% discount of my bill.... It's not fair that I drove more than 1hour 45 minutes to come eat here for this read more

Incredible breakfast and service was great, very friendly staff and I'll definitely be coming back! read more

Forest Cafe - California Bagel Sandwich - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Had a volleyball tournament down in Orange County. Stopped in here and had a bacon breakfast burrito. Pretty good. The bacon was more like ham. The salsa was amazing and nice and spicy. The service was great. read more

Forest Cafe - Bacon breakfast burrito - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Forest Cafe has great options for breakfast ranging from Breakfast Sandwiches on Croissants to a rotating Donut menu each day. The bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich is my favorite. Their yeast donuts are some of the best I've ever had! Always try to stop by here when I'm in the area, their team is friendly and the food always comes out fast. read more

Food is really good. It's made fresh to order. service is great Every one is so nice. Highly recommend

This place is good. It's in the same plaza as the Starbucks and I always pass it because the overall branding and interior are kind of whatever but the food looked legit from other people eating. I got the Huevos rancheros and everything tasted fresh (even the salsa and pico de gallo). I liked that my tortillas still had a nice crunch and was holding up in texture (I don't like it when they're soft or get too soggy quickly). They also had a legit spicy salsa I asked for on the side and the chef seemed happy that I requested it. It was a green kind of creamy sauce and to my surprise it had a respectable kick and was indeed spicy...and let's face it, nothing is spicy in Lake Forest. So I was very happy about that. I also got a chocolate donut with sprinkles. No complains there. It was fluffy and good and didn't taste like it was sitting there for days Definitely give this place a try! I'll probably be back to try the burritos. read more

Forest Cafe - Huevos rancheros. Everything tasted fresh, even the pico. Tortillas maintained a good crunch and hard texture. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Very good place to eat in the morning, well maintaine, very clean and service is 10/10. kids love it and so does wife!

Was in town traveling from San Diego Food was good and service was top notch... especially for the 6 am crowd.

They were so nice here but try food and breakfast selection wasn't great. Small selection and I would call it more of a donut shop than a breakfast restaurant. They are so nice though. read more

I'm surprised this local gem doesn't have more reviews! Upon walking in, this looks like a classic donut shop with trays upon trays of assorted donuts. I personally love their glazed raised donuts- they're big and fluffy and have the right amount of chew. For those more adventurous, they currently offer an arroz con leche donut that may be worth a try, as I've never seen this flavor offered anywhere else. But, their shining star in my opinion are their breakfast burritos. The filling is a flavorful mixture of your choice of meat (chorizo, sausage, ham, or turkey), scrambled eggs, chunky potatoes, creamy black beans, and melted cheese, wrapped in a toasty tortilla, and served with a side of seasoned breakfast potatoes and house-made red salsa. They also make a green salsa that you have to specifically ask for, probably because it's extra spicy and not for the faint-hearted. Keep in mind that they make their food items to order, so you'll need to plan accordingly and be patient. Maybe order a dozen donut holes or so while you wait to hold off the hangry. read more

Forest Cafe - Breakfast Burrito with Sausage, red and green salsa - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lake Forest, California

2nd time here for their breakfast burrito and potatoes which were delicious. Service was good the young lady that took my order was super nice as was the older lady i assume is her mom. As I was waiting for my food fresh donuts out of the oven I had to try some glazed delicious also. Place is clean and reasonable price give it a try. read more

People know that their food is good! Great prices, always eager to smile and be friendly here. The outside area, it's getting popular. They always have fresh donuts too. read more

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Food was great as was the service and there were 10 of us. Seating was mostly outside, fyi.

Great food and great customer service. Good place for lunch and breakfast. I've been many times and always have good food.

I just had the best huevos rancheros I have ever eaten. If you live nearby or are just in the area, as I was, do yourself a favor and check it out. read more

1000% recommend to come visit forest cafe! amazing food and feels like family walking into the door.

What looks like just a small corner donut shop is actually more! This tiny little cafe serves up some great donuts and pastries along with a small hot breakfast grill menu. Try their giant Ham, cheese, and jalapeño croissants...served up hot and flakey! read more

Forest Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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I went on Sunday for the first time and tried the huevos rancheros and crepes, they were the best huevos rancheros I've ever tried in my life, today I had to go back because it was very good apart from the fact that the place is very clean. The attention was excellent, thanks to Sandy and her partner for the excellent service fui el domingo por primera vez y probe los huevos rancheros y crepes , fueron los mejores huevos rancheros que probe en mi vida,hoy tuve que volver porque estuvo muy bueno aparte que el lugar es muy limpio. la atencion fue excelente , gracias a Sandy y su companera por el excelente servicio. read more

This place is awesome! They have a large assortment of breakfast items, donuts, and a few Mexican dishes too. We had a croissant breakfast sandwich and the crepes. Both very well done and the croissants are definitely, freshly made here. Great ambience and obviously family owned. Very warm atmosphere, plenty of seating indoors and outdoors. Everybody is very friendly. Thank you so much and we will so be back! read more

Forest Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lake Forest, California

I'm shy but upon entering and the place was closing, everyone was respectful and homely. I was able to order without any rudeness despite being 2 minutes prior to closing. My first time there. On top of hospitality, the food was delicious! I won't come again last minute, but I would definitely come again. read more

New name, but the same great place! They have expanded their menu quite a bit, and everything we have tried is delicious. The California bagel sandwich is one of my kids favorite to grab on a Saturday morning, and of course all of their donuts are yummy. I enjoy the atmosphere with the music playing and the staff chatting with the customers. They have tacos in the afternoon which we have enjoyed as well. This is a bilingual establishment, so if you speak English or Spanish you will be able to order up your perfect selection for the day. We try to go to this establishment multiples times per month, because they treat us well and we want to support local businesses. Thumbs up! read more

Forest Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Came in today to try their breakfast for the first time ever and the workers made my whole experience! Very professional and the worker daisy was such a sweetheart! Got the chilaquiles, the French toast, and burrito and it was delicious. Will definitely be back. read more

A visit to the newly *revamped* Forest Cafe being way overdue, I finally caved in last weekend. It seemed I arrived at a perfect moment where I was at the front offor a suddenly very long line after me, so, hopefully, you find that sweet spot coming here! Did I spend $60+ on myself (incl tax/tip) for breakfast? I'm indecisive, ok!! Plus, I had these yummy dishes for meals for daysssss Anywho, this spot used to be.... a random donut shop that.... sometimes served Mexican food? Now it still serves donuts, but has a fantastic and diverse menu supporting it! Lox bagel sandwich: your choice of bagel, slightly toasted, with cream cheese, tomato, red onions, capers, and thick slabs of deliciously salty lox. Perhaps the lox itself isn't the best, but, freshly put all together, it's terrific. 4.5/5 Breakfast burrito: itself, loaded with refried black beans (AWESOME touch!), scrambled eggs, chorizo, cheese (you have the option of adding other breakfast meats, but I don't usually do that) = OK. In spite of the freshness and yummy ingredients, it lacks seasoning. HOWEVER!!! Upon request, you can get either a beautifully creamy, spicy green avocado based salsa, or a beautifully creamy, SUPER SPICY red salsa, both of which are seriously THE MOST DELICIOUS salsas I've tried in recent times. Salsas take a 4 and easily make it 5/5 Chilaquiles: not part of my original plan, but EVERY order before mine, whether dining in or to go, involved chilaquiles. Avoiding FOMO I tacked one onto my own order (no added meat, but the general recommendation was asada). OMG. SO GOOD. Eggs cooked perfectly, generous slices of avocado, every chip coated in citrus forward green sauce, tomatillo flavor for days, just divine. 5/5 Mickey Mouse pancakes: cute, perfect serving, comes with a sweet whipped butter, pancake syrup, and a strawberry-forward fruit compote. I forgot about this actually until days later, and, surprise! Still good!! 5/5 This is absolutely one of the first places I plan to bring my mom to once she touches down in the US soon! Great food and service, Forest Cafe!! I'm a huuuge (literally lol) local fan!! read more

Finally tried this place for some breakfast and was pleasantly surprised. The burritos were tasty and service was good. This will definitely be a return spot for us. read more

Huevos rancheros with salsa verde, Excellent, highly recommend. limited interior seating, so you may have to sit outside.

They need to repost their hours! I'm in Irvine for some on site work and got here early so I thought I'd have breakfast. I looked up breakfast restaurants and these guys came up as open at 5:30am, it was just about that time so I headed over. It is now 6:10 am I'm still sitting in my Jeep watching the employees arrive and writing this review. Looks like Del Taco breakfast for me cause I've got to be on site at 7:00. This place sucks! read more

Food is mediocre; nothing to write home about. Just a local spot in Lake Forest. I purchased 6 donuts and a breakfast burrito for $28 without tip. Breakfast burrito is $12; I could make a much better breakfast burrito at home for a fraction of the price. read more

I couldn't believe how overpriced you are for stale greasy donuts. Staff member seemed bothered to walk from the back to take my order. Rolled their eyes when I said it was my first time coming there, they expected a tip for aggressively smashing some nasty donuts in a bag for me. For what reason, I was completely nice. No tip given. Felt dusty and dirty when I walked in, I should have just walked back out, complete disappointment. Plus, right in my face, I heard from what appeared to be the owner bragging about how great their restaurant is to a regular and how much money they are making. Very low class to express that in front of customers, especially new ones. read more

I came in for breakfast and ordered a breakfast burrito and waited for 38 minutes as I waited I noticed other people after me were get their maels. They noticed after a gentleman ask me how long I've been waiting for and I was told "they could find me" when I was literally sitting in front of the cashier. 22.00 for a breakfast burrito and a small drink plus the tip I don't believe I'll ever go back. read more