It was pretty empty for lunch on a weekend. Clean, modernized look. We were quickly seated. Their soup dumplings (XLB) were delicious. Good amount of soup, rich flavor. Dumpling cover was thin and delicate. Meat was flavorful, perfectly cooked. We also got the beef and broccoli for the kids. The meat was so tender. They absolutely loved it! Plus, they also got these cute kid's platters on the house. Included an egg roll, fruit medley, and piggy bun filled with custard, along with a yakult. Easy to find parking in this strip mall. It's right next to Lee's Sandwich. read more

Mimi Garden - Sesame balls - Chinese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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We had a good experience here with some delicious Chinese dumplings and noodles. We ordered a variety of dishes and were impressed across the board. The beef tenderloin noodles were the biggest surprise with excellent flavor and texture. We also tried the sticky rice shao mai, which didn't quite stand out compared to the rest of the meal. However, all of the dumpling dishes we ordered were 10/10. Prices are comparable to other dumpling spots, and the interior is modern and very clean. We arrived right when they opened for dinner, and the service was quick and efficient. I'll definitely be back! read more

Mimi Garden - Black Pepper Beef Tenderloin Noodles - Chinese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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Mimi Garden was such a fun spot for Chinese New Year's Eve dinner. Even with the holiday crowd, the service was great and super attentive, which we really appreciated. Everything we ordered was delicious. The cucumbers were really good, the soup dumplings were flavorful and definitely worth getting, and the kung pao chicken was also very tasty. But the standouts were absolutely the crab rangoons, the green beans, and the chocolate mochi dumplings. The crab rangoons were SO GOOD, the green beans had an amazing garlicky flavor, and the chocolate mochi dumplings were the perfect ending to the meal -- the chocolate flavor was honestly spot on. On top of the food, the restaurant had such a great atmosphere. It was lively, everyone was clearly having a good time, and the space felt chic and very clean. Overall, a really great experience. read more

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Very delicious soup dumplings and fried beef dumplings. Quick to service and very friendly. It was very clean and classic restaurant vibes. read more

Came here last minute when a reservation fell through somewhere else and was happily surprised they could take a table of 12 for a lunar new year dinner. The ambiance inside is really nice and feels fancy. The service here is also really great, they were very attentive and kind. Was also happy about their food! The hot and sour soup had a very white peppery taste to it and wasn't as sour as I would've wanted but the thickness and size was great. Loved the sweet and sour pork and chicken, really yummy. The scallion pancakes lacked flavor in my opinion as well as the sticky rice shu mai. Some other dishes I really loved were the xiao long bao, the beef pepper udon noodles, the beef rolls, and pan fried buns. Happy with our experience here! read more

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The Cozy beautiful modern restaurant is our family's favorite place to dine in. The crispy beef wraps are my son's favorite. The very tasty xiao long bao are large & super juicy. Pretty much everything we ordered was delicious. The service was so very attentive. This is our favorite location, we didn't like the Newport location at all. read more

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We went there for Chinese New Year celebration and it was amazing! There's 14 of us in our group and they were able to accommodate us on a very short notice- no reservations whatsoever. They delivered and served the food with a smile. Food was delicious, and the place is very clean and welcoming. read more

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2 Stars = "Could've been better". I guess I could have rated this a 3 star which is deemed as "OK" and it was, but this take out experience did not warrant a better rating. I walked in at around 6pm on a Monday and there was no one inside beside two seniors looking over the menu. I walked up to the counter to order and was promptly assisted, I order, sat down and waited for roughly 10 minutes and was handed my food. I asked the staff if there was already sauce for the dumpling inside and he assured me there was. When I opened the containers back at the office there was zero sauce, just plain steamed dumplings with no sauce. It's not that I need the sauce, it's that I was lied to, bamboozled, tricked into walking away without getting some sauces. If you are unsure because you didn't pack the food, don't assume your co-worker/s did it. Just say I don't know. The flavor wasn't anything special, the wrappers for the dumpling were very nice and thin though. The green beans was also pretty bland. And the braised beef noodle soup did not have the correct flavor profile. If was good, just not the traditional ratio of star anise and five spice taste. The decor is really nice inside this small restaurant, so it's somewhere to have a nice meal without it being a hole-in-the-wall very casual place like A&J in Irvine. But A&J is better. read more

Absolutely amazing food, service and ambiance. When we were out visiting family they told us this was a "must try" while we were out. I am so sad we don't live closer as we'd go pretty regularly! All of the dumplings were outstanding, the crab fried rice and garlic green beans were also delicious. read more

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Mimi Garden serves authentic Chinese food in RSM. The restaurant is clean and spacious. Service is great and very friendly. Parking is plenty. The menu is similar to Din Tai Fung's, and prices are comparable as well. We order these: colorful mixed salad $8.5 Kurobuta pork soup XLB (8 pcs) $12.50 Braised beef shank noodles soup $16.50 Shrimp & pork spicy wontons $16 I like everything we ordered, especially the beef noodles soup and the Shrimp & Pork spicy wontons! Portion is fair as well. They have a couple other locations (Laker forest and Newport). I would definitely return. read more

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Mimi Garden is located in a busy center in Lake Forest. But don't let that discourage you from trying this place! The food is amazingly delicious! Three of us shared a family style meal. Everything we had was fresh and flavorful. We each got a big bowl of hot and sour soup--that could have been a meal all by itself! The spicy cucumbers were crisp, a tad sweet and a tad spicy. The buns of the pork bun was fluffy and light filled and with sweet BBQ pork. The shrimp and fish filling was delicious wrapped in soft won ton. Chicken fried was perfect. To finish off with a sweet something, we had the sesame balls. Believe me, you won't be disappointed! Tip: there is parking behind the shops in this center that no one seems to know about. There is a walkway that leads you right to Mimi Garden. This is where you should park to avoid the crowds. read more

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This place is actually pretty decent! Some things are better than others but overall it's a solid stand in as a regular dumpling stop. Xiao long bao - thin skin, pretty tasty Pan fried bun - flavor is really good, the "bao" part of the bun is really thin. I prefer a more bun like mouth feel but the filling is really good Pork spareribs - a skip. Order something else Fried rice - bigger portion than DTF but completely different flavor. Fried noodle - the vegetable to noodle ratio is a bit off but the flavor is good Service is really good but we also go at 5:30Pm. We went once on a sat at 6 and it felt like the were shorthanded. Overall a decent place if you're not going in expecting DTF. read more

HOT AND SOUR SOUP: overloaded with white pepper, tasted like sour white pepper soup, couldn't finish it KUROBUTA PORK SOUP XIAO LONG BAO: delicious! no peanuts in it SHRIMP&KUROBUTA PORK SPICY WONTONS: delicious! no peanuts in it SWEET AND SOUR SPARE RIBS: flavorful and sauce-y, but wayyyyyyyyyyy too sweet and cinnamon-y, not sour at all Ambiance and service were great!! read more

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Good experience at Mimi Garden. Been to RSM location so already knew what to expect. This time around tried Shrimp Fried Rice (lots of medium shrimp), Beef Rolls (sliced cucumbers made it refreshing), and Pork Soup Dumplings (juicy and hot). Everything came out tasty and was priced average. Not the best value but not crazy expensive. Decor was nice. Seating comfy. Service friendly. I would come back for sure. read more

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I kept seeing this restaurant come up and wanted to give it a try since I love Chinese cuisine and support local. We tried 5 different dishes. Unfortunately I had really high hopes and left feeling disappointed. The flavor profiles were just wrong and one-dimensional. Hot & Sour Soup: Not even remotely hot or sour. The broth itself was just beefy and didn't have much else going on there. The most flavor I really got out of it was the fresh scallion. However, the portion is great for $2.50. There is enough soup for 2 servings. Kurobuta Pork Soup Xiao Long Bao: The only things I liked about the soup dumplings were the amount of broth inside and the thinness of the wrappers. Flavor-wise, the filling and broth fell flat for me. The broth reminded me of the Hot and Sour Soup since it was just meaty and didn't have much other flavor. Zhajiang Noodles: The texture of the noodles and meat was good. I wasn't a fan of the sauce because it just tasted sweet and garlicky. I love garlic, but I felt like it was being used as a crutch to deliver more flavor. The sauce wasn't really savory or salty, and didn't feel well-rounded. It was just very far from that traditional Chinese flavor and I wasn't very impressed. Shrimp & Kurobuta Pork Spicy Wontons: I'm fairly certain the sauce of the wontons is exactly the same as the Zhajiang Noodles because it just tasted sweet and garlicky, not even remotely spicy. Spicy wontons are my favorite thing to get at Chinese restaurants so I was really sad about this one. You do get a good portion of wontons though, so that was nice. Sweet & Sour Chicken: In the nicest way possible, this dish reminded me of Panda Express. It just wasn't restaurant quality and I felt the breading to chicken ratio was very heavy. The sauce also wasn't sour at all, just sweet. This was probably my least favorite dish of the meal. The condiments also lacked flavor. The soy sauce, vinegar, and chili oil were all so bland. I feel like the ambience is trying to hard to cater to a "modern take" and I wasn't really into it, but I wouldn't have minded as much if the food was better. I will say the service was attentive and our server was very kind. I can always appreciate good service. Overall, I wouldn't come here again. There are plenty of other Chinese restaurants popping up in Lake Forest, so I'd recommend eating elsewhere. read more

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I'm so happy this location is closer to home. I used to drive to RSM for their delicious dumplings. Today we ordered pork dumplings, shrimp fried rice, beef rolls and hot and sour soup. Everything was fresh and tasty. The shrimp fried rice is a nice serving for about 2-3 people with a generous amount of shrimp. It was seasoned perfectly. I'm also a big fan of the beef rolls. I found that it wasn't as oily as other places that serve this dish and the ingredients are so fresh and the cucumbers were so crisp. I loved it! The hot and sour soup is very good as well with thick pieces of tofu. It was flavored to perfection with just the right amount of thickness to the broth and with just the right amount of spiciness/kick. For $2.50 I will always order this especially on a cold or rainy day. My hubby enjoyed the pork dumplings and said they are very fresh and juicy. Careful to bite into them immediately because there is a bit of hot broth in them. Overall, I really enjoyed all of the dishes we ordered and our waiter was very attentive and helpful. The space is very nicely decorated and clean. We will be returning soon. read more

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Very good steamed dumpling, juicy and tasty. Got salt and pepper tofu, tasty although it is a little bit too salty for me because i dont eat too much salt. We also got vegetable fried noodle. Yummy! Service is friendly and cheerful. The restaurant looks modern and clean. I will go back. read more

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This is my first and only experience at Mimi Garden. I went to the soft opening the evening of Mother's Day with five friends. Mimi Garden is located in a strip mall next to Lee's Sandwiches. It's a small restaurant and it was a bit stuffy tonight. The inside of the restaurant has mixed decor. They have some elegant chandeliers hanging but also have some pink flamingos on the wall. Overall, it's cute. I wouldn't recommend groups over six as it's a smaller space. We ordered a few different dishes broccoli, cucumber salad, bok choy, green beans, soup dumplings, wontons, pan fried dumplings, chicken, crispy beef rolls, and fried shrimp with wasabi. The food and service were great. We ordered a lot of food and the price was pretty reasonable. The soup dumplings weren't very "sturdy" and often fell apart but were tasty. The menu items remind me a lot of Din Tai Fung but more affordable. If I live closer to their locations, I'd definitely go back. read more

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The long-awaited grand opening of Mimi Garden is a welcome addition to the burgeoning Asian food scene in Lake Forest, and while it's basically a clone of Din Tai Fung, the prices are definitely a lot more affordable. They're still in their soft opening, I believe, so I'll give them time to figure things out, but it's a nice smaller store that makes for a more intimate experience. Service is absolutely top-notch and everyone that works there are consummate professionals. I had the dan dan noodles and the classic XLB, and the flavor of the dan dan noodles were absolutely on point. The XLB were also solid, but it is hard to beat the gold standard, but they absolutely scratch the itch. I just went with the classics this time, and admittedly the menu as with its influence aren't the most adventurous things in the world; you'll just go here for good quality Chinese food, which they absolutely have. This is definitely a welcome addition that's on the nicer side, and I'm definitely looking forward to coming back. TIP: You can never go wrong with the XLB. read more

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My wife received an invitation to the soft opening, so we were able to enjoy a Mother's Day lunch at Mimi Garden's Lake Forest location. The restaurant was very elegantly decorated, but I do agree with the other Yelp reviewer who stated that the flamingos seemed out of place. Staff was both friendly and attentive. As part of the soft opening, we were treated to a complimentary sampler which included Black Truffle Shredded Chicken and Seaweed & Beancurd in Vinegar Dressing. They also threw in an order of Fish Dumplings. In addition we ordered the following dishes: - Pork Xiao Long Bao - Sticky Rice & Kurobuta Pork Shao Mai - Shrimp Wontons w/Spicy Sauce - Crispy Beef Rolls IMO the only miss was the Shrimp Wontons w/Spicy Sauce which I found to be too sweet for my liking. Everything else was fantastic and we enjoyed our overall dining experience. I believe this is Mimi Garden's second location and from the sound of things, they will be expanding quickly to other new locations soon! read more

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I attended the invite-only experience prior to their grand opening and it was pretty good but there were lots of little issues, which hopefully they can work out before officially opening. For example, the order form had some prices listed incorrectly, like we opted against the chinese broccoli because it showed $29.50 on the form and we thought that was outrageously priced, however, later found the menu showed $14.50 and the server confirmed it was a typo. We ordered a lot of dishes and they all seemed fresh and on the healthier side: -cucumber salad: refreshing but not much flavor -pork XLB: tasty but every single one fell apart -broccoli: lightly seasoned to my liking -green beans: my favorite, crispy and garlicky -spicy wontons: confusing because there's two "spicy wontons" listed but basically one is a non-spicy soupy version and the other is what you expect for a spicy wonton. -wasabi shrimp: another favorite, similar to a honey walnut shrimp but tiny kick to it and interesting plating -pan fried pork dumpling: pretty tasty and fun crispy piece that you crack to separate all the dumplings -bok choy: a little bit too salty for me -beef rolls: as expected, good but nothing special The decor was nice, I especially loved the chandelier lighting but thought the flamingos were a bit odd. Unfortunately, it was too stuffy hot for me, I'm not sure if its an AC problem or because its a tiny place with too many people inside, but I problem wouldn't dine-in next time and would just do take-out. Service was great, there was a lot of staff, all welcoming and friendly. read more

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The food is outstanding. I'm so glad I came here! The girls fro Ulta told me about this amazing place. read more

Mimi Garden - The food is five stars ! Came for lunch and the I picked an amazing meal. The girls from Ulta told me about this place. Must try. - Chinese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

My family and I got invited to the soft opening of the Mimi Garden in Lake Forest by signing up for their interest list. I have been to the RSM location before and the Lake Forest location is much smaller in comparison. The decor is very pretty with chandeliers and beautiful floral backdrops. The feel is more upscale than a typical Chinese restaurant with nice linen tablecloths and classical music playing in the background. The service was good but very slow but it's understandable since it's still soft opening. We were given 3 free appetizers to taste as part of the soft opening. I like the truffle oil shredded cold chicken dish, it's definitely more of a fusion dish than a traditional Chinese dish but the combo works well. Tofu salad was standard, it was a little bland of seasoning. They also gave us fish paste dumplings to try, I have never tried it before and it was good as a small bite but I don't think I would order it as a full entree since it didn't taste like a regular dumpling. The stir fried green beans was fresh but it was wetter in texture than other Chinese restaurants. Usually this dish is prepared by stir frying with high heat so that it has a dry almost char like consistency. They also wouldn't accommodate our request to make it spicy which is odd because many times this dish is prepared with chilis. The chili oil condiment they had wasn't spicy enough either. The pan fried buns also came out smaller than expected and wasn't a traditional Chinese pan fried buns. The xlb was hand made in house, you can watch the staff hand make them through a glass window. The xlb skin is very thin but it still holds a lot of juicy soup. I really enjoyed the xlb! We got 3 baskets of it and my 2 boys devoured it so fast. Overall I think it's worth coming here to eat for the xlb but the other dishes are more fusion style and not necessarily truly authentic. The pricing is more expensive than most Chinese restaurants but they make up for it in decor and service. read more

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Really was hoping I would like this but unfortunately I don't think I will return. I must say I am very particular about Chinese food. Even though I didn't enjoy the meal as much I can understand why others would. The items were either too salty or on the sweeter side. The soy noodle salad was very sweet. The hot sour soup wasn't hot or sour. Service was adequate. Only two servers for the dining room. read more

Mimi Garden - Pork XLB - Chinese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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Delicious. Dumplings are made to order. So are the sesame balks. Food comes out right away.

This is a new (2 months) non-regional Chinese restaurant to the Lake Forest/Laguna Hills community. It is apparently one of 3 or 4 locations that have recently opened in south Orange County. The food is more dim sum than standard fare & is very good & plentiful. It is fairly small, maybe 10 tables, but brightly lit & tastefully decorated. Service is good & frequent though not as fully knowledgeable as I'd like, but of course, it is new with young staff. Also it has an unusual menu with large bright photos of the food. I can recommend this establishment for its food & its pleasant staff. Go soon since they are currently giving an order of free soup dumplings. read more

New place just opening by Ralph's. Went there today for lunch. Walked into a beautifully designed small space. It filled up very quickly which was so nice to experience. The food was very good! They started us out with free bao buns as an appetizer which were so yummy. I wanted to try their dumplings which we got chicken didn't enjoy as much as the buns. For main dish I got beef and broccoli and it was delicious probably enough for two, my friend ordered the beef tenderloin fried rice which was also good. Thru don't serve white rice w entree you have to order separately but that was fine the helping were heaping All of this food came to $40 which I thought was a deal. For good quality Chinese food would pay that again and again! Tips. Get there early every table was full by 12:00 we got there at 11:30 when they opened. I saw allot of to go orders which I will try next. Thru have a alcohol permit application pending Look for coupons in mailers. We got $10 off from one of them read more

We were greeted by Javier who was excellent with service and cleaning up. The restaurant looked so nice. The food was amazing and so delicious. Came here for a family lunch date and it was a great time. Definitely recommend you coming here for lunch or dinner. read more

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Came here for the first time with my grandma as it was her recommendation. It is such a great local chinese food spot and with very authentic dim sum options. The soup dumpling was so delicious and came out steaming hot. The salt and pepper tofu was cooked perfectly with a good crunch on the outside and soft on the inside and it was seasoned perfectly! The bok choy and mushroom combination was so delicious. The service was even more amazing we were sat immediately and they checked in on us regularly. The restaurant itself is very cleaned and has a classy vibe. I would definitely try out this spot before everyone knows about it. read more

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Food was pretty good and the restaurant looks very nice and modern. It took a little while to get our food and the kitchen forgot one of our orders! The waiter was nice enough to give it on the house and was apologetic, so no harm taken. Overall pretty decent place! read more

The beef roll is AMAZING! It's crunchy and has the best sauce! Very flavorful, I definitely would get it again.

Amazing service, very attentive. the food is so fresh! Best bbq pork buns around. The inside is really cute too, great ambience. Highly recommend! read more

This place is pretty comparable to Din Tai Fung. It's a small space, but the decor is very pretty and cute. I was able to try a couple items because they gave free samples and would actually order them next time. It was the black truffle shredded chicken and the soy noodle salad. It's a simple menu and the ingredients and taste are delicious and fresh. The only thing I would say is the chocolate mochi is better at Din Tai Fung compared to here. read more

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Went to their soft opening. I enjoyed the Xiao Long Bao that was freshly made. We had also ordered the string beans. Too bad we were not able to make the dish spicy. T hug e wait staff just suggested putting the chili oil when the dish came out. The table arrangement felt a bit tight. We were seated behind the front check-in counter which was a bit cramped and felt a bit in the way as the staff was moving around serving food. read more

Yum, yum, give me some dim sum. I'm sure I used this phrase before. What can I say, old habits die hard. The restaurant is a bit small and intimate, but very open and welcoming. The server were all very attentive and helpful. We ordered so much food. Sautéed green beans, beef noodles, beef rolls, orange chicken... like, literally, you name it, and we probably ordered it. It is very similar to Din Tai Fung, but without the hefty prices. I say, similar... the quality is not quite DTF level, but it hits the spot when you don't want to venture down to Costa Mesa or Downtown Disney too. At this location, they do not serve alcohol. Not sure if they are/will get their license, so please inquire with them when you come in. I would definitely come back again! read more

Wanted to try when I saw a new place near Lee's. Finally got a chance to stop by and the food we tried was all very good. Decor is fun and I feel would be a nice date spot. The sweet and sour soup is of great value and complimented the meal later ordered. Staff was friendly, attentive, and easily managed the 6 other tables while we were there. I drank the hot green tea which was nice and pleasent. We had the sweet and sour soup, pork soup bao, char sui bao, and shrimp and pork. dumpling read more

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Came by for dinner on a weekday. There was no wait and we were seated immediately. The inside felt fancy so we had some high expectations. We ordered the cucumber salad, beef noodle soup, xiao long bao, and spicy wontons. It all looked great, but the taste didn't match up: - Cucumber salad: too much vinegar and needed to be diluted. - Beef noodle soup: half the noodles were al dente (teetering undercooked), but ended up being the best part of the meal - Xiao long bao: flavor was fine, but felt like I was just eating the wrapper and no filling - Spicy wontons: mostly wrapper, minimal filling again We possibly got the wrong items, but nearly everything was a miss for us that night. read more

Mimi Garden - Cucumber salad - Chinese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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A couple of people from work mentioned this place, so we checked it out. Nice elegant looking restaurant. Great colors and decor. When we looked at the menu, all we could think of was a DIng Tai Fung Knock off. And sure enough it was. it was lacking. We ordered the standard XLB, spicy dumplings and stir fried green beans. The food was mostly bland, even the spicy dumplings. There are better dumpling places around Lake Forest. And if you wanted the original DTF, you best go there. The only bright spot were the drinks. Recommend the hibiscus tea. Sorry, first and last time we dine here. read more

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This is now my kids new fav Chinese food in mission/Lake forest/laguna hills area. Service and decor is part of the reason my kids love this spot. We will 100% be back very soon. read more

This is your sign to take an hour out of your day to come to this restaurant!!! The food is INCREDIBLE !! Mongolian beef was perfectly tender, the soup dumplings were FRESH! Sarah is amazing and so funny!! Literally the sweetest ever! I came in with my best friend Julia, she treated us like we had known her for years! Will be making the 30 min drive back here! read more