I love this place. Food is excellent. They have a drive-through option that puts any other local drive-through place's food to shame. Staff seem very kind and helpful. It seems the owner is often working in the kitchen also. He seems to have trained his employees well. I hope they're treated well also, but they seem happy enough so I would guess that they are. This is a local "hidden gem" and that's that. read more

Good food . Good noodles. Give it a try not the best but some items are worth it. Take a chance on this place.

I unfortunately have to update a previous review of this restaurant because of a recent visit. Mirin Cafe has always been my staple Japanese restaurant in Esco. It's affordable, good quality, and overall polite service. What I am not a fan of is using AI generated pictures on a menu that previously had real pictures of food on it. There was no reason to do this, but if Mirin Cafe is this unsure about how good their food looks now, I may think twice about picking a Japanese restaurant in Escondido. I would love to regain my faith in this local gem but until these AI pictures go away - I cannot trust that what I see on the menu is what comes out on my plate. read more

Mirin Cafe - What is supposed to be "green tea ice cream." - Japanese Near Me - Escondido, California

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Don't judge a book by its cover they say! It's not much to look at from the outside it looks kinda sketchy but inside is a different story. We ordered a beef and chicken teriyaki and compo tempura appetizer . Everything was tasty and service was good . read more

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*I'm Asian and grew up in Asia so my standards are a little high* Now this place was crazy bc I did not expect them to deliver like they did. First of all, I wouldn't say this is 100% authentic Japanese cuisine, however the flavors and quality were all amazing. They have a drive thru??? What??? I was so confused when we pulled up to dine in and there was a drive thru LOL, but it works! We went inside and I liked the attempt to have that suburbany cozy core. Food: we ordered rolls, ramen, and tonkatsu. When each of us took a bite we all were incredibly shocked by the flavor and quality. Everyone loved the broths and especially noted the chashu. The rolls were also really well made, preserving the textures of each ingredient (meaning it was all fresh). Now for my fav... this tonkatsu. Flavor yes texture yes, now what really got me was under that first layer of cutlet THERES ANOTHER ONE. WHATTTTT !!! It was like Christmas Day opening gifts when I moved one of the pieces over and noticed a whole other cutlet underneath. Insane portion size for the bowl I had to take leftovers and that itself filled a whole Togo bowl. Service: the service was adorable and so attentive. It looked like a lot of high school kids first jobs and when i worked my hs job i slacked BUT NOT THESE KIDS. They are filling my water, they are putting that smile on, they are checking up, they were so sweet!!! read more

Mirin Cafe - Tonkatsu bowl (not on physical menu) - Japanese Near Me - Escondido, California

Still, so good! we have been coming here for almost 10 years now. The more recommended places I go to, for "great" ramen, the more I realize how good the ramen is here! While the Volcano Ramen, is not what it once was when it was just a special on the board and not on the full-time menu as the beautiful short ribs that it once had are no longer, it is still highly tasty with just the right kick. My go to though is still going to be the Tonkotsu Ramen, with an added Egg and some chili oil, a cucumber salad and/or edamame. The interior is relatively small; there are roughly 8 tables, I think? I have rarely had to wait for a seat here, which while a great thing for me, I do wish for them, that they had a huge line out the door. Maybe I just eat at weird hours! The dining atmosphere here is casual and clean which is a stark comparison from the exterior of the building that looks and feels a bit worn down and would benefit from a quick coat of paint. The service here is normally fairly friendly, and the time from order to eating is relatively quick but not rushed. After all these years, I still highly recommend this place! read more

Best Ramen I've had in Escondido CA. The noddles were perfect not too soft or too hard. The Ramen had the perfect amount of brought. Overall the food was well flavored and delicious. They are very busy with takeout orders but their service is great. Totally recommend this place for delicious Ramen. read more

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My go to place for ramen or cheap delicious chicken teriyaki bowls. Fast service and small cozy environment.

Place was extremely hot and uncomfortable to dine in, maybe get an a/c or something, sushi was also served warm which was not great at all, takoyaki was overcooked and inedible. Would never recommend or go again. read more

The food is good, but I do not like that the younger girl at the window never gives me enough utensils and no soy sauce at all. This is the second time I been here and it has happened both times. My husband picks up More often and never sees her there and doesn't have this issue. Whoever helps him is on top of it. It's really annoying. She will ask then not give it to you! One fork for two orders.. use your brain. Won't get a tip if I see her from now on. read more

This place lives up to the outside feel and ambiance. Looks shut down and closed. Take a chance and walk in and suddenly you're like "yes. Let's do this." Go in and the staff is beyond money. Kind, friendly, happy- so is the kitchen. Order the food and those first five minutes are the best five minutes of your life. Then it cools down and you suddenly realize that - despite being the head cheerleader of the greatest high school on TikTok, sleeping with the star quarterback might not be all it's cracked up to be. Five minutes in and you're suddenly realizing that peaking in high school might not be all the movies pretend it to be and you might just be a total loser stuck in the same town you grew up in. Suddenly Michele and Romy's High School Reunion makes a whole lot more sense and you look around wishing you listened to your parents ... it's great in the moment when it's hot and that's all you can think about.... Give it time to cool down and you remember why you moved away. read more

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We came here for lunch after a visit to the San Diego Children's Discovery Museum. It was not super busy and we had our pick of tables. They had high chairs to accommodate our toddlers. The service was superb, friendly, attentive, super willing to help because we had the toddlers, and very understanding. Food was also decent, large portions sizes that we ended up taking home more than we were able to eat there. The mixed beef and chicken teriyaki was a hit for both kids and adults. read more

Mirin Cafe - Mixed tempura - Japanese Near Me - Escondido, California

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Awesome little spot. I don't come here for sushi but I get the ribeye bowl, and I gotta say for $12 it's perfect. Meat and rice baby. Gaaaains read more

super delicious I got Shoyu Ramen and the Chicken Yakisoba and it was delicious the best

2024 review. The last time I dined here was ten years ago when it was still partially a taco shop. The experience wasn't that great back then. So, did MIrin Cafe get any better? Simply put, yes.. This is a casual raman shop that has sushi, teriyaki, and noodles. Both the ramen and yakisoba noodles were really good. The sushi, while flavorful, barely stayed together. It made it difficult to grab/eat with chopsticks. Ambiance leaves a lot to be desired from the outside. Looks like a dumpy place you'd never want to order sushi from. Inside is well decorated and clean. While Mirin won't put any convoy restaurants out of business, it makes for a great casual Raman experience in Escondido. - Soda from a can, iced green tea was fresh. - Only one entrance to their parking lot, and that can only be accessed going eastbound on Valley Parkway. read more

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Definitely an enjoyable spot. I personally am not a huge fan of ramen, but this ramen had a great umami flavor and the eggs are perfectly cooked, get an extra one. Also tried the garlic noodles which were a rave with the family. It is a smaller establishment which could pose a problem during a busy time, but we were able to sit right down for lunch. Service was quick which is always appreciated. Spicy salmon roll was a little too spicy as it took away from the flavor, but this was honestly the only complaint I had. read more

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The food is amazing, the service is really kind and friendly and quick, the space is very intimate and cozy, the perfect place to hang out with others or eat alone!! And the food quality is amazing!!! They never miss!! read more

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A lovely little spot I've gone to often over the past two years with a date. It's small, spaced, and simple. You often get stuck in front of the bathroom which could use a curtain but its not an atmosphere killer. The food is pretty good and not too expensive. I'm particularly fond of their takoyaki which is often a miss at most places but a real hit here. The ramen isn't the highlight of the place, but I do like their noodles and sushi. Their fries, surprisingly, are fantastic and I always opt for them. read more

We've been here many times. The place is always clean, exceptional service and the food is always fresh and amazing. We had ramen and the teriyaki chicken plate and both were delicious. We even tried one of their Japanese sodas for the first time and loved it. One of our favorite places in town. read more

Mirin Cafe - Japanese soda- strawberry - Japanese Near Me - Escondido, California

This is some of the best ramen I've had outside of Japan (where I lived for two years). I came in with the family today. We walked into a smallish dining room with 10 tables and got a seat right away. A super cute, super friendly waitress gave us our menus and took our orders. After a short wait our food was out and it was so good. The hubby had yakisoba, I had the spicy sesame ramen, and the kid had the black garlic ramen. Everything was freshly made, and it was very authentic. The only place I've had ramen this good outside of Japan was in little Tokyo in LA. Yes, it's that good! Mirin will be seeing me again soon and often. Oishiikata desu read more

Mirin Cafe - Spicy sesame ramen - Japanese Near Me - Escondido, California

Food was ok .. hubs got the katsu curry and it was great.. I got the chicken teriyaki platter.. the miso was salty.. the chicken tasted like it had been cooked/refrigerated too long and reheated.. by the time I got to some of the pieces they were hard as a rock.. the pot stickers were over fried .. the place was clean.. the staff was nice but I don't believe I will be heading back any time soon.. read more

This is definitely a hidden gem in Escondido. If you don't feel like driving further down to the convoy area in SD. We really enjoyed everything we ordered at this cute little restaurant. The service was extremely friendly and welcoming! Good food and good service is what I usually try to hunt for and this is where it was found! Winner winner Katsu Curry Chicken dinner! I wanted to stop by more often but, it is quite a drive for us from Temecula so I'll definitely stop by whenever we go to SD. Please open one in Temecula or Murrieta! You would do so well here because we don't have good ramen places or Katsu Curry places at all. Plus their sushi was impressively good. I use to be a sushi chef at Whole foods in Pasadena and well from a sushi chef stand point the sushi was great! The rice was soft and all the ingredients were fresh. The only critic is I would press the sushi roll a bit firmer and secure it a bit tighter because it falls apart easily but, the taste it great and that's an achievement. Please stop by this hidden gem guys, you won't be disappointed (I'm talking to the non picky eaters on Yelp by the way) picky eaters are not allowed to read my reviews so this review does not apply to any picky eaters. Cheers! read more

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Definitely deserving of another star after my last two experiences at Mirin, one dine-in, one pick-up using drive thru. Their service is very welcoming and attentive, food fresh and flavorful, portions appropriate, very convenient and accessible parking behind. Heavy presence of unhoused people kind of camped out amongst the hedges but they kept to themselves. Short on time to think of what's for dinner on your way home from work? Call 15min before picking up and use the easy drive-up window. Dining inside vibe is quaint and pleasant, TV for those with short attention spans. Love it and will be back for sure. read more

This place is a hidden gem in Escondido. It's a small restaurant with a cozy feel and good service, and they also have a drive thru! Great for date nights but I wouldn't bring a group of 10 people because it's not big enough for that. Prices are reasonable at about $13-15 for a filling bowl of ramen. They give you 3-4 thick slices of pork in the ramen when other places give you 2 thin slices. And the broth is so tasty and creamy. They have other things on the menu too like sushi, yakisoba, etc but I haven't tried those yet. We usually get the black garlic tonkotsu ramen and the Mirin tonkotsu ramen. read more

Mirin Cafe - Mirin Tonkotsu ramen and Black Garlic Tonkotsu ramen - Japanese Near Me - Escondido, California

$8.95 for 5 pieces of sushi (crunchy roll). They don't disclose how many pieces you get on the menu for obvious reasons. Sushi Yama in Escondido does $10 for a 10 piece crunchy roll that comes assembled and not falling apart on the plate. So you decide what is the better option, considering Mirin's crunchy roll was no more special than any other run of the mill crunchy roll I've had. My dad ordered the ramen, what they're known for, right? It's been great in the past, but this time it came out halfway cooked, a big hard ball in the of noodles middle. One of the shrimp he got in the ramen also still had the hard shell on it. I feel bad for the poor waitress running around like a chicken with her head cut off. She was doing the best she could and was very overwhelmed. My family used to love this place, we came here all the time, but the quality of food has gone way down but the prices stay where they've always been. read more

Went to Mirin Cafe for dinner with some friends and it was a lot smaller than expected but that made it even more cozy. The service was great and the food was delicious. Everything was priced fairly well. read more

Food is awesome, Ambiance is romantic. Wife and I discovered this place early in our marriage and have loved ever since.

This is our pit stop for quick Japanese delights. Cozy atmosphere in their small restaurant. Great proces and authentic food. Quick service and friendly faces. read more

Food: My favorite is the volcano Ramen, but with the summer heat, I ordered a beef Teriyaki bowl with shrimp, although they forgot the shrimp. The bowl was fresh and delicious & I love that they don't douse the meat with Teriyaki sauce, they put a small container on the side of Teriyaki. I also ordered a spider roll. I shared both with my husband and it was perfect. Service: Quick and efficient Ambiance: casual & clean read more

Mirin Cafe - Inside restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Escondido, California

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Edible. If you don't know any better about good Japanese food especially ramen, then you will be happy here. 1. Egg in ramen is not supposed to be hard boiled. 2. Broth in ramen is supposed to be flavorful but not here. 3. Tempura sauce or Tensuyu, is a mixture of dashi, sugar and MIRIN. The name of the ingredient is in your business name for pete's sake! You don't serve tempura with Thai sweet chili sauce. LOL read more

Such a great experience here! The food was so delicious and the service was so helpful. The space was very clean and well kept. Over so happy with lunch today. It was by far the best bento we've had. read more

We were craving ramen and decided to try Mirin Cafe on our way to complete some errands. It's located on a little bit of a weird lot and looked like it took over a previous fast food business that had a drive through. That said, there was plenty of parking available. I didn't pay attention to see if the drive through part was operating but that would have been cool. The interior is small but clean. Front of house employees were attentive and consistently cleaning, wiping down menus, and tables. We were greeted immediately, chose our seats, and the server came to us within a minute. I ordered the house ramen and my fiancé ordered the volcano ramen. The bowls were decently sized and they were generous with the proteins in each serving. (Mine had pork, my fiancé chose chicken). Granted the point of ramen is for the broth and noodles, but sometimes the proteins are scant and I enjoy a bite of protein with a bite of noodles. Service was quick and the staff was friendly and attentive. My only critique is that the broth ended up being just a tad too salty for my taste. Otherwise, it was a pleasant experience and I'd be happy to come back and try the other dishes! read more

Mirin Cafe - Volcano ramen - Japanese Near Me - Escondido, California

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To begin with, great energy from the team who works here. Kind and gave great suggestions. Second the food comes out fast and fresh, Third and most importantly, everything tasted great! 10/10 This restaurant is a true Escondido Gem read more

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This place used to be our absolute favorite splurge. After tonight we just cannot justify spending that kind of money on poor service and mediocre food. That not even to mention seeing one of the cooks eat with his gloved hands and then continue to prepare food. Had to ask multiple times for napkins, not given any way to mix our wasabi and soy, after having our female server look at my husband with his hand up 5 times and ignore/walk past him he finally walked to the counter and asked for the check. We won't be returning. read more

I'm a regular here, it's relatively inexpensive for the amount of food and tends to be easy to sit. They also have a drive thru! Highly recommend as a Ramen shop in Escondido. read more

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I have tried dozens of upscale asian, asian fusion and sushi restaurants (Nobu, a lot of downtown omakase) and even gyoza specific restaurants in LA and SD but Mirin is easily a hidden gem that I would honestly rate as on-par or above those establishments. I still have not had any sushi rolls better than the seared tuna sushi here. Highest quality and also extremely consistent. I have never had a bad dish from here (though I didn't love the ramen I had one time) and it is affordable, fast, flavorful and fresh. I highly recommend it. In order of my most favorite I recommend the pork sung (pork belly) Brussel sprouts, seared tuna roll, black pepper steak salad, gyoza, karaage chicken, fried rice, yakisoba and yakiudon. Service is always fast, attentive and friendly. Ambiance is simple with tv setup and small but homey open seating. read more

Very friendly staff, excellent food. Great customer service! the young men working there are very kind and polite.

A quick find on Yelp and we were very impressed. A very cute small spot. We started with the garlic noodles a must try. Lemon roll and dragon. Fish was fresh and well presented. read more

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Friendly service and a generous amount of meat in my Shio Ramen. Noodles cooked perfectly and pork really tasty. The broth could use a little more help but overall a great ramen in Escondido of all places. read more

Awesome food and excellent service, polite and a local favorite. The food was prepared well and a very nice place to eat, we will return again when in Escondido read more