Barbara Ann was amazing. We had a great personality. She attended to us with a smile on her face…read more Our drinks were always full. Food was great. Loved the waffles. Big size servings. Clean. Nice atmosphere. Plenty of parking and fast service.

Stopped by in the morning with my parents to haves late breakfast while my car is being serviced…read morenearby. Our server Tony was phenomenal! Great food and great service. We had the eggs florentine, jambalaya and turkey pesto ciabatta sandwich. We'll be coming back!

I came during lunch time and it was packed. The host was so sweet and handed us some menus to look…read moreover while we waited for our entire party to arrive. Once we were ready she had our table already prepared. We have to order inside first before you can be seated. Once seated our food came out not too long after. Everything looked and tasted delicious! We ordered the chilaquiles verde, short rib omelette, tropical pancakes (seasonal), and the mango curd french toast (seasonal). The chilaquiles verde was savory and tangy. It wasn't soggy at all and definitely one of my favorite dishes. The short rib omelette was savory but didn't give me any wow factor compared to the other dishes I ordered. The tropical pancakes were so pretty. I only tried a piece of it without the syrup which I think was a mistake because the kumquat syrup was my friend's favorite. I definitely need to try it again with the syrup. Best for last, mango curd French toast was my favorite! I fell in love with sweetness and tanginess of the mango curd. The French toast was soft and you can taste the butter. I wish it was a main menu item. I'll definitely be sad to see it go. They have lots of seating inside and outside.

Dining While Black…read more Location- Great setup, half indoor & outdoor. I was curious about the level of accessibility and clearer directions on where to stand when the line passes the framing of the restaurant. But Great Downey location! Diversity score 1-5: 1.5 As a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the workplace professional, in order to garner financial success of any business is to be intentional about representation in your business. Money is green and people of all backgrounds have access to it. In an effort to reach a larger marketplace, your staffing is the first step towards reaching financial goals and attracting more business. Diversity is not just about color but it also includes accessibility for the handicapped community, Braille menus, and possibly more signage that displays the type of service a customer can expect. Please contact me for consultation services. Service/Ambiance/Environment: The service is where my issue lies. I did appreciate that as we were waiting in line to enter, we were given menus to assist in deciding what we wanted before we reached the inside. The cashiers were both super nice and even offered a taste of the Rose' slushy which was phenomenal. When ordering at the register, the sweet service was continued and we chose where to sit. It was bright and busy inside and we sat right in front of the expo station. I was truly enjoying the environment and it had me reminiscing of my brunch days in New York City. My guest and I were chatting and enjoying our Mimosa's and then my guests food arrives first. Not that it matters but in service certain things do and the female presenting person SHOULD always receive their food first. That was a surprise to me but I didn't read into as I expected my dish to arrive right behind. It did not. My guest and I continued to chat and sip until 20 mins later, as I'm watching dishes leave the expo station, did I say "where is my food?" The young server at the expo turned and rolled their eyes and then finally gave me my food. This was a buzz kill. I only went down a rabbit hole about it until I noticed I was the only Black person present. First, why would it ever been ok to not have dishes arriving to tables separately without saying "ma'am we're a little behind.." or to my guest "do you mind if we hold your dish a bit so we can make sure the food arrives together?" Being a previous server in high pace restaurants, communication, apologies, and ensuring perfect service is the goal. Poached is not a store front or even a little diner type of place. It's a casual, upbeat, bright breakfast/brunch spot. And yes, on busy days things happen but to not offer a reason, or apology, and giving the customer attitude is unacceptable. Food: The description of the food is well written. The prices are reasonable. I ordered the short rib omelette with whole grain toast and house potatoes. When I Finally received my food it looked great and I was eager to dig in. A first bite of the omelette I was sadly underwhelmed. The seasoning left much to be desired and it seamed to be more of a birria short rib flavor and I thought I chose the dish based on being excited about the combination of meat and cheese (which was barely there). I enjoyed the bread and potatoes more than the omelette. Go again score 1-5: 2 I really think this restaurant and it's operation needs some massaging, the cooks need to be trained, and a REAL chef needs to help improve the quality and taste of the food.

I was craving a sugar-free latte and while I was on my daily walk, I found this café. I ordered a…read more sugar-free vanilla latte, and it was perfect! The coffee was smooth and it had the perfect sweetness. The service was great and I got my coffee really quick. I recommend you go and get a coffee and relax a bit where they have seat seats!

Such a great little spot I found! The service is always so friendly and helpful. The food and…read moresmoothies are so good and a great fair price! Nice little seating area to relax and eat! Will come back again

In order to honor Cinco De Mayo, with festivities that were okay for me, I went to Mandala Cantina…read morefor Latino beats and Loteria--- otherwise known as Mexican Bingo, which kind of takes the red, white and green flavor of the game. But quick understanding the term suffices. As I entered Mandala Cantina, I knew that I had stepped inside a vibe of Latin frenzy and buck--- it was replete with a sophisticated backyard boggie energy. Or in other words, the carne asada barbecue had adopted an elegant, glamorous and modern Talum motif that hit with bright mellow lights, beige beauty all around and a good time fueled by tequila shots and cocktails. I was sat at the bar, but I was warned that my sit would be bellow the regular bar line. So I sat alone, and I could look up at everyone else sat from by de-elevated sit. I was ok, I had arrived late, I was by myself with no reservation and on a whim, so I took my corner seat and did my best to forget that I sat below everyone's eye level. The party vibe was strong and palpable all across the bar. In fact, I have been to very few bars where the move was to sit, yet, the music and crowd almost demanded that we acted like we were on a club, but sitting down. More clearly, I wanted to move and dance but since there was no space, and we were playing Mexican bingo, we were implicitly required to sit and dance. For those who did not, the party still pulsed. There was this huge Cantaro (Mexican clay cup or vase) with six straws. So like a fishbowl drink that is commong in Tiki or Island theme bars, but in a large Mexican mug. This guy was moving it around while he was filmed in a way where he showed the drink for six like Mufasa showed Simba to the residents of Pride rock. So I am basically saying that all the people in the bar and crowd found a way to honor the old school hits of Reggaton and Banda that dominated the airwaves of the spot. I could not help but beat my head back and forth when Oye Mi Canto played and the lasers of the spot moved around wildly. In short, it was an experience that can be described as lit. The experience of game play was also electric. As soon as you entered, you were asked to pick a card from a large stack. You were also required to get some frijolitos-- small beans, that did not jump. I put all my beans into my card and removed them as my cards were called. I came close to winning, and maybe I did, but it was hard to focus amidst the noise and bop, so maybe I did win and did not register that one of my cards had been called so its frijolito remain on top of that square. Regardless, of the lack of victory I expeirenced I was still very happen I went here to celebrate Cinco De Mayo with appropriate festivities. After I soon sat, some tacos were placed in front of me. They were for my neigbor. I was honest and made them aware that they were not for me. After all a Mexico Hero-- Benito Juariez reminds us that respeto a lo ajeno es la paz. Or in other ways, respecting what is not yours equals peace.

If I could give 0 stars, I would. I'm honestly disappointed with how disorganized Mandala was…read moreduring the Mexico game on July 5, 2026. I've tried multiple times to call and speak to a manager about what happened, but after receiving no response, here I am leaving a Yelp review. This wasn't my first time at Mandala, but it will very likely be my last. I made my reservation the same day Mexico won and reservations opened. I reserved a table for 8 people at 3:45 PM, which was the maximum party size available. I arrived around my reservation time, definitely before 4:00 PM, and security directed me to wait in the line designated for guests with reservations. By around 4:30 PM, the reservation line had barely moved, yet I watched other people walk up, give their names, and be let inside. At the same time, I could clearly see two reserved tables for eight sitting completely empty.I finally asked one of the waitresses, "I reserved for 8 people, and I see those two tables are empty. May I ask what the hold up is?" She asked for my name, looked up my reservation, confirmed it was there, and then told me, "It was canceled." I asked, "What was the reason? I've been here." She replied, "You never checked in before 4:00 PM." Which in fact I did, and security even confirmed that I had arrived before 4:00 PM. Despite that, no one was willing to honor my reservation. At that point I told her, "Only three people from my party of eight are here. Can we just get a table for the three of us?" She spoke with another waitress, and they came back saying it would be standing room only. I asked, "Why?" Again, they referred me back to my supposedly canceled reservation. By now I was beyond frustrated. While they spent another five minutes trying to "figure something out," I continued watching people walk up, give their names, and immediately be seated. Meanwhile, the two reserved tables for eight were still sitting empty. Then I was told, "The best we can do is standing room at the bar, or you can stand anywhere in the restaurant with one of the cocktail tables, but there's a $100 minimum per person." That requirement was never advertised or mentioned when I made my reservation. I reminded her, "This isn't my first time here." She simply replied, "Or you can stand at the bar. No minimum." At that point, it was so close to game time that I just wanted to get inside. We were never greeted--menus were simply placed in front of us. And throughout all of this, those two reserved tables for eight remained empty. The biggest lie I heard all afternoon was, "We're at capacity." I must have heard that at least 10 times. If Mandala was truly at capacity, how were people continuously walking in without reservations and being seated? Why were guests with confirmed reservations turned away while empty reserved tables sat untouched? Thankfully, the game was delayed until 6:00 PM, which gave us enough time to leave and take our business elsewhere. This was poor planning, poor communication, misleading reservation practices, and some of the worst customer service I've experienced. I wasted my time, my gas, and what should have been an exciting afternoon watching the Mexico game with family and friends. I expected much better from a place I'd enjoyed before. Instead, I left feeling ignored, frustrated, and completely disappointed. I rest my case.

I went in to get quite a big order and I was told it was going to be a while which of course would…read morebe fine and so I waited and sat down and this nice young man named Christopher brought me my order and I wasn't sure where the utensils or the napkins were so I asked him where they were and he went to go grab it for me and made sure that I was having a great experience, while bussing for us, he made great convo and just was great to talk to, and shows he cares about the impact he makes on people. To say the service was good is an understatement, it was Impeccable. As well as the food, I highly recommend the potato's balls, they were my favorite.

Haley was so sweet and attentive. She was really patient and helpful with our order…read more will be coming back

Upscale bar scene Mexican food Food is fresh and beautifully…read moreplated Relaxing ambiance with the decor and music

Unfortunately, this restaurant did not meet my expectations. I'll start with the positives--the…read morerestaurant itself is absolutely beautiful. The decor and ambiance make it a great place for celebrating a special occasion. I made reservations for my birthday dinner with a party of eight. I brought my own cake, and the staff was kind enough to store it in their refrigerator until we were ready for dessert, which I appreciated. Unfortunately, the service was where the experience fell apart. Since gratuity is automatically added for larger parties, it felt like there was very little sense of urgency or attentiveness throughout the evening. It took quite a while for our drink orders to be taken and served. Our food also came out at different times, with some side dishes arriving well after the entrées had already been served. The only explanation we received came later when a supervisor personally brought out the missing sides and apologized, explaining there had been a delay because they had to prepare a fresh batch of rice. While I appreciated the communication, it would have been helpful if someone had updated us sooner. During the meal, our server was changed, and we hoped the service would improve, but unfortunately, the experience remained the same. The food and drinks were beautifully presented, but the flavors didn't quite live up to how impressive everything looked. My rating is based primarily on the food, but if I were rating the service alone, it would be one star. Considering it was a Sunday and the restaurant wasn't particularly busy, the slow service was especially disappointing. Sadly, this wasn't the birthday dinner experience I was hoping for, and I don't plan on returning.

We had such a wonderful experience visiting Fonda Maria, a family-owned restaurant filled with…read moreauthentic flavors, warm hospitality, and dishes made with love. It was especially nice meeting Ruth, one of the owners, and hearing about the heart and family behind the restaurant. You can truly feel that personal touch--from the welcoming atmosphere to the delicious, comforting food. If you love supporting family-owned local businesses and discovering authentic Mexican food, Fonda Maria is definitely worth checking out! Thank you, Ruth and the Fonda Maria family, for having us!

This spot in Downey is serving up some amazing Mexican food. Fonda Maria has everything you need…read morefrom Breakfast lunch or dinner. I went in not knowing what to expect and I left extremely full and happy, from their full chilaquiles to their full on food plates I was so happy every bite I took. Make sure to try their menudo and pozole as well because their soups are extremely rich in flavor. Thank you so much for having me out @fondamaria! I'll be back!

Ask for Danna , she was very attentive to our group!…read more Will come back to this great service.