If you are looking for a hidden gem in Costa Mesa, this spot is an absolute must-visit. From the…read moremoment you step inside, you are greeted by an adorable interior and decor that cleverly and beautifully matches the restaurant's theme. ​ ​Every single item we ordered from the menu was exceptional: ​Beet Salad & Bone Marrow: Both made for fantastic starters, setting a high bar for the meal. ​Beef Tartare: Served with house-made potato chips that are a masterclass in texture--thin, fried, airy, and crispy all at the same time. ​Steak and Fries: Classic execution and wonderfully prepared. ​Duck Confit: Superb. The pairing of the rich mole sauce and sweet potato puree takes the dish to an entirely different level, complementing each other effortlessly. ​Baklava Cheesecake: A creative and delicious twist on a classic. The cream cheese filling is light rather than dense, and instead of a traditional graham cracker crust, it features a fantastic baklava crust. It is nicely balanced and not overly sweet, though you will definitely want to pair it with a cup of coffee to finish it off. ​ ​Service: The staff is exceptionally friendly, highly attentive, and organized, making you feel well cared for throughout the meal. ​Portions: Portions are slightly on the smaller side. My husband and I ordered three appetizers and two main entrees to share, and we were still quite hungry by the end--so you may want to order an extra dish or side if you have a hearty appetite! ​Overall, a wonderful dining experience with incredible flavors and charming ambiance. Highly recommended!

My wife, daughter, and I discovered Lemon & Thyme completely by chance - and what an incredible…read morefind. It took a minute to locate the restaurant and figure out parking, but once we arrived at the door, the experience was first-class from beginning to end. The hostess was charming and welcoming, the staff kept our waters filled and the table spotless, and our server, Juan, was outstanding. His knowledge of the menu, detailed descriptions, and personal recommendations made ordering easy and built our anticipation for every dish. We started by sharing the beet salad and Chicken Tinga Empanadas with the Gringo Killer Sauce. The beet salad was fresh and beautifully balanced, while the empanadas were packed with rich, savory flavor. The Gringo Killer Sauce added a bold kick that made them especially memorable. My wife ordered the wedge salad, my daughter chose the Grilled Octopus Al Pastor, and I had the 8 oz Picanha special. Every dish was exceptional. The octopus was a creative and flavorful take on al pastor, and the Picanha special was perfectly cooked, tender and was an absolute standout. Everything was so impressive that I sent my compliments to the chef and was fortunate enough to meet Chef Jackie personally. Then came dessert. Juan described a peach cobbler special that immediately had my mouth watering, while my daughter ordered the Espresso Crème Brûlée. Juan returned to our table with three plates and spoons and informed me that Chef Jackie has recommended her specialty. I did not argue, Chef knows best. She surprised me by sending out something different: a slice of Baklava Cheesecake accompanied by a scoop of house-made peach cobbler ice cream. Now, I have eaten some outstanding cheesecakes all around the world, but this Baklava Cheesecake was on an entirely different level. It was rich, layered, perfectly textured and flaky, and so unbelievably delicious that I nearly licked the plate clean. The house-made peach cobbler ice cream was equally impressive--light and creamy, yet captured the full peach cobbler flavor. The Espresso Crème Brûlée was also beautifully executed, with a crisp caramelized sugar shell and a deep, smooth coffee-flavored custard. My daughter ate half of hers before turning her attention to the cheesecake, and she does not even like cheesecake. That alone should tell you how special it was. I live three hours away, but I will absolutely be making the drive back. Lemon & Thyme delivers exceptional food, thoughtful hospitality, creative dishes, and the kind of personal service that turns a meal into a lasting memory. This is my new favorite restaurant!!! Do yourself a favor and make the trip to Lemon & Thyme. Ask for Juan, trust Chef Jackie, and do not leave without desert. Chef Jackie, Juan and the rest of the staff, thank you for the amazing experience!!!

This is my go-to bingsu spot. All of the bingsu offerings here are amazing and their waffles are…read moresuper underrated. Orders can be submitted via self-serve kiosk or upfront with the staff. There is a decent amount of seating for your group and the whole place is kept very clean. Love this place very much

Strawberry matcha small bingso: It was overpowered by the…read morestrawberry syrup and would have tasted better with a condensed milk instead. Matcha ice tasted basic according to my sister. The consistency of the matcha ice was not light and fluffy, there were chunks of hard ice. She rated it 2/5 Mango bingso: simple, refreshing , not too sweet. It was topped off with toasted coconut flakes. Next time If I do come back, I would ask for easy syrup! I was also not a fan of the mango syrup! My rating is 4/5 for the mango. The shop is clean and trendy. There were other families with little kids They have other options on their menu like drinks and waffles! Service was quick !

Paderia is dangerous....could really kill your gains if you have a sweet tooth. It's impossible to…read morewalk out of here without spending a solid chunk of change because everything looks and smells so good. Their cookies are absolutely massive and they are incredibly thick, dense, and heavy. The outside has a nice crispness, but the center is pure gooey perfection. They are so rich and packed with chocolate that you honestly need to break them into quarters to share, or just save the rest for later. We got the chocolate chip cookie and s'mores. Their best seller is definitely the chocolate chip. To wash it down, their Vietnamese Coffee is a must. It is strong, bold, and has that perfect sweet, condensed milk punch that hits just right. It pairs perfectly with how rich the cookies are. The spot is just a quick grab-and-go setup, and the line moves fast. Just make sure to get there on the earlier side because their popular stuff definitely sells out later in the day.

Back in March, my family took a week long trip to Disneyland and California Adventure, to celebrate…read morea couple of birthdays. We walked past a pop-up cart for Paderia. I purchased two incredible cookies based on the suggestion of the lady running the cart. I selected the Sea Salt Chocolate Chip cookie and the Cookies and Cream cookie (not pictured). They were a similar size of a muffin and they were so good! The cart was only there during the Food and Wine Festival so I'm glad I was able to try them out. If I'm ever in California anytime soon, I'll try to stop by and grab more cookies.

My friend has been raving about coffee at The Buttery so I had to check it out for myself. There is…read moreplenty of parking in the plaza they are in. The business has a few tables outside and a good amount of seating inside as well. I ordered a Ube Cream Coffee - Saigon Style ($5.50). Yummmm!! I love how strong but creamy and delicious this coffee is. I'm hooked! I am Vietnamese and I approve of this cup of coffee. While I was there I saw their glorious casing of pastries and I couldn't resist. I ordered and enjoyed: 2 Garlic Bread ($5.35/each), Chocolate Croissant ($6.60), Almond Croissant ($6.85), Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread ($4.75) and 2 Macarons ($3.20). Their pastries are fantastic. My boyfriend doesn't enjoy sweets as much as I do so that garlic bread was good for it. The croissants were really flakey and flavorful. I enjoyed the bread. For the macarons I was given a third one as a thanks for all the items I orders and I liked all 3. Yum! Wish I could come back to support the business, especially with their incredible coffee, but I was told that they will be closing on 7/31/26. I'm so sad I didn't discover them sooner. I wish them all the best and hope they re-open in the future.

I have been meaning to try this place for a while and finally got the chance. There were a few…read moretables available for indoor seating and since they weren't very busy when we arrived, we were able to order right away. I tried their Banana Matcha Latte and it was delicious. They also have $4 specials on different items throughout the week. The staff was nice, making the experience better. I would definitely be back.

I called in to place a to go order ahead of time. I was told they typically sell out of items later…read morein the day. The woman who helped me out on the call was extremely patient and genuinely helpful. She was so friendly and offered accommodations to what I needed as best as she could. I ordered cinnamon roll in advance for pickup and she asked what the occasion was and even offered a little birthday topper. The bakery shop is a bit small but they have quite a few options. They have muffins and cookies for dogs (which my dog ate within seconds), muffins, cinnamon rolls and more. The prices are very reasonable as well. Not too expensive at all. On Saturday's they have a speciality cinnamon roll. And it changes every week. I'll definitely have to come back to try that! Tip: The cinnamon rolls are made with fresh cream cheese so it'll need to refrigerated immediately.

Small store behind the Well Fargo bank Before was Verizon's…read morewireless store now is Monster Muffin , simple decoration. We stop by to grab a coffee & some of the muffins for early breakfast. A nice welcome at the 1st step coming this store( forgot to asked her name), really nicely served can tell she make a nice day to her customers. Who's the muffins fan should be try here for their daily fresh bake with sweet enough not over

MUST TRY I SIDE NORTHGATE COSTA MESA!…read more I had the iced Mexican chocolate and a churro. The churro was made to order and was delicious. At a price of $3 per churro it did not seem like a bad deal. You can also get an iced chocolate and churros with dip as a combo! The service was quick and efficient even though it was made to order! This is a new concept at the NORTHGATE in Costa Mesa where they have a lot of different restaurants inside the market. This one stood out and did not disappoint. Lost of seating space throughout the market and an easily accessible restroom as well. Lots of parking too. 10/10!!

The service here is a 3 stars for me but the churros are good. The guy working the counter was kind…read moreof rude. No hello or anything. Just awkward silence. I got the combo, which consists of 4 churros, a hot chocolate and dipping sauce. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to choose the type of hot chocolate but he didn't ask. He also didn't ask what type of dipping sauce I wanted. There weren't any customers either, so it's not like they were busy. The churros were made fresh and tasted great except there were some pieces that tasted gummy/still raw. It's crispy and the sugar isn't too sweet. The hot chocolate was pretty good but very sweet. It is also scorching hot. I burnt my mouth twice trying to drink it. The sauce - I wasn't handed or asked what type of sauce I wanted. I had to ask for the sauce, which I was redirected to the ordering counter where there was a stack. Would have been nice if they had just given it to me or asked what I wanted. There's no labels or signs at all and I blindly chose what I assumed to be the cajeta- caramel but it didn't taste like caramel. At first I thought it was expired due to the sour taste, but after tasting it again a few times, it tasted like apple sauce? I'm not sure what it was but it was interesting with the churros.

Came over the weekend all the girls were running around sweating alot it's such a hot environment…read morethey deserve a raise working in these conditions. Two very nice girls named Mia and Marcella helped me out since it was my first time. Nice cookies yummy flavors!

Once in a blue moon, when I get a sweet tooth and I'm down in the Newport Beach/Balboa area, I love…read morestopping by Milk & Cookies for a treat. My go-to flavors are the white chocolate macadamia, oatmeal raisin, toffee crunch & lemon blueberry cookies. A single cookie is $2.75, which IMO, is a pretty fair price these days ~ especially since they're a generous size. Since everything is baked fresh daily, the cookies are always soft, fresh and absolutely delicious. It's cool that they offer handmade ice cream and different flavored farm fresh milks, as well. The only downside is the parking situation ~ it can be a bit of a challenge. IYKYK :/ That's pretty much the only reason I don't visit more often. I usually stop by only when I'm already in the area grabbing a meal or hanging out nearby. On every visit, the staff has been friendly, and the shop is always clean and welcoming. All in all, if you're looking for a tasty dessert while you're in the area, Milk & Cookies is worth checking out! RxFoodie recommends!!!

Food was good, if a bit on the pricy side. The major downside for us was the missing $13 steak pie…read morein our order, which we didn't realize until we had already driven back home.

My son in law treated us to a butter chicken pie and a steak and ale pie…read more First of all, the crust is the best I have ever eaten with a savory pie The steak and ale pie was *very* good and the butter chicken was absolutely delightful Did I arrange to have responsibilities in the neighborhood tomorrow so I can stock my freezer? Yes. Yes, I did. I'm driving in from Pasadena