Poached Kitchen has easily become one of my favorite breakfast/brunch spots in Irvine. The food is consistently fresh, high quality, and actually tastes healthy without sacrificing flavor. Everything I've tried has been great, but you can really tell they pay attention to ingredients and presentation. The atmosphere is clean, modern, and relaxed, and the staff has always been friendly and welcoming. Service is fast, portions are solid, and it's one of the few places where I leave feeling full without feeling weighed down afterward. Definitely a 5-star spot if you're looking for a reliable brunch place in Orange County. read more

We go at least once weekly. Our favorite place for breakfast. Food is always good - pasture-raised eggs done perfectly. Service is always excellent - at the counter and on the floor. Ambiance is surprisingly quiet even though it's usually full - we go typically at 830am. Last two times we've had to ask for water.. the guys are standing ready but don't seem to notice we sat down and are ready for water and silver and more napkins. If you have your barrista visit tables who got coffee drinks and offer more you would generally get more paid business - they just have to take the portable CC machine. read more

Wow just wow. Our food came in under 5 minutes after ordering , Breakfast was spectacular. Lovely server. Will be returning read more

We got there around 10 AM on Saturday and waited about 30 minutes to get a table. All the staff were friendly. You need to order at the register first, then they will assign you a table. I was happy to see they have a fun seasonal menu, like the mango French toast. I opted for something healthy and ordered the Asian salad with avocado. My group ordered the chilaquiles and the Benedicts. The food was delicious, and I enjoyed my mocha with oat milk. One note: we sat on their patio, and the fence was covered in spider webs. The tables are placed right next to it, so eating beside spider webs was very uncomfortable, to say the least. At one point, a spider even climbed onto my friend's pants. I hope management does better at cleaning their patio. read more

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This has to be my FAV breakfast spot. Steak and eggs is just absolutely tasty. They make great cappuccinos as well. There's usually a line but definitely worth the wait. read more

Poached Kitchen - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Irvine, California

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​The system here is a little unconventional. You have to order before you sit down. Since it was my first visit and I hadn't seen the menu yet, I felt a bit rushed. ​That said, the food definitely beats the competition. We got the Birria Benedict and the breakfast burrito, and both were great. The Birria was a little on the salty side, but that didn't stop me. Also, the latte was fantastic. ​It's worth the stop, just do yourself a favor and look at the menu before they let you in the building! read more

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This place is always packed on weekend mornings--there's almost always a line. We were lucky to grab a corner bar seat after about a 15-minute wait. I ordered the Chicken and Waffles, and both came out perfectly crispy. Not many spots manage to get waffles truly crunchy, so that was a big plus. I chose the cinnamon sugar waffle thinking the flavor would be baked into the waffle itself, but it actually came from the butter, which felt a little odd--basically an extra dollar just for flavored butter. Was happy that they have Lavender Latte. It was delicious. Overall the experience was nice. The space is modern and roomy, and I like the setup where you order at the counter and they bring the food to you--definitely my kind of spot. read more

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I got their short rib omelette and it was pretty good! I'm usually very particular about omelette because many that I have tried they put too much oil and the egg becomes hard and greasy. However, their omelette was very soft and fluffy. The short rib inside was also very tender. I would definitely come back for this dish. The hash browns was ok. A bit plain but they have salt on the side for you to add. The service was fast. Waited about 10 min. Getting a seat took a bit longer, maybe 30 min. The inside was pretty casual. There's seats inside and outside. Parking was easy to find since it's at a big plaza. read more

Poached Kitchen - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Irvine, California

Decent brunch spot in Irvine. I feel brunch spots are less common these days so appreciate it being here. Great food and drink options and they were good quality. Not super memorable and didn't feel worth the price. Was overly crowded the day I went, wasn't a huge fan of their ordering/seating system. read more

Great brunch spot. They are open till 2pm. The smash burger patty was not really "smashed" and the outside crust wasn't very crispy. But the flavor of the burger was great, juicy. The Dubai chocolate waffle was great! Wish there was a bit more pistachio flavor, didn't think it needed the extra syrup. Otherwise solid spot, the servers were a bit rude but overall great place. read more

Poached Kitchen - Smashed burger - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Irvine, California

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Ambiance isn't anything special. Ceiling looks like grandmas attic. Acoustics are horrible. Maybe some sound sheets up top would help everyone from having to overly produce vocal sounds. Little miss hostess is a real charmer . Her attitude is trash. Y'all need to figure out your protocols for seating and have it fully displayed. The junk we went through to get in the door was an absolute joke! Check in here but the line is over there. Oh wait you can't go inside. This isn't some 5star high security building. Food isn't too shabby which is a shocker considering the nonsense they put you through to sit down. No tip if I have to stand up to order my food. read more

Managers have reached out, saying that they could not credit my bad experience. Since the credit card I used four months ago while eating there had expired/no longer active. Spoke to three different people over the last five months. All of the are unable to resolve their own mistakes. Very disappointed read more

Poached Kitchen - Examples of my correspondence right after the event in mention. I also called three times! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Irvine, California

The line may be long regardless of when you come through, but they've got the efficiency of In-N-Out and will get you seated and served promptly. People crowd this place for the fresh ingredients and solid assortment of food. I've only been here twice, but each time, I request the Vietnamese Latte (so damn good!). To be honest, the house coffee didn't hit the spot for me, but the Vietnamese Latte paired with the Classic Waffles will not leave you disappointed. The waffle is topped with vanilla whip and the freshest strawberries & blueberries. I've also ordered/sampled the Steak & Eggs, Chilaquiles, and Birria Benedict. I'm eager to return in the future to try other plates. Just as a heads up, no cash and only credit cards over here! This would be a sweet spot to bring family & friends to because there's such a selection of delicious and filling options for all. read more

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Even though the line was long when we got there, the wait actually wasn't bad at all! The staff has a super-efficient way of handling the crowd, you order and pay first, then get seated once your table is ready. We ended up sitting at the bar, which turned out to be perfect because you can see the kitchen line working non-stop and the servers hustling around getting food out. I ordered the Chilaquiles with a Matcha Latte, and both were really good! My boyfriend went for the Birria Benedict with a Vanilla Latte, and everything came out fresh and flavorful. We also ordered the fresh-squeezed orange juice, and OMG probably the best OJ I've ever had! So bright, sweet, and refreshing. My only minor complaint -- I asked one of the staff behind the bar for a serrano pepper on the side, and she said it would be $4 extra. I've never been charged for a pepper anywhere, so that threw me off a bit. But aside from that, everything else about our experience was positive. Great food, great energy, and an impressively well-run brunch restaurant despite how busy it gets. Would definitely come back again, maybe just skip the extra pepper next time. read more

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Came by this place in a whim. The food here is pretty unique and good. We got the short rib omelette and the huevos ranchero and a fresh squeeze orange juice. The ambiance is kind of like quick service, you order in the front and they bring it to you. The service is pretty decent. My short rib omelette I fee lacked flavor in the egg, it was bland. The rib meat was shredded and soft, almost gave me a birria type texture. The hashbrowns were pretty good. 4.6/5 The huevos ranchero was gas. It was so good and packed with flavor. 5/5. The orange juice, for the price it's worth, I was pissed it was in a small cup. I expected it to be at least a big cup, but I get it. It's fresh squeezed. However it was good, but not worth the price. 3.6/5. Overall had a pretty good experience. read more

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Cute little spot, card only, it is one of those restaurants you order and pay first, then sit afterwards and they bring the food to you. Plenty of parking spaces, the staff were great! My husband and I ordered different plates, and the meal had tons of flavors. We got the Huevos Rancheros and Short ribs omelette. read more

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Love this place! I've been going here since it opened around 2020. The concept of ordering at the counter and not accepting cash for payment streamlines operations. The quality of food is consistent and top notch. Portion sizes are generous; you can definitely share or take home leftovers. The service is friendly and helpful. I will, for sure, continue coming. :-) read more

I guess breakfast starts at 7:30am in Irvine. I was in the area looking for a quick breakfast spot and Poached came highly recommended. There were a lot of people here considering it was that early, but the service is fast. You order at the counter and sit anywhere you please. I got the classic waffles which came with a hefty unhealthy scoop of whipped butter and berries. The waffles were good, but not $22 good. Pros include plenty of parking, good amount of seating, and menu variety. Solid breakfast spot if you're in passing, but not a place I'd crave coming back to. read more

Poached Kitchen - classic waffles - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Irvine, California

Ok we gave it another try after an almost 2 year hiatus. They're back to being good again. I guess they just had an off day the last time I was here. My only complaint now is that the chicken tenders (that come with the waffles) were overcooked and tough. I almost wonder if they were previously cooked and then reheated. The waffles are your big standard variety, not the little specialized ones like they used to be years ago. Nevertheless the potatoes are back to been tasty and buttery. And the pancakes are back to being nice and light. read more

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I am back again! And this time everything was great! I got to try the Brunch Burrito and the Pumpkin Pear Crème French Toast. Not too busy on a weekday, so it's perfect for ordering via their app and picking up. They make the coffee on the spot when you arrive so it's fresh and hot. The vibes cute and I love the inside aesthetic, yellow makes me happy. The Brunch Burrito has a crispy outer layer which is a plus and inside has the following; House Braised Beef Short Rib, Scrambled Eggs, Sautéed Onions, hash browns, Sour Cream, Tomatillo Salsa, Wrapped in a Flour Tortilla I would say it has a subtle flavor and not strong kick which it depends on the persons taste buds The Pumpkin & Pear Creme French Toast contains; French Toast, Pumpkin Glaze, Banana, Honey Poached Pears, Pumpkin Whipped Cream, Candied Pecans, Powdered Sugar, Mint Garnish It was really good and would love to have it again in the next fall season! Definitely has the pumpkin flavor met with sweetness from the fruit and syrup. I really love it! You can find this all on their app under their seasonal tab. read more

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Can't believe it's taken so long for us to come here. I believe it's due to it always being busy and with 3 kids time is always fleeting. Anyhow the real reason we're here. Very pleasantly surprised with the lack of a wait on a Saturday morning. Place was spotless and busy with energy. We ordered at the register and sat down outside on a beautiful sunny day in OC (thinking of all our Midwest and East coast friends freezing...sorry). Our food and bloody mary quickly arrived. Chilequiles - perfectly textured with all the right ingredients. The verde sauce was nice and tart with hint of lime. Great dish for loading up on carbs like we needed to. Chicken and waffle - stole the show. Chicken batter was very crispy while the chicken was nicely seasoned under the batter and juicy. Waffles are usually just to me but these had a really nice crispy outside while the inside was nice and soft. Oddly it was good without the syrup. Crazy. Lastly the bloody mart was everything it needed to be as daughter number 3 was having a bad morning. Come here for a nice breakfast. It's located in a great part of the city. read more

Food was so yummy, and such nice people/service! Most of the tables were booked, so it's probably really popular. All in all, great place. read more

Poached Kitchen - French toast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Irvine, California

This place is where I think of when I'm craving good breakfast/brunch. It's a bit out of the way for me but worth the drive! Like a lot of places, you walk up and order. Their lattes are amazing. Plenty of seating but does get crowded so make sure to time it right. The servers come by and check on you quite often and the noise level is not bad for a busy spot. Overall, I highly recommend Poached kitchen! read more

The food taken to go does not do the food justice! This is and will always be my go to spot for great breakfast. Everytime you come here expect to be waiting awhile for it's always crowded to the point that the line to just get in be long as heck ! Hints the reason I haven't got a chance to dine in at this place but most of the time it's always take out which don't get me wrong it's amazing ! Probably even better if you eat here in person to get the full experience. The ambiance is always lively and full of customers that's either enjoying their meal or very eager to sit down to eat their favorite meal. The service is nice too the workers here are very kind and helpful . Thank you Poached Kitchen for always making amazing meals . I hope to one day dine in but for now lol take outs will have to do . read more

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Came early Sunday morning around 8am and there wasnt as long of a line yet until 9-10am. You order at the counter and they will give you number and deliver food to your table. Service is efficient and I enjoyed my short ribs benedict and the hasbrowns were spectacular. Great brunch spot. Matcha latte sweetness was just right also. read more

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Came in mid afternoon on a weekday and it was pretty empty. We usually only have time to come on weekends for brunch when there is a line so it was nice to walk in, order, and get seated quickly. We tried the seasonal dubai chocolate waffle that they said was popular. We thought it would be too sweet but it was actuay not overly sweet and the waffle was nice and light, the strawberries gave it a refreshing balance with the dubai flavoring. We also got a standard breakfast burrito which was pretty solid with the potatoes inside along with the eggs and meat. Love coming here for a standard breakfast and will continue to come back. read more

Poached Kitchen - Breakfast burrito - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Irvine, California

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Everything was bad and this piece of chicken was $8 tiny as thing terrible service waitress and hostess just stare at everyone down read more

Poached Kitchen - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Irvine, California

Came here during the summer. I was choosing to be healthy with my salad but luckily my neighbor ordered the chocolate chip banana pancakes and allowed me to steal a photo which prompted HIM to take his photo lol. I'll be back so I can order this. We bought the lattes which were unsweetened and absolutely delicious. I felt like the salad had the perfect blend of tart and savory. But you can never go wrong with goat cheese. I snagged a piece of the chili verde omelette without the sauce and was quite impressed. That would be a shared dish. Would visit just for the seasonal menu! read more

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I came to this Poached Kitchen location around 8:30am on a Saturday. There was no line and plenty of tables inside and outside. How it works is you order at the front, get a number, pick a table to sit, and they serve the food to your table. I tried 2 things. The Salmon Benedict is a must - the smoked salmon paired nicely with the runny egg, dill, and muffin. The Huevos Rancheros had good flavor and texture. Both came with a side of choice, and I choose the hash browns. Portions are generous. Prices aren't cheap, but it's reasonable given the quality and size. The staff is very friendly there, kept the place clean and cleared out empty plates. They have large bottles of water per table which can be refilled. Overall, the service and food is great. I'd love to come back for the salmon Benedict. read more

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I had the veggie omelette with house potatoes, sourdough toast, butter and jam. The portion size was quite large and all ingredients were fresh. The odd part about my meal was that my "toast" was not toasted. It was just soft bread. The kitchen followed my special instructions of no cheese which is always appreciated. Im really interested in trying their other items like the birria eggs benedict! I'll give poached another chance soon! read more

I really didn't like the eggs benedict. It was quite sour because of the mustard but also salty. The matcha was weak too and a bit clumpy. Servers are nice. read more

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We saw great reviews for Poached Kitchen on Yelp, so we decided to stop in for breakfast as a family. My wife ordered the green chilaquiles, I had the brunch burrito, and our daughter got the kids burger with fries. Starting with the positives--the atmosphere was great and the customer service was excellent. Very friendly staff and a nice, relaxed vibe. My daughter's burger was decent, and the fries were definitely tasty. However, the food itself was a bit of a letdown overall. My wife felt the chilaquiles were just okay--not bad, but nothing memorable. My biggest disappointment was the brunch burrito, which was extremely soggy. I'll be including a photo with this review, but I was honestly bummed to spend $20 on something that felt waterlogged and fell apart almost immediately. For a total of about $52, we were hoping for a better overall food experience, especially given the hype and reviews. Unfortunately, while the service and atmosphere were strong, the food didn't quite live up to expectations. read more

Poached Kitchen - Brunch burrito - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Irvine, California

I like their system where you go up and order and then you're seated. My friends and I all accidentally got the same thing because it seemed like the best option and what we were all craving, the chilaquiles! I do wish that they had a plate that had a mixture of savory and sweet, like with a little French toast/ pancake on the side, but the worker said they didn't have that. I also didn't like the fact that we were sat right next to the dumpster area so all the workers would be slamming the plates in the dishes section behind us, it wasn't very pleasant haha. The food was pretty good! My friend's said they had too much sauce on theirs but mine was perfectly sauced. We asked for extra queso yum. I wish I could add carnitas to it though read more

Poached Kitchen - Chilaquiles verdes - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Irvine, California

If you're into breakfast that isn't boring, Poached is worth a visit. They get busy, so don't be surprised to find lines. but they put out food at a surprisingly fast pace, which keeps the waits shorter than you might expect. The menu is varied enough but not at all overwhelming. My wife had the chilaquiles, a staple one of us always orders if on a menu, and found it to be tasty enough, but not really a stand-out in the chilaquiles world. I had the smoked salmon benedict, and found it flavorful, with poached eggs that did not run. I really hate that. My other small complaint would be the hash browns. They had a thin, crispy crust, and a mashed potato textured interior. I prefer my browns with a little texture, and didn't care for this style. Servers are friendly and really hustle. Whatever you order will still have you drooling at the neighboring plates, or those passing by on the way to their tables. Everything looks so good. I look forward to trying something else there. I will complain next time if they overcook my eggs again. Oh, and coffee is good. read more

This place is inviting, but fell short in certain areas. The young lady who took our order was unfriendly & did not offer any suggestions. We couldn't hear her at all. We had to ask multiple times where to sit. She was not clear. We ordered 2 lattes, Carne Machaca scramble & Red Chilaquiles. Our food arrived promptly, and food presentation was nice. However, we had to ask for our lattes which arrived 10 min later & lukewarm. The server not so friendly when we inquired about our lattes. What is the tip for? My husband's machaca had no flavor whatsoever. He had to ask for salsa, but was given a bottle of cholula sauce. He had to apply a great deal of salt & pepper for added flavor but to no avail. My Red Chilaquiles also needed salt & had no flavor? What gives? Your cooks need to taste the food. I'm from Mexico City, and just want to offer a few tips. Use a little more salt & pepper, jalapeños, use chicken bouillon to flavor food including beans. Beans needed some sautéed onions, jalapeños and chicken consommé, maybe sprinkle some Cajun seasoning (Tony Chachere's) to the hash browns to enhance. This was a disappointing brunch and certainly not worth $64 We truly wanted to like this place. read more

I finally stopped by poached kitchen early enough to beat the lines. There's a decent amount of indoor and outdoor seating. I ordered the cold brew coffee and the verde chilaquiles. The coffee was refreshing and surprisingly bold. A great way to start the morning. The chilaquiles, on the other hand, were just okay. The flavor leaned more tangy and lemony than I expected and it didn't pack any real heat. The beans served on the side were decent, but nothing memorable. Service was friendly and attentive, and the space has a welcoming vibe. I'd come back and give it another try with a different dish. read more

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always a good brunch spot! usually a line to get in but not that long! food is good, service is ok too. have been here many times and always recommend! read more

Poached Kitchen - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Irvine, California

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At poached you get in line to order first & pay then get seated which is cool. Nothing about poached really stuck out to me food wise. My hash browns were mushy and the eggs Benedict were okay. It's a nice spot to get breakfast when you're feeling basic and classic. I wouldn't come back here unless someone else wanted to come here though. read more

Poached Kitchen - Eggs Benedict with hashbrown - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Irvine, California

Great parking. No line when we went. Expecting an elevated breakfast hang out. Kind of disappointed. I can't really review the service because we didn't really get much. The front person took our order without a smile or welcoming feeling. Lots of reserved tables so we were allowed to take a table inside near the front. The restaurant itself is bright and open. Our food came out & just set down in front of the person who said, "oh that one is mine". At first glance, the food looked nice but it was cold or room temperature. Like the butter didn't melt on the waffles and stayed solid. We were so hungry that we just started eating. The food was so so but I could tell the flavor of the bacon and chicken fingers were pretty good. We should've taken them to go to reheat in the oven. My husband ordered over hard eggs and they were over medium - with a runny yolk but solid white. I ordered over medium and they were cooked enough so I could eat the edges. Someone did come out to ask how the food was but didn't stay long enough to hear our responses before they walked to other tables. We were not loud or rude, we left a tip when paying for our order. I don't know know what else we could've done. For spending over $120 for a breakfast with no service and cold food, we were kind of disappointed. Maybe we hit an off day, but it is a lot to give it another try. read more

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It's always a long wait which tells you that this place is pretty good, especially being in Irvine. Staff is friendly, quick and helpful! We got the breakfast burrito and pancake. The both were moist and delicious! It's an upscale quick brunch place. You can either sit for hours (which I'm sure the people in line won't appreciate) or be done in 30 minutes. read more

Poached Kitchen - Burrito - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Irvine, California

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