My family and I were drawn to Poached Kitchen due to the reviews and it didn't disappoint. The long line we encountered moved quickly and seamlessly. We ordered the grilled chicken (3 out of 5) - nothing special, chicken was a bit overcooked and smaller in size than another places, Classic Burger (4 out of 5), Chicken & Waffles (4 out of 5), Tiramisu Waffles (5 out of 5) because it was super light and airy and not overpowering and Smoked Salmon Toast (5 out of 5) - probably my favorite. Never had salmon toast with Tzatziki and I loved it. The service was excellent. Drip and specialty coffees were on point. I conclude with 5 ! Can't wait to go back when in the area again! read more

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this was a 10/10, literally best omelette and hash browns i've ever had and they served it to us in like less than 10 mins read more

Poached Kitchen - Short Rib Omelette - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Irvine, California

Found this place through Yelp and I loved it! There was a wait Sat. morning but the line moved by quickly. The staff were great & I appreciate that they were not understaffed. I got the baked apple cakes and chilaquiles rojos. Both were so good. Baked apple cakes: These were exquisite! It comes with 3 and they were beautifully presented. It was also not too sweet which I really liked. They were perfect. Chilaquiles rojos: The staff recommended this dish and these were flavorful, just right, not spicy very mild, but delicious! There's plenty of parking in front. When you get inside it's the type of restaurant where you pay first to receive a number and you find a seat so there isn't one wait staff on your table. read more

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Found a super sharp stick in the food that shouldn't be there. I understand it might be a piece of spice they use or whatever but what if I was a little kid? This could really harm anyone. Manager offered no solution whatsoever just explained to me what this was. I don't care what that was, it should have not been there. Period. read more

Poached Kitchen - Stick in a food - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Irvine, California

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Went on a Sunday late morning and the line was super long, but the line actually moved really fast. The service was also very efficient, and the food came out really quickly. All dishes were super good. Both pancakes and waffles were super fluffy, flavorful, and fresh. We also got two different coffees and both were delicious as well. Will definitely go back! read more

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

Poached Kitchen was a good experience I must say. There is plenty of parking outside but make sure to get there early since it does get busy, but the line moves fairly quickly. The food was great, I ordered Eggs Benedict which were really tasty, but one thing I'll say is the price to food ratio can be a bit questionable. The service was fast and the overall vibe in the area was great. I'd like to add that the restrooms were clean and in case of a sunny day, there is plenty of shade. read more

Food was good and it came out fast even though the place was busy. The French toast wasn't our favorite, but the waffles were a hit. Convenient 10 mins walk from our hotel. read more

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

Me and the boyfriend found this place on Yelp a while back, but every time we tried to go on a weekend morning the line was out the door. Figured it was amazing! But When we're hungry, we're HUNGRY so never able to wait. Figured we'd try one day during the week when we were able to. Well, finally had the chance! And boy were we underwhelmed. I usually order huevos rancheros anywhere I'm able to, it's like my go-to order for any new breakfast spot. Saw it on the menu, but it comes standard with chorizo and I'm not a fan of that, so I asked if I could substitute. I was told it would be a $7 charge for the short rib, so I opted for the Korean short rib benedict instead. Let me tell you, this meal was $16. That's expensive for breakfast. Flavors were good, don't get me wrong. But the most important part of the dish (the egg) was overcooked. Hash browns were okay, no wow factor. Service was pretty basic as well. Needless to say, I'm in no rush to return. read more

Poached Kitchen - Korean short rib benedict - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Irvine, California

So my friend and I were heading to Irvine to pick up some furniture for her new place and I had just gotten out of the gym. So... of course, I was getting hungry! All I had was my kid's leftover cereal bits in a bowl in the car. Anyway, we (she) yelped some places and we talked about breakfast bagels or something but found this place! Came in and we were greeted with smiles and friendly cashiers who helped us decide on food. The Benedict's sounded good. She recommended the Ribs Benedict and the pics looked good but I already had that Sunday with my bf for brunch. We got the Chile Verde Benedict and she got the yogurt granola bowl with coffee. I got the iced latte. So yummy! The potato hash was perfect! Crispy on the outside and not too soft in the inside. Mixed Tabasco with the ketchup and it was so hard to not eat the whole thing... (ya know... trying to portion control here! Lol!) The Chile verde Benedict though.... Omg!!! Sauce, egg, pork! Everything was perfect about it! I ate one but I have to save the other one for my bf. Too good! I added the green Chile Habanero to my Benedict. The food pics look so good! Will definitely come back with the kids when we're around the area! Thanks guys! read more

Poached Kitchen - Chile verde Benedict and Granola yogurt breakfast with coffee and iced latte! Mmmm! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Irvine, California

I love chilaquiles. I've tried them in quite a few places. These were really good! I loved that the chips still had a bit of crunch to them and the sauce a bit spicy, but not too spicy. The egg was perfectly cooked with an oozy yolk. Definitely going back to try and green sauce one next time! read more

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

Tl;dr: Okay pick if you're already in the neighborhood, but not worth a drive out from Disneyland. We were looking for a great breakfast spot and the reviews for this place got us to drive out from the Disneyland area for brunch on a weekday. You order and pay at the cashier and find a table if you can. The only open tables were reserved when we arrived inside (kinda weird as there were signs saying not to reserve tables and order first,) so on a pretty warm day we had to sit outside. Not intolerable, just not the nicest when it's already warm out and you just ordered all hot food and drinks. I probably would have asked for my coffee iced instead and gone for a salad. There's only two items on the kids menu and no substitions, so we ended up ordering an adult plate and side for my child. French toast comes with microgreens on it. Interesting, but nothing special. My spouse put it this way, "I like plain Jane, but this is too plain even for me." The scrambled eggs aren't seasoned but there's no seasonings at your table. Three separate people to bring things to your table, but... no condiments? Was I supposed to get them myself? I can, no problem, but it's just a confusing model. My benedict eggs did not run at all, which is sort of the point of a benedict, no? The hash browns are soft like mashed potato inside and perfectly crunchy outside. I liked them, my spouse did not. Just a preference thing. Gave our order to a less than enthusiastic cashier, but received our water, drinks, and plates from polite and quick other staff. I noticed no one tipped at their tables, which is also confusing. We tip, so we tipped at the beginning, but I'm sure not everyone does, which, for a place where you leave your dishes at the table, should be expected. Before we left to come down here I asked my spouse if we should just go to Coco's or Roscoe's since it was closer. After my meal I wish I'd picked Roscoe's. Oh well, live and learn. read more

I ordered a cappuccino and veggie omlet Both were really good! Fast service! Everything arrived in the correct order. Ambiance is perfect for a weekend brunch! The place was packed on a Saturday morning amd we stood in line for about 35 minutes but worth it! read more

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

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I love coming here. The food is fabulous! The potatoes are always so hot and just made to perfection every time! All the other dishes are pretty great too! It's really hard to find get a dish you dislike here. I definitely recommend this as the breakfast place to go! read more

Poached Kitchen - Tomahawk pork chop - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Irvine, California

My second time here & still delicious! My friend and I came here on a Sunday for brunch & waited for abt ~30 minutes? But it was nice because as soon as you come into order, they have tables ready for you. We ordered the seasonal blackberry & pumpkin french toast & it was okay, the flavors were interesting 6/10! The short rib benedict was amazing though, 10/10! read more

Poached Kitchen - Blackberry & Pumpkin French Toast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Irvine, California

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This place is one of the best breakfast restaurants in Irvine!! The staff was friendly and the food arrived in a matter of minutes. But the food. Is. Amazing. I recommend the eggs Benedict and salmon toast. The orange juice was also 100% fresh and was a great combination with the food! Will definitely be coming back soon! read more

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

Ambiance was lovely and clean. It's a pay first, then sit down and be served model but the people and very accommodating with coffee to go, utensils etc. my French toast came with a welcome glaze over the top and. Fresh fruit and fresh MINT!!! My mom and I shared an omelette with pulled pork and Serrano Chile's that was delicious and very well cooked. There wasn't a line when we showed up at 8 but a few min later it was out the door. Going back with my friends from Marin this Sunday. read more

Poached Kitchen - French toast (half eaten) - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Irvine, California

Poached is one of our favorite breakfast places in Irvine! I highly recommend their: - classic breakfast plate with bacon - classic waffles with home made cream and berries - eggs Benedict - huevos rancheros - cobb salad Price:$ Service: fast and friendly It gets very busy here during peak hours, so if you don't want to wait, avoid popular breakfast and lunch times! read more

Great food, ambience, and service. I've tried almost everything on the menu, I highly recommend the chorizo and egg burrito.

Such a fun place. Lots of great breakfast/brunch options. Can't wait for one to pop up in my neighborhood. Really enjoyed the Benedicts. Service was top notch. read more

Very skillful service. Flexible about add ons - sausage & eggs for us. Easy parking. Nice location - close to airport and Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve. Plenty of space for outdoor breakfast under heat lamp. Tasty coffee and OJ. Plenty of fresh fruit. Outdoor music, plus birds chirping in trees. Excellent indoor wall murals. Poached is a treat. Baked Apple Cakes; Classic Breakfast read more

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Today we went there for brunch. I ordered churu waffle. It came cold. I ask the manager if they can give me the hot one. Second one came even colder than first one. I recommended if you want to go there don't go on Saturday or Sunday. It seems like they cannot handle crowd. read more

Not bad though it's overrated, to me. Maybe I didn't order the right things, but the eggs, toast and avocados ordered last week tasted more homemade than restaurant quality. Not too eager to go back here again although I'll give it another try. read more

My friend and I ordered brunch to-go, and we were helped by cheery staff. Food came out surprisingly quick, but luckily it didn't mean they cut corners here. *Breakfast Burrito: carby goodness, very filling, great with the red sauce that came with it. Not a large burrito, but I was full after eating half of it. *Verde Chilaquiles: nothing wrong with this being vegetarian and gluten-free, but getting some tender chunks of pork in it (at an additional $4) elevated this dish. The black beans on the side were soupy and had what looked like a bit of pico de gallo in it, but they were tasty with both the chilaquiles and the burrito. I would come back to try their benedicts, hopefully sometime soon! read more

Poached Kitchen - My friend got the Huevos Rancheros - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Irvine, California

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It was our last full day in California and we decided on brunch one last time. So sad. We decided to give this place a try after reading the reviews. Upon entering, we see that this place is a fast casual concept. You walk up to the cashier and order and it'll be brought to your table. They only accept credit cards and no cash is accepted. The restaurant is pretty big, with the color scheme reflecting the place's egg theme and being primarily yellow and white. The ordering counter is white and because it also doubles as counter seating, it has tall yellow chairs for use. In fact, most of the chairs in the restaurant are bright yellow to maintain the egg theme. On the counter, there are two mug racks, 3-4 jars, and a set of clear glassware. The walls are mainly white, but one of them was painted pale pea green, dark blue, strawberry pink, Columbia blue, and a nice shade of sunny yellow. There are also slanted wooden rafters that sit on the ceiling as well. I ordered pumpkin waffle, which is roasted pumpkin waffle with orange segments, pumpkin spice whip, honey roasted pecans, cinnamon sugar and powdered sugar. I thought that this wasn't bad. I'm usually not a fan of pumpkin. I was expecting it to be soggy but it was surprisingly crispy. The pecans were a nice touch. Daughter ordered huevos rancheros, which has 2 sunny side up eggs, chorizo, hash browns, salsa fresca, black beans, crema, corn tostada, queso fresco and cilantro. She really liked it a lot and said that it was delicious. The eggs were sunny side up and it looked fresh. She loved the taco shells and beans that came with it. Lastly, hubs ordered chilaquiles verde, which is crispy tortilla chips, salsa verde, 2 sunny side up eggs, crema, cilantro, avocado, queso fresco, cotija cheese and black beans. Hubs said that it's one of his favorite meals and it didn't disappoint him. Daughter also ordered a vanilla cold foam cold brew and said that it was surprisingly delicious and it wasn't as sweet as the cashier described it. It was nice and foamy. The only thing that could be counted as sweet was the cinnamon that was sprinkled on top. Service was friendly and quick. This place is located in a strip mall, so there was plenty of parking available. Will definitely return when in the area to try other items on the menu! read more

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Meh. I've honestly had so much better. Poached is now equivalent to Denny's or Norms at best. My food came out cold and too salty. I've been going here now for two years, and today may be my last day. The food quality has went down. At first, it used to be my favorite breakfast spot. The price has went up over 20%. Steak and eggs were $24 a month ago, now they are $30. Everything else on the menu went up two or more dollars within one month. It would have been better to gradually increase your price instead of $6 within a month for steak and eggs though. Service was barely there. All they did was put my food down yet I paid $15 in tip. I had to ask for straws and napkins (which should be essentials). In the past few years, I used to have more space to talk. Now I am seated maybe a foot away from the next table. I can hear their conversation fully, and they can do the same for mine. Lastly, especially on Sunday mornings, the place is too loud! I have to practically yell to hear across. read more

Poached Kitchen - Korean Rib Benedict was meh. For $17... really... - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Irvine, California

We arrived at the restaurant around 9:45am on Sunday and the line to dine in was pretty long. Unfortunately since we were on a time crunch, we couldn't wait to dine in so I ordered 2 breakfast burritos with egg whites & avocado to go from their website. Online ordering was so simple! Food was ready within 20 mins so we went to get gas before coming back. Pick up was quick & easy - the gentleman who helped me was really friendly. We got the breakfast burritos since we figured they would be easier to eat while trying to get to our next destination. The breakfast burritos were soooo yummy and flavorful. I can't wait to go back and actually dine in so I can try all their other food. We'll definitely be back! read more

Poached Kitchen - Breakfast Burrito w/ Egg Whites & Avocado - super yummy! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Irvine, California

What can I say, I love brunch food, and this place is no exception. Poached Kitchen knows how to do it - not only is the food bomb, but the service is so fast during their rush hours. When I came, the service is a "pay at the counter" type of restaurant, but they're so organized and efficient that it didn't feel like it at all. I waited probably around 5 minutes at 10am on a Saturday with at least ten parties ahead of me when I first stood in line. They have numbers on tables ready for you, get you your waters ready, etc. and the food. The food!!! I tried their Chile Verde Omelette (seasonal item) and holy ... that meat just meeeeeelts in your mouth And their hash browns are so so buttery and soft . They're at the top of their game, and I will be back to try more items read more

Breakfast was delicious and service good too and nice atmosphere.we enjoyed there in a beautiful Friday morning read more

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Wow! When you first walk in, you place your order. They give you a number and you pick an open table. Service was superb! Super attentive, friendly and fast. As soon as I settled in, food was being delivered to the table. I am always traveling with hungry impatient hippos so this worked out really well. I can't wait to try other items on the menu. Pancakes, French Toast was delicious. Short Rib Benedict, was interesting but I wouldn't order again. I can see why people love it but it wasn't for me, I don't like salty, sweet and spicy all in one dish. I can't wait to come back for churro waffles & omelette. The atmosphere was loud but it makes for a great place for little kids. read more

The best service, food and drinks ever. The waiters are always so kind and the service is extremely fast. Food is a nice fusion of Mexican and American food and the coffee and matcha is always 10/10! read more

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

The future of food service is here and it's trash. You will be moved like cattle to an unfriendly person that is essentially an iPad. No welcome, good morning, nada. Wasn't even paying attention when I was placing my order. They will be an iPad soon, I'm sure. You pay up front and are asked to tip on "service" you haven't received. There is actually ZERO service at this place. They have runners only, also completely unfriendly, that provide your dishes. Then they ask to clear them when you're almost done; didn't ask if we needed a box. We were never once visited to ask if we needed anything during our meal, despite my water glass being empty for most of it. The food was prob the most ridiculously mid food I've ever had. My short rib Benedict was not good. Had a gross flavor to it, I suppose it was sour but hard to place. The hash browns were mid AF. The chicken and waffles were mid AF. Hard to mess up a waffle but the chicken skin was falling apart so bad, it was hard to eat. They clearly can't bread it properly. Decent gravy but if you can't make gravy, you shouldn't have a restaurant. Almost forgot, my lady got a VERY upset stomach from her meal (chkn /waffles)! I only had one bite and was fine. I don't recommend eating here, and if you do, skip the tip. Stop paying for bs restaurant practices because they don't want to pay people properly. They want you in and out of this place as fast as possible. They even limit the outdoor seating to 1.5 hours. We were prob there for 20 mins at most. It's loud from being over packed with people, the music was insane, and the table and chairs were as basic and uncomfortable as they could get away with. I see zero positives at this place. This is a lipstick on a pig situation. Sooo many better options out there. I wish I read a review like this prior to going. The reviews are clearly sus or the weirdos that eat here don't know what good food and service are. This place should be ineligible to be more than 3 stars because they have ZERO service. read more

Checked out Poached Kitchen for brunch after seeing it as a fairly new spot in Irvine. It's an order at the counter and then get seated type of spot and can get busy during breakfast and brunch times. We waited in line for about 10 mins, before getting to the counter to order, around 12pm on a holiday Monday. The atmosphere of the restaurant is bright and airy. They have indoor and patio seating, all of which is nice! As a table, we tried the egg scramble, omelette, breakfast burrito, eggs benedict and chicken and waffles. Everything tasted delicious. The egg scramble, omelette, and eggs benedict came with hash potatoes that tasted really good (recommend getting them slightly well done) and your choice of toast with jam. The breakfast burrito was loaded with meat and super hearty. The chicken and waffles were exceptional!! I could not stop ranting and raving about the chicken and waffles. The service was decent aside from the woman initially taking our order- she was unfriendly and not helpful when we were putting our order in. It unfortunately put a sour taste in our mouth from the beginning but the remainder of our experience helped ease that initial encounter. Happy to have Poached Kitchen as a local spot in Irvine! read more

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

This place is excellent. Service was great and the food was delicious. We had the dulce de leche latte, yogurt with granola, and three egg scramble. Will be back again! read more

I'm not really a breakfast person but this place brought up my appetite since everything we ordered was so delicious. The staff are very friendly and nice. Decoration is also cery cool. read more

Poached Kitchen - Salmon toast, steak and eggs (recommended), short rib omelet - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Irvine, California

Service was speedy and servers were all very attentive. Coffee/water was always full. You can taste how fresh everything Is, it stands by it far to table. read more

Poached Kitchen - Red chilaquiles, and short rib omelette. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Irvine, California

Great service, amazing food! I really like the taste of the food and the fact that the plates are really big for the price that we payed. And my favorite part was the coffee, really really good. read more

Super good service, super good food.. what more do you need when you want a good cooked-up breakfast or brunch during the weekends ? Been a couple of times already.. the queue outside the restaurant seemed long but the wait was not long at all coz they have figured out to the 't' to optimize table capacity. All those in the queue will be asked number of people in the party, opt to sit inside or outside or first available table.. and this information will be used to assign a table for you even before you place your orders. The two cashiers at the order counter are the most efficient and professional you'd have encountered and the menu behind them made the order clear and concise, ie no time is wasted. Once the orders are placed, you would head to your pre-assigned table - already cleaned and cleared which followed by a server with water and silverware almost immediately after you are seated. The drinks would typically arrive first and then the food would come. The poached eggs on the Benedict were perfect (still a bit runny) and the harsh brown was very crispy as requested. I had fear the scrambled egg would be over cooked and dried as in most breakfast cafes but it wasn't - not to my liking of very soft scrambled but it was cooked enough and yet not dried.. again, they have managed to cook scrambled to as perfect as one could expect from a breakfast nook. Next time though, I would order a soft scrambled egg and see how the cook would rise to the 'challenge'.. The staff were quick to respond despite they were super busy getting orders out, cleaning out tables or helping diners with requests like I'd always ask for Cholula sauce and Salt & Pepper... Despite a busy place, everything seemed to be in order - no chaos, no grumpy staff, no unhappy diners standing around waiting for orders or waiting for tables or waiting for service... to me, that's a golden standard for many cafes and eateries to follow. It's like the restaurant owners have somehow figured out the perfect way to cook a high quality breakfast and figured out the perfect timing for diners turnover so the wait at the queue is at a tolerable level and the service is perfectly timed so it's not too rush and not too slack.. everything was in a perfect flow.. and it was true the two times we visited in the past month.. perhaps we were lucky both times ? We'd need to go back again and again to test this theory of mine. Lol Oh, one small incident though - we were asked to move a table down in the middle of our scrumptious meal because they had to shuffle tables to accommodate a table of 12 in the middle of their indoor dining area. We were of course the very understanding customers and moved and they were gracious enough to give us a complimentary freshly squeezed orange juice... I didn't want it but my husband insisted on it coz apparently he at the time of ordering already wanted to order an orange juice but somehow forgot so it was perfect for him to get that OJ.. lol Anyways, the irony of all these commotion came when this party of 12 then decided to sit outdoor afterall .. the staff had set everything up and made the extra effort but sometimes you gotta do what your customers want you to do, right ?! Argh .. If this experience keeps up then we can declare to have found our favourite breakfast spot in Irvine ! read more

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Amazing food every time, great staff. Service is pretty quick and can get busy before 1 pm everyday. The inside is bright and has booths and tables and chairs with outside seating as well. read more

Just ordered take out. Got home and my chilaquiles verde, while delicious, was so small I need to eat more food. For scale, the container the chilaquiles was in was half the size of the container for the kids chicken tenders i also ordered. My wife's Huevos Rancheros, had no Ranchero sauce, which is kind of the whole point. I asked for no Salsa Fresca (assuming that meant pico de gallo) but I guess the ranchero sauce is some sort of salsa not a ranchero sauce. I also ordered chicken tenders and fries for my son, and the chicken tenders were over cooked and the chicken to fry batter ratio was 90% overcooked fry batter. I rarely ever complain but when all 3 orders were this bad people need to know. Sad to see as Irvine needs more good breakfast spots. read more

Poached Kitchen - Overcooked and over battered chicken tender. Inedible. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Irvine, California

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Been here twice. Both were good experiences. Made fresh to order. Good variety. Friendly staff read more