Chef Cindy’s Cafe

We love this place! Cindy is so friendly and will always chat with us! My favorite thing to get there is her scones, they are to die for!!! The food is great the reason for 4 stars is because they don’t have a fountain drink machine so they sell bottled drinks which I’m not a fan of.

I had the mushroom burger with a side of fries and mozzarella sticks and my husband had the chili burger with a side salad and potato salad.
The food was great! You could tell it was made with love. The owners gave us a free sample of their chicken noodle soup made from scrap. It was delicious. We actually ended up take a quart of it home.
My only complaint would be the potato salad seemed to be lacking some flavor and the chili my husband ate wasn’t very hot (spicy). Maybe it is for those whose aren’t used to eating spicy things, but we are.
We will definitely be back when we’re in the area. We had great service.

I can’t say enough wonderful things about this tucked away gem. The owners are terrific, it shows they really care about details. Everything is from scratch, including the noodles in her amazing chicken soup. The Jack Daniels burger is to die for. You must have their mint ice tea! The desserts I saw made me drool, I wished I could fit one in. Going back for the Monte Cristo I saw, it’s huge! A BIG 5 STAR RATING!!!

A few of my friends and i decided to get coffee and we saw Chef Cindy’s Café! This place is awesome. From the atmosphere to the foood! I really loved how cindy made us feel. It was totally amazing! I have never felt like that going into a restaurant! I really enjoyed my foood! We all did! We all enjoyed everything about that place… i never leave reviews but i had too for this one! Definitely one of the best! I will for sure come again… THANK YOU CINDY!

This is a really great breakfast and lunch quaint little restaurant that can seat about 40 on the inside tables and 8 on the bar (Maybe another 8 on the patio), right in the heart of Crestline, CA.
I had the Jack Daniel’s Burger with Chicken Noodle and Sweet Potato fries on the side. The rest of my family tried the Ultimate burger, Chili, Half and half (choice of chicken salad, tuna salad, ham stack, BLT, turkey sandwiches) with soup and side salads) then hit brewed coffee and hot chocolate!
We will definitely be back soon!

I absolutely love Chef Cindy’s. We arrived at 11:00 a.m. and were advised we were too late for breakfast. I was a tiny bit put off by that, but my opinion quickly changed when lunch was served. I ordered the grilled cheese with bacon and tomato and it came with two sides (you’d better be very hungry!). I asked for the soup and onion rings. Cindy’s chicken-​noodle soup is magical. That’s the only way to describe it. The flavor is over the top. My sandwich and onion rings were also really good, but the soup is just hard to describe. It’s honestly that good. We had a nice talk with the owners and left as completely satisfied customers. I will return there whenever I’m in Crestline, even though it’s a bit off the beaten path.

Best burgers in town, this is for Luca who was complaining about the owners, you bring your unruly children to restaurants and let these lil sh*ts run wild, maybe other people dont want to hear your out of control children. Maybe you should stay home and learn how to cook or work on your parenting skills before you take your kids to public dining areas. Luca made a comment to me via private message that said my wife was fat… For one I don’t have a wife and if you seen my hot blonde gf u would want to get her and give a 5 star Unilocal rating. In fact. your the fat ass mommy with unruly children!

Friendly faces and delicious homemade from scratch food. We were up the mountain a bit and were looking for a great meal after stopping here, I would definitely take a drive up any day of the week. I had the chicken chili, which has cheese and sour cream and fresh made tortilla chips on top. I’m still dreaming about it. The baked beans, potato salad are absolutely delicious. My husband had the Jack Daniels burger, piled high the onion rings, jalapeños, BBQ sauce and bacon the meat was so juicy (this is a must try). My two year old wasnt too happy after having no nap, but the owner brought him out many things to eat created just for him and a huge box of crayons too color with too. She was sweet and kind to us. This place is better than mommas cooking. Come here you’ll leave happy and full.

Best place on the mountain for a burger! I had a double bacon cheese burger with avocado, and they were generous with both bacon AND avocado. Sweet potato fries and onion rings were delicious and non greasy. Cindy gave me a free container of chicken soup to take home, which had hand-​made noodles and HUGE chunks of chicken! Definitely the best place for a burger.

Food is decent, but the owners continous arguing back and forth is over the top.
First time here was great. Got a free sample of scratch-​made noodle soup.
Second visit. total Nightmare! We brought some guests from down the hill, since we wanted to host them to a good meal. We were sat for 10 minutes before the owner rudely and abruptly told us ‘we cant be having that in here!’. My son cant make noise? I’ve Never heard such a thing. Room was ¼ full and we were tucked in the corner. Never have I been approached with such a negative demeanor. I wanted to rip the owner and walk out immediately. Instead we kindly waited on the patio. For 50 minutes.
We waited over an hour that day for our food. Took it to go as I was so disusted with the owner’s behavior and attitude. They were not even busy that day either.
The owners were still arguing when we left an hour fifteen later. Amazing.

I loved this place! Cute little café with an awesome chef. One bite of the food and you can tell this is not your average café food, you can taste the culinary experience in the food. I had the chicken and waffles. The waffles was crisp and light and perfectly cooked. The chicken was a nice cut of breast, fried and covered in a delicious gravy. My less adventurous partner ordered just a side of hash browns and scrambled eggs but she commented that they were perfectly cooked and had good flavor. Good coffee here as well. Large menu left me wanting to return many times. Looking forward to trying the Monte Cristo. Thank you Chef Cindy.

We drive up to Crestline CA specifically for Cindys French Toast Waffles. They are amazing.

The best food on the Mountain! If you wanna eat great, and be treated like family, try this beautiful place, it’s awesome!

Stopped in for breakfast and it was delicious! Loved the small town feel of the place. Service, food, and atmosphere all get 5 stars from us. In our party we had the works (french waffle with eggs and bacon), french toast and sausage, and the Monte Cristo. The French waffle was delicious– a thin waffle dipped in french toast batter– yum! French Toast was very tasty and the sausage was wonderful. The Monte Cristo was probably the most unique breakfast item I’ve ever seen and it was awesome! French Toast outside with ham, bacon, egg and cheese in the middle and served with berry preserves and maple syrup. If you like sweet and savory together, you’ll love this! Definitely a must try if you’re in the area!

Great food, best fried zucchini I’ve ever had! Best customer service! Cindy is so passionate about her food and her customers! You have to stop by if you’re in town!

We are always looking for good places in Crestline, and there used to be quite a few. I saw a review on Unilocal and needed to find and try this place. Chef Cindy’s Café is soooooo good. We stopped in for lunch and had the BBQ burger and a chicken salad sandwich that comes with sides. I had the chicken noodle soup (Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup) which was outstanding and the burger was one of the best I have eaten. The beef was great quality and cooked perfect. Chef Christy talked with us and told us about the menu and it happened to be her birthday. After talking we decided to come back and try the breakfast out and had one of the best Monte Cristo sandwiches ever. I still remembered how good the soup was and took a quart of that and the white bean chile home. Only open for lunch and breakfast but well worth going to .
Cannot wait to get back

All I can say is Wow! And thank you so much to Bill and Cindy. What a wonderful place and AWESOME breakfast!
If you have the chance stop by. you will be so glad you did!

Chef Cindy’s Café is an absolute gem in the Valley of Enchantment. Conveniently located on Hwy 138, near Crestline/​Lake Gregory, the little café has a lot of heart. There are a few parking spaces out front, and we were fortunate to snag one. There is very limited seating — 5 at the bar, 34 (MAX) at tables inside, and 6 on the patio. It has a casual diner feel; vinyl booths, a few wooden chairs and laminate tables. It is clean and inviting. The walls are covered with photos and eclectic art. There is also a little gift shop with various things that Cindy has picked, especially a lot of «tea» stuff.
Cindy and one helper work the kitchen, and Bill is SOLO in the front of the house. As such, this is not a fast place to go. But, it is worth it, because everything is made to order and from scratch. Plus, Bill and Cindy are both incredibly inviting and warm (as are the other patrons).
Knowing that the café would fill up quickly, we came in for breakfast at 8 and spent a leisurely 90 minutes over breakfast, enjoying every minute and every bite. We had:
Mickey Mouse Waffle with Scrambled Eggs and Milk ($ 4.50): the kids’ menu has a great selection of very affordable and delicious options. The scratch made waffle was toasty and wonderful. The scrambled eggs were fluffy and perfectly cooked. Bonus: it was served on a Minnie plate. A++ An refill on the milk was a modest $ 1.50.
Jumbo Scramble ($ 9.95) with Egg Whites ($ 1): fluffy white eggs were scrambled with hunks of lean ham and sauteed bell peppers and onions (I asked for no cheese). Delicious. They were served with a bowl of cheesy grits that were rich, smooth, and perfectly seasoned. The biscuit was GIGANTIC and wonderfully crunchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside and buttery. A++
French Waffle ($ 7.50): OMG. A fresh waffle is then soaked in french toast custard and cooked on the griddle so you have the best french toast ever because it is also a waffle. GENIUS! It is topped with whipped butter and served with pancake syrup (this would be my only request — real maple syrup, but she would have to increase her prices or charge extra for the real stuff on request). The rich frenched waffle does not need the butter IMO. But, with a little syrup, this was an awesome, decadent breakfast treat,. A++
Biscuits and Gravy ($ 6.95): the BEST biscuits and gravy that I have had in Cali, and the only ones that I have had that are prepared properly. Cindy definitely cooks her sausage and makes the roux base for the gravy from the drippings as they should be, so the gravy has the signature tan hue. The gravy is generously poured over two enormous split biscuits (each biscuit is about the size of a baseball) and has loads of sausage. Then, bacon is crumbled over the top of the biscuits. Sure, you don’t need more meat, but it adds an awesome textural element that I have never before thought of… flakey biscuits, creamy gravy, and crunchy bacon. BRILLIANT! A+++
Coffee ($ 1.65): freshly brewed and piping hot. Not gourmet but good. A
I have to imagine that this place can get very crowded, which would result in a major wait. However, if you are coming at a high time, you can always call ahead and take food to go. Chef Cindy’s food is worth it — it is absolutely delicious. And, Bill, will make sure that you feel welcome. This is the best place on the mountain to get breakfast without question.

A great neighborhood spot for a casual meal.
Come for the house made chicken noodle soup. Free wifi too which is a necessity in the mountains because cellular coverage is so spotty.

I live right around the corner from this secret gourmet little café! Great spread of specially crafted dishes all done by Chef Cindy herself. Portions are perfect and everything is Supa tasty. Bought a quart of her famous chicken Noodle soup to take home for a side with dinner tonight can’t wait to try it ! Atmosphere is very chill excellent music and fun autographed pictures of classic celebrities cover the walls of this homie little place. Must try if your in the area and it’s before 2pm. Only downside is they close after lunch. Ps. I love how she comes out to yiur table see how everything was! Service is excellent