Early Bird

Unique menu. Great food.
Eggs are cooked perfectly each time.
Dishes rely too heavily on their respective and unique condiments, some of which are a bit lackluster for my taste. Pork belly Benedict was tasty but would have been nothing without the salt and acid from the scant pickles I received. Moff tarkin was very good. Savory sausage had herb stems which were kinda gross. As a guy who hates sweet food (save it for dessert) I didn’t care for the tomato jam. Fried chicken sandwich was outstanding. Needed a touch of salt. Pickle slaw was good. But cabbage and chicken is not my favorite combination.
Patty melt is just a good burger.
Chilaquiles was blandish. And quite meaty.
Decent prices for the quality, quantity, and kitchen skills.
Good service.
Pubic hair in my kids meal scrambled eggs. :(
Waitress offered to have the meal comped. I declined.
I have nothing against paying for a meal, the loss they take is my business, and not the price of a single visit.
It’s a shame because the place was pretty nice.
Pretense and pube aside, three stars.
Side note. Coffee enthusiasts are in for a treat.

Always a fan of breakfast, can never make it on time. But lucky me I got it for lunch! On Valentine’s day I had to work and got a nice visit from my lovely family. We decided to order something new and to-​go. Coming along this restaurant everything looked so good. The thing that wheeled me in was the pictures of the brioche French toast.
We placed our order over the phone and was told it would be about 15 – 20 minutes. I was worried being Valentines day the food was going to take forever to come out. We arrived 15 minutes later and I walked in with no wait, paid, and they brought my bag to me. I wasn’t even in there for a minute, the service was super fast and friendly.
I ordered the El guapo omelette which was egg and chorizo inside with a side of potatoes and cooked tomato. The potatoes were the highlight of the dish. So soft and flavorful. The omelette was lacking in flavor. I felt the egg had no seasoning and the chorizo was hard to find. It was all egg and no flavor. My daughters split the waffle of the week which was a churro waffle. It was perfect for them. Being Valentines day they made the waffles into a heart which came with a side sugar caramel heart. So cute! My hubby got the chicken and waffles which I snagged a bite of and was delicious! The chicken was so flavorful and easy to chew. We split the brioche French toast because that’s what drew me in, of course I had to try it! Ugh, it was so so good. One had a toffee crumble like topping and the other I would say an apple purée sauce. The toffee one was amazing. They are so thick and fluffy, delicious!
I can’t wait to come back and try something new.

Early Bird is pretty much the tastiest brunch you can get in Orange County. Expect to wait between 30 – 60 minutes for a table on weekends and holidays. Even on Valentine’s Day, the boyfriend and I managed to get a table in 45 minutes. Located in a giant plaza with Stater Brothers, parking isn’t an issue at all. I always default to ordering one of the eggs benedict because they always make the egg perfectly runny, which oozes onto the egg muffin for a wonderfully tasty entrée. The hash browns are also impeccable, being just the right amount of crunchy and potato-​y. Service is always great, with the staff checking in with you constantly.

Does the early bird really get the worm?
In our case, no, since we were running late and got here at 1pm for «breakfast.»
Came here based on the Unilocal reviews and was disappointed at the level of service and the less than stellar food.
We waited about an hour, which was to be expected, but when we were finally seated we had the spaciest server. She kept on forgetting our orange juice, she brought it to another table, and she gave us the wrong order. We ordered a side waffle and she tried to give us some toast. C’mon honey, get with it!
I ordered the Duck Confit Hash which was dryer than dry. Think of a duck that’s been soaked in water, then placed in the microwave and you get the taste in my mouth of dry, chewy duck. Just not worth it.
My brother had their eggs benedict which he asked for scrambled eggs, and of course they forgot his request.
Man, this was such and epic fail.
I’m really struggling to give this place 3 stars, but I’ll be generous and round the 2.5 up to 3 stars.

Early Bird offers the best breakfast in Orange County, by FAR. I have been here numerous times with friends and family, and not once has anyone left unsatisfied. I highly recommend the Lomo Saltado. It is a Peruvian dish that they had as a special one month and was added in to their regular menu because it is just THAT good. It is steak, fries, onions, tomatoes, lime, soy sauce, cilantro crema, and two eggs any style. It is divine; the steak is so tender and juicy and the fries are the perfect texture — not too soggy, not to crunchy.
In terms of sweeter option, the brioche French Toast and Dutch Waffle are unique twists on popular breakfast offerings. Also, for sides, do not miss out on the EB sausage or the hash browns.
The service has been nothing but top notch every single time. The staff makes everyone feel welcome and is extremely accommodating despite always being busy. Be prepared to wait no matter what day you go! This place is very popular.

I got the Eastwood omelette. It was super yummy, I definitely recommend it. My sister got the French toast I had a bite and I am definitely trying that next time. It was so light and airy and looked fancy.
This place gets packed so prepare yourself to wait
They don’t make reservations so you just have to wait it out.

I really want to like this place and maybe I’ll try it again one day… but I was really craving waffles and my BF suggested this place.
Went at around 8am on a Friday. There was no wait and we got to choose our table. Waitress was super nice, came around a lot and helped us with our menu choices.
The waffle of the day was pecan, which sounded super appealing to me so I got it. My BF got the chicken and waffles.
I was very disappointed in the waffles. They’re thin and SUPER greasy like they were dropped in a deep fryer after. Or the pan was super greased up. Either way it was oily and crunchy instead of fluffy in the middle. It felt like I was eating chips or something. I ate two pieces and was done. The pecan butter on top was really good though. And it also came with pecans and whipped cream.
The chicken on the chicken and waffle was really good. Very juicy and flavorful. but the waffle was the same as mine.
I also got a side of hash browns that were really good, made with onions and cheese. So I ended up eating that for my meal.

A fun breakfast nook in a strip mall. They have many unique dishes. Waffles are currently thin so you get the waffle crispness without the bulk. The server says they are working on getting thicker waffles also.
We had a pecan butter waffle special sitting on top of red sauce that was probably a raspberry. The sweetness didn’t overpower the waffle and the flavors gelled nicely together.
The Frank Floyd Benedict was our favorite today. Think roasted portobello mushroom, instead of muffin, sautéed spinach, smoked salmon and Béarnaise source. The combined flavors hit the palette nicely.
The restaurant is casual modern. Chairs are aluminum but were quite comfortable. Four-​top tables are a bit longer than normal giving a bit more space.
Sorry, but I don’t believe they have lattes so you are stuck with coffee. They also have Mexican coffee with cinnamon sticks and sugar.
There are many four star breakfast places within a few miles of the Marriott. I was skeptical that there could be this many but if this is any indication, the Unilocalers are correct.

I didnt know this place existed! My friends and i got here around 9:15 on a saturday morning. The wait was about 15 – 25 minutes. Waiting area is just the outside. The inside is pretty nice! Wouldnt have thought itd be as nice as that but it does have a modern-​y feel to it kind of. Our server was friendly until the end. I got the classic benedict with hashbrowns. Pretty good. Solid breakfast/​brunch place. Definitely need more of these.

The wait here is insane!!! My hubby and I came here on a random weekday morning (mind you, in December when most people are on break) and we still ended up waiting 45 minutes! We’ve also come earlier (~9am) on a Saturday morning and still had to wait at least 30 minutes! On the bright side, they’re supposed to be building a location in Brea soon and they’ve had one in the works slated for Yorba Linda for a few years now, so hopefully having more locations will eventually alleviate the long wait!
My favorite dish to order here is, by far, the Frank’s country chicken & waffle! The waffle is perfectly crispy and not overly sweet, the fried chicken is obviously high-​quality, free-​range (I can taste the difference), and goes well with the hearty sausage gravy. Plus, the creamless cream corn with the arugula adds a nice bit of lightness and is especially friendly for the lactose intolerant! Although the portion may initially look a bit small, it’s actually a lot of food and extremely filling! To me, it’s the perfect balance of both sweet and savory — and the best of both worlds for those who are indecisive like me!
I’ve also tried the best fried chicken sandwich ever, which comes loaded with fried chicken, pickle slaw, and jalapeño buttermilk on an artisanal bun. It’s not bad, but doesn’t compare to the chicken and waffles, which is the clear winner here. When I’m in the mood for something sweet, I like the brioche French toast, which comes with a tart granny smith applesauce, but is well balanced with a rich orange butter, plus toasted almonds. I’ve also tried their strawberry single cake before, which is basically a giant pancake! Super sweet, but warm, fluffy and good!
I’m not a fan of their coffee, as I feel like it’s not very strong and more on the watery side. They also don’t have creamer here, but they do have almond milk, which they apparently make from scratch, although it’s quite bland. I prefer their fresh-​squeezed orange juice instead.
Early Bird would easily be 4 stars for their food alone, but unfortunately the service really stinks (hence, the 3-​star rating). It’s consistently bad and pretty much non-​existent. The servers are extremely forgetful and almost seem ditzy, which is a shame because the food is definitely unique and a nice addition to the North OC area.

Came here for brunch this Saturday morning… Solid three stars in my book because it was good, but still left a lot to be desired.
Starting with the not so good:
1. The restaurant is in a shopping plaza, taking away from the ambiance/​atmosphere. But the silver lining is that there is a lot of parking available so guess that makes up for it.
2. I was not a fan of the long wait — why don’t popular restaurants like this take reservations to avoid this very problem?! I was definitely hangry by the time we finally got seated, which was a full 50 minutes after we had put our names down for two and a full 30 minutes past what they told us the wait would be.
3. Service was sub-​par. They seem understaffed for the volume of costumers they get. Our waitress was nice enough, but not very attentive with the coffee/​water refills or our orders. For example, I requested regular iced coffee and got hot Mexican coffee instead. She left so quickly and took so long to come back that I just ended up drinking the Mexican coffee, which wasn’t bad, just not what I wanted.
The only saving grace of this place is the food. I got the Lomo Saltado and my friend got the Pork Belly Benedict. We were both pretty happy with the flavors, portion, and presentation of our dish. We also shared a Blueberry Waffle at the end, which was the star of the whole experience. A definite must try if you end up here.
With so many better brunch spots in OC, I don’t think I’ll be back to Early Bird. But I guess it was worth checking out to see what all the hype was about.

My family and I really don’t get the hype over this place. It’s kinda hoity toity and bistro-​ish… which sometimes is a cool thing but not when it messes up with my food and lacks consistent service.
It’s one of those places that you probably wouldn’t really notice except that there is a line outside almost always. Although after our first experience, we realized that the wait probably wasn’t due to popularity, necessarily, but due to their molasses slow service. Everyone seemed friendly enough, but just really slow.
We tried the El Guapo omelet, which is filled with chorizo… at least it said it was. Didn’t really have much of a flavor, kind of dry ground beef tasting. And the meat was basically wrapped up inside a pancakey-​egg-​sponge. Didn’t look appetizing and, let’s face it, it wasn’t that great. Came served with a charming little grilled tomato topped with cheese and a few bites of hash browns. Toast comes with breakfast and you get 1 whole piece (so we ordered another side for like $ 4.50), it was good bread though and seemed like some nice quality preserves served alongside the toast. Nice presentation… when it comes to toast.
We’ve also tried the Chilaquiles. These were actually quite yummy. Good flavor and served with a wipe of mashed avocado. The chips must be homemade as we thought they were thicker than most and pretty chewy (but then chilaquiles chips tend to get that way). This was a decent selection here, but then I can get more for less money at a Mexican restaurant. I know, I know, sometimes less is more, but not in this case. We ordered this and split it, but there was still some left on the plate even though it was a small amount. Less was not more in this case, even with good flavor it just was lacking the excitement we’d hoped.
I’d like to say that I’ve tried more items on the menu, but I haven’t. I probably won’t even go back to attempt because nothing really seemed appetizing on the menu, plus when you pay $ 4.00 for a little glass of weak orange juice. Hot chocolate was served piping hot and tasted like a packet of Swiss Miss, we probably paid for the entire box of packets for just the cost of this one mug full. I’ll take my money elsewhere. No thanks.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind spending extra money on great food but I don’t like spending big money when it’s small and lack-​luster. Even if there was better service, I don’t think I’d be tempted… too many strikes against this place in my book. It’s not for me.
Sorry Early Bird you just didn’t get the worm.

I don’t hate this place… but I don’t definitely love this place like I used to…
After spending days debating with friends on where we should go for breakfast, ²⁄₃ of us decided on Early Birds. Sadly, we regretted that decision. I ordered the pork belly benedict and some coffee. For a while I forgot why I didn’t come back to this place. I used to frequent it at least once a week. It wasn’t until I got my pork belly benedict. The portions were small. Especially for the price I paid for. The cheesy hash is delicious but you’d get such a small amount. The pork belly pieces I got were the thickness of thick cut bacon but it was fried so much that it became super chewy. I get it. They use good quality ingredients and nothing is ever bland but, I didn’t leave fully satisfied.
Service was okay. They’re always busy but if you end up with a good server then things will be great. We had to ask for everything we needed like cream, sugar, more coffee, and we never got water after asking twice.

Our first visit to the Early Bird met our expectations in many ways; except for the portions. Portions vary depending on what you order. The Eggs Benedict is about right, but the accompanying side of cheesy hash browns is way too small. In addition, the chicken and waffle entrée is too small for the price. Size aside, it is about the taste after all.
The Eggs Benedict entrée was flavorful with the Hollandaise sauce, and the eggs were not too runny. The accompanying cheesy hash browns were much different than other versions I have tried, and the taste was excellent. The only problem is the micro-​sized portion it comes with. Early Bird, please pile more of the cheesy goodness onto the plate.
The Franks Country Chicken and Waffle was beautiful, but the waffle was camouflaged by too much salad. I was expecting some sweetness from the waffle, but it never revealed itself. Although there was only a handful of fried chicken pieces, the chicken was seasoned very well.
So, besides the small portions of the items we ordered, the taste of the chicken and cheesy hash browns stole the breakfast show. They just need to add more of it on the plate for the price! A solid 3.5 stars for us. In regards to the service, the hostess and waitress were both very good.

Early Bird is my favorite place to get breakfast/​brunch and I’ve always been more than happy to get up early in the morning and drive 15 miles to this establishment to avoid as best as possible, the inevitable long weekend lines.
In short, you gotta be an «early bird» to go to Early Bird… get it?
…I’ll stop.
Moving forward, Early Bird features some awesome variations of the eggs Benedict, my favorite being the Frank Lloyd variation, which includes smoked salmon and portabella. The duck confit hash is easy to finish, but so savory you will not want to waste a single tiny leftover piece. Then, of course, there’s the storied Brioche French Toast, a thick brick of deliciousness with orange butter being what I think is THE ingredient that distinguishes it above all other French Toasts.
My personal tip to you is that anything you get is best paired by a delicious, cozy cup of Mexican coffee.
Early Bird has also always had an awesome and incredibly friendly staff and their smiles will help ensure you will have one too. Although it’s located in a shopping plaza, Early Bird does not lack the homely vibe of smaller hole in the wall locations — its orange walls add a warm glow to the interior and the smell of its delicious food in the morning is enough to keep anyone waiting for as long as it takes. For anyone living in or around Orange County, this Early Bird is a must catch.

Good but not worth the wait or price. Victim of their own success.
Four of us had brunch on a Sunday and it was packed with customers. We waited about 45 minutes for a table. Then about 10 minutes before we had to stop a server for some attention. Our drinks came much, much later than appropriate. The food was fine. The Eggs Benedict were colder than expected and seemed to have been waiting for delivery too long. We had to flag down a server to get our bill. It was clear they were understaffed during our visit. Hopefully they were just having an off day.

I’ve had this place bookmarked for a while… But I didn’t want to drive this far for breakfast so I just… Looked at the Unilocal once in a while and hoped one day I’d be in the area in the morning to make a trip. Then… My friend went there for breakfast and I was determined to try it. 40 mins drive later, I was there.
Halloween and all of the servers were adorably dressed up in costumes and super cheery. Loved it. They were attentive and quick!
We ordered the chicken and waffle (apparently it came with their «Belgium waffle» which was itching to try), the pork belly eggs Benedict and the brioche French toast. When the dishes came, every portion was small and lacked protein so I ended up ordering the lomo saltado mid-​meal.
The pork belly Benedict came with potatoes. It was a solid dish. Didn’t feel like anything special though. It was like… Thick bacon. Quite hard actually.
The fried chicken and waffles… The waffle was soooooo thin… Wasn’t crispy… It was just… There. And quite dark. The fried chicken was super battered and came in a chicken strips form… Rather than whole or semi-​whole (like thigh, breast and wing).
The French toast was the only thing that felt different but it didn’t feel like a French toast. It was more like a super soft doughy bread topped with toasted nuts, a marmalade, powdered sugar and some peeled orange slices. It was good. I liked this one.
The lomo was 90% fries and 10% cubed beef and gravy. It was OK.
I’d probably go here if it was in the area. Definitely not drive 40 mins for this place at all. It was generally a disappointment

I don’t think I’ll be coming back here unfortunately. The breakfast was ok, not memorable at all. Service was great when we arrived but when we sat down, our waitress came off a bit blunt and rude. The restaurant overall was clean and cute.
The food was overpriced for the portion size you get. We ordered the following:
3 eggs and 3 pieces of bacon $ 9.50
Buckwheat Pancake w/​side of hash browns $ 8.75
Coffee $ 3
Dr Pepper $ 2.50
The eggs were bland and the bacon was the star of that plate. The buckwheat pancake was absolutely not what we thought it would be. It was grainy and very dry. The description on the menu should’ve been more clear as to what this pancake actually is. Because of the name and what came on top of the pancake (bananas and caramel and walnuts) made it seem like it’d be a fun and sweet pancake. I had to pour ounces among ounces of syrup to even try to eat this thing. Don’t get me wrong, lots of people probably love this type of pancake but it was just not our cup of tea.

Came here for brunch on two separate occasions with my best friend and boyfriend. The food here is kinda expensive for the portion sizes and the type of food, but maybe thats how brunch places are? I wouldn’t know because I rarely eat brunch. But I was kind of underwhelmed by the whole experience.
These are the things I’ve tried:
–Traditional eggs benedict. I thought they were okay and my best friend said she’s had better at other places.
–Brioche french toast. This isn’t like normal french toast at all… but it was pretty good! It’s thick fluffy pieces of bread and covered in some sugary sauce and orange marmalade. I enjoyed it because tt’s practically a dessert.
–Duck confit hash. Other reviews raved about this dish and how delicious it is but I thought it lacked depth of flavor. I didn’t feel like the flavors melded way together… was just salty fried pieces of duck, arugula, potatoes, and a fried egg. Didn’t think there was anything special about it and it was pretty pricey.
–The dutch waffle. Okay this is completely delicious! But it’s not even a waffle… its so thin and crispy and tastes exactly like a funnel cake. The berry toppings taste amazing with it too.
Overall, the «waffle» aka funnel cake and the brioche french toast were really good! But the rest of the food I’ve tried didn’t really blow me away. Also, I don’t think the price justifies the portion sizes so I probably wouldn’t come back again. Took some pretty pictures though (see below).

The ambience of this place if very hipster, with the brick walls and mason jars! Pretty cool and comfortable atmosphere! I went at 1pm on a Saturday and luckily there was no line. I heard the wait can be 30 mins at most some days.
I ordered the Frank Floyd Benedict and I was so excited to try it. The order comes with a poached egg, spinach, smoked salmon, over a portobello mushroom! It was amazing! I loved it! I was soooo full! It’s only $ 11.75, which I think is a great price! And every order that comes with eggs, is complemented with hash brown, or potato skillets, and a tomato! Pretty good!
The customer service was great! They were very sweet and accommodating!
Will definitely come back if I am ever in the area!