Paul’s Pantry

I am not much of a picky eater at all, so I eat everywhere, doesn’t matter what type of food, location, neighborhood etc. My wife and I were driving through Mission Viejo and decided to get something to eat. We can across Paul’s Pantry, the place looked nice in the outside and also had easy parking. We walked inside and were greeted by the very friendly staff. We sat at a small booth, table was clean, silverware was clean, floor was clean, cups were clean, plates were NOT chipped. We both ordered some breakfast burritos. Never had I ate an egg and chorizo burrito that included celery, this really took a turn on my expectations. Unfortunately ALL of the food was missing flavor, everything was very bland. I will admit that I ate everything on my plate BUT ONLY because I was hungry and because I paid for it (you don’t pay for only what you eat) I am hoping that the rest of the items on their menu are delicious. The food was NOT disgusting, it was just REALLY missing flavor. I will give Pauls Pantry only two stars for the food and one extra star, three stars total due to the friendly staff. I do NOT plan on coming back.

Decided to try this place as its so close to my house. So glad I did. I had cheese and bacon omelette that was so full of bacon and FLAVOR. Hashbrowns were nice and crispy… Cinnamon roll was great as well. However next time I will ask them to 86 the big olé dollop of butter on the top. Staff was very attentive and the place is super clean. Will be back!

Our experience put very concisely: ok food, sticky tables, dirty seating, outdated décor, and high prices– The ambience is important to me– in conclusion this place needs a diner rescue!

Best cinnamon rolls around! A meal can easily be split by 2 people, especially if you choose the cinnamon roll as your «toast» option. This place is our favorite local breakfast spot, and we love that Michelle knows our order and has it in before we even sit down at the table.

The huevos rancheros here are excellent However when they say fresh squeezed orange juice it is not and the prices are high.

I’ve been coming here for years. Every time it’s awesome! I always get a waffle and it taste amazing! Come by and ask for Michelle. True sweetheart:)

All the regular breakfast items are mediocre at best. The cinnamon roll really is amazing. It tops Cinnabon any day of the week.
The last time, I had eggs over-​medium and the yolk was super runny, so I bumped it up to over-​hard. Came out borderline burnt. Kitchen needs to communicate on what’s a runny yolk and what’s not.
Other than that, it’s a mom and pop place. Pretty good for the most part.
Oh yea, my pancakes were rubber too. I love Paul’s Pantry, this is just to caution the consumer on what they’re getting for their money.

Very enjoyable! Very large portions have a big appetite. Staff is very friendly and you feel like your eating with family and friends. They’re known for their giant cinnamon rolls.

Watch you gaze! You may notice a Cinnamon Roll the size of a plate going by; but try to keep eating!

Really great breakfast. All egg dishes are great, but we like the chicken fried steak. With an oversized amazing cinnamon roll ! Yum!

All the creamer was covered in hot sauce, how they failed to see it blows my mind, silverware had rust stains on them. I ordered biscuits and gravy what they gave me was store bought biscuits and sausage … Very unpleased with food … I think holiday inn continental breakfast is far more better. Men’s bathroom had lots of issues as well. My advice to this place if you’re going to charge a premium price for food give people quality

The fact that this place has a 3 star rating is why you Applebee’s morons in Orange County can’t have nice things. Get the chile verde. Homemade. Cooked for 3 days. And split a cinnamon roll.

Pretty good breakfast. I usually get an omelette and cinnamon roll. Their cinnamon rolls are outrageous! Definitely make it part of your meal.
It’s a very casual diner with a diner attitude.

Not sure what it is about breakfast places in particular but the sheer quantity of food on the plate is outrageous. Yes, folks will argue that is why they can charge $ 10 for an omelette but seriously. You’re either so full when you leave you can’t walk, or you’ve taken home enough food for two more days’ meals. Worst case scenario is it’s left on the plate, wasted. Not sure there is a win-​win in any case.
The cinnamon rolls, while delicious, are humongously steroidal masses of dough bathed in a pool of sweet sugary icing that slides right off the bun. The glob of butter (margarine maybe) covered almost all of the bun which was about the size of a medium pancake. The roll can be and must frequently be substituted for toast but in retrospect a nice slice of rye would have been better for me than the carb loading cinnamon roll.
Don’t get me wrong, the rolls are tasty. Ours was not warm which our fellow diners (residents who are regulars) indicated was the ‘best’ way to eat them, but my husband STILL kept picking handfuls off it even after finishing his veggie omelette… with bacon. Whatev.
I had the vegetable frittata which was an interesting preparation as it looked very similar to my mate’s meal, but it was tasty enough. Not sure what kind of cheese was used, could have been Swiss, but the tang of something like a cheddar or jack may have balanced the dish a bit better.
This is not a fancy place, but it’s pricey and my guess is that is based on quantity vs quality.
The service was excellent when we went. She dealt with all the ‘can you hold the…’ and ‘can I have that on the side?’ All the orders were perfect and the only thing she couldn’t control was fitting all the plates of food on our four top.
She gets her own star today!
Go here if you’re starving and you plan to sleep a good hour or so after while your body does its best to isolate some nutrients while you digest your breakfast.

Love this place, only been here twice, but great food and service both times! My wife had the Cinnamon French Toast… are you kidding me? So good. I got the Chicken Fried Steak, awesome! the gravy had great flavor and actual sausage, (not just the bland peppery slop I’ve gotten elsewhere) the hash browns were perfectly crispy, and the portions are generous. You can actually choose one of their fresh and gigantic cinnamon rolls instead of toast… does anyone ever order toast? We got 4 more to bring to friends and family. We were very popular today. Definately recommend this place!

Best breakfast in town. The cinnamon rolls are baked fresh every morning. They sell out fast! Chicken fried steak is hand-​battered and delicious. Omelette a are huge! For lunch, the Chili Size is a perfect example of what it should be — lots of yummy chili on a grilled burger patty. Onions and cheese are the perfect topping. Big portions at reasonable prices and everything is delicious!

I used to eat here about 8 or so years ago. I figured I would give it a try since Stacks was packed. The service was OK and the food was terrible. I got the bacon and eggs and the bacon was cold and chewy and the eggs were so so. My daughter got the pancakes and they werent bad. The syrup was cold and I asked for whip cream and they forgot that as well. On top of all this, their food is over priced. I would steer clear of this place.

Wow! a classic diner!
Clean ! Fast! Friendly!
Understand why they’re busier than chili’s next door.
Servers were so friendly and quickly took my order !
Nice to see there’s a great lunch spot in the area!
Definitely coming back!

Decided to give this place a try for breakfast today because I wasn’t in the mood for McDonalds. My boss had mentioned that their breakfast is pretty good and that they’re quick. I only have 15 minutes to order and pickup before I had to be at work.
I called in. Ringing
«Hello»
“I’d like to place an order for pickup”
«Hold on please» …
I heard loud talking, cash register, clanging of stuff on the table, a staple and then a click and silence. They hung up!
Sigh, against my better judgment, I called back.
They pickup «Hold please»
Sigh, so I hold. I now only have 10 minutes left and I’m 5 minutes away from the place.
They finally come back on and I place my order. 2 pancakes, 2 eggs, hashbrowns and a milk.
Get there 5 minutes later, walk in and notice how very outdated everything looks. Very old looking diner style restaurant. The place just looked … Dusty. Walked to the register and my order is already waiting for me! Now that was fast! So I get over being hung up on and paid for my food. $ 11.58!
I figured for that price, the food is going to put me into an awesome food coma! Wrong. Sigh again. Should have gone to McDonalds.

As a breakfast lover, I approve!
I didn’t know what to expect from this place after reading mixed reviews on how great the cinnamon rolls were to this place being way over priced for its quality. I’ll give it to you straight.
This place seems to get very packed on the inside so it might be hard to find a seat. On the bright side there is outdoor seating where there is usually a few open tables. The only thing with the outdoor seating is the plastic chairs! They are pretty old and uncomfortable. That though is easily forgotten once the food arrives.
The prices might seem a bit high at first but once you see the portion, you’ll know it will be worth it. The Cinnamon Roll is huge but doesn’t taste that amazing until you work your way to the center. The pancakes here are pretty decent but what really stood out were the scrambles. I ordered the Hillbilly Scramble which I absolutely enjoyed. I went to breakfast here with five other Unilocal friends and they all enjoyed their unique picks such as the Belgium Waffle, Spanish Omelette (highly recommend), Bacon and Mushroom Omelette, and The Works Omelette. The Works was probably the biggest, tastiest Omelette I’ve ever seen in my life.
Paul’s Pantry in my opinion was a pretty good food experience. I am excited to come back to try some more of their delicious concoctions. Definitely a place to try.