Wilma’s Patio

Had a great meal for lunch, went back a few weeks later to try the dinner menu. The meal was a disappointment, not fresh and tasty like the lunch. The meat loaf was served luke warm and was COLD by the time it was finished. My guest also had the meat loaf, same experience. Two extremely different meals. Dinner experience was very poor. I mentioned cold food to waitress who said she would of warmed it. That’s not the point it should of been served properly. (and how is it warmed? Microwave?)

This is a little place on Balboa Island. My wife and I were on the Peninsula and wanted some breakfast. We took the ferry over to the island and walked a few blocks to Wilma’s. It was late in the morning so we missed the breakfast crowd. The place is like a little diner. My wife ordered a Belgin Waffle with Strawberries and I got chicken nachos. Both were very good. The nachos was such a large portion I only ate ½.
The only thing I did notice was the pricing. Items were about $ 1 or $ 2 more than other places. I think a lot of it has to do with being on the island and kind of a tourist area.
If you are in the area, it’s a nice walk from the ferry and cool little area to eat and enjoy a nice morning.

if you love Fish & Chips and you’re near Balboa Island at Newport Beach go to Wilma’s Patio!
I just wrote a horrible review of Westside Tavern regarding their Fish & Chips. Now here’s place to go if you really love the crusty little filets. This is a little seaside café that has great food at very competitive prices especially for Newport Beach. Huge portions of Fresh battered cod filets (3 humongous pieces) and a boat load of real English-​style cottage fries. Everything stayed crisp to the very last bite. There was so much food I took a couple of filets home and had them warmed up last night and they were still crisp on the out side and moist and flaky on the inside. Save a little room for the Boysenberry Pie a la mode. It is not made there, but it is made for them and it was outstanding. The service was plentiful and friendly. Everyone came by to check on our meal and see if all was A-​Okay. GREAT FOOD, NICE PEOPLE, BY THE OCEAN… COULD YOU ASK FOR ANYTHING MORE?

I had brunch here last Sunday and while crowded we had to wait just a short while for a table the vibe is very family orientated and on Balboa Island so clearly it’s going to be busy. The menu had lots of choices were both breakfast and lunch
The vibe was really casual and BG and kind of open to the outside there was a patio and lots of windows though it was cold that day so I was a little chilly. Our waitress gave some great suggestions and my food came out exactly as ordered. Prices were really fair and I enjoyed myself a lot plenty of time to walk around though parking is difficult I haven’t been to Balboa Island in forever so I enjoyed my afternoon walking around there
Welmas is a definite must try if you enjoy breakfast on a lazy Sunday morning

Excellent service. All the servers are very nice and asked us if we need anything multiple times and was very quick. Sandi is the reason why my experience here was memorable. She is very sweet and made us feel so welcome. I can’t wait to come again. GO SANDI!

We stumbled upon this café after looking for a place to eat lunch. There was no wait and the hostess was sweet. Wilma’s Patio has a family atmosphere to it. I ordered the petite BBQ Chicken salad and an Arnold Palmer. This portion was more than enough. My boyfriend had the Tuna Melt which was amazing. Our server was outgoing, efficient and accurate. We’ll be back next time we visit Balboa Island. A sandwich is a must next time.

My wife and I were in Newport celebrating my birthday and this restaurant was recommended to us for a nice place to eat breakfast. We love it and will definitely be back when we are in the area. I ordered the crab cake benedict and it was delicious huge chunks of crab. Afterwards we walked and checked out all the cool shops that were nearby. Great experience overall would recommend it to everyone.

My and my family’s favorite brunch spot on Balboa Island. It’s a «must visit» every time we’re in Orange County. Look for us there in July!

Came to Wilma’s on a Saturday morning and it was filled with young and old.
This quaint spot is plotted on balboa island, along with a handful of other small local shops and restaurants.
The breakfast they serve here is hearty, filling, and there food brings a smile to my face. Their servers are attentive and the atmosphere is so relaxing. If you’re really hungry, I recommend the bomber #1 with hash browns!
If you have grandparents visiting, I recommend bringing them.

Cute little restaurant with great food. Ingredients are fresh and filling, even for the price. Like grandma made it for you.

Great portions, great service, happy family. Wilma’s is an institution! My egg burrito in which I added the bacon was amazing! Both family members ordered eggs Benedict and liked plus my 10 year old thought her breakfast of French toast here was way better than zincs in Laguna

We came during the last night of the Newport Beach Boat parade so we expected it to be busy, but the organization was really lacking. We were seated relatively fast considering how busy it was, but that’s where the promptness ends. It took forever for our waitress to come to the table, another long wait to place our order and finally over an hour for a fish and chip and steak fajita order.
The drinks were strong and the food was not bad — we inhaled everything since we were so famished from the waiting. We ordered a coffee and hot chocolate to go, to drink while watching the boat parade, and I would have expected them to offer those for free to apologize for the long wait but they didn’t.

What a great place for breakfast! The food and the all of the employees were so friendly. Everyone had a smile on their face. The food was very good. We split the Spanish Nuevo enchiladas. We had guacamole and hash browns as sides. Laurie waited on us and was so friendly and informative too. She let us know about the ferry to Balboa Island which ended up being an entrance to another fun adventure. Sandi, who is the manager, was also extremely nice. It’s a cozy setting there. You won’t be disappointed!

I love this little gem. It’s very homey and comfy and the food is excellent! I always get the eggs Benedict and it is delicious! No to mention the staff is super nice and accommodating. My waiter Fernando C was so nice! He brought me a little plate of strawberries and whipped cream just because. Very sweet people, they really have kind hearts! I have no complaints. :)

If you’re ever vacationing on Balboa Island, Wilma’s is a MUST for breakfast! Warning: It may be your only meal of the day because the portions are HUGE. But you will most definitely leave with a happy tummy! I got the Eggs Benedict and it was out of this world. The ham slices were more like ham steaks and the hollandaise sauce was creamy and perfect. I ordered the hash browns well done and they had just the right amount of crisp! I was super impressed with the great service and the food came out QUICK despite how busy they were! Thank goodness this place isn’t in Phoenix because I would gain a million pounds. Totally worth the splurge on vacation though!

FOOD:
Good value… generous portions for the price. The food was pretty good. They have a wide variety of food options;there’s something for everyone.
SERVICE:
There was a bit of a wait to get a table for breakfast Sunday morning, but there were plenty of benches outside to sit on. When seated, someone immediately came over and got us drinks before our server came and took our order. Our coffee mugs and water glasses were never empty. Our server was pleasant and attentive. We didn’t have to wait long for food once we got a table.
AMBIANCE:
There’s a laid back beachy eclectic diner feel to the place. It’s nice and bright with lots of windows and white walls. The walls are covered in artwork. Seems clean.

Disclaimer — My grandparents have been bringing me to Wilma’s for over 20 years so this review is slightly biased :)
Love love love wilmas. The servers know my family by name and will have my grandmas drink waiting for her when we get to our booth! They are extremely attentive and always check in on us. The service for us is amazing and they treat us like family.
The food is typically diner food. I’m a fan of the sourdough burger and the onion rings. The rings are beer battered and deep fried — they taste so good even as I know how bad they are for me! The burgers are juicy and never fail to please.
The breakfast is also pretty good. I’ve typically gone for dinner but know that I should stick with the basics — I’ve never really tried any of the pasta, chicken, etc.
Also — during the summer this place can be packed on the weekends so be ready for a wait!

Hubby and I came here on our way home from an anniversary trip to Newport Beach. A friend of mine recommended taking the ferry over to the island, and I’m so glad we did. We walked up and down Marine Ave. but decided to stick with Wilma’s as it was the busiest and the menu was the most appealing. I’m glad we made that choice. The restaurant is open and you can definitely feel the island vibe. It felt like South Beach on a cool morning. We loved it.
While there was a wait, it was maybe 5 minutes, at most. We were told it would be longer, so yay! The service was excellent from start to finish. We had a chance to meet the owner, who was very personable. You can tell everyone takes their roles seriously and they do an excellent job.
Hubby had a burger (apparently it’s one of the top 5 burgers he’s ever eaten — that’s a big deal!) and I had «The Feast» with half a turkey melt (turkey, cheddar, bacon, and avocado on grilled sourdough) with a bowl of the BEST french onion soup. Seriously, the best soup I’ve ever tasted. Just thinking about it makes me want more!
Our entire experience was fantastic and definitely memorable. We really enjoyed everything — from the location, to the food, to the atmosphere, to the excellent customer service. We will be back for sure!

Wilma’s really defines Balboa Island for me. Laid back, diner style with good down home food. When you walk into some of the shops on the Main Street (Marine Ave) on Balboa Island you see that life seems so different here. It’s a bit like Hawaii. It’s like time slows down and people joke that they are on Island time! This restaurant is folksy like a corner restaurant and perfect for an east coaster who lives a life of crazy much of the time!
As it was a nice December day we chose to eat outside on the patio facing the post office and the shops on Marine. For a Canadian like me to eat outside on a patio in Late December is something I cherish living in a cold country!
For my daughter they had a great kids menu with lots of choice and great fruit offerings with the meal. So for her. I ordered a grilled cheese sandwich that came with a generous portion of watermelon, grapes, honeydew melon, cantaloupe and two pickles slices. She loved it and I was so happy she could enjoy a good healthy lunch also!
I selected one fish taco (mahi mahi) that came with chips, rice guacamole sour cream and salsa. The fish taco wasn’t the best I’ve eaten but it was good! A solid 3.5÷5. It had a creamy sauce that prefer a more simple style but I ate it all. It was a big portion size fresh tasting and I did enjoy eating it so no complaints here.
Interior décor gives you the feel you are at a funky Cali diner with their décor and coastal murals on the wall. Definitely charming and serving what seemed like good diner style food at not too expensive of prices. A solid meal!

While no restaurant is «perfect»… this one delivered for us. It was Sunday, around 1:30p, and we’d just left the Huntington Beach Art and BBQ festival (big fail btw, and another story). We decided to take PCH back to So. OC, with a thought of stopping on the way in Balboa village. We got there via PCH to Jamboree, and South on Jamboree over the bridge to Balboa Island. I wanted to revisit Olive Oil and Beyond on mid Marine Ave., and my wife was, basically, hungry! We quickly found street parking, and luckily «found» Wilma’s while starting our short walk on the West side of the boulevard.
Wilma’s is a very good example of a COMFORT FOOD CAFE/​RESTAURANT. Expect a friendly crew and surroundings, and a very large and complete menu. Every plate we saw coming out of the kitchen looked «bountiful and fresh.» Those are two big winners in my book. And prices, at least from what I saw, were very reasonable. Our meal total was only $ 32, before tip, for two entrée items and one iced tea.
We both opted for the Fish n’ Chips; something we try in every «Seaport Kinda’ Town» on the West Coast. Trying to cut carbs, my wife sub’d the fries and coleslaw for fruit and tomatoes. I ordered the F n’ C, but as on the menu. Each platter came to our table with three large pieces of the cod, and the fries were great; more baked than fried, a welcomed surprise. These servings were «very ample», like the Eggs Benedict that I eyed several times being delivered to fellow diners. (Old Ship in Sta. Ana and Fullerton is one of our favorites in OC for Fish n’ Chips.) If you’re a fish n’ chips fan like us, you’ll find Old Ship and other spots we’ve visited on my profile page and in my other reviews. I should add that I’m also a huge Eggs Benedict fan, (and EB cook myself), and when I saw orders whizzing past our booth, I actually wished this was a buffet, just so I could try Wilma’s version.
Obviously, we were impressed, overall, with Wilma’s Restaurant-​Café. So now, we have a Balboa favorite when we’re in the area. And we’re looking forward to coming back with friends. And I’ll enjoy taking credit for «finding this place» with any first-​timers… like we were, ourselves, today.