Anepalco’s Cafe

Food is too greasy and heavy for breakfast. It gets crowded and seating sucks. Not a nice place to take family or friends for breakfast /​brunch.

No AC! Its a small place but good for breakfast, brunch and lunch. Their chilaquiles are unique and a must try if your a first timer here, also their French toast. They make an in house sauce– very tasty! Enjoy, and bring shorts and a crop top or muscle shirt on a warm day.

Breakfast in the OC. Split and shared the Anepalco’s chilaquiles and the short rib omelette. I’m on Day 5 of my Paleo lifestyle, but I deemed the tortilla chips in the chilaquiles, sour cream, and sprinkling of cotija cheese worth my 15% cheat reserve. I couldn’t exactly ask them to do chilaquiles without the chips. I didn’t touch the potatoes and toast though; no way that it’s worth it. Alright, confessional part of the review over… thanks for listening.
Tons of my Unilocaly friends have written reviews for this charming lil’ spot. Everyone raved about Anepalco’s chilaquiles. Had to get them. They were right. Super delish.
The short rib omelette though: not to be overlooked, friends! Also very, very good. Next time I’ll get just this without the sprinkling of cheese, and I won’t feel like I’ve gone too rogue.
No A/​C in this small restaurant. Sit outside if you can.

honestly, i just don’t get the hype on this place. my dad and i were absolutely so excited to come here after reading all of these amazing 5 star reviews. we left saying, «meh.»
we came in for breakfast and sat on the «patio» although its more like the parking lot. not really a patio– the inside of the place just looked too cramped. and the place wasn’t even busy.
we ordered the green chilaquiles and the guava french toast and shared it. first of all, this place is way over priced. if i’m paying $ 12 for french toast, it better be stuffed full of yummy stuff. Instead, i got 2 pieces of bread cut in half with about 2 tablespoons worth of whipped unflavored cream cheese dotted in between the bread and some sauce over the top with 2 strawberries. really? it wasn’t impressive to me. the flavor was okay, but i was put off by the lack of. disappointing.
the chilaquiles were okay. they were just saturated in this extremely rich sauce and everything just ended up tasting very one-​note after a few bites. also, why do they scramble the egg? i want the option. i would have preferred an over-​easy egg to pop open so it oozes. instead, the egg just kinda sits blah on top. again, for $ 12 i just expected more.
I just really have no interest in coming back here. all you have to do is just look at the pictures and you know what it all tastes like. its not worth the money.

This place is absolutely amazing the food is delicious I ordered the Barbacos I tacos and they were to die for
the meat is very tender and very tasty and my mouth was watering when the plate arrived. My boyfriend ordered the chilaquiles and they were very delicious in the sauce was just right very very tasty! I highly recommend this place

I’ve been coming here since 2012 and have yet to review this place. Talk about belated. Even after all these years, Anepalco’s continues to astound as a friggin foodie’s dreamscape. Their menu regularly changes, they are continually experimenting with new flavor profiles, and their concoctions always excite and entice the palate. Personal highlights have included a ridiculous carnitas sandwich, mouth watering duck stew, and pretty much any spin on a breakfast classic.
Parking is a drag. You have a better chance of finding a $ 20 bill than a parking spot in front of this place. I suggest going down Stewart and crossing your fingers for an opening. Similarly, you could try the parking lot next to Nguyen’s Kitchen? Though some people would suggest that that’s rude…
If you sit close to the kitchen, you might find your cell service going out. All the more reason to actually talk to your meal partner.
The interior lighting is pretty much nonexistent. So if you have your hopes set for some classic IG foodie pics, you might be disappointed to find that most photos don’t come out in here. Hence why I don’t have any pics myself. Though you might get lucky and snag a window seat, or eat when the sun is shining through to the back at just the right time. But you know what? Who cares about the pics when you can’t capture flavor on a screen anyway? Eat here. Anepalco’s is a tastebud sensation and that’s all that matters.

The poblano sandwich makes my heart melt every time. Definitely worth the trouble of parking!

Had the green chilaquiles, not crazy about the taste. My boyfriend had the Anelpaco red chilaquiles & pointed out the red chilaquiles having a better kick.
Seating was uncomfortable, if you’re claustrophobic not a good place for you. Hard to find parking so avoid going for lunch.
Excellent customer service, with a creative presentation.

Came here with some friends during lunch and was pleased I tried this place out. Anepalco’s is a Mexican & French cuisine restaurant. Their menu isn’t overwhelming since they do keep it to one page, and all their entrees sound amazing.
My friends and I decided to order three dishes and share it family style. We got the Anepalco’s Chilaquiles with Carnitas, Tostada de Ceviche, and their Guava French Toast. Oh man, all three plates were delicious. I have never had chilaquiles before and shame on me! Because these are delicious. Not sure if it’s just the way Anepalco’s prepares them, but they were so good. And their chilaquiles dish is not for the faint-​hearted. The dish is big enough to share between two people (we shared it with three people). The ceviche was fresh. Their Tostada de Ceviche comes with two fairly-​large tostadas, piled high with ceviche. It was very refreshing.
We ended our dinner with the Guava French Toast. It sounded interesting enough. It was delicious. Their brioche bread was soft, but it was the guava syrup around it that made this dish memorable. It tasted like fresh guava jam. It was sweet but not overly so. Just perfect.
Needless to say, I will be coming back here and reordering the chilaquiles while trying out different dishes.

Love the chilaquiles and french toast — so much that I haven’t been able to try anything else for fear of food regret!
Parking can get tough and there can be a wait. I’ve risked it and parked across the street once or twice.
Great service and would definitely recommend coming on a weekday morning if possible to avoid the crowds!

WHAT WAS ORDERED: Anepalco Chilaquiles, Huevos Divorciados and Guava French Toast
SERVICE: They were extremely busy so the services wasn’t the best.
CLEANLINESS: We sat in a table outside. I wasn’t able to see the inside of the restaurant
TASTE: This place was an amazing take of a classic. The Huevos Divorciados were amazing!!! they had enough of everything. Eat bite has enough egg, tortilla, sauce (both red and green), avocado, bacon and ham. It was sooooooo good! The Chilaquiles were also delicious, surprisingly there was no meat and to be honest it didn’t need it. The Guava French Toast were the clear winners of the taste challenge, they were sweet and cooked perfectly. It had just enough guava in every bite.
WORTH THE PRICE?: It is priced reasonably. It was on the cheap for how good the food was.
RECOMMENDATIONS: The guava french toast should be order for the whole table as a appetizer. I think they are a little too sweet for 1 person. The Huevos Divorciados are amazing, it has both green and red sauce and when you mix them together it makes the perfect sauce.
WILL I COME BACK?: Yes, I would like to try more of their dishes
TIPS AND NOTES: This restaurant is tiny. The wait is about 30 minutes or more on the weekends. Parking sucks so make sure you go with plenty of time to wait and look for parking.

I was expecting to be wow’d by their awesome chilaquiles due to the reviews however that wasn’t the case for us. The green chilaquiles was too tart for my liking. It needed something to cut that acidity. The red chilaquiles was mostly chili oil. French toast was ok, there wasnt enough of the batter to soak the bread so some parts are dry. I really had high hopes, but I guess you won’t really know until you try it.
Tip: get there as early as you can cause the place is tiny and parking is basically non-​existent.

Weve been coming here for years. Our daughter and Chef Danny’s daughter would stare at each other (they were both toddlers) while we ate, but they never talked to one another. Now, they are both older, and I miss seeing Chef’s daughter when we come in.
It’s always busy here, and the parking can be an issue, but the food is worth it. The space is small inside and recently redecorated. There are 3 or 4 tables outside. No alcohol is served at this location (there is another across from the UCI Medical Center), and only breakfast and lunch at this location in the shadows of CHOC.
Many of the Mexican dishes clearly express the Chef’s French training, while still being identifiably Mexican. Like the chilaquiles that everyone understandably raves about (I still wish they permitted one to choose a fried egg to top it!). The sauces are rich and super flavorful. Try the Huevos Divorciados to get two delicious sauces!
The sandwiches are filling and tasty. It’s hard to go wrong with any of them. We haven’t had a bad meal here, but the service can be slow at times. On our most recent visit, service was quite good, though.
There are some new menu items that we haven’t tried but which looked inviting, like the pork belly Tartine.
There are enchiladas and quesadillas, but also crepes, all mixing French and Mexican in unique ways. And find me another Mexican restaurant serving Croque Madame!!!
A special experience from very talented young chef who doesn’t get the attention he deserves. Maybe when his new place opens in DTSA, the accolades he deserves will materialize.

Definitely a solid FIVE STARS!
Everything on this menu has been delicious! Whenever I come I make sure I order something new! Usually when I go to a restaurant that I’ve been to I have the tendency to go with what I know is good! NOT HERE! I have ventured out into the wild!
It’s a tiny little spot! I’m guestimating that no more than 30 people fit in here! I also might just be getting old or the music here is just a bit loud! Mano Chau was playing so it didn’t bother me! I’m sure any other I would of had a headache!
Great staff always refilling my coffee cup! In my eyes, that’s awesome! One thing I did notice was every table was missing the salt and pepper shakers! Are the chefs so confident the food is perfectly executed! I think they do because I haven’t had to ask for any! Not one time and I have the bad habit of adding salt to my food before even tasting it!
One problem here would be parking I’ve only seen two spots in front but I’m not sure if there is parking in the rear! :)
Five stars for making that awesome sauce that I just can’t perfect at home YET! :D

Pretty good brunch. Be sure to get there early, parking is tight, very limited spaces. We had to park across the highway.
We tried the famous Chilaquiles. They were super delicious. A lot of flavors and I liked the egg omelette on top. :-) I usually don’t like Chilaquiles either, so it says a lot.

Very yummy Mexican brunch!
Everyone loves the Chilaquiles, but my favorite dish here is the Huevos Divorciados because you get both the red and green sauces. I also really enjoyed the carnitas omelette and crepes. I don’t drink coffee, but my friend said the coffee is really good (dark and strong). The breakfast entrees are $ 10-​$ 13 each, which is a bit pricey for breakfast and considering the location and interior of the restaurant.
The service is excellent. The only reason I can’t give this place 5 stars is because if you sit inside, the smokiness from the kitchen really burned my eyes. It was really uncomfortable while I was eating and I rushed to leave right after. Next time, I’ll ask to be seated outside.
I’ve been here once at 10am on Saturday and had to wait 20 minutes. The other time, I came right before they closed on Sunday and there was no wait.

Came here on Monday of MLK weekend. From the previous Unilocal reviews, they had mentioned that the normal wait is 30 – 45 minutes. So, I got there around 12:40 and to my surprise the wait was only was only 15 minutes! The restaurant itself is small, but they definitely maximize the little space they have for seating. The service was great as well.
We had a group of 4 of us, so we ordered the 4 dishes they are well known for:
Anepalco’s Chilaquiles: great
Green Chilaquiles: great
Guava French Toast: wasn’t too sweet, had a subtle guava flavor
Divorciados (this is a meat dish): my brother in law said his dish was good
Half of us loved the original while the other half loved the green chilaquiles, both were great nonetheless! Mind you, these are big portions (check out the pictures).
There’s a few parking spots in the front, parking in the back, or worse case scenario park across the street.
Would definitely come back again!

This place gets packed really early so be prepared to wait.
The food is amazing, and anything you get you’ll be satisfied with.
The service is quick and friendly. They also have another location located in a hotel off chapman.
They raised their prices over the past 6 months.

I met a friend for breakfast at this popular hole-​in-​the-​wall café. At 8:30am on a weekday morning we were the only ones in the place but by 9am the place was packed.
I ordered the guava french toast and a cup of coffee. The coffee was decent and my cup was constantly kept filled. The french toast was made perfectly and was swimming in a delicious guava sauce and topped with coconut shavings. It’s a shame it was served cold. Not even warm… how can that happen?

Very solid meal. Place is mom/​pop-​esque, small spot in a strip mall. There’s probably room for 20 – 25 inside and a couple tables outside as well.
Wasn’t too hungry, so got the guava french toast. The guava syrup wasn’t too sweet, which was perfect, and you could definitely appreciate the flavor. The brioche bread was still fluffy and light. I added some bacon on top, which may not have been worth the extra $ 2.50 in hindsight, but oh well: P
Their Colombian coffee is rich and spot on. Would definitely recommend grabbing a brew if you’re needing a pick-​me-​up. Overall, great meal. And looked like my buddies enjoyed their chilaquiles as the plate was wiped clean by the end haha