Mimi's Cafe — Restaurant in Chino

As a long-time patron of the Chino and Chino Hills dining scene, I’ve come to appreciate the wide array of quality restaurants that make this area such a pleasure to live in. That said, I was deeply disappointed by my recent visit to this particular Mimi’s Café — a location that, while beautifully designed and conveniently located, served what was, quite frankly, one of the most underwhelming breakfasts I’ve had in years. The item in question was the Monte Cristo sandwich, which bore almost no resemblance to the classic version I’ve come to know and enjoy. What I received was essentially a dry ham and Swiss sandwich between two lifeless slices of French toast. It lacked all of the defining elements that make a Monte Cristo special — no powdered sugar, no rich batter, and certainly no berry compote. Instead, I was given a side of what appeared to be an unappetizing, borderline spoiled mix of blueberries and strawberries — and to make matters worse, it was an additional charge. When I respectfully brought the issue to the server’s attention, I was met not with concern or a willingness to resolve the issue, but rather a dismissive and abrupt response — questioning why I hadn’t mentioned it sooner, and clearly more focused on the check than the guest experience. I attempted to salvage the meal by dipping the sandwich in syrup, but after one bite, I simply couldn’t continue. It was inedible. The only item that met expectations was the peach iced tea, which was refreshing — but unfortunately, not enough to redeem the visit. For a brand that positions itself as offering quality and comfort, this experience fell far below even the most basic standards. Given the price point, the lack of quality control and service is especially troubling. I sincerely hope that Mimi’s Café takes this feedback seriously. There is potential here, but right now, it’s being overshadowed by poor execution and an apparent disregard for the dining experience. This was not just disappointing — it was...

ONE STAR for service. In anticipation for Mother’s Day we made reservations for our large party for brunch. We arrived and checked in 15 minutes early and we’re already told that we wouldn’t be seated until 45 minutes after our set reservation time. It was definitely noticeable that the front staff was struggling to keep up with the crowd. They did not take accountability for their inability to organize and seat tables in a timely manner. It was a heat wave and people waiting were all getting restless some organization such as making two separate list of people who checked in for reservations and people who were walk-ins would have greatly helped if they had bothered to problem solve and offering those who are waiting outside at the tables and all around the front area in the middle of the heat wave a cold glass of water that would have helped cool the heads of many of the patrons. This was the most unpleasant visit I have ever had at any Mimi‘s location. The front staff tried to blame their tablet for malfunctioning as to why we were not seated in any timely manner according to our reservation. I was told that the reservation list was inaccessible and so anyone with a reservation and anyone who was a walk up, was all combined into one list so there was no point of making a reservation. Wan at the front was not helpful, friendly or apologetic. Based on this experience today, I would never return to this institution. After waiting an exorbitant amount of time we decided to leave having never been given hope of being seated and went to a nearby restaurant who was able to accommodate us with no problems. In a restaurant service by far first and foremost, should be the focus and today’s experience left a sour taste...

I’ve never had such a disappointing experience at a Mimi’s so I’ll give it another try before deciding to write off this place. There was no host at the podium at approximately 1:30 on Monday. I waited about five minutes for someone to come and greet me. I was sat immediately but no silverware at the table. The host said she’d bring some and never returned. The server took five minutes to greet us and another five to return with our beverages and bread. Only the white rolls, no more dark loaf bread (I don’t recall the name), when was this removed? I ordered a bowl of corn chowder and side house salad. The food was brought out to the wrong table by our server, and then she realized and brought it to us, we still had no silverware and she went straight to the other table she mistakenly took our food to in order to apologize and we had to grab her attention to remind her about the silverware we asked for earlier. My salad was disappointing: tomatoes, croutons, greens and a small amount of dressing... subpar taste and quality. The celery in my soup was not tender.... this is my favorite menu item so I was sad it wasn’t as good as it used to be. Our server dropped off the check without asking if we wanted dessert so we let her know we wanted the lemon cake, which was really good. Also my iced mocha was delicious. Maybe this was a really off day, and that’s my hope. Please bring back the loaf bread and re-train your staff to be more...