Early Bird — Restaurant in Fullerton

I used to be a loyal customer at this place ever since they opened, but in 2020, we moved further away, so it's quite a drive for us. Consequently, we've only managed to visit a few times since. Today, I decided to take my sister here for lunch for her very first time, and unfortunately, we had a truly disappointing dine-in experience.

In the past, we've always visited during busy weekends, both by ourselves and with friends and family, even introducing many of them to this establishment. Historically, the food, drinks, and service have always been great, but today was very different.

To begin, they had run out of the seasonal pancake/waffle special we had our hearts set on so we requested a minute to choose a different dish. However, those few minutes stretched to eight or more, which made a significant impact on our tight lunch schedule. We flagged down the hostess to place our order, who was sitting at a table and appeared to be chatting with a friend, and she assured us the waitress would be with us shortly. However, the waitress took quite some time to arrive, even though the restaurant was far from busy, with not even half of the tables occupied.

When our orders finally arrived, we noticed there was no syrup on the table, nor did it come with our meals. We had to request it separately. Furthermore, my sister's sweet potato fries were served without any accompanying condiments, and while there was ketchup on the table, it doesn't pair well with sweet potato fries. So, my sister requested some ranch dressing. The server agreed to provide it.

Later on, my sister required more ranch dressing and a refill of her water. I had finished my meal by then, and surprisingly, we weren't checked on since the initial "how's the food" inquiry. I had to get up and ask the hostess for more for water and ranch since it was not brought out. Again, there was no mention of an extra charge for the ranch dressing when I asked for it or when it was brought to the table.

When it was time to settle the bill and ask for takeout containers, I had to get up and ask the hostess. As I reviewed the payment, we discovered an unexpected charge for the two ranch dressings. Usually, I would simply pay and move on, but given that it was never communicated to us that there would be an extra charge, I felt compelled to address it. I informed the hostess that I had been a frequent customer in the past and that I typically wouldn't make an issue out of such matters. Her response, however, was less than satisfactory, stating, "We always charge." I kindly requested if they could make a one-time exception in this instance, but she declined, reiterating that they always charge.

Disheartened, I walked away and expressed my dissatisfaction with the situation. I then returned to pay, and the hostess passed me off to the waitress. The ranch charge remained on the bill. This experience was a first for me: I chose not to leave a tip. The service was subpar, the unmentioned additional charge was irksome, and they were unwilling to accommodate a loyal patron who had brought them business and helped sustain their establishment.

This whole experience has left a bitter taste in my mouth, and regrettably, we will not be returning. We intend to share our disappointing experience with our friends and...

There is a lot of hype for this restaurant so my wife and I decided to have a special anniversary brunch here. We had relatively high expectations based on word of mouth and on reviews so it seemed like a good decision at the time. Our primary feeling after eating there, unfortunately, was disappointment.

Key things that contributed to our disappointment:

Relatively slow and inattentive service.

They were relatively busy but after we were seated we had to stand up and retrieve menus for ourselves after waiting a few minutes to receive one. We had to flag down waitresses a couple times for refills on coffee. Even after retrieving our menus we had to wait what felt like an above average amount of time to place an order.

Time after placing the order and to receiving our food felt average so that is a plus.

Towards the end of our meal, as my wife and I were enjoying good conversation, we were asked if we wanted our last cup of coffee to-go. We both asked for it to be for here (we had not been seated that long nor were there that many people waiting outside), instead we were given cups of coffee to go - the signal there was pretty obvious and not really appreciated since we felt like we were within the polite bounds of still finishing up our meal.

Luke warm food

I ordered a mexican coffee up front and my wife ordered decafe. She received relatively hot coffee. My coffee though was lukewarm and borderline cold. That is a bad cup of coffee! To their credit, I called a waitress and she promptly gave me a new cup of coffee that was actually hot. At this point in the meal, this would have been something I overlooked, but there's more! For my entree I ordered pork belly eggs benedict with a side of skillet potatoes. The dish looked great! However, my potatoes were lukewarm and some were cold. The eggs benedict were slightly warm. I could have brought this issue up but at this point we had been there long enough and I just wanted to move on with my meal with my wife. Regardless this also hurts my review of this restaurant as well. I could see how IF the food was served hot to me, it would have been absolutely delicious, but served lukewarm (and some parts cold) it was merely OK.

All that being said, if you come here when they are doing "good" then you'll probably have a 4-5 star experience. I, however, don't think I will be coming back because of the...

Nestled in the heart of a bustling plaza, Early Bird is a culinary gem that stands out for its unique blend of Peruvian and American dining experiences. My wife and I decided to visit this popular spot for brunch, intrigued by its promise of a fusion menu that piqued our culinary curiosity.

Upon arrival, we were immediately struck by the vibrant atmosphere of the restaurant. Despite its popularity, which was evident from the hour-long wait for a table, the plaza offered ample parking. However, due to the restaurant’s busy nature, we found ourselves parking further away than anticipated. Early Bird utilizes a phone texting system to manage its queue, though in practice, it seemed they preferred the traditional method of calling out names. This slight disconnect in their seating process led to a longer wait for us, possibly exacerbated by a mix-up with another guest sharing my name.

Once seated, the service quickly took a turn for the better. The staff was attentive and efficient, ensuring that our food arrived promptly after we ordered. The highlight of our visit was undoubtedly the Lomo Saltado, a Peruvian classic that was executed with a flair that married well with the American dining style Early Bird aims to fuse. The flavors were robust and satisfying, a testament to the kitchen’s skill and creativity.

However, despite the delightful culinary experience, the cost of the meal gave us pause. The pricing at Early Bird is on the higher side, especially when compared to other brunch offerings in the area. While we understand the premium ingredients and unique culinary fusion may warrant higher prices, we felt that the value proposition could be better balanced to reflect the overall...