Rose Cafe Lake Forest — Restaurant in Lake Forest

I don’t usually write long reviews, but this place absolutely deserves it. I recently visited Rose Cafe and had one of the best dessert and coffee experiences I’ve had in a long time.

Let’s start with the baklava—honestly one of the best I’ve ever had. Perfectly flaky, packed with fresh pistachios, and just the right amount of syrup. It was rich, aromatic, and absolutely delicious. You can taste the quality and care in every bite.

Their Vietnamese iced coffee was also amazing—strong, smooth, and perfectly sweetened. It gave that bold kick you want without being bitter. Easily one of the better iced coffees I’ve had locally.

As for the desserts, this place is a bakery lover’s dream. The key lime tart with whipped cream and fresh mint was refreshing and bright. Everything in their dessert case looked fresh and thoughtfully made—from éclairs and chocolate mousse to colorful donuts and fruit-topped pastries.

One thing that pleasantly surprised me: they also offer pretty good halal options, making it a fantastic choice for more people to enjoy the food without compromise.

The outdoor seating area was peaceful and beautifully set up with shaded tables, flowers, and a relaxed atmosphere. There’s plenty of parking right outside, which made the visit even more convenient.

The staff were also outstanding—genuinely kind, helpful, and welcoming. The indoor decor is modern and cozy with artistic touches like a bicycle wall piece and a neat self-serve station for water and utensils.

Whether you’re looking for a relaxing cafe experience, fresh desserts, or somewhere with great halal options—Rose Cafe delivers on every level. I’ll definitely be coming back again soon. Highly...

A place where service and food are good!

I got hit with early AM coffee & breakfast burrito cravings and decided to stop here since they have both. I arrived right when they opened and knew what I wanted to order, an Iced Vietnamese Coffee and Steak & Egg Burrito. I walked in and approached the register where the friendly worker asked if I needed help. I placed my order and patiently waited outside. Not long after, the worker found me outside and gave me my coffee, then a few short minutes after that found me once more to give me my food :'). Talk about service, and with a smile!

I strolled over to my workplace down the street and opened the to-go container with my burrito, and stuck a straw in my coffee cup. I was ready.

How was it?

Iced Vietnamese Coffee: Somewhat strong and a little more bitter than sweet, it tasted good. Small crushed ice allowed plenty of room so that the coffee to ice ratio was balanced.

Steak & Egg Burrito: This burrito had eggs, sliced beef, hash brown, bell peppers, onions, and cheddar cheese. Heavy, hot, and greasy. I'm not sure if the oil was from the cheese or beef, but there was quite a bit of it. Other than that it tasted pretty good. It comes with a side of salsa but I recommend getting 1 or 2 more because it was barely enough for half of the burrito.

They have indoor and outdoor seating available.

There's some parking in front of the business and also around the corner in the same plaza. Two spots in front are reserved for pickup orders.

I've had the Grilled Chicken Wrap from here before and it was also good. I recommend giving this...

I ordered Eggs Florentine to takeout. What I got was horrible and disgusting. I should have read the menu description MUCH MUCH more closely.

Instead of Eggs Florentine, they sent me home with the Florentine Scramble, a disgusting abomination of scrambled eggs mixed with bell peppers, tomatoes, spinach and SAUSAGE! I do not eat sausage ever. It's gross. And I HATE bell peppers. And I HATE hot tomatoes. I threw the mess straight into the garbage when I got home. This mess makes me want to throw up and not stop.

When I saw Florentine, I expected poached eggs and wilted spinach topped with hollandaise sauce served on an English muffin. NO sausage, peppers or tomatoes!

I was so hungry I almost cried. Fortunately I had ordered a sticky bun. The sticky bun was okay, but very dry, like it had been sitting out for hours.

EDIT TO ADD: Yes, I should have read the menu more closely but the whole takeout experience was bad. The sticky buns were dry and hard. The scrambled eggs were hard as rocks. I couldn't even salvage the toast. The butter packets for the toast were put INSIDE with the hot breakfast and melted everywhere, even all over the jam packets. I threw the whole yucky mess out.

DO...