Carolyn's Cafe — Restaurant in Redlands

I was in town and a good friend of mine suggested we go here for brunch. He went on and on about this coffee cake and from the looks of the reviews they really were all the hype about this place. So I took the initiative to put us in the virtual waitlist while we rushed out the door. I found the virtual waitlist very helpful and I wish more restaurants gave you that option through Yelp! What a great idea. I was warned this place gets packed quick but to know I had my space in line saved already calmed my nerves and let me have confidence in choosing to support this restaurant over others. That's great marketing skills!

The waitlist would update and I could see how many parties were ahead of us and if our wait time changed depending on when our party checked in with the waitress at the counter.

After the wait we were seated in a grand room with small tables fit for parties of four, to the right of me there were booths for +5 parties against the windows. My friend told me how prior to Carolyn's Cafe this was a pizzeria for many years and the look of the room didn't change much. There was so much space and I feel it was utilized very well. I mean the place was packed! But it wasn't cramped.

I ordered coffee and they did make a great cup of coffee. I'm the type of person that takes advantage of the little creamers and sugars placed on the table. So I don't have the best idea of how the Black coffee taste. Best of luck to ya if you're looking to try it.

When the opportunity came to order I jumped at the chance to say I'd like to order the coffee cake! Haha! And boy I wasn't let down at all. Oh my! It was so delicious, not rich or over powering at all! If your familiar with the French egg whipped cookie, Madeleine's when fresh- this cake had that soft fluffy texture with a but of crisp and crunch from the cinnamon crumble that thickened as a river of butter ran through the layers barely touching the middle layer. The saltiness of the butter paired very well with the soft sweetness of the cake. I wanted more when it was gone, which is rare-I'm not one to have a big sweet tooth.

The waitresses were awfully sweet, genuine and attentive. They kept a good eye on my coffee cup as the water line lowered in my cup.

I ordered salsa verde Chicken Enchiladas and spicy Pico de Gallo with a bed of scramble eggs on top. I knew I wanted this dish because I have never seen it offered anywhere else. The salsa as requested did have a good kick to it and had me slurping down my water real fast. My side order of frijolés were well spiced, had a good amount of lard. Very tasty!

I enjoyed my time here at this restaurant and would love to bring more friends here. Definitely recommending this place to friends in town. Can't...

What can I say. A few months ago I tried coming here for breakfast. The line to get in let's just say was long. I decided to come earlier and wow so glad I did. My husband and I arrived at 10AM. We got a table outside. We got there just in time, 10mins later would have been too late. This by far was the best country breakfast we have ever had. We tried several breakfast dishes. The chicken and waffles. The chicken was fried and seasoned to perfection. The waffle melted in our mouths. The coffee cake came hot with melted butter and let's just say, I thought I died and went to heaven it was absolutely delish. The country potatoes melted in my mouth and was piping hot. The strawberry pancakes were also superb. Bacon was cooked to a perfect crispness without tasting greasy. Scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese, onion and bellpepper were also delish. I will definitely be back. The staff were nice and pleasant. Shout out to our waitress Jessica. She was nice, polite and had a nice smile. Although, it was extremely busy, all staff did not look bothered if you requested anything. Kudos and keep up the GREAT SERVICE. Whatever your doing owner/management keep bringing out hot food and bless you for keeping your employees happy. It shows. I see why people kept coming to eat the entire time we were there. Simply amazing. By the way the coffee was also excellent. I will definitely be back soon and I will be recommending Carolyn's cafe to friends and family. Thanks for the best breakfast we have ever had. Customers for life, Darcy and...

After actually finding the restaurant because Google has them on the wrong side of the L shaped building, I noticed a specific lack of diversity which was interesting and intimidating at the same time. In general, the staff was friendly and there were so many people inside, social distancing wasn’t really a possibility... which helped me decide not to dine in and contribute to the increasing of cases. (They did not require face masks, which I felt made dining in even more risky.) There was a HUGE menu but no one to recommend because everyone was busy. For a first time visitor and a foodie like myself, I would have appreciated a guide since they offered such a range of items. I want with the safe breakfast burrito covered in green and gravy sauce (half and half). My friend had a scramble with biscuits and gravy and fruit on the side. My burrito was large and beautifully covered with the sauce. There was a kick from the sausage, beautifully grilled potatoes, eggs, and a firm tortilla that held everything together. The flavors were nice, I felt a great balance of flavors and textures, and I did have to remove it from the styrofoam container so I could cut into it. My friend devoured his scramble, loved the biscuits and gravy, and the fruit wasn’t old or hard. I would consider coming back to dine in after Covid. The age groups being so mixed during Covid and not requiring the face masks is just...