Twisted Sage Cafe & Catering — Restaurant in San Dimas

On any other day…

TSC might be good for others with a predilection for this style of cooking, but today, was not a good experience, and solidified for my family at least that this is not worth the money or time waiting.

Wait was about 40 minutes, above the inferred 20-30, which is not being factored in to this review.”, although expediency of cleaning outgoing customer tables could be. There did not appear to be much staff on.

First order of business, kids juice. Ordered an apple juice for my daughter. $4 for 6 oz. Refill…another $4 for 6 oz. Other facilities would just refill it, not here. Might suggest refills be a reduced right for kids, maybe $2. It’s not breaking the bank and $2 more from recharging is not saving your rent. So water it was…

Second, the food. Ordering the pulled pork Benedict. Comes out colorful, near neon orange sauce on two eggs, and a hearty servings of pulled pork. But that’s it. No sides, no herbs, no garnish. Just Benedict’s.

These congealed heaps of food are soggy and bland. The cholula hollaindaise is bland, and the vinegar from the cholula cuts through unpleasantly. Take the best parts of cholula and toss them out, and you’re left with vinegar, that’s what stands out. The eggs are well cooked, and the pulled pork by itself is great, but soaking through the English muffin left a soggy mess. The flavors don’t mesh well. The sauces under seasoned. And it would not hurt to top with chive, or cilantro, or some accompanying herb. The margins to keep an herb on deck is minimal since you would use a splash per dish. This dish really needs some insight.

The chicken fried steak. Served with one side of potatos. Now, a smidge of sea salt graces an edge of a couple potato’s, but the upcharge for their signature twisted potatoes is a nice touch. Providing your signature potatoes might actually draw other customers in outside an average potato, but make your money how you want to. Other people might buy-in to it…but others who worked the industry know the deal.

Potatoes aside, the chicken fried steak is cooked through, but the fry is very weak. The breading has no chew or flake, it’s pale and guess what…under-seasoned. Yes, I see a pattern here. The gravy is ok, and can see and taste the beef bits that help offset the…if you have not guessed now…under-seasoned gravy. There is no garnish, no frills. The dish is varying shades of yellow, gray and white. Just visually boring. The aromas were also lacking…on both dishes. The nose knows good food…and this did not uplift the senses to heighten the palates experience.

Now, the power went out during our service. This is no one’s fault. However, there were zero contingencies to pay the bill outside of cash, which few people carry these days thanks to things like Apple Pay, square, Venmo, Zelle, PayPal, etc. however, there were no credit slips to process billing during power outages. This is standard operating procedures at restaurants. You have to plan for these.

Behind us was a couple of women, who sat down behind us. They just put there order in right as the power went down. They ordered bloody Mary’s. The server said we can’t serve you food because the check writer in the kitchen did not get there order in time and since it did not print, they won’t be cooking anything. Then presented the bill for the Bloody Mary’s. The people at least spoke up and said because they are inconvenienced, the drinks should be comped. The server checked with their manager.

This is poor service. The drinks should have been comped immediately for service recovery. You want better reviews and for customers to maybe come back…comp the drinks. It’s a tax write off for the business and is good customer appreciation in these events. Hospitality 101.

Honestly this cuisine appears to be some contemporary southwest/Tex mex missing core Latin influences from the region that could be spared in to their modern approach. It feels like plenty of recipes over cater to white palates that dumb down the flavors upcharge because they can afford it, but lacks character and...

I have to say, I'm surprised there is such a hoppin' trendy spot this deep into the residential area of San Dimas. A bit out of the way for most of you, but definitely worth a shot if you're in the area. The fare is something special and despite the menu's enormous diversity, everything that they're cranking out is made from scratch using the highest-quality ingredients.

Breakfast is the star of this place, and you have a plethora of things to chose from: Waffles with bacon, croissant sandwiches, French Toast, Breakfast Burritos, Build-Your-Own Breakfast plates and so much more.

The Drunken Fig & Brie Cheese Burger is one of my favorites. Rarely have I found a burger this decadent outside of LA's upscale bar scene. And their Jalapeño Cream Cheese burger on a toasted pretzel bun and chipotle aioli is really something else. The sandwiches and paninis are hearty and delicious while still maintaining a level of freshness and healthy flair. The turkey sandwiches with cranberry sauce are a healthy decadence outside of Thanksgiving. Don't worry, they have veggie options, too.

Don't forget to take a look at their 'Twisted Specials' options, as they offer a little something extra outside the norm. We're talking Pulled Pork Benedict, Lox Florentine, Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, and Breakfast Burgers.

And for drinks, you can either opt-in for the typical fountain favorites, or go with a Stumptown Cold Brew/ Chilled Coffee from their refrigerated section.

There's always a wait, but if you're already in the area, there are worse...

I'm extremely surprised and disappointed in the service here.

We've had a rough year and my husband and I wanted to get breakfast out for the first time in a year. I was so excited to go to Twisted Sage after it being over two years since being at this specific restaurant. My favorite part about this place is the atmosphere. I love sitting on the patio and enjoying listening to the birds and having a mimosa with breakfast.

We arrived this morning around 9:30am and it was just getting busy. They sat us promptly and we were able to choose to sit outside. Since it was a bit busy they had to sit us on the patio space that is along the side of the building. It was fine but I did ask if we can raise the shade to let the light shine through. I was told that "the chef couldn't do it". I was bummed. It felt so closed in and I just wanted to enjoy the space. I then asked the waitress if we can raise the shade and she told us "it doesn't open". That frustrated me because it clearly opens. It seemed they just didn't want to bother with it.

We ended up going inside to ask the hostess to seat us inside instead because at this point I'd rather just be inside. We very politely asked if we could be moved and they told us that they would have to put us on the wait list now. We questioned "even though we were already seated?" And that was still their answer.

We walked out.

I'm so bummed that this happened and it will be a very long time if I ever decide to return here. The...