Snooze, an A.M. Eatery — Restaurant in Tustin

To my allergy friends out there: They are very accommodating for food allergies, like mine to wheat, and so we had no trouble ordering everything gluten-free. In fact, almost every item on the menu already is or can be made gluten free. They also have an allergy filter on their website menu! They changed gloves, used different utensils, and cooked on a different side of the grill for my order. So while it is not a celiac-certified kitchen, they do the most they can to prevent cross-contamination!

The staff was friendly and fun, and our service was great! The restaurant was very clean and inviting with an atmosphere of a bright, modern breakfast joint. We joined the waitlist through their website and had no wait upon arrival. This is very possibly because we went at 7:30 AM on a weekday, but I love that they have the option to join the queue before you arrive!

My husband ordered the Blueberry Danish Pancakes (GF) plus bacon, and I the Benny Duo of Lox n Latkes and Smashed Avacado. It was all phenomenal! The bacon was served hot n fresh, perfectly cooked to order. The pancakes were just as sweet and sinful as you may hope a danish will be, and the lemony filling was delightfully refreshing. I wish I had asked for more!

But the Eggs Benedict... 😍

The Smashed Avacado Benny was a great choice for a Good Morning breakfast. Avacado offers its rich smoothness and tomatoes their sweet acidity as the base of this healthy-start plate. The smoked cheddar hollandaise suprised me at the first bite (I didn't read the whole description before I ordered), but it was a good suprise! The subtle smoked cheddar flavor of the sauce and the crispy parmesan kept my fork going back for more. The everything bagel seasoning is really the star, in my opinion, as its blend brings all these flavors together so well! Whomever first decided to blend onion, garlic, sea salt, poppy and sesame seeds together has my thanks.

I will go back to Snooze just to have the Lox Benny again. I would wait in line for it. The cream cheese hollandaise was light and tangy, and I like what flavor frying gives the capers (still briny, but with a more mild kind of nutty taste). The poached egg was cooked perfectly, and the the lox salmon was scrumptious! The addition of pickled red onion was a brilliant choice! (Pickling increases the natural umami of vegetables, both sweetness and acidity, creating a complex savory flavor. A wonderful complement to the bold taste of smoked salmon and tangy hollandaise!) All this served over a potato pancake was delicious harmony - it was the best Lox Benedict I've ever had! 😘👌

Looking forward to...

This place was a suggestion from a friend. I pretty much get the same things when I go to a breakfast spot so I was excited to see what I could get this time around.

We were seated within 15 minutes upon arrival on a Friday afternoon, about 1PM.

Our waitress, Adrenaline, appeared before our eyes and immediately got our names and asked if we were first timers. We were first timers. I don't know how our waitress was able to harness this energy but she became even more excited that we were first timers here.

We ordered our drinks and shortly after, our drinks arrived. Adrenaline reappeared like a freakin' genie and took our orders. She was extremely knowledgeable about the menu and even offered suggestions on modifications.

My husband ordered the salmon Benedict. I ordered an omelet and French toast.

As we were waiting for the food, the GM (whose name is Will Smith 😊) greeted us and asked how we were doing. The awesome thing about Will was he was dressed in comfy gear and serving food as well. There is nothing worse than someone on the corporate level who acts as of they can't do hard work when needed.

Anyway, our food came out hot and fresh.

However, one of my husband's Benedicts was made with a thick slice of pork bacon instead of salmon. He didn't realize it until after he digested a bite. The issue with that is my husband hadn't eaten pork since 1998. 😲 It was a huge mess up. ESPECIALLY because we were verbally clear about our dietary needs at the very beginning. This includes asking if the chicken sausage was lined in pork casing and blatantly stating "we do not eat pork or beef".

My husband took it in stride as our waitress was totally apologetic and immediately asked "what can I do to make it right?"

Adrenaline IMMEDIATELY got a hot and fresh replacement if the salmon, which he enjoyed.

After we ate, Adrenaline again came out and apologized for the huge mistake. She felt so bad. We wanted to take a load off her shoulders and let her know that it wasn't her fault and many things can happen in the kitchen.

I'm unsure if the GM was made aware of the mistake.

All in all, it was a great experience.

I recommend the the pineapple pancake. That jawn is some #SpiritualShyt

Ask for Adrenaline! She lives up to her name is the Most awesome way.

Don't forget to tip the waiter like...

Been here twice and have been extremely happy with both experiences.

The first visit was on a weekend so there was a lengthy wait but my friends and I were able to sit outside catching up with commentary coffee and water during the wait so the time passed quickly. The cool thing is they take your cell number and send you a text when your table is ready so you can actually head to best buy, Nordstrom rack or total wine (don't judge me!) and do some shopping while you wait. Corned beef hash is my go-to item at new breakfast locations and theirs ranks up at the top of the list. I ordered it well done and it came out perfect. 4 of us split a pancake as an appetizer and OMG.. it was amazing. My friends ended up ordering different pancakes and they were all unique and equally amazing. The bloody Mary's are spicy and incredible. Ordered the dirty chai since it sounded right up my alley but there was something about it that I did not like and didn't drink it. The attentive server noticed it untouched as she cleared our dishes and immediately offered to remove it from the bill.

Second visit was yesterday for a work lunch on a weekday. Super short wait, same attentive service and more fantastic food. Tried the upside down pineapple pancakes and they were great. Super filling though so I left half on my plate. The server offered a box which I declined and regretted this morning as I was scavenging the kitchen for breakfast.

Will definitely...