Cafe Mimosa | 451 Rohnert Park Expressway, Rohnert Park 94928; 456 College Ave, Santa Rosa 95401 | 707-595-3764 (RP); 707-293-9450 (SR) | Most entrees under $15
5 of 5 Oak Leaves
Signature Dishes
Basic Breakfast, Chilaquiles, Mini Cheesecake, Cafe Mimosa Chicken
Review
Cafe Mimosa is a brunch staple in Sonoma County. Before coronavirus swept the world, Cafe Mimosa was a vibrant place, constantly busy with one-hour waits. Today, it is an underrated brunch takeout restaurant with empty waiting areas, yet the bright vibrancy has not left the atmosphere in the employees nor in the food.
The order clerk is positive and polite, plus happy to talk about the most popular breakfast and lunch items on the menu. The bright attitudes of the employees over the phone and upon arrival escalate the experience of going to Cafe Mimosa without even trying the food yet.
If you’re overwhelmed by the variety of mouthwatering food on the breakfast menu, the basic breakfast is a go-to. The essential breakfast foods come in big portions, plus a choice of how you like your eggs done, type of toast and meat to accompany your meal. The bacon is the right amount of crispy and chewy plus you are given more than two small pieces, the mistake many other breakfast places make. The eggs are not too salty, and the right amount of soft and well-cooked. The house potatoes are beautiful bites of magic in my mouth. Crispy on the outside and soft in the inside, and the big portions do not hide the complimenting flavors of rosemary and chime. With so many choices of toast, the buttery moist goodness of the biscuit does not let you down.
The chilaquiles is the most popular dish at Cafe Mimosa, and rightfully so as they bring a different spice to the usual basic breakfast. Found in the breakfast menu, the chilaquiles are a dish for everyone even if spicy food isn’t your jam. Although they are a little soggier than some would like, the mildly spice and taste of the green salsa was still in tact. The soft queso fresco cheese, tortillas, avocado and scrambled eggs all taste fresh. Even though the black beans are obviously canned, you can tell they’ve been thoroughly washed. For $14, the portion size and amazing rich flavors make it worth it in the end.
When it comes to lunchtime, you can’t go wrong with the Cafe Mimosa Chicken sandwich. Although it is a little pricier than a normal chicken sandwich you can buy at any other fast food chain, it offers a unique combination of sweet and salty flavors and is accompanied with well cooked crispy fries. All of the sandwich’s ingredients are fresh. The organic breaded chicken breast is tender and juicy, perfectly crispy on the outside and well cooked on the inside. It definitely does not taste like the fake chicken from McDonald’s.
The baby greens, tomato, and pickled onions freshen the sandwich while the chipotle aioli adds a spice kick that raises the sandwich from 10 to 100. Although the sandwich lacks the promised avocado, the ciabatta roll makes up for it with a buttery layer but with a sweet touch.
The only letdown from Cafe Mimosa is their mini cheesecake. Although the soft creamy flavors are there, the portion size is unexpectedly small for $5. Nobody would have imagined a mini cheesecake to be as mini. Each day there are different selections of the cheesecake, but just be warned of the small portion size.
Cafe Mimosa brings Latin touches to an otherwise American concept of brunch and exceeds all the normal standards. With flavors that’ll have you dreaming of the food, this local business is a must to order from during quarantine. Their prices can be mid-range pricy, but one bite of their food sweeps you away into a different world.
The Breakdown
| Category | What were we looking for? | Score out of 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Packaging | Neat? Sustainable? Did they remember cutlery? Napkins? Condiments? | 5 |
| Hygiene | Was clerk wearing gloves? A mask? Both? Neither? What were the pick up and waiting areas like? Clean/neat? | 5 |
| Speed and accuracy | Food was on counter ready for pickup | 5 |
| Portion size | Was it filling or were you left wanting more? | 4 |
| Leftovers | Were there leftovers and, if so, did they reheat well? | 5 |
| Quality of Food | Freshness, quality of ingredients | 4 |
| Tastiness of Food | Flavor, spice and texture | 5 |
| Customer Service | Friendliness, responsiveness | 5 |
| Overall Rating | With 5 being a perfect score, this restaurant rated: | 5 |
