Sage Cafe

Sage café is awesome. Easily one of my favorite lunch establishments. This is a cute mom and pop shop that specializes in unique sandwiches. So sad it’s gone. Come back!

Excellent food and very friendly proprietors in a cute atmosphere. The food reminds me of home cooking of I was creative and talented enough to cook it! When you’re looking for something to satisfy your taste buds and culinary soul, this is the place

PLEASE NOTE: This place has closed down as of 6÷29÷12

I came here on a friends recommendation and since we’ve never tried this place, thought I’d give it a try. Located in a small strip mall (tongue twister… now say it 10 times fast…), it’s right next to a fancy sushi restaurant named Ikko (even their sign says «We DO NOT carry ANY American Style Rolls!!!»…see pretty fancy). Upon entering into the café, it really is a small café… sits about maybe 10 – 12 people at most inside and a table or 2 outside. The cashier lady is very friendly and you take your order there. I believe there is a minimum amount if you’re going to use credit card, so if you’re eating by yourself, bring some cash… other than that 2 people will bring you over the minimum amount.
I had the 2 item combo ($ 7.95 or something in the high .90’s) and opted for the soup (soup of the day is celery and almond) and the signature chicken salad. I forgot what my friend had. Both dishes came out pretty fast (5min about) and was also very filling. Food was delicious and the chef /​owner comes out and is also very personable with his patrons, asking how the food is, clearing the tables, making small talk. It’s a very nice, quaint, friendly café.
I would love to go back and that soup still makes me wanna go back for more. They have a bunch of other sandwich dishes, I saw another customer get a salad (which seemed delicious), and just had a really pleasant experience there.

***Cheers to all the singin’ Unilocalers, including Greg N, Vince V & Maggie C***
Before I flew out to him
My hunger emerged with grim,
I saw «Sage» thru Unilocal on whim,
And now I’m on my way!
When I told Robyn ’bout this,
«You’re livin’ next to it, ‘sis,»
So close to SNA bliss
And now we’re on our way!
Lunch specials showin’, good prices it’s mindblowin’
When I went thru gorgin’,
Must get Chicken Sandwich, with Swiss!
Hey, I just ate you,
And I am crazy,
But here’s my review,
So go there, maybe
It’s hard to eat right,
Though Sage said «Eat me,»
So here’s my review,
And go there, maybe
Hey, I just ate you,
And I am crazy,
But here’s my review,
So go there, maybe?
These other sammies
Want to win me,
But here’s my review,
So go there, maybe
Sliced juicy chickens had come,
Seven Spice Curry Soup yum!
Three Hearts Cookie, I got some,
Before I’m on my way
Salad had dressing with grace,
She gave me the rest, in case
Still full when I saw his face,
While flying on my way
Lunch specials showin’; soups, salads, fresh fruit glowin’
When I went thru gorgin’,
Must get Chicken Sandwich, with Swiss!
[CHORUS]
Sage, you came into my life
I missed you so bad
I missed you so bad
Though I left so, so glad
Juicy came into my life
I missed it so bad
I missed it so bad
I want that chicken so bad
It’s hard to eat right,
Though Sage said «Eat me,»
So here’s my review,
And go there, maybe?
P. S. Absolutely don’t know the original song?

I really like this place… the food is good and the prices are good. You get amazing portions and great quality.
The chef is really nice and really helps you find a good pick for your lunch.
There is one downfall though, it’s the lady behind the counter. She is the owner’s wife, but she is really inappropriate and not professional. She wears open toed shoes in the kitchen and yesterday after I ordered, I saw her washing her feet with a towel in the restaurant. I am sure she is really nice, but not everyone should run a restaurant.
I am still giving this place four stars regardless.

Great new spot for lunch, with only one, but major, gripe… the soups they serve are DANGEROUSLY hot! Seriously, you WILL burn your mouth, if you’re not careful. Which, come to think of it, is a real shame because at least one of the soups I had today – the celery/​almond – would be blissful if it was chilled. As the days are getting hotter, it always annoys me that you just cannot find any cold soups here in Orange County. A refreshing gazpacho, anyone?
The sesame chicken salad, at $ 8, is a fabulous lunch. Chopped in just the right pieces, with bell peppers and lots of well-​seasoned grilled chicken, this one’s a winner.
And not to belabor the point about the hot soups, but I heard other people saying the same thing at a neighboring table, so this little game with fire (or the microwave) they have going on really has to stop.
Will definitely be back again for that salad and will see if the soups have calmed down a bit.

I was actually quite surprised with this little café. It had very fresh big sandwhiches with great salads and soups. They have their normal menu and their specials. Today I had their special. it was a chicken sandwhich with pesto sauce, grilled mushrooms, spinach on a baguette with their soup and salad. The baguette was filled with chicken, mushrooms, and spinach. I am a huge eater and this plate did it for me. The sandwhich was flavorful, healthy, and just easy to eat. The salad was a chopped salad with the usual stuff, but my dressing was a cilantro based dressing that made this typical salad yummy. The soup, honestly was good but I then realized it kinda tasted like gravy, like really good gravy sooo iono if thats bad news for ppl
Sandwhich with salad and soup costed about 10 dollars (but really huge portions)

What a great place! Locally owned and cute. Note the fat Mona Lisa. I met my awesome friend Fia there for lunch. I had the half sesame chicken salad and the cup of broccoli and 7 spice curry soup. the portion was huge and they make the dressing in house. It had almonds, grilled (blackened?) chicken– still warm, green onions, tomatoes, and cranberries, tossed in the dressing. It was crisp and fresh and made to order. The soup was flavorful and yummy. Again huge portions. My friend had the half chicken sandwich which was huge! It also came with kettle chips. I stole a bite of Fia’s chocolate cookie. It was two homemade cookies with chocolate sandwiched in between the two cookies and it was sweet and delish. My meal was about 8 bucks. It was a steal. This place is close to my house and I will be back!!!

Tiny, (and I mean tiny), café in Costa Mesa serving salads, and soups, and sandwiches. I ordered soup/​salad combo with the edemame corn chowder (um, wow) and the candy salad (upgraded for $ 2). Both were fantastic. The chicken is freshly grilled and carved as you order and the soups are made fresh daily. Such a treat to be able to eat at a nice, family-​ran establishement. It’s so nice to know that my dollar is going back into the local economy, too. I’m all about supporting small businesses in the area. :)
I will definitely be back! What a gem!

Have been back many times and have only had one so-​so soup. All the rest were savory! I really love this place. Their chicken special with aioli sauce … holy smokes! Out of this world. The bread is always fresh and there is more than enough food for another snack later.
And, the couple that own this place are awesome. They come out and let you know you are appreciated. What’s not to like?

This place is ok. Based on all the rave Unilocal reviews, this place was on my list to try for a while and I went there today on my lunch hour. I ordered a turkey and swiss sandwich to go… It came with chips but I asked for a healthier option for a side of fruit salad. They charged me $ 0.75 extra for the substitution. Lunch without a drink was about $ 9. The ingredients were fresh, the bread was good. Someone forgot the mayo, but stuff happens.
If I were to improve my lunch order, I’d make the fruit salad substitution free, or offer a constantly changing daily side instead of chips… like cous cous with raisins and almonds or something. I’d even be willing to «add a side for .75» if it wasn’t so skimpy (I got 4 blackberries and 1 cut up strawberry… leaves still attached). Then it would be worth the detour to stop in on my lunch break regularly. Kind of out of the way to make me a repeat customer but it’s easy parking off Baker/​Bristol after the turnout from my dry cleaner and shoe repair.
Also I didn’t see a daily special when I went in… And their website is a dead link so you can’t put in an office lunch order.
I’ll probably be back.

Sage Café is outstanding. Open for breakfast and lunch, but I’ve only ever had their lunch offerings. It’s a clean, simple menu, with California takes on Mediterranean sandwiches and salads. Chef Kevin Nagano also makes a soup from scratch every single day.
My favorite two dishes lately have been the Chashu Pork and Cold Soba Noodle Salad and the Roast Chicken and Havarti Sandwich. I also recently had a Roasted Leek Soup recently, which was absolutely terrific.
Highly recommended, and I’ll definitely be back.

Finally! A good sandwich place in the Irvine vicinity that I am actually EXCITED to share! (4.5 Stars)
Came by here last Wednesday to meet a friend for lunch. Had a little trouble finding it (the restaurant sign is pretty small/​non-​descript), but if you’re looking for it it’s in the same plaza as Huddle. The inside was cute; there were a few tables, but it wasn’t a large place by any means. Everyone working there was very friendly/​pleasant, and all very proud of the food they serve. While I was debating what sandwich to try, I asked about the soup of the day (roasted garlic) and was offered a sample to make sure I liked it. I did. It had such a warm, soothing flavor — delicious.
It looks like every day they have a special «sandwich of the day,» but ultimately I went with their chicken salad sandwich. Normally it comes on a French baguette (traditional style: crispy on the outside, soft on the inside), but I chose to have it on squaw bread (which, on their menu, they actually call «sweet dark wheat.» They’ll know what you’re talking about if you say «squaw,» though). Because I liked the soup so much, I decided to get a half sandwich/​cup of soup combo.
When they brought everything out to me, I was pleasantly surprised at how large my half sandwich was. And when I tried it, I was even more surprised by how tasty it was. This isn’t your traditional, bland chicken salad. This chicken salad is PACKED with unique, non-​overpowering flavor. And they don’t skimp on the chicken (I’m fond of NY deli style sandwiches so an excess of protein on a sandwich is a must for me). The soup was, of course, delicious. I literally cleaned my plate. It was just the right amount of food for me, maybe even a little much. And this was just a half sandwich (they have really flexible combo options, including full sandwich options).
My entire meal was $ 5.95 + tax, a fantastic price for the amount and quality of food I received. AND everything was absolutely delicious. I am a SUPREMELY picky sandwich eater, and I’d say 9 times out of 10 (or maybe even 49 times out of 50) I’m horribly disappointed by my sandwich. Not this time!
They also serve salads, breakfast (omelettes/​sandwiches), and café style drinks; I am VERY (!!!) excited to try their chai latte, which apparently is made in house, not from a mix. My only wish is that their sandwich menu was a bit larger (a roast beef and/​or tuna salad option would be awesome, for instance), minus half a star for that.
All in all, Sage Café makes a wonderful chicken salad sandwich (and a delicious roasted garlic soup!) and I can’t wait to go back ASAP to try out more of their menu!

I am SO TORN in writing a review for this place, but I need to be honest about it. Came here after reading the little review in the OC Register and was really excited about it based on everything I read. I love little non-​chain places and really want to support local businesses as much as I can.
Came in for lunch the other day and even though it is located in a little strip mall, still loved the décor and cozy feel. The owner was super friendly and very helpful in helping us decide what we should order. All of the options looked great and when the food came out, the portions were HUGE. Definite plus. Why three stars? I need to add the disclaimer that I realize that everyone has a different palate, but to me, the food was just OK.
Everything looked great, but nothing that we tried gave me the desire to go back and have more. Nothing tasted bad, but I wasn’t wowed by anything either.
I wish I could rave about this place like everyone else has, and I still feel like everyone should try this place because they will probably like it, but this is just the review that my taste buds forced me to write.

Came here with Selene S for breakfast but I found myself gravitating towards the lunch offerings instead. I guess I’m not a huge breakfast fan after all.
The restaurant is really small, but cozy. I like the warm colors inside making it really welcoming. We both ordered sandwiches with a side salad and soup. There were 2 soups that day: curry vegetable and a chicken and rice. I preferred the latter. The curry veg needed to be thicker in consistency.
My chicken salad sandwich was really good. I like how there is a lot of chicken without too many fillers to bulk it up. The side salad was very fresh and dressings are all homemade.
Selene had a grilled chicken sandwich and there is really a piece of grilled chicken in there, not some dinky little bits of chicken pretending to be the filling.
I really like the atmosphere and will return again to try something else.

3.5 stars
I went with Debby to try this newly opened breakfast/​lunch place. I thought it was really cute, and the owners were really sweet.
California Omelette
Comes with bacon, avo, cheese, and of course, the egg. I’m pretty sure they cook the omlette in the bacon grease. Lol, to some that might be a plus, but I found it to be a bit greasy and heavy. The avocado, however, added a nice creaminess to the eggs. It came with fresh fruit, which was actually a bright and perfect pairing to the omelette.
Mushroom, Chicken, and wild rice soup
I usually don’t like cream based or thicker soups, but this was a winner. Their soups are made daily, and change all the time. The soup was super hearty and had a real umami-​ness to it. (hahaha) Think thanksgiving.
Grilled Chicken Sandwich
They ran out of croissants because we came a little later, but it was served on a french baguette. It was good, but nothing crazy special. They just used really fresh ingredients, but nothing out of the ordinary.
Ham and Provolone Sandwich
This sandwich was unspectacular (but oddly enough came reccomended) It was your run of the mill ham sandwich. Nothing special, but it wasnt horrible, either.
I think I would come back here for breakfast because it seems like that is more of their speciality. While the sandwiches were pretty good, they were just a bit underwhelming.
Pros:
The prices were really reasonable, and the place is really cute
Cons:
We went when only two people were working, so the food took a little while to come, but it was fine since we were just chatting and relaxing. I think I would be a little more upset if I were in a hurry. Also, I believe (or would like to believe) that they just opened so they didn’t have a lot of the menu items that day– which was a bit of a bummer.
All in all, I would add this place to my repertoire of places to go to.

This hole in the wall is home to an extremely courteous staff and a chicken breast sandwich on a baguette that is unbelievable.
Portions are large, every ingredient is fresh and the staff often brings you samples of things to try.
Haven’t had an experience this pleasurable from a hole in the wall ever.
Top notch.

Unilocal helped me find this place.
CHAI TEA LATTE
is amazing. They don’t use any powder, and have real chai tea bags. Tastes delicious, and woke me up right away.
CALIFORNIA OMELETTE
Huge omelette with veggies on the inside, avocados and bacon on the outside. Really flavorful and filling. The dish comes with fresh apples and strawberries as well.
MUSHROOM AND WILD RICE SOUP
Soups change daily, so this might not be available next time, but it was my favorite. Really rich and full of flavors and spice. The cup is perfect size pairing with any dish.
HAM AND HAVARTI CHEESE SANDWICH
The French bread is quite good. The meats and cheeses are super fresh, but the sandwich is simple. You can order in a combo with soup and salad.
SALADS
I haven’t tasted any of the salads, but they look amazing. I would get this to go for lunch next time.
PRICES
Really great value for the quality of food you get. Everything is organic and fresh, vegan options are aplenty, and I spent no more than $ 10 for full dishes, soup, and coffee.

The food– delish. The Chai Latte– perfect.
Dropped in Presidents Day for a long solo breakfast, this place rocks.
The hosts are personable, careful with the food prep, and detailed. The veggie omellete I had was divine, plentiful and reasonably priced. The cook does it very well.
They just opened so they do not have weekend hours yet, but I did encourage them to do so, coz there is a breakfast following for sure in the OC, and we sure need more of it (think lines everywhere else).
It is in a very laid back plaza, it is small and quaint, and perfect for escaping the crowd. It does not feel pretentious like Gypsy Den does (nothing necessarily wrong with that– just depends on the mood), not as hyped and crowded as Rooster, and not as commercialized as Corner or Panera Bread.
They have very reasonably priced lunches too and is for the moment targeted towards the lunch office crowd I think, M-​F and closes at 7pm.
Highly recommended by me.