Corky’s Family Restaurant

Three in our party and took thirty minutes to get our food (and it was not even busy). To boot, one member in our party did not even get their food at the same time — the two of us who were served were done before the third plate was served (so had it packaged to go).
The food is not worth the wait, or the price. I always wanted to try this place but will not be back.
A one star rating is generous. Sorry Corky’s.

DEEEEEELISH! especially the Breakfast Tacos! Breakfast in general is DEEEELISH! if you’re a Breakfast person you gotta come here!!!

went here today for lunch after the DMV (which is like right next door) and had their advertised «DMV Special» which is a 1/​3lb beef patty burger w/​fries (no drink) for like 5.49. Good deal in my opinion! Burger was tasty and the veggies were fresh, and my fries were nice and golden like i like em. it was pretty empty for lunch time, just me and 2 other people but they were finishing up. The waitress was nice and quick with great service; funny thing is shes like a blond high school student and speaks fluent Spanish. the cooks were pretty quick about my order too, and yeah i was the only one there but food still normally takes more than 5 minutes. food didnt take too long to arrive. no complaints; great place!

So disgusting. I ordered a basic veggie omelette and have never been so disappointed with such a simple order. The eggs may or may not have been spoiled, hashbrowns were soggy, ingredients were flavorless and rubbery, management or ownership is abysmal, and just overall awful food. I try to give local businesses the benefit of the doubt but they were so rude. I still offered to pay for my disgusting food but their poor conflict management skills and lack of efforts to communicate just resulted in me leaving. Instead, just take the extra time to go to SC café or any other restaurant to get real food. The DMV they are next to is what most would consider «Hell on Earth» but Corky’s has most certainly stolen that title.

Corky’s is a good, solid breakfast spot. No frills, just good food and friendly staff.
I usually order an omelette. They are huge and stuffed full of fresh ingredients. I love their hashbrowns and like to order mine extra crispy.
My other favorite thing about Corky’s is that they serve their coffee in random, kitschy mugs. I’m always excited to see what gem I get. Last time I got one with pictures of teddy bears that said «New Mommy.»
The service is quick and the servers are very attentive. Don’t expect anything gourmet here, but if you’re in the mood for classic diner food, I’d give Corky’s a try.

I hate bashing a local business, but alas, it is necessary. I went there the other day and ordered a breakfast sandwich to go. They were accommodating when I said I was in a rush. But, the bacon was near raw. Not only is that disgusting, it is downright unsafe for me (a noticeably pregnant woman). In the end, I had no breakfast and felt sick for the rest of the day about having taken a bite of it.

Best breakfast in san clemente. Home style breakfast at a good price. This is our family and friends Sunday breakfast spot.

First time my wife and tried this place. It will also be our last. The Eggs Benedict was he worst I have ever had. It was greasy, salty and the sauce was just a bunch of melted shredded cheese. Really horrible. My spouses food was just a basic egg breakfast she said her bacon and sausage was again very salty.
We really wanted to like the place, but it just didn’t make the grade. Too bad.

The food is great, I always get the bacon and cheese omelette, but you can count on great service and great food no matter what you order!

Stopped here on the way down to San Diego for some breakfast. My grandparents lived in San Clemente until they passed away about 6 years ago, and they always used to bring me here to eat breakfast or lunch, since they lived right up the hill from here. I remember it being decent food.
I don’t know if my tastebuds/​standards have changed, or if this place has gone downhill, but my niece and I would have been better off going to McDonalds for breakfast!
She ordered the stuffed french toast and I went with a veggie scramble, with a side of bacon.
Her french toast was really not french toast, nor was it «stuffed.» They took four pieces of a bread, that I think they toasted in a toaster, put slices of cream cheese in the middle and cut them in half, then covered it in syrup and powdered sugar. EW! The cream cheese should have been mixed with something to sweeten it up (powdered sugar maybe) and then whipped so it was smooth and light. This was heavy, cold, and sour. The bread did not appear to be dipped in egg, or fried. Gross.
My eggs looked very unappetizing, and they were super bland. The bacon was not crisp and completely fatty.
We were both really disappointed in this place. I will not be stopping by if I am ever in the area again.

Stopped here on my way down to San Diego and was this a find! One look at the place and we knew we had come to the right place.
The service was great — the food was awesome and the whole experience was nice.
The owner recommended us his breakfast tacos and the veggie omelette — both were awesome and filling.
Ignore the bad reviews about this place — and try it out. Am definitely gonna stop there on my way up

Stopped in for breakfast while my car was getting repaired across the way, and I realized that I would have to write a review for the place. I sat at the small counter and ordered a standard breakfast (eggs, bacon, toast and hashed browns) from Natalie, whose smile was an instant winner. Looking around, I saw a good number of vintage WW2 magazine covers, framed, and realized the place was covered in murals celebrating veterans of various wars. Model airplanes hung from the ceiling, and a slogan was painted right across it that honored vets.
Richard Eshoiee, the owner – who is an Iranian immigrant proud of America – has been with the restaurant for several years, and the cooks, he told me, have been there for 18 years. The food was good, cooked to my order, and I finished the whole, generous plateful. I felt quite satisfied when I was finished. The food reminded me of the best truck stop food, which is to say that it was not flashy or gourmet, but simple and «as you like it».
Mr. Eshoiee told me that the place is there for its regulars, many of them veterans, some of them vets from the Second World War. He pointed out a couple of the regulars who are actually featured in the murals.
The atmosphere is very down to earth, and there are plenty of accommodations for kids and larger groups. Being close to the beach (though without a view of it, save through one window), there is plenty of outdoor seating available. When I was there the place was full but not crowded. A lot of people were in and out, making take-​out orders because they were there for the DMV. Corky’s offers an inexpensive «DMV Special». People seemed pleased with the food and the place in general, and Natalie and Richard were very attentive to everyone (I did not see any other servers).
They do not have Internet access there, nor do they have a Web site. I know that Richard is looking to get a site up and running. It would be a good idea.
I am still amazed that this place is tucked away, off the beaten path by only a block, in a strip mall. I imagine a lot of people would never know it was there, or that it had been there for decades. Personally, I think it would be sad to miss out on the place. Its old school vibe and friendly staff are rare nowadays.
As for the negative reviews here, I can’t say I understand them, except perhaps that sometimes things go wrong or don’t work out. But they have to be exceptions to the general truth of the place’s solid, word-​of-​mouth reputation. Places don’t stay that full of regulars without having earned their place in the community.

Was there for breakfast yesterday,. In spite of the strip mall location next to a DMV, it seemed like a pleasant enough place. Since it was Monday they had an Eggs Benedict special for 7.45.
The eggs were OK but the rest of the meal could have been better. Perhaps by putting the English Muffin closer to the toaster. I thought McDonald’s was the only place that didn’t care if they toasted the muffins. On the other hand, the analogy is imperfect as McDonald’s serves a thicker slice of Canadian bacon on their McMuffins. The Hollandaise Sauce was fresh and creamy though.
I had a waitress named Sherry who appeared to be born without the ability to use her indoor voice. This wasn’t an attitude issue; it was simply volume. While her voice would be an asset if she was looking for a lost mountain climber, you don’t need to shout in a 1500 sq foot restaurant. Especially when you are standing besides the person you are asking if he needs a refill.

I never had a bad breakfast here, not great but exactly what you would expect.

Some pretty tough reviews here… I have not experienced bad service/​food & have been eating here fairly regularly for past 3 years. This morning we had great service… the waitress kept checking back. The owner arrived while we were eating & stopped by each table to greet us & ask how everything was. The food was hot, tasty & a decent value. I had spinach omlette that was filled w/​fresh spinach & was served quite hot. I am not usually a hash brown fan but Corky’s is one place that gets them right… browned on the outside (both sides) & thin enough to be hot & cooked through in the middle. My husband’s toast took a little longer, but he asked for it well-​toasted & she informed us when she served the food that it would be another minute or so…&, it was. The setting isn’t deluxe but that is what makes it a hidden treasure. After you eat, you can look for bargains at the Salvation Army!

Ok breakfast with so-​so service. Not very big portions for the price and our waitress seemed very confused.
Location is ok, (if you like the lovely DMV building next door).
Probably won’t be back.

Food is highly overpriced for its quality. I recently ordered the steak and eggs. Total cost about 15 dollars with tip. You might say that sounds about right but the steak was a 3oz sirloin, that was ¹⁄₈ inch thick, with no taste. Go to Denny’s! The food here is crap.

Three reasons not to eat here:
1. The service is crap.
2. The food is crap.
3. The coffee is crap.
I’ve been here a few times previously and it was nothing special just a little restaurant in a rundown strip mall that served decent food at a decent price. Now I can’t wait for the health department to shut them down.
We came in here on a Sunday morning after a drunken night out; I ordered scrambled eggs, toast, bacon and a coffee. The coffee which as a given should be served within 5 minutes of the waitress taking your order-​it took about 20 minutes-​wtf? My water glass was a little juice glass-​seriously? I ain’t five lady, don’t I look hung over and thirsty? My scrambled eggs came without my toast or bacon… so I politely ask the waitress what’s up she states they will have it out in a minute. Now I don’t know about you but I like my eggs with toast and my bacon with eggs so I decided to wait… and wait after about 10 minutes I ask again and she gives me attitude and tells me «just another second they accidentally burnt my toast»…ok who fucks up toast? My remaining food arrives, soggy greasy shriveled up bacon and shitty burnt toast with a side of freezing cold eggs. Crap I’m hungry; fuck it I’ll wait for lunch. My Boyfriend who ordered the meatloaf sandwich that looked as though it was about 2 years old between two pieces of beat up white bread and a side salad which was yellow decides he is going to complain to the owner. We flag him down and eventually he comes over and we give him the low down, the BF says to him is this how you serve your food here? The owner replies «yes, in fact it is”-no apologies and walks away. Dick of the year award goes to you sir. FYI, The owner looks like a busted ass salesman.
Side note: we ran into a friend here who ordered a bagel-​I actually saw the waitress drop the bagel cream cheese side down on the counter pick it up with her lee press ons and put it on the plate and serve it to her. I quickly ran over and warned her not to eat it, she was with some bro who said he didn’t care and he inhaled it. I guess with clientele like that it must be why the place is still in business.
The gist? If I could give negative stars I would.
P. S. I checked «no» for waiter service because really would you call any of the abovementioned service? yah me either.
Good for? good for nothin!

Corky’s used to be the best breakfast place in San Clemente. Unfortunately under new ownership that’s all changed. Service stinks, food inconsistent. Skip the search. If you dare try it’s by the DMV on Vaquero just off PCH where you see the Arco. I hear it’s for sale, so maybe new owners will give it a fresh start.