The Nest – A Breakfast Joint

Yum and Then Some!
4.5 Stars!
The owner here is a super nice gentleman who pretty much makes sure you have a good breakfast. The location is fairly close to the 91. The menu has several items to chose from. However, the reason I came was for the short rib breakfast.
~Short Rib Breakfast-​5 Stars!
Short rib and sweet potato hash with poached eggs. It also comes with a side of custard filled French toast topped with orange zest and seasonal fruit bits.
~Shrimp and Grits 3.5 Stars
This was a pretty good breakfast but, for sure, the short ribs were the best choice.
Customer Service was great. The prices are very reasonable and the quality of the food is excellent. There’s not very much more you can possibly ask for in a breakfast place.
Plenty of parking in the back!

We ordered the short rib hash asked for potatoes to be well done. And we loved it, delicious. Side order of bacon waffle and we ended up ordering another side of the bacon waffle. French toast custard side was also goid, custard has a orange zest, which i find that it helps to cut the sweetness of the custard, which seems to also have a hint of rum or bourbon taste. Also the iced mint mojito was enjoyable. The servjce is personable. I found this place super worth my calories. We came at around one oclock on a Sunday and the line was not as long. I can see coming back here. Check it out.

We live cross street from this restaurant, always see a long line outside of this restaurant. So we decided to give it a try. After wait for 45 minutes, we got2 seats at counter.
We order 2 eggs combo and beef short rib with blackberry iced coffee.
We both love the 2 eggs combo, but not too crazy about beef short rib since its kind of sweet.
Now we understand why there is always long line.
Will recomment to everyone.

quick notes:
~$ 12 a head give or take, good portions, hearty food expertly cooked
no reservations, usually a ~20min wait give or take, worth it, I promise
free parking, small lot behind building or easy street parking across the way
Stumbled upon The Nest via looking for brunch on Unilocal and became hooked immediately. The ambiance is super relaxed and genuine, little bit of hipster, little bit of hip-​hop, a whole lot of community. The whole staff are fantastic, even the (incredibly personable) owner is floating about as needed. And the food. Oh my god.
It took me a couple visits to warm up to the iced coffee but now I can’t go without. Original mint mojito flavor is my personal favorite, blackberry is great too, but would only recommend the raspberry for real die-​hard raspberry lovers as it’s quite a bit heavier flavored than the others.
But the food, oh my god.
Everything we’ve had so far has been flavorful, filling, and comfortably large portions, I’m not a heavy eater so one big plate and two small plates is the perfect amount of food for me and a partner. If it’s your first time here, definitely load up on the small bites to sample the specialties you can– namely the bacon waffle, custard french toast, and biscuit & gravy. The aforementioned sausage gravy is really rich without being too heavy, and the waffles are cooked really perfectly fluffy and crispy and do you even know how rare it is to get a waffle that perfect?! And the SHRIMP (of shrimp and grits), holding myself back from swearing, are PERFECT. So delicate and buttery and seasoned perfectly with a little bit of a punch aaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAA they are so damn good. Honorable mention for the perfectly cooked eggs and the poutine too, but really, the shrimp. Would have liked a little more flavor in the grits, but when my least liked component on the whole menu is «good» compared to the rest being «incredible» I think you’re doing pretty alright ;p I’m gonna keep ordering it for the shrimp anyway. They’re so stellar.
If you get lucky you can answer hip-​hop trivia for a shot at a free meal! But I don’t know anything so I’ll have to settle for aggressively throwing money at them so I can keep putting waffles in my face. I’m constantly craving breakfast here now. So few places are as satisfying.

This place is easily one of my top five favorite breakfast joints! I live in Lakewood; it’s not too far so I come here as often as possible. I’ve been coming since their soft opening and it’s cool to see how much this business has grown.
I love that every order comes with a small plate on the side! I always struggle with going sweet or savory for brunch; with the small plate, I can order savory and get something sweet on the side! My usual order is the poutine, add bacon for $ 2.50 (I think? totally can’t remember, but it’s so worth it!) and a mint mojito iced coffee, with the French toast or waffles as my small plate. My friends have ordered the chilaquiles, pancakes, and hash — all of which I’ve also had bites of (and totally loved!). I’ve yet to try a few other things but I’ll definitely get to them in due time.
I finally met the owner, Antonio, when I went mid-​May. He’s super cool and down to earth, and he pays attention to everything; I’m surprised I’d never spotted him before! The staff is also always very attentive and kind.
The parking lot behind the establishment is small, so unless you’re lucky to snag one of those spots, you’ll be parking on the street most of the time. I’m okay with this; I don’t mind walking the few extra feet! There’s chalk to draw o the sidewalk with and trivia games to play while you wait too.

Hands down one of the best spots I have been to so far around the Lakewood area! I got the chilaquiles and they accommodated no onions which is unheard of. The portions were huge came with a side of eggs and even some potatoes. We got the mint mojito mocha and it was delicious. Next time I’ll try the blackberry. The spot is pretty small but the wait moves quickly and have a great music playlist playing overhead. What makes places like this even better is when the owner is involved in the day to day operations and he was making his rounds talking with clients. It’s businesses like this that we need more of, where owners truly care about their clients and ensuring they enjoy the service and food. For sure will be coming back.
**2^nd time**
Can I give 6 stars? Our server Yancey on our 2^nd trip was amazing and made an already great experience even better. We ordered the different coffee drinks and wanted us to try the raspberry mint mojito. It was delicious! At the rate we are going this is going to be a Sunday regular spot!

The best way to describe this breakfast joint: a true man’s man breakfast stop– plentiful, hearty and delicious breakfast options.
When I see biscuits for breakfast, it’s really hard to pass that up, so naturally I went with the fried biscuit and gravy. The dish came with 3 biscuits, 2 eggs, and a side dish. Thank you for all the gravy you put on the biscuits! I often times find myself wanting more gravy when I get biscuits and gravy, but here, they were generous and I felt like I had enough gravy to go around for my biscuits. The fried biscuits and gravy, were very satisfying! I was only able to eat 2 ½ of the biscuits and really wanted to finish, but I just couldn’t. To cancel out the fried biscuit and make myself feel better, I opted for a side of fresh fruits, that came in a pretty big bowl. After trying my husband’s side dish, I instantly regretted pretending to be healthy with the fruits…
Being the meat lover my husband is, he had to get the beef short rib hash. Read this and tell me it doesn’t sound delicious: Two eggs served with braised beef short ribs, sweet potatoes, horseradish cream, and onion. When it came out, it looked very much like a bibimbap, but american, breakfast. It was delicious!!! And for once he seemed VERY satisfied after eating it. And for the side, he got the bacon waffle bits. This was the reason why I regretted my fruits. The bacon waffle bits were soooo good! I would recommend getting this to try. Yum!
The restaurant seating is limited, so be prepared to wait a little bit– it’s worth it.

One morning I drove by and the line was crazy so I left. Another morning, I woke up early and drove by and there wasn’t a line. We got seated and just made it in time before the rush. (The perks of falling asleep at 5pm on a Saturday evening.)
I ordered the chilaquiles and my husband ordered the biscuits and gravy. He got the custard french toast as a side dish and I got the home fries.
This place is super cute and provides great service. I love breakfast joints because I think there aren’t enough. Especially ones that serve chilaquiles.
The tortilla chips got soggy quickly and were the size of Frito chips. As I took my first bite, I wished them to be larger. The pork and sauce that accompanied the chips were tasty, but I wished for more crema. The eggs were great (cause I love eggs), and every bite I took I felt like I was missing something but I was still satisfied. Does that make sense?
My husband’s biscuits and gravy was thick and heavy, as they should be. The custard french toast was fluffy and thick and made for a great instagram photo.
My home fries were bland, literally cut up potatoes with no flavor.
My favorite item was the mint mojito iced coffee. I don’t usually like mint or mojitos but it tasted like a mint & chip drink. (Mint & chip ice cream is my fave!)
I need to come back and try their other dishes… I knew I should have gotten the grits as my side. Never listening to my husband again.

After hearing from friends & family that I needed to check out The Nest I finally did.
We live close enough to walk so that avoided the trouble of finding parking. There were only 4 – 5 people waiting so we only had a 10 minute wait.
I had heard about the legendary bacon waffles so that was my choice with a biscuit and gravy. Carbs be damned today!
I know there are devoted fans of this place so this is my review based on my experience. Don’t lose your mind because everyone isn’t posting the 5 star experience.
Here are the ratings from with 5 being excellent:
The service was quick and friendly: 5
Bacon waffle: 2 — I really wanted to like this after all the rave reviews. It was dry and the sprinkling of bacon bits on top didn’t work. Syrup would have helped.
Fried Biscuits & Gravy: 4 — it was a real biscuit and very good gravy
Atmosphere: 4– hip, trendy which is rare in this city. It was noisy since it is a small place. Crying Babies & loud music aren’t my cup of coffee.
Price: 2 –The prices for the size of portions given was disappointing. I’m all for smaller portions but IMO it is a tad pricey.

Came here with a friend who said their bacon waffle and French toast are Great. I got the custard French toast. I thought they were good, but it had an orange zest and hint of coffee flavor to it, both of which I’m not a fan of. I probably just picked the wrong Item.
Cute little joint. Very small menu but it’s only a brunch spot so it does its job. I came in 30mins before it was to close. Our waiter seemed a little annoyed by something. I didn’t know what, but I just didn’t care for his vibe.
I also got the fried biscuit and gravy. I thought that was an interesting concept, since bread should be softball to me. It was rock hard. The gravy makes it softer, but I didn’t care for it much at all.
Overall I gave it a three. I won’t be making my
Way back out for this places. Only 4 & 5 stars will get my patronage. Has a smaller hash house feel to it with the food. Not greasy, brunch and separate items.

Definitely hit the spot!
I got a french toast and I didn’t have time to take a picture of it before I tasted it because it was too beautiful to waste time. I also got a regular hot coffee.
I regret NOTHING.
It’s been a long time since I ate that good.
Excellent service, our waiter was Noah I think?
Either way he was perfect, extremely sweet !!! Even made a suggestion on what sides to get.
I wish I can wake up every morning and eat at the nest but how my bank account is set up… I can’t live that life style yet. So once every other week is a forsure thing.
Here is a picture of my french toast midway lol

My wife and I had the day off. We decided to go have breakfast at a place neither one of us has tried. My wife found this place on Unilocal so we stopped by to give it a try. As we pulled up there were people already waiting outside. Parking is in the back and very limited. We walked in, put our name down and was told it was a 15 — 20 minute wait. We sat outside as we waited and I have to say it was about 15 – 20 minutes later we got seated. Our waiter was very friendly and helpful when asking for recommendations. After looking over the menu we placed our order.
Breakfast Poutine — Home fries topped with sausage gravy, cheddar cheese, and fried egg. My wife would have preferred the potatoes to be a little more crispier but would definitely order it again. The combination of the saltiness from the bacon in the gravy was awesome.
Chilaquiles — I have to say I always order chilaquiles when there on the menu and these were amazing. The crunchiness from the tortilla chips that are made in house along with the chile verde, pork and cheese with two over medium eggs and some guacamole. Amazing! Each bite was full of flavor. Would definitely order them again.
Small plates — each meal you order comes with a small plate. My wife had the bacon waffle pieces and I had the one fried biscuit and gravy. Both were very good and just the perfect amount to try a little something along with your dish. I expected more bacon with the waffle and a little more salt on the gravy but they were still very tasty.
Food, location, staff and ambiance was great. Today was Michael Jackson Monday’s so Michael was playing over the speakers. Great place, a must try if in the area.

Finally got to eat here! My hubby has been here on a work meeting – how convenient:/ — and has sung praises about this place and said I’d like it. He knows my heart. Yes I loved it. I literally was so sad that I couldn’t buy the whole menu but I didn’t want to break the bank either. At least it gives me a good reason to continually come back and try all their dishes. I had the beef hash (with sweet potatoes and a sunny side up egg) which was great! My hubby had the egg sandwich w/​potato fries in some herb sauce. That sauce was bomb diggity! We also had their pancakes. Their pancakes were ok. I was hoping for something magical but they didn’t hit the spot. I’m excited to go back and try their custard French toasts. They look delish!
The décor here is cute. Very LA trendy. It’s like they took The Nest straight out of Silverlake neighborhood and plopped it in Bellflower. Cool with me, much closer

The short rib and sweet potato hash just might be the best thing on the menu. I got mine with over easy eggs and sans horseradish cream. It was absolutely perfect. The short ribs were so soft and tender and everything you want and more. The sweet potatoes were cooked to perfection. Not too soft and not too hard. This is seriously a must get dish!!!
Service is superb as usual. The bathroom was out of service but they were kind enough to let guests use the employee bathroom.

What? I didn’t realize I haven’t written a review for this place till now.
Its been a year since I came here but the memories of their bacon waffles still linger. Its that good.
Really love the relaxed, almost messy vibe you get from the place. Its like how you’d want your kitchen/​dining area to look. Trendy yet lived in.
Parking area is in the back and really small. Might be challenging on the weekends. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Service was great on a weekday and thank goodness there was no line. Weekends are different.
As I mentioned, the bacon waffle is a must try. Who doesn’t love bacon? I like how you can order it as a side which was perfect for me because their servings are huge. This is a really great savory breakfast option.
Their veggie omelet is also pretty good and hearty.
I need to go back and try other stuff on their menu.

4÷16÷16: … Look, I realize we all have different opinions and tastes. Food is certainly subjective to some degree. So, in the end, you gotta listen to people who match your tastes right? Clearly, since this place is currently pegged at 4.5!!! stars there is some major difference in opinion between the vast majority of people and myself.
So, who’s right? Well… there’s that thing about «opinions» and «taste» again. If you believe that I am right, that probably means the 95% of the rest are wrong – and that would be unbelievable right?
Or… you could also guess that I just got unlucky this day, and of course that happens – sometimes the chefs are just off, or sht happens. … but I tasted 3 people’s worth of foods covering quite a gamut of breakfast foods, soooooo…
The bottom line is this one single review ain’t gonna do much for this place’s popularity. It was packed when we got here, and packed twice as much when we left. As popular as a breakfast place ever gets.
And I admit, it’s hip, and cool. By far the most trendiest restaurant around. You got young chefs, some Asian, some bearded, some Hispanic… but all young, and most pretty nice. The signs are trendy, and the interior is clean and nice. Everything points to this being a cool place for foodies…
Except the food.
I struggle with how to explain these disparities often. I mean, I know why my score is so much lower than others’. But the problem is how to state the problem without saying that opinions can indeed be wrong? And how do you explain the obvious reasons why? I guess in today’s politically-​correct climate,… you can’t. But if you’ve read my reviews, you know what I’m about, and you know that eat everything, from the cheapest places out there to Michelin 3-​star restaurants. I give everything a fair chance.
I’ll leave it at that.
Here is what I think of the food:
1. The Nest’s — Cold Brew Coffee $ 4.75: Didn’t try it.
2. Mint Mojito Specialty Iced Coffee $ 5.75: Basically sugar water. A lot of sugar. A lot of water. Some milk. Found a sprig of mint as garnish on top, but could taste none… Ever had Philz? – they got the same thing. You drink both and tell me k? ¹⁄₁₀
3. Orange Juice (large) $ 4.50: Waiter told me it was not made on site, but «still fresh.» Well, anyway, tastes better than store-​bought, but not fresh squeezed. Just FYI.
4. Bacon Waffle $ 9.50: The waffle itself was quite standard. They candied some crushed bacon and put that on top. That’s what they call «bacon waffle.» No, there is no bacon mixed into the batter or cooked in. Just the spoonful they put on top. It did taste good, but to me showed little effort on the part of the chef. ⁵⁄₁₀
5. Beef Short Rib Hash $ 11.95: … this… This I just could not believe. How could they even think that this would be acceptable to be served? You know what they put in front of me… (well, if you already saw the pics, you know, but…) a bowl of chopped sweet potatoes with maybe ~1oz of dry semi-​pulled beef. Oh, and some cooked onions left in its wetness on the bottom. And a fried egg on top. Short rib huh? – couldn’t tell the difference from using cheap low-​grade stewing meat. And to make it clear, it was 95% potatoes – my friend asked me what I got and when I told him, he’s like really? – where’s the meat? And I pointed to a strand, and then he said, «oh.» So sad. ¹⁄₁₀
6. Homemade Fried Biscuit w/​Gravy «small plate» $ 2.75: Sigh… so even their «house specialty» fried biscuit sucked. Yeah, I could taste that it was fried on the outside, but the outside wasn’t crisp – it was hard. The whole thing tasted stale. Gravy itself was good – nice flavor. But the biscuit was not great, and for being a specialty, I was highly disappointed. ⁵⁄₁₀
7. Homemade Sausage (side): Does taste «homemade” – rough texture, but it works. Unfortunately it was quite a bit overcooked and a tad dry. ⁵⁄₁₀
8. Classic Fried Egg Sandwich (scrambled) $ 7.95: Uggggg… you know what this is? A hamburger bun with eggs in the middle and 2 slices of bacon. And some half-​melted cheese on top. That’s it. Yes, That Is It. 8 bucks. … I probably could leave it at that,… but I feel I should also note that the scrambled eggs were totally amateur – hard scrambled. Not airy. Not creamy. Just cracked some eggs and mixed them up. If you understand what I’m saying, cool. If you don’t get it, cool. ¹⁄₁₀
Food sucks. You don’t believe me? – check out my pics. You can clearly see what you’d be getting for your $$$.
²⁄₅
#american #americanbreakfast #americanbrunch

Tried this place for breakfast as it was highly recommended by some new friends we made on our cruise from Long Beach. It was only a 20 minute drive before we headed home and it was totally worth it!
We got there about 830am on a Thursday so it wasn’t too busy but by the time we left at 930am there was a huge line outside. The staff was really friendly and the portions were huge! I love the idea of small plates so you can try multiple items without stuffing yourself, but even without that I was full. I ordered the French toast with a side of sausage. The sausage was flavorful and the French toast was amazing! Flavorful, sweet, 2 huge pieces of bread. I could only finish one and was tempted to not take it to go as French toast usually isn’t good later, but I’m glad i did. Even after the drive home to Sacramento, it still tasted great after being reheated. Definitely a go to place if you’re in the area.

We tried coming here one previous time but there was a large crowd out front and no available parking that we could see. We returned today (Tuesday) at about 10 and hoped there would not be a crowd… we were wrong, 20 min wait… not too bad but could only find parking a block away. They have a tiny lot behind the place and street parking.
The interior décor is really cool, but damn this place is SO small. The staff is energetic and friendly.
I got the poutine, which was rather tasty and a side of crispy bacon. My son got the biscuits and gravy which we both agreed were just ok. The prices were pretty fair, maybe a bit high for the amount of poutine.
We will be back again to sample some other items on the menu.

The food was good. I ordered the 2 eggs, sausage, potatoes, biscuit & gravy & a side of bacon.
Cost was a little high for breakfast, but worth it.
Service was great.
Overall good. If I return, I’ll try the short rib hash.

We stopped by to try the Iced Mint Mojito Coffee to go since it was too crowded to dine in. The mint makes the coffee taste a bit sour and the size of the cup was only 8 ounces! So overrated! That means the amount you receive in the pitcher you see in the pictures is truly only 8 ounces. They just fill the glass with lots of ice so you think it’s worth it. I’m just thankful they didn’t cheat me that way with the to go version! $ 5.75 for minty coffee with a sour aftertaste is really just a hype.
Perhaps we would come by for breakfast but the entrees seem overpriced, and the early drive to this place (it’s a sketchy area too!) to avoid the crowds is not worth it since we live in LA.