Hafez Cafe

Authentic breakfast , lounge and dinner Excellent service. Friendly staff, especially Ms. Neda for her excellent and impeccable service. All the food is very tasty and fresh. I would like to experience this restaurant all the time.❤️

Perhaps the healthiest and freshest food, let alone Persian food ever had! Moreover, the staff Neda and Ali are so welcoming, courteous and go out of their way to accommodate our whole group. Definitely making this a regular spot 🙏

Solid family spot... when your not sure what your craving waiting for your car to be detailed in a shopping plazza, finding a random clean family owned spot is the best!...This cafe is clean, soooo well priced for the amount you get and very welcoming... One of those spots your super happy you stumbled into... amazing chicken koobideh, and delicious bread... for sure will be back! #support local

Amazing place for Persian Food in OC 👌 Dizi and Kale Pache is the best in OC hands down 🙌 unlimited Tea is just amazing and service was outstanding.

+4

The best kaleh pacheh I’ve ever had in USA The taste was amazing, and the staff were super friendly. Thanks for the great service and delicious food!

Deliciously delivered , warm and friendly atmosphere. Home cooked feeling. Definitely 💯 coming back.

Food is excellent, and service needs to improve. The atmosphere is a bit hot 🥵. Overall, I’ll give 4.8 ⭐️. The food is excellent. The kabab Kobide tasted like home in Iran. They are offering Tea with sauger cubes upon arrival is an excellent way to welcome the guests.

Authentic food, perfect taste, fair price. I really enjoyed the Kalle Pacheh, but since I was so hungry, I didn't take a photo of that. 😉 Go try their food. You will go back. I guarantee 💯

Amazing food and even better service. If you’re looking for delicious Persian food, I highly suggest you come here. :)

The best persian food spot in all of Laguna Hills/Mission Viejo, in my opinion. Love their authentic beef koobideh, ghormeh sabzi, and all their special rices. The bread is delicious too and they always give you plenty. When not eating in, we love to pick up their family special platters, which are affordable and can feed many people. All around a fantastic place!

They make the best "Kalech Pacheh" in SoCal! The quality is always good no matter what. Take it easy on them when you visit on a weekend. They get really busy and try to accommodate all guests the best way possible. Their bread is homemade. It's totally worth the wait.

My husband and I discovered this Persian gem on our way home from a recent trip. I had the boneless chicken kabob, which was cooked perfectly and came with huge pieces of chicken. My husband had the soup which he thought was delicious, and we were served flat bread and Persian tea with it gratis. The owner, Afshin, was very friendly, the restaurant was clean, and we will definitely return to try more items on their menu.

great food and amazing customer service; there was a tiny mix up with our online order and the way it was handled was just ❤️

Persian breakfast on weekends! Mouthwatering and nostalgic, reminds me of my grandparents’ homemade recipes. Try the omelette. Prepared with sautéed tomatoes and onion, served with fresh bread, onion and mint.

Delicious meals, reasonable prices and nice staff. Fully recommended.

I’ve been on the lookout for a good Kale Pache spot in Southern California for a while now. This place was one of those I decided to try, and I’m glad I did! We had their kale pache for brunch on a weekend, and it turned out to be really tasty and satisfying.

Authentic Persian food. In addition to the typical Persian kabobs they also have traditional dishes such as Pache a which is full of cologne. They also have Dizzy a delicious dish filled with lamb meat and garbanzo beens. They also bake their own bread served hot with complementary tea. The decor needs improvement. But if you can pass that the food is good

Great place for good Persian food and great hospitality! Starts with complimentary black tea pot , what I liked most was that they bake their own Persian naan and serve it hot ! That’s how you should taste Persian kabob with ( and not with Pit bread !!!) we had Beef Kabob which was very delicious and you could tell was made of high quality beef ( which nowadays is hard to find in restaurants !) , our host was very kind and attentive. Tahdig and 2 Stews was a very generous portion. Variety of Persian dishes to try on the Menu, so we’ll be back soon. For those new to Persian cuisine , I suggest to try Breakfast on Saturday and Sunday, including Persian Omelet and also Sarshir ( thick cream ) and Honey .

When it comes to Persian food, this is by far one of my favorite restaurants in OC. I have almost tried everything on the menu and have never been disappointed or disliked a dish. Definitely try Ghorme sabzi and boneless chicken Kabab dark meat. The portions are Texas-style, so be prepared to eat a big meal! The kabob dishes come with a humongous rice portion, so if you order one combo dish of two meats or a family order instead of two separate dishes, you’ll pay less for the same amount of food. And they have freshly made warm bread. Call in to check their hours; sometimes they stay open longer. The location is a bit hidden, the first time, I had a little bit of a hard time finding it. The restaurant has a large sitting area and, on certain days, live music. The dress code is more casual. The staff is very nice and friendly. They do cater for parties, and the amount of food you get for the price is mind-blowing. This is it if you're looking for authentic and delicious Persian food! I highly recommend this place! I would eat there every day if I could 🙈

What a great place. I’m now going there on regular basis. I always get their Kubideh and Maste musir. As a Persian, this is the place you need to go to try an authentic tasting Persian kebab. The food itself has a very high quality and a very authentic taste to it. It’s clear that they use the highest quality ingredients as it’s always made to our liking. I’ve also tried their chicken kebab and that’s amazing. The place itself is great. Staff are so nice and the owner Mr. Ali is a great guy. The prices are also fair. I’d definitely go back and definitely recommend to anyone.

Having visited Hafez Cafe multiple times, it's now our preferred spot for Persian brunch. The food's quantity and quality are flawless, and the customer service is outstanding. They willingly bring in house baked bread and tea upon request with no extra costs. If you're craving "Kaleh Pacheh" in Southern California, this is the place to be, and their prices are reasonable too.

I’ve tried several dishes from this restaurant. My favorite was their egg dish that they only serve on the weekends which was very reasonable. But then they bumped up the price by about $5.00 and I was very disappointed. So I didn’t go there for quite awhile until my cousin from out of town wanted to go there with her husband and son. I reluctantly agreed to meet them there and tried their chicken and beef kobideh. It wasn’t to my liking but I tried my cousin’s chicken kebab and it was delicious. So was their eggplant dish. So now I go there once in awhile. I have included 2 photos of their menu. I’ll add pictures of the food next time I go there.

First time trying Hafez Cafe. The skewers are DELICIOUS! OMG!! The two types of Polo rices tasted great too! I purchased the $90 family package, that comfortably fed five. Customer service was great! I look forward to visiting Hafez Cafe again in the future.

The food is so tasty, so affordable, and the portions are insane!! Oh, not to mention the complimentary chai! The owners are very friendly. A lovely place to get together and enjoy a meal and some chai.

Azadeh R

I’ve been on the lookout for a good Kale Pache spot in Southern California for a while now. This place was one of those I decided to try, and I’m glad I did! We had their kale pache for brunch on a weekend, and it turned out to be really tasty and satisfying.

Yogi Jitsu

Authentic Persian food. In addition to the typical Persian kabobs they also have traditional dishes such as Pache a which is full of cologne. They also have Dizzy a delicious dish filled with lamb meat and garbanzo beens. They also bake their own bread served hot with complementary tea. The decor needs improvement. But if you can pass that the food is good

M.Ali Mostafavi

Great place for good Persian food and great hospitality! Starts with complimentary black tea pot , what I liked most was that they bake their own Persian naan and serve it hot ! That’s how you should taste Persian kabob with ( and not with Pit bread !!!) we had Beef Kabob which was very delicious and you could tell was made of high quality beef ( which nowadays is hard to find in restaurants !) , our host was very kind and attentive. Tahdig and 2 Stews was a very generous portion. Variety of Persian dishes to try on the Menu, so we’ll be back soon. For those new to Persian cuisine , I suggest to try Breakfast on Saturday and Sunday, including Persian Omelet and also Sarshir ( thick cream ) and Honey .

Shima Dehbozorgi

When it comes to Persian food, this is by far one of my favorite restaurants in OC. I have almost tried everything on the menu and have never been disappointed or disliked a dish. Definitely try Ghorme sabzi and boneless chicken Kabab dark meat. The portions are Texas-style, so be prepared to eat a big meal! The kabob dishes come with a humongous rice portion, so if you order one combo dish of two meats or a family order instead of two separate dishes, you’ll pay less for the same amount of food. And they have freshly made warm bread. Call in to check their hours; sometimes they stay open longer. The location is a bit hidden, the first time, I had a little bit of a hard time finding it. The restaurant has a large sitting area and, on certain days, live music. The dress code is more casual. The staff is very nice and friendly. They do cater for parties, and the amount of food you get for the price is mind-blowing. This is it if you're looking for authentic and delicious Persian food! I highly recommend this place! I would eat there every day if I could 🙈

Bardia Haghighirad

What a great place. I’m now going there on regular basis. I always get their Kubideh and Maste musir. As a Persian, this is the place you need to go to try an authentic tasting Persian kebab. The food itself has a very high quality and a very authentic taste to it. It’s clear that they use the highest quality ingredients as it’s always made to our liking. I’ve also tried their chicken kebab and that’s amazing. The place itself is great. Staff are so nice and the owner Mr. Ali is a great guy. The prices are also fair. I’d definitely go back and definitely recommend to anyone.

Nafis

Having visited Hafez Cafe multiple times, it's now our preferred spot for Persian brunch. The food's quantity and quality are flawless, and the customer service is outstanding. They willingly bring in house baked bread and tea upon request with no extra costs. If you're craving "Kaleh Pacheh" in Southern California, this is the place to be, and their prices are reasonable too.

Mannat

The food is so tasty, so affordable, and the portions are insane!! Oh, not to mention the complimentary chai! The owners are very friendly. A lovely place to get together and enjoy a meal and some chai.

Alia A

I’ve tried several dishes from this restaurant. My favorite was their egg dish that they only serve on the weekends which was very reasonable. But then they bumped up the price by about $5.00 and I was very disappointed. So I didn’t go there for quite awhile until my cousin from out of town wanted to go there with her husband and son. I reluctantly agreed to meet them there and tried their chicken and beef kobideh. It wasn’t to my liking but I tried my cousin’s chicken kebab and it was delicious. So was their eggplant dish. So now I go there once in awhile. I have included 2 photos of their menu. I’ll add pictures of the food next time I go there.

CJ McAllister

First time trying Hafez Cafe. The skewers are DELICIOUS! OMG!! The two types of Polo rices tasted great too! I purchased the $90 family package, that comfortably fed five. Customer service was great! I look forward to visiting Hafez Cafe again in the future.

Jon Sojda

Solid family spot... when your not sure what your craving waiting for your car to be detailed in a shopping plazza, finding a random clean family owned spot is the best!...This cafe is clean, soooo well priced for the amount you get and very welcoming... One of those spots your super happy you stumbled into... amazing chicken koobideh, and delicious bread... for sure will be back! #support local

Reza Qorbani

Amazing place for Persian Food in OC 👌 Dizi and Kale Pache is the best in OC hands down 🙌 unlimited Tea is just amazing and service was outstanding.

Great authentic persian food! We have tried this place numerous time for dine in, take out and catering events. Koobideh and kale pache are my favorites here! The owners are very nice and staff are attentive. Their prices are acceptable for the portions and the type of cuisine. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming.

The dizi was so tasty, and I really enjoyed the fresh, delicious bread. The tea was great too. The server was super friendly. Everything was great, and I can’t wait to come back again!

Wow. This place is hands down the closest you'll get to authentic, homemade Persian food. You can really taste the time and love they pour into every single dish. Honestly, you can't go wrong—everything on the menu is fantastic. But if you have to pick, the Kaleh Pache, Beef Barg, and Dizi (abgoosht) are absolutely essential.

I highly recommend Hafez Cafe if you’re into authentic Persian food. Their kabobs are incredibly tasty, and their kale pache and aab goosht are absolutely delicious and full of flavor. You can tell the bread just came out of the oven — soft, hot, and full of flavor. I order takeout often, and the portions are always generous and satisfying. I never had to wait over 20 min before my food gets ready and sometimes they offer me free tea if I am waiting for the takeout to get ready. It’s more of a cozy café-style spot rather than a fancy restaurant, but the quality and authenticity of the food stand out. Definitely worth trying!

Sam Fekrirad

Great authentic persian food! We have tried this place numerous time for dine in, take out and catering events. Koobideh and kale pache are my favorites here! The owners are very nice and staff are attentive. Their prices are acceptable for the portions and the type of cuisine. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming.

alireza khodadadi

Authentic breakfast , lounge and dinner Excellent service. Friendly staff, especially Ms. Neda for her excellent and impeccable service. All the food is very tasty and fresh. I would like to experience this restaurant all the time.❤️

Bryan Ver Meer

Wow. This place is hands down the closest you'll get to authentic, homemade Persian food. You can really taste the time and love they pour into every single dish. Honestly, you can't go wrong—everything on the menu is fantastic. But if you have to pick, the Kaleh Pache, Beef Barg, and Dizi (abgoosht) are absolutely essential.

B B

Perhaps the healthiest and freshest food, let alone Persian food ever had! Moreover, the staff Neda and Ali are so welcoming, courteous and go out of their way to accommodate our whole group. Definitely making this a regular spot 🙏

I visited Hafez Restaurant on Saturday with friends. It’s a cozy Persian spot where you can find all the authentic Iranian breakfast dishes, from Haleem and Nan o Paneer (bread and cheese) to Kaleh Pacheh and Adasi. It really feels like home for anyone who grew up with Persian flavors. Our server, a lady, was very kind and attentive, she came by often to check on us and made sure we had everything we needed. They also served a fresh pot of Persian tea and baked their taftoon bread fresh, which was absolutely amazing. Everyone at our table enjoyed their food. Since I have high cholesterol, I wanted to order just egg whites, thinking no one could go wrong with that. But unfortunately, they said they only serve omelets and couldn’t make plain eggs, so I ended up having Nan o Paneer instead. The Haleem was decent but a bit bland — we had to add quite a few seasonings to make it more flavorful. A few of my friends didn’t like the smell of the Kaleh Pacheh. While it’s a dish that naturally has a strong aroma, they felt it wasn’t prepared in a way that minimized it. Another small suggestion, the presentation of the Pacheh (sheep’s leg) could be improved. It was served in a deep bowl, which didn’t look very appealing; serving it in a flatter soup-style plate would make a big difference. Also, the Abgoosht (sheep broth) portion was quite limited. Even when two people shared one order, they didn’t divide it into two servings, they just brought one bowl to share. Overall, it was a nostalgic experience and a nice spot to enjoy authentic Persian breakfast, but there’s definitely room for improvement in flavor, presentation, and flexibility with orders.

Good experience at Hafez Cafe. The gentleman working there was very friendly and welcoming, and he honestly guided us on how much food to order for our group, which we really appreciated. The food was flavorful and well-prepared, with good portion sizes. Overall a pleasant experience and a solid spot for Persian food in the area.

Overall, I recommend Hafez cafe. The food was good, but the service was not that much pleasant. They served complimentary tea but not complimentary bread and butter. We had two orders; they brought one dish(Kabob) first, and then the other dish (Stew) about ten minutes later. The Barg and Beef Koobideh were great—4/5 stars. The Tahdig and Ghorme Sabzi stew were decent—3/5 stars. The vibe is not fancy; it's a very casual restaurant but the food is worth to try.

We had a tasty Dizi there. They were friendly and food was delicious

Tam G (Tam)

I visited Hafez Restaurant on Saturday with friends. It’s a cozy Persian spot where you can find all the authentic Iranian breakfast dishes, from Haleem and Nan o Paneer (bread and cheese) to Kaleh Pacheh and Adasi. It really feels like home for anyone who grew up with Persian flavors. Our server, a lady, was very kind and attentive, she came by often to check on us and made sure we had everything we needed. They also served a fresh pot of Persian tea and baked their taftoon bread fresh, which was absolutely amazing. Everyone at our table enjoyed their food. Since I have high cholesterol, I wanted to order just egg whites, thinking no one could go wrong with that. But unfortunately, they said they only serve omelets and couldn’t make plain eggs, so I ended up having Nan o Paneer instead. The Haleem was decent but a bit bland — we had to add quite a few seasonings to make it more flavorful. A few of my friends didn’t like the smell of the Kaleh Pacheh. While it’s a dish that naturally has a strong aroma, they felt it wasn’t prepared in a way that minimized it. Another small suggestion, the presentation of the Pacheh (sheep’s leg) could be improved. It was served in a deep bowl, which didn’t look very appealing; serving it in a flatter soup-style plate would make a big difference. Also, the Abgoosht (sheep broth) portion was quite limited. Even when two people shared one order, they didn’t divide it into two servings, they just brought one bowl to share. Overall, it was a nostalgic experience and a nice spot to enjoy authentic Persian breakfast, but there’s definitely room for improvement in flavor, presentation, and flexibility with orders.

Miles Yousefi

Good experience at Hafez Cafe. The gentleman working there was very friendly and welcoming, and he honestly guided us on how much food to order for our group, which we really appreciated. The food was flavorful and well-prepared, with good portion sizes. Overall a pleasant experience and a solid spot for Persian food in the area.

Zara Khakpour

Overall, I recommend Hafez cafe. The food was good, but the service was not that much pleasant. They served complimentary tea but not complimentary bread and butter. We had two orders; they brought one dish(Kabob) first, and then the other dish (Stew) about ten minutes later. The Barg and Beef Koobideh were great—4/5 stars. The Tahdig and Ghorme Sabzi stew were decent—3/5 stars. The vibe is not fancy; it's a very casual restaurant but the food is worth to try.

Mich Sch

We had a tasty Dizi there. They were friendly and food was delicious

Came by with 11 of our soccer team. They handled it very well. Tea was good, kaleh very tasty, well made. The soup was also descent. Halim was missing salt, which wasn’t hard to add. Fresh bread provided constantly and tea was flowing. Excellent service and management. Will return. Another breakfast. A bit unprepared, knowing today was a big day and more people will be there. A young lady, Neda, ran the place. Despite a full house, she was absolutely amazing. Fast, exact, flawless. I have never seen anything like that. She is a keeper. Hafez, if you don’t appreciate her, I will steal her.

I truly appreciate the staff who works hard and kind in this cafe — most of them are warm and helpful. However, I’m really sorry to say that my experience was tainted by the behavior of one lady who I believe was either the owner or manager. She was the first person I interacted with that morning when I came to get breakfast, and unfortunately, her attitude was surprisingly unpleasant. I hope this feedback is taken constructively, as first impressions truly matter — especially when customers choose to celebrate meaningful days like Mother’s Day at your establishment.

We’ve given this place three chances, and unfortunately, each visit has been a disappointment. The restaurant is consistently short-staffed, and the service is painfully slow every time. What really stood out in the worst way was the attitude of the woman with short black and white hair that I believe she’s the manager. Her customer service is absolutely unacceptable: rude, dismissive, and completely unprofessional. She made us feel unwelcome for simply asking basic questions.not recommended.

Not a place for vegetarians. As we weren’t that hungry, ordered hummus which was good and the kashk e badamjun (sp?) which was terrible. 15 bucks for a bunch a mint leaves on a plate with… get this!!! A piece of onion still wrapped in Saran Wrap! Tasteless - needed salt, lemon juice and lot more flavor. I can do better and I’m not even Persian.

Nine of us visited Hafez Cafe for a Persian breakfast, but our experience was marred by the owner’s rudeness. While the staff was friendly, the same can’t be said of the owner. When one of our friends asked if he could eat an avocado he brought, knowing the restaurant doesn’t serve it, the owner said it was against the restaurant's policy but it was okay this time - before adding that if he didn’t like it— my friend shouldn’t come back. While the policy is acceptable, the rudeness is not. I doubt any of us will come back to reward this arrogant ill-mannered owner. I doubt anyone we know will also. Enjoy your breakfast elsewhere!

This place has become super expensive, a small plate of kashke bademjaan is $28.00. This plate is considered two orders!!! I am blown away, never again.

This was honestly the worst dining experience I’ve ever had at a Persian restaurant. The food was terrible — bad taste, poor presentation, and not even edible. I can’t believe they actually serve food like this. I wasted my money and time here, and I’ll never come back. Definitely do not recommend it to anyone.

Shaghayegh Kahani

This was honestly the worst dining experience I’ve ever had at a Persian restaurant. The food was terrible — bad taste, poor presentation, and not even edible. I can’t believe they actually serve food like this. I wasted my money and time here, and I’ll never come back. Definitely do not recommend it to anyone.

Extremely Rude Manger/Owener Lady! OVERPRICED! The restaurant is consistently short-staffed, and the service is painfully slow every time.There’s always no one around when you need something and you literally have to walk around the restaurant, find someone and let them know what you need. The worst part was definitely the attitude of the woman with short black and white hair (Shahnaz), who I believe she was the owner or something since I don’t get the attitude. Her customer service was totally unacceptable: rude, dismissive, and just unprofessional. After breakfast, while we waited for tea, I gathered the dirty dishes and asked the lady if she could take them. She immediately rolled her eyes and, with the worst attitude, said it wasn't her job to take them back! EXCUSE ME! Could you send over your restaurant handbook, employee names, and their duties? She is absolutely unprofessional, and clearly has no idea how to treat customers. it's not worth your time and your money!