Scratch Bakery Cafe

There are so MANY pastries, if you purchased one everyday it would take forever to eat them. Side note: as courtesy to consumers, hot drinks are luke warm. If you want a HOT drink, make sure to let them know in advance.

Cynthia Grande

This is one of the best breakfast sandwiches I've had! The potato bread bun melts in your mouth. The southwest sandwich ingredients blend wonderfully and the food came out fast! The offer military discount. The environment is street café style where you order in side and sit outside. Really happy to have found this on accident on a trip to REI. Itching to come back soon!

Bob Thompson

I loved this bakery/cafe, which I visited for the first time, on 8/19/25. They have quite an imaginative variety of fresh-baked pastries, & all of them look so pretty in their lengthy glass patisserie cases. Of the 3 pastries we tried, I liked the Cinnamon Apple Cruffin best. It was like having Grandma's apple pie, placed in the center of a light & flaky croissant. My next favorite was their Coconut Passion Fruit Cake-a delicate multi-layered cake, topped with a creamy frosting, with tart & tangy passion fruit jelly in between layers, plus a bit resting on top of the frosting. Scratch Bakery Cafe has a decent menu of food choices, including breakfast sandwiches, breakfast burritos, & the like, plus a fairly impressive list of lunch sandwiches, cradled in their delicious fresh-baked bread. Speaking of bread, cello-wrapped loaves of different varieties of breads are available for purchase here, as are wrapped packs of multiple cookies types, as well. I had a Turkey Avocado Sandwich, on sourdough. This sandwich was tasty, & it came with choice of potato chips, or potato salad. I got the potato salad, & really enjoyed how creamy it was, plus I loved the dill & herb nuances. Overall, the sandwich was really good, with lettuce, tomato, avocado, red onion, cheese, plus 3 thin slices of turkey. For $15.95, I felt they could've added a bit more turkey, on this one, if I'm honest. The sourdough toast it was served on, was amazing. Scratch Bakery Cafe serves a full selection of coffee drinks, & I chose a medium Americano, which I really enjoyed, with a Chocolate Bomb mousse goodie. The coffee complimented this delicate chocolate treat, so nicely! They have a large wrap-around outdoor patio, with lots of tables & chairs. I found this to be a relaxing place, to enjoy delicious fresh-made food & treats. It was hard to find fault with this bakery/cafe, hence my 5 star rating.

Saif Rawas

This is a great place to get breakfast. It also is very popular and gets busier year after year. I remember going there in the morning and it was not as busy, but through the years I've seen it first hand get more and more busy.

Teena Malicsi

I cruised through Laguna Hills and thought I’d make a pit stop for breakfast. I went for the egg, ham, cheese sandwich, an almond croissant, and a cappuccino. Let me tell you, the English muffin bread on the sandwich was fantastic! It was perfectly crunchy on the outside and so soft inside. And that almond croissant? Absolutely divine! Even though it’s almost an hour away, I can’t wait to return for more.

Raven “Raven” M

My friends and I had a staycation in the area and found this wonderful bakery to have breakfast at. The food was delicious and there were a lot of pastries and breads to choose from.

John W (Live Love Ride Eat)

While not the best view restaurant, this is probably one of the best bakeries in Southern California. All the breads and pastries are made in-house. The breads and pastries are made to perfection. Not too sweet, not over or under cooked. Perfect. The croissants, for example, are wonderfully crispy on the outside, and soft and buttery on the inside with velvety layers. While other bakeries hide their pastries by overloading them with sugar, this bakery uses the perfect amount of ingredients to perfectly bring out the taste. With Scratch’s blueberry scone, for example, they manage to highlight the wonderful taste of the blueberry, with the earthy taste of the scone. Delicious! It’s rare to find a bakery like this. I do not give out such reviews often. This bakery is worth coming to. This bakery is even worth driving a good distance to come to. Be prepared to come often and buy a lot of delicious breads and pastries to bring home and share!

Catherine

I’ve only tried the breakfast sandwiches, but they’re enough to earn 5 stars! The homemade English muffins seem to be one of the bakery’s signature items. They are fluffy, soft, and not necessarily traditional, but oh-so-good. Scratch is a great spot for a casual breakfast with friends or family.

Daniel C

Just recently started coining to these types of cafes. I asked the server a questing about the mg in the lattes and he was very help and not pretentious or condescending like other places I have been to. I got a latte double shot, was really good, did not have to add anything, also got a strawberry croissant which is more like a pastry, the strawberries were extremely fresh, would recommend, and a Cobb salad for after my bike ride. Man the chicken was amazing. I destroyed that salad. They had so many other desserts, I had to hold off as I’m trying to lock in on my diet lol

Debbie Chen

Great pastry shop! The strawberry croissant was delicious and flavorful. The coffee was rich and smooth. The salad was fresh and tasty. Cozy atmosphere. Highly recommend!

Patrick R.

On this escapade, we found ourselves at a delightful nook in Laguna Hills, indulging in a trifecta of delight: a coffee as smooth as a jazz melody, a bagel embodying the very essence of freshness (dryness? Not on its watch!), and a bear-claw that would make any pastry aficionado's heart flutter. Seating, you ask? Well, we embraced the Californian spirit and enjoyed our treats under the gentle embrace of the sun. Who needs indoor seating when you've got the golden state's mild winter as your backdrop, right? ;-D In a nutshell, we're already plotting our return to this Laguna Hills gem. If you're in the neighborhood, don't miss out! P.S. This review might be making a late entrance (we visited in November 2022), but like a perfectly aged wine or a masterfully baked bagel, it's worth the wait!

Joe Nest Stat

There are so MANY pastries, if you purchased one everyday it would take forever to eat them. Side note: as courtesy to consumers, hot drinks are luke warm. If you want a HOT drink, make sure to let them know in advance.

I recently hosted a Christmas party at my home and had a very specific dessert vision. I wanted a variety of desserts with slices of different cakes and cookies so guests could sample a little of everything, not multiple large cakes or cupcakes. After what felt like visiting every bakery in Mission Viejo and striking out again and again, I remembered Scratch Bakery Cafe and I’m so glad I did. Every other place I tried offered only full cakes, cupcakes, or breakfast-style pastries, which just didn’t work for an evening party. Scratch was exactly what I was looking for. While it’s already fantastic for breakfast and lunch, their dessert and pastry selection is truly outstanding. The desserts were absolutely out of this world. Every single guest raved about them, especially the carrot cake, lemon cake, and the gluten-free dulce de leche cheesecake. The double chocolate cake was incredible, and my personal favorite was the carrot cake. It was hands-down perfection. One tip: don’t leave without a dozen chocolate and vanilla cream puffs. They are a must. I’m so glad I chose Scratch. It completely made the dessert table and I’ll definitely be back.

Ines Negrete

I recently hosted a Christmas party at my home and had a very specific dessert vision. I wanted a variety of desserts with slices of different cakes and cookies so guests could sample a little of everything, not multiple large cakes or cupcakes. After what felt like visiting every bakery in Mission Viejo and striking out again and again, I remembered Scratch Bakery Cafe and I’m so glad I did. Every other place I tried offered only full cakes, cupcakes, or breakfast-style pastries, which just didn’t work for an evening party. Scratch was exactly what I was looking for. While it’s already fantastic for breakfast and lunch, their dessert and pastry selection is truly outstanding. The desserts were absolutely out of this world. Every single guest raved about them, especially the carrot cake, lemon cake, and the gluten-free dulce de leche cheesecake. The double chocolate cake was incredible, and my personal favorite was the carrot cake. It was hands-down perfection. One tip: don’t leave without a dozen chocolate and vanilla cream puffs. They are a must. I’m so glad I chose Scratch. It completely made the dessert table and I’ll definitely be back.

Cool little bakery cafe for breakfast and lunch. Third time here, and I wanted to try something with the home made english muffins. Eggs benedict was the choice! Eggs were cooked great, english muffin was delicious and hollandaise was well done as well. Breakfast potatoes were good but lukewarm at best. Hubby had the breakfast burrito with sausage which he said was excellent. Coffee was a delicious roast. The only negative is that you have to purchase refills….You should at least get one refill. It was a nice day so we sat outside in shade. There was so many yummy goodies in the case I wanted to try them all but resisted!

Very nice place! Only outside seating available. Take out also available. Just go in, order, grab a number and find a table. They’ll bring the food right to your table! I recommend coming around 11 am and noon. This place gets really busy during actual breakfast time, 8, 9, 10 am. We showed up at 11:30 am. A party of 4 adults and 2 kids. The place was not busy at all. No waiting in line. Lots of choices. Staff was on point, very helpful, excellent recommendations, excellent attitude. Cool atmosphere in this place. Food was ready quickly, since it wasn’t busy! Also, lots of dessert choices lol. They also do cakes, for birthdays and celebrations! Definitely will recommend this place. Wish they had some inside seating though, but I know there is probably not enough space inside because it could get really crowded with the ordering line. We had a good experience here today! Thank you!

Charlene Barenkopf

Cool little bakery cafe for breakfast and lunch. Third time here, and I wanted to try something with the home made english muffins. Eggs benedict was the choice! Eggs were cooked great, english muffin was delicious and hollandaise was well done as well. Breakfast potatoes were good but lukewarm at best. Hubby had the breakfast burrito with sausage which he said was excellent. Coffee was a delicious roast. The only negative is that you have to purchase refills….You should at least get one refill. It was a nice day so we sat outside in shade. There was so many yummy goodies in the case I wanted to try them all but resisted!

J G

Very nice place! Only outside seating available. Take out also available. Just go in, order, grab a number and find a table. They’ll bring the food right to your table! I recommend coming around 11 am and noon. This place gets really busy during actual breakfast time, 8, 9, 10 am. We showed up at 11:30 am. A party of 4 adults and 2 kids. The place was not busy at all. No waiting in line. Lots of choices. Staff was on point, very helpful, excellent recommendations, excellent attitude. Cool atmosphere in this place. Food was ready quickly, since it wasn’t busy! Also, lots of dessert choices lol. They also do cakes, for birthdays and celebrations! Definitely will recommend this place. Wish they had some inside seating though, but I know there is probably not enough space inside because it could get really crowded with the ordering line. We had a good experience here today! Thank you!

While out running errands for work, we thought we would pop by a cute local place we had seen a number of times before but had never tried. The staff were amazing, the bakery and deli cases were well stocked and clean, and the outdoor patio seating were quite comfortable with padded chairs. Unfortunately, the breakfasts were barely more than passable. I ordered the breakfast platter with eggs over medium (they were properly cooked) with hashed browns (like McDonalds, but not crisp) and bacon (like the precooked bacon you microwave from Costco) with their signature English muffin (more like a breakfast hamburger bun). We also ordered the vegetarian breakfast burrito sans onion. The first notable difference was the use of guacamole instead of avocado slices. Additionally, the size was just perfect for a quick breakfast without dealing with leftovers. We strongly encourage eating the burrito with the homemade salsa to give it some real flavor. Lastly, we ordered an iced coffee (medium roast, very mild and flavorful-not over-bearing), a warm caramel macchiato (whose flavor was judged to be better than Starbucks), and a larger-than-life cinnamon roll (excellent cream cheese frosting, very fluffy roll). Overall very passable and we look forward to a return to try the bakery goodies.

Chris Samuelson

While out running errands for work, we thought we would pop by a cute local place we had seen a number of times before but had never tried. The staff were amazing, the bakery and deli cases were well stocked and clean, and the outdoor patio seating were quite comfortable with padded chairs. Unfortunately, the breakfasts were barely more than passable. I ordered the breakfast platter with eggs over medium (they were properly cooked) with hashed browns (like McDonalds, but not crisp) and bacon (like the precooked bacon you microwave from Costco) with their signature English muffin (more like a breakfast hamburger bun). We also ordered the vegetarian breakfast burrito sans onion. The first notable difference was the use of guacamole instead of avocado slices. Additionally, the size was just perfect for a quick breakfast without dealing with leftovers. We strongly encourage eating the burrito with the homemade salsa to give it some real flavor. Lastly, we ordered an iced coffee (medium roast, very mild and flavorful-not over-bearing), a warm caramel macchiato (whose flavor was judged to be better than Starbucks), and a larger-than-life cinnamon roll (excellent cream cheese frosting, very fluffy roll). Overall very passable and we look forward to a return to try the bakery goodies.

I was looking forward to a mini date with my husband on Sunday, around 2 o’clock, and had heard good things about Scratch Bakery. When we ordered, we went right up to the register – there were no customers ahead of us. The dessert was delicious, but it took 15 to 20 minutes for us to get a latte and Americano. My husband waited to get our drinks inside while I was waiting outside, sitting out in the sun (no umbrellas). I got up twice to go in and see what was taking so long. By the time he came out with the coffees, we were over it. We ate our treat quickly and left. It kind-of of killed the date for us. We could have at least been offered a number to put on our table so it would’ve been delivered to us rather than us losing time together. If you want coffee with your treat, you might as well go to Starbucks.

Kristi D.

I was looking forward to a mini date with my husband on Sunday, around 2 o’clock, and had heard good things about Scratch Bakery. When we ordered, we went right up to the register – there were no customers ahead of us. The dessert was delicious, but it took 15 to 20 minutes for us to get a latte and Americano. My husband waited to get our drinks inside while I was waiting outside, sitting out in the sun (no umbrellas). I got up twice to go in and see what was taking so long. By the time he came out with the coffees, we were over it. We ate our treat quickly and left. It kind-of of killed the date for us. We could have at least been offered a number to put on our table so it would’ve been delivered to us rather than us losing time together. If you want coffee with your treat, you might as well go to Starbucks.

I ordered the vegetarian burrito and it was so bitter I couldn’t eat it. My latte had foam, but not the creamy kind, more like soap bubble and it tasted awful. The matcha latte wasn’t even green and just tasted like overly sweetened milk. reallly disappointing overall. would not recommend.

The Black Forest ham and egg sandwich used to be amazing. They have discontinued Swiss and now use some sort of processed white cheddar sauce. It is gross. Upon ordering, I specifically asked if it is legit cheddar or if it’s processed cheese food. They said legit. Please educate your staff if you’re going to commit to serving low quality food. You’ve lost at least 2 customers for life now. Very disappointing.

Nima

I ordered the vegetarian burrito and it was so bitter I couldn’t eat it. My latte had foam, but not the creamy kind, more like soap bubble and it tasted awful. The matcha latte wasn’t even green and just tasted like overly sweetened milk. reallly disappointing overall. would not recommend.

Kiki Brown

The Black Forest ham and egg sandwich used to be amazing. They have discontinued Swiss and now use some sort of processed white cheddar sauce. It is gross. Upon ordering, I specifically asked if it is legit cheddar or if it’s processed cheese food. They said legit. Please educate your staff if you’re going to commit to serving low quality food. You’ve lost at least 2 customers for life now. Very disappointing.

Ham and cheese croissants are delicious, but the service is consistently poor. Female staff often seem in a bad mood, one young dark-haired gentleman pretends to help then walks away, another young blonde guy ignores customers, and even the manager doesn’t intervene. I’ve seen this happen more than 10 times. Other food is hit or miss—BLTs aren’t great, and salads can be too much or too little. Good pastries, but the rude, inattentive staff really hurt the experience.

Had the egg florentine and vegetarian burrito with latte and matcha. We couldn't finish our food, the quality was so low. The matcha tasted like soap, was barely green, the foam on the latte was like a soap foam. The matcha was also super sweet, I wasn't asked if I wanted it to be sweetened or not qheb I ordered. The eggs were pale, showing they were the cheapest quality. The burrito tasted bitter, it came in a huge plate with no sides! This was our first and last time here.

H V

Ham and cheese croissants are delicious, but the service is consistently poor. Female staff often seem in a bad mood, one young dark-haired gentleman pretends to help then walks away, another young blonde guy ignores customers, and even the manager doesn’t intervene. I’ve seen this happen more than 10 times. Other food is hit or miss—BLTs aren’t great, and salads can be too much or too little. Good pastries, but the rude, inattentive staff really hurt the experience.

Hiva M

Had the egg florentine and vegetarian burrito with latte and matcha. We couldn't finish our food, the quality was so low. The matcha tasted like soap, was barely green, the foam on the latte was like a soap foam. The matcha was also super sweet, I wasn't asked if I wanted it to be sweetened or not qheb I ordered. The eggs were pale, showing they were the cheapest quality. The burrito tasted bitter, it came in a huge plate with no sides! This was our first and last time here.