Vineyard Rose Restaurant

The restaurant deserves no more than one star. In plain words, awful and overpriced. The service was slower than molasses in winter. I had the lamb chops that were so fatty that it was more like eating a rare food item to find the meat. The accompanying string beans were limp and taste burned. As for the potato croquettes, I had the same at McDonald's for breakfast. The saving grace for South Coast Winery is proximity to Pechanga Casino.

4 stars. This is the best place to get breakfast or brunch when you're starting your day out in Temecula. Yes, there are a few cute breakfast places in downtown, but I prefer to be among the wineries and not 15 min away.

1) It is insanely cheap. For a place with a fantastic outdoor ambiance, and service that serves women first and from the right side, paying less than $15 a person is a welcome surprise.

2) I already mentioned the atmosphere. It's lovely. Don't eat inside. Enjoy the view and weather from the veranda. You're in Temecula after all, soak it all in.

Note: If they seat you down at the end of the veranda's left leg, and it's a week day, you may have to contend with loud construction noise (South Coast is expanding). Minus half a star for that.

3) Let me reiterate on the service. It is above and beyond for the price point. Extremely attentive, cordial, and efficient. Does Vera still work here? She epitomizes first class service but I haven't seen her around recently... I had Mike and Alfredo during my breakfast last weekend. While it is clear they are still learning, their service is still high caliber when considered alongside Vineyard Rose's diner prices.

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Breakfast foods:

~ Strawberry waffle. This is their in-season fruit waffle. I expected the strawberries to be in the batter, but they were just on top. But it was good as far as standard belgian waffles go. Served with real maple syrup and a delicious coconut syrup.

~ Bananas Foster pancake. Yeah, it's infamous. Mainly because it's diabetes on a plate. I've never seen anyone finish this. And while it's definitely different, that's not always a good thing where taste is concerned. This dish is saturated in sugary sweetness that drowns out any and all semblance of pancake. I enjoy sweets, but this is taking it too far. It gets old fast.

~ Eggs Benedict. Usually served with pork loin (which is very good btw!), you can customize this with different meats (like ham), pick the consistency of your eggs (though runny is standard afterall), add accoutrements like avocado, and even change out the type of bread. Someone's order got really complicated, haha, but it came out perfectly plated and was easily devoured.

~ Coffee is served with real cream.

~ Took off another half a star because Vineyard Rose doesn't make their own whipped cream. It's Cool Whip. *sadness*

Food was very good, well portioned, and for the price and location - very reasonable.  If you are staying out in Temecula Wine Country and want somewhere to eat - definitely check this place out.  Excellent wine list and good quality food and service.  My only issue was the menu was a bit limited, but still the selections were fine.