Belgian Waffle Works - Lake Arrowhead

Try the Brussels Waffle for breakfast or lunch.... Life is good!

The restaurant is situated in a beautiful location right by the water, and is quite popular for its Belgian waffles during breakfast. We arrived at 9:45 and were told there would be a "30-minute wait." However, we ended up sitting for an hour before our order was taken, and we didn’t receive our food until 11:45—almost noon! The staff apologized for the delay but unfortunately got our order wrong. To make matters worse, the waffles were undercooked and not appetizing at all. After that, we were overcharged by 20%, billed for an extra meal and drink. It then took an additional 15 minutes to rectify the bill, as they attributed the issues to a mix-up in the kitchen. I would not recommend this place—despite having plenty of staff, they were inefficient and inattentive. There are many other dining options around the beautiful Lake Arrowhead that offer far superior service. Overall, this is a disappointing experience!

On this particular camping trip, due to logistical challenges, we decided not to bring much food—just some ingredients for s'mores and instant coffee. We planned to eat all our meals in the restaurants around Lake Arrowhead. The old gold miners could have exclaimed, "There's food in them thar hills!" as some of my favorite dining spots are nestled in the San Bernardino Mountains. For the next camping trip, we’ll cook bacon and eggs, hamburgers, and beans over an open fire. However, for my nephew's first adventure in the great outdoors, we chose to dine indoors. We left our home early and arrived just in time for breakfast at Lake Arrowhead. While there are many great breakfast spots in the area, the Belgian Waffle Works has always been one of our favorites. The morning view over the lake is one of the most beautiful sights you'll ever witness. I hadn’t visited Lake Arrowhead in years, and seeing the lake and restaurant gave me goosebumps. The dining room is charmingly decorated in an American country style. On snowy days, it feels incredibly cozy, but since we were there in summer, we opted to eat on the covered rooftop terrace that overlooks the lake. The view was breathtaking, and technically we were still dining outdoors. My brother, thrilled to return to one of our old haunts, had been dreaming of the delicious waffles throughout our journey, but he struggled to choose just one from the menu of about seventeen different waffle creations. After some indecision, my dad quickly selected his long-time favorite: the Normandy Apple Belgian waffle, topped with hot diced apples, raisins, walnuts, and a drizzle of crème brûlée and cinnamon. In contrast, my brother was still unable to choose. I remembered how large the waffles were and knew I wanted eggs, so I ordered the Little Breakfast—half a Belgian waffle with two eggs cooked to order, plus bacon or sausage. Being a vegetarian, I handed my bacon over to my brother, although I’m sure they could have substituted fruit for me if I’d asked. I had dreamt about these waffles before. While the Belgian Waffle Works has a variety of options for breakfast and lunch, I’ve never strayed from ordering waffles and eggs in this place; some culinary traditions should remain intact. My brother, however, took a leap of faith and ordered the Mountain Breakfast, which came with two giant biscuits, three scrambled eggs, sausage, and, of course, the bacon from my plate. He declared it a triumph, though I can’t say his cardiologist would agree! All the waffles are thick, fluffy Belgian-style. You can choose from various delightful toppings and fillings, including peaches with raspberry melba sauce, fresh strawberries and bananas, chocolate ice cream with peanut butter and chocolate syrup, or coffee ice cream with chocolate fudge and Oreo cookie crumbs. Those are just a few of the sweet options. For savory selections, there’s the Belgian Benedict with Canadian bacon, eggs, and hollandaise sauce, and the Brussels Belgian, which is stuffed with ham, Swiss cheese, and turkey, then baked and dusted with powdered sugar, served with strawberry preserves and cream cheese. They also offer a multi-grain waffle, described by one regular as a bit denser and crispier than the others. On a side note, the Belgian Waffle Works serves delicious Farmer Bros French roast coffee, which I found smooth and flavorful. They also offer a nice selection of coffeehouse-style drinks. Who needs Starbucks? I’d love to return to the mountains and spend about a week there, allowing me to visit the Belgian Waffle Works again, step away from my routine, and try some items from their lunch menu. A veggie burger with sweet potato fries sounds like a great place to start. Until then, I’ll dream of the breathtaking lake views and remember the aroma of fresh maple syrup-laden waffles, all while waiting for the “Call of the Wilderness” to draw me back.

I had an amazing breakfast and lunch experience! The turkey burger was a hefty 1/3 pound, grilled to perfection with onions and avocado, all nestled in a freshly made wheat bun. To top it all off, I enjoyed a delicious Belgian beer. Highly recommended!

I was very disappointed with the service we received from our server. There was an extremely long wait for both drinks and food. I believe her name was Naomi, and she seemed to find it amusing when she made a mistake with our order. I suggest she take a customer service class!