There's a plaza on the corner of Trabuco and Bake in Lake Forest that houses a McDonalds. For a buck, you can indulge in processed sausage burritos, sausage McMuffins, a small cuppa joe, a sausage biscuit and/or hash browns. If you require a drive-thru, and want to pay as little as possible, this is acceptable.
However, this is about finding not only a cheap brekkie, but one made with a little more TLC; and it's coincidentally in the same plaza. If you've got five-ish minutes to spare (and it's before 10 a.m.), we've got a better alternative.
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Over at Skewers, it's a 99-cent selection of freshly cooked tastes. While the selections are as unfussy as its neighbor across the way, there's a sense of comfort knowing you can not only make eye contact with the guy working the griddle, but watch him at work. French toast and pancakes cover the sweet tooth, a trio of burritos, bacon taco and meaty muffin sandwich round out the options.
The owner is typically close by greeting customers and lending a hand with a fresh pot of coffee or ringing up orders. He's owned multiple concepts over the years: Italian, French, even Chinese. However, he's settled on Mediterranean-inspired flavors because he considers them healthier than the rest. We learn that the spices they use are fresh, and they make their own breads.
I've tried the burritos and tacos a number of times after working out, and like how there's red and green sauces available (already in to-go ramekins, so one less thing to ask for forget). The chorizo one is the only deal that includes tiny diced potatoes in the mix, giving a little more per bite. Portions are modest, wrapped items use a warm flatbread for a different kind of chew.
On my last visit, I branched out and tried french toast and the egg & ham muffin. Both simplistic in ingredients, but sometimes simple is all one wants to taste. For a couple of bucks, the brekkie does the job and keeps Morgan Spurlock nighmares at bay.
Skewers Cafe is at 24531 Trabuco Rd, Suite E, Lake Forest, (949) 599-0400.
A contributing writer for OC Weekly, Anne Marie freelances for multiple online and print publications, and guest judges for culinary competitions. A Bay Area transplant, she graduated with a degree in Hospitality Management from Cal Poly Pomona. Find her on Instagram as brekkiefan.