Discovering Red Maple: A Brunch Adventure in Toluca Lake - Review

LA has no shortage of brunch options. So on our never-ending quest to try as many new spots as possible, my partner and I decided to try Red Maple in Toluca Lake as a “breakfast date.” With no expectations and no research done before our visit, here’s our review of Red Maple, one of LA’s many brunch spots:

Our Red Maple Dining Review

The Ambiance

Located in the heart of Toluca Lake, Red Maple’s red, faux maple tree can’t be missed from its prominent spot along Riverside Dr. With outdoor seating for 40, Red Maple offers ample room to enjoy the SoCal sun. Inside, the café offers seating for around 80. The decor evolves seasonally and our spring visit featured shelves decorated with more bunny decorations than I’d ever seen in my life. Respectfully, the vibe gives modern, no-frills diner with a slight skew towards cheugy Hobby Lobby decorations. And I’m totally okay with that!

Counter seating at Red Maple Toluca Lake

The Menu

Red Maple’s gimmick is their robust drink menu which includes “Celebralattes,” a collection of 30+ flavored lattes named after celebrities which arrive at the table with said celebrity’s face printed in the latte’s foam. You can even request aCelebralatte with your own photo printed on the top. The espresso bar also features the latest and greatest in coffee trends including Jade Leaf Matcha, Chagaccinos (mushroom coffee), and Cochatas (cold brew infused with horchata). In addition to the coffee menu, Red Maple extends into adult beverages with a robust selection of beer and wine. It also offers a selection of themed alcoholic beverages that rotate seasonally based on holidays.

The food menu is a bit more traditional with a hearty menu of American brunch and lunch fare. Some items offer unique twists like a Fried Chicken Lemon Velvet Waffle, the Tiramisu French Toast,  the Brisket Green Onion Wafflewich, and the top-selling Brisket Breakfast Burrito. Both brunch and lunch are served all day.

Our Meal

Taylor Swift Latte – Okay, so I didn’t really get the Taylor Swift Celebrelatte (Vanilla Rose Latte) because the espresso bar was out of rose syrup during my visit. However, our server informed me that I could put Taylor’s image on any latte I would like, so I ordered a mint chocolate latte and asked for Taylor’s image on it instead of the intended celeb. In order to print the picture on the latte, the latte must be ordered with cow’s milk and, if cold, served with whipped cream on top to print the picture. As a Reputation girlie, I was pleased to see the picture of Taylor is from the original Reputation album cover. I thought the coffee tasted nice; nothing exceptionally special, but better than the average diner coffee for sure.

Kobe Latte – My boyfriend enjoyed the fun celebrity gimmick, and also thought his latte tasted good. The Kobe latte specifically had notes of maple and bourbon which my boyfriend said created a perfectly balanced flavor without being too sweet. 

Taylor Swift Celebrelatte

Kobe Celebrelatte

Breakfast Quesadilla – I had high hopes for this meal, billed as featuring a spinach tortilla, scrambled eggs, house-made chili lime bacon, 4 cheese Mexican, blend avocado, green onion aioli, and served with a side of sour cream or house-made salsa verde (with the latter two ingredients costing $0.50 extra each). The plate came with a side of breakfast potatoes. I’ll be honest though, this fell a little flat for me. I asked for no avocado (I’m not a fan of it unless it’s already mashed into guac). The quesadilla came out looking a little skimpy with very small amounts of bacon. The green onion aioli didn’t come through at all. I can’t imagine this being served without the sour cream and salsa verde, so it was a little disappointing to have to pay a dollar more for something so additive to the dish.

Red Maple's Breakfast Quesadilla

Brisket Breakfast Burrito – This was the first breakfast burrito with brisket my boyfriend had ever had. As a certified brisket enthusiast, he enjoyed the volume of meat and found the meal filling. He felt the flavor profile was unique, with the brisket flavor pulling more dominant than other breakfast meats in burritos. He enjoyed the change of pace for this meal. 

Red Maple's Brisket Breakfast Burrito

Peeptini – We spotted this festive drink behind the counter and thought it looked adorable, but we couldn’t find it on the menu. Upon inquiring with our server, we were informed it was a new drink being added as a special spring drink to a limited-time menu that wasn’t out yet. The manager was kind enough to let us try it out before the official launch (We love an exclusive sneak peek!). To our surprise, this drink was delicious; a vodka-based beverage with blueberry, lime juice, and a splash of prosecco. We loved the refreshing flavors and the Peep floater was a cute touch and tasty finisher. While this beverage won’t be around for long, it’s exciting to see the fun, limited-time menu additions to keep things feeling fresh.

Red Maple's holiday beverage selection: The Peeptini

The Service

Our server, Emma, was kind and attentive and did a good job keeping up with any of our requests. We also briefly met the owner who was equally pleasant. All of the staff seemed genuinely happy to be working at the restaurant, which was heartwarming to see. No complaints here.

The Value

Our bill landed at around $70 and change with tip and tax. The food prices were a little high, but about on par with the surrounding area. We felt the Peeptini was reasonably priced ($10 for a mixed drink in LA is pretty rare) and the Celebrelattes were fairly valued given the gimmick.

Overall

I enjoyed our first experience at Red Maple and would visit again. I’d probably pass on my breakfast quesadilla and go for something more unique (Like the Fried Chicken Lemon Velvet Waffle) or lunch-oriented (Like a wrap sandwich). I’d definitely come back for brunch beverages or a Celebrelatte with some friends