Delicious Dining at The Shops at Mission Viejo

No trip to the mall is complete without some delicious food. Whether it’s a quick snack or a lunch with friends, The Shops at Mission Viejo has tons of great options! This is a sponsored post to show you my favorite food and drink options at the mall! AND I’m taking over their Instagram account today (mostly the stories!) so follow along!
I usually try to be at the mall when it opens. At that time of day it’s really quiet. There aren’t many people there which means you can get in and out quickly (if that is the goal). I’ll usually grab a coffee, on my way in, for sipping as I shop. There are several places to grab a coffee in the mall including Starbucks and Nordstrom Espresso Bar.While most of the mall stores open at 10 am on weekdays, the food court area (and some of the food court restaurants) opens before then. I love to use this area for blogger meet ups. We can grab a cup of coffee from Starbucks and then find a place to sit and work. There are comfy benches by the parking lot entrance or tables in the food court. My kids are all about snacks and who can blame them. And, of course, they ALWAYS ask to go to Lolli and Pops. This candy store is so much fun to browse. They have all kinds of fun things to discover and on this trip they decided on flavored cotton candy. I loved that it was in a container which meant it was easy for them to eat as we walked around the mall. And, in case you were wondering, Lolli and Pops has chocolate covered bugs. My little guy HAD to have these. And then pranked my husband with them. Contrary to the look on his face, he liked them. The crickets are nutty in flavor…There are several sit down recipes at The Shops at Mission Viejo but for a quick lunch we usually stop at the food court. Muscle Beach is one of our favorites but it’s always a hard choice between that, Chipotle, Blaze Pizza and Paradise Bakery.As a former Ruby girl (I worked at one of the locations all through college), we usually have to stop at Ruby’s and get a shake. I let the boys pick their flavors and then steal some of each. I call it my mom tax. The Shops at Mission Viejo is also a great place to meet up with the girls for happy hour. The Cheesecake Factory is always one of my favorite places to spend time with friends! They have signature cocktails along with a great wine list. And during their designated happy hour, they offer drink and appetizer specials.The Cheesecake Factory also has a great patio area to enjoy when the weather is nice. It’s the perfect place to catch up over a drink or two. Just be responsible. Duh. When it comes to dinner out with my family, we love Islands. They have everything my family could want like delicious drinks (cocktails, mocktails AND passion fruit iced tea – my favorite!) and flavorful food! My youngest loves the mac and cheese kid’s meal. I love that they offer yogurt and fruit as a side dish option. The customer service at this restaurant is fantastic. From the hostess stand to the management, everyone is super friendly and great at what they do. I LOVE the Yaki Tacos. And you can’t even think about coming to Island’s without getting an order of Cheese Fries. Their menu is full of awesome options that cover whatever you are in the mood for from soup, salad, appetizers to burgers and other speciality entrees. They also have dessert but I never have room for it. There is also a full bar at Island’s. Anton, the bartender who was working the night we ate there, made the BEST Mai Tai I’ve ever had. Then he brought out a Coconut Mojito that was out of this world. The Coconut Mojito was something he created and it was something I will dream about. It wasn’t overly sweet and it had the perfect balance of being coconut-y and refreshing at the same time.I’m doing a quick giveaway for a $50 gift card to The Shops at Mission Viejo and a $50 gift card to The Cheesecake Factory over on Instagram! Look for the post later this afternoon and don’t forget to enter!

Thank you for supporting brands, like The Shops at Mission Viejo, who enable me to create fun content, for you and your family, through partnerships and/or compensation!

While Mother’s Day might be over, check out these awesome gift picks from my past shopping trip.