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Amilia's - CLOSED
Categories: Restaurants American (New) Nightlife Bars American (New), Bars [Edit]
3590 El Camino RealSanta Clara, CA 95051
(408) 247-4405
- Delivery:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Breakfast
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Sun, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Max F. said: "Good little burger joint in down town Palo Alto. Their sliders are small but delicious. Get fries and waffles and you will satisfy your appetite. They have plenty of flat screens on walls and they will show Super Ball today. No extra…" read more »
216 reviews for Amilia's
Review Highlights
"Hazelnut french toast with grilled bananas = Yum."
(in 5 reviews)
"The wifey gets the Eggs Benedict and she loves it."
(in 20 reviews)
"You can even get loco moco, as good as Oahu."
(in 8 reviews)
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216 reviews in English
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Review from Kim P.
Sunnyvale, CA
1/26/2012
Brunch. Lovely thing in concept, but getting it to pan out in reality so often like....where's waldo?
Yelper's gave this place a shout so my husband and I were game. This is the DL
Service at first sucked something horrible. We stood around waiting for human contact to acknowledge us and give us some sort of wait time. People were taken our of order and we were ignored for a good 15 minutes. I was ready to walk out when we were finally greeted and given a wait time.
Sigh. After that it seemed to pick up. Our server arrived promptly as well did the one of the owners to greet us. Ok, looking up.
I had the Eggs Blackstone for under $10. (poached eggs, bacon, tomato on English muffin topped with hollandaise sauce) with a side of hash browns it was devine. Eggs perfectly cooked and sauce wasn't too congealed as can sometimes be the case.
Portions were very good. I was only able to eat one of the eggs and was able to take one whole portion home.
I would take my freaking in laws here. -
Review from Ede S.
1/8/2012
I always pass by this place everywhere I go so it's about time I try it! It was quite empty on a weekday when I went for breakfast. For an empty place, the service was pretty bad. Once the waitress took our orders and gave us our food, she never came back to check up on us or refill our water. I was surprised to find that it was Asian ran, I think it was the first time I've seen Asians running a diner type thing.
However, the ambiance of the place wasn't very diner-like (such as Country Inn a few miles down the road towards the more Santa Clara side). I'm really into customer service and thought this place definitely needed to work on this.
I wasn't that hungry and ordered pancakes. Nothing really stood out about this... it was pretty similar to the Bisquick I make at home. I would much rather go to Bill's Cafe, Straits, or one of the better known chains... PASS! -
Review from Karen C.
1/8/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Oh Amilia's I really want to like you but I can't. I've been here more times than I care to mention but it has only been for breakfast so can't comment on any other time of day.
The service usually sucks. The waiter/waitress are always turning over. They don't seem to be able to keep staff or they rotate everyone through the breakfast shifts so you can't get to know anyone. The owners are rude and I actually walked out once because one of them offended me so much that I was not going to spend my money there.
Then there is the food, it is really just ok. It's not stellar, it's not bad, it's just so so. I used to like to come here weekday mornings because they had a mini breakfast special which was just the right portion size for smaller eaters like me. But alas, they have taken the mini breakfasts away. Without those, I don't see a reason to return. The rest of their menu is decent but nothing to get excited about.
Overall I'd skip it unless your staying at the hotel and don't have anywhere else to go for breakfast. -
Review from Jon Y.
Sunnyvale, CA
Updated - 2/2/2012
Yup. Drove by this place yesterday on my way home from work. It's closed y'all... ;(
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/28/2011
Haven't seen their nightclub transformation yet, but otherwise a solid diner that wasn't super busy… Read more »
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Review from Sancho P.
San Jose, CA
Came to Amilia (BEDILIA'S!!!) for breakfast at 10 on a weekday and was immediately seated. I noticed a full bar and some speakers next to the TV and wondered how loud this place could get, cuz it was really quiet at the time.
Ordered a grilled salmon omelette that came with hash browns n toast. I'm used to big, honkin' portions when I go to a diner but the serving size from Amilia's was just enough to keep me satisfied (nothing more, nothing less). It was still pretty good but nothing that rocked my world.
A little bit expensive for whatcha get and my water was never refilled. I'm a thirsty dude and when my glass of water is 3/5 full, I give a 3/5 star review! BAM -
Review from Harry S.
Sunnyvale, CA
12/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
Giving it two stars, because we didn't end up eating here. Can't rate the food, but can rate the experience.
Short review: Walked in. Waited for host (or anybody). Stood there while other people were randomly scattered waiting too. Kinda busy, so can't complain too much. Left after waiting 15 minutes of standing there with our thumbs up our asses and went down the street to another breakfast place.
I'm not sure if there is supposed to be a host, but a sign or anything telling you where to go or what you're waiting for would be nice.
Might come back and actually review the food someday. -
Review from Cassandra R.
San Jose, CA
12/11/2011
This place was recommended by a friend and I'm not exactly sure why.... I took my friend for a quick breakfast. We drove on past Denny's for the non-chain diner experience. As soon as we walked in, the manager (I guess) fleed from the greeter desk to the back. After a bit of time, confusion, and a discombulated seater, we finally got a seat.
The food:
Me: Cornbeef and Hash
Friend: Bacon waffle and side of scramble with cheese
As soon as the food came, we knew something was wrong. My friend took a whiff of her food and gave a funny face. Her eggs smelled and tasted like old bacon fat grease. The hot sauce that might have covered that up appeared to be watered down.
I took a small forkful of the skeptical looking cornbeef and it was probably the worst cornbeef hash I've ever experienced. Something was off. Maybe it was the taste of dog food...i'm not sure...but I couldn't even eat it. The potatoes tasted a bit old and I'm pretty sure (although not confirmed) that the onions and peppers was probably from last nights dinner service.
We both complained, I asked to replace the "beef" with bacon. They did bring me a brand new plate (in 5 minutes). The bacon tasted like old microwave burnt bacon.
We both could not even finish our plate. This was by far the worst experience I've ever had with breakfast. For what it's worth, they didn't charge me since my plate was clearly full
BTW, my stomach is still bubbling. :-/ -
Review from Sean M.
San Jose, CA
12/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
Cajun Chicken Benedict - 4 Stars - chicken was tough and slightly over cooked but very good.
Chicken spinach salad - 4 Stars -
Review from Heather T.
Cupertino, CA
1/13/2012
We were really hoping this could be our regular breakfast place. Unfortunately, between them putting slices of American cheese on everything and the inedible chilaqueles, we won't be back. If you do chose to eat here, my son did enjoy his chili-cheese hamburger - which is why they get 2 stars.
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Review from Jim C.
Santa Clara, CA
1/28/2012
Went by this morning. Sorry, sign was down and note on the door. Place is being changed to a Japanese resteraunt in February......CLOSED
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Review from Nina V.
Santa Clara, CA
10/30/2011
This place is just OK. I went here with a friend for dinner because I was intrigued by the high ratings despite the skeezy location - sometimes those kinds of places turn out to be diamonds in the rough.
However, Amilia's did not impress me too much. They do serve a few vegetarian entrees, which is a plus - maybe I just ordered the wrong dish. I got the vegetable tower, which came to my table cold and lacking in the flavor department.
The interior is confusing - the furniture is very modern and new, but the carpets definitely need changing. And the music was BLASTING. Just because of that I wouldn't come back here.
On the upside, my friend enjoyed her avocado and blue cheese burger. Maybe the meat dishes are better here. -
Review from M A G.
Sunnyvale, CA
10/4/2011
For years this location was begging for a good restaurant (it was a location for an old "Flames"at the off ramp from Lawrence Expswy. going North, exit El Camino) and now there is the wonderful Amilia Cafe.
I've had the pleasure of eating here many times for breakfast, lunch or dinner and have been happy with my menu choices.
While I've had many menu items and most of them tasty and presented well, try the "Lemon Butter Chicken"--it is the most awesome meal I've had in a restaurant in a while. Pair it with a robust glass of Rosenblum's Zin and you've got a real palate pleaser. If it's lunch you're in the mood for, you cannot go wrong with the crunchy, fresh and zesty, "Asian Chicken Salad".
This cafe is the antidote to our cookie cutter world of chain restaurants and their pre-cooked food.
If you like diner food but with a step up in quality, pleasant ambiance, and sufficient service plus a full bar, try Amilia Cafe since there are so few privately owned restaurants that are consistently good. I recommend giving this eatery a try.
Note: I wrote this review several years back but for some reason, never posted it. So, I re-read it and it still rings true today and with minor editing, I'm finally posting it. -
Review from Rebecca M.
San Jose, CA
12/12/2011
Unfortunately, my experience at Amilia's did not live up to its 4-star Yelp reviews. The food was tasty, but the service was painfully slow. We got so hungry waiting for our food, we almost gave up and left.
The atmosphere was, frankly, weird. When we arrived, music was playing loudly on 2 different sound systems. It was quite a cacophony. A little while later, an Asian gentleman arrived with a guitar and entertained us by singing soft rock hits of the '70's to a karaoke track. He was a decent singer, but the music was pretty loud and my boyfriend and I could barely hear each other talk over the rousing rendition of Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline."
Others seem to have had better experiences, so maybe it was an aberration. -
Review from Cynthia G.
Sunnyvale, CA
9/21/2011
I've driven by this place many times without a second look. The outside doesn't look so great. I was in the area and decided to go there based on a recommendation from a girlfriend. I wasn't expecting much, but then I walked into this place. It was wowed. The place was VERY contemporary and nicely done! We ordered the Joe's Special and waffles, and both were great.
Service was great too. Our waitress was Erika. She was on top of things and the timing of the food, her checking in, and getting the check were perfect.
Some reviews here complain about the price increase. I saw NO PROBLEM with the price. The waffles were just under $6 (I forget about the Joe's Special price). If a small business (or any business for that matter) doesn't increase their price at some point, they won't be in business very long.
Great food-Great Atmosphere- Definitely recommend this place! -
Review from Eugene P.
Santa Clara, CA
12/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
I didn't even think of going to this place because I was thinking it was just a diner or cafe they have connected to a hotel. Most cases those diners are overpriced and lacking overall. This place is not like that. I was surprised when we walked in. At first I thought it was a bar, then I look to the sides and saw tables which reminded me of a hotel lobby.... very contemporary. In any case I order their Amilia's crab benedict and was not disappointed. We also ordered the french toast. Everything was good. And I thought the price reflected it. I suppose if they improved their service department, this place would pull in way more customers.
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Review from Christine B.
Santa Clara, CA
11/20/2011 10 Check-ins Here
I have given this place as many chances a I'm going to give it... They used to be great for breakfast now when you go in you get completely ignored all together or you get seated and ignored. Although the breakfast was good were done with you.
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Review from Charles A.
Milpitas, CA
9/12/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Service is good... Place is nice...
The Mad Man skillet is hella good if you like meat... I also get a waffle on the side which is bomb...
The wifey gets the Eggs Benedict and she loves it...
Their coffee is good too... -
Review from Amy G.
Santa Clara, CA
11/28/2011
Bad Service (RUDE hostess/owner), Food was over priced and just so-so in the flavor department. I would put up with the food if the service didn't suck.
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Review from Jennifer B.
Los Angeles, CA
8/17/2011
Amilia's makes a pretty mean Crab Benedict. I'd say they're even as good as Bill's Cafe in San Jose. But that's where the comparisons end, because the coffee is weak here, the potatoes were so-so, and my date's oatmeal looked like it left something to be desired.
On a good note, where most restaurants give you about 3 oz. of orange juice in a ridiculously tall and skinny cup, Amilia's seems to give you a pretty sizable quantity of juice when you order a small -- go Amilia's!
Amilia's is definitely leagues above the Denny's and Carrows down the street for breakfast.Listed in: Brunch is better than…
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Review from Margo G.
8/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
Hazel Nut French Toast with Grilled Bananas and caramel sauce.
That's all I had and that's all I wanted. Big pieces of toast covered in hazael nuts and bananas with caramel sauce on the side. I with they would have put more bananas though.
The interior is way nicer than I thought. I had avoided this place until my family came for breakfast. Service is friendly though our server forgot a couple of things, like utensils and water when we asked for them. No big, he got them to us eventually.
Everyone got something different but I didn't even try it because I was really into my French Toast. Now if it would have had more bananas, I would have given it 5 stars. It was barely half of a banana slices in half. Boo. Should be a full banana! -
Review from Gina C.
7/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
Exactly what Julie N. said... "Do not let the location and exterior turn you off."
I think I drove by Amilia's a MILLION times but never thought of looking them up or trying them. All just because of their location. They are located on the corner of Lawrence and El Camino next to a couple run down nasty looking motels. Yea... doesn't look too appealing.
The BF and I were running errands one day and we both were craving a nice brunch. Of course I used my handy dandy Yelp app to search for a brunch location near by and Amilia's was the first to pop up. I was hesitant but I was starving. And the BF did not want to wait any longer... cause he knew the monster in me would come out if I didn't get food in my stomach, so we decided to dine here.
When we walked in we were both pleasantly surprised on how nice this place was. We were greeted right away and were able to get a table right away. Once we were seated we immediately looked over the menu. My BF and I looked up at each other with excitement because the menu items looked awesome. My BF ordered the traditional breakfast with eggs, bacon, and potatoes. I ordered the original eggs benedict. O.M.G! My eggs benedict were freakin amazing, the hollandaise sauce was delicious with my eggs benedict. And tell me why the orange juice was so delicious? Its just OJ! The BF and I loved this place, we definitely will be coming back for more!
The best brunch location hands down. -
Review from Felicia P.
Santa Clara, CA
7/27/2011
My very first time at this restaurant and it was such a good experience. Our server was a young lady named Sam. She was very polite,helpful, and was on point with everything. The cook whom I had to thank myself was named Jose. The food was excellent and was even altered because of something I was craving and wasn't exactly on the menu but made it work and it came out so good.
I would definitely recommend this place. -
Review from Kara S.
Santa Clara, CA
12/4/2011
Have driven by this place a thousand times and finally decided to try it. Was pleasantly surprised by the inside, very homey and friendly atmosphere. Staff was great and the food was good all American. Had the burger, it was cooked perfectly. Delish to the last bite. I will be going back, and next time would like to try their breakfast!!!
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Review from Ryan L.
Amilia's is like two restaurants in one. During the morning and afternoon, it's a cafe or upscale coffee shop. In the evening, the place turns into a bistro. The atmosphere is bright and cheery. The walls are painted bold colors of spring green and sunshine yellow. The large windows allow a lot of light to enter the dining room. The tables are modern and high quality. It's much nicer than a dim, dank family restaurant with large booths.
I stopped here for breakfast. The menu is a pretty standard breakfast menu: omelettes, scrambles, benedicts, pancakes, etc. I chose the Tuscany Omelet which included grilled chicken, mushrooms, spinach, sun-dried tomatos and a squiggle of pesto on top. The omelet was served quickly and it was very hot. The ingredients were all fresh and tasty. The omelet was good, but somewhat bland. The bright green pesto helped but it wasn't enough. This omelet needed some cheese (shaved gruyere?) and some chopped fines herbes. Many of the meals come with choice of country potatoes or hash browns and choice of pancake or toast. The country potatoes were fried with onions and peppers and were very good but a little cold. The pancake was decent. It was light and fluffy, but it didn't have the crunchy crust of being cooked on a well seasoned griddle.
The service was quick and friendly. However, I only saw two servers acting as hosts also, for the entire restaurant. They were quite busy and literally ran around the restaurant. I finished my cup of coffee before I even got asked if I wanted more. The server started to pour regular though I ordered decaf. I guess they don't have marked mugs and I worried that he gave me regular to begin with.
I was pleased with a decent breakfast. I would go back, but there was something lacking on the menu. I feel the flavor profiles weren't present and nothing really sounded that appealing. For a place that looks fancy and becomes a fancier restaurant at night, it could really use a revision of the breakfast menu.Listed in: Best Breakfasts by the Bay
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Review from Charles R.
Los Angeles, CA
8/17/2011
I'm happy to try a local-flavor place over the Denny's and Carrows of the world, so here I went for breakfast one morning.
I had the oatmeal. It was, hmm....nothing special. It wasn't bad, but then again it's not gonna win the Oatmeal of the Year award. The meal presentation seemed suited to a lonely bachelor take-out meal: the brown sugar and raisings each were capped in their own little plastic container. Three are worse things, it just didn't feel personal or becoming of the sit-down restaurant morning breakfast experience. Those toppings, plus the bananas, made the oatmeal a decent breakfast.
I was surprised by the generous size of the small orange juice --and the glass it was served in as it made me wonder "Isn't this glass shape usually reserved for bar drinks?".
Service was pretty quick and friendly enough. This place is better than some surrounding options I'm sure, but I question of it's charming or impressive enough to draw me for a return visit. -
Review from Grant S.
Sunnyvale, CA
Love this place! THE VERY BEST BEST BEST Breakfast! There corned beef Benedict is what I have. The owner greats and talks with her consumers and no she's not Amilia, but if you ask her she will give you the history on the name of the place. GREAT RESTRAUNT
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Review from Kris I.
6/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place used to be Flames, but now it's a pretty nice & unique restaurant! Good for brunch, unique menu (the basics, 4 different kinds of eggs Benedict, loco moco, etc) and apparently this place is poppin at night (check out the bar - tis pretty nice).
Changed my order at the last minute and the lady forgot to put in the order. Womp womp. I got it much later than the rest of my party and decided to get it to go. Let's see how this loco moco tastes a few hours from now... -
Review from Justyna Y.
Sunnyvale, CA
8/28/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Amilia's is one of my favorite places for weekend breakfast. We went there couple of times during lunch and food was great as well.
The staff is very attentive and nice. They take your order in timely manner and often refill your drinks. Food comes out very fast and it's so yummy. I'm a big sucker for potatoes, so I love their hash browns and I'm very picky about it:-) The restaurant looks cozy, clean and new.
The only reason I gave them 4 stars is because recently they raised their prices and I think it's a big too expensive - comparing to other few places in the area that are also great.
Nonetheless - this place is super close to our house, so I' sure we'll come back - just not as often :-) -
Review from doug b.
Sunnyvale, CA
8/7/2011
There's Just Something Good About this Place
Not sure what it is. The service is capable, The decor is decent, the crowd is laid back, the menu is adventurous (for its ilk). But, for some reason, we like going back, mostly for breakfast.
As I've stated in other reviews, the backbone of a good breakfast are the hashed browns -- they do them well here, and without so much butter that you actually taste potato.
Beyond that, the egg dishes are spot on, with a good deal of diversity in options and nice additions like the chipotle sauce on the eggs benedict -- nice and nicely done.
Really, I can't quite put my finger on it, but this place has heart. -
Review from Julie N.
6/24/2011
"Amilia gets sad if you don't finish your food."
Nooo, I don't want Amilia to be sad, but there's just too much food!
Do not let the location and exterior turn you off because Amilia's is actually a modern and elegant little bistro with a loyal clientele. It is not uncommon to see Amilia give some of her customers hugs and receive kisses on the cheek from them. Too cute!
I had the corned beef hash eggs benedict and I couldn't have asked for a better start to my day. I could only finish half of it and took the rest home, and it still tasted great the next morning! Every bite of the corned beef hash was savory and unsparingly-seasoned, and the English muffin was toasted to a warm and perfect crisp.
The sandwiches here are also really good -- meaty, cheesy, and filled with fresh greens.
I wonder how this place is for dinnertime, and am looking forward to the day when I can get to find out! :)Listed in: hometown sweethearts, Brunch :)
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Review from Jasmine L.
San Francisco, CA
11/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
Here on Sunday and I waited for 10 mins (yes i timed it) and not on person said anything or tried to get my party a table. The owner said hi to us and walked away ... Um Wtf , 0 stars for the crappy service, will never go back and I even drove from SF to eat there and that's how they treat the customers. I mean seriously, in this economy, i am not too crazy on spending over $12 for some blueberry pancakes anyways. Oh by the way half of the restaurant was empty so they can kiss my money goodbye .
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Review from Nicole A.
Newark, CA
11/17/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Service is slow/odd because they always only have one waiter or waitress, but the food is consistently delicious. Their diet cokes are SOO super crisp and delicious, never had a flat or unsyrupy diet coke there ever. The chicken tequila pasta is yummers.
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Review from M L.
San Jose, CA
7/6/2011
I've been a Santa Clara resident for nearly 30 years now and only recently visited Amilia's for brunch, on a friend's invitation. It's that restaurant near Lawrence and El Camino that you pass by when you go to the Santa Clara DMV.
I had the chicken apple sausage omelet, and it was just ok. It tasted like plain sausages. My husband had the french toast, which I had a bite of--that was a bit better (and I'm not even a french toast fan.)
Note that their "small" glass of milk is really SMALL...maybe three adult sips? Quite silly of a size, really.
We noticed that they have a full bar-- not sure what the evening crowd is like.
The food and service was fine, but I'd still choose Hobee's over this place. -
Review from Jose D.
Santa Clara, CA
5/14/2011 8 photos
Came here for breakfast with a friend today for the first time.
Saturday morning and actually not that busy...cool. Love their breakfast menu! Nice variety of omelettes, skillets, eggs benedict, combos, etc. and they all sound very good too.
What we ordered:
Friend - Loco Moco - Two eggs on top of Angus beef patty over a bed of rice smothered with mushroom gravy!
Myself - short stack (3) buttermilk pancakes with butter and whip creme.
(see attached pix)
Loco Moco - I was surprised that they served LOCO MOCO (Hawaiian plate lunch dish) at this place. AWESOME! I was able to sample my buddy's Loco Moco and it was good. The gravy was a little darker then we're use to but was very good and full of flavor. It has a slight sweet taste to it as well. The mushrooms was a nice surprise because a typical LOCO MOCO plate lunch does not have mushrooms. The hamburger patty was fresh.
Short stack pancakes - SUPERB! Fluffy, soft, just the right texture with that homemade taste. Awesome pancakes! Country Inn Cafe is my favorite place for pancakes hands down and my favorite breakfast place, but this place has some pretty good ones, at least the plain buttermilk ones so far. Will need to try their blueberry, banana, and strawberry pancakes next time!
Very nice setting, indoors and out. Nice clean restaurant. Service was also good. Will definitely need to come back to try the rest of their breakfast items. Their Lunch and Dinner menu looks enticing as well. I heard good things about their bread pudding dessert so guess I'll need to try that the next time here.
Hells yeah I recommend this place! Enjoy. -
Review from Kathleen P.
Santa Clara, CA
6/15/2011
I should preface this review by stating that I've only eaten here once, and it was on Mother's Day of this year.
I felt this was good for your basic breakfast food. My breakfast quesadilla was good, as was my husband's omlette, but my husband thinks his potatoes were originally frozen from a package. After tasting them, I felt it was hard to tell, but they weren't phenomenal.
The food was fine, but this place probably won't become our go-to breakfast place. I do think it's good if you have kids with you, though, as it's bright and noisy, and there are a lot of families there on weekends, so you probably won't disturb other diners if your kids are kind of noisy. -
Review from Anjali V.
5/25/2011
Despite having only one waiter helping the entire establishment, the service was good. They were out of at least three sides by 2pm on a Saturday which sucked but, my Cajun chicken sandwich, chicken quesadillas, and fries made up for it.
The French dip was just okay. I would say it's worth the trip to check it out. Advice: eat the fries while hot and tasty! As they are Terrible when reheated.(like most reheated foods are)
Lastly, I noticed they had a pretty nice bar set up that looked like a nice place to get a drink in the evening hours. -
Review from Winifred X.
Santa Clara, CA
4/12/2011
I went here with a friend for brunch last Sat. morning, in my opinion: Average everything, acceptable everything.
Decor: best part of the meal is their newly remodeled dining room, looks much better than perceived from the outside.
service: avg.
food: banana pancake with pecan, large, soft, pretty good since I got it as a free side, might not be worth the $4-6 for a stack of 3 though.
omelet -- not fluffy enough, I got the egg white substitution, so in all fairness it might not be as good as the full egged ones. But I'd say that I am a bit disappointed at the huge, boring, Tuscan omelet I got. I think I will try this at a different brunch place and see how "fluffy" it can really get.. -
Review from alexia c.
Sunnyvale, CA
12/23/2011
Been driving by this place for months after hearing they had good breakfast we decided to try it out.......BIG MISTAKE.
Didn't wait too long for a table as it wasn't at all crowded.
Got seated with our two young kids..waited waited waited humm dee dumm no one came by even to take a drink order coffee, water, nothing.
Finally the owner I think came and took our order after we flagged her down. Appear to have only 1 other person serving here(CHEAP)
Ordered the kids food first. Finally got coffee,no creamer waiting forever again. Had to ask 3 times for water. Kids were getting restless..finally food comes, for the adults. .more waiting so start giving them food from our plates, once again flag her down asking where the kids food is..oh forgot there chocolate chip pancakes, it will be very quick to make...
By now we're done,she comes back saying they ran out o chocolate chips! So will bring strawberry instead. .fine. Finally get the goshdarn pancakes and they are happy.
We never got a refill of coffee or water either.
As for the food very mediocre breakfast food..the eggs benedict doesn't compare to country gourmet. Pancakes ok nothing special.
Worse service ever. Should not have left a tip.
Not recommending to anyone..... -
Review from Richard G.
San Jose, CA
8/10/2011
I came here one evening with a relative of mine not too long ago. Since she was staying at the Vagabond adjacent to this restaurant, we decided to give it a try.This used to be an old school IHOP with the pointy roof, which felt kinda cool to enter this place. OK back to the food. I had the French Dip which was very tasty. My cousin ordered the chicken spinach salad and looked excellent. I would like to try other things on the menu in the near future and is on my radar if I'm ever in the area again.....
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Review from christy D.
Santa Clara, CA
3/27/2011 3 photos
***if you go for anything at all go for the dessert it was one of the best bread puddings I've had in my life fabulous!****
My husband & I live locally and own a small business in Sunnyvale. We love to eat and shop locally but we found ourselves going to the same few restaurants. We decided to be adventurous and we were glad we did. We've passed by this place a million times and we were actually on our way to another restaurant, but on a whim I asked my husband to give it a try. It was Saturday night around 7pm and there were only a few older couple seated. When entering it felt sort of like a diner meets French cafe it was a bit rainy outside the atmosphere was at first a little stuffy but I think it was more the rain outside and we quickly got acclimated without feeling uncomfortable.
The host welcomed us immediately, and let us choose our own table we sat down and he immediately got our drink order (no lack of service there). My husband and I had a really hard time choosing from the menu because the menu was small but very diverse and had a lot of "american favorites" things like tri tip pepper steak, Pastas, salads, sandwiches etc.but interesting things too like tempura green beans and calamari.
My husband settled on a chicken fried steak which I usually find pretty salty and awful and the thoughts of tv dinners come to mind. (not the case here at all!)
I got a salad and beef stroganoff made with tri-tip just because I haven't had it in ages and I rarely see it on menus anywhere anymore
We both added a dinner salad as well.
The waiter was friendly and prompt and provided excellent service, even suggesting menu items.
Our salads were made fresh and arrived immediately and were very basic but tasty and artful arranged on the plate. Before we finished our salads (we were talking though) our dinner arrived.
I wasn't expecting much I am always wary of new places, but the presentation was so very pretty! (I am posting photos as well)
My husbands chicken fried steak looked and tasted delish it was arranged in a sort of pyramid with the potatoes under the bottom and a side of fresh steamed veggies that included snap peas and zucchini.
Rather then the grey mush that chicken fried steak usually looks like this was colorful with bits of bacon and seasonings in the sauce, the potatoes were mashed but had herbs and bacon and the meat itself was breaded with a nice seasoned breadcrumb that was crisp. It was an enormous portion as well. My husband loved it and it was so close to traditional but a really nice spin on the original dish and bacon crumbles in the fresh mashed potatoes yum yes please!
I got the beef stroganoff it was really good the sauce was light and the mushrooms and steak and red onions were a nice touch, It also was nicely prepared presentation wise, with the sour creme drizzled on in a design. My one complaint was that it wasn't a true egg noodle but it was very good although VERY filling, after my salad I had a few bites and was stuffed!
My husband and I thought the best of the two good entree's was definitely the chicken fried steak it was pretty darn phenomenal!
Our waiter was very friendly and the atmosphere was so nice we decided to chat a while and have coffee and my husband ordered dessert.
The waiter recommended the bread pudding and said it was amazing since he hadn't steered us wrong yet my husband decided to give it a go.
While the coffee was average it was nice and fresh and strong, What arrived at our table for his dessert was no less than amazing.
The dessert came to the table and it smelled simply like a little peace of heaven cinnamony and wonderful like fresh baked cinnamon bread. it had a nice light buttery caramel sauce and a scoop of french vanilla ice-cream. It was enough for two people but you may want to order your own LOL.
The bread pudding was warm and the icecream nice and cold, the sauce was simply amazing hard to describe light buttery and carmeley.
I was already stuffed from dinner but I had a taste of my husbands dessert and it was fabulous and I had to have a second taste. This hands down is the best bread pudding I have ever had in my life. I would go there JUST for the dessert. Its quite possibly one of the best desserts I have had in my life! Definite 5 plus stars for the bread pudding. My husband oohing and ahhing was like something out of when Harry met sally.
It was that good, it wasnt too sweet and the contrast between the bread pudding and the icecream was amazing.... Cant say enough nice things about Dessert other than enjoy it there with coffee!
We basked in the glow of our fabulous dessert and had I known I would have gotten a to go box for my dinner ha ha...
We finished our coffee and left with our tummys happy and our wallets not too empty. (average dinner price i noticed ranged from around 10-15 dollars per entrée)
It was a lovely hidden gem of a restaurant and my husband was already talking about going back with our daughter.
