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Bill's Cafe

4 star rating
based on 32 reviews

Category: American (Traditional)  [Edit]

302 N Bascom Ave
San Jose, CA 95128
(408) 287-2455
  • Price Range: $$
  • Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
  • Parking: Private Lot
  • Attire: Casual
  • Good for Groups: Yes
  • Good for Kids: Yes
  • Takes Reservations: Yes
  • Delivers: No
  • Take-out: Yes
  • Waiter Service: Yes
  • Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
  • Outdoor Seating: Yes
  • Good for: Breakfast
  • Alcohol: None

32 Reviews for Bill's Cafe

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Photo of S A.

 

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24

S A.

San Jose, CA

5 star rating
06/19/2008

This place is wonderul. As an "eggs benedict" lover and a vegetarian, I have found my breakfast heaven. I also love this place for lunch too. I just call ahead and by the time I drop by everything is ready. I am totally in love with the packaging that they use for the food. No spills here! (which is great what with the way i drive!) :)
The interior is clean and new. I'm not sure why there's a bar since it closes at 3pm but maybe i'm being naive.  ;) My friend had the turkey club and it looked really good. The waitress we had was really nice as well. Totally recommend this place!

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Elite '08

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351

Amanda G.

Campbell, CA

4 star rating
07/18/2008

I've been to the other location, and wasn't wowed.
But.....
Due to a miscommuncation on one day, and a planned lunch on another, I ended up here twice in a week.

I had an unimpressive breakfast at the other location, so I decided to try lunch on both days I was here.

I found the turkey burger tasty,and moist. I liked it so much, I had it both days I was here.
I also enjoyed their lemon soup.I've had better,but theirs was still pretty good.
I didn't like their fries, and opted not to order them on my second visit.

On the  first day I was there, my friend had a breakfast dish that she didn't like. So, I'm further convinced that it may be safer to stay with their lunch dishes.
On my second lunch, (with one of my favorite girls) we took awhile to order, and hung around a bit after we finished eating, and the servers were very nice about it.
It's nothing fancy, just simple, standard breakfast and lunch food. It's done well, and the service is good.

Lou's will always be my favorite of these kinds of places, but I will definitely return to Bill's.

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Elite '08

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195

Celeste B.

San Jose, CA

4 star rating
06/24/2008

Sometimes the nights turn into mornings. Long story short, we ended up here at 7 am this past Sunday. I felt pangs of guilt when facing the crowd who was not much different than my own family...and I'm in last night's clothes.

The service is excellent. I do believe my coffee could have been refilled 23 times had I accepted each offer. I ordered the Bacado omelette and they brought me something else. I think it was a baked potato omelette which was no so yummy. I didn't complain though as the country potatoes and wheat toast were satisfying enough.

My friend ordered the Steak and Eggs and pretty much licked his plate clean so I'm guessing he liked it.

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155

Richard G.

San Jose, CA

5 star rating
05/19/2008

mmmmmmmmm. Had a great breakfast before I went to work last week and will defninitely be coming back for some more. I ordered the Belgian Waffle sandwich and was on point.

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5

Dave H.

San Jose, CA

4 star rating
07/09/2008

Bill knows how to do breakfast. I've eaten several times at both locations and they are both very good. Sometimes you might have to wait for a table but if you're not starving it's worth the wait. I have never tried their lunches.

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Elite '08

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Lily L.

San Jose, CA

5 star rating
05/19/2008

Hungover?  Well, have a delicious mimosa at Bill's Cafe!  

We had sunday brunch here and I was completely amazed at their brunch selection!  I shared the crabcakes benedict and breadpudding toast.  WOWEEE!  Very good.  Will definitely come back again.

They have very unique items which they claim can only be found at Bill's Cafe!

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6

Jennifer T.

San Jose, CA

5 star rating
05/18/2008

I've eaten here a few times and couldn't be more satisfied with the food or service.  We are usually seated within 5 minutes, if not the very minute we walk in.  Drinks are offered before you can even settle in.  Once you place your order it comes out in another few minutes and is delish!

I've tried the bread pudding and cinnamon roll french toast plates - both are scrumptious!  All other breakfast items I've tried are also very good.  

There is small, but good children's menu and the  place is child friendly.

Get there early or make a reservation!  You won't regret it!

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Elite '08

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267

Katie Anne N.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
05/04/2008

YUMMO! I just got home from Bill's Cafe and had a great experience. We got there at 11:30am on a Sunday. Prime time for waiting over 20 mins for a table. We got in and as we were about to put our name down, the waitress suggested that we can eat outside for no wait. It was first come first serve. We were seating in less than 2 minutes.

Once seated we were served fresh coffee and water. I ordered the short stack and my date ordered the french toast cinnamon roll. The pancakes were GREAT. They were fluffy soft yet not mushy. Fantastic!

Eat outside on a nice day. You'll get seated super fast and it's nice to get a breeze!

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26

106

Jen B.

Pleasanton, CA

4 star rating
04/24/2008

FREE tequila shots with your breafast/brunch/lunch!  Who can beat that?  You just ask the waiter and he'll bring out shot glasses and a big Costco Jose Cuervo.  They'll even keep on coming around to ask if you want more.  My hubby had 3 shots.  Luckily he ordered a hearty chicken fried steak to soak up the alcohol.

The food is good and has your typical breakfast and lunch menu w/ some Mexican style favorites like Mexican omelettes, Chili Relleno & Eggs, etc.  What I really liked is that they a few different types of eggs benedict items like Southwest Egg Benedict, Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict, Portobello Mushroom Eggs Benedict and MORE!  I love eggs benedict.  I ordered the Southwest Egg Benedict--English Muffin topped with fresh Roast Turkey, Avocado, two poached Eggs, Hollandaise Sauce and fresh Salsa.  Their hashbrowns are also crispy....loved it.

The decor is very typical diner style.  Nothing fancy.  Just your typical breafast go-to place.

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Elite '08

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shannon l.

Fremont, CA

4 star rating
04/19/2008

Small parking lot, friendly staff, so many kinds of egg benedict!!!

El Paso Benedict - Egg muffin + corned beef hash + poached eggs + hollandaise sauce = very fatty but yummy.  You should be only eating half of this dish.  They made the poached eggs just right... a lot of place overcook it and it doesn't end up runny.

Banana Pancakes - When I first saw this plate, there were literally 4 little slices of banana & I was thinking that this better not be it.  Banana is actually incorporated all throughout the pancake inside.  Well made but nothing too distinctive.

Waiters & bus boys were super friendly.  They came by multiple times to see if we wanted coffee & were very prompt in taking our order, bringing out our dishes & getting us the bill.  Thanks Bill!

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7

69

Leena M.

San Jose, CA

4 star rating
05/24/2008

I had a great breakfast here.  I think it was the santa ana scramble and it had chicken/apple sausage, which is great because I don't eat pork.  my bf had a sandwich that looked delicious and said his potato salad was awesome.  The service was good, they refilled our coffees and water without having to ask.  Overall, this is a great brunch place, though not as charming as the willow glen location.

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16

Sara D.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
06/04/2008

I love this place!

It's a really delicious, fun and young take on the Sunday brunch that usually puts me to sleep.

The place is crazy busy, but we were actually seated a lot quicker than I thought we would be. We had mimosas while we waited - they're wonderful and huge and have sliced strawberries on top, yum - then got to check out all the great possibilities on the menu. Service was really good - you will never be coffee-less.

There were birthday and graduation parties there, and the manager comes out with a nacho libre mask and pours the grad/birthday boy a shot of tequila - awesome, right?!?!?

I will be back soon.

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7

Jennifer S.

San Jose, CA

3 star rating
03/03/2008

Sooo... we were regular patrons of Bill's in WG until the Rose Garden location opened up... yah it is small but it is closer and we are loving what is close. Anyway, I am a fan of Bill's but you have to know what to order. Between the BF and I and his friends we are here at LEAST 2x a week.  Here are some basic guidelines. And I like to think of myself as a breakfast connisseur so here goes...

French toast and waffles - You CAN NOT go wrong with their belgian. It is always crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. The french toast is always good... the Parisian is good if you have caolories to spare.

Scrambles - don't bother. They missed the boat here.

Standard breakfast fare - The toast is too light but all restaurants do that, I ask them to toast it darker and it is perfect... eggs are standard, sausage and bacon are the usual, nothing to get excited about but its as good as any other spot... the steak for the steak and eggs is surprisingly good, very flavorful for a coffee shop!

Greek lemon soup - sooo good. I can eat is by large bowl fulls.

I guess there is some sort of mystique about Bill's... it is consistent.. and I am not sure if that is a good or bad thing :)

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2

7

Peter C.

San Jose, CA

4 star rating
04/16/2008

Such a huge step up from the rot-gut, layer of grease covering everything place that used to be here.

Excellent omelets and egg dishes. Decent coffee. We've always had friendly service, and since we live within walking distance, we always call ahead as we're leaving to and they will put our name on the seating list. They also provide free coffee while you wait...nice touch.

The item that (to me) sets Bill's apart is their cinnamon roll, and cinnamon roll French toast. Can you say yummmmmmmmm?

This is not your typical insipid overly sweetened American cinnamon roll dripping with too much caked on frosting that puts you into insulin shock after consumption. It's very moderately sweet and just packed with cinnamon. If they sold these to take home, I'd buy them.

They cater well to us with our 15 month old son, too. So don't be afraid to bring the chilluns along.

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6

126

Martin D.

San Jose, CA

3 star rating
02/11/2008

UPDATE: I think I previously arrived on a bad day. I've come back a couple times since and things have gone really well. Spend your hard earned money here, please. I'm seeking cosmic retribution.

This place strikes me as one of those spots everyone is inclined to like, though after a bit of careful examination one realizes there's nothing in particular that makes it stand out.

From the onset the whole thing is suspicious. We reserved a table an hour in advance and were given a variety of excuses as to why we weren't seated. Free coffee while you wait is a pretty basic amenity, though it seems to really excite certain patrons for reasons unknown.

The chilaquiles were good but way to skimp on the chorizo and eggs. Clever attempts at jalapeno decoration, duly noted.

The scrambled eggs come in ridiculously small portions. There's a running theme on these reviews--the food sucks but there's some kind of mystical charm about this breakfast outhouse. Figure it out and get back to me, rational minds. Until then I'll continue patronizing Hobee's.

Oh yeah: Since we left a cash tip on the table, I omitted any such entry on the actual bill when I payed with my card. This fact was rather loudly announced by a man who appeared to the owner. "They didn't tip?!?!?"

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37

Leza B.

San Jose, CA

4 star rating
02/10/2008

I've been here twice and both times it was very busy. The service is friendly and fast.

My first visit I went with breakfast,
-Breakfast Quesadilla- YUM, it was huge and very good.

Most recent visit I had lunch,
Gyro & fries- It was good but not the best Gyro I've ever had. It also came with soup, so I went with the Tortilla soup- pretty tasty.

The prices are average cafe prices. It's a cute restaurant and the menu has a lot of choices.

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359

Veronica V.

San Jose, CA

4 star rating
01/06/2008

If you are in need of a Bill's fix go to the one in Willow Glen, the location and ambiance are much better.  If those things do not matter to you then Bill's in the Rosegarden is a fine place to have breakfast.  Went there this morning it was busy but there was no wait and the service was fantastic.

I ordered my standard breakfast, two eggs scrambled with hash browns and wheat toast and it was perfect.  In the "Benedictions" category I saw one that looked spectacular, I believe it included two poached eggs, hollandaise sauce, bacon bits and cheddar cheese.  I haven't been running or exercising at all these days so I don't have much room to splurge with the calories/fat content like that however, I do expect to return when I begin serious training for the Vancouver Marathon.  All in all a decent breakfast place, definitely worthy of my "Most Important Meal of the Day" list and within biking distance.  I prefer Willow Glen for it's outdoor seating and it is also within biking distance from my place of residence.

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14

kimiko c.

San Jose, CA

4 star rating
03/14/2008

My boyfriend and I have been here twice. Both times we were seated quickly (since we just needed a small table, I did notice that bigger parties had to wait longer) and service was great!

I really liked the banana and whip cream topped waffles. But the country potatoes were really bland. Their eggs were pretty plain too, but I find that true with most places we go.

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Elite '08

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436

Mara T.

San Jose, CA

4 star rating
01/13/2008

Bill's surprised us this morning!!

We are familiar with the WG location, and think that it's somewhat mediocre in terms of food quality, also the place interior is pretty tired.

So, when we saw over the summer that a Bill's was going up in the Rose Garden we said HMM. It's been a while but we finally got over this morning to try it.

We got there at 9:30am and were seated right away. It was packed and we got the 2nd to the last table for 2 before a wait was going to begin. Whew!! Immediately were served coffee and handed menus. Off to a good start. We instantly liked the inside of this Bill's better than WG...it's light and bright and just seemed more lively.

We shared the fitness group omelet sans turkey burger (egg whites, avocado, cheese, tomatoes, mushrooms), fruit bowl, sourdough toast....and the buckwheat pancakes with a side of chicken apple sausage.

Everything literally arrived within less than 10 minutes. In terms of food quality, we both thought this location was way better than WG one big time.

The buckwheat pancakes were very good...I personally love high fibery kind of dense pancakes like these and they were fluffy yet textured in a great way. I could practically feel my body absorbing the precious fiber. Sourdough was nicely toasted with butter. Fruit cup had a good selection of different melons and citrus even though it's the middle of winter.

The one thing that I don't love about Bill's scrambles is that the cheese just gets layered over the top, so it arrives with a big yellowy orange coating on top of it is which absolutely is SO not visually appealing. It almost looks like someone regurgitated the cheese onto the scramble. When I make scrambles at home I put the cheese into the scramble so I am just more used to that version I guess.

But everything was pretty tasty. My general feeling is that it's hard to have a 'bad' tasting breakfast, but there is a scale of 'good better best'. Next time we'll forgo the chicken apple sausage and get the real pork version...chicken apple was a little too strong for our taste buds so early on a Sunday!! Coffee was plentiful, service was fast. They did put the check at our elbow right after our food arrived which was odd, we just turned it on it's side and tucked it into a small vertical space on the table, paying right before leaving.

The noise level was definitely typical busy breakfast diner, but we had no problem carrying on a conversation with each other. They have a few outdoor tables, but not too many and there is absolutely no outdoor ambiance like the one in WG. So if you want to sit inside and have a better looking light interior with what we thought was better food, stick with Rose Garden. If you want the outdoor cute ambiance of downtown WG...head over to that one. You can't go wrong with breakfast, in my opinion!!

In the future we'll be sure to go around the same time because as we were leaving, the lobby area was full of hungry people waiting.

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Elaine S.

San Jose, CA

2 star rating
02/21/2008

Severely underwhelmed.

SEVERELY.

I'm not really sure why Bill's is considered such a fantabulous place for breakfast. I really can't figure it out.  Oooooooh they give you free coffee while you wait. Then they charge you $3.00 for the bong water once you sit down. Free? I think not my friends.

Bacon: This was not good.  Not at all. It was limp and icky looking. Perhaps flaccid would be the best description.  Now, you all know I don't eat meat, but I appreciate it. And I really appreciate bacon that is firm, crisply cooked, yet not burnt. That was not this bacon.

Eggs: I ordered the Greek Scramble. ick. First of all, not a lot of egg there, as in, maybe a single egg went into my scramble.  Second, try crumbling the feta.  A 1 inch square of feta in the middle of some dried out egg does not a Greek scramble make.  Third, try not to get bits of bacon and god only knows what else into my scramble. I didn't order your nasty-ass bacon, so don't give it to me.

Toast: Under toasted. As in, mmmm.... slightly stale.  Also, I don't need you to put 3 tablespoons of butter between my two slices of bread.  Even my husband who is a huge fan of buttery bread was a little icked out by it. Seriously, it was dripping off in kind of gelatinous chunks like the goo from Ghostbusters after someone got slimed. And the bread was cold once it was brought out to us.  Since it was brought out about 10 minutes after everything else.

Potatoes: We tried potatoes two ways.  Neither was very good. In part because they were cold.  First the hash browns. They weren't really hash browns.  They actually looked like they had been frozen, defrosted, then frozen again. They were far mushier than I would have expected, no stringiness of grated potato. And they were kind of barely cooked. Not a lot of golden crunchiness to be had.
Next, the home style.  Now these had potential.  They had a nice seasoning on them and were cooked reasonably well.  But, they had a bit too much seasoning on them. And, as said before, weren't really warm. Who wants cold potato? Not me!

Milkshake. Now this was good. Not as good as flames. But pretty tasty.

In the end, the ambiance wasn't nice diner style or really much different than a school cafeteria and the food wasn't that much different than that which is served at a school cafeteria either.

I wouldn't go back. Ever. In fact, I would give it one star except that I did like the milkshake.

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Marie V.

San Jose, CA

3 star rating
02/08/2008

Bill's in the Rose Garden area of San Jose offers traditional breakfast fare. The food is good and their eggs benedict dishes are tasty. I prefer this location over the one in Willow Glen only because there's more parking (when you include the Zanotto's lot across the street). Also, because it gets very busy on the weekend, they offer hot coffee as you wait outside.

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126

David D.

San Jose, CA

3 star rating
12/27/2007

After reading a glowing review for Bill's Cafe, I made a note to check it out sometime.  I finally got there for breakfast one morning.

First, this place is LOUD.  Loud and packed.  Not just packed with people, but the tables are packed together.  (Try to get a booth, or you might wind up inches away from the next table's toddler in a highchair with some of his food landing on your table and plate.  Nice.)  I didn't hear any music going (the usual problem when a restaurant is too noisy) -- just the voices of people trying to shout conversations among themselves over the shouted conversations at the other tables.  Pretty unpleasant.

I had the Petaluma scramble, and it was pretty good.  I wasn't crazy about receiving my check moments after the food arrived, nor the fact that after I paid my check (and continued eating), the coffee refills suddenly stopped.

If I were rating just the food, I'd probably go three and a half stars.  (The Chicago scramble isn't bad, the Protein Scramble is terrific, etc.)  But the atmosphere, plus the quirky service, makes me go three stars.  

There used to be tables outside, but they've stopped setting them up for some reason.  That's unfortunate, because it was a great option.  Take out is available, so maybe get a hold of a menu and try that route or go during off-peak times.  Otherwise, forewarned: bring earplugs or a megaphone plus some elbow room along with your appetite.

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4

31

Ro L.

San Jose, CA

3 star rating
01/29/2008

Bill's has GREAT mimosas. I order one every time we come here for breakfast.

There is always a wait, but my bf and I take a walk over to Zanattos and when we come back our table is ready. The wait goes quickly.

Last weekend the bf was in a foul mood (due to a hangover) and when we came back from Zanattos we found that our name had already been called. Oh no! Bf grumbled. The hostess was really accomodating and gave us the next open table.  Yay! Once we got some food in his belly he was all good. Plus points for the hostess.

The waitress however, delivered our food quickly but never came back again! She was at the bar talking to a patron there for 10 minutes. Maybe she was on break. The hostess finally had to come give us our check.

As for the food, the first time I ordered the Bread Pudding which sounded tasty as all hell. But it was a little dry.

Second time, I ordered California Benedict, which again sounded yum-o. It was pretty good except the bacon was soft and floppy. A major no-no for me. But if you're into that sort of thing, you'd probably love it.

****BONUS POINTS FOR HAVING A COFFEE STATION OUTSIDE!!! BLESS WHOEVER DECIDED TO DO THAT****

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rob. l.

San Jose, CA

4 star rating
12/16/2007

Way better than the Willow Glen one.  Had eggs benedict for the first time and it was good. Chicken apple sausage was very appley.  When we got there we were told 10-15 minute wait which ended up being 20-25, minor nit.

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gangi i.

Santa Clara, CA

4 star rating
12/15/2007

Good breakfast menu with a well lit, tasteful interior, fast friendy service, and comfortable seating. Prices are reasonable. We ate breakfast around 10:00 am on a Friday (12/14/07) and it was surprisingly full, although we got a table right away. The blueberry pancakes were excellent, and the vegetarian omelet was very tasty. The fruit cup was good and fresh. However, the OJ was reconstituted and the jelly came out of those little tubs, so don't expect any miracles. This place opened in November 2007, and they performed a major remodel on the interior of the building, so the room is pretty pleasant. It gets 4 stars because it is the best breakfast diner in the area, but unfortunately the competition is not too stiff.

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Adrienne Z.

San Jose, CA

5 star rating
12/06/2007

Soooooo delicious!  And somehow we lucked out on a Sunday and got seated right away.  We arrived there at about 10- 10:30. It started getting busy right after we sat.  Perfect timing!  
I got the Avocado, Bacon and Cheese Omelette and it was wonderful!  
We had great service too!  Nice and quick!
Love this place and I'm really glad it is around the corner!!

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Laurie W.

San Jose, CA

1 star rating
01/13/2008

My husband and I just ate at Bill's Cafe, although the service was wonderful the food was uneventful. No flavor - what's with cafes don't they like to use herbs? Everything was so bland and we immediately had to come home due stomach problems! I had the asparagus omelet and my husband had the buckwheat pancakes. Very disappointing.

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Stephen I.

San Jose, CA

5 star rating
07/25/2007

I'm so excited Bill's Cafe (you know the one in Willow Glen) is coming to the Rose Garden!

They've taken over the old Panorama at Bascom & Naglee and plan on opening soon.  It is a great location and I think they'll do great business, especially weekend breakfast!

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Mary M.

San Jose, CA

3 star rating
12/15/2007

EDIT: We came back for lunch with 4 coworkers. It's still a 3 star joint.
Everyone in the dining room had either a cane, a walker, or a wheelchair except for us. Service was excellent. Food was ok. They get a lot of things right but manage to mess up some really basic stuff.
For example: grilled onions are not raw onions that have been kissed by the grill. They should be cooked. Not sharp and raw. French fries should be golden and crisp on the outside, not the color of the inside of a banana and squishy.
We all had sandwiches with fries and soup or salad plus fountain drinks or a malt or coffee. The malt was $4.50 and was just a small glass, though very tasty. Lunch for 6 was around $14 each including tax and tip.
Boyfriend and Picky Chris said they'd eat there again and the rest of the coworkers agreed.

Better than average breakfast spot.
We arrived at noon and the place was packed as was the parking lot but we only had to wait a couple of minutes to get a table.
It's not got a lot of ambiance, think of a carpeted diner. But the menu is fantastic - lots of great sounding items. I must have spent a good 10 minutes trying to figure out what to order.
I got the Santa Ana Scramble $8.95 and boyfriend got the Links Omelette $8.95. Coffee and tea are $1.75 each and I recommend against the tea. They just bring a cup of hot water and a separate tea bag so it doesn't brew properly and on top of that the server poured coffee into my tea to top it off. WTF? He did bring me another cup of hot water and a tea bag though and I know he felt bad about it.
The hash browns were totally lame. They were very dry and barely cooked. Think light tan on top and pure white in the middle. The scramble and omelette were both pretty good and the ingredient quality is a sure footed step up from places like IHOP and Denny's but then so are the prices.
They charged $2.25 extra for raisin toast. Don't bother with it. The stuff you get at Costco is better and besides they managed to burn one slice and not toast the other one. Boyfriend got an english muffin and it wasn't toasted at all. It was hot but not even tan, just floppy. An english muffin should be crispy DUH.
3.5 stars because I have to give love to our server (who was excellent apart from the coffee vs tea thing) who noticed I left my sunglasses behind and he ran to the parking lot to give them to me :D

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4

Maureen R.

Santa Clara, CA

3 star rating
05/17/2008

I grew up about a mile from this place and hadn't gone there since high school.  When I saw that it had been remodeled as Bill's Cafe, a new breakfast/brunch place, I thought this could become our new fave.  Since we are now retired and can go during the week we don't have to worry about the crowds.  It is completely remodeled inside and very comfortable (I love that the tables move to accommodate us more abundant adults, and I wonder why more restaurants don't think of this in their plans.)  When we sat down and the coffee came, I said homerun, because if the coffee isn't good, forget it.  It was excellent, however I would like to get refills a little more often.  Now for the food.  I was in 7th Heaven when I saw the menu, as, for a change from the mundane coffee shops in our area, there were tons of original items to choose from.  I had such a hard time making a decision between the several choices of eggs Benedict, bread pudding french toast, and omelets.  I decided on the chorizo omelet, which was good, but the hash browns were bland.  I really think with a little more consistency in the kitchen it would be easy to add one more star.  My next two visits had a few problems in this area, such as with the eggs Benedict for example.  I thought  the hollandaise was silky and buttery good (not as lemony as my taste prefers).  The eggs had almost no yolk running but the hash browns were crispy, yet the biscuit was on the stale side.  The last visit convinced me that the food was just good, however it could be excellent with a little more attention to detail.  The last time there, the chicken-fried steak did not have the balance between "chicken-fried" crispiness and the tasteless meat.  The gravy saved it.  One of the people we were with had to send back his eggs.  Here is the best example I can give for the cooks not paying attention--eggs that were ordered over easy were sent out cooked through.  I will still try it occasionally though, because I haven't tried enough items yet and I will hope that if they read my review, the food will step up a notch for me to give it the 4 stars it should, and could, easily receive.  I wish there were more 5 star breakfast cafes locally such as Los Gatos Cafe.

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10

jenny s.

Santa Clara, CA

3 star rating
02/21/2008

not that we had a bad experience, just kinda blah.

prices were good.

i had the cinnamon roll french toast. it was just ok, nothing too special. but they do have sugar free pancake syrup, which is a plus. and it was big, i actually took half home.

bf had...he doesnt remember. probably a meat omelette or something. obviously it wasnt that good.

with all the good reviews of this place, maybe we were just expecting too much.

service was friendly and quick, which was a plus. we also went really early on a sunday morning and didnt have to wait for a table, so i would recommend heading over early, as i always see tons of people waiting outside.  

i do think we will go back, some of the different types of benedicts looked interesting. but i do not think we would wait for a table.

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Jennifer F.

San Jose, CA

3 star rating
01/23/2008

It's kind of early for me to be writing this review as I've only been once; but here's my impression so far... This place is packed on the weekends - however we only waited about 15-20 minutes during prime-time. It's nice that they have coffee outside for people waiting. I had the crab cake benediction and wish that I had ordered something else. The crab cakes were the really fried thick-crusted commercial type - kinda salty. Normally that would make for a nice counter point to the hollandaise and egg, but it was a little too overpowering for me (especially since it tasted mostly of salt, not crab). However my so's basic french toast was good. So far I would say the food is basic and solid, but nothing special - therefore the wait and the price makes the value only so-so. I'll go back again to check consistency and other menu items, but am not expecting this to become my new favorite.

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