Café San Jose

4.0 star rating
269 reviews Rating Details

Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Cafes  [Edit]

1583A Meridian Ave
San Jose, CA 95125
(408) 265-3020
Hours:

Mon-Sun 7 am - 3 pm

Good for Kids:
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards:
Yes
Parking:
Private Lot
Attire:
Casual
Good for Groups:
Yes
Price Range:
$
Takes Reservations:
Yes
Delivery:
No
Take-out:
Yes
Waiter Service:
Yes
Outdoor Seating:
Yes
Wi-Fi:
No
Good For:
Breakfast
Alcohol:
No
Noise Level:
Average
Ambience:
Casual
Has TV:
No
Caters:
No
Wheelchair Accessible:
Yes

Review Highlights   

  • user photo
    "...I'm craving breakfast my new favorite is eggs benedict." In 34 reviews
  • user photo
    "...this place existed if I wasn't looking up Dick's bakery." In 18 reviews
  • user photo
    "...update is that their french toast is ridiculously good too." In 30 reviews
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269 reviews in English

  • Review from M A.

    • 9 friends
    • 14 reviews

    San Jose, CA

    5.0 star rating
    4/29/2012 1 Check-in Here

    Yumm!!!
    Service Great!!!
    I had the Corned Beef Hash Eggs Benedict well worth all the calories!!!

  • Review from Michael S.

    • 57 friends
    • 43 reviews

    San Jose, CA

    4.0 star rating
    4/29/2012

    Bill's is better, but not by much.  

    Place is very crowded, and it is a cramped place, but the food is terrific.

    Definitely worth going and returning for more

  • Review from Sandy T.

    • 66 friends
    • 26 reviews

    San Jose, CA

    5.0 star rating
    4/17/2012 1 Check-in Here

    Came here Sunday morning around 10am. Some of the crowd was heading out, but most tables were still full.

    This place is adorable. Small, but not too small; outdoor seating for these sunny winter days.

    Service was friendly and quick! My coffee was always refilled :) I ordered the carne asada eggs benedict - delicious! They topped it off with a generous serving of hollandaise sauce and some salsa on top. The meat was good, thinly sliced and they gave a good portion of it. The country potatoes were great!

    Also, they don't ever pressure you to rush eating your meal so they can seat other guests - very kind of them! We were always told to take our time and enjoy as many cups of coffee as we like - and they meant it :)

    Overall, great first time here; will be returning again if I manage to wake up early in the morning, ha.

  • Review from Damien B.

    • 0 friends
    • 5 reviews

    Campbell, CA

    5.0 star rating
    5/22/2012

    This place scores high...fast service...great food....its always busy but a space will appear and your taken care of after a few minutes........the location is hidden away and you have to know where it is....but its worth the discrete hideaway point......some places maybe more popular or trendy but you have to wait a while after you put yourself on the list......

    Recommended for all who just simply want to eat great food..........

  • Review from Analisa S.

    Berkeley, CA

    3.0 star rating
    4/5/2012 1 Check-in Here

    Got here early on a rainy Saturday morning, it was crowded but not too packed (it was also 9 AM). It looks like a traditional diner, cute and cozy with a lot of commotion.

    I got the Aloha Benedict which was just a traditional eggs benedict with a huge slice of pineapple in the middle. I shouldn't have been surprised. Pineapples and "aloha" fit together, but what doesn't remind me of Hawaii is sour pineapple. It was obviously not the canned pineapple, but it was also really sour. I had to kick it out and while I didn't find the rest of the benedict unpleasant, I also didn't think they did a very good job on the hollandaise sauce. It was like they just mixed butter and the yolks and forgot about adding that hint of lemon.

    My brother had the Carne Asada Benedict and that was really really good. Next time I go there, I'm definitely going to order it. While the food is greasy, sometimes its appropriate after a night of drinking.

  • Review from Michelle K.

    • 5 friends
    • 24 reviews

    Raleigh, NC

    5.0 star rating
    5/19/2012 1 Check-in Here

    The food is really good!

  • Review from Amora H.

    • 7 friends
    • 14 reviews

    San Jose, CA

    5.0 star rating
    4/9/2012

    Me and my hunny's go to place for weekend breakfast.

    We love it here, it warm and welcoming, the food is delicious,and the staff is attentive.

  • Review from k h.

    • 0 friends
    • 20 reviews

    San Jose, CA

    4.0 star rating
    5/23/2012

    i heart this place for good hometown grub at a decent price. no frills, only downside is sometimes they have flies when the fan on front door doesn't work. however, if you can get past it....super yum. small place for kids so only if they can sit still because seating is close and on chairs not booths. much easier for older children and adults.

  • Review from Jamie C.

    San Francisco, CA

    3.0 star rating
    3/17/2012

    We came here when the wait at Bill's Cafe was too long. We didn't have to wait here because we decided to sit outside, even though it was really cold. I have to give 3 stars not because of the food but because of the atmosphere and service. It seemed like the waiters were all bored high school kids forced to work for their family members. They were not very professional and didn't seem to know what was going on. There wasn't much communication between the servers - for example, I was served my coffee twice. There were also a lot of disgruntled old people who came here to eat. We heard people complain about their food and demand replacement. People complained about waiting...it was all just kind of a downer.

    We got one of the eggs benedict specials that wasn't on the regular menu. We also got pancake. They were pretty good, but the food got cold really fast, so I don't recommend eating outside.

    Overall, it wasn't good enough for me to want to come back here over trying out a new brunch place.

  • Review from Margaret p.

    San Jose, CA

    4.0 star rating
    4/22/2012

    a sweet hole in the wall that made me proud to be a product of san jose. I never knew the place existed until 11am this morning when I invited myself to join one of my regular breakfast buddies at his newest neighborhood discovery. I couldn't restist the call of the Irish scramble ( eggs, corned beef hash, fresh thyme, feta, peppers) and I was not disappointed!! The service was fast and super excellent, and the freshly cut fruit bowl the waitress brought my friend was above and beyond!! I will definitely be coming back :)

  • Review from Ngoc L.

    San Jose, CA

    3.0 star rating
    2/13/2012 2 photos 1 Check-in Here

    This place has been on my bookmarked list for months. I was so excited to be able to try it with my sister this past week when we were around the area running errands. I ordered the banana nut short stacks waffles while my sister got one of their special pancakes.

    Banana nut short stacks: It looks so nice in picture and everything..but I hated the taste of it. It gets more and more sickening as I try to finish it. I would enjoy it more if only it wasn't that sweet. It was definitely too sweet for me..not a good breakfast at all.

    Swedish Pancake: My sister ordered this and she said it was okay. We both didn't finish our order. I

    I regretted dragging my sister here for breakfast. Oh well, we made up for this breakfast by having a good dinner elsewhere that day.

  • Review from Kathy W.

    Long Beach, CA

    4.0 star rating
    2/21/2012 1 photo 1 Check-in Here

    3.5 stars.

    Searched this place a while ago and finally had the time to check it out. Located in a small strip mall by Goodwill on Hamilton and Meridian.

    Originally wanted the Crabcake benedict but they ran out of crab cakes. Ended up with Fitness omelette with fruit:
    - egg whites, tomato, spinach, chicken and cheese
    - omelettes are huge and very fluffy
    - good amount of fresh ingredients
    - good mix of strawberries, banana, and apples in the fruit bowl

    Environment: very diner-like. Seems like there are frequent patrons. Lots of photographs on the walls. All the food is made in an open kitchen. There is a private parking lot.

    Service: Great. The waitresses checked-in with us very often. They even refilled our water often.

    Overall, good amount of food at a good price. Very filling and a good combination of protein and veggies. The service was great. Wide variety in menu options from breakfast options to burgers and sandwiches. It's a mixture of healthy and unhealthy dining options.

  • Review from Brenda L.

    San Jose, CA

    2.0 star rating
    4/4/2012 1 photo 1 Check-in Here

    I love the service and the menu choices but I felt that the food was "meh". I ordered a waffle sandwich which didn't come assembled as a sandwich.  It was just some waffles with egg and sausage and you had to assemble it yourself.  It was rather not impressive.  I also tried the fruit waffle and the fruits were on the side rather than presented on top of the waffle.  My friend also found a shell in her scrambled eggs.  The portions aren't that big and the waffle was a bit dry.

  • Review from Howard L.

    • 0 friends
    • 2 reviews

    Walnut Creek, CA

    4.0 star rating
    3/17/2012

    The food was great but the service was excellent!
    Had the Santa Rosa scramble and it was very fluffy, but needed to add a bit of salt

  • Review from Tram N.

    San Jose, CA

    4.0 star rating
    1/22/2012 2 photos 1 Check-in Here

    Blah.. hate the parking lot!  What is up w/ all the 15 minute parking spots?!  This restaurant can be easily missed if you don't notice the signs.  This restaurant is in the same plaza as Dick's Bakery and Goodwill.  

    The restaurant is small so it was a challenge for me to maneuver the car seat around.  Yes, I bumped into hella folks but I did apologize.  I was seated fairly quick because I came around 11 (way after breakfast and way before lunch) so that's awesome.  I hate waiting!

    My server was friendly although I did notice he gave attention to others more so than me.  I don't want to throw in the race card but it could be very well be it.  Just because I am dining by my lonesome does not mean I don't have needs.  

    For one... me, myself, and I, I ordered a Belgian waffle w/ sugar-free syrup and Eggs Benedict.  The order did not take long at all but before my meal came out, I cleaned one glass of water.  It was refilled almost instantly.  

    I tackled the Belgian waffle first.. it was so huge and I could not find a reason to use a fork and knife so I ate it like a pizza.  I cleaned it real good.  Next up was the Eggs Benedict, I chose herbed potatoes instead of hash browns.  OMG.. the dish was so delish!  I think I was inhaling the food... the hollandaise sauce was creamy, rich, and thick.. the Canadian bacon was put on the griddle to perfection.. the poached eggs made a little river of yolk which blended so well w/ the sauce and biscuits.  I think I fell in love.. love at first bite.

    So yes, I spent $20 on brunch for myself and ate as though I could have eaten the actual plate that it was served on.  For a 5'2 girl, the only Asian in the restaurant, at 114lbs, I finished 2 entrees w/o a problem.  YUM.

  • Review from Anna F.

    • 0 friends
    • 5 reviews

    San Jose, CA

    4.0 star rating
    5/13/2012

    The food was fresh and delicious! The place did not impress me but we were looking for a good breakfast and we got it. And it looks like its a well know cafe because it was full on Sunday 9:00

  • Review from Linda T.

    Oakland, CA

    5.0 star rating
    1/18/2012

    How come I never knew about this place?

    A friend picked me up from the SJ airport (I think I had flown back in for a wedding) & we came here for  brunch.

    Gilroy omelette:  sausage, jack,  garlic, ?green onion--yummy, & very fluffy
    comes w/ home fries & toast
    filling, & i ended up taking my leftovers to go

    server was really friendly & nice:  pointed out to my friend that she had a rip in her pants which she hadn't noticed & when I forgot my leftovers, came out to the parking lot to give them to me

    outdoor dining available

    If I still lived here, this would be one of my frequent haunts for breakfast.

    on NW corner of Meridian & hamilton in a strip mall

  • Review from Mark M.

    Milpitas, CA

    3.0 star rating
    1/29/2012 1 Check-in Here

    One of the better omellets I've had in San Jose!  They were very fluffy, and did not feel fluffy due to excess cream or butter.  Indeed, it seems like they actually take the time to fluff their eggs in the French tradition (beating air into them).  Compliments to the chef on the eggs.

    However, the rest of the food was just okay.  The toast and carbs here tend to be a bit too over-buttered, and the potatoes were over-done.  Too bad, as it really took away from the terrific experience I was having when I bit into the eggs.

    There also seemed to be some inconsistency in their cooking.  My omlette looked terrifc, while my friend's was a bit burned.

    3.5 stars overall - 4 stars if we are just evaluating the taste of their egg dishes.

  • Review from Emily K.

    • 15 friends
    • 5 reviews

    San Jose, CA

    5.0 star rating
    2/13/2012

    Great breakfast place! I have a huge dog that I take everywhere and they are so good to her. Last time, our waitress brought out a plate of Bacon for her! I'm not talking about a piece or two, I mean a PLATE! everyone is so friendly and there is a good give in the place.

    Oh and you can order French fries with your breakfast, or hashbrowns with your lunch!

    Two thumbs up... And Ishi gives two paws up. She appreciates that there are no scary umbrellas over the outdoor tables

  • Review from Matt V.

    • 329 friends
    • 285 reviews

    Sunnyvale, CA

    3.0 star rating
    1/29/2012

    A decent place, but nothing special.

    Why is it nothing special? Well, the ambiance is nothing special. Simple chairs and tables throughout the place. It's quite crowded and people are packed in closely together, as servers hustle and bustle in between tables as quickly as they can.

    Why else is it nothing special? Well, the food is nothing special. I ordered the LoCal New York steak, which was utterly flavorless, the type of steak that you grab for the steak sauce immediately, just so that you might taste something. My girlfriend got an omelet. She liked it better than my steak, although both of us found their omelet, too, to be just okay.

    That said, the service is extremely friendly, and very willing to help out with the menu. Even in the rush of moving from table to table, our waitress somehow managed to keep our water glasses full. Kudos to her.

    Overall, I suppose this is not the worst place in the world to go. The service is good, although I wouldn't call the food or ambiance anything more than decent. In the end, I suppose that all I can say about this place is that it's, well, nothing special.

  • Review from Christine Y.

    • 8 friends
    • 13 reviews

    San Jose, CA

    5.0 star rating
    3/1/2012 3 Check-ins Here

    This is the place I go to for lunch during my break. I love the fried egg sandwich and their biscuits.

    When my boss needed a sandwich, I got one for him, but it took a long time to get it because the restaurant was busy. However, my boss liked the turkey and swiss sandwich very much. I suspect he ate it all in 10 minutes. Ha ha ha.

  • Review from Ashley G.

    • 10 friends
    • 9 reviews

    San Jose, CA

    4.0 star rating
    1/15/2012

    This place is scrumptious!

    First, huge props for serving me a Cheeseburger and fries at 9am. I sometimes work overnights and when I get off, I want dinner food, not breakfast when I eat with friends. Additionally the fries with this 9am cheeseburger were cooked to perfection. Not too crispy, not to taterly.

    This place really does breakfast the best though, they have a wide selection of eggs bendicts, which seem to be their specialty. They also have at least 4 varieties of French Toast, I had the Apricot French toast which was fantastic. Big thick slices, you could taste the fresh fruit in the egg. Powdered sugar, maple syrup, butter...the best!

    The service here is definitely a little...quirky, but not in a bad way, just in a fun way. You feel more like your crazy aunt or uncle is taking your order, not a professional waiter. They do execute well though. This is officially one of my new favorite spots.

    And this pretty much says it all....its better then Stacks.

  • Review from Katherine L.

    San Jose, CA

    5.0 star rating
    1/18/2012 1 Check-in Here

    Came here for breakfast on a weekend. Glad I was able to call in ahead of time to put my name on the list! It was pretty busy, but it didn't seem like there was a long wait. I had the Jumpin' Joe and substituted the ground beef with Italian sausage. That was a great pick because I loved it. They make a pretty large omelette, I couldn't finish the whole thing. I loved the hash browns that came with it. My boyfriend and I also shared some french toast, which were alright but I like my toast to be thicker slices.

    What really made this experience special was the service. Our server was really nice and she made sure we had all the sauces we needed by bringing everything they had to our table. Wow, yum! She came back often to check up on us and refilled our waters.

    I really want to come back and try other things on their large menu! The only thing that sucks is the parking lot. It's kind of difficult to find parking sometimes.

  • Review from Nathan W.

    • 20 friends
    • 737 reviews

    Alameda, CA

    4.0 star rating
    1/15/2012

    The food here is good, but my lasting impression of this place is that it's almost like a shrine to all things San Jose. The old photos and memorabilia here harken to times past, and I must thank the owner for taking me back in time as I had breakfast here recently...

    I ordered the Jumpin' Joe omelette, a ground beef, spinach and Swiss concoction that came with hash browns and rye. It was presented well and tasted great...

    The service was a bit off.  The lady wasn't exactly rude, but I wouldn't consider her friendly. I wouldn't let this keep me from coming back, though...

  • Review from Ashley D.

    • 4 friends
    • 16 reviews

    San Jose, CA

    4.0 star rating
    2/6/2012

    A sweet little hole in the wall full of tasty breakfast and lunch options. This is an early eatery only (they close by 3pm). Plenty of options - though take note they seem to be best known for their Benedicts (the Hash Benedict was amazing!) and their French Toast. While I can't comment on the French Toast I can tell you that their pancakes are pretty damn tasty. I am not a big pancake fan but I ate the whole thing (also I love that a single pancake is a bread side option). I got the Irish scramble : corned beef hash, thyme, jalapeno, feta cheese, - and possibly onion? I can't quite remember. Always get the House Potatoes - red potatoes, onion, bell pepper, and a fantastic spice blend. My husband got the Corned Beef Hash Benedict - NOM! Their hollandaise sauce is so amazingly tasty and rich (thanks butter!).

    The wait staff is very eclectic and they lean more heavily to being talkative with the regulars - which can be off putting at times as it can lead new patrons to feel a touch neglected. Hole in the wall for sure but lots of neat clippings and memorabilia about San Jose. Parking is HORRIBLE - as it's in a tiny strip mall that has a ton of 15 Minute parking spots that will drive you batty as you pass them. Worth it to find parking though.

  • Review from Dave M.

    • 20 friends
    • 45 reviews

    Campbell, CA

    5.0 star rating
    1/23/2012 1 Check-in Here

    OMG.....

    Its awesome......

    That is all.....

  • Review from Shirley A.

    • 12 friends
    • 6 reviews

    Campbell, CA

    3.0 star rating
    1/28/2012

    I didn't have anything on the breakfast menu that blew me away.  It was also inconvenient because I have a family of 5 and the place is TINY.  The restaurant is in an old shopping center and it can use a good cleaning.

    The service was great, prices were great, and we had a great time.

  • Review from Justin M.

    • 26 friends
    • 83 reviews

    San Jose, CA

    3.0 star rating
    3/12/2012

    Decent little breakfast joint, interesting menu and friendly and attentive service. Coffee is crap though, had 2 cups of watery coffee. Fruit bowl I ordered with my meal had cantaloupe that wasn't even close to ripe, and some soggy bananas. The scramble I had was good but nothing special. Not bad, but I'd recommend other spots if you were to ask.

  • Review from Melanie I.

    • 0 friends
    • 38 reviews

    Palo Alto, CA

    5.0 star rating
    2/26/2012

    We had another delicious meal here. It's in an unassuming shopping center, but nicely kept up inside. This is the first time we'd gone on a Sunday in warmer weather and I see they had some patio tables set up as well. We have always dined inside. It is all table (or counter) seating and you are cozy with your 'neighbors' but not uncomfortably so such that you can't push your chair out.  My children always get the mickey mouse pancakes with chocolate chips (sadly, they were out today. Less sugar as far as I am concerned! LOL).  The menu has an overwhelming amount of tasty choices so I usually just order the Goddess Scramble and enjoy it immensely. Service is friendly, food is prompt. It's clean in side and the menus are nice and clean (you know what I mean - right, who wants a grungy beat-up menu?!).  We'll be back again!

  • Review from Jamie C.

    San Jose, CA

    4.0 star rating
    12/7/2011 1 Check-in Here

    Came here instead of Bills because our group did not want to wait an hour on the business & rainy weekend.

    Got the meaty platter. Good stuff! Forgot the actual name haha, but it came with sausage, ham, eggs, hashed browns and toast.

  • Review from Stacie T.

    • 15 friends
    • 36 reviews

    San Jose, CA

    3.0 star rating
    11/15/2011

    I'd have to say I expected more given the raves and 4 star rating here on Yelp. I ordered a 2 egg breakfast with hash browns and wheat toast.

    The hash browns were good. Well browned on the outside, soft and cooked on the inside.

    The eggs were kind of weird in that I ordered two over medium eggs. One came out much closer to over hard and the other came out over easy. Hm. Very odd to end up with two eggs, served together, cooked so differently.

    My friend's poached eggs on his benedict were also over done so perhaps we had a new cook? Eggs are a pretty basic request and this was the first time in a long time I've seen them served incorrectly.

  • Review from Cynthia G.

    • 6 friends
    • 112 reviews

    San Jose, CA

    3.0 star rating
    12/14/2011

    Service was pretty good, and the decor was fun. It was loud, though it was live xmas music from a mandolier, so that was okay. I give it four stars for atmosphere, two stars for food.

    The food was not that great, hence the two stars. Mainly because it was two star food. I had pancakes - a staple of diners and cafes - and was severely disappointed. I could taste... was it the baking powder or flour? Something was off.

    Steak sandwich was too gristly to be good. All food was okay - cheap, but just really okay.

    I'd like to come again for the service and atmosphere, but I'll have to try something new. The pancakes and steak sandwiches were not that great.

  • Review from Calvin M.

    • 1 friend
    • 27 reviews

    San Jose, CA

    3.0 star rating
    4/24/2012

    My overall experience was less satisfying than I had expected. First, the good part: The server was outstanding, very attentive to my dining partner's concern about unsatisfactory food quality and quantity. More on that later. From there, it went downhill: the place was cramped and crowded, the atmosphere hectic and loud, and the food quality anywhere from poor to good, depending on the dish. My dining partner's bacon and home potatoes were overcooked and burned, and the ham was tough. Needless to say, he was dissatisfied with his breakfast. My omelette was pretty good, though nothing to write home about. This was on a weekend (early Saturday afternoon), so the food quality might be unrepresentative of what it might be like on a typical weekday. With a lighter load of customers, the cook might have greater opportunity to be more attentive and not overcook the bacon and potatoes. Therefore, I've decided to revisit Cafe San Jose on a weekday, and compare my experience.

    Follow-up (several weeks later, on a weekday):  My dining partner's cheesesteak sandwich had some gristle; mine didn't. Portions were fine, though not overly generous for the price. Rather unusual soft drink service -- by the can, two cans for the listed price (not specified in the menu as the price for two cans).

    The server (I didn't get her name) was the one who served us the last time.  Once again, I found her to be friendly and accommodating.  Strangely, however, the owner/manager was stand-offish to my dining partner and me.  I witnessed the same with the diners at another table some distance away.  Therefore, it wasn't as if we had done something that might have offended her.  This isn't just a gut impression.  She stopped by our table to replace a couple of jelly packets, but said nothing.  I would've expected something like "Welcome to Cafe San Jose", "Hello.  Is this your first time here?",  "I hope you're enjoying your meal", "Is there something I can get for you?"  No eye contact or smile as well.  This was extremely weird.  I would expect more of an owner/manager.  Fortunately, her customer-oriented staff made up for any shortcoming in that department.

  • Review from Mabel C.

    • 38 friends
    • 22 reviews

    San Jose, CA

    4.0 star rating
    12/23/2011

    YES! Banana pecan pancake and coffee were awesome. I didn't particularly like the Benedict I got, but I'm giving it 4 stars based on the pancake and coffee. My friend got the omelet version of my scramble and it was HUGE. It was also very delicious, I wish I had gotten hers. I also tried the kid's french toast based on the waitresses recommendation and I think it was okay as well.

    I love how there isn't a long line to wait like other places. I didn't sound very convincing here, but if you go, try an omelet and the banana pecan pancake (:.

  • Review from Tina T.

    San Jose, CA

    3.0 star rating
    11/18/2011

    I was pretty disappointed in this place actually. I've been wanting to check this place out for a while due to the high reviews on Yelp. I'm a BIG breakfast person - I can eat breakfast food for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I thought prices were a bit high too.

    I ordered the Carne Asada Benedict because 1. I've never seen a Carne Asada Benedict before and 2. I wanted to venture away from my typical Crabcake Benedict. That was a mistake :( I was really disappointed. It lacked flavor the carne asada and the egg seemed a bit over done. I ended up just drenching it in Tapatio. Tapatio makes everything better :)

    Boyfriend got the Huevos con Tortillas Scrambled. Nothing special either.

  • Review from Kari D.

    • 12 friends
    • 24 reviews

    Felton, CA

    3.0 star rating
    12/5/2011

    Good solid breakfast food and quick and friendly service.  Yep, it's an old school diner, bustling and loud...with very tasty, fresh, hot cafe/diner food at a reasonable price.  In spite of it being very VERY busy (lunch time on a Sunday), our server was attentive, prompt and fun, and our dishes (corned beef has and eggs for me, and chile relleno florentine for s/o) were hot  and delicious.  

    Even got serenaded by a sweet lil older gentleman playing Christmas carols on the mandolin.

  • Review from Earl G.

    Burlingame, CA

    3.0 star rating
    8/7/2011 3 photos

    Solid neighborhood breakfast. Their menu is like a phone book; 11''x17" paper with an 8 sized font of everything omelets, french toast, burgers, etc. It's the paralysis of analysis on deciding what to order. If you crave it, they probably got it.  

    Kept it simple and ordered from their daily specials board which hangs outside.

    * Strawberry, apple, pineapple pancakes. Just a shade below perfect. Two soft, light, and fluffy pancakes with a semi crisp crust topped with fresh fruit. Their syrup was good. I wouldn't mind waking up to this again. (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)

    * Their Greek omelet was huge and filling. Mrs G didn't want to share. (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)

    Hidden in the corner of a strip mall. Cafe SJ didn't have a wait for a Saturday brunch. Service was pleasant, not too bubbly. We dined al fresco.

    Inside, it looks like it use to be an old Chinese restaurant. I like how there's outdoor seating but not. Since we sat outside there was random cigarette smoke and a ton of exhaust fumes from the cars going to Dick's bakery and the liquor store next door. There was even a couple of close call accidents.

    It was around $50 for our group of 4.

    4 star if you're more food centric,
    3 star if you're about the overall experience.

  • Review from Erin H.

    Santa Cruz, CA

    3.0 star rating
    10/28/2011

    A-OK pretty much sums up my experience at Cafe San Jose.
    I found this place via yelp so I wasn't exactly sure what to expect. Turns out, this place is tucked away in the corner of some complex so its super easy to miss.
    Bf and I went on a weekday morning and were surprised by how many people were inside. Its not a huge place, but has quite a few seats and almost all of them were taken.
    The art on the walls is fun to look at while perusing the menu and waiting for food to arrive.

    Speaking of food, I ordered a bowl of oatmeal along with a waffle. The bf got an omelet I think but honestly I don't really remember. It was so-so. My oatmeal was mushy and tasteless, but my waffle was standard. Nothing great, but nothing horrible either, and from what I remember the BF had similar remarks.

    The atmosphere is cozy and the service is friendly and quick, but the food is just average from what I could tell.

    Solid 3 stars.

  • Review from Danny K.

    San Mateo, CA

    4.0 star rating
    9/26/2011 1 Check-in Here

    A very small/old/beaten up little diner right around the corner of Meridian and Hamilton.  It's definitely old but it has character...

    Honestly, I can't remember what I ate there (I think I got French Toast) but I can tell you they have all the usual and plenty of it....

    The service was outstanding and you can tell everyone frequently visited the Cafe.  They called the waiter by their first name and some of them were even asking to be served by specific servers.  Our waiter (I think he was one of the owner's) was fantastic and VERY friendly.  I would definitely come back to Café San Jose for a quick breakfast...

    But...

    One thing I want to recommend, get some new chairs outside...I know I'm 200+lbs but I don't think that should be heavy enough to break a chair =)

  • Review from Derwin V.

    • 8 friends
    • 6 reviews

    Bothell, WA

    5.0 star rating
    12/5/2011

    I let the GPS do the leading and was not disappointed. Sandra (owner) was very personable and her staff just as friendly. I ordered the Carne Asada Benedict  with fruit. It was done well, the fruit was fresh and sweet (no squishy grapes or bland melons) the Carne Asada, tasty and flavorful. Not salty like some hollandaise. Coffee was just right. Not burnt.

    I'm comin' back with friends.

    Mahalo Sandra!

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