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Flames Coffee Shop & Bakery
Categories: Food Bakeries Food Coffee & Tea Restaurants American (Traditional) Bakeries, Coffee & Tea, American (Traditional)
1191 E Calaveras BlvdMilpitas, CA 95035
(408) 262-2005
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Breakfast
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
131 reviews for Flames Coffee Shop & Bakery
Review Highlights
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"The chocolate chocolate cake is yum." In 8 reviews -
"food gets to you fast and in big portions." In 7 reviews -
"Our service was great and fast." In 6 reviews
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131 reviews in English
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Review from Jaime O.
Milpitas, CA
Updated - 1/23/2012
This place has been pretty empty lately. We've stopped in twice and not had to wait. The service there is great, the guy who helped us on both visits was so pleasant, I also believed he cared that we were happy with the experience.
And the food: it was good! I got the veggie omelette custom made, very good. The hash browns here are cooked right; crispy not mushy. Hubby got the french dip, very good. The fries only "meh". Sonny got the salibury steak, mac and cheese and applesauce. We were all happy. the price seems on par for other similar restaurants in town.
Stop by when you can and say Hi to my buddy, he is very nice.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/13/2009
the place was empty tonight. Lucky us! We got stellar service.
Ravioli with meat sauce for… Read more »
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Review from Brianne B.
San Jose, CA
5/13/2012
This place is disgusting- on so many levels!! Please, save your pennies for way over-priced diner food and head to Denny's instead, you'll be disappointed, but not nearly as bad as if you eat here.
We are long-time Flames fans, and if you don't mind the drive, head to the 4th street location, its pretty nice and feels more worth the price. This location, however, must be under new management- because it looks like an old Flames, but it is in no other way like the others.
The door handles and the floor in the entrance area are black with sticky stuff, and so are the menus. The floor under the booths was so terribly dirty, I think bugs could be crawling in your socks while you eat! Definitely, we should have walked out at this point, but we know the food is good at Flames restaurants, so we stuck through it... What did we get? TURKEY BACON!! Totally tried to pass off as regular bacon!! And when questioned, the server said that it was something new they were trying, would offer us a discount because we didn't eat it, and then didn't change the check! Gross.
Also, our server never came to check on us or refill our glasses of water and coffee.
Just don't go here, you'll thank me later. -
Review from P D.
San Jose, CA
5/7/2012
I'd give this place 1 1/2 stars if I could. We stopped by for lunch on a busy Saturday and when we saw the practically empty parking lot, we had our suspicions that the restaurant would be less than average. But my husband insisted that the Flames in other locations were good so he really wanted to give this one a try.
We were seated right away and our table only had one place setting even though there were four of us. We asked for silverware and our hostess said she'd bring more - it took asking our server a second time before we got it. (The few pieces of silverware on the table looked like it could use a good cleaning in a dishwasher.)
The food we ordered was decent; however for the same price you can get much better food elsewhere. My husband's omelet had a slice of cheese thrown on top - really?
The tables opposite us had noticeable dirt on the top and sides - not appetizing and just plain gross. Of course they were all empty (other than silverware on top). Luckily our table was clean. The service was ok at the beginning but towards the end it tapered off. Overall, a disappointing experience. -
Review from Larry T.
San Jose, CA
3/30/2012
The worst Breakfast ever, not so sure my eggs were actually eggs, waffle would not go down it was so dry. I should have known since it was nearly empty.... Gordon Ramsey couldn't help this food!
YUCH!!!! -
Review from Minnie W.
San Jose, CA
5/24/2012
We stopped by for dinner. Since there weren't too many folks, we were seated immediately Looks like there is new management now with a new fusion menu. We ordered a couple of items from the fusion menu like the appetizer and a soup. We had to wait around 10-15 mins for our appetizer and unfortunately, they brought out the wrong appetizer. They were very courteous and told us "we accidentally prepared the wrong appetizer, so you can have this on the house, and we'll get yours out soon". Our appetizer and soup weren't brought out to us until after we were almost done with all our main course :(. The main course was ok but it was a bit disappointing to get soup and appetizer after we were done with the main course. The friendly staff did apologize to us for the delay and agreed that they're trying to improve on the speed of the delivery for their fusion items.
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Review from Kathleen V.
San Jose, CA
4/24/2012 1 Check-in Here
As of recently, new management has introduced Asian fusion to the menu. So far after one meal EXCELLENT Palak Paneer and Tandoori Chicken!
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Review from Ralph M.
Gilroy, CA
4/28/2012
I have come here for their Steak and Eggs for 12+ years, absolutely love it!!
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Review from Leon G.
Rio Vista, CA
3/14/2012
I've been eating at most of the Flame's in San Jose for a couple of decades and have never been disappointed - until today. I went in for lunch and ordered coffee, the soup of the day, liver and onions and two sides.
The coffee arrived after about five minutes. The entree arrived a quarter of an hour later. I asked about my soup and was told it would arrive soon, The mashed potato, gravy and vegetables were stone cold! I told the waiter but decided to press on as I didn't have time to hang around.
The soup arrived just as I discovered that the larger piece of liver had that nasty taste that happens if it isn't cleaned properly. The soup arrived then, but it was lukewarm and horrible.
I gave up, paid and left feeling cheated. This is not the Flame's service and quality that I'm used to. Extremely disappointing and potentially dangerous. They're letting down the Flame's brand. -
Review from Sean C.
San Jose, CA
5/6/2012
We used to enjoy going here for breakfast. That's when it was still following the supervision of the actual Flames franchise provisions. I don't know what is going on here, but I have been to a lot of Flames and this place does not meet up to their standards from service to menu options and choices. Please bring back the old Flames!
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Review from Jessica L.
San Jose, CA
3/13/2012 1 photo
Omg what happened to this place! We had come in the past and it was decent but there must be new owners because now this place is Awful now! First we walk in and theres a nasty melting ice sculpture right in front with buckets catching the yellow water. You're instantly hit with the smell of burnt toast and the place is SO smokey, I had to ask them to open a window because my baby and I were choking! My food was the worst! Pieces of deep fried frozen potatoes with gross overcooked egg on top and a cold hard biscuit. This is the worst of all the flames restaurants in the area. The quality of food is disgusting and nothing short of frozen food that has been deep fried and thrown onto a plate. I give it a few more months before its closed, we should've walked out when we got there and the place was empty, filthy, smokey and stinky. drive up the road to Black Bear Diner instead!
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Review from Linda D.
My friends and I came here on a late night just because we were craving dessert. We had no idea where else to go because the only places we could think of were closed already. So I remembered that this place sold cakes so we came here.
So we didn't order cake, but ordered this waffle with a bunch of mixed fruits and whipped cream and ice cream, pretty good but it costs 10 bucks! And it didn't come with syrup, what kinda waffle doesn't come with a waffle? So I asked the waiter for a side of maple syrup.
My friend wanted a rootbeer float, but they ran out of rootbeer ha. So she asked for an orange soda float. Yea fail, it sounded like a good idea, but didn't taste that great ha. That's what happens when you try to be innovative haha.
Anyways, we had fun here we thought the decor was so funny. The waiters wear tropical shirts, and there's animal/jungle wallpaper and animals everywhere. But they play 50's music, and the place is called Flames; very confusing restaurant theme hahaha. -
Review from Dana W.
Santa Clara, CA
3/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
This was the second time we have tried this place out, hey at least I gave it another shot before giving it a one star. Our order was simple but it took forever to show up with an order of French toast scramble eggs and a sausage patty and my other half got a turkey pesto sandwich thingy that looked ok except having nicely thinned turkey he got a huge cut of turkey which he was not found of and returned it for an OK hamburger just to tie over his hunger. Which I think in all honesty the fries had to do it. There was a ladder in the kitchen and it just gave you this not so clean feeling, as well as the bathroom was gross and smelled like old baby diapers I think I will pass on this place again and say I've been there done that!
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Review from Roger Y.
San Jose, CA
3/10/2012
While looking for a breakfast spot, being new to the area, drove around and did not want to wait in line for a table at Ihop. The place appeared clean and parking was easy dont let that fool you... first clue.
Seating was a breeze and took ten minutes for a waitperson to arrive to take our drink order and food order.
We ordered 3 eggs and crispy hashbrowns with ham, and 3 eggs with crispy hashbrown and toast both with coffee.
The food arrives and the waitperson said that toast is on its way, the eggs were swimming in oil in which I ask for a few more napkins to sop up the oil/grease.
No garnish just eggs and toast and grease. I now will carry my camera!
The waitperson saw me cleaning my plate and never said anything. Whatever happened to customer service in this respect.
Service was subpar, very cold inside.
It took three napkins to clean the plate and the eggs.
I took a bite of the subpar crispy hashbrowns and they were cold inside and was going to send them back, I did not because I knew I would never be back.
The ham was a large portion and par. The food was pretty tasteless.
As breakfast is concerned I owned an establishment and cooked breakfast all day long and knowing the cost of food.
I wanted to back in the kitchen and teach them how to properly cook eggs and hashbrowns.
23$ and change for this meal was way out of line.
Stay Away..I should waited in line at Ihop..
Always wiling to support non chain establishments. -
Review from Jasmine S.
Santa Clara, CA
Updated - 1/10/2012 1 Check-in Here
man, oh man, another disappointment!
came here tonight to get some cake... walked in and found that they were in the process of remodeling and yet they were still serving food. who really wants to eat dinner while folks are gluing new floor in.
and then there's the cake... i feel like they're cutting corners with the cake these days. yes, the carrot cake was moist, but what happened to the cream cheese frosting and filling?!? they used "whipped cream" instead. no no no... i want CREAM CHEESE with my carrot cake. maybe not everyone else feels the same, but in that case, make a frosting substitute that's amazing... not blah. no wonder their parking lot has less and less cars in it each week.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/18/2010
the sad thing is that i USED to like going here. the omelets are probably my favorite things on the… Read more »
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Review from Peter Y.
Santa Clara, CA
9/20/2011
Was planning to eat at Flames but based on the latest reviews, this place needs Chef Robert Irvine and the Restaurant Impossible crew to come in and clean house.
Sounds like they better do something soon before they flame out. -
Review from Sally L.
Fremont, CA
10/18/2011 3 Check-ins Here
My pregnant self was craving chocolate cake, so my wonderful husband took me to Flames so I can get a slice of chocolate cake to take home. Forget about eating for two, this slice of cake could feed a family of four for a week. It was delicious and just thinking about it is making my mouth water.
The minus one star is for the service. Granted, I came in about 15 minutes before they closed, but dang it, all I wanted was for them to put a slice of cake in a to-go box for me. There was only one table occupied with two women who had clearly just sat down, but it still took the server at least 8 minutes to help me.
Next time I'm in Milpitas, I will defiitely come back for the cake. :) -
Review from Dave C.
San Jose, CA
2/26/2012
I've been eating at the Milpitas Flames since it was owned and operated by the original family. A couple of years ago someone else acquired the MIlpitas location and tried to work from the original menu and recipe book and though their heart seemed to be in it they simply could not duplicate the fare with the same level of quality and care. I've been back several times since the current (and second since the original) owners took over and there has been a steady and saddening decline in the service and even worse, in the food. The servers routinely waited until the entree was up on the warmer before bringing the salad to the table and I've waited 20 minutes or more at the conclusion of the meal for the check. A bit too much incompetence for my taste especially when I was at one of only two or three occupied tables.
I did not go back for some time after being served Eggs Benedict with obviously spoiled Canadian Bacon, a sign that management is pinching pennies by restocking ingredients based more on use than on reasonable food handling and storage practices. But my most recent visit was my last - the majority of the pastry cases have been replaced by a beverage bar and all my Flames favorites have given way to a few "Denny's" style standards and a collection of what the server described as "Fusion" (mostly curry and other Indian/Eurasian ingredients). I settled for a hot open-faced turkey sandwich which ended up being a nearly inedible combination of sliced grocery store variety turkey loaf (complete with the by-products) and gravy from a jar. Suffice it to say it was horrible.
It's quite sad; I'll miss the perfectly grilled coulotte steaks, fusilli pasta and my all time favorite - Thai sauce chicken with pasta. It's too bad I didn't get back in time to dig the original recipe binder out of the trash. It would have left a bit more room in the can as the most appropriate place for what's now being slung around the kitchen. -
Review from Michael C.
Milpitas, CA
8/14/2011
It's so sad to see a neighborhood joint like this going down the tubes. I've been going to Flames for over 10 years. However, after some poor experiences, I have been going very infrequently, only once every few years or whenever my memory of the last bad experience has faded.
Today, I had a hankering for brunch after church. As with everybody else, I headed straight for IHOPs. But, by the time I arrived at 11:15am, the outside was already packed with people waiting to get in. So, I turned around and headed to Flames.
When I arrived, parking was plenty and there was no wait. I was pleased by that minor convenience, but it went straight downhill from there. I know Flames tries to capture the old 70s diner feel, but that doesn't mean they should have kept everything original from the 70s. Three years since my last visit, not a single thing has been improved or replaced.
Ok, we got seated quickly by the owner/hostess. Like others have mentioned, I got a distinct sense that my presence was an inconvenience to her. Maybe it's because I'm Chinese and not one of her regulars. Who knows.
Once we sat down, I took in the deliriously depressing surroundings. Our wicker chairs were painted within an inch of the absurd as the chair covers cracked and peeled pathetically. A green piece of paper served as the lamp shade over the counter top while dust balls copiously peppered the ceiling. Every other detail which celebrates a diner's charm was left to deteriorate unattended. Our table, thankfully, was clean, but that was about the limits of our creature comforts.
To top off the offense, the owners somehow saw it fit to keep four big jars of what must have been sliced preserved fruit on display in the middle of the diner. They were singularly repulsive, being so far past the limits of preservation as to become featureless vessels of swirling brown pus. Normally, these jars can remain presentable in their quiescent state for years, so it beggars the imagination to wonder how long they've been there. Almost as inconceivable, all the patrons were just as able to overlook them as the owner and workers.
When it came to the food prices on the menu, it was another shock. One would have expected that such dilapidated surroundings would translate into great values. However, their prices would only be appropriate at far more lavish surroundings, perhaps the Fairmont. $9-11 for 2 egg omelettes or a single croissant. $7-9 for a single waffle. I asked my waiter if there were options for two or more waffles and he answered, "well, you can place as many orders as you want."
So, we ordered a cinnamon toast and their French toast croissant, which was a featured item and described as "a huge croissant" made into a French toast. It came with two eggs and your unavoidable choice of rubbery bacon or scatological sausages.
When our entrees arrived, even my waiter was confused by their non-descript nature. We figured out which was mine and my croissant was just two limp 4-inch slivers. The 3-inch square of cinnamon toast was just as disappointing. Dejected, I washed down my croissant with maple syrup in just 5 annoyed bites.
As I sat prickly contemplating my review of the abortive brunch experience, my waiter brought by a complementary waffle. Apparently, my deep dismay was palpable, even in this place. He apologetically commiserated with me that the croissant was quite small and underwhelming. For that singular gesture, I'm giving Flames an extra star.
We polished off the waffle and it genuinely restored some of my mood. Then again, it could have also been the sugar rush coming off the maple syrup. In any case, I recognized his gesture with a 25% tip and tabbed out at $26. I guess I'll give Flames another try in 3 years time. -
Review from Karen V.
Paradise, CA
2/5/2012
We used to enjoy coming here when we're in the Bay Area for a visit. Today, the food was just so-so. The restroom was filthy. Too bad.
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Review from Arvi D.
Santa Clara, CA
2/5/2012
I hate giving bad reviews but I wish I was warned! I wanted to eat somewhere relatively close to where I lived at the time and I decided to take my family there which was a BIG mistake! The place looked semi-empty yet we waited about 30 (or maybe longer) to be seated. Workers saw us waiting but didn't acknowledge us for a while. Food was blah, service was blah so guess what? You're getting a "blah" star rating!
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Review from JASMIN O.
San Jose, CA
6/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
Flames as a chain is a gamble, and while this is the closest location to me, I will drive the extra minutes, pay for parking, and wait in line to eat at the one downtown vs. the Milpitas location. I tried REALLY hard to give this location a chance and it failed me miserably. From the disorganized hostess to my eggs Benedict drowned in hollandaise sauce, I think it is safe to say that this location has a lot of work to do to live up to the two SJ locations.
Two credits that I will give to them is that their coffee wasn't watered down and the decor reminded me of my childhood summers in Florida :) -
Review from Theresa D.
San Jose, CA
5/26/2011 2 Check-ins Here
If you want to have a decent breakfast without the long waits that you get from Denny's and iHops, this is the place to go. We were greeted and shown to our table right away. The breakfast I ordered was a good size portion and it filled me up. Our waiter was very nice and attentive so I cannot complain about the service.
One thing that is always great to look at whenever I walk into this place is the dessert display. If only by the end of my meal I had room to try it out! Maybe next time I go to Flames, I will definitely have to try the dessert. :) -
Review from Evangelina B.
San Jose, CA
3/21/2011
Its rare for me to say this and I will be writing an additional letter to the manager/owner.
my experience was AWFUL!
here the deal :
its a little after 1 pm I wanted breakfast since the boyfriend and I woke up late.
I had a great experience at the flames downtown by SJSU( since i go there i went one Thursday night with school mates)
the experience at this location was just awful! When we walked in it took nearly 1 min for someone to greet us and escort us to a table. I know it doesn't sound very long but the place was dead. Only 4 tables were sat and I would soon learn why.
I noticed at the counter everyone was lounging around, including a chef.
once we sat a bus boy took our drink order. But he literally made no eye contact and when i ordered my coffee he looked left as if he was waiting for his Hot date to arrive or something?
i let it slide and read the menu. we were hungry so it took us 3 min to decide. ordering it would take another 15 min.
We were almost ready to walk out, at this point they didn't deserve our money. It was not busy at all! and all the workers were hanging out. I even saw one girl on he laptop.
When the busboy brought us our drinks he didn't even ask if we were ready to order or state our waiter would be with us. We were actually confused who our waiter was. As 15 min passed we tracked down a waiter who was helping the table next to us.
We asked if he was our waiter and he scrambled to decide if he want to help us. He then took a pad out and took our order.
The food came out a little quick. I ordered an omelet with hashbrowns and my boyfriend ordered scrambled eggs breakfast with sausage hashbrowns and biscuits and gravy. all his food was warm to cold and not hot. his eggs looked like leftover scrapping of rejected eggs. But since we waited so long he just ate it.
I will NEVER! GO BACK -
Review from Annamarie M.
San Jose, CA
5/11/2011
I am so sad to have to report that our experience of our visit to Flames in Milpitas was VERY disappointing. VERY. Over the years, our family has met at this particular Flames because it is a good halfway point between San Jose and Fremont where our family members live. Up until Monday evening, (May 9)
The people working were very nice. I can give them that. But...that is it.
It was completely empty, except maybe for one or two tables. We thought that was strange, based on the fact that it was dinner time, and in past Flames experiences, it was never that empty!
It took awhile for a server to take our order, once our whole party arrived.
When our food did arrive, it was very disappointing.
My little daughter ordered a kid's Mac and Cheese, She tasted it, and said, "Mom...this tastes like lemon." I tasted it and it was SOUR!
REALLY SOUR!
I brought the dish up to the manager, and told him this was really sour, and he said, "Oh, we must have gotten a bad shipment!"
I thought that was a weird thing to say. I mean, I don't like to think of my dinner arriving in a truck. I'd like to at least imagine that it was thoughtfully prepared by a chef!
My dad's cole slaw was runny and had a weird taste.
My Monte Cristo sandwich was something that I NEVER order, only from certain "diner-style" places like Flames. I was looking forward to it!
It was greasy and really disappointing.
The WORST part of the whole thing is that that the usual array of glorious desserts was not present at all.
The dessert display case looked picked over, old and totally unappealing.
We let our kids get dessert because they were looking forward to it, but we only let them order ice cream, because we figured it would be safe to eat since it was frozen.
We all decided at the table then and there that our family would never meet at this Flames again. This makes me so sad because we've had many good experiences at this Flames in Milpitas.
I hope they are only going through a bad phase. -
Review from Janet L.
Milpitas, CA
10/25/2011
Horrible. I guess somewhere along the 3 or 4 years since I've been here, I missed the memo that they have changed owners. Anyway we ordered nachos as our appetizer and it contained stale chips, canned chili, and was microwaved with shredded cheese. I love to eat and cook so I pretty much could tell this was the case. We got 2 sandwiches which came out on dirty looking plates. My reuben sandwich gave me a bad stomach ache and we ended up not finishing our food. My boyfriend got the bill and the server did not give us a pen or anything to pay with our CC and insisted we pay with cash. Uh? We insisted on paying with CC and our horribke food and service prompted for a $1 tip. Yes. $1... and I went home with a continuous stomach ache. I missed when this place used to be good... never again.
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Review from Victor G.
Danville, CA
3/12/2012
Stopped at Flames 5.45pm food was oaky price was fine service was oaky. I did not like the desert, I thought it was not very good.
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Review from Melissa D.
Burlingame, CA
8/19/2011
First let me start off by saying I have been going here for YEARS. I have never experienced what I did today. I haven't been there in a while since I moved up to the peninsula.
My brother and his girlfriend live in milpitas and we were going to meet for lunch so he could finally meet our new 2 month old baby.
We decided to go to flames.
When we walked in there was NO ONE there I thought it was strange because I was always used to walking in to a full house with the friendly gentlemen that usually would seat guests only to pass by the yummy desserts being delightfully showcased. Instead We walked into a desert with a depressing feel.
I can tell there is new ownership and like a previous yelper posted I feel that we were discriminated against because of our ethnicity.
When the hostess (the owners wife I assume) seated us we told her we had an infant the accommodations she gave us were uncomfortable but we improvised as she never brought us a highchair, even after we asked several times.
When it came time to order our food we told her we needed a few more minutes and she came back literally 1 minute later, we again told her we needed time and she came back 2 minutes later...While she was taking our order I asked her if she could bring me a Bowl of hot water so I could defrost my bagged milk for my daughter, she looked at me strange, I said because a bowl defrosts it more evenly. She hesitated and said "no I can bring you a cup" trying not to let her upset me I just let it go and said fine.
Our food came and I was surprised how much everything had changed...I always order the El Dorado omelet and this was the first time I wanted to puke, It was so sloppy and greasy Also I was looking forward to their awesome square cut hash browns and all I got was a greasy thinly shredded half a cups worth of crap. When we were done she collected the plates and asked us if we needed anything else and we told her no thank you. She brought the bill and we proceeded to sit and chat and carry on with our conversation. She came back literally every 5 minutes to see if we needed anything we kept telling her no that we were just talking and finishing our beverages.
She then came back every 3-5 minutes..at this point I was getting very aggravated. My husband was putting the money together for the bill and asked how much we should tip I told him the minimum.
As I was talking catching up with my brother and his girlfriend in the middle of me speaking the waitress/hostess AGAIN comes and says "DO YOU NEED SOMETHING??" and just stands there. I told her NO THANK YOU. By this point it was very clear she was trying to hint for us to leave. I was offended and disgusted. My husband told me to let it go and not let it ruin my visit with my family. 5 minutes after that a man (her husband/manager of the restaurant) Came BEHIND the table poked his head OVER the booth and said..."ARE YOU FINISHED???"
Then I was DONE! I told my husband to retract the tip and I wanted to leave. The bill was 57.19 and we left 57.20 in cash. We left the money on the table gathered our things and walked out. I was saying my goodbyes to my brother and his girlfriend and he went to his car and I went to mine. I was so upset that our visit was ruined by the rudeness this place shelled out. Just when I thought it was over my brother came to my car and said "here" And he handed me a penny. I asked him what it was for and he told me that the manager CAME OUT of the restaurant and handed it to him and said "keep the change" (obviously because we left no tip) $60 to ruin my brother meeting my new baby and you expect a tip?? YEAH RIGHT!!!
I WILL NEVER EAT HERE EVER AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!! Worst dining experience ever!! -
Review from Jane D.
3/25/2011
Yikes, if you are looking for a dive some where under a bridge, this my friends, is the place to go. It is situated off the 680 with a lovely view of the freeway from some angles. I'd have to agree that the place looks like a dump and I'd have to question the freshness of some of the desserts displayed in the display case. My niece commented that the cookies looked like they had their chocolate chips shoved in them after the fact. It seemed as though someone forgot to mix in the chips and decided to squash them in after the cookies were done baking. Questionable at best.
The place gets one star for excellent parking. The second star goes to the server, she was very , very nice. -
Review from Sherry P.
San Jose, CA
3/10/2012
We used to stop in for both breakfast and lunch when there was a different owner, and tried it once more the other day. What a mistake! We were the only patrons in the place--should have taken the hint. The staff hung out in the vack and yakked. The turkey sandwich was processed turkey-like meat. But the hamburger was the worst--awful! The meat was a fine, weird texture, the french fries were partially raw. Too bad. Used to be a nice stop. Won't be back
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Review from Stephanie R.
San Jose, CA
Updated - 11/8/2010 1 photo
This has always been my Flames and I've been coming here since I can remember.
This time it was just plain terrible, TERRIBLE i say!
Let's begin from the start.
The wait wasn't too long, 5-10 minutes.
When we were finally getting seated, our host walked us to a dirty table where she cleaned it in front of us. I sat down, put my hand out, placed on a nice spot full of syrup. great. I start to search for the napkins. Hold on, no utensils and napkins. I decided to go to the bathroom since no one had helped us yet, no even for our drinks.
When I got back, we waited a little longer. A girl passes by "they haven't gotten your drink orders yet?". "No", I ordered a coffee and water.
When she brought the coffee, by this time I forgot about not having a spoon. She left and I had to wait for her to pass by again. Asked for them.
When we got our food, they had put them on those tiny pancake plates. My entire, two eggs, hash, and corned beef on this tiny little plate. I don't know if they didn't give all my food or just piled it on top of each other. It was just plain annoying to me.
My friend ordered this plate that came with bacon, when she got it, it didn't have bacon. We then had to wait for our waitress to bring bacon for her.
When we finally got settled in and began to eat, we realized there was no more ketchup in the bottle. I wanted more coffee and I still hadn't gotten my water. We started to find it amusing after a while. It was that bad.
When we got our bill, we waited at the register for a good 5 minutes, waiting for someone to even ring us up! we left a $20 and left. Yes, it was short the coffee I got, but honestly. They freakin' should buy my coffee.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/20/2009
you know. i love this place. whenever i want breakfast. i come here.
service is great. the… Read more »
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Review from Irene L.
10/17/2011
I had the Greek omelet without the gyro meat. The food was good and the service was good. Overall, would come back. Wasn't too crowded on a Sunday morning around 11:00am.
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Review from Cherryl D.
San Jose, CA
11/8/2010 1 Check-in Here
My Ratings:
Quantity: 4 - Big portions
Quality: 3 - Good
Price: 3 - Good
Location: 2 - Ok
Parking: 3 - Ok
Service: 2 - Ok
Speed: 2 - Ok
Overall: I would rather go to their other locations.
My Opinion/Story:
I like Flames and I like the portion of their food. I love their pies but this place needs a make-over. The building is old and smelly so it makes me sick thinking how clean their kitchen could be if the rest of the restaurant isn't clean at all. Other locations aren't as bad but this place needs to update and clean up. -
Review from Tim B.
9/30/2011
East Coast dinner done West Coast style. Big breakfasts. Omlettes galore, Pancake Sandwiches, piles of meat, fruit, avocado mmmmmmmm....Service was good, expect to take some time digesting the menu and if you go for lunch/dinner save room for one of their cakes. Went for lunch as well one of my two days in town. Did not eat dinner. Big Sandwiches, fresh fruit. Fries were just okay.
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Review from Peter R.
Milpitas, CA
10/28/2010
Food and Service is AMAZING...
Atmosphere: drab, major odor, worst bathroom i've experienced in a food establishment. Order to-go or order NOT. -
Review from joyce h.
Santa Cruz, CA
2/15/2012
We ended up here on Valentine's Day, of all times. At 6 p.m., the parking lot & booths/tables were nearly empty. We expected Flames to have a similar menu to the other Flames' locations. It did, sort of...The multi-page plastic menu with pasta, seafood, sandwiches, cakes, pies, salads, and appetizers was accompanied by what we later discovered is a new menu, one with many Asian choices, such as samosas, saag, naan, curries, Thai choices, Chinese choices, dozens of appetizers, sides, and entrees.
We started with the 2-samosa appetizer, accompanied by 3 bits of sauce: mango, mint, and tamarind chutneys. Huge samosas, and the best I've had, served in an attractive manner. Another side: A chicken Tandoori (leg) with spicy onions and bell peppers accompanying it (only $2.99 unless you want the breast, which is $.51 more!). Our entrees were lamb saag paneer, a huge portion attractively presented, onion naan (excellent), and something from the "regular" menu, a tortilla omelet (without the bacon) served with hash browns. Believe it or not (you probably won't), all these items went together in an extremely pleasing fashion. The eggs were perfectly prepared and accompanied by guac, sour cream, chilis; cheese inside. I want to emphasize that the food being served around us was in generous portions and attractive; our server, for one, was extra-friendly and helpful and checked with us a few times to make sure we were on track with what the kitchen was brewing up for us.
I'd actually wanted just a Greek salad (which the other Flames do so well), but that wasn't on the menu. Neither were, according to a local couple dining near us, a few pasta dishes they'd stopped in for. These people were entirely disappointed in having to order sandwiches when they'd wanted pasta, and seemed to ignore the nice choices on the Asian "supplemental" menu. They said it would be their last time at the Flames, and they'd eaten here for years. Fortunately for Flames, we think they have made a large mistake. We left entirely satisfied for $30 incl. tip.
Why 3 stars? (1) Service we observed to be slow on a night when there were plenty of cooks/servers (5, by my count); the abovementioned couple had to ask twice for the side salad, which the man had requested to be served before his sandwich arrived, and a couple also seated near us had to ask at least once for the split-pea-soup-of-the-day, also arriving after their entrees. Our service, once we got the order in and all of our questions answered (!!!!), however, was great and our server was friendly, explaining the new owners had remodeled, added the menu, hired 5 chefs for the various ethnic choices, and were trying very hard to please the extremely diverse community that has become Milpitas. (2) A lot could be done with further remodeling or repositioning here. If you come in the front door (not expecting the typical Flames experience), you visualize a cheap coffee shop. OK, well, you also should see the wine bar, the pastry cases, a person nearby to seat you, and clear expectations of where the restrooms are. A few bottles in a case don't do this, and neither does the dark-colored wine bar, which doesn't look like anything except a construction mistake, misplaced. (3) Specials posted at the front were not covered by our server, and we saw them on the way out. By 7:30, we'd pretty much spent enough time here and wanted to get back on the highway. Probably this is a "new-management" situation that will be cured with more staff training.
I've written this extraordinarily long review about what essentially is a coffee shop. Flames is an interesting franchise, and one we have supported in their other locations (the one near Santana Row being the most interesting, as it must compete against the much higher-end eateries at the Row). This Milpitas site is a little hard to access (on the wrong side if you're headed to 280) and has competition from Black Bear, Red Lobster, and a plethora of ethnic efforts aimed at pleasing the diverse population. If you try this spot, don't ignore the Asian menu, don't expect a "normal" coffee shop, don't go when you are in a huge rush to get back on the highway, and observe the mixture of cultures and habits around you. I almost think you could plunk this restaurant down in the middle of Berkeley, and it would work. -
Review from Sarah m.
Santa Clara, CA
Updated - 11/13/2011
Nope.......No, NEVER EVER EVER Eat here again.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/2/2011
Dirty, food at dinner time horrible feeling ill TONIGHT. i sent back calamari, got rueben sandwich… Read more »
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Review from Stephanie J.
Fremont, CA
6/8/2009 1 Check-in Here
Flames gets a 4 stars for me!
Flames is 2 steps better than Denny's. It's a sophisticated/classy version of Denny's.
Came here this morning with bunch of girls after working out for some breakfast. Talking about losing weight... argh~ we probably eat more calories than our hard work at the gym.
The server were bit slow but friendly. We have to wait a while to get our food but other than that they were pretty attentive.
I ordered their pancake breakfast.. it came with 3 huge pancake, 2 eggs and 2 sausage or beacon. It's pretty good... a lot better than Denny's because it's a lot less greasy!
They have big selections of cake in the font.... I always want it to try it but never have the room for it afterward. I was told they are good.
Next time I will try their lunch or dinner special. -
Review from Wendy K.
2/2/2009
You know what? Flames was actually pretty good for what it was. I admit that I'm a little surprised.
After working all day and missing out on all of the junk food that accompanies Super Bowl parties, I was craving a burger like crazy. Luckily for me, it didn't take too much convincing for my S.O. to help me find a burger. He found Flames, and since he wanted to try it, too, we went.
Since it was Super Bowl Sunday and everyone else was probably full, we were some of the only customers. The staff seemed surprised that we walked in, but were friendly and happy to seat us.
I ordered fries and a burger with added avocado. I asked for it to be cooked medium, and it arrived well done, but I was so hungry that it just didn't matter to me. It still tasted pretty good and satisfied my craving. My S.O. had a reuben, and it was tasty, too.
While I did choose the fries for my meal this time, I was pleased to see that Flames offered many other healthier side options, such as fruit, salad, etc.
I gotta say that the service was great, and our water glasses were always full.
If you're looking for a reasonably priced restaurant that serves comfort food in a low-key environment, check out Flames.
We didn't have room left for dessert, but I think this would be a great place to go for dessert and coffee with a group of friends. The cakes look delicious!Listed in: Home, Sweet Milpitas
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Review from Tarra R.
San Jose, CA
3/1/2009
Dude.... what happened to the Greek owner/chef? DAMN IT.....
The food has gone downhill and I cannot bring myself to even come back for dessert.
Is the 4th street Flames better? I will have to check it out. -
Review from Blck R.
Fremont, CA
8/11/2010
This is another one of those places to go and get a great bite to eat and just hang back and chat with whomever you're with. I generally frequent the one in Milpitas. It's always clean and the wait staff is very friendly. I always get the Maserati Omelet and a slice of cheesecake after wards. Great portions as well. I haven't been in a while, however, I need to make the trek. Do they still have the Chocolate Chip Cheesecake? Let me know.
Five Trans-Fats out of Five...
