"breakfast there is awesome and they have great bloody marys."
(in 78 reviews)
"It was "happy hour" so all appetizers were half off."
(in 34 reviews)
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Flames Eatery & Bar
Rating Details »
Categories: Diners, Sports Bars
88 S 4th StSan Jose, CA 95112
(408) 971-1960
Happy Hour Daily 3-6 9 'Til Closing
$3.00 Beers Well Drinks House Wine
$4.00 All Specialty Cocktails
Half Price Appetizers…
More »
- Hours:
Mon-Sun. 7:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Garage
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good for:
- Breakfast
- Music:
- Juke Box
- Best Nights:
- Thu, Fri, Sun
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
185 reviews for Flames Eatery & Bar
Review Highlights
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This business is a Yelp Sponsor
12/21/2008
12/4/2009
12/2/2009
12/2/2009
12/4/2009
12/4/2009
Updated - 11/16/2009
11/8/2009
11/1/2009
9 photos
11/27/2009
11/8/2009
Updated - 10/29/2009
11/14/2009
11/22/2009
11/14/2009
10/24/2009
10/18/2009
11/1/2009
Updated - 11/17/2009
11/20/2009
11/19/2009
9/7/2009
1 photo
10/7/2009
10/5/2009
8/21/2009
12/5/2009
11/22/2009
8/12/2009
9/12/2009
9/4/2009
8/23/2009
11/26/2009
11/1/2009
11/3/2009
7/18/2009
8/23/2009
9/5/2009
Updated - 6/23/2009
9/21/2009
7/24/2009
One of the Business' Favorite Reviews What's This?
We stopped at Flames with the in laws before heading out to Christmas in the Park yesterday, and I was impressed. I love the decor, and the host made us feel like we were old friends coming over for dinner. Mateo immediately walked right over to the dessert case and told the host " I want cherries!" The host promised to bring him a bowl of ice cream and cherries as long as he finished his dinner. Next, we are seated and handed nine page double sided menu!
My daughter and I split the huge Flames super cheeseburger that is served on a french roll. I recommend splitting this burger unless you are Michael Phelps or have a huge appetite! The burger comes with fries, and half was enough to make us full for the rest of the night. Mateo had the chicken corn dogs from the kids menu, which were excellent as well. They are not the frozen kind that you would typically receive at a diner, these were freshly battered and tasty! Our server was on point and we never once had to ask for a refill. At the end of our meal, our host came through with the bowl of ice cream and cherries for the little man as promised. The customer service here is top notch!
My review is strictly for the happy hour only.
The service can be lacking at times, but the happy hour deals are just awesome. Great prices on the drinks, and they have appetizers 50% off. I really enjoy the atmosphere that this place delivers...feels comfortable just being there every time. I'll be coming back here for the HH specials!
Oh my lordy. I am in love. With Flames' breakfast menu.
Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, and there are plenty of choices here. Too bad my stomach only has room for so much because I wanted to try it all in that one sitting. Anyway, I ordered the Banana and Caramel Waffle and had it all topped off with some whip cream with a side of sausages. How was it? Heaven.
Other notes: venue is new and is very nice! Staff is extremely friendly, attentive, and helpful. It's on the ground floor of parking structure, so plenty of parking!
I came here for their Happy Hour on the Halloween weekend just before heading to a party. I had a firecracker and my friend ordered a mojito. Both drinks were huge and strong. My friend found the mojito tasted a bit bitter and they quickly made her a new one. No complaints from me on the service.
If I happen to be in SJ down town area, I will come here for those awesome $4 dollar HH drinks.
Black and blue salad is amazing. Equally amazing is their happy hour. Very chill bartenders
Flames is a much-needed addition to the downtown scene, especially around San Jose State, and it's been a long time coming. My friends and I go to Flames after our late class on Thursday nights, drawn by the awesome Happy Hour deals and the friendly, comfortable place to socialize. First, you can't beat the Happy Hour deals- half price drinks and appetizers. A beer and bite to eat cost $7 on average, and the portions of both are generous. The decor is nice, and though the place is hopping, we've never had to wait for a seat.
And let me say: the general manager there is great. He's attentive and friendly and makes sure your needs are met. Today we went out to celebrate surviving a tough week and because tomorrow is my birthday, and the GM brought me a huge piece of cake and got the WHOLE restaurant to sing me "Happy Birthday." I love Flames!
My only reason for not giving five stars is that the servers, whom I know are busy, can be hard to get a hold of to make orders or get the check. If that improves, they'll get that last star.
Let me preface this with the fact that I will continue to eat here for breakfast. It is less then a block from where I live and the food is good. I just wish the service didn't SUCK so much.
For the first time in my long eating out life I tipped $1 on a $22 bill. I was eating here this past Saturday with my boyfriend and our experience started off fine. We were brought our beverages with average speed and our orders were taken.
Then he disappeared; well not exactly, I saw our dear waiter go to the four other tables he was serving multiple times. After we were done eating and I (feeling a bit under the weather) wanted a box, I literally flagged him down by waving my hands in the air. It took him 30 minutes to bring us a to-go box and the check.....THIRTY MINUTES!!!!! Are you kidding me? Seriously, it got to the point where my BF and I were both laughing at the ridiculousness of the level of service.....
Note to self: eat at bar next time; much harder for them to ignore you.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/7/2009
I have eaten here a few times. Twice for breakfast and both times the food was good, service was… Read more »
Been here a few times and it is always pretty good. Servers are friendly and have never waited to get in. Seems like a good breakfast place so maybe that is when the rush is? Portions are big for most meals - Desserts are a whole 'nother thing. When eating there the first time, a bunch of us ordered dessert after dinner. The portions were ridiculously huge, but we weren't complaining! The chocolate cake was like a foot high and a full plate across. I don't know if this was an exception to how they usually serve it, but it was gigantic and we could not come close to finishing it. I got a "slice" of cherry pie which was about a half a pie! Be really hungry for dessert or go just for dessert :)
Prices are reasonable and they validate your parking. They have tons of options on the menu and are open late.
This place was waaaay better than I would have every imagined. I thought it was going to be like a bad chain like a Red Robin or Chili's.
We came here before a concert we were going to at the Event Center. We had a few hours to kill and wanted to eat and drink until we had to go.
We started out with a round of Pink Grapefruit Cosmo's. Very good and one of the better drinks we ordered.
We then had an appetizer of Asparagus Fries. If Asparagus could get any better it just did. It came with plenty of ranch dipping sauce. Deep fried is always a great way to get your veggie servings a day.
The second drink was the Moscow Mule. At first I thought it was good then as it went on it got worse. It was an interesting drink but not my most favorite.
We ordered a Dinner Salad to start. It was good. Id be worried if they messed up a regular Dinner Salad.
For the third round I had the Watermelon cocktail. This is the second Watermelon flavored drink I have ever had and I'm coming to realize that I really, really like Watermelon cocktails.
If only this one came with the Gummy Worm like the previous Watermelon Cocktail I had in Arizona. (I would consider this a hint)
My husband had the Gingerbread. I didn't have it because it had cream and I'm lactose intolerant. I had a sip and the gingerbread flavor was to overwhelming. Glad I didn't get it, way to strong, not in a good way either.
For our entree I went with the Roast Beef and Cheddar Sandwich. This was like a home cooked sandwich my mom would make me. I loved it. I was not expecting such a home cooked feel from this place at all.
My husband had the Monte Cristo Supreme. He looooooved it. He said it was like Monte Cristo's he remembers having as a child. He's even considering blind folding his father and taking him here to surprise him with such a fabulous Monte Cristo.
We still had some time to kill so we had a few more rounds.
We had the Vanilla Apple Cosmo. This is really good also. I want to drink this on Christmas morning. It just warms your cockles.
Our last drink was the Lemon Fresh. It was really gross and tasted like Lemon dish soap. Don't get this drink. That just a warning.
I loved this place. Our waiter was slow at times but he did get slated with a table of like 20 in the middle of our visit so I kind of felt bad and understood some of his slowness.
The other great thing was the first half of our drinks were still in Happy Hour. Which really helped to have a less of a bill than anticipated. This places Happy Hour Rocks!
I have to admit I was really surprised and am glad I chose to come here. I would even maybe make a special trip to come back.
Really awesome eats! Very nice staff, they helped out a lot. We really liked the breakfast, big portions, plenty of coffee and take away boxes, cute decoration, and they have a new sign!
I ate there on Weds. Nov 4th. I was there, celebrating an anniversary with my boyfriend--we chose Flames because our first kiss took place just outside its doors.
After our first meal there, we now think it's unfortunate that the memory of our first kiss will always be tied to Flames, because the food there was absolutely horrible, and the service was hardly attentive.
I ordered a Flames skillet, and there was so much grease and oil that it was inedible. The potatoes were undercooked, and not even a little crispy. The peppers hadn't been cooked, and the whole thing was underseasoned.
My boyfriend's margarita took 15 minutes to arrive. His chicken fried steak was fine enough, although it definitely need more salt.
For dessert, we split a enormous slice of carrot cake, which was dry and not worth the calories.
Our server was impolite. He spent most of the night peeled to the television, since the World Series was on. I understand that it's unfortunate he couldn't be off that night so he could enjoy the game in peace, however, he should have pretended that he cared about doing a decent job at serving, instead of waving us away so he could return to the game.
Do not recommend giving this place a try.
SUMMARY: Good food, you can order things from all three menus at any time of the day, decent prices, slow lunch service, rumored to have an awesome happy hour
Went here for lunch and it wasn't quite as good as the last time I came here a year ago for dinner. There were only 2 waiters in the whole restaurant, which was problematic when we needed to order, have drinks refilled, get the bill, and get a box. Each time the waitress came back we had to remind her what we had asked her for because she forgot. "Oh I'm sorry...! I'll go get that right away!" I don't blame her personally, as she was pretty friendly, but maybe an additional helping hand would be appropriate for the brunch/lunch rush hour.
I got the Spartan Panini which was pretty large and tasty. It was around 10 bucks including tax, tip, and the fries and pickle that came with it. Not much more to say about it, as it wasn't amazing, yet nothing to complain about.
Because of its location, I've heard so many stories about them having the best of happy hours. I'm going to have to investigate that to see if it's all hype or if it's worth it.
As long as you don't hear any overrated raves about this place that alter your expectations, I think you will enjoy this place.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/4/2009
Although it's a little pricey for a lot of students on a tight budget, Flames is an okay place to… Read more »
I've been to this location twice, and each time I've been really happy with the experience. Their menu features some neat variations on diner food, along with classics. I wasn't feeling too hungry tonight, so I just had a grilled cheese sandwich with bacon, along with fries and a chocolate shake. Just what I needed.
Each time I've been here, the service has been great. The first time I went, we had a cute waiter who hung around to chat a bit, since it seemed to be a slow afternoon, so that's a definite plus. But seriously, the service there always seems to be quick and friendly.
The only reason this place doesn't get five stars is because I want to be really stingy with my 5s and reserve them only for my absolute favorites. This location's a great place to get a quick bite of diner fare downtown, and I look forward to going again!
Why did I go there at 8:45PM when the happy hour starts at 9PM!!!!!. We decided to get some appetizers and a couple of drinks. I hate Asparagus, I think it is should not be considered an edible item, but they proved me wrong, the fried asparagus with the sauce was so good. Calamari, wings and fried potato with jalapeno were also part of the wonderful appetizer sampler. The service was excellent. I am glad it is just a block away from my house, will go back to try everything on the menu :-).
by looking at this location compared to the one in santa clara, you would have never guessed that it was the same restaurant. it's pretty nice here, with a chill atmosphere. at nights there's happy hour so it gets pretty bustlin. the food comes out QUICKER than quick and the service is great.
make sure you get LAC as your waiter!
Overall, this place has very good diner food and there isn't much to complain about. The Hash Benedict hits the spot at lunch but be sure to replace the fruit with some hash browns or else the meal might not be enough if you eat a lot.
I got this omelet that had sausage and cheese in it topped with marinara sauce but the sauce had this very strong 'from a can' taste. It was tolerable and the rest of the meal was delicious. Cant really expect them to make fresh tomato sauce from a diner.
Had a late night craving and Flame was the only place opened pretty late on a Sunday night. They have a good happy hour menu, I believe it's half off the appetizers and drinks are cheap. They have two happy hour times, don't know when the early one starts. But the late HH starts at 9pm.
Ordered the Country fried steak and eggs: was really good
I also ordered the sampler, but never came - kind of disappointing, guess the waiter forgot to punch it in. Late night I guess.
I really like this place. It's one of those places that's a little too big for its own good. This is mostly because it's rarely ever crowded despite having prices comparable to TGIF/Chilis and way better food.
+ Parking garage is literally right on top of the place and is validated.
+ Food is fast to come out.
+ Diner food is extremely tasty (Breakfast all day long).
+ Happy hour is $3 well drinks and goes from 9pm to 12am (close).
I can't give a diner 5 stars, but this place definitely deserves the 4. I don't necessarily feel like I've gotten a deal here but at the same time it's not super overpriced.
GREAT menu and GREAT vibe! Love it for breakfast, lunch and dinner and there's something on the menu for everyone.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/23/2009
We LOVE this Flames. Totally updated interior with the same great menu as the ol' favorite Flames.… Read more »
A group of 10 of us were looking for a place to get together at 10:10pm on a Wednesday; it's tough to find a place with good food and a nice atmosphere that is open late on a weeknight. It was great to discover that this Flames restaurant is open until midnight on Wed-Saturday (not sure about Sunday). I was able to make a reservation, although I didn't need one that late at night.
The waitress was very prompt with our orders and food, and was very friendly and personable. The general manager, Rick Fleming, was also very responsive in setting up tables for our group and making sure we had everything we needed.
I thought it was very cool to have happy hour prices that late at night that allowed us to order appetizers at half off. We also ordered breakfast food, their super-tall cake slices, and ice cream. Everyone got what they wanted and more.
The place is very nice -- much nicer that the coffee-house style of many late-night places, including the Flames on Winchester in SJ which closes at 10pm. You can easily park on the street that late at night or park in the garage above the restaurant.
We're going to make this place our regular monthly evening gathering place -- I'm looking forward to eating some more of their yummy cakes! I think this is as good as it gets for a weeknight late-night hangout.
Good service. Good environment.
I tried it out based on yelp reviews. I went there on Friday evening. The place is better than I expected. The waiter is friendly. It is right next to San Jose State University. The milk shake was good. The appetizer sampler is great. The NY steak was over cooked. The waiter is very friendly and offer to recook one. I had no room left for steak, but he offered us a slice of free cake. The tiramisu was much better than I expected.
What do you do when it's your co-worker's birthday and you work at SJSU? Take her for an early morning breakfast at Flames! (Well, that's what Diana R. and I did for Pauline L. the other week!)
Not a shocker but we were only one of 3 other patrons on an early Monday morning. Overall, service was pretty good. Plus points for that.
We took some time deciding what to order. And although I wasn't THAT hungry, I opted for the New Orleans Benedict (Hello! I am after all, the self-proclaimed Eggs Benedict Fiend!). Incidentally, they do offer a half order of their traditional Eggs Benedict for early birds M-F but I wanted something a little more daring.
My New Orleans Egg Benedict was HUGE! Despite being a good gal and ordering the fruit instead of the hash browns, the portion was GI-NORMOUS! The sausage was surprisingly flavorful and spicy! The Hollandaise was a bit on the watery side but still quite tasty.
Yet overall, a pleasant Eggs Benedict experience.....I'd rate it 3.5 stars. I'll be back to give their California Benedict a roll!
I'd imagine business owners would be very envious at the restaurant across from the library where there is a congestion of college students. Very smart location!
As for the Flames restaurant itself, it's good. If I wanted a burger here without the service or the atmosphere, I'd go to Peanuts. However, if I'm looking for a huge variety of good-tasting entrees and sides with a kind waiting staff, and also a great place to converse with friends at the bar or study group members with minimal walking and transportation, then damn I'd go here. And I should probably retake an English class. Anyways.
Only once did I come here was the service rather shady. This lady kept coming by every 5 minutes asking us how we were although we were clearly doing great and were having a good conversation. Obviously she wasn't really communicating with us very well. She also gave us our check early, which wasn't much a problem for me but was a huuuuge pet peeve of my friend's. You should have been there to see how huge her eyes went O_O!(and she's half-asian! wow!).
All the bad things aside though, the food ranges from great to mediocre. It's a tad expensive, but I'd argue that you're mostly paying half service (usually good), half for the food. They refill your waters constantly and also have a variety of drinks, too, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. A few memorable items were the pizza and pasta. They're both excellent items to share with others. The potato salad is kind of gross and sour though, so don't get that for a side. Both times I couldn't finish even the minute scoop they gave me. The cheese pizza is delish; I got it to-go to eat in the library and the entire 4th floor smelled like cheese! That's what you call a cheese pizza (and me a dumbass)!
Overall, a decent place to go for a nice outing or break after a good few hours of studying in the library. I'd readily go somewhere else to get my grub on if I felt like it.
After an exhausting run at the 4th annual San Jose Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon, my friends and I decided to stop by this joint for to indulge a little. The place was packed with people! I guess we were not the only people from the marathon that decided to stop by.
Took us about 30-40 minutes to get our table. Then it took about another half an hour to get our omelettes. I order an California Omelette. It was delicious! I really enjoy avacados and it was filled with it and the top of the omelette was covered with melted cheese. Along with the omelette, there was some hash browns with two slice of toast. The toast tasted good, but the hash browns could of use a little more time on the grill.
Due to the overwhelming amount of people, the bar was backed up for about 1 hour. Any alcoholic drink that was ordered, would take a really long time to get to you. Our drinks didn't get to us till half way through with our meals.
Near the end of our dining experience, our waitress decided to give us our bill. My friend then politely stated that we are students at SJSU and we would like to get the 10% off for students. She took back the bill and mumbled the following line under her breath as she walked away, "You have to tell me before I hand you the bill"
We waited 10 mins before she came back and ask us if we paid yet. We said that she never gave us back the bill with the discount. Then she walked away, gave us back our bill and we paid with half the amount in cash and the other half with a credit card. SPECIFICALLY, we asked to charge $24 on the card and she charged $20 on the card.
The only reason I gave it 3 stars is because I liked the food and I blame the overwhelming amount of customers to cause such chaotic experience at a restaurant. However, when I return to try this place again and the service remains the same. Then I'll give it less stars.
P.S. I found it funny, that the guy that calls your name to sit down, sounds like he works at an auction as an auctioneer.
I planned the boy's 21st birthday surprise dinner here. I chose this place because A) it encompassed many of the foods he likes (burgers, pizza, hot wings, etc., B) it has a bar, and C) half off appetizers at happy hour.
I made a large reservation (more than needed). The guy who took it down was nice.
The boy was certainly surprised when he saw a bunch of his friends sitting at the table waiting for him. I had told him that it was just a dinner of us two.
The service was very nice. We are a huge group, but they were helpful and tolerated us moving their tables around. The way they had the tables set up initially was in this strange T shape. We moved one of the legs off to just have one long table.
One never had to ask for water because we got refills on water so often. It was amazing. I don't think I've ever experienced that many refills of water at a restaurant in my life. We didn't even have to ask.
They don't have a cake cutting fee or storing fee either, which was great, because who wants to pay for that when it can end up costing more than the cake itself.
Everyone seemed to enjoy their food. I had the fresh mozzarella and basil flat bread, which was tasty. The boy loved his wings and the garden vegetable potato skins (amazing because he doesn't eat veggies and he liked it!). The portions of everything were huge. It is definitely worth it to go for happy hour, though I do want to come back and try their breakfasts some time.
I think my only MINOR issue was at the bar. The bartender was nice and friendly. He made jokes and was a good sport about making our drinks as long as we knew what was in them. But that's just the thing... he didn't know how to make the drinks we ordered. Granted this is a diner establishment and I figure people just order off the menu or just straight/on the rocks/etc., but still, it sucks to have all your drink orders shot down with blank stares. I guess there are just too many drinks out there to know how to make them all.
Ordering the Blowjob was hilarious ("Not 'til after hours."). Tried to order an Adios and just gave up on that because we couldn't remember what was in it. Ordered a double of a Three Wise Men (Jack, Johnny, and Jose), which we had to tell him what was in it (they didn't have Jose, he put 1800 instead, not really a big deal). He was quite generous with that one.
Important things to note:
- Accommodated a party of about 16 and didn't have a mandatory gratuity tagged on the bill (but we still tipped generously).
- Parking validation! Makes finding parking less of an issue.
The boy left happy and buzzing. I would call that a good start to a 21st evening.
my friends and i have sunday brunch here just about every week. the food is good, but thats not what keeps us coming back. the cheap mimosas, good service and cool vibe are what make this place so popular, not just with my group of friends, but with everyone (it is always packed). the manager, Rick is seriously the coolest guy ever! he always greets us with a hug or hand shake and always makes sure we're well-cared for--it is very apparent that he loves his customers. even when we've had one too many mimosas and start to get a bit obnoxious, he and his staff are VERY patient and accommodating. we love you, flames. thank you for putting up with us.
Love this place! Great addition to downtown. Just what we needed. Its nicer than the other Flames and the decor it great. Food is good and they have the BEST HAPPY HOUR in Downtown. I sometimes make both of them LOL. Only wish they had Jose Cuervo for my margaritas! Me and the gang would love that! Bartenders are the best and accommodate the best they can (even if they don't have Cuervo) but I am a Cuervo girl and have to go elsewhere cos that is my drink. Lucky and Sheila we love you!!
Man, can't believe it took me months to write a review about the place. I've been here a handful of times already and still nothing. Go figure. Think of any breakfast diner like place you know.... throw a full bar into the mix and you got Flames. Think Bills but bigger and darker. Darker is my thing so I vibe well here except for the parking (blame it on being located in downtown SJ).
Let's see, they have always been able to accomadate my larger than life groups and still not mess up our order too much. I haven't had anything of note from here though I can't say that I have had anything down right horrible either. I do recall that they serve every from breakfast to dessert and then some.
Final thoughts about the entire space - they feed me and keep my pallate wet with alcoholic intentions.
What more could I ask for?
What else can I say other than...
YES and YES!
;D
Boyfriend and I stopped in for a late lunch today. We were seated right away at a nice booth with a view of downtown. We were quickly brought our drinks and given time to look over the huge menu.
We ordered the asparagus fries for starters, and they were ready in no time. They were so delicious! I had the turkey and pesto ciabatta, and my boyfriend had the lemon chicken piccata. Both of our meals were great. We also got two huge slices of their delicious chocolate cake to bring home. I'm looking forward to pigging out on it later.
This Flames gets five yummy stars from me!
This is a very nice eatery, minutes from San Jose State student apartments (where my BFF is).... but I prefer the Winchester location as far as the food.
Undercooked salmon, lukewarm crepes, and a burnt almond cake that had clearly been sitting out for some time is really not the business. To say something positive, service was decent and the country potatoes were crispy and greasy goodness.
I think next time I visit, I'll drive the 15 extra minutes to the one on Winchester or even the one on Calaveras.
This place isn't bad. Food is just ok. Service isn't the best, and it's a bit pricey. However, I am one of those people who enjoys a little hidden hole in the wall with good service, reasonable prices and great food.
Flames has a very nice interior. It's modern, clean and has a full bar with flat screen monitors to view sporting events. They also validate parking.
My buddy and I walked in their at 11:55PM and they were happy to serve us. the service was great!! food was pretty good considering nothing else is really open at that time. Only problem was I believe we bought 3 appetizers for a total of 26.00 with taxes. Sounds a bit high for me because a appitizer at most is $10 and if they are half off for happy hour then thats $15 dollars+ tax. Overall their service is great. Their bar dose not seem to have shot glasses for you to do any "bombing" its premixed.
apparently "Nick" is the man that makes things happen...
I ordered a "to-go" order, get there and order was ready but I sat there at the breakfast counter for just over 10 mins. Now granted that this past sat. was the breast cancer walk, so maybe that had to do with me not being helped. I counted 5 groups of people being service after I got there. So I asked "Nick" if I could get some help and mentioned that I was sitting there for.... BOOM... Nick was very polite and said, "sorry to hear that, I'll give you your order for 10 bucks. I gotta charge you something but I am sorry about this."
Thats what you call a man of action. This is was the first time i recieved bad service from this flames location but after seeing how committed the mangement staff is to customer service.... definitely going back.
PS. The food here is AWESOME!!!
Awful service, decent food. The most recent time I went, a couple of months ago, the staff barely noticed that we existed. Our table, though across from the bar, was apparently invisible--the servers' eyes would scan the table behind us and in front of us, but never ours! Our server always went around the long way and was never available. Not only was the food served unbearably slowly, but we were left alone half an hour AFTER WE FINISHED EATING, which is saying something.
The waiter for the tables beside ours walked briskly past and didn't respond to our hails. We did manage to flag down someone who was serving food to ask if he would bring our check. He said he wasn't a waiter, but he would talk to someone. Twenty minutes pass, and we ask him again--this time, he rudely tells us he's not a waiter, which means we're SOL about our check. Hmm, pleasant. Eventually we have to walk over to the counter where our server was hanging out to ask her to bring the check.
Oh, and this wasn't a busy night in the least.
If it weren't for the poor service, I'd probably go back to Flames on a semi-regular basis. It's convenient and I like the food well enough. As it is, I think I'm better off spending my money elsewhere, even if I do enjoy their cakes.
Good stuff, but with the caveat that you really, really have to be choosy over what you get.
In general, don't bother with anything that looks out of place on the menu of a traditional American diner. Mongolian beef? Don't think so. Steaks? Not that special, plus they err on the side of caution when cooking it (read: usually one level more done than what you ordered). Pizzas and pastas? You'd definitely find better and cheaper at a dedicated pizza and/or pasta place.
Where Flames is really killer is their breakfast-style meals. Eggs benedict, omelettes, french toast, corned beef hash -- all great! That said though, it's pretty hard to screw up cooking breakfasts...
We always end up coming here when we have a large lunch crew because they're one of the few places that can easily accommodate groups of 10 or more.
The waiters and waitresses, though incredibly good-humored (and they've always got spunk!), do occasionally get a little sloppy when taking special orders, so you might have to flag them down several times before you finally get your dish as you ordered it.
I came here for dinner and ordered the tri-tip salad called Black and Blue. Black for the tri-tip and blue for the bleu cheese. Everything looked good (avocado, cucumber, real bacon bits), but darn that bleu cheese. I don't like bleu cheese so I asked for it to be put on the side. I also asked for vinaigrette & honey mustard dressing on the side...hoping none of these substitutions would ruin the salad. NOPE, salad was still delish. Tri-tip was a little salty, but that's what everything else in the salad is for. If you take a forkful of everything in the salad, it'd be perfect.
My date got the Fettuccine Alfredo with Roasted Garlic +chicken (extra $2). He enjoyed that, but left the garlic cloves. You can eat it, but it's mostly to flavor the dish?
All in all, it was a satisfying meal. My date was full, and I was satiated. I usually never order salads, but the salad looked good because I love avocado, bacon and cucumbers.
Not many people were dining, so the service was good.
Food was horrible.. I ordered the chicken tenders burger thing as an appertizer and they were not tender at all, totally over fried the tiny chicken strips. I got the house special steak (forgot what it call) and it has no taste at all, I think I can do a better job. My bf ordered the roasted beef sandwich, there was a lot of beef but again, no taste at all.
The service was decent but I can totally tell she was just trying to get by 'cause she was laughing, joking around with the table behind us and only check in with us once or twice with howz everything? and then walk away within 5 secs. well, that's ok, i don't think we r going bck anyways.
La Novia has been making faces whenever we would walk by this restaurant downtown, which is often. Maybe they just had a bad day, but her Tex-Mex omelet was "no bueno" the first time we came here. Regardless, we finally opted to give Flames one more chance.
And well, we were not sorry. She came for an early lunch and she had a BBQ chicken salad, which was pricey at $12.95, but it was enough to feed the both of us. I ordered a strawberry Nutella crepe ($8.95) and it was excellent. I appreciated that they were not skimpy with the strawberries. Some places will give you a couple chopped strawberries, but here at Flames I received a freakin' strawberry field.
As a fatty, I ordered a dessert for us. It was a bread pudding that was really good. It would have been amazing a la mode (or with a side of ice cream if you prefer read it in English). If you have a sweet tooth, you need to order it.
Overall, I would give the entire food experience 3.5 stars, but our server was amazing, so I am adding a half star for her efforts.
I am glad we gave Flames another chance. Since she works downtown and I am there on occasion, I can imagine we will be back for more in the future.
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6/15/2009
When I was a kid, I went to Flames in south San Jose a couple times and well, I don't remember much… Read more »
Eh... the food wasn't baaad per se. The whole place just seemed to lack character, from the "airline terminal decor" to the way the service was vaguely pleasant. Everything looked and tasted good, but it was in a cookie cutter way as if it had come prepackaged. Bottomless mimosas on Sunday personified "you get what you paid for" ($5) -- cheap OJ, cheap champagne, raging headache (heh, depending on how many you drink). I think I'd only be back if every other breakfast joint in town burned down.
I've been here for breakfast and happy hour.
I absolutely love their fruit crepe. It's freaking amazing. O_O! Such a healthy but yummy alternative when trying to eat healthy. I'm a plain jane and I normally get eggs overeasy and the eggs were good here but they were a little too easy. =)
The food here is a little pricey, so take advantage of happy hour.
It's seriously amazing because the food is so delicious that appetizers for half off (ranging down to like $3) is so freaking worth it!
DON'T MISS OUT ON HAPPY HOUR!
