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Palo Alto Creamery
Categories: Restaurants Diners Food Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Restaurants American (New) Diners, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, American (New) [Edit]
566 Emerson StPalo Alto, CA 94301
(650) 323-3131
- Hours:
Mon-Wed 7 am - 10 pm
Thu 7 am - 11 pm
Fri 7 am - 12 am
Sat 8 am - 12 am
Sun 8 am - 10 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- 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:
- Lunch, Dinner, Breakfast
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
518 reviews for Palo Alto Creamery
Review Highlights
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518 reviews in English
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Review from Sal E.
Los Gatos, CA
THE RETRO DESIGN/ATMOSPHERE HERE IS WONDERFUL!! If you need or want a fun nostalgic 60's style diner to visit or to bring someone to then this is the place to go.
The food is excellent (turkey club/mixed greens salad w/Italian dressing/the fried onion rings), the baked goods look amazing (next time I'll eat them!), and the malted was the best. The chocolate egg cream was a huge disappointment
Prices are high which is a major reason why I give this place a 4 star rating as opposed to a 5 star, but it is worth it for the fun and light decor! -
Review from Susan A.
Union City, CA
Do NOT come here just for dessert!!! My family came to this place expecting it to be good since it had a good score on Yelp. Since we already had lunch at a restaurant in San Mateo, we decided to try out a new ice cream place. Since it was a beautiful day, we decided to eat outside if it would make our wait shorter. There were 4 adults plus 1 child and 1 infant in our group. When we were informed that our table was ready, the host was very snotty with me when she saw me and said "that's your table" and pointing to a table that was being cleaned. She didn't walk us to the table and give us menus. We waited for them to finish cleaning it and once we sat down, they didn't even give us menus, we had to ASK for them. When our server came to take our orders, we informed her that we just wanted dessert. It seemed like her attitude took a complete 180 because she started to sound a little snotty as well. When we asked how big their sundaes were, she responded "big enough". To clarify, we asked "how many scoops of ice cream are there?" We constantly kept on asking employees that were passing us to fill our water cups. Our ice cream came and for the price, they were small. This was NOT what we were looking forward to. I really felt that we weren't given good service just because we're not the same color as their normal clientele, if you know what I mean... We should've just went to Yumi Yogurt instead.
PROS: outside seating area, different flavors of ice cream
CONS: ice cream prices were high, horrible service from the start -
Review from Eeway H.
Stanford, CA
Maybe it's because I didn't grow up with it, but the Palo Alto Creamery isn't all that special to me. Their milkshakes are amazing and the environment is pretty fun. Their hash brown pie is pretty legit. Their other food, however, is just alright. A bit steep in price for what they offer, in my opinion.
It is what it is though. A great hang out place. A classic diner. Home to the best milkshakes. -
Review from Kathy L.
Meh. Standard diner fare (burgers and sandwiches) plus a few breakfast items served all day. My turkey club was only okay; would've been super dry and boring without the bacon. French fries were thick and best when still hot. Best part of the meal was my vanilla milkshake. Service was quick and efficient.
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Review from Casey K.
Milkshake review only... And definitely worth the trip :) Everyone was so nice and helpful. Tons of flavors to choose from and the shake was delicious! The other desserts looked fantastic as well - if I'm ever back in Palo Alto, totally trying the chocolate truffle bread pudding :)
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Review from Cathy S.
San Jose, CA
Excellent customer service, quick and delicious food. My favorites? Tuna melt, strawberry milkshake, and their french fries. So far. That's only the tip of their menu!
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Review from pslola v.
Palo Alto, CA
1 star for our server. He was accommodating and very friendly.
The food was decent, which I expected. What I didn't expect were the measly portions. I ordered a $12 spaghetti and no joke, I thought it was a kid's meal spaghetti dish. I could not believe how little they give you. Mind you, I'm a 5'6 female who weighs 110 pounds. I don't need a ton to fill me up, but the portion was ridiculous...
The server joked back and said the portion size was little so our tummies would have room for dessert. To that I say, then perhaps don't charge $12 for spaghetti.
Orders:
Spaghetti & Meatballs$12
Special of the day: NY Steak $19
- portion for the price was pitiful.
Go if you're in the mood for some good old fashioned desserts, but perhaps skip everything else. -
Review from Chris Y.
Palo Alto Creamery is a retro diner in downtown P.A. They have all the classic diner food that you would expect; sliders, tuna sandwiches, milkshakes. They call it a Creamery and serve ice cream and milkshakes, but it's really a classic American diner, where you can get breakfast or burgers from open to close.
However, I just didn't find anything to be really outstanding. Nothing bad, either, but still. The ambiance, food, milkshakes, everything, was A-OK. The service was really quick, though, on the slow weeknight that I stopped by.
My wife seemed to really enjoy it, but I felt it to be too spendy for what you are getting. For better food for less money, Nation's comes to mind for me... (oops, but that's all the way in Fremont - damn!). -
Review from Roger I.
Tacoma, WA
Enormously overpriced but I've been going for 50 years.
That's about all that needs to be said. -
Review from Mark T.
Stanford, CA
In a city where diners are hard to find, Palo Alto Creamery is one of the few places to still get simple chicken tender, burgers, fries, milkshake, and a good piece of Apple Pie. I really appreciate the old-timey decor of the place. Being a Georgia native, its one of the few places I kind of feel like I'm at home.
To be more specific on the food, they're burgers are pretty good and hearty, as is the milkshake. I'd personally stay away from their truffle fries-- the oil tasted pretty artificial. The fact they sell Pixy Stix are also a pretty groovy addition too! -
Review from Rj G.
Los Angeles, CA
Went here for desserts and man the banana cream pie was amazing. Also ordered the pumpkin milkshake which was a disaster. It was like a chocolate shake with some nutmeg and cinnamon mixed into it. But I didn't care, I pushed it aside and devoured the pie.
And I like the old school diner feel. It's fun. -
Review from Sara B.
San Luis Obispo, CA
My reliably tasty stand-by breakfast, lunch & brunch spot in downtown Palo Alto. It's hard to find an old-fashioned diner that also serves modern takes on the comfort-food classics, but the Creamery pulls it off. And man, those thick milkshakes in a dozen different flavors (yes, with the silver sidecar of overflowing goodness) are addictive.
Sometimes, the rushed staff don't get my order completely right. And sure, it's still just diner food at the end of the day, though above-average compared to what you'd get at certain famous-name places alongside Hwy 101 that shall not be mentioned here.
But the prices are fair enough, and the grilled veggie sandwiches and omelettes are as big as your proverbial head. If I'm being honest, though, it's really all about those milkshakes. -
Review from Susanna W.
Palo Alto, CA
This place has been around for as long as I can remember.
AMBIANCE: Old school diner look and feel with red vinyl booths, counter seating, and glass displays of baked goods. The booths used to have mini jukeboxes so you could pick out the music they played inside. Crowd runs the gamut-- old, young, big groups, couples... this place is for everyone. They are open pretty late for DTPA standards (10pm~midnight depending on the night of the week), which makes it a prime location to hang out and chat over a milkshake and plate of fries.
SERVICE: Usually very friendly, although I've definitely had some bad experiences here when I came with friends way back in high school. I'd say it is a bit hit or miss, depending on who your server is, what time of day it is, and how long you stick around.
FOOD:
- Milkshake ($5.95): Oh so good. You get about 4-5 glasses out of the order (so it doesn't feel entirely like you're overpaying), and it is always delicious. They have a wide variety of flavors so even the pickiest of you should be satisfied. I favor the Oreo Cookie Mint.
Breakfast is served all day. You gotta love that.
OVERALL: I feel like Palo Alto Creamery is generally overpriced for what they serve. I've tried several things from the menu, but usually stick to the sandwiches, which I think are relatively reasonably priced. Fries are thick cut (steak fries), everything is slightly greasy, but you just can't help but returning for more. A solid three stars, especially for the nostalgia. -
Review from Mark M.
Palo Alto, CA
WARNING: This sound crazy and like a rant that you should dismiss, but I honestly cannot fathom how anyone in their right minds could give this place over two stars!!! It is atrociously overpriced, extremely mediocre, and has not a single positive redeeming value. People rave about the milkshakes but they are like buying a soda at a movie! SEVEN DOLLARS!!!! and aren't even that good. I would rather have an In-and-Out milkshake any day! I had a cold disgusting 12 dollar burger, soft flavorless fries, oh wait no they charged me a bunch of extra money for onion rings, and my friend had the soft flavorless fries.
Another time my friend dragged me here again and I ordered the worst quesadilla I have ever had outside of a school cafeteria, and guess how much it cost... 11.75!?!?!? ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!?! I should have talked to the manager and gotten my money back. Seriously, the comparison between that quesadilla and the first time I made a quesadilla myself, is like filet mignon compared to old dry overcooked hamburger with nothing on it.
My only is how are they still in the business of selling people food??? -
Review from Linda L.
Los Altos, CA
great breakfast menu. bring a bottle a champagne for best burger in Palo Alto, or order the bubbly burger for $180. Very friendly service.
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Review from Karen C.
I just discovered this place and have been here three times in the last two weeks. Yes I'm a FAN!
The burgers are fantastic and since everything is better with bacon I got the California burger that comes with Jack, Bacon and Avocado. I was on a bind date so it probably wasn't the best of choices since it was super messy but I loved it and thanks to my date discovered a new favorite place to eat!
Breakfasts are fantastic and if they have it get the Dungeness crab omelet special. To DIE for! Tons of fresh crab, yummy melted cheese, green bell peppers and topped with hollandaise sauce. It's heaven on a plate!
True diner atmosphere and fantastic food. If you haven't been then you are seriously missing out! -
Review from Scott F.
Mountain View, CA
I tried the Caribbean French Toast: http://www.yelp.com/bi...
It's good, not great. It's the soft style of French Toast: I was hoping for a crunchy caramelized coating. You don't need syrup or butter: the coconut glaze is plenty sweet. -
Review from Jennifer N.
San Francisco, CA
A group of us came here a few months ago and the restaurant was half empty. We waited by the door to be seated and the waitress said that we would have to wait for a table. After about 10 minutes of waiting, I asked her if a private party was coming in and that's why we couldn't be seated which she replied "yes" to. Why wouldn't you tell me that when I come in rather than make me wait by the door and tell me there is no chance of getting a table? Horrible service for a host.
Gave the Creamery another shot last month and the food was just not as good as it used to be. Burger was meh as was everything else. -
Review from Linda L.
San Jose, CA
Grabbed lunch with a few friends at 1pm on a weekend. Had to wait about 20 mins, it's a little bit disorganized with everyone crowding around the entrance and no real waitlist system (you just have to find the guy with the checkboard immediately when you come in and sign up with him).
I was pretty hungry and the food took quite a bit to arrive. Anyway, onto the food!
Caribbean French Toast: this is sooo good, banana and coconut on french toast with maple syrup. Would come back just for this!
3 Egg Omelet: I got bacon, mushrooms, and sausage on mine. It was great, the eggs came out in a thin layer and very tender. The bacon was solid cuts/chunks of it (not flimsy limp pieces) and there is a good portion of ingredients to eggs. This also comes with some hash browns and toast.
My other friend got the potato pancakes, which look very similar to hash browns, and they both slurped on milk shakes. The cherry one tastes like maraschino cherries :)
Overall a pretty good food experience, but had to take a point off for the wait. -
Review from Tom L.
Three words: Caribbean French Toast ... and it's as delicious as it sounds.
I love diners, there is something about sliding into a plush booth and ordering breakfast at all hours of the day that makes all your troubles disappear. Palo Alto Creamery is not your average diner, it takes traditional comfort food to the next level.
The Caribbean French Toast is worth the trip by itself. Each piece is covered with banana and sprinkled with coconut. Pour on the maple syrup and you have breakfast heaven.
The milk shakes here are amazing. The pumpkin pie and peanut butter are especially delicious. I love how they serve them in a glass and bring you the metal mixer so you have two portions to attack.Listed in: Breakfast
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Review from vera g.
San Francisco, CA
The food was OK, but the woman who looked to be the owner or the manager was absolutely horrible - she was obviously annoyed at me to start with as I put my coat on the windowseal and it touched her X-mas lights in the window...So, when I asked her for something (liike a toast) for my toddler as the food was taking awhile, she made a face and went off to presumably ask for it..Then they brought out the food, then the toast and then a new bill charging me a few dollars for it!!!! When i politely mentioned that i was asking for something like a toast to hold my kid over and thus didn't need it after the food arrived, she loudly said "now she doesn't need a toast!"...
The food was OK - not great by any means. The rest of the staff were pretty friendly though, and yes the place is a bit too expensive for a diner quality food -
Review from Christine L.
New York, NY
The milkshakes are AMAZING!! Its really rare for me to find a place that serves mint oreo (theres usually just oreo, or mint chocolate chip, but not mint oreo combined into one!) so i was glad to see that it was an option on the menu! they also have a TON of other flavours there as well: pistachio, strawberry, etc, just to name a few.
I came with my cousins to grab dinner here, and we ordered the chicken salad sandwich and a turkey pot pie. The chicken salad sandwich was good. bread was good, insides were delicious, fresh cold lettuce, DELISH! Fries were good too! but the turkey pot pie man..
I'm not really a fan of pot pies in general. I feel like its mushy and old people food. but this comes out PIPING HOT and the portion is HUGE! It's amazing, its warm, its made well, its good. I highly highly recommend the turkey pot pie!!
Love this place; heard it used to be better before they changed management, but to me its good. Next time I'm going to have to try the Caribbean French Toast that everyone is yelping about!
Fast service, clean booths. cute coat racks in between booths for you to hang up your jacket. good lighting (if you want to take pictures of your food and company) -
Review from Maxxi D.
Los Angeles, CA
Proper milkshake. Incredible.
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Review from B S.
Menlo Park, CA
Five star burgers and fries, without a doubt. Excellent char on the burger, it's done as you request it, and the California burger has avocado, bacon, cheese and grilled onions, ftw. Along with that great combo came the most perfect fries I've had in years. They rivaled the legendary ones from the boardwalk in Ocean City, MD, and that's saying a lot. I only wish I had the stomach capacity for a milkshake here or one of their over-the-top sundaes, too. I would spontaneously combust if I tried to do both at the same time. though. The goodies in the bakeshop look tasty, too, but I contented myself with taking home one of their mondo loaves of brioche to make French toast and bread pudding with. :)
Listed in: Bay Area non-breakfast places, Sweet Thangs (besides ice…, Cheeburger cheeburger cheeps…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/12/2009
I'm rating the bakery aspect of Palo Alto Creamery because I love to buy their whole loaves of… Read more »
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10/12/2009
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Review from Erika H.
Palo Alto, CA
WOWZA! Palo Alto Creamery rocks!! Let's talk about this patty melt. The cheese will melt in your mouth and the burger is cooked perfectly to your request. To drink, nothing is better than their milkshake. It will turn anyones grey day into blue skies.
If you work in downtown Palo Alto, don't miss out. Service is great with a fast turn-around so you don't have to wait long! Otherwise, this is a great spot -
Review from Peggy S.
BEST.MILKSHAKE.EVER.
Just one milkshake will probably put you over your daily recommended calorie intake... but you are at a diner, an old school creamery, who cares!!!
Get their peppermint fudge ripple milkshake. So delicious, so worth it, so sugar high. I don't even want to go into how complex the flavor is. I am not kidding! It's got peppermint, it's got fudge, it's got ripple. It'll leave you rippling throughout the night, trust me.
Did I mention the metal container that the milkshakes come in? Bring back old school, yo. -
Review from Peter G.
Palo Alto, CA
The milkshakes put this place on the map. They've got a neat diner feel for Palo Alto, but I'm not sold on the food. The price is a little high, but I think you get some value from the milkshakes.
The burgers and fries are passable, and the waiters tend to be pretty on the ball. As some of the other reviewers have mentioned, the food is a little better than you would expect from an old fashioned looking building. -
Review from Nathan W.
Alameda, CA
Fun spot. Will bring you back to a simpler time...
Had the Cajun scramble here for breakfast recently. Nicely done, if a bit on the salty side due to all of the cayenne. Nice to find something original for breakfast, as most menus are practically the same everywhere you go. This was served with potatoes and toast. Not shabby...
Nostalgic decor and homemade pies to boot. Found it a bit odd that my college-aged server kept calling me "hun" and "sweetie;" that is something some blue-haired granny would say... -
Review from Allison M.
Palo Alto, CA
All we wanted was some key lime pie. We didn't bargain for the best key lime pie either of us had ever tasted.
Granted, we were breaking the fast after Yom Kippur, but I would fast for a week to end it with that pie. Maybe an entire one. The whipped cream was perfect and light, the key lime custard was sweet and airy, and the graham cracker crust was crunchy and honeyed. It's the kind of key lime pie that's impossible to savor enough, you won't rest until you have another piece... stat.
My boyfriend also foolishly decided he wanted a milkshake as well. With peanut butter in it. (He's new at the Yom Kippur thing). For $6, he got a massive diner milkshake and a tiny glass to attack it nibble by nibble. I tried to help him out with it, but no one escaped unscathed. That dairy monstrosity took us out.
You could also, for an additional .75 or 1.00, add a banana or dates to your milkshake. I'd love to hear what adding dates to a milkshake does, besides gum up the blender like Dots candy.
Service was pretty slow, they only give you a tiny bit of water at a time, and maybe it was because we weren't ordering meals (or wine!) but the waiter wasn't the most attentive. Just bring me my pie on a conveyer belt, I won't complain. -
Review from Jason J.
Wilmington, DE
Decent for what it is: a diner. Not an upscale diner, just a diner. Great shakes, decent pies, decent diner food. But at upscale diner prices. That's my only real issue w/ the creamery. Drop the prices in line with the quality, and this is a four star diner, easily. As is, it's hard to justify regular visits given the great restaurants in the area w/ much better price/quality ratios.
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Review from Tanya N.
This place is fun and the food is great. It has that old school retro diner vibe and decor and their "breakfust" all looks so good. I here around lunch time and had their hash brown pie with eggs which came with a side of toast and jam. The jam came in this cute little glass jar as opposed to small single serve plastic packets that are common at other diners. The hash brown pie came smothered with diced tomatoes, bacon, green onion & melted cheddar cheese. Yummeh. The bacon gave this dish a lot of salt - almost too much but it was still so good.
They have a cute little candy bar in the front if you want something sweet at the end of your meal but don't have enough room for dessert. -
Review from Cat H.
The milkshakes here are great! They make them with real ice cream, and even give you the portion that doesn't fit in the cup. The place has been around for a long time and I've always heard of their milkshakes being the best since I was a kid. Our last visit was after dinner, so we only felt like having dessert. Got the strawberry milkshake which was delicious as usual, and tried some of our friends' mint oreo shake which was yummy as well.
The place also has a nice retro vibe so it's a cool blast from the blast when you come eat here. -
Review from Youyang G.
Cambridge, MA
They make amazing shakes and I love their New York steak sandwich. It's also very unique in terms of the ambience. A classic Palo Alto restaurant.
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Review from Shubs K.
Palo Alto, CA
Were I reviewing this place for my taste twin, I would probably give this place 2 stars, but since people coming here are probably looking for burgers, milkshakes, and similar diner fare, it would be more reasonable to bump up the rating. The first time I came here I tried a California burger and was so hungry I polished it off. The meat was tender and the avocado slices were plentiful. I liked that the buns were easily squishable- by which I mean I could flatten the burger so it could actually fit in my mouth without breaking. The burger itself was nearly swamped by all the potatoes it came with on the side, so I only tasted those and found them to be fairly average. The highlight was definitely the milkshake. They had peppermint (!!!!) fudge, so I had to try it. So creamy and cold and perfect! There was plenty of extra they served to me in an extra silver cup, meaning one was enough to share between two hungry people. The second time around I tried Cajun style hashbrowns, which were spiced adequately and filled my gigantic plate, but overall not worth the steep $12. Given the steep prices, the heaviness of the food, and plethora of other (and worthier) restaurants in the area, I doubt I'll be dining here for a long while.
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Review from Natasha K.
San Francisco, CA
Seriously, Creamery, I adore you more than a new pair of shoes. I gaze lovingly at your pies and I almost cheat on my diet for you. 3-egg scramble with avocado, ham and spinach. Home fries. Wheat toast - the best best best wheat toast EVER ever EVER! Some other diet-busters that I can't keep my little paws off are the chicken salad melt (buttery, mayo-tastic, cruuuuunch), the California burger, and the divine chocolate chip cookies (which I sometimes bring to my co-workers and score major brownie points for; excellent for when your up for a review, I might add).
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Review from April W.
Redwood City, CA
The creamery has a retro decor, but fortunately the food is a lot better than you'd expect. They serve a good breakfast, especially the brioche french toast and applewood smoked bacon.
I tend to go at dinnertime to get a burger or else the roast turkey. Burgers are substantial with a homemade bun. Roast turkey is good, and it's much better than the roast turkey at most places -- I like breast meat and it's relatively moist. Mashed potatoes are good as well. Go here for comfort food like meatloaf or a club sandwich. Prices aren't the cheapest, but they use pretty good ingredients which obviously cost more. -
Review from Wendee H.
Imagine three people not really from the area walking up and down Emerson St. looking for Palo Alto Creamery. We were looking for an ice cream parlor, a small whole in the wall kind of ice cream store. But whoaaaaa, on the corner of Emerson St. and Hamilton Ave., is not necessary ice cream parlor looking but a diner. Like one of those old school diners with tables, counter booths, tables and a dessert window frig. in the corner.
The selection of ice cream are more than plenty. Not necessary 31 flavors but there is a handful of flavors. Ask for it on a sugar cone and you will be happy. Promise. I can't say I got any flavor that was spontaneous, but the chocolate was delicious nonetheless.
Ooh and as if you can't indulge in any more sweets, they have jars of candy on the counter open for grabs. Well not really, but open to purchase than grab!
For a Thursday night this diner was poppin' and lively. Lots of the youngees. -
Review from Daniel Y.
San Mateo, CA
I wouldn't recommend coming here for breakfast, lunch or dinner, but I do recommend coming here if you're parched or for dessert.
This is the only place I know that has the Green River. My Parents never had the green river drink for over 40 years! I'd wish all stores would sell the Green River drink.
For the desserts, I recommend the individual sundae. Any ice cream flavor you can order doesn't disappoint you at all! -
Review from Ashlee M.
San Jose, CA
Super cute place!
Makes you feel that you have gone back in time. :o)
I had the Cranberry Apple Salad with Chicken and my boyfriend had the traditional banana split. Both items were appealing to the eye when served. The combination of everything in my salad along with the sherry vinaigrette tasted awesome! I would totally go back just for the salad. My boyfriend's banana split looked yummy too! Good size portions and fair pricing. The place was not busy on Sunday evening around 5pm. Look forward to going back and trying some more of their delicious foods! -
Review from Ashley D.
Dublin, CA
My boyfriend and I came here on a Saturday around noon. It was really crowded and we ended up sitting at the counter because it would have taken way too long for a table. The service is very helpful and polite. It took 15 minutes for them to bring our food out...pretty pricey. It was over 4 dollars for a glass of orange juice. I love that they have unique breakfast items, like the hashbrown sandwich and yummy specials. I had the pastrami omelette, but their style of hashbrowns are undercooked and not very appetizing. It was super loud and hectic in there, but the food and service are great.
