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Red Apple Cafe
Category: Restaurants Breakfast & Brunch Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
589 Auto Center DrWatsonville, CA 95076
(831) 761-9551
- 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:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Breakfast
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
40 reviews for Red Apple Cafe
Review Highlights
"I am a fan of chicken fried steak."
(in 3 reviews)
"5 stars for their famous potato dish."
(in 4 reviews)
"An eggs benedict - with salmon, with avocado, or just..."
(in 5 reviews)
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40 reviews in English
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Review from Meredith M.
New York, NY
7/1/2011
Mmmmmm.....
Family owned by a family who's son I went to High School with, Red Apple cafe hits it right with just about everything. Every time I make it back home (which is rare), a few of my past HS friends and I always make a trip to the cafe.
Huevos Rancheros and most all of their breakfast is comforting and delish. I always ALWAYS opt for the off-menu Olallieberry Waffles with whipped cream, a side of bacon and eggs over easy. I seriously would fly out from New York for a day just to have these warm, unique berries over their waffle.
The staff is so friendly, despite their busy hustle and long Brunch waitlist! No reservations, but I am sure you can make one with a large party. -
Review from Keith R.
Davis, CA
1/15/2012
Have again: the cottage potatoes were very good. There are many, many attractive breakfast dishes, so I need to go back for another try.
Not have again: the bacon, cheese, avocado omelet was dry, not cheesy and very plain, although the bacon was very good. The iced tea was too watery. Beach Street Cafe closed, so I came here. Unfortunately, this breakfast was not nearly up to that at Beach Street. Disappointing. -
Review from kalia h.
Watsonville, CA
2/2/2012
Love the Vegie potato scramble. Sometimes the potatoes are not crispy enough and it's not so good, but when they are it is the best! Way too much cheese on it, I usually order with very little or without any at all!
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Review from Megan P.
6/3/2011
I just moved to Watsonville a month ago or so and am always on the search for the perfect breakfast spot. When I was living in Aptos, that place was Sunrise in Soquel and when living in Ben Lomond, Heavenly Cafe hit the spot. Now that I've had Red Apple Cafe, I think it just may be my new breakfast joint. I've had their ham and eggs, biscuits and gravy, and pigs in a blanket and tasted their eggs benedict, french toast, and chorizo scramble. I haven't been disappointed yet and I have a feeling I won't be anytime soon.
I even brought my family here when they came to visit from LA and my mom, the kids, and my cousin were all raving about it as when they left. Noting that when they visited next time that they'd be spending most of their time here and Second Street Cafe. My cousin even said it might even be the french toast she's ever had to date.
So, if you're looking for a family owned and feel good cafe to get your grub on, Red Apple is the place for you.
I definitely will be coming back. I dream about their pigs in a blanket! -
Review from Fred S.
San Luis Obispo, CA
12/6/2011
We've eaten here twice this year when vacationing. Food is good, prices are very reasonable and service is friendly. There's a patio in front that is dog friendly. This is a breakfast and lunch cafe that seems to be a hometown favorite and we'll have no hesitation returning if we're in the area. Two breakfasts, two hot drinks, tax and tip = $23.50.
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Review from Merisa M.
Sacramento, CA
Red Apple Cafe is a nice little restaurant where the locals go. It's a great place for breakfast, since it's served all day, or lunch.
My family went here for two consecutive days for breakfast. The first day I had their Chicken and Apple Sausage Breakfast Special. It came with eggs, toast, and their specialty, country potatoes.
The sausage was good, it tasted like it was made in house. The eggs I had scrambled and were cooked perfectly. But my favorite thing was the potatoes. They are cooked to a delicious crisp and expertly seasoned with garlic and salt. Oh my....it makes my mouth water just thinking about them.
The second day I went I had their Sourdough Burger for lunch. It was a beef patty on Sourdough sliced bread with jack cheese, tomatoes, and their special sauce. I was expecting the meat to be dry, but surprisingly, it was extremely juicy. The Sourdough added a nice contrast to the sweetness of their special sauce that overall, the burger was extremely delightful.
The reason I give it four stars, despite their food being absolutely delicious, the service is rather mediocre. The waitresses could definitely be more attentive.
My recommendations: if you're going for breakfast, order something that comes with the potatoes. The potatoes alone are worth coming here for. -
Review from Timothy C.
Washington, DC
5/1/2011
I've been to Red Apple at least 15 times and have always left full and satisfied. I either get...
- The potato dish with whatever I'm feeling like. They're all good - bacon and onion, vegetable, turkey, etc. Usually I eat half and that is plenty and then I take the rest home for the next day. It's literally a dish of potatoes and toppings with your chosen ingredients scattered throughout and eggs and cheese over the top, but the potatoes here are awesome - perfectly crispy and seasoned and soft and I love em!!! I just had lunch and I'm drooling just thinking about them!
- An eggs benedict - with salmon, with avocado, or just classic, but always delicious.
- Or an omelet - vegetable, pesto, Denver, whatever, and they have no problem cooking them with egg whites. Another dish you can take home half of or share.
They also have great waffles and pancakes and such, and the fresh fruit is pretty good too. In the mornings, 2-1 odds that Red Apple with be half filled with cops, old men, or families out to breakfast, and the other half whoever. Seriously. Next time you go, check. And lastly, they are great at keeping your coffee mug full, even when you don't want any more! -
Review from Steve S.
San Jose, CA
9/29/2010 1 Check-in Here
And my 200th review goes to... Red Apple Cafe! I'd really give it 3.5 stars, but I'm still waiting for Yelp to introduce decimals.
+5 stars for their famous potato dish! Seven or eight different ways you can order it - we had the ultimate which is chock full of meat: bacon, ham, sausages. Combined with cheese, scrambled eggs and *seasoned* potatoes (that's the key!), and you've got a very tasty, very filling dish!
-1 stars for the ham & cheese omelette with a side of pancakes. The menu promotes their omelette has HUGE. There's even a picture of 3 little guys working around a huge skillet. When the omelette arrived, it looked like they had left out 2 of the 4 eggs. Not a great omelette by any means, and certainly not huge.
-1 stars for service. We arrived about 9:45 am on a Sunday, and from the parking lot, it looked crowded. We had no wait though and got a table right away. By 10 am though, the line was out the door. There was a noticeable decline in service as the meal went along. At first, we received prompt attention, and by the end of the meal, we waited about 10 minutes for someone to come close enough where we could flag them down for the check. It wasn't our waitress, so the lady said our waitress would bring it right to us. Five minutes later, that same lady ended up delivering our check. No one likes to sit in a crowded restaurant and say "Echo, echo... anyone home?"
+0.5 for atmosphere. Local, diner feeling. Nice! -
Review from Chad B.
Moraga, CA
9/4/2011
No go on the eggs benedict. English muffin wasnt toasted and the sauce tasted like mayo. Home fries were greasy and burnt. Try something else on the menu maybe. My wife's french toast was 3/5 average she said.
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Review from Sara T.
Orangevale, CA
6/2/2011
Food was not great. I got the turkey avocado Benedict and my hub got the pecan waffle. The Benedict was pretty bad with overcooked eggs, sparse and overly thick hollandaise, and dry chunky turkey. The waffle and bacon were better but nothing special. The price was higher than what it should have been and the service was also pretty weak. Not impressed.
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Review from mel p.
Santa Cruz, CA
7/16/2011
This place was pretty good. Very typical diner food though.
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Review from Christine W.
San Leandro, CA
8/2/2010 1 Check-in Here
Best. Breakfast. I've. Ever. Had.
Thanks to my good ol' Yelp app on my iPhone, we decided to give Red Apple Cafe a shot for breakfast when we were out in Watsonville for the weekend. We had a somewhat big party and there was a bit of wait, but it wasn't too bad. I had one of their scramble potato breakfast dishes and oh my word, I haven't stopped thinking about that breakfast since. The breakfast potatoes? Omg, I would love to know their secret because I've never had potatoes like that before...the seasoning was off the hook.
I had a few bites from my fam's breakfast and everything was good! Such huge portions too! Fast and friendly service.
If you ever find yourself in Watsonville, please go here for breakfast, you will NOT be disappointed. -
Review from Daniel M.
Santa Cruz, CA
8/3/2011
Pretty good diner. Better than a chain and the ingredients seemed fresher than most. I was only there once but I'd definitely eat there again, probably for breakfast.
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Review from chris p.
Salinas, CA
11/8/2010
As far as food goes, this place was awesome! It's nothing special... A small place, not the cleanest (but not dirty) cheesy decor... But that's okay, their food and friendly staff make this a great place to eat!
We were immediately seated and asked for our drink order. We got our drinks quickly and were greeted by our waitress. There is a pretty big menu and lots of things I wanted to try. Our waitress was polite and friendly, and addresses all of our needs. The food came quick. Our daughters pigs in a blanket came in about 5 minutes, which was fine by us because she was hungry and always takes her time eating anyways. We got our meals just a few minutes after our daughter.
Portions were big, but the most important thing was the FOOD WAS GOOD! I got the Country Scramble special and everything was GREAT! The biscuits and gravy were good and the potatoes were EXCELLENT!
If you're not looking for anything flashy and you're not a snob, this place has food that speaks for itself, and a friendly staff to go along with it. -
Review from Kathleen H.
Beverly, MA
10/13/2008
Eggs benedict with shrimp and avocado, and a choice of regular, decaf or French for coffee. I chose French and I am SO AWAKE
sold. I'll be here again. -
Review from Boo B.
Milpitas, CA
1/1/2008
I LOVE THIS PLACE! It's definitely worth an hour drive for breakfast! They serve it all day...The portions are GINORMOUS. Staff are VERY FRIENDLY.
This is like the 3rd or 4th time I've been here, and I always leave VERY SATISFIED. I wish that they didn't move coz the place where they used to be had more character. Since they moved (from 2 years ago), it looks like they are rebuilding history again...which is kinda neat, but I wish they brought over everything from where they were...Listed in: Top Restaurants
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Review from Trevor S.
Watsonville, CA
6/29/2011
Love the mushroom and swiss. Nothing fancy, just good food and adequate service.
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Review from Jennifer D.
Cupertino, CA
4/13/2010
I finally gave this place a try...and I'm glad I did!
Had the Eggs Bene, wasn't the best ever, but it was definitely good. My friend had an ENORMOUS omlette that he couldn't finish. Service was friendly.
Will definitely be back! -
Review from Capitola R.
Capitola, CA
Updated - 8/19/2011
Our recent visit wasn't up to the greatness that we enjoy at Red Apple. We were seated, then greeted by "tired" waiter that took our drink order. He brought our drink order to the table and lost balance of the tray, spilling four drinks on the table and on to my lap. Accidents happen, but it's how you try to remedy the situation that matters. No appologies, no towel, he went on as if nothing happened. Too bad, we really liked this place, but there are a lot more places to go to in SC county.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/6/2011
This is great place for breakfast. The service has always been friendly and attentive. We have… Read more »
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Review from Kenneth B.
Ben Lomond, CA
7/24/2011
You want breakfast in Watsonville??? Go to Red Apple Cafe, best breakfast in town guaranteed. Nothing else in town compares to it. The ONLY other breakfast joint I can say is comparable in the county is Heavenly Cafe between Scotts Valley and Felton. Even the Red Apple Cafe in Aptos isn't on par with its better half in Watsonville. The Watsonville Red Apple Cafe is family run and owned and has been for quite some time. The staff has been there for a long time and never gets tired from what I can see. Always in a great mood and smiling. The food at Red Apple is VERY good. Its a country style joint done right. Everything from the omelettes to the house potatoes are AMAZING, no exceptions! I recommend Red Apple if you havent tried it yet, and if you have tried it, you dont need my recommendation for it, you know how great it is!
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Review from Cathy P.
Watsonville, CA
4/17/2008
DEFINITELY a locals place and now that they've moved, it's a little harder to find, but worth your time looking. Kinda noisy but it is a family-friendly place.
Food is stellar (think truck-stop) and the wait staff are friendly and very generous with the coffee but make sure you ask for the french roast.
Lots of egg & potato scramble combinations for breakfast, waffles, pancakes, omelet's, etc. Your kids will be very happy here, crayons at the table and place-mats to color. Breakfast specials may include linguisa or homemade italian sausage. My pet peeve is that they serve those pureed fruit spreads in the plastic cubes as jam/jelly and they aren't really accomodating if you want to substitute anything on the menu, i.e. you have to PAY EXTRA for fruit instead of potatoes
Lunch is really good too: club sandwiches with thick cut steak fries, BBQ beef, roast beef; decent salads, milkshakes, and big "bottomless" glasses of freshly brewed iced tea. Lunch specials may include chorizo and sometimes fish. A hang out for local contractors and business peeps.
Five stars! -
Review from marcel s.
Watsonville, CA
6/14/2009 5 Check-ins Here
This is always the favorite spot for having breakfast sunday morning after church.food portions and pricing is pretty fair so its a win-win situation.service is always good but can get crazy sometimes when the place is jam packed.
One word of advice if you decide to check them for breakfast specially on the weekends:Be Early!!!or at least call to reserve but then again how can you stop a bunch of hungry people wanting to have a good breakfast. -
Review from John M.
Gilroy, CA
7/31/2009
*** FIRST TIMER ALERT*** (07/31/2009)
All I can say is WOW!
My family and I found ourselves in Watsonville with no breakfast in our tummies. I quickly whipped out Yelp on the iPhone and typed in Breakfast. Was I glad I chose this one!
The atmosphere is great, the place is clean, the staff is friendly. We ordered the coffee, but it was mediocre (we've had better coffee at OD's Kitchen in Gilroy), but the food is SABROSO!
I had the Pork Chops and Eggs with home-style Potatoes. The chops were thin, but amazingly, not dry. My wife had the Chorizo and Eggs. Growing up Mexican, I rarely order this, but it was delish! The salsa to top it off was great. I snuck a bite of my kids' pancakes and they were done very well. The bacon on their plate was also crisped to perfection.
We complimented the owner on his establishment, and he received it well. We told him he owed it to Yelp and my fellow reviewers. We plan on going back, and being 20-30 minutes away, it may be more regular than we think.
All in all, 4.5 stars, but since I can't halve stars, I'll go all the way! -
Review from Ed G.
Stockton, CA
1/3/2009
I'm always in search of a good place for breakfast. They are indeed getting harder and harder to find. I found this place by accident a day trip we were making down to Carmel on New Years Day.
The selection was amazing, my breakfast was outstanding and the portions were very generous. This was my only visit so I can't say how good everything else tastes on the menu. I resisted walking around tasting things on other peoples' plates. Everything I saw come out of the kitchen looked great and the place was very busy. My girlfriend and I were lucky enough to get a seat at the counter.
Starting off with a good breakfast at the Red Apple Cafe was a great way to start our New Year. We're also thankful they were open on Jan 1.
It's definitely on my list of places to stop on my next road trip down Highway 1. -
Review from Pat L.
Aromas, CA
6/6/2009
I love this place. The servers are friendly and helpful. The food is simple, down-home lunch and breakfast. They are very accommodating. You want steamed veggies instead of potatoes? No problem.
The homemade corned beef hash is very good, but so are the omelets, the salsa, the amazingly good daily vegetable-beef-barley soup, the chicken fried steak, the grilled cod, the cottage potatoes, etc.
Good honest food, cooked fresh, served with a sparkle. We locals love it, so the parking lot is usually full. -
Review from Vanessa C.
Watsonville, CA
1/19/2010
The Red Apple Cafe makes THE best pancakes, breakfast potatoes, patty melts, and garden omelettes in the area!
It's always packed, but things move quickly once you're in. I would give a fifth star if the place was bigger & I could get in within a half hour of arriving. But it's worth the wait!! -
Review from Kendra G.
Inglewood, CA
3/15/2010
Holy moleyyy! I love their olalaberry pancakes [only available during certain seasons] and theyre potatoes are to die for. Such a great place for breakfast with the family. I love it here..
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Review from Allegra I.
San Jose, CA
11/17/2007 1 Check-in Here
This is one of my favorite places to grab breakfast/lunch in Watsonville. It's a locals kinda place so it's usually a little busy, but you never wait long. The staff here is very nice and the restaurant itself is comfortable.
Come hungry! The menu is good size and there are tons of breakfast or lunch items to choose from. I usually get the eggs benedict or their "famous" potato dish. Their omelets are also gigantic. The potato dishes are so good. You can choose what kind of meat and cheese you want ( I usually get one involving bacon) and it's a plate full of love when it comes out. Their homestyle potatoes are cooked with the bacon and topped with scrambled eggs and cheese. Add some Tabasco and you're good to go.
I usually get breakfast when I come here, but my sister always gets the club sandwiches every single time. I've had a bite before, but I'm gonna trust her instincts and tell you they're good. -
Review from Jonathan W.
Upland, CA
3/12/2010 2 Check-ins Here
Good solid American Breakfast. Ive been here numerous times and the food is always good. I recommend getting the country potatoes. A great place to eat on a weekend morning.
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Review from Dick A.
Aptos, CA
5/25/2010
I always order either the House Made Corn Beef Hash or the Eggs Beni (traditonal). I have been going her since it opened. Not only is the food great and fairly priced the staff is on top of it. They have very little turn over and the service and food show it. My kids (teenagers now) will even get up early to go there with me...This is my south county go to place for breakfast!
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Review from Eric S.
San Jose, CA
9/26/2010
This place is WAY, WAY OVERRATED and I suspect it is because most of the reviews come from locals. Sorry, just sayin'. Slow service, mediocre and greasy food and cheesy ambiance. Yeah, the portions are big, but so are most portions at most restaurants and that just ends up wasting (bad) food. We were looking for a place to stop for breakfast on the way to the beach and this was just disappointing. We took our food to go because we felt bad about eating so little. We will keep looking...
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Review from Michael C.
Watsonville, CA
6/27/2009
Always a great spot for breakfast on Saturday morning. They have great pancakes but I always go for the philly cheese steak with fries on the side. The service is usually fast and friendly but I've had some unpleasant experiences there before. Overall, great food.
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Review from Emanuel A.
Marina, CA
9/2/2009
They accomodated my family of twenty well. I was very happy with their solid service and food was good. Nothing really stands out here. Could use a little more personality. Thank you for the solid service.
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Review from stephanie s.
Aromas, CA
9/22/2009
Best Breakfast in Watsonville. Great specials and you can even get egg white omelette's. They have a great chicken fried steak and eggs and overall just good old breakfast with the works. It is busy and rightfully so but we have never had to wait long. Food is fast and hot.
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Review from Salty D.
Santa Cruz County, CA
1/19/2010
Awesome traditional American / diner style food. The pancakes, omelets, potatoes, etc are all awesome. It has a nice down home decore with a mural on the back wall that looks like the rolling hills behind Watsonville in the spring. Wait staff is friendly, and the bathrooms are well kept.
My only gripe is that they aren't open 24/7. When they're closed, I'll go down the street to Norma's (similar style food, almost as good, open 24/7). -
Review from Rachel H.
San Ramon, CA
2/3/2010
This place is wonderful for a hangover! I have two favorites that I just switch off every time (or do a daily double with any willing participant). The Red Apple Scramble is to die for. The perfect amount of beef, veggy and eggs served with the famous RA Homefries. Also wonderful is the California Eggs. It reminds me of a healthy benedict. Two poached eggs on English Muffin with all sorts of yumminess including artichoke hearts!!! Family owned and friendly attentive service.
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Review from Marsha N.
Watsonville, CA
5/1/2008
Red Apple has some great breakfast choices! My favorite is the Salmon Scramble. It's sooooo good I had to try to make some at home, but it just wasn't quite the same. I think they make the best potatoes and that made the difference in the dish. I am a fan of chicken fried steak. Theirs is good, but not great cuz the coating has too much egg and I always feel like I need to ask for extra gravy. The regular coffee is not great. (Edit: but the french roast is good!) The serving staff is fantastic, always friendly and helpful. Honestly I would go there every weekend if I had the time!
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Review from Arturo C.
Watsonville, CA
7/10/2009
Best breakfast in town, period. Try a potato dish!
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Review from C F.
Santa Cruz, CA
10/15/2009
Wanna know where all the fat people in Watsonville are on any given morning? Look no further than the Red Apple Cafe. I almost always go with the traditional benedict, my girlfriend goes with the veggie bene. The potatoes are amazing. Definitely worth trying.
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Review from alma p.
Watsonville, CA
7/3/2011
pancakes....'nuff said!
