Rick & Ann's Restaurant
Categories: Desserts, Breakfast & Brunch, American (Traditional) [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Claremont, Oakland Hills2922 Domingo Ave
Berkeley, CA 94705 (510) 649-8538
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 8:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Wed-Thu 5:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m.
Fri-Sun 8:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Fri-Sun 5:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Breakfast
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
7 reviews
Albany, CA
"I only come here when I'm doing my laundry across the street. It's the perfect place to wait while the cycle finishes because the decor is…" read more »
181 Reviews for Rick & Ann's Restaurant
I've been all over San Francisco looking for the right French toast. Rick and Ann's has it. Crispy on the outside, and moist like a custard on the inside. Even the french places down the hill don't make it like this. The Challah French toast is worth the wait.(allow 15 minutes to prepare) They get their bread from the bakery right next door. Friendly staff works together on tables to help each other out. If you're lucky, you'll be there when they're serving french toast made from the sticky buns next door. (little tip i got from the chef).
My parents were recently in town for a visit, and requested we eat at Rick and Ann's again - they had fallen in love with the homestyle, hearty cooking last time they were here. We decided to invite the people from work so we could mingle with my coworkers while we ate. I neglected to make a reservation, but our party was NOT huge, just 6 people. Hardly an unmanageable size.
One member of our party arrived early to put our name down but we still sat for almost TWO HOURS waiting for a table while time and time and time again parties of 2 and 4 were seated. I realize that this is a small restaurant, but their hostess was SO completely disorganized it was unbelievable. I wanted to get up and leave but everyone else thought we'd be waiting so long, we might as well keep waiting. By the time we were seated, we were all starving and grumpy - the service was far below par, they wouldn't allow us to substitute anything - even after making us wait two hours to eat.
They do have good food, but hardly exceptional enough to merit a two hour wait - especially when it ends with a mandated 15% gratuity for the long wait and mediocre service. I won't be returning.
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Great breakfasts and good dinners. Kid-friendly, but there is always a long wait, so bring things for the kids to do.
The gluten-free orange-rice pancakes are a bit too thick and dry, but still quite tasty (and really, I shouldn't complain about gluten-free pancakes since I'm thrilled they have them on the menu).
The small plate of celery and carrots they bring in lieu of chips or bread at most restaurants is a little strange, but it's Berkeley and health-conscious eating is in.
It has been a while since my last visit to this place and I am glad we went today for breakfast.I had an omelet with wild mushroom,artichoke hearts with ricotta cheese.It was delish.The side order of chicken apple sausage was a tad on the greasy side but good never the less.Surprisingly we were seated very quickly and the service was fantastic.I am glad to rediscover Rick and Ann's,as Mc Arthur said " I shall return "
If I have a leisurely day, I like to start it off with breakfast here. The Red Flannel Hash is fabulous and have not found anything like it anywhere else. The cooks seem consistent and they know how to poach eggs... big plus with me. To get the hash, I'll take the wait and uncomfortable seating and brisk servers. It definately is a place I go when I have time and am not rushed.
Love the catering too! The sweet potato biscuts are great!
It was a lovely New Years Day treat... the line & wait were substantial, but when we said we were willing to sit on the patio that free'd things up. Granted we got a little chilly when the breeze picked up but the heat lamps were pretty decent.
The patio area is certainly a tight space, which makes for some fun community bonding. Much better when you have a cool couple who immigrated from Australia versus obnoxious teenagers whining about how their parents spoil them...
I ordered (mimosa's of course) and the North East red flannel hash (Hash: fresh red beets, sweet potatoes, new potatoes, red onion and bacon) $8.75 surprisingly yummy! I never would have thought about beets but I was feeling unusually adventurous
The food is great, but go in a patient mood (and not thirsty or hungry) because the service is usually lacking.
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We actually went here for lunch today. Lunch was late (about 2 pm) on a Monday, so there was no crowd with which to contend. Service was quick, although drink refills were slow, and there were some interesting items on the menu.
I had the steak sandwich, and it came dripping with sauteed onions. Delicious!
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What the heck? Oh hell no! Go cut me a branch off the tree so I can kick some Rick & Ann butt. Never in my life have I known service this horrid! And the food? I'm getting mad all over again just thinking about it.
So, first of all I would not have minded the wait. No, really, I wouldn't have EXCEPT that I called less than ten minutes before I got there and you guys told me there was NO wait. So explain to me how within ten minutes it went from no wait to an hour long wait and a line out the door. Bull!
And if you ARE going to have me wait a friggen hour, you better hook my meal up! Don't give me some bland potatoes, FORGET the friggen gingerbread waffle, and overall provide me with a meal that I could have prepared better myself.
Thinking about going to Rick and Ann's? Might I suggest you instead pay a visit to your local grocery store then to your kitchen? It will be faster, cheaper, and probably taste a whole lot better.
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ingredients for a good relaxing morning...
1. Get a dark and strong Pete's house coffee (from next door of course)
2. As you walk over to Rick and Ann's pick up a newspaper... my choice is the SF Chronicle but that's just me
3. Order the Down South (the cornmeal pancakes are awesome!)
4. Forget about everyday stresses and enjoy!
I've been here 3 times but I've only had the same thing every time...The cheese potato pancakes served with pork chops and apple sauce.
First off, I had always heard that pork chops and apple sauce go together but I didn't really believe it. I'm a believer now! Soooo good.
Now, those cheese potato pancakes...definitely going to continue to order these anytime I go to Rick and Ann's. The potatoes are cooked just right with those tomato slices and sour cream.
The crowds in the morning can seem ridiculous but I've never had to wait more than 15 minutes. I consider this a reasonable wait for such a delicious breakfast.
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Solid 3.5 Stars...
I can't give it any more though I wish I could. This place has been an institution forever. The catering is great (expensive but great), but the restaurant itself is hit or miss depending on what you order and how busy they are. For some reason, the busier, the better the food. Today, I witnessed tables returning food to each side of me for either over cooked omelets, undercooked eggs and likewise for the bacon.
Daughter is not a big breakfast type of girl, so she ordered the mac and cheese and a cup of the soup of the day (chicken and rice). Nice homemade soup, but way too peppery (both red flakes and the black kind). The mac was just okay. She devoured it, but I felt like it was missing something. Definitely had better at Forbes Mill and of course, my own recipe. I ordered a burger (Niman Ranch) and since they do not offer substitutions for potato salad (gross), was given and extra slice of tomato and lettuce leaf. The Acme bun was overly toasted so it was hard. I ate 2/3rd's of my burger and was done. It took over 10 minutes to get our check after we were done and another few before I got my card back.
Will I be back-yes, but for breakfast food and in about 5 years.
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Ah, gotta love Rick & Anne's. Always a treat with their great and inventive menu, reasonable prices, and the best fresh juice around. Waiters seem appear out of nowhere here, dressed in street clothes, only recognizable because they're the ones flitting around the place like worker bees. Only negative is the occasional long weekend waits as everybody else is in love with this place too. Go early.
I just don't get it.
This place is supposed to be awesome. It is all hype?
I went here once and we waited for 1 hour to get seated. And the "welcome" is not great, perhaps because the hosts are so consumed with customers who all wait extraordinary amounts of time, that you, the customer, get lumped into the annoying mass that just wants a table.
But some places are worth even the crappiest hospitality and the longest wait. (La Note comes to mind.)
Not this establishment. The food was mediocre. Just not good. The menu was even kinda boring, like California cuisine from 1991. (Oooooh--cornmeal in your pancakes--big deal.) I was looking around amazed by the hordes and the wait and the crankiness of hungry people and the bustling staff, and I couldn't figure out what this was all for. The food? Noooooo, can't be.
But this is the East Bay, where there is great food everywhere, suposedly ensuring the demise of crappy-ish restaurants!
Are we all gastronomical sheep?
Really, I have never been so confused by the mismatch of reputation and actual experience.
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Love this place...and that takes a lot of patience. Waiting time is usually a drag but I definitely wait. And I usually wait for nothing. That shows my love. Fortunately there's a Pete's and a bakery right next door so you can have breakfast before breakfast. Like the communal tables, except that time I sat near a loud talker and couldn't hear out of my right ear the rest of the day. I always get the same thing-pancakes, eggs, fruit...yum. Mom swears by the hash. Lots of amazing and unusual (in a good way) choices.
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Reason #1: Jalapeno-cilantro pesto on a fritatta filled with onions, baby shrimp, bacon and cheese---I was in HEAVEN FOR AT LEAST 30 MINUTES STRAIGHT BECAUSE OF THIS
Reason #2: Their in-house made french toast which for my brother who usually eats a full rack of ribs without flinching could not finish their regular stack of these mamas--he still had 1.5 pieces leftover when he was stuffed to the max!!
Reason #3: Three words---Chicken Apple Sausage, which yes is better than the chicken apple sausage at top dog folks!!
Reason #4: Their lox and salmon topped with capers which in my opinion always seems like edible confetti--makes you happy on the inside and out!!! And who wouldn't like a party with some capers, eh???
All these sum up why Rick and Ann's has to be one of the best breakfast joints in Berkeley, but be prepared to wait up to an hour for a table!! Luckily, they give you free coffee while you wait, but beware of the side effects from having unlimited coffee while waiting an hour on an empty stomach!! My friend when discovering our table was ready after 2 large cups screamed "YESSSSSS!!!!" and everyone stared ha
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went a couple of weeks ago for the second time to try the gluten free pancakes they were out of the first time i went. this time was a sunday around 11 am. waited 45 minutes with my mom for a table. ok. i'd heard the wait can be long on weekends, so i was prepared for that.
got seated, ordered, and they were already out of our first choices. mom ended up ordering their red beet hash, i the gold beet hash. at the same time, i also ordered their gluten free pancakes (again, the main reason i went as i don't know of any other breakfast place that serves them). you guessed it. they were out!! so, with almost three hours left to serve, they were out of all three of our first choice items, one of which was a breakfast special.
the planning sucks and the service not much better. rather than have you sit and wait forever thinking you just might get a chance to eat what you went there to get, they ought to have a board letting people know what they're out of from the get go or, at the very least, have the waitperson tell you as soon as you're seated with menus and not let you develop a devil's hunger with a loooooooong wait, sit a drool over the menu, get your heart set on something, and then play the cruel trick of saying, "oh, so sorry, we're out of that.... and that......oh, and that, too."
the red hash and coffee are good (the only reasons it doesn't get one star), the gold hash so-so. too little, too late...literally. for some reason, there was less gold hash served than the red dish had, so i was still hungry after eating the whole thing. and i'm a petite woman barely over 100 lbs.!! i cheated on my non-gluten diet and tried the muffin and scone that came with the meals. not that great. none of it worth the wait or the frustration.
with so many other good breakfast places with nary a wait even on weekends (think cockadoodle cafe, lakeshore cafe), i'll go elsewhere for my eggdish and home for the non-gluten pancakes. trader joe's has a decent, toaster version in the frozen section and there are good mixes at grocery stores to make at home. with some fruit, a dollop of soy yogurt and syrup, they're much better than a 45-minute wait for nothing (and faster, too!). as for rick and ann's, i'm done.
My favorite breakfast place in the country!! Love the atmosphere, love the food. Fabulous eggs, pancakes, and oatmeal but it's the sense of community that really makes this place special. Outstanding staff, very friendly and helpful. If you love breakfast, you won't be sorry. It's on a great little strip that also features a Peet's coffee shop, and a bakery that smells divine. Not to mention very nice morning light. I've taken note of what other reviewers said about the long wait and it probably is that way on the weekends. I went during weekdays between 8 a.m. and 9:30 and usually just shashayed in and sat down. No problemo. So skip the weekends! I also went for lunch during the week and same thing -- I usually just walked in. My only negative is that the coffee is average. The mutli-grain pancakes and corn pancakes are out of this world.
Good, but not quite up to the standard of some other places in the east bay. Strange menu with some great choices if you in the mood for hash or a pork chop for breakfast...
I've been to Rick and Ann's a few times over the years and always only for breakfast. They have some of the tastiest waffles and pancakes you'll find with wonderful preserves. Their breads and muffins are also rather delicious. I like the feel of Rick and Ann's, it's very cozy and warm. The breakfast is fantastic and I'll have to go one day for lunch or dinner, which I'm sure is also of the highest quality.
The one drawback is that there is usually a wait and the service is a bit slow. I guess the wait is to be expected as the place is pretty popular, but the service could improve somewhat.
What a wonderful Fathers day at rick and ann, we love the food and this sunday for some reason it was not too crowded but so loud and realized that the kitchen cooks were loud themselves yelling names and servers attention, also the less pleasant was our waitress chewing on a big bubble gum , how charming!!! Besides that we still like the food - whole grain pancakes, french toast, red hash - will be back and hopefully get some more professional service!
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01/15/2008
Need to know what you are getting into when you go to Rick and Ann, but why bunch of people are… Read more »
I get it, there are not enough really great bfast joints in Oakland. The proof is in the the wait...everywhere. We actually went to Rick and Anne's for the first time on Friday. It was around 11 a.m. and yep, there was a wait mid-week too.
It was my birthday and all I wanted was a traditional NY style bfast with fresh lox, capers, bagel, tomato and eggs. Is this such a weird request in CA?
I checked some menus on the information super highway and found Rick & Ann's.
Halle fucking luja, praise the lox.
I ordered the Manhattan (lox, bagel & egg plate) & my man ordered the Doc's Delight:
It was a buttermilk waffle, served with two chicken apple sausages and two eggs any style. An american boy's dream.
The food was great, but it was the service that left a lasting impression.
I always order soy cappuccinos, but when the foam wears off, I wish I had a little extra soy milk on the table. Most places only bring extra cream for your coffee.
Our waitress was a mind reader and brought me my own little pitcher of soy joy. I will never forget you...never.
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I just shake my head at this place. I don't understand why anyone thinks it is special by any means. They try so hard at having these fabulous sounding entrees and what I had (Omelet special) fell way short. When a place doesn't get the basics right (potatoes, eggs, etc.) they are not going to get the main items right either. The place is all hype. The locations draws the most pretentious population of Berkeley to its nice location and then markets itself as a hip eatery with a great menu. If you want great food, coffee, and service just head to the Rockridge diner cafe
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You don't go to Rick and Ann's if you are in a rush. It's as simple as that. If you go into this wanting a quick (or quiet) eating experience, then you have gone to the wrong place.
I personally love their whole grain pancakes and french toast, I'm not much of an eggs person. However, everyone I've gone with has loved their omelette's.
I have also gone a few times for dinner and it is really good. Very home-cooked tasting, hearty and delicious.
I live in the city now and really miss meandering to Rick and Ann's, sitting in the sun all hungover, and curing that hangover with a strong cup of coffee and a delicious stack of pancakes. I highly recommend.
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The Lowdown: Really just a second rate Mimi's Cafe.
The Good:
Staff was friendly and did pretty well.
Wait quoted was accurate and our wait was eased with pretty decent coffee.
Food came quickly.
Omelet was a egg-based pocket of veggie goodness.
They let us stay much longer after we finished eating without any attempt to get us out.
The Bad:
Crowded. So very crowded.
The Pancakes. How how how do you make scratch pancakes worse than bisquick?
The Potatoes. Remember how Superman can turn coal into diamonds just by squeezing them hard enough? The potatoes are kind of like that, ya know, before the squeezing. The non-crusty potatoes were alright, but the ratio of burnt:unburnt was not good.
The Scone. Don't serve day-old scones. You can re-sell them in bunches if they're marketed that way.
The Bathroom. I've always hated having to go outside to enter a bathroom. Asking for the key can be so awkward. How can this place have ONE SINGLE TOILET? BOTH FOR THE WOMEN AND MEN? They stuff everyone in elbows up and only have a single toilet? There's got to be some sort of health violation going on there. Maybe not because it is in a separate building.
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Really crowed its true..but the food was really good.. I went there twice this week.. may go again tomorrow..coffee was weak tho..I recommend getting coffee at Peets next door..
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You know, I went to Rick & Ann's several years ago and it was mobbed, the food was just mediocre, and so I didn't expect much. I haven't been back in years.
Well, we returned on Saturday b/c we were in the 'hood, and I was actually pretty impressed. I had a cheese omelet (with salsa), which came with homefries and a homemade scone. I docked one star b/c they charged an extra $.25 for the salsa! But otherwise, the omelet was good, and the scone was pretty delish. it was a huge dish, and all for just $7.25...which is loads cheaper than Chester's in the Gourmet Ghetto (where we have dine regularly). The home fries were pretty good (not as good as Fat Apple's, though, where they bake first before pan frying). Rick & Ann's is pretty mobbed, usually, so we don't even venture out there on the weekends, but this past Saturday, it was fine--just a five minute wait. Still, I doubt it will be on my roster of weekend favs b/c of the usual wait and b/c it's not in my hood...Fat Apple's will always be my #1 weekend joint!
This place is overrated. I had heard Rick & Ann's was one of the best breakfast joints in Berkeley (my friend RAVED about how famous it was), and stood around for approximately a hour waiting for the table... stomach growling in anticipation for the supposed PERFECT morning meal. I was sorely disappointed. My blueberry pancakes were mediocre at best. Borderline soggy. Next time I do breakfast in Berkeley I'm heading to Bette's on Fourth.
Sconeybleh, unpancakemarkable, decent mushroom veggie omelette, potatoes a la burnt crisp, good coffee, sweet service staff and eating at the counter forced me to find my own coat rack 20 feet away.
Just eH.
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With all the 2 star reviews I needed to check it out myself and was pleasantly amazed with our experience.
First of great cup of coffee is always hard to find in a very chill spot for breakfast, but right across the street from Peet's they better have a good o' joe.
My darling and I received the best service and not to mention the quick draw when it came to refills. I had an omelet with mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, feta with a side of their perfectly seasoned roasted potatoes and fresh baked muffin. Oh yummy goodness! I loved everything about my dish and the 'crave factor' is there so I will definitely go back just for that. He had waffles and apple sausage but he thought my dish was a step up from his.
I don't expect any frills when it comes to breakfast. The food was great, simply made with fresh ingredients, great flavor, a great cup of coffee and friendly service. They deserve 5 stars!
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Hmm...Rick and Ann's, how can I describe it? Busy, small tables, rude/art-school hipsters, and fresh juice? The line is always long, so go early and put your name in--plus, don't eat any of their pancakes!!!!! My friend worked there for a very long time as a waiter and he told me that the waiters and bussboys are instructed to recycle any left over maple syrup that is left on a plate (those individual syrup caddies). Suppose a little kid puts his finger in his syrup caddy, but doesn't use any of it--the waiter takes that caddy and throws it in a giant strainer in the back that sits atop a pvc tub. That syrup is then sent back, out into the restaurant, and served right back to the customer. Yuck! Right? He told me he saw crayons, half-eaten strawberries--all sorts of nasty stuff in the strainer. He told me that Rick and Ann's rationalizes this because it is 100% pure maple syrup, and because it is expensive, so they reuse it. I wonder what other nasty stuff they do? I haven't gone back since he told me about the syrup recycling program that have going on there.
Really great brunches here - their french toast made with challah is sublime. Some of the combos like the down south with a smoked pork chop and potato pancakes are really terrific. Be prepared to wait on weekend.
A hesitant 3 stars for this Oakland brunch spot favorite, but 2.5 seemed unfair because two years ago, I would've (and probably should've) rated it a solid 4. In brief... my main gripes, based on last two visits, are simple and three-fold:
1. Long wait: Wouldn't it be easier on everyone if they just took reservations already? I guess they'd rather have a gaggle of annoyed yuppies with strollers clog up their waiting area for hours.
2. Mediocre food: Is it me, or has the food steadily become less interesting? I mean, it's still decent tasting grub, but seems to be more bland as of late. Still enjoy their muffins though... Perhaps I should try more things on the menu.
3. Semi-lame service: Let me say that I'd probably throw hot soup on someone if I was wait staff at a busy restaurant - intentionally. All those whiny customers. I do not envy eatery workers, but their service here is hot and cold, both in attitude and efficiency. Again, just mediocre with a touch of eye-rolling.
And those three basic complaints add up, for me. I'd much rather zip over to Berkeley and partake in La Note's brunch, or even Sunny Side in Albany, for a morning meal these days.
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I normally don't give bad reviews, and i feel bad doing this but here's the deal.
My boyfriend told me about Rick & Ann's, and i trust his food judgment so off we went. we were told our wait was to be 15 minutes, which was only 10 minutes, awesome!... or so we thought!
we sat down at the communal table.
It took about 10 minutes to get our order taken which i TOTALLY understand on a Saturday morning. So everything seemed alright UNTIL... we sat and sat and sat, and our spirits dropped more and more...
ONE HOUR later our waitress came over to us after she had noticed us glaring at the 1 single guy and 2 other couples that had come in after us, finished eating and left.
She apologized to us about the wait... and explained that there's new people in the kitchen.
I'm a waitress for breakfast at a restaurant and i am very understanding with waiting, but COME ON! one hour??! are you kidding me? (yes i know people exaggerate with how long they have to wait for food, but our meter ran out when we were waiting, and we had to go out and feed it again)
so we got our food, which was one egg dish and one waffle (we shared)
the waffle was stale and had been made earlier, gotten cold and reheated before being brought over to our table.
We left the waitress a good tip, because it really wasn't her fault.
i really want to give them another chance.. but I'm scarred for the time being.
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I kinda wanna choke these people.
I called ahead and asked if they had a wait. I mean fuck i work for a living I need to know these things so I ca see if I'd rather spend my money elsewhere. They tell me, "No there isn't really much a await right now"... I immediately leave the house. I live about 10 minutes away, and these bitches wanna tell me oh it will be a 45 minute wait. Heffa have u lost ur mind? Did you really just tell me to come on by and not put my name on the list then b/c u said there was no line. DAMMIT!
We got take out. I wanted to come across the counter and let her feel the end of my boot in her eye. But I didn't. I try to leave the Negro at the house and only pull it out if mofo's really deserve it. Shes lucky I'm such a fuckin lady....
But I digress
The togo was aight. I mean they fucked up and didn't get my gingerbread waffle and offered to take another 15 minutes to make it. (wooo saaa) I took my Yukon Gold and left. At the house... I tore ti up. Although it is in dire need of a bit of spice and some hot sauce, so I had to doctor it up for real.
I may try this place one more time. But only if I bring my patience with me.
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I had breakfast here the other day. My friend and I had to wait quite a while although there were only a few other people there. OVerall everything was just mediocre. Food was bland and unmemorable. We were both very hungry, which helped, but nothing really held up. Also found some of the staff a little off-putting and not very welcoming.
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In sum:
Waited close to an hour.
Breakfast was mediocre.
Will most likely not come back agin. Go to Rockridge instead.
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They say good things come to those who wait. But dang, waiting in line at Rick and Ann's is just like waiting in line at Disneyland because you're still surrounded by the annoying hungry kids and grumpy parents only to be placed in close quarters with all of them after you finally get seated two hours later.
Definitely not as thrilling as the rides at the happiest place on earth. The menu was pretty standard. I ordered two eggs, homefries, toast and a side of the apple chicken sausage. Sure it was good, but not necessarily worth the wait. Don't really understand what all the hype is about, but I guess if you are in the area and have a lot of time to kill, this is the spot to waste it at. Plus one more star, though, for the random lady who was walking her pet llamas on the street on a nice sunny day. This was my party's source of entertainment during the wait. Only in Berkeley, man. Only in Berkeley...
Don't go here with a group larger than two people.
I really like the food at Rick and Ann's, too bad the service is sub par. I never understood restaurants that have great food and poor service. Shouldn't the service match the food?
Today was probably my 12th visit to Rick and Ann's and perhaps my last. The three of us arrived at 9:50am this morning, the host told us it would be about half an hour wait. Cool... 45 minutes later, still no word from the host. Finally after over an hour of waiting we get seated. No explanation from the host. 20 more minutes pass and the waitress appears and takes our order. We order coffee, but had to wait again for that, and when it does come, my wife's coffee is missing and we have to wait another long while for that. Does it really take 15 minutes to get coffee to a table? Wow.
Our food arrives a full 1 hour and 45 minutes after we walked through the front door. Begging the question... Is the food worth it? For me, frankly, NO. It's just breakfast, it's not going to change my life, it's not going to give me my hour and 45 minutes back.
If this had been the first time this had happened I wouldn't have written this review, I believe in giving restaurants a chance. But, this is the third time in a row I've had to wait an extremely long time to eat a Rick and Ann's. Basically Rick and Ann's is designed for couples or two people, so if you're three or more, you're screwed and you're doomed to wait an eternity for your breakfast.
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it is a well known fact that rick and ann's is on the best breakfast joints in the east bay. sure, the line is loooooong and the restaurant is tiny, but none of these bother me at all. i simply don't go here unless i plan on spending a majority of my morning waiting outside on a bench sipping a coffee from peet's (next door) and nibbling on a piece of cinnamon swirl bread from the bread garden (thats a whole other review.) my mother used to drive to rick and ann's, put our name in, and drive home to shake my lazy brother and i out of bed to feast.
rick and ann's has some of the BEST soft scrambled eggs around. one of my biggest pet peeves is ordering scrambled eggs and receiving an omelette that has been "scrambled" at the last minute with a fork. that is not scrambled eggs! that is gross! i enjoy getting the emily's egg plate with the aforementioned scrambled eggs, potatoes, wheat toast, and a side of chicken apple sausage. mmm, my mouth is watering just thinking about it. the potato cheese pancakes are out of this world, but that will also add time to your dining experience. i personally find the homemade applesauce accompanying your potato cheese pancakes to be worth the extra time.
dinner and lunch are also tasty but the real prize is the breakfast feast. it is most definitely worth the wait during the busy weekend rush.
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4.5 stars.
I came here for brunch around 11am and they said the wait was going to be 30 mins. Luckily we were seated in about 10-15 because we didn't mind sitting at the community table which is shared by other people. It reminded me of the last supper but I also didn't feel like the other people at the table were watching me eat which was good.
Our server was very friendly and gracious amongst the hectic weekend crowd. The orange juice ($4.50 for large) was cold and fresh tasting. I ordered the Yukon Gold Plate (vegetarian hash with sweet & white potatoes, sweet bell peppers, corn and apples, served with two eggs any style and your choice of toast, muffin or scone -Wheat Free! $8.75) which was delicious. The "favorites" they offer have such a great variety and I never know which one I want to order because they all sound so yummy. My bf ordered the Down South (two cornmeal pancakes with Rick & Ann's spicy turkey sausage, salsa and two eggs scrambled with cheese $9.50) which came with two huge pancakes. I don't know how he finished the whole thing because I was stuffed just looking at it. Prices are very reasonable for the amount of food given and I don't think anyone leaves hungry.
Rick & Ann's feels comfortable and down home. I definitely want to try other items on the menu and I know i'll be back for more, but next time I hope I get to sit out on the patio. One of my top brunch places in Berkeley for sure.
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