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Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, American (Traditional) [Edit]
139 E Campbell AveMon-Sun. 7:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Don't Just Wish Someone A Good Holiday, Give Them One With Chili's.
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This is a regular spot for us, for breakfast. GOOD service, GOOD food! Never have had a problem, thus far. Always go and get........
Pancakes!!! What else would you get at a restaurant called, "Stacks"?? Pancakes are huge and fluffy and all togetha YUMMAAYYY!!! My only major beef with this place is, it's ALWAYS packed on weekends, which is a bit of a good sign right? Yeah once we walked in and put our name on the list the host ever so casually said, "Yeah it'll only be about uhhh let's see...... 55 minute wait, mmm k?" Needless to say we threw our deuces up and walked to Sonoma instead. Your food is good, but it aint that good homie, we hongry foo :o)
Yes, this is probably ONE of the best breakfast places in the south bay. I came here with some college club members a while back. This restaurant on the weekends is basically overloaded, with people waiting outside and everywhere just to eat breakfast/brunch. Luckily my group had a reservations in advance, so we waited only 5 minutes before being seated. The interior is nice, maybe a bit dated and the tables are a little low and small (strange thing to find in an American place).
The food choices are great, as the menu offers essentially all American breakfast items and you can always make special requests on your order. Eggs, Crepes, Omelets, Skillets, Frittatas, Pancakes, Belgian Waffles, Healthy/Light items, etc. Really, a lot to choose from. I ordered the Eggs Benedict here, one of my favorite breakfast meals that you really can't go wrong with. It comes with Two poached eggs, smoked ham on an English muffin, topped with hollandaise sauce; served with Stacks potatoes & fresh fruit.
The Eggs Florentine was also a popular choice among my group, as it is just like the Eggs Benedict but with additional spinach on the English muffin. The prices are a bit higher than your run of the mill breakfast joints, but the quality and menu choices are also better. Stacks is relatively exclusive as they only have 4 locations in Northern California.
Arguably Campbell's favorite breakfast place, Stacks is always busy on the weekends. They have solid breakfast fare, but lack that little oomph that would push them into four-star range for me.
I was intrigued by the biscuits and gravy (weekends only), so gave that a shot, while my better half chose the veggie scramble with a single pancake (subbing in for the standard bagel). The veggie scramble was pretty good and full of vegetables, while the potatoes were pretty good. I've had better potatoes, but Stacks does a good job with theirs. The biscuits and gravy were also ok - I liked the fluffy, moist biscuits but felt that the gravy was pretty bland. I usually go with their scrambles or skillets, which I like.
Prices are a little on the higher side, and I have to admit I'm not really fond of bagels. The outdoor seating is nice, as is the free coffee - if you're a coffee drinker, that is.
Will I be back? Yeah, given the Sunday farmer's market and the fact that I'm within biking distance of downtown.
I think this place is better than 3 stars but not quite 4. I enjoyed it, but I didn't love it. And I wouldn't be disappointed if I never made it back. Of all the things I tried, I liked the french toast with raspberry compote best. Though I wish it came with a combo. To order both separately would cost ~$20.
Cute neighborhood breakfast spot with good food. Nice alternative to chain restaurants, but a tad on the pricey side.
Before we moved to Portland OR, this was THE place for breakfast.
I had a ritual of biking from our home in Willow Glen to enjoy Sunday Farmer's Market and meet friends for breakfast here.
I LOVE the tasty complimentary coffee. Happy to report I have found a place in Portland that also does this.
The owner always remembers us, even when we visit like 8 months later (since we are over 600 miles away now.)
There is a lot of little touches that count here. They have fresh water with lemon wedges in a large canteen. This makes it easier on the waiter and waitress so they do not need to constantly refill water cups and I never have to worry about being thirsty. (I drink *a lot* of water)
You get a piping hot canteen of coffee too! Never flagging anyone down for Mo Joe! (I drink *a lot* of coffee)
My favorite meal is hands down the Lumber Jack Pancakes. Walnuts, Blue Berries, Wheat Germ, Bananas, and a nice side of Blue Berry Chunky Syrup Stuff.
Be aware, the chunky goodness might be enough sweet for you and you may not need the maple syrup provided on your table, at all. I combine both...but most people I have eaten with do not.
Also, I toss the butter to the side...hardly needed.
The Fruit Crepes are loved by my Wife.
We order the above... and a side of their potatoes, real buttery hash browns. Strangely, these common types of tatoes are really not that commonly served other joints.
At times I pass on the pancake goodness and get the tasty veggie omelet with a side of hash browns, or the basic breakfast for $5 that also coms with the yummy hash browns.
Every egg style breakfast comes with toast ...wheat, sourdough, white, or rye...OR a buttered bagel. I usually opt for the carborific reasonably fresh bagel and toss some of the jam on it.
Ask for Pepper Plant Sauce to toss on your eggs (and perhaps your hash browns)...DIVINE!
For about -$20 with a bottomless cup of coffee, this place is a bargain.
I think it is *totally* worth the wait.
Be prepared, sometimes it is 30 min, 45, almost an hour (NOT likely the place for the entitled "Grab and Go" Silicon Valley types who want everything like yesterday, that made me move; )...my friend that is all A.D.D. cannot handle the wait...I always have to say "NO I am NOT going to the over priced Chicken Coupe place!" Note: If you are ultra anal retentive/and or ready to pas out from a lack of blood sugar/only a party of two...just ask for the 1st available front counter seats, that will save some wait.
You can hit Farmer's Market Sundays with your free cup of coffee in hand. That is the way to start a morning. Campbell is a nice street to hang out.
The little shop down the street 23 Skidoo, with vintage items and cool shoes, that is a GREAT place to keep you busy during the wait after buying fresh produce.
Yeah...Stacks is definitely our favorite breakfast spot in town. Great selection, great service, my favorite place to sit and solve world peace with friends. Go early, as the delays to get in start at 8am many mornings.
Stacks is SO delicious! I love they're french toast with the apples!!! I went there on Saturday morning with my boyfriend for breakfast, I tried something new besides the french toast, definitely was jsut as good. There was no regrets, plus my boyfriend got the french toast with the apples, so I got to have the yummy apples!!!
The only problem with Stacks is that its SO good there is always like a 30 minute wait no matter time you get there. I've never been FOR lunch, but have gone during more of a brunch time and had to wait till about lunch. Lunch looks just as yummy breakfast, I may try lunch there sometime!
This is my favorite breakfast spot. The first time I went, i was surprised to see a long line on a tuesday morning, but when we got seated, I realized why so many people come here. One of my favorite foods is The Club Sandwich. I've had a lot of Clubs all over san jose, Campbell, and Cupertino, but this place serves the best Club sandwich I have ever had ("Triple Deck Club" to be exact). It is also the biggest. I have also seen Patrick Marleu and his family eating there, as well as some 49er players. The waitresses are really nice, and the decor is pretty decent. The only small problem I have with it, is that it closes pretty early. I wish I could go there really late at night, and have a great breakfast. This is THEE breakfest spot of SJ, Campbell, etc.
I just came back from Stacks and I am full and satisfied. Great customer service!
I had steak and eggs and shared banana macadamia and coconut pancakes with my gf. I thought people were exaggerating when I read that the pancakes here were huge, but boy was I wrong. Stacks has the biggest pancakes I have ever had. I didn't have a measuring tape with me, but by looking at it I would say they were a good 8 - 9 inches! Some restaurants don't even have their dinner plates that big! The pancakes had actual banana slices and shredded coconut. I was just expecting it to have that taste without actually seeing the banana, macadamia and coconut in it. Pretty tasty. Out of everything I ate, I really liked their potato. It's not oily and it's not like the hash browns that you see at Denny's or cubed potato at other breakfast places. Stacks looks shredded, but more loose compared to hash browns. Not sure if they cut and shred them fresh, but it sure tasted like it.
If you like hot sauce like I do, try the hot pepper sauce. It has a nice kick to it, but then again that depends on what you consider is hot.
The line is INSANE here on a Sunday morning, had to wait about 30min, but they give out free coffee for people waiting outside - how nice is that ??
The Selection is superb and the pricing is not bad - a little on the high side compared to Deny's 3.99 breakfast they have now (and plus recession pricing is they new way to go)
The Hash Browns are amazing and the Huevos Rancheros and Custom Omlets looked like the best bet - I can't wait to try more things on their long menu.
Great customer service! I went here for breakfast with two of my friends. A hearty portion of food, both filling and tasty. I love their combos, and the best part about going with friends is splitting a stack of their Banana macadamia nut & coconut pancakes. Stacks has nailed the home-style taste of breakfast, not overwhelmingly sweet.
It is a heavy meal, and a perfect way to start the day with a bang of energy.
Good breakfast place for pancakes! I asked the waitress if I should pick the banana macadamia nut & coconut or the lumber jack pancakes. She said the banana coconut, and it was good! It has an interesting texture, but everything in the pancake complemented each other well. It wasn't too sweet, which was what I was afraid of.
The pancakes were HUGE! I got a full stack, but I should have just gotten a short stack. I tried some of the Mexican omelet and I didn't like it much. But frealz tho, since this place is called STACKS (hence, pancake specialty), omelet that one slide.
It's places that like this one that has me looking forward to my weekends! During the work week, it's always Kellogg's breakfast bar washed down with cup of coffee at the office. But on weekends, I just love sitting down for a real breakfast and Stacks couldn't make me happier! I've tried a number of their items, but I always go back to their Banana Walnut waffles with a side of sausages and a cup of grapefruit juice. How good does that all sound?? Yum-o.
The only downside is the wait. There is always a line, but if you're an early bird like me, it's not too bad. Happy breakfasting!
Review long over due since I've been a regular at Stacks for years now.....
Like most brunch places, the wait on weekends are long so make sure you come early (or on a weekday!). Also, your entire party has to be present before they will seat you. They have coffee outside for you to enjoy but I've always found it a bit watered down. My advice, put your name down for a table and walk over to grab some from Orchard Valley for the wait.
Some of the items we've enjoyed over the years:
- Breakfast skillets (particularly the Bacon and onions)
- Banana Macadamia Nut and Coconut Pancakes (get a short stack, trust me--it will be enough)
- Chicken Apple Omelet
- Blueberry Beauty Smoothie (DELISH)
- And of course my brunch favorite, the Eggs Benedict
If based on the Eggs Benedict alone, I would give Stacks 3 stars. The hollandaise has always been just "ok" for me and any EB fan will tell you that the hollandaise will make it or break it. But the other items have been consistently tasty which will bump up my overall rating to 3.5 stars.
I've only been here for breakfast and it's always packed! But if it's just you and friend, here's a tip, ask for a seat at the bar. I've never had to wait for seating because no one wants to sit at the bar.
I always get my favorite! Short stack of the Banana Macadamia Nut pancakes, hold the coconut flakes (not a big fan) with a side of pork sausage and some good ol OJ. It's BOMBBBB! I'm such a breakfast person.
I should go back and try their other dishes. The service here is very attentive and quick. Some customers not so much.. but for the customers that these servers have to deal with, thumbs up to them for keeping an awesome attitude.
Great yummy breakfast! Sunday morning and it was packed, but the two of us still got in with only about a 20 minute wait. We had the simple basics: pancakes and french toast, with a little sausage on the side. The portions were generous and surprisingly, the sausage was not regular tiny breakfast sausages, but more like breakfast brats! OJ and coffee rounded out the meal along with a few fun jokes from our waiter.
Next time, I'll order the bacon waffles... I don't know how I resisted this time!
I had high expectations of this place since I've heard so many good things from friends, but honestly, this place falls way short in my book.
The scrambles / omelettes are okay, but it's the pancakes that are disappointing. It's super thick and honestly, does not taste that great (to me, anyway).
I wouldn't come here again...especially not for the pancakes.
And they do accept reservations for 6 or more.
My Ratings:
Quality - 4 Stars
Quantity - 5 Stars
Price - 4 Stars
Location - 4 Stars
Service - 4 Stars
Speed - 4 Stars
My Opinion/Story:
For a girl who loves breakfast like I do, this place rocks!!! Yes, the wait can be excruciating especially when the servers pass by with all the morsels you can dream of.. but it is worth the wait.
When it was our turn, I ordered their Saturday Shrimp Omelette special, a small stack of pancakes (gotta have pancakes for breakfast), and my hubby got their breakfast burrito. The food was delicious and they gave us alot. It was too much for the two of us to eat. The shrimp omelette was awesome!!! The pancakes was good but nothing too mind-blowing, and their coffee is good. Love the fact that they give you your own pitcher of water and coffee. It was like all you can drink fest. I love everything about the food except they charge you for every little thing you ask ($1 for sour cream.. etc.). All in all, this was our most expensive breakfast totalling $45 with tip. I didn't expect it so maybe next time we'll be more careful with what we order. But we were so full we didn't eat again until 6pm that evening. Good food and we'll definitely go back.
Now THIS place knows how to make waffles!
I remember coming here one time and ordering bacon waffles (who would've thought) and they were probably one of the better waffles I've ever had. It was soft enough to easily cut with a knife and fork but hard enough to get that crisp when you bite into it. The little bacon bits added a delicious twist of flavor into the sweet waffle.
I didn't order any of their breakfast plates but they looked delicious. I'd definitely come back to try one of them out.
Went to stacks a couple of Saturdays ago for brunch. I heard how good this place was but I am not a breakfast/ brunch person so I never got around to trying this place. A friend suggested that we go to Stacks for our random catch up/ hang out so I was pretty excited to finally try this place (don't think I would have otherwise).
I ordered their short stack lumberjack pancake which has blueberries, banana, raisin-walnut (can't really taste the raisin), and wheat germ (it's like oatmeal). The pancake was HUGE!!!!!!!! Short stack came in 2 and I could barely finish 1! Overall I thought it was was good and tasty even without the syrup.
I give this place a 3 because service was bad! Rude waitress, and verrrrrrrrrrry slow. Make sure to come early! It gets pretty packed quick!
I am a fan of anything with syrup but these pancakes are very tasty. Great Service and food comes super fast. Go early and there is not much of a wait but once 9:30 am or 10:00am hits and you can expect a wait. My only complaint is that they do not have a pancake combo breakfast, so if you want a complete meal with eggs and bacon you either have to add those things on or purchase another meal. That can add up unless you are sharing.
Service was great! too bad the food was just ok.
Tried their;
eggs benedict... ok
corn beef skillet.... ok
veggie burger...ok
crab omelette.. ok
mac-n-cheese (kids).. basically mac-n-cheese from a box
will i come back? perhaps
Great place to have breakfast, especially if you're sitting outside on a nice day! Everyone needs to be present to be seated, and the wait can get long- so go with that in mind!
the menu is super extensive-the only thing missing, hash browns! ( i was sad). Had the crepes with strawberries and whipped cream- yummm. Definitely want to go back to try their crab omelet and pancakes.
The main reason I like going to Stacks is for their pancakes. They have the best in the area. I love their Lumberjack pancakes. No one else has pancakes that come close to the freshness and taste of Stacks. I can't eat a lot of it as I have to watch my sugar intake as diabetes runs in my family, so usually when I go with my family, my husband will order the pancakes and I'll get something else with less sugar and carbs and we just share. The portions here are very big here and I usaully never finish eveyrthing.
The wait is long on weekends but I find that if you come on a Sunday, put your name down then stroll around the farmer's market (voted the best in the bay area for 3 years in a row) and then you don't feel like you've waited forever.
After a hard night of drinking with my former college roommate, the hangover the following morning is usually pretty brutal. Our secret solution? STACKS.
I would take off one star because the wait can be awhile on a Sunday morning but Stacks rocks and must understand the pain we are going through so they have coffee outside for you while you wait! GENIUS. So even if you do have to wait a bit to get seated, at least you're getting coffee to begin the magic cure to your hangover.
I'd suggest looking over the menu while you wait because it's pretty extensive and pretty impossible to decide on what to get. Everything is delicious! The scrambles are great! The pancakesare great! The omlettes are great! You really cant go wrong with anything on the menu! And dont worry, once you order, your food comes out pretty quickly!!
Just wish they had mimosas......
I've been hyping this place up to myself for the longest time thinking it would be a bomb-diggity place to grab breakfast. And with a name like stacks, I couldn't wait to try the pancakes.
At first, I was like, a full stack is just 3 cakes? But they are HUGE cakes, so it is definitely a full stack.
I got the banana macadamia nut pancakes, and it was pretty good. Not great, but good. The syrup was nothing special, but the pancakes themselves didn't quite have that warm "cozy breakfast" taste I was expecting. Hence the 3 stars.
I've given this place numerous tries and can say I won't ever return.
The food is marginal, not horrible, but not anything I couldn't get at Denny's. Nothing stands out as really delicious.
What sealed the deal for me is the lack of service and the negative attitude of one of the managers. I inquired about "call ahead seating" once and that question irritated him to no end. And on Friday 6/26 my husband and I were going to try one last time for lunch. My husband popped his head in to see if they still open and I kid you not: the manager rolled his eyes, looked at the clock, and said "you have 30 seconds". I just quietly turned to go, understanding we did get there too late, but appalled at the response. He sees us leaving and says "no, wait, ok" in a tone that sounded like....please do not take me up on this. I told him that it was fine, no problem and again in the same tone he said "it's ok, we'll seat you".
Even if the wait staff is decent (not friendly or un-friendly), I just don't want to give a place my business where the managers treat customers this way. There was a much better tone that could have been used and I could have done without the juvenile eye roll from a middle aged man. Arriving late was our problem, but didn't need to be given that response....it wasn't that irritating again was it?
I won't try it again, there are other choices and I would encourage anyone else to seek them out before encountering the rude management here. Because of the amazing service and delicious food, I'll keep visiting Aqui. Their weekend breakfasts are something I would actually wait 45 minutes for....and in the meantime the manager would be pleasant and explain the specials to us without asking. Imagine that, going out of their way to be nice to a customer....the choice is pretty easy to me.
I am from Sunnyvale and to find a decent breakfast is a bit tricky around this area. This is why I am a fan of Stacks.
There was a time when I would come here once a week with my boyfriends/girlfriends to grab a large breakfast meal.
Come before 2 pm because they don't open later than 2! My favorite: strawberry waffles.
Why?
1) Fresh strawberries
2) Fresh whip cream and homemade, too!
3) The waffle is as big as your head (maybe bigger)
4) Fluffy and buttery waffles ('nuff said)
Huevos ranchero and eggs benedict are also some of their favorites. Oh, and beware coming on Sunday mornings, you'll be expected to wait for an hour or more! Their price is a bit much and the wait is a bit long ... but until you tell me of a better place, it's worth the wait.
Interior: 5/10, Food: 4/10, Service: 7/10.
This place used to be good, but their food quality has dropped over the last year.
The last time I visited Stacks was with an out-of-town guest. I was raving about how good the breakfasts were, but I think I built it up a little too high. The pancakes we received were dry and crumbling apart. The omelettes were overcooked and rubbery.
I started noticing that the food was not as good as it used to be. Too bad, I used to frequent this place regularly.
Would I go back? Probably not.
Every so often I go up to my hometown of San Jose, CA to visit my family and eat like a damn pig, because there is nothing like home cookin' or your parents fitting the bill when you dine out. Nothing like it at all.
So when my sister described Stacks as having "the best pancakes ever" (and yes, if I was speaking this out loud, I would have used quotie fingers) how could I refuse. Then when I informed my mom that we going to Stacks for breakfast on Sunday morning and she looked at me and said, "That place is only okay." Wah-waaaaah.
Basically, it's your typical breakfast eatery scenario. It has a quaint setting that creates a half hour wait outside till about two in the afternoon. They do have a free coffee stand out front, which is a very nice touch. They even have an ice tea dispenser if you don't like coffee, so stop complaining. The wait really did not seem all that long and we were seated at a comfortable booth near the back. They do leave the back door open, so there is a bit of a cold draft coming in. If I was 70 years old or above I might clutch my shawl tighter around my shoulders and complain; however, it just so happens I'm a strapping young man in my late twenties, so it didn't bother me in the least. That's right, ladies.
I must tell you, I did not order, as my sister mentioned, the best pancakes ever. Sorry, but if she wants to get that message across, she should write her own review. I ended up ordering an incredibly good omelet. The thing I enjoyed about their bacon and avocado omelet, is that they put the avocado inside. So many times I've been to places that lay it on top, and it ends up slipping off, or you have to measure and plan it out just right so that there is avocado in every bite, and who wants to think that much. This place had it just right, and it was a big size so I was pleased. But that's not all! It's accompanied with a heaping portion of potatoes, AND a bagel (which can be substituted for fruit for all your healthies out there).
The server was cool, but she did take a couple minutes in between setting down drinks and coming back to take our order. The food did not take that long to come out though, so she was silently forgiven.
I was stoked to go to Stacks, and was ridiculously full when I was done. I would for sure go back when I am in San Jose visiting my loving family... my loving family that pays for things.
This place is a great breakfast place to go to. It's busy so you have to wait a bit, but definitely worth the wait! The waiters there are very nice and they're very smart to leave a pitcher of water there for you. They're very good with refilling your coffee too and asking how the food is and if there's anything else you need.
My suggestions:
Lumberjack pancackes - these are the blueberry pancakes and they're super moist and perfectly fluff. You don't really need butter, but syrup is a must (of course!)
Garden Crepe and Veggie Scramble - if you're a veggie-only eater, these are great dishes to have.
Hot links, mushroom, onion Skillet - it's a perfect combo with the potatoes. Also, a perfect amout for me when I'm really hungry.
Mexican and Italian Frittata - I LOVE fritattas because it's kind of like an omelet, but everything's cooked altogether in a huge wok. I love making it and I love eating. I especially like these two because the mexican fritatta has avocado and the italian one has the spicy italian sausage..yummmmm
Haven't been here for lunch, but I may have to try it out since their breakfast food is so delicious. Suggestions anyone?!
I always get dragged here by Wendy! This is her Triathlon teams standard breakfast stomping ground, but let me tell you, I loath this place. Now I'm not saying that the breakfast isn't good. Yes, it's solid, I've never had a dish that has made me say "wow, this place blows", but in my opinion, it's not super spectacular. But I'll tell you what IS super spectacular, the weekend waits. The place has free coffee and tea outside to make people feel better about the never ever ever ending wait. Mark party for 2, John party of 6, Kate party of 3, Dave party of 2, oh sorry, wrong Dave, we were talking to that guy behind you. Ugh! It's relentless. I mean, aren't these people hungry? I feel like as I sit outside Stacks on a weekend, everybody is smiling but me. Dogs wagging their tails, people in workout clothes chattering away, everyone is smiling! What's to smile about, I'm starving here, and we've all been waiting 45 minutes for eggs, bacon and pancakes. If you're patient and not so hungry, this place might be for you, if you want to get in and out like me, I'd pass.
p.s. Oh, one thing that IS cool is when you have large parties, 6 or more, they make sure to give everyone individual checks, god knows how hard it is to do simple math after a hard nights drinking. It keeps people civil about how much everyone paid.
I love breakfast! When I want good breakfast near San Jose, I go to Stacks. I always get the Banana macadamia nut & coconut pancakes. They're great, even without the syrup. On my last visit, I also had a blueberry pancake. It was great with the warm blueberry compote. Try the chili. It's chunky and has great flavor.
I got the vegetarian 3-egg scramble and did not really care for it. I thought the scramble/omelets that they serve at Denny's was way better. The good thing about this breakfast spot is the outdoor seating so I am able to bring my dog out to eat with me. I think I will have to try the pancakes next time since that is what everyone is raving about.
The breakfast/brunch menu here offered a greater variety than other breakfast places I've been to in the area (I don't consider 200 omelet combos as variety). My husband and I had a 15 minute wait until we were seated. He had their complimentary coffee and I tried to have a cup of water. However, their water dispenser must have been dirty, because we couldn't get particle free water (say no to floaties). When we were finally seated, our table wasn't set up right (four place settings instead of two, sticky glass), but our waitress was quick to fix things.
Although skeptical, I decided to give the lox and bagels a try. I usually order it whenever I see it on a breakfast menu, but have always been disappointed by the local restaurants. To my surprise, it was actually pretty good here! The lox was not as thin as at my favorite place for this dish (onboard Royal Carribean Cruise Lines), but it was pretty decent compared to other places. The plate had four rolled up pieces of lox, one toasted and sliced plain bagel, an ample amount of creme cheese on the side, sliced red onions, capers, and sliced tomatoes. I would definitely get it again.
My hubby had the french toast with strawberry compote and a side of sausage links. I had a taste and the french toast was fluffy and light. There were two large pieces of toast cut in half. The sausage links were large and chubby. Both things were good...not super amazing, but better than average. We also got a boat of fruit. Our waitress made sure we got a nice variety of fruit in our boat. Overall, one of the better breakfast places in terms of choice and quality. It's hard to find decent lox, so I am sure we will be back.
Price: Pricing is decent. It's no mcdonalds breakfast, or even a denny's or a carrows. It's definitely a notch above that. So I guess you get what you pay for (even though I felt I may have paid a bit more for what I got). Most plates are around $11, but it's quite filling.
Service: The 45-50 minute wait felt kind of long. You can always line up for the countertop seating, but doesn't make you feel so special. For what it is, I was surprised it was so busy. Good thing I wasn't too busy and it was a day off for me, so I had time to wait. Any other day, I would not have waited, especially after eating there (not to say it was terrible, but just not THAT great).
Taste: I heard so much great things about this place, so I had very high anticipation. I guess with that high anticipation, I was a bit disappointed. The portions were pretty good, I was quite filled with the eggs benedict and a short stack of blueberry pancakes, but I've definitely had better. OJ was regular ol' orange juice I could buy from the store and the fruit that came on the side was not too fresh. My friend enjoyed his all meat omelette, but he's used to eating at Denny's all the time.
Atmosphere: The restaurant is very plain and simple. Not too big, which creates the heavey traffic and long waits. It's like any other breakfast joint or diner. I was a little disappointed with that too. Too much going on, felt a bit rushed because it was so busy. Maybe should've ate outside to have it some what quieter.
What You'll Remember: Long wait (but at least they offer iced tea and coffee outside while you wait). Large portions.
Comment: I have to admit I was a bit disappointed. It's worth checking out, but don't hold your breath in excitement. Bill's is still better for sure.
Cheers,
T-Chung
I think it's always a good sign when a breakfast/lunch place is only open from 6am-2pm. Been coming here for years with the fam for weekend breakfasts.
A friend and I stopped by around 9am, and were semi-pleasantly surprised to be seated almost immediately. Normally the wait is about 20 min so that was nice, but I was hoping to have a least two mini-cups of coffee from the free-for-waiting-patrons cart outside.
We were seated directly in front of the kitchen so it was fun to watch the servers hustle about, but within 10 minutes we were sweating our asses off because the industrial toaster was making the whole area +10 degrees. Ugh.
The food: I've had the eggs blackstone and biscuits & gravy (both are Sunday-only specials) and each time I've left the restaurant in a bit of a happy-food-overdose-daze...but this time, it was way too hot for that, so I ordered a hot links egg scramble. The scrambles here are delicious and it's really hard to go wrong with them. And instead of bread, they serve with a toasted buttered bagel.
p.s. they don't take reservations unless you have more than 6 in your party, so bring your friends!
other tips/observations from previous trips:
- inside seating is snug. there are a fair number of booths, and a bar, but if you get a table, expect things to be cramped behind you.
- free tea and coffee outside
- they have several bay area locations
- usually waitstaff is swamped, ask for a pitcher of water and save everyone some time
- expect to wait 30-45 min if you show up between 1030 and 1200
It's true. This place isn't a place where you can get anything extra, extra special. But it's worth at least 3 stars due to the nice wall decors and some of the food. The people here served our food pretty quickly this morning. Then again, it was only really early in the morning since we noticed that it gets pretty busy during noontime.
From the first flap of the menu, it goes from 4 different types of basics which range from a price of $6.99-7.99. The first one consists of bacon, eggs, and potatoes. The next consists of maybe something different with eggs, sausage, and such.
They serve different kinds of crepes like Garden Crepe , which is like avocado, mushrooms , tomatoes, bell pepper, etc, Fruit Crepe, and Crab Crepe.
They sell fruit bowls, yogurt, and those refreshing treats everyone craves for early in the morning. And of course, they sell stacks of pancakes. There is the short stack, which consists of 2 stacks of pancakes. Then there is the full stack, which consists of 3 stacks of pancakes. You are able to choose from what kind of pancakes you want. They have choices that range from Blueberry, Raisin Walnut, to Banana Wheat Germ and more!
In general, Stacks to me, would be compared to a place like Denny's, but only a tad bit fancier. Being a breakfast place, Stacks usually opens starting from 7 am until its closing time which is about 2:30-3:30 pm. Though this place is not exactly 5 star breakfast material, it's nice enough to still give it a try and stop by whenever you can early in the morning.
Via blackberry::
So I just came to finally try this place out after working for 3 years at a competitor breakfast joint and hearing different comparisons.
I think its takin me so long cuz after working for 3 years I've kind of turned myself off to typical breakfasts. So looking at the menu nothing really seemed to strike me out of the ordinary until I saw the Eggs Louis and read.. Fruit hash eggs spinach hollendaise sauce eng muffin and.. What the?? Crab?! Crab for breakfast? This has gotta be something I needed to try!
Normally I like to steer away from hollendaise sauce cuz its kind of a hit or miss but stacks hits it right on when my dish came out.I was also surprised to see whole pieces of sweet succulent snow crab. So good that I ended up asking for more sauce to finish the last couple bites with it. Although I do have to say the eng muf did nothing for the dish to me. Next time I'll order that on the side.
My friend ordered the french toast and a bagel. Meh good nothing extroadinary. Maybe I've had these things for too long to really enjoy them anymore. Though I'd like to note they did bring out warm apple..preserves I think they're called with the french toast and served the bagel with whipped cream cheese. I just thought that was a nice touch.
Overall enjoyed my breakfast. Service was fast and super friendly thoguh the prices are bit higher than I would like.
I'd definitely come back.
Perfectly Fluffy Pancakes and a Blue Tongue
I really love their short stack of pancakes plain $5.25 or the blueberry $7.10 as they are light and fluffy with just the right amount of butter grilledness. They bring your table a personal carafe of coffee so you can serve yourself however much you wish. I've enjoyed the egg scramble, potatoes, omelets and more but the pancakes our my first choice for breakfast or lunch time.
Blue Tongue Fun - eat a short stack of their blueberry pancakes slathered with the extra blueberry compote sauce and you end up with a very blue tongue. Bring your chow chow dog and you can have matching tongues :-)
Dog Friendly - Four paws for having six umbrella shaded tables outside and letting us hang out and beg for eggs and bacon!
San Jose, CA
Category: Breakfast & Brunch
San Jose, CA
Category: Breakfast & Brunch
Los Gatos, CA
Category: Breakfast & Brunch
San Jose, CA
Category: American (Traditional)
Menlo Park, CA
Category: Breakfast & Brunch
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