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The Terrace Room
Categories: Restaurants Breakfast & Brunch Restaurants American (New) Breakfast & Brunch, American (New) [Edit]
Lake Merritt Hotel1800 Madison St
Oakland, CA 94612
Neighborhood: Lake Merritt
(510) 903-3771
Announcement
Join us Thursday, September 1st for One Fermented Evening featuring New Belgium Brewery. Enjoy a five (5) course dinner & beer - $40.
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11 am - 2 pm
Mon-Wed 5 pm - 8 pm
Thu-Fri 5 pm - 9:30 pm
Sat-Sun 10 am - 2:30 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Brunch
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Classy
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
141 reviews for The Terrace Room
Review Highlights
"Not to mention the bottomless mimosas."
(in 31 reviews)
"Great brunch and killer bloody marys."
(in 18 reviews)
"The classic art deco decorum puts a nice big bow on this..."
(in 9 reviews)
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141 reviews in English
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Review from Alana L.
Oakland, CA
1/17/2012
Oh, Terrace Room! I've passed you by for years during my power walks around Lake Merrit and I've always been curious to know more. Despite your extremely convenient location, you're never on my radar to visit. However, my curiosity was finally satiated this weekend when my awesome friends treated me to a lively and entertaining brunch.
The Establishment: beautifully preserved historic setting that sits across the street from the Lake and offers a killer view. Sitting in the dining room, one can't help but imagine a time of sophistication; when ladies wore dresses, men wore suits and the trending drinks were high balls and martinis instead of long islands and peach ciroc. Totally reminiscent of a scene from Hitchcock movie featuring Grace Kelly (if you disregard the flat screened tv adorning the wall in the bar area).
The Food: for the most part, was pretty damn good. They serve you complimentary muffins upon seating and offer a bottomless mimosas for $12 a person. The mimosa's could've been a little stronger, but they were bottomless so.....
The shrimp and grits were the star of the show at brunch. Everyone that ordered them raved in between bites and cleaned their plates. I tasted them and agreed, although I would have liked for there to be an additional meat accompaniment to give the grits more of a bite. I didn't try the omelettes but they looked good. I was not happy with my Blackened Cajun Chicken Benedict, which ironically enough was recommended by our server. The dish was sloppy in presentation and ill proportioned. The large pieces of blackened chicken overpowered the plate, leaving only the taste of Cajun hot sauce. However, I drank another mimosa and was fine. The biscuits are excellent here, super fluffy and delicate.
The Service: so here's where it gets tricky. I don't know if our server was overwhelmed by our group of about 17 or just slow in general but it took her an extremely long time to produce anything requested of her. If I were the manager, I'd probably have assigned more than one waiter to assist a table that large. I don't think this actually occurred to the manager until about 1/2 way through brunch when we had to ask other waiters and bus help to track down our waitress.
Price: I'd say moderate; it's always hard to tell with large groups because the gratuitity is included, but from glancing at the menu, nothing struck me as incredibly outrageous.
Summary: beautiful spot for a special brunch, good food, slow service (which isn't really a deterrent since Sunday's are supposed to be the one day you can relax). -
Review from Andris L.
CA
1/30/2012
Ttthhheee ssslllooowwweeesssttt ssseeerrrvvviiiccceee eeevvveeerrr! To get the drinks to the table it took them 30min. It took exactly 1 hour to get the entry since our arrival. The place wasn't even busy! Now waiting for the desert because we had the PreFix menu. Otherwise I would have left.
Not sure what is taking them so long....
Finally 2 hours later we were able to walk out of there. I wasn't expecting a bistro 'in and out' but I definitely wasn't expecting to sit there 2 hours. -
Review from Charmine L.
San Francisco, CA
1/29/2012 15 photos
Environment: 5 stars (love the night view by the LAKE!!!)
Atmosphere: 3 stars (not feeling it is romantic)
Decor: 3 stars (there is not that much decoration, but it is like a glass house)
Service: 3 stars (it could be more attentive, but somewhat friendly)
Food: 3 stars (not highly recommend!!! I had the worst Souffle, which was obviously under cooked!!!! However, the server told me that it is supposed to like that that was totally wrong!!!)
For the view, I would definitely suggest it. -
Review from jamie j.
Walnut Creek, CA
1/13/2012
Service was friendly but a bit slow - from the time we ordered to food delivery was about 30 min (there on a Wed at 11am.)
Poor presentation - order grilled salmon w/o potatoes (I don't eat grains or potatoes) $19. Salmon was about 6 oz and came with less than a cup of brussel sprouts; 70% of the plate was empty and they didn't even bother to anything else on the plate (e.g. more veggies, greens, etc.) There was so little food on the plate that I finished my plate before my mother was half way through her soup/half sandwich. I went home and ate another meal. -
Review from mayhem x.
Oakland, CA
12/18/2011
Came here from brunch today Sunday, was greated by friendly hostesses and seated immediately. Our server was Mark, he was great and helpful with the menu. He said the chef is southern so I tried the fried chicken benedict with greens. It was very tasty and served with piping hot potatoes. My husband had the short rib hash and that was also delicious. We also had our share of the bloody marys.
The view is great like everyone mentions, but the service and food warrant a second visit
We stopped at the bar on the way out and were told that they are putting in new beer taps in the next couple weeks and they will have Thursday events/tastings. Sounds like new management or at least some positive things happening here -
Review from Trav. M.
San Francisco, CA
12/12/2011
In keeping with Sunday tradition, my boys and I chose The Terrace Room for our weekly Sunday brunch get together and we all had somewhat mixed reviews about it.
I made a reservation for us via OpenTable and they were honored, even though we were still missing a member of our party of four. We were seated and these AMAZING carrot-raisin muffins came out to the table. They were so good! Fresh out the oven and hot and yummy. While we waited, we opted for bottomless drinks. Our rule is it's not brunch unless we get bottomless cocktails...then it's just Breakfast or Lunch. With that being said, we all started off with Bloody Marys and Bellinis. The Bloody Mary was great, but a little too spicy for my taste. It definitely tasted like they use a special house recipe that sets theirs apart from the traditional, which I think is awesome, but I couldn't finish the drink entirely, neither could my friend, and we switched to mimosas after that and another round of glorious muffins came out.
The venue sits pretty much on the edge of Lake Merritt and if you get a decent table, you can get a beautiful view of the lake. Seating is pretty small and intimate and kinda has this whole art deco thing going on. The Sunday Brunch crowd was full the typical of after-church patrons, locals as well as people just enjoying a hazy Sunday out of the house,
Soon after, our fourth member arrived and we were ready to order. I got the hash (eggs scrambled), and other items on the table included the house burger and another customized hash.
I enjoyed the hash, but I expected more egg and more flavor. The plating was pretty,,,eh. It just looked like a bunch of potatoes with a scrambled egg on top in one big chunk. The burgers at the table looked AMAZING. The egg on top was a great touch.
My one major upset about this place is that after the food got to us, the service got really slow and almost stagnant at one point. Our server kinda stopped checking on us for a little over 15 minutes, at which point I think the house manager came out and gladly refilled our empty glasses. Also to be noted, our server made two different errors with our tab as she was checking us out.
Hopefully, yesterday was just a bad day as I've heard great things about this place and would like to come back again, minus the not-so-stellar experience I had,Listed in: Brunch Drunk.
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Review from Kevin H.
Walnut Creek, CA
1/17/2012
I attended a wedding at the Terrace Room at the Lake Merrit Hotel. The venue looked very beautiful when adorned with flowers and other wedding accoutrements. A few small hiccups outstanding, the wedding ran very smoothly and the crowd of 150+ seemed to be about the perfect size for the space.
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Review from Artimmis B.
Oakland, CA
11/9/2011
Amazing bottomless mimosas for $10 and I loved the fact they had Kobe burgers on their brunch menu!
Beautiful view, great service as they accommodated us consistently.
A plus for their neat and clean bathrooms, a little odd that they are located right next to a retirement home as I accidentally walked in to their common area when I was looking for the bathrooms. -
Review from S W.
Oakland, CA
12/27/2011
Love the location and service is great, but the new menu and inflated prices leave something to be desired. Perhaps the new menu is an attempt to compete with the pretentious place around the corner, Lake Chalet, the restaurant on the Lake that serves not so good food for a hefty price.
During today's lunch visit, I missed the ability to choose between the comfort of a largely porportionate cobb salad or the grilled cheese with smoked apple bacon served along side a bowl of creamy tomato soup. When I finally decided on a cesar salad with blackened chicken, my hopes were dashed upon learning that they had no chicken to serve. While the waiter took my lunch mate's order to the kitchen, I decided to try the pasta of the day, which turned out to be a fettucine dish with a creamy white sauce, an abundance of peas, and pieces of some type of fatty pork. It had potential, but at $16 and having bumped some revered favorites off the menu, it should have exceeded any and all expectation. -
Review from Sara J.
Danville, CA
10/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
I delivered a wedding cake here this past Saturday...it was just ok. It was kind of dated, but the views are what takes this place... some good views of lake merritt, but otherwise not sure i'd host a wedding here. I didn't like the layout...but that's just me.
Parking in this area is SHITTY, ugh good luck with that. -
Review from Jennifer D.
Hayward, CA
11/23/2011
This restaurant is looking right over the lake and beautiful. I like this place because it is really nice but does not break your wallet. The prices are fair and they have bottomless mimosas (or other morning drinks) for just $10! It is a great place to have brunch.
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Review from Vanessa G.
Oakland, CA
11/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
Two stars is for the overall experience zero stars for my drink. Walked in here on a sunday afternoon to get a 'killer bloody mary' and got a watery over spiced beverage. The place looks really classy on the outside and when you immediately walk in but get into the dining area and the bar area and it was a mess. Not sure if they were understaffed or what but i doubt i'd go back based on my first impression. They didnt have any top shelf vodkas except for I guess, Belvedere and the bar area was a disaster boxes everywhere and the bartender didnt seem to know his own inventory.
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Review from meshell c.
Oakland, CA
10/14/2011
Went there for a Sunday brunch. Didn't realize they had bottomless drinks...I started off with the Bloddy Mary and ended up with 2 of their Mimosas. Can't beat the $10 price for all you can drink! :)
Food: I had their French Toast. It was yummy. Hit the spot and it was a big serving! The other girls had a mix of food and they all seemed pretty tasty except for the Pollo Verde Chilaquiles. The chicken was dry and didn't have any flavor. Ick!
Service: Nothing outstanding and not subpar. Let's just say, it didn't stand out to me, but they didn't kick us out either even though there were people waiting and we just took our time.
Bottom line: Meh, it's fine if I go there, but it's not a top pick for a brunch spot. -
Review from Rat a tat R.
San Francisco, CA
9/12/2011
What a view! Stunning. Wow.
The Terrace Room isn't where one would go if they rolled out of bed at noon hung-over, threw on sweats, and desperately wanted some greasy bacon and hash browns. But for something a little classier, Terrace is a nice option.
The menu is pricey (you're paying for that view!) and could have more selection, but the food they serve is good. And I like that they have bottomless mimosas and refill liberally.
The atmosphere isn't what I'd call intimate, but it certainly is classy. And the servers will take care of you. -
Review from Jose O.
Alameda, CA
8/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
The Terrance Room is a BIG disappointment.
The gorgeous view offered by Lake Merritt can't compensate for the limited menu and tasteless food. The Terrance Room offers absolutely no entrées for Vegetarians -shocking and bold (in is the Bay Area?). When I approached our waiter with my concerns, he stated the chef could accommodate special request. I ordered a simple marinara pasta (Pasta & Tomatoes). I received noodles in oil with a few vegetables on top and no marinara sauce... Ugh! I didn't eat the food and when the manager came around she stated, "we have a new chef and he likes fish and meat, but keep an eye on our menu." Umm I think not.
My disappointment extended beyond a single visit. A previous encounter consisted of tequila tasting. Absolutely the worst tequila I have ever tasted. There is no way anyone could shoot that disgusting distilled crap, how could they expect us to sip it. I don't recommend the Terrance Room and I don't plan to ever return.
Two plate & two glasses of wine $60+. -
Review from Walter B.
Oakland, CA
9/30/2011
I give five stars for the view, two stars for the menu and four for the service.
With a lovely view overlooking Lake Merritt, the Terrace Room affords one the opportunity to sit two stories above the street and gaze over the water. A better view than Lake Chalet if you ask me.
The prices are inflated and the variety on the menu is lacking. I had the Surf and Turf, minus the Surf. The steak was delicious but I had to specifically ask for a price minus the lobster tail. Bacon wrapped figs were a very interesting appetizer and quite appetizing!
The service was very good. Our server was attentive but not obnoxious and she did a wonderful job. All in all I'd say the experience was good but not anything worth raving over. -
Review from Kathleen B.
Oakland, CA
6/27/2011 Seated via OpenTable
I picked The Terrace Room for my birthday brunch out of several places I perused through Yelp. I believed it would have a nice view of the lake and be reasonably priced. I was also intrigued about the bottomless Bloody Marys and Mimosas, although I'm a light drinker.
I was pleased when my partner and I were seated by the windows, with a lake view. The service was great. It's a nice place, but they did not act the least bit snobbish (even to my hoody and shorts-wearing partner).
The only downside I would mention was the shortage of items on the menu, it's brunch after all ( I expect several breakfast AND several lunch items).
However, the food we had was delicious! The portions were nicely sized, enough to fill me up without the need for a doggy bag. And the prices were quite reasonable.
All in all it was a very nice birthday brunch. -
Review from vanessa c.
Oakland, CA
10/31/2011
terrace room was not poppin a year ago! they got a new chef, and suddenly they know how to poach eggs properly! the burger is ridiculously yummy. the chilaquiles are fantastic. the bottomless mimosas are always a plus, and simone is the best!
anyway, i totally support those other reviews about how bad the food used to be, but now, they got it together! give them another shot. wait, don't, so we don't ever have a long wait. -
Review from Derya A.
Oakland, CA
10/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
French toast, bottomless mimosas, and a view. Doesn't get any better. The service is decent, although I've had some weird issues when the bill came to a party of 8, but mimosas are a great distraction from such mishaps.
Listed in: Best East Bay Breakfast.
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Review from Mary P.
Oakland, CA
6/6/2011
Poached eggs are my favorite, I need eggs in the morning and it never matters what time morning is. My first meal of the day must include an egg somewhere on the plate.
So I was excited when my Eggs Benedict arrived at the table. Overall the breakfast wasn't terrible but the eggs were a bit chewy, stringy, and visually displeasing. I don't like to look at stringy eggs covered with a foamy residue, it was disheartening. Often this happens when the cook doesn't change the water, uses old eggs, or cooks with water that is too hot. Slow cooked is the way to go but these eggs had been rushed. And in the end the texture of the eggs and I suffered for the hurry.
Happily, the pancakes were great. They had a subtle crunch on the outside ring but were moist inside. Lovely mimosas and bloody Mary's flowed without end almost allowing one to forget about the mediocre eggs, until the next week when someone's friend mentioned it again. -
Review from Jim L.
San Francisco, CA
9/21/2011
This old school Oakland landmark is a GREAT place to go for food and amazing views and ambiance.
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Review from Vivian A.
5/9/2011 1 photo
We came here for Mother's Day brunch. My mom was greeted with a long stem rose of her choosing. Nice touch. Big ice carving stating "Happy Mother's Day" too. Cute.
It was half buffet, half served. The served dishes were fried potatoes, pancakes, bacon, eggs, eggs benedict, and cheese blintz with strawberry topping. The fried potatoes were ok, the bacon was served extra crispy (like I like it), but the eggs benedict was a bit too runny for our tastes (Clear egg is never a good thing) at the table. The cheese blintz and pancakes were good as well, although your average pancakes and cheese blintz so nothing to write home about.
The buffet was nice. They had an assortment of pastries, cereals, an omelet bar, a carving station of roasted turkey and prime rib, and little desserts. They also had assorted pastas and a plate of lox with all the fixin's. The lox was extremely tasty and the cream cheese had a perfect whipped consistency, topped with capers and red onions, it was the highlight of the brunch (other than the bottomless mimosas). The omelets were good but they were just an egg flap with your picked fixin's stuffed inside, most of which was falling out. I like my omelets with the fixin's mixed in so.. I wasn't impressed with the flavor. The prime rib was good, although the 'horseradish' had no flavor, it was more like sour cream than anything else. The desserts were very tasty (I had one of each small cheesecake, the pecan pie and top of a blueberry crumble muffin).
We thought that maybe they played it 'safe' with the food, being that the majority of the food was pretty bland and had no flavor, except for a few items. We thought maybe due to wanting to err on the 'safe' side with some older mothers being there for Mother's Day? Whatever the situation, pretty average food for the price. But the view was nice and it was a great day so... anything for Momsies, right?
Three stars for the food. One extra star for the bottomless mimosa, the great view, and for treating my Momsies right on Mother's Day, -
Review from Hil B.
Oakland, CA
10/18/2011
I got married here almost a year ago and am just now writing the review. They were wonderful for our wedding-- the staff was great, the food was great, the view was great. The price was also very reasonable considering all we got *and* that at the time they waived the facility rental fee. Our only complaint was that they were having a problem with the sound system so the music was very hard to hear. I guess they have a new chef now, which is too bad because we loved Brandon. All and all, I wouldn't change a thing other than the sound.
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Review from J E.
Oakland, CA
Updated - 8/1/2011
BOO! Third time back here and such a disappointment. They have a new executive chef and changed "some" things around. Still a great ambiance, etc, with bottomless mimosas. BUT whole new menu that is worse. Got rid of my bf's fav omelet and now have these weird breakfast salad options. What the hell is that? The homefries are better, but I got the hash browns which were an oily, soggy mess that I didn't eat. They also skimped on the toast and those delicious muffins that they give now cost $2 for extras.
I have to say the changes are not for the better and I hope they seriously consider changing their menu again.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/31/2011
This place is a hidden gem. I live within walking distance and we took my boyfriend's mother to… Read more »
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Review from Charles B.
Oakland, CA
4/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
3 stars for the breathtaking view and live jazz during Sunday brunch. These musicians have such good rapport that their last set was reminiscent of that moving scene in James Cameron's Titanic where that band continued to play triumphantly as the ship sunk to its murky doom.
Minus 1 star for the 3 miniscule potato slices passed off as home fries. The bottomless raspberry bellinis, mimosas, and bloody marys earn this place its 4th star. -
Review from Felicia C.
Berkeley, CA
5/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
I came here for lunch on recommendation from a friend. I ordered the Turkey Club. The sandwich came with turkey, avocado, bacon, gouda, and lots of sprouts. It reminded me of sandwiches from Intermezzo, only double the price.
I'm not a huge cold sandwich fan, so it was just okay for me. The view of Lake Merritt is beautiful, though. Maybe I'll return to try their brunch menu, which looks a little more appealing. -
Review from Maria D.
Contra Costa, CA
5/12/2011
To me this is a standard business lunch spot. Good views, standard nice decor, "new American" food. Nothing to write home about but definitely a safe bet for clients or people you don't know well. The bartenders seem to be knowledgable which you don't often see in places like this.
My firm has also thrown some parties in the back rooms, again very standard but nice. I have yet to be here for brunch, for me that would make or break the restaurant. Update soon :) -
Review from dana H.
Newark, CA
10/7/2011
The best meal I have had that Chef Patrick has not cook.
Everyone needs to check the place out New chefs New Food Fantastic!!!!!!!
Chef Devon and Chef Matt did a great job on this meal tonight and every meal I have there gets better and Better.
We will be sure to make it to all the monthly dinners.
Great People,.Good fun.
Lobster dinner on Friday Nights WOW for a great price
The Prices are not over inflated at all if you stop and think about every thing that goes into preparing the meals we had today. -
Review from Christopher M.
San Francisco, CA
3/20/2011
Food is OK... small portions...
I've tried to go here four times, succeeding twice. First time was OK. Second time it took over an hour to get our food.
This weekend, we only tried because of its close proximity to home and the bottomless mimosas. Yesterday they closed two hours early for a private event, so we tried again today... same story. Disappointing. -
Review from Jennifer L.
Oakland, CA
7/24/2011
Celebrating both my 600th review and my Birthday!
I don't think it is possible to say enough good things about this place. I had a really great experience. I called a week ahead to make reservations, and the nicest staff in the world helped me set everything up. Since it was for a Birthday party they even offered to write "Happy Birthday Jennifer" on the menus, which isn't my thing, but incredibly nice, none the less. There were about 15 of us and the service was prompt and friendly. Many of us imbibed in their bottomless mimosas, bellinis and Bloody Marys. The food was excellent, if not a little sparse on the veggie options. Luckily we were a table of mostly carnivores. They also had the best biscuits and gravy I have encountered in the East Bay. And to top it off I received a complimentary chocolate cake for my Birthday (candle included). The views are also amazing and made many of us interested in the gondola rides. -
Review from Kimberly M.
Oakland, CA
7/26/2011
WONDERFUL customer service. GREAT for parties, they give you the attention that you need AND the space that you want to just have fun with your friends. I love coming here, the food is ALWAYS great and they just hired the executive chef from Spangers, I love that place too. I loved ALL the appetizers. Have been before and will go back again and again.
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Review from Meredith B.
Pittsburgh, PA
12/26/2010
My cousin was married here at the Terrace Room. Hopefully that still qualifies me to write a review!
The space was an absolutely beautiful place to be married. The view over Lake Merritt was lovely, and only got lovelier as the sun set and you could see city lights sparkling on the water. The room was set up perfectly for a small wedding - comfortable sitting area in the front for when guests walk in, bar area, a staircase, and enough seating (and dance floor area) to comfortably accommodate a small to medium size wedding.
Everything seemed to flow smoothly with the service, and the staff was very quick to remove the chairs we used a the ceremony and replace them with white tables for dinner. The setting felt elegant, and everyone I talked to agreed the food was of a higher-than-usual quality, as compared to standard wedding fare. The chicken was actually juicy and flavorful! Dessert was far too rich for me, but many other people enjoyed it.
It was a lovely place to celebrate, and if I was asked to return sometime for another meal, I'd love to do so! The view alone would make it worthwhile, but the meal left a very good impression on me as well. -
Review from Rachel F.
Walnut Creek, CA
7/11/2011
If a fine dining restaurant in downtown Oakland right next to Lake Merritt is virtually empty on a Friday night, then you know there is a problem.
A group of us came here to celebrate a friend's birthday. When we arrived, the dining room was almost empty--perhaps two or three other tables had patrons sitting at them. The view of the lake is beautiful and the restaurant itself has a nice ambiance. But that is really where the compliments stop.
Our waitress had no personality and seemed rather clueless as to what was offered on the menu. A few of us ordered appetizers at the same time we ordered entrees. And at this time, we also asked for bread. Twenty minutes later, the appetizers came out, but no bread. We asked for bread again. Another 15 or 20 minutes passes before they finally brought us TWO baskets of bread (each with only 4 or 5 slices) for 15 people! AND they were placed at one end of the table. Myself and those also at my end of the table didn't get any bread. When the waitress came by to fill up water, we asked for more bread. She brought out one more basket just as the entrees were coming out. At least I got ONE slice this time.
Here comes the next issue. A lot of us ordered the same dish, and no one had any special requests or were picky about the way their meal was to be prepared. My medium-well steak came out before my friend's medium-rare steak, and hers was cold. My asparagus was cold and my steak was only warm, which was a shame because other than that, the food was pretty good. BUT three of us ordered the gumbo, and while two of them came out at the same time, the third did not get hers. She waited patiently until everyone else was halfway through their meal and then asked the waitress if her gumbo was coming. The waitress replied with an unconcerned, "Umm, let me go check." She returned 10 minutes later and said, "It will be out in 5 minutes." No explanation, no apology. Finally, the gumbo arrived. Again, no "Sorry for the delay." The waitress basically just dropped it in front of my friend.
And either this place doesn't serve dessert or the waitress failed to offer us a dessert menu before bringing our check.
The poor, poor service would've been tolerated a little more if the place has been crowded. But at 8:00 on a Friday night, we were literally the ONLY people there. Despite the food being decent enough, the service was just too atrocious to make any of us want to come back. Which is a shame because I hear the brunch is amazing. -
Review from Ezequiel R.
San Francisco, CA
3/3/2011
I try to come here as much as I can. Why? Two words - Bottomless Mimosas!
The service is always great and it's never too crowded. They refill your mimosa all the time which is good and bad at the same time. The view is hard to beat too.
As for the food I was really surprised at how well it was! I usually get "Joe's Special" which is great!
Five Stars hands down! -
Review from Anyra P.
San Rafael, CA
2/27/2011
Met my dad for an eleven a.m. Sunday brunch. The forecast had called for possible snow in the SF area this weekend, but instead we were treated to a spectacular sunny, crisp Bay day. What better setting for eggs and a bottomless Bloody Mary?
Terrace Room is housed inside the Lake Merritt Hotel, an historic Deco building right on the Lake. After passing through a small lounge (with fireplace going - noted, for future drinks) we were seated right in the window, overlooking the water, occasional joggers, dog walkers, and Tai Chi students. The menu is fairly short, but to the point: Benedicts, omelettes, sandwiches, burgers. While the Benedicts were your classic fare, with lightest Hollandaise you've ever tasted (an oxymoron I realize), the other offerings were creative: Lady of the Lake omelette with prawns, jalopenos, and tomato; crab cakes with poached egg and potatoes; Croque Monsieur made with french toast and served with warm maple syrup. Each around $10 a piece. Fair price considering the upper-scale dining room, view, and multiple servers attending.
As I mentioned, we enjoyed the bottomless Bloodys. I opted for mine sans vodka, which I found missed nothing since they make their own mix in house. It had heat from the hot sauce and a real kick at the end from the horseradish. With a cayenne/salt rimmed glass and green olive/pepperoncini/celery garnish it was an appetizer in a glass. Yum! -
Review from Shaunte J.
Emeryville, CA
8/15/2011
I'm convinced that the food is prepared by the same kitchen that makes the food for the senior living facility next door..... it has that "facility" quality, taste, and look to it.
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Review from Alicia V.
Oakland, CA
8/1/2011
I went here for the Sunday bunch. I loved it. Not overly crowded. Great setting. The Lorraine Omelet is worth coming back for. Not to mention the bottomless mimosas!!!
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Review from Janet P.
Castro Valley, CA
4/6/2011
I came here with a few friends since I've heard soooo much about this place. I don't know of many places in the East Bay that offer bottomless mimosas, so I was a sure in! I opted for the bottomless Raspberry Bellinis...yum!! I also noticed they have bottomless Bloody Marys which I'll be trying next time.
I ordered the Crab Cakes and they were delicious! I had a bite of my friend's Monte Cristo and Home Fried Potatoes - those were yummy as well. The view of the lake was gorgeous! The staff is very attentive and friendly, and I would definitely enjoy this place again!
After enjoying this wonderful brunch on a gorgeous day, my friends and I walked around the lake a bit to sober up. -
Review from Darren G.
Oakland, CA
9/10/2011 Seated via OpenTable
We went here for the view and the room itself is an architectural treat in a fine location. The mimosas were made with low quality orange juice and sparkling wine, but what else would you expect in the bottomless category?
There was no one there during Saturday brunch, which makes the environment a little strange. Service was good, as was the food.
Overall, I don't think I would go back unless I had a hankering to get drunk on mimosas and stare at the lake on a cold, sunny day. Lake Chalet is much better for a similar view and it is right around the corner. -
Review from Michael P.
San Francisco, CA
3/12/2011
WOW! What a great view to have during lunch. We decided to mix it up a little bit on our weekend brunch and after looking on Yelp we found this spot. It's such a great view. We were lucky enough to get a table right next to the window overlooking the lake.
The service left something to be desired as it took a bit for our waiter to help us, but everyone there was very nice. As for the food, the menu was fairly limited so I suggest you take a look before going but I'm not picky and I was able to find something easily. The food was good too.
We enjoyed the view and the food so much that we're even considering having our wedding there!
*tip* call before you head over there and ask them to reserve a window table for you. You'll be glad you did!
