Favorite Bay Area Breakfast Spots?

When I was a student in Boston, there was a place around the corner from where I lived where I could get toast, eggs, homefried potatoes, and bad coffee for $2. It's remains to date as my favorite breakfast spot of all time because of the atmosphere. It was open at 5am, the food was very simple, but good, and the four walls were chock full of characters in between. The same people came in around the same time every day and ordered the same thing. I guess I was one of them though I wasn't there everyday.

There was nothing quite as comforting as a place that made time seem to stand still or even roll backwards after being up all night to feed my late night study habits. That made it the perfect breakfast spot for me. I still have those late habits at times and I'm always on the outlook for a great place to find early morning refuge once in a while. Anyone have favorite breakfast places to recommend? They don't have to be crappy greasy spoons either. A place that offers a nice champagne breakfast can be just as cool in a different way.

First Watch
1841 El Camino Real
Burlingame, CA

Hobee's
www.hobees.com

Mimi's Cafe
1200 El Paseo De Saratoga
San Jose, CA

Stack's Restaurant
www.stacksrestaurant.com

Marie Callender's

Mine is Country Inn on Saratoga. I used to live within walking distance. There is no other place where you can get a combo that includes eggs & Swedish pancakes for under $7. The only thing I don't like is that they don't serve hash browns -- they serve country-fried potatoes instead. That is crap. I LOVE hash browns. But no one else serves Swedish pancakes like do.

Hobee's is ok but they do not serve hash browns with their combos either. I have very high criteria for breakfast -- it's my fave meal to eat out and I MUST have a combo with variety. I can't eat just a stack of pancakes. I haven't been to that place on Saratoga/Sunnyvale in years but they're pretty good too. I forgot what it's called but it's right by 85 and across from the Original Pancake House.

QUOTE (mobyfan @ Sep 7 2006, 09:47 AM)

Mine is Country Inn on Saratoga. I used to live within walking distance. There is no other place where you can get a combo that includes eggs & Swedish pancakes for under $7. The only thing I don't like is that they don't serve hash browns

On the contrary, they DO serve hashed browns. I had hashed browns there this past weekend.

Hobee's is not great but it is not bad either. I have only been living in the area for less then a year and I am still trying to find good places to eat.

Buck's Restaurant
3062 Woodside Rd,
Woodside, CA

Cafe Borrone
1010 El Camino Real
Menlo Park, CA

Borrone is the one by Kepler's right? That's a pretty cool coffee shop. Good coffee too.

I find Hobee's to be a safe second pick too. Each one is different from the others more or less, but it's not quite the right atmosphere for me. The food's consistently fine though.

Sonoma Chicken Coop in Campbell has a nice breakfast offering too and there's free Wi-Fi so I can hang and get some work done if I wish. I really like that they serve lightly herbed foccacia bread with breakfast instead of your usual toast. It really seems to change the character of the breakfast.

Bette's Oceanview Diner
4th street
Berkeley, CA

Rick and Ann's
Berkeley CA

Fat Apple's
Berkeley and El Cerrito.......I always oredered their waffle special, waffle, egg over easy and chicken apple sausage

They all have great breakfasts and really good coffee! So good there are lines out the door on weekends.

QUOTE (Julie @ Sep 7 2006, 07:46 PM)

Rick and Ann's Berkeley CA

I have eaten at Rick and Ann's before and the food is pretty good. Acutally I know that chef that is there on Sunday and Tuesdays.

Julie, I thought for sure that you'd list Sweet Pea's in Los Gatos!! Don't they do breakfast? I went there for lunch once, and it was fantastic!!

Umm, breakfast/brunch--my favorite meal of the day!

My picks:

Brunch: Hyatt Burlingame--a bit pricey but the spread is to die for!

Eclectic: Buck's in Woodside--Deeelicious

Pancakes Galore: The Original Pancake House in Cupertino. They seem to have every kind of pancake that you can think of.

I also really:

Sweet Pea's in Los Gatos

Stacks in Campbell and Burlingame

A good crepe place like Savor in San Francisco and a few on Rockridge in Oakland

Cozy Family Restaurant in San Jose--not superb but good, fairly cheap and a lot of it

Hey Mary,

I felt I couldn't add Sweet Pea's to my list, since I had not eaten breakfast there, only lunch and dinner! But I am sure it is very yummy.

Here are some more.......

Delancy Street Cafe in the city
Cafe Fanny's in Berkeley right next to AMCE bread (ahh, the smell of bread) on San Pablo in Berkeley
The Royal Cafe in Berkeley
Dwight Avenue Cafe in Berkeley
Autumn Moon in Oakland

Los Gatos Cafe (on Santa Cruz Ave near Double D's) is a good breakfast place, popular and priced very fair. Go early and you can be seated right away.

I like the marinated flank steak (unusual breakfast item but good) and the herb potatoes.

The herb potatoes are their version of home fries which I prefer -- I do not like has browns...

alies in Downtown Campbell would have been on my list if it was still around...

Los Gatos Cafe is great. I love to take my mother there for the Eggs Florentine. Great service and great location. My favorites are

Hickory Pit - Campbell Ave
Portions to die for and the best breakfast meat anywhere. All from their smoker. Try their thich sliced bacon. Also they regularly have 2 for one coupons in the mail. AND you can't get a better slice of pie anywhere.

Los Gatos Diner - Hwy 9
Great diner, great hash browns/ omelettes and specialties like pancakes and waffles. Fast and reasonable.

Sunday brunch - Fancy
La Hacienda, Saratoga, HWY 9.
Great ambiance and great food. Mother's day a specialty. Book early.

Brunch - best value / food selection
Drying Shed, Toyon Road, East San Jose
Real food from king crab legs, carved to order meat and free chanpagne. You can be in front of a big screen watching football in the bar where they also service brunch. All for $14+/pp

Mexican Brunch - Pedros, Santa Clara
All you can eat traditional breakfast and mexican specialties. Chili Rellenos/ enchiladas, are great for breakfast with roving mariachis and complimentary champagne.

Enough, I am getting hungry