A Great Local Café -- Café San José on Meridian Lindsey an amazing server that made a day and a wonderful brunch breakfast possible. I don't usually write long reviews, but Café San José deserves recognition. This is one of those places where you can immediately tell that the people behind the business genuinely care about what they do. The food is excellent -- fresh, flavorful, and clearly made with quality ingredients. You can taste the difference when a restaurant uses fresh products and good-quality oil instead of trying to cover everything with excessive seasoning or sauces. Everything tasted clean, balanced, and properly prepared. I also really appreciated the cleanliness, especially the bathroom. It was spotless and well maintained. I always pay attention to that because I believe a clean bathroom says a lot about the standards and attention to detail throughout the entire establishment. But what really brings everything together is the people. Everyone was kind, welcoming, and genuine. There is a human touch here that you don't always find anymore. Good food is easy to find. Good people are easy to appreciate. But finding great food, fresh ingredients, quality oil, cleanliness, and genuine hospitality all in one place is something worth recognizing. Café San José feels like a true neighborhood café that takes pride in what it serves and how it treats its customers. Excellent food, wonderful people, clean facilities, and real attention to quality. Highly recommended and definitely worth coming back to. read more

Cafe San Jose - Interior - American Near Me - San Jose, California

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I visited this restaurant, and the food was delicious and had great flavor. The people who attended to me were very nice and friendly. The look of the place isn't really my personal preference, but I felt very comfortable and relaxed while I was there. Every so often, I like to try different restaurants depending on how comfortable and satisfied I feel. I definitely plan to come back to this restaurant because of the food and the great service. read more

Cafe San Jose - American Near Me - San Jose, California

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A solid no frills breakfast. The service was super friendly and the coffee refills flowed like water. I enjoyed the human element of this locally owned restaurant. The quality of food was no frills filling. The pancakes were not as tasty as I normally like them, but there was a lot of enjoyable fluffiness. The best thing was the gorgeous dahlias flowering out. Just loved those blooms. read more

Cafe San Jose - Inside early morning - American Near Me - San Jose, California

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Cafe San Jose is a restaurant with old school diner vibes tucked in to the corner of an elderly strip mall. It's been around forever. I had breakfast there recently on a Saturday morning. There were two friendly waitresses on duty. One of them told me to sit anywhere, so I grabbed a table by the front door (this is important later). I ordered a simple ham and scrambled egg dish with hash browns and toast. It came out fast and tasted good, although the scrambled eggs were a little too wet. It also needed lots of salt and pepper. The restaurant was about half full and quiet at 9am, except for the table next to me where a man made a call on speaker phone turned all the way up and then yelled at his breakfast companion. When I was almost finished with my breakfast, one of the waitresses decided to Windex the glass front door, which was right next to me. She opened the door partway and a breeze blew in, and I could see droplets of Windex floating in a sunbeam and landing on my food. I didn't make a fuss. It was an accident and I was almost done anyway. The waitress apologized. San Jose Cafe is open for breakfast and lunch. They have indoor and outdoor seating. read more

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This place gives such a home feeling! They are so kind and quick!! Food had good flavor, and their coffee was delicious! If you're looking for a hole in the wall for breakfast, this is definitely your place. You can tell they have regulars that obviously keep coming back due to the comfort feeling this place gives. read more

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Cute little spot that doesn't seem like very much from the outside, but the menu has a great selection of classic diner food. We got a skillet and an omelet, and both were super delicious. Service was great and we didn't wait too long for our food at all. Will definitely be back! read more

Cafe San Jose - Southwest Omelette, The Hangover Skillet, orange juice - American Near Me - San Jose, California

This is a decent breakfast place to grab a quick bite. It does get packed and there's not much seating so you might have to wait.

Has outdoor seating! The new menu has a handful of vegetarian options beyond sweet items, such as chilaquiles and eggs Benedict. We had the heuvos rancheros and hollandaise avocado toast. Both were good, but needed the flavors to be intensified. There was a selection of hot sauces on the table which did help. The staff were friendly, and our food took about 20 minutes to make at noon. It seems to be a popular restaurant with local retirees. I wouldn't go out of my way to eat there again, but it's a good option if you're in the area. read more

First time coming here, even though we live about a mile away. It's tucked back in a parking lot we don't usually go into, so we didn't even realize it was there until someone shared it in our neighborhood group. We decided to give it a try and are glad we did. The people were great, super friendly, and the service was quick. The food was good overall. My burger could have used a little more seasoning, and the fries as well, but their breakfast items and pancakes were really good. We'll definitely be back and are happy to know they're so close to our home. read more

Cafe San Jose is a true hidden gem tucked into a tiny shopping center next to Goodwill. The prices are shockingly good, the food is spectacular, and the portions are huge -- like, bring‑a‑box huge. It was our first time here, and we were genuinely impressed. Great flavors, great value, and the kind of local spot you instantly want to support. We'll definitely be back. read more

I love a good hole in the wall mom and pop place! This is my second visit and both times were great. Greeted with a friendly smile on arrival, a nice menu selection, and delicious food! I had the chorizo breakfast burrito with potatoes. Both items were very flavorful and portion size was big enough for two meals. Special shout out to my server, I'm sorry I'm terrible with names, but she bought my breakfast as an appreciation for nurses. (I was in scrubs as I had just gotten off work that morning.) Best of luck to you in your nursing career pursuit! read more

Cafe San Jose - Breakfast burrito with chorizo and potatoes. - American Near Me - San Jose, California

Amazing food, service and home style ambience and outdoor seating too! Definitely worth a visit

Solid breakfast place. Coffee refills could use improving. Other than that, no complaints.

This place has been a staple for years. The servers are awesome, and feel like family. Personally, I love sitting on their patio and taking an absurdly long time to drink a cup of coffee while competing to tell stories with my siblings. It feels like home. Recently they have made some updates to the menu and I am here for it. The new menu looks great! The additions all make sense, like a flight of mimosas. All of my old favorites are still there. In a quick aside and nod to the 99% invisible podcast, I want to say I really appreciate the design choices in the new menu. Go eat here. Do it often. Like a ritual. Perhaps on Sundays. read more

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I love the quality of the food - great breakfast and lunch fare and no up charge for fruit instead of toast or potatoes. The avocado toast is a favorite. Irma and Lindsay are always so friendly, it is great to be greeted by name when l get there. When l am there with my dog, she gets a special bacon ice cream treat. read more

I have come here several times but never had the issue that I had today. I came here with my son and there was on waitress. She told me to sit anywhere but took a while to get to me to ask for my drinks which wasn't an issue because it was busy and she was alone. The issue arose when a party of 5 came after me and she got their drinks and menu out before me. She even took their order before mine even though I had arrived first and was waiting. She seemed to have known them as she was explaining she is working 6 days and chatting with them so maybe that's why they were served first. Either way, it was distasteful so I left without ordering. read more

Disclaimer I ate my food up before I took pictures!!!! First I want to give KUDOS and a warm big shout to Trish for sharing the flyer to this awesome place, Lindsey our top notch friendly attentive waitress AND the chef (sorry didnt get his name)!!! The food: flavor was great! Me and my hubby shared the sausage and egg plate. Chicken apple sausage and a side of sausage patties (for you pork lovers) home styled potatoes, scrambled eggs soft with pepper jack cheese. We typically take small bites before adding salt and pepper THIS FOOD didnt need any of it. BOMB.COM! Food came out hot! They have flavored creamer for the coffee and the mimosas.....ON POINT! LOCATION: quaint but big enough for a larger size party and there is outdoor seating. Not sure how long the establishment has been around BUT you dont wanna miss coming if you are in the San jose area!!! Im so upset I didnt take pictures....next time for sure! read more

An underrated brunch spot that has a diner like vibe, similar to Bills Cafe and Uncle John's Pancake. I do prefer Uncle John's Pancake more because of the service and quality of food. However, if you don't want to wait that long, Cafe San Jose is good because of the price and portions. Our server was catering to multiple tables outdoors so it felt like the wait for the food took quite some time to come out. Menu selection is overwhelming. So many options!! I'm a benedicts girl so I had to try the carne asada benedict and my friend got the carne asada sandwich with garlic fries. Lol we didn't plan on both getting carne asadas! I asked for extra crispy hash-browns but it was still cooked like normal and wasn't even that crispy. Hollandaise sauce was super good! Muffin was soft and not soggy. I just wished the carne asada wasn't overcooked. Garlic fries were definitely garlicky and extra crispy. Sooo gooood. Overall, not a bad brunch spot. read more

Cafe San Jose - Carne asada Benedict and carne asada sandwich with garlic fries - American Near Me - San Jose, California

Honestly, this place was amazing. I got the NY steak and eggs and I would totally go there and get it again, and I don't eat red meat too much but I wanted to try something I usually wouldn't get it. Highly recommended!! read more

Cafe San Jose - First time trying this spot out - American Near Me - San Jose, California

Love this place!!! Our breakfast go to, but EVERYTHING is good!!!! Friendly servers make you feel part of the family!! A must try and you'll be coming back . . . Super casual and diner vibes!! read more

Cafe San Jose - Ham & cheese omelette with country potatoes and sourdough toast - American Near Me - San Jose, California

Wonderful diner to sit back relax and enjoy some nice comfort breakfast/brunch bites. Parking can get tight at times though there will always be a spot or two that you can get to grab. We went in just before noon for a quick brunch. Got seated outside and were approached for placing an order right away in a courteous manner. We ordered a couple of modified speciality Benedicts. One of them consisted of House potatoes along side english muffins topped with poached eggs, spinach , salmon bites (IIRC it was Salmon and not crab cakes scrambled) topped with some sour cream and Hollandaise sauce. The other order was again a benedict which had hash browns on the side while the muffins and the remaining part remained the same as first order. The taste was great and the a cup of black tea really complemented it well for me. Took our time to finish the meal and were presented with the check right after which we took care of and headed out. All in all a great experience which i definitely would like to repeat on one of those days where you feel relaxed and crave for some good comfort food!!! read more

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Cafe San Jose has a traditional diner feel, and they have the sweetest staff. They are located in an older strip mall, and they were busy but not crowded at 11am on a Saturday. It seemed like their benedicts were popular, and I decided to check out the Corned Beef Hash Benedict (English Muffin, Two Poached Eggs, Hollandaise, Served w/Hash Browns, $17.95, https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=tXTFjOqdHEtXGK5otHYC5A&userid=76vIFZcC7owykCBjMfGVXg). All the ingredients seemed fresh; however, my poached eggs were sadly not runny at all. The hollandaise also needed a bit more salt, and the corned beef hash needed more sear on it. I did like their crispy hash browns, but those could've also used more a little more salt. The food came out really quickly, and their staff came by frequently to refill coffee and water. I would come back if in the area to give their omelettes and/or scrambles a try. They had a lot of indoor and outdoor seating available. Parking was easy to find in this complex. read more

Cafe San Jose - Corned Beef Hash Benedict (English Muffin, Two Poached Eggs, Hollandaise, Served w/Hash Browns, $17.95)- 3/5 stars - American Near Me - San Jose, California

Food is good depending on cooks. Sometimes lazy on your request. Waitress good. Sometimes slow service when it gets crowded.

Great food. Great service. We had found this restaurant on Yelp. The times we have been here it has been busy but that doesn't interrupt the service. Great breakfast stop. read more

Cafe San Jose - Santa Rosa Omelet - American Near Me - San Jose, California

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If you're into good diners in San Jose, this is the place. I travel for business, and I frequent "Greasy Spoons" wherever I go, but in San Jose, there aren't a lot of traditional Diners left. I have been coming back to this place for years because it's good food, and it's really affordable. PLUS the staff here is down-to-earth, they want to make sure your order is right, and fast. Set back in a little shopping center that time forgot, it's easy to get to. The ONLY downside is that it's only open until 2pm. This is not a chain store, just good cooks, good waitresses, and good food. read more

The outside of this neighborhood breakfast spot is nothing to brag about. But the service is great. I was greeted by a very friendly waitress, and you could hear her talking to her customers about her day, which made you feel welcome and gave a personal touch to the place. I ordered a Cali Benedict (which includes avocado), with a side pancake (it wasn't a side in the menu, but my waitress gave me the option). The eggs were perfectly poached, and the hash browns were not overly fried and cooked just right. A lot of restaurants burn their hash browns. The avocado was not ripe, it was a little too hard. The pancake was fluffy and decent. Overall, a good and friendly breakfast place. read more

Cafe San Jose - California Benedict - American Near Me - San Jose, California

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We took my boyfriend's mom out for brunch/lunch since it's her birthday on 12/2/23. We arrived around 11am and beat the lunch rush by a few mins. We were able to grab a spot inside. This small diner has vintage and antique photos of San Jose. Service here was busy but the food didn't take long after we placed our order. The boyfriend and I went for the steak with eggs. His mom went for the Belgian Waffles with fruits. The steak with eggs and potatoes were seasoned well and the steak was tender. They give a thick piece but the steak was cooked how we liked it and had good seasoning. Overall the food tasted delicious and service was good despite being busy. read more

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Although I ate here today with 4 other co-workers, I am only going to comment about my food. (The other 4 seemed to enjoy their meals). I will say, the service was excellent. As I wasn't too hungry, I decided to have one of their half-sandwich specials. I had the soup of the day (chicken vegetable) and a half of a patty melt. I will say the cup of soup was quite tasty. But the patty melt? YUCK! I ordered it medium. I had a dry brick of a hamburger patty, I'm not sure there was even cheese on the sandwich, the onions were RAW, not cooked, and there was no sauce on the patty melt. I've had plenty of patty melts in my time and this one ranks as the worst, for sure. read more

Café San Jose is a lovely neighborhood diner. There is both indoor and outdoor seating. the staff is friendly and efficient, but overworked. I'm sure our waitress is dead on her feet at the end of the day. Be sure to tip generously! The menu is extensive, food is good and the portions are ample. The diner is clean and neat and the wall decor is very interesting. You will see collages of Old San Jose. Take time to look them over while you await your meal. The restroom is clean and serviced even though the restaurant was busy. Parking is a breeze because the restaurant is in a strip mall with a large lot. Look for the very large Goodwill sign. This is the largest Goodwill store I have ever seen and it is on one end of the strip mall making the location easy to find. read more

A small hole-in-the-wall cafe located in Willow Glen. There were plenty of open seats, so me and my friend were seated immediately. Our server was extremely nice and really funny! She had a very outgoing attitude and was conversing with all the guests and I thought she was really cool! I ordered a BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich and it was REALLY good! I loved it. It came with a side of fries, which were also really good too! (I forgot to take a picture of my food before eating it whoops.) The portion sizes were big so I had to take the other half of my meal to-go. Overall I enjoyed my visit! Love supporting small businesses! read more

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The food is delicious, the staff are very friendly and nice, also they love dogs pet friendly read more

Cafe San Jose - French Toast Cinnamon Roll French Toast Cowboy Burger - American Near Me - San Jose, California

I arrived on a Tuesday morning around 8:30. Only one other table. It has a Diner feel and is located in a strip mall. staff was super welcoming. I ordered an Apple chicken with tater tots. I def recommend if you are in the area. read more

Cafe San Jose - Chicken Apple and Eggs with Orange Juice - American Near Me - San Jose, California

My friends and I met up for breakfast at Cafe San Jose on Saturday around 10:30am. The place was fairly busy, but we were able to easily snag a table inside. As soon as we sat down, the servers were already asking us what to order! They work fast here. Food came out just as quickly too. I got the waffle deluxe, which included a Belgian waffle, 2 eggs your way, and your choice of either bacon or sausages. I don't eat pork, but the kitchen staff was able to accommodate me as I asked to swap the bacon or sausages with corned beef hash. Win! Worked out since I was debating on getting the corned beef benedict anyway. I prefer savory and sweets separated from each other, so I was relieved to find that the the kitchen staff served the corned beef hash and over easy eggs together on one side plate and then provided the Belgian waffle on a completely separate plate. Admittedly the corned beef hash was pretty average. I've certainly had better corned beef hash before. I would've thought it came from a can and not made fresh. The eggs were perfectly runny though, which I doused the corned beef hash in. The Belgian waffle was flaccid - for lack of a better word. Again, a preference thing but would've been nice to have a crispier waffle. read more

Cafe San Jose - American Near Me - San Jose, California

My friend looked through Yelp for a couple American brunch options and this was our second option. The first place we went to had a huge line and limited outdoor seating, so we ended up going with option #2 to be on the safe side, and glad we did! We got to Cafe San Jose around 11:30 AM and it was popping. Both indoor and outdoor seating was nearly full. It's located in the middle of a small plaza, so there's parking available. Thankfully we were able to still grab a seat outdoors. I like how although their outdoor seating is right next to the parking lot, they have a lot of plants that act as dividers between the customers and the occasional cars that pass by. You still feel like you get privacy. Cafe San Jose's staff members are tentative, quick, and nice. The spot we ended up sitting at was hit with direct sunlight and my friend and I were both being toasted. One of the staff members noticed this and helped adjust their huge umbrellas to help block out the sun. They're also pretty tentative with refilling waters and making sure you're good! Props to them! For COVID-19 notes, staff members are wearing masks. First look at the menu, it can be overwhelming. Their selection is vast and I honestly had no idea what to get because of all the options. The hardest thing to decide was whether to get something sweet or savory. Their portions are huge, so one dish was going to be filling enough. I ended up going for their Nova Scotia Benedict (Specialty Benedicts), which comes with smoked salmon, creme cheese on English muffin, two poached eggs, Hollandaise sauce, topped with capers (I opted for no creme cheese). My dish has the option to either come with a side of potatoes or hash brown. I went for potatoes. Given how many customers there were, they were quite quick to prepare our meals. The potatoes are nicely roasted and seasoned. Came with some onions or bell peppers too I believe. If you need hot sauce or ketchup for these, they got condiments situated at every table, with multiple options. They got their poached egg down! Nice and runny. The two things I would say is I don't think I saw capers, and my smoked salmon was pretty salty. It's a little too salty to eat by itself, but it's nice when combined with everything else. Portion size, like I said, is huge. The plate was pretty much filled. My friend on the other hand - I'm not sure he enjoyed his Carne Asada Benedict as much. He said his Carne Asada wasn't quite as tender as he thought it would be. All in all, a satisfying meal. Next time, I need to try out their sweet items instead. I had a hard time choosing between sweet and savory. Their Cinnamon Roll French Toast and Swedish Pancakes looked particularly appetizing. Maybe I'll come here to try those next time! read more

Cafe San Jose - Nova Scotia Benedict (Specialty Benedict) - American Near Me - San Jose, California

This was my first visit, and it exceeded all expectations--delicious food served with genuinely friendly, attentive service. The atmosphere was warm, inviting, and truly memorable. read more

Take My Breath Café Solid greasy spoon diner--and I say that with the utmost respect--that's tucked away in a decaying strip mall that used to house famous Dick's Bakery (RIP). I'm not 100% on how long San José Cafe has been around but I believe it's in the 20+yr range. I can't think back to when they weren't here, but my memory isn't so great these days. Anywho... The Good: *Large diner-style menu that's sure to please everyone. From pancakes and waffles, to burgers and eggs. If you like choices then this is your place. *Service is always really good. The older lady server is amazing and has a great sense of humor. *Food is nothing that'll blow your socks off but it's solid, fill-your-belly and your arteries food. *Prices are good for the portion size. The Meh: *Outdoor seating is a little cramped but tolerable. The Ugly: *This parking lot is not designed really well and can be difficult to navigate. TLDR: Great spot to seek out of you're looking for a greasy burger or tasty breakfast--and even better if you're hungover! read more

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5 stars for both food and service. The service industry has been since pandemic. We weren't expecting the service to be this great when we walked in. From the time we sat down till the end of the meal the service was exceptional. We didn't have to wait for our order to be taken. In face we even had to ask for extra time since we are slow decision makers. The servers were really attentive and the food here is great. The portion here is generous too. It's an open kitchen so you can see how your food is being prepared. I really recommend this place for your typical breakfast and brunch fix. read more

Cafe San Jose - Meat Benedict - American Near Me - San Jose, California

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San Jose Cafe was a surprise. Tucked away on Meridian Avenue next to Goodwill. Was surprised to see a restaurant there. Ambience is a decent for a brunch cafe. They were flexible with our large group in moving tables. Crab cakes eggs Benedict were really good. Potatoes were good. What I liked: Flexible with tables Separate checks Good food Large menu - all day breakfast Good for large groups read more

Came here for the first time today and we had a wonderful experience. We brought our dog and the server immediately brought him a water bowl. It was so nice and unexpected. We had the fried steak eggs Benedict and Rob's omelette (filled with fried steak). The breakfast was good. The Benedict meal was the winner of the two. We got there just before a crowd of people came. I suggest getting there by 9 on a Sunday so you don't have to wait. read more

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My dad likes this local spot as it has a homey feel and one of the few smaller establishments to survive the pandemics. The service was great and the server fairly guiding. I originally ordered a bowl of corn chowder with a salad but was recommended a cup as the chowder was to be filling. The server was right. There was plenty of corn and the chowder thick and creamy. It was just a bit bland to me even though a good comfort food. The shrimp Louie salad was a good size with a decent amount of shrimp. The combo was especially filling. Hope to come across this hidden gem again. read more

Cafe San Jose - Shrimp Louis Salad - American Near Me - San Jose, California

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