Okay, so this review has been a few visits coming. We started coming to California Al's about 2 months ago, trying to find a breakfast place in Lodi before my kid's practice. The other place I considered my hubs checked out the inside, and walked out and said "No.". So, we needed to find an alternate. We are so glad we did! We love this place. We have made a plan to never order the same thing twice so we can eat everything on the breakfast menu. They make their pancakes so well. They have crispy edges and is sweet. The batter is not heavy or dough so the pancake is really fluffy throughout. We've also had their French toast which was amazing! Light, crunchy, thick. Yummmmm had them with strawberries. We've shared their steak and eggs, the steak was nice and tender, great size and flavor! Our daughter has had their chicken fried steak, and we weren't able to wrangle any of it from her, she kept it to herself. Order the country potatoes. They have crispy bits that we fight over. Biscuit is FLAKY. You can see it even when it's innocently sitting in a plate waiting to be cut open and buttered. And the country gravy has the best flavor...and bacon in it. The staff are wonderful, the restaurant is always buzzing and looks like a local favorite. We totally plan to come back as long as we can. They're going to be on our favorites list! read more

Saturday, February 14th, 2026 Approx. 10 AM OVERVIEW: Came here since this restaurant received such high reviews. Left slightly disappointed. PROS: - Nice family atmosphere - Large food volume for price - Good service CONS: - Ordered the Pancake Combo, which includes two (2) pancakes. As you can see in the attached picture, one of the pancakes was completely burnt. The chef tried to hide it by putting the burnt pancake under the normal one. I didn't notice it until I had already eaten 1/3rd of the meal, and was too hungry to wait to have another one cooked. This is not the restaurant's fault, but completely the fault of the chef at the time. Needless to say, I won't be coming back. read more

California Al's Restaurant - The Pancake Conbo - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lodi, California

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I've been here twice and the same server was genuinely friendly and pleasant. Wish I got her name to give her kudos. Their pancakes with fresh strawberries and whipped cream are fresh on my mind. Our table shared it and wished we ordered a second plate! Mt sister's and cousin's veggie omelettes were perfect and so were my sausage and eggs. We also shared the side country potatoes with huge chunks of potatoes perfectly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Inside is cozy and inviting. The first time I came with my friend and had their country fried steak and waffle (not a combo, ordered separately). They have a nice outdoor seating area that's dog friendly. read more

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My favorite breakfast spot! The servers are always friendly, and the food is consistently delicious. They serve the best French toast and the California Burger both are must-tries! They close early every day at 2:00 p.m., but they have a great menu with plenty of delicious options to choose from. Highly recommend! read more

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Great food and amazing service. I've heard about California Al's and I finally had a chance to visit. Celebrated an early Mother's Day lunch and enjoyed the quiet outdoor patio. Definitely a must try!! read more

California Al's Restaurant - Outdoor patio - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lodi, California

We stopped at California Al's on our road trip home from an out-of-town soccer game and I'm so glad we did! We got there around noon and had our choice of seating, so we sat outside where they have plenty of tables. Our waitress was super friendly, made small talk, and happily answered our menu questions. I ordered the bacon breakfast burrito, which came with salsa and sour cream on the side. The burrito was huge I could only finish half and honestly one of the best breakfast burritos I've had in a long time. We also shared some steak fries, which were just as good. Overall, I'd definitely recommend this spot for breakfast or lunch. Great service, good prices, and delicious food! read more

Smallish local eating spot. Very good for breakfast. The big breakfast burrito is really big. Generous portions and value priced. Lunch offerings also looked good. Friendly service, a good go! read more

The California burger was top notch. Everything was great, but especially the generous patty, huge really. And the bacon, which was perfectly crisp and draped out past the bun. Well staffed on Saturday. Casual inside and also outdoor seating. Excellent service. read more

Was there with a friend and decided to try this cute little restaurant instead of one of the chains. Ordered the California burger and we were amazed with the first bite! It is obvious this is a real handmade all beef patty with amazing flavor. We can't wait to come back to try the breakfast and some of the other sandwiches. read more

California Al's Restaurant - California Burger and onion rings - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lodi, California

Great place for breakfast. They have dining indoor and out on their patio area. It's a small restaurant but the food and service is big. We've been here a few times and the staff is always friendly and welcoming. During my last visit I had the bacon spinach scramble. It was delicious. I've tried their omelets as well. I would definitely recommend this place for breakfast when in this area. read more

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Did a nice custom order of a hamburger patty and hash browns. Part was medium rare to order and very tasty. Hash browns were ordered well crispy and were soggy on one side. Spouse loved his senior pancake and sausage and egg breakfast. Service was semi slow but really friendly! Really the tables are beat to hell... get vinyl tablecloths to cover the battered and worn wooden tables. One server... needs a cleaner and table reset person! Would come again! read more

Food good! We sat on the patio it's a friendly dog place and the service is fast. It's nice to sit outside with the dog.

Best burger I have had in town. Fresh ingredients, high quality food. Well worth it and great staff.

Great food, great service, clean bathroom. I had the California omelette stuffed with bacon, avocado and cheese. Very tasty. My husband had the sourdough burger and fries, also very tasty. read more

This place is great. Pricing is reasonable and food and staff are top notch. Location is easy to get to. Just a great local spot in Lodi.

I and a friend stopped in for breakfast...We both got the chicken fried steak. The food was hot and fresh...The waitress was a complete delight..We will be going back.. read more

California Al's Restaurant - Chicken fried steak (breakfast) country gravy..hash browns..scrambled eggs - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lodi, California

Food is great service was great 10 out of 10. Great atmosphere I would highly recommend this to anyone.

Great breakfast joint. Had a great meal, good enough to take my brother and sister in law to.

Great service and had a great suggestion. The waitress suggested the sourdough burger. It was amazing. And the onion rings were an 8.8.

WOW are we glad we finally walked into this little local spot! We've driven past hers for years and given it's size and number of cars outside, we always figured it was too packed. But we finally gave it a shot and it's not nearly as packed as the tiny parking lot would make it seem. I'm not an omelet person because they're always too eggy, but this place served the most balanced omelet I've ever had! The veggie & mozzarella omelette had the person amount of veggies & cheese! As an added bonus, I didn't want the potatoes, and one of their side replacements was avocado slices! At no extra charge too!! Crazy! We also ordered a breakfast with crispy bacon, hash browns and eggs and it wasn't greasy at all while still maintaining flavor! All that AND the young lady who took care of us was fantastically friendly and a great waitress. Our new favorite breakfast spot! read more

California Al's Restaurant - Veggie & mozzarella omelet - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lodi, California

I lived in Lodi for a few years but never heard anything about this restuarant. I was in town recently with my dog so we needed somewhere that we could eat outside on a patio. That's what brought us here. I had the breakfast burrito which is my fave breakfast go to. It was so delicious. The service was great as well. Now I want to go back and try other foods. I would recommend as of my first experience here. read more

It was amazing for my first time. I got the cheese burger with fries and it had me smiling the whole time. I am doing coming back here again. I recommend this for anyone who like breakfast or lunch. We got a water with our coffee without even having to ask for it. read more

Good food, great service and a less noisy environment than any of the other area breakfast/lunch restaurants.

The service was great and food was amazing!!! This place is dog friendly... the sweet waitresses are very attentive and wait on you on a timely manner. Definitely recommend this place read more

Always good! The new outside deck is nice and adds seating! I had the California Burger with steak fries - both fantastic. Service is always quick and friendly! Highly recommend for a relaxed lunch! read more

I wasn't super impressed with this restaurant. I live close by but had never been here until now because they close so early. I don't understand why so many restaurants close early in Lodi. Anyway, I just wanted a simple omelette and hash browns. They came out with country potatoes. Guess the chef doesn't look that closely at the tickets, so I'd be afraid to get a burger and ask for a customization. Otherwise the patio was nice, and the waitress was friendly. But it is definitely over priced for the quality and lack of attention to detail. read more

Happy to have had an opportunity to finally try this place with their limited hours. Definitely a cool ambience - very light and airy, really friendly staff and great service, good food. Would like to come back and try for lunch soon. This place is a keeper! read more

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Bc we happen to be in Lodi visiting some family who were in town my wife found this breakfast place on Yelp. This divey yet homey restaurant was kind of small inside & there was no outdoor seating. We had not gone out to eat much due to covid. Bc there were seven of us total it was challenging to have all of us at one table. So five sat in the corner bench wall area while wifey & I sat nearby. I decided on the BIG Burrito breakfast. My wife ordered the Joe's scramble with tomatoes instead of the potatoes. Yup she's still ketoing. My order came last of course! This breakfast order was the biggest like it was piled up high! My wife started laughing as she got a picture of it bc she felt it was the biggest burrito ever! Funny bc she wasn't wrong about that! She knows I like things HUGE! We were really pleased with our breakfast here & would definitely return back even if it is to order food to go as many others have. The restaurant did fill up with more customers. In total only one waitress served us all; she was truly very efficient & competent. Come support this small local business. You won't be steered wrong. They were very accommodating! Great tasting breakfast & black coffee was a huge plus! What are you waiting for? It's not often we are in this area but bc we have tried it once we won't hesitate to return & you shouldn't neither! read more

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The breakfast we had here was delicious and filling! We had chicken fried steak & meat lovers omelette, highly recommended! read more

California Al's Restaurant - Meat Lovers Omelette also delicious - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lodi, California

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I would need to go back and try other things. Mine was a "meh" but I see other people raving about the meals. I'm trying to eat healthy and had the chicken salad. It was huge and the lettuce was fresh and crispy. So! Much! Lettuce! I felt bad leaving so much of it on the plate. Really nice waitress. Completely overwhelmed and the only person on the floor. Large group with multiple screaming children next to us didn't help matters. After they left, it was nice and quiet. But still, one poor waitress whose day was further complicated by us; who were also a large group of 12 or 14; and then 7 different checks! The menu is extensive; I'd suggest paring it back to make it easier on staff and kitchen. So even though I probably won't be back; that waitress deserves kudos; hence 4 stars. Food 2-3 stars. Ambience 2 stars. Wait staff; 10 stars. read more

Stopped in after an appointment cute family run business! Service was excellent, food was fantastic would definitely go again! Wasn't super busy but it was the middle of the week too. read more

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Ive visited a few times before posting a review, I've had breakfast and now lunch both times have been great! The food is fresh and delicious and service is so fast and friendly. It's such a nice and relaxing place not as crazy as other restaurants and just as good if not better! read more

California Al's Restaurant - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lodi, California

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My first time here and I loved it! The service was prompt and super friendly and the food was delicious. I'll be back for sure!

Al's is a great spot for breakfast or lunch ESPECIALLY when the weather is nice so you can sit outside.

I love Al's!! We've been coming here for a long long time. This is definitely the place to go if you want real quality breakfast food. Amazing service, amazing food but we get the looks by their costumers every time we walk in with our two kids. It's like the have never seen kids before. read more

Service was great and the food was delicious. Maybe my only complaint would be the coffee. The guayaba (guava) mimosa made up for it. I had the eggs, chorizo and country potatoes. The eggs were perfectly cooked and the potatoes had the perfect crunch. If I'm ever in town again, I will put California Al's on my go to for breakfast place. read more

First time here. Don't recommend getting the biscuit and gravy, but the hamburgers are good.

This diner is a hidden gem! The food was scrumptious! I had the Western Bacon Burger and my friend tried the California Burger. Both were really delicious and I would recommend anyone to come in and try these two Burger selections. The service was quick and the customer service was good too. The only reason why I didn't give it a five is because the bathroom wasn't the cleanest and smelt like sewage. I also found a hair on my menu which made me think about the cleanliness of the place. But other than that the food was a hit and so was the service! read more

California Al's Restaurant - Western BBQ burger - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lodi, California

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The food was delicious and plentiful! Our waitress was very friendly and attentive. I love that this is a family owned business dad and son were in the back cooking our great breakfast. It is open seating, but cozy. I wish the coffee was a little stronger. We will definitely be back! Can't wait to try lunch here! read more

The portions and food are so so. Come on now - anywhere eggs are eggs and waffles are waffles! But California Al's charges over $13.00 bucks for measly portions. My one egg was super small in size and my waffles was just a tad 6" in circumference. Drinks extra. The one good thing about California Al's? The outdoor dining! I could bring my dogs and sit outside to enjoy the fresh air (while I'm inhaling the exhaust fumes from the cars in the parking lot). read more