5 star experience here at Drakes...great food and great atmosphere..especially Taylor at the bar..very welcoming and friendly.

Had a great experience at Drake's! The food was delicious, the service was friendly, and the atmosphere was really nice. Highly recommend the chilaquiles. Would definitely come back! read more

Very good restaurant on the corner of el Camino real downtown San Carlos I ordered the breaded shrimp tacos and they were very tasty There was 3 of them I got the salsa on the side as well as the celantro Theee is street parking and right across from it he Caltrain station The food was very delicious. I recommend this place read more

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My boyfriend and I stopped by Drake's on Saturday, August 1, after spending the whole morning handling business in the San Carlos area. We were tired, hungry, and desperately in need of coffee. Drake's looked perfect and great reviews. The restaurant itself is charming. There's a small upstairs dining area, and the downstairs bar looked like the quickest way to get food, so we headed there. But the welcome was awkward. A man at the front desk clearly heard us walk in but didn't look up or acknowledge us. After a moment, a woman came over with a big smile, which was nice, but she didn't say a word just handed us menus. So we seated ourselves at the bar. When the waiter asked what he could get us, I started giving our coffee order, and he just looked around the room up at the ceiling, across the restaurant anywhere but at me. It felt dismissive and honestly just weird. Then the coffee arrived, and it was rough. My "latte" tasted like plain coffee with a splash of milk. No foam, no espresso flavor. My boyfriend's mocha tasted watered down, almost like it was made with hot water and a tiny bit of cream. Both drinks were extremely disappointing. Thankfully, the food was much better. My quiche was decent about a 3 out of 5. My boyfriend's chilaquiles were flavorful and satisfying, definitely a 4 out of 5. Drake's has a beautiful space and good food, but the service and the coffee really missed the mark for us. read more

Nice little place. Can feel a little cramped - but the food is 100% worth it. Don't know if it was a coincidence, but this was also the first time I wasn't asked "everything okay" while I had food in my mouth, but they were there when we needed them. Will be visiting again. read more

Drakes - Chicken and Chicken & Waffles, Mocha Latte, Caramel Latte. - New American Near Me - San Carlos, California

Made a reservation for brunch on my Yelp app. We weee seated upstairs in a very tight corner table. Table was a bit sticky so they could have wiped it down a bit more. The service was not the friendly attentive service I read in the reviews. As for the food, the loco moco had a nice air party and matched well with the gravy and egg. The country friend steak was all right. The cut of beef was not the best and I had to really cut through it hard with a knife. Interesting enough my favorite part of the dish was the tater tots. An adequate brunch place but overall I would try other options in the area before coming back here. read more

Drakes - Loco Moco - New American Near Me - San Carlos, California

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Went for a solo brunch date! My party of 1 got seated at the side couch and coffee table area which was SO CUTE and cozy. It was semi-busy but I got seated immediately. It took about 10 minutes upon sitting down for someone to stop by my table with water and to take my order. I got a classic benedict and a luxardo apricot spritz. The spritz was very sweet but was refreshing! The benedict was not very wow-factor. Their eggs were poached well and had a beautiful runny yolk but the hollandaise sauce was lacking flavor. The muffins were also not very crispy and just looked kinda sad. Very cute ambiance and staff are very nice! read more

Drakes - Classic Benedict & Luxardo Apricot Spritz - New American Near Me - San Carlos, California

I went to Drakes for a sponsored event and it was on the second level, closed off for the event. The event was on a Wednesday evening starting at 5:30pm, I got there around 5:45 and it took almost 30 minutes to find parking. Drakes does not have dedicated parking so it's either very, limited street parking or parking in, again a very limited, public parking a couple of blocks away or taking a chance on getting a ticket or getting towed. That already kind of ruined the evening. So, plan well, especially in the evenings or weekends. Drakes is a corner restaurant and you walk into an open space with large windows and a bar in the center. The restaurant was not very crowded at that time of day and it has a laid back ambience. They have an extensive drinks menu with wine, spirits, beer and NA drinks. I ordered the sparkling Rose and was not impressed, to the point of not finishing it, which I rarely do. I then ordered the Rambauer Chardonnay and that more than made up for the Rose, it was fantastic!! We were served appetizers from a prefixed menu and we had calamari, crab rangoon, tuna poke and artichokes. All the dishes were flavorful and delicious except for the artichokes. The artichoke were served as a whole in one flat circle and impossible to eat without using 2 hands. The upstairs area has a small bar and about 6 tables and is big enough for about 20 people. The servers were attentive and friendly and it felt quiet and intimate even with that large, open space. I probably would not go back unless I had parking locked down. I took 2 stars off for that. Other than that, I would highly recommend. read more

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Shout out to Angelica! Amazing service! Such a cute location. Really nice open space with big windows. Lots of variety of food from chilaquiles to biscuits & gravy. Highly recommend! read more

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I had this place saved in my bookmarks for years. My husband and I stopped by and finally tried it! The chilaquiles were so good and tasted pretty authentic. He also loved his chicken fried steak. For dessert we got the cinnamon bun and omg it was so freakin good!!! It came out nice and hot and the frosting was cream cheese base. I'm obsessed. We had a couple drinks as well and we loved them. Mine was infused with Cinnamon Toast Crunch! It came with a metal straw that had a tiny spoon at the end, to scoop out the cereal. Overall great fast service and pretty quiet for a Saturday afternoon. Can't wait to return. read more

Drakes - Chilaquiles Rojos & Country Fried Steak w/ Potatoes - New American Near Me - San Carlos, California

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I've been to here for brunch a fair few times now. The interior is beautiful and well designed. The food is good but not great. The hosts and servers are professional and friendly. I recommend reservations on the weekend. read more

Came for brunch on a Sunday and we were able to get seated immediately despite the restaurant being busy. The restaurant is located on the corner of the block across from the Cal Train station. There's also an upstairs seating area for more tables. Items ordered: - California benedict with country potatoes: The potatoes were really good and savory and came with bell peppers which were a nice addition. The eggs were cooked well. There was a lot of bacon in the dish though which may have made the dish more oily than I would've wanted. - Loco moco: Solid loco moco. The meat was cooked well. Just a bit salty but not too bad. - Half stack red velvet pancakes ($8): I was a little disappointed in these pancakes because it felt like there wasn't much red velvet flavor. It tasted more like a regular pancake but it was a bright pink color which made it seem like a strawberry flavor pancake? I probably wouldn't get this flavor of pancake again but they have many other flavors to choose from. read more

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Came here on a Saturday morning and it was fairly packed. We were seated immediately. I ordered the Denver omlette and it was alright. I liked the blend of ham and cheese in it but the potatoes weren't my favorite and the toast was average. The service wasn't great either as the waitress didn't come to check on us or refill our water glasses unless we asked. I had an okay experience here but the food was just average and the prices were a bit high for what you're receiving as well as the lack of service. read more

Drakes - Denver Omelette - New American Near Me - San Carlos, California

Went here for brunch and it did not disappoint. Service was great and fast. They sat us upstairs since there was a few boys soccer teams that were there with their coaches and parents. The honey mint mojito came in a cute bear glass and was just the right amount of rum, a little tarty but once watered down was good. Had the biscuit and bacon board (lots of bacon and the biscuits were warm and fluffy). The French toast was just right and the berries were sweet. The crab Benedict was made of real Dungeness crab and the muffin was still crispy. Honestly, the biscuit and bacon board would have been enough. 4 stars because it was $$$ but would def go back again read more

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Amazing food, great ambiance, service it always good and they always try to get us a table fast. The chilaquiles are quite literally the only thing we get with an iced coffee. We got it one time And have come back and ordered the same thing 4 times it's a must when driving to San Francisco read more

We had heard some great things about Drakes and so we decided to take the 50 min drive out to San Carlos from San Jose to see how it was. The space is great, great vibe and decor. Very open relaxed feeling. The 2 staff members we saw were very friendly. However, that is where it ends. It was 40 min before they came to take our orders, I had to call them over and I had to get up and go ask for our check when we were done. It was not busy, we went for lunch on a Thursday and we had reservations, but still there were plenty of open tables so there wasn't an obvious reason for not tending to the table. The food looks fabulous, but the price and taste do not match up. The fish from the fish and chips was literally wet, like dripping. Not oily, wet like water. The chicken for the chinese chicken salad, tasted "off", I have no other way to describe it. While it wasn't the worst food, it was not worth the wait nor the price. read more

2/2/25 My husband and I took his parents to Drake's for lunch. We got here at 12:20pm and it was very busy and very noisy. The host said a table would be ready by 12:45pm; we were seated by 12:40pm. We were a walk-in; I would definitely recommend making a reservation since they prioritize those people first. I think we had at least 5 people (with reservations) get seated before it was finally our turn. We were seated upstairs which was better than downstairs because the noise was slightly muted and it was more roomy. Here's what we got: - Brunch board (to share) - Loco Moco + Lavender Latte (mine) - Industrial's biscuits and sausage gravy with tater tots (Zach) I don't remember what his parents got, but the general consensus around the table was that everything tasted great. I think my dish could have been less salty, but overall it as delicious. I tried some of Zach's biscuit and tater tots and those were super yummy. The lavender latte was very smooth and not too sweet, smelled just like lavender as well, but not overpowering. I would definitely come back and I'll be sure to make a reservation next time! read more

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Good eats with slow and inattentive service. Guess we weren't posh enough for them. The waiters seem to be busy with people who looked retired. Not us middle aged folks. Maybe it's because I still have all my hair and I'm not bald yet, but they kept forgetting to give me the menu or even refill my water. Service was a major bust. Food was okay. 3 stars average. I had the Crab Benedict which I felt tasted rather lackluster. The hollandaise sauce was so bland, the muffin tasted untoasted and the salad was just your average greens. My coworker's Cuban sandwich was lukewarm, chewy, and the cheese wasn't melted. Nothing outstanding or memorable about our meal. read more

Drakes - Meh - New American Near Me - San Carlos, California

Awesome brunch! Seasonal pumpkin pancakes simply melt in your mouth! We were a pretty big group, so we got to try a bit of everything. The peach burrata toast was really good, and good to share. Yumm chilaquiles, super yumm crab avocado salad (forget the exact name) The kiddos tried the honey bear no-jito and it was so delicious. Really nice place overall! read more

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Tried the Loco Moco for brunch today and it's really good! Now I've (3) area restaurants that make this entree very different from one another but all delicious in their unique creation. Talk of Broadway (RWC), Neolani's (SC) and now Drakes (SC). Really great Loco Mocos! Artfully created starting with gorgeous white sticky rice formed in a single layer cake shape, then generous portioned excellent quality beef burger placed on top of the rice, with lovely sunny side up egg up tippy top. All sprinkled with fried onion crunchies and lots of savory herbed, mushroom, brown gravy to pour over. So good. Really great version. Excellent quality ingredients and delicious. If you're in the mood for brunch and something savory and hearty, try Drake's version of the Hawaiian classic entree, Loco Moco. Cheers! read more

Drakes - Loco Moco, really good! - New American Near Me - San Carlos, California

Drakes has hospitality great food the service is the best. This place is a must visit. Not only food but service is great

This place is such a gem for brunch! The space is perfect for groups and inviting with a really cheerful vibe that makes you want to linger. The food was not only delicious but also plated beautifully--definitely Instagram-worthy. Portions were just right, and the flavors felt fresh and comforting at the same time. The staff made the whole experience even better with their friendly service. It's the kind of spot that feels perfect for catching up with friends or enjoying a slow, happy morning. Nice spacious second floor seating for bigger parties. Meter street parkings. read more

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Meh. Everything was just okay. The chicken and waffles sauce was not good; too much spice with sweet. Breakfast is always breakfast, just basic food. Good place for social hour or a date. read more

2.5 stars. Searching for interesting brunch spots via yelp, I found Drakes which the boys were down to check out. Via yelp, I booked a reservation for four of us for Thursday, August 7, 2025, at 12:30 PM, less than 24 hours prior to our visit. After finding free parking in the lot behind the restaurant, we arrived on time for our reservation. The main dining room was not full, but not empty. No tables were occupied upstairs. It did not appear that we needed reservations on that day. The charming venue appeared to be clean and tidy. Drakes' menu has an array of offerings that appear to be appealing, but what you receive are diner quality plates at fine dining prices. Below are what we ordered as well as the extra charges that we found on our check without warnings. Brunch Burger ($25) with side of tater tots ($3.50) - Z said that this burger was good, but...the burger and sandwiches don't automatically come with a free side of fries or something? To add a choice of side is an additional $3.50! Seriously?! For an à la carte burger, the price is hefty! A side of ranch was another $1. A little heads-up on such an extra charge is always nice instead of just finding out when you see it on your check. The latter was what happened to us. Chicken and Waffles ($26) - V was initially interested in this plate until he saw the price which he found to be too expensive. Mom enjoyed this breakfast plate at her previous visit. She was extremely disappointed by it this time. I didn't see any justification for the high price of this plate. Red Velvet Pancakes ($15 for full order) with Bananas ($2.50), Strawberries ($2.50) and Chocolate Chips ($2.50) - Pretty presentation, but V found this sweet breakfast to be just ok, nothing special. He had seen on yelp photos of the same pancakes with much more whipped cream, so he asked for more. For the extra measly dollop of whipped cream, we were charged $2. Again, no heads-up by our waiter. A very ridiculous charge that just made Drakes look SUPER cheap. "Old County's" Country Fried Steak ($28) - This was my order. I always order country fried steak at breakfast joints. Drakes' version lacked the crisp that I like and the sausage gravy was underwhelming. The country potatoes were also bland and so over cooked with some burnt pieces that they were hard to chew. I had to send the potatoes back, replacing them with tater tots which were piping hot, perfectly golden and crispy. Interestingly, our server told us that the country potatoes were house-made and the tater tots were store bought, frozen in a bag. The boys and I didn't order any beverages. Perhaps it was for the best that we stuck to iced water because Mom's coffee was lukewarm. She had to have her cup microwaved, but, really, the kitchen should have brewed a fresh, new cup for her...but Drakes would have probably charged for that, too. Nickel-and-diming aside, service was patient and friendly, just not forthcoming, unfortunately. I was delighted to see a German Shepherd sitting in the half booth table area, so kudos to Drakes for being dog-friendly, especially indoors. We were so turned off by Drakes that we decided that we will not return. read more

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Drakes Sunday Brunch hits perfectly for any group of folks gathering together to start of the week right. My girlfriends and I can't wait to order our Bellinis, Brunch Board, our weekly rotation of an omelette and to see our favorite server Angelica. Angelica's hospitality is our driving force that brings us together. Thank you so much for sharing your Sundays with us. read more

This place is gorgeous! High ceilings, ample natural sunlight, historical building. Really nice and open and comfortable ambience. We came for brunch and had the Beef corn hash and Chilaquiles - both very good. Hubby said the corned beef is the best he's had!! We had drip coffee - wasn't sure if they did refills so I had to ask (no one willingly tipped it up) - yes they do. Look forward to trying their other dishes!! Updated: so it seems that I may have been served caffeinated coffee instead of decaf as requested as part of my refill. I could not sleep at all last night (I haven't drunk caffeinated coffee for several years)... just a note to the service staff to please be mindful of this! This is coming from a 40 week pregnant woman who is extremely sleep deprived the day after... honest mistake I'm sure, but just a note on attention to detail for the service staff, thank you! read more

Drakes - Chilaquiles - New American Near Me - San Carlos, California

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We come here regularly for Sunday brunches. It is a community gathering place and we are treated like family by Angelica, our favorite server. The food is always tasty and the drinks are perfect. So grateful for Drakes and the people here. Cheers read more

I have been to Drake's a few times now with family and every time is a good experience. The servers are always very friendly and the food is phenomenal. I would definitely recommend this for anybody coming through San Carlos or looking for a good place to have brunch. The French toast is something I would definitely go for read more

Our food was really delicious! We went for brunch and ordered California Benedict, salmon Benedict and chicken and waffles. Everyone was very happy with their food. Our cocktails were also great! So happy to have a brunch place in San Carlos that doesn't disappoint. read more

Drakes - New American Near Me - San Carlos, California

Great service and yummy food! The host was friendly and seated us quickly. The wait staff seem to have fun together while working and promote a positive atmosphere. The interior design is aesthetic with the brick and lots of windows. The table has a lot of things on it overall- the potted plant feels too big on the two-person table imo. The food was delicious. We ordered the California benedict and smoked salmon benedict. Everything was great but the tater tots were the best we'd ever had. Perfectly cooked with a crispy outside and tender mealy inside. Would definitely return. read more

Drakes - California Benedict - New American Near Me - San Carlos, California

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I have always had my eye on this restaurant and finally I got to try it They have street parking easy and convenient The staff was very nice and welcoming I loved the high ceiling and open seats with a bar seating option The food was tasty we ordered the crab Benedict loco Moko, and an omelette with tater tots Over all 5 star I can't wait to come back read more

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The fam enjoyed a quick dinner here before heading to the airport to go back home. Some of the highlights were the coconut shrimp tacos, the tomato bisque with the most amazing grilled cheese and the French onion soup. We also got the Drake's platter which comes with grilled tenderloin on arugula, with garlic, onions, tomatoes and peppers. I thought the tenderloin was just ok. We also got a couple of cocktails. The blood orange margarita was pretty good. Service was fast and attentive. The ambience is nice too. If you come here, get the grilled cheese. Amazing! read more

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I'm always looking for a good brunch place. The perk with Drakes is that they offer it everyday, but just weekends! There is lots of street parking available. The Caltrain lot is across the street for parking too. The restaurant had different seating styles. They had couches, tables, bar seating and seating upstairs too. There are lots of food options available too. The dish sizes are plentiful so you can share if you're not too hungry. We got a shareable board to start. We got the Biscuits Bacon Butter Board. The biscuits were large enough to split amongst 4-5 people if you just want a small bite. The biscuits were nice and fluffy. The bacon, butter, and jam were great accompaniments. Our table got a variety of dishes like classic Benedicts, breakfast burrito, chilaquiles, and breakfast sandwich. The dishes came with a side of choice of potatoes or fruit. The potatoes were great, but got to be a lot with all of the dishes. Everything was great. The waitstaff was friendly and accommodating. We'll be back. read more

Good food and service. I am a repeating customer who has been here many various times and days with same consistent atmosphere.

I go often and it never disappoints. The breakfast sandwich is my absolute fav! The mimosas are also great!

Went on a Saturday with a girlfriend and we were there from 12 - 3! We originally chose it for the bottomless mimosa ($25 for one hour - which was a little more than expected for only one hour). However Francisco was such a great bartender / server we ended up staying. We ordered Bloody Marys to start. Francisco let me taste their mix as I didn't want something too spicy. He ended up making mine not too spicy and my friend's spicy as she requested. We ordered chilaquiles and bacon Benedict's. Both dishes were amazing. Tasty. Well cooked and generous portions. The tater tots were spot on as I liked them. After eating we did end up getting the bottomless mimosa. The great thing is that you could choose one of five juices or even mix them. It was fun to try the different juices every time they refilled your glass! The atmosphere and the decor is pretty fun. I'd love to get the sofa section as some point. They have an upstairs but I wanted to be downstairs in the sunny lit up area! Would love to go again for my next brunch. read more

Drakes - Bloody Mary with celery. Lemon. Olive. Tomato and Bacon - New American Near Me - San Carlos, California

Our favorite brunch spot! We love Angelica! We come for the Paloma, the brunch board, the truffle omelette. Can't go wrong, great atmosphere, great food and an amazing team!! read more

Ambiance - loved how bright everything was and some of the tables surrounded the bar/drinks prep area, so it felt very lively Service - prompt service, very easy to make reservations through Yelp. Needed a high chair and they initially seated us in a busy area, but kindly let us move to a more quiet location once we saw another table was available Food - the menu looked very appetizing but was a little disappointed by the portions and value. The waffles from the chicken & waffles lacked flavor, the wagyu loco moco wasn't as flavorful as I'd expect from wagyu beef, and the cinnamon roll was too dense. We needed something to "cut" the loco moco and chicken and waffles and was surprised that they didn't have any pickles. For these two dishes, something like cole slaw or pickles are needed complements to "cut" the dish --- otherwise it felt very filling and dense. For the price, I expected a bit more. Though, I'm glad to have tried it to explore a new spot in San Carlos. read more

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We've been here many times now for breakfast and lunches. The service and dishes have been excellent every time. Great options for breakfast and lunch. We haven't tried dinner yet but will soon. read more

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Parking is the problem..otherwise I enjoyed the experience...food was very good service excellent