I was there last Friday evening. And I had an OMG experience. My chicken pesto with polenta was absolutely insane!!! I took a picture of it to prove how cool it looked, but it tastes better than it actually looked. I want to be clear. The service is always top-notch as I go there for lunch mostly but rarely for dinner since I live in a different town. And of course, I love sitting outdoors there because it's a great spot to be. read more

Johnston's Saltbox - Chicken pesto with polenta! - New American Near Me - San Carlos, California

Had a fantastic dinner at Johnston's last night. I thought it was a new restaurant, but it's been here since 2014! My friend had the Sonoma Salad and I had the fried chicken sandwich. We completely devoured our meals--superb food. The wine list was excellent, and we loved our choices. Our waiter was friendly and solicitous. The only drawback, hence the loss of one star, is the dining room's hard wood chairs. So uncomfortable! If we're paying close to $100 for a night out, I expect great food and total comfort. I hope they invest in some pillows. A cheap way to enhance customer comfort. read more

Great neighborhood restaurant with lots of natural light coming in. Lots of healthy options on the menu but they have burger which I saw go by with half a plate of salad on the side but my friend said you can get fries instead. You order at the counter bar area. My friend and I both ordered the miso kale salad and a cup of tea since the weather has been so weird lately. It was yummy with peaches, plums, almonds, radishes and sweet pickled rhubarb slices. I added friend chicken to mine for additional cost. The dressing was a little to the salty side for me so it was good to have the fruit to balance more. We got there about 11:45 and the restaurant was pretty full by the time we left a little after 1pm. read more

Johnston's Saltbox - Miso kale salad - New American Near Me - San Carlos, California

Came back for lunch again and the burger and pasta were also amazing. Burger was cooked well and juicy. The pasta had a lot of texture and a nice flavor. read more

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Johnston's saltbox has a an amazing location and ambiance. We love sitting inside or outside, and the rotating menu. Service is great!

this was a great place for a family dinner. i came here just after opening on a saturday evening with my husband, cousin + husband, and aunt. johnston's doesn't take reservations, first come first served, so we had no trouble getting a table for (5), esp since it was so early on. we ordered a few starters to share: +picnic quesadilla: this was a fascinating new concept that i'd never heard of...various cheese, spinach, squash, basil and strawberries! all in a grilled tortilla. this was surprisingly very good and i loved all the fresh produce inside each piece. +crispy brussels sprouts: roasted and seasoned to perfection in lemon and old bay spice. i love me a good crisp, brussel sprout! i honestly could have eaten this myself, and had the entire thing for my main, but alas we gotta share! +soup of the day: a velvety cauliflower, fennel soup topped with wild mushrooms with a side of toasted sourdough bread. this was sooo good, perfect for the cool rainy day that it was and just so savorily delish! for my main, i chose the chef's fish dish, pan seared barramundi, complemented with tomato, black lentils, spinach and artichoke, and haricot vert (french green beans). the fish was soft and buttery tender, and i loved all the veggies that supplemented this dish. there were a lot of little black lentils to add a chewy textural punch to this dish. service was excellent, and prompt, without feeling rushed, despite the long line of customers waiting for a table towards the end of our meal. i enjoyed this dining experience very much and look forward to returning, perhaps even for brunch the next time since my cousin raved about their brunch menu! parking tips: park on the street! free 2 hour parking. read more

Johnston's Saltbox - chef's fish of the day: barramundi - New American Near Me - San Carlos, California

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Always a spectacular night out at this neighborhood gem. As a table of seven last Friday, we had to wait for about 40 minutes, and staff were so apologetic. iIt was a gorgeous night to savor drinks on the back patio as my family waited for our front patio table. The squash blossom and spinach quesadilla starter and Very Nice Salad were lovely. My short ribs and creamy potatoes were super yummy. This rooftop garden to kitchen to table restaurant is one of our favorite places to celebrate. read more

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Best breakfast spot I've been to in a long time. I loved the diversity of flavors in the dishes. Well prepared and delicious. Ambiance is cozy and sweet and the service was kind and attentive. A younger crowd of servers. The 4 dishes we got were 10/10. Well prepared and delicious. read more

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This used to be our go to in the neighborhood, and we lived the concept. Of late though it's a little more of a miss for us. Service is still top notch, but the limited menu and the food itself could be better. I am hoping it was just some off days that we visited. They definitely pride themselves on the freshness of their ingredients. I have just felt the food has gotten a little too salty the last time I was there. They definitely expanded during the pandemic, and took over the parking lot for expanded seating, but there are still lines on weekends. Hope to come back at a later date and give them another try, as this used to be a great local place for us in this part of town read more

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Tucked away in sleepy San Carlos on the corner of Laurel and St. Francis, Johnston's Saltbox delivers on a cozy atmosphere, great service, and good New American food. The neighborhood restaurant offers very limited and seasonal New American style cuisine with only a handful of options. The ingredients are local, the options are quite healthy, and the presentation is lovely. The price reflects that. While New American isn't something I'd naturally gravitate to, the food was quite good. That being said, the scones are the only item that would make me want to go back. The restaurant itself is lovely with a large back patio, the perfect hang out on a warm California day. That being said, becusss it's not the biggest place and the area doesn't have much, don't be surprised if there is a wait. Doesn't help that many people seem to just come here to lounge and enjoy themselves. The service was good and timely. We felt well looked after. Overall, Johnston's Saltbox provides something new and different and is a standout for San Carlos but perhaps not as mind blowing as you may have hoped based on the concept and price. 4 stars. read more

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Stopped in on accident for lunch and loved it. They had a lovely patio outside and they allow dogs. Woo hoo! Overall a great atmosphere to be in. The food was incredible. I had the kale salad and my partner had the harvest bowl. They were both fresh and delicious. The service was very attentive during lunch time. The staff is nice and communicates well. I'll definitely come back when I'm in town. read more

Cool place with an outdoor patio with lots of nice seating. The food was solid, 4 stars. The service and ambiance were great, 5 stars. A bit too pricy and also because there's a lot of flowers and plants outside, we were constantly bombarded by bees. That made it difficult to eat in peace. The chicken sandwich was good. The curry flavor was a bit too strong for me though, and it kind of masked the freshness of the pickled veggies. The burger was also good but nothing special I would say. read more

Johnston's Saltbox - Fried Chicken Sandwich - New American Near Me - San Carlos, California

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I came here on two occasions: first time was for lunch with my husband and Coco and the second time was for dinner with a group of friends. 11/10/24 Zach, Coco and I decided to try out Johnston's saltbox for lunch. When we checked in, the host offered us a table right away but we would have been squished between two other parties and Coco is not a small lapdog. So we waited in the outdoor patio area for about 10 minutes and was seated at a high table that didn't have anyone around us. Here's what we got: - Buffalo fried chicken sandwich (his) - saltbox in paris (mine) - Housemade scones Everything came out in less than 10 minutes. Zach said that his sandwich was good, but not amazing. The scones were unfortunately pretty crunchy and not soft at all. Honestly, they were almost as hard as a hockey puck, but I forced myself to eat them since Zach doesn't like pastries. The Saltbox in Paris sounded delicious, to which most of the dish was, but it was a disappointment because it only came with 3 small bites of beef.... 12/21/24 Second time for dinner with friends, I think the food was way better, and the menu was different too. We ordered a variety of things to share: - Nashville tenders - Roasted carrot hummus - Brussel sprouts - Saltbox mousse For my entree, I got the chicken pot pie. The crust was buttery and flaky and there was a good amount of chicken, sauce and veggies underneath the crust. I liked all the appetizers we had as well. If a third time comes again, I think I would stick to the dinner selections. read more

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I think this place has a lot of heart, but our food felt very average, if not slightly below average. I think the ambiance and the service are outstanding though. Pomegranate lemon mule non alcoholic: this had a lot of ginger in it. No one mentioned this to me. When I read lemon I think lemonade and not ginger. This was similar to a turmeric and ginger shot, this was gross and not worth $7. Would skip. Guajillo pork belly add avocado: the beans or the hatd stuff underneath the pork was terrible. Hard to cut and tasted like flavorless black bean. The slaw tasted like something you'd get with pupusas, very vinegar forward and the pork was just bland. Another skip. Strawberry rhubarb French toast: the compote was great, but the bench toast was very hard to eat. The crust of the French toast is hard and chewy and almost impossible to cut even with our knives. I wouldn't get this again either. Strawberry lime drink: decent and finally a drink that tastes like what's written. Coffee: standard coffee. Almond cream cheese scones with guava and pineapple compote: good scone and good compote. They do compote really well. Given breakfast/brunch was over $130 for food we thought was just average, much of which we cut around or didn't eat (like the beans underneath the pork belly, the slaw, or even the crust of the French toast), I don't think we had the experience we were hoping for with the food being so mediocre. read more

Johnston's Saltbox - New American Near Me - San Carlos, California

You can sit outside in the heated patio (with blankets!) and feel like you've left San Carlos. The staff is on top of it so you won't feel abandoned just because you're on the patio, which tends to be busier than the interior. All the ingredients are quality so even if it's a "simple" salad, it's fresh and flavorful. They keep it interesting by changing the menu and I appreciate they feature what's in season. read more

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It's was our first time for brunch and surprisingly good! I love some good pozole and it was a healthier version of pozole with chicken breast, an egg, and avocado and love the crispy thin chips! The spicy chicken sandwich tasted like a spicy chicken parmigiana sandwich which was tasty! We'd definitely come back since the menu seems to be seasonal to try different dishes. Service was fast and great! They have indoor and outdoor seating and pet friendly as well. read more

Johnston's Saltbox - Fried Chicken Sandwich - New American Near Me - San Carlos, California

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Wow what a great brunch experience we had here! We came around 115pm on a Sunday and there was about a 15 minute wait. The menu is not extensive but it is incredibly creative and a mix of different protein main choices and a sweet brunch choice. A lot of alcohol drink options as well as coffees. We ordered the bacon hash dish and the peach French toast. Both were spectacular. Applause for the executive chef here as the way the dishes are brought together is exceptional. Super creative dishes with interesting flavors throughout. Ambiance is a highlight too - very modern, great indoor and outdoor seating options. Service is very friendly and attentive. Would love to try this place for dinner too! And we'll be bringing friends here for brunch! read more

Johnston's Saltbox - Peach French toast - New American Near Me - San Carlos, California

Love this spot! The food is always fresh, service is quick, and the outside patio is such a vibe when the weather is nice. Highly recommend!

Searched for a good brunch spot up north via Google search, and came across several Reddit comments recommending Johnston's Saltbox - so, we had to give it a try. The menu is rotating and a limited selection, but pretty adventurous and carefully crafted. There is street parking nearby, or slanted parking spots if available. We came around 11am, so we luckily got a parking spot right across from the restaurant. Despite it being pretty early on a Saturday and the restaurant just being open for an hour, it was pretty bustling. The inside was majority full with the exception of one or two tables empty, and we opted to sit outside. To be honest, it was pretty windy this day, so I was a little cold, but they have blankets you can use. We ordered the coffee butter scones to start off. The scones were fresh, crunchy on the edges, but still soft on the inside. The butter was coffee flavored and complimented the buttery scones well. My friend, who is an avid coffee lover, tipped her hat and sent compliments to the chef for the delicious coffee butter. We didn't try the coffee, but if the butter is that good, we can't wait to try the coffee drinks ;) For the entrees, we decided to split since we had a hard time narrowing down one dish per person (and we don't like to double order). We opted for the fried chicken and French toast + the beef hash. Let's get started with the chicken and toast. The chicken wasn't fried with a crispy bread crumb like we had expected, but still very tender. There was a butternut squash puree, which added some uniqueness to the dish, and some extra flavor. I was skeptical at first, but it grew on me very quickly. A single bite of bananas, toast, chicken, and butternut squash was splendid. Now, on to the real rockstar of the day - the beef hash. Talk about flavors coming together and melting in your mouth. We absolutely LOVED the Hollandaise sauce. I didn't think they could have more tender meat than the chicken, but the beef was even better. Paired with the potatoes, asparagus, and two poached eggs, the beef was delicious. Pro tip - dip the scones from earlier in the egg yolk / Hollandaise sauce for a salty kick! Overall, lovely experience here and friendly service - my friend's napkin flew away and two different people rushed to help her. The servings were enough to fill us right up, so no complaints about the serving sizes. Pricing was fair - especially for the quality - and we definitely want to come back for the menu this season. As we're looking at it right now, we're reminiscing on the good meal we had - can't wait to try the pork belly breakfast sandwich and sweet heat fried chicken sandwich! read more

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One of the best brunch spots on the Peninsula. I love the warm, rustic décor and cozy ambiance. The menu is small and seems to change seasonally. My favorite so far is the breakfast hash, which varies slightly depending on what ingredients are available. Portions are generous, and everything is packed with flavor. The scone flavor changes daily. You can really taste the freshness of the ingredients. Coffee is also solid (they service Sightglass coffee). Expect a wait during peak weekend brunch hours, and keep in mind the typical Bay Area price tag. Otherwise, highly recommend! read more

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Nice, clean restaurant with attentive staff, and we even had a friendly chat with the owner. We were seated right away for outdoor brunch, and our food arrived all in under 20 minutes. I ordered the breakfast hash with drip coffee, which was very hearty and delicious. The potato pureé in the dish tasted great and cut the saltiness from the pork. The poached egg was slightly overcooked but I didn't mind because the sauce really won me over. Prices are slightly higher than typical brunch spots, but the portions are generous and worth it. read more

Johnston's Saltbox - Breakfast Hash - New American Near Me - San Carlos, California

Hands down amazing, seriously everything from the service to the food and the ambiance, outstanding! The menu is small for a reason, each dish is well thought out and balanced. Trust the menu and enjoy the patio. read more

Johnston's Saltbox - New American Near Me - San Carlos, California

2nd visit. Absolutely fantastic. Food. Service. Xander was great, food was fabulous. There is nothing more to compliment.

Definitely one of the best brunch places in the Bay Area Came on a Saturday at 11AM and waited for 10min for 2 ppl (bigger party is longer) Theyre known for their scones which varies per day but the texture of crunchy on the outside soft on the inside is literally the definition of this scone Chicken sandwich was a lil dry cuz they used chicken breast but fries were good The hash was very flavorful and had very good smoked pork belly Overall vibes and ambiance was good too Parking may be hard nearby but in the neighborhood nearby its easy read more

Parking - easy to find around that part of downtown Ambiance - we sat outside with our dogs. I loved that there is an outside window where you can order drinks and food from Food - disappointed that they were sold out of scones when we came. French Toast - 4/5 stars - originally the French toast was delivered with a ton of liquid at the bottom, however the server was kind enough to have it remade for me. It made a large difference! The chicken that came with it was delicious. The butternut squash pairing made the French toast the perfect level of sweetness Mexicana bacon hash - 4/5 stars, especially with their homemade hot sauce!! Loved the flavor combination of this dish. Drinks: got an elderflower spritz and it was not great. I expect Hugo spritz to be a lot more refreshing, however there was too much syrup in this one. The service was good, however they were swamped. I often had to flag down staff for things like a fork and it also took some time for our water to come out. Over 3.5 stars, but I'll round it to 4. read more

Johnston's Saltbox - After - New American Near Me - San Carlos, California

Service was good. Food was great as well 4/5. Everything was fresh. No wait on a friday for lunch but it did get busy super fast. 1. Not a fan of going up to the counter to order first before sitting down. 2. the menu is limited for lunch only about 10 options (i don't remember the exact amount) I did notice that the drinks menu had two different options 1. mango pineapple and 2. green apple orange which was confusing since when my dad went to order he didn't find the mango pineapple on his menu but we had it on ours. I'd recommend the staff to go over the menus to fix this. Overall great spot and decent parking. The saltbox drink was a bit too sweet even for my little brother. The burger was good and the bahn mi chicken sandwich was 5/5. The chicken tenders were great. I'd come back to see what the dinner menu looks like. read more

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First time trying this place, I arrived there at around 1 pm on a Sunday and waited for about 15 minutes, which is not too bad, very popular place. The brunch menu is somewhat limited. Overall, the quality is not bad and the service is friendly. 2 scones for $12 which is a bit pricey. However, it's homemade with its own spin that includes dried fruits, nuts and ginger bits so it's not boring like your normal scone. I have kale salad that's loaded with a lot of healthy goodies such as roasted beets, cauliflower, carrots...etc. once you add protein to it, it becomes a little bit pricey. The leek soup is very tasty and thick. It comes with a big piece of toast with butter. I don't mind coming back to try their dinner items. read more

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A cute, modern brunch place with indoor-outdoor seating, serving fresh California cuisine. They have seasonal specials that you order and pay for at the counter, and are given a number to take to your table where they bring out your food and drinks. We were a group of 3 and got the pomegranate mule drink, guava lemon soda, autumn grain bowl, cauliflower soup and a pear salad with avocado (extra $5 add-on) The food was delicious and photo worthy, but the portions were small. I was hungry after finishing my lunch salad, and for the price, I don't think this provided value for the money spent. However, if you're looking for a cool place to hang out with friends and stick to your diet, check it out! read more

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Had come on Saturday morning to try out their winter brunch menu, it wasn't that busy when we arrived around 10:15 AM but started filling up quickly. We sat outside in their back patio, and while it was a bit chilly they had blankets you could use. We got the beef hash and coffee scones to share, along with a latte. The scones were delicious, they had a nice crust on the outside and fluffy on the inside, and the coffee butter it came with paired nicely. The beef hash was also good, the sauce was especially tasty. Overall, everything was good and tasted fresh, but the portions were a bit small for the price. I would come back to try different items from their rotating menu though! read more

Johnston's Saltbox - New American Near Me - San Carlos, California

One of the best places I've ever eaten breakfast. The menu options are different from the usual offerings and include some really interesting dishes that looked fantastic when they were coming out to other guests. The hash was just amazing. Eggs perfectly done, ingredients all fresh and delicious and an amazing balance of flavors with various vegetables and the meaty bacon lardons. The pork chilaquiles was also very tasty and bursting with different flavors from the ingredients and sauces. Our little girl had a fruit plate that was large and very fresh. Of course, it's Bay Area prices but you do get a great meal and amazing friendly service from the staff. The outside garden area is also a great place to eat. read more

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This restaurant is consistently ridiculously good. I realize that by posting this review it will just make it harder for me to find a seat at this restaurant, but I'm posting it for two reasons: 1) The owner deserves that the truth be known, and 2) I want to do a good deed for my neighbors who might not know about Johnston Saltbox. Every dish that they serve is amazingly creative and well executed. Let me give you two examples of the meals that my wife and I ate today: One was a french toast topped with whipped cream, peach compote, lemon yogurt mascarpone, toasted almonds, chamomile thyme peach syrup, and crystalized ginger. WHO THINKS THIS STUFF UP? A genius, that's who. They have an f-ing genius for a chef. He's been there 10 years. And the owner lets him buy the best ingredients so he can execute with precision. The second dish that we had was a fried chicken sandwich. Well, the chicken was delicious -- juicy, tender, and perfectly seasoned. But on top of the chicken was an amazing concoction of what they call "curried yogurt slaw", honey, lime, and mild jalapenos. It was fantastic. "Finger lickin' good" as they say. Refer to my pictures of both dishes. The only downside is that I ate too much. IF YOU HAVEN'T TRIED JOHNSTON'S SALTBOX, TRY IT! read more

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Always a delight for brunch! We arrived around 10:15am with no wait (they don't take reservations). Outdoor covered patio had overhead heat lamps that helped offset the morning chilly breeze, and they offered blankets as well. Parking was easy on the street. The menu is seasonal and so hard to pick between the great options, so the trick is to go with a big enough group to all order something different and then sample a bit of everything! Our table of 5 ended up with two Saltbox in Paris (good well-rounded hearty brunch-lunch dish with some of the best fries I've had in terms of crispiness and consistency), one fried chicken banh mi, one Dutch baby pancake scram-bowl, and a winter dreamsicle French toast. Everything was amazing and I can't say enough how much I loved the French toast with the citrus (yuzu?) lemon curd. I was a little surprised that the braised short ribs portion was kind of small though for the price. Service is always top-tier as well. read more

Johnston's Saltbox - Winter dreamsicle French toast - New American Near Me - San Carlos, California

Amazingly good food! Ambience charming Clean Family run business and they are lovely read more

My friend and I came here for brunch yesterday and we loved it! Xander recommended his favorite menu item to us (guajillo pork belly huarache) and it was DELICIOUS! When I arrived at the restaurant I wasn't super hungry, but the dish was so good that I had to finish it! I also posted a photo of the meal on my Instagram story and several of my friends wanted to know where I was so that they could go too! I also had an iced latte that was really good too! Xander checked on us several times and created a great experience! This is a super cute, casual restaurant with lots of street parking nearby. I can't wait to go back! read more

I'm so happy that we've made JS an annual tradition for brunch to celebrate my cousin in law's birthday. The menu changes with the season, so there's always a great reason to come back. But my favorite thing that's available year round are the scones. I would show up before opening and wait outside just to get the scones if I was craving one. I haven't found any solid scone places that I can even recall. While there are many good restaurants throughout the downtown, I would say this is in my top two for brunch/lunch. The eggs are cooked to perfection, while the lunch options are a savory dream. Ok, I'll stop writing because I'm getting hungry just thinking about all of the things I've eaten here. The ambiance is also photo op worthy so take all of the pics you need for the socials! read more

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I would give this place 3.5 stars but can't do half starts so am erring in their favor. The food is very good - all super fresh, the service is nice, and the ambience (especially outdoors) is wonderful. But, the prices are ridiculous. My salad with chicken cost me $35 with tax and tip. That seems quite pricey. I would love to come back and try more things but am unlikely to come back. read more

It's been a while since I last wrote a review for this spot, but today we enjoyed a wonderful lunch, and I made sure to take pictures before we devoured the food. My husband and I are big fans of the apple walnut scones. However, my son, who isn't fond of nuts, mentioned that they'd be perfect without the walnuts. I ordered the French toast, which was just okay. It was lukewarm and had been sitting in the sauce for too long, resulting in a soggy mess--quite disappointing. My son chose the short ribs with truffle fries and loved them, even calling the fries the best he's ever had, which is high praise coming from him. My husband ordered the bacon hash, which came in a generously sized bowl. He couldn't finish it, which worked out well for me since my French toast was a disaster. Overall, it was still a great lunch, and we'll definitely be back--just not for the French toast! read more

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Went here to celebrate a birthday and it was fantastic, in a word. The menu choices are really unusual, we went on a weekend and had brunch. We arrived around 1030 and got a seat easily, they told us it gets busier around 1130 an onward, there isn't a large amount of seating and its nicer to sit outside on the patio if its warm enough. We had the french toast, a strawberry scone, their version of bibim bop, fried chicken sandwich and chilaquiles. Everything was really delicious with great presentation. I was frankly dazzled, as the creation of each dish was very original. They also have this housemade habanero hot sauce that is made with carrots. It is delicious and they sell it to take home and I got a bottle. Service was attentive and quick, the seating and ambiance is kind of a chic rustic and casual. read more

Service was great! Very nice young hosts and servers. 5/5 stars on service. Food was good nothing I would return for. We ordered a chicken sandwich, french toast, scones and two drinks Chicken sandwich was spicy and had a lot of different flavors involved that kind of didn't mesh together. The brioche french toast was also interesting it had a lot of flavors going on and the bread itself was not sweet at all just tasted like the grill. The scones were tasty not to sweet though. 3.5/5 because they were peach and pumpkin seed?? I don't know. I see the vision for this place but it is not executed that well. A constantly changing menu with nothing standing out in particular. Also no liquor they only serve beer, wine and champagne. read more

Johnston's Saltbox - Scones - New American Near Me - San Carlos, California

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Been several times and always interesting and delicious. Def a "go-to" in the San Carlos area.