We've been exploring downtown Manteca since moving to the area and had noticed this brunch spot both while driving around and through all the great recommendations on Yelp. The food was really good and definitely lived up to the hype. Unfortunately, the service didn't quite match the quality of the food. The wait times--from being seated to receiving our meals--were unusually long. It seemed like they may have been short-staffed, which is understandable, but it did impact the overall experience. That said, we're still willing to give it another try in the future to see if the experience improves, because the food alone makes it worth another visit. read more

If Central Perk served breakfast, it would feel like this place. We came in for a casual brunch and ended up finding a new causal spot to brunch. I ordered a plate of crispy hashbrowns topped with tender pulled pork, smothered in rich, creamy gravy, and sprinkled with fresh jalapeños for a perfect kick. It was comforting without being heavy, like a warm hug you didn't know you needed. But the best part? They had fun flavored mimosas that made brunch feel like a celebration. We tried a few different flavors, and each one was bright, refreshing, and paired perfectly with the savory food. (Rachel Green would approve.) The staff was friendly, kept the coffee refills coming, and made us feel welcome without hovering. The prices were fair, and the portions were generous enough to leave you full but not overly stuffed. If you're looking for a cozy spot with great food, good vibes, and a reason to say "How you doin'?" to your mimosa, this is it. Can't wait to come back and bring friends for a brunch round two. read more

My Friends Place - American Near Me - Manteca, California

I don't normally rate a place on appearance/ambiance. For me, food ratings are more important, but here's my review: Ambiance- my wife and I were sitting at the table top bar and you can really smell the bathroom from where we were sitting. Service- the staff were nice, but they were slow. Granted, there was a large table ahead of us, so +1 for that Food- I ordered the kalua pork and rice. The kalua pork was probably reheated on the griddle, kind of salty, it was meh. The biggest disappointment was the rice. It was hard. For a "Hawaiian" restaurant to not know how to cook rice is sad. This place has potential. I don't know if they are tired or don't have that spark. Maybe they need a new location. The park across the street has a bunch of unhoused folks. read more

My Friends Place - Kalua Pork and Eggs Breakfast - American Near Me - Manteca, California

Had Sunday brunch here with my grandparents. First walking in, I was a bit nervous and put off by the furniture and decor. The restaurant was dark and dingy, definitely in need of some renovations. Especially taking inspiration from Friends, I would've expected it to give off the vibes of the show. Maybe theming the interior like Central Perk would be nice. Service was friendly, but the food took a while to prepare. My sister ordered the Bacon Bene, which she said was good. She particularly enjoyed the Hollandise sauce on the top. I ordered the Hawaiian Flapjacks. I thought they were okay, nothing special. Besides the minimal amount of macadamia nuts on the top, there were barely any hints of it in the batter. Blending the nuts into the batter would definitely elevate the flavor and make it more "hawaiian". There were also supposed to be white chocolate chips but I only found 4-5 of them mixed in. The only good thing was the fluffiness of the pancakes. read more

My Friends Place - Bacon Eggs Benedict Brunch - American Near Me - Manteca, California

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At first I was so excited, because there's a lot of awesome Hawaiian breakfast spots in the Bay Area, and I was happy to find one close enough to where I live. However, my mom and I ended up disappointed about this popular local spot. For starters, it's so dark in here. I could barely see the menu. I know I'm not being dramatic since the waitress had to lean forward and squint to see the menu to help me pick something out. There's lighting available above the tables, but they were all turned off. I guess they're using the natural white lighting emitting from the windows. Also, the smell. It smelled grimy, dusty and maybe some Pinesol? I don't know, it was weird. It was also off-putting to see our waitress delivering our food after seeing them consistently coughing into their elbow. It felt icky to get our food after seeing that. We still ate since she didn't cough into the air or directly onto her hands, but you know what I mean? Idk it was just gross The bathrooms aren't clean. The door is difficult to close. The place is inspired by the show Friends, so you'll find a lot of friends decor here and there. I understand the vibe that they're going for, but the dark black tables, the lack of lighting, the music sort-of booming through the restaurant, just doesn't feel homey or nostalgic. They got some Ross New York City wall art canvases and placed them on the windows, posters from episodes of the show, and some paper cut outs from special references from the show taped onto the wall. It's just like "Puro chilaquiles", as my mom says, it's a lot and everywhere. I don't recommend coming here for some tasty Hawaiian breakfast food, since the food was alright. The Katsu Plate was pretty mid. Don't get fried rice, it's tastes like regular white rice. The panko chicken was nice and crispy. However, the macaroni is flavorless; it tasted like they used Greek yogurt or sour cream instead of mayonnaise. My mom got the Loco Moco, and it is by far the worse presentation of food I've seen. It just looked like slop with a scrambled egg on top. Their drinks are so not worth their price, too. My mom and I got the Hawaiian coffee with caramel and mocha, and they were so watered down. If you want delicious Hawaiian breakfast, make the drive and go somewhere like Denica's or go a street over and wait for Besito's to open on the weekend for a better experience. This is NOT the spot. read more

My Friends Place - Chicken Kalua Pork Plate Lunch - American Near Me - Manteca, California

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The 77 and 81 year olds wanted to go eat and we ended up here because the Chinese restaurant doesn't serve sit-down food. It was a happy coincidence since there is Hawaiian food on the menu and the 81 year old came from Hawaii. The chef explained that the food wasn't what Hawaiians would expect. People didn't like the correct recipe, just like Chinese restaurants adapt the recipes for non-Chinese people. They got the Kalua Pork and I got fried rice. It took a while but was fresh. They were still hoping that it tasted like they were in Hawaii. She commented that the fried rice was really good and I agreed. Sincewe were the only customers in the restaurant, it was pleasant and we got to hear the whole backstory. Prices were 2024-reasonable and the service was friendly. read more

My Friends Place - Lots of sauce - American Near Me - Manteca, California

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I really wanted to like this place but it just lacked in every aspect. We ordered our food at 12:30 and it didn't come until 1:40 and no one checked in on us during that time. One of the servers kept coming back to ask if we wanted refills and we said yes but he never brought them...he did this like 3 times and by time we got it, it had melted ice and a thin layer of water on top as if they were just left out. Our food took over an hour to get but the check came immediately lol. I ordered eggs Benedict but it looked melted and the yolk was on my plate. Also used too much paprika on the chicken. I could see into the kitchen and everyone was working hard, no one in their phones or waiting idly but the service just wasn't there. I doubt we'll be back read more

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We were in Manteca to check out Great Wolf Lodge for the first time. We decided to stop somewhere for lunch before checking in. My Friends Place definitely pays tribute to the show "Friends" with photos in the window, The Purple Door and they even had the show playing on their TV. We ordered the Loco Moco, Kalua Pork Burger with Onion Rings, Hawaiian French Toast and a side of Hawaiian Fried Rice. The Loco Moco was just like any I've had before - nothing special. The Kalua Pork Burger was very dry and bland and my daughter devoured the Hawaiian French Toast. My favorite item was the Hawaiian Fried Rice which was simple with Spam and bacon. Overall, the staff were friendly, but the food was just okay. It's a spot for the locals and I'm sure those are their loyal customers, but the tables seemed like they needed a good wipe down and the place definitely needed a deep clean. read more

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Had the loco moco brunch with scrambled eggs--food was really good! Service was a bit slow, and the store probably could use an upgrade, but overall we would definitely go back again. read more

My Friends Place - Loco Moco Brunch with Scrambled Eggs - American Near Me - Manteca, California

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Service: one person hosting, bussing and taking orders. Props to her. Food: I had a terrible experience. The rice they gave me was from the bottom of the rice cooker which was hard and inedible. The fried rice was just rice soaked in soy sauce which was also inedible. Thanks! read more

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Absolutely love this GEM! Food and staff are amazing, and will keep you coming back!! Benedict's, biscuit and gravy, fried rice are MY go to's, but honestly, everything I have had has always been a hot. My family and I love My Friends place so much, we always introduce new friends and family when they are in town. read more

My Friends Place - American Near Me - Manteca, California

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I finally made it back! BEST decision. Was a struggle to choose something new but I committed and the Kalua pork hashbrowns (menu appears to be updated!! But not here on yelp?) This was nothing short of DREAMY!!!!! Presentation, flavor, temp, texture were all on point even though I had then serve me late due to a meeting I had to hop on Amanda gave on point and efficient service with a warm smile. I think Andrew was in the kitchen once again and seated me with kindness. Once again I was so hungry and it was so Fab I didn't think to take a pic until I missed it all up into a perfect bite Bottomless mimosas on point again and apparently they do bottomless beer for $20 ?!! Dang I'll be back to check out other things... if I can stop craving the spam Benedict and Malia pork hashbrowns that is. Seemed clean enough inside to me and that the other poor reviews also didn't order the special menu items... so try the good stuff! It's fantastic read more

My Friends Place - Worst photo ever to describe this place! But the FOOD though and the down home friendly service!!! Don't miss out on this vibe - American Near Me - Manteca, California

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Was excited to try this place out because of the Friends theme. I ordered the Hawaiian breakfast with fried rice. The meal was good but not exceptional, so I would have to go back to try another dish. My sister and I also ordered the Hawaiian Coffee that was too sweet for us. The service was friendly. The ambiance was very casual and the music was loud making it a bit hard to have a conversation. read more

My Friends Place - Hawaiian Breakfast w fried rice. - American Near Me - Manteca, California

The food was great! I ordered a Loco Moco (hamburger patty on rice (white or fried) with an egg in top! Delicious! The service was good and the atmosphere was pleasant! read more

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Excellent food and super nice staff. They did an excellent job of taking care of us. It's a small restaurant. I got the Hawaiian fried rice and it was delicious. My new favorite breakfast spot in Manteca. read more

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Visited with friends while we were in town visiting and when I looked at the kind of food they had on their menu, I was pretty excited to try it out. Our party of 6 came by around noon on a Sunday and didn't wait long for a table but service to have our order taken did take quite long. I think they had only one server for the whole restaurant. I'd say service was just ok. Parking is street parking and it's located across the street from a park so it was easy to find a spot. The vibe was a bit rustic feeling. They had some decor that referenced the show Friends but not sure how anything else was "Friends" themed since the menu was more of a Hawaiian style food with items like Loco Moco & Kalua pork on the menu. They do serve alcohol like mimosas, beer and wine if you're looking for a boozy brunch. Prices of the menu items were fair. I ordered the loco moco with fried rice & I enjoyed it. My husband ordered the honey garlic shrimp with fried rice and the shrimp had more of a pineapple flavor than a honey garlic. It's a decent place for the area. read more

My Friends Place - Honey garlic shrimp with fried rice and macaroni salad - American Near Me - Manteca, California

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Food is not that great. Gave me the... Too salty very ran down This is not legit Hawaiian Food! read more

My first time here and was forsure an off day, short staff, smelled of restroom sewage. Drinks came out timely but they kept forgetting one (we still never got it). 1 hr 10 min wait for food yikes. French toast wasn't warm.. rice was ok we were starving at that point. Long waits for everyone. Busy place but comfort and ambiance is very grungy. read more

From the outside, I originally thought this place to be a bar. Inside the decor is very simple and pays tribute to "Friends". There are prints of the Friends cast on the windows of the establishment. The restaurant itself was dimly lit- using only what light came through the windows are was chilly; the morning I came to try them. Their food is more Hawaiian Island focused. Our waitress was sweet; however, it was hard to enjoy the food when it was so cold. The food itself was alright. There weren't too many patrons inside or coming in. Would I give them a shot if I've never been before? Sure. Do I plan on returning, probably not. read more

Second time coming here and it was just as good as the first time. They were very busy. Came on a Sunday about 12:30. My wife had the spicy blueberry chicken and waffles and I the loco moco with fried rice. read more

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Went here for breakfast around 10:30 on a Sunday. The place is small about 10 tables. Place was full. The restaurant was dim and covered in Friend's decorations from Amazon. There was a large party that took up two seating sections and was laying claim to another table. A staff member look annoyed because I can only assume they were holding the table for a while. There were some patrons that said they were leaving so we were able to take their seat. I get it it's busy and trying to be accommodating. Service was ughh.. they took our drink order. I took a while for drinks. I ordered a Michelada and my wife order a mimosas so my michelada was not traditional. It was very light and i think the only color came from the Tajin rim. My wife's mimosa was served in a big glass not your traditional champagne glass (no worries more mimosa). We then placed our order. As we were waiting for what seemed like an eternity for breakfast foods (around 30-45 minutes) I see food coming out the kitchen for the large party. Food was coming out on at a time and I swear one meal came out when another person at the same table had finished their meal.. As we waited the waiter brought another michelada that I did not order. He said "I know how it is" I thought that was nice. Our food came out and it wasn't as drastic of timing it was less than five minutes from first plate to last plate for the table. Food was ok! It's like going to a fast food restaurant, the food looks better in the pictures. Ordered the Big Kahuna Plate. The food was bland and not as advertised. My son ordered the chicken katsu plate and never received any sauce. My wife and mother in law ordered some benedicts and they had no complaints. If you are looking for condiments there's a table in the corner you go and see if there is anything available. Most of the bottles were empty or krusty. If there was any available people took them to their table. Needless to say not impressed with basic service. We got our check and it was the wrong check. (Considerably less than our bill) I let them know it was our bill. I got the correct check and I noticed they had charged me for the mechilada I didn't ask for (not so nice). So for how long we had to wait, the service, the ambiance, and importantly the food, we won't be rushing back anytime soon. read more

My friends and I were looking for a good place to have some mimosas and we found it!! This was a fun Friday for sure..the mimosas were flowing and our food was fantastic! We had the best service from Andrew (octopus- inside joke ) can't wait to be back! read more

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I've always loved coming to this brunch spot over the years, but it had been a while since I've been in and decided to check out their menu on Yelp. Despite seeing the most recent negative reviews, I still decided to spend my morning here with my parent to celebrate our anniversary because they never disappointed us in the past -- Please don't be disappointed $70 later like we were. yes, staff was friendly and service was fine, but as soon as you walk init definitely does in fact smell like sewage. I decided to sit on the other side of the restaurant, furthest away from the bathroom, but I could still smell that awful stench. The sweet potatoes were over fried, but I did enjoy the spicy chicken katsu sandwich. There was also quite a few gnats flying around while I was eating. Overall, both plates tasted as if they had been reheated or rushed out. read more

My Friends Place - Spicy chicken katsu sandwich with sweet potato fries - American Near Me - Manteca, California

Terrible service. Took over an hour to get our food. Restaurant was not busy. Had 6 different customers coming in amd leaving due to poor service. Taking forever to take simple drink orders. Can hear staff gossiping in back instead of tending to customers Once food came, the pancakes were tough. Eggs super salty read more

My Friends Place - Tough pancakes - American Near Me - Manteca, California

Absolutely DELICIOUS food and OUTSTANDING Customer Service!! Highly recommend this gem!! The French toast is INCREDIBLE, the Eggs Benedict was something I will crave with the hollandaise sauce being top notch, and the fried rice and Portuguese Sausage was delicious!! So good and such a special place!!! MUST TRY!!! read more

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Not worth the 1.5 hour wait. Was visiting my sister. Waited 40 minutes to sit, and another 50 min to eat. Our server was ok, not very attentive. The only thing that tasted decent was my son's mini pancakes from the keiki menu. 2 stars for the pancakes and the AC(seriously hot outside). The walls were peeling. The place is tiny. I was trying to keep my party's spirits up bc I was the one that brought them here. I wish we went to the other breakfast spot 2 minutes away. My $120 could've gone to better food and service. Especially if you're pregnant like me, don't go here. Nowhere to sit and wait. Food is salty. read more

My Friends Place - Peeling walls. You can see my dry food (the egg yolk would save the dryness but I can't eat runny yolk) - American Near Me - Manteca, California

My friends and i frequently come here and it seems like each time the service gets worse. I think this past visit might just me our last. We went in Sunday, first people seated around 9:20, mind you no one ahead of us. The girl Angelina or Angelique was extremely unfriendly and unhelpful. Anytime we asked for something was an issue. We asked for creamer and basically told go get it yourselves. We ordered our food asap too spend as little time as possible being helped by her. We didn't get our food until 10. She mentioned the kitchen being backed up but we were the first guests, strange. Definitely wouldn't recommend. Maybe just DoorDash from here read more

I've been coming here for couple of years now but today was not it. I don't know what happened to this place but here is what happened today: -There service was super slow, -Staff were on their phones -It took almost an hour to get our food - The food was subpar. I order the Big Kahuna and the gravy was very oiling and grainy. The Hash browns weren't cooked. -They didn't check up on us to see how the food was. -The music choice was very inappropriate as well, we had a 3-year old with us and they were playing Magen the Stallion on and a lot of vulgar rap music. -the lighting was dim, felt like I was eating in the dark. Most of the lightbulbs were out. Overall, the experience eating there has dwindled. I use to recommend this place a lot but after today, I really don't recommend eating here anymore. read more

I give the food 6/10. The service needs work. Our server was nice but we waited so long to get our food. She came by and told us she would bring my sons food out first because he was getting fussy and it ended up being one of the last plates. I asked for the bill along with the food because we were just ready to go after waiting so long. She was the only server there. Another couple there was waiting for a to go order and they looked so fed up. Lastly. When you walk in there is an awful smell. I can't describe it but it's so bad. read more

Saw this place on "tik tok." Decided to give this place a try since i was going to visit family members in the area. Upon entering we were confused if we were supposed to sit ourselves or write or name on the list. No one really helped us until a few 5 mins passed by. After standing there looking confused they finally helped us. They sat us down and gave us the menu. After reading the menu we all decided to get different items and share. Our order: -coffee, was good -guava juice was like any other guava juice nothing especial - spicy chicken and waffles: spicy chicken was bomb.com really good especially with the spicy syrup 10/10 The waffle was good and soft 7/10 - the french toast with macademia was delicious 9/10 Side eggs were too salty didnt eat them 2/10 Portuguese sausage delish 9/10 - the brunch burger was really good. Heavy duty burger and it consist of many meats and eggs 10/10 Overall, this is a nice place to check out. The only reason why i rate it low is bc they lack ok customer service. However, the food is Great! read more

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Small but quaint. Excellent food and people are so special. Professional and courteous!' I also brought home lunch. Kalua pork with fried rice plate. Excellent pork. Fell apart with my tongue fried rice so flavorful. Delicious! read more

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I ordered the Kalua Pork Burger. I added a fried egg and bacon. I have to say this burger is the Best burger I've have in years. You also cant go wrong with the Bottomless Mimosas. The service was Awesome. Amanda was very kind and attentive to our needs. The atmosphere is very inviting. This is definitely a "Friends" place. I'll be back this week!!! read more

My Friends Place - American Near Me - Manteca, California

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*this review is unique as we were last on a waiting list before they closed for the day to handle a privately catered event. We were looking for a place to hang out and kill time versus trying to find a new favorite eatery. Luckily we were able to do both. With only four stars on Yelp and this place being somewhat nearby, we thought this might be a good place to relax and get my son some protein in between games while we're here in town for a baseball tournament. As we pulled up there was a line of people out front the place was small and they were getting people out very slowly. We put our name on the waiting list sat outside on a bench and hoped for the best. After our table was ready we ended up sitting next to some friends also in town for the ball game and as we looked at the menu, our horizons began to broaden. The staff was very friendly and courteous, we felt very welcomed once we took our seats. The online menu was not 100% accurate as we were informed, they rotate their menu items to keep the selections fresh. Our server was Zachary and he was very attentive and curious about our day; we informed him we were visiting the area for a baseball tournament and happen to find his restaurant on yelp. My son ordered the French toast with nuts and white chocolate, it was wonderful! my daughter ordered a newly added item to the menu, spicy chicken Katsu sandwich. My wife ordered fried rice and salmon. I ordered the Hawaiian breakfast burger. I can go into detail about each plate however, it would be a waste of time. All you need to know is each of these items was extraordinarily wonderful. We could not get enough of the food and we were already planning our next trip. Zachary even brought out some barbecue sauce for us to taste test, which they use on their pulled pork. I will be getting that next time :-) Make sure you give this place a try is definitely worth your time. Easy 5 stars across the board. read more

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Me and my husband went there for the first time and probably the last one. I feel sorry to say this but this place looks like it's near bankruptcy. The service was very good and that's the only reason why I'm giving it 3 stars. The waitress was very kind and payed attention to every table, it looked like she was also washing dishes while attending three tables and she never left anyone out. To say the least, the lady was very busy. The ambiance of the place was irrelevant since they were only three tables plus ours. Boring, nothing noisy or awesome to get your attention. Now the food which to me is the most important thing, was honestly nothing special. I ordered the classic breakfast if you can call it like that and the waffle was nice but the eggs not even close to decent taste. They were SUPER SALTY and I couldn't even eat them. Coffee was old, and don't forget that if you go there you have to be prepared TO WAIT FOR AT LEAST 40 min. Also the place is very dirty and smelly. All the tables and silverware are supeeeeeer old and you can tell the kitchen was nasty. read more

My Friends Place - American Near Me - Manteca, California

To put it short and sweet- I could have made the Hawaiian fried rice that I ordered at home and a lot more flavorful as well . The portion was small. There was not enough pork to egg to rice ratio. The flavor from what flavor there was there it just was not enough. There was not enough of an onion or garlic flavor. The service was great. The gal was very nice and very attentive. The place that I sat at was clean so that wasn't an issue. I would 100% not come here again. read more

My Friends Place - Hawaiian Fried Rice Brunch - American Near Me - Manteca, California

If I could give this place more stars I would! Service environment and Food was outstanding and flavorful and omg plate licking good. Such a fun place to dine, awesome music a true neighborhood gem! When you walk into this place it truly feels welcoming. read more

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It is a small restruant and I would guess there is only one chef. Parking is on the street. The decor theme is the tV show Friends Overall the food was really good. Although the chicken was dry and the asparagus was stringy. The chicken and waffles was the smallest item we ordered. It came with 2 chicken tenders, a waffle and spicy syrup. The chicken was moist. The island fire chicken was tasty with a bite. The quesadilla was generous. They were filled with lots of Kalau pork and cheese. The macadamia and white chocolate flapjacks were sweet and filling. It took a very long time to get our food. It came plate by plate. It was all hot and freshly made. The restruant was very loud. The seats were wood. The wait staff were friendly and very busy. read more

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We stopped here on a whim for family brunch one our way in from the airport. Most people in our group got the original waffles, two of us got the Hawaiian fried rice, and one person got the Hawaiian breakfast burger. The food was great and everyone liked what they chose. I recommend getting shredded cheese added to the fried rice and a side of gravy to drizzle on top. Most of the entrees came with a large portion of your choice of bacon or sausage and eggs cooked your way. The guava and strawberry bottomless mimosas were great but weren't very bottomless as they are very strong and were served in pint glasses so you can only have one or two before you're feeling pretty buzzed. They brought out four kinds of mini muffins for us to snack on before our food came on. The muffins were great and were piping hot, fresh out of the oven. Our server Amanda was a doll! She was super friendly and very fast. She noticed on our ID's that we were from Colorado and we had a nice chat about when she lived in Colorado for a while. She only works one day each week so hopefully you're lucky enough to get her when you stop by. The ambiance is interesting. It's an eclectic mix between a Hawaiian surf bar and a brunch place. Amanda mentioned the owner is Polynesian and lived in Hawaii for a while so I'm sure that's what inspired the decor. read more

My Friends Place - Pumpkin Spice Muffins & Guava Mimosas - American Near Me - Manteca, California

Love the food here i always great.! I always get the bacon Benedict. Service took awhile . We were done with all our food by the time the last of our order came out. The ambiance was ok but had a bad smell of wet towels. And the booth we sat at had food all on the seats. Needs a good deep cleaning. read more

This place is so good! I went on a date here, and I'm glad we did I got the avocado toast with salmon. The toast was crunchy and the salmon was just! Chiefs kiss! The service was great! Kind and offered a lot of options. Will be back! read more