Not very busy for Friday lunch. Only two tables occupied when I arrived. Service was excellent. Greeted at the door right away. Only one staff multi tasking as host, waitress, bartender from what I could see. Despite her (Paz name on bill) multiple roles she was very attentive checking on me regularly always with a smile. Made my lunch very enjoyable. Even after I packed up my food, she cleared my dishes, paid the bill, she still checked on me. She earned a generous tip for that level of service. Ordered - 1. Fish Tacos $19 2. Crab Artichoke Cheese Dip $16 3. Diet Coke (can) $4 The food was better than I expected after reading the negative reviews. Fish tacos came as a trio. Big cod pieces. Chipotle sauce has a definite kick to it. Fries were very hot and crispy. I tried but couldn't finish the fries. Crab artichoke cheese dip was tasty but was packed up to go home as the fish tacos and fries was generous portion. Chips were a good portion for the size of the dip plate certainly meant to be shared. Definitely will return to try other dishes. I walked into the main building on the right from the main parking lot. Walked past hotel registration on the right after entering. Followed the signage to Palm & Ember which was left down the first hallway past registration. Beautiful wood finishings in this Hilton Curio hotel. Love the peaceful outside areas to sit to have coffee. read more

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We didn't get seated and left after waiting over thirty minutes when we made a reservation. It appeared they were vary understaff and the two wait staff had to act as both busser and host. The restaurant wasn't even fully seated and they were visibly struggling and stressed. they didn't even have time to deal with customers waiting and clearing the tables, some of which were not cleared the entire 30 minutes we were waiting. No restaurant manager was present and there seemed to be no food and beverage manager either probably due to a large wedding going on. if there was going to be no manager on duty and service standards compromised due to understaffing they should have not operated without a manager on duty or proper staffing for an upscale restaurant. several other waiting customers were unhappy with the long wait and left. too bad the environment was very charming and Hayes Mansion was beautiful. This is an upscale restaurant and charges a premium for its prices, and this is not a premium experience at all. Hotel management, do better for your employees and guests so they aren't struggling to operate a restaurant without leadership present and ensure proper staffing levels so the guest experience is not compromised. I know in many chain sit down restaurants if they can't get a manager on duty or pull in someone else, they close for the shift. read more

The food was OK, definitely not worth $30! Go elsewhere. Very difficult to find. Drove around the building several times and finally had to ask someone where the restaurant was located. The entrance was closed due to fresh paint, and there were no signs on how to get inside the building. read more

I am obsessed with the quinoa power bowl at Palm & Ember at Hayes Mansion. Every time I stay I have to get it. I usually just sit at the bar and have that with a glass of wine & it's perfect. Even if you're not staying at the hotel it's worth checking out the restaurant and the beautiful grounds. It's just a really cool unique spot. It's literally a historic mansion that was converted to a hotel. read more

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I stayed at Hayes Mansion San Jose, and this restaurant is located inside the hotel. After spending the night there, I decided to have breakfast before checking out. According to the restaurant's website, breakfast includes a $15 continental breakfast as well as à la carte options. However, when we arrived, no à la carte menu was ever provided or even offered. We were greeted at the entrance and simply directed into the restaurant. No one explained the breakfast options, pricing, or that there were different buffet tiers. We also weren't seated, so we assumed it was self-service and helped ourselves to the buffet. The buffet included pastries, fruit, cereal, fruit juice, and coffee, along with hot items such as, bacon, eggs, potatoes, and breakfast sandwiches. Since there was no hot tea available at the beverage station, I asked a staff member for a cup of tea. They said they would bring it to my table, but it never arrived. No one checked on our table during the meal, so I didn't have an opportunity to ask again. After finishing breakfast, I received the bill and was surprised to see the buffet cost $30, which was significantly higher than the $15 continental breakfast listed on the website. I pointed out that the website was misleading because it doesn't explain that the hot food is part of a separate buffet or list a different price. The staff member responded rather rudely, saying that because I had eaten the hot food, I didn't qualify for the continental breakfast price. The problem is that nowhere in the buffet area was there any signage indicating that the hot food was excluded from the $15 continental breakfast, and no one explained the distinction when we entered. The website also doesn't mention a separate hot breakfast buffet or its price, making it easy for guests to misunderstand what's included. It also advertises à la carte options, yet no menu was ever provided, leaving the buffet as the only apparent option. After discussing the issue, the staff adjusted my bill to $15 but told me in a dismissive tone that it was a "one-time exception." I appreciated the adjustment, but the interaction could have been handled much more professionally. Overall, the restaurant needs clearer communication, better staff training, and proper signage so guests know exactly what they're paying for before serving themselves. The website should also be updated to accurately reflect the available breakfast options, pricing, and what is included with each selection so future guests aren't caught off guard. The hot food was average, but the pastries were excellent read more

Palm & Ember - Misleading menu on the website - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Jose, California

This is beautiful hotel here with thick history behind it. My family and I enjoy our staying at Hayes Mansion. So we tried Palm and Ember restaurant too. Our waiter was so nice and friendly. However, the service was slow. I love Quinoa power bowl. Flat breads were ok but I won't order it again. Maybe I like pizza type better than flatbreads. Tiramisu is a bomb. It's so yummy. read more

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What a find! Every dish seemed like it was meticulously crafted for flavor, texture, and culinary joy. Portions were generous and filling and well worth the prices. Everyone loved what they ordered. I had the quinoa power bowl and added sweet potato fries. The bowl was elegantly arranged with quinoa, avocado, chickpeas, almonds, roasted sweet potatoes, cucumber, mango, greens, and cherry tomatoes. Fantastic combination. I alternated between eating the ingredients by themselves and mixing them together. The sweet potato fries were served up just the way I like them: savory and the right balance between a light crunch on the outside and smooth inside. I tasted the porterhouse pork with apricot chutney. Just wow. What a burst of flavor and seasonings with the meat tender and juicy. I also sampled the truffle rotini. Rich and flavorful. A perfect combo with the pork. Other food ordered included Mary's 1/2 bird and fish tacos. Reports from everyone were outstanding. We were even compelled to compliment and thank the chef. For an appetizer we ordered the local cheese charcuterie board. We didn't leave a single item standing. One tiny hiccup: they ran out of lemons. Never seen that before. A lime was a sufficient substitute for my water. The ambiance of the restaurant and the hotel is stylish and comfortable. However, the dining area carries sound and I am guessing gets quite loud when full. Just be prepared. Otherwise, a great place to enjoy a fine dinner with a partner or a family. read more

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I happen to be using the site for a project and we decided to stop in for dinner. I had the buttnernut squash ravioli and while it was a very modest portion, the flavors were stupendous. It was delicious. Paired it with a side salad and a glass of wine, and I was satisfied. Came a little later to try out a drink at the bar and the bartender was friendly and chatty. read more

The last FIVE times we have stayed at the hotel this Restaurant has been overwhelmed, understaffed, and lacking hospitality. This was a major amenity for this property. Today we arrived, no host, no server, bartender told us we would have to wait a minute and left us standing for 5-8 min... never came back. Owner? Or server? Super sweaty guy came and we asked if we could be seated. He said "you can sit there and we will get to you when we can" and then ran off. We left. This property is not what it was even a year ago. So sad. read more

Says open til 11 but went to order food at 8:50pm and they told me last call was 8:45. Trying to doordash bonvoy right now because Marriott burgers are better anyway! read more

My work team had a two day planning meeting and we had breakfast and lunch here both days. The service was exceptional by all the staff and I appreciated all the delicious and fresh food options for both breakfast and lunch. In comparison to typical hotel food, I would rate this high because it didn't seem like they just fry frozen stuff. On the first day I had their grilled veggie sandwich on focaccia with pesto spread and fries. It was so delicious that I purposely saved half to take home to eat later. The fries were thick and crispy and lightly seasoned. The second day I ordered the quinoa salad with fresh blueberries and veggies. It was light but filling and refreshing. It has a modern vacation vibe and a full bar (which I didn't get to use). read more

Palm & Ember - Grilled veggie sandwich with fries - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Jose, California

The restaurant is so cute. It is clean and has cute decor. The menu consists of salads, sandwiches, and pizzas. The waiter was attentive and kind. Food was brought out quickly. I enjoyed the Blackened Ahi Tuna Salad. It was very refreshing and the sauces were lively. The side of pita chips was very crunchy. Perhaps they could have added a different sauce for that. I deducted a star for the lettuce having some not so good edges and the handkerchief smelled old. read more

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The charcuterie board price was outrageous for the size of the plater. The club sandwich had its normal three slices of bread but... the bread was one inch thick sourdough. Not a complaint but too much bread for the sandwich so I removed one. Flat breads were good; had the fig and margarita one. Cold brew coffee is from the can that you can buy from Costco pistachio affogato was great. Service was meh we had to ask for water refills. read more

This was a horrible experience so much so it seemed comical. We ordered the steak, the half chicken, a pepperoni pizza and the kids chicken tenders and bread. There were several menus and it was hard to get them all. The bartender served us . When we started to order she rambled off kids meals item and it made me wonder after asking for the desert menu why she would not bring us a kids menu. We had to ask two more times to get the kids drinks and she had a attitude when she went to get them I guess she thought we only needed water...the water was amazing but still We told her we wanted the kids chicken fingers and she said there was a kids cheese pizza and I asked if pepperoni was a option and she said yes but...didn't tell us that ment we were buying the adult pizza. We could not inform our selves beacuse she wouldn't give us all the information we needed. She brought the kids meals out first with no sauce we had to beg and stare to get sauce. There was just two people at the bar drinking so not sure why she just stood there staring back at us. Then she brought out the two adult meals. It's was 54$ for the steak and about 34$ for the chicken. We asked for butter and all the sauces we needed at once beacuse we knew she was never coming back . The steak was not medium well and the chicken was super dry. The bartender said the chicken was dry beacuse we ordered the sauce in the side.....I make chicken without sauce all the time that's never dry . The table was super wobbly and after the bartender told me they didn't have steak knives I proceeded to cut this overcooked steak with a butter knife as the table swayed back and forth..my kids plates were jumping across the table it was so bad . It was all we could do to contain laughter and tears. She never brought the bread we ordered. We ate about half our food and then two of my kids went back to the room beacuse even though we were all politely starting at the bar tender that was not doing anything she was just staring back not bringing a check or boxes. When she finally decided to come over my autistic 8 year old who is as cute as a button ( seriously she has a huge brown and blonde hombre Afro) asked her if she had tissue and the lady looked her dead in the eye and said they don't have any napkins and to go to the bathroom down the long hall...... We stayed kind and positive through the entire meal beacuse it really felt like that bar tender did not want us there. We just wanted a great meal....we did feel judged and it did feel like we were being enticed to act ghetto...we faught the erge to get out of character and just accepted the $155 food bill with bad service and not so great food. read more

The ambiance has beautiful decor and the seating area is inviting with a view of Hayes Mansion. They have a $22 breakfast buffet until 10:00 AM, but I just ordered the daily special - a breakfast burrito. For $9, I was SHOOK that they only gave me half of a burrito?? And it was from the buffet trays! I thought I would at least get a whole burrito for that price. read more

Palm & Ember - Inside - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Jose, California

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We had the veggie wraps for lunch, came with a good sized salad too. It was delicious! Breakfast was buffet style, not a lot of selections for what they charge. read more

Great burger and amazing service. Portions were amazing. Thank you Antonio for the great service read more

Palm & Ember - The Palm Burger - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Jose, California

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Food and service is always great at this cute restaurant in the neighborhood. Have been by several times.

My husband and I hadn't been to the Hayes Mansion in years, and wanted to try the breakfast buffet that is served until 10:30 AM at the Palm and Ember. We were in for a spectacular treat! First of all, there is ample parking in front of the mansion. No reservation was required either. The buffet is wide ranging, everything from scrambled eggs and sausage, homemade granola and Greek yogurt, assorted, pastries, French toast, bacon, smoked salmon, etc. etc. The service was spot on, and our server brought us coffee and juice immediately upon seating us. Everything we had was delicious. The setting is relaxed and comfortable, in a beautiful blue dining room. The Buffet is only $22 per person, including juice, and coffee, which is so reasonable, considering all the options they offer. After breakfast, we took a tour of the mansion and the museum downstairs. It was like we were on this little mini vacation! The staff was gracious and helpful, and filled us in on the history of the decor, and other features of the mansion. We definitely want to take our family back the next time we go! I highly recommend! read more

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Stayed at the hotel and had the breakfast buffet. They had decent selection and the food was fresh, staff was extremely friendly and made rounds cleaning and refilling beverages. read more

Bartender is always a pleasure to see. Food is lovely. Such great selection. Outside is beautiful on a warm night. read more

Palm & Ember - Menu - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Jose, California

Last minute trip to San Jose and found this fantastic spot at the Hayes Mansion. Tina was amazing! Friendly and attentive and her martini was perfect! Had the steak sandwich and it was excellent! read more

Great service and food! Everything came out fast and was super good. If you live in the area I definitely recommend trying this place. read more

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Attempted to eat here. I say attempted because I never got waited on. Restaurant was 1/3 full and waited 5min to get "seated" was given a menu and told to seat anywhere. I sat at high top near the bar so I could be visible to bar staff or a server. Two other parties came in after me and were properly seated and served. I waited for what felt like an eternity but was more like 6min, at which point I got up and left. Not a single staff member checked on me in the slightest. This blows my mind as I have stayed at this hotel for over two weeks straight! read more

Greeted by a friendly (smiling) bartender and shortly later by the food & beverage director, I mean, actually greeted, like a human being. My experience was limited to dinner and I honestly don't recall my entree, seldom do, but I never forget a dessert and the mousse, which was recommended by the bartender, was absolutely delicious. Bartender (so sorry I can't recall his name) gave me suggestions for places to see around the area from a locals perspective, much appreciated. To witness hospitality in action is a beautiful thing. My two cents? This place has heart read more

Breakfast here is terrible. Cold hard scrambled eggs and cold waffles. We even waited for the "freshly" made food. Still not good. Everything was tasteless. Only the coffee was decent. How can they charge $60 for this level of low quality food for three people? I wouldn't pay $10 for this. We've been here for Mother's Day and the brunch was amazing and well worth the cost. But this? Absolutely terrible experience...I wouldn't bother...make an actual effort people. read more

Sat at the bar for dinner. Service was excellent, cocktails and beers were very good. Crab dip appetizer was delicious. Entrees were very good. All in all for a hotel restaurant, I was pleased. The low ratings are based upon breakfast and let's face it hotel buffet breakfasts all suck and are overpriced. Those weak ratings for breakfasts unfairly impact the overall rating. The dinner was pretty good if not pricey but I will stay here again because a decent hotel restaurant can be a blessing when you just want to crash after work. read more

Awful im working here and since employees get discount i thought it was a nice idea to get food here but apparently not not only they treated me with disrespect the guy at the front desk was forcing me to pay full which i thought in my head "I wonder what the discount would be" guess not. Will not eat here again and want my money back asap!!!!!!! read more

Yeah it was fine. We were hungry after a day of travel. It was easy. It was fine. Not bad. Not great. Fine. All around. Fine. Excellent Sauvignon blanc in my opinion with a generous pour. Otherwise, fine. read more

Ever have a "Banh Mi" on sourdough? Yup. Hotel prices with below avg quality. The space lacks any ventilation. I'll say the bar space looks nice. The picture on their website definitely drew me in but the buffet area isn't great. Coffee tasted pretty bad. I kind of thought they confused the coffee with tea so I tried to pour my own from a pot on the side. Nope, just bad tasting coffee. Service was also below avg. read more

The ambience and service are amazing. The food however was terrible. It was insipid lacking any flavor or spice and loaded with cheese. Will not drop there again for a quick bite. read more

My work's group of retired women goes out to eat about once per month. We are usually a party of 10-15 people, and many of us are elderly (walkers, mobility issues, don't want to sit on a bench, etc.) We did make a reservation for 11 people but had one person show up without letting us know. Also, we nixed the bench in favor of chair seating all around. Furthemore, we did not realize that #1, the restaurant is cashless and that #2, they usually do NOT accommodate requests for separate checks. This was a big ask since Jazleen was the ONLY server in the entire dining room. i was excited to see my friends and didn't really notice this when I requested the wine list for the second time. Nevertheless, she was patient with and courteous to me. I felt embarrassed at my behavior--especially because we had made so many other special requests, moved furniture, etc. The meal itself was very good--I had a caesar salad with salmon added on, and a glass of rosé. I find it moderately priced for what you get--generous portion and the ambiance, the view, etc. is lovely. It is an out-of-the-way, unique place in the Hayes Mansion and not a noisy venue in a shopping center. They have many menu offerings including GF, vegan, meat, fish, etc. I will give them another try when my party is smaller and I can have a more relaxed meal--for both me and the server! A final compliment--there was NO surcharge for such a large party, and I was fully expecting that--so much work for one person. I tried to be a good customer by paying for my own and 2 other diners' meals, but still. (All those credit cards... ... ...plus one diner split both her French onion soup and her sandwich with her mother and requested an extra cup and spoon for the soup... ... ...) I tipped well (and in cash) but I don't think it was enough for all of Jazleen's effort! read more

Ok - here's the deal - I want to give this a 5 star but I can't. The food I've gotten has been really good. The staff is very friendly. The decor is lovely and welcoming. In the 6 days I've been here - the menu has changed every single day. If you see something you really want - order it immediately. It may not be there next time you come. The BLT was delicious. Lots of good hardy bacon and the arugula was a nice change. I had the breakfast buffet one morning - I really just wanted a breakfast sandwich but they weren't doing the a la carte menu at the time. It was a great selection - however - they had smoked salmon and all the fixings for a nice bagel but no bagel. They weren't really busy but expected for a hotel in a residential community. I'm sure their menu changes are based on that. You don't want to overstock if you don't have the business. My absolute no go is the salsa/guacamole appetizer - jarred salsa should never be served at a restaurant. That's something you can easily make - if not - use a better quality. Otherwise - overall a good place. read more

I would definitely eat somewhere down the street and not bother with this hotel restaurant. It's overpriced for basically sand which meat you can get at Walmart and the ranch is oddly gross. read more

This restaurant/bar is located in the Hayes Mansion - now a Hilton run property. They have been open for a little more than a year. Their menu was similar to the previous menu - before Covid (and the relocation/remodel). There are some consistent items on the menu. Consistent meaning prepared each time the same way. There are some misses however. One of my favorite items on the menu is "Street Tacos". they provided marinated beef with peppers and onions and give you corn tortillas, salsa, sour cream and avocado and you assemble them to your liking. I ordered this last night and the tortillas were super greasy. That was the first time I experienced this problem. I sent them back and I was told that the chef declared there was nothing wrong with them. The bartender fought back and I did get them replaced. Other issues - flat bread pizzas are often charred and very hard - not enjoyable to eat. Their wings are very small for what you pay. My other complaint is the choice of dish they choose to plate the food. The most expensive item on the menu is a steak. They present it in a long/oblong plate and it's easy for the food to slip off the plate. There are good things on the menu - burger, quesadilla and club sandwich and some great french fries. In the future, I will order items that I can count on being as expected. read more

Wonderful food, great prices , a great value. Food arrives quickly, and a great staff. I ate there seven times in Two weeks.

Great burger! Very busy but still good service.Such a beautiful location at the Hayes mansion.

We wanted to see the menu before we went there for dinner. The desk lady said they don't have the menu on the web site. So we didn't go!! Who is the genius who decided that? read more