After reading quite a few negative reviews here of Rick's Cafe, I was somewhat apprehensive when a buddy of mine recommended we have breakfast there. Not to discount others' experiences, but we had a fantastic breakfast. The food and service was good, and the coffee was _great._ The prices were even reasonable (by today's standards.) I'll definitely be back. read more

Tragically mediocre. Also, the grumpy middle-aged waiter really adds to a bad experience. Hey sir, is it OK if I drink a little coffee before I order? Thank you. This place could be so much better. But really, everything needs to be improved. The coffee is mediocre. The potatoes served with breakfast are terrible. I think they are premade. But please don't serve them old to me. Like, maybe throw them on the grill and then serve them to me hot and crispy. I've been here three times now, and neither time has impressed. The food is not terrible, but it is not worth my time. I wish them well, and hope they can improve their food and service. read more

My husband and I had a rare day off together after dropping our kids off at summer camp, so we decided to treat ourselves to brunch. We arrived around 10:00 a.m., and while the restaurant wasn't busy and there were plenty of empty tables available, we stood at the host stand for more than five minutes before anyone acknowledged us. Looking back, that should have been a sign of what was to come. Unfortunately, the food was disappointing. We ordered simple breakfast items--a ham and cheese omelet with hash browns and toast, and a two-egg breakfast with hash browns and toast. When our meals arrived, the food was lukewarm to cold, and the toast had been replaced with bagels. The eggs were dry and overcooked, and the hash browns were soft and cold. Ironically, the best thing on the plate was the buttered bagel, which was at least fresh and soft. We also requested extra napkins, but they never arrived. For the price we paid, we expected a much better experience. Between the lackluster service and mediocre food, this was not a meal worth repeating. Unfortunately, we won't be returning. read more

I've been coming here for over 15 years, and I've never been so disappointed with my brunch meal. This used to be a tried and true favorite for brunch classics like pancakes and scrambled eggs. Unfortunately, for this latest visit, I got a basic breakfast of two scrambled eggs, sausage, potatoes, and bagel, and half of the food was inedible. My eggs in particular tasted like they came from a powder mix. They were incredibly dry and flavorless and had a weird texture. My toasted bagel tasted stale and had an insufficient amount of butter, which has never happened to me before at any brunch spot. I asked for more to try and see if that would improve the taste. It did not. Service was lacking. They were not busy when I arrived at 8:30, but none of the servers were very engaged. My empty water glass sat empty for over 45 minutes and was never refilled. No server ever came by to check on us. I had to wave somebody down for the butter. And he did not refill my water at that time. I don't think I will be coming back. This very basic breakfast cost $17.95 before tax and tip. I did not eat most of the eggs, but none of the waitstaff commented on it or asked how the food was. I left most of my bagel as well. And my dining companion did not eat either her potatoes or any of her bagel. Not worth it. read more

Rick's Cafe - Basic breakfast of two scrambled eggs, toasted buttered bagel, potatoes, and pork sausage. I think it used to come with four links. - American Near Me - Los Altos, California

Rick's is exactly what it looks like: a sleepy little cafe where everything feels familiar. They serve classic breakfast food, all of which looked and smelled delicious. I had a chocolate chip waffle, which was so nostalgic to have. The staff was very friendly and food came out quickly after ordering. read more

Me and my mom wanted to get a nice brunch at Rick's, but unfortunately this food was extremely bad. It felt like the potato's and eggs were under a heat lamp for hours and as well as that the food took extremely long to come, very disappointed. To add on a white lady came in and got her food extremely fast. This place was extremely frustrating and the food was very bad, don't see ourselves coming back! read more

As others have also noted, the food was not fresh. everything seemed to have a sour taste to it. Which seems hard to achieve with country-fried steak. And it was true of the veggie omelet as well. Good service though. read more

Came here for breakfast on the Friday after Thanksgiving and really enjoyed it. It's a nice large space with lots of booths. The coffee was good - they give you a pot and it stays really hot! The blueberry pancakes were fluffy and the Denver omelet was good enough! Not too cheesy, not too salty. The whole meal was really affordable and the service was lovely. Would definitely come back. read more

Rick's Cafe - Blueberry Pancake - American Near Me - Los Altos, California

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2/14/2024 Rick's Cafe 205 State St Los Altos, CA 94022 We ended up here for lunch since the place across the street had a 15 minute wait. It has a spacious clean setup with real furniture. Service was prompt, even after our order taker left at his shift change. The menu is mainly breakfast all day with some sandwiches and burgers. Wifey had the Hungry Rick with special ordered Blueberry pancakes and I had the Country Fried Steak special. Both were okay with good size portions. The signature item is that they feature toasted bagels instead of bread with their offerings. Value was okay but there are other similar DTLA places I prefer, so probably no repeat. read more

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Food here is not very good. Food did not seem fresh here. I ordered 2 eggs with hash browns and hot links.. hot links looked they took it out of a pack you can buy at Wal Mart. Hash brown tasted frozen. Instead of toast they gave me a bagel which was not fresh at all. Would not recommend. waste of time and money. read more

Rick's Cafe - American Near Me - Los Altos, California

I don't like to hurt a business. I just want you to wake up. The food wasn't good. Everyone's hash browns were cold and soggy. The eggs were undercooked, despite everyone asking for over-medium. The eggs Benedict dishes were awful. Not one of us liked their food. What could have made it better, the waiter didn't offer water for anyone, no napkins despite us asking. Friends didn't receive their drinks orders, despite the waiter noting it down at the order. When you are running a business like this, stay on top of your table. Ask if you need napkins, or drop them on the table. Ask would anyone like water. Service is everything and sometimes more important than the meal. It wasn't like Rick's was that busy. read more

We called to see if we needed a reservation, they took my information, but when we arrived they did not have my name written anywhere! So, they tried to seat us in this back room, which looked like the back to the alley. Not pretty to seat. The host seemed a bit lost and difficult to understand so, a really kind waitress decided to seat us in a reserved booth as there were more to open to meet that reservation. My husband's egg Louis cayenne, which is crab cake Benedict order, was bland, savorless. My huevos rancheros were blah. It contains chicken, pretty odd protein choice and unfortunately with bo flavor at all. It is a loud ambiance and not that crowded for a Saturday morning. I did like the lighting and the booth seats are comfy. Will we come again? NO, says the husband who didn't drink his burnt flavored vanilla latte. read more

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Quick check in on Rick's Cafe. Stopped by with a couple out of town visitors and like always great food with good service. Great variety of choices for those with me. Had the bacon and cheese omelette and it did not disappoint. Some ordered the Latte and it came out perfect. Sat outside this time and weather was perfect Give them a try read more

Rick's Cafe - American Near Me - Los Altos, California

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Breakfast is awesome here. The menu is filled with so many choices, it made it difficult for us to decide. My guests ordered omelettes, skillets, and pancakes. The breakfast items are fantastic. The blueberry pancakes were the fluffiest pancakes I had ever seen. It was a large stack of three pancakes filled with abundance of blueberries with a side of blueberry sauce. The omelettes and skillets were awesome. The side of bacon came with four slices of bacon but the taste was a little flat (I like my bacon more crispy). I ordered the "philly steak" with french fries and salad. Unfortunately, their version of the philly cheesesteak probably needs a little help (I'm originally from the east coast and am familiar with the genuine Philly cheesesteaks). The salad was a little disappointing, but the vinaigrette was delicious. The french fries were crispy and good. I ordered a guava mimosa. It was a little on the sweet side for me, but overall not bad. The service was quick and attentive. Overall, I would come back for breakfast again. There is street parking and small lots in the neighborhood. There is also outdoor seating if you prefer. Vegetarian options: One of our guests in our party is vegetarian and there were plenty of selections that met his needs. Kid-friendliness: Family-friendly. read more

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I had a very good brunch in this neat, cozy American cafe at Downtown Los Altos. This is the first time in awhile that I finished my plate because everything in it was good. I ordered the Fruity French Toast and it was perfect, the way I would have wanted it to be. Shared this with friends and they liked it too. I would totally recommend this plate. For my main plate I ordered the Greek Omelet and requested mushroom in it. The omelet was cooked nicely, more on the lightly seasoned side (my personal preference). The hash browns were also good. I usually don't eat them when I have toasts or other carbs. But for the first time I finished mine. Also ordered the guava mimosa ($6) and it was a nice change to the usual orange. Small glass, light on the champagne, just enough to give you a nice "boost" during the day. Tried some of my friends food and they were all good. Maybe the least interesting one will be the grilled salmon and spinach crepe, have the omelette instead. The Blueberry pancake was enjoyable, right thickness and fluff. The price is reasonable given the location, the ambiance and the taste as well. Would love to go back here again. read more

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Excellent service - variety of dining possibilities. In every way, delicious and well prepared served by a very friendly group of servers.

The vibe is fab place for breakfast especially on the weekend! Omar warmly greeted us and took our order. He's great! Super attentive! Made sure our breakfast went great! Of course, thanks as well to the team behind him who deftly helped at each touchpoint of our meal! The veg crepe was splendid! The fruit crepe was perfect! The Bacado Omelet was hearty and tasty! And the Italian Scramble that Omar recommended was right on! Delicious! What a great way to start Saturday! Would order everything again! Hoorah! read more

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We've been going to Rick's for years and over the past couple of months - it's gone downhill significantly. Last weekend, we had some of the worst service we've ever had at a restaurant. Other tables who arrived after us - ordered, got their food, and left. In that time - another server tried to give us some other table's order, then gave us someone else's bill, and then tried to give us THEIR credit card and statement to sign, To get our server's attention - I had to stand up and wave him down. He said the machine had "eaten" our order and the kitchen never got it. He was clueless that he had a table just sitting there while everyone else around us was served. Highly recommend finding another place for breakfast. This place isn't worth the effort. read more

Walked past this place a lot and always saw people so thought I would finally check it out. The menu is huge I will give them that. Service was good but I did have to make eye contact with the man to get my order taken after a bit of time. Food came and was medicore nothing special to be honest. The pancakes were not fluffy and had a grainy texture to them so not my favorite, hashbrowns were okay as well not very crunchy or seasoned. The Biscuits and Gravy special was also just okay. The food did not stand out at all. A decently cheap meal but not something I would be coming back for personally. read more

Don't come here if you want to eat Chicken and Waffles, you will get a kid's size version of chicken strips and a waffle, we were shocked when the plate came out. Definitely I will never come back. read more

Rick's Cafe - Chicken and Waffle - American Near Me - Los Altos, California

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I really enjoyed my dining experience at this cafe (; starting off, the food and coffee that me and my companion had were very yummy, retaining warmth and flavor in them. The employees of this establishment were also quite efficient and kind, making sure we as customers got our food and questions met with friendly answers. And lastly, the atmosphere of this cafe was quaint in an inviting and down home type of way, emulating a diner like feel to it. I would highly recommend checking out this cafe if you have the chance to. read more

Salmon Benedict was very good. Service was great and very helpful when I had a mini ketchup explosion. Good, friendly vibes.

I had never been to Los Altos despite of me living in the bay for 5 years. So we decided to go to Rick's and the ambiance was pleasant. It gave sort of a modern dinner look as compared to a classic dinner look. The service was quick. As compared to all the brunch cafes we have been before, the food was a bit pricey. The menu was a large one so we had many options to choose from and it has a few vegetarian options as well. We ordered veggie omelette and mexican benidict. I asked them to substitute mushrooms in place of the meat and they charged $25 (3$ extra for mushrooms) which is usually the price of an extra fancy cafe. They also charged 10$ for 2 black coffees. Also, both the dishes lacked flavor. Usually the mexican style eggs are very flavorful. The buns underneath were so soggy because they put a bunch of tomatoes on top and no salt or pepper in any of the dishes. Their salsa was bland too.However, they had tabasco sauces on each table which made my meal bearable. All in all, I might not go there again only because I like my food a lot more flavorful. read more

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We have a party of 16 of us on Mother's Day for brunch. Let start with our drinks, there were no water unless you ask for it and they only bring for the one that asked? lattes, Pepsi and orange juice..... lattes have a little taste of coffee water down and the cappuccino taste like burn coffee and that's after 40 min smh. Food, most food are dry and didn't have much flavors. The crab sandwich and crab salad tasted like it's from a can. My French toast and my daughter burger was just dry :(. All in all, we wouldn't go back. read more

Service was efficient. Definitely has 'a downtown vibe'. Large portions. Food was good.

I guess the reviews confirm that it's gone downhill. This place was always packed. Our drinks were timely, but no one took our order. Finally flagged someone - not our server. This person left, came back & ended up taking our order. Then we waited even longer for our food. My husband was actually falling asleep. No one ever came back to check on us or I would have told them, my salmon & spinach crepes were very dry, very tasteless and the crepe overcooked. Plus they were to omit the onions and did not, so I had to pick them out. Waste of time since I didn't eat it. I asked for fruit in place of both the hash browns & bagel. Could have been generous, but no, few pieces of honeydew & cantaloupe & tiny bits of pineapple. So I left very hungry & will not be back again. What happened to this place? read more

I don't know if I've ever left a 1-star review in my life, but bad meals deserve flagging. I actually tried to flag this for them privately (call someone in, don't call someone out), but they never followed up, so Yelp it shall be. We ordered our entrees and they arrived to our table forgotten, late, and sadly quite cold. My partner resolved to eating cold food. I sent my salmon BLT back. The new plate came back with no mayo in the sandwich. I flagged this for the waiter, and he pointed out that that was a cold element to the sandwich, that I had sent it back for not being hot enough, and that they hadn't wanted to add the mayo back for fear I would say it was cold again. Don't make your service problems my weirdo culinary preferences. Just serve what was ordered when it had ought to be. We were a friend of Rick's. With friends like these, who needs enemies? We paid our check in full (no service recovery offered), and we haven't been back in the ensuing time. Rick's had already done the hard part: acquiring a customer. The easy part, keeping them happy, retaining them, failed them. Moving on. read more

I'm going to round up to 4 stars here because I like supporting local-owned restaurants. I stopped here for a late lunch recently and sat in their outdoor section. I ordered the corned beef hash without bell peppers. They do it two ways - one where the corned beef is separate from the potatoes, and one with it mixed in. I went for the mixed version (I forget their terminology for it), with eggs poached and a toasted bagel. Service was fine, and the food came out in a reasonable amount of time. The food was overall okay, but skimpy on the corned beef. If there had been more meat, I would be a big ol' five stars here. read more

Rick's Cafe - Corned Beef and Hash - American Near Me - Los Altos, California

My honey was craving traditional breakfast today and my brother recommended Ricks. Glad we stopped by! There are both indoor and outdoor options for seated, we opted for indoor because we had our little humans with us today. My kids ordered the kids pancakes- which consists of simple Mickey shaped pancakes and a banana smily face- no complaints from the littles! I ordered Huevos Rancheros and my honey ordered corn beef hash. Huevos Ranchers was good- no complaints, I do wish the salsa was fresh, but hey they have a huge menu so I'm sure they have a lot of prep to do. Corn beef hash was yummy- a bit different from how we do them in Hawaii- but still yummy. Coffe could use some work.. I typically drink black but had to throw some cream and sugar in there to mask the mediocre tasting coffee. The service was quick, responsive, and friendly. The place is large so easy to social distance. read more

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I like Rick's for the low key environment for hanging out and chatting with friends. Their food is decent with good quality ingredients but taste is lacking. I think they want you to tune your own flavors because lot of the older customers cannot have salt. I'm okay with this. I liked their crab scramble with lots of crab and cheese. You have to dip into the hollandaise sauce or there is no flavor. I also like their refillable organic coffee. My friend liked the paradise smoothie. We enjoyed our brunch on the weekends. read more

Rick's Cafe - Crab Egg Scrambles - American Near Me - Los Altos, California

The food here used to be so great. Now it is edible although the last grilled cheese we received had a poor stench and we did not eat it. I hope the owner will make the changes and bring Ricks back to a five star restaurant like it used to be. read more

The food was pretty awful. My hash browns were soggy, the eggs - tasteless. I asked for crispy hash browns and the waitress argued with me that the mush they gave me was it! I am not coming back here. They get two stars not one for good coffee. :) I left my food uneaten, told them it wasn't good, and got charged for it. read more

Came here at 10 am with a group of 4. They seemed pretty busy. Parking was easy to find. Noise level was average. I ordered the hungry Rick with chicken sausage and over medium eggs: 5/5 There was alot of food and it was quick to serve considering how many people there were. The bacon was super crispy and the egg was cooked perfectly. I was able to slice the yolk and have it ooze out. The presentation of the dish was beautiful. Service was mediocre. Our waitress came once or twice to check on the food. They don't accept Google/ apple pay. Food: 5/5 Service 3.5/5 Overall Rick's is an a cute little restaurant in Los Altos Downtown. It is my go to place for when I want to hang out and catch up with a friend in the morning. read more

Rick's Cafe - Hungry Rick with chicken sausage and over medium eggs - American Near Me - Los Altos, California

This place is an average diner for way unnecessarily high prices. The portions are ok but the food is bland and makes it hard to justify the price. read more

Rick's Cafe - Chicken Crepe - American Near Me - Los Altos, California

Came here for a quick brunch. Staff is very welcoming and attentive. Food is great. I recommend sitting outside if the weather is nice. read more

Rick's Cafe - French Toast Combo - American Near Me - Los Altos, California

We come to Rick's probably once a year, as it is a solid place to eat breakfast, but nothing major that stands out. The menu is definitely geared towards breakfast with some lunch options. American style fare. We ordered a breakfast burrito, hash browns, and a wholewheat pancake with a side of eggs. Service was definitely on the slow side maybe being seated outside in the front patio and having one server was the reason... The pancake was very large and fluffy and I am glad I opted for one!! The burrito was good. The food is not greasy and on the healthier side. Again it is a good place to eat breakfast, but nothing memorable... read more

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What a nice place to eat the food is excellent. The waiters are excellent. They never skimp on the food they give you lots and lots of food and it is very very good. We've eaten at Rick's Café many many many times and we will continue to return there each and every trip is really worth it wow they have a small area out front where you can eat outside if you want to and inside it's always neat and clean and the service is really good. I couldn't say any nicer things about Rick's café. It's just really nice. read more

A real disappointment. On the plus side, it's a nice looking place with lots of outdoor tables and heaters. They are just starting to seat indoors as well. The host was courteous and attentive, service was efficient. We ordered fruity crepes and a yogurt-fruit-granola parfait. Both dishes were beautiful with fresh-looking fruit and a cleverly folded crepe topped with a puff of whipped cream and strawberries, blueberries, and bananas. But sadly, the happy news ended as we dug in. As good as they looked, the crepes were very tough and quite dry. I had to cut them with a knife. There was no sauce -- just pieces of fruit in a dry crepe. It really needs a compote, yogurt-sauce, or fruit sauce. I asked is they had real maple syrup and they said yes, so I asked for some. Maybe it was real, but it tasted very sweet and the flavor was off. The fruit was attractive but inside, a lot of blueberries were shriveled and the strawberries looked a day older than the ones on the top. Could it be that they hid older fruit inside and used nicer fruit on top? I think so! There was some pineapple tucked deep inside as well, which I didn't think went well. The bagel served with the yogurt came with no butter or cream cheese. We asked for cream cheese and what they brought was gummy. My friend said that the parfait was just ok. The granola was like a crumbled granola bar and the yogurt was like a supermarket brand, thickened with something other than dairy. Overall, the people and the service were good but food was disappointing. The ingredients were especially off -- lower-priced choices from restaurant suppliers (like the fake-tasting maple and the cream cheese and the yogurt which tasted artificially thickened), some kept a day or two longer than they should. The menu is extensive and maybe Rick's would be better off sticking to café basics. read more

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actually the best pancakes i've ever had. most cafe pancakes these days are gummy and overmixed, but these were super yum! and warmed syrup that actually tasted like real maple syrup... delish. Other than that everything was pretty standard. Hashbrowns could use some work though... I forgot who helped us but they were great and food came out quickly! friendly vibes all around. read more

Corn beef hash was incredible. Service was decent. Price was about average for these days, $20 +/- per entree.