I trusted my nose with this place, it smelled amazing driving by and i ordered on doordash and WOW! The most bland underwhelming tastless food i think ive iver had... 0 care whatsoever, burn bread, over cooked fries in old with no salt, bland potato salad, well cooked meat but also bland, who ever the head chef is here shouldnt be one... do better read more

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Overall the customer service is marvelous! Always patient & sweet ( lately ) !! Have been going in for the club sandwich since it's not lunchmeat / just pressed meat I cannot stand that kind. I'm picky about meat but USUALLY always love their food and am happy with my experience. They don't give get hash browns that have too much oil and that matters. Never soggy buns on your sandwich's, however the fries aren't good at all in my opinion they've changed. Very slim and retains no heat whatsoever. Mom said the same thing. Got into the parking lot and they were already cold. Not very tasty either. Wouldn't recommend fries but the other items listed that I've tried are marvelous and would recommend! Please don't change the way the items taste! It's perfect the way it is! They forgot to add the toast today but corrected their mistake no problem. Sometimes I get the mushroom omelette which is amazing too! I'm just not on an egg hype right now lol. Definitely suggest giving this place a try! Thanks for reading hope this helps! read more

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Pork chops are excellent. Absolutely fantastic. However, clientele and staff are something else entirely. I have been made uncomfortable each time we've gone, either by the customers on the nod or fighting, or trying to be calmed down and ushered out by the chef. Restaurant is dirty, tables and seats are sticky, and counter is awkward. You get the sense that you're bothering the staff by wanting a meal. One waitress feels customers should only get one slice of toast with breakfast, and won't serve you what you've ordered if she doesn't think you'll finish it. She is the reason we're not going back. read more

Went there on 5-13 and they are closed due to a fire Wish them well on reopening. Nothing else to say

Pretty sad. Grew up on this place we used to love it.. The ribs were so overcooked it was hard to chew. Like really tough and over done. The beef on a persion was ok. The house sauce does not taste the same at all. 100 ish dollars for 3.5(One child) of us and it was really disappointing. I should of had my daughter send the ribs back. One of those regret moments but everything was very lackluster and meh. read more

There's so much to discover by just simply driving on San Pablo Avenue. Coming from the 99c store on the same complex, The Embers caught my attention - mostly because I wondered what it was - so I Yelped it soon as I got home. It's a DINER! So, I kept them in mind just in case the day comes when the mood kicks in... One week later, my parents came up for a visit and left it to Hubbers and I to find breakfast grub before doing some touristy runs for the day. My parents love diners, so there was no question we were stopping by here. It's a very popular place. Almost old school and kinda nostalgic. You can tell it's been around awhile based on the overall interior set up. All but two tables were occupied on a Sunday lunch. We were seated immediately but asked to be relocated due to the sun's reflection of a car blinding one of us. "No problem!" Our menus were given immediately along with our water. My go-to whenever I try a diner for the first time is a chicken fried steak. Hubbers got the chicken fried steak omelet (since neither one of us has seen that on any menu), Mom got her usual go-to of pork chop (1 piece) breakfast and Pops got his usual go-to of bacon and eggs. It took a bit of time, but the wait was worth it. I usually request my gravy on the side (which I forgot to do) because I usually don't like my food doused with any kind of sauce, and I realized this once I got my plate. However, it wasn't disappointing - the gravy was ladled in very lightly, so it wasn't too bad. Great crunch on the breading and the meat was cooked right. (I find this important because other places cook theirs a bit chewy.) They were generous with the hashbrowns as well as the eggs (order comes with 3!) But overall nothing out of the ordinary. Everything was pretty much set up and tasted similar to other mom-and-pop places we've been to. FOOD: 4. Nobody complained about what they got. SERVICE: 3.5. Slightly above average. VALUE: 3. Average. PARKING: Private lot shared with other spots. Not an issue. OVERALL: 3.5. They are pretty dang popular. Customers were still rolling in going into the late lunch hour. It was above decent at best. I'd probably return after trying out a couple more diners around the area. But definitely recommending for others to try should that kinda mood kick in. read more

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The people here were really nice. But unfortunately the food just wasn't good :-( i got the rib chicken combo with their potato salad and i was not impressed with any of it. the potato salad was so vinegary and i know potato salad is chunky but this one was extra chunky and not mixed thoroughly. the worst part was the bbq sauce. Idk it was like a ketchup vinaigrette situation and i was definitely not a fan. good thing they give it to you on the side. over $30 for a very disappointing meal :-( read more

I've driven by Embers for years but never dined there. Took a chance had lunch last week and was pleasantly surprised at how simple & delicious my meal was . I left satiated. Truth be told my expectations were really low because I don't ever hear anything about Embers nor do I ever see any advertisements for this restaurant but my steak was perfect, flamed grilled to perfection and can't wait to try the bbq next. To summarize, this is great local joint that serves diner fare and actually grills their steaks on flame. read more

I think it's better to eat in the restaurant rather than have it delivered. I can remember eating there and the food was warm (or hot) but today it was delivered and it was cold. The linguisa was burnt. read more

The Embers - Burnt linguisa...but the entire delivered meal was cold. - Barbeque Near Me - Pinole, California

Haven't been here in years, but popped in recently to have breakfast with some family members. First off, their Google business hours aren't updated (said it opened at 6, but it didn't open til 7). It wasn't too far off so we waited before going in. Upon going in, we see a worker start rapid sneezing, first without covering his mouth and then next into his hand (they have a sign by the door saying to please cover when you sneeze/cough so this was a little...) Anyways, he tells us to take a seat anywhere and we do, but not before realizing that the place is still kind of messy. Like there were crumbs on the seats and tables, and who knows what else. My sister notices that he goes to get us our things (menus and utensils) and he doesn't wash his hands. Honestly, we should have said something or left at this point, but we were hungry and also didn't want to find another place last second to eat. The food was at least good, and I currently don't feel sick so there's that. I got steak and my sister got pancakes, and my other family member got some eggs and sausages and said it was too salty, but yeah. Overall, I probably won't come back there, which is a bit disappointing cuz I used to love going there, and even if the food is good I'm not very comfortable with knowing that there are some health code violations going on. (Also not to be so so nit picky, but the emergency exit was not clear, and even allowed someone to park something there and block it completely) read more

I was very disappointed today when I ate lunch here. Ate here with a friend and we were the only ones at this establishment. I had the open face turkey. My food was barely warm and they forgot my mashed potatoes. I complained to the manager and he acted like he didnt care and told me it was because I had eaten my salad first. I got my food to go and will not go back. read more

Been eating at the Embers for over 30 years now, but after Covid their prices spiked. I'm paying $10 more for a combo plate with the same amount of food. I'll only eat there now about once every other month. read more

The manager is rude. The food is not that good for him to act that way towards people. Also I saw a roach in the bathroom.

Sat down and waited 10 minutes. Not one person even acknowledged us. There were 6 tables in the restaurant and 4 waitresses at the time we sat down, one waitress got off her shift in the time we were there. Not one person even said hello, we stood up and walked out and every worker just stood there and acted like we were doing something wrong, im a server and if i treated a table like that i would be written up and most likely sent home, the embers used to be soo good but has gone so downhill in service its not worth it anymore read more

Best BBQ meats, Fried Chicken, Pies, & MORE. Family friendly, have enjoyed for more than forty years. We come from Concord, regularly. read more

I've never had a bad experience here in my 30 years or so of eating here. It's actually sad for me to write this! It's Fathers Day at 5:30 pm! The wait staff started turning people away! Mind you they were supposed to be open until 9pm. Car after car was pulling up to eat here! The restaurant wasn't even full! Maybe 2/3 of the restaurant was full! They said that they couldn't keep up with the orders. I was shocked, totally shocked! read more

Love the Turkey, on a Persian roll, my favorite to die for. When I go visit my daughter and my brother in the bay area, I stop by every time. The.French Toast read more

Went to Embers Wednesday, July 20. Ordered a pork ribs plate. Ribs were warm and probably cooked earlier then microwaved. I did not appreciate paying $22 for leftovers. Will not ever go there again. read more

Bacon eggs and hash browns wheat toast it was delicious and Aunt had the same which she was pleased, my wife had beef over bread with gravy which I assume was delicious I didn't hear a word from her , service was good the place inside was a bit dated. read more

Tried the ribs. Way over done and dry. They were slammed with only three tables. Probably need more staff. Fries were cold as they sat on the counter under a heat lamp but it didn't help If these are the best ribs in the County won't be eating ribs here read more

Awesome diner atmosphere!!! Very friendly staff and a go to place for comfort food!!! Breakfast, lunch, dinner or whatever meal!! They do close early though!!! Big screen TV's a plus!!!! read more

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The service here is terrible. An old white woman that has had an attitude the entire time. She tossed the straws at us when she brought out drinks. For food I got a ham AND egg sandwhich and it literally was 3 very thick slices of ham and some cheese. And NO EGG lmao. When I asked about it (another Asian lady) another server was like oh u have to ask her and rolled her eyes. When the white woman came to me I told her there was literally no egg. And she was like oh ?? And I was like yea so I'm not ganna eat it and she was like ok I'll charge u for a grilled cheese. And I was like for what ? I didn't get one and I didn't eat the first sandwich in the first place. Next to us, there was a man already arguing with another server about their food... Also seen a women say her food is cold and all they did was stick it in the microwave and the "chef" complain. read more

French fries were cold and hard, even the sauce didn't help!! My grilled ham & cheese was dry.

We've been going to The Embers for over 26 years.... While hardly gourmet, if your expectations suited the venue they were usually reliable for decent quality greasy-spoon fare. Went a few months ago for breakfast - following Covid - and service and the food have seriously declined. I ordered steak & eggs, steak med. rare, eggs sunnyside up, hashbrowns crispy and sourdough toast. Steak was not only cooked beyond requested temp. and was tough, instead of putting it on the wood fired grill as they always have in the past, the cook just threw it on the flat top. Eggs arrived scrambled... hard scrambled. Hash browns were tired and mushy, having sat on the edge of the grill for far too long. Toast? What toast? That wasn't toasted, it was just sourdough bread! Husband said his burger was just average, and fries weren't crispy. Upon paying the bill, when the manager asked us how our meals were, we told him. He was concerned and nice, said he wished we'd said something earlier, and we appreciated that, but having to send an entire plate of food back to the kitchen to be remade is not my idea of enjoying a meal out. It sucks to lose what used to be our favorite breakfast joint, but unless word of mouth gets around that The Embers is back to doing what they do well, we're done. read more

Service was horrible. The bathroom did not lock and the towel holder was Broken. The restaurant itself was filthy. If I could I would give it no stars. After I had breakfast I got sick. read more

The food was great. We ordered chicken tenders and French toast and I give it a 5/5! The waiter was very friendly and made sure we had everything we needed. It was fast, clean and a very nice place. Will recommend! read more

The Embers - Chicken tenders - Barbeque Near Me - Pinole, California

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Wow! How bad could a place be? First we waited until the staff noticed us while we waited at the please wait to be seated sign. I had to "cough" to get attention. We were seated and treated fairly well. Did not appreciate the guests all being grouped in the same area when there was plenty of room to spread us out. The food was HORRIBLE. I ordered a chicken fijata salad. What it consisted of was romaine lettace topped with chicken strips in a sauce of green peppers and onions galore. Thankfully I had asked to hold the salad dressing - who the hell would add french, Italian, ranch or blue cheese to that? There was one flour tortilla folded on the side that was was over crisped, cold and inedible. My dining mate ordered the pork ribs which were not warm enough and were clearly not BBQ'd that day. French fries were basically acceptable. The sauce was nothing special. NEVER, EVER WILL WE RETURN. YUCK!! read more

Came here before lunch on a saturday. The waiter was very polite and friendly. The food was pretty good, i got and omelette with homefries and it was pretty decent. It was not too crowded at that time. read more

This BBQ classic American diner has been around for years and it has the best tasting food around! Oh it's true, it's damn true. They have very high quality meats from ribs to steak to roast beef to chicken, they have it all. They also have amazing breakfast items like the country fried steak, omelettes, waffles and pancakes. I don't have a usual go to meal, because everything here is so good I have tried about half the things on the menu. I'd come here with a broken freaking neck just to have a taste of their BBQ items! I'd even trade in my Olympic gold medals for a full rack of BBQ spare ribs! It's an old fashioned, stick to your stomach food and you will never leave disappointed no matter what you order. If you are I'll put you in an ankle lock until you tap out and admit it's the best place in Pinole to eat! read more

The Embers - New York steak, eggs over medium and fries. Best steak I've ever had. - Barbeque Near Me - Pinole, California

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The cook is terrible, he'll burn your steak. Not focus on his job. He is constantly playing the scratchers while performing his job. One on the laziest person I seen. read more

I walked in on a Monday morning with my children, waited at the "please wait to be seated" sign, and the woman at the counter never even looked up at me. I walked out, and I will never "try" this restaurant again. read more

My grandmother recommended I try this place because she used to enjoy it 20 or so years back and since I live close by but had never gave it a chance. Unfortunately I found out the hard way it is not at all like it used to be. It is now extremely over priced, dirty, it's under new ownership who did not in the slightest meet expectations. A fly flew right out of my girlfriend's chocolate chip waffle as she was eating! The bathrooms were already disgusting at 10 in the morning. No seat covers and smelled horrible already like it hadn't been cleaned before opening. I asked if the corned beef hash was homemade or the kind from the can before ordering and the waiter assured it was homemade made fresh here in house. When our food arrived it was not homemade it was the can, so I asked again and he said it was made here but came in a package. I don't mind if it's the can but I would've ordered something else instead of paying $20 for a canned corned beef hash dish. All in all may be a adequate place for senior citizens with low expectations looking for a simple American diner cuisine. Me, personally I will continue driving right by this place everyday like I have the last 30 years without stopping. read more

The service is nice the food tasted great. Not the fastest restraunt but it is busy at the time I came in which does speak highly of the restaurant. I will have to come back again read more

Wish I could put zero stars. I been sitting here 30 minutes no service. Bye I'm going down the street to eat.:^^%;*^'

Service is bad and food is meh at best. The Asian waitress is rude and always has been. No wonder why I always hear her griping about tips. Nevertheless she always has time to be on her phone while coffee cups sit empty, but she sure is quick to bring you that bill even when you've just gotten your meal. Not coming back. read more

One of our favorite places for years but won't be going back. Had bug crawling in our salad . Just can't do it now.

Terrible I ordered some food from here last night the ribs where dry and the chicken look like they gave me the chicken that sat all day. Went to return it they had closed. 25.53 loss. Don't come here. Attitudes when I called the next day. Overpriced garbage. read more

PROS The food is decent and generally well-prepared Generally not busy most of the time Certain dishes are better than others (the fried chicken is awesome) CONS Prices have been raised at least twice in the last three years for the same dishes I've had for years The service of one or two of the wait stuff is surly and mean I think the last time I visited will be the last time I visit there. Food prices in the area have gone up and this place has done the same. Be advised that Pinole and the general area are typically lower middle-class and diners that come in are older and presumably have less discretionary spending. These folks can't afford a lot. This place raising their prices doesn't serve the area well and frankly, the food quality hadn't gone up significantly either. I get it. The staff needs to make a living and times are tough with wages in the USA being flat for many, many years. I understand they have to raise prices but it's hard to deal with that when the quality and portions of food don't change. When I refer to the surly wait staff, I am specifically referring to two people who seem to have a general bad attitude about customer service. I won't recount my issues here. There are a few reviews already posted that reflect the same dissatisfaction with the service. Read them to get a sense of the disrespect some of the folks who serve there have for their customers. I don't think it will get better there. I've sensed the place was near closing for years and when I see prices go up for bad service and no change in the food, it tells me that this place will close up soon. read more

I had the worst meal I have ever had from here tonight. The last time I got take-out the combination plate was just ok. Decided to try again. What a mistake. The pork and turkey were way over cooked. Couldn't even really tell the difference between them. The beef was very tough. The ribs were just ok. And this and a chef salad for almost $50. This is shame to see this restaurant with such high prices and the food gone way down- hill. My last visit here. read more

Prawns? More like butterfly shrimp The ribs were probably the only thing good Next time I'll buy ribs no sides make my own sides. read more