Hercules Restaurants

Jim’s Coffee Shop: Homestyle, Alameda breakfast
Few things compete with a delicious, homestyle breakfast to start off the day. Where to get one in Alameda? There’s Ole’s on Park, but when you’re hungry, waiting in a long line isn’t always worth the hassle, especially when there’s another spot halfway up the block with waffles that compete. Jim’s Coffee Shop on Lincoln and Park has twice the space and half the wait, and breakfast is served hot off the stove.

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Rainforest Café: A tropical dining adventure
If you can’t afford to go on safari, there’s always the Rainforest Café by Fisherman’s Wharf. A meal here is a feast for all the senses. And while it’s definitely a tourist destination with hiked up prices (Rainforest Cafés are located in major destinations throughout the U.S., from Disneyland to Vegas to Atlantic City), it’s well worth experiencing at least once, even if you’re a local and especially if you have kids.

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Piatti: Smile worthy in Mill Valley
Good luck finding a restaurant on the water in the Bay Area—especially in Marin County—with food and prices as smile-worthy as Piatti in Mill Valley.

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Marti’s Place: Like your grandma’s kitchen
Marti’s Place is a few steps above other hometown cafes with a home-style menu. For one, it doesn’t just feel casual, but comfortable – as in “your grandma’s kitchen” sort of way. All the coffee mugs are mismatched and include an array of souvenir mugs, company mugs, and department store pieces – the likes of which your own cupboard might hold if you saved every mug you’ve owned since college.

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Picante: Fresh Mexican Food in the Backstreets of Berkeley
Located off the Gilman Street exit in Berkeley, Picante has stayed true to its 6th Street spot since the 80’s. The ownership has changed, and so has the color. But consistently prepared, authentic Mexican food is what keeps the restaurant popular, along with the assurance of a distinct, local experience.

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The Garden Court: Dining like royalty at the Palace
She is the grand old lady of San Francisco dining institutions and thanks to a few makeovers, she barely shows her age. The Garden Court at the Palace Hotel is the most splendid room in the city for breakfast, lunch, Sunday Brunch or Saturday Afternoon Tea.

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Sam’s Anchor Café: Seafood and sunning in Tiburon
Sam’s Anchor Café is famous for the view as well as the food. Seated on the restaurant deck or in one of two dining rooms walled with windows, you’ll see Bay waters dotted with white sails, Angel Island nearby, and the San Francisco skyline. The protective Tiburon hillside on one side also adds a picturesque quality, along with the boats lined along the dock.

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Cliff House: A cliffhanger with a delicious ending
Most San Francisco visitors spend their time downtown or along the bay with its piers and restaurants. Few make it out to the ocean, where there's a landmark restaurant at the northwestern tip of the city poised majestically atop an ocean cliff. The view is unmatched, and unlike many "view" restaurants, the food is excellent, too.

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Brown Sugar Kitchen: Soul Food with a Modern Edge
Even disguised among the former warehouses on Mandela Parkway, Brown Sugar Kitchen can’t escape attention. Its nondescript façade has a simple, wholesome quality about it; the wood-beamed exterior is the color of brown sugar. Yet there’s something artistic about the clean lines, interrupted by a single sign that reads: “Sweet West Oakland; New Style Down Home.”

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Epicurious Garden: Food court for food lovers
If you’re hungry and short on time, the options aren’t so slim in Berkeley’s “Gourmet Ghetto.” Not with the likes of Epicurious Garden offering a new spin on take-out. In close proximity to Chez Panisse, Lo Coco’s, Saul’s, Café de la Paz, and others on the northern end of Shattuck Avenue, Epicurious Garden is the place to go for something quick, but no less savory.

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