Carmel’s Hidden Gem
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Husband and I passed by and stopped in for breakfast at 9am. We were seated quickly, drinks came, no coffee because espresso machine was broken :( Husband ordered the lobster eggs benedict, they were DELICIOUS!! Sauce was out of this world. I don't remember what I ordered but it was beans, salsa, eggs and avocado. It was lacking flavor. Add a little more salt or a grilled jalapeno to the side of this dish. Cute and clean. Decent place. Pretty pricey.
Oof... I hate to say it, but we had quite a poor experience here. I was with a group of four this past weekend for a Sunday brunch, hoping for a nice bite before we traveled back home from our Carmel weekend. We found Hidden Gem through Yelp, and arrived as a walk-in. While we would have loved to sit outside in the warm weather, the patio was full and we were seated inside the restaurant. For all the cute restaurants you can find in Carmel, Hidden Gem is... not one of them. It felt oddly stripped down and incomplete inside - almost like they were redoing the interior and hadn't finished the job yet (perhaps they are?). While the restaurant was relatively full, I wouldn't describe it as packed. But from the time we ordered our food to the time the last of us received our food, it was a full, legitimate, 1.5 HOURS (I timed it). During this time, not once did anyone from the staff ever come up to us to address the excruciating wait, apologize for the delay, or even provide any sort of update. We were left waiting with no clue what was happening. Even getting a refill on our water or coffee proved difficult - it was hard tracking anyone down, and it usually took at least two follow-ups for it to actually happen. And when we did finally receive our food, it was incredibly underwhelming. We ordered an eggs benedict, two breakfast sandwiches, french toast, and the skillet. Virtually all the meat - most notably the sausage and the bacon - was burnt, with a charred taste masking any potential for flavor. The potatoes were wet and undercooked. The french toast was soggy and flavorless. Sadly, the best part of our entire meal was the bread on the sandwich and the side of toast that came with the skillet. I'd also be remiss not to mention that every single one of us felt nauseous or unsettled, and some of us borderline sick, after the meal. Given how many positive reviews I see of this place, I'm thinking we must have come on a really, really bad day. This gives me hope that our brunch was simply a one-off and that it's not usually like this. But everything, from the ambiance, to the service, to the food, was incredibly disappointing.
I came by myself on a early Friday morning. I was the only guest at the time. Delicious Eggs Benedict with potatoes...the best I've have had in a while actually. Time for the food was average. Service was friendly. I sat on the patio and have no complaints. Service may be different when busier, but I was in no rush. Sometimes smaller establishment's food will taste better than "trendy" picture worthy spots.
First time being in Carmel with the wife and we stopped by this place for brunch. Cool spot for food and good service. Right within the small area and perfect for eating outside with the dog. Definitely stop by if you want some good brunch!
Went around 11:30, left at 1PM. Only one host/waiter but he forgot to give us menus, we waited ten minutes for water, 20 minutes after we arrived our orders were taken. Ended up waiting 40 more minutes for the food. Prices on the website and on the physical menus were wrong. The "light plate" smoked salmon toast was $5 more than advertised. Service was absolutely horrible. Multiple parties that came after us received faster service. Facilities weren't the cleanest either, there was no toilet paper and the walk to was through a sketchy alleyway. The food was a 3/10 at best. Portion sizes were either too big or too small, and all the bread-like items were dry and dense. Would never go again. Complete waste of money and time. Music and ambience was okay though.
We came pretty early in the morning on a saturday and the wait was craaaaaazy ( T - T) the servers did their best to look after us, and for a small restaurant absolutely slammed - it makes sense. The prices are steep!! but everything is made with a delicate attention. the lobster toast was a special and was absolutely delish with a healthy portion of the snappy guy. the flavour was bright!! and the bread was a perfect texture. the crab egg benny was probs the best benny i've had and i have had many in my day (ō_ō) Outdoor seating was luckily available. There is a bathroom in the back alley. overall a nice experience
Super friendly staff and great food. Came during Memorial Day weekend so they were super packed and food took a while to come out but not their fault. Food and service made up for it. Definitely will be back but not during a holiday weekend haha. Also big plus is they are really dog friendly
We stopped by this place for a sunday brunch after seeing their menu. We were seated inside but the wait staff kindly moved us outside as a table became available in their beautiful garden setting. We got 4 items: their special seafood omelette, frittata, lemon ricotta pancakes, and a side of bacon. All the food was good and filling and everyone was happy with their meal. Overall we enjoyed this visit but this place seemed short-staffed, service was slow, and the waiters were definitely stressed. I hope the manager will increase staffing moving forward as that could definitely improve this location significantly. The staff were doing the best they could with the limited resources.
Delicious food, good service and nice and small restaurant. Try it yourself and you'll like it.
Very disappointing experience. We waited over 1.5 hours and never received our food, while other customers who arrived after us were served (white couple who ordered seconds before us received their food in 30 min if not less). The staff was rude, and we felt completely overlooked. We ended up leaving without eating after driving 2.5 hours to try this place. Based on our experience, I wouldn't recommend--especially for people of color. We ended up going to Subway instead.
Came here for breakfast and it was delicious. We were the only customers so we got lots of special attention. The owner Dia was very accommodating with our special food issues.
This is a small but mighty breakfast restaurant that did not disappoint! True to its name, it was difficult to fine, but also true to its name, this place is a gem. There are probably eight tables inside of the restaurant, and it appeared that there was only one waiter working. Fear not, the service was excellent and prompt. We were a party of three, and I tried everyone's food. Each dish was outstanding! We had country fried steak, eggs Benedict, and huevos rancheros, and all three were spectacular. If I had to pick, I'd say the huevos rancheros was the best of the three. Great food, great coffee, all in a little charming restaurant that feels like home.
5 months ago
Thai tea would get a Canchola's 6th star because of how delicious and for how amazing the service was. By far one of the best breakfasts I've had. They have indoor and outdoor seating , we got their early so the seats were a little wet but Rita wiped down the seats and provided us with blanket covers so the seats were not cold and we had some warmth. She was beyond kind and it was very much appreciated. Also there are only a few parking in front so you may have to park a street or two over. Servicewas just outstanding... Rita checked on us often, brought out treats and water for our dogs and was just amazing. Food: The braised corn beef hash: was absolute perfection... I love corn beef hash and this take with the braised corned beef just spoils you with deliciousness. The poached egg was perfect, I have never braised corned beef but I'm going to learn to try and make a dish like this. My wife got the chicken and waffles, and she gave me some and it was perfect, the one thing that hit the most was the breading on the chicken was so delicious , they made sure the flavor complemented the sweetness of the waffle and syrup, the chicken was tender and with the waffle it was just something else. I also tried their biscuit and gravy and it was so good. The sausage in the gravy and the flavor was so delicious. Overall you can't for wrong here... the complement to the chef and the Rita... you truly have a hidden Gem that we are glad we found. read more
3 months ago
Food is Tasty! Service not so great. While we were seated quickly (given menus, water and coffee quickly), the rest of our experience was one of waiting and trying to find someone to help us with either more coffee or water or status on our food. I think they are short staffed? It took about 20 minutes to provide our order... and then another 45 minutes before we received our order. And then we were not going to wait another whatever for our check so when we were done, we walked into the restaurant and found someone to pay which took a few minutes at that. The patio is nice if the day is nice because it is not shaded. The inside seems a little stuffy. read more
4 months ago
Husband and I passed by and stopped in for breakfast at 9am. We were seated quickly, drinks came, no coffee because espresso machine was broken :( Husband ordered the lobster eggs benedict, they were DELICIOUS!! Sauce was out of this world. I don't remember what I ordered but it was beans, salsa, eggs and avocado. It was lacking flavor. Add a little more salt or a grilled jalapeno to the side of this dish. Cute and clean. Decent place. Pretty pricey. read more
10 days ago
Oof... I hate to say it, but we had quite a poor experience here. I was with a group of four this past weekend for a Sunday brunch, hoping for a nice bite before we traveled back home from our Carmel weekend. We found Hidden Gem through Yelp, and arrived as a walk-in. While we would have loved to sit outside in the warm weather, the patio was full and we were seated inside the restaurant. For all the cute restaurants you can find in Carmel, Hidden Gem is... not one of them. It felt oddly stripped down and incomplete inside - almost like they were redoing the interior and hadn't finished the job yet (perhaps they are?). While the restaurant was relatively full, I wouldn't describe it as packed. But from the time we ordered our food to the time the last of us received our food, it was a full, legitimate, 1.5 HOURS (I timed it). During this time, not once did anyone from the staff ever come up to us to address the excruciating wait, apologize for the delay, or even provide any sort of update. We were left waiting with no clue what was happening. Even getting a refill on our water or coffee proved difficult - it was hard tracking anyone down, and it usually took at least two follow-ups for it to actually happen. And when we did finally receive our food, it was incredibly underwhelming. We ordered an eggs benedict, two breakfast sandwiches, french toast, and the skillet. Virtually all the meat - most notably the sausage and the bacon - was burnt, with a charred taste masking any potential for flavor. The potatoes were wet and undercooked. The french toast was soggy and flavorless. Sadly, the best part of our entire meal was the bread on the sandwich and the side of toast that came with the skillet. I'd also be remiss not to mention that every single one of us felt nauseous or unsettled, and some of us borderline sick, after the meal. Given how many positive reviews I see of this place, I'm thinking we must have come on a really, really bad day. This gives me hope that our brunch was simply a one-off and that it's not usually like this. But everything, from the ambiance, to the service, to the food, was incredibly disappointing. read more
2 months ago
I came by myself on a early Friday morning. I was the only guest at the time. Delicious Eggs Benedict with potatoes...the best I've have had in a while actually. Time for the food was average. Service was friendly. I sat on the patio and have no complaints. Service may be different when busier, but I was in no rush. Sometimes smaller establishment's food will taste better than "trendy" picture worthy spots. read more
3 months ago
First time being in Carmel with the wife and we stopped by this place for brunch. Cool spot for food and good service. Right within the small area and perfect for eating outside with the dog. Definitely stop by if you want some good brunch! read more
2 months ago
Went around 11:30, left at 1PM. Only one host/waiter but he forgot to give us menus, we waited ten minutes for water, 20 minutes after we arrived our orders were taken. Ended up waiting 40 more minutes for the food. Prices on the website and on the physical menus were wrong. The "light plate" smoked salmon toast was $5 more than advertised. Service was absolutely horrible. Multiple parties that came after us received faster service. Facilities weren't the cleanest either, there was no toilet paper and the walk to was through a sketchy alleyway. The food was a 3/10 at best. Portion sizes were either too big or too small, and all the bread-like items were dry and dense. Would never go again. Complete waste of money and time. Music and ambience was okay though. read more
7 months ago
We came pretty early in the morning on a saturday and the wait was craaaaaazy ( T - T) the servers did their best to look after us, and for a small restaurant absolutely slammed - it makes sense. The prices are steep!! but everything is made with a delicate attention. the lobster toast was a special and was absolutely delish with a healthy portion of the snappy guy. the flavour was bright!! and the bread was a perfect texture. the crab egg benny was probs the best benny i've had and i have had many in my day (ō_ō) Outdoor seating was luckily available. There is a bathroom in the back alley. overall a nice experience read more
4 months ago
Super friendly staff and great food. Came during Memorial Day weekend so they were super packed and food took a while to come out but not their fault. Food and service made up for it. Definitely will be back but not during a holiday weekend haha. Also big plus is they are really dog friendly read more
2 months ago
2 months ago
We stopped by this place for a sunday brunch after seeing their menu. We were seated inside but the wait staff kindly moved us outside as a table became available in their beautiful garden setting. We got 4 items: their special seafood omelette, frittata, lemon ricotta pancakes, and a side of bacon. All the food was good and filling and everyone was happy with their meal. Overall we enjoyed this visit but this place seemed short-staffed, service was slow, and the waiters were definitely stressed. I hope the manager will increase staffing moving forward as that could definitely improve this location significantly. The staff were doing the best they could with the limited resources. read more
6 months ago
Delicious food, good service and nice and small restaurant. Try it yourself and you'll like it. read more
4 months ago
Very disappointing experience. We waited over 1.5 hours and never received our food, while other customers who arrived after us were served (white couple who ordered seconds before us received their food in 30 min if not less). The staff was rude, and we felt completely overlooked. We ended up leaving without eating after driving 2.5 hours to try this place. Based on our experience, I wouldn't recommend--especially for people of color. We ended up going to Subway instead. read more
3 months ago
5 months ago
Came here for breakfast and it was delicious. We were the only customers so we got lots of special attention. The owner Dia was very accommodating with our special food issues. read more
This is a small but mighty breakfast restaurant that did not disappoint! True to its name, it was difficult to fine, but also true to its name, this place is a gem. There are probably eight tables inside of the restaurant, and it appeared that there was only one waiter working. Fear not, the service was excellent and prompt. We were a party of three, and I tried everyone's food. Each dish was outstanding! We had country fried steak, eggs Benedict, and huevos rancheros, and all three were spectacular. If I had to pick, I'd say the huevos rancheros was the best of the three. Great food, great coffee, all in a little charming restaurant that feels like home. read more
4 months ago
The food was so delicious! It's definitely a little hidden, but we found it. I got the breakfast sandwich and the garlic aioli elevated the entire dish. My husband got the savory skillet and it was perfect. Potatoes were perfectly cooked and seasoned. Would most definitely recommend!! Staff were very friendly and attentive. read more
2 months ago
My husband & I had an amazing breakfast at the Hidden Gem in February. (Took me a while to sit down to write a review!) Even though we come to Carmel quite frequently it was our first time at the restaurant & we had a hard time finding the place. A quick call & a very nice gentlemen on the phone helped us find the place. We are early risers so we were the only ones there the entire time & had the place to ourselves. A very nice lady, who I believe is the owner, welcomed us in & took our order. We really enjoyed our conversation with her throughout our breakfast. She has been a resident of Carmel for many years & since we have been long time visitors we had a lot of common topics to cover. The food was delicious. I had Swedish Pancakes & my husband ordered Biscuits and Gravy. He also ordered a side of House-Made toast & butter. Coffee was strong & atmosphere cozy. We can't wait to go back. read more
1 year ago
We came right after a long morning at the beach and were extremely hungry! We came across this beautiful little spot with plenty of seating. It must have been a slower time for them because there were only a couple customers in. The gentleman that helped us was very kind and informative about the menu. We ordered chicken sandwich, French toast, the meatballs a shrimp soup. Although the chicken and soup lacked salt all the right seasonings were there. The batter for the chicken was the best I've ever had, perfectly crispy and light. It also had this amazing sauce with it! Everything else was also very good, the only down part was how long it took which the con of having made to order food. Lastly the price was on the higher end but when looking at quality and the location it makes sense. Worth a try! read more
1 year ago
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1 year ago
I ate breakfast at one of the few places that was open at 8am in the area. The place is small but simple looking. There were also some tables outside. I think that if they are one of the few restaurants that were open early on a weekend, maybe they should have had two servers after 9am. It got a bit busy and there were a few people that left because nobody was there to seat them because the waitress was in the back in the kitchen. I got the breakfast sandwich with my choice of sausage and potatoes. It really was delicious! The bread was soft and tasty too! If you ever go here... getting to the bathroom is a bit confusing. Another lady and I were both trying to find it. It's not around the corner. it's on the side of the building past the kitchen window. The door is small and the path to the bathroom is a bit narrow. read more
10/10!! Outdoor seating area was very cute and shaded. There was only 1 server when we went for brunch on a Friday and he did an amazing job. He was super friendly and professional all while running all around and attending to all the other customers. The wait was a bit long for the food to come, but it was well worth it!! The food was surprisingly exceptional and was not lacking in flavor. Pleasantly surprised with the experience here and definitely recommend! *TIP: bathroom is located around the corner, key is hung in front of the door **TIP: pet-friendly obviously, bring the pup! Half of the outdoor tables has pups :) read more
3 years ago
I always do enjoy the naming process of these places. Like, hey!, the freaking secret is out. Nice job. I'll tell you right now: this place is not so hidden. Like, you can see it right off the road, man! And trust, I suck at looking for things. Just ask my mom. So yeah, it was pretty good. Chicken and waffles with lavender butter. Um, yeah hell yeah! I like how they use big giant plates and put only a little bit of food on it, giving the appearance that you're only getting a small amount of delicious food. Well yeah, ya kinda are. Anyway, waitress was lit. Make sure you check in to get that Free High Five, baby. we sat outside. cold. brr. read more
We came for brunch around 11. It's nice that they have a breakfast menu but at 11 they also bring out the brunch menu. There is some overlap. The service was a bit on the hovering side. They weren't super busy when we were there but they were ready to fill our coffee and water pretty much after every few sips. I don't know if it would have been different if there were more people there. I really enjoyed my avocado toast with eggs - it was presented beautifully and everything on the plate was good. I enjoyed the grilled artichoke as well. The sauce with it was supposed to have black garlic but didn't really taste that garlicky but was fine. My friends also ordered the pancakes and really enjoyed them. I think that we didn't find out they only accepted cash or venmo until after we ordered was a bit of an issue. I don't know if that was a temporary problem. The restaurant is small inside but decorated in a cute way. The outside tables looked nice. read more
We had a reservation, but arrived early. We were waiting for the rest of our party, but we were asked to have a seat at the table while we waited. Even though we had a reservation, we really didn't need one, since the restaurant was quieter than we were expecting. The bathroom is in a weird place and was most definitely not ADA compliant. We had coffee while we waited and our party trickled in and we eventually all had drinks. I felt like we were rushed to order, even though we were waiting until eleven so that we could order off the brunch, rather than breakfast menu. We were not told until after we had our coffee that they were not accepting credit cards, only venmo and cash. I got the chicken and waffles. I didn't feel like the chicken had much flavor and the butter was supposed to be lavender butter, but had zero lavender flavor. The soap in the bathroom had lavender, though. I didn't taste that, though. read more
1 year ago
You will suffer at the beginning. Wait time is insane and service is not the best. However, after you've waited for what seems like an hr, you will receive some of your drinks and then after you have finished your drinks, the food will finally arrive. The food will compensate for the torture you endured. Delicious breakfast burritos! The pancakes are a magical touch and the huevos rancheros tie it all back together. The journey was worth the wait but be aware it might take some time. Be patient. I wish you well. read more
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Ask the Community - Carmel’s Hidden Gem
Do they have gluten-free pancakes or waffles or French toast or regular gluten-free toast?
Do they serve gluten-free bread or sourdough bread?
Do they offer gluten-free pancakes? Gluten-free waffles, gluten-free bread?
When is the breakfast menu served vs the brunch menu? Can you give an overview? Are you dog friendly and could we order something for our dogs? We'd order them a sausage for example. Thanks.
They start serving breakfast at 8 am and that menu is available until 2:30 pm, but the brunch menu is only available from 11 am to 2:30 pm. They are super dog friendly and we order items for our dogs all the time like bacon or a scrambled egg or…
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