We've been coming to Red Apple Cafe for years and always enjoyed the food the friendly atmosphere so it was to our dismay when we had to come and order our food and run into multiple issues, the clabcakes were bland and lukewarm. My nephews eggs were rubbery and lukewarm As well as the rustic potatoes that were served along side them. When asked if we preferred French roast we asked for French. After one sip one of our party confirmed that it was French roast and we were told that that was the regular. We attempted to flag a waitress over multiple times throughout the meal each time they seemed to be just out of earshot. Our own hunger & time constraints betrayed us and we decided that rather than bring up the issues to management we would just eat the meal as is with out making a fuss . We really do love the establishment and this may have just been an off day. what ever the circumstance may be its a shame that this meal wasn't as great as we had hoped when coming in here today. the times we did interact with the staff they were very friendly as usual and we hope the next time we visit things will be better read more

The service was great, people here are friendly and genuine. I ordered the crab cake Benedict for $11 (the most expensive entree on the menu). The crab cakes were spicy, and the sauce was a bit bland for my taste. The potatoes on the side were good though. I wish I ordered something else, like the corned hash was was very good, crunchy and flavorful! read more

Red Apple Cafe - Crab Cake Benedict - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Watsonville, California

This place has gone down hill fast. Food is so inconsistent as well as service. Was not too busy last time I went & many tables the floors were filthy. Lots of staff moving slow & talking to each other. Giving 2 stars because I used to like this place & I hope they get it together and improve. Better cooks, better trained restaurant staff is recommended. read more

It's just a good ol' fashioned dinner! Definitely a great place to get some breakfast--very large portions. Some of the other reviews complain about flavor of the food, but this isn't an artisan-super-chic-only-organic sort of place, it's comfort food. If that's what you're looking for, then this is the place to go! It does get pretty busy around the usual lunch time, so plan to wait or make a point of getting there earlier. read more

Service is very slow. There are over 6 girls/waitresses on staff, and all they do is seem to talk to each other behind the counter. Getting them to take your order is a monumental task. I had to turn around various times to look at them behind the counter. Getting refills is almost non existent. They never come by to ask you after the first refill. For being a cutesy/country style cafe, the carpets are filthy. With so many in staff, you would think one of them could take a rolling broom and clean the carpets up a bit. All this is happening, and we have yet to get our food! The food has been served, and guess what..... it was well worth the lousy service and the wait!! The waitress girls are very sweet and nice. The Denver omelette was fluffy and delicious! The country potatoes were to die for! Some of the tastiest and fully flavored I've eaten anywhere! My sister Letty had the sausages n eggs and said her food was delicious and the eggs were fluffy and the potatoes were great. My sister in law Maria states that she likes they way her sour dough tuna melt was toasted with butter and the tuna was toasted to a crunchy taste. She substituted the fries for a salad and it was very tasty. Next time I'm cruising through Watsonville and have a lot of time to wait, I will dedicate stop her and eat! Talk about REDEMPTION and being able to redeem yourself! Giving this place 4 .5 for food 2 stars for service and 2.5 stars for cleanliness, the restrooms were exceptionally clean compared to the rest, giving that a 4 for an overall of a 3. read more

See all

So sad at the decline in Red Apple Cafe This has always been my most favorite breakfast restaurant until the change of ownership and I've seen it go downhill ever since. Today was definitely the WORST breakfast I've ever had and terrible service too, and they no longer serve the Gizdich apple juice. Biscuits and gravy were horrible (biscuits were hard and gravy had no flavor). My food was brought on separate plates at different times because the waitress didn't understand my order first she brought my eggs then biscuits and gravy then potatoes. I'm going to have to travel to Fresno and try the new Red Apple Cafe and beg the old owners to come back to Watsonville!! read more

I don't have much to say other than the potato dish that my husband ordered looked insane and I wish I had ordered that instead. I opted for the corned beef hash, one of my go-to dishes when I eat at a breakfast diner. It tasted fine, but it didn't make me dance around in circles or wish I lived closer so I could eat it again. I also wish it had come with potatoes - yes I know I could've ordered them on the side, but most other places I have gone, it automatically comes with them. Eggs were cooked as I asked, which is always a plus. But otherwise, a pretty average diner to me. I'm not sure why all the four and five star reviews. Perhaps because it's a small town, there aren't many other options to choose from. read more

The potatoes are amazing! They were super fast at seating us, taking our drink orders, and serving us. I didn't take pictures because I inhaled my food as soon as it arrived but I had the eggs California. So delicious! I don't recommend the teriyaki steak and eggs. My husband had that. It's literally a thin slice of meat and two eggs with 6 mini pancakes. read more

If you want a hearty meal where portions are oversized...then this is the place for you! My favorite is the ultimate meat potato dish. It's their signature plate. Service is friendly and the food tastes good. It gets busy in here on the weekends with a line out the door. read more

Red Apple Cafe - The ultimate meat potato dish - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Watsonville, California

See all

I'm reluctant to give 4 stars because I think it is important to note that a generous gratuity is automatically added to your bill, and splitting menu items costs an additional $2. We ended up paying nearly $50 for room-temp food that took about an hour to arrive at our table. Onto the food - it's straight up grandma cooking, if you know what I mean - delicious when you want to stuff yourself of starchy carbs and refined sugar until you enter a food coma, and soon after, a marathon nap session. We walked in mid-morning absolutely starving after being towed to Watsonville around 1AM earlier that same day. I ordered the Crabcake Benedict, my guy ordered the Sausage Omelet, and we split an order of Caramel Pecan French Toast. Our waitress was incredibly friendly and apologetic for the wait, and I'm sure had we complained about our lukewarm food, she would've reprimanded it. We were way too hungry to care. The breakfast potatoes are phenomenal, and my eggs were perfectly poached. Overall, if you're hungry and have some time, I'd say this place is your best bet in Watsonville for breakfast. read more

I stumbled upon this eatery today, 4/30/21. The food and service was great. It was very clean and the servers were professional, yet friendly. I will definitely be back. read more

I was pretty impressed with this place. The inside was clean, simply decorated, and the staff was friendly. They could have used one or two more servers, because service was a bit slow, just because it was busy. I had the eggs Benedict, and it was really good. My coffee cup never went empty, nor did the water glass. The parking lot is plentyful, easy to park. read more

This place is always great for breakfast. Ive been here twice and have been satisfied. The waitresses are really friendly and the food arrives not long after you order. I came here at 7am on a Sunday and there were four tables sat, not very busy for a Sunday morning. read more

I ordered the Cajun fish plate for lunch, and it was delicious! Healthy and really good portion. They weren't skimpy on the fish or anything. Price wise I think is great for everything that I got. I also love that they started closing at 3pm now instead of 2 pm! Fish was fresh, healthy and delicious. Only thing I would change is the side salad...nothing great..it had lettuce for burgers and only 2 olives and 2 slices of tomatoes. Other than that GREAT! Next time I'll substitute the salad and bread for a soup(: read more

Red Apple Cafe - Cajun fish over rice plate ! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Watsonville, California

Unfortunate how the quality has deteriorated with the new ownership. I have ordered "to go" twice within the past month due to the need to spend time attending to a sick loved one rather than spending the time cooking. I should have learned after the first time when my eggs Benedict was prepared with FRIED eggs and no Benedict sauce. Today the quality was just as poor. Country Fried Steak & Eggs and Eggs Benedict. The food quality was mediocre. The kitchen forgot to add the sourdough toast for the Country Fried Steak & Eggs. While my breakfast was getting cold I waited another 10 minutes and was given two small pieces of white toast with butter that didn't even melt. No apology, no pretending to care. The server acted as if it was an inconvenience to rectify their mistake. Let me tell you what I observed, and let me tell you that I have been going to Red Apple since it opened. Mike and Jeannette we miss you. The current owner or manager or whatever she is, does not focus on hospitality. The staff seems to operate smoothly despite her getting in the way. Wear some glasses lady, you can't seat people when you can't read the sign up sheet. Interact with your customers, quit trying to micro-manage your staff. Consider going back to quality along with quantity. Pretend you care. If customer service isn't your forte, consider making sure the quality of your kitchen is top notch. I hate to say this but no more Red Apple for me. Many folks I know in Watsonville have fled Red Apple for Cowboy Corner. I tried to stay loyal. I kept trying and trying but conversely, Red Apple doesn't care about their customers so why should I expect something to change. Sad to say but I am never, ever, returning and I encourage Yelp readers to think long and hard before being disappointed about a local establishment that is so self serving that the customer no longer matters. read more

Red Apple Cafe - Poached to death? - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Watsonville, California

On a road trip a few weeks back we stopped in here for some breakfast to start our morning. Walked in about 8 AM and it wasn't to crowded. We were seated right away and the boys were given a few pages out of a coloring book and some crayons, very nice home touch. The boys had pancakes, my wife had a breakfast special that consisted of, Eggs, Hash browns and pancakes. I , upon being told the gravy was "The Bomb" ordered the chicken fried steak and eggs. Pancakes and the Hash browns were done very well. The steak was nice and crispy, flavorful and moist. The gravy however was lacking. It required more salt and pepper than it should have. Everything else was good. Clean Restrooms, clean floor and friendly wait staff. I would recommend this place. I will definitely come back. Just gonna look into ordering a little different this time. read more

And my 200th review goes to... Red Apple Cafe! I'd really give it 3.5 stars, but I'm still waiting for Yelp to introduce decimals. +5 stars for their famous potato dish! Seven or eight different ways you can order it - we had the ultimate which is chock full of meat: bacon, ham, sausages. Combined with cheese, scrambled eggs and *seasoned* potatoes (that's the key!), and you've got a very tasty, very filling dish! -1 stars for the ham & cheese omelette with a side of pancakes. The menu promotes their omelette has HUGE. There's even a picture of 3 little guys working around a huge skillet. When the omelette arrived, it looked like they had left out 2 of the 4 eggs. Not a great omelette by any means, and certainly not huge. -1 stars for service. We arrived about 9:45 am on a Sunday, and from the parking lot, it looked crowded. We had no wait though and got a table right away. By 10 am though, the line was out the door. There was a noticeable decline in service as the meal went along. At first, we received prompt attention, and by the end of the meal, we waited about 10 minutes for someone to come close enough where we could flag them down for the check. It wasn't our waitress, so the lady said our waitress would bring it right to us. Five minutes later, that same lady ended up delivering our check. No one likes to sit in a crowded restaurant and say "Echo, echo... anyone home?" +0.5 for atmosphere. Local, diner feeling. Nice! read more

This place seemed great but the staff was unfriendly and ignorant. I drove in from San Francisco to visit my father and after searching for a place we thought this looked like a good spot. However the host treated us very poorly upon arrival. After being seated for 15 minutes we noticed everyone else was attended to except us. Two groups of caucasians walked in after us and were immediately attended to, drinks, food order and for us - nothing. Its a shame that there are very ignorant people in this small town. I would never go back here especially for being discriminated against for my skin color. Clearly their "We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone" sign goes further than no shoes and shirt, we are both professional men who just happen to be hispanic. This place should be avoided like the plague. read more

I just moved to Watsonville a month ago or so and am always on the search for the perfect breakfast spot. When I was living in Aptos, that place was Sunrise in Soquel and when living in Ben Lomond, Heavenly Cafe hit the spot. Now that I've had Red Apple Cafe, I think it just may be my new breakfast joint. I've had their ham and eggs, biscuits and gravy, and pigs in a blanket and tasted their eggs benedict, french toast, and chorizo scramble. I haven't been disappointed yet and I have a feeling I won't be anytime soon. I even brought my family here when they came to visit from LA and my mom, the kids, and my cousin were all raving about it as when they left. Noting that when they visited next time that they'd be spending most of their time here and Second Street Cafe. My cousin even said it might even be the french toast she's ever had to date. So, if you're looking for a family owned and feel good cafe to get your grub on, Red Apple is the place for you. I definitely will be coming back. I dream about their pigs in a blanket! read more

Incredibly friendly staff, lots of laughter and good merry- the pancake special and smokehouse scramble were really great.

The place doesn't look like much but every time that I go up to Watsonville around lunch time, I stop in here. This particular visit I had the French dip sandwich (note to self, next time order without onions, they are mighty potent) with french fries and extra dip. It came out so so fast and piping hot. The fries were crisp like they should be right out of the deep fryer and the sandwich was awesome, the dip itself was strong, just the way I like it, not like some places where it tastes almost just like hot water, this stuff was good. All the employees are friendly and are very polite welcoming you in and when you leave. Salads are great, Reuben sandwich is great, french dip is great. I'm going to try breakfast next time that I'm in there. read more

One of the best places for breakfast! I enjoy going here because the service is always #1 and the food is fresh. We have been going here for alittle over 7 years and I have never had bad service or a bad experience. The portion sizes are enough for 2 people. I love the scrambles or the potato dishes. I haven't ordered something that wasn't good. Most times if its 2 people you can find a set at the counter, if not the wait is normally not more than 20 minutes. They are very good about announcing the wait times. Like it and will go back multiple times! read more

I LOVE THIS PLACE! It's definitely worth an hour drive for breakfast! They serve it all day...The portions are GINORMOUS. Staff are VERY FRIENDLY. This is like the 3rd or 4th time I've been here, and I always leave VERY SATISFIED. I wish that they didn't move coz the place where they used to be had more character. Since they moved (from 2 years ago), it looks like they are rebuilding history again...which is kinda neat, but I wish they brought over everything from where they were... read more

I have been coming here for years. This place is golden. My favorite dish is the traditional Benedict corner. The hollandaise sauce is delicious as well as their country style potatoes! I love red apple and their dishes are amazing. Their food isn't cheap food! And I highly recommend stopping here for breakfast or brunch!!! read more

Red Apple Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Watsonville, California

See all

This place is amazing. The portions are massive and the food is delicious. Here are some tips when you go there -go for breakfast -order hot chocolate with extra whip -order one of the potato plates -ask for the salsa (it's served warm, it's delicious) -be nice to your waitress (because they're really sweet) -say hi to the locals in the restaurant -savor every delicious flavor I wish I were back in Watsonville to have breakfast there again. read more

People always tell you about this or that great place for breakfast/brunch/lunch and the meal usually ends up disappointing. Finally a breakfast place that meets the expectations.. Nice silver dollar pancakes, very good omelets, and always a surprise or two for specials. If you don't feel like breakfast they make tasty sandwiches and steaks for lunch, or try an ostrich burger if you want to go a little leaner and lighter. Better than average service, bigger than average portions and prices that usually less than the competitors. The only drawback I can see is that they seem to have up and down days but even the bad days are better than most other places. read more

Best. Breakfast. I've. Ever. Had. Thanks to my good ol' Yelp app on my iPhone, we decided to give Red Apple Cafe a shot for breakfast when we were out in Watsonville for the weekend. We had a somewhat big party and there was a bit of wait, but it wasn't too bad. I had one of their scramble potato breakfast dishes and oh my word, I haven't stopped thinking about that breakfast since. The breakfast potatoes? Omg, I would love to know their secret because I've never had potatoes like that before...the seasoning was off the hook. I had a few bites from my fam's breakfast and everything was good! Such huge portions too! Fast and friendly service. If you ever find yourself in Watsonville, please go here for breakfast, you will NOT be disappointed. read more

I love this place. I always leave satisfied. The service is great, constantly checking up on you. The food.. Where to begin. It is all so yummy! I think I have tried everything at this point. I would defiantly try giving this place a try. You won't regret it ;) read more

I ordered the corned beef hash for breakfast this morning. It was good and the service was real nice . BUT i only got maybe a half cup of hash, 2 tiny Eggs on top and the wheat toast was small. Other customers were leaving with to-go boxes All I left with was a still growling stomach. I read some reviews saying how huge the portions were. Bullshit! Not mine I won't be back I rode straight from there to Betsy's in Morgan Hill and had there corned beef hash! Cowboys is just a few hundred feet away. Go there instead. read more

I was in the Watsonville area and decided to try this place. It felt very homey and it was such a cute place to have breakfast at. The service was excellent but they sat us right next to the emergency exit. My elbow could literally rest on the door handle. I felt really squished and uncomfortable, but I dealt with it since they couldn't move us to a different table because they had a party coming in. I really wished that the outside area was open, but I guess it rained the night before, so it was wet. So I ordered the king salmon benedict and I kid you not, it was huge! They actually use a whole fillet of salmon! And was drenched in hollandaise sauce. It was perfection. I had the country potatoes as my side and could you said bomb dot com??? I did not finish because the portion was huge, but this place put me in food coma. I would most definitely be coming back here. read more

Red Apple Cafe - King salmon benedict - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Watsonville, California

Do not be deterred by the loooooooong line: Red Apple serves a GREAT breakfast! I highly recommend the Veggie Potato Dish, it is fantastic. So are the Eggs Benedict. The cafe serves up some pretty large portions, so be prepared to EAT. If you didn't come here hungry (and waiting in line didn't make you hungry) then chances are you will be walkin' out with leftovers (which heat up nicely at home, BTW). The service is great, and I am not just saying that because I went to high school with most of the waitstaff here. They are nice, genuine people who really do try to make your meal a good one. I don't think you'd go here for lunch unless you you qualify for AARP benefits, but that's ok. Try the cafe for lunch....Senior citizens shouldn't be the only demographic packing away "free" mini jellies and creamers off cafe tables. The rest of us should have an equal opportunity to fill up our purses as well. Red Apple never dissappoints. Great spot for fresh food & people watching, especially on Saturday & Sunday mornings. :o) XOXOXOXO read more

I only give it 4/5 stars because I have had better, does it mean it was bad? HELL NO IT WAS GREAT! I got waffles and bacon and it was good but my husband got potatoes and an omelet and it was AMAZING! I totally recomend, the staff was so helpful and friendly, tip well. read more

This is always the favorite spot for having breakfast sunday morning after church.food portions and pricing is pretty fair so its a win-win situation.service is always good but can get crazy sometimes when the place is jam packed. One word of advice if you decide to check them for breakfast specially on the weekends:Be Early!!!or at least call to reserve but then again how can you stop a bunch of hungry people wanting to have a good breakfast. read more

We loved red apple. Until the new owners took over. Smaller portions, higher prices. Food is not what it use to be. U can taste the difference. They also lost their main cook. My business is going to Cowboys corner. read more

I love this place. The servers are friendly and helpful. The food is simple, down-home lunch and breakfast. They are very accommodating. You want steamed veggies instead of potatoes? No problem. The homemade corned beef hash is very good, but so are the omelets, the salsa, the amazingly good daily vegetable-beef-barley soup, the chicken fried steak, the grilled cod, the cottage potatoes, etc. Good honest food, cooked fresh, served with a sparkle. We locals love it, so the parking lot is usually full. read more

Went back a few weeks ago. Still same great hole-in-wall cafe that my wife and I like walking into! The staff is really nice and treat you well. The food is still humongous portions and good. Also, if your kids have healthy appetites like mine, I recommend splitting an adult breakfast plate between two of them. My kids ate the chorizo and eggs in less than a minute, it seemed. I'm not close enough to be a regular, but will definitely go back whenever we're in town and get the chance. read more

I really hate to give this place a bad review, but it has definitely gone down hill in the last year. The country potatoes were my favorite until recently, they used to be seasoned to perfection. Now, they're bland and not as soft as they previously were. Today, my omelette had egg shells in it, egg shells. I have so many amazing memories of this place and it really saddens me to see this restaurant go down hill. Maybe the Aptos location is still better, I'll try that one out. read more

As far as food goes, this place was awesome! It's nothing special... A small place, not the cleanest (but not dirty) cheesy decor... But that's okay, their food and friendly staff make this a great place to eat! We were immediately seated and asked for our drink order. We got our drinks quickly and were greeted by our waitress. There is a pretty big menu and lots of things I wanted to try. Our waitress was polite and friendly, and addresses all of our needs. The food came quick. Our daughters pigs in a blanket came in about 5 minutes, which was fine by us because she was hungry and always takes her time eating anyways. We got our meals just a few minutes after our daughter. Portions were big, but the most important thing was the FOOD WAS GOOD! I got the Country Scramble special and everything was GREAT! The biscuits and gravy were good and the potatoes were EXCELLENT! If you're not looking for anything flashy and you're not a snob, this place has food that speaks for itself, and a friendly staff to go along with it. read more

This place continues to be awesome! Went there for breakfast with the family this morning and once again we found delicious food and excellent service! All the ladies working there are super friendly and they always make you feel welcome. This is for sure the best place for a savory breakfast or lunch in a welcoming and family environment! Keep up the great job ladies!!! read more

Terrible terrible waitress. I've been there several times before, yesterday was the worst service ever. My potatoes tasted sour so I requested hash browns instead. it took her 30 minutes to bring me my hash browns she said when I get them you get them. By then we had finished our breakfast. she didn't apologize for us waiting so long. She didn't give a darn. I won't be taking my family there again. read more