My parents brought me here a few times as a kid, but it became the friends' local morning-after spot about 15 years ago. We introduced the spouses as they came along, and now the kids. This place is a slice of nostalgia for us and used to be the only place you could get those salads from the 80's with ice berg, kidney beans, beets, and croutons, drowned in homemade ranch. They updated the salad, but the ranch is still delicious. Good coffee, good burgers. I order steak and eggs (sometimes with a side salad lol), husbands gets country fried steak. Ask for your hash browns crispy if that's what you want. They will do any style eggs, which less and less places will do. I don't know where else in the Bay you can get "turkey on a persian" roll. Know that their bbq sauce is NOT KANSAS STYLE that you find in most Bay Area restaurants. It is that old Emil Villa's style sauce. I don't like it, but some do. Service - there is one particular gentleman server that is always scowling, albeit efficient. It's not you. The ladies that work here are wonderful and they work hard. It can get slammed in there on weekend mornings with 20-30 min waits, easy. I cannot fathom how people deal with the service at Tina's and then say the service here is bad. read more

Comfortable restaurant with a great location. My family and I have been coming here ever since I was a little girl, breakfast has always been great here. Now we swing by for lunch once in a while and the lunch food is okay, not amazing just okay. The waitress we had today wasn't really attentive and didn't come by to check on us at all. Breakfast is nice tho, it's great for families and very kid friendly. read more

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just got 2 large pints of the bbq sauce to take home so i have it when i needed it. i can tell you it lasted just more than a day as i used it when i made bbq brisket and steak fries. this sauce made the meal for sure and if i didn't have it it would just be another boring meal. it's so great to know you can just stop in and get some sauce to go so you have it for your favorite bbq. some people come in for the great food and service and others hoping to spot billy joe from green day but i come for the sauce. it's truly the best around. sauce http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/1Vmv5bcGvABqLssBkManuA?select=8M7K4gQDkddvFuO8uj4nKA i have my connections http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/1Vmv5bcGvABqLssBkManuA?select=iM54w7XM_V4oTXhvIADUkA read more

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I've been coming to this place for YEARS and it used to be my favorite but every time I come something seems to go wrong well today was my finally visit. We came in before the place got busy and ended up waiting 45 minutes with 4 kids under the age of 9. It would have been fine but everyone that came in after us got the food before us. We complained twice and nothing was getting threw to them, then they brought us the wrong plate. That was the final straw not to mention the flies in that place was a bit much. It's really sad that this place has fallen apart but oh well I will find somewhere new when I come visit my mom. read more

Atmosphere gets 2 stars-very much like the old fashioned coffee shops of my 70's/early 80's childhood (Bob's Big Boy anyone?). Anyway: This place has a flipping fantastic ribeye. Hands down, the best steak I have had in the Bay Area for a reasonable price. I grew up in Phoenix where going out for a steak was a regular venture in my family. Moving to the Bay (Jr. High time at first-then again after high school), it has been hard to find something non-chain, non-ethnic based for a good steak and potato.This is it. I have been here several times with various folks-my daughter, brother, one of my best friends and my boyfriend. I am always happy-the daughter would warn against the ribs (nasty she said (especially the sauce) and doesn't like their fried chicken at all (we go to Ricky's Corner in Rodeo for that)-but the steak-FANTASTIC. Boyfriend loved his French Dip tonight. This is really a no frills restaurant. The salad dressing choices are of the bottled variety-and the iceberg lettuce salad has a few beets, garbanzo and kidney beans. That is it. Rambling review on a late evening on a full belly. MEAT EATERS REJOICE! read more

this place is AWFUL. Hair in my food, terrible service, low quality ingredients. Save your money, you would get better food at McDonalds, better service too. Since at least one person seemed to think this was an unreasonable review, I will elaborate. We went for breakfast. It was not busy but service was still slow and inattentive. No drink refils without multiple reminders. Dirty carpet, dirty tables, dirty silverware. My sandwich was so so. Greasy, bland. My husbands food was also greasy and bland, he had the chicken fried steak breakfast. My daughter, who is a toddler got a pancake, which had candy on it, and peaches from a can, and whipped cream. This is breakfast for a child, and candy at 10 am is totally not cool with me. Why not fresh banana slices instead of canned peaches? UGH. After eating most of his food, my husband found 3 hairs in the gravy. Before we could tell anyone ( inattentive service, remember) the plate was taken. When we did complain, we were told we had to prove it in order to get a refund. I have never been told to prove there was something wrong with my food, most decent restaurants give the customer the benefit of the doubt to maintain customer relations, but I guess they get a lot of complaints. After all that, we both felt sick the rest of the day. Never ever going back. read more

I have been coming for years and still love it. My only complain is I miss the beans and beets in the salad. I usually get the BBQ pork sandwich with side of sauce. Haven't ever really been a fan of their sauce. Just found out they serve regular BBQ sauce. I had the chicken sandwich and fell in love all over again with this place. Wishing I was there now. read more

My BF just reviewed this restaurant and it made me rememebr how much I LOVE their Open Faced Roast Beef Sandwhich with sauce on the french fries. Just had to add them to my Cravings list! Do note: this is not a place for vegetarians, or even those who enjoy vegetables. It is meat and potatoes all the way. My family used to get hot opne faced roast beef from Rod's Hickory Pit at the Bowling Alley in El Cerrito (where Target is now) and when they closed we searched and searched for a viable alternative. AFter much research we came across The Embers. I might just drive the hour to get there just to fulfill this craving! read more

Love this restaurant I have been eating here since I was a teenager. Anytime I am in the Bay Area and I want breakfast this is my number one choice. read more

This used to be a staple on the weekends. Late breakfast, drinking rossi in the parking lot. What happened to you Embers? I will only order their lunch special- turkey, sauce on the side, w/ fries these days, if I ever go back. All the portions have shrunk and the quality is hit or miss. The last time we went the waitress had the nerve to serve us blackened toast. "Is that too burnt for you, hun?" "No it's fine! I love eating charcoal!" They have flat screens now. This is good for game days, but bad if they just leave the TV on without paying attention to what's showing. We were a little disturbed the last time we went because the tv directly infront of us was blaring some kind of World's Worst Freak Accident's type show. Basically we watched an ill-fated wedding reception end when the hotel floor collapsed three stories with 300 people on a dance floor! The bride had to get carted away because of various broken bones and many of the guests were bloodied and a handful died! That was then followed by video of a guy getting electrocuted by a downed electrical wire. You can't make this stuff up. read more

Food is great, but they can use an update on their customer service if they expect to have longevity in their business. Service is basic at best and only has opportunities to be worse depending on the day. Ive never been a customer at a place that made me feel like an inconvenience for asking for a refund for something I was double charged for and because of my experience today, I will never again be that customer. Update: 07/2017 the business never responded to my email, literally the worst in service! read more

Kick Ass breakfast. Very friendly (and I must say hot!!) staff. (ummm...you'll understand when you go) This indeed is what a breakfast diner is all about. Greasy food, good prices, and fast service. They are kid friendly, and can sit large tables. The 70's has defiantly gotten stuck her. A wagon wheel sort of thing is going on. I would pretty much stay away from the BBQ sauce though. Their BBQ meats are ok. The Deli Ham is actually very good. But to get back to my other point, the BBQ sauce blows. It looks/tastes/smells/sounds like old ketchup. Yucky Poo. read more

What is it with my "Olds" down here and their choices in restaraunts? The places they love to go are....um..... Old. "Old school?" Maybe. I asked about this Embers, and it sounds like when they moved up from San Pablo, this may have been a brand new building. Well, if you really liked Denny's back when they used to be "Sambo's".... that's about what these places are like. So I guess that would be "Old School" in the worst sense. Anyhow, we took my 85-year-old uncle to Ember's last night on his recommendation. We walked into a Denny-sized building with the open kitchen behind the counter; main differences between this place and a Denny's was the dark blood-red and black carpeting, an oil wick candle on the table and the 3 TVs playing off-season indoor football. Oh, and the wait staff was wearing black (in mourning, no doubt, for having to work here). I got the combo bbq plate and my husband got the half rack. My uncle got the 'ham'. The ribs and chicken were extremely dry. The other meats were kind of (uhmm) mysterious. We had the sauce on the side, and it apparently was microwave heated, was only lukewarm, and wasn't that good. My chicken looked like a mud flat after several months with no rain -- it actually had fissures in it from being so dry. I took one slice and used it as a tympanic device -- banged it against the edge of the plate, just for amusement. Service was prompt; refills on ice tea and coffee were offered. One other thing -- The fork tines were bent. That always bothers me, and that's typical of a Denny's, too. So if I'd've closed my eyes, I could have imagined I was in a Denny's -- except that the food is much BETTER at a Denny's. (PS - just read the other reviews after I wrote mine, and was amazed at how many of the Highlights I hit ('old school' 'mystery meat', etc.) read more

Outdated decor and mediocre food. I've been coming here for years due to closeness to our house and really nice staff (that I followed from a local restaurant that closed!). The food/menu needs updating. Breakfast eggs - when prepared scrambled- are cooked with the spatula and therefore chopped and unappealing. Grits- forget about them~ either watery or very lumpy! They have great sausage patties as well as most meats cooked in their pit. Their coffee is very good - but I'm not a coffee connoisseur! Repeat - I really love the staff and service. read more

Came here on a slow evening. As soon as I walked up to the "please wait to be seated" sign, the young lady seated on the bar engulfed on her phone didn't notice me till I cleared my throat. I ordered the chicken/country fried steak with fries and a cup of the cream of broccoli soup. While I wait for my food, another person walks in and waits by the sign... again, that same young lady didn't notice her as she was on her cell phone. Food was ok. The chicken fried steak was barely warm, the gravy was ok, the fries were deliciously crispy and the broccoli soup was delightful. I would come back though... and try something different. read more

My family and I have breakfast here all the time! Our favorite place.. they're home fries are super soft so if you like them crispy like me, make sure to ask for that. Food has always been good here and I grew into loving the workers. I dont even ask for coffee anymore, they just bring it to our table. Thank you Embers! read more

Have you ever desperately wanted a place to be good, but no matter how good your intentions are, it's still a terrible experience? That's what just happened to me at The Embers in Pinole. Yes, ole Gabi is at it again. TRYING to find another place that serves decent food in my area. When the discussion arose of "where do we go tonight?" we decided to give this place a try AGAIN. Mind you, I first ate here back in 2012 when we moved to Pinole. It was pretty darned good then. A second visit a few weeks later was just OK. Then the last time we visited it was pretty terrible. I believe that was in 2014. I know. I'm slipping with my local reviews... The general consensus was that time had passed and it MUST have gotten better. No. It has not. My complain that last time I was here was that the ribs were crappy. We asked to have a second rack brought out because the first was dry (it happens). That time the second rack was good. We figured it might just be an anomaly. Apparently it wasn't. Queue to tonight's meal. My partner ordered a full rack and I ordered the tri-tip steak. Our scheme was that at least ONE of the dishes would be good. Brace yourselves: acerbic words incoming: The salad. I know. You don't go to a meat place for the salad. I would rather them serve only oil and vinegar than Wishbone Italian dressing. You know the type. YELLOW is not a color of Italian dressing. It should have some red in it cuz vinegar yo. I give them a pass for not having it be entirely made up of iceberg lettuce. The tomato slice was delicious. Our entrees were beyond the pale. I tried my partner's ribs. HOLY MOLY. What did they do to them? Dry and without flavor. They were simply awful. We both tried one and figured that maybe we were victims of "Dry Rack Syndrome" again. While we waited for the server to come back around to get us a better selection of ribs, I started in on my tri-tip steak. It was not medium rare as I requested. Both pieced of meat were grey inside. The server was at our table at this point and retreated with the bad meat in hand. Is it really that difficult to make a tri tip steak medium rare? I do it at home all the time folks. My partner gave up on the ribs. He didn't want to try for another rack so he ordered a gyro (how can you screw THAT up right?). I patiently waited for my trip tip to return. I munched on the garlic toast I was given in the mean time. It was interesting while it was warm and then it was not. Finally our second try food came to the table. His gyro had the smallest amount of meat I have EVER seen in one of those things. Trust me, he used to order them all the time when we went to a place in Berkeley. This was the saddest excuse for a gyro EVER. My tri-tip was was barely medium rare. As for the taste: once again, WHAT DID YOU DO TO THE POOR MEAT?? It tasted like when they would serve us steak night at the dorms. The lowest quality, driest meat they could find for a mass quantity of people. It barely tasted like tri-tip does. I was longing for Buckhorn Grill by this time. My partner barely finished his gyro. It's usually not a problem for him to finish all of his food and some of mine. Not tonight. I have NEVER seen him complain about a meal like this. We just wanted to get out by now. I ate as much of my trip-tip as I could stomach. I was hungry and I didn't want to bring any of it home. I also felt bad for the server. She seemed very nice and she was certainly giving it her best shot. It's not HER fault that the meat is being abused in the back. Embers: your ribs are dry and your steaks are over cooked. I can no longer return. I can't waste any more money on a location that isn't improving. While I do my best to support local businesses, you have lost my patronage until I see your reviews improve. read more

Every time I order takeout, my meat is overcooked and dry. I order medium rare, sometimes rare. It isn't even medium; even the sauce doesn't help. Really disappointing. I haven't been in awhile because of overcooked takeout; decided to try it again; TOTAL DISAPPOINTMENT! read more

While the staff at The Embers is friendly enough, the quality of the food is sub par. For the same price, one could go to a not-so-fabulous chain restaurant in Pinole & get better food. I had a steak, which was woefully underseasoned and about as tender as a pillowcase. My husband also had a steak. While we reminded the waitress not to bring him a pickle, she opined, "Well, I'll tell *them*, but I'm not sure *they'll* remember" [emphasis mine], then we watched while that same waitress dipped a pair of tongs into a vat of pickles, dripping pickle juice all over my husband's fries & steak. We theorized that perhaps the "they" to which she referred were some sort of voices in her head, as she herself was responsible to remember no pickles, not the kitchen. We won't be going back again. Ever. read more

I've been here twice in the last several months; once when I was across the street getting tires installed at Big O, and more recently for breakfast while waiting for an appointment. I really would like to give The Embers a better rating, but they just shot themselves in the foot. What can I say? My most recent trip, I ordered a dinner salad the and a patty melt sandwich. The sandwich was on marbled rye, well done as I requested. Plenty of fries, nice and hot. But. There's a but. I started with a dinner salad, which was a bit pricey at $3.99, not the usual up-sell price when you're already ordering a main entree. The salad arrived, and was composed entirely of iceberg, one slice of beet and some garbanzo beans. Passing grade, barely, but still a "C" at best. Barely. Nothing to write home about. Lazy, actually. I asked for some extra blue cheese dressing, a little cupful like they use for dipping sauces and such. The waitress said no, but she could get me a saucer full. Sounded good. Turned out that saucer cost me a buck. Okay, a dollar isn't much, but it just rubs me the wrong way to pay extra for some salad dressing, when the stuff more certainly comes in giant jugs of some sort. It was just a cheap thing to do, to charge for some extra salad dressing. I usually, almost always, leave a minimum tip of $3. Not this time. Two bucks and I won't be back. If the salad had even had a tomato, or cucumber, or something, but it didn't. Just a lame salad. Then charge me for sufficient dressing. Sorry. read more

As an Embers customer for many years, I should have known to look at my take out order before I left !! While I have always enjoyed dining there, it seems to be the policy of this place to send out food that if served in the restaurant would be returned immediately.. I can only guess that they hope once you get home, you won't bother to go back for something edible. Last night the "ribs" I got home with were dry, way overcooked and as old as I am. They were probably OK last week, but only fit for the dumpster this week. Altho Embers should not jeopardize their otherwise fine reputation by doing this, they continue to do so. IF YOU ORDER TAKE OUT LOOK AT IT BEFORE YOU LEAVE !!!! Save yourself a bad experience from an otherwise fine place... read more

Best Steak sandwiches I have had in a lonnng time, they're not your typical thin slice meat sandwiches they use the nice thick juicy steaks served with all the trimmings. I've also tried their club house sandwiches on wheat which was also very good, on Mondays they have potato soup with bacon bits and it was very tasty I could go on because I've tried many of their menu items and all have been very good including their "small portion" menu which is not just for kids. I highly recommend this place when you can't decide where to go and want to get a hearty delicious meal. See my pics of the steak sandwich and clubhouse. Enjoy! read more

The Embers - Juicy thick steak sandwich out of the charcoal pit right before your eyes - Barbeque Near Me - Pinole, California

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This is my favorite breakfast spot in the San Pablo/El Sobrante area. I like it so much; I bring my dad to eat here with me every other Friday, on my day off from work. I go so much that the waitress knows us and what we order. I love to eat Denver omelets everywhere I go and in my opinion they have the best ones. I've never been disappointed, so I keep going back for more. read more

Blah. **Two stars cuz all the people that were working here were real nice. *One star for the food. -Minus star for no seasoning on the meat. -Minus star for not being all that diverse. At times, it felt like I was in Montana, or something. A lot of food but my friend and I agreed it was lacking flavor. And I am talking about the meat here. The baked potato was perfection. Salad was drowned in wayyy too much ranch. Garlic bread was YUM. And if I could take a bath right now in that BBQ gravy sauce...loan me a straw and gimme your bread! read more

My family has gone here for a couple generations! It's always so welcoming and definitely home style cooking! I had the ground round with the sauce on the side. We drove an hour and a half because I was craving this special sauce! My boyfriend ordered the bacon and egg sandwich! Everything was delicious and the waitress was super sweet!! read more

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In a word - Ghastly. I stopped in for lunch and almost ordered the breakfast, but the menu featured the BBQ so prominently I decided to jump on in. The pork ribs were undercooked and fatty. The sauce was tasteless and watery. It does have a funky 70s kitsh thing going one, but that bit of atmosphere cannot make up for the bad food. read more

This has been a long time favorite of mine. The best thing to order is their beef sandwiches, rare! Their special sauce is so awesome on everything, fries, meat etc. Breakfast is pretty decent too but how can you pass up the meat? I also like their blue cheese dressing, different and delicious. This place is not fancy or that great in service but the comfort food makes up for it. They also have good ribs and the sauce makes them even better. Oh and a side tidbit, Billy Joe's mom (from Green Day) runs the place and they have been known to come by on ocassion, I've seen him in there... read more

UPDATE:It was my dad's 2 year death anniversary and ended up coming here hesitantly (since my aunt loves American food and she suggested this place). I already had a feeling that it's not going to be good. AGAIN POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!. The waitress or hostess were just talking away (like we're not there. 10 minutes has passed waiting to be seated. One person went ahead and found his own table. While we were waiting to be seated, for some reason this waitress sat the other couple before us: When my brother brought it to her attention. The waitress defensively said : "Sorry I'm only human". I thought that was pretty uncalled for. Called the manager few days, but to no avail. Last Review: I really think the restaurant's customers that frequents the place are the one's giving the good reviews. You won't miss "The Embers" sign as you drive by San Pablo ave. With a big sign like that, you think they'll deliver. Been here twice and that was it. I could have made the food at home to be honest! I can't really say much about this place except that the place looks outdated. Plus what bothered me the last time I was there was a nasty fly was flying around us while we were eating! The place needs remodeling and menu selections need to be "less boring". It's a "please don't take your date here place", well unless you really want the date to end. read more

Embers is the best worst food in the east bay! nothing better to curb my cravings for greasy spoon food than the Embers. They have a BBQ beef, turkey or ham on a roll, with fries... sauce on the side... OMG talk about comfort food! they have omelets that will give you a heart attack but as soon as you get out of the hospital you want another one! stay away from the pricier items on the menu... stick with the easy things like breakfast and sandwiches and you wont be let down! read more

I miss The Embers and their delicious hot, drowned in gravy, open-faced sandwiches. My favorite is the turkey, served with fries. I may need to fly down just for a fix. read more

Food is basic not much different than Mel's or Denny's. I watched the staff bust butt to provide food quickly and prompt service. It appears the manager is a little slow with his own staff direction with some micro management and could be the bottleneck in the operation. Support this restaurant so we don't all have to eat at chain establishments. So what if there is no kids menu and crayons, give them some of yours and if they don't like then Kellogg's at home. read more

Terrible...simply terrible! My best friend and I wanted bbq for the 4th of July, and we heard about The Embers, so we decided to try it....sheesh... The sauce was otherworldly horrible and tasteless...so were the chicken and ribs....the bread is a stale sesame seed bun, and the potato salad was divine...NOT!!!! The Embers needs to be reduced to embers.... Please, please do not make the same mistake we did...you might end up in a body bag from the suicide-like feeling their food invokes! read more

First time eating here after many years of driving by. We immediately got seated and drinks brought to us. We ordered Steak and Eggs and the Chicken Club with a side of French Toast. All the portions where really big so no complaint there! The French Toast was so good. Our waitress roamed around the restaurant and new when we needed her. The rest of the staff seemed quite nice as well. We will definitely be visiting again. Date Visited: Thu at around 12-12:45pm read more

Came here on plenty of different occasions. I never really order anything super complicated though. Usually just one of the breakfast items. But they're pretty good at making breakfast. My favorite so far has bee the linguica.Tastes super good. Everything else is pretty good also. The eggs are cooked very well in my opinion, because I like my eggs cooked a little longer than usual and this place does just that. Their hash browns are really good also. Usually the middle part of the hash brown at other places is basically uncooked potatoes, but here the hash brown is actually cooked almost fully through. The service here is very friendly and the inside of the restaurant kind of makes you feel at home. Price is a little steep though. I prefer this place over places like Denny's and IHoP. read more

So we go in on a Sunday at noon and get a 10-minute wait approximation, which I take as restaurant talk for 30 mins, which then turned into 45. We sit, and guy comes up in a shirt and jeans, and abruptly barks, what do you want to drink? Then goes off with some attitude once we order. Waitress was awesome though, she had our orders down in seconds and was patient with questions. Very attentive and quick. And that's where it all goes downhill: -Burned, tepid, watered-down coffee -Watered-down 'fresh' OJ -Serving of corned beef hash the size of a silver dollar pancake also burned, but non-burned parts were good. **2 stars for the waitress!** read more

Came here for breakfast once with my then fiancé. Ordered a delicious platter, but couldn't build an appetite to eat. Service was okay, but I managed to shove a few bites down my throat... turns out I was pregnant! If I can get up early enough to have someone go with me to have breakfast, I would definitely go back! read more

I'm going to have to dine here a few more times. So far, so good. Came here for breakfast, which is not my favorite meal of the day. It's really hard to mess up breakfast, and this place did not mess up. They have your basic breakfast fare (although I don't see Portuguese linguica on menus too often - a plus in my book). And, I was tempted to get my Portugee linguica on. Actually, I wanted to order some of their BBQ stuff. But, I didn't want to look like a total weirdo. So, I'll be back to try some French dip at lunch, and some BBQ at dinner. This place reminded me of a much better, local Denny's. Not too fancy, not trying too hard. read more

I went back to this restaurant a few weeks ago and everything was great. They have fixed everything that I mentioned unsatisfactory in my previous review. The food is all very good. The bread is now always toasted perfectly, no more burning! I just tried the California Benedict and it was absolutely delicious! The avocados and tomato make it very refreshing; you'll never get tired of eating it. As for the ambiance: the entire staff is very nice and they always have smiles on their faces. There are no more flies in the restaurant. It is all very nice and clean and you can enjoy your meals in peace, or you can watch the game or the news or whatever they happen to be showing on the TVs while you're eating. read more

I wish I could give this place no stars it was HORRIBLE!!!! I ordered the half rack of ribs. The ribs had no flavor the sauce tasted like complete water uggggggh the worst thing i had ever tasted. Then they threw the french fries on top so they were soggy ewwwww. I had hospital food better then this. This was absolutely the worst restaurant I ever been to. If you like food with no flavor this is your place. No wonder the only customers were senior citizens. read more

Casual place. Meat in our open face sandwich over cooked. Don't understand why open face sandwich was closed and didn't come with aus jus dip or something moist like mash with gravy. Combo BBQ plate was flavorless and overcooked as well. BBQ sauce didn't have any taste and was watery. We liked the comfortable seat, the large glasses the drinks were served in and our server was very nice. Prices were high for what was served. Maybe we ordered the wrong things but we were coming here for the first time to try out their specialty (BBQ) which was all disappointing. read more