The Hideout Kitchen & Cafe

I had really high expectations of this place after seeing so many great reviews. Overall, I’m glad I tried this place, but I don’t think it will be my go to spot for chicken and waffles. The presentation was great, but I think the food lacked a little flavor. The chicken fried steak and waffle was unique but I think I would’ve liked chicken breast instead. The portions were really great, you got so much for $ 13! The atmosphere of this place was great! It was a hybrid of indoor and outdoor, a little small but really cute. I would recommend to come early in the morning so you don’t have to wait too long for a table. The service was awesome, our waitress was really nice and gave us recommendations on how to eat the sandwich.
My favorite chicken and waffles joint is 900 Grayson in Berkeley and so far, nothing has compared.

Such a great/​amazing/​wonderful/​da bomb/​off the hook place. It started with us calling to see if they were busy… the phone kept ringing and I hung up… No more than 1 minute my phone rang and it was the Hideout!!! He was apologizing for not picking up… I told the person I appreciated them calling me back and that I was so impressed! After that call I was pushing my boyfriend to break the speed limits. Just to let the Unilocal family know that my boyfriend and I are breakfast snobs… But very nice :)…we have been to some of the best Bay Area brunches out there and Napa! We love a good breakfast. After the phone call I was so excited to get there. We were greeted by a nice guy who I later found out was J. B…the chef and owner. We decided to eat at the bar/​chefs table. Tony was our waiter and he was very friendly and explained the menu. My boyfriend and I ordered the Harvest scramble, bacon, house potatoes and of course mimosas :)!! Oh and the cranberry bread pudding-​thanks Unilocal!!!When I tell you it was great, I mean it. My Bay Area folks can appreciate this: It was HELLA Good!!! The bacon was crispy, the vegetables in the harvest tasted fresh, the breakfast potatoes tasted like your Southern Grandma made it on Sunday, the side bread (sourdough and English muffin bread tasted so fresh and my boyfriend pointed out it was ghee butter-​told you we are breakfast snobs!! haha)was so good you would slap your best friend because it so good (never slap yo momma), the mimosas were on point and the bread pudding was AMAZING! The Hideout is making the Bay proud!!! When we sat down they were playing Luther Vandross… I was so surprised and was grooving in my seat I commented to Tony, «you guys are playing Luther???» He immediately told JB over the café, «she needs you to turn the music up!» JB beamed and said ok … He cranked Luther up and started dancing… I was impressed and knew I was in for a good time. JB would check on us and when my boyfriend was waiting for the bathroom he had a cool conversation with JB also… not as creepy as that sounded!! haha
My boyfriend and I was about to leave and a woman at the end of the bar looked at us and said Thank you. I was confused because I didn’t know what she was saying thank you for I thought possibly my boyfriend let her go to the bathroom first because it is a unisex bathroom and he is a gentleman. I went up to her and she said «I am JB’s mom, thank you for enjoying the food». Her eyes were watering. I was so touched and I hugged her twice! I told her,” This restaurant is an accomplishment for the both of you, you made this happen also. Great Job!” Then I hugged her again! She was/​is so proud of her son and I am too… To be able to run a restaurant with wonderful one of a kind service, the food being so tasty and memorable, and the staff seemed to enjoy themselves. What a treasure! JB deserves to have Bay Area support and a pat on the back for making ALL OF US PROUD!!! Thank you! Eric and Erica.
We will be back for dinner and we will bring family!

Best breakfast place in Lafayette to come about since The Squirrels. Tip: you can always tell the quality by the fruit side. E. g all melon and one grape means not so good and they don’t care about your. The hideout has thoughtful fruit sides and amazing balls breakfast and lunch

Alexie was an amazing waitress — the food only made the experience great — I tasted everyone’s meal and they were delicious — grilled cheese, Chicken panini and waffle sandwich and the waffle ice cream sandwich was to die for

Tried this place for the first time for a girls brunch and it was sooo good. I ordered the waffle sandwich with the country fried potatoes and I finished my whole plate! The vibe is really nice perfect for a date or girls outting. The owner JB is super nice and our waiter Tony was awesome! I definitely recommend this place.

Darling little place. delicious Eggs Benedict, perfectly cooked bacon, the tuna melt was very tasty but most importantly the mimosas, oh the mimosas. champagne w/​a splash of orange juice. Generous portions and generous pours. Put this hideaway on your radar.

Came here for my boyfriends birthday breakfast on a Thursday morning. We were the first guests to arrive in the restaurant and greeted by a friendly waitress. She told us that one of the cooks had not shown up so they were off to a slower start that morning. We were in no rush so I did not mind.
I ordered the chicken fried steak and eggs, it was ok. I accidentally received regular steak and eggs and my waitress quickly switched it out for the chicken fried steak. Inside was a little chewy and I’m not sure it was cooked long enough due to the mix up.
Halfway through our meal the chefs started arguing and dropping F bombs in the back of house. I’m not sure if they were aware of the open kitchen window that allowed the entire restaurant to hear. My waitress was really embarrassed and I felt bad for her to have to explain and apologize for them.
Overall, I liked the atmosphere and would give this place another chance because of the better reviews I have seen.

This update is solely about their service!
So after I posted my initial review, almost immediately (within 1 – 2 hours), I got a message from the owner, assuring that it (the moldy spot on strawberry) was a rare incident and that they will be on look out for it from now on. I mean, it would’ve been even nicer if they had offered me some discounts (lol jk), but at least they were nice enough to respond and respond in such timely manner. Plus, like how I stated in my original review, as someone who cooks and also eats out a lot, I totally understand how easy thing like this can happen.
Don’t worry, I’ll be back again! =)

Going to the Hideout Kitchen & Café is like walking into a show on the food network and actually getting to eat all the good food the chefs prepare.
I had the honey fried chicken, songs should be written and sung about its deliciousness. It was the best fried chicken I’ve ever had. The crispy to sweet ratio was unfathomable. The mash potatoes had the perfect blend between creamy and chunky. And the greens tasted almost too good to be healthy, but they were!
All in all this is my new favorite restaurant. I ate at the bar, and the service was perfect. This place was clean, the ambiance was relaxing, and the décor was pleasant (seems like the perfect date night too). Berkeley and SF got nothing on this place.

Such great buzz I wanted to love this place. But really didn’t.
Pros-​Nice décor, people, location, vibe. It totally looks like my kind of upscale casual spot.
Cons-​The dinner entrees just didn’t sound good. Each had an unusual ingredient or twist that turned it the wrong way for me. I’m an adventurous, curious eater who enjoys trying new foods and combos, but I also know food well enough to anticipate what ingredients will work together and just felt really turned off by their menu.
I’ll try it for breakfast/​brunch since that seems to be where this place really shines. Fingers crossed it’s better than dinner. I know I’ll avoid the pricey drinks that way.

very nice cute little place, food is delicious and ambience is nice. this is my kind of place to eat with
we tried egg’s benedict-​very light and tasty, +house salad with the perfect well balanced dressing; my bf got waffles with country fried steak and some kind of sauce/​gravy which I may say a very generous portion which my bf really enjoyed. we got the cranberry bread pudding which is the BOMB!!! and that dessert is free just don’t forget to check in at Unilocal
will definitely be back here to try everything in the menu

5 stars is simply not enough!
The Hideout has simply become our new favorite place for breakfast and lunch!
We have tried almost everything in their menu. Our favorites are:
#1 Morning Glory. Just perfect! For breakfast or lunch. The pesto couldn’t be better
#2 Waffle Sandwich, my husband loved it with Syrup AND Tabasco. Sweet with a kick! (Owners recommendation, fantastic!)
For lunch, we’ve tried everything but find ourselves ordering the sandwiches more than anything else.
Turkey BLT: AWESOME!
All the paninis: TO DIE FOR!
Tuna Melt: OOOOOMG!!! YES!
Other options we would recommend: fish n chips, & the cobb salad
& don’t forget to wash it all down with their deliciously refreshing iced tea!
The waiters are super attentive and sweet. Constantly on top of things.
Everything is very clean, including the bathroom! which can always be a scary place.

Searched for a breakfast/​brunch place in the Lafayette area on our way home from church. Unilocal had great reviews for this place so we thought to try it out.
There was a little wait (about 15 min) before we were seated (as we were seated, bigger groups and more people started lining up — a testament to their good reputation).
The table we had was previously occupied by a toddler that left a mess, but the waitstaff meticulously wiped down the table, seats, and swept the floor before we sat down.
Our table ordered the biscuits and gravy, morning glory, and waffle sandwich. All came with sides and we had a generous serving of crisp hash browns. My son said that the sausage pan gravy over his biscuits were delicious and better than the other place we order from. My husband had the waffle sandwich: crispy country fried steak, perfectly cooked over easy egg, cheese, sandwiched between light and airy waffles dusted with powdered sugar and topped with that sausage gravy. I had the morning glory: buttery toasted bread with tomato, avocado, ham, bacon, gooey cheese, and over easy egg. There was so much food we could not finish our meal.
The owner’s mom Raquel came up to our table to see how we were doing both before and after our meal which was really sweet and made the experience very welcoming. We look forward to visiting them again and encourage everyone to try them out!

Loved this place. I recommend the tuna melt panini. So good!
The setting is also very nice. Sitting outside was peaceful. Service was ok.

What a lovely little place! I came here with the boyfriend to get some brunch, and we luckily managed to find the place on the first try. It’s a little hidden (hence, The Hideout), and it made me feel very special knowing that I knew this place existed hehe.
Anyways, when we first walked up to the café, we noticed the beautiful and relaxing environment. There are tables set out front btw! They were all full, so we were seated at the communal table. Nonetheless, the ambiance was very nice, although the lighting was a little dark so my Unilocal pictures weren’t as nice: P we then ordered, and our food came out relatively quick!
The food was PRIME. I ordered the Eggs Benedict ($ 10.95), and the eggs were poached perfectly. The hollandaise was UGHFJSKSHQHQ seasoned to perfection, and the potatoes made me shed happy tears. I also got the cranberry bread pudding from the Unilocal Check-​in, and that was yummy too! Very fresh & sweet enough. I definitely recommend those two dishes! ESPECIALLY THE BREAKFAST POTATOES OMG
Overall, loved it. It was yummy and a nice place to just talk and eat a good breakfast. Maybe next time we’ll come for dinner/​sit outside!

This is my first visit, I do not usually give 5 stars (they are worth it)
I was pleasantly greeted as I walked up to the Host.
I chose to be seated on the patio, beautiful evening. Fresh baked bread and a glass of Pinot was promptly served while waiting for the Baked Rigatoni.
Service: very friendly from the start. Water served immediately, drink order taken soon after.
Food: the Baked Rigatoni caught my eye. I was not sorry. Served hot, generous portion, full of flavor. The pasta was cooked al dente. Delicious
Ambience:
The restaurant is set away from the traffic with a quiet patio setting. The inside seating is quaint, with an elegant touch.
Overall: I will be back. I recommend giving them a try, you will become a regular!
Side note: it is clean, off street parking with no meters! A plus when dining in Lafayette!
I will be back!

Cute little place in Lafayette. The décor and atmosphere reminds you of a little cottage in the woods.
The waffle sandwich is to die for. I love a good country fried steak but to add it with waffles is just the best. Every bite was just as good as the last. A little bit of sweet and savory made to perfection. You must try this sandwich when u come here!

I’m a bad Lafayette Resident. I live here but head towards the other side of the tunnel for dining out. Bad girl. However, I’ve been really trying to make an effort and I’m glad that I tried this spot.
Food: We ordered the deep fried brussel sprouts as an appetizer. It had a lovely balsamic reduction and I was pleasantly surprised with my first bite.
It was recommended that we get the Blackened salmon with assorted vegetables. Chef JB said it was a combination of cajun and a little bit of Asian with his Pilipino heritage. The salmon was cooked superbly. Nice sear, flaky and still tender. Whether it was any of those combination of flavors, I question that. I thought it tasted neither Cajun nor Asian. Just regular delicious.
It was the last day to order the Polenta with mushrooms and a ragu. This was ok and not what I expected. No matter since it’s no longer on the menu.
Service: We didn’t have reservations but they had plenty of outdoor seating and we were happy to sit there. JB, the owner and chef came to take our order. Service was outstanding and very attentive.
Ambiance: We sat in the patio. The weather was lovely enough that we didn’t need the heat lamps but they offered the moment we were seated whether we would like them on. While, it’s facing the parking lot, I didn’t mind. There was plenty of fresh foliage outside to make us feel like nature surrounded us.
I need to come back for brunch!!!

Found this restaurant randomly on Unilocal and decided to give it a shot.
We had the chicken-​fried steak and waffle «sandwich» with hash browns (extra crispy!) and the breakfast burrito.
Coffee as well, times two.
The knife and fork sandwich was outstanding. It was composed of a very tender chicken fried steak between two small belgian-​style waffles. A delightful mix of savory, sweet, and spicy with the addition of Tabasco sauce recommended by Lexy our waitress.
The breakfast burrito was cooked well, composed well, and tasty. Hash browns were perfectly crispy, no burned spots, no undercooked spots, perfect really. And I’m so picky with hash browns…
The coffee was excellent America’s Best Coffee Roasters product, a local Oakland company, and it’s tasty.
Try it, you will not be disappointed, I promise.
And you’ve gotta love a restaurant where the owner is active in the day to day business!

This is a hidden, cute and cozy restaurant. Tight parking lot in back of building. This is my second time coming here for breakfast. I ordered the veggie scramble, it was good. My friend ordered the eggs Benedict. Meh. It wasn’t all that, not very creamy and a bit dry. We both ordered crispy hash brown, but it came out like dough inside. :(
The best part of our brunch was the FREE «check-​in» cranberry bread pudding. So good!
Overall nice atmosphere, decent pricing, the seating is tight, service was very good, but the food could be better.