Bill’s Cafe

I’m giving Bills 4 Stars for great service, tasty food, portion size, manager response to complaint. I decided to give Bills another try after my bad experience. Management offered a gift card to apologize for my experience so I decided to take my parents back.
Restaurant was full and only took 7 minutes to be seated. We were greeted by Joel within 1 min to take our drink order and returned within 5 minutes with our drinks. Food was arrived hot and in large portion. I ordered egg white omelette protein style with house potatoes, mom ordered pancakes, and dad ordered a salad. Everything was great. Omelette was huge and tasty and potatoes were creamy not dry. Mom loved her pancakes with real maple syrup. She almost finished them and she only weighs 110lbs. Dad’s salad was fresh looking.
Everything was great. I’ll be back. Thanks.

I really like this location compared to the others. I’m not sure if I’ve gotten lucky most of the time, but the wait has always been under 30 minutes even if I’m going to eat at 11:00AM on a Sunday. Even when there’s a wait, I like how they have chairs out that you can pull into the shade which is different than the other locations. They also have a loudspeaker so you can hear your name clearly even if you’re a few storefronts down. Plus, there’s plenty of parking in the parking lot.
The service is hit or miss depending on the day I would say. Sometimes I would have three to four servers checking in on my table in a single day and other times it would almost be impossible to get the attention of one.
I usually go for their crab cake benedict because I haven’t had a better one elsewhere. It’s just the perfect crunch and they have generous portions (giving you two full benedicts with your choice of country potatoes or hash browns). If you go on weekday mornings, the mini breakfast (half order) is just the perfect amount to not put you in a food coma for the rest of the day. I’ve tried their pancakes and found it to be unmemorable really, despite the interesting flavors that they have such as almond joy and hawaiian. I’ve also tried their banana kahlua french toast and which is super yummy though can definitely get sticky if they don’t wipe the plate before serving it to you. Usually I regret not getting the crab cake benedict whatever I choose.
If you want a tasty crab cake benedict, I would definitely recommend going to this location.

Why we have tried almost every location but the one closest to our house is beyond me, but we finally gave it a shot! The place was half full around 10 AM on a Friday but the service was incredibly fast.
I tried the cinnamon roll french toast which just tasted like basic french toast but the serving size was huge. There is a vein of cinnamon in the toast but I think the syrup or crust taste overpowers that sugary flavor. It came with a side of eggs and sausage which was a nice compliment. My husband tried the cookies and cream pancakes and also ordered eggs and hash browns on the side. I wish I had ordered these pancakes; so far I have yet to go wrong with Bill’s pancakes! The oreo pieces actually went really well in a pancake. I thought the taste and texture would be a bit odd, but not at all! My husband only ordered the short stack and since they come so big he could barely finish them along with his side order so maybe pass on the side order. We will definitely be coming back since it’s so close and tasty!

Tried Bills… we can walk there and they allow dogs so it’s pretty cool. Long lines on weekends but the wait is usually 30 mins. Walk around and enjoy the weather. The food is not that great. They do make it very quickly though. The portions are large so bring your appetite.

Was fantastic. Lived around the neighborhood for 2 years and never tried it… finally went last Saturday and loved it. Great food, friendly staff. .yummy coffee. Will definitely go again! Parking was also easy.

The only thing I miss about living on the Southside Of San Jose is the Food lived there 15yrs & when they bought Bills Café Wow Love this place have great food always pack and line waiting for tables. Love there Egg Benedict yesterday no different had the California Benedict w/​Hash Browns only eat half of the hash browns don’t get me wrong they’re good but to much. So if ever by Blossom Hill & Cottle Rd Drop by food delicious & great customer service & price is Great

Food was great. Been here many times. Today’s staff was unfriendly and unattentive. Cant give a name for waitress because she never offered one. Antonio the busser, handled our refills etc. So who actually deserves a tip??? Antonio and Jose Espinoza always treats well and takes care of us.

Decided to go here for breakfast on my birthday. There was about a 20 minute wait. Ordered their special which was the chicken pesto skillet and it had spinach, mushrooms, asparagus, chicken, potatoes, and your choice of eggs on top. Super delicious! The pesto was amazing. Also had a pineapple peach mimosa which was bomb! My husband had the bread pudding French toast. He said he didn’t like it as much and that it was ok. Gave it 4 stars because it was kind of warm where we were sitting and the table felt a little sticky.

Well… I don’t know… I don’t know… maybe just me? I’ve been there 10 or so times this year.
First… nice breakfast menu… 2^nd… well cooked food.
But… horrible customer service… I usually go to Bill’s by myself so I get the «sit over there… sit in the counter area»… how about saying «Good Morning… or Hello» Seems for someone reason the servers are grumpy. Then your order is taken by someone who is bothered by you being there… then you get your food slapped down and they’ll walk away… I’m a good tipper but sometimes I have no problem leaving a zero tip.
I’ll be back to Bill’s… not many options in the Cottle area… mainly I’ll go back to see what service I’ll receive.

I love breakfast at Bill’s. The portions are generous, the orange juice is fresh squeezed, & waiters are constantlly coming by to refil your coffee.
I recommend the Mexicali Benedict (it’s an eggs Benedict with salsa & carnitas)!

**update** So I can’t come here anymore. This morning, about my 10^th time eating here, I was informed by my server today «everything» is cooked with butter and we had to do some creative ordering. So I can’t have dairy… Since every time I’ve come I’ve said no dairy whatsoever, they’ve clearly been ignoring that request. Good thing it wasn’t something more severe like a peanut allergy. I stand by the food and service. Just really push on your allergies, be insistent.
****
Great service, food is awesome. Definitely recommend. The weekend wait is worth it! I sat at the bar today (riding solo) and I saw them making bacon bloody marys and pouring shots — they don’t skimp on the alcohol, that’s for sure! Come here for some good food. Trust me.

3.5÷5
–Crab Cake Benedict
–Cinnamon Roll Pancake
I only go to the Willow Glen one.
Pleasant surprise that they opened up closer to my house.
This place seems newly renovated and the parking structure is x100 better.
Willow Glen get crowded and the parking is horrible and limited.
Here, it’s in a Osh Plaza which creates roomier parking.
Wait for a Saturday brunch was around 30 mins for 2.
Benedict was good. Good flavor, good crunch.
Cinnamon Roll pancake was overkill.
Just seemed like a waste of room in my belly and calories.
Rather just get a warm toasted up cinnamon roll.
The pancake was just a big cinnamon roll cut into 2 and flattened out with extra pancake batter?
Would come again. Not a bad place but not something great either.

Second time here with the boyfriend and loved it just the same! We came here a little earlier than last time to avoid the wait and we were seated in about 10 mins. Tip: come earlier on the weekends because the wait can be really long if you come after 11:30.
After we were seated our waitress came to get us water and take our orders quickly. I got the country sausage and three eggs and my boyfriend got their infamous crab cake benedict. Everything was so yummy!!! You must try the crab cake benedict if you are a fan of hollandaise sauce, their crab cake is cooked to perfection and is extremely crunchy. My boyfriend substituted the English muffin for croissant for an extra dollar and IT WAS SO WORTH IT!
If you are in the mood for a comfy hometown brunch feel, come here!
¹⁰⁄₁₀ Food
⁸⁄₁₀ Ambiance
⁹⁄₁₀ Service

Crab Cake Benedict
Cinnamon Roll
Mimosa Fish Bowl (not unlimited)
—
45 minutes wait on a Sunday for 4 if you come at 1040am as expected.
Free coffee at the front
Crowded
Food comes out fast
Breakfast food fair in taste and big in portion.

I am not into Eggs Benedict but when I have the guts to try their Egss Benedict its so yummy!!!
They have Good service. …and really GOOD FOOD!!!

BEST. CRAB. CAKE. BENEDICTS. IN. SAN JOSE.
Best egg benedicts in general!
Challenge me, I will fight you.
I have a committed relationship with Bill…‘s café. I’ve been going to Bill’s since my high school days, at every location you can think of. The one in Willow Glen? Yep. The one by Bascom? Yep. The one by the Rose Garden? YEP! I think I’m missing one, but I’ve been to MOST of them.
Whenever I crave for the deliciously amazing crab cake benedicts, this is my go-​to place. I always have an internal debate on whether or not I want to try something new, or get the exact same thing… well I can’t help but be a creature of habit, so I ALWAYS, without fail, order the crab cake benedict with a side of hash browns.
This is my favorite location to go to because parking isn’t difficult and you can usually get seated quickly. As of late, it seems Bill’s popularity has been on the rise, because I had to wait for 30 minutes to get seated at a table for two.
Now onto the food!
Crab cakes are fried to perfection and seasoned well enough to be heavenly. The holandaise sauce here is my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE. I can’t explain it… but it’s just so damn good. The gooey goodness that oozes out of the poached egg mixed with the crunchy goodness of the crab cake just takes me to a whole new world.
Hashbrowns are always a hit or a miss, if you don’t ask for specficiation on it. Sometimes it comes out nice and crisp, other times it comes out soggy and undercooked, but in any case it’s super buttery and delicious. If you’re expecting crunchy and crisp hashbrowns, just ask your server to have your hash well done and it should come out as you expect, but if you’s okay with potatoes being potatoes, then nomzzz away!
I absolutely adore the Bill’s Famous Mimosas. They even have yummy strawberries in it, which makes it 10x tastier.
This is my go to brunch/​breakfast joint.

WHY WE GO HERE:
— nearby
— always packed for weekend brunch, so you know they’re doing something right
— always comforting good food that leaves you full, not just content
THE LOOK (FROM THE OUTSIDE):
— in a plaza off of Cottle and Poughkeepsie
— where all the green seats are outside for people waiting to be seated
— usual wait time: depending on your party size it could be anywhere from 15 – 45 minutes, sometimes closer to an hour
— there’s outdoor seating for those who bring their furry companions to dine at, or for those wanting to soak up the sun (if you’re not completely covered by the shade the umbrellas provide)
— the inside is VERY busy and crowded throughout, whether you’re at the bar or at the other indoor seating
THE MENU:
— doesn’t matter what it says because we always get our usuals — whether it be any of the eggs benedict or country fried steak and eggs
— the hot chocolate is heart warming
— sometimes if we’re feeling celebratory we even get a mimosa (which is weirdly served in a bowl looking cup than a champagne glass along with some fresh cut pieces of fruit)
THE TASTE:
— always satisfying, which is why we always come back
CUSTOMER SERVICE:
— always fast

This could overall be my lack of an understanding of brunch as a concept as opposed to a reflection of the quality of this place.
Bill’s Café is a fairly hype place in San Jose. It’s where you take your sidebae, where you hang with your squad on senior ditch days and CAHSEE days as a non-​sophomore, and in general, it’s where Asian kids get material for their Instagram.
Needless to say, it’s a big deal.
Not quite sure I agree.
I had the Parisienne French Toast, and while overall it wasn’t a bad French toast per se, it was literally a croissant cooked with eggs and topped with powdered cinnamon and sugar.
With that being said, French toast is literally just bread cooked with eggs and tipped with powdered cinnamon and sugar, but that’s a revelation for another time and place.
I really don’t get this idea of brunch at all, and maybe I never will.
I’ll be back here whenever I’m craving breakfast food and I need to recover from the damage of McDonald’s in my system.
TIP: Coffee isn’t cheap here. Take advantage of the free refills.

The service has stepped up! Our server was always checking in on us and making sure our water was refilled (the boyfriend guzzles it down like a fish). Even the manager stopped by to make sure everything was great.
Tried the crab cakes benedict and it was much more flavorful than the first time I got it. I loved the crunch it had.

The infamous Bill’s Café is a bit overhyped, but still a decent place to get brunch on the weekends. I recommend calling in ahead of time and asking them to put your name on the waiting list before you get there. The wait can range anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour and there’s always tons of people waiting outside the restaurant.
Steak and eggs– the steak is a pretty thick cut of meat and has good flavor to it. I was surprised at how big the steak was for $ 14. It also comes with 3 eggs.
The waffles w/​strawberries had a surprisingly generous amount of strawberries on it, but they could’ve given us a little bit more whip cream. We shared this between 4 people at the end of our meal so it was the perfect amount. I wouldn’t get just this for breakfast. It leaves me wanting something more.
The chorizo omelette– I’ve had this several times and always thought it was pretty good. The portions are generous and the chorizo adds a lot of flavor to the omelette.
The Mexicali Benedict– the pulled pork carnitas were good but not amazing. I like how they cook the hashbrowns though. It’s crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
The orange juice tastes very fresh, but the small is very small so get the large size instead.
Overall, I like their Santa Clara location more. The food is a little better there probably because the family who owns the business actually works at that location.