Rick & Ann's

I recently returned from Southern California and immediately convened for brunch at my once FAVORITE restaurant...Rick & Ann's. Before moving back in 2005, I patroned this place on average twice a week. It was the best place to be - both for the social aspect and for the food lover. But on this recent visit something was terribly wrong. Rick & Ann's is horrible. I was searching my memory to find what could have possibly gone amiss. The menu was relatively the same, the atmosphere was relatively the same, but what was it...The hostess (granted a hot, tall blonde with a smile that would light up the room and eyes that would give you butterflies) was gone! While maybe I had taken her for granted, I now realize what made Rick & Ann's better, and the wait completely bearable - it was this hostess. She was amazing - made you feel important and that she truely cared, professional and attentive to each persons needs, went out of her way to accomodate people (finding a water dish for a dog, a cough drop for a sick patron, snacks to tide kids over while they waited) - she worked in this amazing way that just made you feel good, even if you weren't in her spotlight of attention. I can't believe one person could make this much of a difference, but I think all of us who now don't know what happened to our once beloved R&A's now know...we took her for granted and now she is gone. more

Sometimes the wait can be long and the servers can be busy but it's just a cozy place to relax into the weekend with some tasty food. I especially love their hash browns with beet! mmmmm! Pros: Cozy environment and good food! Cons: the wait more

I would not recommend this brunch place to anyone. The food was below average, but the biggest problems with the place are the very long waits, and poor service. On a recent Sunday morning, we left our names and were told the wait was ""at least an hour"". That was fine with us, and we told the hostess we'd get a cup of coffee across the street. When we returned, they had informed us that they had called our name and that we missed our table (all within 15minutes). We were then told we'd get the next table avaiblable. 1.5 hours later we were seated. I don't mind waiting if its worth it, but this food is nothing special. The waffles were not good, and the other dishes took well over 30 minutes to reach us. The entire experience took close to three hours, and afterwards, you can't help but feel cheated because the food you just ate could have been had at a lower price, and from an establishment that actually cares about its customers. This may have been a good brunch place in the past, but it certainly isn't any longer. Pros: nothing Cons: bad service, long waits, average food more

located next to The Claremont Hotel in the (_much_) nicer part of berkeley, rick & ann's was a bit of a... more

located next to The Claremont Hotel in the (_much_) nicer part of berkeley, rick & ann's was a bit of a distance from campus...and as the lowly cal... more

Best brunch in Berkeley. We waited over an hour for our table, but the service was friendly and the food is... more

Best brunch in Berkeley. We waited over an hour for our table, but the service was friendly and the food is amazing - fresh ingredients and an exce... more

Rick & Ann's is the most convenient restaurant for us to go to; it's practically across the street. Despite that, we've never been for the infamous brunch. (I'm not waiting for an hour to eat pancakes or eggs.) We have been three times for dinner. more

I used to like Rick and Ann's! What happened? We went there this morning and had the most mediocre brunch, ever. I was embarrassed, since I brought out of town guests telling them how good it was. The food was gross. Worse yet, when we complained of tough waffles, the waitress told us that the cooks told her that that's how they usually are. Whatever. Lastly, when we paid (our guest treated us), our waitress didn't even bring back our change. I guess she decided that she deserved over 20 percent tip, even though we were all clearly disappointed. I would have argued but we all decided we just wanted to get the h*** out of there. Never again, I DO NOT recommend it at all...if you're looking for a good breakfast, try Homemade Cafe in Berkeley. Pros: patio seating Cons: service, food, parking more

What happened! This used to be a fantastic brunch place, despite the awful waits and the terrible seating (small restaurant, crammed, boxed-in-seating). Something recently though has happened, its terrible. The quality of their food has plummeted. Their staples, like red flannel hash and Yukon gold, which were always made perfectly, now comes out undercooked with hard-potatoes and burned bacon (almost all the time now!). I think that they got a new cook or fired one, or something, because the food now is greasy, and inconsistent. Coupled with the already bad service (new server every time we come in), and cocky management creates an awful and unpleasant dining experience. The service was always bad, but now food is forgotten, or made wrong/poorly/undercooked ect. Last time I went with my family for brunch the wait was 1 hour, we had a tiny table despite making a reservation days in advance. The service was forgetful and despite repeating our order, the food still came out wrong after 35 minutes of waiting. That was the final draw; I will not throw away any more money into that cancer of a restaurant. Take your father somewhere else for fathers day, he would only leave disappointed and upset. Pros: Nice location, peet's next door Cons: over priced menu, service, management more

This used to be a fantastic brunch place, despite the wait and the close seating. However, this place has seriously gone downhill in the past few months. The service is AWFUL and the food is now greasy and not at all what it used to be. The restaurant is in a beautiful area and it's nice to sit outside in the summer. However, this place has failed us the past 3 times we've been there so we've now given up. Bad service, rude host, bad food. We won't be going back. more

went here with my 3 year old. the hostess was very nice. we waited about 25 minutes for a table, which on a saturday morning wasn't bad. at 11:48 the waitress came by to take our order--I wanted lunch-type food, but she said they couldn't do this until noon (12 minutes away). so i ordered an omelet. after 30 minutes with no food, we had to chase down our waitress to find out the story. she half-heartedly apologized, but our food took another 10 minutes to appear. more

I have never actually been to Rick and Ann's, but I have been fortunate enough to tasted their sandwiches which were catered to an event at the University. All the sandwiches I tried were of the freshest quality: the foccacia bread was soft yet firm, the mushroom pesto sandwiches were delicious and well-balanced in terms of ingredients, and the simple turkey sandwiches tasted absolutely delightful. I never thought sandwiches could taste this good. The sandwich platters were rounded off with little dessert cakes and tarts which hit the spot really well. more

I'm disappointed with Rick & Ann's. After reading the great reviews on this site I expected spectular value. I visited on a recent Sunday for brunch and we waited over an hour for a table for 2. I don't mind waiting for a table if the food is worth it, however when we got our menus I was disappointed by the limited selection and lack of originality in the menu. The prices were a bit high for brunch considering the 'country' style of the restaurant and lack of creativity in the menu selections. When we finally received our food 45 minutes AFTER we ordered, it was nothing spectualar. It shouldn't take that long for a kitchen to churn out egg dishes. Given these disappointments, I would most likely not go back. Pros: cute (sort of), charming neighborhood Cons: crowed, long wait, average food more

This place is awesome! The food is always great, and the service is always friendly and quick (even when they are busy). You also can't go wrong with the desserts! Waits can be long for breakfast and dinner, but if you go early you'll beat the rush. Pros: Great Food, Always good, Friendly Service more

The food is terrific, the menu diverse and the service remarkably friendly even in the hectic pace they keep. Other than the high noise level, this place rocks! Come prepared for a long parking search though. Pros: Food, Service, Menu more

I was taken to this place by a friend who lives in the East Bay. I am now going to actually go out of my way to go to Rick and Ann's resturant. Be prepared to wait a little since it is popular. Good thing there is a coffee shop directly next door. Pros: Food, Friendly, atmosphere Cons: wait more

Excellent menu, down to earth yet sophisticated. Excellent yellowsquash soup, delicious meatloaf and the breakfast menu is to die for. Pros: great menu, breakfast!! Cons: parking more

Rick and Ann's is a consistently place for a great breakfast. There is food for the health-conscious, not so health-conscious and kids. Cons: Difficult parking more

If you're a potato head you'll hopefully love their home fries. I think they're perfect....sliced potatoes soft with a crispy, crunchy edge to them...not greasy and just the right amount of onions. Not huge chunks or mushy bits. We've only eaten breakfast there but I am working my way through the menu. After you've had breakfast there it's nearly impossible to eat anywhere else. We've tried every breakfast place in town and haven't returned to most of them because of so so food and uneven, unfriendly service. Rick and Ann's has great food and great staff. It's fun to sit near the cooks effortlessly cooking.....real patience, choreography and culinary expertise in action! Pros: Great home fries!, Friendly service Cons: Too popular!, Tables close together more