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The Daily Review named Jenny’s Ce the best breakfast place in Castro Valley for 2002, so one Sunday morning (late September 2003) when we were both hungry for breakfast, we decided to give it a try. It was a disappointment; we both felt the food was fine but highly overpriced.
Jenny’s Cafe has the look of a small town eatery, informal, a bit kitschy but friendly. The service could not have been better; the owner (I presume) was very friendly and accommodating. Children are welcome (though there is only one child-size item on the menu, also overpriced) and there were several when we ate there.
The breakfast menu (lunch is also served, but I didn’t check out the lunch menu) concentrates on omelettes. There were probably around a dozen of these, with everything from crab to spinach. They came with a side of toast and potatoes or rice and they averaged $9-10. Mike got the one with Louisiana hot link, Swiss cheese, onion and green pepper ($9). Unlike a regular omelette, where everything is scrambled together, this was a dish of hot links, onions and peppers (cut in large slices) with a cheese omelette on top. He found it weird and a bit greasy but thought it tasted very good. The hashbrowns and toast were unremarkable. He accompanied this with 2% milk (they didn’t have nonfat).
Jenny’s Cafe also offers other traditional breakfast dishes (steak, eggs, pancakes, waffles and french toast) and I decided on the french toast (6 slices for about $6.50). This was also unremarkable. I didn’t like that it was served with salted whipped butter (or was it margarine?), as I don’t like to mix salt with sugar, and I would have preferred more powdered sugar and real maple syrup (especially at these prices), but it was tasty enough. They didn’t serve fresh orange juice, so I had a chocolate milkshake ($5). It was very large, but thin and I wasn’t sold on the taste. The total bill came to $24 after tax and before the tip.
In all the food was regular coffee-shop quality, which would have been fine if it had been priced at coffee-shop prices. As it is, we are not likely to return.
Jenny's Café
2836 Castro Valley Blvd.
Castro Valley, CA
(510) 881-5887