Early Bird Restaurant — Restaurant in Oakland

A friend and I stopped in to Early Bird last Sunday for breakfast a little after 9am. Google let us know that we should expect it to be busy at that time. The restaurant was almost full, but that didn't hinder the excellent service we received during our visit. Gerry came over soon after we were seated and offered to get us some beverages. She had such a calm and kind demeanor. I knew immediately that I was going to like her. She returned with the drinks and took our food orders. The food came out quickly and was hot/fresh. The food is very reasonably priced, the portions were generous and it all tasted great. Gerry stopped back by the table several times to chat, check on our meals and refill drinks. She was just the absolute sweetest. She wasn't intrusive at all. She let us eat and chat amongst ourselves, but when she was chatting with us, it felt like having your mom or your grandmother there. We shared stories about our families and we left her a cute little pink duck along with her tip. She loved the duck! Breakfast at Early Bird wasn't just a meal, it was an experience reminiscent of "back in the day" when people took the time to slow down, enjoy a meal and make new friends. I can't say enough good things about our visit and we hope to be...

I have tried Early Bird 5 times before making this review. So brief summary of each visit. Me and my boyfriend ate here about two times during Covid. Food was awful and bland. Waitresses didn’t bother asking us how everything was so we couldn’t bother asking to remake it or a refund. The ladies by the register never smiled. We ordered pancakes on the next time. The pancakes had too much flour or mix in it as we both got sick. I went alone for the next two times. Same situation. I ordered French Toast and home fries. Home fries were bland even after adding salt, pepper, and ketchup. French toasts was soggy and still wait staff didn’t ask how everything was. Now I waited a good year before returning and figured it was Covid that’s why it was bad. Wrong. My hot cocoa had oil in it, want to say butter. Wasn’t terrible be nice to know they put butter in it. My boyfriend’s meal was bland. I took the waitress advice to get French toast over pancakes. My French toast had raw egg and were soggy. My hasbrowns tasted like they were boiled then on fried. Making them completely bland. I gotten food poisoning and the wait staff didn’t seem to care. If I could do a lower than one star...

Horrible experience. I have gone here at least once a week & every time with a 1 1/2 year old golden retriever service dog and today I was approached and told I was not allowed to let people pet my dog because he is a service dog. I was told he is not a service dog because service dogs are not allowed to be touched. We asked if we were not welcome here to tell me and we will never return. That’s what I was told. He always lays under the table and does not move. We bring him into every restaurant we go and have never been unwelcome, he did alert and bark once on the way in but immediately laid under the table when we arrived at the booth and did not move as he ALWAYS does. I called after I left to speak with the manager or owner about what happened and how unwelcome I felt and she told me I needed to have something marking him as a service dog. As I tried to explain her legally that is not the case I was hung up on.The owner needs to educate herself...