Mama's Royal Cafe — Restaurant in Oakland

The staff here is the problem. Partner and I went last weekend after not returning for months for similar lackluster service and food reasons. Gave them another chance, same old mamas.

Walked in, no line, wrote my name on the clipboard and see 3 two person tables open in the front. Yellow Watchcap, the hostess, still takes 2 passes to seat me. Disinterested is the service standard at mama's. I'm sure they feel they're giving you that authentic oakland anarchy resistance bend, but is it too much to ask for cheerful waitstaff in a brunch restaurant?

Food was standard. The potatoes, like almost every other lazy place that does cubed potatoes, are only half cooked. The hollandaise is decent but for the cost they give you the thinnest layer of salmon. I have no idea how they charge so much for so little. The mimosas are disgustingly expensive when you can get bottomless for 8 and 12 bucks nearby.

Back to the service. So, our server (manic panic red hair) is barely seen during breakfast and then, at the end, changes the table to someone else (bedazzled baseball cap, the only cheerful person who works in this entire restaurant and the only beacon of light Grigg this entire breakfast. Thank you, Bedazzled Hat). New server didn't get our check. My partner asks Yellow Watchcap hostess for our check. We ask someone else 5 minutes later. Still no go. We walk to the counter and 1st server walks past, ignoring my finger trying to get their attention, on their phone. Counter person looks for our check. Asks our new server for it, no go. We continue waiting. We tell counter person the service hasn't changed and we had been giving them another chance. Her reaction is somewhere between 'Screw You' and 'Why Should I Care?' we ask to have a new check written, to which they reply "I can't do that.' We wait longer (it' s now been about 20 minutes since we first asked for our check) and 1st server comes back in, done with thier phone call, and looks for our check again. Then proceeds to write a new one, saying' I won't charge you for the juice you got for the trouble'. As if they are...

In the post pandemic world this place has become a great neighborhood spot. The service is fast and efficient. I don't like when they bring the bill without asking first, but otherwise staff is very attentive.

The food offerings have improved and as a vegetarian, it offers more. Good gluten free options too. This place has something for everyone and the quality does not disappoint.

Four years ago I wrote: The new owners have done a good job keeping the feel and the food quality, while giving better service all hands around. Since the pandemic they run a good food to go business with quick prep times. We order and usually the food is ready in 15 mins.

Let's hope that when things open up, they will have lost the lax, flippant attitude their servers were known for.

2 years before that I wrote: Iconic landmark past it's prime. At one point this was the hip alternative breakfast place. Then it became so popular that the service treated the public with a take it or leave it attitude. New management finally did things like accept ATM cards but the service still lacks much in the way of charm. Today I got told to read the menu when I asked for an explanation by a woman who thinks she is funny. At least it is not as slow as before. But today's croque msr was on a long piece of sour dough when the menu reads croisant. Not a big deal, but some could have had the grace to tell us that they were out and ASK if the substitution was OK. The food was fine, the cavalier attitude makes me feel like there are better...

The food is okay. We came here for brunch over the weekend when we couldn't get in elsewhere. Service was also okay, one person was really nice.

We ordered:

Spinarrito (breakfast burrito with a spinach tortilla): overfilled with flavorless black beans. We split it open with a fork and there was like half a can of unseasoned black beans.

Blackstone eggs benedict: eggs were cooked well, but oh man they need to work on their hollandaise sauce. You can see from the pic that it's very yellow - it definitely needs less egg yoke + lemon, and more butter. It was so thick and rich that I couldn't finish the meal, I started to gag and felt sick.

Combo breakfast with eggs and pancakes: the best and safest option. Our friend said the pancakes were fluffy and scrambled eggs were good. This is the only dish I'd consider coming back here for.

Overall, this place was underwhelming. Give it a try if you're in a pinch to find a brunch spot, otherwise there are plenty of better brunch places...