Marie Callender's — Restaurant in Sunnyvale

I still remember the heyday of Marie Callender’s in the 80s (and even in the 90s). Used to go to the one on Winchester regularly and loved their salad bar and French onion soup combo meal (both you could eat!). But the company was sold, resold, merged (with another old school favorite that is still thriving outside California, Perkins), and disentangled time and time again. They are down to 24 locations.

The Sunnyvale location is one of them. I have been there three times in the past two years. Always for the salad bar. It is like stepping back in a time machine. The upper level looks largely non-operational, with customers being slotted into the lower level to the left side of the entrance. The place could use a bit of scrubbing. And there is clear wear-and-tear on the seats, the walls, the floor, etc. But the mostly grey-haired clientele likely can’t see the threadbare nature of the restaurant. And they seem to enjoy it. So, too, did I, in both ironic and non-ironic sorts of ways. Lots of early eaters/blue platers and a fairly busy vibe each time I visited.

You get some cornbread when you are seated, just like in days of yore! And, situated in the midst of everything, there it is . . . the salad bar! To be clear, this is an old school salad bar. Nothing fancy. Several choices of soup, all of which are good enough. Lots of veggies. Reasonably fresh. While the price is higher than it likely should be, I get it. Things cost more these days.

The staff? Uniformly friendly, prompt, and actively engaged in refilling drinks, asking if you need anything, and taking care of customers. They are a great crew. I hope the owner knows this. I also hope the owner asks a touch more of them (you know the saying, ‘if you got time to lean . . .’).

I’d like to think this place will survive for another decade or more. I also hate the idea that the Hacienda Shopping Center is such an obvious target for redevelopment (all of this space, all of those parking spaces, could easily be turned into yet another mixed-use, high-density, multiple-story, set of condos and businesses).

But I wish the owners well and will visit again. I am a sucker for a salad bar. Just tidy up a bit (you have little, homemade, signs at each table proudly noting that you are working hard to make it . . . now you just have to do a bit more to show that you are actually trying). In other news, let’s talk about the other reviews . . .

There are lots of great ones, many of them noting the nostalgia factor and the service. But there are also some head-scratchers. Penny, you gave them 3/5 for the three metrics listed and then gave them one star?!?! You do understand how reviews work, right? Darrell, yeah, inflation and all of that stuff. But you also gave them 2/5, 4/5, and 4/5 . . . and then a two-star review. Same question that I asked Penny. Becky, you are at least clear in why you gave the ranking you gave (and I also think that their menu could use a refresh, if I was ordering anything other than the salad bar). Most of the rest of the negative reviews are years’ old and/or about takeout/delivery (which is really just playing roulette and feeling bad when you didn’t get what you wanted, stuffed into a plastic container, so you could avoid people while sitting at home, and then whine about the fact that you ordered delivery and now regret it). Again, most negative reviews are years old. But some of the new ones are really funny (and Becky's is...

Here's the thing. I have been going to this Marie Callendar's for 40 years now and have had so many meals, celebrated so many birthdays, had so many late evening pieces of pie, that this place could be called the restaurant of my life in Sunnyvale.

It is good old American comfort food. Pot pies, burgers, pasta and seafood, an amazing salad bar, the world famous cornbread, and of course, remarkable pie. Everything on the menu is a winner. They occasionally delve into specials but the core menu has not really changed in 4 decades.

The pot pie is a classic. They make it with crust on the bottom too, for an extra treat. The Frisco Burger is also a wonderful variation of a patty melt. My favorite item(s) are their turkey dinner and open-faced turkey sandwich which are equally delicious. And when the need for greens hits me, their salad bar (which includes hot soups) has a great variety of quality items and is well worth the price.

The pie is always great. I have 2 or 3 regular favorites, but the thing to hold out for is their seasonal pies. May is strawberry, June is peach, July is cherry. Those are the spectacular three. In summertime, my family consumed about 10 of each. I remember this because we would avidly save up pie tins to bring back to Marie Callendar's for deposit.

Service even today is still impeccable. We are always warmly greeted, offered drinks and many refills, served hot food promptly, and attended to diligently. I am never hassled about special requests, coupons, or birthday club offers. The servers actually merit their 20%+ tip, as they are superior to the industry standard IMO.

The atmosphere is a pleasant, homey, American dining room, circa 1970 to 1990. They have remodeled several times. The booths are comfortable. The lighting mellow. The familiar design is like homecoming to me, but I only get to California once a year now.

Overall, I think Marie Callendar's is a excellent mid-ranged casual dining restaurant. Good food. Still a good value. Great service. Well located. ...

Context: I'm vegan, I haven't been to a Marie Callender's restaurant for over 20 years, I've eaten at this location once as of this review. I am 31 years old.

I don't eat at chain restaurants too often, so I expected mediocre food and an average experience.

The only reason I'm giving it 4 out of 5 stars was the cleanliness. There was a lot of food under our table on the ground. Although, I'm especially sensitive to food messes, so others may not see it as much of an issue.

I came here with my partner, and what stood out most was the service. Our server, Mayra, was amazing. She was so polite and friendly, and not like fake polite. She was absolutely genuine in how nice she was to us. She was, very honestly, the best server I've ever had at any restaurant. That woman emanates so much kindness that she deserves a raise. I heard how she greeted and talked to the other patrons, and she treated everyone just the same, and even greeted what sounded like a regular customer so nicely, it makes me want to be a regular, too. This woman is everything a waiter/waitress should aspire to be. I let it slip when we were ordering pies for dessert that it was my birthday, and she wished me a very genuine happy birthday.

I was also pleasantly surprised that I was able to easily get a vegan meal. I had the veggie tacos with no cheese and an apple pie, and both the tacos and pie were very good. My non-vegan partner had a cheeseburger with extra onions and lettuce. He is very picky about burgers and was very pleasantly surprised. He finished it all cleanly.

My partner and I both agreed: We expected an average or mediocre visit, nothing special, but were both very pleasantly surprised that the food was good and the service was exceptional.

Amazing job, Marie Callender's and staff. You've changed me attitude toward chain restaurants and helped me realize that you can have an amazing experience anywhere if the right folks...