Sweet Maple — Restaurant in Walnut Creek

Order the Chicken Croffle and I would certainly recommend it and possibly come back for it.

I’m going to start with all of the good stuff about this place and then mention the few minor issues with the food and the service.

Both the croissant waffle and the chicken were delicious individually and together. It was visually appealing when it was served.

The service was great! My actual server has such a warm and sweet smile. My order was taken promptly and the food came out quickly.

Now for the “bad.” (I put it in quotes because honestly it was not anything that would prevent me from returning).

The Chicken Croffle plate is served with 3 deboned, skinless, and fried chicken thighs on top of one waffle. I was already concerned about the croissant waffle being able to stay up under the chicken… but three! It does hold its shape which is an amazing mastery of cooking and my compliments. However, the waffle is only slightly larger than one chicken thigh and so for me, the ratio of chicken to waffle is off. I removed the top two chicken thighs and ate those separately. When cutting in to the chicken and waffle together it does smash down the waffle. I like to dip rather than pour the maple syrup which may have helped the waffle maintain its shape because I’m not sure that with the additional moisture it would have help up throughout the meal. I truly feel that the chicken could be thinner (meat tenderizer) and the breading could be as well (tempura batter). I think that would make a superior combo for the delicate (but sturdy) Croffle. I also think that there should have been a more equal waffle to chicken ratio and would have preferred at least two waffles and would have traded a chicken. My final issue with this dish would be the size of the dish and the amount of maple syrup it is served with. I had to ask for a second maple syrup and barely had enough. It came in a tiny pitcher that made it difficult to dip.

Lastly, my server was also the hostess. They may have been short staffed or she may have been training so doing like fewer tables and hosting idk. But she did seem to have a lot of duties and it resulted in me not wanting to ask for her assistance (like maybe getting a second waffle) because she was responsible for so many tasks.

Overall, I do recommend. This place is cute, good service, good food,...

I enjoyed the food everything was absolutely delicious. The service could use a little spruce up though. The waitress never introduced herself. The apparent table service must be a one all service as you see fit, and all waiters and waitresses are expected to help. This was not the case on this occassion. I saw another couple requiring service multiple times before anyone stopped by. We didn't have a designated server which would have been fine except for the fact that we were not rounded on not once while we sat and ate for 40 minutes.

Not once did the original server come back to check in and ask if we needed anything. We had to stop and ask for things multiple times. I suggest in the future that there could be one person to round on the tables.

At one point the owner came out in her pretty green floral dress and never rounded the tables either. I was surprised and, was for certain, she would like to know how things were going. Maybe not.

From the time we arrived the wait time to sit was zero and the seating was plenty available. It did however get full within that 35 minutes as expected. The place is cute and the atmosphere has a vibe.

Food: the coffee was delicious and brewed fresh.

Fried blueberry French toast was amazing, filled with yummy blueberry fluff cream. Just enough and not too much. Fresh blueberries circled the plate.

Sizzling stone pot : delicious as well. Perfect brazed ribs with a fresh egg on top and all the trimmings.

I highly suggest the flight of Millionaires bacon. All the different flavored bacon, will not disappoint the palate 😋. You are served the perfect amount of deliciousness.

I would have given six stars , if the service was just as good as the food.

I will return and hopefully this time it will be a five...

It’s been a while since I last visited Walnut Creek, and just as long since I’ve been to any Sweet Maple location. So it was great to see both—the city and one of my favorite brunch spots—still as good as ever, maybe even better. Even better, I got to check out Sweet Maple’s new branch in Walnut Creek, which was a treat in itself.

The new location has a classic charm, and from the moment I walked in, the staff was welcoming, attentive, and professional. Service was smooth, always there when needed without being intrusive.

The vibe feels even more refined and balanced—if you know Sweet Maple, you know what to expect. And of course, the food delivered. The Millionaire’s Bacon was as excellent as ever, the scramble was perfectly done, and even the potatoes—something I usually leave behind at brunch—were so good I finished them all.

If you’re looking for a bright, comfortable, and easygoing spot for a great morning...