Life is Short - Eat Dessert First! Great Big Warm Iced Cinnmon Roll BPR Waffle, Bacon and Eggs; Nashville Fried Chicken with Waffle; New Orleans Style Coffee. So Many other choices available than what is below on the menu to Recommend! Great Service with Smiles. An Historic Tribute to the city of San Carlos surrounds us as we peruse the atmosphere of the building.

+2

Greatest place for brunch! The fried steak was da bomb…especially the gravy which was exceptionally delicious!

+2

Had breakfast/brunch here with friends and we had a wonderful time. Everything we ordered was delicious and service was great. I ordered avocado toast with smoked salmon and portion was doubled what I expected. Most places serve the dish over 1 piece of toast and this order lasted 2 meals for me. There were generous portions of avocado and smoked salmon over each toast and it was DELICIOUS!

Good food, large portions! Lovely spot. The drinks were so cute.

Food was great I had the biscuits and gravy. The red velvet pancake didn’t taste like red velvet thought. More strawberry thank anything. Still good though but not what I expected.

We went to Drake's for a birthday celebration last night and just WOW! From the clean white walls and vibrant turquoise details to the dark aged leather and delicate gold accents, you can tell that every detail was accounted for in the construction and design of this restaurant. There are pieces of San Carlos and Fredrick Drake's history scattered on the walls and you can't help but to be pulled deeper into this eatery. The ambience sets the tone for a high class yet relaxed dine-in experience. Their Soft Opening Drink Menu consisted of eclectic takes on Mojitos, Old Fashions and Martinis while the food options left you wanting to order every dish to try. 10/10 would recommend their Corned Beef Hash Crazy Fries - the house made thousand island is something that has left my mouth watering the next day. If you're looking for a great place to grab drinks, mingle with friends or enjoy food that puts the "Good" in Good Living Good Eating, Drake's is the place to be! We can't wait to go back and take in the brunch atmosphere this weekend!

Beautiful decoration of interior with lovely acoustic live music for perfect Saturday brunch. Waiting for 20mins without reservation around at 1pm. Wish to come back to order another menu to try!

Wow. Very cool vibe. Great location. Service was very friendly. Food was fantastic. I had the biscuits and gravy with eggs over easy and the country potatoes. Eggs were cooked to perfection, country potatoes were flavorful, and the biscuits and gravy! BAM!! Homemade biscuits were the bomb paired with a unique and tasty gravy. This place is a home run. Thank you.🙏🙏🙏

Great brunch location. We started with drinks. The espresso martini was sweet and not bitter. The bloody Mary was very flavorful (you better like horseradish!) With tasty olives/bacon/other treats in it. I wanted something light and the waiter recommended the smoke salmon avocado toast. It was just the right amount of food and tasted terrific. Husband had the corner beef hash with tots. The tots were perfectly crispy.

Really great dinner spot! Very cute atmosphere with tables on a second story. Their fettuccini alfredo was really creamy and the shrimp was flavorful. My only complaint was the servers all seemed nonchalant and were often on their phone when we tried to get their attention for the check or more water.

St. Patrick's Day dinner: Beer and Cocktails 🍻🍹 Truffle Fries 🍟 My Girlfriend is not hungry (Wings 🍗 and Fries 🍟) Margherita Flatbread 🥖 Drunken Noodles (Chicken 🐔 on the side) 🍝 Avocado Fried Tacos 🥑🌮 The Tacos were our favorite 💯. It comes with fried avocado in lettuce 🥬 wraps. Good Vibes ✅.

Drake's gives the people what they want! After years and years of San Carlos only having one solid brunch spot, a huge deficit in fun cocktails, and food variety, Drake's is here to save the city! I came for the soft opening at dinner time a few weeks ago and everything was absolutley delicious, even the drinks! We ordered way too much for two people but wanted a taste of the menu- we managed to clear all of our plates! And down our drinks. We got the snozzberry and honeybear mojito! All staff was friendly and amazing. I hate eating alone but I would 1000% come here to eat or drink at the bar by myself because of the staff. They are easy to talk to and welcome you with open arms. You can tell there was a lot of thought, love, and care put into every single detail of this restaurant. This is just what the peninsula needs!

We arrived around 6pm on a Friday and was hoping for no wait - thankfully no wait and was seated upstairs - just us two in a cozy corner. It felt so private and peaceful after a long week of hustling. We, mainly I was also on the border of hanger and was so thankful for the food to come out quicker! The burger was so juicy and truffle fries so crunchy. The filet mignon poutine was a bit salty but all good overall. The drinks were also exceptional! The staffs were also so attentive and friendly - looking forward to being back! Thank you, Drake's fams

Found this little gem on Yelp. Amazing food and cocktails. Cool, chill vibe. Very attentive staff and management. Felt at home. Great cozy and relax place to enjoy with friends and family. I recommend if you’re in the San Carlos area to check it out.

The new true gem of Peninsula, so great to finally have a place that is worth the money for a brunch in this area. Great vibe, amazing drinks and of course tasty items on the menu. The bloody mary is a must.

June Wong

This was a great place for Sunday brunch. Make reservations as it will fill up. Cool atmosphere with the old building. Nice efficient service, food came quickly. I had the corned beef hash Benedict. It was great. The hash was different from what I expected (prob a little more authentic than the canned type I was expecting). The tater tots though - wow! Super crispy, so I guess they were fried. So good, couldn’t stop eating them. My only complaint was that the orange juice wasn’t fresh squeezed. Was canned or bottled. Would’ve been the perfect thing to have fresh squeezed juice!

Kristina

What a wonderful breakfast spot! The restaurant is charming, with a lovely historic feel. The staff is so attentive and alert. We sat at the bar, and the bartender (who was very busy) noticed right away that my meal was not prepared as I had asked, so she ask the kitchen to correct it. The drinks were delicious, as were our meals, but the biscuits were perfect. I will visit in the future just for a drink, and the biscuits and bacon plate.

John Liu

Wow. Very cool vibe. Great location. Service was very friendly. Food was fantastic. I had the biscuits and gravy with eggs over easy and the country potatoes. Eggs were cooked to perfection, country potatoes were flavorful, and the biscuits and gravy! BAM!! Homemade biscuits were the bomb paired with a unique and tasty gravy. This place is a home run. Thank you.🙏🙏🙏

Lizandra Santos (Luna)

Good food, large portions! Lovely spot. The drinks were so cute.

Katherine Melnyk

Drakes is a charming restaurant in downtown San Carlos. Perfect for brunch or a romantic dinner. We had a tasty breakfast there. We tried the Croque Madame and Crab Omelette. Both were delicious. The Croque Madame had a rich flavor with just the right amount of sauce, and the Crab Omelette was filled generously with crab. Overall, we were really happy with the service and how delicious our breakfast turned out to be.

Wook Chung

Great place in historic San Carlos, in the most historic building. Industrial designed renovation with appropriate vibes. The food is great too, and some dishes even eye popping good. Cinnamon rolls, French toast, tater tots, all great. My only doubt on the 5-stars is price. A small piece of cinnamon roll for $8... 4 pieces of French Toast for $16 with no sides whatsoever. Ah and coffee the particular they we visited was extremely sour. Don't get me wrong. This is a great addition to San Carlos and we will definitely visit again. But not a complete slam dunk. It's close though.

maryam karimi

Nice friendly environment, delicious french toast with fresh fruit.

Connie He

Amazing brunch and amazing vibe. The drinks are good too! We love both the presentation and the taste of our food. Can’t wait to go back and try something new next time!

Lesley Fascia

Great brunch location. We started with drinks. The espresso martini was sweet and not bitter. The bloody Mary was very flavorful (you better like horseradish!) With tasty olives/bacon/other treats in it. I wanted something light and the waiter recommended the smoke salmon avocado toast. It was just the right amount of food and tasted terrific. Husband had the corner beef hash with tots. The tots were perfectly crispy.

Courtney Tai

Really great dinner spot! Very cute atmosphere with tables on a second story. Their fettuccini alfredo was really creamy and the shrimp was flavorful. My only complaint was the servers all seemed nonchalant and were often on their phone when we tried to get their attention for the check or more water.

Vasisht Raghavendra

St. Patrick's Day dinner: Beer and Cocktails 🍻🍹 Truffle Fries 🍟 My Girlfriend is not hungry (Wings 🍗 and Fries 🍟) Margherita Flatbread 🥖 Drunken Noodles (Chicken 🐔 on the side) 🍝 Avocado Fried Tacos 🥑🌮 The Tacos were our favorite 💯. It comes with fried avocado in lettuce 🥬 wraps. Good Vibes ✅.

Natalia Lehr

Drake's gives the people what they want! After years and years of San Carlos only having one solid brunch spot, a huge deficit in fun cocktails, and food variety, Drake's is here to save the city! I came for the soft opening at dinner time a few weeks ago and everything was absolutley delicious, even the drinks! We ordered way too much for two people but wanted a taste of the menu- we managed to clear all of our plates! And down our drinks. We got the snozzberry and honeybear mojito! All staff was friendly and amazing. I hate eating alone but I would 1000% come here to eat or drink at the bar by myself because of the staff. They are easy to talk to and welcome you with open arms. You can tell there was a lot of thought, love, and care put into every single detail of this restaurant. This is just what the peninsula needs!

Jasmine Chung

We arrived around 6pm on a Friday and was hoping for no wait - thankfully no wait and was seated upstairs - just us two in a cozy corner. It felt so private and peaceful after a long week of hustling. We, mainly I was also on the border of hanger and was so thankful for the food to come out quicker! The burger was so juicy and truffle fries so crunchy. The filet mignon poutine was a bit salty but all good overall. The drinks were also exceptional! The staffs were also so attentive and friendly - looking forward to being back! Thank you, Drake's fams

David Jones

Found this little gem on Yelp. Amazing food and cocktails. Cool, chill vibe. Very attentive staff and management. Felt at home. Great cozy and relax place to enjoy with friends and family. I recommend if you’re in the San Carlos area to check it out.

Amazing brunch and amazing vibe. The drinks are good too! We love both the presentation and the taste of our food. Can’t wait to go back and try something new next time!

+6

Nice friendly environment, delicious french toast with fresh fruit.

Great place in historic San Carlos, in the most historic building. Industrial designed renovation with appropriate vibes. The food is great too, and some dishes even eye popping good. Cinnamon rolls, French toast, tater tots, all great. My only doubt on the 5-stars is price. A small piece of cinnamon roll for $8... 4 pieces of French Toast for $16 with no sides whatsoever. Ah and coffee the particular they we visited was extremely sour. Don't get me wrong. This is a great addition to San Carlos and we will definitely visit again. But not a complete slam dunk. It's close though.

+3

Drakes is a charming restaurant in downtown San Carlos. Perfect for brunch or a romantic dinner. We had a tasty breakfast there. We tried the Croque Madame and Crab Omelette. Both were delicious. The Croque Madame had a rich flavor with just the right amount of sauce, and the Crab Omelette was filled generously with crab. Overall, we were really happy with the service and how delicious our breakfast turned out to be.

+1

This was a great place for Sunday brunch. Make reservations as it will fill up. Cool atmosphere with the old building. Nice efficient service, food came quickly. I had the corned beef hash Benedict. It was great. The hash was different from what I expected (prob a little more authentic than the canned type I was expecting). The tater tots though - wow! Super crispy, so I guess they were fried. So good, couldn’t stop eating them. My only complaint was that the orange juice wasn’t fresh squeezed. Was canned or bottled. Would’ve been the perfect thing to have fresh squeezed juice!

What a wonderful breakfast spot! The restaurant is charming, with a lovely historic feel. The staff is so attentive and alert. We sat at the bar, and the bartender (who was very busy) noticed right away that my meal was not prepared as I had asked, so she ask the kitchen to correct it. The drinks were delicious, as were our meals, but the biscuits were perfect. I will visit in the future just for a drink, and the biscuits and bacon plate.

I was excited to try this place since they first opened. I heard that Drakes had great cocktails to try out. The prices for the meals were on the higher side, but the drinks were fantastic!

+3

Awesome place to have brunch and mimosas! Great ambiance too 😊

Great coffee and brunch options were awesome! Could sub veggies for meat

Very good cocktails and food with very attentive service. The evening menu is limited right now as they are opening up, but everything was very tasty. We had the burger, pear salad and margarita Flatbread and for dessert we shared the Apple crisp and Creme Brulee. For cocktails we tried the Early Grey martini, Old Fashioned and Honeybear Mojito. We look forward to coming back and trying the breakfast brunch menu.

+2

Food was good, had the Benedict’s including crab as well as the country style steak. Portions were large. The only area for improvement was it was pretty loud and difficult to talk. Service was efficient. Can get crowded on the weekend.

This is a nice place to hang out with family and friends. I like the ambient inside. I was amaze by the center square bar. Love the second floor balcony. Drinks were good. Food was good but it can improve a little. I have to try other plates from the menu to give my full opinion. I will be back for more. Keep it going Drakes, “good experience take you to perfection”. Stay in the community.

I wanted to give this place 5 ⭐️. Nice lively atmosphere, very attentive service, but menu selections was rather very limited. If you rather come for drinks, socialize, eat a little and not expecting to have a sumptuous meal, this is a great place to be. And if you like NY steak for dinner or a burger, they have that too!

Annahita Farshchi

Went for lunch on a weekday. The menu is mostly breakfast-oriented, so options for a more traditional lunch were limited. Cubano sandwich was kinda unremarkable; not bad, lots of meat on it. Atmosphere and service were nice, but unless I was going out for breakfast specifically I probably wouldn’t go back.

Jorge A Nieves Dominguez

This is a nice place to hang out with family and friends. I like the ambient inside. I was amaze by the center square bar. Love the second floor balcony. Drinks were good. Food was good but it can improve a little. I have to try other plates from the menu to give my full opinion. I will be back for more. Keep it going Drakes, “good experience take you to perfection”. Stay in the community.

Dru Looks

I wanted to give this place 5 ⭐️. Nice lively atmosphere, very attentive service, but menu selections was rather very limited. If you rather come for drinks, socialize, eat a little and not expecting to have a sumptuous meal, this is a great place to be. And if you like NY steak for dinner or a burger, they have that too!

Went for lunch on a weekday. The menu is mostly breakfast-oriented, so options for a more traditional lunch were limited. Cubano sandwich was kinda unremarkable; not bad, lots of meat on it. Atmosphere and service were nice, but unless I was going out for breakfast specifically I probably wouldn’t go back.

Generous portions, fairly fast service. Indifferent espresso and cappuccino; slightly underwhelming brunch food - the breakfast burrito was better than the croque madam.

Visited for a late Friday brunch. The restaurant is located in a beautiful historic building and has some newspaper clippings depicting the history of San Carlos. Although there were tables open when we arrived, we were asked to wait on the couches for 10 mins (assuming they were short-staffed). We ordered the Chef Omelette, Joe's Scramble, and the Honey Bear Mojito. The mojito came in a cute bear shaped mason jar and was delicious! The scramble was just ok, and my omelette lacked flavor. Be aware the side salad only has 1 option for dressing (champagne vinaigrette) and does come with onions. Since they have a pretty extensive menu willing to give them another try but I'd avoid the omelettes and scrambles

+5

I had lunch here with my daughter on a Friday. While the setting was unique and nice, I was expecting more from the food based on all the positive reviews I read. I ordered the Joe's Scramble with the Drake's side salad. It was filling but not very flavorful.

Had the biscuit it wasn't what I imagine to be fresh it needs to be more fluffy and the bacon to dry but the chilaquiles are very good

Ali C

January 2026 visit for late breakfast: Arrived around 10am with a reservation and seated immediately. Table was not the most convenient with the high banquet style seats and really tight spacing next to a wall, especially when the place was still fairly empty with any other options. Regardless, we were 4 adults: we and our things were able to squish. We ordered plates with both hash and tater tots. And biscuits on the side. They were okay. Slightly mushy English muffins. Tater tots weren't as piping hot or fresh as I hoped. Drinks were constantly offered (water mostly) even when all the cups were still mostly full. And the person interrupted to ask if we wanted refills, when the cups were simply right in front of them and they could go ahead and fill if they liked. This happened with all the servers (2 or 3) that came by constantly and interrupted our eating and chatter. It started before we even ordered and then throughout the meal, every 3 to 5 min. It was so strange. I couldn't decide if they just wanted to pretend to service us or to rush us by reminding us that if we didn't want water, then were we done? Very odd meal. Somewhat vegetarian friendly if eggs and milk are allowed.

January 2026 visit for late breakfast: Arrived around 10am with a reservation and seated immediately. Table was not the most convenient with the high banquet style seats and really tight spacing next to a wall, especially when the place was still fairly empty with any other options. Regardless, we were 4 adults: we and our things were able to squish. We ordered plates with both hash and tater tots. And biscuits on the side. They were okay. Slightly mushy English muffins. Tater tots weren't as piping hot or fresh as I hoped. Drinks were constantly offered (water mostly) even when all the cups were still mostly full. And the person interrupted to ask if we wanted refills, when the cups were simply right in front of them and they could go ahead and fill if they liked. This happened with all the servers (2 or 3) that came by constantly and interrupted our eating and chatter. It started before we even ordered and then throughout the meal, every 3 to 5 min. It was so strange. I couldn't decide if they just wanted to pretend to service us or to rush us by reminding us that if we didn't want water, then were we done? Very odd meal. Somewhat vegetarian friendly if eggs and milk are allowed.

Fine food! But they include a 3% mandatory tip that is pre-taxed. So we were taxed on top of the tip. Then, we were asked to tip again on top of this. This was not explained at all. We were a small table of 5.

Fairly mid to average place for food. Went here for brunch and was told a 40-45 min wait for 2. The waffle was underdone, and I found it strange that the meal came with exactly one half a piece of sourdough bread (lightly toasted, but still more done than the waffle). For the price, I honestly could have gone to a Denny's and received the same meal for cheaper and less of a wait time. I don't need to return to this one.

1st time here, and initially it looks like a great place for weekend brunch. The space is nice & clean. There is a full bar located in the middle of the room, and tables surrounding it. I was excited to try their homemade corned beef 🍖 hash 🥔 The description sounded really good. Unfortunately, it was a disappointment 😞. Firstly, my plate arrived last, of about 10 plates. Waitress said they had to put the order on two tickets. When I tasted the food, the corned beef was room temperature. I sent the food to be reheated, and it still wasn't hot. My piece of 🍞 was also missing when the food came back. I asked for another slice of bread, but the food runner didn't hear what I said as she walked away. Everyone else's food seemed to be good, and I was exception. My wife had the Breakfast Burger 🍔, and that was good. I wish my food was good, so that I can talk about the experience positively. Another reason for the low-rated review is the surcharges on the tab. I understand that we had numerous cocktails 🍸, but the check check amongst 9 people was ridiculous. We paid $130/person, and I had cold food, 1 beer, and 1 shot of tequila. Definitely a bad experience knowing I had to pay $115 for food I didn't enjoy.

Leonard Suguitan (Len)

1st time here, and initially it looks like a great place for weekend brunch. The space is nice & clean. There is a full bar located in the middle of the room, and tables surrounding it. I was excited to try their homemade corned beef 🍖 hash 🥔 The description sounded really good. Unfortunately, it was a disappointment 😞. Firstly, my plate arrived last, of about 10 plates. Waitress said they had to put the order on two tickets. When I tasted the food, the corned beef was room temperature. I sent the food to be reheated, and it still wasn't hot. My piece of 🍞 was also missing when the food came back. I asked for another slice of bread, but the food runner didn't hear what I said as she walked away. Everyone else's food seemed to be good, and I was exception. My wife had the Breakfast Burger 🍔, and that was good. I wish my food was good, so that I can talk about the experience positively. Another reason for the low-rated review is the surcharges on the tab. I understand that we had numerous cocktails 🍸, but the check check amongst 9 people was ridiculous. We paid $130/person, and I had cold food, 1 beer, and 1 shot of tequila. Definitely a bad experience knowing I had to pay $115 for food I didn't enjoy.

Was here for weekend brunch for a party of 6, we did not ask to split the bill. Fine if they want to charge a 3.25% 'Good Living Wage' fee, it was stated on the menu. However they also charged an automatic 23.5% 'Large Party/Auto Grat' that I was unaware of until I looked at my receipt today. I did not see this stated on the menu, nor did our server mention this to me when she brought the bill. Unaware of the auto gratuity, I added another 20% of the total bill as tip, bringing the total tip for the meal to 52.4% of the pre-tax total. I wish they would have made it clearer that they already charged gratuity. I won't be coming back.

Incredibly rude bartender/server, worst service I’ve ever experienced at a restaurant. We asked to change tables, and evidently this resulted in passive aggressive and rude service, impatient, didn’t even ask if we’d like drinks to begin with. We will never set foot back in this pathetic excuse for a restaurant. Food was below average too.

Ri Ha

MAJOR SHRINK-FLATION!!! NOT COMING BACK. This was not worth $50. We have been coming to Drake's for few years now, ever since they opened. The food, the service and atmosphere WERE great. Food tasted great, looked great and you got a great bang for your buck. Service WAS prompt and accommodating in the past. Yesterday visit was so disappointing! Insane how much they failed in last 6 months since we visited last. First we couldn't order club soda (Pellegrino or Perrier only). A simple carbonated beverage that was $2, you are forced to buy small bottle of the "fancy" version for $4-5. Pass. Ordered food that we usually eat there as it USED TO BE GOOD. Eggs were not fresh and it's one of those pre-mixed eggs you can get at the grocery store. Tots were cooked in nasty oil, my stomach was not feeling good and I kept burping the tots. That tells me something is not right with the oil. Egg Benedict was 25% smaller than before and lacked flavor. Country fried steak tasted ok but most of it was due to the sauce. Drake's, you didn't stay true so we are not coming back. Real shame. It WAS one of the best spots in San Carlos.

MAJOR SHRINK-FLATION!!! NOT COMING BACK. This was not worth $50. We have been coming to Drake's for few years now, ever since they opened. The food, the service and atmosphere WERE great. Food tasted great, looked great and you got a great bang for your buck. Service WAS prompt and accommodating in the past. Yesterday visit was so disappointing! Insane how much they failed in last 6 months since we visited last. First we couldn't order club soda (Pellegrino or Perrier only). A simple carbonated beverage that was $2, you are forced to buy small bottle of the "fancy" version for $4-5. Pass. Ordered food that we usually eat there as it USED TO BE GOOD. Eggs were not fresh and it's one of those pre-mixed eggs you can get at the grocery store. Tots were cooked in nasty oil, my stomach was not feeling good and I kept burping the tots. That tells me something is not right with the oil. Egg Benedict was 25% smaller than before and lacked flavor. Country fried steak tasted ok but most of it was due to the sauce. Drake's, you didn't stay true so we are not coming back. Real shame. It WAS one of the best spots in San Carlos.