Marti’s Place

A lovely neighborhood breakfast/​lunch gem. Who knew this great little restaurant was sitting there all these years. Well, we came in here unexpectedly, and had a lovely breakfast. The servers kept our coffee coming, (the coffee was extremely good), as we waited for the remainder of our party to arrive. What I can see was they do stellar business and was busy all throughout our Sunday morning. The menu was diverse. I had fruit, then a great omelette with toast, potatoes and a side of sausage, and my partner had the scrambled eggs with the works. I was full and happy all day. Very nice restaurant with quaint touches throughout. Cash only, so don’t bring your credit cards. Thank you. Go — great spot! No waiting… just sit and enjoy!

Hooray nostalgia! Come hungry for the Hungry Swede — if you don’t like very crispy bacon, swap in chicken sausage for a little upcharge (worth it). Steak and eggs was stellar (ask fot it off the menu if it’s not a daily special)! Very homey, family run establishment with the same staff for many years. Charming mismatched coffee mugs and local news on the walls are a highlight.

Very quaint, sweet and homey diner — but we were still hungry after we left.
There was a huge difference between the pre-​cooked bacon and the freshly ordered bacon… size and texture, hubby’s fresh bacon was more like 1 of the pre-​cooked ones — when we asked about it, there was no reason offered.
Hubby and daughter both ordered «The Hungry Swede»…they left just as hungry afterwards. Swedish pancakes were just crepes, the lingonberry was more strawberry in flavor and tiny portion to boot.
My french toast were not anything out of the ordinary, so they were decent and I, too, was left famished.
For the prices, we should have stuck w/​what we know, but we are always looking for new things.
Service was attentive by the 2 brothers — they are very shy, but trying to please everyone.
Lots of older and local folks there, not really trendy.

Not so great. They lose a star for only accepting cash. What? Oh, they do have an ATM in the back with huge service fees. There are no signs anywhere so you’ll find yourself in a pinch if you’re not prepared. They lose a star for the lack of cleanliness. Everything is old and dingy. They lose a star for food that is meh. Be sure to ask for your butter on the side. My dish was DrIPPING in it. ewe. They do have decent pancakes and my husband liked his egg dish, so they will get a star for each of those. Probably won’t be back!

I don’t even know where to start. But overall it was disgusting. I’ve never had bad pancakes in my life until I came to this place. I didn’t even get halfway through and quit. It was bad. My friend had the avocado omelette and it was literally drowning in pace salsa and sour cream. In her words her body «rejected» it on the way home. Overall I would never recommend this place to anyone.

BRING CASH! CASH ONLY. I wish there was signage that said this at the front, it’s not very obvious. They have an ATM in the back with the usual fees, I wonder if they make money off of that and it’s why they don’t have much signage…
For a small family owned café/​diner the food is good and the service of good. I got there around 9:30am and the place was empty, so I got to sit any where and was waited on immediately. I got the Hungry Swede and was there for the Swedish pancakes. It was yummy! It came with eggs and bacon, the typical breakfast fare.
For what it was, an average local breakfast spot with Swedish options, i give it 4 stars. It’s only a 3 stars cause it was cash only and a little overpriced. Get up to speed owners, no one carries cash nowadays. It ain’t gonna hurt you to have Apple Pay for your customers to use.

We had a pleasant experience, but I feel they are overpriced. The ambiance is café cute, but nothing fancy. $ 7.95 for a bowl of fruit? Pancakes, fruit & coffee for two shouldn’t be $ 31.

I love Marti’s, they do everything you need in breakfast perfectly. Best potatoes in the east bay, amazing egg dishes, and the pancakes of all kinds are fantastic. Cannot recommend enough

We tried this place because we’re new to the neighborhood. It was fantastic! My half German, half Norwegian wife is a connoisseur of Swedish pancakes and she thought they rivaled Al Johnson’s in Door County Wisconsin (that means they’re incredible). All staff was friendly and attentive. Loved the two brothers who are servers and have been helping their mom for over 6 years who is the cook. We will definitely be back!

It’s an adorable little place that is in need of a Dyson vacuum and some Mr. Clean. Everything I touched from the menu to my fork was sticky
I’ve eaten here 4 times due to an ex who insisted on eating tasteless, bland, and dripping in oil breakfast. Every time I have the same thought «I’d rather be eating an egg mcmuffin.» At least then I won’t be getting charged $ 15 for a stomach ache.
2 stars for the delightful lady at the counter. She was very sweet and nice. And the giant snickerdoodle I bought because I couldn’t finish my food. It was thin, crunchy, and the most flavorful thing on the menu.
I can sum up Marti’s place in one word: Trash

Love this place, beat place for Swedish pancakes. Their fresh juice is amazing and the coffee is non stop. Favorite spot for breakfast.

This is one of the best places to get breakfast in Alameda! The Swedish pancakes are delicious, the Marty’s scramble is really good too. I usually order the Hungry Swede, it comes with two Swedish pancakes, eggs and bacon. Customer service is great, they are always friendly here! Please note it’s cash only. The décor is old country home and it’s an older crowd who dines here, but who cares when the food is so good!

Three words: Those Swedish pancakes! They’re flat, they’re buttery, and they’re delicious. It’s really the reason I come here. They have good breakfasts, but no matter what I’ve ordered, it’s always been punctuated with an order of those Swedish pancakes. For that alone, I’ll be giving this place a great review.

It was pouring down rain and the place across the street was packed, so I suggested we try Marti’s. I live around the corner so I’ve been here a few times. Every time I walk away vowing never, ever to eat there again.
I ordered the Marti’s Scramble: Bacon, Eggs, Tomato and Onion «scrambled» and topped with cheese — served with homefries and toast. The eggs had not been properly whisked because there were huge chunks of egg white. Also it appeared to have been cooked in the microwave. The cheese was chewy and weird on the edges… unmelted in the middle. The potatoes were bland and dry. I took a few bites and decided no more.
My date ordered the Strawberry Blintzes and they were topped with what looked like canned or frozen strawberries.
We both had coffee — bad coffee. I had an orange juice. For this — our bill was $ 37.00? We both agreed Denny’s would have been a better idea.
The wait staff could tell I didn’t like my food (they asked me if it was «ok» at least 4 times). But what could I say? «You Sir, have managed to make the simplest of breakfast orders disgusting and inedible.» or «Young Lady, all of the yummy breakfasts being eaten right now are laughing at this one behind its back.» No. I just mumbled that it was fine and silently promised myself «never again».

Hubby and I up in the area visiting grown kids, stopped in for breakfast, since right around the corner from where we stayed. Cozy place, yes cash only; but with all the reviews AND a sign on the door; you can’t be surprised. Upside your credit card won’t get hacked from paying here.
I had omelet with spinach, mushrooms, onions and ham; and it was hearty. Loads of ham in it, I could only finish a quarter of it. Even hubby could only help with another quarter of it. He had eggs, ham and waffle. That waffle was amazing delicious. Lots of vanilla flavor, but super tasty … we couldn’t stop talking about it.
Coffee was great also, I’m not a fan of bitter, super strong coffee; so this was just right.
Great service … right there to take order, coffee us; but not hovering or talkative.
Definitely worth return trips.

Wow can’t believe I have never written a review about Marti’s!!! I come her all the time. This is a real home town diner. The food is excellent, the service is like family. Martin herself is Swedish and you see it in the food. There are places close by for posers, new to town hipsters. This is for locals, regular folk with no pretentious.
I like the Italian scramble with local made Italian sausage. Or the smoked salmon omelet ! The strawberry blitzes are old school and delicious.

This place is great. If you want a delicious breakfast with the comfort and hospitality of your grandmother’s kitchen, this is the place. It’s small, but comfortable. Cozy describes it well.
The food is cooked only after it’s ordered, no mass-​production here. The coffee mugs clearly came from personal collections, as every one is different. There are single roses on every table. There are so many quirky and interesting things on the walls, it’s the absolute antithesis of a Denny’s or IHOP. Just tasty breakfast treats with friendly service.
I always get the same thing when I come, because they do it better than anyone else (rivaling only the way my Gramma used to make them): Swedish Pancakes. Give them a try. They’ll change your world.
One important thing to remember: CASH ONLY. However, worst case scenario, you walk around the corner to the market where there’s an ATM. No big deal.

Linda and I moved into an apartment one block fro Marti’s five years ago, and had eaten here previously while living farther away in the Gold Coast neighborhood. We like being a 5 minute walk from a nice home-​style breakfast when Linda has time for such luxuries on the weekends.
(CAVEAT: We always have to check before leaving the house to make sure we have cash, since Marti’s DOES NOT take credit or debit cards. The minor inconvenience is worth it, though…)
Linda loves the pancakes, and I tend to opt for the Spinach Omelette. We both like the coffee. (Linda likes lattes most of the time, but prefers Marti’s less-​bitter coffee to the Blue Dot’s coffee across the street.) The service is friendly.
Marti’s was Alameda’s first certified «Green Restaurant” – over a decade ago – so we feel good about eating there.
The décor is fun and so is the huge collection of assorted «message» coffee mugs. You never know what will be on the table waiting for you.

We were looking for lunch after our visit to the USS Hornet. We ordered burgers, tuna melt and tomato stuffed salad.
First, the waiter got a lot if the order mixed up, ie sides. Then one of the burgers we ordered, both buns were burned. It wasn’t just dark brown, it was BLACK. How they even could serve it crazy!
Then came my tuna melt, or «Tuna and Cheese» grilled sandwich. It wasn’t cheese! It was Cheese Whiz! It was disgusting.
My husband’s tomato salad was indeed a tomato cut open with tuna scooped inside. For almost $ 13, we would have thought it was more than that.
The final kicker was when the bill came… the «surprise»… On all our orders, we asked for fruit instead of potato salad. On the menu, some was a choice. They said, «no problem». Didn’t bother to tell us that most of those were subject to a «fruit upgrade» charge! Would have been appropriate to tell your customers that.
If you’re in town after a visit to the Hornet … Keep driving.

This cute CASH ONLY establishment — with its cheery and efficient and hard working staff — is a five-​minute walk from my abode. And it’s a great — and mostly child free — zone to read the Sunday paper. Thus, it is a extremely convenient breakfast location for those of us who live within the neighborhood. Which is probably why they also charge such exorbitant prices for such average breakfast fare.
My dining companion had some harsh words for his $ 12 Italian scramble listed on their specials board. But, since that was his experience… he can write his own words.
I fancied a short stack and bacon. Unfortunately, they do not list this on their menu within a pre-​packaged combo. A la carte seemed the only option. But when the only a la carte bacon option is 4 slices for $ 4, which is near reasonable price (purchase cost x3 = sell cost), plus the cost of meat and meat products on the rise… tensions can inflate with inflation.
Instead I ordered two eggs, homefries, bacon and toast for $ 9. Eggs are often just eggs; on a rare occasion exceptional eggs. But the over-​medium execution can be tricky. They nailed it. The bacon is run-​of-​the-​mill, pre-​cooked in the oven — catering style — and when you receive it… it’s cold. The homefries lacked green bell pepper — thankfully — but also lacked personality. They had herbs and their skins intact — which I love.
It was an impervious meal. It’s a meal that I often receive when my mother makes me breakfast, except her bacon is hot. And if my plate were two dollars ($ 2) cheaper, I’d frequent this place every Sunday… as I’m sure most people would. But, I can’t justify a five-​minute walk with a $ 10 bill.
But it IS only a five-​minute walk.