The Annex at St. Michael’s Alley

I would never ever host a Mother’s Day brunch at a 3.5 star restaurant.
My husband called St. Michael’s few days in advance to inquire about the seating and the person confirmed the restaurant is open 10am — 2pm; no reservations. When we arrived at the entrance of St. Michael’s, the sign on the door says go to The Annex. — 1 Star!
We arrive 5 mins to opening and 9^th on the list. A little after 10am the greeter called all the parties on the sign-​in sheet. Danny party of 3 was us so we happily accepted that we would be seated shortly. We had to wait 30 minutes before we were seated when there were empty tables inside and why do I have feeling he seated few more people that weren’t on the sign-​in sheet! — 1 Star!
The greeter sounded very condescending when he spoke to us. I don’t care how busy the place is. If I want to confirm my order (because your establishment is a 3.5 rating I have every right to). There are people that do their job right and there are those that just do their. I think this is the latter in my opinion. My mom asked for additional packets of sugar. I don’t care if there’s few more remaining in the basket. If my mom wants more sugar, you better give her more sugar!!! — 1 Star!!!
Lastly, if I choose to spend over an hour with my husband and mom for Mother’s Day celebration, we shouldn’t feel rushed! For the waiter to ask me if I needed change or if we were done was extremely rude!!! — 1 Star!!!
Our main waiter was quite pleasant & understanding. + 1 Star!
Update on 5÷20÷16
Based on the response from the restaurant, I am updating my review & rating.
I have a question. Why is brunch a very difficult meal to serve?
Correct. I should ding St. Michael’s for asking us to go to The Annex.
Mother’s Day was on ⁵⁄₈. Our visit was on ⁵⁄₁₅ for a belated Mother’s Day brunch.
Based on your reply, I will change my rating. What made us very uncomfortable was the way we were treated. That’s all! I think I need to do right by giving a fair rating and hopefully the restaurant will train their employees not to make their customers feel like they don’t belong.

$ 600 for 10 people brunch is steep but acceptable should the experience of being their is in line with the expense! Service was at best mediocre I. e long wait for service, wrong items delivered, lack of follow up and check on the table before dessert. Dessert was part of the set meal but we had to ask for it. The funny part was that we saw staff run to Whole Foods (across the street) twice to pick up items such as Orange Juice and Creamer for the coffee!!! I do thank the restaurant for accommodating us as this was a last minute reservation.

[3.5 stars]
The bf and I came here last Saturday around noon to grab some food before heading out to the Pace Gallery. I was expecting the place to be pretty busy but when we arrived, there were still a couple of tables open and the hostess seated us immediately at a lovely table right by the window! What a score considering there’s usually a long wait! The restaurant was kind of small, but had a cozy feeling to it.
I ordered the eggs florentine and an order of their famous blue monkey pancakes to share with the bf. We thought it was blue money pancakes in the beginning. lol. once we realized it was called blue monKey, it made sense because the pancakes had blueberries and bananas inside.
Food arrived and presentation was wonderful! The eggs on my dish were poached perfectly. I thought they could’ve caramelized the mushrooms and the onions for a little bit longer though. The English muffin was super soft and slightly soggy when I cut into it probably because of all toppings and it not being toasted for that long? Blue Monkey pancakes were pretty good. Came in a stack of four. The blueberries and bananas were so sweet! I didn’t even need to add any syrup to it.
Bill came out to be about 50 bucks which is a little bit expensive considering that’s about 25 per person. The food was good but it didn’t wow me for that price. But overall, service was friendly and attentive. The place was clean. I definitely recommend this place if you’re in the area.

We were a party of four. The host told us we would have to wait 20 to 30 minutes, but we end up having to wait one hour!
Everyone waiting had been waiting longer than what they had been told.
The food was good (but not amazing) and once we ordered the bring all the dishes pretty quick. However, I’m not going back. I don’t stand the places where they blatantly lie about the waiting time.

Basic basic basic. French toast, scrambled eggs, orange juice, coffee. All basic small time diner taste but housed in a fancy café and double the price. I honestly expected much better quality after reading previous reviews. As human beings, we really shouldn’t have to stand for drink orange sugar syrup labeled as juice.
The service was good but overall it is really disappointing this place rates so highly.

Eggs Benedict and Niçoise salad were on point. Perfect portions. Good mimosa. Matt was a great server. Only the biscuit leaves something to be desired but I’m Southern thus hard to please in that area…

There was a line before the place even opened this Sunday afternoon. I think they have limited kitchen capacity, so groups were slowly brought in after the restaurant opened. It’s pretty tiny inside, as well.
I had today’s special– A chicken omelette with mushrooms, spinach, and Gruyère cheese. It was tasty and moderately sized. Chicken was a little hard and not tender.
Service was extremely polite, but not particularly fast – I noticed a group that was seated 5 minutes after us got their food before we did.
It was good, but not a «must-​have» for me.

I order:
Salmon scramble
Egg Benedict
2 slides of Blue monkey pancake
Why:
eggs lover
Foods:
I finished half of ketchup bottle with the foods because I hate wasting foods. potato, eggs scramble are so dried. Surprisingly, they put super crunch biscuit next to it.
Seating:
Crowd seating and difficult to hold more than 4 people, if you ever consider a bigger family brunch on Sunday.
Final verdict:
Besides local by the beautiful Palo Alto neighborhood, great walking distance to downtown area, a convenience bathrooms next to their kitchen area, and friendly waiters. There are definitely many many other restaurants near by and you will enjoy. Did I also mention their average course cost $ 20?

I would just like to share what we experienced last Saturday, January 30.
My wife and I had brunch at this place and everything went fine until
the very last moment. My wife did not finish her scrambled eggs and
asked for it to be boxed. The waitress came and asked if we needed to
box it while my wife went to the restroom. I said «Yes, please box
it.» The waitress took it back to the kitchen for it to boxed. When my
wife returned from the restroom she asked about her plate. I told her
that the waitress took it to the kitchen. Then my wife went to the
kitchen and told the waitress not to box it, because she had seen her
plate with the unfinished scrambled eggs in the dirty dish tray in the
kitchen on her way back from the restroom. The waitress’s response was
even more unbelievable when she stated that there were no other dirty
dishes in the dirty dish tray, so it was still fine to be boxed.
I don’t think we or anyone would want their leftovers boxed after the
plate had already been put in the dirty dish tray, and we are very
disappointed with the service and waitress’s attitude with the
situation.

This is THE place for brunch in Palo Alto! I’ve been here a few times now and it’s been a hit for me each time. We ordered a carafe of the mimosa, which come with a liter of orange juice and a bottle of champagne– kind of like a make your own mimosa :)
I’ve only ordered the chilaquiles no meat, because they’re just that good and I don’t want to try anything else! The eggs and the cheese are so soft and yummy, and they blend really well with beans and tortilla strips. Everyone loved what they ordered, but last time we got a French Toast for the table and it was pretty bad. It was really dry and not very good at all. But that’s okay because everything else was delicious.
Would I come back? yes yes yes!

Got brunch here on a Saturday morning. It’s kind of a small place, but we only waited a few minutes to get a table. I got the benedict, and it was only ok. The huge problem was they added a slice of fresh tomato, which sounds good, but there’s way too much juice in a tomato. Once you slice into it, it makes your entire dish too watery and ruins the hollandaise.
The other dish was the chilaquiles, which was a little better, but it was lacking flavor and could’ve been way better.
Cappucino and service were great though!

Small hole in the wall Palo Alto restaurant with consistently good food and great service with lots of different breakfast options. Sometimes there’s a wait but they are usually good with turning over tables and giving reasonable wait times. The atmosphere is a little more upscale than your typical breakfast latte, but just casual enough to where you can feel comfortable for any occasion with family or friends.
Everything I’ve tried is delicious, but i usually go with the breakfast medley, which is a great option if you’re like me and you can’t choose between eggs and potatoes and pancakes — you get a little bit of everything!

I brunched here about a month ago with co-​workers. It was nice. I enjoyed their Eggs Benedict and several cups of hot water our waiter brought me — it was cold!
As far as ambiance, it’s quaint and has brunching spot qualities — the white table clothes, the white napkins, breakfast/​lunch items on the menu, etc.
My only pet peeve here: no black napkins and lint on my black pants.
I recommend visiting and eating here in light colored clothing.

We came right at the opening this morning. Friendly staff, and the food is good. I got the mixed breakfast (eggs, bacon, and pancakes). One recommendation: ask for the blue monkey pancakes (blueberries and banana) instead of the plain ones. They were delicious!

I’ve lived in the area for 3 years– this is certainly the best brunch in Palo Alto.
On a Sunday at 12:30 our party of two sat within ten minutes. I had the lemon poppyseed pancakes which were crazy good! So good, I’m kicking myself for not ordering some to go. Pricey, but I’ll be back.

Been here twice and it hasn’t disappoint. Love the atmosphere of the place and friendly staff. The food is great. I had the Chorizo Benedict special, absolute perfection in my opinion. I also ordered the waffles with apple cinnamon compote and a dollop of yogurt. It was good, but maybe a little too soggy for me and I had to add maple syrup for more sweetness. The apples were a bit sour to me. The only draw back to this place is that they don’t take reservations, so you’ll have to come early to get in or early enough to be one of the early birds with their name on the wait list (that was first time around). Didn’t wait too long yesterday around 1pm. Definitely a place to try out after church, brunch, or some good food and relaxation.

Amazing place, with amazing service, and amazing food.
I came about a week ago, Saturday, at 9:58 (2 minutes before the restaurant opens), and there were about 30 – 40 people waiting outside. I asked for a bar sit.
I got seated at 10:07, and ordered Salmon eggs Benedict. Food was served to me at 10:12 ! :).
I was delighted. Food was delicious, and I had a great experience.
I will definitely come again. Thank you for a great meal! :)

Read the reviews on Unilocal and decided to try it for myself. The wait was quite long (due to small location and constant influx of large parties) but that didn’t bother me since I have pretty good waiting patience.
Ordered their chilaquiles (a very traditional Mexican plate in which being Mexican I had high expectations). Overall plate was delicious (of course mom makes it better) but very good. Great flavored and well served. Would definitely go again and try something new.
Yet again Not ideal if you are going with a large party. Wait may be long

One word: Delicious! I tried their waffles, pancakes and veggie omelette and all of them were delicious. I also really liked the mimosas.

Worth the wait. One of the best brunch places in Palo Alto.
Food: 4 stars
The salmon really intrigued me. I usually don’t eat salmon with eggs, but it was very good. I substituted the potatoes with fruit, so the meal felt light and healthy (I hate eating heavy, unhealthy meals first thing in the morning). I was full but not stuffed, and everyone else in my group agreed that it was worth waiting for.
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Clean. Comfortable. Just crowded enough. Feels like Sunday brunch at your relative’s house.
Service: 4 stars
The waiter was nice and friendly. Very accommodating to our group of 5. Unfortunately, there was almost a 45 minute wait, but it goes to show you how popular the place is.

BACKGROUND: I went out last night and I was hungry this morning. I went with a friend.
SERVICE: The service was okay. When I walked in I wasn’t greeted by anyone and just wrote my name on the list. I wasn’t sure how long I was going to be waiting but I waited about 15 minutes. The waitress was pretty quick getting to us. She was nice but forgot our waters. They did not want to make me a breakfast sandwich so I had to get my breakfast sandwich as sides and put it together. That’s kinda annoying. My friend ordered the breakfast medley and the waitress gave him blueberry pancakes instead of banana and she gave me the wrong kind of toast. Overall the service was okay because they were nice but unaware.
FOOD: The food was actually pretty good! I can imagine it would be better if I consistently got what I ordered.
PRICE: a little pricey but it’s Palo Alto. Just noticed they charged an additional 50 cents for blueberry pancakes we didn’t even want.

Short Story: A great place for brunch in Palo Alto!
Long Story: I came here on a Saturday morning around 10:30AM and the place was packed! We waited for about 45 minutes before getting a table for two. We were promptly seated when our name was called. The décor and ambiance were nice, especially with the large and tall windows. This made for quite a bright interior.
The menu has a good range of sandwiches, omelets, and salads. I got the salmon scramble and I believe it was about $ 16. Kinda pricey, but you also get a lot too! The scramble was pretty awesome and the wait staff was pretty nice and friendly. Definitely worth your money if you don’t do it too often!
Verdict: I’ll probably come back after a while…

Came here for brunch on Sunday. For a smaller restaurant the wait was not bad at all. The outside seating is gorgeous on a nice day.
The St. Mikes omelette is a great call. It is not only delicious but it is HUGE, I did not come close to finishing. But the bacon here was the star; it is some of the best brunch bacon I have had hands down.

For a regular restaurant, this would be a 3. But because the wait is so long and the food so hyped, it gets a 2.
I really don’t get why the food in PA is so expensive and mediocre. This is with the exception of places like Tacolicious and Pizzeria Delfina, which originated elsewhere.
I had the special of the day which was the Ham and Brie Omelette for $ 16. The eggs were a bit bland and slightly overcooked. The ham and brie were distributed sporadically. The vegetables were a bit watery. The dish comes with a side of potatoes and a biscuit which were better than the omelette.
I also tried the Blue Monkey Pancakes (blueberry and banana pancakes) which were highly talked about but they were very normal fluffy pancakes. This was probably my favorite item of the meal but not by far.
The restaurant isn’t that big and the biggest table probably fits around 6 – 7. Expect to wait at least 30 minutes or more on weekends.

I love and hate brunch. I love brunch because I love breakfast at lunch times. I hate brunch because I hate waiting.
I’ve had brunch at The Annex at St. Michael’s Alley twice now. The first experience was «meh.» Nothing too negative but nothing outstandingly positive. That is why I wanted to give this place another chance.
I went to brunch here and had to wait 1 hour to get in. This isn’t a big deal. I don’t mind waiting when someone says, «it will be an hour wait.» But when they say «you are looking at 20 – 30 minutes» I get annoyed at their lack of forecasting ability.
The waiter was nice but the staff definitely needs to learn a little about presentation, and acceptable cleanliness practices. There were dirty forks on the table. They were not dirty in the sense that they were not changed but in the sense that there was dishwasher burnt on food on the forks. We requested new forks.
When we got our food, there was a sticker on the orange slice garnishments. This wouldn’t have been a big deal but there is a huge white sticker on the orange slice facing the guests. I can’t believe no one would peel those off.
The ketchup bottle was disgusting. I love ketchup but there was no way I was going to use a bottle where the bottle’s label was peeling on the side and covered in ketchup hand stains. Nasty and completely unappealing.
Overall the food was mediocre and I won’t be going back.

Brunch was tasty, and I really like how they serve a basic breakfast that comes with pancakes, but I like bang for buck with my brunch, so for that, I recommend Stacks and Los Gatos Café instead. The wait here is a bit on the ridiculous side too. We arrived at 11:30 on a Sunday and definitely waited 30 minutes for a table for two. I heard other parties of 6+ complain that they waited over an hour. The food itself was tasty, but nothing to write home about. I would have preferred to have sausage to the overly crispy bacon that came with my food. Also, my eggs had a strange citrus taste to them, which made me think they weren’t freshly cracked and scrambled. Service was friendly, if a bit lackadaisical, given the hordes of people waiting to be seated. I’m glad I got to try this place, but I’ll probably stick with my tried and true favorites in the future.

After living in San Diego for a couple of years, I’ve «done brunch» inside and out, up and down, and with my eyes closed.
Many of us have had fabulous brunch experiences – the spectacular service, beautiful patios, bottomless mimosas, and best of all – a great bang for your buck. You have your bennys, french toast, pancakes, egg scrambles, you name it… but unfortunately St. Michael’s Alley did not meet my expectations.
First of all, I got here early just as the previous Unilocalers have tipped down below. The places does open at 10:00AM, and I decided to get here around 9:45AM. I ended up waiting about 45 minutes for a table for two… and to pass the time, I was able to see people come and go into the brunch spot because of its small interior and exterior space. St. Michael’s Alley is pretty much on the corner of Emerson and Homer, so those of you confused by the two given addresses don’t need to fret. Either address provided works just fine if you decide to GPS it.
The restaurant space is quaint and a little more «proper» compared to IHOP or Redwood City’s Alana’s Café. The servers and single host were all male (WHAT IS UP WITH THAT HUH?) and all seemed very professional and polite. The vibes here are not super warm or friendly, but you do feel doted on and expected to respect the staff back. My friend and I were seated in the back corner where the sofa is, and we noticed that the back wall has a big handful of fruit flies just chillin’ on the wall. That’s something that totally freaked my friend out, but I just chose not to stare at it.
Food-​wise, everything was delicious. I loved my salmon benny, as my fellow Unilocalers have so warmly championed for. However, I don’t believe in the $ 18.00 price tag even though the portions were on point. The presentation was beautiful (props to the chef), but the sauce was a little too mustard-​y for me and there was too much of it running on my egg muffin. I had a bite of my friend’s blue monkey pancakes and I really enjoyed them! They tasted lemony and had blueberries… but she told me she tasted banana! What… who was wrong, you tell me.
Anyways, I’m glad I came here to taste their famous brunch items. However, I wouldn’t come back here again given the ridiculous wait time and with only a couple brunch items I would want to try for the Palo Alto prices. Service deserves a round of applause, and this establishment seems organized and respected. But it just wasn’t anything spectacular for me.

The amazing bf took me to brunch here last Sunday. We arrived around 12pm and put our names down. The host informed us that the wait would be around 30 minutes. Not a problem, we took a short walk to Philz and got some coffee. Our wait ended up being almost an hour. It would have been slightly shorter if we opted for the sunny table outside, but we didn’t want to burn!
We got a lovely table right by the window. The restaurant is so cozy and cute. The photographs on the wall were kind of random though.
EGGS BENEDICT — I usually ALWAYS order this if it’s on the menu and it didn’t disappoint. The eggs were perfectly poached. The potatoes were delicious as well.
CHUNKY MONKEY PANCAKES — Yum! I’m not a sweet brunch kind of girl, but this had me seriously considering converting. Chocolate, banana, and walnuts with pancakes. YES!
MIMOSA — A-​ok. I would have liked a larger glass. lol
ORANGE JUICE — I believe this was freshly squeezed, but it didn’t taste so.
I had a really nice time here and liked the food a lot, however I did think that everything was a bit expensive. I believe our bill came out to about $ 50 (or more)… I don’t know about you, but I think $ 25/​person for brunch is steep! We’ll only be coming here once in awhile! This is perfect if you’re looking for a nice place to have brunch with your girls or celebrating little milestones with your loved ones.