Brunch as a party of seven today and we were worried about finding a spot to sit all of us. But not to worry, we eventually found a booth and a nearby table to fit us all. My first time here and I learned you fall in line, order your food, pay, then you find your seats. It was packed and the line out the door but somehow, by the time you are done paying, spaces open up. It works! Friendly and patient cashiers, servers, and bussers. They are abuzz with activity tending to all the things and I think that goes a long way to keeping diners and their food moving along, while keeping everything tidy. The drinks area was well stocked and serviced! I'm sad I didn't order anything from the very tempting pastry cases because I knew I was going to get a sweet entree - the Lucky Boy crepes. But the cookies and pastries looked so inviting! I enjoyed my crepes, not too sweet and filled with plenty of bananas and strawberries topped with huge orbs of whipped cream. If I'm in the area again, I'd definitely visit!

Food: 5/5 I got Niko's 2 Great Breakfast (sunny-side up eggs, potatoes) with orange juice and it was really good! This is one of my favorite places for breakfast or brunch in Castro Valley not only because the food is excellent, the experience is very family-friendly as well. Additionally, you can get unlimited complementary chips with salsa when you dine-in. This is a great spot for comfort food in the early hours. Ambience: 5/5 Denica's Food Kitchen has a very family-friendly ambience. Whether you choose to eat indoors or outdoors, it's a very relaxed vibe. Outdoor seating when it's nice and sunny out is especially great during brunch! Service: 5/5 Staff here is always friendly and polite. They bring the food to you once it's ready. Overall: 5/5 Great brunch location. We come here once in a while and every time, we're very satisfied with the overall experience. I would highly recommend it!

Tried the Hundred Chile Benedict, and it was really flavorful with fresh ingredients. However, I'd recommend adding the salsa if you're looking for more spice--it wasn't spicy as I had hoped, but still delicious overall. My only small critique was that one of my egg yolks was already popped when served. One of my absolute favorite items on the menu has to be the cookies! They're perfectly moist on the inside with a delightful crust on the outside--great texture. I also ordered the Cookie Butter Latte,and it was absolutely delicious. In the past, I've had their breakfast burrito, which was excellent and definitely something I'd order again. The Loco Moco was just okay. While the ingredients were fresh, the gravy was a bit bland for my taste, so I'd suggest exploring other options on their menu--they have plenty of great choices. The cozy, inviting atmosphere makes this a perfect brunch spot to visit with family or friends. Plus, they offer mimosas, which is always a nice touch! Overall, I love the food, and the cookies are a must-try. Definitely worth checking out!

Ube pancakes in a cozy diner, super close proximity to the shopping plaza? Say no more, I was so excited to check out Denica's! I came for a Sunday morning brunch, and was very thankful that I found parking in the parking space in the back. It's a huge diner with plenty of seating, and we got seated in a window booth. I'm a huge sucker for ube pancakes, and these were such fluffy, thick, heavenly pancakes packed with ube flavor! Certainly helps that they're a beautiful vibrant shade of purple, worthy of any foodie's Instagram story (or in my case, a Yelp Elite's review hehe). A quirky bonus is a complimentary tortilla chip and salsa bar! I'm a sucker for tortilla chips, especially when they're fresh and warm. I found myself going back for more chips and salsa. Free refills on coffee too? I'll need to come back here for the ube pancakes again. I'm daydreaming of them. I want to try some of their other baked goods too!

Expensive but really good. Classic American breakfast with Hawaiian flare. Large restaurant, good for large parties. Order at counter, choose your seat, and food is brought to you. Cute local neighborhood diner decor. What I appreciate most besides the friendly staff, is the complimentary fresh chips and salsa bar. The salsas are hella good! Plus they serve cocktails. Oh, and the variety of self serve waters! THE FOOD Chicken and waffles- not your traditional deep fried chicken, but rather a well marinated and seasoned, non- breaded, pan fried thigh piece of chicken on top of a thick, soft, yet crispy on the outside waffle. So good. Huevos Ranchero - so non conventional, so damn booomb! Like. So good. Bloody Mary- solid. I've had better but was still tasty. Ube cookies - ugh. Amazing. Still good two weeks old (probably shouldn't have ate it).

Came back with some girlfriends for brunch and while it wasn't the mind-blowing experience I had the first time around, it was still thoroughly enjoyable and a spot I'd happily suggest in the future (assuming the group is willing to get up early since tis place gets CROOOOOWDED!). I got the Ube French Toast special and my friends got the mochiko chicken and waffle and the King Kamehameha Loco Moco. I have no idea how expensive the Loco Moco was but that thing was FIIIIIRE. Basically prime rib with 3 overeasy eggs over rice topped with gravy. The chef might have just been having a good day though because the mochiko chicken was also fried to perfection, which was not the case the last time I came. My Ube French Toast was probably my least favorite, but we also needed the sweet to balance out the heavy savory so together it was the perfect meal.

It's been a few days and I'm still dreaming about these Pink Guava Pancakes! Came here on Sunday during prime brunch time and while there was a line and the place looked packed, it went fast and my friends and I were able to find a table easily. Crowd seemed to be friend groups, families, couples. Casual and comfy. All staff were really nice, love the self serve chips/salsa and Jamaica! Got the loco moco which was good but not that memorable. My friends and I shared the pink guava pancakes and wowwwww. The pancake has a light guava taste and not too sweet and paired with the guava sauce topping, SO freaking good! Great guava flavor. The sauce is the sweet part but it's thick so you can choose how sweet by how much you get of it and I love that. Typically decadent pancakes like these are so crazy sweet and soaks all the sauces so you can't do anything about sweetness level and can only have a few bites but not the case here. DEFINITELY will be back when I'm in the area just to get these pancakes (or try the ube ones) again.

Denica's Real Food Kitchen in Castro Valley offers a wide selection of dishes, making it a popular weekend brunch spot--but be prepared for a wait! I went on a Saturday morning and waited about 30 minutes to get seated. The long line is a testament to its popularity, though it can be a bit of a drawback if you're in a rush. I tried the loco moco and, unfortunately, found it underwhelming. The dish was lacking in flavor, especially the gravy, which could have used a bit more seasoning to make it stand out. On the other hand, the ube pancake was delightful--fluffy, vibrant, and just the right amount of sweetness. I'd definitely go back for the pancakes! If you're looking to try Denica's, just keep in mind that weekends are busy, but it's worth the wait for some of their standout items.