Skillet'z Cafe

Niles is the corner of Fremont that still looks like the railroad town it was, with a short main street of antique shops under the hills where the silent-film studios once stood. Skillet'z Cafe sits on that main street, Niles Boulevard, and calls its food "Ol' Country Cookin'": breakfast and lunch made from scratch, served in a room that fills on weekend mornings. Priscilla Bravo owns it, and the cafe describes itself as family owned.

Breakfast, lunch and the late shift

Expect American diner cooking: skillets, as the name promises, and the eggs, pancakes and sandwiches that go with a breakfast-and-lunch menu. Breakfast is served well into the afternoon, and later in the week the cafe adds a dinner service, so check the posted hours before planning a Thursday-to-Sunday supper. Beyond dine-in, the cafe lists takeout, online ordering through its website, catering for events, and reservations. A sister cafe, Tea-Rek'z, is mentioned on the site for those who want the tea-house version of the same kitchen.

Getting a table

Weekend brunch in Niles draws a crowd, so book through the website or call ahead if you are more than four. Ask whether the patio is open, whether dogs are welcome on it, and whether the day's specials are on the board or the online menu. For catering, ask how much notice the kitchen needs, whether trays come hot or ready to reheat, and what the minimum order is. Parking is on the street along Niles Boulevard and in the small lots behind the shops; on antique-fair weekends and during the Niles silent-film events it disappears early, so arrive before the rush.

Niles and the East Bay

Fremont's Niles district lies at the mouth of Niles Canyon, where Highway 84 meets Mission Boulevard, in Alameda County. Regulars come from across Fremont and from Newark, Union City, Hayward, Milpitas, San Leandro, Sunol and Pleasanton, the last two by the canyon road.

The cafe's phone is 510-793-8161, matching its website, where the online ordering and reservation links live.