Best Main Street restaurants in Pleasanton, California

Stacey's Cafe

Stacey's is a landmark anymore for the veteran Pleasantonian. Started by Scott Adams (of Dilbert fame), who is an outspoken vegetarian, Stacey's was named after Scott's favorite waitress at one of his local eating establishments. With a varied and interesting menu (a lot of pasta- definitely try the mac and cheese....it's....oh my...incredible), there is something for every palette. The wait staff are unerringly friendly, the service is on caliber with any 'gourmet' restaurant, and the portions are more than generous. You should also try their sister Stacey's in Dublin!

Pasta's Trattoria

Pasta's has exactly what their name suggests- hearty delicious Italian-inspired food. Great not only for a nice business lunch (or casual lunch even!), as well as for dinners - romantic or large group- Pasta's does a good job of keeping up quality for every occasion. I'm an enormous fan of their wine list, as well as their penne a la vodka - the cream sauce is divine! They have friendly service, and portions enough to share. I recommend the bruschetta to start- mmmm garlic!

Rising Loafer Cafe & Bakery

Nothing is more enticing than the smell of fresh baked breads - and when it's bread from the Rising Loafer, you're in for a treat. With so many varieties of rolls and breads, you'll hardly know what to choose. Should you have the rosemary roll with your minestrone? Or perhaps a pumpernickel with your giant garden salad? On a sunny day, sitting outside with an iced tea, some warm-from-the-oven rolls and a good friend, there isn't any place finer to spend some time.

Pleasanton Hotel

I held my parent's 30th anniversary party here. The Pleasanton Hotel catered the event, and handled everything from seating to the bar seamlessly and relatively inexpensively. The dining room is great for Sunday brunch, and they do a nice buffet spread for Mother's Day as well. If you're looking for casual dining, with a touch of old-fashioned flair, this is the place to stop in Pleasanton! Call ahead for reservations- they can get booked up quick!

Gay Nineties Pizza Co.

Gay Nineties has been around for ages - since I was just a little girl and my parent's softball team would gather here for pies and pints after a game. Huge, gooey, cheese, toppings galore- these pizzas are still just as amazing as I remember. With a large patio for sunny days, and the dark, dimly lit dining room for chilly nights, this pizza parlor is as traditional as they come. Good beer, good pies, and even some video games for the kids.