Ah, the Hickory Pit. At least that’s what my family’s always called this Hayward Establishment on Mission Boulevard, just near the intersection of Jackson and Foothill. If you look on the actual sign as it stands today, the words “Hickory Pit” do not appear. It rather says “Emil Villa’s (world famous) California Barbecue”. Did it used to say “Hickory Pit”? I need some comments from the peanut gallery on this one.
Regardless, the Pit (that’s what Grandma used to call it) hasn’t changed a bit since it opened in who-knows-what decade. It is yet another Hayward establishment that’s hanging on to the past with its tan vinyl booths, checkered tile floor, and old-fashioned food.
Seating area inside Emil Villa’s, Hayward
Which brings me to my review of this place. This is another one that’s hard for me to discuss fairly and honestly because I’ve been coming here my whole life. It’s not the type of place I like at all. In fact, I’d never ever go here, ever, if I weren’t already accustomed to it. I haven’t been here in years but an out of town visitor wanted a greasy spoon breakfast the other day, hence I found myself once again inside Emil Villa’s.
Seating at the counter at Emil Villa’s, Hayward
The menu is a diner menu (as in 50’s diner, not the evening meal of dinner). Breakfast is heavy and huge (omelettes, eggs Benedict, massive amounts of hash browns), lunch is Swiss steak and roast beef sandwiches, and dinner is ribs and fried chicken. I actually don’t have a copy of their menu on hand because they somehow don’t have a website, but I’m pretty sure this is the stuff you’ll find at the Hickory Pit. There is no vegetarian section. There are virtually no vegetarian dishes. The menu itself has been copied so many times with whited out prices that it’s getting a bit hard to read. Let’s just say their focus is not on ambiance here at Emil Villa’s.
We went for breakfast, which, despite my grumblings about it, wasn’t too bad. I mean, it’s diner food — greasy, enormous portions, nothing green anywhere — but 40-some years of prep has given them some expertise on the creation of classic American breakfasts. Don’t expect to leave feeling spry and ready to take on the day…you may in fact not need to eat again until tomorrow.
My grilled cheese sandwich, fries, and a pickle at Emil Villa’s.
The two boys had omelettes and I had a grilled cheese since breakfasts like that usually make me feel sick. Aside from being hugely full and feeling like a french fry when I was done, everyone was pretty satisfied. The hash browns and potatoes that came with the omelettes were pro and the omelettes looked more like 10-egg ones than 4-egg or whatever they said on the menu. A grilled cheese is impossible to mess up unless American cheese is used in which case it’s inedible in my opinion. I received cheddar as requested, and thoroughly enjoyed my steak fries and pickle.
Omelette #1 – with cheese with potatoes
Omelette #2 with cheese and bacon and hash browns
Their ribs are actually a signature dish, though I’ve never had them. The word “barbecue” is in the title of their restaurant and they have a giant special rib-cooking machine that’s supposed to make really good ribs. Again, I have no idea, perhaps said meat-eating peanut gallery can let us know what’s up with the ribs? Yelp people talk about them quite a bit too.
Overall, the Pit offers relatively crappy yet inexpensive diner food served in a facility from the 1970’s (or earlier). It’s not my favorite, but people do like the place. And if you’re hungry for a greasy yet traditional breakfast, lunch, or dinner, it’s one of the few places left in Hayward that will dish one out to you any day of the week. And if you’re lucky, the waitress won’t be surly either (ours wasn’t).
Hmm…I haven’t gone there in years, either. As a meat-eater, I much prefer Everett and Jones BBQ. Emil Villa’s had good chicken, though, and I had no complaints about their prawns. Maybe I should go back and have a look.
Peanut gallery ahoy! I have been going to the HIck’ry Pit occasionally starting about 45 years ago with my parents. A lot has changed for them over the years. I believe the name “Hick’ry Pit” (correct spelling) used to appear on their sign where the word “California” now is. They used to have yumalicious ribs with their famous brown bbq sauce. Then the restaurant changed hands a few times and the brown bbq sauce now tastes like clay. yuk. They have another red bbq sauce though, that is tasty. They do have good breakfasts, steaks and especially hamburgers. Their steak fries, onion rings and hash browns are always very good. The “rib cooking machine” is a giant wood burning bbq pit which really gives the meats a uniquely yummy flavor. Their prices are kinda high, though. This is definitely not a good restaurant choice for a vegetarian. But, what rib restaurant is? The servers are always very nice to me. But, the guy with the shriveled up right hand who works the register is a total rude asshole. I told the owner about him once and she said “Yeah, we get a lot of complaints about him”. Really? Then why doesn’t she get rid of him? He probably hurts their business with his unprofessional attitude. Still, a good place to eat once in a great while.