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Academy Café
Categories: Food Coffee & Tea Restaurants Asian Fusion Coffee & Tea, Asian Fusion [Edit]
The California Academy of Sciences55 Music Concourse Dr
San Francisco, CA 94118
(415) 876-6124
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 9 am - 4 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage, Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
112 reviews for Academy Café
Review Highlights
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"Then, for dessert - mango pot de creme w/ coconut tapioca." In 5 reviews -
"I also split crispy fries and delicious spring rolls." In 30 reviews -
"...articles/chefs-charles-phan-and-loretta-keller-recipes-for..." In 3 reviews
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112 reviews in English
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Review from Seth F.
Oakland, CA
11/29/2011
You're not given many choices if you're hungry at the Cal Academy. Though there are a slew of wonderful restaurants just minutes away, it's much more convenient to dine at the museum. While the Academy Cafe is just a crappy little food court, it's a lot better than most museum cafeterias.
There is a wide selection of cuisine from Italian to Mexican to Japanese, and of course simple sandwiches and sodas and snacks if you're not feeling adventurous. There are many vegetarian and vegan options, and most people will not be disappointed by the general offerings of Academy Cafe.
Though it's just a museum cafeteria, Academy Cafe is significantly better than most museum cafeterias. If you're not particularly picky about food, this is the place to dine if you don't feel like leaving the museum to eat. -
Review from Brenda H.
Napa, CA
4/10/2012
Excellent food! Fresh fried fish and chips? Yes!
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Review from Mona W.
Updated - 10/10/2011 5 photos
The food here at the Academy of Science's little cafe is actually quite decent. The selection is great. They have various food stations offering different cuisines. You can find Chinese steamed buns, Korean BBQ, Hawaiian rice plates as well as American Sandwiches, Italian Pasta and Mexican Tacos. The menu selection also includes a good amount of healthier alternatives and vegan/vegetarian choices. It won't be too difficult to find something to your liking no matter what your food preferences are.
Food is hit and miss. While the Vietnamese spring rolls and the Ahi Tuna Poke were freshly made and fairly likable, the Saimen has undercooked egg noodles and tasteless toppings. Food weren't cheap but the quality is better than most museum cafeteria. They also have good selection bottled drinks and desserts from local brands. Make sure you pick up a gelato bar before checking out at the cashier. Everything from Bar Gelato are excellent.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/24/2010
The steamed pork bun was surprisingly good. It even tasted authentic. I came here expecting to get a… Read more »
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Review from Sameen G.
Monterey, CA
3/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
Delicious Reuben. Skip the baked mac-and-cheese--the top had a nice crunch to it, but the pasta was over-cooked and the whole thing had zero flavor.
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Review from Wendy H.
6/20/2011
Overpriced and bland! That place is like a freaking zoo during the lunch hour. I appreciate the multiple food choices but to get into a big ass line and then scatter like bugs all over the different stations was too much - especially with young kids in tow. I'd wish they set it up ala Fresh Choice and we can just skip what we don't want.
I got fish and chips (or malnourished fish nuggets/boogers and fries) for DH and I ordered a spaghetti marinara for Kid #2 because he won't eat any of the "too much for a child's palate" stuff on the menu. Kid #1 got the chicken quesedilla. Spaghetti was horribly bland and tasteless. Kid #2 refused to eat it so I got stuck with it. I think the total bill was $40+ bordering $50 for our meals with tap water. Yup we have no money for their $3 Izzy pop that you can buy in bulk at Costco for pennies on the dollar!
To add insult to injury they lobbed a "healthy SF tax" onto the bill. That totally obliterated the 15% member discount that they blatantly advertised out front. Sorry this isn't a fancy restaurant and we already paid through the nose via membership. Yes you guys are non-profit but considering how much you nickel and dime us on everything you can at least pay for the employees' health insurance. Also isn't this a municipal organization? If so why the need for Healthy SF?
Tables are packed close together ala Chinese restaurant style. That means you can barely sit if the person on the table behind you doesn't bother to scoot their chair closer to the table.
They also have these ridiculous cheap Ikea chairs that a kid in our party fell out of because they were flimsy. I didn't know green=cheap ass chairs.
Next time we're going to leave before lunch. It is not worth it. -
Review from Irina s.
San Jose, CA
2/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
Best hot chocolate I have ever had! Just keep in mind there are some parts of the Cal Academy that you can't take food/drinks into!
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Review from Alicia W.
4/21/2011 3 photos
Had lunch here during a visit at the Academy of Science. The food here is okay...
I had the fried chicken with fries (I believe $12 or $13 for 3 pieces of chicken)and my boyfriend had the mahi-mahi burger with fries. The fries here are definitely better than In-N-Out's, but still a bit bland, and not as good as McDonalds. The fried chicken was also very bland and a bit dry, KFC definitely tastes better and it is way cheaper.
My boyfriend's Mahi-Mahi burger was pretty good, I think it was better than my fried chicken. But he thought the chickens were better than the burger (maybe it starts tasting bad if you eat more than a bit... i dont know.) But there was a bit too much batter around the fish and the fish was very small.....
Definitely going to eat something else next time.... maybe just have soup or the slow-cooked food.... I want to go try the Moss Room, hope the food there tastes better....
OOOO. One thing that I did kind of liked... was the fish tank on the wall next to the dining tables. I would have loved it... if they cleaned the fish tanks.... there was fish poop floating all over the place and the water was really murky... kind of make you loose your appetite.... -
Review from Manuel W.
Seattle, WA
5/2/2011
I had a very nice turkey sandwich (I think). It's pricey, but convenient. It's nice to maximize your time at the museum and not have to worry about stepping out to find food elsewhere.
I like how the place is organized, by types of cuisine. You have your soup bar, your grill, your sandwich bar, taco bar, bakery, et. al, all staffed by their own crew. -
Review from Kelly B.
San Jose, CA
2/12/2011
Since taking the 'rents here last month, I have been a member of the academy. I decided that Dr. R. should see the wonders of the Academy of Sciences, so I dragged him there after a Geary Street errand. We ate lunch at the Academy Cafe and enjoyed it immensely.
There is aLOT of talk of how expensive everything is, but goodness, everything is expensive everywhere! I can imagine that after paying 30 bucks to get into this fascinating and wonderful place, having to pony up another twelve bucks for lunch can be daunting. However, when you are a member, you glide right in with a friend, gratis, and the price for the eats doesn't look so exorbitant.
First off, I love, love, love that there are so many choices. There are stations for everything including sandwiches, soups, noodles, slow cooked, steamed, beverages and sweets. I am sure I am forgetting something, but there were tons of choices.
I couldn't get past the slow cooked station. I chose the most colorful carrots and snap peas. The carrots were literally red, yellow, purple, and orange. They were cooked to that tooth feel of heft, but not snap. The snap peas were still snappy, but not crispy. They were sauced lightly in a butter/ginger sauce. I also chose the smashed potatoes and was offered a vegetarian gravy (which I accepted) that was totally delicious. Both servings were approixmately 10 - 12 oz. I rounded this out with a bottle of their bubbly mineral water, all of which set me back about 12 bucks.
Dr. R. chose two tacos from the taco stand and an Izze water. I didn't taste them, because they disappeared early. He was a fan of my smashed potatoes and veggie gravy as well. Then he noticed that the outdoor section where we were sitting had cotton candy and it was all over. For 3.50 he garnered a HUGE cloud of strawberry flavored cotton candy on a stick. I had a mini ice cream sandwich (somewhere in the 1.50 range) that was mango ice cream between two lime cookies about the size of a half dollar. It was small, but had great flavor and was indeed refreshing.
After walking up the rainforrest, through the seven seas and around Africa, we came back for a shared snack of tiramisu and mineral water (for me) and pomegranate soda (for Dr. R.). The tiramisu was pretty good for being in a plastic box, sitting the refrigerator. It had marscapone cheese and ladyfinger and some sort of sherry... mmmmn! It gave us the requisite energy boost to hike back to the car!
If I could change anything about the Cafe, I would offer more run-of-the-mill beverages (such as diet coke), and I might offer a kid-free zone for those of us who have intact hearing... or maybe a few more climbing/swinging/running activities in the outdoor portion.
All said and done, I loved the Academy Cafe and I look forward to many more lunches there. You have to put it all in perspective. How much does a lunch at a fast food restaurant cost? I was shocked the other day when McDonalds charged me 3.53 for a Fillet-o-fish. That makes the 4.00 for the carrots and snap peas seem like a real bargain! Sure, 7.00 for the mac 'n cheese seems like a little much (the parent and child ahead of me in the slow cooked line ordered a single serving with two bowls and was accommodated), but it looked a cut above the made-from-the-box mac-n-cheese.
So, let's all become members and eat at the Cafe often! -
Review from Dan S.
San Ramon, CA
8/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
Overall I thought the food was very good, although the set up of the cafe made it hard to tell what was available at each station. I like that they provided such a wide variety of food choices, but it was pretty crowded and not very organized.
We finally ended up splitting an order of Pork Tacos and an Italian Chopped Sandwich. Got a Cheese Quesadilla for the kiddo.
The tacos were the highlight, but $8.50 for two tacos was a bit pricy, considering they were fairly small. Sandwich was ok, but nothing special.
All in all I thought the food was pretty good, would have been nice if it were easier to see what each station was serving without having to fight the crowds and having to walk back and forth from station to station. -
Review from Jennifer A.
San Diego, CA
1/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
It was nice to have such a variety of choices in a museum cafe! Everything from soups (even stuff like ramen and pho!), sandwiches, quesadillas, pastas, spring rolls...it was pretty impressive.
The chicken quesadilla seemed to be a decent deal for the price (because yes, since you are in a museum, things are pretty overpriced for food). Taste wise, it was satisfying. Hit the spot! -
Review from Alice L.
4/28/2011
I absolutely LOVE their oatmeal and chocolate chip cookies!! I actually went back for seconds after relinquishing half to the boy (love makes me do stupid, regrettable things). Especially the oatmeal cookie, with dates, (or was it figs?) drool. It was chewy and has a nutty flavor. Oh so delicious.
Before the cookies, the boy got a turkey sandwich and I had the Vietnamese 5 spice chicken vermicelli bowl. O seemed to enjoy his sandwich. The vermicelli bowl was rather small and I inhaled the thing before I even tasted anything. It wasn't bad, but definitely not up to the standard of Vietnamese restaurants. We eyed the ribs/mac-n-cheese on other people's plates with envy. Next time, next time... -
Review from Green Devil W.
Palo Alto, CA
2/20/2011
I'll keep this short and to the point--if you're visiting the Academy of Sciences be prepared to shell out some dough. The Cafe is going to cost you a pretty penny and you probably won't leave satisfied. For an museum/aquarium that is so kid-friendly the menu is far too progressive and lacks simple menu items. The tacos (2/$8) were the worst ripoff ever. I don't care if they used free-range chickens that were hand fed worms and stroked to sleep each night by Birkenstock wearing hippies. These were taco truck size tortillas, a little bit of cilantro and some diced onion. No lime. Two salsas but no side dishes. You've got to be kidding me. This is not lunch it's highway robbery.
...and way too many people. How about the fire marshal stopping by to enforce the rules? -
Review from Dmitriy S.
San Diego, CA
Eh. Just eh.
When I walked into the Academy Cafe, I was actually pretty surprised by all of the choices that were offered. However, looking past that, most of the dishes are really pretty simple and ridiculously overpriced. However, that's the catch here since you have no where else to eat within reasonable walking distance, especially if you're starving.
I ordered the Lemon Chicken with a side of rice and mashed potatoes, which came out to be a whopping $11. I was given 3 fairly small pieces of chicken (see photo) covered in a tasteless sauce garnished with a couple of inedible lemons. Nothing too great and definitely not flavorful enough. The rice was just rice. The mashed potatoes had no salt in them whatsoever and were kind of unpleasant to eat. This whole dish left a good amount of room in my stomach, which made me glad I ate a bit before I came.
I'm sure there are other items on the menu that are probably better and this may have just been a bad day, but I'm definitely not impressed at how my dish was prepared. The selection, though, is one of the most impressive I've seen at a museum in San Francisco. -
Review from Yma T.
San Anselmo, CA
12/24/2011
Even though my kids won't eat the mac n cheese for some reason, the food here is interesting and pretty fresh. I can't understand why they would put ever mayonnaise in fresh shrimp rolls, but I like the Vietnamese flair with Pho noodle soup and fresh tofu rolls. Most importantly, the iced tea is amazing! My favorite is the lychee nut (which is fruit not a nut, of course) black iced tea!
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Review from Otis D.
Issaquah, WA
3/17/2011
Wow! Nothing we had here was actually bad but it's cafeteria heat trays so not much service involved. And nothing was really something I'll think about ever again.
And then there's this...
Mac & Cheese and a dog for the kids, a hom bow, and a couple juices. $32. Can I get a little vasoline with that? The airport is cheaper and the food is better. Disneyland is cheaper. Really?
Now if this had been some crazy gorgonzola mac and a Chinatown quality hom bow, I'd forgive the gouging based on location. But it wasn't. It was ordinary. In every way ordinary. $32 for one adult and two toddlers is obscene unless it's extraordinary. -
Review from Jay D.
Burlingame, CA
6/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
PROS
- Excellent variety of food to choose from.
CONS
- Food was bland.
- Hella expensive for what you get.
- Confusing layout. It was unorganized grab-ass in there.
- Needs a kid-friendlier menu, especially with amount of underage patrons in attendance at the Academy.
SUMMARY
Go elsewhere, especially if you have children in your group. -
Review from Carnley P.
San Francisco, CA
4/9/2011
Great selection of items for your picky eaters. Vegetarian included. But is super EXPENSIVE!
The highlight of my meal was the uber tasty mango pot de creme. But $5! Really? -
Review from Raul N.
Even though I'd been to Cal Academy several times, I'd never dined in their cafe. I've had many a meal in the Moss Room downstairs, but had never tried the Academy Cafe. After a big breakfast, I was too full for lunch during normal lunching hours and by the time my tummy did start grumbling, the Moss Room was closed. I took this as a sign from the food gods that it was time to check out the Academy Cafe.
It's a little overwhelming walking into the Academy Cafe. There are so many options to choose from! I was torn about what to get and wandered the cafe for about 10 minutes before I finally made up my mind. I finally settled on the saimin soup. Wow, this was a huge bowl of soup! It came with a heaping portion of ramen noodles, a couple slices of pork tenderloin, a nice chunk of pork belly, some tempura jalapeños, a chunk of bok coy and two soft boiled eggs. Even with such a large helping of food, I couldn't resist the urge to get a steamed pork bun, one of executive chef Charles Phan's specialties.
The soup was very filling--in fact, I only made it about halfway through before I was too stuffed to keep going. The pork was nicely cooked, especially the pork belly, which was so tender! The jalapeños were a great touch, giving a nice kick, but not too much since the blow was softened by the tempura batter. The steamed bun was a little gummy, but the filling was nice and spicy. I do wish there had been more meat inside the bun, like the original recipe at The Slanted Door and Heaven's Dog, but I understand that it's not practical to make them to the same recipe here in a high-volume cafeteria.
I thought the prices were pretty reasonable, more than I can say for some other museum cafes. I definitely thought my bowl of soup was a steal at $12. I've been to other museum cafes and spent much more money for much less food. The steamed buns did feel a little pricey at $2.95 per bun, but I guess they have to make up for the cheap entrees somehow, right? And of course the prices upstairs in the cafeteria are a bargain compared to the Moss Room below.
I'll still stick with the Moss Room when I'm dining at Cal Academy--it's better atmosphere and a far less chaotic experience--but the Academy Cafe is a pretty good alternative for food while checking out the Academy. -
Review from Michael G.
San Francisco, CA
4/14/2011
Contemplating my place in the world, I had fish and chips, chicken and chips, and the usual ceasar salad. Notable: Ariel was the coolest!
Ciao! -
Review from Lolia S.
San Francisco, CA
6/13/2010 4 photos
For museum food, it's a real treat. They offer a wide variety and much of it is made from scratch. Anyone with a sweet tooth should be pleased to find pastries, mini ice cream sandwiches, cupcakes, cookies, mini moon pies, and more.
The food on other people's plates looked good - tacos, steamed buns, sandwiches, spring rolls, pasta, etc. The fair trade coffee is quite good and you can also get fancy iced teas. They deserve an extra star just for offering steamed chicken buns...steamed buns at a museum, I didn't think it was possible.
* Mini ice cream sandwich: housemade raspberry ice cream, housemade graham cracker cookies - cute (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) and really good too, the ice cream was firm and fruity, the cookies were thick and firm. A steal for $1.50...I'd like to dart in to the café just for an ice cream sandwich.
You can sit inside or outside. I was surprised that you don't have to bus your own table and they have real silverware. It's definitely eco-friendly.Listed in: Gelato or ice cream?
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Review from cherie T.
6/2/2010 3 photos
4 stars for ambiance - i like how i can sit outside and just people watch and soak up the sun OR sit inside near the big fish tank and fish watch.
2.5 stars for food... i'm sure we ALL have experienced better food than here at the academy cafe
lets face it.. you're inside a museum.. so you'd be expecting to pay $$$ for food. There were a lot of selection: from pastries to salads to tacos / quesadillas to pho! yes.. they have pho. But guess how much that small little bowl of pho cost? $10. (and no that was not a typo).
So I ended up just getting a ham sandwich w/ cheese. a decent size sandwich that will fill you up. And they didn't go cheapo on me w/ the ham, they loaded that sandwich with ham.. but only gave me one slice of cheese and a couple of small lettuce. The bread was just way to hard for me to bite into and chew.. my mouth was tired of chewing at the end. it was just an "eh" sandwich. even i make better sandwich than they do.
i suggest you bring ur own food from outside.Listed in: Things to do in Northern…
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Review from vuoch. l.
Santa Barbara, CA
4/25/2011
The food here was pricey. The summer roll with steamed pork $10 for 2rolls . The pho gai or chicken noodle soup $13. No we did not order it. Instead we had fish n ships with fries $ 12-$13? The fries was too salty and the three pieces of fish was bland. Cheese Quesidilla $7-$8. We didn't order drinks,thank goodness they have complimentary h2o.
Our bill came to about $23. Considering I didn't order anything for myself.
They need to lower their food prices, parents with kids that attend these establishments can't afford eating here if they hold seasons passes to the Academy. Next time I will pack our own sandwiches. -
Review from Jim W.
11/21/2008
Inside the marvelous California Academy of Sciences is the Academy Cafe. I was surprised to see the wide variety of food available here. We had no trouble finding something interesting and tasty for everyone in the family.
We also solved the mystery of how the funds were raised to construct this great museum. Obviously the cafe opened long before the CA of S opened and began squirreling away the profits from the $6.50 PB & J sandwiches and $14.00 noodle bowls. Don't get me wrong, the food was pretty decent and the variety was good, but my daughter and I shared an almond butter and jelly sandwich, a noodle bowl with shrimp and a 1/2 pint of chocolate milk at this cafeteria. $25.00. For a family of 4 plan on leaving the Academy Cafeteria around $50.00 lighter. Ouch.
So if you're visiting the CA of S, which I recommend highly, pack a lunch. -
Review from Mercy B.
Milpitas, CA
10/6/2008
I agree with other Yelpers that this place is a bit overpriced, but it sure beats the former cafteria where they served nothing but burgers, fries and deli sandwiches.
My little grandson ate a huge quesadilla made with organic cheese which he munched right up. I had seared halibut over noodles and S ordered a nicoise salad with seared tuna - all very good and fresh.
We ate lunch later in the day - so we didn't run into the lunch crowd, but I can imagine that this place could get slammed. -
Review from Eileen P.
Sunnyvale, CA
2/1/2011
Not a bad selection of food here, but quite pricey. Really quite pricey. Hence the three stars.
I do appreciate the healthy choices - plenty of vegetarian options, a decent hand-tossed salad, and a choice of fresh fruits near the cashier. The fix-your-own coffee and tea station is good too.
Have you tried the pastries? I've become a fan of their fruit galettes. Not too sweet and a nice crispy crust. Whoever bakes them really knows how to make the fruit shine on that pastry. If I'm there in the morning I usually grab one to snack on.
I also like the vegetarian spring rolls. Nice dipping sauce. The steamed buns are medium-sized and can be hit or miss.
Too bad about the prices though. I think the meals here are about $1.50 to $2.50 higher than what I would pay for them. Except for the fruit galette. I'd pay whatever for that! -
Review from Jason B.
2/5/2009
Four mini yelps on the Academy Cafe. Let's go from worst to best:
Early in the morning . . . . .
Two stars - Only 2% milk for lattes and whole milk for the parfait. Ug. I went with sustainable drip coffee instead.
Four stars - The barista offering to go downstairs and seeing if other milk or yogurt alternatives were available, and when not, making my parfait with 2% and extra granola instead.
Four stars - Aforementioned granola. Delicious, not very oily, topped with a fruit compote. Yum!
And then later in the day . . . . .
Five stars - The ice cream sandwich. Wow, this is an early candidate for item of the year. We split one among six of us, perfect for a a few bites each. And they were bites of heaven. The cookie tasted more like a brownie, and the vanilla ice cream center was the perfect complement. I could have eaten one by myself. And when I someday go back, I just might. -
Review from Mark W.
San Francisco, CA
6/2/2009
I think they've done a pretty good job with the Academy Cafe. The prices are not the best but that's kinda what I expected coming here. But at least the food was actually pretty good.
Came here with my family and we wanted to have a mid-afternoon snack after walking around and checking out all the exhibits.
It's really informal. You just walk up to the booths and order your food at each individual eatery then before you hit the dining area, they have the cashiers where you pay.
We ordered the Vietnamese Spring Rolls and then also some fries. The Spring Rolls were not your average spring roll. The dipping sauce they gave was very unique and not what you would have at your average Vietnamese restaurant. Dare I say it was gourmet. Well, I believe the Vietnamese food here is made from Charles Phan's Slanted Door so it should not surprise us.
So go here for their decent selection of food, tasty bites but don't come here to have a big lunch or dinner because the portions are more for snacking and don't come here to get value on your meal. It's more to take a break and grab a seat to rest your feet from all the walking around at the new Academy.... -
Review from ting b.
New York, NY
6/21/2009
:(
I really love the museum, it's wonderful! But the cafe? YUCK.
I've eaten here 3 times, only once willingly. I ordered pho the first time (the noodles are NOT the normal pho noodles I'm used to and the broth is not nearly as flavorful), a chicken quesadilla the second time (this was the best) and a chicken salad the last time I was here. OMG the chicken salad tasted like weeds and rabbit food that even a rabbit would reject, and it set me back $10.50 and seriously, it was like a handful of sprigs, mango slices and some chicken. NOT GOOD NOT GOOD.
I had to go back and order a slice of bread pudding because I was so hungry after that salad. My cousin, who I took to the museum, ordered a beef pho and shrimp and beef spring rolls. That, plus my salad and bread pudding, came out to $43 DOLLARS.
Never again. Next time I am packing fig newtons. -
Review from Rayna L.
San Francisco, CA
12/28/2010
While wandering the Academy, your tummy may begin to grumble. When the aquarium exhibits start reminding you of sushi, you're really in trouble. Fear not! The Academy Cafe has a wide range of delicious food to choose from that will please everyone in your party!
I usually can't get past the soup station since the chicken pho is under Charles Phan's direction and he is pretty much gourmet Vietnamese cuisine royalty in SF. The meat spring rolls are super filling and make you wanna tell your nibbling sister to get her own order.
Yes, it's a little pricey, but what do you expect from a tourist attraction food cafe?! The food is yummy and filling and I'd much rather eat this food than something from a hot dog stand!! FOR SURE check it out when you're at the Academy!
*Careful when finding seats during the lunch rush. People can get a little cray cray when they're hungry and have nowhere to sit. -
Review from Christine C.
San Francisco, CA
11/23/2008
A bit on the pricey side but then again it's a museum and it's the ACADEMY OF SCIENCES! They've got to find a way to make back the money they spent on remodeling this wonderful place!
I don't usually eat at museums and like venues because the food is so expensive! But we were starving, gave in and were pleasantly surprised!
Penne pasta with pesto and roasted vegetables - $10 and TO DIE FOR. I've never experienced museum/zoo/venue food like this before. Totally awesome. Good portion too!
Also had the Vietnamese style rice noodle dish with halibut. Pretty good. Also about $10.
Cafeteria style system with trays and get-your-own-utensils counter. I never knew museum food was THIS good. Can't wait to go back! -
Review from Dan M.
San Francisco, CA
10/17/2008
PRICE
For "ball park" "got you buy the nugs" scenario that it is... well... that's what it is! :) On the up side, you can get some good cookies for a buck and if you look around enough, some items are closer to worth the price than not. Case in point, the guacamole is only $3 when "cheaper" taco places will charge you up to $8! But the tacos... way over priced.
FISH N CHIPS
After walking the floor like a math minded drooling zombie, I finally settled on the Fish and Chips. And they were good! The guy making them really cared about what he was doing, or seemed to! Good chips, good fish, carefully and freshly prepared. The tartar sauce was well made. 12 bones, but not far off from what I'd pay at most FnC places and better in most cases IMO.
SALT AND VINEGAR
Salt is out past the register. Vinegar may not be out there so grab a little tub thing and head back to the FnC station. Whoever is back there will gladly get you some vinegar. :) -
Review from Allan M.
San Francisco, CA
6/17/2010
After taking a bunch of students around...I HAD to eat something...even if it was overpriced cafeteria food! But surprisingly enough, this was overpriced REALLY GOOD cafeteria food!
I chose the "Slow Cooked" station immediately because their options looked tasty. They had Tofu Curry, Pork Ribs, Irish Beef Stew, and Lemon Chicken...which all came with a side for no additional fee (would be $3 by itself).
I ended up sampling and ordering the Tofu Curry over a generous portion of brown rice. The whole plate was very filling and cost me $10.40....not really that bad considering places like Naan and Curry charge just about that much for less than what I got.
The man working at that station was really nice to me as well!
An uncomplicated experience on a very complicated day! Take 150 kids on a field trip here and you'll know what I mean. -
Review from Maile N.
10/17/2009
All 3 times I've been to the California Academy of Sciences, I've always managed to eat here - because I love it! The prices are ok to me, not too exorbitant as the dishes are tasty and light and so worth it. Today, I had the Vietnamese chicken salad - yum! & a pork bun - also very tasty! My bf had a ham sandwich, which was pretty good and satisfying.
You can get free refills on coffee during your visit at the Academy, just keep your receipt handy and fill up a new cup when you need a pick-me-up throughout your day. We came back later for a little ice cream sandwich (oatmeal cookie with honey cream ice cream) and a separate cup of coconut & lime sorbet - we enjoyed these immensely!
Next time I'm at the Academy, I'll be here at the Cafe for lunch!
Lunch for 2+ice cream = $36 -
Review from Cathy M.
Union City, CA
7/2/2011 2 photos
The food here is pretty decent for being inside a museum. It's overpriced because I guess that's how this place makes their money just like any other museum. It's a food court atmosphere with different types of cuisine ranging from Chinese to Mexican to American. The first time I went here I tried the steamed pork buns which are very tasty. They also come in vegetarian and chicken both of which are equally yummy. The second time I ate here, I had the carnitas nachos and hubby had the fried chicken with fries. Generous portions but the only setback is the prices.
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Review from Diana Lyn M.
Vallejo, CA
9/24/2009
So, maybe I had some good eats, here?! Ok, ok, this place is so expensive! I just went last week during the day and tonight for NightLife and I spent $16 tonight for a bowl of spaghetti and the coconut tapioca and mango pot de creme. But oh my goodness...
Last week, my SO and I had the Moroccan chicken with preserved lemons, bread pudding, and the tapioca pudding topped with strawberries. The chicken was so tender and falling off the bone! Delicious! Kind of reminded me of Filipino chicken tinola, but without the chayote squash! Quite delicious, though, I must admit. I only wished I had rice to go with it.
Then on to the tapioca. It wasn't too sweet and the strawberries added a nice freshness to it. We both loved it. The bread pudding was good, but it would have been better if it were warmed.
Tonight I had the bowl of spaghetti with marinara sauce. It was a big bowl topped with Parmesan cheese. We also got the deep fried calamari with lemon aioli (it was just mayo + lemon--but I love mayo, so I'm not hating) and my friend and I also got the coconut tapioca with mango pot de creme for the each of us. It was all yummy.
Really, I just think about the pot de creme all the time now. Anyone know where you can get tapioca that good OUTSIDE of the Academy?! lol. -
Review from dj z.
Puget Sound, WA
9/23/2008
Wow. I got one of the first chances to taste the culinary expertise of Loretta Keller and Charles Phan at the new Cafe at the California Academy of Sciences. Didn't get to sit in the Moss Room yet (not open), but I got to try all sorts of stuff all day:
Veggie steamed bun (dim sum section) - wonderful texture to whatever was crunchy in there, probably water chestnuts? And the mushrooms inside were flavorful without being too salty, and the vermicelli glass noodles were a nice touch.
Curry chicken (slow cooked section) - also really flavorful without being overpowering like Indian curry can be. Bone was still in, yielding juicy meat.
Broccoli with chili flakes (slow cooked section) - fantastic veggie side. Chili wasn't too hot. YUM.
Brown rice (slow cooked section) - not mushy. Wasn't overcooked (which brown rice usually is!)
Vietnamese spring rolls (salad section) - great option for salad. If you want Imperial (deep fried) rolls, they were in the noodle section (since it comes on a bed of vermecelli). I think there was a mayo-like sauce in it which I wasn't too thrilled about; but otherwise the portion was a perfect bite-sized appetizer. It came with a peanut sauce, would love a fish-sauce option as well. These were ready made to order.
Creme brulee (dessert stand) - flat out, the best damned creme brulee I've had in a looooooooong time. Not too sweet, and had a rich vanilla caramel flavor without being overbearing.
Strawberry almond tart (dessert stand) - might have preferred if the almond paste/ filling was a little bit more almond flavored; strawberries were fresh, ripe and slightly tart, my favorite.
The soy latte was excellent, as well as their drip coffee.
Lychee infused iced tea - Great flavor. Perfect on a sunny day.
Not sure what the prices will be, but with an aquarium in the dining area, as well as outdoor seating and presumably fancier seating in the Moss Room, I am incredibly excited for this cafe. Yummers!
Link to Food and Wine mag:
http://www.foodandwine... -
Review from JAMES H.
San Francisco, CA
11/10/2008
Charles Phan and Loretta Keller teamed up on this cafe which provides good food for the zillions of people at the academy. We went around noon Sunday and it was packed inside but we got thru the lines quickly. They have seperate stations for hot foods, cold foods and sandwiches. You should basically just go up to the area where they are serving what you want rather than waiting in the first line you see as it might not be what you want.
I had a mixed green salad with beets, and goat cheese for $8 which was tasty. They also had available a chicken salad, soups, sandwiches, spring rolls, and a variety of hot plates. The prices are $3-$11 which was really reasonable for good food at a public city museum.
This really beats crappy burgers, hot dogs, fries, and two day old sandwiches that you get at some sporting events. I can't really believe that some people are complaining about the prices. I spent $45 for the three of us and we really enjoyed the braised pork tacos, chips and salsa, and vegetable escabeche.
The interior seating was pretty crowded but we found a place to sit. We checked outside and there was some seating, but it was a little windy.
I would definately eat here again when visiting the museum. If you cant afford $15 per person, you might want to pack a lunch or bring some snacks to eat. There is also a large atrium in the center of the museum which sells drinks and a few sandwiches, but I saw people eating their own food in there. -
Review from Marissa C.
San Francisco, CA
1/22/2009
First off, why is this the first thing you see when you walk into the Academy of Sciences? That was not expected, especially for all the fancy design work that went in to the new building, you would want exhibits as the main attraction instead you get this cafe.
The line was super long to get food and I ordered the organic bean soup, bread pudding, and a coffee. Both the soup and the dessert were fairly flavorless and it wasn't even worth the calories to finish them. The coffee was tasty though, I can't remember where they get it from but I definitely enjoyed it. -
Review from Eduardo C.
Sacramento, CA
3/23/2009
Eclectic and fun and not pricey if you take into consideration how much the food goes towards paying for the reconstruction of the museum. They gotta make their money back somehow, and if you've been to the museum before the current reincarnation you'd understand.
I got a falafel wrap for around $8. Not bad. Go to any high-end museum in NYC, LA, or Boston and the cafeteria price for such an item would be more expensive than at the Academy Cafe.
Bonus points for being very efficient in waste disposal with all that love-the-Earth sentiment.
