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American Cupcake
Categories: Food Bakeries Restaurants American (New) Bakeries, American (New) [Edit]
1919 Union St(between Laguna St & Charlton Ct)
San Francisco, CA 94123
Neighborhood: Marina/Cow Hollow
(415) 896-4217
- Hours:
Tue-Thu 11 am - 10 pm
Fri 11 am - 12 am
Sat 10 am - 12 am
Sun 10 am - 9 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage, Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dessert
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
524 reviews for American Cupcake
Review Highlights
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"I love fried chicken and I love red velvet cupcakes." In 176 reviews -
"Oh, and they actually have cotton candy there." In 80 reviews -
"...lighter than most cream cheese frosting, but really good." In 31 reviews
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524 reviews in English
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Review from Vanessa C.
Berkeley, CA
5/12/2012
Your inner child will explode at American Cupcake. Here's why this place is awesome:
1.) Red Velvet Fried Chicken: Think less like chicken-hiding-in-cake and more like chicken fried with a red velvet crust. A crunchy, heavenly, never-knew-it-could-be-like-this red velvet crust.
2.) Candied Apple Pork Ribs: I can't even really talk about them. You just have to eat them. I'm not usually a rib person, but these are so delicious and tender.
3.) Jalapeño Whoopies: A savory twist on dessert, these were a perfect compliment to the pork ribs.
4.) Specialty Alcoholic Drinks: With whipped cream, sprinkles, graham crackers, pop rocks, or anything else you might be missing from your childhood birthday parties (which they also do before the dinner crowd)
5.) Cupcakes: S'mores (insanely delicious and sweet), chocolate peanut butter (you won't believe how delicate a peanut butter frosting can be), salted caramel and red velvet. All available in mini for those who want to try tons.
6.) Devin (owner): Devin is gracious, professional and accommodating. If anything is less than amazing, just find her (or Yelp about it ;-)), and she'll make it up to you.
Something to watch out for:
The wait staff can be slow and hard to get to notice you. Make sure you to bring an old friend and don't have to be anywhere for a while. -
Review from Angelica R.
Pittsburg, CA
Definitely 5 stars for the ambiance, decor and wine parings for the cupcake.
As soon as you walk in, you are immersed in color! The ceiling is ever changing and they have glass blown circles hanging. Almost mirroring a chandelier!
They have an awesome display of cupcakes, each in their own slot! They are all decorated name appropriately and very fancy, I might add.
The bathroom can use a bit of sprucing up so to speak. It's very tiny but clean. I guess that's all that matters.. Is cleanliness! The bathroom has a really cool pink and purple lighting that turns the bathroom a whole different color! My niece and nephew loved that!
Now for the cupcakes: I'd rate them 3 stars.
I was a tad bit disappointed! I went in with high hopes of finding the best cupcake eatery ever! I mean c'mon.. They offer wine pairings! What's not to love?
The cake itself seemed pretty dry. The cotton candy whipped cream for the cupcake was perfect though. It was slightly sweet and not over baring. It had a vanilla cake base. They also put a mini cotton candy in your treat.
The salty vanilla caramel had a chocolate cake for its base. Once again it was dry. This is my new favorite flavor to try at bakeries, so I was so hoping this one would blow me away. The topping was definitely sweet (I needed milk to fully enjoy this one) and you couldn't really taste the caramel. I did like however- they kept the 'saltiness' of it to a serious minimum. Which I thoroughly enjoyed. The best salty vanilla caramel cupcake (I like the vanilla cake base better) I've ever had is from Sinful Bliss Bakery in Pleasant Hill. It was amazing! It had melted caramel inside the vanilla cake (American Cupcake take note!).
I also ordered the pixie cupcake. Same M.O. and it had a bit of an orange taste to it, so I enjoyed it. It had a little bit of the pixie candy sprinkled on top.
The s'mores cupcake was DEVINE!! OMG! The topping was whipped marshmallow and some graham cereal. It had a chocolate cake as its base. This ones cake was actually moist and delicious. I would recommend this one.
I also ordered the chocolate peanut butter and it had a mini Reese's cup on top. The whipped topping was a creamy peanut butter and it too had a chocolate base. Not as moist as the s'mores but not as dry as the salty vanilla caramel.
I so regret not trying the coconut one! It looked great and my sister said it was pretty good. She doesn't like coconut anything! I'm on a fein for coconut! It's so good!
They have a menu of food as well. I did not try any of their food because I was strictly on a mission for their cotton candy cupcakes. But I did see the menu and they have a lot of playful items for it. Like red velvet fried chicken.. Hmmm, idk about that!
The mission continues to find the best cupcakes in the Bay Area! -
Review from Tiffany E.
San Francisco, CA
4/28/2012 1 Check-in Here
A couple friends and I tried a bunch of snacks at American Cupcake one night. We stepped in and were greeted by colorful mood lighting, think- Virgin America for desserts. The clean, white counter and table tops contrasted with the rainbow array of cupcakes and sweets on display. After some indecision over the tempting menu, my friends and I ordered: American Nachos, Pulled Pork Sliders, and Fried Oreos. I also ordered a "Mexican" coffee.
What, exactly, are American Nachos you ask? The menu describes them as "buffalo sauce soaked celery and bleu cheese served over waffle fries." However, our fries were served smothered in sauce. The first few bites were delish, but they got real hot and real salty, real fast. Good thing we had the Sliders to cut the saltiness. These were nicely complimented by the heat of the pickled jalapenos, although the bun was a bit dry. I enjoyed the first half of the Mexican coffee, which is a basic latte with condensed milk, but once it cooled it was too sweet. The Fried Oreos were my fave. I officially love fried oreos more than fried twinkies!
My one complaint was the slow service. We came in around 10pm and the place was empty except for 1 or 2 tables of customers. They seemed well-staffed (at least 3 people behind the counter, plus additional kitchen staff). However, we waited 15 min before our order was taken and about 30 min for the food. Luckily, I was in good company! -
Review from sean n.
Daly City, CA
5/22/2012
It would be nice if their cupcakes weren't so dense. It had flavor but was so heavy that I felt full after one bite. What the heck?
The place is nice and the people seem friendly but they really need to cut down adding so much ...whatever...that makes the cupcakes so heavy. -
Review from Shannon W.
San Rafael, CA
5/24/2012
Thank goodness for a cupcakery that doesn't look like a young girl's bedroom! American Cupcake is definitely for adults (although kids are welcome) and has a cool, funky vibe with vibrant "bubble" lights and white sofas. I absolutely love their cupcakes, especially the snowball and tan & black; they were very moist and simply devine. I wasn't blown away with their lounge menu (red velvet fried chicken?), but there are some less crazy options that are mostly diner-esque. Overall, American Cupcake is a new favorite of mine, especially if you want to take a break from the cutesy cupcakeries and indulge your sweet-tooth in style.
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Review from Bob A.
Oakland, CA
5/20/2012
Went to this place with a group of people for a good friend's birthday. She made the reservation via open table but this place screwed up and not included us in the list and that was the beginning of a very disappointing experience with this place. Don't be fooled by the red velvet cake fried chicken - dry, no flavors at all, over rated signature drinks. It's definitely not for foodie; unless you just want to experience an all white cupcake place, go their buy your cupcake which is nothing really special considering there are already many places who make better cup cakes, walk in and walk out. Very disappointed ! But at least we were given free drinks and free cupcakes for screwing up with the reservation. NOT GOING BACK at all and waist my money, not worth it !
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Review from Mia B.
Daly City, CA
Updated - 5/14/2012
If you're thinking all you can get at American Cupcake is delicious desserts --- you definitely won't be disappointed with the dessert options, especially the cupcakes and cupcake variations :) --- THINK AGAIN!
Some of the most innovative, forward thinking and taste tempting food are on their menu! From Red Velet Fried Chicken to Banana Bread Stuffed French Toast these cullinary delights will not disappoint.
My kids had the Bacon and Cheddar Cheese pancakes and they loved them! My dish --- I splurged on the Banana Bread Stuffed French Toast --- was excellent! I ate and enjoyed every single bite.
The atmosphere is fun, friendly and retro YET classy, stilish and for both grown ups and kids. This would be a fun casual 'couples night out' spot or great location for a kids birthday bash.
My kids took me here for Mother's Day brunch and it was FABULOUS!
The service team was welcoming, fun and fast. And the kitchen delivered nothing but first class.
Try the cinnamon rolls; they are amazing!
We will definitely be back to try more of their tempting dishes such as the Mac N Cheese pops or the Pink Popcorn Shrimp.
YUM!!!!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/13/2012
If you're thinking all you can get at American Cupcake is delicious desserts --- you definitely… Read more »
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Review from Ashley M.
San Francisco, CA
4/22/2012
This place is interesting, but is somewhere I would NEVER go. My dear friend who loves everything pop (Britney Spears, Spice Girls - yes, Spice Girls, Beach Blanket Babylon, etc.) decided to have his 30th birthday here. I arrived on Friday night, and felt like I'd stepped inside an iPod, or a futuristic sweet shop in Tokyo. It's all white inside, with straight lines, cold and hard furniture - all very modern - and hanging fluorescent blue / green / pink bubbles. Jars of candy and toppings line the walls.
Basically, you feel like you should be getting frozen yogurt, not cocktails. But whatever, it's different. I like the cocktail menu - mainly champagne based, and all very appetizing and creative. I chose The Fancy - champagne with grapefruit and elder flower. It was tasty, but the grapefruit and elderflower flavors were overpowered by the champagne. A bit pricey for the size (a typical champagne flute, and it was $9), but I suppose that's to be expected in this part of town. The second drink I ordered was The Shameless - champagne, mint, grapefruit, and something else I'm forgetting. Again, it was good, but it pretty much just tasted like a glass of champagne. The presentation was pretty though. And that one came in a bigger glass, which I appreciated. Most of their cocktails come garnished with something sweet, like a jelly candy or whipped cream.
As everyone knows by now (from the other million Yelp reviews posted before mine), the menu has traditional carnival food, some with a twist - candy apply fried chicken, tater tots, pink caramel popcorn, mac and cheese, popcorn shrimp, etc. I had the tater tots, which were good (how can they not be? They're fried potato!), but the mac and cheese was a bit bland. Not thick enough; kind of soupy, and not much flavor. I also tried the banana pudding - that was tasty.
Lastly the cupcakes were sub-par. With all the amazing cupcakes places in this city, this is not somewhere I'd recommend.
The night here was fun, but again, it's not somewhere I'd come on my own. I can't really see it being anyone's Friday or Saturday night destination, unless you're in a sorority, or having some kind of ultra girly night out. -
Review from Michelle G.
San Mateo, CA
5/15/2012
I have really mixed feelings about this place. I love the decor, frosting, and snowballs. Actually they have the best snowballs ever! I hate the revolving door of annoying employees, the cake part of the cupcake, and the fact I've bee here 10 million times and never seen the owner or a manager or anyone who really gives a damn about the business working there.
Like another review said, the cupcakes are dense and taste stale. If I'm going to eat something bad for me I want it to really be worth it! I want fresh, fluffy cupcakes. I usually just eat the frosting.
I started coming here for the s'more cupcakes alone until one day they didn't have them and the girl working there said they are only making them on weekends. So I started coming on weekends and they never had them. So then I started calling before I drove all the way there and they still never had them. I was told they are made only on Saturdays and then told by someone else they are only made of Sundays. So I finally stopped going. Don't have something on the menu if you aren't going to have it regularly and please train your staff to know when you are going to have a certain item so you don't waste customer's time.
I feel it's a real shame because this place has some serious potential. But in the end, a cupcake place should have good cupcakes and friendly service. -
Review from Christy M.
San Francisco, CA
5/10/2012
Wonderful! I had grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup. Everything was very good. Don't miss trying the tater tots with wasabi. Chocolate carmel salted shake was amazing and finished off the fabulous birthday feast. Couldn't even think about cupcakes place was strange and wonderful. The service was friendly. I would highly recommend this little place.
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Review from Scott A.
San Francisco, CA
4/8/2012
Cute little shop that specializes in cupcakes, and serves regular food too However, I think they need to revamp their cupcake recipes. In my humble opinion, they are quite bad overall. I tried several varieties and all had very little flavor to very artificial flavor. The cake portion was dense, doughy and tasteless.
I'm sure that a young child would be just fine with these cupcakes, but not a grown-up with fully formed taste buds and palate.
If you are going to specialize in something, you should really do it right. -
Review from Kevin J.
I couldn't figure out whether I was at a rave or a cupcake joint. the menu items are a bit confusing with coffee being served-up on one, cupcakes on the other and the third was a mixed bag of treats. The furthest spot was a wall of candy-filled jars lined against it and although beautiful, it seemed to lack point or interest. Upon entering you get an instant arousal from all of the fancy choices in delectable cupcakes that can be had. Good flavors, a bit different and exciting to try them all. They also provide custom flavors upon placing orders for new creations.
I was in it for the coffee this afternoon so although a cupcake wasn't had I feel like my experience warranted a 2-star review for now (I will be back for a cupcake or two and hope my mind will change). I decided to order the "Spanish" coffee which is a blend of regular and condensed milk. The drink was a bit too hot and you can tell it smelled a bit burnt. Whether that was the result of old re-warmed black coffee or over-heated milk, something tasted off. Once the drink cooled down the flavor wasn't half bad. It was all bad. The burnt aspect never wore-off and the coffee just tasted used. I'm not doubting the "barista's" skills but maybe I should've just grabbed a cupcake and called it a day.
The lights on the ceilings, although unique, could easily cause seizures, so be aware - and bring your glow-sticks. -
Review from Rachel G.
When walking into this place I felt like I was visiting a cupcake store in the future. The white leather interior to the variety of lighted colored balls above the ceiling was pretty futuristic. The choices of cupcakes were overwhelming. Which one to choose from. They even had cupcakes with a lollipop on top. My mouth started to drool with all the variety of cupcakes and whoopee pies.
Finally decided to purchase the Mint Chocolate and Chocolate Salted Caramel. I'm a little torn as whether I like it or not. The Mint Chocolate icing was great but the cake was somewhat dry. As for the Chocolate Salted Caramel the cake was moist but the icing was too sweet. Not enough salt in my opinion. I was thinking I bet this would taste good if you added bacon to the top. I feel the cupcakes were ok but I've had better. The ambiance is definitely cool and they also have outdoor seating.Listed in: CUPCAKE WARS!!!
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Review from Naomi M.
San Francisco, CA
3/31/2012
I liked the decor more than I liked the cupcakes, but they certainly were better than some of the other high-rated places around...and they are the best on Union Street.
I would come back. -
Review from Theresa C.
San Francisco, CA
4/9/2012
I came here with a friend, and we only got cupcakes, so I cannot speak on the food. But the cupcakes were pretty darn tasty.
The interior is very...white. Lots of vinyl, white chairs, white floor, etc etc etc and then all the non-white--the lights on the ceiling, the jars of candy, the cupcakes--really pop and stand out. I got a lemon cupcake, my friend got salted caramel, and we both thoroughly enjoyed them. Mine was really delicious, the cake was dense and not too sweet, and the frosting was a little more lemon-y but still had a sweet cream taste to it. It was a crazy sugarbomb of a cupcake, so don't come here expecting innovative and subtle flavors in your cupcake. These are bam-in-your-face flavors, and that was just what I was in the mood for. So yummy!
My friend and I are already talking about returning here, even though I'm sure there are plenty of other cupcake joints in the city that we could try out. But tell me this: would they have a photo booth there? That's right, this place has a photo booth. So it automatically wins. -
Review from John L.
San Francisco, CA
5/13/2012
I had dessert here before cupcakes are ok. I just recently decided to give them another shot and try their brunch. I waited 35 MINUTES for my order. I remind you that there were 6 waiters standing around 2 were working while others just stood around. All the table were not full and I was just one person. When I brought up the point that I waited 30 plus min for my order he said it was usually is quicker sorry.
Finally when my food came out it was ok, not anything to wait for that along and it was over priced. Service was not great my server never came to check up on me in between waiting for my order. I had to flap him down after 25 min to ask about my order and still waited 10 min after that. PROBABLY WILL NOT GO BACK TO GIVE IT ANOTHER CHANCE, WHEN PRICES ARE CHARGED THIS HIGH I SHOULD GET MY ORDER IN A TIMELY FASHION. -
Review from Grace P.
Daly City, CA
5/7/2012
I thought this place was cool since it had Red Velvet Fried Chicken but eh their service was a little off. Not sure if I'm just used to really good service or places are hiring dumb asses now a days but the guys that worked there were just dumb. On the menu is a cupcake sandwich. A cupcake sandwich is similar to an ice cream sandwich where they put ice cream in between 2 cupcake tops, at least that's what the menu said. When we told the guy behind the counter we wanted a cupcake sandwich he said, oh well we don't have those kind of sandwiches but we have red velvet fried chicken. WTF? I see cupcakes and I see a soft serve ice cream maker you dumb a$$. YOU ARE an IDIOT. Cupcakes are good but Sprinkles is still #1 for me.
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Review from Jammir G.
San Francisco, CA
3/12/2012 1 Check-in Here
Sorry but your red velvet chicken made me vomit. Not really but it has made my top 3 worst fried chicken experiences list. Third only to Kennedys fried chicken in Poughkeepsie NY and just about any Church's chicken establishment. Not even because of the red velvet gimmick, it was dry, had no seasoning or flavor just what there was from the breading. It was weird they gave me a leg, a thigh and... a chicken strip? Cutlet? I didn't know you were giving out chicken strips with the meal! Did I mention the chicken was dry? Holy cr@p, it was so dry it crumbled. Like it just wasnt dry but like something else had been done to it... Maybe the chicken was old? Anyhoo, the chicken was just YIKES! Plus the mashed potatoes had ZERO salt in them n the cole slaw was meh.
So why 3 stars?
Your chocolate cupcake (not the frosting) is by far the best chocolate cupcake I've ever had. Better than Teacakes in Emeryville and if you knew me you'd know that I am Teacakes #1 fan. If i could take your chocolate cake and put Teacakes chocolate frosting on it I would have the ultimate chocolate cupcake. I just might have to do that one day. Your carrot cake is also solid. The bubblegum had good flavor but the cake was stale. Are you guys saving day old food back there?? No bueno! (I swear I didn't eat 3 cupcakes i had bites n I'm saving the rest for later!!! Actually no, I had the entire chocolate cupcake lol...)
Anyhoo, chicken = o.O chocolate cupcake not the frosting = :o) -
Review from Joann A.
New York, NY
4/7/2012
I have never been served by such incompetent people in my entire life. And its just cupcakes, ladies...its just cupcakes.
As a general matter, their cupcakes are not bad. Not the best, but when one is in San Francisco and has a cupcake and wine craving at 10 p.m., there is really only one place a person can go to. The best cupcake they have is the red velvet - the cream cheese frosting is not overbearing and the cake is moist.
For a cupcakery, their wine selection is quite impressive. The cupcake and wine flights are the best thing on the menu where you are served 3 mini cupcakes paired with 3 different wines. We had the "Tunnel of Love" flight - that were 3 different chocolate cupcakes with 3 different red wines. The glasses were generous and the wine truly complemented the different flavors of the cupcakes.
Unfortunately the same cannot be said for the staff. Service is slow and they have no idea about the wine they are serving. When presented with our 3 mini cupcakes and 3 glasses of wine, the waitress hardly knew what wine she poured us and she nonchalantly chuckled off. Girlfriend, its on the menu.
On a prior visit, when I asked for a recommendation for a wine that would complement my red velvet cupcake, the waitress said she was new and had no idea. Why does it seem like all the waitresses here are new?
I think management needs to get Lauren Hill up in here and educate their staff on the menu. This place is inefficiency at its best. -
Review from Jordan R.
Campbell, CA
4/8/2012
I'll never go back. Yes, that's right -- I'm providing a summary as the introduction. Why? Simple, and here are the reasons:
I initially wanted to go to American Cupcake because of the Red Velvet Deep Fried Chicken which piqued my interest and because it's just such an esoteric combination.
The lighting as mentioned by some reviewers is interesting. I can handle the Glow Stick blue and pink which throws an eery sheen on everything the light spills on. Despite that, the store seemed clean and well lit.
Being a cupcake shop, it seemed odd to me that a server would come take my order, but that's the way it works apparently. It seems more efficient to me since it's more of a casual shop that I'd order at the counter, pay and then just pick up my food, cupcakes, etc.
I opted to sit outside under the heat lamps waiting for my food. Tick tock, tick tock...first the water came out...tick tock...tick tock...then nothing? For an hour? Wow...at exactly the moment I stood up getting ready to leave, the food comes out. No "hey, I'm sorry it took so long," or "there was a problem....." Nope - just "here's your food."
Now I really was looking forward to this Red Velvet coated chicken wings, but it was overly done as if someone had dropped it in a deep fat fryer and had forgotten about it for half an hour...or maybe a little longer? Hmmm... The coating parted with the chicken with one swipe of the fork. I was bummed. Lastly, while the menu did mention "chicken wings" I was left to ponder (DURING MY HOUR WAITING) how would I eat these -- I had my answer when it finally came out. These weren't really wings (which I'm ok with) but rather a tenderized chicken leg, thigh, and some other unidentifiable piece. What was missed, however, were the bones, so they were literally pounded out with the meat causing them to sliver into a million pieces.
That aside they also offered "Cocoa infused slaw" as a side dish. I thought to myself "ok, not all is lost here," so I tried it. In no part of that "slaw" did I taste any "cocoa infused." I tasted shredded cabbage, maybe carrot -- but really, "wheeerres the cocoa?"
You'd think at this point I'd have enough sense to quit spending money at this place, but no. My mom always told me I had to learn lessons the hard way -- so I'm at a cupcake place, why wouldn't I get a cupcake? I mean, I'm here, right?
I ordered a Salted Caramel cupcake with a non-descript "vanilla" frosting with caramel drizzle. Ok, it started out good but no ganache inside? What cupcake place serves cupcakes without a ganache filling? There's a special place reserved -- "the No Flight List" for both terrorists and cupcake shops that server cupcakes without ganache. Meh, it was ok.
What hard lesson(s) did I learn here? First the money spent -- while it wasn't expensive, it was money spent. :)
Second, I run endless treadmill miles and work out in part so I can enjoy empty calories. In the end, I was sad to have put these empty calories in my body. Very sad. -
Review from Audrey V.
San Francisco, CA
I love AC for after dinner desserts & drinks. Feels a little loungy, has fun loud music great to continue a night out the with the girls or a little date night on Union street. I bring out of towners here all the time for a little something different. Their cupcakes are unique flavors, to be honest they're a little denser then my preference, but I just like the whole environment so much I come back again and again even though they're not my move favorite cupcake in the city. My favorite treat is are the flights, they do the combo's of wine flights paired with the appropriate mini cupcakes, how cute is that?! During the day they have a peanut butter and jelly menu, I'm a peanut butter addict so every single combo sounds pretty damn good to me, they bake their own delicious bread and pair some really funky items, but they all come out delish.
So, obviously i've owed them a review for quite sometime, but today i was reminded of my love for AC because the hubbs and I went in to try out their new brunch menu and WOW! They hit the nail on the head. Clearly a bakery should do brunch, they've got the sweet stuff down, but to add fried savory-ness to it is just scrumptious. Lots of items sounds extremely tempting, but I went with their banana bread french toast with pineapple cinnamon cream cheese frosting (OMG!) and the hubbs got their 'famous' red velvet fried chicken and waffles. Honestly we were looking forward to the food, (we'd been on a strict, healthy, super low carb diet the past few weeks) but we were kind of expecting it to be a let down. Not sure why, but we didn't think we were gong to be as wow'd as we were. We both took a bit and smiled at each other totally approving of our choices for our cheat day. The chicken was perfectly fried chispy outside moist inside but the red velvet made it have a sweet outside, so good. Same description to the waffles, crispy golden brown outside soft inside, big and fluffy. Really really good. We will for sure be back time and again now for brunch too. Good job AC, we love ya! -
Review from Fog City Girl L.
San Francisco, CA
2/20/2012
This is more than just a cupcake place. I've walked by there many times and I gain two pounds by just by the wonderful smell. The decor and lighting is also attractive. It's kind of Willy Wonka and Japanese Pop combined.
My family was visiting so they wanted to go in. It was Sunday afternoon and busy, but we got a booth in the back. We decided to stay and have lunch after looking at the menu. It was just the girls. I had a Chardonnay and shared the lobster roll. It was delish! The others had the hamburger sliders. They said it was good. The fries are tasty. The wine was fine.
The guy who waited on us was attentive, and made sure we were happy. It was my cousin's birthday so we got her the salted caramel cupcake with a lit candle. It was sinfully awesome and moist.They played the happy birthday tune on the music system and the ceiling bulbs flickered colored lights. The birthday had a trick candle that wouldn't blow out easily. Nice touch!
On the way out we looked at all the colorful cupcakes. Cotton Candy, Black and Tan, and more. Attractive cupcakes!
Some if my cousins went back to get cupcakes for hubbies and the boys. They put them in my car to shop on Union Street. Later they remembered to get them out. Drats! I guess I'll have to go back in there to get a cupcake...er chardonnay...er crispy apple salad! -
Review from Sarah C.
3/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
My friend and I walked by while doing some shopping. My friend said she heard good things about this place and it looked very hip and interesting from the outside. We both ordered mini cupcakes for $2/mini in the presence of a stark white walls illuminated by soft colored lights and there is a photo booth you can take fun pictures with your closest friend for $5.
So my friend dropped her mini after paying. The girl who helped us gave her a replacement which I thought was so sweet. + star
I would be so sad for my friend if she didn't get to eat her cupcake. The cupcakes were pretty tasty and I didn't feel that it was too sweet. I don't like too sweet.
I wouldn't mind coming back and actually dining in. -
Review from d p.
Oakland, CA
5/2/2012
This place is cute, it's different. The cupcakes are alright, I've had better. I went here for Sunday brunch, the food was better than expected. I had the huevos rancheros, very tasty! I wasn't adventurous enough to try their red velvet chicken and waffles, I heard mixed reviews, but was very happy with my final choice. I love the idea of the cupcake and wine pairing, but am hesitant because the cupcake I tried was just ok.
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Review from Wez I.
San Francisco, CA
4/13/2012
Having lived in the Georgia for almost 10 years I've had a glimpse of Southern Hospitality and good Barbecue. Since moving to SF 2 years ago I have scoured the City for a decent rack -- American Cupcake's Candy Apple Ribs are moist, smooth and the meat falls right off the bone.
The retro-modern decor and lighting sets at fun atmosphere and the staff are attentive, friendly and knowledgeable. -
Review from Grace anne D.
Concord, CA
P.S: For everyone who is saying "what's a cupcake without the cake?!" the answer is: CUP. Teehee.
Made reservations for Valentine's Day because I thought it would be cute to come here and the picture's I've seen made me really want to go.
Came here after the SF pillow fight and it was so cold ! But right before we entered in, I felt some heat: they have heaters outside for their outdoor seating.
Walk in, cute and colorful cupcakes to the right and a photo booth to the left. Everything was white, a beam of light blue because of the lights and modern looking. A girl instantly greeted us as we walked in and asked us if we were going to take some cupcakes to go or sit down and eat, I was a bit confused because I thought she was going to ask me if we had reservations haha I guess I thought it would be busy because it was Valentine's Day but it wasn't, which was a good thing.
Got seated down and there was a cute little reserved sign on our table (posted a pic). Our waitress was Lisa and she was one of the nicest waitress' I've ever met. She talked us through the menu, but we already knew what we wanted :)
Ordered their street taco's as an appetizer. You get 3 taco's ($8), they were super delicious and flavorful, really messy, but tasty. After that we got our red velvet fried chicken with their cream cheese mashed potato's.($13) The RVFC wasn't what I expected, it wasn't amazingly good, their cream cheese mashed potato's tasted delicious though. I stopped eating my RVFC because I don't know, I just couldn't do it anymore. I realized now (the day after) that it was missing some salt to it because when I re-heated it today and added salt, it tasted 100% more better than yesterday. Maybe all the sweetness made my tongue numb.
After that, we ordered a meal to go, I forgot the name but it was their waffle fries smothered with their buffalo sauce, pieces of celery and some chunks of bleu cheese. ($7). I'm not a fan of buffalo sauce at all, but their waffles fries tasted good and crunchy.
Before we left, we tried their cotton candy cupcake and their pixie stix cupcake. Their cotton candy cupcake tasted good, but I didn't really taste cotton candy in it. It just tasted like a sweet cupcake. The vanilla cake was moist but it tasted heavy, not light and fluffy. The pixie stix tasted the same too, I have no idea why they all tasted the same, probably my tongue being numb from RVFC :( I got another cotton candy and pixie stix to go, still haven't tried it again yet, I hope my tongue changes it's mind !
Overall, very good experience and the lighting inside is amazing. No TV needed :) I will definitely come back to try out their other savory foods and their bubblegum cupcake. -
Review from Lauren W.
Pittsburg, CA
2/9/2012
The red velvet was so disappointing. I love cupcakes so the flavorless brick that was served to me was not what I was looking for. The frosting tasted like cream cheese with no sugar added.
The salted caramel was a little better but not by much. I will never buy another cupcake from them again. Stick to Kara's or Sift!
I wrote this review while eating a Kara's cupcake! -
Review from Ellen L.
pancakes, cupcakes, and cocktails; what more could a girl ask for?
since the 1st time i came here, they've definitely expanded. what used to be a purely cupcake bakery, has now transformed into a full-blown restaurant! they serve brunch (pancakes, eggs and the like) as well as popular snack foods (mac 'n cheese, waffle fries, nachos), in addition to their massive selection of cupcakes. they also serve wine and cocktails, and pair them with cupcakes, which is something very unique. don't think i've ever seen this at another cupcakery before. there is quite a bit of seating inside, and some seating outside.
on this visit, i just had a miniature red velvet cupcake ($2). the cake was moist and had the light cocoa flavour; frosting was cream-cheesy, and not overly sweet; garnish was a nice touch, a few morsels of semi-sweet chocolate. overall, a good, solid cupcake.
they have some very interesting and unique cupcake flavours that i'd like to try next time, such as bubblegum, pixie stix, and worms in dirt. i'm also very curious to try their brunch plates one of these days.Listed in: Cupcake Wars
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Review from Melissa S.
Fairfield, CA
5/15/2012
Had Mother's Day Brunch here. We had to sit at the bar since we had no reservation but it was more entertaining for my daughter (age 10) so that was cool. Kinda surprised it wasn't busier. They had tables reserved. All the dishes we have tried have been above and beyond. Cupcakes themselves are good too.
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Review from Anna S.
San Francisco, CA
5/11/2012
I think i have tried all the cupcake flavors they have and i love them all. My favorite is the chocolate peanut butter one :). I actually had dinner there once, my mom was visiting me and we wanted something super casual and decided to stop there for some food and of course cupcakes. With cupcakes, its all about the frosting, right? :) And i think their frosting is one of best i've had, the rest of the cupcake is pretty good too :) Anyway, I love this place, not only the cupcakes are yum, but i also love their ambiance and the photo booth (had drunk pics taken there on multiple occasions after a dinner on union street, love to stop by there for something sweet) :))
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Review from Marc K.
Burlingame, CA
Sorely disappointed, it tasted just okay. Way to sweet. Nothing Gluten Free
Interior ceiling is worth a look, it's cool, and will go when these folks go out of business which will be soon -
Review from Keilin H.
2/1/2012 2 photos
Peanut butter & jelly. Turkey & cranberry sauce. These things just GO together. I think there's a new addition though: RED VELVET CAKE BATTER & FRIED CHICKEN!
Trust me on this, it's not as gross as it sounds. It's just the right amount of sweet and savory. My friend and I both got the RVFC (Red Velvet Fried Chicken duh), but my friend got the one with the cream cheese mashed potatoes. Not a fan of the 'tatoes, but the chicken was good! It wasn't dry at all and the red velvet cake batter fries surprisingly well! Crispy, but not overdone!
Of course, this place is called American CUPCAKE, so we HAD to get some sweets too! Got a mini peanut butter chocolate cupcake, which was good, but nothing special. They had some pretty amazing whoopie pies that I'm planning to buy next time! :)
The ambiance is very...futuristic/space age. The lights were trippy and I think I would've preferred to eat without my food taking on a red tinge, wait, blue tinge, no wait...green tinge. I think if I took a video of it and watched it at home, it would relax me and make me sleepy (kind of like that swirly Mac screensaver), but not during my eating time :P
If I'm ever in the neighborhood, I'll stop by again. American Cupcake to satisfy my sweet tooth! -
Review from Remy K.
Daly City, CA
4/10/2012
I am a cupcake fanatic! and I absolutely love the cupcakes here! Of course, I've only tried their cupcakes once..but I thought they were moist and yummy! My favorite one so far is the cookies and cream one! The butterscotch one was a little too sweet but still good. They also have a lot of other types of dessert, such as cake pops, cotton candy, and whoopie pies! They have fun cupcake flavors and the place was really cute. After I was about to leave, I noticed that they served food so I will be back to try their food and more cupcakes!
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Review from Vanessa W.
Hayward, CA
4/22/2012
I went to this place with high expectations and was surprisingly let down. I tried a total of 4 cupcakes, black and tan, Oreo, red velvet with lemon icing and the lemon cupcake. All of them tasted interchangeable like they are made with the same dough and different food colorings. Basically, Very Bland and Very Doughy! So far the cupcake company cako taste way better. Yes the inside ambiance appeals your eye but what is the point if the basic selling point will not bring you back? If you like cupcakes then I recommend going somewhere else.
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Review from Cecille B.
San Jose, CA
3/28/2012
Don't let the bright, flashy lights lure you into this trap. It's obviously some well thought of scheme to attract people in because there's nothing else going on in there. I had the carrot and red velvet mini cupcakes. I still can't decide which one was more awful. They tasted like someone's first attempt at baking cupcakes. Like a flavorless, stale piece of a kind of baked good. Probably my most unfortunate cupcake experience.
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Review from Sus L.
Oakland, CA
2/6/2012
Went with my guy for the cupcakes. We got eight diff flavours to go and shared them with a group of friends.
Cupcakes: The consensus from everyone was the cake was dense and dry. Not moist at all. Either it's the recipe or they'd stayed out too long. Frosting was lighter than most which was a plus.
Banana pudding: Seemed whipped. Light and very sweet. Almost like eating the cupcake frosting.
Service: Nice staff in general. A new girl helped us and had to ask for help with the cash register and get help packaging everything up. For a cupcake order, it took too long to get out of there.
Two stars because a cupcake place should have great cake. -
Review from Leanne D.
San Francisco, CA
3/31/2012
These cupcakes are my crack. I have yet to find a better cupcake in SF.
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Review from Tiffany V.
San Francisco, CA
1/20/2012
I was home sick with a sudden fever and craving sweets when I actually managed to get someone to bring me cupcakes much to my surprise! He said he would bring them over around 8 and I was wondering where the fuck he would find a cupcake place open that late. I think this must be the only cupcake place open so late and he lives right by it. Lucky duck.
He brought me two cupcakes. We shared one in the car and he immediately exclaimed FUCK I WISH I NEVER TRIED ONE as if he was talking about his first time using heroin that led him down a spiral of addiction. I have no idea what flavor it was but it was amazing. The frosting was pink and fruity and the cake was white. He said it was angel food cake. I have no idea. It was so good. I want ten of them right now.
I shared the second one with my cousin. It was Red Velvet, her favorite. I've honestly never been a fan and this one just wasn't very good. The cake was so dense and flavorless and the frosting was mediocre. She didn't like it very much either but she told me this in between mouthfuls and scraping the cupcake wrapper so who fucking knows. I've definitely had better cake from $1 boxed mixes though and I was told they were $3 a cupcake. -
Review from Kristen E.
San Francisco, CA
This Cupcake shop turned out a sweet surprise! Not only do they serve cupcakes, but beer and champagne as well. Awesome!
We stopped in on an evening that we were celebrating the close of a deal my boyfriend had been working for the better part of the past year. We ordered red velvet & carrot cake mini cupcakes. :) I had the Pop champagne in mini bottle with a little straw & T was happy to have his fave beer which is Lone Star and soo nice to discover they carried. They've got a fun/funky, retro, cool decor. I like it.
This place is a perfect little shop to stop in for a treat. :) -
Review from Trevor B.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 3/19/2012
Place is still colorful and spunky! However I noticed food and drink portions are becoming smaller while the prices are still pretty high. My favorite item has always been their spiked milkshakes, and it went from being a pint to a tiny little glass. Doesn't seem like it's worth the money any longer unfortunately.
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3/8/2011
How can you NOT love this place?
I'm going to have to break this up into little bits.
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