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Axis Café and Gallery
Categories: Food Coffee & Tea Event Planning & Services Venues & Event Spaces Restaurants Breakfast & Brunch Coffee & Tea, Venues & Event Spaces, Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
1201 8th St(between Wisconsin St & Irwin St)
San Francisco, CA 94107
Neighborhood: SOMA
(415) 437-2947
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 8 am - 9 pm
Sat-Sun 10 am - 3 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Lunch, Brunch
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
472 reviews for Axis Café and Gallery
Review Highlights
"the reuben), and the best tomato basil soup I've had."
(in 35 reviews)
"Fried Egg Sandwich and the Braised Pork were both very good."
(in 16 reviews)
"Our bottomless mimosas were never empty."
(in 27 reviews)
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472 reviews in English
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Review from Arlene M.
2/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
Went here for some drinks and cheese on a Friday night. Their wines are reasonably priced and the pours were good. We only ordered one cheese, but the portion was quite generous and came with enough bread.
The space and atmosphere was comfortable yet modern, and the service was pretty good as well. I would go back here if I was in the area again. -
Review from Rina M.
Mountain View, CA
2/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
3.5 stars, really, its legit.
I came here for brunch and bottomless mimosas on a fine Saturday morning. The cafe itself is super industrial and artsy but cozy, too. The outdoor seating was nice with canvas drapes to block out the sun, which was super helpful cuz it was blazing hot.
The food: scrambled eggs, french toast, hash browns, and roasted plum crisp were all very good. Not amazing but def. good enough to take seconds.
Barring the fact that I fell down b/c I might have been white-girl-wasted, I liked this place. good times. -
Review from Shannon H.
San Francisco, CA
2/4/2012
BOTTOMLESS MIMOSAS on the weekend! If that isn't enough the space is nice, cozy and a good vibe from happy customers and happy staff.
It's a great place to go with a group of friends, sip on as many mimosas as you can handle, eat a nice brunch and enjoy the day.
The food is delicious too. Almond French toast with vanilla bean cream cheese... yes please. -
Review from Dana S.
San Francisco, CA
1/30/2012 1 Check-in Here
Warm atmosphere AND temperature thanks to fireplace =)
Really enjoyed my sangria. It was huge and delicious.
My friend really liked her ceviche and I enjoyed my soup. -
Review from Patricia M.
San Jose, CA
2/6/2012
Absolutely loved this place. Met here for a PR meeting, parking is a bit of a pain coming from the south bay, but once I got settled on the patio with my Italian soda and Duck salad - I was in heaven. I could have "worked" out there enjoying the afternoon sun all day.
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Review from Ezequiel R.
San Francisco, CA
1/27/2012
Axis Cafe is where it's at for Bottomless Mimosas.
A little out of the way from main streets and attractions sits this cafe by a billboard sign. You walk in and are refreshed by the openness of the restaurant. the art on the walls and the living room styled furniture gives you a cozy feeling while keeping its class.
You sit and are instantly greeted by a very friendly smile and offer "could I get you a drink to start off?" Why Yes miss, I'll take a bottomless mimosa on the double! Haha
While you are surrounded by friends and art there isn't much complaint. But what about the food? Oh yes, the food!
Besides from the Terrace Room in Oakland, this place has the best food served at very reasonable prices. I was shocked because normally Bottomless Mimosas doesn't coincide with great food (IE Lime) but this place serves it up!
Basically, this place is the best to get mimosas. You don't have as crazy crowd as Castro does but you still get your drink on. COME HERE!! -
Review from Will C.
1/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
One of the first and best brunches of 2012. The beautiful weather today made it all possible. My best friend Nance and I were looking to brunch in the SFarea and Axis was one of her new local favorites. Upon stepping inside, we were greeted by a young, hipster-inspired, and darling look-alike of Carey Mulligan. She told us that there would be a 20min wait for a table outside or immediate availability in the indoor dining area.
I took a look around the room and say several young families interdispersed among the thin tables and chairs. The one open table was a four-seater near the entrance windows. There were a lot of little ones around, best not divert them with our often crude adult talk. We opted for the outdoor patio, which I would later discover was a grand space worthy of this chic art community. Nance informed me that the cafe turns into a artist work space at certain times.
Standing then sitting near the door of Axis, we began chitchatting about adulthood and spotlight happenings in our lives. I eavesdropped on the first table talking about neck holds and karate throws (picked up on these words as I've watched the movie Warrior recently). A few puppies bounced across the room as they made the way from the back patio to the front entrance. 'Dog-friendly place,' I thought to myself --I should have brought the family pup as he's been socially neglected as the lot of us have been severely jetlagged.
The conversation bounced from serious to trackless subjects as we debated what to get off the coffee-stained menus that I was able to wiggle from the hostess. Between puppy adorations, I glanced back and saw that she had an uniquely delicate freckled neckline. She finally called us over by my name and guided us to the backdoor.
Our waiter was not another Mulliganalite, but rather a young fella with emotionless mannerisms. Not sure whether he was scared or happy to see us, we ordered a bellini and soda. The bellini was okay--they often are being my first bellini is the Dom Perignon standard and that was experienced in the post-college, eurotrip days in a bellini parlor tucked deep in the maze of streets and canals of Venice, Italy. Dam my good fortune and keen sense of taste in all things beautiful and luxurious, food and otherwise---dam I say! May my prowess overfloweth unto thee. Our waiter provided us with great service throughout the meal and I came to accept that his expressionlessness was just a part of his demeanor. Some smile, some don't, this kid was a kickass waiter in the later category.
For the main event, I ordered a medium rare bison burger accompanied by home fries. I missed the description of the fries in their entirety and was hoping for crispy narrow square pegs of starch. The mini-square style yellow potato home fries were a slight miss from my expectation with only specks of parmesan providing seasoning. The bison burger is amazing, one of the" best burgers of the year" contender-amazing. A juicy bison patty is layered into bacon, mushrooms, and thousand-island-like sauce within a well-formed brioche. The juiciness and flavors were perfect.
Nance had the Egg-in-a-Hole with a flank steak, egg, toast, yam medley that harmonized with each other in every bite. We also ordered the Almond French Toast, which I spotted on Yelp Quick Tips (thanks guys) and the french toast was scrumptious like the yelpers said. Bits of tangerine and grapefruit decorated three goliath blocks of bread (with a white smear of cream cheese on top each one of the three ladies). I poured maple syrup on each one and the resulting marbling made them look even better--and they tasted like art noveau.
Among the rear patio crowd sat several puppies (one was a Shiba Inu) and a large group of ladies celebrating a birthday of some sort. This was later confirmed by the celebratory ritual song. A nearby French couple went about their business as their young daughter sat there studying her food. I tried not to extend my vocal reach to the patrons as we talked about going-ons, life successes, and rants. Our meal ended with a quick mix-up of checks with the next table who was buzzing from their booze and trying to figure me and my BFF out since we sat down. If I were to come back, I'd like to test the bottomless mimosas and eggs bene. -
Review from Jean A.
1/12/2012
Came here for brunch a few Sundays ago. We got here at 10 am, right when it opened, and there were already a few tables occupied. No need for reservations though, this is not your typical insane brunch scene. I kinda like that about this place.
The space is gorgeous - modern but still warm. The fireplace is a nice touch and so is the outdoor seating space. This would actually be a perfect space for a small wedding. Anyway, I digress. The brunch menu is simple, perhaps a little sparse, but this is a cafe and not one of those crazy brunch places after all. I ordered the creamy quinoa dish and it was definitely heavy, enough for me to be very full after eating half of it. It was okay to me, but I probably wouldn't order it again. Overall a nice space to have a casual catch-up date with friends and loved ones over decent (and decently priced) food without the sceney-ness of your more popular brunch spots. -
Review from Olivia A.
San Francisco, CA
2/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
I've been here a few times...maybe 4? I wish the menu had more variety and wished the food tasted better. I wish it was more inviting and comfortable to be in.
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Review from Linh D.
San Francisco, CA
1/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
Came here with a girlfriend for lunch, happen to be one of those days the credit card machine is down and only cash was accepted.
It was a very comfy and homey ambiance with a fireplace and comfy couch seatings. Several people were there for coffee/tea and just use the Internet but my girlfriend and I was there to eat.
We were seated on a table in the back corner, it was table set that looks like it was suppose to be used outdoor then in but it was infested with ants!
We were moved to a different table and the ant issue was resolved. I ordered the turkey breast on cornbread sandwich
It was a very unique sandwich as the server says they make the cornbread in house. It was definitely different yet it wasn't a sandwich to me because there's no way for me to hold it in both my hands and eat it like a sandwich due to the delicate texture of the cornbread it just crumbles if I tried. A little jalapeño spice kick and sliced pumpkin which gave it a more interesting taste. It came with a choice of salad or potatoes and I had the salad, it was organic greens dressed in olive oil. Wasn't anything special but it was definitely a interesting sandwich to try. -
Review from Megan L.
12/21/2011
Axis Cafe is known more for brunch but their dinner isn't too shabby either.
I liked the bacon beignets, and the duck/cornbread/gravy was not a combo that I would've ever thought of, but it worked. The food isn't out of this world, but it's tasty and comforting in a homemade way.
The best part was that while the menu descriptions sound like they could come out of some fancy restaurant's kitchen, the food is VERY affordably priced compared to its SOMA and Potrero Hill neighbors. Starters are under $10 and entrees are under $15-- you can get a steak or fish for $14!
Would recommend for a "nice" dinner date that doesn't come close to breaking the bank. -
Review from Oriana C.
11/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place is super cute! We came here for brunch - for $22.00, we had the following -
Fruit Plate - strawberries, pineapple and all the melons.
Oatmeal crumble with greek yogurt, which was AMAZING!! Sweet.
Almond French toast - a little vanilla bean cream cheese and maple syrup. Oh Heaven.
Scramble - Mushroom, spinach and goat cheese. I didn't care for the goat cheese much but that's just me in general.
Braised Pork - salsa, beans, avocado and over easy eggs.
Sides: roasted potatoes and mixed green.
For $13.00, you get bottomless mimosa...
Enough Said. -
Review from Lisa W.
San Francisco, CA
11/8/2011
Beautiful Outdoor Oasis meets Mother's Charming Garden Party.
Wonderful little space for an intimate weekend brunch with my dearest gal pals, reminiscent of good times long gone since we've all unfortunately found ourselves inevitably grown with less time to spare.
The beautiful lush green backdrop with tiny garden lights strung high lent an airy and ethereal feel to the sunlit patio making the experience almost magical.
With such a killer combination of simple food done well, bottomless bubbly and stimulating company, there is no going wrong. -
Review from Inga W.
12/6/2011
Great brunch spot, outside patio, spacious, trendy but casual. Better ambiance then food unfortunately. We met our friends here who have a new baby for brunch, this place is definitely kid friendly, but fear not, these are the bloody mary and Bellini sipping parents. We started with the bacon bignets, which I have to say were not great, they were just too greasy, the oil must not have been hot enough when they were fried. The radish that came with it was really nice.
For the entrees we had the eggs benedict, whole wheat pancakes, scrambled eggs. The pancakes were nice, not too sweet, the peanut butter was a nice protein touch. Not the best I've ever had but not the worst. The eggs benedict, were just OK, one of the eggs was overcooked, instead of bacon or ham it was turkey meat, hmmm not the best substitute, the sauce was nicely done.
For the dessert we had the apple crisp, which I loved, it was sweet but not over the top, the yogurt was great, a healthier option and the medley of fruits was definitely in the spirit of autumn.
I would go back for the patio and hanging out with friends, but the food was average. -
Review from Christian C.
Oakland, CA
11/18/2011
This place is a hidden gem. I come here for psy trance parties once a month out on the back patio. its big and spacious and they have outdoor heaters. Its great to be able to go chill, dance, drink, eat good food and smoke in perfect harmony. Major bonus for that.
In case all that doesnt impress you, the food and drinks are tasty and cheap compared to other restaurants getting a lot more recognition. nothing will blow you away, but its solid none the less. Also outdoor patios this big are hard to come by in the city. -
Review from Tammy C.
(See pics)
Review #1018.
More of 3.7 stars.
Totally amazing tomato basil soup that somehow has a hint of spiciness to it with some rich cheese taste but not heavy liquid. An absolute to try.
The beef flank came with fries (or you can have it with salad.) The beef flank was solid good with mustard and a couple slices of carrots and small slices of mushroom. $8.50 was an excellent price.
Love the ambiance with the relaxing, high ceiling tint ceiling house style but is spacious like a warehouse. Quite some people were utilizing the wifi. They also have an outdoors area. Rustic style but modern and comfortable brown and beige theme colors furniture with a couple sofas as well. The atmosphere is relaxing and laid back.
Not the easiest location to get to or walk by but driving is just fine with a full road of parking spots (quite busy lunch time.) Wish we had more cafes like this in downtown or Union Square.
It is semi self-serve style. You order at the cashier and they bring you the food. Small misunderstanding as they almost charged 2-halves order instead of 1 full order. Good thing it was cleared up and corrected after clarification. -
Review from Cullen R.
San Francisco, CA
12/2/2011
Came here for Brunch on a Sunday and had the whole wheat pancake with peanut butter cream and huckleberries, the applewood bacon beignets, and an irish coffee. The beignets were decent but the pancake and coffee where insanely good. All of the pieces of the pancake complimented each other so well. I didn't even use syrup.
I can't wait to go back. -
Review from Ilma D.
San Mateo, CA
11/30/2011
I'm definitely a fan of this cafe, The place is spacious and the outdoor seats are just great, even during winter, very relaxing. I live in Peninsula area so it's very easy to get here from 101 without dealing with crowded SF streets. I gave them 4 stars because i thought the food are good but they're not something to crave for. Smoke salmon and broccoli pancake is my favorite so far but the rock cod ceviche tacos are too sour for my liking.
Oh..they also offering bottomless mimosa..Yay! -
Review from kimy l.
San Francisco, CA
10/31/2011
First off I'm reviewing this place as a wedding venue.
When I was looking for wedding venues I wanted to find a space that had an outdoor area and a cool vibe to it. I looked at various hotels and spaces and none of it seemed quite right or were just way overpriced. I just happened to be looking at an article in the knot that feature Axis Cafe and decided to give it a shot.
Looking at Axis Cafe I knew it was the right place. I liked the urban feel and the outdoor space with the fire pits and fire places. I wanted to have a smaller wedding and liked the intimate feel of the place. (My wedding ended up to be 106 guests). It was the perfect place to have our cocktail wedding. The pricing is really reasonable and if you want to party late into the night they can accomodate that as well. Another great perk is easy, free parking for your guests, which is almost non-existent in SF.
Karina was great to work with and she helped us set up a cocktail menu. If you don't want to use their food they'll allow you to bring a caterer in of your choice. My mom was a little concerned there wouldn't be enough food and Axis was flexible enough to let us cater in Pad Thai from a friend's restaurant. Karina also helped us take care of the table and linen rentals so we didn't have to worry about a thing.
On the night of everyone commented about what a great space it was and how they didn't know something like this existed in SF. Thanks Axis for a great reception! -
Review from Katy A.
10/31/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've been going to Axis cafe off and on for over 5 years... What keeps me coming back is the food - fresh, clean flavors with seasonal ingredients and perfect sized portions. Their brunch menu has some great options...and lots of nice fresh beverages.
Also - they have a nice sized patio which is the perfect little hideaway on the weekend - or for a lunch break if you work near by. They have wifi inside which is also nice and some relaxed seating which gives this place a nice vibe any time you stop by.
However - the service was REALLY slow...and on a sunny day, only about half of the tables have shade...so you're baking outside if you don't get lucky.
Also...we weren't ever served water when we last came - and seeing as we were seated in the sun, you would think they would give a bright white patron like myself something so I don't fall over.
Lastly, the people here aren't the kind of people I would want to hang out with...which sounds snotty...but there were some people who were clearly still dressed for the night before...and their conversations were loud and a bit too intrusive for me on a Saturday at 12:30. If you get lucky, you won't have this issue...but we didn't last time... so I had to give this place a average review.
I will come back for the food and will be a little more choosy as to where I sit...I will also likely be a little more pushy for the waitresses to pay attention to me as a crisp in the sun. It took them over 20 minutes to pick up our check. -
Review from Trav. M.
San Francisco, CA
11/7/2011
Any place that has bottomless mimosas, I'm totally down for. With that said, to celebrate a friend's birthday this past weekend, we decided to check out Axis for the first time.
Getting here is a journey in itself. Literally, it's tucked in the back alleys of SOMA and even our cab driver was confused about how to get there.
The venue is great, it has a very lofty and open-aired feel to it, even inside. Points for having a fire place inside that came in handy during yesterday's chilly day. Beautiful art lines the walls and a cute little bar anchors the side of the space as you enter into the patio. Outside, the patio is pretty spacious and even has a cute little kiddie play area to the left hand side. I personally don't have children, but I could see this being useful to parents who have kids and want them to play while they enjoy brunch or dinner, etc. Also, this place is dog friendly. I'm not sure how I feel about this, but it didn't completely bother me. There is also a fireplace outside, as well.
The food here is okay. Between the 12 of us at our table, I think we all covered the whole menu pretty much. I had the combo breakfast, which consisted of eggs, bacon, toast and a side salad. The bacon was cooked perfectly! My best friend has the braised pork dish and it tasted great, but the serving was pretty meager for the price point.
Of course, the bottomless mimosas were the win at our table. I don't necessarily understand why the server only allowed one carafe between the 12 of us, which was a bit annoying because she had to come every three minutes or so to give us a new one. I also heard the sangria here is pretty good. It looked tasty.
I would definitely come here again and I am actually considering using this space for my own birthday in a few months. -
Review from Marissa P.
San Francisco, CA
12/18/2011
My bf and have been here more than a few times for brunch. The food is good, but the service is a nightmare. Its not that hard to be a good server, hire some new people.
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Review from Tyler P.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 11/18/2011
I should have written this along time ago:
Shortly after writing the review, the manager recognized one of the members from the group I was with and apologized many times over. Since then they have made a few adjustments and I have to say that the are pretty amazing! Thanks Axis for feeding me for the 3 years I was in Grad School.
Tyler1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/3/2010
I have to admit that nothing in this review is about the food. It is solely based on the rude… Read more »
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Review from Joe K.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 8/1/2011 2 Check-ins Here
My star level is beginning to drop considerably. I arrived around 12:00 for my regular Sunday brunch with my loving and beautiful wife. I asked ahead of time about which cheese they had, you know.. just so I could avoid the frustration of them coming back and saying they don't have any. Wouldn't you know it, they finally restocked the cheese. I orderd a cheese platter to start off with and the pancakes for the main course. My wife and friend ordered the eggs benedict and some scrambled egg dish. Either way, no less that an hour went by before I ever saw my cheese platter. It ended up coming out with our orders which I suppose wouldn't have been a big deal if it wasn't an hour later. I believe the server simply forgot because she seemed to forget just about anything we asked for, ketchup, refills, etc..
Also, having to sit outside I started to look around and do you think its possible for someone to break out a hose and clean off the massive amounts of bird shit along the back walls, or perhaps replace the cabana curtains that are torn and shredded. It just seems like everything here is mass anarchy.. the best times I've had here is when I show up right when they unlock the doors and I'm the only one there. It seems they have no idea whats going on once it gets busy.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/24/2011
I have been coming here with my loving and most beautiful wife for brunch for a little over a month.… Read more »
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Review from Himani A.
San Jose, CA
7/21/2011
Recipe for an amazing Saturday afternoon:
25 servings of good friends
6 servings of yummy food served family style (pizza, mac n cheese, salad, roasted potatoes, french toast)
3 hours of bottomless mimosas
1 awesome manager named George
Makes for perfect good times. -
Review from Stacey D.
Mesa, AZ
8/2/2011 2 Check-ins Here
This review has been a long time coming. As a regular that has been going there almost every weekend since March (five star then!), this place is on a downhill spiral when the food and service changes (one star now!).
When my Giant and I first started going there, the staff was personable and efficient, and the food was awesome and served in a decent time. Things have changed. Staff is condescending, forgetful and not there to serve you. When two people can easily spend $70 for brunch, it is hopeful to be given great service. Food is still good, but often not in stock or changed. My last visit I waited over an hour for food. I got to experience a menu change the last few weekends, and the wait staff had no idea what changed. My advice - if it ain't broke, then don't try to fix it. My favorite eggs benedict changed to chopped ham and had zucchini instead of artichoke. Still good, but I wasn't expecting the change because it already was delicious. The cheese menu changed, and again, only one of the four selections were available.
I'm all for a dog friendly place...but being from Arizona I've never seen a dog friendly place that allowed dogs inside. That was kind of gross to me when they allowed a dog to sit under a table inside. I think pets should be outside while eating, but that might be my personal preference. Plus, I've never seen anyone sweep the floors inside when I've been inside Axis.
What is good:
*The cafe! So beautiful!
*Eggs benedict: the jalapeno hollendaise sauce is AMAZING and unlike anything else you have tasted!
*The weekend brunch has bottomless mimosas! They are delicious!! It was $12, but recently upped to $13. Still a deal and really good.
*The cheese plates are great and well thought out, but never available. When they in stock, they are all complimented with a sweet almond puree (AMAZING!), bread, grapes and an apple chutney.
*Tomato soup. Yes, the tomato soup is everything you heard- fantastic!
Advice for patrons:
If you go during the week, the cafe operates differently than on the weekend. You order at the cash register, given a number and then your food if delivered to you. If you have never been there before, it is not very clear how they function. The menu is also different than the weekend brunch menu. I was so looking forward to the eggs benedict for lunch, but it wasn't on the menu. Instead, got one of their delicious cheese platters (Carmody was out...booo!), ahi tuna tartare & their tomato soup.
This place has so much potential. I honestly think it is because this place has become somewhat popular on the weekend, and the restaurant doesn't know how to handle it. The infrastructure is obviously broken and needs a good overhaul. My Giant and I are taking a long break from Axis and hope to go back when things change. -
Review from Kari N.
San Francisco, CA
8/13/2011
This review is for Axis as a wedding venue. Our wedding there in fall of 2009 was perfect! I wanted a space that was not a big boring open ballroom, that had a few different more interesting areas. The indoor/outdoor mix at Axis was great. We had just under 100 people, and used the outdoor area for the ceremony, the indoors for the family style dinner, and then while we were eating dinner, they flipped the outside into a dance-party area with couches and sexy lighting. With the outdoor fireplace and cabanas, it was amazing. We had perfect weather (actually really warm) but we had rented heaters and had blankets for guests just in case.
Jennifer was our event planner, and I believe she isn't there anymore :( which is too bad because she was a genius! I felt so confident and secure in her hands. But the rest of the staff was sweet and totally accommodating during our event, so hopefully they are thriving even without her.
We had two goals for our wedding: 1. that it was a super fun amazing party that we just happened to be getting married at and 2. that the food was good. At Axis, we accomplished both. The food is very good, and after our tasting, it was hard to decide what to select. We went with a trout dish and a beef dish, all family style, and there was a ton of food.
When I was researching this as a venue, deep on the Yelp page I saw something about this being connected to a church. I confirmed that this is true, but made sure to clarify before our wedding that there would be a few same sex couples and many gay and lesbian friends and I needed everyone to feel "free to be you and me" with no judgement or issues by the venue. I was assured that they are all about the love and it seemed that way. No issues whatsoever.
As a cafe, I love the fish tacos, it's a cute place to hang out, and the brunch is good. Their house baked chocolate chip cookies are yummy too! Oh, the one weird thing was that a month before our wedding, the City of SF put in a kind of weird mini-park right outside the front of it. Not sure if it's still there, or how it looks, but it was kind of not the best looking park at the time.Listed in: Our Awesome Wedding
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Review from Kay M.
Belmont, CA
8/2/2011
Beautiful space, decent but totally overpriced food, atrociously slow service.
I just waited 20 minutes for a salad, the 'heirloom delight' or whatever, more like heirloom LIES. I got 5 slices of unripe, hard, sour tomatoes, a handful of greens and some ok dressing. The ONE cheese-stuffed zucchini blossom was delicious but didn't save the salad and now I'm out ten bucks and starving. Thanks guys!
I do have to say I've had their crab melt and Tuna tartare and they were totally delicious, but I can't get over the serving time. it's just soooo slow. Which would be fine if I were brunchin it, but I'm not, it's a tuesday and it's clearly the middle of a work day. ugh. -
Review from Dave C.
San Jose, CA
9/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
Had the lamb's tongue sando on a recent visit and it wasn't great. I like beef tongue but this wasn't similar. Very odd texture and seemed a bit undercooked to me.
Nice patio for outside dining when it's sunny. -
Review from Andy S.
7/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
We had a pleasant but uneventful brunch here this past weekend with a few friends. There was nothing wrong with the meal, but nothing so right to send me back unless I was in the area (we live across town). The prices were reasonable, the food was generally good but not extra-ordinary. Physically, the restaurant is quaint and interesting, and somewhat hidden, with an nice indoor seating area with a fireplace, as well as an outdoor area. Parking is simple.
I had a turkey and bacon sandwich, which was fine in every way possible, but not unique. My wife had a soup of the day, which she thought tasted ok but 'soapy'. We had the Ahi tartare as well, and that was good- maybe the best thing we ordered- and packed a little spice to it which I always enjoy. The staff was quite liberal with their bottomless mimosas, and I never had to ask for a refill and instead found my glass constantly being filled, which easily justified the $12 price-tag. Service was fine although there was an 8-10 minute gap between serving several of our plates, which were all ordered at the same time. That was a little fumble, but no huge ordeal...
In summary, in the grand scale of things, this restaurant is merely 'ok' for what it is in a very competitive restaurant city. If I lived in the immediate area, I could see myself giving it a few more tries out of convenience factor and given the general variety on the menu and the reasonable pricing. Hope this helps! -
Review from Katie T.
San Francisco, CA
8/10/2011
Fantastic for big groups! I hosted 17 adults + 3 kids in the outdoor area.
* Jenny was very accommodating to my demanding guests including bringing more food when they asked for it!
* The manager was flexible about the bill when I pointed out some mistakes
* I like the family style, fixed menu serving style. Saved me a ton of trouble of how to divide the bill, and the food came promptly so I didn't end up with "hangry" guests
* Endless mimosas was part of the deal
* Food was super yummy. Everyone loved it
* Kids price was also fantastic
Downsides
* They don't pick up the phone. I eventually had to email/go to the cafe to make my booking
* It's a non profit run organization so they are pretty relaxed about bookings, etc.
Overall: I would organize all my events here if I could. Today (I came again for tea), I also saw one of my guests here again for lunch because he loved their food. -
Review from Amanda L.
San Francisco, CA
5/24/2011
Sunday Brunch with my dear friends.
No reservations unless you are a party of 6 or more. We arrived about noon and there was no seating outside. Which was ok since it was windy, also a baby shower arrived so I am ok.
We were shown a small table by the door, um can we sit on the sofa? YES!
The bottomless mimosas kept coming. I ordered eggs, toast sausage and bacon, e ordered the daily scramble, s ordered the eggs Benedict and sis ordered the braised pork. All was great! (bacon never arrived)
Apparently it took a long time for the kitchen to get our orders out since the waitress was offering us free salads and dough nuts, but honestly we were in NO hurry and as long as the mimosas kept flowing, we were fine.
The coffee and tea was great. Mighty Leaf tea is one of my favorites. We were there for almost 3 hours and not once did we feel rushed to make room for the next group or to pay the bill.
Food was good to great, service was friendly if not timely, ambiance was really nice. -
Review from Ly T.
San Francisco, CA
7/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
I really want to give this place 5 stars. I love the vibe, the interior design (think chic NYC meets industrial), the ample lounge seating, the fireplace, the music and the GORGEOUS patio!! But sadly, I can't.
Anyhow, food really was just ok. Nothing special. Wished they had grilled the bread for the melt longer. The crab salad had a lot of mayo in it, which left the toast soggy, making it difficult to eat. And when I hear or see melt, I'm expecting cheese!!! There wasn't much, again a little further disappointed, but oddly, it had a layer of corn??!?!
I was told their mac & cheese was worth a shot. To say the least, I was disappointed when my SIDE mac & cheese was uninspired and lacked any taste. I wish they could have jazzed it up somehow. They do offer a full sized order that came with veggies and chicken...I wonder if that's any better, I was actually hoping for that. I guess that's what I get for trying to have my cake and eating it. There was a crab melt....and french toast...and...and lol.
French toast was just ok, a little soggy IMO. Vanilla bean cream cheese was a nice topping, you really didn't need the syrup after that. We had to walk up to ask for coffee refill, even tho the place wasn't busy on a weekday.
I guess maybe you should just stick to their breakfast items and their bottomless mimosas, it seems to get rave reviews.
Great place to get a group of frens together and chill. -
Review from abigail w.
San Francisco, CA
7/22/2011
Sure, I could have called in my order, but then it would have been soggy. So my long wait, and quick back walk to work, half hour. Way too long for my work lunch needs.
flank steak, horseradish mayo, chimichurri, roasted carrots, mushrooms with roasted potatoes.
The flank is cooked perfectly and delicious. there is barely any horseradish mayo, which i really wanted to experience with the flank. pretty small sandwich for it's price. bread sucked, and the roasted potatoes are dried out, as if they have been sitting around since morning.
I took apart the sandwich and am enjoying the beef. that's about it.
Everyone working there was friendly, but the wait was too much and the end result wasn't worth it. -
Review from Q. E.
San Francisco, CA
9/8/2011 1 photo
Nice patio when it's sunny out.
Food is meh. My side salad looked like someone just plucked a handful of greens out of prepackaged bag. Not a fan of their recent change to sit-down table service.
Internet access is spotty and the inside area, though nice, is dark and makes you sleepy. Already an iffy proposition and noticed recently that they ROUND YOUR BILL UP for no reason except to round it up??? Yeh, it was 2cents but what's that all about? I've posted a pic of our bill, take a look! -
Review from Bassem A.
El Cerrito, CA
1/7/2012
The service at Axis was always slow, but now with the new seated service, it has become impossible to get a lunch order in a decent time. On our recent trip it was so bad they had to comp the whole meal. What we received was cooked in a hurry and a big step down from their old menu. Mind you, the food sounds inventive and wonderful on the new menu- it is not.
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Review from Joeleen C.
Vallejo, CA
7/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
Nice walk from UCSF Misson Bay.
I've gone here with coworkers for lunch plenty of times.
The menu is very simple. A lot of gluten free choices if that's what you're looking for.
The usual: I get the "cajun sausage" sandwich. Comes with roasted potatoes. Pretty good.
Service has its on and off days. Sometimes quick and friendly, others times slow and the servers look annoyed.
Venue: Kind of NY industrial gallery chic. Small, so tables run out fast. -
Review from Joshua B.
5/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
The best part of this place is the patio. The inside looks like an art gallery and is nicely decorated, but the patio with its arbors and enclosed walls was just awesome. We were a huge group (nearly 20) and so we ordered ahead. There was some confusion over who got what (I blame my co-workers who apparently couldn't remember the order they placed the day before), but the servers were nice to us.
My grilled cheese was good, and the tomato soup it came with was peppery and great.
Not a ton of restaurant options in this area, so I'll probably be back.Listed in: San Francisco Faves
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Review from Inna L.
San Francisco, CA
7/24/2011
Came here for Saturday brunch and sat in the patio. It was a gorgeous day. The food was delicious, atmosphere wonderful and service was fantastic. Everyone there was so nice. The best part was that we could have our dog on the patio!
I had the eggs benedict and my bf had the frittata. Both were unique and very tasty. We didn't have any problems with the service that others have commented on, but it wasn't that busy either. I'd like to come back and try the lunch and dinner menu. The outdoor patio has a large seating area that would be really great for a party.
this is a nice little hidden gem! -
Review from Laura D.
Menlo Park, CA
7/24/2011
Very nice place, with very nice outdoor space , DOG FRIENDLY!
is perfect for Sunday brunch, pancakes were very tasty, and hamburger was very good, will definitely go back
