Brenda's French Soul Food
Category: Cajun/Creole [Edit]
Neighborhood: Civic Center/Tenderloin652 Polk St
(between Eddy St & Turk St)
San Francisco, CA 94102 (415) 345-8100
- Hours:
Mon, Wed-Sun 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: No
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Breakfast, Lunch
- Alcohol: None
268 reviews
Neighborhood: Pacific Heights
"Cajun creole sassafras all rolled up onto my plate. Let's see, we had deviled eggs, we had wonderful Caesar salads with lemon caper…" read more »
272 Reviews for Brenda's French Soul Food
Love this place. After a few unsuccessful attempts at going on the wrong dates and/or times, I finally went today. It's tiny but there's some nice music playing and the staff are attentive. Of course it's the food that's most important and it was definitely a great value and combination of price, portions and taste. I actually didn't get the beignets this time but look forward to trying them on my next visit.
Being a small local eatery it's definitely the spot to support and I'm glad they are now open on Sundays too!
OK, so being the ONLY guy in good ol' San Fran to eat here. And the funny part is that honey lady lives 4 doors up from here!!!!!!!
But lets talk food. And I mean the kinda food you kill over. I LOVE Brenda's!!!! yea so there a little small, and the KFC smell coming from the corner is kind of crappy, once you get a mouth-full of this sinful food, nothing else really matters.
I was staying with honey lady, and we figured I'd run down and place an order to go and have a smoke too. Ok so the to go order is your best bet, even if you make it inside to eat. No one likes to be stuffed into a place and to wait in-line is just as bad.
We split some french toast and a kiesh. Oh god, to think about the toast as I put that dripping mouthful and felt my eyes roll back in my head. H-E-A-V-E-N!!!!!!!!!!! I love this place. Another stand out restaurant here in good ol' SF.
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Our table ordered:
- 2 Beignet Flights: Thanks to Yelp for the recommendation!
- Eggs Benedict (Chalkboard Special): Molasses ham, creole hollandaise sauce, on one of Brenda's famous biscuits.
- Hangtown Fry (Chalkboard Special): Oyster and bacon scramble.
- Banana French Toast (Chalkboard Special): w/Ghiradelli chocolate chips, espresso caramel, whipped cream.
- Croque Monsieu: Baked ham and Gruyre with bechamel sauce on sliced sourdough.
We all sampled each other's plates, and the entire table agreed unanimously: crawfish beignet was the best of the flight, and the best entree was the eggs benedict, hands down. The creole hollandaise sauce on the benedict was incredibly flavorful, topping off eggs, molasses ham, and a perfectly made biscuit... absolutely delightful!! We were all super skeptical about the crawfish beignet, but next time I come back, I'm tempted to just get that as my entree. Sooo scrumptious! Definitely a must have!
My only complaint is that everything was super super rich tasting, with no sides or garnishes on our plates to balance out the richness. A little bit of fresh fruit or some sort of creative pairing done by the restaurant would have been excellent.
Tip: The menu is a little more "Soul Food" (southern food!) than it is "French."
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Big Mamma knows how to stir up some good ole Grits -like nothing I have had since I left my own Mamma's table in the deep South years ago. She has perfected her hometown delicacy, BIEGNET-BEST EVER! not for the fain of heart-it is all about the nuiance of her flavors--amazing rue in the gumbo even the coffee makes you want to go back!
THANKS BIG MAMMA----LOVE YOUR FOOD! you make me fat thinking about it.
Mike P likes his brunch, what can I say.
Big coffee mugs.
Grits, eggs thenadick
And the beignets. If you're unsure, get the Flight, it's all 4 kinds. Bomb.
This place gets 5 stars, but just barely. It's not as good as Dottie's, but is both closer and less under siege by crackheads.
Also, the list is a better method than a long line down the block.
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I finally got to try Brenda's! Hell yeah y'all!
I had the shrimp pot pie with a delicious mustard dressing salad.
It was scrumptious. I recommend going on Monday at 2pm. I had to wait only 15 minutes, any other time would be super long.
Excuse me Mr. Maximum Occupancy, but you can fit more than 40 people in this place...it's called getting cozy with your neighbors. Hello stranger *__*
The first item of business is that you got to remember to put down your name on the clipboard list by the door. It will guarantee that you won't get your butt whipped as a line jumper plus it gives you a reason to lord it over friends who can't keep time to hustle on down. But before that, gaze upon the specials board and drool...how can peach cobbler pancakes with fresh vanilla creme fraiche not make you donate your first born. (By the way, the 2 pancakes came in gigantic proportions and the peaches were absolutely delicious!)
The waiter was really attentive and nice. OMG...the Watermelon tea was the bomb! The coffee was very strong..enough to grow back patches of my friend's bald spots. The beignets were the icing on the cake. I love the plains fresh from the kitchens, the chocolate ones were divine, the granny smith apples with cinnamon sugar was like eating mom's homemade apple pies, and the cajun savory was really tasty but too spicy for my acid reflux tummy.
I got the house special of Croque Monsieur...I should have went for the coleslaw...that much starch was gonna have me tootin' for hours ;-p...but the sandwich was hot and gooey and the sourdough was excellent. I love the pancakes though...dang!! The corned hash and beef ... eh...that was my friend's fault...he should have went for the specials. Daphne was in love with the gumbo...she says it was just perfect.
Make sure to come in the hours between 8-11:00 because that's when you're most likely to get in less than 20 minutes. Parking is plentiful 3 blocks away for free 2 hour sessions. If you have a group of 7 or more, this place is not for you. However 6 and under is a doable situation.
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You definitely cannot go wrong with having brunch on a Sunday afternoon--especially at Brenda's French Soul Food. "Brenda", whoever this awesome lady is, sure taught me quite a bit about about Soul Food in just one brunch sitting:
1. Fried oyster and bacon in your eggs makes for one mean brunch dish!
2. Mr. Pillsbury dough boy does not make the best biscuits. So far, Brenda does!
3. Grits is not gruel deep fried in lard (hahahaha). It's actually more like a corn-based porridge which is suppose to be bland. Brenda makes even a bland dish like grits oh so delicious!
"Brenda"...I just have one thing to say to you: Thank you for making my Sunday that much more awesome!
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Try the burger. Tasty meat (it's made with tasso -- look it up like I had to), great bun (soft, tender, tasty bread) and a ketchup that will leave you perplexed and licking the little bowl.
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On a Saturday morning, we were able to park right in front, walk right in, and get right down to bidness. The staff seated us right away and made us feel right at home.
The place was promising and the imperfections were minor and isolated. The coffee was undrinkable. The first fork I pulled out had a dab of dried chocolate on it, undoubtedly from someone's ecstatic encounter with a choco beignet. No matter, the 'ware is in cans on the tables, so the fresh one was at hand. Love that.
My crawfish beignets fell short of expectations. Though thoroughly rich and delicious, they were a tad tough and chewy on the outside, just a glitch. Anything with crawfish gets a free pass and a must order rec. from this crank.
Then why still the 5 stars?
*cue bowchickabowwow music*
The plate that followed was utter perfection: Hangtown Fry with grits and biscuit. The eggs were remarkably light and combined expertly with the bacon, scallions and abundant oysters folded in late enough that the light breading didn't get the slightest bit soggy. All so tender and fresh.
The bowl of grits was fluffy and buttery. If there were such a thing as a grits souffle, this would be it. The biscuit was flaky and airy lending balance the bold flavors surrounding it.
Brenda's is so good, you'll want to go back to bed and return for another breakfast a few hours later...or maybe it's the oysters that make me want to do that...bowchickabowwow!
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I just got back from the New Orleans JazzFest, and the first thing I want to write about is Brenda's, right here at home. I'm feeling thankful, y'all. Personally, I'm glad there's so many bad reviews of Brenda's! I'd like to discourage everyone from going there, in order to make the line shorter for me. I'd even give it 1 star to help drive the average down. However, Karma is a bitch, and Well Fed Ted only gives an honest review. Brenda, she's all that.. Brenda's joint is a mind-blowing 6 star-worthy experience. But Yelp don't reach that high...
Let's face it. The worst thing about Brenda's is the long-azz line on the weekends. Enticed by word-of-mouth and Yelp reviews, but discouraged by the mega-queue, it took a long time to get in and check her out for myself. I finally went in for a weekday breakfast with my gf's 'Breakfast Club' and I was straight-up blown away! By the B-club as well as Brenda's. No, the B-club was not inspired by the delightfully inspired teen flick of the same name... However, I digress.
Lemme explain. I'm a NOLA junky. NOLA - New Orleans, Louisiana, son. My first visit in '95 must have introduced some new element into my body chemistry, lowered my resistance to pure, uncut joy or something. Because ever since I returned from that trip, I have, at minimum, an annual craving for the Crescent City and all its goodness. Which is why I've been so bummed with the underwhelming NOLA-related cuisine in the Bay Area. Not a great restaurant in the bunch, with the singular exception of Gator's long deceased joint in Noe Valley. Until Brenda's, no one has served up anything resembling a fix for my Big Easy Jones. Poor Gator never did build an audience in SF, so he's now on the Peninsula, slim, trim and serving up a healthier version of the Lord's choice of fattening cuisines. But ain't no lo-cal happening on Polk Street, my brotha!. Miss Brenda is f'n up your diet in the best way...
About the food.... You don't need a lot of descrip from me after 200+ reviews. But I can clear up some of your confusion by pointing out to you that it's a Creole Diner. If the dishes don't match your palate and expectations, recalibrate. The beignet flight is a must. Plain, apple, chocolate and crawfish, you can't miss! These are the only legit beignets I've ever had outside of NOLA. No, it's not Cafe Du Monde, but every other beignet I've had in Cali sucked. The biscuits are flaky, divine goodness. The grits are buttery, creamy and dreamy. Best of all, the Hangtown Fry Omelette! Even I was intimidated by the thought of fried oysters AND bacon in an omelette... Soft, light eggs. Still crispy fry batter-crusted oysters within. And bacon, crispy, delicious bacon. I'm verklempt...but for your sake, I must go on. Because, this huge monster of a meal stretched my tummy in the best of ways. Every time I thought I was almost done, I just had to taste a few more bites. And so on, and so on. Until, poof, it was all gone.
Final notes. Kind service, I always appreciate. They hooked up tables for our party of 10 like it was no big. Remember, it was a weekday. The coffee I like, but it's definitely not for everyone. It's strong and dark, like me. Hahaha. But more to the point, it's authentic, and matches what you might find in a diner down that way. Lastly, don't sleep on the homemade jam, damn it's good!!!
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Brenda, Brenda, Brenda...I was SO excited to try your restaurant and unfortunately I was left with a very bad taste in my mouth. Partly due to the fact that your coffee was awful and partly because your servers treated us like poo.
We waited for a good 45 minutes to get seated, which we fully expected. By that time it was around 11:30 and I was starving - I hadn't had anything all morning. Our server came to take our order and aside from telling her I wanted coffee, I wasn't ready. I asked her a few questions and then told her that I needed a few more minutes. I could sense her irritation and impatience with me.
She came back with coffee a few minutes later and got my order. After she left we didn't hear from her for over 20 minutes. People who had arrived after us were being served before we were and she didn't ONCE check on us. We tried several times to make eye contact and she would breeze by us every time with not even a tiny glance in our direction.
At this point we were both so frustrated that we wanted to get up and leave. It wasn't until I got up out of my seat to get help that they acknowledged us and this is how the conversation went:
Server: "Your food will be up in a minute," with a tone of irritation.
Me: "That's fine but we hate the coffee, can we get some tea? Nobody has checked on us for like 20 minutes."
Server: "Oh, okay. You want tea?"
Me: "Yes, we BOTH would like tea."
The server came back and brought only one cup of tea. I tell her I asked for two and again, she looks disgruntled. I think they finally sensed that we were really upset and started paying us some attention because after that point, things seemed to go fine. We got our food shortly after and they checked on us a couple times.
As far as the food goes, if it weren't for the Chocolate Beignet, there would be nothing noteworthy. I had an omelet with country potato's and a biscuit - nothing to write home about. I could get that same breakfast at a hotel diner and it would be with A LOT less 'tude.
Update: To add injury to insult, my dining partner just got a lovely message from the part owner at Brenda's:
"Just FYI, I'm the server who served you at Brenda's, and I'm also her partner. Try not to make assumptions about people you don't know.
Have a great day!
Libby"
That was it - no apology, no sorry for the horrible experience you had. Libby, you don't want a crap review? Provide better service. I hope you feel great now that you've gotten your jab in. You have a very mature approach to criticism.
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Did I get there at yet another off day? Hmm, it's sad to see that they're still relatively new in the San Francisco dining soon and they're already burnt out.
The food is tasting a little lack luster. Gone are the days when I used to drag everybody I ever hang-out with to lunch or brunch at this place. The lady at the register is barking out at customers, louder than every before. Chef isn't even bothering to crack a smile, even though we used to profusely thank her for the fab food.
Too spoiled? What is it? Let's get down to reality for one and you can only sh-- all over your clients until they say -- "know what? there are much better restaurants than yours!"
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MMMMM...french soul food. I came here when they first opened and I have come back often. I have to say that the food is amazing and they have one of my favorites the oh so scrumptious Croque Monsieur. Everything about it was absolutely puuurrrrffect! I also am not a big fan of ketchup on my fries. I prefer ranch (yes I said it. I LOVE ranch!). And the staff brought it to me fairly quickly for how busy they were. But it wasn't the ranch I expected, but some green (yes green) sauce. Green like pea soup. I trepidly tried it and to my amazement it was wonderful! Whatever Brenda did to my beloved ranch I fully endorse.
Yes, it's small. Yes you may have to wait in a long line for a long time. But I promise you it is well worth the wait (especially if you get the watermelon ice tea)!
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I was totally psyched to try Brenda's after a friend's enthusiastic recommendation and after reading all the gushing reviews posted here. After waiting an hour and a half to get in and another forty five minutes for our food, I was sitting in my own damp puddle of anticipation (I mean drool, not the other thing. Although since I'd had two cups of coffee and was reluctant to squeeze by Brenda and crew to get to the bathroom, the other thing wouldn't have been outside the realm of possibility).
So why was I, after fifteen minutes of voracious eating, leaving so deeply disillusioned?
My corned been hash (special) was totally not what I expected. The corned beef wasn't the squarish bits of meat you usually find in hash but rather sandwich-like slices torn into bite sized pieces. The chunks of potato were too large and way too numerous. And the whole thing was very spicy, unlike any hash I've had before. I ordered the eggs scrambled and instead of preparing them with curds, they were in an overcooked folded sheet, something like a really bad omelette.
The beignets that I've read so much about were tough and dry- a chore to eat.
I did like my biscuit. So much so that I spent the rest of the day and the one after shouting BIZ-KIT! at Boyfriend, hoping he'd get the message and magically teleport one to my tv table. Boyfriend liked his gumbo and catfish po-boy (also special) but agreed with me 'bout the beignets.
I'm going to give it another try because I trust the Yelpers who loved Brenda's. And I really love BIZ-KITS!
Great place my co-worker took us to for lunch! The wait was long for lunch, but people were waiting so we figured it was worth it. The black-eyed peas with sausage was delicious and worthy of my grandma. The beignets were a little heavier and tougher than I'm used to, but they were still good. My companions all enjoyed their food too. Solid soul food that will not disappoint.
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I guess we were lucky because midday on a Sunday we were able to get in with only about 20 minutes wait (compared to the usual 1 hour). I was told it's because word hasn't fully gotten out that they're open on Sundays now. The bf appreciated being able to get coffee while we waited. I didn't like standing so much, I wish they had little benches or chairs for people to sit on while waiting. I wouldn't have minded standing so much if it hadn't been so windy outside. However once inside and safe from the cold wind, our server was excellent as was the busser, who was all over clearing our table, refilling our water glasses and the bf's coffee mug and seeing if we needed anything else like more napkins and utensils. The bf appreciated the slightly bitter chicory taste the coffee had. To start with we ordered the dark chocolate filled beignets. Not my favorite. The bf loved them because they were crispy on the outside. I prefer them a a little less crispy/browned and I found that they had just a little too much chocolate. But, I appreciate that they offer plain ones in addition to assorted filled, sweet and savory options! I would love to try the Crawfish & cheddar ones soon.
I ordered the Corned Beef potato hash (Chalkboard Special) that came with two scrambled eggs and a big warm biscuit. It was excellent, all of it. The eggs, the buttery yet perfectly crumbly biscuit, the hash with melted cheese and veggies and copious amounts of Corned Beef. The bf ordered the Grillades and Grits. We ended up trading because the Grillades were exactly like my mom's chile con carne that I just had to eat them all. The beef cutlets were tender, the sauce was smoky, slightly spicy, and creamy all at once. The grits were rich, and gooey with that indescribable texture that only grits and maybe polenta have that I LOVE. The peach cobbler pancakes are what I have in mind for next time I go!
Pull apart a nice fluffly biscuit, pile it up with some grits, meat and sunny side up egg, and dip it again in the grillades sauce for that extra goodness. I totally overate that day, but it balanced out because I wasn't hungry for another 8 hours.
Croque was pretty good, and the apple beignet was great.
Grabs the extra star because we didn't have to wait and got to leapfrog some larger parties and still made it out before the meter ran out.
Biegnet - done that!
I went soon after they opened and it was well worth the wait - and, given the wait , that's saying something.
Was there recently with a friend and.. mnnneah! My Croq Monseur was ok the service was ok - overall - only ok. My friend liked it all - but he was a Brenda-Virgin, (i.e. too prone to premature adjudication!)
I still like the crawfish biegnet but overall - that alone is not worth the wait.
Sorry Brenda - you cant run a Soul Kitchen on that sole item....
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I love this place, just like the way I love Zazie.
It's so tiny but so cute. I counted, it can only fit 30 people in it, maximum. The weekend brunch line can be ridiculous, but the food is absolutely delicious.
Must Trys by fellow yelpers:
Watermelon iced tea: you just HAVE TO get it. I know it sounds skeptical, but it's so refreshing and unique.
Beignet: get the sampler plate that way you get to taste all of the flavors. I have to say, the crawfish one didn't get me as much as the spiced apple one. Donuts are just not my thing, although they are really good that I am actually willing to finish them. Try them at least once. They are very nice in the afternoon with a cup of coffee.
Must Trys by MY standard:
-Shrimp and goat cheese omelette. Great combination. Oh yeah.
-Fried oyster and bacon omelette- AMAZING!! I thought it sounded disgusting, but I craved for some oysters that afternoon. The oysters are fried to perfection, which means, super crunchy. But the oysters are HUGE and juicy...mmmmm.....and I'm still not very convinced by the oyster+bacon combination, but it was the best omelette I've ever had in my life.
Things that changed my life (well, concepts that I've had for all my life):
-Grits: I literally PUKED when I tried the grits for the first time in my life when I was a kindergartener, I hated it so much even though it was a sweet grit. But OMG, the grits here just blew my mind. It's soooooo buttery, and JUST SO GOOD!
-Biscuit: to me, biscuit=dried piece of stone with funky flavor, usually served with some disgusting gravy. Here, the crust is so crunchy yet soft(i sometimes don't make sense), the interior is so buttery and flaky and soft that almost melts in your mouth. Best with the homemade strawberry jam there.
I will just keep coming back and try different food. I wish it could be a little farther so I don't suffer so much for the fear of gaining weight.
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The folks at Yelp are certainly correct in showing that this place is a great find in a small tucked away corner in the TL right next to KFC/TacoBell. Be prepared however for the 1 hr wait if you are coming for lunch and be sure to study the menu while you're waiting outside.
When you go inside, dont' expect to find a large venue or ambiance. The place looks normal withonly about 7 tables and a line of stools on a bar.
Although our meal didn't contain the good crawfish beignet everyone was raving about, the rest was pretty good. The grits is good. Biscuits are very very good. and the watermelon ice tea is beyond compare. It's so simple, yet sooo very refreshing and tasty.
We tried the granny's apple beignet which was a nice dessert like pastry. The ham cheese sandwich thing was also delicious with a nice smokey flavor. the okra gumbo is also some nice flavoring that is perfect on a cold day. the dish i also chose was the shrimp and goat cheese omelette with hash on the side. for one thing, hash isn't bad, and the biscuit that comes with it is better than what I thought, but the omelette was nice because the egg was thin which gave the filling inside a concentrated flavor.
Some of the down points include the extreme wait that is understandable for the small space and so many people wanting to go there. But the corn beef hash isn't that great and the beef cutlets is probably surprisingly not good at all. Stick to the omelette is what I'd suggest.
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OH MY GOODNESS!!~ I am so glad I found this place. It's just a hole in the wall that packs them in. Seriously, there's about 6 tables, a long counter, and no room to move... But it also packs in the flavor!
My friend and I were the very last table seated, and the wait took a good half an hour long, AT 2:30 IN THE AFTERNOON! I started with their house special watermelon sweet tea and it's really good. Not what I had expected but you get bits of watermelon and some herbage in it. Very refreshing and tasty. It would be great for a hot summer day.
I got the special Hangtown Fry. It is scrambled eggs with fried oyster and bacon. I just couldnt pass both fried oyster AND bacon. I wish the bacon was cooked a little more so it's nice and crunchy, but any bacon is good bacon! The fried oyster was nice and crunchy on hte outside, and they did not skimp out either! There was oysters EVERYWHERE!
The plate also came with biscuits and grits (you also have a choice of toast and hash browns but why would you get that when you can have grits and biscuits?) The biscuits were nice and fluffy. I wanted to split it in half and it pulled apart at the slightest tough, steaming hot inside. There were also home made jam on the table, I didnt know it at first but our waitress was nice enough to point it out. I think it was something like peach or apricot, I'm not sure, BUT IT WAS GOOD!!
But the part that took my heart was the cheese grits, oh the wonderful cheese grits. IT WAS SO FREAKING GREAT. The grits were cooked perfectly, it pulls apart fromt eh bowl and was not jsut a sloppy mess. It was also packed in with yummy yummy cheese. Trust me on this, these are like crack grits, once you had some, you are addicted!
Finally, I was disappointed when they were out of the beignet flight because they were out of the crawfish ones. Well just another excuse for me to go back again. We got the apple ones and it was wonderful. There's a pile of powdered sugar on top, and I love sugar in its pure form. The skin was crispy and the inside was pillowy with yummy apple bits. I cant compare it to the stuff in New Orleans because I've never been but I'll say this is probably one of the best in California!
This is a great find, and pretty hard to spot too. I wish they would expand so the wait isnt so long. But I'm pretty sure they'll lose part of their charm by doing so too. Either way, the food is roll over and fall asleep good and I LOVE BRENDA!!
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I don't know if its exactly french or exactly soul food. But I do know that its delicious. Of course the wait was a bit horrendous, but its worth it. Seems that its easier if you come in three's or single's. The place is freakin' tiny, but the food filled my belly with goodness. I had the shrimp po' boy sandwhich, which they made by request and wasn't even on the menu that day. It was more fresh tasting than anything. REAL ones are a bit more soggy, but this was good and tasty. The watermelon iced tea had a really unique taste, I DID have seconds. I'm coming back to eat grits,
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We walked up Polk Street, trying to follow the promise of an excellent brunch. One of my friends got a glimmer in his eye and pointed, "There it is!" I followed the direction of his arm, and gazed at the location, "Taco Bell?" Upon a second glance I realized it was actually the tiny space with the illegible sign next door, Brenda's French Soul Food.
Je ne parlais pas francais, mais je comprends que "French Soul Food" must translate to "More richness than you can handle." I had tastes of the beignet flight, oyster omelet, eggs benedict, and my order of a croque monsieur. There was no relief from the cream and richness of each dish and their sides; by the end of the meal I felt overwhelmed.
The crawfish beignet stood out as the clear and unique winner from brunch, though overall the beignets were tough. Second place goes to the eggs benedict, which was served on top of their famous biscuits, giving a distinct and welcome texture difference from standard english muffins. My croque monsieur was drenched in too much bechamel sauce, and the sourdough was over cooked.
I do not have any specific desire to return to Brenda's.
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What a great find! I went to meet a friend for lunch and she suggested this place. I am so glad she did! So many things sounded good but I eventually ended up with the fried shrimp po boy. Fantastic flavors and texture. Then we had the plain beignets which is as good as everyone else says it is. Also had the watermelon iced tea. Refreshing and tasty and best of all? Free refills!
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Although this place was not totally unpleasant, I do not think that their food is authentic New Orleans food. The taste is not there. The basics are not there. Instead they go off on a tangent, that doesn't really taste all that good. I found the breakfast to be greasy and bland. And the beignets with crawfish to be overly dry and to have a texture that seems to indicate that they were trying too hard. Imagine my disappointment literally coming straight off a plane from New Orleans that day hoping for something similar.
I would agree with those that say that you have to wait a long time, you can't see the menu written on a mirror, and that it is cramped. Also I saw drugs (specifically crack) being dealt from a red car about 500 feet from the entrance. But when it doesn't even have the food, how can it deserve a high rating?
If you are going there for the food, don't go. If you want to go see other people. there are crowds. Eventually people will get bored.
They are close though. I would like to see them start by going back to the basics of New Orleans (starting with a full bar). And to upgrade the quality of the beignets to light and airy instead of the biscuit in the can texture you see. Perhaps they mat eventually serve fresh crawfish as well.
This place is "Out of This World!"
Every time I think of this place, I loudly wish I had the powers of Evie Garland from the 80s TV sitcom hit. After taking one bite of Brenda's homemade biscuits, you can't help but want to "gleep" some right in front of you. The thought of the buttery crispy outside and the heavenly perfectly baked inside is making me salivate uncontrollably as I write this review. The beignets are amazing (you can get all 4 to sample). I wish I could have touched my fingers to stop time and forever savor the hearty, juicy crawfish inside a cayenne pepper dusted beignet. The chicken, sausage, and okra gumbo is also very good, but also very oily.
If I could snap my fingers and teleport myself here, I would eat at Brenda's everyday.
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I'm all for Filipino-Cajun breeds. Brenda can cook! Don't miss the Ghirardelli chocolate beignets, Grillades and Grits (this is somewhat similar to Beef Kaldereta) and Adouille and Cheddar Omelette. Down it with their watermelon iced tea and you'll be set for the day! Guaranteed.
Brother, Hubby, and I waited 90 minutes in the wind tunnel that is Polk and Eddy salivating over the yumminess the happy eaters in Brenda's were enjoying. The restaurant litterally has 4 tables and a bar area-tiny. By the time we got in 40 minutes before closing time for Saturday brunch, there was already a lot of sold out items on the board. bummer.
The three of us shared 1. a bowl of chicken okra sausage gumbo... so good. very full flavored, tasty and not too spicy. 2. granny smith apple beignets... they were just okay/we really wanted to try the crawfish beignets but it was sold out. and 3. the croque monsieur with the coleslaw. This was amazing... we cut it 3 ways.. just enough as an appetizer and we couldn't get enough of the slaw... not too sweet and creamy like some places.
I had the grillades and grits which came with 2 eggs over easy... (It was my lucky day as I had a double yolk in one egg) a wonderful 2 inch tall flaky buttery biscuit, with yummy grits next to beef cutlets with gravy. I loved my breakfast dish and slurped all but one yolk... had to call it quits. Oh, did I mention the watermelon sweet tea... soo tasty and with a touch of basil yummmm and free refills!
My husband had the special corn beef hash, which was just okay.
My brother really enjoyed his shrimp and goat cheese omelette. He thought the egg very light and fluffy with a substantial filling. Omelette was very tasty.
I would recommend go early.
Make sure you drop someone off to sign up and then park.
our shame: Hubby and I cheated we were so hungry. He bought some soft tacos from taco bell next door to take the edge off the hunger, otherwise we would have started grabbing food from folks' table as soon as we stepped inside....
After living in San Francisco for 5 years, I have grown lonesome for my southern cuisine like my Mama makes it. I only get a taste of gumbo, crawfish, etc. when I head back to Mississippi and that's once a year. I'm too busy most of the time to bother with whipping up the often labor-intensive dishes myself which can get kind of expensive too and I can't recall the last time I had a beignet. So when I heard of Brenda's through Yelp and decided to head over for a bite.
Like I said, I'm waaay busy. I made the oder simple. Plain beignets, fruit and cafe au lait to go. Since I arrived at 9:30 on a Monday morning, I was met with a smaller crowd than I had expected. I took a seat, placed my order and listened to the sound of classic blues and jazz filtering through the cozy establishment. I was happy to see familiar things like Crystal's brand hot sauce, ceramic jars of mustard and homemade preserves instead of jam or jellies. After 20 - 30 minutes I received my order.
Maybe because I had cafe au lait, I didn't taste the "too bitter" flavor that others had been complaining about, so I enjoyed my coffee. I do wish there was more coffee variety though and sizes. I was very happy with my beignets. Light, flaky, oil-dripping and burning my fingertips, powdered sugar dusting my nose. Just like I remembered when visit my aunt in Louisiana or go to Cafe du Monde in the quarter.
Like others, I really wish that Brenda's business does well and can expand into a larger space ... and maybe add some of my other french soul food favorites to the menu (quiche, gator soup, shrimp etoufette, etc.)
I'll be back to try the poboys and the gumbo!
Honestly, I haven't been here since I've been Yelping, BUT only because it has become soooooo popular I can't get a seat during my lunch hour when I've been in town. Just got off the phone with one of my SF buddies and promised I'd plug this wonderful place in the Civic Center.
For 10 years Civic Center workers had the option of eating Asian food, Asian food, or Asian food for lunch. . .then the chains came in. When Brenda's came on the scene. . .yes I know a Filipina owns it. . . we had a real choice. (Thai is my Favorite cuisine, but if you've worked here since the early 90's something new and original is welcomed, esp for those of us who migrated over from the Financial Dist) And it is good. . . great in fact.!!!! I and my coworkers haven't had a bad meal here. . . ever.
Everyone knows by now though, so if you aren't in by 11:30 forget about getting a table before your lunch hour has expired. . . damn job getting in the way of a good time again!
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As every other SF Yelper has already said, this place is the straight dope. We had a rather long wait (1 hour) for a party of three, but we didn't expect much less than that since we arrived at 12:30 on a Saturday. We passed the time by refilling our effing parking meter with Susan B Anthony's and a quick snack at Lee's Sandwiches around the corner. We still managed to be hungry by the time we got our seats.
The three of us all raved about our food. I had a creole veggie omelette, the others had totally awesome grillades and grits a cheese omelette. The grillades were totally awesome, very savory life roast beef with gravy and a little bit of creole mixed in. I tried just a drop of the gravy and regretted the fact that I don't eat meat. The biscuits were also awesome. They have fresh, home made strawberry jam on the table, but I think the biscuits were best without even extra butter. They were perfect. The grits were also delicious.
I took fully one star off because the coffee was truly terrible. I'm not sure if creole coffee is naturally different (some times chicory is mixed in), but this was just not right. Way, way too dark (2x too many grounds?) and bitter. It sounds like they buy fair trade coffee, but maybe its just not good. Anyway, the coffee was the only blemish on the meal.
Go there as soon as you can, seriously. Biscuits.
Brenda's Beignets are da Bomb!
Aaaaaand, that's all we had.
As much as I wanted to try this place, we were already lagging and just didn't have time to wait for a table. The line for Saturday brunch was out of control (granted, it was already 11:30). Quick solution: order a Flight of Four TO GO! I was half-tempted to order the Oyster Po'Boy too, but I figured I'd save it for when I actually sit-down and eat there.
Instead we just walked a block over and up to Little Saigon and grabbed some Banh Mi (more on that later). The beignets were ready when we got back. We left behind the crazies waiting for a table and strolled over to a Civic Center park bench.
Four absolutely scrumptious doughy puffs filled with either Crawfish, Chococlate, Apple & Cinnamon, or um, air. My favorite was the Crawfish. So, so good. Alice was digging the chocolate. I think she's found herself a new unhealthy comfort food. I most certainly fiend for those Crawfish Beignets. If only they didn't make my love handles grow..
This review is a work-in-progress, cuz I'm totally going back for more Crawfish Beignets and the Oyster Po'Boy. I clearly have no self-control when it comes to good food.
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After I waited for an hour in one of "nicest" neighborhood of SF, the food really wasn't that impressive. Maybe it's because I'm from the south originally, I have a higher expectation of "French Soul Food", I automatically thought about the wonderful flavors I experienced in New Orleans.
We ordered the beignets according to popular demand, really not what I had expected. The beignets here are somewhat dry and lacking texture, the ones I had before from Houston had more of a donut texture, which I personally prefer.
Then we also ordered the special eggs benedict which was average, cool thing about that is they put it on a biscuit, rather than a english muffin that it usually comes on. Same thing with the biscuit, a bit dry and lacking that fresh biscuit aroma, I can think of a few places that can make a better biscuit, Red Lobster and my own kitchen.
The best thing about the whole meal was the watermelon ice tea which they infused normal ice tea with fresh watermelons and basil/mint leaves, quite refreshing.
"Brenda's is now serving brunch on Saturdays from 8 AM - 3 PM!" I found this on her website. It's not noted on the hours posted on the window. I'm sure she kept it off there for a reason, and I'm sure people are going to hate me for sharing this secret, if it is one. But I just LOVE Brenda's beignets and po'boys so much that I had to share it with all of you, because I LOVE YOU ALL and you MUST try them!
The beignets are TO DIE FOR. We ordered the beignet flight, which consisted of 1 of each of the following: Plain, Filled with molten Ghirardelli chocolate, Granny Smith Apple with cinnamon honey butter and Crawfish with cayenne, scallions and cheddar. All 4 for $8. We ate them in that order, starting with the crawfish beignet. It was the most amazing beignet I had ever eaten. Ever. I'd never even had a savory beignet before, and I wasn't sure if I'd like it, but it was absolutely the most scrumptious thing. My next favorite was the apple beignet. Oh, that thing was better than any apple pie I'd ever had. Surprisingly, the chocolate one was only ok for me. I'm so glad we ordered the sampler, because I would've gone straight for the chocolate one. The plain, was, well, plain, but still very good!
My fried shrimp po'boy sandwich was huge. But I managed to finish almost all of it because it was so tasty! The fries it came with were also very crisp and delicious. I asked for a side of pesto buttermilk dressing to dip the fries in - a must!
Don't forget to get some freshly made watermelon iced tea. It is so refreshing!
Luckily, we didn't have to wait at all for a table in this tiny little place, where Brenda is in plain sight cooking in the kitchen. It's a tight squeeze, so make sure you don't wear any low-rider jeans if you happen to sit at the counter. I had a nas-tay view of someone's badonkadonk.
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