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Brickhouse Cafe
Categories: Restaurants American (Traditional) Restaurants Breakfast & Brunch Nightlife Bars American (Traditional), Breakfast & Brunch, Bars [Edit]
426 Brannan St(between Ritch St & Zoe St)
San Francisco, CA 94107
Neighborhood: SOMA
(415) 369-0222
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 7 am - 10 pm
Sat 10 am - 10 pm
Sun 10 am - 3 pm
- Delivery:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Music:
- Live
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Wed, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Hipster, Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
701 reviews for Brickhouse Cafe
Review Highlights
"I had to try their Vanilla Bean French Toast."
(in 15 reviews)
"My favorite is the Chicken Brie sandwich, hands down."
(in 31 reviews)
"The Big Ass Burger made from Wagyu beef was amazing."
(in 26 reviews)
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701 reviews in English
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Review from Dee Tail G.
San Francisco, CA
1/11/2012 1 Check-in Here
I came to Brickhouse Cafe for brunch. I like the decor - it's different, rustic, slightly random and schizo, and very visually stimulating so there's a lot to look at and keep you occupied. We sat in a window table which is nice if you want to be separated from the main floor/dining area.
We got the wagyu burger and salmon scramble. Both were good. Burger was really tasty. Salmon scramble definitely hearty with a good portion of salmon. Potatoes were tasty too. They have freshly squeezed fruit juices (said the server). I had a latte too and it was a large and hot cup - nice.
Service was really friendly. For a Saturday brunch, it wasn't crowded and we were seated immediately which is great when you are hungry. If you drive, there's a lot of metered street parking. -
Review from Stine H.
San Jose, CA
1/29/2012 1 Check-in Here
This place is poppin' for lunch time. It has it's typical San Francisco feel with it's rustic interior and chalk board menu.
If you're feeling like sandwiches and burgers (they have soup and salad too) then this is a great place to go to. The inside is really small, so unless you're not in a time constraint for lunch I suggest going elsewhere. Food takes a while to come out. You just take a seat and they give you a little number and they bring you your food.
I was craving burger and fries and so obviously the "little ass burger" sounded perfect. It was a basic burger with lettuce, tomato, red onions and a pickle. The other specialized burgers looked really good too. The fries are nice and crisp, nothing spectacular though. The last time I had the apple chicken brie sandwich which I really liked. The apple gives it a nice crunch. I want to try their tomato bisque and sandwich combo next time.
Prices are ok, I've seen a variety of stuff from the yelp photos that I don't see on the menu...so I suppose there are separate breakfast, lunch and dinner menus? Decent place like the rest of SoMa. -
Review from Bay G.
San Francisco, CA
1/24/2012
The staff was nice and the owner catches all of the salmon that they serve, which is really cool.
I ordered the chicken brie sandwich. It is supposed to be hot. I was served a sandwich that had warm bread and cold meat. This is not a hot sandwich. Hot food should be served hot. And it was a very small sandwich.
What I got was OK, but that's all. -
Review from Rod M.
San Francisco, CA
1/23/2012
Used a coupon from bloomspot for 36.00 and used 28.00 and got charged 18% plus tax making it more expensive than not buying the coupon.
Such a charming place.
4 for the food, 2 for the service.
I was in here for brunch on the weekend, and it wasn't that crowded so the ewaiter came by 3 times and we felt we were not ordering fast enough, .however, you would think the waiter was working on 15 other tables after that (he wasn't, and there was other staff). -
Review from Cathy D.
San Jose, CA
1/9/2012
My co-worker took me here....Cool swanky place with character! The both times I came here I felt like a burger.
-I ordered the Calfornian twice....first time I got a turkey substitute..will cost you $1 extra....wow first time I've had to pay extra $ for a ground turkey substiute. The second time they accidentally gave me a chicken fillet.
-+$1 to add bacon
-I like that you can get a side salad instead of fries.
-They have yummy bags of homemade chips...so yummy, but greasy... felt too guilty to purchase
-They have fresh squeezed lemonade for $3
-Order at counter, drinks are handled seperately at the bar, Sit down, staff brings you your food or calls out your # if you order to go.
-Easy...pesasy
-Lunch (sandwich/burge with fries or salad & drink) will run you about $10-$15
3.5 stars.....Pretty cool lunch spot if you work in the area!!! -
Review from lisa w.
Morgan Hill, CA
2/4/2012
My first time here and I was excited to try their eggs benedict. We were seated and ready to order after 5 minutes. 15 minutes later still no one came to take our order or ask if we wanted anything to drink. So I had to wave down one of the workers just to ask if we can order. His response was "you have to wait for you waiter." We waited another 5 minutes and still no one came. We watched as everyone else seated after us get served with drinks and was already getting their order taken. None of the workers even acknowledged we were there. Each of them just walked right past our table like nothing. This was ridiculous customer service!! I was also upset because we had put in an hour for the parking meter and half the time was already out. What kind of customer service is that?! All I wanted was to have breakfast yet this restaurant couldn't serve us. So we had to walk out. I was seriously looking forward to trying their food, but they honestly showed how much they really care for your business.
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Review from Libby B.
San Francisco, CA
1/20/2012
I've been here twice now. The first time was great- we came on a weeknight for dinner, and thoroughly enjoyed the food and beer. Come to think of it, I think we'd had many drinks that night, which may have skewed our perceptions. Oops.
With that experience in mind, we came back for late lunch on a Saturday (maybe 3:00ish). We had issues with the service and the food this second time around, so really, there were no redeeming qualities.
The place was actually pretty crowded, and I could tell right away that they were understaffed. Regardless, they quickly sat us at an open table without so much as a word (no "how are you?" or mention of how busy they were...nothing).
That initial exchange was a sign of things to come. We started reviewing our menu and eventually decided on what we wanted-- which takes a significant amount of time for my indecisive bf and I. As we're narrowing down our options, I realize that we haven't even heard from our waiter yet. 10 minutes later, he finally swings by and we order everything all at once, since who knows when we'll see him again!
From there, we don't see him for another hour or so. Someone else brings out our drinks and food, and we seriously have to hunt people down for refills and condiments. The food itself was eh. I got the chicken-brie sandwich, which was dry and and overdone. The bf got the burger, which was kinda soggy and fell apart. Ick.
I used to wait tables, so I have empathy for when servers are jammed, but seriously, just tell us and come up with a back up plan. Our waiter hardly said two words to us and never apologized for the lack of service. Not only that, but we had a hard time getting ANYONE to help us- bus boys, other servers, bartenders. It was really aggravating. I see little reason to come back again. -
Review from Jeanne C.
San Francisco, CA
1/10/2012
Really good home made chips. Spacious for a work lunch date.
The food was okay. I had a sandwich, but maybe I'm just not that into sandwiches.
Going to order something else next time.
Water is placed in an awkward spot between the line to order. -
Review from Lauren M.
San Francisco, CA
2/3/2012
This is right near my house so I was hoping to like it more but I've given it two tries now. The food is good, but good in an average way. Nothing I had makes me want to go back and get the same thing or try other things either. Service is what's pushed me over to the not-worth-coming-back side though.
I went back in Sep and service was fine, but still had to be looking around when we needed the bill, etc. Then when we went a few nights ago, it was really disappointing. We arrived just after 9pm so there weren't many people there. Drinks and order-taking was pretty efficient, but it too forever to get the food. With barely anyone in there, I had no idea what could be taking so long. I ordered a chicken sandwich and my husband ordered the pork chop. Even the waitress finally came over and said, 'it should be out soon'. By this point it's about 9:40 though and at this type of restaurant, where there's not really multiple courses you're trying to time, this was ridiculous. Even when we were done, I was looking around for her to get our check, I saw her dealing with something over at the register and then saw that she had to split a bill like 5 different ways so that must have been a hold up.
Overall, the combination of the not-great food and the below average service unfortunately won't have me coming back. -
Review from Angela P.
Dallas, TX
1/25/2012
The Brickhouse Cafe is a solid spot for a good, casual meal in SOMA. My friend and I walked in on a Tuesday night and were seated with no wait. He ordered the small ass burger, and I ordered the chicken brie sandwich. Both were good as was the service. The place feels cozy too on a cold night without a lot of pretense.
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Review from Allison M.
San Francisco, CA
12/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
I was going to give this place four stars, but then it occurred to me that I didn't even remember what I had... apart from a bloody mary (which, at brunch, is only $5).
And then I remembered how I sat underneath a window that was propped open, on a very chilly morning. And I remembered how I asked if there was any possible way to close the window, the guy said no. And I remembered not caring too much, putting on my big red coat, and immediately spilling my bloody mary on it. At least they both were red, right?
After thinking about it, I remembered that I had the tuna melt, which was fine, but not very melty (especially under the arctic wind that was coming in through the window overhead). I should have had a burger. -
Review from Jason B.
Updated - 12/9/2011
Remote parfaits.
Alone six bucks for a cup of granola, fruit and yogurt would be two star expensive. But you have to remind yourself you're eating it inside a well designed cafe with friendly service all while catching up on work using the free WiFi.
Having breakfast while working remotely is worth paying a little extra.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/21/2011
Enjoyed the house veggie burger even if the "side salad" was a disappointing pile of greens. Burger… Read more »
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Review from J Y.
San Francisco, CA
1/14/2012
Let me preface this with letting you know I've been here four times (twice for brunch and twice for dinner).
I would be giving Brickhouse four stars, however, the seafood salad I had the last time I went was so horrible, that I cannot in good conscience give more. I am boggled by how a soggy salad, with dry, salty smokey fish-like food on top could ever had made it on to what is otherwise a decent menu. Furthermore, when I did not eat a bite of the fish and then ordered an entire burger to accompany it because I was "still hungry", the server did not even bat an eye and read between the lines to ask about whether the salad was not to my liking. At $16 or so bucks, this was an expensive miss. Rant over.
On to things I think are good and even great.
- Beer selection. My boyfriend really enjoys the variety of beers they have to offer. I like picking a nice cocktail off of their pretty decent list.
- Other salads. The Thai-style salad they have has a nice sauce, delicious chicken (maybe I paid to add this--can't remember) and has noodles on the bottom which i really enjoyed.
- Both the veggie burger and the regular burgers are good.
- Breakfast is SOLID. My bestie had a scramble and loved it. I had bacon and eggs--(bacon is a bit fatty and greasy but that can come as no surprise, I suppose, but I've had better). Their real winner is their pancakes. DELICIOUS. I will get those every time I go from here on out.
All in all, I will keep going back, but definitely will think twice before straying too far from what appear to be their menu staples (i.e., no more seafood salad for this chick). -
Review from Jack S.
Poughkeepsie, NY
12/16/2011
We stopped in the other day for some takeout burgers. I got the three cheese burger and was very happy with it. The fries and burger were both really good and cooked as I asked (medium). I'll probably go one notch more cooked next time and see if I can get a little more char on there. (Monsieur Maillaird FTW).
If you're in a hurry, watch out for the lunch rush. The line can be pretty long and it takes a while to make your food after you've ordered. -
Review from Lynna D.
San Francisco, CA
1/11/2012 3 Check-ins Here
Chose this place by reading the menu online, was hoping for a good place. Luckily found out it's amazing. Most definitely will be back.
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Review from Meg D.
San Francisco, CA
1/10/2012
I recently moved to SF and this was the first place I found for brunch. Between vanilla bean french toast and $3 mimosas, you absolutely can't go wrong here. Come and enjoy. This is a great place with a lot of character.
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Review from Eric N.
El Cerrito, CA
12/4/2011
Gotta say, food was good, but service left a lot to be desired.
::EDIT::
Follow-up from management over poor service is a great thing. My compliments to Kim. I have to say this again, though: great food. I'll be coming back later =D -
Review from Cynthia C.
San Francisco, CA
Had the Chicken Brie Sandwich here for brunch today. Fries were good and sandwich was good. It's nothing super memorable but it's in the neighborhood and it gets the job done. Can't complain much.
I'll be back to try the burgers and happy hour food! -
Review from melody m.
San Francisco, CA
11/10/2011
This place has potential in terms of atmosphere and general ambiance.
The food is just ok. Sounds better than it is.
Our table had a "big ass" burger, a shredded bbq salmon sandwich, beet salad with chicken and apple crisp.
The salmon was a strange concept and overly sweet. The beets were obviously from a tin, the chicken on my salad was pounded as thin as veal and overly dry, the burger was dry as well as the apple crisp - which was more like dehydrated apple slices in a ramekin with some crumbled graham crackers on top.....not worth the price of a dessert at all.
Service was spotty.
I had a great groupon for this place; so, we went, but we won't return. -
Review from Jana S.
9/14/2011
Not bad at all for lunch...food is definitely copacetic. Busy and cute SOMA outfit, right across the street from Farmberbrowns Little Skillet. Line up to order/pay for your grub.
Extensive lunch menu....sandwiches were okay, and there are always specials of the day. My French dip did the trick. Portions are def enuf to stuff for the mid-day! Salad was very fresh, with lots of toppings. Soup was also average.
Upstairs area....best wishes with the parking situation.
Perfect spot for a stop-off before the Steins Collect at MOMA. -
Review from Joy T.
San Jose, CA
12/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Came here for Happy Hour on last Thursday as a last stop before I took the Caltrain back home. The ambiance is quaint and they had 2 talented musicians playing Christmas songs. The polenta was delicious: crispy on the outside and creamy in the middle. I didn't enjoy their HH mojito but I liked the bloody Mary which wasn't an HH drink. Probably will not come back here until I've tried all or most placed in AT&T Park area.
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Review from Juliet S.
San Francisco, CA
11/1/2011 2 Check-ins Here
This place is great! The decor is super cute. Theres tons of different goodies to look at but it's not too overwhelming.
I've been there twice for breakfast. Both times it was delicious. The crowd is young and fun and they have a great Sunday brunch. I think the mimosas were $3 and the bloody marys were $5. I had a bloody Mary and it was super spicy and delicious.
I had the average joe breakfast one time and the eggs benedict another time. One of my eggs was cooked through so you might want to emphasize that you don't want your eggs cooked too much.
My boyfriend had the cornbeef hash and loved it!
I live and work in the area and I'm definitely planning in becoming a regular here! -
Review from Jo S.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 12/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
Stopped in here again for another shot with the burger for lunch yesterday at the manager's invitation, and LOVED it. Ethan took great care of me and when I got my burger it was a lovely and juicy medium rare with grill marks and A1 on the table. Yum! The onion rings did not disappoint again, either. Can't wait to go back--might have to make this a renewed tradition. :)
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/12/2011
About seven years ago I started coming to the City on Caltrain from Sunnyvale on the weekends,… Read more »
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Review from Sara K.
San Francisco, CA
I come to the Brickhouse Cafe every now and then before making my way over to AT&T Park for a Giants game. On Saturday afternoon I stopped by here for some eats and cheap happy hour specials. If you go there between 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. (I believe it is), drinks are $1 off and appetizers are $2 off. This is what we got off the menu:
- Jalapeño poppers w/ basil ranch sauce: These were actually incredibly satisfying. They were seasoned well and the basil ranch sauce it was served with was really good -- way more fun than just your typical ranch sauce.
- Fish tacos: I wish I could write a review about this. But after ordering the server came back and told me they were out of fish....at only 4:30 p.m. Thought it was worth mentioning.
- Brichouse mixed green salad: This was actually quite delicious and my favorite of all of the items we orded. The raspberry vinagrette was incredibly tasty and the pear added a nice touch.
- Fried calamari: EEK! This calamari was not the business. So over cooked and really difficult to eat. It was so chewy and not tender at all. I won't be ordering this again when I return.
- Bloody Mary (2): The first one was a little off -- too much horseradish. But we asked the bar tender to tone it down on the second one and it was a much better turn out.
- Mamosa (2): A great poor and incredibly satisfying on a sunny san francisco day.
Total bill for 2 (large) appetizers, 1 (large) entree salad, and 4 drinks from the bar = $36.
When I got the bill I was shocked! So much food and a decent amount of drinks for so little money. Definitely a great spot for happy hour :)Listed in: Everyone's Favorite Hour.
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Review from Rebecca w.
San Francisco, CA
12/4/2011
service was terrible, my friend's order came over wrong, and had to be sent back. Which took about 20 extra minutes for the right food to come. Three other people around us either sent food back, or complained about something else. Seems like it would be a cool bar scene, cheap drinks and tons of seating, but not great for food. Also, lettuce with vinaigrette on them, is NOT a side salad! I don't know why places think this is ok, or equal to fries!
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Review from Ty T.
9/8/2011
I am upset with my culpably unsatisfied order.. A Chicken Caesar Cold Sandwich with a side of fries today for lunch. I had it to-go because I wanted to avoid the lunch crowd here during the hour that I was here.
Sadly, when the time came for me to get my big-girl hands in there, especially considering that at this point my appetite was beyond whet. They gave me a side-salad by mistake, instead of my much desired fries. My mouth was practically watering.
Seriously? A Chicken Caesar Sandwich; which.. is practically a Caesar Salad between two slabs of focaccia, plus more salad? Might as well have included a small diet-coke in the order...
Brickhouse Cafe, what are you suggesting here..?
I don't know you well enough for you to be implying such inconsiderate things.
I am insulted, and the sandwich wasn't even that good.Listed in: Never Again
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Review from Hilary M.
San Francisco, CA
12/18/2011
First off, the decor of this place is awesome!!! It really makes for an enjoyable experience.
On top of that, the drinks are great, and the food is average to good. I've been for brunch and dinner, though prefer the brunch/lunch options. Their "big ass burger" ($11) really is big... I could only eat half, though there's great topping combos like mushrooms and avocado (and bacon, if you're a fan). They also have a "small ass burger" ($9) which doesn't have the fancier toppings but is a more manageable portion. If you're vegetarian, I'd stick with one of the veggie scrambles rather than the veggie sandwich (mozzarella, tomato, avocado, red onions, balsamic... on a kinda stale baguette - or at least ask for the baguette toasted).
Big bonus: their Bloody Mary is definitely above par, and only $5! -
Review from Rachel G.
San Francisco, CA
8/23/2011
Hot Mess !
Oh Brickhouse, what has happened to you? After visiting you today for lunch I feel so disappointed.
You know how when you run into a long lost friend who used to have a great sense of humor, dress well, and was fun to be around...and now she's a crack whore? That's how I feel about Brickhouse.
I've been eating here for about 4 years now. I have been in a few times when the service was not the best, but I gladly returned because the food was great, atmosphere is awesome, and it is soooo convenient.
I read a YELP review of Brickhouse the other day about how bad the service was. I thought, this person must just be a pain in the ass, the service couldn't have been THAT bad. To you Ms. or Mr. Yelper whom I thought was a 'pain in the ass', I stand corrected...everything you said was true.
When we arrived today, there was only ONE other person in the restaurant. Out of 6 employee's walking around, none of them greeted us, told us we needed to order at the counter, or acknowledged we existed. We sat for 10 minutes before someone, as they were walking out the door told us to go order at the counter.
When our food arrived, my burger tasted like fish, and my friends "big salad" was a side salad at best. When we told the server he looked at us blankly like he was a zombie, and said in a monotone voice, 'I'll get you more greens". Came back and dropped the plate on our table and just walked away.
It was if we were being served by the "Twilight" cast.
So Brickhouse, I say this to you. I love you to death and don't want to end our relationship, but its gone too far. Your service, your food, your prices....you got's to go ! When there are options like "Holy Grill" three blocks away, you don't have the option to behave like this.
I will miss you. (tear streaming down face) Don't worry you will survive as long as there are hungry Giants Fans and desperate office lunch meetings at your place. I hope one day we can be friends again. -
Review from Soon Mee K.
Alpharetta, GA
1/17/2012
I've been here a few times. The food has been consistently good . The seafood salad was yummy.
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Review from Connie M.
Honolulu, HI
12/6/2011
This place is okay at best, to be honest. I was excited to visit after reading all the stellar reviews, but I don't think it lived up to the hype. I had the Chicken brie sandwich with fries. I went in around 1. My fries were cold and it definitely was sitting out for awhile or something. The staff was friendly, so that's a bonus
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Review from Stacy O.
Huntington Beach, CA
8/12/2011
Brickhouse Cafe is one of my new places I like to go to for brunch or lunch. They have a variety of things to choose from on their menu. Plus they also have a great bar and cafe drinks as well. What's really unique about Brickhouse Cafe is the country vintage design theme and their live music early in the morning. I highly recommend ordering one of their omelets.
The only reason I give them 3 stars is due to the spacey service. In a restaurant environment that small there is no excuse for your waiter to disappear for that long. -
Review from Akasha A.
San Francisco, CA
6/30/2011
I'm completely done with Brickhouse. And I have given this place PLENTY of chances.
The waitstaff is alternately spacey, rude or they think that they are just so 'terminally hip' that they can get away with really bad service. The food's not good enough to suffer through 'attitude'.
The burgers are just OK, and never, ever order the corned beef hash. It tasted like the meat had died and rotted way before they boiled it into oblivion and slapped it on a plate. And the poached eggs were hard boiled. Even tabasco could not salvage that awful mess.
There's a reason why this place has the nickname of "The Poophouse Cafe". -
Review from Jared B.
San Francisco, CA
7/16/2011 4 Check-ins Here
There is delicious food here if you can suffer through the miserably hipster disinterested attitudes of a good deal of the wait staff. The Big Ass Burger, Chicken & Brie sandwich, and their garlic fries are all fantastic. But what's the point of great food if you're treated poorly, ignored, or met with surly demeanor?
My latest experience was standing at the register to place a to-go order while the server sorted through credit card receipts... Place one here. Stick one there. Circle a total on this one. Shuffle. Re-sort. Done. Wander away with a sigh. Leaving me standing there, still. A waitress then approached, never made eye contact, and didn't seem interested in helping either. That's when I gave up and left empty handed.
I find it funny that in my time waiting there I had time to read and then reread their note on the register about requiring a $10 minimum on credit card transactions because "the economy the way it is and these transaction fees are killing us!" and found it funny. I'd figure patrons wandering out the door unhelped would be more of an issue.
This was one instance of 4 years worth of experiences with Brickhouse. Some experiences have been great, and the food, like I've said, is really quite wonderful. But good lord, the bad experiences really take their toll, and there is a consistent pattern of poor service here. It's really too bad. -
Review from Mariela D.
San Francisco, CA
6/17/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I've been here twice and although it wasn't love at first sight, this place is growing on me. They've got personality - heck, their stools have cowhide print on them! You might even call them "cozy" - if you consider tightly packed tables surrounding a long, communal table "cozy". The wood-paneled walls add to the warmth. And, you can always catch the Giants games here. Yup, I really do think I'm starting to like this place.
It doesn't hurt that the food is good. I've had their Big Ass Burger (love the name) twice, and was seasoned and cooked to perfection. Their happy hour gets you discounts off the bar menu and certain beers and cocktails (ask for the happy hour menu when you come in). The only downside is that the servers get really busy here, so if you're in a rush you might have to flag them down.
Parking isn't terrible during happy hour since most folks are leaving SOMA during that time.
I just realize I didn't insert even ONE "Brickhouse" song reference. I must be getting rusty. *shrug* -
Review from Beatrice W.
San Francisco, CA
6/19/2011
I am always "that person" in my group of friends who is the most critical about restaurant food because I despise paying for food I can make better myself. So it means a lot when I say I was pleasantly surprised by Brickhouse Cafe. Based on the reviews I never would have thought to try it if it weren't for my Scoutmob coupon.
I came here for dinner Saturday evening and impressed by the first food item that appeared on the table -- the complimentary bread. Fresh out of the oven, this baguette was so piping hot my fingers could barely hold it in place as I cut it in half. When I pushed gently on the crust it made that fresh crackling noise and when I finally cut open the bread an eruption of steam accompanied the exposure of a delicate, chewy center. The bread was served with an herb butter but the herb flavor was very subtle.
We tried the jalepeno crab dip appetizer, and I was impressed once again. I so often get served seafood that is improperly marinated/seasoned, resulting in this unpleasant fishy aftertaste that makes me crave dessert afterwards. That was not the case at Brickhouse. The crab was prepared with the perfect amount of lemon juice and jalepeno and was not disgustingly mayonnaise-y as often is the case for dips. To finish it off, the dip was topped with parmesan and bread crumbs and served with 4 slices of focaccia. Heaven!
My friend got the Frenchy burger, served on a nice plump roll and topped with an over easy egg. He was quite pleased. I ordered the seared ahi tuna sandwich, which once again, had the right amount of acidity to counteract the potentially disgusting fishy flavor. To my personal delight, the flavors of the asian marinade described on the menu were not very prominent and my only complaint was that the sandwich could've used twice the amount of fried onion and the chipotle aioli could've had more of a kick. Both entrees were served with french fries that deserve a solid 4.5 stars - perfectly deep fried, not too dry, not too greasy.
Not only that, the service was excellent. Our server was very friendly and our waters were refilled 6-7 times during the course of our meal. My only complaint about this place is that their sandwiches and burgers are $1-2 overpriced, but that's SOMA for you. Still a solid place overall. Thanks Scoutmob for directing me to Brickhouse Cafe! -
Review from jon b.
Walnut Creek, CA
7/31/2011
The food here is consistently awesome and the staff is always very friendly! I just wish the service were as consistent.
Its pretty hit or miss, depending on who's working. We had to ask for butter for our toast this morning. Also our soda glasses sat empty at the end of the table waiting for refills while our server walked by 3-4 times. Then when the bill came it was wrong but that's because there was confusion over what today's special was versus Saturdays. -
Review from Annie D.
7/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
Brunch here was---dare I say it---eggcellent. Sorry, I dared.
Huevos rancheros and a Bloody Mary started my Sunday off exactly right. That, and the great company of a few fellow Yelp CMs.
Brickhouse is a comfy, cozy spot, with lots of indoor greenery and distressed wood. The atmosphere and the jovial staff make you feel at home right away. Or like going over to your friend's house for brunch.
The huevos rancheros were nicely done, as were the creamy grits that came as a side order to my friend's meal. I usually don't care for grits and know positively nothing about what authentic grits are supposed to taste like, so take that as you will.
I'll definitely make it a point to head back here next time I'm in SF.Listed in: San Francisco Treat!
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Review from Mike L.
5/28/2011
With my beef ban officially over, my first weekend of "freedom" was unexpectedly beef heavy. After going to Burger Bar on Friday night, I found myself at Brickhouse for my friend's birthday dinner. Even though they offer several beef alternatives, I had to give their burger a shot considering a whole sheet of the menu was devoted to it. (side note: since that weekend, I haven't had much beef...talk about overkill...).
Like Burger Bar, Brickhouse gives you the option of tailoring a burger to your liking (albeit with less options). Given that I already made my own the night before, I decided to give my brain a break and go with one of theirs so that I could try something different. I ended up ordering the Frenchy Burger (served open face with a fried egg, grilled pancetta, swiss and chipotle aioli) and quickly realized that it was fairly similar to what I had at Burger Bar. Whoops. If nothing else, my taste buds are pretty consistent.
When our plates were served, I noticed that my burger looked a little dark, but I didn't think too much of it since we were trying to make sure everyone got the dish they ordered. Taking that first bite though, it was pretty obvious why it was so dark - overcooked. I ordered my burger between medium rare and medium, but I ended up getting it a touch past medium well instead. Now, I generally don't send plates back (can't remember the last time I did, if ever), but I thought about it this time. Seeing as how my friends around me were complaining about the same problem though, I figured there wouldn't have been much of a point.
Being overcooked, a lot of the burger's juiciness and flavor were gone, and it didn't even taste like it had been seasoned very well. The egg was nice and I liked the pancetta flavor, but it was just way too salty and overwhelmed everything else. The sides didn't do much for me either. The truffle mashed potatoes didn't taste like truffle, and the fries and onions were average - not great but not bad. I thought the truffled fried polenta bricks were decent though.
The best part of the meal for me was the upstairs loft where we were seated; given the large size of our party (roughly 20 in total), it was nice to have the area to ourselves. The food was just too disappointing for me though - overcooked (my friend's ribs had some serious char) and relatively bland. I see people have said some nice things about their brunch, so maybe that would be worth checking out one day, but I don't think I need to come back for dinner. Even though they might be cheaper than Burger Bar, I'd rather pay more for something I like better (or go to Serpentine for a comparable price and a better burger). TWO AND A HALF stars for the food, but rounding up since I liked the vibe of the place. [EDIT]: Scratch that, upon further consideration, I'm thinking two stars is more appropriate.Listed in: Mmmmm....boogers.
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Review from Jeff W.
San Mateo, CA
12/1/2011
Really like this place - funky ambiance (kind of like a N'Orleans shotgun shack plopped down in SF), good beer selection, hearty comfort food.
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Review from Lisa W.
San Francisco, CA
8/1/2011
Wanting to avoid the hour-long waits at every brunch place across the city and being armed with vehicles for once, we decided to drive to SOMA to check out Brickhouse. I wasn't disappointed. This cafe has an awesome country western theme, complete with live music at 11 AM! There was a guitarist playing John Denver, and he fit in perfectly with the decor.
Our food was simple, delicious, and filling, and the wait was short. That's a Sunday morning win for me.
