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Categories: Sandwiches, Coffee & Tea [Edit]
Neighborhood: SOMAMon-Fri. 7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sat. 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
"I love the warm healthy feeling when I step foot into Sellers Markets. I step up on their sweet patio, order a healthy item from their wide…" read more »
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I have a strong suspicion this place is owned by the workers. Seriously, I've never seen anyone so happy to be at work. I got so many smiles, laughs, jokes and... well smiles than ever.
Mexican run, mexican owned and goddamn is the food good. Line was really long, but it moved fast and the food came out even faster. I had a grilled chicken (added avocado for free whoopee!!) and was really happy. Good quality chicken.. but the bread stole the show.
Melty, tasty delcious light foccaccia. Seriously so damn good I wanted to ask where they got it. It's definately fresh day of (at least) and made me want to cry sing and dance.
Also, the place is next to the park with plenty of outdoor seating which is great.
I'll definately be back time and time again!
I'm reeeeeally trying to like this place but they aren't making it easy for me.
Caffe Centro is really close to my work so I usually get coffee and a bagel out of convenience. The staff and setting are both really nice. Their drip coffee is pretty "meh" so I've been getting an americano lately and it seems a little better.
Sandwiches...tried them three times. First time was some combination of turkey, lettuce, tomato, and cheese on focaccia. They dished it out really fast and once I unwrapped it I found that the focaccia was wet and I can only deduce that the sandwich had been premade and had some kind of condensation going on. Second try was a little better....same sandwich, and this time the bread was not wet. The third time was the time I decided I shouldn't get their sandwiches anymore. One of the roasted tomatoes fell out of the sandwich on the paper it was wrapped in, and there was a dead dried up fly. Thank F I did not eat it and threw the second half of the sandwich away.
Wasn't going to write this review but my "bagel with butter" this morning wound up having a huge slab of cream cheese on it, and I effen hate cream cheese. I should probably wake up ten minutes earlier so I can get blue bottle coffee from Cento on Ritch St.
*Great Coffee, and the guys behind the counter are always sweet... Even when I try to order in their native language (and accidently butcher it, I ask them to correct me if I am saying it wrong, and they do with a smile).
It's small, and nestled right in South Park, which, I love strolling through.
I highly recommend the Egg Salad (It comes with some cute lil pickles). I really dig that they offer Half Sandwiches for 2 reasons. 1) Sandwiches at cafes are usually too big for me to eat the whole thing. 2) The knock a bit of $$$ off.
To be honest, I haven't tried anything else on the menu. The Egg Salad Sandwich is too dang good.
;D
So Caffe Centro is in a great location my main problem with it is that a lot of the meat the use in the sandwiches doesn't taste good to me. If I was eating vegetarian I'd probably give this a higher rating.
4.5!
Outdoor tables - Or just take your food to the park across the way, inside cafe seating, outside ordering window incase the line is too long inside (which it often is), good steady sandwiches, counter paninis, daily specials, espresso, hearty salads.
This place is cute, clean and charming. The staff is warm and fast. Definitely a fan. I love the Roma, Caprese, Nicoise salad, and Italian soda's.
The first time I went here I ordered a panini sandwich expecting a smushed grilled sandwich, only to be disappointed when they handed me a tissue wrapped baguette with salami and cheese.
Looking at that boring baguette lowered my expectations of how good it would taste, until biting into it and realizing I had underestimated this simple sandwich. Though simple, the bread was fresh and cheese and salami were high quality. No need to hide these ingredients behind fancy sauces and such.
My next visit I got a caprese sandwich. It was not only delicious, but wonderfully built. This is something that messy eaters like myself take into consideration. The roasted tomatoes, mozzarella, and olive oil squeezed between fluffy fococcia is well constructed to not drip or fall apart on you when biting into it. Since ordering this, I don't care to order anything else off their menu. I'm sure the other sandwiches are great, but that's how much I love their caprese sandwich.
This is the closest cafe to my new place of employment, and it is a lovely little cafe with some outdoor seating right on South Park. After reading the yelp reviews I ventured in for a sandwitch a time or two and was very pleased with this as a lunch option. I like that you can order a half a 'witch for like $4, and it is usually not too busy when I take my lunch a little later in the afternoon, so not much of a wait. The service is great, folks are friendly and they will take a card if you spend at least $10.
One caveat-
the first time I went in for my morning coffee, I was appalled to discover the weak brown water passing for such in this establishment. :( A large cup from these folks left me yawning all day long. I also got a small mocha once during lunch as a little pick me up, and it didn't. To be fair, I require some serious rocket fuel to wake up in the morning, and have taken to carting a thermos of my local coffee with me to work in the morning. I also have to say I suspected something fishy when i saw a co-worker drinking a cup of centro coffee in the afternoon. The kind of coffee I like, you dont drink in the afternoon unless you have some serious late night plans :)
The food is really good, however, reasonably priced and relatively healthy. That business with the foccacia and mozzarella, friggin' delish! I Also enjoyed the tuna with enough sprouts to make a salad with! This place is one of the better lunch options in this hood.
i prefer the salads here to the sandwiches here. whenever i order a sandwich here i am always slightly disappointed. unless it's a panini - you can't go wrong with those, not to mention they are also cheap. also, totally yummy if you grab a few before a road trip. much healthier too.
the nicoise salad is excellent if you like tuna & the pasta portofino is divine if you don't mind your food drowning in olive oil. the cobb comes with a huge pile of bacon.
their daily special is usually a hot pasta dish. really good if you're in the mood for some comfort food.
a previous reviewer said the little pickles are cute, but i think they're scary.
Despite the very serious looking business men and women who frequent this place, and the tiny flies buzzing through the open windows, this place is really cute. It's the perfect lunch and coffee joint in SoMA, nestled in South Park and snuggled between several other lunch destinations. It's relaxing to just sit at the tiny tables, eat, and people watch.
I like to get the pasta portifino salad, which is a bed of mixed greens tossed with vinaigrette and topped with a generous portion of chicken pesto bowtie pasta and pinenuts: always a healthy and refreshing lunch option. Every day they boast specials, usually a soup du jour and a sandwich or pasta, usually around $8. Some swear by the tuna casserole on days they have it. The menu board also lists dozens of sandwiches, salads, breakfast options, and coffees and teas. The service is really friendly, and there's even a box where you can pay for your coffee if you're in a rush (now that's trust!)
Decent place to have lunch if you're in the mood for salads and sandwiches, and are in the South Park neighborhood. I work close to Cafe Centro, so its a regular visit for me.
1. You can either eat inside (though it can get a bit cramped and noisy, so get here early) or outside (they have some tables out on the sidewalk) or grab food from their take-out counter and head to South Park to watch the yuppies, the hipsters, the bikers, the construction workers, the dog walkers et all take in the sun... and if you're in the mood to let your inner child out... get on the swing! whee!
2. In the salad area, I've tried the green salad, the caesar salad and the pasta portofino salad and all are made fresh, are tasty and pretty healthy. The pasta portofino salad is a bit on the heavy side but good all the same.
3. In the sandwich area, I've tried the caprese sandwich, the egg salad sandwich and the turkey sandwich are all are might fine and consistently good.
4. They have pretty good espersso to go which is how I wash my lunch down as I head out to sit in South Park and peruse the public.
Good place, dependable food, good service, reasonably priced (salads are in the $7.95 range and sandwiches are in the $4.50 to $6.75 range); location is good and all in all, good place to get lunch.
Awesome salads! Fast service.
Love the nicoise salad, bread salad and cobb salad.
I was walking to work looking to get some blue bottle coffee near by. I had previously yelped "Blue Bottle" and found a place called Cento a few blocks from my office. I told my co-worker that we should go there, since he's never had blue bottle coffee before. We agreed and set off to find it on our way to work... without taking down the address. :(
We didn't find Cento `cause we found Caffe Centro. Man, one letter off. I got a regular coffee which was a nice size for a $1.50 and my co-worker got an iced espresso. He liked his, but as I'm sipping on this horrid, watery coffee, I kinda wish that I'd found the right place.
I eat here prob 3 times a week. The sandwiches and salads are very good. Wouldn't say this is a must eat at place, but if you work in the area it's a good choice.
I have coffee or a latte there at least 3 to 4 times a week. I love the friendly staff and the yummy salami baguette. I also like the chicken sandwhich and the cobb salad. Caffe Centro is really cute and cozy. I have been interviewing my potencial new team members at Caffe Centro. Oh did I mention, my office is down the street. :)
If you read my previous review for the Butler & the Chef (http://www.yelp.com/bi...), I didn't have my (imaginary) dog but felt the need for a soy latte. I don't usually drink coffee and even if I do, it'll be commercialized Starbucks stuff.
So went for the soy latte http://static.px.yelp.... at this cute coffee cafe. I had just eaten brunch but saw the specials sign that said Mac n Cheese - resisted though..*pat on back*. The other menu items included an array of salads, pastas, and sandwiches that you could order full or half portions. I shall be back on another day for my caffeine fix...with my (imaginary) dog.
This is the closest coffee shop to work and my coworkers go there religiously for coffee or lunch.
I got a coffee latte as a precautionary move for the busy day one morning. The coffee was ok, until it started getting cold and a cardboard taste started to emerge. Maybe I should've drank it faster, or that's a natural taste in the coffee (organic?). Not a fan, but I might give it a try again.
Another morning, I got to work early and decided to sit in the cafe and read my book. I ordered an OJ--it was nice and cold, a little too tangy, and had a good amount of pulp. Sitting by the window and having the sun shine in felt like I was in a walking city, where everything was more intimate.
There's been a pretty long line both times i've been, but that's probably because everything was just getting to work and getting their dose of caffeine. Service was nice and the line moved pretty quickly for how long it was.
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Caffe Centro! I cant say enough good things!
1. Great coffee, lattes, and teas
2. AMAZING home-made soups- gotta love the gazpacho on a hot day.
3. I love love love their caprese sandwich
4. I also love their salads, too. So fresh and full of flavor!
When I worked on this side of the city, I ate here nearly every single day.
When I am back on this side of town, I make some excuse to get a bite to eat here. So good....I need to make a trip over there...its perfect on warm days- when you can walk around South Park, have lunch and enjoy the weather.
I'll admit, this review is only about their cobb salad. It rocks... comes under $8 with bacon and chicken. Caffe Centro - you done good.
I went into Caffe Centro for the first time today, definitely my go-to place during my lunch breaks from now on...until I get sick of it. Sandwiches all sound tasty, and you have your choice of a half or full sandwich. Half is around $4, full around $6. I got the turkey sandwich--turkey, provolone, greens, roasted tomatoes in aioli, all on fresh focaccia bread. Simple and so good. I also got a chocolate chip cookie for dessert. Cookies are huge by the way. In total, I spent about $6. Definitely not bad for the quality of their sandwiches.
It's a small place but perfect for wanting a quick bite to eat or to go. There are also tables inside, but it can get crowded in there. So eat your sandwich outside on the benches at South Park and enjoy the day, watch people swing, take a swing yourself, then go back to your cubicle. I kid.
Nothing memorable about this place...in fact, I couldn't remember whether I'd eaten here. Just a little joint that sells sandwiches. No need to go out of your way to visit this place.
The folks at Centro are great. They are always there for me when I need a quick caffeine fix or if I'm craving a refreshing salad after gorging myself on burritos and curry the rest of my work week. It's always fun having a reliable coffee house with incredibly friendly baristas that know you by name and can guess what you're about to order. They are so conveniently located and they're coffee/espresso drinks are reasonably priced.
My only one complaint is that sometimes my lattes aren't as hot as I'd like, but maybe they're just looking out for me since I often burn myself when pouring my drinks down my throat. Thanks guys!
Love it. My co-workers and I get coffee/espresso here at least once a day. Cheap, really tasty drinks and eats. It gets pretty crowded around 9ish and at lunch time. A few of the employees are kind of crabby and seem angry if you ask for a pastry but, oh well, I'd probably get annoyed at the loopy web editors like me asking for things they aren't sure they want all day too. Must pay cash if you're spending less than $10. Please tip them if you don't want to receive a scowl. Plus, they deserve it.
I wasn't in the mood to spend $8 on sandwich (would it be a good sandwich I would gobble up? Would it be too big for me to finish at lunch?) so I just got the counter panini (ham and jarlsberg). I have to say having ready made simple sandwiches to go is a brilliant idea - one that should be adopted at more places.
A simple sandwich with ham and cheese, it really hit the spot on a nice sunny day when I didn't want to eat a lot. Plenty for a light lunch and of course it was ready to go as soon as I ordered, so no standing around for 10 minutes.
My friend ordered the salad nicoise which looked good but heavy on the dressing.
I'll have to come back to try the other selections.
My Cafe Latte ($3) was delicious. It wasn't too strong, but had enough Oomph to make me skip around town.
The Sicilian Eggs on Toast ($5.95) - Seasoned red potatoes, cup of fruit, and two poached eggs on toast. Minus one star because I like my poached eggs with the yolk all gooey. Otherwise, good and inexpensive!
Overall: Atmosphere is cool and laid back with friendly servers and diverse crowd. Love their latte's and espresso drinks. Very reasonably priced. Yay!
Cafe Centro is awesome. I eat here about 2 times a week and I'm always satisfied with their food. I usually have their bread salad or tuna sandwich. Good varitey, quick service and its in South Park which is a nice place to have lunch.
Overall really happy its near my work.
Tasty salads & sandwiches, quick service, and nice staff in South Park where there are so many hot guys to stare at?
...SOLD!
I don't come here often since it's a walk from my office, but if it's a nice day and you want a delicious & fresh spinach salad and maybe some eye candy, then this is place to go hands down.
Great atmosphere, sandwiches, and ice coffee. I dont think they do anything special as far as the ice coffee, but I freaking love it.
I know I'll be back for coffee cause it was quite good last time I had it, but I'm quite disappointed in the soup I paid $4.60 for today...It's about a 12oz cup not filled to the top and they call it a bowl. Quite pricey for a simple broth filled with vegetables and barley. It always upsets me when restaurants overcharge for soup...you KNOW it doesn't cost them much to make a giant pot of it and that cup you're buying is worth like 2 cents yet you pay $5...I totally respect complicated soups or those with expensive ingredients and am willing to pay extra for them - but $4.60 for chicken noodle soup? Come on!
On the other hand, the salads look decent and the sandwiches too so I might come back to give them a try...and like I said, I'll definitely be back for coffee!!! :)
A South Park standby...friendly service, a good variety of salads and sandwiches and outdoor seating make it an easy stop-in for lunch or a coffee. I do wish more places in South Park were open on Sundays, though.. The cobb salad was surprisingly large and had tons of chunky ingredients (the works)- I was definitely impressed..and full.
The staff had 94.9 playing on the loud side- which was fine by me as I enjoy a side of hip-hop with my salad...but it didn't really go with the cafe vibe of the place.
even on a foggy day, south park is bustling. I love walking past the cafes blaring music and seeing all the happy faces in the park...its just a nice place to be, especially in the middle of the city, and amid warehouses no less.
i felt welcome immediately here, and the guys behind the counter were so cute and friendly! but they didn't even have to try, you could tell they were just jolly. Im pretty sure jolly is the only word I can use to describe them.
although my heart broke when he said they were out of bagels, my latte was DELISH and big (for a very reasonable price) and i had a half grilled chicken sand that was yum yum yum! everything on the menu looked good and im sure it all is...maybe ill come back everyday till i try everything! muahaha...
also, mega points for having Sierra Nevada, even in the bottles.
if you're in the area, definitely stop in. Then we can head to 21st amendment :)
Really good fresh sandwiches and salads. Their veggie sandwich isn't just your run of the mill version- great eggplant, fresh pesto, fresh tomatoes and greens. Bread could be a little better (isn't quite homemade bakery style with lots of choices) but overall a great little lunch spot. If inside is too crowded you can always enjoy your food outside in the park.
They make a very good nicoise salad that includes a sliced, hard-boiled egg, red potatoes, olives, green beans, and of course, tuna. The dressing is a little heavy for my taste, but the price is light ($7 plus tax). I've never tried their sandwiches, since I keep going back for the salad!
The place is usually packed during lunch hours. Don't want to wait in a long line? Order at their "take out" window outside, right around the corner from the entrance.
Actually, I just went there and ordered the Caprese sandwich toasted on focaccia with prosciutto. Fresh mozzarella, roasted/seasoned tomatoes with basil, olive oil and delicious salty prosciutto. This sandwich was delicious and probably one of the best ones you can get in the South Park area. I think the sandwich is boring how they normally make it (cold w/ a shitty baguette) but delicious doctored!
Uninspired, reasonably-priced food in a cute setting. The service is fast, and provides a… Read more »
Hmm, so apparently I'm the only person who works in SOMA and has never been to South Park. Until today that is...I'm literally beaming as a result of my stroll through South Park this afternoon, mind you it is a sunny, warm day...
We stopped at Caffe Centro outdoor counter for a quick bite. Great sandwich and salad selection and quite reasonable. They even have these 'counter panini' for $3 that are really the perfect size for lunch, combine w/ a sack of chips and Martinelli's apple juice and you're in store for a great snack.
Oh, and definitely recommend the counter service, as you can hop across the street and sit in the park. Pretty much everything you could ask for in a lunch spot - only wish I worked a tad closer.
I'm a fan - I'm giving Caffe Centro four stars for the people who work here.
The food can be really good, depending on what you order, or nothing special. I really like their tuna sandwiches, spinach & goat cheese salad, and espresso drinks, plus they have good bagels. The cheddar and pesto panini are only $2 if you get them after around 2PM! Can't beat that.
I've been going to Caffe Centro at least once a day for the past 3+ years because of its location in the heart of South Park, near my office. I prefer it over the Butler & the Chef or Hennessy's, even though both probably have tastier regular coffee, because I like the guys who work here so much.
They are not just super friendly and personable (seems like they know everyone by name who comes in there fairly regularly), but have done really nice things for me a number of times in the past like let me pay the next day when I didn't bring enough cash a few times, or have helped carry large orders across the park to my office when I couldn't do it all in one trip, even while they may be super busy dealing with the lunch crowd.
CONS:
The kitchen closes at 4, and they are not open on Sundays.
This little shop has a great vibe, and when our office relocates, I'm really going to miss it.
Came with my gf for lunch recently, food is a lil over priced but its quality. We both tried different salads, i tried the nicoise salad and she tried the bread crumb salad, all very well done, good proportion and tasty. I can see why its so crowded for lunch for people who work in the area. I definitely recommend coming here if you are in the mood for a higher quality lunch that has a great atmosphere reminding you of a sidewalk cafe.
A plus is that they have a "to go" area to make things faster if you dont want to eat there.
This is my new favorite lunch spot. The location is ideal and I paid about $4 for half a sandwich. The sandwich was big enough to suffice as a lunch and was delicious. Little tables to sit at and watch the dogs in the park, great, efficient service. How cute is this place!
Location, Location, Location. On a sunny day (or a blue moon in SF) this is the spot to hit up for lunch, grab a sandwich and situate in the park. the cobb salad is decent, and the sandwiches are good. The staff is awesome, super friendly, cool, blah blah.
The cool thing you can do, is grab a baguette sandwich if you're in a real hurry and want something you can take to go easily. They're simple but do the job. The cookies and sweets are solid here.
Sometimes a creepy dude brings his pet iguana to the park there. You can watch him scare little kids away with it as you enjoy the Centro food, which won't knock your socks off... but satisfy you.
Uuuum lovely!
I like this place. I came here w/ some friends and it was super busy. The line was out the door, partially b/c the place is pretty tiny, but also b/c there were a lot of people. I got the grilled chicken sandwich and it was super fucking tasty. I had a sandwich like that before, and they just totally fucked it up b/c it was too wet with sauce and ugh. But it was the right amount of chicken and whatever, and they were like really really fast. Amazing
I also love where the place is situated. It's so cute and yuppie-ish and it makes me want to live there. I love the little park and the little chairs and the little tables and yeah. Good place to eat. A little expensive for a sandwich, but it was good
I had a bread salad. That's salad with cubes of bread on it, doused with vinegar and oil, and other nummies that I can't be bothered to remember right now.
However, the salad was far too vinegar-y for my taste and made me pucker like a Presidential candidate kissing babies for the press. Not near tasty enough to tolerate the tearing eyes and burning throat.
However, on other occasions, the sandwiches and soups have been just fine and dandy, and I have returned several times for their pastas...although not the most affordable lunches I have known.
But I am a cheap bastard. That should be noted right quick.
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