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Category: Restaurants [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Nob Hill, Union SquareMon-Thu. 12:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri. 12:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sat. 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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Nothing fabulous...nothing horrible...odd service.
I have worked nearby for about 3 years and avoided this place due to the constant emptiness and mediocre reviews. But today, I was craving Italian! So I crossed my fingers and walked in. Completely empty & well past any possible lunch rush...eye longed for one of the big plush booths with a great window view. No luck! I was told that those were only for parties of 2-4 people, I looked around, glanced at my watch. No luck...she stuck to her guns and seated me at a tiny table for two. Aside from the booth thing--her service was excellent.
I ordered the polenta fritte and linguini carbonara. The bread was average-the same type they serve at nearby Persimmon & Piraat (sam owner/manager apparently) and the whipped "butter" was kinda nasty. The polenta was yummy though could have been a bit more golden and crispy. The pasta was good, full of bacon perfect for this bacon-lover. The to-go box/bag was, well, oddly cheap and ackward for a restaurant this nice. Lunch for under $20 with leftovers would almost make me wanna give an extra star...but then I start thinking of the booth thing!
One of the worst dining experiences ever.
We went to this restaurant prior to seeing a show at the Marine's Memorial Theatre, upstairs from this establishment--it was raining and this place was convenient to the theatre.
The food itself was decent--nothing to write home about and overpriced--but not bad.
THEN the check arrived (about $125 for two), accompanied by this remark from our server: "If you won't be ordering dessert, I need you to pay bill now and get out. There are people waiting for this table." These were her EXACT words.
OK. First, no one was waiting; there were at least two empty tables. We were not dressed inappropriately (we were dressed nicely for the theatre), nor did we take an inordinate amount of time to eat dinner, maybe 45 mins. total. So I don't think the server's rudeness was directed at us for any particular reason. When I asked her why she said this to us, she said the head waitress had told her to do so, but wouldn't provide a name or point her out. So, on our way out, we stopped at the maitre 'd podium, called her over and let her have it. She couldn't have cared less. Needless to say, the vibe for the evening was ruined--our sole night out in December for the holidays. Thanks.
We then asked for the owner's name and phone number, which she finally gave to us after our demands became loud enough for other patrons to hear. The next day, I called the owner, who apologized profusely and promised that he would speak with the server, send us coupons for a free meal and call us back with a resolution.
Well--you guessed it--never got a call back, never received anything, much less free meal coupons. This place is a joke--and not in a good way. I wouldn't recommend it to my worst enemy. Bad experience, very bad...
I was in SF for business and was looking for a decent place for dinner. I love small intimate Italian restaurants and this was only a couple of blocks from the hotel.
I had the veal piccata with a spring greens salad.
I thought it was a small starter salad when I ordered it, but when it came it was served on a dinner plate. I loved the dressing, but the waitress should have mentioned the size.
The veal was excellent, with a balanced flavor of wine and lemon. My compliments to the chef! It was served with a wedge of very flavorful polenta and steamed veggies.
The only drawback was the limited selection of wine by the glass. Since I was by myself, there was no way I could drink a whole bottle for dinner then function the next day.
Price wise, it was moderate. I got out of there for $40, which was a great value for what I had.
If you are in the neighborhood, I would highly recommend it.
Some things are just tradition for Veggie Girl. Cesario's is the late lunch/early dinner spot for Post-marathon nosh in San Francisco.
Why?
It's open at 2:00, which on a Sunday after a marathon is WHEN VEGGIE GIRL IS HUNGRY.
It has these comfy, Godfather booths, which is WHAT VEGGIE GIRL NEEDS AFTER A MARATHON.
The food is decent: Veggie Girl had some kind of pasta with gorgonzola cheese and a light cream sauce that filled the carb-deficit. The Carnivore wants the world to know that the menu said a New York Strip steak, but what arrived on the plate was a skirt steak. Veggie Girl has no idea about such nonsense, but whatever.
2 entrees, a split salad, a bottle of wine, creme brulee - $150.00.
Veggie Girl's ass didn't hurt. Priceless.
Oh ridiculousness.
We were starving when we arrived in SF, and our friend had dropped us off downtown so we could find sustenance.
And that sustenance came in the form of Cesario's. Yes yes yes, Italian goodness!
We ordered the eggplant parmesan (not the crappy fried breaded shit, but the real stuff) & the pollo alla piccatta. My friend Wendy ordered the truffle gnocchi and HOLY SHIT - everything was so. freaking. good.
And then we wandered over to Cantina afterwards (see review below).
YAY!
The mussels are good. The eggplant is slightly below average.
Enjoyed the atmosphere, music, staff. The food was fine - mussels in a delicious sauce and a chicken breast on penne pasta with pesto. Shared a half-bottle of chianti. perfect.
I'm really surprised that this place has about 2.5 stars at the time of this review...
I really like the environment. I came here with my parents for lunch and they seemed to have enjoyed it well enough. It definitely was a nice lunch place, but I don't know if I would come here for dinner. I had their spinach salad, which was really tasty & a mocha. I find this place very cute and would come here for a quiet lunch with a friend, it's a little small though for groups over three or four.
The crème brûlée was a little cold & not as tasty as I would have expected--- I wouldn't recommend it. I don't remember which wine it was, but I tried one of their rose wines and it was really nice.
So many restaurants have closed in 2008, yet this place remains open. It's a mystery to me.
- The inside looks old and needs to be cleaned more often.
- A grouchy guy seems to be the owner.
- The staff looked depressed and shows little enthusiasm to provide service.
- Food portions are moderate.
- Air combat with one or two very stubborn flies is annoying.
- In my opinion, except for the carpaccio, prices are high for what u get.
- Food quality doesn't match menu prices, similar to generic hotel food.
- The only good meal I ever had here (pasta), was more than 10 years ago.
The mid westerners next to me could not stop talking about the chicken. Maybe I take ours for granted.
The wine was okay. Suggested by the staff.
I had a caeser and spinach salads.
Yeah two salads... what up? That's how I roll.
They were shrug your shoulders "meh".
There are so many restaurants! This is fine. Go to Colonial. On a lark. It is a street down, and probably the same price and a little better. Atmosphere is MUCH better.... because the cramped seating in the street corner open to smokers and cab waiting people and loitering hooligans with nothing better to do than end up bathed in the halogen glow of the streetlamp.
Boo. I wanted the butternut squash ravioli, and they were out, which I suppose is not entirely their fault given that I rolled in at like, 9:53pm. So I had the truffle gnocchi instead. It was considerably subpar. (Funny thing about subpar: when you think of it in a golfing context, isn't that actually a good thing? Don't you want something to be subpar? Odd.)
Anyway. I did not finish it. Which is highly uncommon. Then I ordered the chocolate gelato for dessert, which proved to be plain old chocolate ice cream, and it had that crystalline texture you get when you stick your ice cream in the door of the freezer and then proceed to open and close the freezer a number of times so it melts and refreezes and melts and refreezes and generally becomes gross. I was not impressed.
Tight, tight fit for a wheelchair, but once in there, I thoroughly enjoy my Ceasar Salad with real Parmesan cheese and dressing. My partner had Chicken Parmesan, they said it was tender and flavorful.
The server was attentive and courteous. We'd definitely return there again and again.
We always come here for dinner at least once during the holidays when we spend a couple of days in SF because the place is always open! And happy to have us! We have always been warmly greeted and never have to wait. We stay at the Marine's Memorial quite a lot and when there is a rain storm, this place is, like out one door and into the next! Easy! Have not been disappointed with any meal here. My husband likes the swordfish and also the calamari. I have tried nearly everything on the menu and liked all of it. Always had attentive service, very nice. The owner is a Persian. So how come he calls it an Italian name?
So this is my first review even though I have been reading them forever.
We came here on Valentine's Day without a reservation around 9pm, but were seated within a few minutes. We were promptly greeted by this wonderful waitress, a beautiful blond who really knew how to give a fine dining experience. We ordered a half bottle of pinot grigio, I had the truffle gnocchi, and she had some kind of spinach ravioli.
We also ordered some garlic bread to start out with, and this is where Cesario's lost a star - they were out of garlic! They were out of garlic? Yes, an Italian restaurant that ran out of garlic. Even the aforementioned waitress was surprised by this fact.
So she brings out the wine and in true fine dining fashion, pours a taste in my glass for my approval, and then pours us both glasses. I love that. The food came out in a timely manner, and my gnocchi was delicious. Given I have never had gnocchi before, but I loved it. It was even missing the garlic so I could only imagine how much better it could have been. She enjoyed her ravioli dish, I tried a bite and it was pretty good but I loved mine so much more. We finished, and she tried her best to sell us on some dessert but we had to pass, drinking had to be done.
All in all it was rather expensive but I do suppose it is a tourist attraction more than a local spot. Would have been five stars if they had garlic. I guess we just were lucky to not have any of the horror stories I have read others experienced on here.
I stay in the city on a weekly basis for work. I am always up to try a new place. I passed by here a few times on my nightly strolls and thought I would try it.
My coworker and I grabbed dinner here last night. The place is tiny and if you are rather round, slight uncomfortable. We tried the $30 four course meal. Comes with soup, salad, entree and dessert.
We both ordered wine, a fair selection if you are not a big wine drinker. Better than some other Italian place that have only Chianti. Okay prices on the wine, a good deal on half bottle I thought.
We both had the French Onion Soup. I thought the soup was good. The Caesar salads we both ordered were not that good. The lettuce was more yellow that green, the dressing nonexistent. Ick.
My friend order the Eggplant Parmesan. She really enjoyed it. She also love food at the Cheesecake Factory - so that is open to interpretation. I ordered the steak. I ordered it medium-rare. It came medium-rare, which is rare. The mashed potatoes tasted like they came from a box. The steamed vegetable were very tasty though. The steak as fine. I do not normally order steak out, my husband is an excellent grill-master. I wasn't in the mood for pasta. So, I give the steak a 3. Pretty decent for restaurant fare. No gristle and not fatty.
I have read the other reviews on the service. Our service was adorable. She was attentive, soft-spoken and cute as a button. The manager was there, looked a little anal but didn't seem grouchy to me.
Oh - and the dessert was fantastic.
I do prefer a more sophisticated class of food, but for good, earthy fare, the place was good and the service was great. I would eat here again.
Once upon a time I lived really close to this place and actually enjoyed a meal or two here... I always ordered the same...veal scalopine with mashed potatoes with a nice mushroom gravy.
They had a decent cook and a very nice waiter named Angel. A doll.
So good times on quiet afternoons catching up with friends back east on my cell.
However, whenever the owner was around I could feel a change in the entire waitstaff. No more personal conversation , no talk , no nothing . I later heard that he was hated by all , paid them duggets and treated them like dogs..
This guy strikes me as one of those old Mexican wannabe patrone (master/ lord) types ! .
He hulks in with a scowll on his face and gives everyone including the customers the evil eye!
I couldn't believe how he treated his staff, always with a disdain that cuts with a knife. He would even scowl at me everytime he saw me.
Probably thought I should be out in a field, pregnant and cutting some kind of plant all day long, And he owns 3 other restaurants in the area!
Roxanne Cafe at 570 Powell,
El Sotano at 550 Powell
Piraat at 696 Sutter.
Each and everyone of these places are a joke. The reviews are horrible on Yelp for every single one of them except Cesarios !
I have personally eaten at all of them and won't waste my energy on reviewing the rest so I decided to do one review for all.
And my opinion is... in this day and age of commercial rent being what it is off Union Square in San Francisco ( ENORMOUS)....
How can these places make the monthlys with bad food and mediocre service ? ! !
The food was good--I had a delicious pasta with a smoked chicken and white sauce. My mom had rack of lamb, also delicious. Creme brulee was just ok, and a bit cool/cold in the middle.
Wine prices and selection were decent but nothing to write home about.
With all this plus our prime window seat and relatively clean bathroom, this could have been a three-star, possibly four-star review.
But the service was just miserable. First, we waited ten minutes for a table to be cleared. Then we waited some more at the table for our server. Then we waited quite a while for our food (so much so that a table of two that sat down behind--and after--us was able to order drinks, entrees, pay and leave before we even got through our main courses). Then we waited to order coffee and dessert. And again, we waited for the bill.
I was meeting a friend after dinner, so my mom shooed me out the door. She waited another 15 minutes (what can I say? we're Midwesterners, we don't try to rock the boat) before getting up to ask the waitress for the bill. The waitress asked her where she was sitting. In hindsight, my mom thought she could have left and no one would have noticed.
keep in mind that this is a very small restaurant--about 4 booths, and 6 tables--so at most there can only be about 25-30 people dining here at one time.
Overall, the experience was not good.
Worst experience ever!
If it was legal to light restaurants on fire this would be the one I choose to light match to wood.
It started out all fine and dandy. My friend and I got a nice little window seat. At least it was nice until the free window show came. She/he was tall and skinny and lookin` for lovein` in ALL the wrong places.
Anyway, we order our appetizer, garlic bread, it was nothing special. What we were really looking forward to was the "fresh" oysters with pasta. We waited, and waited and when it got to the table it was cold. There was no steam coming off of it at all. The only thing that was warm was the noodles. Even the dish was like ice. We had lost our appetite.
We decided we were going to return the untouched dish of cold food and pay our bill and not cause a scene and just go some where else to eat. So I casually go to the waiter/owner/boss guy and tell him our situation. He takes the dish of food away and gives us our bill.
He did not remove the item from our bill. So I tell him politely to remove it from our bill since we did not eat any of it. He then says quite loudly that I am just trying to get a free meal. So I shout out, "To get a free meal I would actually have to eat something!" He still would not take it off the bill. So I said bring the food back I will eat the uncooked fish and when I get food poisoning I will come back and sue him.
By this time two other tables had gotten up and left. My friend tossed $40 (for two glasses or wine and garlic bread) in his face and we left.
So please don't go here. Thanks.
In town for the weekend, we were able to escape a lot of the noise of Union Square and were seated right in the corner window seat. It was fun to people watch and enjoy some fine desserts.
We didn't have entrees, only wine and desserts, so I can't back up any of the other comments here.
I like their food. Strange service.
Really? people don't like this place?...I happen to like it a lot. I'm always there in the late afternoon, and have had really good food every time. It's a nice place to people watch, have a simple meal and a glass of wine. The service is very nice, and non-intrusive. The spinach and pancetta salad is one of my favorites, and I also like the Minestrone soup, great on a rainy day. I love that they serve whipped butter with their bread. Best part is that it's a the Marines Memorial.
We love stopping here after a nice exhausting workout on Sundays. The staff are very pleasant and the fact that they are actually OPEN during the 2-4 timeframe in the afternoon is worth one star (or more) to me!
The food is nothing to get too excited about - good quality but nothing that really makes it stand out from other Italian places in the city. The service and the hours are what brings it to the forefront. Prices are decent and fair for what they provide - portions are generous!
We have been here several times over the fast four years and we have never been disappointed. We usually go late in the afternoon: 2-4pm-ish. Last night we had mozzarella salad, cream of broccoli soup, smoked salmon seashell pasta, rack of lamb, with a bottle of chianti. All were excellent and our server was attentive and helpful. Wish we had a place like this near Dublin....
Ehh.. My boyfriend liked their truffle ravioli, but I didn't like my pasta at all. I had shell pasta with spinach and mushroom in creme sauce, which was soo tasteless! I never put salt or pepper on my food but I needed whatever help that I could get. I've never had pasta that bland. what a waste of money! My cosmo was good, but that was about it.
I love this restaurant! I ate there several times and will return again. The food is delicious and I have never been disappointed with the service. It is near the theater district, two blocks south and near Union Square, two blocks southeast. Don't expect this restaurant to be what it isn't. It is a nice Italian place that serves from a regular menu of decent food at moderate prices. Yes, the "manager" isn't that personable. Bring your own good cheer. Give it a try!
It has been a while since I have been to Cesario's, but I recalled having a wonderful rainy day meal with wine there and so I was moved to go back yesterday. I actually called ahead and took my lunch to go.
Well, I am so dissapointed. For starters, they have removed the prices from their online menu, which is because they have jacked their prices up on average of $3 per dish. Second, I ordered something simple, Penne de Bolognese and a Cesar Salad. Something an itailan restaurant should be able to handle.
Upon picking up my food, I paid its Ransom of $27, you've ot to be kidding me,but I was hungry and desperate.
I arrived home and tore into what i was expecting to be an amazing (and expensive) lunch. What I got was a portion of pasta the size of a can of chef boyarde, and about as tasteful. Dry, bland, and non-satisfying. Thank goodness for the salad! or not....
How can you screw up a salad? I don't really know but the salad (again, looked like a side dish to my meal, not an additional $8.50 plus tax) was small and when i went to eat it, it had a very unnatural and un-ceasar salad like oily coating all over it. It was almost as if it was a synthetic coating to keep the lettuce from wilting, then some parmasean cheese was thrown on top of it.
Unbelievable, unbearable, and such a huge dissapointment....
I'll still give them a star for the memory of the wine and the rainy day
I like this place. Avoids being tourist-preying/oriented despite close proximity to union square. Very small corner space with giant windows forming the perimeter. Nice place to drink wine during a rainy day with a girl you intend to get it on with, which is how I came across it. Food's great. Really nice old french? guy server. Pretty classy yet cheapish and good. Well-situated spot to leer at tourists, derelicts, and old-school sf washed-up elite milling around on the street (sutter @ mason).
We were looking for Italian and planning to check-out Ottavo on our way to Union Square. Unfortunately we did not realize that Ottavo was not open for lunch on Sundays. So, we decided to take a walk and see what presented itself to us. Up comes Cesario's only 1/2 a block away. It didn't look bad, nor did the menu. It only went downhill from there. The service was passable, but the food was far below even sub-par. Chef Boyardee is gourmet compared to this place. Even a basic joint like Fusio easily trumps this place. The other Yelp reviews here certainly capture the true essence of the garbage that they serve here. We started off with the mussels and spinach with goat cheese and red pepper salad. The mussels were over-cooked and the broth, or lack thereof, was very salty to cover how old the mussels were. I pratically could use them as a rubber-band sling-shot. We snickered when we saw another guest display a look of disgust with their own mussels. The salad was below expectations: the dressing did not mix with either the roasted red peppers or goat cheese. The came our pasta. Bleh! I do better on a bad day. I had the ravioli stuffed with ricotta in a tomato cream sauce. My fiancee had the bolognese. Not only was my sauce super sweet , there was nothing fresh about this dish. The bolognese sauce had absolutely no body; the ground beef and lamb would serve better as packaging material. We, of course, passed on dessert, and were out of that joint in a flash. We regretted cheating on our favorite Italian restaurant in North Beach, Franchino. Never again.
Food was excellent (I had a cup of minestrone soup and angel hair pasta with tomato and basil) but the drinks were extremely expensive ($9 for a non-alcoholic beer???) I would give it 4 stars if the price had been more reasonable.
I don't think I am too picky but for the prices I expect a smile when I enter the establishment and an entree that is bigger than an appetizer. Also, it would be nice if they didn't empty the trash and drag it through the dinning area while I am eating. This go the same for the dirty linens for the night. Also, why do I have to tell the waiter what I ordered when bringing the plates to the table? Part of the dining experience is that I am taken care of and not have to instruct the wait staff. AVOID THIS RESTAURANT! BAD EXPERIENCE!
Well, it started out fine. The host/waiter/owner gave us seats and took our order. I might not know that much italian, but I ordered for the dish with the eggplant in it. I even pointed it out to the waiter/owner. When the food came out, I got this pasta dish with spinach and mushrooms in it. Where's the eggplant!! I called the waiter and told him that the order is wrong. He said, "No, that's what you ordered." I asked him to bring back the menu so I can point out the dish, and when I pointed it out to him, he pointed to the other dish and said, "No, that's not what you ordered, this is what you ordered." Don't you think that someone would have remembered what he/she ordered? I guess eggplant and spinach is the same (vegetables I mean), but the fact that the waiter/owner did not admit he's wrong is what bothers me. And by the way, I was nice to let this go. When he insisted that I ordered the spinach and mushroom dish, I said, "Ok, fine." But don't expect me to be going back there again, no matter how great the food is. (By the way, the dish is OK...I could have made it myself).
I like and recommend Cesario's, 3.8 stars. I've been for lunch and frequenly for dinner as it's on my way home after work. Note, they also serve breakfast. I can tell it's a place for local/neighborhood residents. Though near the theater district and Washington Square it's really not touristy. Cesario's is off the beaten path of my usual, FiDi, Mission or Lower Haight stomping grounds. Though not as exhastive as a menu like you might find in North Beach, ie- 15 different chicken dishes in every pasta and sauce combination known to man, Cesario's offers a solid selection of traditional, reliable Italian dishes. I regularly have (descriptions are from the takeout menu): Caesar's salad (not bad but tastes a little different than other Caesers's I've had, can't explain it) $10.50!, garlic bread (good), Penne alla Bolognese $15.25 (good) and Ravioli all Florentina $14.95 (good). I agree with previous reviewer ("Jason D") that they are a little pricey, $17.95 for Pollo al Marsala and $22.00 for Scalapini di vitiello al Marsala. My guess is that the prices are aimed at tourists and loyalistas like me. A good option is their nightly specials though not sure if the specials are nightly/weekly. The staff know what I like and often recommend something from there. Another thing I like is the view, two sides of the restaurant have huge windows and they are often open especially during lunch. Gives a nice open air feel to the place, plus mild ppl watching of the neighborhood peeps. The staff are from various countries (soothing to listen to their broken English accents) and are all very friendly and accomodating. If you want something slightly different from a dish on the menu just ask and they'll probly make it for you. They can accomodate larger groups but probly best to make a reservation or you may have to wait for tables to clear then put together to accomodate. This is a good date place or for small parties of four to six, maybe parents in from out of town. Worth a visit, just pls don't be in my regular seat when I arrive after work at 6:30pm! Thanks.
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