Cheese Plus
Categories: Cheese Shops, Beer, Wine & Spirits, Delis [Edit]
Neighborhood: Nob Hill2001 Polk St
(between Broadway St & Pacific Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94109 (415) 921-2001
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 10:00 a.m.-7:30 p.m.
Sun 10:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Lunch
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
252 reviews
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
"If you're walking around Polk St. and are a Jew like me (or anyone for that matter) and find yourself hungering for something to fill both…" read more »
128 Reviews for Cheese Plus
Good selection of meats + cheeses. They make great sandwiches, too. For some reason, the staff don't really like to talk. I dunno what it is, maybe it's cuz I have slanted eyes?
Good selection of other gourmet stuff. They also carry Honest Teas, which I like to walk in and get, bulk Sweedish Fish, and some high-end cupcakes from a local bakery.
-1 star for being absurdly expensive.
I love browsing through this store on the weekends on a bright sunny day and sampling all the delicious snacks. But most of all, I love coming here to pickup a delicious sandwich or salad to have with my honey at park or at the beach!
We took a trip to Cheese Plus in preparation for an impromptu picnic on Saturday, and they made some fabulous sandwiches. I would suggest getting the North Beach or Crissy Field on foccacia bread. The bread is very soft (which made me realize I actually DO like foccacia bread, who knew?) and the ingredients are fresh.
The staff is always very helpful and friendly, and help you pick out a great cheese. Also, every time I have made a trip there they have at least one thing to sample, which is most likely a delicious cheese. Free cheese? Yes please!
(Rhyme unintended, but still pretty nifty).
The other reviews say that there isn't a ginormous selection of wine and cheese, but for the size of the store, it's really well-stocked and you'll find a lot of other goodies as well like pickles, relishes, sauces, chocolates, and flowers.
Oh, and chutney. I didn't really know what that was until I tried some there.
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Seriously the best sandwiches I have found in San Francisco, perfect for those days I work at home. When entertaining calls, the folks at the cheese counter are very knowledgeable and friendly. Lastly, its a great spot to pick up a nice bottle of wine before visiting friends.
Why only 4 stars? Bring back the egg salad sandwich and I'll add one more!
Cheese Plus....in a word wonderful! The fabulous sandwiches they make are like on other, I recommend the Cow Hollow.
Also this is the only place in the city I can find Bruno's Wax Peppers (Nippy)....my mouth is watering just thinking about them!
The samples rock, and I love that they have some out door seating. The only bummer is every time I go in I spend a min. of $40, and leave with only a small bag of delights...but it is worth it!
LOVE this place! Great cheese selection. Not a LARGE selection, but what they do have is excellent. The person who helped us was informed friendly, and more importantly, had us tasting cheese! To cap it off, they have a good chocolate selection, AND Swedish Fish.
Note: If you know what cheese you really like here, and it's common enough, it's likely you will find it cheaper elsewhere (minus one star). Still, this place is great.
Cheese Plus is a godsend for those who want to make an impression at a dinner party. Not only do they have a huge selection of fancy cheeses, but chocolates, wines and desserts to boot.
I wish they would send me an alert every time they have a tasting. I've been able to discover some amazing dips and desserts after trying them for free at the tables out front.
This place was especially helpful when I needed a present for my boyfriend's family. The friendly staff helped me put together a fantastic assortment of cheeses with quince and other spreads.
I salute you, Cheese Plus!
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Awesome toasted sandwiches!
This Is One of my fav shops. This is gourmet at it's Finest!. Big selections of cheeses, Chocolates, desserts & Wine. Plus their sandwiches are to die for...mmmmm! (Now i'm getting hungry just thinking about them!) And, they'll provide you samples & Need-To-Know Info on what cheese that goes good w/ what wine that goes good to on what kind of dessert...etc. So When you happen to pass by in the City Of San francisco...NEVER Pass this Highly Recommended Goumet Shop place up...or you'll miss something really good & Big!
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I just love this little place! I can always find an amazing selection of Italian meats, cheeses & pastas. It's one of those specialty markets that you will see rare items pop up & you think to yourself "oh, this is different, I should try it" and then you're so glad you did. They have a good wine selection too! And the desserts...wow is all I need to say here.
There is a full deli counter in the back, the sandwiches I have tried so far have been delicious.
My favorite thing about this store is the selection of seasonal fresh flowers delivered every single Tuesday. I stop in on my way home from work & pick up a new flower bunch for my dining table weekly. Thanks for beautifying my apartment & satisfying my cravings for hard to find items Cheese plus!
This is my local cheese shop (yeah!). You will not be disappointed with their selection of cheeses, chocolates and wine. They also have knife sharpening services, which are awesome. If you're in a pinch and need a cheese platter, they'll put one together for you.
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I love cheese and I love sandwiches. Two of my favorite things in one store! I love their made to order sandwiches. The hot from a press sandwiches with the oozing cheese coming out is so worth a trip to the gym the next day. Delicious bread, CHEESE, and meat is something to look forward to when coming here. Not only do they have CHEESE and sandwiches, they also have creamy pte, salami, olive oils, vinegars, pastas, seasonings, and also CHOCOLATE !!
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Cheese, glorious cheese! Walking into Cheese Plus is like walking into a little piece of heaven. They have everything you need for a small get together, a picnic, or a dinner party. Their staff is extremely helpful, and will help you to put together the perfect cheese plate. If you like truffles, try Cypress Grove's Truffle Tremor cheese. To die for.
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After living about 3 blocks away from this place for almost 3 years, I finally made a purchase, a delicious sandwich. I've always passed by and sampled their cheeses when they have those "sample" days, but something about the high quality turned me away. Maybe I was afraid of the prices?
My roommate recently suggested the sandwiches here and decided to give them a whirl. I had the Cow Hollow which consisted of yummy roast beef, carmelized onions, tomato and some cheese spread on a toasted baguette. The sandwiches are decent size for about 8 bucks and you can definitely taste the quality.
This sandwich totally hit the spot and I think I just may have to come back for another!
I adore this place. Cheese, wine and all the fixings! It's a little pricey but no more so than Cowgirl or Whole foods for the same products. I also recently found out they have some fabulous products from Spain that are only found in a few select places in the city - Iberico Ham!!!
Their sandwiches are fantastic as well. Additionally, the people who work there love their job and know a TON about cheese are are great at helping you pick out the perfect one - even if it means tasting 4-5 cheeses! Keep up the good work!
I'm so grateful to have this place a few blocks away. I go in often and try different cheeses. The employees are so helpful - they really know their cheese. I can describe in laymen terms what I'm in the mood for and they always give me a great recommendation. They have a huge selection!
Although I mostly go for the cheese, they have lots of other great products. I buy gnocci and the best tomato basil sauce there. I enjoy their imported products - like PG tea, Hobnobs, and the Heinz baked beans I used to get in the UK. They've got great crackers and cookies. Try their condiments - like interesting mustard and honey. And they've got a great selection of sweets (chocolate, candy...) - many imported.
Things can be a bit pricey, but you'll find unique & interesting products here, they'll be more enjoyable, and chances are the products will be better for you with less preservatives.
Friendly & knowledgeable employees, huge selection of fine cheeses and interesting & imported products. You can't go wrong.
I almost forgot to mention... they donate food (once they can no longer sell it) to an organization I volunteer for. Now *that's* good vibe!! I love to patronize this place for that reason, too.
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Overall good spot with a good selection and other goodies. Overall, I appreciate what Ray has done with it since it was Leonard's. The one downside is that the cheese selection has seemed to suffer at the expense of costly dry goods (that are considerably more than elsewhere) taking up the place of the once ridiculously abundant cheese. But, the staff is generally quite nice and the sheen that has been cast over the establishment is one of polish and not creaminess. I'd be lying though if I said that I didn't miss the un-gentrified air that Leonard's old place had. I hope he's traveling and seeing everything he couldn't while he poured his waking days in to the shop.
*this review is based on the sandwiches I ordered at Cheese Plus and not the cheesy goodness they sell by the pound*
I'm not a sandwich guy by nature. Sure, I love bread, meat and cheese as much as the next guy but for some reason I'm not a fan of the cold sandwich. Now take that same sandwich and toss it on the grill for a few minutes and bam - now we're talking.
My friend Dave told me that the sandwiches at Cheese Plus were fantastic. I had to try them out because Dave definitely is a sandwich guy and I take his advice on all things bread, meat and cheese related.
So Sunday we stopped by Cheese Plus to pick up a couple pre-Blue Angels. The verdict? Not bad, but I'm not sure that they lived up to the hype. It's kind of like seeing Superbad a month after it was released...you've already heard all the best lines and there's no way that it can be as funny as everyone says.
Wait, I just had a thought...maybe Cheese Plus is the Anchorman of sandwich shops - funny enough the first time around but more and more hilarious with each future viewing?
I guess more research is needed...stay classy, San Diego.
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All kinds of mmm hmm, hell yes, and oh yeah. Who doesn't love cheese? Ok, my one friend Sam but he's tooooootally dumb.
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While I LOVE their cheese and variety and the cheese guy, I have to give it three stars for their customer service. The staff behind the counter are sometimes downright rude. So, as long as you are just going for the cheese, then you will do fine!
Kidney stone, here I come! I love cheese. I eat it all the time. So much so that I have actually begun to worry about kidney stones from too much dairy. But, I keep eating it and Cheese Plus is the type of store to fuel my risky habit. So many varieties and a knowledgeable staff who is willing to give recommendations. However, it is a little on the pricey side. I've seen some of the exact same cheese (by the same company and everything) at Whole Foods for half the price. Great place to go when I want to try a new dairy product. But, if I get a kidney stone from all my cheese consumption, I'm sending Cheese Plus the bill.
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Holy crap!
I live a couple of blocks away, and I'm so pissed off at myself for not coming here before to try the sandwiches. I've missed out on a year of deliciousness while wasting myself on crappy burritos.
I tried the No. 2: smoked duck, carmelized onion, tomato, arugula, and fig spread on a baguette. Toasted? You bet! I think i'm going back tomorrow to try the No. 4...
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UPDATED REVIEW 1/29/08: There's really no reason not to award the fifth star. Tried one of their sandwiches today, the "Potrero Hill," and it was a home run. Smoked pastrami, caramelized onions, cheddar, tomatoes, paper-thin pickle slices, and a very tasty, quite spicy chipotle aioli. I had mine on a soft baguette. Best sandwich I've had in a while and I'm not drunk or anything!
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We're thinking about hosting our first wine and cheese party because of this shop. We drop in every time we're running errands down on Polk. They've always got tasty free samples of various items. So much more than just cheese--olive oil, balsamic, pastas, chocolates, and much, much more. I'm no cheese expert, but I will definitely be expanding my knowledgebase here. Added bonus--the floral selection is great, too!
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I LOVE CHEESE.
And any place that lets me wander about eating cheese off of a toothpick and will even offer me more cheese gets 5 stars in my book.
The sandwiches are delicious with good bread, good meats and of course cheese!
The staff is friendly, and it seems like a popular spot for the local Russian Hill crowd.
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I love cheese. I try to justify incorporating cheese into every meal of the day. Hard, soft, fresh, stinky, smooth or bitey... I love it all.
If you love cheese too, then go to Cheese Plus.
Before I moved to SF, I was living in France for a year, and was introduced to the amazing variety of cheeses available. Being spoiled by choice in France, I accepted the idea that i wouldn't be able to enjoy cheese as much in the US. But that was until I came across Cheese Plus, and now my cheese indulgence lives on!
Along with their great range of different cheese from around the world, they have all the other good stuff that goes along with it - alcohol, crackers etc etc.
I am knocking one star off for price and my mediocre sandwich on Monday night. However, they are super friendly and have an amazing selection of cheese, meats, spices, mixes, flowers, wine and most anything your heart could desire. The best thing here.... the massive pickles. Those just make my day!!!
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This place has really good sandwiches. The crissy field was top notch. The only problem i had was they had no soda to buy...just a bunch of organic juice crap. i like soda and just wanted some with my sandwich.oh well, still good.
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I like Cheese Plus's cheese selection better than Cowgirl creamery. I also like Non-cheese items carried at Cheese Plus such as:
1. Bomba and Carnaroli rice - I was so happy to find there difficult to find rice. I use Bomba rice for Paella and Carnaroli rice for risotto (better than Arborio rice). I really care about which rice to use for each dish I cook. I always keep Japanese Koshihikari, Hakugamai, Jasmin rice, Broken Jasmin rice, Basmati, Bomba rice, and Carnaroli rice in my pantry.
2. They have Fabrique Delices Foie Gras, Duck Leg Confit, Pates and Mousses. I love Fabrique Delices and I used to order them on the web all the time until I found out Cheese Plus carried them.
3. Saenkanter 3 year Goda - best Goda I ever had. Full of flavor with crystallized mineral ls. Reminds me the flavor of Bottarga. Could not find it anywhere else.
4. Maille Old Style French Whole Grain Dijon Mustard. So many stores only carry their smooth Dijon. I always keep Whole Grain Dijon, Karashi Mustard, Brown mustard, and yellow mustard in my fridge.
I am very happy with Cheese Plus.
updated: this is place is heaven on earth.
I bought this great raclette chese that went really well with our french champagne and creme di cassis. To top it off dark chocolate infused with earl grey tea. So delicious. I love this place and find new things to impulse buy every time I go in there.
I'm obsessed with this true dijon mustard made in dijon that i bought last week and i've lost all interest in butter on my toast. hahahah
The food here is really good. It's expensive but no worse than whole foods. That cheese guys know their stuff, and will let you sample.
The sandwiches are really excellent. But don't go for that if you are in a rush.
My only complaint: "Cheese Plus" is not the name for someplace this nice. It makes it sound like the "Jug Shop" across the street or a dollar store or somewhere you get mozarella sticks and velveeta...
One of the best (not the best) cheese selections in SF. Magnificent sandwiches, by far the best in the neighborhood. 4 stars only because the markups are truly insane on some of the stuff they sell.
This is my new favorite cheese place. Excellent selection and super friendly staff. It's my SF Cheese Board.
I really appreciate that they refrigerate the blue cheeses here so they are kept correctly. However, they will still unwrap them and provide you with as many samples as your heart desires. Plus, most places have only a few blue options, but at Cheese Plus, they have a wide variety from many countries and all with differing flavors. Try the Carles Roquefort and you'll want to cry--heaven in your mouth!
The counter has the other cheese and, again, a great range of options. Some great washed rinds, soft and runny yumminess, and plenty of hard cheeses. There are a couple of times I've looked for things and they don't have them (doesn't anyone have Langres beside the Cheese Board?!?!?!) , but they've always said they would let me know when it comes in.
Oh, parking sucks, but just park illegally and keep an eye on your car, and you'll be fine.
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I. Love. Cheese.
I always have.
So many different textures, flavors, smells.
Each cheese is unique.
Every time I walked into this store, it reminds me of my childhood.
There was a very popular TV show for kids that I would never missed.
They had a song about cheeses.
I just start singing the melody in my head every time I step in Cheese Plus.
* J'ai - du bon - fromage au lait - qui vient du pays de celui qui l'a fait.*
CHECK IT OUT HERE: http://www.youtube.com...
So nostalgic...
*sigh*
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Good deli items, fun candies, a few wines, and of course cheese - but no better than Real foods up the street.
FYI, I did tell them about a chunk of chocolate that was outdated, and they rewrapped it and put it back on the shelf the next day. Being that it was chocolate Im sure it has a long shelf life, but can we be a little stealthy about these things??
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Cheeeeeeessseee....
I love cheese, but oh my heart hates you so. The Cheese Plus is a great place for you know what... Cheese! Great variety for a San Francisco cheese shop and great location (in my hood!). Tad expensive but overall good cheeses. Get some cheese here then across the street for some wine at the Jug Shop=great afternoon or night.
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Yay! Cheese! Yay! Sour Cherry Preserves! Yay! Bringing back brioche into my life! A+++
Although I have been frequenting Cheese Plus for some time, I have never had their sandwiches. So yesterday when my carpets were getting clean and I was unable to go into my apartment, I decided to give it a go while walking up and down Polk.
Damn they make a tasty sando! I had the Willie Brown Bird which was sliced duck, muenster like cheese, sauteed onions, and fig spread on a banquette. It was amazing. My companion had the Italian hero which was equally delicious.
I often come in to get a tasty cheese, wine, or French lemonade, now I will def be hitting up the sandwiches regularly. Perfect place to get some tasty fancy food for a picnic in the park.
Although much like Whole Foods, I curse its tastiness and great imported cheeses and snacks because it is a bit on the pricey side.
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Yummie!! so many wonderful cheeses to select from, AND they have free wine tasting! Im so there when my bank account is low!
It's a pricey place but the staff was sweet and I found some lovely items for a picnic in the park...they had many of my favorite spanish cheeses, some good fresh bread, and even cowgirl creamery cheese(yum).
I gave them an extra star because their logo is cool.
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The sandwiches here are amazing. The first few times I went here, maybe a year ago, Alphonso helped me pick out yummy cheeses. I've since bought a raclette machine here, and gone back for both traditional french raclette cheese, and a chevre variant. He's since left, but now there's a really nice french guy who's cool listening to me practice my seriously rusty french.
And as a bonus, they have the really good chocolate covered blueberries. So much better than Trader Joe's ones.
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