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Citizen Cake

3.5 star rating
based on 896 reviews

Categories: Bakeries, American (Traditional), Desserts  [Edit]

Neighborhood: Hayes Valley
399 Grove St
(between Franklin St & Gough St)
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 861-2228
Hours:

Tue-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Tue-Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Sat. 10:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Accepts Credit Cards:
Yes
Price Range:
$$
Parking:
Street
Attire:
Casual
Good for Groups:
Yes
Good for Kids:
No
Takes Reservations:
Yes
Delivery:
No
Take-out:
Yes
Waiter Service:
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible:
Yes
Outdoor Seating:
No
Good for:
Dinner
Alcohol:
Full Bar
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896 reviews for Citizen Cake

Review Highlights   

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"All I can say is "After Midnight Chocolate Cake" tasty tasty tasty." (in 24 reviews)
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"I'd have to say the Retro Tropical Shag was my favorite." (in 17 reviews)
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"If you love chocolate, you must try this before you die." (in 246 reviews)
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Sort by: Yelp Sort | Date | Rating | Elites'
Photo of Nadir V.

 

17

15

Nadir V.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
11/22/2009

2 Days after eating at Citizen Cake and I'm still drooling over the food and the experience.

Tuni our server was excellent - knew the menu in vivid detail (and boy, could she sell it!).

There was great attention to every aspect of the dining out experience, from the non-pretentious atmosphere (with 70s music in the background), to a decent wine list (and great cocktails), to the well-developed meals. I ordered a burger and ice cream for dessert, but somehow I ended up having a 5 course meal!

I highly recommend this restaraunt to anyone who wants to try quality SF food (and a damn good burger).

Only downside: tables are too close together and the bus boys were too aggressive at clearing the table...

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Photo of Monica L.

Elite '09

24

241

Monica L.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
Updated - 11/18/2009

Citizen Cake is the unofficial place for City Hallers to get a relaxing lunch. I was here with a Department Head who shall not be named but can be b/c he paid for his own lunch.  

I had the curried egglplant sanwich with persimmon jam. Yum.  Persimmon is one of my favorite fruits and to add it to eggplant made my tummy happy.  It doesn't hurt that I got to finish lunch with a piece of my favorite chocolate cake of all time.

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1 Previous Review: Show all »

  • 5 star rating
    9/29/2009

    After Midnight Chocolate Cake = Chocogasm. This cake is for the serious chocolate connoisseur.… Read more »

Photo of kat c.

 

15

38

kat c.

Los Angeles, CA

3 star rating
11/19/2009

Like the other reviewers, I agree, the service is poor, but my experience wasn't nearly as bad as some. whew~

We were served with a lunch menu, and thought, what the heck, why not? Had sandwiches and soups.. they were pretty good actually, but very pricey. Afterwards, i wanted to get a dessert, but I couldn't decide which one I wanted, and our server was so unhelpful. she was just like "if you like chocolate, get the chocolate one, if not, get something else"

This place is pretty pretentious for a bakery/restaurant and the prices prove it.

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Photo of Rachel s.

 

58

214

Rachel s.

Los Altos, CA

4 star rating
11/22/2009

Brunch spot of the day.. Where I ended up with Chinese Chicken Salad (yum for an opportunity to start the day with peanuts ;), offerings were pretty broad. Nice crunchy cheese-y breadsticks to launch. Had i not been intent on dance class later, the horseradish bloody mary (who needs a neti pot when you have horseradish) may've wooed me. Instead, green tea was Dragonwell, a plantation i've visited near Shanghai to watch dry roasting of spring's leaf. Only tea the emperor was said to collect as good as cash for tax in China for centuries. Good enuf for him, certainly for me :). The chops of a good spot; return is imminent. While service was prompt, a certain tone of angst i can't quite put into description. But heck, twas Sunday mornin at work, can't fault her none.

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Photo of Natalie W.

Elite '09

173

422

Natalie W.

Seattle, WA

3 star rating
11/10/2009

Wonderfully sweet bartender and host helped me with my bags and a farewell drink when I stopped in on a Sunday (early) on the way to the airport.

I had planned on a bar food dinner at a nearby restaurant, but found it full- with others standing- when I arrived at opening time. Discourage, I wandered around the corner knowing Citizen Cake was in the neighborhood, and wanting a sulking cookie to eat when I walked back to the BART station... dragging my suitcases. When I spotted Citizen Cake, I saw a empty bar and a menu for food... I walked in immediately. When I sat I asked for a drink and a food item right away. To this request I was informed they did not serve food on Sunday nights.

My drink- cava, elderflower liquor, and citrus- was a perfect light refreshing moment in a hard afternoon. Upon signing my check, I bounced next door to grab walking food only to find about 1 cookie option and really no pastries- only small cakes. I needed something so I took apple gelee togo. It ended up being a flavorful BART waiting treat.

FYI's~
* Citizen Cake (the cake side) closes at 6pm on Sundays
* The cake side of the space has limited seating and is random in decor- no real angle or design
* Good (but short) drink menu
* Bar is basically a long counter in the entry to the restaurant space

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Photo of Grace Q.

 

3

117

Grace Q.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
11/20/2009

I went here for dessert and drinks on a Saturday night and we were seated immediately without needing reservations.  We ordered the apple crumble which had cheese notes in the crumble... sounds weird but it was very tasty and interesting! Also had the creme brule with rose and lavendar (?), which was deliciously rich and had a nice crunchy top.  Two desserts + 2 drinks = $45... very pricey for not even a full meal, but if you're feeling like splurging, this is a good place to try.

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Photo of Henry R.

 

49

132

Henry R.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
11/1/2009

.Went there for Sunday brunch and dinner a couple of times-- have to say that I'm not a fan of the food-- or the service. On the occasions that I have dined there, the service consistently sucked balls. The wait staff had attitude, and griped when asked to refill my water!

There's no doubt that the desserts are amazing here-- the rest of the menu though has yet to catch up.

My recommendation, go to dinner elsewhere, have dessert here.

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Photo of Cat S.

Elite '09

102

200

Cat S.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
10/14/2009

We stepped in for dessert only... I wasn't completely sold on the mint chip ice cream sandwich. The ice cream was surprisingly minty (in a good way) but the cookie left a bit to be desired. Roomie enjoyed her spicy chocolate ice cream. The dessert menu was much smaller than I thought it would be, considering the name of the restaurant. I also hoped for a bigger dessert than I received. For $8 of ice cream, the portion size was not generous at all.

This restaurant has a peaceful ambiance, warm low lighting, airy high ceilings, and comfortable seats. AND our wait person was extremely polite and attentive.

I walked out thinking this would be a great spot for a first date because of its general feeling of openness... for an OCD type like me, there's nothing worse than feeling squeezed in and claustrophobic on a first date.

Oooh I almost forgot... our lovely waitress gave us two bags of free cookies as they were closing up the bakery side of the restaurant. Free cookies! Awesome!

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Photo of A A.

 

2

44

A A.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
10/28/2009

The food here is actually good, but my overall experience was eh.

This is a popular restaurant with the theatre/symphony/ballet/opera crowd.  It's usually packed just before performances.  

My main complaint (and I hope someone from Citizen Cake reads this for some constructive criticism) is that if you aren't with the theatre crowd, once the bulk of patrons leave for the show the staff can take on a "closing time" attitude.  When we were there the place cleared out, the staff changed the music, and set about cleaning the place up; it was 9:00.  

It kind of makes you feel like they are just waiting for you to leave and that's not a very pleasant feeling.  I would be inclined to chalk this up to a single staff member, but all of the wait staff were doing this.  Our drink orders were delayed, someone else started to take care of our table, and the moment one of our party was close to being done with a dish they tried to take the plate away: all the signs a restaurant just wants you to go.

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Photo of paul l.

 

1

40

paul l.

Montgomery, MD

4 star rating
11/18/2009

this place rocks.  celebrity chef too.  obviously this place gets only 3 stars from locals because of the preponderance of amazing eats in sf.  but now that i've moved to dc where the food is attrocious, i can seriously appreciate the culinary carnival that is citizen cake.  i just didn't realize it when i lived there!

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Photo of s d.

 

3

12

s d.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
10/29/2009

Dead center restaurant in the Opera, Symphony and Ballet crowd orbit around the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House, this is a great place for a nice (expensive bistro) meal, or a quick dessert and coffee.

We had cake, cookies and coffee the other day before a City Arts and Lectures show, and the service and treats were top notch.

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Photo of Lindsay M.

 

12

73

Lindsay M.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
9/27/2009

Another one of those places that I've always wanted to try as it was on the commute out of the city every day.  Today the magic finally happened.  

Brunch.  10:30.  Great (free) street parking on a Sunday morning.  Probably not the case at most other (1) times of day, and (2) days of the week.  "Spicy" bloody mary to start had jalapeno-infused vodka.  It was a huge drink for $8 and I'm glad I asked them to go "light" on the alcohol.  Still, I only finished half of it.

The menu was relatively simple and most people appeared to be ordering the omelette of the day or the berry-heaped "Dutch" pancake.  Always the contrarian, I got the carnitas hash and asked for scrambled (rather than poached) eggs on top.

Of course when the food came out of the kitchen about 15 minutes later, I stared at two poached eggs on top.  Back to the kitchen it went and out came a version a la scrambled eggs in a couple quick minutes.  Easy fix.

Was the food good?  You better believe it!  Whoa.  Carnitas hash?  Who knew that shredded pork on a bed of cubed potatoes with tomatillos and scrambled egg was so irresistable?  Ooooh and the tortilla strips on top.  The perfect bit of crunch and salt... just delicious.  I announced three times that I was not going to be be able to eat it all.  And then what did I manage to do?  Finished every last bite.

Which was probably a mistake because I definitely had no appetite for dessert.  But there's always next time, right?

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Photo of Vanessa L.

 

1

8

Vanessa L.

San Francisco, CA

2 star rating
10/21/2009

I didn't love this place and I really wanted to.  Not a lot of variety, I had a hard time finding something I wanted to eat.  I ended up with some carrot soup with brown butter.  I have had better.  It kind of tasted like that stuff you get in a carton at Trader Joe's.  

The desserts weren't bad, but they weren't great or special.  My creme brulee was pretty commonplace.  My date had the chocolate cake dessert  and it was just okay.  Could have had a richer flavor.  

The restaurant itself is nice, good location.  We went late on a Tuesday night so it was very quiet and we were able to talk and relax.  The waitstaff didn't rush us out or anything even though we were there close to closing time.  

I don't know if I will come back, but it was worth a one time shot!

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Photo of zach s.

 

10

14

zach s.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
10/17/2009

I've been eating here for years, and the food has progressively gone downhill.

To offset that, I've been increasing my consumption of their delicious martinis.

So do what I do. Enjoy their wonderful martini's so you forget how mediocre the food is. I still keep going back for more, so they're doing something right.

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Photo of C B.

 

0

4

C B.

San Francisco, CA

1 star rating
11/11/2009

Due to the bad service from waitress to management.... this place is forgettable.

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Photo of Mark A.

Elite '09

31

362

Mark A.

San Francisco, CA

2 star rating
10/1/2009

Huge disappointment. Anytime the celebrity leaves the kitchen, there's always a downhill slide and this is no different.

The coffeecake/muffin/whateveritwas was inedibly bland..

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Photo of Lisa C.

Elite '09

32

125

Lisa C.

Seattle, WA

4 star rating
Updated - 9/7/2009

Stopped by for brunch on Sunday with friends.  The place has had some remodeling done since I last visited.  The walk up bakery is now more separated from the restaurant and a larger bar has been put in.  The tables didn't feel quite as cozy as I remembered then.

We had a great time!  Everyone enjoyed their food.  I actually ordered breakfast food and liked it!  I got the carnitas hash with potatoes and 2 poached eggs on top with tomatillo sauce.  YUM!  The omlette, grits with pork belly were also ordered at our table and enjoyed.  The mimosas are pretty good, you can't taste the alcohol so beware.  Mitchell had a spicy bloody mary.

Ending brunch with cupcakes just really makes your day.  The options were limited because everyone seemed to want cupcakes.  I ended up with the carrot cake (I had wanted the rocky road).  It was amazing.  

Definitely recommend this place for cupcakes or brunch with friends.

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1 Previous Review: Show all »

  • 5 star rating
    4/22/2009

    I love love love Citizen Cake!  I have been there for brunch, lunch, dessert and just to pick up… Read more »

Photo of rob n.

 

0

18

rob n.

San Francisco, CA

1 star rating
9/4/2009

I hate to do it, I really hate to do it, but oh so disappointing!

I have enjoyed Citizen Cake ever since I found out who they were on season 1 of Top Chef, and would get the cupcakes from the bakery at the main place as well as the kiosk at the Virgin Records.  The cupcakes alone deserve a 5 star review because they are so so so so good.

But this review is for the restaurant part, and not for the cupcakes.

My boyfriend, myself, and two of our friends ventured out to have brunch here on Sunday, instead of doing Lime or some of the other places we have gone.  I was super excited because it was my first time eating in the restaurant itself instead of the bakery or at home.

Talk about the biggest let down!
1. Refills, lets just say don't plan on them.  I had 1 glass of water the whole time I was there.  I actually got up and refilled my water at the waiter station next to us.
2.  We were the only table that wasn't offered any bread, yet every table was given bread.  Maybe they though we were on the Atkins diet.
3.  The bar drinks were a bit overpriced.  I got the gin special brunch drink, and it looked like a wine glass of milk, and it didn't even taste that good.
4. Service, was shockingly bleh.  Our waitress, God forbid you get her, was so scatterbrained, or just off in her own world, because she didn't get the things we asked for (hot sauce, REFILLS!), it took her LITERALLY 15 minutes (17 to be exact) to get our drinks from the bar.

The food itself, I'll be honest was really good.  But it wasn't that good to recover the ship that had sunk.  The salad I ordered was yummy, the fries are good, and the doughnut hole things were really good, especially like the sauce.

Will I get cupcakes again, yeah probably.
Will I eat here again, NO!

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Photo of mike r.

 

4

53

mike r.

Los Altos, CA

4 star rating
9/13/2009

Have been here twice now.  The food was very fun.  I had a great snap pea/beet salad.  Scrumptious chicken and a great almond laden dessert. The wine was a good value (and good, too.)  It's a great place to watch people.  Several tables were quite amusing.

We went there before the Kathy Griffith show - it's very convenient to the theatre (symphony hall.)  and I would highly recommend it for a before concert dinner.

As i remember everyone was very happy with their meals (especially the pork chop - highly recommended.)

We're all on diets so we skipped the cake... :-(

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Photo of Jennifer W.

Elite '09

225

300

Jennifer W.

Berkeley, CA

4 star rating
Updated - 8/26/2009 14 photos

1 mocha misu petite cake
1 after midnight petite cake

total: ~$11

BONUS: There was a woman being difficult with her order and I had to wait for a long ass time, so the nice lady behind the counter who I recognize to always be working there gave me 3 sandwich cookies on the house!!!

gingersnap cookie :: lemon cookie :: chocolate cookie

+great place for dessert right before a show at the orpheum

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2 Previous Reviews: Show all »

  • 3 star rating
    7/17/2009

    DISAPPOINTMENT: very little cakes today!
    however, lots of chocolates & gelees

    stop for a snack:
    latte +… Read more »

Photo of Kent P.

 

0

43

Kent P.

Burlingame, CA

3 star rating
10/30/2009

This place is very convenient to Davis Symphony Hall, Its not bad but I would try another place before I go back.  The food was OK, the lime majito is very good.

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Photo of Jay T.

 

30

54

Jay T.

Millbrae, CA

3 star rating
8/30/2009

We went there for Sunday brunch, arrived there and the maitre'd got our names down.  So we waited for our table at the bakery area... and we waited... waited.  (we were told it'd be about 30 mins wait) 1 hour passed and they have no updates of when we'll have our table.  Running on our last drops of patience we finally approached the maitre'd again with discontent. She finally gave us a small clue that they were having some unexpected held up at the kitchen. (that explains why there were plentiful tables open but we weren't seated.)  We didn't appreciate being left in the dark about the real reason for the wait.  No special apologies or comps.

Food was slightly above average - pancakes and potatoes were especially delicious. I had a burger and it was beautifully arranged and high quality.  Their spicy blood mary was top notch - enough punch but with a full range of flavors (horseradish, spicy sauce and special jalapeno-infused vodka!  I like it!  

After a couple of bloody marys I was able to shallow my dissatisfaction about the wait time.  Food came relative on time and I did hear the whole staff was being "lectured" by the manager for what happened when I was in the restroom.

So obviously it wasn't exactly a good day for us and the restaurant.  But I have some confidence that if I go back there again, they would deliver a better experience for us.  So worth trying again definitely!

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Photo of J L.

 

12

216

J L.

Santa Clara, CA

5 star rating
9/13/2009

This is just for the cafe side of Citizen Cake.  I ordered the After Midnight small-sized cake (although the After Midnight larger cake was very cool looking!) which I thought was heavenly.  My friend ordered a few different cookies which I thought was delish as well so I had to go up to order a few to go!

The coffee was excellent as well!

The only thing I'm not sure about is whether you're expected to bus your own tables, but when I walked in every empty table had dishes and cups which we had to bring up to the register and then we had to wipe down the table ourselves.  At some points, the cafe was quiet enough that they had plenty of time to go and clean up the tables, but that didn't happen.

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Photo of Jenny L.

Elite '09

321

564

Jenny L.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
7/30/2009 1 photo

Hayes Valley Foodies Outing

Stop six (final stop, whew): Citizen Cake

The night isn't complete without a piece of mocha misu.  It was rich and decadent and ever so delicious.  Perfect way to end a perfect evening out!

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Photo of Valerie A.

 

5

69

Valerie A.

San Francisco, CA

2 star rating
8/21/2009

I was underwhelmed by their cupcakes (underwhelmed IS a word according to the urban dictionary).

At $3ish bucks each, I ordered the chocolate "citizen" cupcake and would have been equally satisfied with a hostess cupcake. 2 stars because the place is cute, and there are good people watching opportunities. For example, we were entertained by the lady that regularly buys their overpriced sugar cookies and the man in a suit who waltzed in and picked up 3 dozen cupcakes and a cookie (we strained to hear the final price but failed)!

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Photo of Candy C.

 

9

15

Candy C.

San Francisco, CA

2 star rating
10/2/2009

I think this place is pretty hyped up.  I've been trying out different desserts her for the past several months and have been underwhelmed by both the quality of the deserts and the service.  First of all, everyone at the counter seems spaced out and out to lunch.  Their attitude is "I don't really care," but I got to make some money some how and that's why I am here.  They keep running out of different kinds of tea and don't care about re-stocking them.  Their selection is just becoming smaller and smaller.  The deserts taste pretty ordinary.  I never had a meal here, however, so I am not going to comment on that.  But the quality and service in the café turned me off so much that I don't think I want to try and eat a meal here.  Sorry, guys.

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Photo of Amy D.

 

4

94

Amy D.

Guelph, ON

Canada

4 star rating
10/6/2009 2 photos

Elizabeth Faulkner is one of my fav bakers.  I bought her cookbook a few months prior to our trip, and i love her choc cookies.  I had made them at home probably a dozen times and i was curious how they would taste compared to the real ones.  I think mine may giver her  a run for her money, lol.  The place is very sparce, however everything looks so good.  the cookies were yummy, i also had their loose leaf earl grey tea, and a pain au chocolate.  I would definetely go back the next time.

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Photo of Seong P.

Elite '09

308

951

Seong P.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
7/30/2009

I went for dinner on a special Filipino cuisine night.  It was $45/persom for 3 courses that included 2 appetizers, an entree, pancit and dessert.  It was a good amount of food for the price.

I enjoyed my hamachi sashimi and the lumpia were not bad either.  The chicken adobo was too salty for me.  Eating it with the somewhat bland pancit helped a lot though.  Overall, it was pretty tasty.  For dessert, I had something with a cookie and banana ice cream.  It was very rich so I couldn't eat much of it but what I had was good.

I'd come back to try lunch or dinner from their regular menu.

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Photo of merridith b.

Elite '09

25

201

merridith b.

Chula Vista, CA

4 star rating
10/13/2009

wow.
that being said i am not usually a fan of desserts but they do it right in the bay area. we stopped in after we arrived in town for a quick nosh. i had a nice little salad and we split a bunch of the dessert.
wow.
what a great spot to stop in after a date or before a night out.

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Photo of Paris X.

 

9

11

Paris X.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
7/16/2009

This is gourmet American food with all the side dishes done in a culinary institute type of way.

The menu changes all the time so be on the lookout. Most their stuff is seasonal too, all their fishes are fresh, and the veggies are local and organic. The cupcakes I would do anything for. So rich and sweet and I've never had anything like them ever.

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Photo of Nick V.

 

12

59

Nick V.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
9/2/2009

Great for a late night dessert! Never been here for dinner, but have stopped by on nights where my fiancee and I just felt like sweets, a drink or coffee late night. The place does the trick in a pinch and is fairly upscale-casual.

Downside is I have never really been overly impressed with their sweets. It's a mixed bag here.

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Photo of K W.

 

32

322

K W.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
8/2/2009

Cookie Review only.
The ginger sandwich cookies are delicate and delicious.  The oatmeal raisin cookie is slammin'.  A day later and they are still soft.

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Photo of Kathleen W.

Elite '09

253

731

Kathleen W.

Albany, CA

4 star rating
7/24/2009

I realized last night that I make a terrible spy.  I giggle a lot and didn't see anything wrong with wearing sunglasses at 11:00 PM at night and sneaking around peering into windows on unsuspecting patrons dining.  

Although my attempts at spying on a girlfriend was epic fail, the desserts here were not.  A bottle of wine at dinner meant I needed some coffee to sober up.  Mocha for me, latte for her ... it's hard to be graceful when you drink out of a bowl.   We shared a lemon bar and a German chocolate cookie - just the right combo of tart and sweet  (kind of like us ... and we'd both agree that she's sweet and I'm more tart.)  The lemon bar was awesome and makes the stuff out of a box (which isn't so bad) pale in comparison.  The cookie though ... wasn't worth the $1.50 - they got nothing on Specialty's.   I'll be back again to try the cupcakes.

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Photo of janthina f.

 

3

28

janthina f.

Moraga, CA

4 star rating
9/3/2009

So I'm a fatty and I didn't just get dessert.  I also got dinner.  Mmmmmm.  We were supposed to head for Le Charm after a late movie, but they were closed and we decided on Citizen Cake.  I'm so happy we came!  I had the grossest katsudon (breaded japanese pork cutlet with rice, egg, sauce, etc etc) just the night before so I was very happy to find schnitzel on the menu to erase all the icky, watery pork memories of the night before.

The schnitzel came out plated beautifully which was a cute California touch remembering how schnitzel in Germany was always unceremoniously plonked on the plate without much thought.  Anyway, it turned out to be very crisp, not oily (if you can imagine schnitzel not being oily), and a great cut of pork without any fat.  It came with a mostarda plum sauce..didn't taste any mustard (if that's what mostarda is?) which is great cause I hate mustard.  The plum was just a perfect hint of sweetness and perfectly complimentary to both the schnitzel and the kartoffel ([potato salad).  

I liked that the kartoffel had a California twist on it as well, served with arugula, shallots, and a bit of parsley.   The light dressing on it was so tasty too!

One friend had the same dish and absolutely cleaned out his plate while another friend had the flank steak with tempura ice cream and tempura beets.  SO GOOD.  The steak was cooked rare, as we all like it, lightly salted on top, and then garnished with what we think was cooked-through swiss chard, horseradish ice cream, and tempura beets.  Everything went SO well together!  The horseradish ice cream was surprisingly not gross to me as I hate horseradish, but the creaminess seemed to balance it out quite well.  The tempura beets were also great.  Nice to have the hot tempura and cold ice cream juxtaposed in a great steak dish.  I like how both our dishes had a sweet factor to it that complimented the food very well.

I had the rose crème brulee with pistachio-saffron cookies for dessert and it was so yummy.  Anything rose flavored has the tendency to taste like guest soap, but this was balanced with cream so it came out great.  The cookies were also sewww yummy.  They were more like biscuits, really.

The server was cheery and attentive (although perhaps very attentive because there was barely anyone else in the restaurant at 9:15pm) and the speakers blasted the cheery album of the Ting Tings.  A cute, big, airy space..very San Francisco with exposed beams and wood accents.  We were so pleased with our dining experience here.  And my friend says the cupcakes are great, though I haven't had them myself.

We got a bag of cookies to take home.  I'm eating them for breakfast right now. :D

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Photo of Marti L.

Elite '09

187

357

Marti L.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
6/26/2009 2 photos

This review is only for their Signature Chococupcake. It blew my mind.

(http://www.yelp.com/bi...)

Chocolate chiffon cake: moist as ever. Vanilla cream: light and sweet. Chocolate ganache glaze: rich and chocolatey. 'Citizen' signature: neat and cute.

Perfect balance of richness, sweetness and moisture. Gimme more! =)

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Photo of Maricel A.

 

59

201

Maricel A.

Vallejo, CA

4 star rating
8/15/2009

Tropical cake was consumed. Small but SO GOOD. I would definitely drop some dough (har har har) for more.

Oh and their double cappuccino was delish.

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Photo of Kristen S.

Elite '09

35

101

Kristen S.

San Jose, CA

4 star rating
10/2/2009

kudos, citizen cake.  

i came here for dinner with my dad before the symphony.  small menu, big yummy-ness!  I heard this place was not as well known for dinner as it was brunch or dessert.  But dinner definitely did not disappoint.  

Service was a little slow, but there was a rush of opera and symphony goers at once, all there for some pre-show eats.  I ordered a burger (original right) with gruyere.  Yeah, to some degree a burger's a burger, but the roll tasted fresh-baked and it was served with a housemade pickle spear and some sort of creamy deliciousness that is aioli served with french fries.  I don't know what it was, but it was damned good.  My dad ordered the porkchop with housemade applesauce and some sort of beans (?) underneath.  It was tender and delicious.  For dessert we ordered an off-menu special: olive oil cake with diced peaches, fresh peach sorbet, candied walnuts and a lavender reduction.  tres chic!  not over or under flavored, and very mildly sweet.  

I like that the dishes are simple and straightforward.  I also like this about the decor.  I'd come here again for dinner before a show, or to try the brunch, which I hear is pretty awesome.

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Photo of Lei B.

 

96

120

Lei B.

Los Angeles, CA

3 star rating
9/8/2009 4 photos

I bought the Retro Tropical Shag and a chocolate cookie sandwich for $9. http://static.px.yelp.... Yea it was kinda pricey for their sizes. Friends had the smores brownie http://static.px.yelp...., mocha misu petite cake http://static.px.yelp...., and an after midnight petite cake. Everything was pretty good but nothing mind blowing. I wanted to try a cupcake but nothing really looked good to me except the chocolate chip one, maybe next time...

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1

10

Nicole M.

San Francisco, CA

1 star rating
9/4/2009

CITIZEN FAKE = OVERRATED + BAD SERVICE + BLAND FOOD + HAIR IN MY FOOD!!!!

Yes, Rob (Yelper below) I feel your pain!  I hate to do this too...especially since i'm a fan of their desserts and cupcakes.  But there's a reason why it's called "Citizen Cake" and NOT "Citizen Dinner" or "Citizen Food", people!

But here let me break it down for you:

SERVICE: Don't expect a warm greeting when you enter.  The hostess here (petite blonde with no smile) was really rude the moment we stepped in.  And she even gave me the once over with her eyes as if we were back in high school.  Really?  What a way to start an evening! Then it took 30 minutes to get our food after we ordered.  Ouch!  

FOOD: After 30 minutes of waiting, it finally arrived.  I ordered the Pork Loin and my boyfriend ordered a Hamburger.  The pork was so bland although it came with a plum mostarda.  But that didn't add any flavor.  And the hamburger was decent...but didn't wow.

COST:  OVERPRICED. For $18 each!  I expected more...not a Denny's knock off with no flavor.

FOLLOWING HEALTH CODE REGULATIONS:  After trying to eat the tasteless piece of meat on my plate, I found a straight black hair baked on to the corner of the pork loin!!!!  

Let me repeat: THERE WAS A HAIR BAKED ONTO THE PORK LOIN!!!!

Okay, this was the deal breaker folks.  I would have left that night with just disappointment...but after finding the hair I had to speak with the manager.  Because for a restaurant that charges $20 a plate...you would think they could at least follow  the health code regulations.

BUT ONE STAR GOES TO...The crazy old lady sitting next to us at the booth on the left.  She was so drunk she started to talk about her sexploitations and loudly blurted out "P*nis in the mouth".  At least she made that night entertaining.  

Too bad Citizen Fake disappointed.  Just go for the dessert!

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Photo of Karen C.

Elite '09

17

33

Karen C.

Philadelphia, PA

2 star rating
7/8/2009

Never before have I not finished a cupcake, especially one that I myself paid for, but Citizen Cake managed to exhibit never-before-seen behavior from me! I ordered the pineapple upside-down cupcake with the passion fruit frosting. Typing out the description actually still makes my mouth water, but then my memory of the actual cupcake jolts me back to a dry reality. First of all, presentation is important, but not insurmountable. Trying to stuff a ROUND cupcake into a RECTANGULAR box is like that one kid at daycare who keeps trying to put the round peg into the square hole. Yeah, kid, it's not going to happen...Boy, did that "haircut" make my cupcake look ever so much less appetizing. Too bad the overall taste of the cupcake couldn't make up for its physical shortcomings. The frosting was too sweet and the cake was not moist enough. Save yourself the calories, and move on.

However, I do think the name Citizen Cake is awesome. Too bad their cupcake did not follow suit. Not to mention the customer service was lacking entirely. Never before have I seen an employee actually roll her eyes because I tore her away from an insipid conversation about celebrities. I really wanted to like this place, but my quest for the best cupcake continues.

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