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Citizen Cake - CLOSED
Categories: Food Bakeries Restaurants American (Traditional) Food Desserts Bakeries, American (Traditional), Desserts [Edit]
399 Grove St(between Franklin St & Gough St)
San Francisco, CA 94102
Neighborhood: Hayes Valley
(415) 861-2228
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Stacy T. said: "I feel like such a fat bastard after eating here, but it was so delicious that I really don't care all together that much. In fact I care so little that I'd be willing to feel that way over and over again if it meant I could shove this…" read more »
925 reviews for Citizen Cake
Review Highlights
"After Midnight Chocolate Cake - *drool* LOVE."
(in 27 reviews)
"The ice cream complimented everything perfectly."
(in 110 reviews)
"I'd have to say the Retro Tropical Shag was my favorite."
(in 18 reviews)
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925 reviews in English
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Review from Muriel d.
4/26/2010
I thought these cakes were pretty expensive, but I have to say the last time I got to try a piece (courtesy of a friend getting another friend 3 slices of cake for a little birthday present). it was pretty damn good. There are a lot of what I call "fake-out cakes" or desserts- look beautiful, are sad dry disappointments when you eat them, but these slices of cake (some type of chocolate cake with chocolate filling) were really moist (I f@cking hate that word but I had to use it anyway) and tasted pretty great.
I want to try their coconut cake. It looked really good once when I stopped in to look around with a friend, but it seemed a but pricey (something like $50 for what looked like a small rectangular cake.) I think I will be trying some by the slice instead.Listed in: sweet tooth
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Review from Luis C.
3/1/2010
CLOSED, moving to new location at 2125 Fillmore Street to open mid-March. In the space formerly occupied by Vivande (that chef lost his taste buds in a car accident and closed), across the street from Peruvian restaurant Fresca. The new menu will be more casual. Main pastry baking operations will move to Orson.
The opera patrons are probably sad to lose this pre/post theater dining option, but on the other hand there's more foot traffic at the new location.
The space is small, but in general it's a nice place for brunch. I love the salads, didn't care for the cuban sandwich, pizzas were okay. Service was courteous. The large windows lets customers see the outside (a feature missing from the new location), wonderful on sunny days. One of the best desserts I tried a long time ago was a lemon trio, a creme brulee, a meringue, and a cookie sandwich.Listed in: CLOSED, out of business,…, Bakeries
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Review from Jason C.
El Cerrito, CA
2/15/2010 3 photos
Citizen Cake with your cute little cupcakes http://static1.px.yelp... ...
Oh, what you do to me...
Well, for starters, thinking about their uber delicious Vanilla Cupcake http://static1.px.yelp... makes my wiener do this thing where it giggles and punches a hole in the crotch of my pants because he thinks so highly of its not-too-strong-but-just-perfect sweetness level, mixed in with the "just right" moist cake batter.
Then there's the Fruit Tart http://static1.px.yelp... with figs, plums, and strawberries. Seriously, using figs makes me think of covering up my privates. Women, note that this Fruit Tart makes me so romantic I want to learn calligraphy and French just so I can write you disgustingly cute love letters that I recite to you while feeding you grapes and chocolate in a champagne bubble bath I made, just for you.
Of course, then I'd then throw you on a kitchen counter and drill you so hard the US wouldn't need to depend upon foreign oil, but then it would be out of love of cupcakes and you, you see.
Romance... It's called Citizen Cake.
Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day! ^_^ -
Review from Jaime C.
9/17/2008
I'm afraid I'll have to give this 5 stars.
Why, do you ask? Well, it's not JUST because I have a crush on the founder/owner, Elizabeth, but also because I was finally able to go after 4 years of waiting and fell right back in love.
You see, I'm easily suggestive when it comes to food. When the food network was on my television 24/7 in school (when I could finally own a tv without getting in trouble), I saw an episode where Rachel Ray went to Citizen Cake and it became my first stop when I got home. Of course, I was 18 and had no idea how to drive in the city, so after cursing into any oblivion I managed to indulge on their crafty and strange concoctions.
Now, four years later, I realised that my car was parked less than block from here and managed to convince Shelly that we should have dinner here. "Expensive? Uhhh..no...I don't think it is?" **doesn't realise that there is such thing as INFLATION**
We started out with a Violet Beauregarde, made of infused blueberry vodka and several other delicious combinations. We toasted to life, love, and the pursuit of happiness, and ordered our meal. Unfortunately, when I see "schnitzel", I don't automatically think, "flat, breaded chicken fried-steak looking deliciousness". I think it comes in sausage form. Well, it's not in sausage form, go me. But it is served on top of a bed of fingerling purple potatoes, with apples and cabbage on top. To be honest, it was fantastic.
Of course, who goes to Citizen Cake and doesn't get dessert? Once again, I was able to convince Shelly to get dessert, while she convinced me to get decaf coffee (THANK YOU SHELLY!!! I was asleep by 10!!). There is something to be said about drinking tons of caffeine and making all your dreams run through in fast forward.
Me: I have dreams about Yelp
Friend: Those are called nightmares.
Me: ...
Caffeine is a good thing?
The Red Velvet dessert is made up of three different items: a Cream Cheese Mousse, a flourless chocolate cake, and something else that was chocolatey and crunchy. I looked on the website, but apparently they changed it, so :( and :). Except that dessert was PHENOMENAL.
After splitting the bill, I was so full I felt like an oompa loompa. But believe me, after searching for years to find that perfect chocolate cake, you really don't care what you look or feel like.
And nor should you give a shit whether or not anyone agrees with you, either. -
Review from Jessica t.
San Francisco, CA
3/19/2008
I had relatively anti-social rituals in college.
On many a Friday, after staying up past 4, finishing some paper, made even more difficult by the fact that I hadn't done any of the reading that I was supposed to - I'd plan a Jessica alone night. I'd grab a table at my favorite chinese restaurant, maybe even bring a book - and just sit and read - before heading on home to my cluttered tiny college dorm room to watch marathons of Six Feet Under episodes.
I always appreciated the idea, that even though I was by myself, ordering the "regular" that the service at my local college food spots, was nothing but exceptional. Even with Friday's continous flow of people coming in and out, the waiters made sure to keep on checking in on me.
The same can be said of Citizen Cake. Whenever I'm in Hayes Valley to get my hair cut at Oxenrose, I always try to pop in here. I have yet to try the desserts, but the croque monsieur and the chinese chicken salad here are both rave-worthy. The croque monsiuer (their cheese of bread option) oozes cheese and is and toasted to a divine crisp. The chinese chicken salad is made with crispy cabbage, peanuts, a light flavorful dressing and fresh bits of chicken cooked in a sweet curry sauce. All of the ingredients in both dishes that I've tried, had distinct taste and it was evident that each was made just minutes before.
If you're by yourself, Citizen Cake is a perfect spot to grab a place at the bar and just breathe. The staff, or at least both times that I've been, will make sure you're set with a personal plate of bread and creamy butter and are quick with the water refills.
And for such palatable dishes - the prices are pretty fair.
And while it's always fun to go out to restaurants with people, Citizen Cake is one place I'd even recommend checking out alone.Listed in: Where to go for sugar cravings, Healthy Eating Spots
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Review from Leah E.
San Francisco, CA
12/25/2009 2 photos
(This review is for the Citizen Cake Cookies only)
I could not say it enough--your boss can either make your life easy or a living hell.
I've had a boss who threatened to cut me up in little pieces and have me for breakfast. I am exaggerating, for course, but the way she was going, it could probably have lead to that if personnel did not intervene on my behalf!
On a brighter side, out of all the bosses that I've had during my career so far, I only had 2.75 mean ones. (One was a man with huge ego and a short---patience.) LOL!
Thank God for most of my superiors have been intelligent, kind, ethical and fair individuals who have made a huge contribution in my growth as a professional.
And it is a true blessing to have wonderful bosses who are supportive and appreciative. So, I was very surprised when my current bosses came to my office, brought me a box of cookies from Citizen Cake and a nice bottle of Chardonnay, along with kind words of appreciation. I know it was not a $50K bonus that I received but after having dealt with horrible bosses, I'll take the cookies and wine given with kindness over monetary gifts tinged with poison and animosity.
Now that I am a "boss" myself, I'm passing on the legacy of the good ones who served as my mentors by being a good and fair supervisor to my staff.
CITIZEN CAKE COOKIES: (4 Stars) http://www.yelp.com/bi... http://www.yelp.com/bi...
So, as presents I received "Cookie Sandwiches" from Citizen Cake: GINGER, CHOCOLATE and LEMON-VANILLA. These are like Elite Oreos but so much better. They were on the sweeter side but I love tooth-achingly sweet goodies. The cookies are dense with pillowy light cream spread in the middle and perfectly bound the thick cookies together. The Lemon ones are full of lemon flavors--my fave among the batch. The Ginger comes second-place with a hint of ginger and the Chocolate is chocolatey with grainy bits of cocoa. I could not stop eating them and ate all 3 in one seating!
LUNCH AT CITIZEN CAKE: (1.5 Stars)
I had a sandwich lunch at Citizen Cake before and it was a huge disappointment. The overpriced meat sandwiches were all dry! I vowed to never go back except for the pastries which are yummy although pricey.
Merry Christmas to my bosses who taught me so much and to the ones who also made my life miserable--from you I've learned strength and grace under fire. And here I am now....a better person (I hope.)Listed in: CUTE DEVOURS!, Bye! Bye! Birdie!
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Review from Shelly V.
Oakland, CA
9/17/2008
I have no idea what all the bad reviews are about for Citizen Cake Restaurant and Bar. Some of them seem to be for the Patisserie and some for the Restaurant.
This review is for the Restaurant.
On a Wednesday night, my friend Amelie & I arrived and were greeted and seated right away. Our server was very pleasant and took our drink order. She recommended the Violet Beauregard. We both ordered this drink made with a blueberry vodka and what tasted like a cranberry juice served in a martini glass. OMG -- where can I get blueberry vodka?
There was a show that night and since Citizen Cake is located near the Opera House, our server asked if we had a time constraint. We were looking for a leisurely dinner and this was also fine with the server. (I had to pick my hubby up at SFO at 10:30pm and needed to kill some time and it was nice to sit and talk to Amelie).
I ordered the pan seared chicken for my main meal. Before the meal we were served a small heirloom tomato salad which was gorgeous. The chicken was breaded medallions and they were so juicy and tender inside. It was on a garbanzo bean salad which had the perfect dressing to complement the chicken.
Amelie talked me into dessert. I ordered the Rose crème Brulee. I LOVE crème brulee and if a restaurant can make a good one I'm in love! This was one of the best I've ever had. The sugar was perfectly browned, inside, the custard was creamy and firm with a hint of the rose flavor.
The space was beautiful. The staff was friendly and attentive. The food was AMAZING.
I'll be back when I can afford it again! -
Review from Steve L.
12/18/2008
Got in late into the SF on a Wednesday night, and we only had a little over an hour to find a place for dinner before the symphony. With the Symphony and the Nutcracker going on at the same time, we thought it would be pretty difficult getting a walk-in for dinner.
Lucky for us, Citizen Cake was able to accommodate us. The host asked us if we were going to the Symphony, so he made sure our orders were taken and expedited. After looking through our menus, the server came by in a few minutes and took our orders.
Here's what we ordered:
-cowgirl creamery cheeses: three cheeses, with dates, apples, and walnut bread. The cheeses were a brie, a Spanish sheep's milk cheese, and another that I can't remember. Was in a cheesy-mood, so it was a good starter.
-day boat scallops with sunchoke puree, fennel, lemon brown butter, and mashed potatoes. Very good sized scallops, seared nicely, and warm in the interior.
-NY strip steak mashed potatoes, horseradish sorbet, spinach. This was a special of the day. The steak was prepared medium rare as requested, sliced, and finished with a wine-based glaze. The horseradish sorbet was interesting. Dipping pieces of the hot steak into the cool sorbet was a nice bitingly cool contrast.
Had about a half hour left, but had to have dessert:
-tin roof parfait, with caramel ice cream, choco bites, marshmallow, peanuts: Came in a high-ball glass, and layered with the ingredients above. Very chocolaty, but not overly sweet.
-apple crepes with maple ice cream: apples were diced, and crepe was nice and thin. Ummm....so good.
Service was great, they were able to expedite our orders without making us feel rushed, and always with a smile.
Soon, we were on our way to Davies Symphony Hall, only 2 blocks away, and with a nice dinner so I can enjoy the show without my stomach growling. -
Review from Serena Y.
San Francisco, CA
10/28/2007
ZERO STARS.
I've never been a huge fan of the food at Citizen Cake, given all the amazing restaurants in the city, but I did appreciate them for what they are good at. Decent brunch, great desserts, etc. But after today, I'm never going back! I've never had someone in food service be so rude to us before!
We ordered a dish that had "caramelized onions" in the ingredients. When we got it, we realized that the onions were sauteed, not caramelized. However, the hash was still pretty good, so we didn't make a big deal out of it - just finished our meal. At the end, my friend pointed out to the assistant manger that the onion wasn't actually caramelized, and that she was disappointed; perhaps they should be more clear on their menu. After arguing with us about what a caramelized onion was, and asking us what he could do to compensate, the guy stalked away.
Again, we were not interested in making a big deal out of it, but after that attitude, we were pretty offended. After some back and forth with the server (who was calm and nice, even though she disagreed with us) and the assistant manager again, we paid the full bill (even though by this point we were pissed enough to want not to pay for it) and were about to leave. On the way out, I mentioned, calmly, to the assistant manager that in a city with this kind of competition, they could really improve their customer service - particularly his attitude. He said, and I quote, "Well, I'm glad you find the food mediocre because you're not coming here again."
Considering all we did was point out that the dish was misrepresented, did we really have to be subjected to a bitchy attitude from the assistant manager, not one but three times? And seriously, even though we were pretty annoyed, we were both completely calm and matter of fact about the situation. It always shocks me when people in food service lose their temper to customers who are not satisfied with the food or service. We offered it as feedback, not as a way to get something. There is definitely no way we'll be going back. In fact, I've escalated it to the Owner/Manager, since I doubt that she'd want to have someone like that representing the restaurant and overshadowing what positives there are.Listed in: Tru Ripoffs
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Review from Marti L.
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! =) -
Review from Ed U.
6/9/2007
"Rosebud", he whispered ...wait a minute...that's "Citizen Kane". But there are probably rosebuds in some dish here. It's that kind of place, know what I mean? Perhaps Orson Welles' dying wish was to come here for a meal, but then again, he looked like he would've been happy having a meal anywhere...maybe even a Happy Meal at the Mickey D's up Van Ness. But I digress.
Even though I live a quick stroll away, the first I heard of this place was not actually word-of-mouth but from that damn perky/pesky Rachael Ray who came here on one of her "$40 a Day" shows to try the Mint Chocolate Mojito Petit Gateau. I think she even uttered one of her "Oh my gravy!" lines. Well, she was right...it was awesome.
I've had their little cakes now and then, but I don't think I had been here for dinner in at least four years. Last night, I came with four friends for a nice pricey meal. I had a taste of the Marine Lobster Verrine ($16), which combines corn pudding, lobster ceviche, chopped avocado, a cilantro gel (yeah...like jell-o), and corn-nuts. Corn-nuts?...yep, the ones you get out of the vending machine. Quite a package packed into a little mini-tumbler.
For my entree, I ordered the $29 Meyer Ranch Natural New York Steak with sliced fingerling potatoes, sauteed summer beans, and horseradish ice cream on a toasted baguette slice. Horseradish ice cream? Well, if Bi-Rite can make Salted Caramel ice cream, why not?...though it was little more novelty than something to die for.
We all shared a $34.25 bottle of a 2004 Cantina Del Pino from Italy's Barbera d'Alba winery. I know it sounds impressive that I knew that, but I just copied that from the online menu PDF. The wine had a woody flavor and a nice finish, a nice complement to the steak. Of course, I had to end the meal with one of their petit gateaux, so I tried the Retro Tropical Shag, a genoise cake with rum, a tropical fruit mousse with lots of vanilla buttercream and coconut shavings on top.
The corner location with the expansive windows would have been ideal except a malicious idiot with a Hummer turning off from Grove onto Gough had his high beams on...and obviously didn't care that all us diners felt like we were the Von Trapps suddenly escaping the Nazis. The place itself is industrial chic - all exposed beams and ducts, dark orange walls with dividers trying to handle the crowd control. It gets busy in here, especially around the bakery display case. There's even a little table for two tucked behind a display stand if you want just dessert and a lot of stares.
But we were seated in the bustling main dining area, and the crowd is pretty much the overdressed set just coming out of Davies Hall or the War Memorial. In fact, one woman looked like she was wearing her living room drapes, and her fat husband didn't even get his bulbous ass up to let her into her seat. Unbelievable..but that dress was kinda humiliating to be seen with. Oh well.
FOOD - 4 stars...a solid 4...everything was beautifully presented though some of the elements didn't work together like that horseradish ice cream.
AMBIANCE - 4 stars...like a really crowded party in someone's loft...someone you don't necessarily like
SERVICE - 4 stars...mainly attentive though a few hiccups like missing my friend's dessert order (they got cookies as compensation)
TOTAL - 4 stars...not quite outstanding but a solid dining option if you want to leave a few shekels in the potListed in: In Memoriam...I Need a Kleenex
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Review from Mai G.
San Francisco, CA
7/17/2006
I arrived at Citizen Cake and must you ask why? For the cake of course, and my birthday one at that! Having to work such long hours at times, I was unable to make it for a "real" dinner, but a couple of my favorite people still got me to grab dessert here.
I splurged (calorie/fat/heart clogging wise) and had the creme brulee AND the citizen short cake. The creme brulee, was the ultimate fancy girl yummy decadence and the shortcake brought me back to why I used to (or maybe still do) love the strawberry shortcake cartoons, perfect plump berries!
Yes go, so good, and both of my plates had fancy chocolate and caramel writing's saying happy birthday and sprinkled with rose petals, and the super cool waiter guy gave me extra caramel.
Sweet, fun and relaxing! -
Review from Archie R.
4/11/2009
I have picked up some stuff at Citizen Cake for people at work three times already.
Of course, I did it cause I am a super awesome nice guy.
But really, it's because it is on the way to work.
Well, kinda. I mean, I just gotta make a right where I would make a left, and go north for a few blocks where I should be going south.
Come to think of it, it's nowhere near the way I need to go to work.
And to add to that, I eat most of what I intend on giving to others.
Whatever, it's the ginger snap creme filled cookies that keep me coming back for more.
Sugar.Listed in: Lower Haight, aint it great?
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Review from Lauren S.
Stockton, CA
6/11/2009
This is just for the patisserie, not for the restaurant adjoined to it:
I walked in this morning craving something slightly sweet and of course, coffee. I had never been here and have been meaning to so I felt it was a good opportunity for it. I got the chocolate filled croissant (always a favourite of mine...eh, I'm a fatty what can I say?) and a latte. And for $4, you get a small latte that takes a girl over 5 minutes to make that tastes like crap. The croissant was very buttery but also a little dry? Like it could have been from yesterday kind of deal...le blah!
I don't know I was just a little disappointed and I don't think I'll be coming back...I've heard mixed things about the restaurant so....
le boo.Listed in: Sweet Tooth.
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Review from Janney B.
San Francisco, CA
11/9/2007
Q: How do you get Jannette (moi) to fall in love with you?
A: Let me eat cake. Lots of cake. Chocolate-y carb-y CAKE.
Seriously. If you can stomach the vision of me excitedly tracing my index finger up and down the dessert menu, with my smile lighting up my face brighter than a Christmas Tree, then we are already past first base and onto second.
In my book, Citizen Cake scored a Home Run.
Although I don't prefer to kiss and tell, this experience was so good, I need to share it.
I ordered some sort of chocolate walnut-type cake, which was accompanied by two chocolate pecan-type rolls, served on top of malt ice cream. The plate was garnished with sea-salt and some sort of curry goodness. He.. err.. IT was very rich and left me feeling oh-so satisfied.
Obviously, my vocab has gone out the window, since I'm still having trouble recovering from my terrific time with Citizen Cake last night.
Does that make me a slut, if I had a great time with the dessert and didn't even catch its name? -
Review from Akiko T.
12/22/2007
No thank you for being a citizen of this bakery... I insist on getting myself deported from here. The frumpy hostess (who has probably eaten way too many pastries by being employed there and it showed) was completely rude to us... the first thing that came out of her mouth was, "we're only serving sandwiches and sweets". No s&$%, imbecile. It's a damn bakery and that's what we're here for.
Wait staff service was even worse. The incompetent waitress didn't know what the "Signature" Cupcake meant. Then after pausing several seconds... she says, "OH. You mean the Citizen Cupcake."
Me: Yeah, I guess.
Dumb Waitress: Oh. *pause* Well, I guess it's chocolate with a cream filling in the center.
Me: Okay, I'll try that.
DW: Oh. We don't have any of that.
Me: Okay... I'll have the Lemon Cupcake then...
EJ ordered the Stewed Mango and Pineapple Parfait with Coconut, which was rather tasty... The Lemon Cupcake I ordered was ridiculously dry, crumbly, flavorless, worse than boxed cupcake mix and had the nastiest lemon gel filling inside that tasted too much like egg yoIk. I get that they were trying to make it more of a Lemon Meringue Cupcake but it was just plain ass. In conclusion, I cannot see why this place does so well. It's in a great location and I love Hayes Valley, but the service, cupcake and ambiance was enough for me to not ever want to return.
PS: I personally witnessed another waitress wiping a counter with a dirty rag, then walking over to the kitchen window, picking up two baguette sandwiches with her bare hands, placing them onto two plates (w/o washing her hands first) then walking those two plates to 2 customers. Should I have said something? -
Review from Lily M.
San Francisco, CA
8/2/2007
I think cookies at Citizen Cake are like $40 per ounce or something along those lines...something a tad bit cheaper than a night's worth of cocaine.
They're really good, though...I guess.
I tried to eat brunch here once with Lenas and Sarah. We looked a bit disheveled because it was a Sunday morning and that's how those go. We walk into a totally empty Citizen Cake and ask for a table. The waitress gives us a once over and then tells us they don't have any available tables.
That's really not very nice. She didn't even act apologetic. It was straight a "get the fuck out of our classy establishment you hung over looking trash" kind of reply.
So thanks to the shitty waitress at Citizen Cake I have no delicious food to rave about on Yelp. -
Review from Mariko F.
10/18/2008
I have had my eye out on Citizen Cake for a while. I promised myself that I would go the day that I became a US citizen. I thought it was only fitting to go to Citizen Cake after becoming a citizen. Thursday, it finally happened -- I was sworn in. I rushed off to make my opentable reservation. I was very excited to find that I would get 1000 points for the dinner.
So I think that my mistake was that I went here for dinner. I mean, it wasn't bad, my any means, but for the money, it simply wasn't worth it. To start I had the pork belly ($10), which was amazing. Simply amazing. It was made with dates and water chestnuts and was so juicy and flavourful. It was my favourite part of the entire meal.
I moved on to more pork: the port schnitzel ($26). For $26, I expect the best schnitzel of my life. It should be juicy and rich and be interesting. Not so. It was (incredibly) dry. The best part about the dish were the potatoes in mustard that it came with. To tell you the truth, the schnitzel was so dry that I barely finished half of it. I was so disappointing.
Of course we had dessert. Once again, my mistake that we didn't wrap up here and then just walk next door to the actual Patisserie. I'm sorry that I assumed that I would be able to get yummy dessert that they sell there, at my table. I had the creme brulee. It was pretty good. Not excellent. But pretty good.
All in all, I was very disappointed. Don't worry, I was still happy because I was a US citizen now (and get to pay taxes for life.) I won't be back to the restaurant. I might come for the happy hour that's from 8 - 10 and offers $5 martinis. But I will definitely be trying the Patisserie! -
Review from Greg G.
10/15/2008
This is one of those places that you already have preconceived notions about before visiting due to reading Yelp reviews. I came in knowing everyone spoke highly of it, but was sure i wasn't going to give it a high rating.
I was wrong.
I ate at the Citizen Cake Patisserie and was shocked(in a good way) to say the least! Everything was so good! My Girlfriend and I ordered 1 scoop of the Coffee Ice Cream, 1 Lemon Bar, 1 Vanilla Cupcake and 1 Rocky Road Cupcake. For a place with as big a name and reptation as Citizen Cake, i thought that was a pretty fair price.
The frosting of the cupcakes was outstanding. I really don't know how else to describe it other than soft, delicate, and very flavorful. It was like a cloud evaporating in my mouth. The Ice Cream was also very good... i would describe it as rich with flavor, but not overwhelming.
Contrary to many reviews here on Yelp, the staff members i encountered were friendly and helpful. It was in the middle of the day so it wasn't a huge rush of people... maybe they were less stressed? lol.
Honestly, these pastries were terrific. I didn't want to, but i have to give them a great review! From my experience, the food here deserves it. -
Review from Teri C.
4/18/2008 4 photos
Citizen Cake - I've been meaning to experience Elizabeth Falkner's desserts since seeing her in action at the Ghiradelli Chocolate Festival some years ago. I even managed to visit the Citizen Cupcake before making my way to her restaurant. So, I was excited when my friend suggested Citizen Cake for dinner.
They rotate their menus which is something I appreciate, not only because they are using seasonal ingredients but also keeping things exciting should you be a return customer.
We noted the handful of customers as we walked in on a Sunday evening without reservations. When the host asked us if we had reservations and we said no, he looked over his reservations list as if he might be able to squeeze us in somewhere. We were seated immediately nonetheless and bread soon arrived. (The restaurant never completely filled up the entire time we were there.)
My friend ordered some kind of soup that was $8. Unfortunately, I can't remember what it was, but it tasted good!
For entrees, I had a rib roast dish ($24) with potatoes underneath and fennel on top. It came with a side dollop of what looked like ice cream but I think was horseradish. It was pretty tasty and I enjoyed it.
My friend has a vegetarian grill ($20) that included broccoli rabe, a couple varieties of fungi and polenta. The polenta was quite delicious as well as the sauce that came with it. My friend pushed aside the mushroom mixture which I ended up eating, although I could have passed on the rabe.
We were very excited about the dessert menu, but weren't exactly excited about the descriptions. The waitress raved about the mincemeat dessert saying I would absolutely love it, blah blah blah. I was very skeptical, but I still got it anyway. "true mincemeat liquid chocolate frozen pear and bilberry" ($11) Well, I still didn't enjoy it. It was too savory for a dessert and I'm not a big fan of dark chocolate. I wish I went for the creme brulee, petit gateaux, or the cookie plate instead.
My friend ordered the cheesecake, "the cheesecake lightened soymilk frozen macademia Satsuma marmalade." ($12) It wasn't quite what he expected either and it came with what appeared to be a scoop of cheesecake and a scoop of the frozen macademia stuff.
Overall, we were both disappointed with our desserts and perhaps that was our fault because we came in with high expectations. We did enjoy our dinner entrees though for the most part. A bit pricey for what you get.
$100, including tax and tip -
Review from H C.
Bay Area
3/11/2007
Out of a party of eight, most of us seemed underwhelmed by our $10 desesrts. Perhaps we should have picked something from the display window up front.
I think I stay away just long enough to forget why I didn't care for the experience last time. Then I fall prey again.
It's time I tie a ribbon around my finger. -
Review from Lisa L.
Oakland, CA
5/26/2007
My new favorite drink is a classic that is apparently "coming back in style"... a French 75.
For those not in the know, a French 75 is a lethal concoction of the following:
* 1 ounces gin
* 1/4 ounce lemon juice
* 1/8 ounce simple syrup
* 5 ounces chilled champagne
I have also been informed that sometimes brandied cherries are added as well.
Pretty much every time I have drank one or more of these babies, it has ended very, very badly. It's clearly my poison. I have always loved gin, and adding the champagne just seals the deal for me.
Anyway, I'm giving Citizen Cake 4 stars in spite of everything, because the bartender made a kick-ass French 75 for me last night. Of course, it cost at least $10...but it was worth it.
At the time, the cupcake I had there was pretty tasty...but in retrospect, it wasn't amazing. Come here for (expensive) drinks while you're waiting for the ultra-high class Jade Bar to open, because you're a lush and trying to drink pre-5 PM. Yeah. This is why I'm hot.Listed in: French 75s!
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Review from Brother B.
Los Angeles, CA
6/16/2008
Approximately 200 reviews ago, I wrote about Citizen cake and gave it 5 star all the way. It's one of the few places that I insist upon eating @ whenever I am in town. The food was always good (who can remember what I even ordered, let's get to dessert) and the sweets; well the sweets were orgasmic.
I once went with a friend and we picked up a multitude of desserts. we got back to her place and proceeded to eat it all and left a lone cookie for her husband. "Look what we got you!" and he was none the wiser.
We ate everything, couldn't help ourselves.
But I was in SF last week and we made our pilgrimage to CC. We went on the weekend, a 1st for me, and discovered there is a brunch menu only. Not so good..... there just weren't that many appealing dishes. the only thing that really appealed was the burger so 2 of us ordered that and the 3rd person had the omelette.
1/2 way into the meal, my friend looked down and low and behold: there was an inch long worm crawling out of her burger. Yes a worm. Alive and well and crawling out of the food. That about killed the meal.
But we got some sweets anyway- to go. -
Review from Jenny L.
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! -
Review from Jennifer W.
Berkeley, CA
Updated - 2/7/2010 15 photos
I had an impressive cupcake today!
It was an apple cupcake with a slightly unappealing pastel green frosting, but I believed in it and I was rewarded. It was like a loose apple bread with lots of sweet cinnamon and nutmeg flavor with real apple bits mixed in. Best of all, it had a nice dollop of caramel in the center. The frosting was light and balanced the cake nicely.
Good job.Listed in: Dessertathon I, Dessertathon II
3 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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8/26/2009
1 mocha misu petite cake
1 after midnight petite cake
total: ~$11
BONUS: There was a woman being… Read more »
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Review from Kara D.
El Granada, CA
8/4/2008
On my deathbed I will whisper with my last breath: "Je ne sais quois"
Longingly I will remember Citizen's "Je ne sais quois" cake from my youth: its buttercream frosting, vanilla cake, crispy meringue and buttery caramel layers, because, it is no longer there. It is lost....like my childhood. It is a symbol of my yesteryears the same way a rusty old sleigh tucked away in a musty old mansion is...I digress...
In its place are desserts so deconstructed, your waiter must explain what everything is.
Waiter: (with an imagined Nazi accent) "That (pointing to a tablespoon of crumbs) IS the STREUSEL."....That (pointing to three red drops) IS the RASPBERRY COULIS" and...you get the point.
When did desserts get so grown up and uptight?
The interior is quite shabby, and the lunch menu a bit boring (despite being heavy on the cheese dishes.)
I think Orson is getting all the love, glitz and the glam. Meanwhile this Dorian Gray of a restaurant is becoming more haggard every moment....like me...
(note to self: find opium den to make deal with the devil to preserve my youth...before it's too late) -
Review from RJ A.
San Francisco, CA
3/24/2008
Our father who art in....
----CITIZEN CAKE chocolate creme filled cookies----
Heaven....
----CITIZEN CAKE Gingerbread creme filled cookies---
Hallowed...
----CITIZEN CAKE Lemon creme filled cookies---
Be Thy Name...
----CITIZEN CAKE pots de creme---
This is sorta how it went @ church yesterday. I'm probably going to hell now. -
Review from Ed C.
Hayward, CA
6/8/2008
This place is a definite recommend for a romantic dessert in the city.
We ate at the patisserie tonight and the desserts we got were fabulous. We got the mocha mi su, blueberry vanilla cheesecake, and homemade vanilla ice cream. The mocha mi su was extremely rich and decadent but went awesome with the ice cream and the cheesecake a light but packed with flavor.
The people working behind the counter were nice as hell too. (I don't really know if hell can be considered nice?) As soon as we walked in, a guy behind the counter said, "Here, you gotta try this!" and handed us 2 spoons of the strawberry rose geranium sorbet. Nothing beats free samples! They also gave us (well more for her) a flower, a beautiful peony to be exact.
The prices weren't as ridiculous as I would have thought for a place with such a renown pastry chef. It was only about $15 for the 3 items. You pay more for dessert at a crap-fest like The Cheesecake Factory.
I would definitely come back again. I haven't heard a lot about the dinner but the dessert is a total A+!Listed in: Just Desserts!
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Review from ChubbyBunny I.
Oakland, CA
11/2/2006
The short review:
Meh. Mostly gimmick, overrated.
The real dish:
Let's skip right to desert. The rest of the menu isn't worth discussing. (or worth eating or worth paying for)
When I'm told by gleeful friends (who look at me as someone who would love this because a: cake and b: well known proprietor) "...and we're meeting at CITIZEN CAKE!!!" I resign myself to quiet desperation and pre-planning what I'll say when I only have a glass of wine and they want to know why.
I realize they are deluded by the terrible propaganda perpetrated upon them and I continue to work on my baked goods manifesto in silence. NO MORE!
No More Will My People Be Silenced!
We will band together comrades and make the truth known!
Dare to fight the overpriced, over-hyped, so-called "cakes" of the enemy and all of their running dogs!!!!
I'll admit my excitement when I saw the name both due to the propagandistic quality and the "simple good food" the name implied. A more bald, bourgeois lie I have never seen.
I'll admit I thought "at last, someone in SF will finally present the old fashioned industrial strength desserts for which we pine in a refined atmosphere.
I'll admit I thought I would find something that relies upon the truth evident in ingredients well combined! And perhaps less ganache.
Alas, the enemy of the people is strong and I have tried nearly every dessert either in bite or in full and I know that this, this... Patisserie.... seeks only to undermine the greatness of our heritage, the strength evident in quality to price ratio.
FIGHT! BAND TOGETHER! TOWARDS OUR GLORIOUS SWEETENED FUTURE!
Yeah, sure, I'm thrilled to see someone move on from tiramisu & creme brulee in this town and the whole lavender (or rose or something unusual) in desserts is charming, but come on... the deserts here are all *very heavy* on the sugar which drowns all flavor potential. I find the chocolate desserts especially crappy.
I do frown on pretense when I feel there is nary a flavor profile to match the price, interior, name, or hype. I'm here yelping because dammit, I'm sick of it. I will also admit I have yet to find a dessert *specific* joint in this general area which I feel is worth it.
It may be a less than popular opinion although it is populist!
JOIN MY CAKE BRIGADE AND WE WILL BRING DESSERTS BACK TO THE PEOPLE WHERE THEY BELONG! -
Review from Lydia W.
12/10/2009
Wasn't able to make a reservation through OpenTable, so decided just to walk in at 6:30 before the Symphony (8pm) to try and get a table. We were greeted by the hostess who was very friendly and willing to seat us. I guess OpenTable only has certain time slots open for reservations.
The flat bread sticks are tasty! There are some specks of black sesame and other spices on them.
We ordered the mussels as an appetizer. I think this is great to share amongst 4 people. The mussels are tiny but there are a lot of them, and it gets tiring to pull each one out of its shell after a while. Make sure to dunk the little buggers into the wine sauce. Delicious and a perfect way to start off the meal.
I opted for the chicken with papparadelle for my main dish. It was heartier than it looked upon arrival. The egg noodles didn't do much for me and the chicken wasn't spectacular (a little bit dry) but the sauce complemented the meat very well. Also the carrots were amazing.
I enjoyed the scallop that I tried off the scallop entree. Very moist and flavorful.
A lot of people around us got the porkchop. It is presented gorgeously. I tried a bite. It was also kind of dry and apparently a lot more filling than it looks. I liked it with the apple-butter. The porkchop seems to be the most popular dish.
Anyways let's talk about desserts! I was dying to try the After Midnight, which is not on the dessert menu but I spotted it in the bakery earlier. They don't charge you extra or anything, so I was really happy. Chocolate cake with chocolate mousse and chocolate ganache...omg. Best chococake I've had in SF. It looks kind of hard on the exterior, but it's actually just shiny and very soft.
Tokyo poached pears were apparently amazing and very unique tasting. It comes with sorbet or sherbet.
The Chocolate Cabin (warm chocolate cake with pine ice cream) was super rich. I love that it comes with a piece of pine tree... I wonder where they get it from? Haha I think it is way too rich to eat after a full meal, but would be great to share! The pine ice cream is interesting, too.
Oh I also got a macchiato which was delicious and went great with my chocolate dessert! Kept me super alert for the Symphony, which was also fantastic.
Our waiter was really nice and the service was just fine. I was worried after reading all the reviews about the horrible service, but they accommodated to our schedule and were so friendly!
Would definitely come back for desserts and maybe lunch or brunch. -
Review from Audrey T.
Evanston, IL
1/10/2007
Cute name. Cute little chocolates in the glass case. Cute flower shop next door.
But aiya the food. Let's just say, it's, uh, ... creative.
Expensive and not always open when the theater crowd gets out are good descriptions too. Dinner was nothing special ... the dessert was kinda wacky. Service was flakey, and the crowd was bland. I hate giving negative reviews, but I also hate being this disappointed. -
Review from Mariangela S.
San Francisco, CA
8/17/2005
I'll give all of my 5 stars directly to Elizabeth Falkner, executive chef/owner of Citizen Cake. She's the best! We've followed her pastry career since Rubicon, and she is a creative genius.
She created our incredible wedding cake made up of a huge croquembouche (a pyramid of choux-pastry puffs constructed with caramel) with huge caramel rosettes all around, and flanked by two amazing cakes - one lemon buttercream and the other her famous after-midnight chocolate cake. There was not a single cream puff leftover!
The custom cakes are well worth the price and of course you can't help but buy a few cookies and pastries while you're in the cafe.
In the restaurant, I always order the margherita pizza with a salad (varies by the season) for lunch. And of course a glass of wine. The pizza is good - the crust is ok not amazing, and not made in a wood-fired oven which would be nice. Slightly on the small side - but the toppings are good and hey I can't pass up pizza!
Now Elizabeth is a sous chef to Iron Chef Cat Cora on the Food Network and is kicking ass! -
Review from Brad L.
10/12/2007
Citizen Cake has remodeled. The new space has more, well, space. The tables are further apart than they used to be and the menu is still delicious.
Speaking of the menu, it's a little obtuse - especially the new dessert menu. What might you suspect are the following dessert items?
- cracker jack's trip by the concord express
- my minds playing tricks on my figs in space
- what citizen cake makes with walnuts, nitrous and knowledge
Those are the entire descriptions for items on the dessert menu, mind you, and the items are expensive! The plate of cookies is $9. That walnut thing? $12! Which is probably why we didn't order dessert.
$12, by the way, is more than I paid for my entree. Pappardelle (that I think was made with dried mushrooms in the pasta dough) served with chanterelles and a bit of cream. It was fantastic!
Citizen cake, I can appreciate a playful menu, but don't make me guess at what I'm ordering. Also of note was the efficient, no nonsense service. I should probably give them four stars, but the dessert menu was a real turn off. If I was there for a late night dessert with a date, it might be fun, but during lunch, with a couple business partners, it just made us feel stupid. -
Review from Toro E.
San Francisco, CA
6/12/2006 7 photos
I've used this placed for carrying out sweets and eating brunch, both times leaving the place disappointed. It's a shame, because Citizen Cake seemed to have the right formula for success: a good location, trendy high ceiling decor, and ever more popular upscale desserts.
As you walk in, you could go straight to the host to get seated, or go left to the takeout coffee/dessert area. For the price of their sweets, it was average at best. The same was true for their brunch. Their menu lacked anything that was interesting or something to get excited about. Food quality was good, but you could do much better deals at several other restaurants offering brunch. On the positive side, this street corner building with huge windows provided plenty of sunlight on a nice weekend morning. Maybe I'm lucky, but street parking was relatively easy to find. -
Review from Alexis B.
San Francisco, CA
5/23/2008
I heard this place was fab and considering the name I assumed the desserts would be amazing. But I don't know man, I'm just not wild about it.
We came after a fab dinner at Pagolac and since I had made the sad mistake of not getting a bun with dinner, I was in desperate need of some sort of carbohydrate. Cue Citizen Cake. It's on my way home and I've wanted to try it for a while. We went in and all table were taken so we were directed to the bar or the patisserie, of which we chose the latter. And literally we were like kids in a candy store. All of it looked SOOOO good. We wanted it all so we pretty much did just that, got one of all the sandwich cookies and the gelees and shared.
Now while they were good, they certainly weren't fabulous. Alot of cake, very sweet but not some much taste. Just felt there was something lacking. Maybe that's the price of hype. People get their expectations high and then you have to live up to it. If you don't, well, then you end up with a mediocre review.
I think if someone else offers to take me here, like my Dad, I'll be happy to go and have the whole Citizen Cake experience. Until then, whatevs.Listed in: Daddy, I can has?
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Review from Kaustav C.
San Francisco, CA
12/28/2006
What is the Purpose of our lives? Do you sometimes raise Big questions like Paul Gauguin did in his painting "Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going?"
Questioning and defining purpose is not mere intellectual masturbation but is the DNA of success and happiness. There was a Leadership study on Churchill and Hitler and the most important trait in both of them was found to be "tenacity of purpose".
If your Purpose of going to Citizen Cake is to have lunch or dinner, you will land up overpaying for average food, a 3 star at the most. But if your Purpose of going to Citizen Cake is to have coffee and desserts at a classy environment,with some borrowed glory from the Opera and the Symphony, you will get 5 star satisfaction.
Take your customer or date post-lunch or dinner to Citizen Cake and give them the sugar rush from the delicious chocolate/opera cakes. Better still have them savor scoops of heavenly gelatos.
Once you get their dopamine secretions going, enjoy watching whatever your PURPOSE was in taking them to Citizen Cake, be it seduction or the signature on that contract, coming to life. -
Review from Hilary K.
San Francisco, CA
4/9/2007
Its all about their cupcakes. Yeah, some of the other things are good too. In fact most, I'm sure. But their cupcakes keep me coming back. Every time I'm even close to Hayes Valley, this little voice in my head says "hey! cupcakes!!!". And then of course I have to stop by and see what cupcake flavors they have made fresh today. My favorite so far: chocolate chip. Second favorite is the mint chocolate. Least favorite: key lime curd. But even that was so moist that I can't deride it as bad, just not to my taste.
Update: So I found out that they have Chocolate Chip Cupcakes on Tuesdays and Saturdays... Two of the days when I'm no where near Hayes Valley... (They may change that in a bit... so if today's date isn't anywhere near May 2007, take this update with a grain of salt).Listed in: Favorite Places to Eat
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Review from Deann F.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 6/16/2008
I love Citizen Cake so much I almost didn't write this, but in the Yelp spirit I have to tell you all that:
I found a slug crawling off the side of my plate on Saturday at lunch. Yep - it was crawling off the salad that came with my cheeseburger.
I really, really love Citizen Cake and am bummed and disappointed. They paid for my lunch (not the other guests - just mine), but... still.
I still ate dessert and got 3 chocolate chip cookies to go but I will not order salads (and I love the spinach salad so much) or any raw vegetables.
I just read Brother B's review and the same thing happened to him on Saturday - perhaps Citizen Cake needs to hire a new salad washer.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/5/2006
Citizen Cake is one of the happiest places on earth. Every dessert here, from the cookies, the mini… Read more »
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Review from J-Meoww W.
San Francisco, CA
10/29/2007
OBNOXIOUS SERVICE. WILL NEVER COME BACK.
I'm completely aghast at the attitude the assistant manager gave us on Sunday.
After pointing out a discrepancy between my meal and the menu description, he SAT DOWN next to me and started to ARGUE about it. Exasperated, I just told him to bring the check, that I would simply not return. His response; "Wonderful!"
I'm not a huge fan of punishing a restaurant because of one punk server, but looking at the other Yelp reviews, my experience doesn't appear to be unusual. The owner either doesn't know how her customers are being treated, or she should be ashamed of herself. Her menu reads too fancy and the food is a disappointment. The tiff with the server was just a slap in the face which moved them down from two stars to one. -
Review from Liz S.
5/28/2006
The doughnut-holes earned the 4th star for this restaurant all by their dear little selves. Fried balls of heaven (now there's a phrase!) with a dusting of powdered sugar, warm and tender, with a side of sugar glaze and fruit puree for spreading or dunking. A plate of those and an enormous bowl of cafe au lait is a sight for sore (bloodshot) eyes at the crack of 1pm.
As I am not enamored with Absinthe at the moment, it was great to remember that Citizen Cake has brunch on Sundays. It's not outstanding (usual omelet, salad, french toast selections), but definitely above average for a place to eat in Hayes Valley. The coffee and desserts are excellent, and it's very modern and light inside, which is uplifting on a sunny day. The bar is a nice spot to sit alone and enjoy your paper, if that is your thing.Listed in: Eggsistentialism, Hay to the Yes!, Baked, All By Myself...
