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Category: American (New) [Edit]
Neighborhood: Inner RichmondNeighborhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
"We went to Houston's the other evening and of course ordered the Grilled ARTICHOKES as appetizer and then decided to order their burger.…" read more »
Stopped in for a nice glass of Cabernet and another one. $25 dollars plus tax and tip. Decent wine. I hear the dinners are ok. Will come back again.
I love this place mainly for the fact that we had a party of 10 people, totally waiting to surprise someone for their birthday. The staff was very understanding and supportive - even though we didn't actually order anything (except drinks) until 45 minutes later. We didn't feel like we were taking up room for other patrons.
The surprise went off beautifully and we rounded off the evening with good old comfort food in our starving bellies. Simple dishes with something for everyone. We shared everything from the calamari to the grilled chicken.
If you're in the neighborhood and want just yummy food that's not too fancy and not too pricy, I totally recommend this place.
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The best part of our dinner at Clement Street Bar and Grill was the sweet parking spot we scored right around the corner - hoo yah!
We arrived a few minutes before our 5:30PM reservation and they made us cool our heels while they got our table ready. No place to sit for my elderly parents - dad uses a cane and is very frail.
Although the restaurant was just about empty, it took forever for us to get our salads and appetizers. The salads were pretty good, and the coleslaw served with my sister's crab cake appetizer was delicious.
Our entrees were not as successful. My petrale sole was good, but the accompanying basmati rice and veggies (consisting of 2 carrot slices, 4 green beans, one stalk of broccoli and one of cauliflower) were served devoid of any type of seasoning or sauce. Kinda bland, ya know? My hon of hons husbands crab cake dinner featured two small and way overdone crab cakes, burnt french fries and the aforementioned veggies. My mother's burger and my dad's chicken breast were much more successful, and since my parents don't have any taste buds left, so they enjoyed their meals. My sister's duck had some really weird sauce on it - shudder.
The restaurant itself is in serious need of some updating. From the umcofmfortable captains chairs to the funky wood floor to the dust covered bathroom - this is a project for HGTV if I ever saw one.
So dinner, couple of desserts, several glasses of wine later and the bill for 5 was $168. If my parents would only eat "Oriental" food, we could've enjoyed a fabulous meal at any of the other restaurants that line Clement Street for a third of the price.
Maybe next time I can convince my parents to try something different...but I don't have high hopes. Oh well, at least they enjoyed it!
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I've been dining at the CSB&G for more than 3 years now and completely agree with all of the positive reviews posted by all of the other yelpers in regards to the food: it's straight up American cuisine well prepared and in generous portions. As regulars -- I'm generally there with my husband and his parents, who have been customers since the place opened -- we know that they'll adjust seasonings or change sides upon request. We've never gotten the impression they do it just for us...it's just part of their very accommodating service!
I've frequently ordered their halibut and salmon and pasta specials -- it's always delicious. The steaks and steak sandwiches are popular with my hubby and the in-laws. The dinner sized caesar salad with chicken is also a treat.
I remember coming here a year ago, wasn't that good.. I came for breakfast getting the N.Y steak.. so-so wasn't anything to get over excited for... The service was good, the parking outside sucked... I don't remember naything else, but overall this place is an okay place that I would come back? Maybe?
sunday brunch was awesome. Good food. it's a little expensive, but the price includes a drink of your choice. (don't get the bloody mary, it was bad. The mimosa was good tho. If you're really looking for a good bloody mary then walk down to the 540 Club and you will be happy you did!)
Friendly staff, reasonable prices, little wait time, good general restaurant food. My husband is a Mid-Westerner and he says it reminds him of home. Who knows what that means.
Last summer I had peach pie (cobbler?) here and it was fantastic. I hope they call me when it's back.
They have a menu of the day, but I'm not so sure it really changes.
For many years I have been coming to Clement Street Bar and Grill (because I lived close by).
I moved across town but still my self craving for the good food and EXCELLENT service from Baseball Mary. I always sit in her section. She loves baseball and will share many stories with you.
Mary can wait on ten tables at once and never misses a beat. Thanks Mary for your hard work.
Around the Clement neighborhood, one would find it rather difficult to find a non-asian food place. That is where Clement Street Bar & Grill comes in! I have been going here for a while with family. I have yet to be disappointed. Wait-staff is always super friendly and food is high-quality goodness. I recommend sticking to the chicken and beef dishes just because of one account of the fish we ordered here before ended in gross worm-ness. I like to think of that as a fluke because out of the other 58989Gajillion times we've been here, everything was A-ok!
Atmosphere is great. It has an old-fashioned, classy feel. Booth seats are nice (but aren't they always?).
There is brunch/lunch/dinner. I mostly go for Dinner - thats when its the most worth-while!
Burgers are to die for, as for the appetizer - I recommend the roasted Garlic/grilled goat cheese plate, delicioso. Order a Shirley Temple for your drink and you have yourself a great night!
I wish you luck with Parking!
We've been coming here for 14 years, as long as we've lived in San Francisco. I wouldn't recommend it for yelpers looking for fashionable designer food, loud excitement, and a place to be seen -- but if you are seeking shelter from the fog, comfort food that ranges from good to melt-in-your-mouth, friendly no-fuss service and the ambiance of a historic San Francisco neighborhood establishment, this is the place to be. Plus, whether you bring your parents, your date, your kids or an old friend, this is a safe bet to please them all.
I came here a couple of time with my husband. The service was good and the food was just ok. They do have coupons for this restaurant from time from time.
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Good neighborhood restaraunt if you are looking for an above average meal.
I had a meyer lemon pasta and enjoyed it.
Lacked a fun atmosphere. I would NOT advise any 20 something year old's to visit this place.
Me and the little lady went here for hamburgers last night. They were pretty darn good and for the price they are a knock out.
Although I felt like I was sitting in a run down Black Angus or Steer and Stein (it's a southern cali thing) I have to say the staff was nice and the service good.
Definitely a dull dinner compared to Spices No. 2 which I had with LL, GZ, and A?, the other night.... watch out now!
But it's totally do-able and easy on the wallet.
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This place definitely has the ambiance of "someplace quiet and nice to take your parents when they are in town." But I love it.
It's rarely super crowded, the wait staff is exceedingly pleasant, there's always vegetarian options and they will alter almost any dish possible to meet your taste bud or diet's needs. (That said, probably not anything for vegans).
There's a full bar, and a decent but not fabulous wine list. There's a fireplace. And great desserts. It's a cozy place, with lots of booths and it always feels like it's wintertime outside when I'm here.
This place epitomizes the solid four-star review. They have good food, a nice atmosphere, and really attentive wait staff. Their brunch is good, and I normally don't like brunch places.
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I wanted this place to be better than it was. The food was good but it seemed so... so, average. I will round up my 3.45 star review AND give it another try one day. The inside was warm and inviting and larger than I thought it would be.
Ali Gato R and I had our weekly girl-gab-fest dinner night out. We both had not been here and decided to give it a try. We each got a glass of wine - my Cabernet was not great. She ordered the grilled chicken from the menu with the tomato soup and I had the lemon seafood pasta from the daily special menu and minestrone with pesto soup.
My dish was NOT lemony, rather, it was served with 2 lemons on the side (um ok). The scallops were good but the shrimp was a little tough (maybe some freezer burn on those guys?) Overall the veggies in my pasta dish, the pasta itself and sauce were very good but again, average 'very good' what I mean is, I can make this... on a good day. The minestrone soup was very good, unique with the basil and garlic taste.
I plan to come back and order appetizers and something completely different. I want you to WOW me Clement Street Bar & Grill.....
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We live 2 blocks away, and consider this our neighborhood restaurant. In general, we feel lucky as the food is great and they have a great laid back atmosphere and a cool bar as well. They probably could switch up the menu a bit more, but that isn't much of an issue as what they do make is generally made very well. The people who work there have been there for a long time, and they know how to take care of their customers.
This place is solid. The menu is not adventurous but everything is very good. Well prepared with quality ingredients. My wife and I came in for a late lunch one Sunday afternoon not too long after becoming parents and since it was slow, the waiter held our baby and walked around showing her all the lights and mirrors keeping her from crying so we could eat. Now that is friendly service!
I have lived in SF for most of my life and didn't discover this place until about two years ago! I walked by it for years & never went in. I frequent this place about once every 4-5 months. I've enjoyed their seafood pasta dishes and fish dishes. I like their dessert selection, as well...just need to make room & split the dinner with my dinner date so that I have room for dessert! They are pretty laid back there and the staff has been friendly. I'll be back. (Check your coupon envelope from time to time. They sometimes have a dinner for two special pricing in the envelope.)
Ate here last night based on research on yelp. Solid American Fare with fresh tasting ingredients.
Hubby had a hamburger with fries ($8), I had the Petrale Sole with a salad and veggies ($18), and a banana cream pie ($6). The Petrale Sole was really fresh and tasty, the burger was made with quality beef. The banana cream pie was ok, not thrilling.
The ambiance is nice old saloon like decor with white cloth tables and old fashion good service. This is not a hip place, it's old fashion - no loud music, no supa fly folks at the bar - looks like the clientele is more of the affluent folks from California or Lake. But, I'll be back - food is good and affordable.
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I went to Clement Street Bar & Grill because I found a coupon for this place in my mail. Yep..that's me, always trying to get the most for my buck.
My boyfriend and I went for the Champagne Brunch. With the coupon it was 2 brunches for $19.99. I think the usual price is $13.95 for the Champagne Brunch, which is still a good deal.
A mimosa or bloody mary is included with the brunch. Also, before they bring you your entree, they serve you a basket of fresh baked breads. Delicious and warm! You can choose your brunch entree from a menu of omelettes and egg benedicts. My boyfriend had the wild mushroom omelette which was delicious! I had the crab benedict which was even better. The entree is served with house potatoes and fruit.
Delicious food with great value for your money!
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tasty burger, crunchy fries.
Pretty much the lousiest service ever to get into a half full restaurant.
I would recommend trying IHOP too, they have a waiting time even without customers.
Nice place to chill(although I'm sure it gets rowdier later), eat some very decent pub grub including steaks, salads, sandwiches. I had the flat iron steak which was decent with the port wine sauce they used with it. Fries were very good, asparagus cooked just right with my steak. The beer selection is good and the atmosphere is just right. We had attentive service and other than that this pretty average.
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When asked by a friend what I did last night I thought about my answer for a second then replied
"I laid in fetal position paralyzed from a full stomach"
While some may interpret that as a bad thing, trust me I was very content. Considering that halfway through the dinner I was so full I felt as though I could burst I still continued to order desert! I have been there a few times and had two very contrasting visits.
Visit #1
It was a Thursday night and we (my friends and I) we waiting for my boyfriend to come home so we could have the usual poker night. Realizing we were tired of waiting and somewhat hungry we decide to keep it in a walkable distance and yellowpaged local burger places. This one came up, after never even knowing it exhisted in the first place (which we found odd considering its only 3 blocks from where we reside) we opted to try it out for ourselves.
I am not a vegetarian but can I say the veggie burger is AMAZING. I sat at the bar ate my burger and watched the baseball game.
Visit #2
This was going to be my boyfriend's first visit (since we ditched out on him the first time) I told him they had good burgers and a bar but when we got there we went for the more classy dinner ordering wines and really delicious dinners. For soup I went for the Carrot-Ginger and I think you should too.
I love this place and now knowing that they do brunch plan to go there in the near future!
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This is one of my favorite places... it's a neighborhood restaurant that's just consistently good on every level.... food, service, nice decor. Their drinks are NOT watered down. And their toffee bread pudding dessert is to die for. I've been going here for about 17 years now... and lately, I find myself here once every month or so to enjoy a nice quiet dinner without all the hype. I almost am afraid to recommend it to people for fear that I'll have to wait whenever I go there. Damn, I guess it's only fair to share.
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So, it's about 3:00 p.m. or so, and I haven't eaten yet.
I ask my famous Yelper friend, "what can we eat around here?"
She says, "Lots of Asian food. Actually, I'm kinda sick of that. Actually, I feel like some pancakes."
Hmm...pancakes. That DOES sound good...but this is SF. There aren't any good places serving brunch right now.
"Let's get a burger at Clement Street Bar & Grill."
Okay, I'm game. We go in, and they hand us a brunch menu!
YES! I look at the menu, and I don't see any pancakes; but they do have French toast with real maple syrup! Sounds like a winner...
And now, for my brunch review:
The sourdough French toast was very good. It came with copious amounts of pure maple syrup, and there wasn't an additional charge for extra syrup, and they didn't give me a lecture when I didn't use the extra syrup I asked for.
And...
The bacon was crispy. It was crispy, even without asking the waitress to cook it extra crispy. this place scores big points from me for that.
If you find that you have some extra syrup left over, try asking for a slice of the banana nut bread that came in the bread basket, smear some butter over it, and dunk it it the syrup. Mmm...very tasty!
Crispy bacon AND French toast AND brunch after 3:00 p.m.
That's a winning combination in my book.
Oh, crap - did I forget to mention items on the brunch menu come with a choice of drinks, including mimosas?
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When most people think of burgers in The Richmond distrtict they think Bill's or Belly, but what most people don't know is that Clement Street Bar and Grill has the best burger in town.
My boyfriend and I go here once every weekend for one reason: consistancy. He is a burger freak and ALWAYS gets the burger. It's made with Niman ranch beef and is always perfectly prepared. I love the burger too, but I like to venture to other items on the menu.
Last night, I had cheese raviloi in a light pesto sauce with chunks of chicken. I woofed this dish down like I had just finished a marathon. It was so delicious that even the burger lover had plate envy and that's saying a lot.
For a neighborhood bar and grill they have a small but decent wine list. I ordered a glass of Zinfandel and it went well with the meal.
By far the best part about CSB&G is the staff. These people are pros. In this city filled with food choices, they know how important a regular is and will work to make one out of anyone that walks in the door. Our waitress last night, Julie, knocked our socks off with her attentiveness and menu suggestions (she recommended that I add chicken chunks).
The food and the service are amplified by the atmosphere. It's old school with a great bar, fireplace and (as someone else has commented) has a ceiling that makes one feel as though they are on a boat. There is also a secret code system for the wait staff. On the back wall there are four lights that light up and alert a server when a table's meal is ready for pick-up.
Sunday is the only day they're open during the day and a fabulous brunch is served. It includes a basket of breakfast breads, coffee and your choice of OJ, Mimosa, Bloody Mary or Champagne.
Don't forget to save room for the bread pudding, it's DEVINE!
Next time you're on Clement Street don't overlook this classic gem.
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I love this place. But there are some pros and cons -
Pros: Sit at the Bar, much quicker service, and great Bartender whose name is Paula. Fantastic Burger and the fries to Die for... think In & Out but WAY better. Smaller portions of fries so you don't feel like Pig when your done eating. Fun place to go have a glass of wine, beer, what ever your heart desires.
Cons: They charge for soda refills - how did I find this out. My boyfriend was really thirsty one night and had 3 sodas I had one 10 dollar bar tab! Totally silly they charge for soda refills... my advice again sit at the bar if your nice to Paula she won't charge ya! Last con -is that at times can seem to be an older crowd - locals from around the area - but know this... if you strike up a conversation they will gladly talk back.
All in all I love this place :)
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On Friday night, I took the Wife to this place. It was a nice experience, to say the least. Great neighborhood place. The staff made us feel right at home. Our waitress teasingly scolded us for not having eaten there before when she found it was our first time. I started with the oysters - one of each of six different kinds. I was a little disappointed that she didn't know which ones were which because two of them were much better then the other four, in my opinion.
The Wife had a Caesar salad and I had some minestrone next. Neither blew us away but they were good. My filet mignon was cooked beautifully and was served with a roasted sliced porcini on top; a nice touch. I thought the garlic mashed were a little *too* smooth; I know it's a personal choice but I like my mashed a little lumpy. The Wife's Meyer lemon linguine with shrimp and scallops could have used a little more Meyer lemon. Our desserts were pretty good but not amazing. I was also not totally impressed with the wine list.
Don't take this review for being completely negative - we do plan on going back. We liked the place, it just didn't totally blow us away. I think next time I'll just keep it a little simpler and have a burger and a beer. I've read great things here on Yelp about their burgers.
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There are alot of burger places in San Francisco and even more locals who will tell you that this and that joint serves the best beef burger in the city. Thus far, the CS BAG has consistently served one of the best if not the best bliss-on-a-bun in town.
IMHO, "the best burger" cannot be judged at all by what you put on it, one has to judge it's elements. C-BAG's burger is 100% Niman Ranch beef cooked precisely to your specifications - meaning, they know what the heck medium vs medium rare means! The burger is grilled, never fried, adorned with perfect grill lines on the top of the patty and a crisp pickle that doesn't look like it's crying on your plate. The bun is toasted till crisp around the edges and the burger sits perfectly upon it. With each bite you will taste both the quality of ingredients and the care in preparation. The slight char of grilled beef tumbling in your maw, combining with the toasty-ness of the bun. The meaty, juicy satisfying chew that makes the hamburger one of the most perfect foods in existence? Folks, this is the oralgasm you want in your hamburger experience and worth all this babbling.
The only fault or drawback here is the price.
My burger blathering aside, the restaurant does offer other good dishes. The grilled chicken breasts are juicy, marinated in citrus and garlic and you get two boneless skinless breasts which is enough to share. The pasta with chicken, Parmesan and Mozzarella cheeses in a light broth is a very nice meal when you want something to fill you but not bloat you. Avoid the wild mushroom omelet, IMO. While the eggs are light and fluffy there is so little taste other than however much salt and pepper you can shake on it.
As others have written, it's a very adequate brunch space to take a group or to quietly enjoy brekky with your significant other. The fresh, warm breads and bagels with soft butter and real fruit preserves will take the edge off your hunger while you wait for your order. The Bloody Marys are good - not great - and same goes for the mimosas. C-BAG uses high quality ingredients and they take care to cook and present your dish well so you can expect that your bacon will be thick and smoky and your eggs light and fluffy, the potatoes never greasy.
Save room for desert, too. The warm bread pudding with Chantilly, the brownie with vanilla ice cream and the apple crisp are among the sweets that are worth the food coma that hits you as you walk out onto frenetic Clement Street. I've lived in the Richmond for 10 years; while this is far from the best brunch place in the city it is adequate for what little alternative to Dim Sum one has here in China Town II.
I work at this place, and I love this place! Isn't that weird? The people (customers and employees) are for the most part very friendly, and I have annoyingly high burger standards because our Niman Ranch burgers are so darn good! If you've never come in before I suggest you do, 'cause people go long amounts of time unaware of our existence, and when they discover us they feel very foolish, but at the same time glad, because when they start to visit us frequently we are extra nice to them!
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I have eaten here twice since I moved to the neighborhood and have enjoyed both meals. The bartender lady is super nice and always very professional. I like her alot. The place is clean and there is always a seat for me at the bar.
First go around I had a burger and it was nice and juicy. It was actually really freakin good. The meat was cooked perfecto and I ate it up so fast. I skipped the fries and got a salad, which was decent.
Second time I had the meatloaf with veggies and mashed potatoes. The meatloaf had this mushroom sauce over it that tasted great. The portions could have been bigger, or maybe I was just so hungry. I don't normally eat mashed potatoes, due to a lactose problem, but I took a pill so that I could partake in the mashed potatoes.
I washed both meals down with my favorite beer on tap, Sierra Nevada. Great food at this B&G. Yummy.
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What that Mimosa was made from will live in time as one of life's unpleasant little mysteries. I have never sent back a Mimosa before. How hard is it to make? Champagne, orange juice...and a glass.
What this was, was nothing short of disgusting. DISGUSTING! I can't figure out if they used Orangina, or Tang, but it had a saccharine taste and was purely awful. The waitress asked me "was it the champagne or the juice?". All could say was "I don't know what was in it, but it wasn't food and it was disgusting, you should not serve it people". She offered me a Bloody Mary, which I reluctantly agreed to. How you can make a good Bloody Mary and a terrible Mimosa is beyond me, but I witnessed this today.
The food is standard fare, is good. The service once you get some is also good. There weren't many people in the restaurant, and yet it took awhile for someone to bring us water.
I've eaten here a zillion times, I have never had bad food or service or drinks for that matter. I'm thinking that today was an 'off day'?
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Decent, down home food without the snooty toot pretentiousness that can befall most. Unvarnished by the foodie, frou-frou chi-chi, cooler-than-thou-ness cloud that hangs over SF. Waitstaff that are professionals. The bar does one mean vodka gimlet. The burgers delish, the bread and butter soothing, and the desserts divine. Brunch is lovely here, too. Try it. You'll love it.
Very fancy and uptight! But it has hella good food. Omg! Omg! the sole was to die for!!! Go there and have an uptight good time!
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After reading the other reviews, I went here on a Friday night with a friend who also had never been. I called ahead to see how long the wait would be for two---15 minutes. When we arrived, the wait was really only about 10 minutes. We were able to sit at the bar before being seated, ordered our drinks and took about 2 sips before we were seated in a lovely window booth. Our server was a very cheery woman who, I noticed, had baseballs on her tie---Baseball Mary! I remembered reading about her in some of the reviews, but I didn't realize what a joy it would be to have her serving us! She was definitely the highlight of the evening (along with the good food). When I told her that I was reading about her on Yelp and how I read "who doesn't love Baseball Mary?" she grinned with pride and reached into her pocket and gave my friend and I her baseball card complete with her stats.
The food was nothing short of excellent. We started with the roasted garlic bulbs which can be served with warm goat cheese added...we wondered why would you NOT get the goat cheese?? Then our salads came out---mixed greens with crumbled blue cheese and, in Mary's words, a "beautiful" house vinaigrette. We shared our entres---the New York steak and sole. BIG portions, at least where the meat is concerned.
My friend and I walked out super satisfied and pleased (and STUFFED!).
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I first started coming the the ClemBaG about 10 years ago; it has never disappointed me by changing. The same reliably solid food, the same cozy bar, the same eclectic mix of faces. This is the place to go for a casual burger and salad when you don't want to go anywhere.
High notes:
!yay! I always feel like I am in an upturned boat when I am in the dining room. Especially if I have a martini before my meal.
!yay! The burgers are lovely.
!yay! You can order a bulb of roast garlic on a date.
!yay! Apple crisp.
The wine selections here are decent, interesting, and affordable. The service is attentive---sometimes a bit too attentive, with plates swept away even before the last bit of food is chewed and swallowed---and when the check comes, there is never any sticker shock.
A solid, friendly, stable choice for a cozy neighborhood meal out.
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The place was packed which is a good sign for a restaurant. We had about a 5-10 minute wait so we mosied on over to the bar. We were promptly served our beers and soon were seated in our booth. The waitress took a bit to take our order but I didn't mind as I was catching up with an old friend. My friend got a beef burger and I stepped up for the 8 ounce steak burger. We both ordered our sandwiches medium rare and surprisingly both came out medium rare. I say this because too many burger joints I've been to tend to cook the burger too long. Everything tasted awesome including the soup and salads. My friend said the place reminded him of a Swedish restaurant. Not sure what he meant but he said something about the wood. I think he was complimenting the place. I also compliment you, Clement Street Bar & Grill. You make a mean burger and I left happily ever after.
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I come here for good food, good beer, and Mary.
Admittedly I think they could make their Fillet Mignon rare-er, its still tasty.
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