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Categories: Diners, Breakfast & Brunch, American (Traditional) [Edit]
Neighborhood: Civic Center/TenderloinNeighborhood: Mission
"YUMMY! We had a double date here to celebrate a friend's 24th. He was looking for "Comfort Food" so this was a pretty cool place to be. …" read more »
This restaurant is cute and charming and is the best breakfast place I have found so far in the city. I first ate here 4 or 5 years ago when I came to visit SF. Now that I am living in the city, I have been to Dotties multiple times and always suggest visitors try it to.There is always a long wait outside, but as others noted, the wait is worth it! Any food I have ordered has always tasted great, especially anything with eggs. I also suggest choosing something from the specials menu.
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So many good reviews, well here is one more. I waited an hour and fifteen minutes to get in and was ready to go back the next day.
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Maybe Dotty's is one of those things that got so hyped up that my expectations for it became way too high... I've heard so many great things about this place from friends, but I thought it was just "aite." After waiting 20 minutes to be seated and another 10 for the waitress to come by, I ordered "The Open Road"~ a small juice, 2 pancakes, bacon, eggs, and potatoes for just under $13.
To be fair, the pancakes served in this pint-sized, grubby cafe have to be among the best I've ever had. I'll make sure to drop by and sample a scone or choco-chip muffin in the near future.
However, I found the eggs to be so-so and the potatoes tasted bad. The bacon is good... thick cut and tasty, but not *extraordinary*.
Plus, it's a little on the expensive side for breakfast.
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The positives = the best pancakes I've ever had. Anywhere. Ever. I think they are buckwheat with a little cinnamon and nutmeg. Simply awesome. I usually get them as part of the "Open Road" combo, which includes eggs, bacon, and potatoes. Way too much food. But pricewise, it makes sense if you want a little something beyond simply pancakes. Check it out, it will make sense to you I promise.
The negatives = the line and the neighborhood. As I used to live in this neighborhood, it doesn't bother me, but it's tough to accurately describe it. I wouldn't say it's unsafe at breakfast time, it's just unappealing. And yet the line is long. If you can handle these two elements and love pancakes, this is the place for you.
I have never wanted a place to expand into an additional location as much as I'd like Dotties to do so.
Another place i love go to when people visit me. I know the waits are always insane, but it gives me a great chance to talk to my house guests while rewarding them with the sights and sounds of the tenderloin.
The food can be either good or just o.k. depending on what you order (duh). Go with the specials on the dry-erase board...and get the french toast.
Some people think Dottie's is overrated and not worth the long wait, but I think it is! Come here early when it's a shorter wait. The restaurant is pretty small but has a cute charm to it with cute different salt and pepper shakers and knick knacks all around. The cook is amazing and its fun watching him work. Love their omelettes, coffee cake, and can never get enough of their toast! Specials are great as well. YUM.
A gem in the neighborhood. Totally interesting and good food. Very chill vibe. Everyone is friendly and there's always a line. I go there all of the time and it's pretty much always a good experience.
The cook (who I think is also maybe the owner) is kinda sexy as well - just for a bonus.
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I spent $160 at The Foreign Cinema 16 hours earlier. I spent $15 at Dottie's for lunch the next day. Dottie's was by far the money better spent.
That doesn't mean Dottie's is a replacement for fine dining on special occasions, but in terms of sheer bang for your dining buck you can't do any better. This was without doubt the best diner breakfast I've ever had. The true test of any diner is the standard of toast, eggs, potatoes, and sausage with some coffee to wash it down. Dottie's takes this benchmark and gives it a bit of a twist. Let's break it down:
Eggs: scrambled with just enough moisture left to keep them clinging together. These aren't the bouncy overcooked eggs that so many diners served. Inexplicably they were pretty much unseasoned but with the required toppings of salt, pepper, and chipotle tabasco they were wonderful. It seems like 90% of diners don't season their eggs.
Potatoes: Chunky and soft instead of crispy hashbrowns. Fine with me; there's room enough in the world for both. Like the eggs these were largely unseasoned but with my special blend of salt, pepper, and chipotle they were a fine side for the plate.
Sausage: Now we're getting serious. Mine was a split Lousiana spicy sausage grilled on its flat side. This was a great meaty sausage; the casing was snappy and the whole things was just fatty enough to be indulgent without being disgusting. The flavor was intense and spicy but not overly so. Just enough to bring out a little sweat on my forehead.
Toast: The start of the show. Dottie's grilled spicy cornbread is just fucking fantastic. No coincidence that it was the perfect accompaniment to the spicy sausage and chipotle laced potatoes and eggs. I'd eat a loaf of this stuff and beg for more.
As always, size is important and at Dottie's it's just right for a hungry stomach. You might have leftovers if you can be convinced not to finish everything, but you'll definitely leave satisfied.
The diner itself is the perfect size and level of grungy for any good diner. The cook station and counter is right there and the tables are crowded. I doubt there's anyone working on the interior decorating but between the ceramic cat S&P shakers and the naked lady on the wall I'm a big fan.
So if you need a good breakfast go to Dottie's, even if you don't have a raging hangover. Go if you're not sure what you want to be eating. Go if you're tired of chic and trendy modern restaurants. Go if you want some damn fine food.
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I remembered a few people telling me that I MUST EAT at Dottie's and others telling me it's over rated and not worth the hype. GBF#1 and I needed breakfast again and I refused to ask the concierge for fear of being sent to Lori's again so we bite the bullet and headed to Dottie's, if the line was long we'd move on.
It was a Thursday morning so I had my fingers crossed the line wouldn't be too long. There were three parties ahead of us and the wait was about 10 maybe 15 minutes so thankfully we did not have a crazy ass long wait.
I knew to order one of the specials so I checked out the whiteboard. I love a good spicy pork chorizo so I asked if the chorizo was a.) pork and b.) spicy, I was told yes on both accounts, chorizo scramble for me please. GBF#1 went with the lamb sausage thingy.
Our food arrives, I dig into to a piece of chorizo, it's a.) pork but it's not b.) spicy. I was sad, I shed a tear for my non-spicy chorizo scramble. I douse it with Tabasco that helps a tiny bit but not much. I try the eggs, a little too, how should I say it, wet for me, I like my eggs cooked just a little more, GBF#1 said the same thing about his eggs, they were too wet too. The potatoes were good and the tortilla I received with mine was and fresh so that was good but the eggs and chorizo were disappointing to me.
The service was great for how slammed the place was, no one was rude, surly or mean to me, they were all very pleasant and GBF#1 told me the one cook winked at me as I was stuffing my piehole with wet eggs and non-spicy chorizo.
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Shame on everyone I know for not telling me about this place sooner! It's so damn close to work, how could one NOT gorge themselves on cornbread, butter and raspberry jam?
Here's a recap on my initial reaction to this place:
Eyes: kind of small isn't it?
Nose: smells like eggs and sausage...
Ears: quiet crowd
Tastebuds: And we have a winner!!! Fennel sausage and cornbread with banana chocolate muffins?? Where's Dottie?? I could kiss her. And when I find this elusive Dottie who makes me wait 20 minutes for heaven on a plate, kiss her I shall and thank her for ensuring there's a pat of butter with each individually fresh made dessert concoction. I Pink fuzzy heart you!
Okay, I have to mention there's a really sucky line. Really awful line that surrounds you in the smell of filth and excrement. Not what you want in a breakfast line. Bring a book. And an iPod. And look away from the crack addicts. But when you're patient, Dottie awaits with you fresh pastries and some GOOD comfort food.
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The 30+ minute wait is well worth it, sit at the bar for less of a wait and great entertainment (The cook is AMAZING!). Food is just out of this world!
The line doesn't move, though wandering crackheads will keep you entertained.
Don't park on the street, you'll use up all of your laundry quarters while you're in the line that doesn't move.
The food is ok, nothing special - i.e. they don't sprinkle crack in it to make you keep coming back.
The pastries are the real star of the show. But can you really justify standing in line an hour for coffee cake regardless of how good it is?
Making it to a table is great, unless you get the one by the window and have to deal with people in line outside staring at you thinking it will make you hurry.
Stand in line once for the 'experience'. Then you'll be satisfied and never have to do it again.
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I'm a little undecided about this place. I guess I had higher expectations.
After hearing seeing my dentist today for a periodontal recall, and hearing a lot of 2..2..2, 3..2...2, 3..3..2, 5..2..2 .... going back to distal, blah blah blah. Whatever. I know there's that bad spot there. You told me to floss there, but it's hard, because my jaw does not have a hinge built in like some people do, and those brushes you give me are too hard to get in between the back teeth.
I guess I have a lot of expectations from the reviews, and from all my breakfast's at Nini's in San Mateo.
For me, there was not a lot of choices here. I chose the Blue Plate Special with eggs over hard, and Italian sausage. It all seemed rather bland. The potatoes needed something, like onion, and some herbs to give them a boost. I hear they make their own bread, but I didn't know that and ordered an English muffin.
I guess I will give them another try when I go for another cleaning, but I want a better look at the menu.
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Oh Dotties...if only I'd gotten to you earlier I would have been able to eat.
After a night of drinking I woke up wanting breakfast. Now I don't know about you but I need to eat right away or else I get sick and can't eat...kinda sucks. Anyways we wanted to go to Mama's but it was already one o'clock and they were closed so we came to Dotties...but by the time we got here it was too late and my sickness had sunk in.
I ordered food in vain, though I did not eat it. It looked yummy. My friends got some good dishes that also looked yummy. But at this point even the thought of masticating food nauseated me. So i did not eat.
I would like to go back here though, a little earlier...before the sickness takes its toll. Or maybe I should just remember to eat more before I drink?
I like the tables here, they have pictures on them...big ol' portraits. The decor inside is nice. The service was good. And the OJ though not fresh squeezed...tasted like it was. Boo yes.
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HOW TO get your bomb brunch on without waiting in line for over an hour:
==PLACE======WAIT TIME====================
Kate's Kitchen 10-15 min
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Universal Cafe 20-30 min
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Chloe's Cafe 15-20 min
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Hard Knox 10-15 min
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
If I didn't have to wait in line for over 1 hour and 20 min with 15 other people, Dottie's would get 4 stars.
made the most of my time outside by ordering a chocolate banana shake (like a weight watchers drink), the open road combo (12.99) which includes a choice of juice(oj, grapefruit or apple), french toast- TASTY! (or pancake) choice of two eggs (got em wet/scrambled) and three bacon (or sausage). everything was aiight but not banging!!!
i also tried some of my friend's dishes- blackbean cake special (good, but missing something), spinach frittata (meh), whiskey fennel (okay), cinnamon-ginger cakes (nice texture but alright).
besides the Italian Sausage special(off the chain!), everything else can be found at Pork Store with exception to the fine service they deliver here...
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Just ate breakfast here for about the hundredth time. It's my favorite place for breakfast in the city. I recommend all visitors come here--- ofcourse with the forewarning that the wait in line can sometimes be long (but worth it) and the neighborhood can be a bit shocking if you're not used to it (but at least entertaining). The have the best egg dishes, it's a paradise for those craving a good coffee cake or sticky bun, and the restaurant interior is fun and full of camp--- a welcome break from the pretentious decor that often accompanies really good food. The owner is always diligently working the grill or sauteeing some amazing egg scramble, and you can sit at the counter to watch him and the other fantastic cooks. The servers are on the ball--somehow managing the frenetic pace and constant flux of people. It's a solid place. Just have to give a shout out to one of my favorite places and show some love! Thanks guys!
Long wait on Saturday morning - but a terrific breakfast! I had the fabulous black bean cakes with my bacon, egg, potatoes and it couldn't have been better. My only complaint was that the servings are so large that my daughter and I could have shared an entree - this breakfast is too good to waste a morsel!
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I won't bore you with a long ass review.
Best breakfast ever. Worth the wait. That is all.
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Yum! Hail Dottie's!
We waited quite a looooong time in line to obtain breakfast on a Sunday morning this past weekend, but once we sunk our teeth into our orders, it was well worth it.
My boyfriend ordered an omlette with spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms and cheese with a side of Italian sausage along with the house potatoes and toast (tasted homemade with dill in it, good good), and I ordered the True Blue Plate - eggs, house potatoes, toast, Italian sausage. Ordered up with coffee and one freshly squeezed oj, and we were two very happy campers!
We got the best seat in the house by the window on a sunny day (minus the druggies outside, it was completely perfect). We dug into our breakfast and savored every bite. Yum!
Only one complaint, Dottie's please EXPAND so that the lines on weekends aren't so horrendous, but don't move as your location is perfect!
Mama's is closed on Monday, as I learned as we drove by the empty sidewalk off Stockton. So I quickly Yelped and found Dottie's. There was no line and only 3 parties ahead of us. I opened the door to enter and the couple in front of me said that there was no sign in sheet, you just wait in line.
All righty, then.
So we waited about...15 minutes I think. There are about 8 tables and 5 seats at the counter. Not a place to take an entire extended family unless you can buy it out, which I doubt. We had to stand outside for a bit and it was a mild SF morning, surprisingly. The Pacific Inn next door had a few shady characters, but at 8:30 in the morning, I think they were quite harmless.
They take your order in order, so the waitress will come by and tell you there are x number of orders in front of you. So it's nice that your order isn't just in queue. You wait, but you feel like you wait less since your food comes up just a few minutes after you actually tell the waitress your order.
Previous reviews told me to skip the basics and go for the specials on the wall, which I did. I had the smoked whiskey-fennel sausage scramble ($12) which came with home fries and a piece of jalepeno grilled cornbread. I think it was the best scramble I've ever had in my life. Friend DK had the lamb sausage omelet ($12) which he liked so much, he almost cleaned his plate. Impressive.
I also like that they have an espresso machine, so I ordered me up a mocha ($3.50) and it was pretty good.
All in all a great experience. I don't know that I would wait an hour or two, like the couple in front of us told us they did. Nor would I come here two consecutive days, like they also did. But I would definitely come here again. Four-stars because of the wait and the neighboring crackheads.
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Good food.
Long lines.
Go EARLY to avoid lines.
If you wait bring good friends.
Talk to friend while waiting.
Sit down.
Order specials.
Eat yummy food.
Leave full.
Watch out for crackheads on they way home.
Its worth the wait.....
And the Pancakes are mackin...lip smakin....
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Regardless of HOW good the food is, a wait of over an hour is just insane. After all, we're talking about brunch here, not an once-in-a-life-time dining experience at Masa.
Brenda's French Soulfood is just as good, if not better, with a shorter wait, in the same neighborhood.
And no, I don't work for Brenda's.
Minus 1 star because its busy as eff in the morning, minimum wait would have to be 5-10 minutes depending how big your party is, I'm usually just with a friend so its just the 2 of us, so the wait is not as long compare to a 4-5 party of people.
Their breakfast is good, I love the pancakes, you'd literally taste the ginger and cinnamon flipped into the buttermilk goodness. Although I'm not too happy about the red potatoes, they stay on the grill so it taste crispy and overcooked -,-.
The cook is really nice, I spoke to him about the business one time, it took a lot for him to get to where he is today.
Oh heck yea - I'd wait in the long line for a table..but be careful - you may wait forever. This place is pretty small - but the service is down right friendly - all the servers were kinda french I think...and food is ever so gooooood!
I've been here twice - the first time, my friend and I waited for about half an hour..not too bad..kind of a cute date place - couples waited in line reading the newspaper while standing next to a very shady motel..
My pancakes were fluffy, my eggs savory, my fruits fresh...and the ambiance is cozy! Get here early though - I came when it opened at 730 and had to wait 10 min...
I finally visited this place after reading all about it and seeing the long line all this time. While the food was in big portions and tasty, I cannot say for sure if I am willing to wait in line for that.
The ginger and Cinnamon pancakes were very good, and the French toast was not bad. Lots of choices on the menu, almost too many to choose from and you probably need coffee before figuring out where they are on the walls and being able to read them (some were in small font and were far from the counter.)
I do like the atmosphere-- local, warm and fuzzy feeling but it's not a place to lounge after food or have a lengthy conversation unless you are eating because of the people waiting outside.
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The wait is horrendous, especially when you get tourists asking, "Is it REALLY worth the wait?" every 5 minutes or so. Couple that with the lewd remarks from passing crackheads, and it's hard to say that Dottie's is really worth the time spent in line. Don't get me wrong - it is a very good breakfast, but nothing to blow an hour and a half of your life on.
Service was great but the 40 min wait at 8:30 in the morning was not worth it. After reading all reviews for Dottie, I thought the food would blow my mind away .. sorry to say it didn't.
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Long wait, although if you arrive by 8:30am, you'll probably beat the worst of the crowds. We both ordered off the daily specials menu, and enjoyed a hearty breakfast. If you're a local in SF, you probably already know about Dottie's. But if you happen to be in town for business or pleasure and find yourself staying in the Union Square area, do yourself a favor, skip Lori's and Pinecrest, live a little on the wild side, and take a walk down Geary until you hit Jones, hang a left and look for the crowd. You won't be disappointed.
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I love Dottie's. My sister took me there several years ago, and whenever I stay in SF, if the conditions are right (and by that I mean it's early enough in the morning, preferably not on the weekends), and am looking for a slam-dunk, hands down delicious breakfast, this is where I am going to go. I don't mind waiting in line for a sure thing, and this is a guarantee.
That being said, if I were the type to order eggs and bacon for breakfast at Dottie's, I might be a little pissed about the wait too. I haven't met the scrambled eggs that I would wait 1.5 hours for. Don't get me wrong, I love me some bacon and eggs, but the best part about Dottie's are the things you can't get anywhere else, ie the specials. There's no sense in ordering something you can whip up at home in 15 minutes at this restaurant. If you have to, order outside of your comfort zone, you might just walk away with a new favorite breakfast place.
Oh, and the baked goods are freakin delicious also. Fresh squeezed orange juice. Damned good cup o' joe.
Worth the wait!
(Since there are already eight million reviews of this place, that's all I'll say about it.)
Great, though crowded, brunch place. I came here with a friend and we split the blueberry cornmeal pancakes as well as the egg scramble with whiskey fennel sausage, mushrooms, and spinach. Apparently their baked goods are pretty famous and they were sold out of a few items (including the coffee cake I wanted to try) by the time we got there at 2pm on a Monday.
The pancakes were very average and I tasted a lot of blueberry (yay) but no cornmeal (boo). The eggs were delicious though - nice savory diced sausage mixed in with eggs that were just the right wetness. The grilled cornbread with jalapeno jam was a little on the dry side, but the concept was so novel to me that I forgave them.
Service was a bit absent-minded. Our server acknowledged our presence yet took another 20 minutes after that to take our order.
I tried to keep my expectations low when I went to yelp and read all of the reviews. Surely a place couldn't be THAT good, right? The fact that it was in the tenderloin area also made me a little nervous.
However, after going to Dottie's today with two of my friends, I would have to agree that this is a great brunch place. We decided to try the place "family style," and we all got a taste of the great dishes. By all means, I suggest doing this with friends as well. I always like having a bit of savory and sweet at a meal.
We ordered the Alabama special with three fluffy pancakes and fresh fruit, the eggs with trout, capers, scallions, and cream cheese (which was everybody's favorite dish by far) as well as the egg scramble with mushrooms, asparagus, scallions, and feta. Both of the egg dishes came with potatoes that were deliciously salty and slightly crispy, and very addicting.
There is definitely a line to get in, but I showed up and we waited about thirty minutes (which isn't too bad, especially when you know what you're getting into...and it gives you a chance to chat with friends). For those driving, it might be a little bit of a pain to have to constantly feed the meter.
The waitress was really nice (she immediately came over and told us that she had another table, and thanked us two times for our patience) and we were checked on by other people to make sure we had everything we needed.
As with all brunch places, 3 dishes + 3 large juices among 3 people = about $50. Not the cheapest, but definitely a great meal.
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Dottie's is THE best breakfast restaurant that I have ever had the pleasure of enjoying. I've been here close to ten times and I've literally gotten to the "WOW" level each and every time. I highly recommend ordering off of the specials board as everything on there is delicious. I've had the black bean cakes, the salmon, capers, and cream cheese scramble, the Portabella Mushroom, spinach, and feta scramble, the hickory smoked fennel sausage with spinach and cheese omelette, the zucchini cakes topped with poached eggs. the blueberry pancakes, or the eggplant fritatta you can't go wrong. Additionally the potatoes and the bread smothered in their jam is outstanding as well! Yeah the wait can seem absurd but after knowing how tasty it really is, we have waited 2 hours in order to enjoy the food!
6/12/08: Everyone's got a grease spoon diner that they've been to - this is that place and alittle more - many menu items (omelets) and baked goods have that extra san francisco touch! be ready to wait long for a table, don't bother coming if you have a large group...
HANDS DOWN BEST BREAKFAST PLACE!
had to take away 1 star for the long line...But still amazing,they have daily specials on the chalkboard always the bomb!
& the servers are awesome
i only wish they had a place like this in southern california :(
Look: If you haven't been here, you're blowing it. If you're intimidated by lines, 2 things: (1) Grow the fuck up, and learn to be patient, sweetie. (2) Go after 12:00, or maybe after 1:00 (you don't even get up before then so stop acting all "muuurrpp i can't eat brunch that late. . .. " it's brunch, breakfast-lunch. Eat it whenever, it's a free country.), because if you go after 1:00 there won't be a line.
I recommend you order off the whiteboard specials, not the menu. I double recommend the Whiskey Fennel sausage, baby spinach, mushroom scramble with potatoes (the best you ever had, belee' dat), and grilled cornbread. Get the spicy chipotle jam with your cornbread and you'll be all like "Thanks mike P, you're the best!" but you don't have to tell me cause i already know.
Anyways, I've also gotten the blackbean cakes. Also good. They give you coffee in big heavy mugs, which is chill, but i do wish the mug was larger, although they do refill the coffee, i should end this sentence.
It's a chill spot, not many tables, all you asshats that are complaining about tourists blowin' this spot up-- get over yourself(selves), who cares if they're tourists? They aren't eating your food, you're not buying them coffee, they aren't taking your fucking turn dude.
But yeah, for you first timers: Be aware that the crackhead/hooker to able-bodied productive citizen ratio is rather high in this part of town, at least on the streets. You'll get hit up for money while in line, but hey, you could also score some crack (or smoke a J with them cause that's what I do because i'm soooo fuuuuucking hippy and understanding of the plight of the human condition).
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Might be another case of high expectations, or maybe this place is simply overrated, but I wasn't a fan of the toast, the ginger pancakes were ok, and well, I can't remember what the frittata tasted like.
The servers were extremely nice, but this place isn't worth the ridiculous wait.
Worth the wait. Every time I eat here, the tastiness of breakfast creates amnesia, and I can't remember anything about waiting in line in the TL. The eggs are perfect, the fruit is fresh, the potatoes aren't overly greasy, and watching the pair at the grill is amazing. I've tried to find a better breakfast in SF, but I haven't been able to do it.
Let's be honest - if you like breakfast, you have to go to Dotties at some point in your life. However this is NOT the place to go to brunch on a weekend unless you prefer to spend more time looking for parking and waiting in line than eating. The food is solid and creative, the wait staff is pleasant and the (much mentioned) line is long.
Best time to go: 7:30-7:55am on a weekday. The line will be small, but manageable. Most of the time, I haven't had to wait if I have arrived before 7:45am.
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