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Categories: American (Traditional), Diners, Breakfast & Brunch
Neighborhood: Civic Center/TenderloinMon., Wed-Sun. 7:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
"One of SF's landmarks. This is the best place to go for a breakfast if you're downtown shopping and you're into experiencing the real old…" read more »
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Enjoyed breakfast (again) at Dottie's last weekend. Their pumpkin chocolate chip pancakes with maple syrup was outstanding. This is definitely a consistently good breakfast place in the city. They always deliver.
http://junbelen.wordpr...
Perhaps the tastiest breakfast I have had in the city. Loved the muffins. Loved the coffee. Loved… Read more »
Okay, I can honestly say that I understand what the hype is now; I get why there's a line around the block every time I pass by on my way to work. I had gone to Dotti's a couple years back and it didn't leave the impression that it did last Friday morning when got up bright and early to be one of the first people through its doors.
The blueberry pancakes are out of this world. I'm serious, they must put crack in those puppies because I was buzzing for hours thinking about their creamy and yet fluffy center. We also ordered the lamb sausage and goat cheese omelet which was just as friggin' good. Wow.
The only downside to this amazing and cozy diner? THE COFFEE SUCKS!!! It was flavorless, watery and served cool. With such good food you'd think they would have something a step above Folgers. Actually, I take that back...Folgers doesn't even deserve that comparison. Let's just say that this coffee is in a league of it's own badness. Dottie, it's time to invest in a new brand.
Whiskey-fennel sausage.
French toast with balsamic strawberry reduction.
Oh . . .
My . . .
God . . .
DROOL
DROOL DROOL DROOL
Amazing, classic brunch fare. Really friendly, sweet service. Brave the line in the Tenderloin; it's worth it.
Dottie's Customers are always faced with the golden question: Is the wait worth it? I am going to say... Yes! Definitely!!!
I had the whiskey fennel sausage scramble which was pretty yummy but I really really DREAM about the CORNBREAD!!!!! My cousin had the blackbean cakes which I will definitely get next time. Also, the french toast looked so yummy... i'm pretty sure the lady next to me had an orgasm eating it... therefore...I MUST TRY!
one point knocked off for the shitty coffee
Debate topic: Dottie's or Mama's.... I say Mama's
Thanks to the ridiculous line at Mama's, we visited this jewel of the Tenderloin. On a Sunday at 1pm, this place was still packed with a 45 minute wait. The wait turned into an initiation rite, thanks to the cast of homeless characters in the area. The crowd of panhandlers turned a little nasty when one lady decided to show off her adult diapers to the crowd. Mmm mmm hard to keep that appetite up, but the struggle was well worth it.
The short stack was amazing. The hint of cinnamon and ginger really added a kick. You've wasted a trip unless you've ordered the short stack. Aside from that, we tried the scramble specials:
1) Fennel Sausage, Spinach and Mushrooms
2) Lamb Sausage
3) Prosciutto, Basil, Roasted tomatoes
1 and 2 were my favorites but all were delicious. The portions were hearty and the jalapeno cornbread was a nice addition. Service was very quick but not rushed. Must try if you can't make it out to Mama's.
People lining up for 1-2 hours for Sunday brunch always piques my curiosity.
Was it the best breakfast I had ever had? No. Was it well above average and worth the wait? Yes.
The food was certainly above average and reasonably priced for San Francisco standards ($10-$12 for omelettes/scrambles).
My favorite was the lamb fennel sausage scrabble with goat cheese. It was a killer combination.
I also had the smoked whiskey fennel sausage scramble which was very good. Something about the goat cheese on the lamb fennel put it over the top though.
At this point I was sufficiently stuffed and tried the pancakes which were also good but I didn't think they were the best I had ever had which is a claim I had make others make.
So, the line was insane despite getting there at 9am on a Sunday but if I had time I would go back. If I were in a rush, I'd pass.
Some other notes:
1- It's in the tenderloin so if you don't like sketcy neighborhoods, this isn't the place for you.
2- The restaurant itself is modest, so don't come here expecting the Ritz.
3- The space is small so don't even think about coming here in a group larger than 6.
Still the shit, no joke. The Smoked Whiskey Fennel Sausage + Mushroom + Baby Spinach Scramble *is* as good as it sounds. It doesn't sound commonplace does it; well it doesn't taste that way either. In other words, it's fucking excellent. The Blackberry Streussel Coffee Cake was excellent as well. Oh. My. Buddha.
So I've got to you tell you this. We passed the 47 minute mark waiting in line or something like that, and this black kid walks passed everyone in line, walks into Dottie's, and 5 seconds later he's bolting out of there, running up Jones, with two of the staff hot on his tail. The 2 staff guys were far enough behind that the kid got around the corner, so I'm not sure if they got him or not. I'm also not sure what he stole, but it was pretty damn exciting. I hope they caught them.
Ps. The wait is always long after about 5am, so bring your iPhone, iPod, iTouch, Razor, magazine, book, film script, Tolstoy's War & Peace, or a good conversationalist. Better yet, bring several of the above like me.
Pss. I forgot to say that my friend got the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip pancakes. Sounds good huh, at least in theory. I wouldn't know though because I haven't tried them... yet.
Psss. Anyone notice how big their water cups are?
Pssss. Damn, 'streussel' is hard to spell; apparently it's not in Yelp's dictionary either. Hrm.
My favorite breakfast place in San Francisco. Everything I've had was good, but the specials were… Read more »
*burp*
Somehow, I left Dotties thinking to myself that it feels like I just left Brenda's Soul Food. Not to say that I'm comparing it to Brenda's, but it makes me wonder if they somehow knew each other in a different life.
My trek back to work is reminding me of it. My stomach stretches that last slot in the belt line and i let out deep breaths comin from all the way in the stomach. The breathing gets heavier with each footstep going up the incline towards Van Ness.....(what incline?.....exactly)
All it comes to, is that, that discomfort and heavy feeling is the result of a well varied, fine tasting, rare find, treasures for breakfast/brunch in the city. The pancakes are amazing, perfectly fluffy with just the right amount of sweetness, but of course the maple syrup is just right there should decide to spoil yourself. The coffee is suprisingly not watered down as most places are, and the grilled cornbread toast is nothing like i've tried before. Add on that small spoonful of jalapeno jelly, and absolute divinity (i can hear the angels sing already).
But if the sweetness is not your key, I, a savory person myself, went with the Lamb fennel sausage, goat cheese, spinach, and tomato omelette which came with pototoes. Goat Cheese is now a must on omelettes as it has that perfect creamy texture and distinct taste that meets almost between feta cheese and cream cheese. Add that with a hint of tobasco and ketchup, yuM.
So now for breakfast or brunch, if I want to linger in the TL wandering through more questionable people...I dare come venture to Dotties....otherwise, a short walk to Brenda's is ok too.
Hate the line. Love the breakfast. 30 minutes on a friday morning. I had a friend in town and figured why not. I really liked the food and thought the specials were great and innovative.
Not sure if this would be a regular place for me but I liked it and would come back more often if the line was shorter.
"I bet you just can't eat one"
I know you all remember that old Lays potato chips slogan.
Well when ever I go to a new restaurant that I have never been to before I have this problem when it comes to ordering food. Especially if I'm on vacation and I know I will not be able to go that particular place again anytime soon. My problem is that instead of just choosing one thing I will end up ordering two or even three items (I know I'm a cow).
Well I ran into this problem on my recent trip to SF when I visited a little café called Dottie's True Blue Cafe. My friend Guy Fieri recommended this place to me on his show DDD. My friend and I arrived at Dottie's on a Friday morning around 8:30am. When we got there we were greeted by a line that was about a half a block long. We had to wait about thirty minutes before we were seated in this tiny restaurant. The menu was kind of small but up on the wall they have a white board that lists some daily specials that are not on the everyday menu. They also offer have lots of baked goods that are made fresh daily.
I couldn't make up my mind on what to order so I went with a main dish, a side dish, and a baked good.
These are what I ordered.
Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes- These babies were delicious. They were packed full of fresh blueberries, and topped with powdered sugar. The batter they use taste amazing, these were some of the best blueberry pancakes I have ever had.
Jalapeño Cornbread- OMG is all I can to say. When I saw this on DDD I knew I had to try it but I did not dream that they would taste as phenomenal as they did. The cornbread is served warm and crunchy and comes with jalapeño jelly. The jelly is both spicy and sweet, it is amazing. This is now my favorite cornbread of all time.
Coconut White Chocolate Muffin- This muffin was awesome. It was big and super moist. The top of the muffin is covered with melted white chocolate and coconut shavings. The inside of the muffin was also packed with coconut shavings.
To wash all this down I got a hot chocolate. Their hot chocolate was great.
The prices here were not bad at all. My bill was only about $22 dollars for all that food I ordered. Even though the place was packed our food was brought to us really fast. Their service is top notch.
This place is a must try if your up in SF. Just make sure you have a little patience because you WILL have to wait for a bit to get a table, especially if you go on a Saturday or Sunday.
Oh my, this reminds me of MaMa's. Loooong wait (about 45min-1hr 30) and serves breakfast food, but the food isn't as great in my opinion.
Just like MaMa's this place is quite small. Only have around 10 tables.
Someone told us the good stuff is on the special menu on the wall, so that's where we ordered from.
Blueberry cornmeal pancake - around $3 for one pancake. It was pretty good but it didn't make me say OMG. I liked that it wasn't too sweet.
Whiskey Fennel Sausage - this omelet was cooked with spinach and mushroom, served with roasted potatoes. Waitress gave us the option to substitute toast with jalapeno corn bread. The corn bread was only ok to me. I like my cornbread without any peppers. The omelet wasn't anything memorable to me.
I also ordered one more omelet from the special menu and as you can tell I don't remember much about this mediocre dish. I substitute potatoes with fresh fruits that weren't fresh. The fruits were too ripe and taste like its been sitting around for too long. Had to pay extra for it too.... I have to give them props for their homemade toast. It had a very organic tasted to it. Even though it was kind of hard I still liked the texture of it.
The bill came out to be around $35 for two people and I didn't think it was worth it. Definitely not worth the wait....
I don't think I'll be coming back.
One Summer,Sat morning we decided to go to Union Street for shopping. Some of our friends had suggested us Dottie's True Blue Cafe for breakfast. We thought it would be a great way to start our long shopping day.
There was a long wait even though we were there early just 1 hour after the opening. Though it was summer but really cold to be waiting in a line for that long.
"The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." -Mark Twain.
Food was good, service was good.
Only reason I give this place 4 star is because of the wait.
Three's the Charm, they say. Yes, it must be true.
Our 3rd attempt this year to try to get into Dottie's was like waiting in line for a bed at a homeless shelter. Not that I've ever tried that either. We got there around 7:20AM, 10 mins. before they promptly opened the door and there was already a line out the door. We missed the 1st seating with 6 other folks still in front of us, including a family of 4 where the parents had dragged these poor pre-teen kids out of bed, still yawning with sleepy eyes. Mostly Downtown tourists, one who told me they said the "City Guide" raves about Dottie's. I told them the line probably got worse after Foodnetwork's DDD featured Dottie's on their show.
Hubby & I scored 2 seats at the 6 seat counter about 30 mins later, with a view of the cook -owner seamlessly & calmly at work whipping up the egg dishes, pancakes and French toast with his faithful sous-chef at his side. The backboard has a long list of daily specials and another with baked pastries of the day. We selected from the regular menu & Hubs had the eggs, hash browns, French toast and 4 thick slices of bacon for $13. I especially liked the French toast but thought the potatoes were a bit over done (too soft) but had a thick, crunchy crust from sitting so long over the griddle.
I tried the 3 ginormous pancakes with fruit ($12) which were 7 x 6 inches large. They were very good but the mixed fruit had some moldy black parts on the raspberries which were mixed in w/the melons, strawberries, grapes. Raspberries mold quiet easily if you don't eat them as soon as they're purchased. They do give you large portions & we ended up taking some of it home, enough to share w/the Jr. Yelpers who thought the pancakes were better than the French toast. It's the first place I've seen a bottle of New Jersey Frank's chili lime hot sauce. It was very good on the eggs.
I had 3 muffins to go - they were wrapped individually in foil and my fav was the coconut honey - very dry but lots of coconut on top. The blueberry and the peach muffins were OK, all were rather dry but quiet large for $2/piece - the size of a golf driver!
The standard American breakfast fares are good here but not worth an hour's wait. If you want to come here, you'd have to arrive by 7:15AM or earlier to get in for 1st seating, otherwise, expect a long wait because the place is small. Service was nice but they only have about 3 waitstaff for the entire room. I still like the breakfasts better by comparison at Brenda's French Soul which is only about 3-4 blocks away. Street parking on Sundays is much easier to find, as redundantly forwarned by other Yelpers, watch out for the vagrants in the 'hood.
Best diner style brunch I've ever had - the chef Kurt is the brunch master. But the wait is brutal during prime-time - try it after 2:30pm on weekends.
Recommended - The Southwest Scramble
Monday morning. 8:15 a.m. Fifteen minute wait with my out-of-town visitor. We shared (Thank God!) a spinach, corn and feta frittata, which was heavenly! The potatoes were somewhat bland, but the homemade bread was too die for.
We sat at the counter and watched the chef and his helper work together like a well-oiled machine.
It was definitely worth a 15 minute wait, but not the hour-and-a-half line that I see most other days.
Great prices. Great service. Great ambience.
Good, but definitely not worth the ridiculous waits. Luckily came here late on a Sunday (~2pm) and the wait was approx 20 minutes (better than the 2.5 hr + wait last time I came).
Had the vegetarian hash with "fresh squeezed" OJ - the OJ was ehh. The hash was yummy but not amazing. Just a note if you're vegan (!!!): the dish comes with buttermilk dill toast, not whole wheat toast. I would say the best tasting item was the home made toast...
The area is sketch but if you come on a Sunday street parking is free.. otherwise it's $3 an hour!! RIDICULOUSSSSSSSS
Disclaimer: reviewing on food alone.
There were no 'I could cook this myself' moments here (because, yes, I have had those thoughts regarding other highly yelped breakfast spots).
Cornbread: to grill it- genius. Jalapeno dipping sauce/jelly on the side- the perfect accompaniment.
Friend and I split two specials. The apple cranberry french toast with toasted pecans.uuuhhhmazing. The frittata had everything I love and some: avocado, feta, corn, jalapenos, scallions. The potatoes with their subtle taste of rosemary gave me a new appreciate for the spice (really!). Even the toast that came with seemed like toast I'd never experienced before (soft yet crunchy- wow!). Was in love with every element of my breakfast. Nothing was mediocre.
One of the best breakfasts I've EVER had!
Waited 1 hour and 45 minutes to be seated on a Saturday, but was it worth it?
Corned Beef Hash Special - Good flavor but it lacked a key ingredient - corned beef. As a meat lover, I was quite disappointed when I received a big potato cake with a small amount of corned beef.
Toast - My favorite thing here. Amazing. It was like a dense biscuit. I regret not asking if I could buy a loaf of this bread.
Eggs Scrambled - Nicely cooked and fluffy.
Pancakes - Light, sweet, buttery. Perfect.
Sausage - Pretty good with a nice kick.
While good, I can't say it was worth the wait. I was also disappointed to see that they use commercial English muffins and juice when they have such fresh baked goods. If I ever return, I will definitely skip the savory dishes and go for the sweet dishes and pastries.
The food was more like a 3.5*, but the servers were quick, polite and efficient and the chef...was so zen (seriously...I've never seen a calmer and more zen-like short order cook/chef)....that I'll simply give them a 4*
I came here at 11.10a on a Thursday and had to wait 25 mins.
The line wasn't that long...but once I was in the cafe, i noticed that they were NOT fast when it came to cleaning up after people left. There were 2 tables sitting dirty for about 10 mins (I timed them).
Their service was fairly quick...so really, the MAIN problem is cleaning up the dirty tables faster....they will definitely be able to seat people MUCH faster that way. Instead there was only 1 busboy and the servers did not help clear up the tables at all. hmmmm
I eat a lot and would have ordered MORE food...except the server was giving me strange looks when i got both the Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes and Jalapeno Cornbread. So i decided not to get an omelet (which i really wanted to order...ah well)
Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes: Tasty and chock-full of blueberries. There were (3) gigantic pancakes and i had to bring one of them home. the cornmeal definitely adds another flavor to the pancake. a tad more savory, perhaps? i can't put my finger on it...but it was good and fluffy
Jalapeno Cornbread: Very tasty with the sweet and not-at-all-spicy jalapeno jelly dip. The cornbread was flavorful and crunchy. There were 2 pieces and i also doggy-bagged one of them. I just reheated it...and it was a little dry but still tasty
All in all, a good b'fast. I'm not sure that i'll come back here on a weekend or wait more than 30 mins. It's good but not hour-long-wait great. Love the ambience and 50s music.
I'd classify this as a Gourmet Diner...the food was fresh, somewhat inventive and not overly greasy or fattening
HINTS:
- Don't come with a big group. this is a Very small cafe. Come alone if you can...you can be seated at the bar Much faster. Definitely don't come with more than 4 in your party; be prepared to split up
- The Specials on the board are seriously hard to read. It was like an eye exam from where i was sitting (at the bar)
- Don't come on a weekend. It's just not worth waiting more than 30 mins. Seriously.
- If you come on a weekday, definitely come later in the morning, NOT early
I am a true fan. The wait was approximately 45 mins on a Friday morning however since I was alone they grabbed me out of line to eat at the counter.
I ordered one of the special omelets from the chalk board, which was absolutely fantastic! I also got one of the pancakes as a side item and it was one of the best I have ever had. The potatoes were fantastic and the toast with Jalapeno Jelly was awesome.
I highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a terrific bfast or lunch!
Went back a second time, had a great lamb sausage scramble and excellent toast.
I've been here once for brunch, a few weeks ago. The whiskey-fennel sausage special was fantastic.… Read more »
Ok, this place is good, but NOT wait-in-line-for-an-hour good. I'm not sure when the not busy times are, but you should find out and go then.
This place is known for it's french toast, which is essentially fried poundcake. The rest of my meal was pretty run of the mill, except that they tried to make a sausage link seem bigger than it actually was by cutting it in half. Not so fast Dottie's!
If you do go, I would give those specials on the white board a try. They seemed to have more potential.
If anyplace I've eaten deserves 6 stars this would be it. The food here is amazing. The best thing I had was the Blueberry Corn Meal pancakes but everything and I mean everything was amazing.
The toast that comes with the food, (along with all of the other baked goods) is fresh baked on site and is all equally amazing.
The line out front can be long but no wait is too long at Dottie's.
I waited in line for at least 45 minutes each time and was only in town for 5 days but ate there twice, and would have eaten there every morning had my schedule allowed.
This place is a solid breakfast spot with some very interesting menu choices. I have a few gripes to explain in a bit but you need to know the good stuff can be found here. Make sure you get the grilled jalepeno corn bread whatever you do, this stuff is moist and crispy at the same time, and you should try it with the jalepeno jelly, but that, my friends, is not included. (gripe #1) The potatoes are pretty good, soft from the boiling with some crispy bits from the hot grill they've been resting on, good stuff. They have great creative pancakes and french toast stuff on the menu, I bet these are the best options on the menu with a large variety of fresh fruits.
I got a side of bacon, which is were gripe #2 comes into play. They microwave their bacon. I repeat, they MICROWAVE their bacon. This resulted in a slightly tough and very dry piece of pork. Where's the love? Seriously, the pork for breakfast has to be the pride of the plate! Don't cut the corners on this point, it was very disappointing,
Lastly, it was very unappealing to watch the chef constantly answering the restaurants phone. That's just plain dirty. I don't have a huge problem with it, but it's not how it's supposed to be.
The kitchen reminded me of The Pork Store Cafe, but the quality of the food did not. No microwaves please. This place kicks out tasty fare, but if there's a wait of up to an hour (I ate alone, walked right to the bar) there are better places to eat.
With the exception of the wait to get seated, this is probably the best breakfast you will eat in the city. I've never ordered off the menu because the Specials board is SO GOOD all the time!! The cornbread and jalepeno jam are just a side dish, but worth the 45 minute wait to get in! My advice, go early, go hungry (the portions are huge!!), and go with cash!! Unfortunately, because its a little more expensive and the wait is usually a bit too long, we don't frequent as much as we'd like. Definitely a spot we take all visiting friends and family, or even locals who don't know it exists.
Seriously, the BEST breakfast you will eat in the city EVER!
Friends told me about this place. Yeah, they said it was good, but I never expected to experience a culinary epiphany. That experience, my friends, came in the form of a Blueberry Crumb Cake topped with Fresh Whipped Cream.
OK, this is not one of those exaggerations you always see on Yelp, by some poser who is trying to make their review really stand out.
A generous portion of this coffee cake arrived at our table, steaming hot, with the cream already starting to melt. A dense, yet amazingly moist cake, topped with a layer of blueberry, which was covered with a sweet crumb topping. This may sound sicky-sweet, but it wasn't. Each element tempered the other, culminating the perfect balance.
If you order this, make sure to eat it while it is hot. The magic is gone when this baby cools down. Once that happens, just push it to the edge of the table. No, I'm serious. Just do it!
The cinnamon raisin French toast with toasted pecans was very good, almost too sweet. If you can finish yours, you're a better man than I (even if you're not a man).
They have numerous daily specials on the board. One of them was the pulled pork, roasted onion & Jack cheese scramble which my wife ordered. It was delightful. I would get this again, and again.
Add the totally cute interior and a staff that is a well oiled machine, and Dotties delivers everything you've ever hoped for in a breakfast joint, except for maybe the wait... but its well worth it.
Home cooking done exceptionally well, with culinary sparks dispersed through the menu.
Reading one glowing review after another, I was more than a little curious to find out if Dottie's lived up to the hype...
Not that I'm any kind of definitive word, but I had mixed feelings about the actual experience. Waiting around in the early morning isn't really that much fun, however, it was my understanding that getting there a bit before they opened was the way to go. It was.
Once inside, the staff had their hands full--and they seemed undaunted by the task. My coffee cup was never empty, and despite being packed the minute the doors opened I didn't feel the wait for our meal was too long to be annoying.
The food? It was good. The portions were enormous. I had the Blueberry Cornbread pancakes, and my lady had the Apple cranberry french toast...plus a few good down-home side dishes. Wow, did we over order. I guess standing outside at 7:00 AM inflates one's hunger (hmm...coincidence, or dastardly clever scheme to sell more food--hee hee?).
JUST finished eating Dottie's.. in my hotel room! =)
Order it for takeout!! Ready in 10 minutes!
Woke up 8:40am on Sunday, looked out my Layne Hotel room to see 30 people in line already. Lamented. Briefly. Then decided, why not try ordering takeout, that way I can eat in my hotel and watch Sunday football! No website online, thus no menu, but just used yelp recommendations. Called them up, ordered the special Peach French Toast w/Strawberries (no syrup provided/needed), Blueberry Pancakes, and the Jalapeno Cornbread. They said hold on I'll give you a total....waited 15 seconds, $29 and be ready in TEN MINUTES. Score!
Blueberry pancakes were the clear best. Peach french toast was homogeneous, cut like pie, unusual texture, were good, but the pancakes were better. The cornbread comes with a sweet jalapeno syrupy sauce on the side was unexpectedly flavorful and enhanced the cornbread.
Not worth an hour wait, but worth picking up if you can! And the people waiting in line will be jealous seeing you walk in and out with your food! muahhahahhaa
This is the best overall place for breakfast in the city of San Francisco. value, proportions, price, atmosphere, quality of ingredients, quality of cooking, line out the door,... this is the one to beat.
I've had delightful experiences at many restaurants in San Francisco for breakfast. But I have never sought out a breakfast spot like a drug before until I encountered Dottie's. their specials are interesting and delicious... but their breakfast standards are a notch above the ones you get at other reliable breakfast spots.
Plus, apparently, it's Gary Danko's favorite breakfast spot-- this makes sense since the owner used to cook with Gary Danko.
Oh Dottie's, how I love you.
Housed in the tenderloin area, there's not much that meets the eye on Jones St. where Dottie's sits, sneaked in between some liquor stores. But once you step foot into the cafe, you'll feel the energy from the patrons, the waiters and waitresses, and the cooks! The hustle bustle is always so welcoming, and the cafe is cozy and very hole-in-the-wall.
I've always ordered the specials (written on a small white board that's hung on the back wall) when I go to Dottie's, one because the ingredients in each dish seem so intentionally chosen, two because my roommate and friends have insisted that Dottie's specials are the highlight of their menu, and three, because whenever I ask the waiter or waitress for their input, they always suggest the specials!
I'm in love with their whiskey fennel sausage, spinach, and mushroom omelet served with roasted potatoes and jalapeno corn bread. The omelet isn't overly salted, so for those that like bolder flavors, do feel free to use your condiments! I think the consistency of the egg is just perfect, and it's one of those dishes where you can taste the flavor of each ingredient so well. The roasted potatoes are slightly crispy on the outside, garnished with fresh herbs. The jalapeno bread puts a carb-lover in heaven. It's thick and very filling, so be sure to save room for the rest of your meal!
Might I suggest trying the blueberry pancakes? And of course, never overlook their freshly baked pastries sitting at the front of the cafe. Their scones are truly out of this world.
Dottie's food is hearty and solid. I like to think of their specials as the usual breakfast foods we love: toast, eggs, and potatoes, but dressed up with additional ingredients that make your breakfast experience familiar and yet intriguing.
Foodies beware of the long line that snakes around the tiny cafe. As other yelpers have mentioned, it's easily an hour to an hour and a half wait to be seated. Your best bet is to go on a weekday (and even then there's likely a wait) or to be at the door before 10am on a weekend. By 10:30-11am, there's major traffic by Dottie's door.
Parking may be difficult to come by, and with street parking comes the street meters. For visitors, that's an even greater incentive to get to Dottie's at an earlier time. But I think most San Franciscans are used to that by now.
the line may be long, but you know why.
i ate off the white board (ordered off the menu that was a whiteboard). me and three girls ate here, we could have ordered 1/2 of what we did and still been full as heck. though, we took plenty home!
i had a sausage/mushroom/spinach scramble with potatoes (which were delish). the bean cakes were good and so was the cinnamon roll.
Go here on a weekday- not a weekend. It's not worth the long lines and wait or consider going alone and sitting at the bar.
I ordered the Lamb Fennel Sausage, Roasted Garlic, Spinach and Goat's cheese scramble with potatoes and toast.
He ordered the Pulled Pork and Jack Cheese Scramble Special, served w/ Flour Tortillas.
Both omelets were large portion size, fresh, balanced, great seasoning and very tasty. The potatoes on the other hand were soggy and undercooked. The toast is amazing- thick cuts of homemade bread, you might feel transported back to breakfast on a farm where your butter is churned by hand.
Love the whole feel of the place inside like you're in a 50's dive diner.
Unfortunately, there are prostitutes and drug addicts walking in and out of the building next door which makes for an interesting but rather sad and depressing wait.
Quite a lovely cinnamon bun and the pancakes are heavenly. I am a bit worried about my fellow brethren outside the restaurant however. There was quite a bit of beggary going on and no one seemed interested in a fish.
My god, Dottie's. I can't even describe. I am a pretty patient person, so for me, waiting in a huge line for over an hour = totally worth it for how delicious everything was.
Pancakes were unmatched. To be honest, I was expecting Ihop pancakes. That's usually what you get when you order plain jane pancakes at any brunch place. These were the furthest thing from Ihop pancakes I've ever had. They're even better than Mom's. Fluffy, buttery, delicious, is what I'd call them. I would have ordered more, if I wasn't so happy with the feeling that my brunch had created (more on that later).
Eggs are typical sunny side up eggs. Delicious, but not worth writing home about. I enjoyed them though, and they went well with the rest of the food.
Home fries, home fries, home fries. I'd had three brunches this weekend, all with home fries, and I was pretty sure I was sick and tired of home fries at this point. But they came with my meal, so I ate them, and they were cooked all the way (unlike the home fries I'd gotten elsewhere), seasoned, and browned and delicious. These were not home fries I regretted. What I really wish is that I could have had these instead of the ones I'd gotten the previous day at Honey Honey.
And the bacon! Dear god, the bacon! A fatty slice, thick, meaty, and flavorful (that's what she said). I've never had bacon like this before. Every other time I've gotten bacon with brunch, it's been too salty, too full of fat, and just generally not very good. This bacon tipped the scale. I have not had bacon like that before, and I don't know if I'll ever have it at other places. That bacon was just amazing.
This is a meal unlike any other brunch I've had. Don't get me wrong, I'm a pretty big fan of brunch in general, but I usually walk out feeling horrible and bloated afterward. When all of the flavors start to mix in my stomach, and I'm pretty sure I'm not eating until dinner, it's all I can do to roll myself home. Not here. I felt revitalized after eating here. It's like my body knew exactly what it needed, and now that it got it, it was ready to do my bidding again. After brunch here, I felt like swimming across the bay. The adrenaline rush was THAT INTENSE. But I'm not really into cold water, so I didn't test it out.
Eat here! It will change your life.
Arrived at 11:30.
In the restaurant by 12:45.
Got food at 1:10.
And the food is *good* (I got the Southwestern breakfast set), but really not worth that wait. However, I did enjoy watching the short order cooks manage a jillion pans and flip a jillion eggs.
Angeline P's bacon was unusual and delicious, a welcome break from crunchy black hunks of carbon.
But.. I'm not a patient man. I love the food here, but I'd just as soon go to Denny's if it meant I could get it sooner. 4 stars out of love though.
Part dive-y, part dingy, but all earnest and homey, Dottie's is a good destination for Brekkies not wanting to trek all the way over to any edge of the city for some hearty brunch. I would say, though, that aside from its central, almost unbeatable location and its definitely incomparable cornbread with pepper jelly, Dottie's is quite wholly replaceable. If you want really show-stopping, heart-stopping food with exorbitant, sometimes-worth-it wait times, venture out elsewhere.
Aside from the breads, I'm actually not quite sure what merits such a huge following for this place. My sausage scramble was the standard, if a bit greasy, fare you would get at most any pedestrian breakfast destination. I did, however, find myself charmed by the service as well as the aforementioned cornbread, as well as the muffiny, thick, dense buttermilk-dill toast, which retains an amazing structure even after toasted.
Brenda still has my heart, but if ever I'm faced with another one of her 2-hour waits, I may just mosey on to Dottie's to see what she has to offer.
It was good but not worth the 1+ hr wait time. There are better places, and they're not in such a seedy neighborhood.
I loved: the pancakes (they taste like gingerbread!) and the potatoes
I liked: the grilled cornbread
The rest was just OK.
I love this place. I've been 6 times, only at 7:30am, and 4 times by myself which is great as you can skip the line and sit at the 4-person counter. Great breakfast, great baked goods. Italian sausage split down the middle and grilled over fire, served with scrambled eggs and house-made bread. Then take home something like a huge slice of blackberry crumb cake, split and buttered and grilled, then wrapped to go.
I bet it sucks to wait in the huge line if you have 2 or more people and come after the 7:30am opening time. But in my limited experience, thsi place is really great.
Tucked between some liquor stores and low-rent hotels, Dottie's True Blue Café is the quintessential San Francisco breakfast dive. WIth no reservations and no list maintained by the hostess, patrons stand (and stand and stand and stand ...) in line until given the honor of a seat in this morning meal mecca.
Dottie's is not breakfast haute cuisine: rather it is solid food to start the morning off right. Nothing special, nothing you have never before experienced, just good home cooking made with fresh ingredients and served with a never-empty cup of hot coffee.
The menu features the breakfast usuals--pancakes, French toast, eggs any which way--but is supplemented with a hand-written board full of "daily specials" that really don't seem to change that much from day to day.
The housemade bread is truly a delight. Dense and delicious, it has perhaps a soupçon of cornmeal flour that gives it a hint of sweetness. The muffins, fresh and truly huge, come in a myriad of varieties from banana/butterscotch to white chocolate/cherry and have just the right amount of sugar. While the corned beef hash was average, at least the eggs with which it was served came out "over-easy" as ordered.
Unless you arrive before 8:00AM on a weekend (and who gets up that early after being out the night before?) or come on a weekday morning (Monday and Wednesday through Friday--closed Tuesday for some unexplicable reason), you will be confronted with a wait of at least an hour and a half.
Overall is Dottie's as good as everyone says? A reserved "yes." But is it good enough to be worth the wait? I don't think so.
After a long night of introspection and reflective mental wanderings, I'm not sure as to what I had hoped to accomplished... closure, rapture, something ending with a -URE....
I'm in the middle of no where, looking for something to do, something to inspire, something to give me meaning.
So what do I do?
I go to Dotties for some pastry. I wasn't even close to being hungry but I had heard that the baked sweets was good. So as luck would have it that I was in the area just as the line was starting to form. I had about 10 minutes to wait and a whole day to kill so I waited for the place to open. The place opened and quickly filled to capacity. I suppose I was fortunate to have been able to get in and order 'to go' relatively painless. If I understand it correctly the only sell what they make that day. And they don't make the same stuff everyday. I think I ordered a lemon bar and some kind of choc-peanut butter bar something or another. They are F'n huge and very decadent. Perhaps it's not the best thing to eat after a long night.. or even at the beginning of a long day.. or ever. With every bite I could feel the miles adding on to my run. Oh well. I didn't finish it but I did share it with other back at the hotel... who had slept the whole night.
I'll take you up on the rest of your culinary expertise one of these days Dottie.
;D
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