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Categories: American (Traditional), Diners, Breakfast & Brunch
Neighborhood: Civic Center/TenderloinMon., Wed-Sun. 7:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
"I am a lucky lady- I've been to many bars throughout several states. I've been from fancy-shmancy to full-on-dive, favoring the latter to…" read more »
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I'd suggest trying this place during the off-hours so as to avoid the lines to get in but there are no real off-hours since they are closed then. Best suggestion is to arrive BEFORE they open and wait on the line the least amount of time and be one of the first people to eat there that given day.
I've NEVER had a bad meal here, not even mediocre. The BEST tasting scrambled eggs ever and supplement that with scrumptious french toast.
Not too far from BART and definitely close to MUNI, everyone should hit up Dottie's and compare it to your local early/late-morning eatery and see how the masters at the grill do it.
Nothing ignites my appetite more than waiting outside in line next to trash bins being emptied into a dump truck.
Like the great American Poet, Master P once said, "OOOOOHWEEEE!"
;-p (I gots jokes, I tells ya)
The Whiskey fennel sausage egg scramble stands alone as the unparalled best scramble I have ever had the pleasure of meeting and dispatching. The veggies in the scramble surely come from some magical garden where gnomes water, hoe, and harvest the sh%t out of them, with care and other worldly magic. I don't have my laser pointer with me, so I can't pinpoint the exact uniqueness I tasted in the sausage, but it was mad tasty. No Farmer Johns sausage here, folks.
I love cornbread as much as a "good ole" boy from the south. But damn, their jalapeno cornbread grilled to give it that crisp exterior is straight bread sex.
I always ask for salsa or pico de gallo to put on my eggs. I gots to have it. When I ask for some, they brought me this bowl of radiant pico de gallo with tomotoes that had a shade of red that I have never seen before. I swear gnomes sprinkled these with some tomatoe pixie dust.
If by some fluke, your taste buds don't like your breakfast, too bad. They have a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu specialist that can cinch in a rear naked choke and make grow a new set.
I crumble before you, in awe of breakfast greatness.
The reviews are right on. This is THE place to get breakfast. The muffins are a dilemma -- fresh baked, but so filling. You might not have room for the fabulous french toast.
The neighborhood is sketchy, so I'm glad it's not a nightspot. Regardless, I've never had a problem, and oh...be prepared that the waitstaff let's some tables sit empty for a spell before seatin you.
This is because they are working at capacity and pacing the meals.
Long live Dottie's!
Don't you hate it when you have to wait in line for an hour expecting to sit down to a great meal and then leave unsatisfied? Dottie's was on my list of places I have to try and I didn't mind the hour wait but the dish I got wasn't good but okay. I got the pulled pork roasted onions & jack cheese scramble with tortilla and potatoes. The pulled pork scramble with cheese was good, then again I love cheese and anything with cheese is good. The potatoes and tortilla didn't do anything for me. I also tried the grilled jalapeno cornbread. I don't know what all the buzz is about but my mouth was not happy.
If I come back, I'm gonna get what I should've gotten the first time and that is the blueberry cornmeal pancakes. 3 stars for now...
My friend Dotty Love, who raises miniature Zebu cattle needs to come and visit her namesake's restaurant here in the city by the bay.
Well what they say is true. There's a line out the door for 20 minutes before the place even opens and then it fills up so fast you can't get a seat. The food is fresh, home made and inexpensive. I sat at the counter and watched the clockwork like efficiency of the staff that only takes off on Tuesdays. They've probably got wives or they'd work 7 days a week.
I had the Eggplant Strata with grilled tomatoes, Italian sausage and fresh fruit. I'll work my way through the menu a little at a time. Their sausages alone are worth a few trips.
The Anti-Saloon Society (est 1920) is right across the street. I wonder if those people ever just get depressed and go have a drink. It is the Tenderloin.
Worth the hour long wait. All of the thick breads and specialty muffins and cakes are freshly baked. The grilled cornbread with jalapeno jelly is outstanding. They have a long list of unique breakfast specials along with the standards, but the standards are done incredibly well (perfect eggs, good potatoes, etc). The guy that runs the place is a master line cook, whipping up everything himself - he puts effort into making sure his customers are happy and their food is made to order.
Okay, so you know you will wait for an hour to get a seat.
But it is totally worth it. If you have a lot of spare time, this is the place to go get breakfast. If you are in a rush - then avoid this place.
I had the black bean cakes - sooooo good! And it's a lot of food - I had leftovers for lunch.
I do wish they stayed open past 3pm though.
My favorite place to get breakfast in the city.
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.
OK, so the food here commands the respect that so many before me have spoken of, but so does the wait in line. Our group of 4 got there about 10:30ish on a Saturday morning and it took about an hour to get seated.
We knew that to tide us over, we'd have to try a couple pastries with our coffee while our main brunch was being prepared. Between the 4 of us, we split a coconut cornbread muffin and a lemon meringue slice of cake and only ate half of each to save room for the other food. The texture of the cornbread muffin went well with the toasted coconut and combined for a subtle but effective flavor. The lemon meringue carried a delicate balance of tart and sweetness. The coffee was nothing special- not awful, but definitely pre-ground stuff. The stuff your parents brewed on Sunday mornings while cleaning the house...the stuff before Starbucks offered automatic deductions from your paycheck.
I ordered the lamb fennel sausage omelet special with goat cheese. The combination of the cheese with the garlic cloves made me a happy camper. The side of toast was like none other I've tasted before. It tasted almost like deep fried pieces of french toast, but without the egg and without the oilyness of something that is deep fried. The home fries/potatoes were perfectly grilled- toasted on the outside, and bursting with flavor.
The GF ordered the pumpkin french toast. The flavors of autumn totally bursting in your mouth, but totally dense. After splitting the omellete, we could only eat 2 pieces of french toast out of the 4 given to us. Imagine a pumpkin Cliff Bar that has been french toastified and you may get the picture.
Overall great food that didn't break the bank.
The service was generally good and polite. Our orders came out with no issues, and we got coffee refills regularly. We did stay a long time though. Understandably, I did sense that they wanted us to go and make room for more customers.
Some tips:
- Come hungry, but be prepared for the wait. You need to expect it.
- The single-toilet, no-frills bathroom for this place is in the adjacent lobby of a supportive housing hotel. It was clean, and is dedicated to the cafe, but for the bathroom prone, this should be taken into consideration.
- Street parking is a bit difficult (bring at least 5-6 dollars in quarters or at least 10-12 bucks to park in a lot.
- If you can get here by Muni or BART, that would be your best option. (You'll need to walk a little after eating anyways.) From Powell Station walk north on Powell, then head west on O' Farrell St. then turn right on Jones St. If you're looking to experience the sights, sounds and smells of the Tenderloin, then from Powell Station, head west on Turk or Eddy, then north. But don't say I didn't warn you- bring some anti-bacterial gel just in case an unknown friend wants to hug it out and if you are a young lady, be prepared for some cat calls.
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.
It's true!
A long line, but worth the wait. A quaint little diner smack dab in the Tenderloin. Honestly, not that bad, a little irritating when you're starved and can peer into the window and see all those lucky folk inside munching on their delicious, fluffy pancakes, sizzling sausages and golden french toast sticks, but otherwise, bearable... just barely.
My friend and I went and after catching a glimpse of the muffins in the display, ordered a blueberry muffin as a starter, which we split. And even NOW, as I am writing this, drool is filling my mouth. Golden, warm, scrumptious freaking muffin. Best I've ever had!
The food came in large portions, the prices were decent, the atmosphere was cozy. I'd suggest sitting away from door (i.e. not on the counter closest to the door) due to the draft. Great home fries, authentic maple syrup, generously sized fixins', every sauce you could ask for. I'd suggest splitting a plate between two girls. It was quite a hefty meal which I later polished off for lunch.
Definitely coming back to try the more exotic stuff on the menu. Specials are great too!
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.
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 »
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.
Came here two Sundays ago for brunch with my girls. I had heard about this place from Yelp and Food Network, so I wanted to see what all the hype was about.
A couple of things I should warn readers about, its in the TL so be aware of your surroundings. I'm a native city girl, so I dont get intimidated easily, but I could see where others might. Came here with 4 other ladies, and the wait WAS SO LONG! nearly 2.5 hours! I knew it would be along wait, but I guess I didn't expect it to be that bad. I would suggest going in smaller groups like 2 or 3 other people, because they will sit smaller groups before larger ones if need be.
I ordered the Whiskey Fennel Sausage & was also able to bite a bit off of my friend's plate, who ordered the French Toast. Likedd the fennel sausage, but LOVED the French Toast better. I would probably recommend getting that instead. I would give it 5 stars, but as good as the food was, I just didn't think it was worth my wait. Sorry!
Still gets a 5 star but the update is you can no longer buy the Jalapeno jelly to go.
AMAZING!!!! jalapeno jelly with the corn bread is to die for!
I will give all who are attempting…
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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
Oh Dottie, I love you. If your food wasn't so damn good I wouldn't wait at the crackass of Sat morning in the TL for breakfast, but here we are, and this time I dragged two newbies with me.
Mel: "Why are you picking me up so damn early??"
Me: "Because I don't want to wait longer than 90 minutes for my food."
Sis: "Ugh, I hate walking and it's cold. Can't we just go to Mel's?"
Me: "Fuck no. That shit doesn't even compare."
Sis: "Why don't they expand this place? Maybe then we wouldn't have to wait so damn long."
Me: 'Because they don't have to. Now quit your bitching, and tell me more about your douchebag non-boyfriend."
Once we were seated...
Sis: "Jesus christ, did you see his food?? That's what I'm getting."
Mel: "Holy shit, these are the best pancakes I've ever had."
Me: "Told you so."
(Food inhaled immediately following aforementioned comments.)
One star knocked off because of the long wait and, well, you're in the TL and your street smells of piss and I'm suspiciously scrutinized by all the cracked out methheads (at 9 am!). But clearly my willingness to wait in line despite those small grievances is a testament to your delicious breakfast food.
We waited 50 minutes, it was scary on the sidewalk, I experienced rain for the first time in about a year.
GOOD MUFFINS
Dottie's leftovers as a cold dinner beat the pants off of our room service breakfast the next morning.
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.
Good service and food, but an hour wait? I believe I had an unfair expectation of greatness based upon the reviews and the line that extended past the local homeless shelter and the fact that we had to walk through the Tenderloin to get there.
Everything was good, but my friend and I were wondering where the magic was. We didn't notice the earth shattering kaboom. Good food, but I wouldn't walk through the neighborhood to wait an hour again.
"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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
You're gonna wait!!! Lucky for us we were staying at a friends in the TL! If you know the TL, not the best hood in SF, but being from NYC not all that intimidating! OK, I'll gush with all the rest. . . totally worth the wait, their baked goods are delicious and travel well. Thick cut bacon, bread and the fluffiest pancakes EVER! My breakfast could have fed a family of four, but the chub I am nearly polished off my entire plate (in addition to the muffins that I said traveled well). Needless to say, I didn't have another meal until dinner the next day, but totally worth every delicious bite! Go, wait, be pleased!
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.
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.
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.
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!
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
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
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
YUMMMMMMYYY!!! Breakfast is my favorite part of the meal. My bf and I are always looking for new and delicious breakfast spots. Found it! But don't be too discouraged by the long lines. The Southwestern is an absolute must for $13. Why? Because it has ALL my favorites!! Peppers, jack cheese, mushrooms, onions, sausage, eggs, and onions with salsa & home fries! DELICIOUS! My sister could not stop picking at my dish. i did not bother eating much of the tortilla or the home fries. the open-faced omlette was just too good to resist! There's no doubt about it, i'll be back! ... I got a blueberry white chocolate chip muffin to go and they packed it up nicely with foil, a napkin, knife and strawberry jam. But I did not enjoy it as much as I would have hoped. The blueberry kinda bursts in your mouth, but its not as moist as other muffins i've had. Another con I experienced was a long wait for a server to take my order. Oh and the home fries are hard while I while them soft/soggy. After we placed out order, my sister and I took turns to wash our hands then our food already arrived.
This is definitely one of my top 2 breakfast spots. A contender in first place is Lowell's Seattle Joe Scrambler in Seattle, WA Pike Place Market.
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!
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.
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.
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.
Neighborhood: Civic Center/Tenderloin
Category: Diners
Neighborhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
Category: Breakfast & Brunch
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
Category: Diners
Neighborhood: Cole Valley
Category: Coffee & Tea
Neighborhood: Portola
Category: Restaurants
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