Emmy's Spaghetti Shack
18 Virginia Ave
(between Coleridge St & Mission St)
San Francisco, CA 94110 (415) 206-2086
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 5:30 p.m.-11:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat 5:30 p.m.-12:00 a.m. - Menu: MenuPages
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: No
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
242 reviews
Neighborhood: Haight-Ashbury
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455 Reviews for Emmy's Spaghetti Shack
5 Stars to any restaurant that sells Mickey's 40s for $5. Umm...what else do you fucking need?
Also, the food was quite tasty. It may be a shack, but it's cozy and cool, and i thought the prices were fair for the quality of the food we got.
Also you can get 40s of Mickey's.
What an unexpected little hideaway in the Outer Mission/Bernal hood.
And guess what?! You can get 40s of Mickey's!
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I'm giving it 4 stars because of the ambiance, rather than the food. The food just seemed average to me. I love the place though. It's like a restaurant designed around a total bar scene. Fun place to grab a bite and some drinks and have a little fun. Not recommended for a quiet night out.
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I went in with a couple of friends on a Thursday evening, and we all had the same reaction; yikes!
The spinach and citrus salad, with honey-roasted beets, mandarin oranges, toasted walnuts, and jicama lightly covered in sesame dressing and black sesame seeds, was refreshing and quite an experience of the different textures. Delicious!
We also ordered the sauteed mushrooms over soft polenta, drizzled with truffle honey and pecorino romano--sigh, my toes are still curled!
As a main course, I ordered the skirt steak topped with chive butter served with sour cream mashed potatoes and long beans, sorta thai-style in a peppercorn sauce. Whew! My friends agreed the steak was the shining star of the evening, as every bite was juicy and buttery, with the perfect grill marks on it. One friend who had never been here before ordered the spaghetti and meatballs ('natch) and we all enjoyed how perfectly the pasta was cooked, and how generous the serving was. Another ordered the rigatoni in cream sauce with a lot of pine nuts--um, loved it! All went quite well with the bottle of petite syrah!
We shared dessert, which came in the form of a sour lemon cake topped with raspberry reduction and Mitchell's vanilla ice cream. We absolutely adored the interplay of sour and sweet. Overall, I was pleased to hear that my friends planned to come back, and mentioned so repeatedly throughout dinner.
It hurts me just a little to give Emmy's Spaghetti Shack 3 stars, but I wouldn't be being honest with you or myself if I didn't acknowledge that my first experience here didn't live up to my 4.5 star expectations. My friends raved about Emmy's "gitti" and were just giddy with excitement about eating Emmy's spaghetti and saying "gitti" over and over. While they promised the best spaghetti ever, I just wasn't sure if I'm oriented toward pasta in form.
We arrived at this little hole-in-the-wall around 8:00 on a Saturday and the host was honest that it could be a while (~hour) but encouraged us to go to the bar next door and he would get us. After an hour fifteen and one warning that it would be longer than expected, we were seated.
Everyone ordered spaghetti with ($10) and without meatballs ($8.5), so I figured there would be enough available to venture into the menu and went with the waitress' highly recommended asparagus in prosciutto with a balsamic reduction ($9). While waiting, we got two bottles of wine (barbera and tempranillo), which while very reasonably priced, tasted very reasonably priced and reminded me of other Italian restaurants where wine is just beholden to the food and wouldn't stand on its own.
When our food arrived and I had my first bite of the asparagus dish, I thought I was sold, and was able to express gratitude to the waitress when she asked how everything was. The asparagus was with a plate of melon, balsamic, and wrapped in succulent bacon keeping the heat in creating a hot steamy lustful experience in your mouth. But moments after raving about the dish to the waitress, I looked back at my plate and realized that there was no more asparagus floating in the sea of melon and greens. I dug my fork around in hopes of providing a raft to rescue drowning asparagus, but I eventually had to accept that the dish was basically just one stalk split into two pieces wrapped in one piece of bacon. And the rest was tasty melon, but still a experience relationship compared to excitement of that one-minute-stand with the asparagus.
I tried my friends spaghetti and it was better than most and the marinara was thicker and heartier, taking on a slightly sun-dried character. The meatballs were good, but in the realm of meat, it still felt like an ugly stepsister. If spaghetti was my thing, I would have probably appreciated it more, but it didn't strike me as reason enough to get giddy.
I was hoping that I could be pushed off the 3/4 star fence with the fried dough dessert my friends also adored (I think they've only had these two dishes every time), but the waitress said they were switching to a new dessert menu and taking the entire week off from dessert. Alas.
I still suspect that this restaurant can offer great things and that the great culinary artistry that went into the asparagus and that I've heard about can be put into dishes that aren't such tongue teases, but for now, I'm going to stand by my 3 stars, but hope that this is a growth relationship.
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A hip little restaurant, located in obsure spot - but trust me it's worth the trip. Parking in this neighborhood is not easy, so go on an off night and a little earlier than you normally would. We've dined here a few times and I love it. A nice glass of wine, a spaghetti dinner, a salad and you are stuffed. I've never been able to finish a meal here as the portions are quite generous. The staff has always been quick and friendly and the food has always been great. I'd give it 5 starts if I could find parking easier, and they had a few more tables but that's my only complaint. p.s. It's loud in this little gem, so if you are looking for one on one quiet time - this is not the place. :)
This place is incredible. I can't count the times that I have been to Emmy's and been blown away by both the food and the service.
The chef is just amazing. He changes the menu every few months and I have never been disappointed. You can guarantee that my friends and I will be at Emmy's for each new menu! The portions are just the right size and the flavors are truly incredible! You will savor every bite! The chef is truly a genious!
There are great restaurants in San Francisco and Emmy's is one of the best. From the presentation to the taste, you can tell that the chef at Emmy's puts his heart and soul into his work! You won't be disappointed!
We had quite a large party of people last week for a friend's bday party, and we were also late/didn't call in for our reservation. Despite that, Emmy's accommodated us the best they could and we had a great time.
The food was plentiful, and I like that they have creative side dishes (a couple of us had the beets with horseradish sauce). You really can't go wrong with their spaghetti, with or without meatballs - you'll be 'plotzing' every time!
The ambiance was nice too. Lights were kind of low - perfect if you're trying to nonchalantly hold someone's hand under the table and not have your friends make a big deal about it (too bad I didn't have anyone's hand to hold). Kind of noisy, but it's a pretty happening place. I'd make reservations because this was a weekday evening and the joint was still jumping!
I'm glad this place is near my house and I will definitely be making a repeat visit.
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Crazy little hipsterish neighborhood Italian joint in Bernal Heights area.
Surprised I never heard of it.
My friend who lives closer to this area than I suggested it when a mutual friend was coming into town.
Crammed into a very small space just off 29th/ Valencia, this spot is NOT for the claustrophobic. The walls are decorated with various trinkets and Christmas lights. Reservations are not accepted and there is basically no waiting area (and there is always a wait: 45 minutes for us three on a Sunday night) although there is an adjoining bar with a pool table and the Emmy's staff is cool about checking there when your table comes up.
Upon finally sitting down the oldschool hip-hop was blaring and the place was hopping.
One gripe: although I enjoy very dark lighting AND artisan/ hand-drawn menus, putting the two together makes it extremely difficult to read the menu. Actually, I couldn't read it at all but the waitress was cool about explaining everything.
I can't remember what our appeteaser was but it was hella good and I hogged it from my other dining companions.
My entree was some cream-based pasta w/ prosciutto & mushrooms I believe, VERY nice. My friend ordered the only other pasta dish, spaghetti + meatballs, which totally surprised me in its deliciousness, I didn't even think I liked them. I kept grabbing for her meatballs throughout the meal. The third of us ordered the steak. I'm not even eating red meat much these days but DAMN. It was good.
The service was on point and very personably. I don't think I've ever had my waitress dancing to LL Cool J while pouring my wine before, but I, for one, liked it.
In summation, Emmy's was a nice break in the middle from the Delfinas and Farinas of the upper-crust italian and your corner pizzeria next to the liquor store of the lower-crust Italian. San Francisco could use more places like this; places in the middle.
I don't really like when the waitress rolls her eyes at me when I order another bottle of wine, I guess I'm funny that way. I also like to see my food when I'm eating it, the place is lit like a nightclub. Hipsters serving spaghetti and meatball with an attitude in a poorly lit booth is just unappetizing. Needless to say I felt sick after
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I don't know whether I should start with the food, or the not-food experience. But since this review shall be stream of consciousness, I suppose it will not matter.
Food it is: Yummy. Giant meatballs of goodness. Pasta perfectly al dente and big enough to share with your cousin if you get some apps. And the sauce was just a touch devilishly spicy, perfectly fitting in with the night. We got the beets (oh my good!). I used to think beets were just ok and would eat them. Not these beets, these beets are awesome. I will beet down anyone who stands between me and these beets, or anyone who hates bad puns.
The fries were also great. They were _really_ thick and long (get your minds out of the gutter) and came with HOMEMADE ketchup. I didn't even know people COULD make that stuff, that it was all done by a machine process, but there are times when I am happy to be wrong.
They also have 4 specialty drinks on the back of the awesomely handwritten and drawn and laminated menu. The High Roller was good, but the Thyme Bomb was where it's at: who would have thought a thyme infused martini is what we all needed in life? I mean, other than Emmy.
The host/waiter was the most interesting character I've seen in a while. He had the body of a gay gym rat (or motorcycle thug but without the gut, but we are in SF, so I stand by the former), the (black) clothes, shaved head, and tattoo sleeves of a whisky drinking hard rocker, and the deep voice of Satan. Not the red Satan with a pitchfork, but the one who you listen to and actually think whatever he's saying is a good idea. He's smart, nice and convincing. Al Pacino Satan. The one who tells you that sometimes a little fun can be had when behaving badly.
It was a Wed night when we arrived, and the place was fully hopin' by 7pm. So Satan told us we couldn't block the doorway, to either go to their bar, or the bar next door on the corner. Restaurant bar being full, we opted for scenario B, and the second we walked in, it was like walking into a real like Moe's Tavern (from the Simpsons), even down to the leather-faced old men who were shocked and happy to see four 20-somethings walk into their bar. The bar was quiet and dark and at first, uninviting. I think most people do not take Scenario B. As we file in, one guy says in his creepiest voice, "Oh, they've got a long wait next door already, huh? hahaha." Actually, I think it was Danny Trejo/Razor Charlie from the movie From Dusk Till Dawn, but I can't be sure. The girls in the group looked at each other in dismay.
We order, sit, and chat among ourselves. And suddenly, one of the three regulars there puts on that Santana cd that where he has all those other famous musicians. Loudly. I for some reason can't describe the otherworldlyness of that bar right now, but let's just say that at first, those guys seemed weirded out by our presence, then quickly got eager to talk to us, then completely left us alone and continued to sit and not talk to anyone at all. Together.
Thankfully, maybe 10 minutes later Satan came bounding through the wall just at the right moment (we were hungry and having a hard time hearing each other). He boomed "Your table is ready, come this way!" There was a secret door going from the restaurant to the bar, which I don't think was there before Satan came in, and I'm fairly certain retreated back to the netherworld it came from after we walked through it. We could bring our drinks in tow, which Satan was of course happy about, being the catalyst for all things debaucherous.
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This is actually a great little spot, and I mean little! This poses to be a problem with the growing popularity-it's very unorganized. We arrived at eight (were told it'd be about a thirty minute wait), we were sat at nine fifteen, they had scratched our name off the wait list (which is just a tiny notepad). It wasn't until we asked the third time that we finally got sat! The staff is very friendly and multi-task like no other, the bartender was not only making drinks, but running food and helping bus tables (now that is service)! As far as the food goes, the salads were the best, the spinach, orange, walnut, jicama salad and the cesar salad were lovely, great flavors and textures. I, of course, had the spaghetti with meatballs, which was enjoyable but not memorable-I was expecting something outstanding and it was just ok, it is hard to mess up spaghetti but it wouldn't have hurt to have given it a kick or a unique twist on an old classic! Dessert though brought everything back up again, the lemon cake was divine, light, airy, fresh and full of lemon goodness in every bite, topped off with a scoop of ice cream-it brought great closure to our meal. Note though, if you are looking for a quiet outing this is not the place, considering how small the space is and stuffed full of people the noise level gets quite high, not-to-mention, there was a DJ on friday, which is a lot to deal with in a space this size. The lighting could also be turned up just a bit, I could hardly see the faces of the people I was dining with across the booth. All in all though, Emmy's is at least a one time try!
Great spaghetti + meatballs, like all spaghetti + meatballs should be made like theirs.
Parking sucks.
Friendly staff.
Can be noisy inside. If you have a party bigger than 6, make sure you call in, or forget about it.
I dig Emmy's! If I lived here I'd be a regular. In fact, I think I just might have to open my own iteration, Sadie's Spaghetti Shack of Greenpoint, BK.
Sadie's Spaghetti Shack will retain the scrumptious limited menu of spaghetti, spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread and salad; the relaxed vibe and torn naugahyde booths; the reasonable prices and hand-printed menus.
It will NOT have a lackadaisical and somewhat snide hostess who can't manage the long lines efficiently. Nor a somewhat patronizing waitress. Nor a dull chocolate-peanut-butter blob that tastes like an overgrown peanut butter cup.
Oh, and I think I'll dispense with the kinda groovy logo and the metal sheeting on the ceiling that adds to the shack-like air. Works in San Francisco, but we'll have to tailor things a little bit to the new clientele.
See you there! Oh and bring cash. I don't take plastic.
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I tried their spaghetti with meatballs.. and those meatballs were HUGE! like, bigger-than-my-boobs huge, well almost.
overall: mediocre taste, a lot of food, and cheap. with the same amount of $, I could just go over to Safeway, get a jar of Ragu and some noodles, and probably make better spaghetti myself at home though..
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Why is this place so freaking good? I mean, its just spaghetti. What can be so damn good about spaghetti? And the garlic bread? Don't even get me started on that.
I'll tell you why its so good. A bottle of 40oz Mickey's Malt beer. That's it. I mean who in the world serves a 40oz bottle of beer? No one. Except the liquor store around the corner. Even then you are hiding it in a brown paper bag.
We got here at 7pm and the wait was 30 mins. Can you imagine going here during the prime dinner time? Nuts. Always get here early. They open at 5:30pm. It's def wise to come in and put your name down. We were lucky enough that people were leaving as we came, so the wait wasn't that long. As the night progressed the diners took longer, so those who waited were probably pissed as hell staring at our food.
We started off with the garlic bread and a bottle of the 96' Poppy red wine. The garlic bread was amazing. It was slightly spread with a fresh garlic mixture, strong yet because they didn't spread it entirly, was just enough. The bread was soft yet crisp at the same time. Amazing. 4 of those and you are in heaven.
We then got our round of spaghetti. Let me tell you, whatever they put in this was amazing. It came out piping HOT. My contacts were getting foggy as I was eating. They gave us a hefty portion as well. Def worth the $8.00, Even though it is a simple dish, you can appreciate the flavors coming from it. The pasta was firm yet tender. The sauce was an authentic italian sauce. Spicy yet not too sweet.
I would HIGHLY recommend this place. Come EARLY! Bring your fat pants!
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I love this place, but sometimes the service can really suck. Do they even train their waitstaff, or do some of the waitresses just not care?
On our last visit, the service was so bad that we actually left a very bad tip-- which is something I never do! No one stopped by the table to see how our food was, and one in our party had to wait ten minutes to ask the waitress for parmesan for the pasta, the poor thing. The bartender helped our table more than the waitress did. I have had excellent service there, but not with a few members of the waitstaff, who are so bad that it hurts the entire place. It would be better if the service was more consistant, and not so hit-or-miss, depending on who your server is.
Props to the seasonal salads on the menu. They never disappoint! And the dessert beignet things (AKA crackballs) live up to their hype! Yum.
I would like to start off by saying that Emmy's Spaghetti Shack has great food. So, naturally I insisted that we take our out-of-town guests there for dinner. We enjoyed some great cocktails, and appetizers but when we asked to add an additional appetizer to meal before our entrees, we were turned down! We were told that the chef did not allow more than two courses and we would have to go ahead and order our meals. I was very embarrassed for bringing my friends to the restaurant, especially because there was only two tables sat in the entire place including ours and it was only 6pm.
When we finished our meals the waitress asked if we had room for dessert, and I replied "yes can we get the short ribs?"
I've been trying to find places that are closer to my house to eat at, so I decided to check out this place after reading my friend's review. I was for some reason expecting a small sort of mom and pop-ish kind of shop. I walk in and I'm confronted with this place that looks and feels like a bar. Alright, cool. I'm already stoked cuz I scored a sweet parking spot right outside because parking is horrible in this area. What's even better is that its 7 and there are several tables open. The three of us slide into a booth with really worn down, well-loved seats. It's dark and I have to talk really loud to talk to my friend sitting three feet in front of me. The waitress is tattooed up one arm and dressed trendy chic and is really sweet and helpful. Two of us get spaghetti and meatballs, one of us a creamy pasta dish with peas, proscuitto i think and some fried leeks. Spaghetti and meatballs were better than the pasta, but both were really tasty. The spaghetti and meatballs tasted as you would expect spaghetti and meatballs to taste. It was really good, filling, comfort food, and at ten dollars a huge plate, how can i complain? They even give you foccacia bread with some good olive oil. I loved it :) No beers on tap unfortunately, but you have a full bar to choose your drinks from! For the three of us, a few beers, three entrees and an appetizer, if was 65 including tax and tip ($10 spaghetti + $10 spaghetti + $14 pasta + $8 appetizer + $8 beers + 15 tax and tip). It got pretty packed by 7:30-8 and there was a line at the door.
Overall, if you can find parking and beat the line, it's a chill spot to kick back with some friends for some beer and good spaghetti with meatballs almost the size of your fist. Their menu changes every couple of months, but I'm sure the spaghetti will always be an option :)
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I would go here every week if I could. I always have a great time. There is always something yummy and inventive on the appetizer menu....as for my entree...I have to stick with the spaghetti and meatballs because its just THAT good. Large portions, so I always have some leftover for lunch the next day. Great cocktails as well. Never tried the dessert.....have never been able to even consider it. ;) Good wine list and any place with 40's of beer has to be fun! Yes, it's always packed...but if I get there before 8pm I can usually secure a booth after one drink at the bar.
I'll admit. I am biased.
I learned to make meatballs over a stove when I was seven with countless Italians talking with hand gestures behind me.
It could be that this place was way too hyped. Like Napoleon Dynamite. There is no way you can like that movie after all the hype it received. Gosh.
The wine was good. The waitress was crappy. The meatballs and spaghetti were "meh" and in very large portions.
If i could sum up this experience in one word it would be: whatsthedealwiththisplace-ijustdontgetit.
which, by the way was mary poppins second favorite word.
I love Emmy's... Emmy's does not love me. Nor my family. Though it's usually elbows to hipster-elbows in there. Even the ex-hipster now yupster-families are usually croweded in there with their broods earlier in the evening.
That said I am sad to say that Emmy's isn't there for me in the following ways:
1. The music is always too loud to carry a conversation around. I mean, if it's a club it's a club, but if you're sitting in booths trying to order food by screaming and converse by screaming... you end up sitting in sad silence.
2. Seating is really broken on many benches and I have to sit on my feet so I can see the table. (no, I am not smurf.)
3. Wait staff are hit and miss, some are super nice, others really can't be bothered. I hate beautiful trendy staff that can't be bothered. :/
4. Pasta is decent but not groundbreaking--but it costs a fair amount.
5. No veggie meatballs. All a vegetarian can get at this Spaghetti shack is ... plain spaghetti. (or the macaroni and cheese when they have it which is amazing)
I reserve this restaurant for out-of-towners who I want to think I am cool because I know of this place. Even though I am _always_ disappointed.
See...
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What a great & random find!
My buddy and I decided to trek all the way out to Bernal Heights just to check this place out and were both very pleased! The wait was an hour + on a Friday nite, but after about 15 min, we were able to swoop in on a pair of seats at the bar and decided to just eat there. I was pretty shocked at how small the place is. I mean it is called a shack, so I guess they weren't kidding. I literally hit 2 people w/ the door when just trying to squeeze inside. =X I absolutely love the feel of this place & how it's a good ol' hole in the wall w/ a hint of NY. The place is decorated w/ all sorts of hipster stuff that brings a lot of character to the table and the best part was that they managed to squeeze in a DJ who had awesome taste (A Tribe Called Quest?? I love it!). This is definitely a Mission-y kinda joint.
I was surprised to discover that they had a full bar w/ a creative cocktail menu, Chimay, Stella, plus lots more drinks to serve up AND 40 oz's! We started off w/ their Citrus salad which was absolutely delicious and looked & tasted as though it came from a high end restaurant! It had light dressing & was topped w/ goodies such as Red Blood Oranges. Mmm! Their Cesear Salad looked just as good, so I think I'll have to give that a shot next time. As far as the spaghetti went, I got a gigantic portion w/ grande meatballs on top and boy was it tasty! I brought the leftovers home (in a Chinese takeout box. awesome!) which lasted another 2 meals. Not only was the food great, but the prices were just as pleasing.
The only real negatives are the wait & the horrendous lack of parking, but you can't really knock em' for things that are outta their control.
As far as service went, our server/bartender was a sweet, attentive, tattooed up guy who knew how to keep us 2 girls happy.
I don't care if it's in Bernal Heights. I'm making my way out there again soon!
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The Good: Food is really good. If my reviews were based on this, solely, I'd give them 4 stars. Unfortunately, the eating experience is not just how good the food is.
The Bad: We were asked to wait 1 hour. It is a hipster-den. This may bother some, but is normal for the Mission.
The Ugly: Waiting an hour for a meal in SF is not uncommon. In fact, I've come to accept it as a part of the dinning experience. Fine. Get a drink next door. Fine. Watch a crack-head try to cut his wrists outside - fine, this is also commonplace in our fine city. What's not fine is being lied to from our host when being asked to wait for one hour when in fact we waited 2. This is not fine and not acceptable. In a restaurant where the capacity can be no more than 30, you'd think they know pretty accurately when a table for 6 would be available.
I can't stand waiting for food, and we were the idiots to wait, however after an hour and a half, we figured we had to stick it out. This was my third, and last, time eating there and each time was a ridiculous wait for food.
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I dined here last night with a bunch of skinny bitches and some guy who says he is straight but probably isn't. He is kind of a skinny bitch too.
We decided to watch the hipsters coexist in their natural habitat.
So, as you know, skinny bitches don't normally EAT spaghetti. Unlike bitchy hipsters, who can eat up to three times their average weight of 97 lbs, and carry 5 times their weight on the back of their road bikes while pedaling uphill, as long as one pants leg is sufficiently cuffed.
Imagine our awe as we inspected and prodded the mounds of steaming noodles served to us by an attractive "punk-rock" looking female. She was branded. Her hair was colored two-toned, I believe to show her dominance in relation to the rest of the pack.
We struggled for a while, trying to keep the spaghetti on our forks. As we watched a table of hipsters feed their young, we studied the twirling patterns they made against the spoon. These are truly remarkable creatures.
The spaghetti was good, and I began to wish I had more layers in my bangs. I think I was getting caught up in the moment.
We then proceeded to get drunk off the "poppy seed" pinot.
Skinny bitches like that kind of thing, so we were glad it was on the menu.
I couldn't finish the spaghetti of course. They boxed up the leftovers in a Chinese takeout container. I thought that humorous due to its irony, as they were clearly noodles from a very different region.
I will return. Next time during mating season, equipped with binoculars, my camera and a few tranquilizer darts.
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I think the next hipster trend is going to be wearing frilly kitschy aprons with skinny jeans and chucks. Emmy's is full of hipsters eating some of of the best spaghetti and meatballs I have tried. Emmy's is also full of frilly aprons hanging from the ceiling. It is also a shack, they weren't kidding. But it is sort of a love shack, a love shack full of hipsters. The menu is simple and smallish but tasty so that you can take in the decor and people watch properly, rather than spending your time trying to make a decision on what to order. They also serve this whiskey drink that is really good and could cause the hipsters to get drunk enough to get inspired to wear the frilly aprons I speak of. What I don't quite understand is how the hipsters still fit into their skinny jeans after consuming so many carbs.
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yum ... this place in delicious. i loves me some spaghetti and meatballs. it's a heavy dish so i'm sure you'll be taking some home for later. it's like the leftovers in your fridge that you can't stop thinking about . then you eat it soon as you find an inch of room in your stomach. so, the food is fantastic and the drinks are incredible... here's what sucks... the seating. the place is small, the booths are proportioned wrong (i'm small and the booths made me feel like i was stuck in an elevator with fabulous food) and it tends to get loud in this place. best bet is to go find a spot at the bar and eat there. you'll have much more room and your glass will never be empty.
Wanna know something? If you insist on going to North Beach for halfway decent Italian food, you're a damn fool. You should drag yourself to the Outer Mission, and have the *experience* of eating at Emmy's Spaghetti Shack
Granted, Emmy's is *not* a "Buongiorno, signorina, stasera abbiamo Agnello con Finocchieto Siciliano e Conchiglie al Sugo de Carne" type of place. It's more like a "I'll have a Spaghetti & Meatballs with a side of fries and a Mickey's 40 oz. malt beverage, please" sort of joint.
Unlike the forced "authenticity" of many establishments in North Beach, this place has CHARACTER in spades - our servers all had multiple tattoos and/or piercings, the walls had really funky artwork, there are at LEAST 15 pieces of flair on the walls, and every menu looks hand drawn. Getting seating for more than six can be challenging - we got smart and showed up at 5:30pm (right when they opened) - good idea, since after we sat down, it got PACKED.
On the table this evening:
Bruschetta with Warm Gorgonzola and Pear
Roasted Beets with Horseradish Cream
Garlic Bread (with huge chunks of fresh garlic!)
Spaghetti & Meatballs
Risotto
French Fries
Papardelle Carbonara
Flatiron Steak with Potatoes
The food is really good and portions are generous (I ended up with leftovers). The service is quick and friendly. The atmosphere is totally chill - no need to dress up unless you want to. I say, "Fuck North Beach." I totally heart Emmy's Spaghetti Shack - I will mos' def' be back soon!
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3 stars for the food that I had today, though I did have some ice cream before coming to the famed Spaghetti Shack.... so my appetite was already affected. I liked that this place served 40oz Mickeys... and CHIMAY BLUE (which earns this place a 4th star).
I wasn't super crazy about their meatballs (and you know i like balls of meat), but the spaghetti did remind me of the consistency and sauce-coverage of Filipino spaghetti--covered in enough sauce, but not drenched. I like the cheesy risotto, the fries with the ketchup and aioli sauce, and the steak and potatoes that I had. They don't have steak sauce, but they'll give you a relish made of tiny tomatoes/rosemary/caramelized onions... and some other stuff as well.
I will come back and try the bruschetta with the pears and blue cheese, as well as the pappardelle with the cream sauce (cause I like cream sauces).
The environment was pretty chill and the service was great. I like the mix-and-match wall arts and decor as well.
Advice: get there early (before they open) so you can ensure your party of 6 (who should all be present) can all sit together.... this place gets packed. They do take VISA/MC, but our party thought they only accepted cash payments. They added gratuity to our bill for a party of 6.
And as usual--10 SHINING STARS to the wonderful company and an *EKCHITING TO DA MAX* new beginning to two of them.
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C and I were in the mood for some good old fashioned spaghetti and meatballs, so of course we went to Emmy's.
After shots of Maker's Mark next door at the bar we settled into our booth and ordered a couple of High Rollers for good measure. The caesar salad, pear bruschetta and pancetta pasta were really tasty and super memorable. The meatball sandwich was surprisingly just okay.
The servers were absolutely adorable, and the sweetest girls. Thank god, because just as we started into our entrees, a pipe burst over our heads! We heard a drip, drip, drip and then all of the sudden waitresses came out with buckets to catch water falling from the ceiling. They fell all over themselves apologizing, replaced our food and comped our meal, which actually made the whole situation pretty humorous.
Feel like comfort food and cocktails? Emmy's will do you right.
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Man, I just can't keep up with these Mission-Bernal hipster joints. I finally got around to Emmy's and now The Front Porch has already overtaken it. But anyway...
If you've ever wondered why high-end food has to be served in an upscale atmosphere, Emmy's is for you. It's got a decidedly indie ambiance somewhere between a coffee house and a bar, right down to the waitresses' clothes and the soundtrack. Of course, this is one of those ideas that are so brilliant they can easily implode under their own success, and with only 10 tables, Emmy's has a permanent contingent of people rather awkwardly squeezed in by the front door waiting for a spot. Naturally we went on a weeknight, but even then we barely got the last table right before a massive crush hit at 7:15. So I'd go real early if you want to be safe.
So is Emmy's worth the trouble? Ultimately it comes down to how you like the food, and I'm not a huge Italian fan, so it doesn't quite make classic status in my book. But I must say that their spaghetti and meatballs (according to the wife it was ok to order this since we didn't *know* they were beef) is a beautiful spiral triskele of homey goodness, and the garlic bread doesn't pull any punches. I really wanted to try the ricotta "crack balls", but you know, tyranny of the chocoholic spouse and all, so we had the chocolate truffle cake. Impressive portions but not too special.
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OMG!
I've only been here twice but I seriously could have died a happy woman after each visit. It has been a long time since I have enjoyed food this much. I love the atmosphere, the staff, and of course the food is so good it makes me wanna cry. Yes, it can be busy but what place in SF doesn't have a long ass wait? Trust me, this one is soooo worth the wait!
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No reservations, which I avoid unless I hear great things about a place. I heard this place was great, so I decided to give it a try. I don't know what all the fuss is about. Yeah, the meatballs were huge, but the spaghetti and sauce were dry as toast. Not only was the food bad, but the service was worse. The hostess who has been mentioned several times in reviews is real and really rude. I'm known to be a sweet person and I waited tables in college, so I know about the work, but she was so rude I even had to say something to her and the way she was treat customers. Nobody could pay me enough to return here.
Charming in every single capacity, the staff is super friendly and the food is so divine, the meatballs here are made from angel kisses, or something like that, it's small and always crowded, they don't take reservations, but you can saddle up to the small bar, have a good glass of wine while you wait, then dig in, finish off with a glass of Fernet, and go home very, very happy, or go over to The Elbo Room for a nightcap. Easily one of my favorite restaurants in San Francisco, I've never had a bad meal here, even though one time the roof was leaking, literally leaking water like in a small faucet stream, but instead of being freaks the cool staff and equally cool patrons took it in this kind of sitcom woe-is-me farcical humor, which made that particular night, that much more charming. Go here, go here a lot!
Emmy's is fun and cute. Yes its full of hipsters, but isn't everywhere lately?
They have DJ's spinning sometimes that aren't all that bad and a pretty good cheap-wine-by-the-glass selection. The romaine/caesar salad with crispy cheese bits was fantastic. I also had some creamy pasta thing that was pretty good, but I still fantasize about the salad. The desserts are fab too.
On the other hand my friend had the spaghetti and meatball's and the general consensus was that it was pretty lame. It tasted like cheap canned sauce and the meatballs had absolutely no flavor besides meat. No seasoning. It tasted like roadkill to me but I have been vegetarian for about ten years (tasting is okay, obviously). But even the meateater agreed it didn't taste like much besides lukewarm dead cow.
Bizarrely, I recommend going to the spaghetti shack to eat anything but the spaghetti.
I enjoy Emmy's every time I go there. Usually order the spaghetti and meatballs. I personally think their meatballs are some of the best around. A good neighborhood restaurant, a little small and crowded sometimes, but I think it's a fun place for a good Italian meal.
Had a craving for good spaghetti a couple days ago and the only place that came to mind is good ol' Emmy's Spaghetti Shack! Swung by there to pick up an order of spaghetti w/ meatballs and a salad to go and headed home for some nice "comfort food" at home w/ some '02 Terrazas Malbec to boot!
Their spaghetti is always "al dente" and the savory meatballs are really among the best I've had anywhere. The sauce has just the right amount of herbs and spices and just sticks to the noodles. Righting this review makes me want to run down there for another order!
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EDIT: I don't know why I didn't give 5 stars to begin with. They rule.
If you have an hour or so to spar