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Kabuki Kitchen - CLOSED
Category: Restaurants American (New) American (New) [Edit]
1881 Post St(between Fillmore St & Webster St)
San Francisco, CA 94115
Neighborhoods: Japantown, Lower Pac Heights, Pacific Heights
(415) 929-4650
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage, Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
About This Business:
We're a sports bar with 8 large HDTVs to watch your favorite local teams & 24 beers on tap. We are famous for our Irish Coffees-for over 53 years.… read more »
20 reviews for Kabuki Kitchen
20 reviews in English
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Review from Sarah N.
San Francisco, CA
5/26/2008
I ate at the Kabuki Kitchen last night and had nothing, but a great experience. The wait staff was nice and gladly gave me some recommendations on what to order. I took their recommendations and ordered the mixed green salad with fresh strawberries and strawberry vinaigrette. It was fresh, light and every bite delicious. I follwed this with the Organic chicken with garlic mashed and swiss chard. Amazing! The chicken was moist, tender and flavor in every bite.
I will be back, to try more food and take in the great, warm wait staff. -
Review from Bucky K.
San Francisco, CA
3/14/2008
As the waitress was setting down my ice-cold glass of freshly poured Stella it caught the tip of my bread plate sending a small tidal wave of draft beer directly towards the inlet of my crotch. I stood up immediately hoping to out maneuver the impending disaster, but my Jedi reflexes just aren't what they use to be. Instantaneously, a team of overly apologetic workers jump to our table with mops, and towels, and fresh plates, and just work it over in seconds so it looked liked nothing happened... except when you look at me. I am soaked from navel to knees, all the way through my underwear.
Of course, my four other dinning compatriots think this is the funniest thing to happen since Steve Martin's comedy album, "Let's Get Small." (Does that date me?? Should I have gone with Mitch Hedburg or David Cross??) I am giggling and trying to make jokes because our waitress looks mortified and I feel sorry for her. Within a few minutes of toweling off my damp nether regions the chef brings over a complimentary appetizer.
Dinner resumes and I have to tell you, we had a great meal. The food was so much better than what the reviews led me to believe. My only complaint was that I was looking forward to trying the Coca-Cola braised short-ribs and they weren't on the menu that night!! Oh well, we go to the Kabuki Cinemas so frequently that I'm sure we'll be back. Between the five of us (and a late sixth arrival who order an appetizer) all of our dishes were tasty. I didn't hear one complaint.
A nice touch is that if you have tickets to a movie next door, they have flat screen TVs in the restaurant showing whether your movie is seating AND if it is whether the previews have started or not. How supremely badass is that???
This whole Sundance Kabuki Package is just getting better and better all the time.... -
Review from daisy b.
San Francisco, CA
7/24/2007
THEY DO NOT HAVE THEIR LIQUOR LICENSE. THIS MEANS NO WINE, NO BEER... NOTHING WITH WHICH TO WASH AWAY THE WORK DAY. (They claim they're working on it. I only hope, for the sake of humanity, this is true.)
Sorry to yell, but I really wish someone had screamed this in my face when I walked in. It would've saved my friend and I the terrible moment of realization when we scanned the restaurant saw nary a wine bottle and noticed everyone drinking water... and I also wouldn't have felt the need to ask our waitress for a "side of heroin." Which, unfortunately for my friend, I actually did.
I'll be honest: We were just grabbing food before a movie and I really wanted Pasta Pomodoro - which is sort of the perfect pre-movie dinner - but since this replaced Pasta Pomodoro (despite the fact that the interior remains unchanged), we went to its replacement. Apparently the chef is from Boulevard... And that may be so (my pasta was pretty yummy), but if it is true, I feel his talents will be wasted at this place. Our salads and dinner all arrived too quickly and the entire meal took less than 25 minutes. When you're paying $14 for a plate of pasta, it seems it should feel a bit more special than a fast food restaurant.
I guess if you're grabbing food before a movie, it's a decent option. Otherwise, there is NO reason to go here. None. At least not until they start serving wine. That makes EVERYTHING at least a little better, dontcha think? -
Review from Jason R.
San Francisco, CA
4/13/2008
We tried the Kabuki Kitchen today, coming out of the Cherry Blossom Festival and I can't say we were impressed.
The menu isn't extensive and it's kinda pricey, but the payoff just wasn't there.
I've had half a dozen tuna tartars in San Francisco that were tastier, bigger and less expensive than this place.
I might give them another shot, but it was just a little bit of a letdown. -
Review from Shari S.
Livermore, CA
5/19/2008
I honestly am shocked about the reviews on here. I went here for a belated birthday dinner from a friend, and it was an excellent experience. First off we were recommended a Pinot Noir by our server Sherman. It was by far the best Pinot Noir I've ever had. Update* 2006 Praxis Pinot Noir...Sonoma County...spoke to the winemakers wife...great people! Can't wait to go wine tasting there! (http://www.arbioscella...)
We had all appetizers...the three cheese plate (grilled, fried, and something'ed Greek cheeses), little Gem salads, and the Mediterranean platter which was 3-4 dips with grilled pita. Everything was wonderful, as was our service. After our meal we retreated to the bar where Sherman recommended we try Hoegaarden if we've never had it (we told him we love Blue Moon). It was freaking amazing, and I now order it where ever I go if they carry it. (Seems to be an SF thing).
I will definitely be back. I loved this place! -
Review from Kellie P.
San Francisco, CA
6/16/2007
This place used to be Pasta Pomodoro, and it shows. It's nearly exactly the same decor, but more bare. The floor, booths, and tables are all the same.
The food was good. We had the Mac & Cheese appetizer (yummy and big enough to be a meal for one), and my partner had the pork chop while I had the lamb. Unfortunately, (according to the menu) I was supposed to have a sweet potato puree and some corn bread with it, but I was served polenta and garlic broccoli rabe. This was probably because they were out of the sides. They seemed to be out of a lot of stuff -- at least one entree and almost all of the desserts.
Oh, they also don't seem to have their liquor license yet, as I saw no evidence of beer or wine in the restaurant.
The service was good, and we got a 10% discount for giving them feedback about how to improve the restuarant. I hope they get better with time, because I think they have some potential. -
Review from Kelley B.
San Francisco, CA
1/11/2008
My Best friend and I ate here last night. Fantastic! They have an avocado and sweet potato tempura salad!! Need I say more...
Also, they put the Movie you are going to see on the table so your server is sure that you make it.
Good Times! -
Review from Jill W.
San Francisco, CA
7/23/2007
How sad, how very, very sad. I was hoping for the best from this place especially since it shares the same name as the great movie theatre next door. Sadly, this place blows about as hard "As I Now Pronounce you Chuck and Larry" is supposed to. The food wasn't necessarily horrible but the service was DISMAL. My friend asked for no pancetta on his salad, as he doesn't eat pig and the salad was delivered with pancetta. No big deal, right? Just be nice, ask again for no pancetta, and wait for a new salad to arrive. Sadly, the salad never came. The waitress didn't seem to understand that showing someone food does not quell hunger and was confused when we asked where the salad with no pancetta was. "Oh, you wanted a new one?" She said.
The salad that I ate was a little bland but not horrible. The french onion soup was luke warm and also a little bland.
The only reason this place gets two stars instead of one is because they have the Kabuki movie show times artfully scribbled in chalk on a big wall. I'm thinking about writing Robert Redford a letter... -
Review from Don H.
1/15/2008
I feel this review might be a 2-star review, but they were clearly early enough into their post-renovation, with confusion over the state of the wine list and all, that I'll give them a little extra credit until I try it again.
It looks like a reasonably nice place - lots of earth tones everywhere, in a 2-level restaurant space with a big open kitchen in the back (yeah, I know, another one), and a mix of tables and very soft, cushy, comfy booths. There's a full bar (apparently the Sundance folks like their booze. Full bar in the restaurant, in the cafe, in the theatre... I approve!), and a suprisingly interesting wine list of small producers you'll mostly have never heard of. Their set of by-the-glass selections was a bit up in the air when we visited, but after trying a disappointingly young zin, we found a tempranillo that was delicious for a fairly reasonable $30-ish/bottle.
The menu is a big selection of "let's serve lots of different vaguely-fancy sounding things!" Unfortunately, this seems to translate into lots of things that don't turn out so well.
The pizza crust was far too floury, with a distinctly odd fried-flatbread sort of texture, with a rather bland sauce. At least the house-made sausage wasn't too bad and had a subtle spice, and the peppers and sweet onions helped make up for it.
The game hen was dry, and paired with a too-sweet sauce you'd expect to be paired more with Chinese food than a subtle game hen that did it no favors, and combined very poorly with the vegetables that were cooked in it.
On the plus side, the servers were very friendly (though there was almost no one else in the restaurant to keep them busy), inquired as to whether we'd just seen a movie or were about to, and made sure that we wouldn't be late for the film. There are also 2 flat screens just inside the door listing the upcoming showtimes for all the movies next door to help you keep track.
At the prices they're charging, the food quality really needs to improve if they want to maintain any business, but the wine selection is interesting and not horribly overpriced, and they do seem pretty well integrated with the theatre. Here's hoping it gets better. -
Review from Karsten P.
San Francisco, CA
7/22/2007
I only realized this place wasn't Pasta Pomodoro when I looked at the menu an thought to myself, "when did these guys start serving Mac & Cheese?"
We gave it a shot anyway - two of us ordered panini and the third got a burger. I'd describe what we got and our service as satisfactory, with the skin-on fries being above average. Good for something quick before or after a movie at the Kabuki. -
Review from William h.
San Francisco, CA
3/30/2008
3 out of 3 stars
Great food, good service. Perfect for what it is. Lets be honest, this is not meant to be a 5 star restaurant. Kabuki fills the gap by offering western style dinning in an area overrun with sushi. Ordered the Pizza's and Calimari salad. Everything was perfect. Salad was crisp garbanzos firm, calimari cooked to perfection. Pizza was perfect as well. Try this place before the show. If you dont like the place, vote with your feet. Mixed drinks, beer served in tall frosty steins what more do you want. -
Review from Tiz C.
San Francisco, CA
3/20/2008
Having read the recent reviews I almost steered clear of the Kabuki Kitchen. We bravely sat down, expecting to be disappointed but in the end we were pleasantly surprised with the result. No, this isn't a fabulous restaurant but it was a very decent pre-film meal.
We started with a mixed green salad. Honestly, not much lettuce for the price and the cranberry garnish a little lackluster. The meal picked up with the tune poke, stacked on avocado and mashed potatoes of all things and the arugula pizza.
Beyond the salad, my complaints are as follows:
1) After sitting down pretty quickly it took a long time for any server to come over and take an order. I began asking the busboy for assistance.
2) They had run out of most of their white wine bottles... so we had to order by the glass. One can only assume that they had a lot more business with the asian american film festival.... but come on!
3) The service was a little discombobulated. They started serving food before finally bringing our wine. -
Review from Jen F.
San Francisco, CA
8/8/2008
What the hell happened to customer service in this town??
Just had a horrible experience at Kabuki Kitchen. I went in with a great attitude after cheering up a friend and wanted to grab a bite and a few drinks. I wanted to order sliders from the bar (along with other items from the dining room menu), but the manager told us we couldn't have them at a table just a few feet away from the bar.
Guess that would have confused our lame waiter. -
Review from Becky G.
San Francisco, CA
3/7/2008
I am feeling charitable tonight so I am giving this place 2 stars but it's a stretch. I have been to this restaurant numerous times all with pretty much the same sad results.
Since the latest renovation and the chef from Boulevard, the menu has changed a bit (no more sandwiches, burger, or mac & cheese) and the prices are definitely higher. At those prices they need to step up their game.
I find the service to be lackluster. Tonight our waitress wasn't familiar with items on the menu. I literally had to wave my arms in the air to catch the attention of the person refilling everyone else's water glass - I wasn't successful :( I had to ask for a fork for my dessert -- they seriously expected me to use my coffee spoon. I have NEVER had a server check in with me during my meal to see how everything is all the times I have dined here. I feel like I am in a fast food restaurant at full service prices.
Tonight I had Asparagus Risotto. It was a bit too gloopy for my tastes. It did have an OK flavor otherwise. I now stay away from their pastas after a couple experiences of blobs of noodles that could have been prepared by beginning cooks.
One word about their desserts: DON'T. We should have known better. The desserts on the menu all seemed a bit autumnal; isn't spring just a few weeks away? There is a reason for eating what's in season.
I don't hold out much hope for this restaurant (unless Sundance has unlimited cash to plow into this venture). I have never been to this restaurant when more than 4 other tables were occupied. The upside is that you can always be seated, but do you want to be? -
Review from Nilu r.
San Francisco, CA
8/11/2007
This place only does business because people are hungry before a movie and are desperately trying to fill up so they don't get a large popcorn and king size milk duds at the theater next door for dinner. If you ask me, just eat the popcorn and milk duds ...
Its not that the food is bad. The sandwiches we ordered were tasty and the prices are very reasonable. I liked that my salad had fresh blueberries on it. The Cuban panini was really yummy, and my chicken sandwich was tasty with a unique pesto that was very good. However, the service was horrible. Our food got to us ice cold. We could see it sitting on the counter as our waitress was fiddling with the computer for 10 minutes! Then we were asked if we were seeing a movie next door!!! As if anyone who keeps looking at their watch impatiently and then casting evil glances towards their food getting cold on the counter and then trying to catch the eye of one of the 5 aimlessly walking servers is just there to enjoy the ambiance!!!!
Oh yeah I almost forgot about the "ambiance":
The decor is a strangely ugly hodge podge of 50's diner meets 80's cheesy chain restaurant, meets a talentless designer in 2007! It looks like each part of the place was designed by a different person and thrown together poorly. Very hard on the eyes.
I am sad to have to rip them to pieces. I really love the theater and the people seem really nice. Maybe they will work out the kinks as time goes by. Lets hope. -
Review from Ed R.
San Francisco, CA
6/2/2007
Looks like a 50's style diner, but food is delicious + reasonably priced. I had a salmon steak with cauliflower and capers, which was fine. She had a pasta carbonara with crunchy peas & beans, also very good. The service is excellent and fast. You would expect to pay more for the high quality of food here.
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Review from Bob N.
San Francisco, CA
2/4/2008
The food is edible, but I can't say I've ever enjoyed anything. I have tried the place several times, since I love the Sundance Kabuki. I was hoping it would get better with time, but it seems to be declining. Last night, unbelievably bland "goat cheese" mac and cheese (with a hard clump of mozzarella on top?). My friend had a cold, disappointing roast beef sandwich and we shared a salad that was not very good--46 bucks total. It's convenient, overpriced, not great. Maybe sticking with a simple pizza is the way to go. I really want to like this joint, but they're making it difficult.
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Review from Elizabeth R.
San Francisco, CA
1/28/2008
Checked out this "new" spot tonight for appetizers and drinks. Great experience! I had family "in the biz" visiting from Vegas and my super picky sister with me and we all enjoyed every bite. The sausage pizza was yummy, the mac and cheese divine, and the baba ganoush sampler interesting (I'm slowly warming up to this mediterranean dish). We had a bottle of a very refreshing vinho verde at a very reasonable price ($24). The total came out to $54 + tip for three people. The executive chef came out and chatted with us and the bartender and serving staff were all very welcoming. There were some obvious growing pains (there was a mix up with the wine another table ordered) but I do hope fellow yelpers learn to love this hidden gem - it is a welcome addition to the neighborhood.
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Review from E L.
San Francisco, CA
12/19/2007
In one word: Bad. Passable mac & cheese. Bad cheese three ways. Terrible short ribs. The pork was undercooked! There was little meat, Iit was too salty and the Coca-Cola glaze was no where to be found. What a terrible meal.
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Review from chela z.
El Cerrito, CA
3/9/2008
Best of the best! The new Executive Chef Mark Lackie has completely revamped the menu. You've got to try the succulent rib eye and the sweet breads and the saffron creme brulee deserves honorable metion. Top notch.
