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Categories: Diners, Coffee & Tea [Edit]
Neighborhood: Civic Center/Tenderloin5 stars for the diner clientele alone.
The food isn't that great (try the turkey mac and cheese special of the day that's there every day which doesn't really make it "special" anymore) but the people who frequent this place are awesome. You sit there and can listen to the hurried and angered conversation of the neighborhood locals. If you're a female, be prepared to be the only female there except for the waitress/owner/hostess May.
Hurray for Lafayette Coffee Shop!!!!!
I looked like a crackhead. I had just stepped off the plane from a Denver - Los Angeles two night adventure in trance, and I was starved. Also sleep deprived. And probably not smelling very good. On second thought, I looked and smelled like a crackhead.
So when I figured why not head to one of the more colorful parts of town where I'd fit in and have breakfast. Stepping into the Lafayette Coffee Shop, I was definitely not alone in my crackhead aesthetic. I settled into a booth towards the back and devoured a greasy egg white omelet with more hash browns than eggs.
The experience was colorful, the service on the slow side, and I left with a better than breakfast turkey sandwich that was devoured later in the day after falling asleep at the park, still looking like a crackhead.
Ohhhh Lafayette Coffee Shop, you hold some funny memories for me.
I went here with a friend after a night of heavy drinking. Obviously, we wanted greasy breakfast to coat our stomachs so we braved the neighborhood (I was fairly new to the TL at the time) and tried this place. Let me tell you- the food is cheap and no-nonsense. If you want an all-American breakfast, try this place.
We had a great time in there, not just because of the food. Our fellow diners definitely added to our experience as did the owners- Chinese people funnily enough. They yelled at each other the entire time we were there. How is it that Asian people always own diners and cook the best greasy breakfast meals?
Wow.
I love myself some greasy, semi-sketch diners.....but....wow.
The staff is really sweet, which is surprising considering the clientele they deal with every day. From what I saw, only myself and my companion, hadn't peed our pants (yet) or smelled of INTENSE body odor. But all that aside, they were well behaved and probably added to the situation for me more than they didn't. No shortage of entertainment, that's for sure.
The food was decent and insanely cheap....not much to say other than that. The coffee was worse than instant and really put me in a sour mood.....but that was nothing compared to the woman cleaning the floors every five minutes with over bleached water. It made me nauseous and seemed pointless considering the waves of transients and tweakers coming in and out. Similar to Sisyphus (not to be confused with the similar sounding VD) pushing the rock up that hill only to have it fall back down again for the rest of eternity.
You get a lot of bang for your buck, but the service is speedy sort of like the soup nazi. you get a lot of werid fer iolks in and out due to the area. You might get odd comments, and see strange folks, ironiclyl it looks like you go back in time with the decor to the 1930s and the (first) depression.
The booths, are rock hard thought they apper to be plush, maybe they lost therr stuffing after 50+ years without a remodel, the cash register is old and mechanical.
The food is very, filling like added with starch, or msg or something. dont get the dinner, the lunch is more than enough, the pancake syrup is nasty.
They do have cheap food, and other fixings from a getto ass diner.
Ok I only go here for the prime rib, and that's it. The prime rib, for the price, is fantastic-you get this huge, jucy piece of prime rib, with delicious mashed potatoes and gravy, and a side of veggies for a VERY low price! I do take out when I'm not in the mood to deal with a crack addict swearing and scratching herself, however. The atmosphere can be a bit weary at times. The folks who work here are suuuuper nice. I thought to myself a couple of times that, if I ever win the lotto, I would seriously consider coming by and doing a COMPLETE remodel/clean-up of the place and make every piece of furniture unbreakable, given the clientele; also I would consider upgrading the stove/oven, sink, etc. I would definitely include a new self-cleaning bathroom. The food is good and the people who work here are nice, so I would totally consider doing that for them if I ever hit it big.
Despite the rough neighborhood in which it's located and its less-than-sparkling interior, Lafayette Coffee Shop shows its true colors as a friendly neighborhood diner serving up some pretty decent food. No matter what the hour, there are always one or two regulars who drop by and chat with the owners.
If you're in the mood for breakfast, one of the specials at Lafayette will run you only a little over $5 for two large, fluffy pancakes (I can never finish), four slices of bacon, and two eggs. That's half as much as Dotties, and you don't have to wait in the long line. And the food comes out pretty durned fast.
They don't have just breakfast, but burgers, sandwiches, fish, omelettes, and a bunch of rotating dinner specials such as beef stroganoff and corner beef. The portions are HUGE, and the prices are even cheaper than at Dennys.
Cash only.
OK, so it's not in the safest neighborhood in town...
And yeah, the naugahyde booths are held together with duct tape...
And sure, the formica hasn't been replaced since the Johnson administration...
And maybe the clientele is not quite the creme de la creme you hang out with...but hey, at least they talk to themselves.
I'm not sure what made me dance with the devil and come here, but indeed I did. I've seen the signage many times as I raced my car down Hyde to get the hell out of the Tender Nob. The "Prime Rib" tag always intrigued me but not enough for me to actually come here. At least until I read about the "good meat" praised by the more courageous Yelpers who reviewed this place.
So I walked over several derelicts and steeled myself to enter this place. Oh yes, it is a greasy spoon, the likes of which I haven't seen since Travis Bickle was plotting Senator Palantine's assassination in "Taxi Driver". It's smaller than I expected, so all the booths were either full or piled with dirty dishes. I decided to sit at the counter where I had to keep shifting from one stool to the next until I found one that didn't wobble backwards to my possible death.
The staff consists of three people - the cook who never looked up from the grill; Stephanie, who takes the orders and handles the register; and an older woman who mops the floors every five minutes. They talk to each other like the Bickersons, but since they were speaking Cantonese, I had no idea what they were constantly snickering and sniping about. The sticky menu looked fairly generic except they offered dinner plates like the aforementioned Prime Rib for $11.25 and Chicken Fried Steak for $7.40. The daily specials were Baked Ham and Steamed Trout. Nah, none of that sounded appealing at 11:30AM.
So I went for the $6.20 French Dip Sandwich with Hashed Brown Potatoes. Imagine my surprise when I saw generously thick slabs of rare roast beef peeking out from a fresh sourdough roll. The au jus was the ideal chaser though I could have used some vegetable to offset the protein overload. The potatoes were sliced thinly and lightly browned on the griddle. Overall, I thought it was pretty darn good for only $6.20. I have to say everyone seemed pretty happy with their orders here. I know because they would yell that to Stephanie from across the room.
There's a lot of yelling in here but not because people are mad. That's how they communicate...with the volume turned up. That's because most of the customers are elderly and irregular. Nope, no hipsters here. I think it was too early for the hookers and drug addicts, so I'll have to meet them when I venture back for dinner. Heavens to Murgatroid!...Did I say "when"? I guess I am curious about that prime rib.
FOOD - 4 stars...you can't complain about hofbrau-style slabs of roast beef
AMBIANCE - 1.5 stars...how tender are your loins?
SERVICE - 3 stars...speedy but not much on the chit-chat
TOTAL - 3 stars...if you're on a budget and willing to brave the Loin, I say go for it
okay, so i live within spittin' distance of this gem of a TL diner; i eat here every so often because for 5 bucks you literally can get two of the largest pancakes with an equally large piece of ham between the two with eggs piled on top and within 30 minutes the previous night's debauchery infused headache is miraculously gone.
i tend to stay away from the specials because they're sloppy and taste all sorts of old folks home style bland, but they do a fantastic 3 dollar cheese burger.
pointers:
the word that the lady shouts to you when you first enter is "coffee" but it sounds like she's saying, "h59js32vvb", so just respond with a simple yes or no.
don't order the fruit platter unless the words, "fruit platter" mean a giant can of peaches opened and dumped into a bowl right in front of you.
They got rice ,And there Chinese making American food, There soup has healing property. Try the turkey dinner before bed, great breakfast, best prime rib lunch in town.
I swear we waited maybe 3 minutes for our food.
!!! Love this place. They make my grilled cheese the way I've always dreamed of (raw onions and… Read more »
You will get a lot for your money here. The food is average though. I guess you really cant expect more for the price. I really didn't like the watered down orange juice. The people that run it are from Korea I think.They will speak Korean while you eat if that bothers you or makes you feel displaced. Also, there will be regulars here. They may make some odd comments to you. You will leave feeling full but possibly depressed.
We walked in here after another place was packed and what did I see but country fried steak on the menu! Ok so far so good and I was ready for some food, even though there was only 1 person in here. The batter was different, but different in a good way. The meat was a little tough, but the potatoes were great! Very tasty and a different take then what I've seen hashbrowns like. There was one local in there and one thing I found interesting was that one of the ladies were constantly cleaning the floors around the eating area. The only thing that was a turn of was the fact that the garbage cans were instead the bathroon so that wasn't pleasant. But food wise I would come back anytime. The service is speedy and friendly. Just remember yelling isn't to yell at you, but to make sure you get what you want. haha
I live directly across the street from this place, and it kicks ass. Cheap and tasty food in a place that has a lot of character. A LOT of character.
The patrons here consist mostly of street people and hookers, which I am totally fine with. There are LOTS of interesting people to watch and listen to while you eat, the excitement never ends.
They don't serve booze, but no one seems to care much of you bring your own shit to make mimosas in the booth. In fact, no one seems to care much if you do anything. I've seen a few belligerently drunk homeless people be thrown out, but it was only because they were screaming at other homeless people. When a homeless man calls you a disgrace to the tenderloin, you know you have hit rock bottom.
The pancakes might make you a little sick, but they taste great. All of the food I have had here has been awesome and cheap. Go there, they are rad.
If you grew up in a working-class kind of place and had uncles, you'll feel right at home here, with the cheap, simple food and a host of good-naturedly rowdy regulars. Brunch was $11.75--for two.
Just don't ask (as I did) if they have english muffins. It might seem reasonable at the time, but it's like asking if you can get brie in your omelet. Of course not, you sissy!
When the line of hipsters trailing out the door of Dottie's True Blue starts to seem silly... or when your hunger surpasses your ability to wait, then it's time to walk around the corner to the Lafayette.
No scene here. Just your basic heap o' breakfast, speedily prepared and laid before you by the cheery Vietnamese staff. The coffee is very good, and mugs are reliably refilled without delay. The hash browns are perfectly crisped. Egg orders are executed with utmost care (over-easy means over-easy and is easily distinguishable from over-medium).
You don't need "edge" to enjoy the Lafayette. You don't go there like a tourist, slumming it so you can say you did. If the Lafayette was a bar instead of a diner, it wouldn't be one of those crafted-to-look-perfectly-divey-like-some-kind-of- Hollywood-set dive bars. It would be a bar. OK, a dive. But a real one, where the beer is good and cheap and everyone knows your name.
It's not about the scene. It's about the breakfast.
I love this place. May, the waitress, is one of the sweetest people in San Francisco. She always remembers my name and has one of the best dispositions of any waitress I've ever met.
The food is totally greasy spoon - not for everyone, but I love it! Did anyone notice that they received a 98% on their food inspection card? Despite what you might think about this place based on its looks, there are plenty of better regarded restaurants around who have scored lower ratings!
The cook obviously knows what he's doing. Looking forward to my next yummy breakfast.
If you're looking for no-nonsense, straight forward diner fare, this is your place. Nothing overly flashy here but the Vietnamese folks who work here are super nice and could teach a lot of wait staff a lot about how to treat people, especially considering some of their clientele might be down on their heels a bit more. Twice I've eaten here. Both times the service has been very prompt. The eggs were very nicely done both times, and as some other reviewers said, the portions here are HUGE. The lady who's served me both times is an excellent waitress-though at this diner, several people usually combine to keep the place ticking, at least both times I've been here. The coffee was nice and the waitress keeps the coffee coming regularly.
This place is humble and it's not flashy, but, as some other reviewers said, the service is solid, the portions are generous, it's not expensive.....well, that's a pretty good recommendation to me.....
Holy shit holy shit holy shit.
This place is amazing, shut up.
No I'm totally serious.
The do French Toast right. And a Denver Omelette.
I swear it's just like the old diner my family used to go to for breakfast every Sunday after church when I was wee. I thought I was going to scream out hallelujah at the Asian couple that owns/runs the place.
They even have the fruit platter with ice cream!
The first thing I noticed upon walking in to the Lafeyette was that none of the clientele were under 60. The second was that they haven't changed their prices since 1987.
I was a little too scared to try the $10 prime rib, so I went with the hot roast beef sandwich. Beef was rare and tasty, altough could've been trimmed a lot better, mashed potatoes were just what I needed, gravy was predictable, and I could've done without the canned corn on the plate. The boy got a fried egg sandwich which came with some lackluster hashbrowns. We wrapped up with pound cake and vanilla icecream, and left completely stuffed on a $15 tab (including a 30% tip).
Not a bad deal, but I'll have to be in a very certain mood to venture back.
EDIT: Added a star. Was totally hung over on a Sunday morning and didn't feel like waiting in line at hipster brunch places. Went to Lafayette, was seated promptly, used terrifying but clean-toilet-seated bathroom, got steak (rare) and eggs (over easy). Food arrived soon, eggs swimming in yellow grease, steak leaking delicous pink juices. Toast and hashbrowns to soak up the booze left in my stomach. Listened to middle-aged ex-cons talk about church with 80-year-old jheri-curled men with pimp canes.
For cheap, greasy food in large quantity, this place can't be beat. And hey, it's really quite edible. In fact, my dining companion and I were pleasantly surprised that nothing we had was horrible.
I'm half afraid and half curious about the $10 prime rib. One of these days, my curiosity will get the better of me. I'll report back to you, Yelpers.
When i saw this place on Hyde Street on yelp, I almost didn't add it to my places to try while in SF. I associated Hyde Street with Hyde Park in Boston (a rougher neighborhood). But, it was very convenient, and got such great reviews, I figured why not.
I think I prefer Hyde Park to Hyde street. At 9am, we literally saw someone smoking crack on the street. Ok... so we decided to label that as 'cultural exposure' and put it in our plus column; after all, the reviews mentioned the nature of the neighborhood, but promised an oasis that transcended its surrounding, much like the Hotel Whitcomb.
Now, I want preface this by saying, I really appreciate serendipity; finding a diamond hidden in coal is great... but this was a half formed diamond.
The place itself was a bit grundgy, it really needs a paint job, and immediately needs some new condiment containers; they looked like the original, and appeared kinda nasty, not bad enough to send me running... but I was really hungry.
We got the Menu... and Holy Cheap Batman, I think our two meals added up to less than 10 bucks. The eggs were ok, but the home fries were amazing. The Staff was very quick and friendly. Its almost worth going back for... but...
The patrons included a mother and 30 something year old daughter who was really excited about this new business deal she had breeding her pet rat. I think she had it with her in a cage.
There were a few business type people, but the run down nature of the furniture, utensils and condiments really let this place blend into the neighborhood. This is really too bad, because this could be the ultimate hidden gem if they pick their act up just a bit.
i would not go back for french toast. nor would i go back for the steak and eggs.
but i would definitely go back for the 2 egg / 2 sausage / 2 pancakes for under $5. the eggs are fluffy, the sausages were juicy, and the pancakes were done to perfection.
by the look of the place i would never know, but it's pretty damn good. it's a pretty seedy neighborhood, so beware of any crackheads in front, talking to themselves. and like others have said, a plus with this place is that none of the people inside talk to themselves, or you.
It's like the cheap diners i miss sooooo bad from back east, but with that mumbling, strung-out charm only the TL can provide. I'm also a sucker for a place that remembers my "usual" when there's over a year between visits.
Pros: Cheap. Simple. Sincere, friendly neighborhood vibe; waitress knows everyone's names *and* what they order. Open til something like 11, putting it really close to what SF considers "late night."
Cons: In the context of TL diners, none. Seriously. But if you're not down with the cast of characters in that part of the city, stay away.
If you're are staying at the Phoenix Hotel, have a hankerin' for a simple eggs, bacon, pancakes and hash browns breakfast, and don't want to wait outside in the cold for 45 minutes for a table, THIS is the place. Only 10 booths and a counter, Lafayette serves up good coffee and a no-frills, short order cooked breakfast in less than 15 minutes. They haven't changed anything inside in 50+ years, so don't expect a pleasing ambiance. Frequented by the neighborhood locals, you're bound to experience a few strange folks dining along with you. But if that bothers you, go to Nob Hill for breakfast. Lafayette Coffee Shop was a pleasant surprise find in the Tenderloin District.
I liked it maybe a smidge more than Lula Mae. Then again I didn't have a view of the schizophrenic woman in the back. I'm giving it an extra star for being a really friendly place for people who probably don't get a lot of welcoming smiles. Otherwise low to medium short order food.
I said it as soon as we sat down, "This is the place where I will have to admit once and for all that I've lost my edge." No longer able to enjoy on any level the charms of a slightly sticky tabletop, booths without any cushion between the vinyl and wood, or the ranting mood swings of the schizophrenic woman facing me from a table in the rear. While this place filled me with a certain sadness and discomfort, I must add that nearly all that were in there were greeted by name and treated with kindness and respect, which I'm guessing some of them aren't getting a whole lot of outside of the Lafayette.
i must yell, "STEPHANIE!!!!!!!!" before i write any thing else. it's always an entering phrase when i go into lafayette. stephanie is the owner/founder of lafayette and she's great!
the first time i ate here i was amazed by the menu. most places have a theme or traditional food, but here, it's like every thing and any thing. desert always makes me laugh, pudding or jello.
as goes the customers......you have the regulars and your average crazy TL people, poppin in out.
Whatever you do, use the restroom somewhere else, but if you're looking for a GANG of food for very little money, look no further. these people here know how to steam a trout.
This place exceeded my expectations. The bacon was thick cut and cooked right (not overdone, not slimy). There were no people talking to themselves in a cracked out haze. Rather, everyone was friendly and sane. But then again, I have no problem with the Tenderloin. On walking out of Lafayette, however, a man reached into my pocket and took out a $20. I said "Hey, give that back!" and he actually did. Very polite pickpockets in the TL.
This is TL five-star fare at its finest. All within inches of Lafayette's front door... Drug dealing, prostitution, wandering bug-eyed fools, broke-down gutter sleeping anybodys, strung-outs on the come down, and some damn good braised short ribs for the Wednesday special. Their chicken fried steak is great too. Who doesn't like a big fat beat up piece of canner-grade flank coated with flour, deep fried, and served with gravy, mashed potatoes, dinner rolls, butter, and some frozen/canned mixed veggies for "color"? The perfect speedball recovery meal.
Gotta love this place. Diner food at it's best.
I've eaten here several times and have always been satisfied.
The cook (Stan) is adept and does very well in a very small space with dated equipment putting out orders. He has a system and it works well. Stephanie is professional, direct, and pleasant.
Notably, on a Friday night sitting at the counter I noticed a person in the back with fresh fish - as in whole, ungutted, almost wiggly fish which she was prepping for the menu. I'd expected a place like this to use frozen product - how great to find that they use "real food".
My lunch at Lafayette Coffee Shop:
Highlights include: the beatest streets i have ever seen on to the way to the coffee shop, bums yelling at bums in wheelchairs for an "always gimme gimme gimme" mentality, each patron coming into coffee shop saying hello to May, one guy came in just to give her a practically-dead plant, guy across from me at one moment muttering about bums needing to get out of here, junkies, and whores- he said this very accusingly like they were in the restaurant and looked at each of us (I guess I'm the whore?) and then the next moment striking up a perfectly normal conversation with a guy at the counter about football, and then back to addicts in the bathroom he's about to beat up ("it's okay, May gets paid anyway"), the sweet old lady wishing everyone a good lunch as she stands to creep out and saying that people come for the great food (soooooo questionable), on my walk back i walk in the middle of the street (it's safer) and hear a woman say, "and then I stabbed him" as if she were saying "and then I said to him." There's more, yes more, but I have to stop somewhere.
All of these events should seem almost trite by now (everyone experiences the same thing in the 'loin), but they still have their little impact on me. I like how my heart beats a little faster not knowing if a person is going to POW SLAP me in the face one of these days even though I look directly at no one and mind my own.
I had Fish and Chips. I really was leery about any other meat. (I don't know if I actually need to be.) The FNC was not very good although I appreciated the peas and carrots that came with. I think breakfast is the way to go there.
Scene: 4
Food: 2
i like this place alot. it's right down the street from my apartment. whenever i need homey food that i know for sure won't make me sick, will fill me up and is cheap/close i go here. yes, it's a bit grimey but they cook the food right in front of you so you know there aren't bugs in it & there are strange people but what the hell do you expect when you go to the tenderloin? the waitstaff are awesome, very nice to everyone, they take the time to learn people's names & faces and ask about their day. the french toast and french fries are my favourite eats here. the only thing i wouldn't recommend is if you're strict vegetarian or vegan - there is nothing you can eat here!
a greasy spoon as i remember them back home in a much smaller city. simple brunch, tiny prices and kooky characters. yum.
The hashbrowns are tasty. Not too crisp and not too soggy. However the rest of the food is greasy spoon fare, which shouldn't come as a surprise considering the location. The after-meal toothpick tasted rather stale to me one day, as if they had cut up a piece of driftwood floating around near Ocean Beach. If the strange, bizarre, demented clientele don't bother you then it's possible to enjoy a good meal here every now and again.
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