Macha Cafe
Categories: Coffee & Tea, Japanese, Sandwiches [Edit]
Neighborhood: Pacific Heights1355 Sutter St
(between Franklin St & United States Highway 101)
San Francisco, CA 94109 (415) 563-8079
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 7:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. - Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: No
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Wi-Fi: Free
- Good for: Breakfast, Lunch
196 reviews
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
"There are few places that I will hike to, and this is one of them. The atmosphere is great, be careful during lunch because it will be hard…" read more »
59 Reviews for Macha Cafe
Definitely smaller than I anticipated. The food was delish - I had the salmon teriyaki rice bowl, as did my friends except for one. The vegetarian got the three cheese pannini, which I thought was better than what I got.
But I expect to be wow'ed at a SF cafe, and this was not a Wow.
My Cobb salad was $5.50. And it is enormous. It has been half an hour and I'm not halfway done with my salad yet. Geez.
The people who work here are so super friendly, you instantly relax when you step into the tiny restaurant space. You can post up with a book or your laptop and sit without being pressured to buy something every hour. Their menu is pretty simple, and quite inexpensive. I love paninis so I definitely want to come back (when I'm eating carbs again) and try it.
(I stood outside trying to read the sign for a really long time, because it's written in Japanese and I'm trying to learn to read Japanese kana right now. I am pretty sure it doesn't actually say "Macha". But I still don't know what it says.)
EDIT: Darin I. has informed me that it says "Ka-fu-e" (cafe) which indicates that I need to spend more time on my kana flashcards. Mystery solved.
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Oh.... I HEARTS this place. In the morning, when I'm frantic to get to work, this is the place that I go for a cup a joe and a breakfast sandwich. It has a very neighborhood type of locale and the guys behind the counter are always cordial.
The toasted croissants are a little piece of heaven....YUMMY.
Plus, the convenience on the weekday mornings makes this quite a find for me. It is located right beside my parking garage.
Some things that you should be aware of - they only accept cash, it is a small location and they take their time to make things RIGHT! Street parking can be a pain if you don't live in the area.
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Cute little gem of a place. Brightly decorated, clean and friendly, jazzy upbeat music playing not too loud to concentrate or chat. The guy working the register hustled during a pretty busy lunch rush but remained pleasant and attentive to all customers.
I just had the blueberry-banana iced blend, it was refreshing. They have a pretty substantial menu of sandwiches (cold or grilled panini), teriyaki rice bowls and salads considering how tiny the kitchen is. I didn't eat anything, but what I saw looked good and people appeared to be enjoying it. Looked like there were a substantial number of regulars coming in, too.
Basic coffee selection, Stash Premium teas.
Mostly a lunch-hour crowd taking their orders to go, but there are about 6 tables and a comfy-looking suede couch in the corner. Nothing fancy, just a nice little caf. What sets it above any other cute little caf is the pleasant, unpretentious service. If you're in the area, worth checking out. This will be my new place to stop by on my way to the physical therapist next door (but that's a whole other story).
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Some folks might consider my eating habits, eh, quirky.
Take, for example, the sandwich. I prefer the sandwich hot, not cold. And I want my hot sandwich in the form of a panini, on crunchy bread that'll tear up the roof of my mouth when I bite into it. I've had plenty of $8-$10 sandwiches in my day and they pale in comparison to the panini at Macha Cafe. Oooy, gooey cheesy goodness, super crunchy bread and *bonus food* a pickle on the side.
Did I mention that the panini at Macha is the size of my head and might run you $5? And that the staff is uber friendly? I think I might be a sandwich guy after all.
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On paninis alone, Macha rocks. Chicken pesto, roast beef... warm, gooey and perfect for crappy winter weather. The soups can be a little bland, but for the prices they charge, it's not bad. I've ordered the green salad on the side and it's pretty tasty too, and they give you a lot. Hoping to try more but it will be hard to veer from the paninis!
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Macha is a cute cafe serving the normal range of sandwiches and hot paninis, soup of the day and salads. The woman at the register was so nice and very Japanese, she even took the money with an open hand! I loved it.
I ordered the turkey panini which had cheese and tomato aioli ($5.50), it was a bit salty but warm and gooey and was great for this cold winter day. I also got a side salad with it that was just lettuce but a good amount of it ($1.50 when ordered with a sandwich) and i liked their vinaigrette dressing. The whole thing also came with a pickle, which i love! Who doesn't love a pickle! My latte (didn't try the macha one.. was $2.50 for a small.
All in all very reasonable and a great lunch spot! They also had some breakfast options that looked good. I would definitely go back if I was in the area again but I'm just doing a day temp job across the street so who knows when that will be!
I've never had the Macha Latte. It's foamy and green. I'm a minimalist. I require one thing only in my espresso beverages: caffeine. I have not tried the Japanese snacks on offer but I can tell you the salads are delish and cheap. Think $5 for American delicacies such as Chinese Chicken Salad, Cobb Salad, and Spinach Salad. They also have hot sandwiches. These guys open EARLY, god bless them. They have pulled me out of my sleepy daze and slapped a smile on my face on many, many mornings.
Macha uses only Mr. Espresso beans, which are fair trade and organic, so they're doing something right. Nice staff, clean shop, convenient to me, and cheap. Sorry, Starbucks...I'll see you later.
**For a truly satisfying trip back to childhood, grab a rice krispy treat on your way out. YUM.
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Close to where I live, but I wish it was closer to where I work. Macha Cafe is open on weekdays until 4pm (closed on weekends), and so I have had limited opportunities to take advantage of this little mom-and-pop cafe that serves green tea lattes and some inexpensive salads and sandwiches.
The people there are really nice and sweet. The Chinese Chicken Salad is pretty tasty (the dressing is great). I haven't gotten a chance to try some of the other stuff on the menu but they do have a great selection of paninis and salads that I will hopefully check out when I'm working from home one of these days.
Great breakfast and lunch place- all the sandwiches are great and their soup changes everyday. Good fresh food, really friendly service and pretty cheap. Cute neighborhood place!
Friends,
Don't let your loved ones go down like I did:
I went unsuspectingly to this little NYC style sandwich and tea joint. The yelp reviews were great, my Japanese buds love it, so I was pretty excited.
I ordered the macha shake (they call it something else). It tasted ok. I admit, I was hoping for more flavor, but I don't have a real sweet tooth.
THEN, when I got home 30 minutes later, ARGH! My heart started pounding like crazy and I had to lie down. I've had traditional macha tea and macha ice cream, but they were never like this. It was as though it was spiked with ephedrine!
Friends, listen to me, don't let macha shake newbies like me drink 16oz of pure frozen macha sugar alone!
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I have to update this review. My original review, below, talks about my dissapointment in the soups. But I must take that back. After going back many, many more times, and always trying the soups, I have to say, these soups are fresh, simple, unique and so so tasty. Sometimes I need to add a little salt, but I like my soup salty. Here are some of my favorite soups from Macha: Red Pepper soup, Broccoli and Potato, Corn, Eggplant, and Tortilla. So good!
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
Alright, here's the deal: I've read reviews of Macha Cafe, and was delighted to find that it is very close to where I live. When I got there, I was a bit dissappointed becuase they didn't have any soup that day, nor the day after. And I LOVE soup. And when I finally did get soup, it was watery and tasteless. But, alas, I still give this place 5 stars becuase after I tasted their macha latte, I can not stop. I go almost every day that I am able, so that I can taste the silky, sweet, green liquid heaven that they call macha. SO GOOD. Also, their salmon sammich is wonderful.
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This is everything I want in a lunch spot - right across the street from work, cheap, and good food.
It seems the menu has changed - for the better! I don't remember being able to get salads and sandwiches and stuff, just the teriyaki bowls. But it's all good - I especially like that crunchy Chinese chicken salad.
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What a gem! This is the cutest little place that I was so excited to stumble across - I had to come the last 2 days in a row for lunch!
1) a great variety of food - sandwiches, paninis, salads, teriyaki bowls (mmm....unagi teriyaki)
2) and the prices....so good! My grilled veggie sandwich was only $4! That's unheard of!
3) the staff (or lady who works at the counter) is so smiley and sweet. She even walked around and gave us samples of an avocado coconut iced blended drink they had - yum!
I really have nothing bad to say. Too bad they're only open on weekdays and til 4 p.m. :(
I approve.
Any place that serves ume onigiri and ochazuke is OK in my book! I ambled over to macha on my "work from home" day, which really should be renamed "compulsively procrastinate on yelp" day.
So I waltz in, requisite iBook under right arm, and glance around. Very small, very quiet. Cute IKEA chairs with little circle cut-outs, and one small micro-suede loveseat. I wasn't blown away by the decor -- it wasn't a morroccan harem, which is the standard to which I hold all places I visit. But I felt like it might resemble an authentic take-out place in Tokyo, so I let it slide.
I order the blended macha latte, but as the name was spilling from my lips I realized I had never said "macha" out loud before. Has that ever happened to you? You've seen a word a million times but just never happened to SAY it by some sick twist of fate? So I pronounced it "Maka," and KNEW it was wrong the second my tongue hit the hard "c".
The lady behind the counter looks at me dubiously and says, "Um, you know that's a powdered green tea, right?"
I smile faintly, close my eyes slightly, and nod condescendingly. But inside I am screaming, "DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT! I am NOT a honkey! I may appear caucasian, and I know I pronounced macha wrong, but I have a pure asian soul. Can you not tell I was Japanese in my very last life? CMon! At least you should be able to tell from my slick urbane appearance that I am worldly enough to know what macha is!"
Ok, breathe. Let it go.
I order the Ume Onigiri next in a confident, booming voice, just so she knows I am for real. She nods silently and doesn't try to explain to me that Ume is pickled plum. Good. We are back in business.
I sit down and enjoy my authentic japanese snacks. The blended macha latte somehow tastes exactly like green tea mochi icecream! yummmm. the ume onigiri is good, but i wish it was wrapped all the way with seaweed.
SUPER SPECIAL SECRET TIP: Go just before they close and get the super-fresh, already cheap sushi behind the counter for half off! They don't keep it past one day, so they offer this ridiculous special. I got 8 pieces of really good, really spicy calfornia roll, with bits of fresh chopped jalapeno in it, for $1.63.
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I always go here for the rice balls. Those triangle bits of rice with salmon and seaweed. So yummy.
And eventually the guy got to know me. So one day I came in, and he had just made two orders, cuz he had a feeling that I'd be stopping by that day.
They did change ownership in early January. The guy who's behind the counter all the time now is really nice. But they don't take credit cards anymore :(.
I just wish that they were open on weekends.
Update:
They've taken those rice balls off their menu :(. So I don't go here anywhere near as much any more. so -1 star for taking my favorite thing off their menu.
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TAIYAKI, DAIFUKU, SAKURA MOCHI.
KAKIGORI.
RAMEN, DONBURI, ONIGIRI.
TENGOKU, NIRVANA, HEAVEN.
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I am Green Tea Pocky, which means:
Your attitude: natural and zen
Peaceful yet full of life. Deep and thoughtful.
You're halfway to tantric bliss!
I suppose that's why I really like this place, because it too is quite zen. It's a cute little Japanese cafe with modern decor that serves a variety of coffees and teas, Japanese desserts, sushi rolls and donburi. They also have Japanese snacks including chocolate, strawberry and green tea Pocky. Free wi-fi too!
I had a chicken teriyaki rice bowl for $5, and was surprised by how tasty and filling it was considering that they don't have a full kitchen inside. My friend had a bowl of miso soup to go with the sandwich she brought in and a macha latte. We sat on the comfy little ultrasuede love seat, read newspapers and chatted while we ate. I had wanted to get a nutella taiyaki, which is a fish shaped waffle-like cake, and was also eyeing a strawberry shaved ice, but the donburi filled me up. Luckily, the cafe is just down the street from work, so I will try them during my next visit. I'm definitely going to put Macha Cafe into my weekly lunch rotation.
You can rent their small space for events too. Anyone up for a Yelp tea tasting or hand sushi roll party?
(btw, check out Liz S.'s review to find out what Pocky you are.)
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For anyone who doesn't know, "maccha" is powdered green tea, the kind used in traditional Japanese tea ceremony. Unlike Chinese (steeped) tea, maccha is made with fresh tea leaves that are lightly steamed, dried and ground to a fine powder, then whisked with hot water to make a thick, deep green tea. It's a supremely healthy drink, with the added bonus of a great jolt of mental energy. Unlike espresso, maccha gives you a long-lasting boost that doesn't crash.
Macha Cafe's SOY maccha latte is made with maccha and soymilk, and it's a thing of beauty, with perfectly balanced sweet and herbal flavors, rich creamy mouth-feel and a caffeine kick that comes on smooth and stays a good long time. The cafe's ambience is pleasing (very comfortable ultrasuede-upholstered sofa!), the selection of Japanese magazines and books is diverting, and the proprietors are very friendly.
I you're a Japanophile like I am, or just someone who appreciates a great little cafe with excellent service and unusual food and drink options, you should definitely visit Cafe Macha. It's surprisingly convenient: just a few blocks from Civic Center, Polk Gulch, the Tender-Nob and Cathedral Hill. Parking is pretty good up on Franklin, and it's right off a number of bus lines, including the #42/47/49, the #2/3/4, the #19 and the #38.
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Macha is a sweet little Japanese-inspired cafe in a rather unexpected location on Sutter between Van Ness and Franklin. Lunch specials are well-priced and include Curry Donburi for $5.50, California Roll for $3.50 and Udon for $3.75.
The kaiseki hojicha is a wonderful choice if you are in the mood for a green tea with a deep roasted flavor. If you get your nails done at Silk, Macha is a great place to go before or after as it's very close by.
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A little out of the way, but not necessarily out of place, Macha features cool furniture, free internet, and a menu full of tasty japanese food as well as conventional espresso house fare. The tonkotsu ramen was great. Cuddle up to a William Gibson novel with your fellow laptop wielding otaku.
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A newly opened cafe, Macha features a variety of Japanese goodies, from desserts to sushi. The cafe is small, but clean and inviting. Being the green tea whore that I am, I've only tried the genmai macha green tea and green tea cheesecake--but both were a delight.
Although only a block off Van Ness, it's on Sutter, situated amongst apartment buildings; this makes it more of a neighborhood joint than a place people might check out as a passerby. Nevertheless, I'm glad to have such a quaint lil cafe in my 'hood.
AND, they sell a Pocky for Men version. You know you want it.
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It's not really macha, it's MACCHA... (Or I guess you could spell it matcha like Starbucks does...)
Yes this lady brings maccha from Japan but beside that, she brings instant curry and all the crap... I think everyone can start business like this without much knowledge or skill... Who can not buy frozen udon from Nijiya and boil it in hot water, put some instant curry over it?
But I'm quite sure I will go back for their latte, which is kinda sad...
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A variety of Japanese green teas and good food at VERY good prices. Rice bowls are great, sushi is inexpensive and fresh, Udon is very yummy with more added goodies than many places. This gaijin is going back very soon to explore their variety of Japanese desserts and snacks (Pocky, macha cheesecake, sweet rice wrapped in a leaf, TAIYAKI, sweet red bean paste filled breads, ...)
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:D They're my morning Saviors!!
the tea, the shakes, the sandwichs are good enough to wake someone up from their coma!
lol
give this little place a try :)
i love coffee, so i don't know why i ordered the macha latte. it tasted powdery and smelled like seaweed. Forget healthy junk like macha (green tea stuff)... imma stick with the beans.
other than that, the cafe was a bit small, the service was nice, and the curry had no meat. but if youre there check out their japanese magazines.... totally weirdbut cant take my eyes off of it type of thing.
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Food here is light and healthy - my fave dishes: Unagi Bowl + Taiyaki + Macha Latte. All soooooo good and affordable!
FYI.
Awesome venue to have an intimate gathering with your friends and loved ones! Hiromi really hooked me up by opening up the space this past Saturday night. We had full access to the space: re-arranged tables and hooked up DJ iPod to play some back beats.
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Caffeine and japanese snacks. Two of my favorite loves in the same place. Macha Cafe is pure genius.
My blended macha latte was perfect; not oversweetened (lots of places load it up on sugar so it tastes like ice cream... not tea) and just the right amount of bitter tea flavor to it.
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Super-cute Japanese cafe with reasonably priced food and relaxing atmosphere. Free wireless and a comfy couch/coffee table are very nice touches. The place is also bright and immaculate, with good service.
This used to be another udon/sandwich place that people at my office dubbed "the Thank You Ladies" because the sweet women who worked there would say, "Thank you" about a dozen times during your visit. Because I had such a soft spot in my heart for them, it took me awhile to finally check out the new restaurant.
I'm glad that I did! The menu is simple and the prices are extremely reasonable - I had a large bowl of udon with a lot of ingredients for under $4, and a frozen macha latte which was refreshing & delicious, and didn't have that fake plastic taste like Starbucks' frozen drinks.
Afterwards I bought 3 kinds of Pocky to share with my co-workers - Strawberry, Men's Pocky (Dark Chocolate) and Green Tea. I am Strawberry Pocky, in case you were wondering.
Your attitude: fresh and sweet
Comforting, yet quirky ... quietly hyper
You always see both sides to everything
Find out yours: http://www.blogthings....
Nice addition to the neighborhood and will be a frequent lunch stop for me. If you go to Silk's, it's right around the corner.
Ode to the Thank-You Ladies: "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
UPDATE 3/30/07: Tried the ham sandwich here today, with a bowl of chunky tomato soup. Delicious and a great value!
As always, the service was warm and friendly, and the place had an aura of zen calm.
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The owner is the chef and his food is always excellent! Great service and cheap tooo! I recommend the panini sandwiches!
The only place in SF to get true macha gunpowder teas. The girl that runs the place is a hottie and very nice. If you are looking for a caffeine rush w/out the nasty effects of coffee.. try macha.
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I stopped by here after getting a pedicure from Silk and I want to go back and eat a meal. It's a trendy yet cozy cafe with quality snacks and drinks. The cashier was really friendly when I ordered some taiyaki and they made them when I ordered them!
Make sure you visit this jem if you're ever in the area!
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I'd give it 5 stars if they stopped making fun of me for ordering my Macha so bitter... Y_Y
***UPDATE***
5 stars for their uji kintoki no kakigori, the perfect remedy for this abnormal summer swelter.
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Heard that they changed owners at the beginning of the year. The cafe is still cute and cozy. You have to try the sandwiches and soups, they are AWESOME and made fresh daily! The rice bowls are yummy too. Don't leave without trying a latte, they're just sooo good. But I have to disagree with Janice C., the green tea lattes don't taste like warm melon milk, they don't even put melon flavoring in it (I asked the guy making it).
Five stars for the friendly staff who suffered through my choppy efforts to read the hiragana on packages outloud. Five stars for the nice strong Americano. Five stars for the Onigiri. Five stars for the japanese-esque simplicity and ambiance of the place. I'll enthusastically go back for a macha latte.
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This little cafe conveniently located right by Silk Salon. It offers a variety of yummy Japanese treats. I stopped in to grab lunch to-go after my appt...Hiromo made me a delicious Cafe Americano--nice and strong..also picked up a Chicken Teryiaki Bowl..and some dark chocolate Pocky Sticks for dessert.
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A little out of the way, but very cute! Came here on a Saturday morning. It was very laid back. I just ordered a Blended Macha Latte and Macha Muffin. They only make the muffins on Saturdays, so I had to try one. Wasn't sure what to expect, but it was a good muffin!!
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I went to Macha Cafe with three friends for the first time today. The cafe is extremely tiny, but also very cute and cozy at the same time. Even the walls are macha-colored! The soy macha latte is amazing - it tastes very rich and has the perfect balance between the bitterness of the macha and the natural sweetness of the soy milk. My friends and I each bought a different donburi off the lunch menu in addition to our drinks and desserts and chatted away in the cafe for almost two hours! The person behind the counter didn't seem to mind, so that was a big plus. I would definitely come to Macha Cafe again for their amazing soy macha latte (the frozen macha latte wasn't bad either - it tasted just like green tea ice cream!), but probably not for the food, though I wouldn't object to a steaming tofu and veggie donburi if my stomach was grumbling!
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I disagree with Macha Cafe's ad that they found the right coffee. I found it weak and flavorless. But the food is really excellent and I enjoy the green teas. If they got rid of the coffee altogether the restaurant would be the better for it and I would give it another star.
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First of all, a huge *Arigato Gozaimasu!!!* to previous yelpers who reviewed Macha Cafe. I read the buzz from Yelp and just had to check it out for myself. Of course I was not disappointed.
I had the Blended Macha Latte, and also tried the Macha Mousse Latte (w/ white chocolate). Delicious!! Oh, and I couldn't resist a tiny slice of Macha Cheesecake.. mmm. Will definitely make return trips to try the lunch and dinner.
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