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Category: Breakfast & Brunch
Neighborhood: North Beach/Telegraph HillTue-Sun. 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
"Genuine place for breakfast and lunch. Great breakfast menu down at the Wharf. I always send my hotel guests here when they are looking for…" read more »
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Yes, breakfast is simple and I keep it simple when I go to Mama's.
Somehow they turn an omelet, potatoes and sourdough bread into art. Amazing, amazing stuff. With a side of bacon and fresh OJ and I am in heaven.
Not a big french toast fan, but with chocolate and fresh fruit, it is amazing.
Yeah the line sucks, just go during the week or have someone stand in line for you.
There are enough reviews here about this. It's a greasy spoon, but done well. Incredibly friendly wait staff. Seriously though, 2 full hours waiting outside (and I got in the line that went around the corner past where Mama's building ends at 8:15 and was actually sitting at a table at 10:15).
Get up early or pay a bum $10 and a Rogue beer from across the square to stand in line for you starting at 7:30am (they open at 8).
Are you guys kidding me??? There is NO breakfast place that is worth an hour and a half of wait while standing!
We got there at 11:30 am and we had to line up outside, after about 30 mins, they let you in only to put you in another line. You have to wait in another line to order your food and then stand there until the food is ready and then you get to sit down.
the food was good and it looked great but it was just breakfast at the end of the day. How many ways can you make french toast better? or sunny side up eggs better? I wouldn't have minded so much if they let you sit while waiting for your food but standing around that long for a meal I can finish in 15 mins is not the way I'd want to spend my day.
People thought this was:
About a year ago, we stopped in San Francisco for a couple of days while traveling from Redding, CA to Newport Beach, CA to visit friends and relatives. I found Mama's on Yelp and we decided to give it a try. Since it was the middle of the week, we didn't expect to find the long lines that apparently form on the weekend.
When we arrived the place was packed, but we were able to order and find a table in about ten minutes. My wife talked me into having an egg-white omelet, which I had never had before. Needless to say, it was absolutely fantastic. We each also had a muffin, which were wonderful.
We are going to San Francisco for a couple of days with friends in a few weeks and will definitely have breakfast there. The biggest problem will be deciding what to order, because everything is so good.
People thought this was:
Mama's is great little place with awesome food and perfectly poached eggs. Man, I love poached eggs.
Although it was noon, we had breakfast. After lots of indecision, I got their Ranchero (Mama's version of huevos rancheros), and FRESH SQUEEZED grapefruit juice. Jesus Christ, that juice was such a treat. The boyfriend had their Market Omelette with bacon, spinach and chevre. He said it was good, but a little rich, so he packed some up for later. I am vegetarian, so I loved all the choices I had to choose from (not so at all places, even in our fair city, read my reviw of O'Rielley's if you don't believe me), and since brunch is my favorite meal to dine out for, I was seriously in Heaven. Another plus: my Ranchero came with potatoes (most places don't serve potatoes with theier huevos rancheros, so I always have to order a side of them since I passionately love carbohydrates).
Go to Mama's during the week and skip the crowds. There may be a short to medium line, but don't let that fool you. The way they have it set up, by the time your ass hits a seat your food is pretty much ready, so you stand and wait instead of sit and wait. Standing burns more calories anyway, so you're good. And another nice thing about pre-paying is when you're ready to go, you go, no need to flag down the waitress and wait for change or anything. Also, as a note, in this kind of place, cash is king, they don't take credit cards (but I think debit is kosher), and besides, a cash tip on the table is a really nice way to say "thanks" to the girls who work that crazy busy little spot.
Overall: Food off the line is damn tasty, their juice is fresh squeezed, and the pasries by the register are old-school homebaked and look marvelous. Service is efficient and we never had to ask for water or coffee refills. I was curious, however, how it would have worked if we wanted another mimosa or glass of juice. I guess I'll just have to cross that bridge when I get to it.
If the line outside doesn't scare you, but intrigues you as to why people are lining up, there is a good reason, and you should check it out.
People thought this was:
Pretty tasty! Checked it out on a late Weds morning. Busy but not craaaazy busy. Like a 15 min wait in line get a seat right away busy.
So actually that doesn't really sounds busy now does it?
Anyway - we were given tasty muffins in the line and the food came really fast after we were seated. OJ tasted fresh, eggs were poached to perfection.
My dude had a french toast - the swiss? I don' remember, love the varieties. What is strange is that they let him order it with fruit...c'mon clearly you confused him with too many questions. Why would he want a cantaloupe ontop of his french toast? He wanted the berries!!!!
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953 people can't be wrong, can they? Nope, Yelp and community you never let me down. This place is pretty amazing. I had the chorizo scramble, my goodnes, my stomach, and my mouth were ecstatic about every bite. I hear the french toast is amazing, I can't wait to try it.
And one other really cool thing, because you pay at the beginning and not at the end I walked out of there totally forgetting to leave a tip, but the nice server girl was kind enough to remind me what a jerk I was by asking me, "What, was I a bad waitress or something". She was really precious! But I couldn't get mad at her pretty blue eyes.
The french toast is amazing here, the home made jam on the table is really good on the french toast too. I love all the fresh fruit they pile on it! The line starts pretty early before they even open so they only time I get to eat here is after I come back from traveling and I am jet lagged. I thought with daylight savings today I would be able to get up early enough to go... but sadly I wasn't :(
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I had the shrimp and advacado benedict and it was really creamy and yummy and filling! The poached egg was perfectly cooked. The coffee was hot and strong. I had a few bites of the warm crumb cake drizzled with chocolate, WOW! I would go back and try something sweet maybe
People thought this was:
Everything is great! The line is crazy but it's well worth the wait!
Mama serves everything fresh and they have the most amazing breakfast! It is difficult for me to pick what I want to eat everytime. I have not had one bad meal here. I do have some favorites:
**Crab omelette is amazing! It's stuffed with crab meat and tons of cheese!
**French Toast served extra fluffy with powder sugar and fresh fruits! I never feel guilty eating this:)
**MY FAVORITE: Monte Cristo! I swear you will never have a monte cristo better than this one! The best sandwich in the world! It's the way it's prepared. All fresh ingredients and it's deep fried! Don't let the deep fried part alarm you. It's really light and not covered in oil. They fry it for a second to get that nice crisp on the outside of the sandwich. They also serve it with home made jelly. Gotta eat the sandwich with the jelly. I promise you, its' blissful every single bit:) Seriously, makes me love life more after eating this sandwich:)
On Saturday, taking advantage of the bay bridge closure, my friend and I decided to get in line early, (my friend and I are early birds, so we got in line by exactly 8:05am), and start our day off with a grandiose meal from mama's. Even with a bridge closure, and even at 8am on a Saturday, there was still a bit of a line. When we were allowed to enter, (only a couple people at a time were permitted to enter since the restaurant was already full! It opens @ 8am!), we had to still stand in line to place our orders and pay. After we paid, we had to wait until a table opened up. I'd say we waited in line and ordered within a total of 25 mins. I got the crab eggs benedict and my friend got the french toast. Food came quickly and looked d*lish. Service is wonderful, portions are large, and the line grew longer and longer as we dined. Mama's for breakfast is a great way to kick off your day.
So, this past weekend, my friend and I realized that we have been trying to go to this restaurant for 5 years. FIVE YEARS! Well, 5 years and 1 hour. We woke up at 8am to eat there and still we had to wait in line. Only you, Mama's, could drag me out of bed at such an ungodly hour on a Saturday.
Well worth it, let me tell you. That Dungeness Crab Eggs Benedict is so ridiculously delicious. The crab, the sauce, the egg. The EGG. Omg- perfect consistency yolk. Slightly runny but mostly firm. Juicy but not messy. Uh oh.. I just started drooling. No joke. French Toast Sampler- GOOOD. Krughelegh or something was my faaaav. Had dates, raisins, chocolate, some other deliciousness. mMMMMM
GO. Wait in line. And make your belly happyyyy.
People thought this was:
Hello French Toast--Come to Mama!!! I am a major connoisseur of the french toast and when I heard that Mama's had one of the best, I had to try it. We came here on a cold January day and stood for an hour outside in the chill, and I will most definitely do it again the next time I come to SF. The b/f had Eggs Benedict I believe with Salmon. He had some sort of dish with salmon, and didn't really enjoy it. Suffice to day, there was some major food envy that day.
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I had been to Mama's once before several years ago. Nothing really stands out about that experience. This time, however, it was outstanding! OH MY GOD the Monte Cristo was heavenly. I don't know if my opinion is influenced by the fact that it was about 2:30 pm after an hour plus wait and the first thing I had eaten all day after a looooong evening, but I'm giving Mama's the benefit of the doubt. Now I will tell you that as delicious as this Monte Cristo was, it was not the best I've ever had. Still, it hit the spot and was perfect for that moment. Next time, I will not complain about the line (at least not too much), because I'll know that it's well worth the wait.
I really can't believe I haven't yelped this place yet! I guess I figured EVERYBODY and their mother knew of this place, since it's made its way into every SF travel guide on this planet! I say this b/c every time I've been here, more than half of the people in line are tourists, holding these said books...which is annoying cuz the food is really quite delicious. But I guess I shouldn't complain, since I use such books myself...
But I digress...the line on the Sat morning was not that bad. And we took turns getting foccaccia bread across the street (mmmm garlic), so time flew. Ordering was the tough part...so many delicious dishes...not enough mouths? We began with a couple slices of the Cinnamon sour cream bread and the Old fashioned crumb cake. Both were out of this world. Fresh, soft, not too sweet...the crumbs melted in my mouth. For our group of 5, we ordered 4 plates: The Monte Cristo, Mama's french toast sampler, and 2 omlettes (one with italian sausage and the other with pancetta). French toast was superb as always- covered in fresh berries. The omlettes and potatoes spectacular! But the real yum of the day was the Monte...these little sandwiches of ham and cheese were dipped in an egg batter and fried...along with homemade jam, wow all of us couldn't get enough of it. It truly is a must!
So yes, all you tourists from Europe, do come and try the Monte Cristo! We Americans are proud to share!
Service was good as always! Friendly and never pushy...even for such a tiny place.
People thought this was:
What no one really tells you about this place is that the wait is 1 - 2 hours. Yes, hours. For eggs and toast.
Is it worth it? I've gone a couple of times and each time I had to wait. The food is very fresh because there is such high turnover. Also, there is no take out.
I recommend the French toast with comes with lots of berries. If you get eggs and toast, you'll be happy because they are perfectly cooked. Not too brown. Not too raw. The chef is a big guy who handles all the eggs. He wears a top chef hat and you can tell he's in his groove when he juggles 5 egg orders. Why do I know this? Because there is really no table service. You stand in a line that runs along the kitchen and order at the check out. This gives a perfect view of their tiny kitchen.
By the way, they make their own jam. However, it lacks pectin so it's very slimy at best. I hope their chef buys pectin to thicken it up.
There are a lot of brunch options in the city. This place is probably the most popular, since there is a line around the block at 7:30 in the morning. If you want a more leisurely brunch, I suggest you visit West Portal area.
A must for San Fran visits. The line can be intimidating but goes fast. I have never had a bad meal and, frankly, drip with anticipation of dining here. Get off it, I'm a guy so that comment is nothing sick. My mouth waters...
Yelp really need to change their grading system from 5 stars to 10 stars. I think this place is 3.5 stars instead of 4, but since I was able to beat the crowd, I'll be nice.
I came here with one of the manager from work. We were in SF for business and had some time to kill. I remember yelping about this place so I suggested to him that we should have an all American breakfast (manager is from Japan.) The restaurant had a nice cozy feel to it ... well either that or the place is really really small.
Since I don't eat a lot, I ordered a banana walnut bread and mama's smoothie. He ordered Northern Italian Omelet (or something like that.) The cashier asked him if he wanted small or large. I guess he felt like he was up for the challenge and ordered the large omelet.
My banana walnut bread was great! I just wished it had more walnuts, but that is just my preference. Smoothie was good too. Now my manager's omelet... The first half of the meal he gave it 4 stars. Then the second half of the meal, the amount of sodium was getting to him and he brought the score down to 3 stars. He couldn't take the salty American food! He has yet to adjust to this life style.
I would come back to try these omelets so I can put my 2 cent in. If you want a quick and nutritious breakfast, I would recommend the smoothie.
Yes it's a great breakfast in one of my favorite neighborhoods, but at this point I'm over the whole wait-in-line-for-an-hour thing. I love breakfast and I love Mama's, but I don't love the tourists who don't know how it's done. You wait outside, then you wait inside, then you order, then you pay, then you sit down, then they bring you breakfast, then you eat. There. Not too hard right?
Love the pancakes and french toast and all of the breads/pastries--absolutely delicious. Worth it to go, especially if you've never been or if you want a special treat. But for a relaxing Sunday breakfast I have other city favorites that don't require quite the effort.
My sister was adamant about bringing my parents, visiting from socal, here. I would say there are so many better breakfast brunch places in the bay area that are definitely worth the wait (Butler and the Chef). I think the longer you stay in line, the hungrier you get, and when you're hungry, everything tastes absolutely wonderful. Everyone around us was a tourist, so go figure. Plus, we weren't full and content when we left; we just felt fat. But if your visiting friend says Mama's is a "must-go" spot, get the Monte Cristo.
People thought this was:
I've heard about this place from multiple people and seen it in multiple guidebooks. Always wanted to come check it out but scared of the lines. We attempted to try to beat the crowds by coming early, around 8am... of course other people had the same idea so we still had to wait in line for an hour.
We had the crab Benedict, crab omelet with brie and avocado, the french toast sampler (this comes with the blueberry pound cake, poppy seed pound cake, and the regular bread for french toast), and the dollar pancakes. Everything was pretty good. I loved their syrup and their homemade jam to go with the pancakes and french toasts.
But honestly there wasn't anything that was exceptional where I would stand in an hour line again. I still prefer Olea's custard french toast over any of this stuff any day!
I'm glad I got that checked off my list tho! Next!
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It's really hard for me to write up a review for this place. Went here on Sunday, there was a massive line but we decided from all the great things we'd heard it was worth the wait.... little did we know that it would be 2+ hours before we'd actually be able to eat.
I wanted to try the crab cakes benedict but they were out. They had a few different kinds of eggs benedict, shrimp, the aforementioned crab and the regular. I wasn't sure what came with the regular so i asked, he said "just the eggs" so i ordered an english muffin and ham on the side.... cut to the food coming out and surprise surprise it already comes with all that stuff, then i get it on the side too!!! i felt so retarded. everyone got a kick out of my obvious lack of common sense. I was a little frustrated though.
I would not wait in line for this place again... but i'm glad to have at least experienced it.
People thought this was:
Best breakfast spot in San Francisco!! Everything is fresh and delicious!!!
My favorites are Monte Cristo and crab benedict. The dipping sauce that comes with the Monte Cristo is to DIE FOR!!! I forgot the name but I know the owner bought it from Wisconsin.
Bad - very small restaurant and the lines are always very long (arrive at 9:30am wait 45 min. average)!! So long that the waiting scene becomes one of the SF tourist attraction!
Tip - on a hot sunny day:
1. Wear a hat
2. Bring a lot of water
3. Bring an umbrella with you to block the sun
4. Wear sun block
5. Bring a portable fan
People thought this was:
Besides the hr and a half wait outside, Mama's is a solid breakfast joint that has some history. Growing up in SF, I didn't even know about this place, as well as all the other foodie/touristy places, but I was able to try it a few weeks ago after hearing about it from a friend.
I had no complaints about the food. It was fresh, made to order, savory, and delicious. The prices are reasonable.
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I know about the long lines at Mama's in the morning. One Sunday afternoon, I got to the City shortly after 2:30 pm. There were 2 small groups ahead of me at the door. To my surprise, there was another line inside! To speed up the process, Mama's has you order and pay first and then when a table is available, they seat you. I would say the wait was about 30 minutes until I was seated.
I liked the cinnamon chocolate French toast. The toast was soft and moist. It was topped with fresh berries and banana. The cinnamon was very apparent. When I looked over at the next table, I noticed theirs looked a little different. Ah! Mine was missing the chocolate syrup. That was easily fixed after the waitress brought a little side dish of it. Yum! The Washington omelet came with seasoned potatoes and a short section of a baguette. The omelet was also good. The sausage had a nice flavor with a little kick to it. The bread that came with the omelet was a little hard.
Mama's was definitely good, but I don't know if I would wait more than an hour to eat here. By the looks of the line in the early morning, I think some of these people must wait close to two hours.
This place is awesome. The wait is tolerable on a nice day...which it was both times I've come here...plus it gives you plenty of time to deliberate which breakfast you want to indulge in. I had the eggs benedict this time- so yummy! My parents both got omlets and my brother got something he really liked...maybe a scramble of sorts. Anyway, it was delish.
How hype killed Mama...
Almost 1000 reviews, countless raves and a 4 star average...that's pretty damn impressive if you ask me...reading through a handful of good reviews was enough to convince me we HAD to go to this place. So, RJ and I timed our itinerary perfectly and scheduled our L.A. departure for 3 a.m. on a Saturday Morning... According to Garmin, this would put us right on Mama's doorstep at 7:45....it was obvious when we finally reached the place...just as all the reviews had described, that long line of customers was right there waiting for us. And so we waited for about 45 minutes. As we approached the front of the line, our expectation meter was at its highest till finally it was our turn to be seated. And here sadly, is where my excitement deflated more quickly than pamela anderson's chest after being stabbed with a knife:
Sure the ambiance was precious... definitely had the "at home" breakfast feel
Sure the food was very fresh..the fruit, the orange juice, the dungeness crab...everything was fresh...the food, while fresh, did lack a bit in flavor...but I fixed it right up by drenching the food in tabasco and ketchup =)
Sure the presentation was perfect. I had to take a picture of the damn thing before eating it.
Sure the service was extremely welcoming and friendly
And sure the prices were reasonable for such fresh ingredients
But as I was sitting there having my breakfast, I couldn't stop myself from thinking, "I simply don't get it"...For the sake of those like me whose opinions are strongly driven by expectations...I'm giving this place a 3...EXPECT NOTHING...even if all the reviews and all the hype encourage you to do so....You might actually love this place....
People thought this was:
We probably waited about an hour to get inside this place. This place is worth the wait.
The pancakes are really yummy, and my omlet was the best omlet that I have ever had. The fruit was fresh, and the jam is hand made.
They make really amazing mimosas too.
For the quality and the quantity of food, this place is worth it. We had breakfast for two for about $40 and I would spend it again in a heart beat.
been there a few times - usually have the eggs florentine, eggs blackstone or their special crab eggs florentine.
their hollandaise sauce is absolutely to die for. the service is good. go during breakfast on weekdays, it is a 2-3 hr wait on weekends starting at 7am. it is crazy.
american breakfasts. their french toast is made with artisan bread. very good.
This is the best breakfast that I have ever eaten. EVER. Sometimes it takes over an hour to be seated but it is so worth it. My favorite dish here is hands down the Monte Cristo Sandwich. It sounds so wrong but is perfection. You will not be let down by this place and cannot go wrong with the menu. Pan dore, eggs benedict, omelets, dollar pancakes, slim burger...all seriously nom. Just don't take too long to eat your food :).
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One word: HYPE.
OK, so I'm aware you have to wait in line. But if I wait in line for more than 30 minutes, I assume the food or overall experience is going to be mind blowing. Not the case here and let me tell you I arrived 10 minutes before they even opened. I think that the majority of people in line are tourists, so don't be surprised.
The food was decent, but really overpriced. Once you get into Mama's you get herded like cattle. Not my idea of a good morning.
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BY THE WAY, PLEASE NOTE THAT THE REVIEWER (me!) IS NOT A TOURIST TO SAN FRANCISCO, I AM A SF RESIDENT FOR OVER A DECADE WHO HAS A LOT OF EXPERIENCE DINING ALL OVER THE BAY AREA.
WARNING: If you read this you'll be compelled to wage an all-hands campaign to revise, revoke, re-edit and break rank with any guidebook, website, blog or public record of any kind that recommends dining at... Mama's in North Beach.
This place sucks, and it's not worth the wait AT ALL. Other reviewers refer to the scores who flock to Mama's as lemmings and victims of clever marketing. I couldn't agree more. Once I checked out other single star reviews of this joint, I was further appalled at how Mama's treats customers--"Moldy french toast?" that review was classic. Anyway, here's another outrage to add to Mama's list of spurned customers and embarrassing customer service:
Midweek the wait was still an hour from when I stepped on the line OUTSIDE to sitting down at my table inside. And, what's with the SECOND line inside the restaurant? You place your order with a cashier and PAY (cash only) without even the privilege of sitting down or taking a sip of water. ****What a great way to "trap" customers in the restaurant while you continue to wait standing inside to sit down at your table. And HOW CLEVER that they only take cash and they give you NO RECEIPT showing what you paid for and ordered!
Meanwhile, there I stood at the front of the big inside line with another single diner like neglected livestock in a very crowded high traffic area-- WTF??!! People squeezing past every few seconds. What rocket-scientist thought of this system? It doesn't make anyone feel welcomed or special. You immediately feel like just another tourist, and warm body in the pursuit of profit. It didn't take long for me to figure how their system totally benefits the owners, see **** above.
I repeat...WTF???!!!!
What's even more sad. With this assembly line dining experience deflects, negates, amputates any poetry from the customer service experience. But, again, I don't think Mama's cares about customer service...
After another 10-15 minutes of standing and waiting, a 'host' approaches me and the other single diner, "Do you two want to share a table?" Again, WTF???!!!! That kind of instant chumminess might work in a more loving atmosphere but as I've now waited ages the last thing I want to do it make awkward conversation with a stranger who is obviously just as frustrated as I. The host is noticeably pissed when I say, no, I'd rather not do that, and once my table is ready he practically yells at me to sit down.
I sit down--more waiting. I even waited for ice water. YET, they have at least 4 people working the floor at a place that can serve only about 40-50 people at a time? Again-- WTF??!! Finally, my omelet arrives, and you know what, I'm so over this place that I don't even want to look at the indifferent host and the tourists who are shoveling food down hoping to justify the ridiculous wait.
"How are you?" said the server smiling sweetly. Too little, too late. I took my food to go and ate in the park. By the way, when they packed up my food, they gave me a small baby fork! Hello??????? And, no jam. WTF????!!! I swear, this fork was like a golf pencil with tiny little tines--how am I supposed to eat a crab omelet with that thing??? WTF???!!! Their response, "We don't have "real forks" right now... "
"I'll give the place 2 stars," I said, "if the food is out of this world." NOT!! The eggs on the omelet were not seasoned at all, too much avocado and not enough cheese inside, potatoes also very little seasoning, tomatoes--even during high tomato season in SF--flavorless&cheap!
Bland, pedestrian, predictable...Read all of the single and double star reviews of this place--they all attest that the food is very, very, very commonplace... similar and better can be found all over the city. They had a Sysco Food Supplier calendar hanging next to the register-- so you do that math. If you want a great brunch try The Butler and the Chef Cafe in South Beach, Foreign Cinema in the Mission, Brenda's French Soul Food in the T-loin--that place always has a line, but their beignets, shrimp and the Hangtown Fry are totally worth every second.
MAMA's in North Beach aka MAMA's on Washington is PURE EVIL... The epitome of old guard tourist traps--high prices, super-long waits (remember! the outside line AND the inside line!), indifferent staff and incredibly mediocre food. Their set-up of ordering off the boards and paying at the register instead of being greeted and served by a waitress-- i.e., PAY FIRST AND EAT MUCH MUCH LATER-- is laughable, horrible, deceptive and shady all at once. The kicker? In this age of composing yelp reviews on cell phones, Mamas don't take credit cards. (Yes, I composed this review as I stood in line INSIDE.)
NOT WORTH IT! NEVER AGAIN!!
People thought this was:
We got here at 9:30am on a Friday in April and the wait was 1 hour! Maybe it's because of the nice weather; it seems half the people were tourists. We came at the same time on a rainy Friday back in December/January and there was no line.
It wasn't our first time here. We usually get the Northern Italian Omelet ($10.95) ... YUM! The pancetta and tomatoes are yummy and juicy. We've also tried the Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict which was really good but nothing too extraordinary. The homemade jam is out of this world, though!
- Be prepared to spend a chunk of your morning lining up, especially if it's Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. Be aware that the line outside is just to get in. Once you're inside, you have to wait to order and pay, then wait for a seat.
- Come with cash, though I noticed the last time I was here they took debit
- Tip money from the table before are left on the table so don't be alarmed. It's annoying but they will take it away once they give you your drinks.
- The place is small so it's not a great place to eat for big groups (more than 6 people)
People thought this was:
Came here today for breakfast today with my coworkers. Since this was preplanned and there was going to be 9 of us, we had a couple of people go there and wait early in the morning. Even when I got there at 7:45am, there was a huge line already. This place opens at 8am.
I ordered the corn beef and hash with 2 eggs ($12) - this was a special written on the board. I'm glad I saw this, cause corn beef and hash is one of my favorites! All the food came pretty quickly and everyone was happy with their food. I noticed everyone's portions were huge too! Someone ordered a slice of the cranberry loaf and it was sooo good. My corn beef hash was perfectly seasoned and very tasty! I esp liked the slices of tomatoes on the side.
If you are in a group - they want everyone to be there at the same time. And you have to order at the same time. You basically order, pay, and they will seat you. The servers will bring your order. It gets really busy here - but its a nice breakfast place to bring someone. I didn't see anything super exceptional about this place, in fact, I think its actually a little pricey for just breakfast food. I guess I just don't understand the hype. Just your typical breakfast food nothing too spectacular. Parking around here is hard, but it is northbeach! But for the amount of money you pay here to eat, I expected something better.
People thought this was:
The food was excellent. The apple walnut crumb cake was rich and gooey, and had the perfect amount of crunch on top. I loved the interior of the restaurant - homey, and old fashioned and just a slice of nostalgia in the heart of the city. The only negative was the wait: One hour in line for a 25 minute meal. Yes, I would do it again, but next time, I am stopping off to get a coffee so I can spend the time in line and not drool every time I saw the staff bring mugs of coffee to the lucky diners inside!
i was visiting sf so no biggie i waited about an hour to get in. i was curious to the recommended sunday brunch. living in philly, it's a place easily comparable to a place like sabrina's....from the outside. once you step in, the sweet smells of breads, pastries and other fine brunchy foods take over. you walk up to the counter, order then pay. it was pretty pricey so my taste bud's hopes were high. the crab omlet was huge and filled with lots of real crab. my boyfriend wolfed it down. i'd tried it and tasty wasn't the word. my french toast were thick and fluffy, topped with the freshest fruit.
a small establishment but packed with flavor. a must do for all visitors looking for a great start to their day.
Took my fiance there for a nice breakfast and after waiting in the rain, yes we waited....we were blessed with a seat and proceeded to eat some of the best pancakes and eggs benedicts you could imagine. The interior is really cute but can be busy. Be prepared to wait and wait and wait. It's worth it though!
The key to not having to wait for two hours is 1) wake up early or 2) go just before closing. My friend and I arrived at 2PM and only waited about twenty minutes before getting a table. Cause brunch at any time of the day is perfectly fine by me.
I love their eggs benedict (especially with smoked salmon) and they were again perfect this time around. The only negative was my potatoes, which were way undercooked. I didn't want to make it a big deal and so ate them anyway, but really, not good. Still, I really like Mama's and I'm not willing to write them off just yet.
People thought this was:
I'm slowly learning that certain places (see my review of Golden Gate Bakery) are actually worth the… Read more »
food: three stars (* * *)
Let me start by saying that the coffee cake was the best I've ever had. I got the French Toast Sampler and the Northern Italian Omelette. The french toast came in three flavors: cinnamon, cranberry walnut and banana. All three were good, but not exceptional. The omelette was also tasty, with a nice combination of flavors, but nothing I haven't had at other places. The fresh-squeezed orange juice was delicious, but that can be had anywhere as well.
environment/service: three stars (* * *)
Our servers were courteous, but the wait was obscene. Though not entirely the fault of the restaurant, the restaurant could certainly expand a bit, as there are only about 10 tables inside. The restaurant environment itself was pleasant, but not exceptional.
value: three stars (* * *)
The prices for the food were somewhat steep in my opinion. $4 for an average size of fresh-squeezed orange juice? $13 for a plate of french toast? Nothing that would break the bank, but up against comparable breakfast establishments, it was on the higher side.
average of
food: three stars
environment/service: three stars
value: three stars
================
averaged grand total: three stars
estimated price per person (excluding drink):
$8-15
would i recommend it to others?
It's good breakfast food, but not worth the wait.
would i return?
I would not wait an hour and a half again for the food. For 30 minutes, I think you can have food that is just as good (and often better) at St Francis Fountain.
People thought this was:
Random guy sitting in a car that was driving by: "That place isn't even that good!"
Random guy behind me: "You don't know what you're talking about! It's good! PEASANT!"
"PEASANT!"
That was the highlight of my hour wait in line (on Saturday around 2pm).
We ordered the French toast sampler (I sampled it, just stick with the regular French toast, without the cranberry/banana -type toast). The Eggs Florentine was delishh. The chocolate crumble was not great --it only tastes good because it was heated up, but I'd stick with Schubert's for my pastries.
Overall, the food is pretty good... but after the 1 hour wait in line, you're probably starving so it tastes even better! I knocked off a star for the line. Definitely a place to try if you are a SF native. The service was great, very friendly despite the hectic atmosphere.
By the way-- CASH AND DEBIT CARDS ONLY!
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