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Categories: Diners, American (Traditional)
Neighborhood: CastroMon-Sun. 6:00 a.m. - 6:00 a.m.
"so third time. food ruled. staff excellent. music sweet. love it! went on a weds night, sat at the bar while my bf and friend did their…" read more »
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Oh, I love this little place!
The food is great, the portions are huge, and the ingredients are fresh.
Make sure you score a table in one of the "fishbowl" windows. The people-watching is out of control.
The waitstaff also totally won my heart by playing and singing along to Television's 'Marquee Moon'...The subject matter negated any form of annoyance.
..And take a close look at Orphan Andy...Would you hit it? I'd hit it.
You know what you need at 2AM when you are tanked and starving? *delicious french fries*!! You know what orphan A's has? Some freaking *delicious* french fries. On top of that, they also have red shiny leather seats, an awesome 60s kitsch theme, and milkshakes. MILKSHAKES people! OK, actually I'm not sure if they have milkshakes, but given the level of loaded I was at when I was last there, I was convinced the did. I hope its not one of those situations where I brought my own ice cream to a place and demanded them to make something with it...hmmm.
But I digress...take home message? You should be here next time you are tanked.
Orphan Andy's was named by Playboy in it's 'Nightlife A-List' as one of the nation's 10 best late-night diners.
Congratulations!
You can get it from the horse's mouth at http://www.playboy.com...
If you find yourself in the Castro late at night and hungry - Orphan Andy's is the place to be.
I actually went in the middle of the day for brunch, which meant I was sober and able to taste the food.
I ordered the "Big 2" plate which was 2 eggs, 2 strips of bacon, 2 sausage and 2 pancakes for $9.15.
The sausage was VERY good. This isn't even a Castro inuendo; it really was good.
More than anything our server was INCREDIBLY friendly and intelligent and chatted with the two women I had brunch with for lunch.
I'd definitely go back. Nothing like genuinely good service and good food.
It had been a while since I'd been to Orphan Andy's. The first time I went this month (total fat kid) I was with 3 others. A british guy was our waiter and my group had fun trying to figure out where the heck he was from! I had a polish dog that was pretty darn yummy. Anyway, once we crossed the street the waiter tapped me on the shoulder and said, "You forgot your coat, love!" and I was very impressed!
The second time I went I was with my boyfriend. We went for some breakfast. I had a hankering for French toast with bacon and hash browns BUT when I tried to substitute eggs for hash browns the same British waiter said no. Sooo I just got French Toast with a side of bacon and the boy got some omelette with home fries. Mr.Belvedere came out right away with my munchies but, unfortunately, my date's came out 5 mins later (I won't eat until everyone is served). I kinda wish Jeeves kept it under the heat lamp but being the fat kid I am I dove into my syrup orgy without complaint the moment my boyfriend's food arrived. Refills were pretty slow as well as waiting for the check. It was still deelish so I'm gonna write it off as Mr. Sheffield having a bad day.
"Every town has a diner
Where I'll meet you
And your friends too
Things are just a bit nicer over some coffee
You can tell me all about your day
I don't know much about you
Not that I want to
Not that I want to
Sometimes I can't escape from my room
So excuse me
I'll be just a little late"
See, even Mr. Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie knows what's up with a good diner. Judging from the lyrics, though, he's visiting in the daylight hours. Who does that?
If I were to rewrite that song I might say,
"Every town has a 24 hour diner,
where I'll meet you,
after drinking until 2.
Sobering up over coffee,
you can tell me about the girl who blew off your advances at the bar."
Alright, the 4/4 was lost on that last line unless you suddenly increased the vocal tempo, but you get the point.
Every town -does- have a diner. Some are open 24 hours. Not all of them are stellar, in fact, most aren't. But isn't that the point? You're not looking for gourmet at 3am. You can lump Orphan Andy's into the middle of the road, I'm-drunk-as-hell-and-I-need-some-food-that-isn't- McDonald's category. And there's nothing wrong with that category. I'm glad places like this exist.
Sometimes you're drunk and want to eat something to level out.
Sometimes you're drunk and want to eat something so you can get your second wind and go to 6am bar... but that's another story.
(No useful content whatsoever brought to you by reliance on the 275 other reviews to take care of that aspect. I love reviewing San Franscisco - you can completely screw around and no one will ever see your review anyway!)
I can't talk too much about the food as I just picked up a bowl of oatmeal, but the staff is amazingly friendly, the atmosphere is great and the conversations amusing.
Being open 24 hours a day makes this place an invaluable place to have in your restaurant arsenal.
Every time I go its past 2 am and its great. I've never had bad food here and the service is awesome for the middle of the night. you have to get the hot wings if youre into to them.
My favorite place for biscuits and gravy: mmm mmmm mmmmm! I usually go for breakfast but the few other dishes I've had have all been good. I really like the wait staff, too. It's like an old fashioned diner in the heart of the Castro -- I love the pterodactyls and other beastie kites that hang from the ceiling most of the year.
It gets busy on the weekend so the early bird gets the B&G! Oh, they're open 24 hours, too!
In one week Orphan Andy's has saved my drunk ass from doing unmentionable acts to whomever I may have been out drinking with TWICE. Yes, two separate nights of throwing back (one thanks to yelp) led me to your doors. What can I say - beer makes me horny but food brings me back to reality and reminds me to keep my pants on.
Open 24 hours, huge portions. yummy burger, decent enough fries and onion rings, grilled cheese was totally not greasy enough though. If I am ordering something fatty bring it on - I'll hit the gym when I'm sober I promise. Exceptionally nice wait staff who I observed handing drunk obnoxious patrons with class. AND the first night I was there some random adorable couple bought my dinner!
Thanks for helping me not be a whore Orphan Andy's - I'm a fan even though my drinking buddies probably hate you now.
peace, love, and good booze ~ chase
9:45, after we peel out of the Yelp party due to hunger.
Orphan Andy's down the street. 24 hour diner. Awesome. We're in.
Sat at the bar. Two waters. A heaping plate of bacon, eggs, toast and potatoes.
The servers are ridiculously nice. And Klassy with a K. Thanks for putting up with our gibberish and bringing out the food super fast. You rock!
I love the Castro and I want to love Orphan Andy's, but every time I've gone there the food has disappointed. And diner food is one of the easiest things to please me with! Bland and overpriced for what you get. I don't think I'll be coming back.
Staff: 5 stars
Food: 1-2 stars, blech
I stopped in for a late lunch, desperate for nourishment. The staff are awesome - I sat at the counter and they are friendly and attentive.
The food, not so much. I had a meatball sandwich that was rather disgusting. Especially for the price!
A friend gave me a warning about this place.
"Orphan Andy's, uh-uh. Don't go there"
This place was packed when we arrived after midnight. We managed to squeeze into the last 2 empty seats at the counter.
I sort of heeded my friend's advice and decided to keep it simple: 2 eggs over easy with 2 pancakes. Bf ordered omelette with ham and mushrooms. He also had 2 pancakes.
Lo and behold! the servings here are huge! My pancakes are literally the size of my plate. They must have given me 1/2 a stick of butter on the side. I picked up my knife and cut the first slice. And cut. And cut some more.
Either I need a sharper butter knife or my pancakes were left a bit too long on the grill.
The omelette came with no cheese. (oops, cheese is $1.25? extra) but the thick cuts of ham and copius amounts of mushrooms made up for the lack of flavor. Our bill (without tip) was $17.08
Needless to say, the food here is not good. The two stars go to our server who was quick on his feet and for the fact that they are open 24 hours.
Guess I should've gone to Mickey D's instead.
Great place for breakfast! It get super packed no matter what time it is..... the staff is really nice, food is good, portions are big, great for a late night!
Quintessential Castro diner...
Love the decor and staff...
Food hit the spot as well...
After the opening night of the SF Silent Film Festival at the Castro Theater, my husband and are were starving and looking for some hearty fare. We came across Orphan Andy's and were lured in by the huge plates of food carried over to the customers. Despite being pretty full and busy, we were quickly seated at the bar of the diner and served ice water.
We did have to wait for some time for the food to arrive, but one of the staff told us that there was a shift change, and apologized for the wait. No worries! The location of the diner is great for people-watching, especially around midnight on Market St. Ah! French fries and drag queens are a great combination!
The food was great! Tasty hearty diner fare you want after downing too many gin and tonics. I ordered a chicken fried steak sandwich with a side of country sausage gravy (otherwise the sandwich might be too dry for some). The CFS sandwich was so good! SO GOOD, in fact, that the customer who sat next to me was inspired to order the same exact thing. My husband had an Ortega Burger which was crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside along with some perfectly done onion rings. Good coffee and nice spicy Chai (came from a mix packet, but still good).
The staff was nice, especially the person working at the counter who appeared to be the manager/owner (?). Will return and recommend!
I woke up Sunday morning to a text from a friend which simply read, "Awesome."
After rifling through my phone's text history, I found what I had sent him at 1:36 AM the night before: "This is night that will go down as am epic fail."
Not quite http://www.textsfromla.../, but I'm young. With a smidge of moxie and a splash of rum, I'll make it happen.
So I gathered myself together, grabbed the roommate and the random friend crashing on the couch, and we sauntered over to Orphan Andy's for a revival/pick-me-up brunch. It really is one of those neighborhoody type places that locals swarm around and tourists avoid...it doesn't have the glitz of Lime nor does it boast the name of Harvey's, but what it does, it does well.
Chocolate malt? Awesome, huge, and exactly what I wanted.
BLT minus the T plus the C (cheese) and plus the G (guacamole)? Delicious, and I have to give the server props for letting me deviate from the menu as far as I did.
People watching? Some of the best in the city. Grab a table near the window and watch people scurry across 17th and Market, going about their Sunday errands.
Supergay waitstaff? Fantastic. I love it when my waiter is wearing a kilt, nose ring, and a belt that says "NUDIST" in rhinestones.
We'll definitely be back for brunch again, even if it's just so I can salvage more lame nights with fabulous mornings after.
This orphan treated me ok. Apparently this place gets very mixed reviews, but I didn't Yelp ahead of time; just was wandering and figured there must be something open in the Castro after I picked up an energy drink at Walgreens at something like 3:30 AM.
What did i have? A turkey Rueben with fries. Nope, I'm not a veggie, so that helps. Right off the bat I was really glad they weren't upset about my energy drink. He just asked if I would like something else to go with it or not and I said I was fine and that was that. He didn't seem annoyed when I stupidly didn't notice where he gestured regarding the menus, either. Quite chill. Food came up pretty quick, but I guess it was a relatively dead Tuesday early early morning, so there's not too much excuse for slowness.
As for the sandwich itself -- delicious! Not a paragon of health by any means, but then a Rueben never is. Of course, you pay 24 hour prices -- in this case, something like $10.40? But you know, at 4 AM they probably deserve it.
I would give this place another shot if I found myself hungry in the Castro at crazy hours again.
Minus five star rating.
This is very hard to write. I will keep it simple by saying to all vegans and vegetarians to avoid this place. Unless you want to have bacon "accidentally" slipped onto your plate INSIDE your veggie burger. Then harassed by the manager or who I think was the manager on your way out.
After pointing out the bacon I took from my mouth with a napkin to realize there was more on the veggie patty the waiter replies:
"Oh, yeah that's bacon." continues to wipe the table next to mine as he later adds: "I'm sorry hon, we can take it off from your check." I get up and wash my mouth and hands in their filthy bathroom, gather my belongings and leave.
A short young woman intercepts me on the way out, blocking the exit: "Are you the one freaking out about the bacon on your veggie burger?" I lowered my eyes wondering why she blocks the exit and nod. Then she raises her voice and adds: "Well, you know you should not be hating on my people, It wasn't the waiter's fault, it was the cook's fault, you know.." At this point I went from being sad to very upset. #1 I never said anything to the waiter and who was this troll? why the tone?. Oh boy. I finally decide to tell her: "I don't care who you are and what you have to say, now if you'll excuse me." I notice she does not move so I try to slide sideways past her... and she pushes me, almost fell on a patron sitting at the booth. I simply left without taking any further action and was starved and kind of buzzed so I let it go.
My next meal was 15 or so hours after and I am still very displeased with the whole situation. I hope I never run into this girl, ever. I will most certainly pepper spray her face. This behavior is very unlike me, yet still...
I hope nobody ever experiences anything like this.
You've been warned, though.
I'm in love with a sandwich and I'm ok with that.
Whenever I need comfort food or just food, the Monte Cristo never disappoints. Though I miss their old fries, the ones with the skins on them, bring those back please.
Love, Cupcake
Ugh..this place is a disaster, through and through...
- 1 star... For the shitty attitude we encountered from the waiter after waiting in line FOREVER!
-1 star... For the attitude we recieved when they had to split up our party of 8.
- 1 star...For the sticky stuff oh my chair.
-1 star...For service so bad, we decided to up and leave.
- 1 star...For the waiter and one of his goons trying to rough us up as we left. Ripped my friend's Emporio Armani shirt.
Yeah...I think that pretty much says it all....
- 1 point for unfriendly service
- 1 point for "the bathroom"
- 1 point for what they call "sausage"
Great diner food. Also good service with really friendly wait-staff.
Great place to go to late night after bar hopping, clubbing or whatever it is you do after midnight during the wee hours of the early morn! Be warned it is a total dive but it serves it's purpose and it's patrons well. My favorite is to have breakfast items like eggs and bacon and greasy home fries. Yummers!!! It's all good people! Give them a try. I think you'll like it.
I love this place. They never kick me out when I'm stumbling down their steps to their teeny tiny bathroom. Plus, their sprite tastes excellent for some reason. My friends and I talk about this fact constantly. It never ceases to amaze me. The food is only okay but that's beside the point. This place is always open, the people are always friendly, and the bathroom is always there for after you break the seal.
I don't eat meat but my friend tells me that the chicken-fried steak is orgasmic. I didn't know steak could even be chicken-fried? What?
most places that are 24 hours are not that great. you go there on the idea that you can get food no matter that it's 3:30am and you and your friends are wasted, not really caring that the food in front of you is sub par. as you eat your meal and sober up, you realize the sausage looks green, the eggs look like splotches of abstract art and your friend's burger looks like it sat ready to be delivered in the window for 3 hours.
orphan andy's may be 24 hours, but it's not that type of 24 hour place. it actually has *awesome* diner food. diner food done right- 24 hours a day. crap. i didn't know that could happen.
i actually didn't venture here on a late night escapade of weak attempts at sobriety, but came on a sunday morning for brunch with some out of town guests. they had suggested it, and since they were running the show, i went with it.
great diner to have a filling, huge sunday brunch. gargantuan servings of whatever you order. my friend's guacamole burger apparently was so good the day before that he had wanted to come back and order it again for brunch. after seeing the heaping servings of sausage gravy and biscuits, i had to order something dinery for breakfast. i went with the country fried steak and eggs.
dangerous territory, not ever having country fried steak or their country gravy before and venturing out on a full day of tour guiding around the city. i mean, if it wasn't too great, it could have been an episode of stomach tsunami stress. good news. no natural disasters in my stomach.
it was a damn good meal. the potatoes were huge, delicious, and filling. the eggs weren't runny. and the chicken fried steak? holy candy craps. that was some good stuff.
on top of the good food, the service was awesome. really friendly staff, and our server was so great i wanted to make sure i stopped back to not only try one of those guacamole burgers, but to say hi to our server.
diner food done right. a step above the typical diner. and light years beyond a normal 24 hour place.
I cannot lie. I love this place. I love it too much.
One of my favorite things is to eat here and then catch a movie over at the Castro theater.
They are always open, have HUGE portions, and the food is soooo good. AND CHEAP. Which totally floats my boat, being an impoverished student.
Okay, so it's diner food, but you know what? I've had bad diner food. And this place makes amazing grilled cheese sandwiches and CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA PANCAKES!
The service is always amazing, I am never wanting for refills at all.
My first experience here, was me at the bar at nearly midnight, and the service was JUST as AWESOME then as during the day, even though I just a tea and some fries.
As far as little hole in the wall places go, this is one of my absolute favorites. If you haven't gone here, shame on you, go now, no really, just get up and go now. You won't be sorry.
Parking in Castro is pretty much always harry, but it's literally RIGHT across the street from the muni station.
4.5 Stars!
I heart the Castro!
This is a MUST if I'm in the city even for a day. The first time I ever came here, the server (there was only 1..) told me to 'live a little' and try something new. So I closed my eyes and pointed to a random menu item.. the Cream Cheese Burger. Sounds simple enough, right? Right.. but it was SOOOOoooo oo oo o good! It's really just what it sounds like it would be, too. Maybe it's the meat or the bun.. or both, but with the toppings and softish cream cheese piled on top it's by far one of the best burgers I've had the pleasure of sinking these pearly whites into.. ever.
A word, though, about the bathroom. Get ready! I laughed so hard the first time I saw it.. I nearly pee'd myself (and that would have been a real shame heh). To say it's small would be a vast understatement. Think.. church confessional, then think smaller than that and you're close. You almost have to back up into it and close the door, which will be touching your knees if you're anything over 4'11. And you have to go through their kitchen and down some stairs to get to it too. I'm not complaining, I'm just mentioning it because I think all of the above is part of Orphan Andy's unrelenting charm :-)
Classic neighborhood diner. At the perfect location (corner of Market and Castro). If you are with two or three people, get a window table... the best place for people-watching in the Castro that is not a bar.
I am surprised at the low ratings... what are they expecting? Le Cirque?!? There are too many twinks in the Castro nowadays. I gave it a 5 Star rating just to counter-act the stupid reviews.
Orphan Andy's is perfect for two or three people (not a party of eight)... for folks looking for diner fare (not vegan or diet food)... basic, quick service. You will get filled up (perfect after the bars, but that is when it is BUSY). Best time to go is in the afternoon, when you can sit and watch the passers-by and not feel rushed.
This place is freaking hilarious.
I would NEVER go here "FOR" the food. Unless you're talking about, "because it's the only place open when you're so drunk you can't walk any further."
And there's something really frightening about the location of the bathroom. You actually walk THROUGH the TINY kitchen (you could totally cough into the frying pans, if you weren't careful) and then scale a wall and go through a dense forest and stop by grandma's to rest a while and then turn right, and it's there by the sink. JEEZUZ.
Occasionally you'll get the good waiter. But watch out for the one that will give you mean looks the whole time, and then snarl one last time at you when you say "Thanks" on your way out. Yeah, you know the type.
But still, I find, like so many others, that I can't really ever stop going to this damn place. It's like that ex-girlfriend or boyfriend that was totally and completely wrong for you, but every now and then, LATE at night, you pick up the phone and invite them over. And you probably won't mention it to any of your friends the next day. Or ever.
But you won't throw out their number, either. *YOU know.*
No worries: I won't say anything if I see you there.
This place is a little too small. I went here with 2 other doormen and 1 doorwoman ( I work club security)
The waiters all must've been through hell and back on the early am morning we came in (about 445am). They all snarled at us, but us friends all workin the doors of clubs, we just "killed them with kindness" and in the end the service and food was fantastic.
I'll remember to come here again after the early 2am drunktards are already home passed out.
I don't know how that place has garnered so many good reviews. Every time I come here it is a GUT BOMB!
Everything is covered in Grease. The biscuits and gravy are so heavy it is more painful to eat then an actual delight. Even at 2 am when nothing else is open the food here is still underwhelming. That alone speaks volumes!
Also, the line for the bathroom is usually incredibly long. The service is not the best. and the food.... boo!
I don't know why so many people continue to come here.... O wait, yes i do. They are drunk, the bars are closing, and they don't have many other choices.
Great atmosphere and friendly wait staff. My favorite is the crispy onion rings; however, the french fries were not so crispy and were a disappointment.
BEST DINER OF MY LIFE!!! I am such a diner whore and I LOVE coming to this place! Not only are they SUPER cheap but the service is ALWAYS super friendly and when there's not too many people around they'll let me bring my pup in with me. The food is your typical diner menu with lil twerks (eg my favorite dish on the menu....buffalo chicken salad...yummm!). It's a cozy lil place you can sit down at and talk and eat with friends for as long as you want. beautiful kites adorn the ceiling and beautiful people adorn the chairs.
always poppin. always delicious. always fabulous...just like the rest of the Castro! =)
Late night, it's really nice to have a place that serves a full menu of decent food. I'm always happy to grab a burger here when everything else is closed.
On the weekends, I'd go somewhere else for brunch. It's a small place, not kept up very well, and the service is lacking. You'll have to ask for a refill on your coffee, and there will probably be bits of the last patron's breakfast in the jam jar-- butter is slapped onto bread haphazardly, and omelets are woefully under-filled.
Keep this place as your midnight rendezvous.
For people who love getting a truly home cooked breakfast 24 hours a day in a diner type environment, this is the place to go to in San Francisco. I discovered this place years ago after searching for a cure to jetlag when I was still living in a foreign country and would only make it back to the bay area a few times per year.
They have one of the best chicken fried steak and eggs in town, which I always order with a side of country biscuits and gravy.
Be warned, if you come on a Friday or Saturday night... expect lines and a somewhat energetic crowd that lets out after the Castro bar scene lets out.
Could there be better employees? you got to know how to approach a place like this first, to fully understand the factors which reside inside. For me, i enjoy picking up food from this place, cause when I'm wasted & want to sit down it's more near Its Top's or Grubsteak. Service will always be on a temperamental scale in a place like this unless you go there around 5pm, or something. Go at like 10 & up and don't be sober, you won't like it...
I go with the same thing, fries & a veggie burger w/ cheddar & grilled onions. Something happened and I ended up with some slices of bacon on it. Rather displeased, I made a quick call & Bill was graciously understanding & replaced it. I thank, I forget who, but he remembered my exact order & he said he reads this but, I call it the vbcgo.
Ahhh Orphan Andy's. The Castro mainstay. After drinking the night away for a friend's birthday, what's better than getting eggs over-easy with a side of sausage ;)? This is the place to go if you're craving breakfast at any time of day in the Castro. Cool staff and yummy food - what else can you ask for?
Breakfast, lunch, dinner, rootbeer floats, and yes, 24HOURS!!!!
Cheeseburgers, and chicken fried steak are my favs!.....
Although i do like pancakes, and a bunch of other stuff...
DID I MENTION THEY'RE OPEN 24HOURS A DAY????
(except for one little time slot i thnk monday morning for an hour or 2....or something like that...
I'm an all night kind of guy, and it's an all night kind of place.
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