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Spork - CLOSED
Category: Restaurants American (Traditional) American (Traditional) [Edit]
1058 Valencia St(between Hill St & 22nd St)
San Francisco, CA 94110
Neighborhood: Mission
(415) 643-5000
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Hipster, Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
michelle i. said: "where else can you hang out in the sun all day with andrew firestone? ooh-la-la! i spent the day here yesterday just sitting out on the patio drinking beers with friends. i have a slight sunburn and hangover today, but it was so fun,…" read more »
1123 reviews for Spork
Review Highlights
"Spork's Inside Out Burger is mouth-watering delicious."
(in 263 reviews)
"Also, you must try the Goat Cheese Croquette."
(in 78 reviews)
"I had the mussels and pork, which was a divine dish."
(in 132 reviews)
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1123 reviews in English
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Review from Jennifer D.
San Francisco, CA
1/7/2012 8 photos
Spork is closing?
This review is long overdue and I'm a bit sad its closing...
Anyways.. I had the following:
Goat Croquette
Squid
Inside Out Burger
Scallops
After school Dessert
AMAZING! I would recommend it for small groups or a girls night out! Love the service and ambiance. Too bad its closing. RIP SPORK! -
Review from Nancy S.
San Francisco, CA
2/3/2012
Thought this place had a cute name and a cool idea, so my friend and I came and tried it out for dinner.
We made reservations for 7:30, but wasn't seated till 8:00. I don't care if walk-ins came in before us, we made reservations! That's what they're for!
The restaurant's more on the dim side, giving it a "romantic" vibe if you were here on a date. It was smaller than I expected, and you can see everyone at one glance - little privacy, or none at all.
I ordered white wine, while he had a beer. I had their Homemade Pasta and he had the Inside Out Burger. My pasta was good, but too little and barely had any meat. I should've ordered a steak or chicken instead. I should've known better not to order homemade pastas. On the other hand, my friend's Inside Out Burger was really tasty and it was interesting to see the display of the dish.
The main reason why I came here was because of their idea of eating with a spork. As we were ordering, the server told us sporks are only served along with desserts. Uhhh...so what's the point of naming your restaurant SPORK if you're not even going to serve with them? I was disappointed already.
Dinner wasn't fab, but at least I'm glad to say I've tried it out. Didn't feel like spending another $10 on a regular dessert dish just so I can use a metal spork, so we skipped dessert. However, when they brought us our tab, it came with mini hamburger cookies. So cute! -
Review from Pammy S.
San Francisco, CA
1/4/2012
thank god it closed. this place was horrible. now bring back the KFC!
P xo -
Review from Tracey A.
San Anselmo, CA
Updated - 1/4/2012
***************************** RIP SPORK *****************************************
Your food was great, your servers were great, and your location was great.
Unfortunately, none of these much matter when they're tearing down your building.
May you rise from the ashes like Phoenix to serve us up more of your pull-apart dinner rolls and $10 early bird burger with smashed potatoes and a beer.Listed in: RIP: Reviews for places that…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/26/2011
It's important to have friends who knew you when you were out partying all night and barfing out the… Read more »
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Review from Madeline N.
Cambridge, MA
12/26/2011
Sad to hear that Spork is no longer!
Back in the day, the inside out burger was the best. A fancy diner with a fun atmosphere within walking distance of the Valencia corridor in the Mission. -
Review from Ziyan C.
Thank you Tablehopper for telling me Spork was closing and to try their inside-out burger while it's still around! Surprisingly high quality food for a spot that looks like a simple diner.
My best friend thought this was the best meal she's ever had in SF - I wouldn't give them that much credit, I still really enjoyed the meal.
MUST-HAVES: Goat cheese croquette, La pasta melanzane
* Calamari and Brussels Sprouts Unite! - 3.5 stars
(monterey bay calamari, brussels sprouts, mint, lemon aioli - $12.75)
Loved the lemon aioli with the brussels sprouts, which were toasted and crispy, the way I like them best. They were nice enough to cook the calamari separately as half our table was vegetarian. You have to really like the pure flavor of seafood to like this part, as the calamari isn't breaded and you really see every tentacle, head, etc. I still liked it!
* Goat Cheese Croquette - 4 stars
(warm and crispy goat cheese, roasted golden and red beets, arugula, almonds, port and balsamic emulsion - $10.75)
Just one croquette, but it's perfectly soft and lightly breaded on the outside. The salad surrounding it was DELICIOUS while simple, the dressing a perfect balance of tart with a slight sweet hint, and every component adding just the perfect bit of flavor & texture.
* La Pasta Melanzane - 4 stars
(breaded eggplant fritters, tomato sauce, pappardelle pasta, pine nuts, rosemary - $16.75)
Very very nicely done. Pasta was great, with a tangy sauce that still had the texture of fresh chopped tomatoes. My friend usually hates eggplant but this had just the right ratio of breading to eggplant and she loved it.
* Rustic Farro Risotto - 2.5 stars
(slow cooked farro with lentils, cauliflowers, mushrooms, dino kale, butternut squash, pumpkin seeds - $17.75)
Not quite what you'd normally think of for risotto (creamy, rich). This was in more of a broth, and had a flavor like lentil soup. While this was light and healthy, this could have used more butternut squash (a big reason I got the dish) and it was undercooked too, a little hard)
* In-Side-Out Burger - 3.5 stars
(a fork and knife burger with two beef patties, caramelized onions, tillamook cheddar, lettuce, tomato, house dressing - $14.75)
Tried a bite of my friend's - from what I could tell, the meat and bun had great buttery flavor. And I love that this was about the same cost as a regular burger but double the meat =). -
Review from mike c.
11/26/2011 7 photos
Watching a recent Check Please episode, my friend was intrigued by the positive comments and interesting menu choices, prompting a dinner visit on a recent Friday night. I had the following:
Appetizers
1) Corn Puree (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) - Great starter for a SF misty evening with its sweet flavors. Can you make that bowl a little deeper?! : )
2) Ahi Poke (shared) (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) - Just okay and probably the weakest dish tonight. Lightly flavored Ahi cubes on a bed of shrimp chips.
Entree
3) Beef Stroganoff (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) - A very welcome surprise and cooked to perfection, temperature(medium rare) and flavor wise (love the mushrooms and onions in the wine sauce). Gnocchi was just okay. Would have enjoyed it a bit more with egg noodles, but the creamy horseradish REALLY gave this dish a kick! I used my second brioche piece to clean the sauce from my plate... yes, that good!
Dessert
4) Elvis Has Left the House (shared) (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) - Sliced fresh bananas with Humphrey Slocumbe ice cream, caramel sauce, and sprinkling of cashew nuts... who ate that Reese's cup?!
Overall, a very enjoyable meal as we were the first party to arrive when they opened. Got to try my friends' scallops (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) (well seared) and mussels and pork (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) (hearty/tasty, but pork a bit on the dry side). The dining room was full by the time we left. With a variety of share tables, counter seating, booths, and small tables, the vibe is relaxing and unpretentious; comfortable setting for GOOD sustainable comfort food. Be sure to read the back page of the dessert menu which explains the restaurant name, history, and the interior design. -
Review from Adrienne g.
San Francisco, CA
11/2/2011 Seated via OpenTable
Spork had been on my list for a good while so when UK friends were visiting, decided now was the time to give it a go
Overall impression? It was tasty, but not blowaway tasty & a *way* too lengthy dinner
Mushroom Soup - out of this world good! Smoky & drizzled w/ truffle oil, this soup was screaming-good (I only tasted the soup - didn't order it)
I instead got the Goat Cheese Croquette & it was pretty bland. I was hoping for a more pungent goat cheese & the balsamic reduction it was paired w/ had no tartness to it whatsoever
Entrees were all over the board & have to give major props to them for going totally off menu for our picky group
I chose the Farro Risotto - it was tasty w/ its cauliflower, mushrooms, pumpkin....all chopped up into bite-sized pieces to that it resembled risotto - wasn't as creamy as risotto but I guess when using farro instead of arborio rice, you can't expect apples to apples
Buddy 1 went for a mix of veggies over their homemade pasta & she said they were cooked perfectly & well-flavored & totally hit the spot
Buddy 2 got the Pasta w/ Sausage - she didn't much care for the spiciness of the sausage but liked that pasta part a lot
Buddy 3 got the Kids Pasta - just pasta w/ tomato sauce. It looked dry & sticky to me but he said it was very flavorful & good
Sis got the Eggplant Pasta - the eggplant was chopped up & combined w/ fixins to resemble meatballs - this was a nice surprise for her as she was expecting something more like an eggplant parmigiana
We were too full for dessert & at this point, we had been there a little over 2 hrs so we were pretty over the experience. Maybe if things had gone a bit more quickly, we'd have been willing to indulge but at that point, we just wanted to get outta there -
Review from Ali L.
San Francisco, CA
11/17/2011
It's always nice when you're pleasantly surprised. My goodness was I pleasantly surprised by Spork. The food was insanely good. The less than perfect star rating is because of their ambiance---mainly that if you go to the bathroom you get to pass the kitchen with food ALL OVER the floor. Totally grossed me about after a stellar meal.
I probably won't be back anytime soon though because the prices are slightly too high to justify another visit----- unless someone else is willing to pick up the tab next time. -
Review from Grace D.
San Francisco, CA
11/1/2011
This review is for the Brunch service on Sunday.
Service - our main server was okay but I do applaud the other wait staff especially the front gal who was our first contact showed and served us great customer service.
Food was okay as well. I do however want to praise their Skillet French toast as I thought it was original and unique taste with whipped type butter and sauce and frut drizzle was perfect. My husband wasn't too thrilled about his omelett and my daughters was just the plain eggs and bacon so nothing to rave about there. The coffee cake that everyones raves about was VERY disappointing. The top had a nice sweet crust but once we bit into the "heart" of the coffee cake...blahhhhh...BLAND! No taste...no flavor.
We walked out feeliing like..."there's better out there" -
Review from Elizabeth G.
San Francisco, CA
10/19/2011
Food could be good, could be bad... but maybe if the staff weren't total jerks and the wait time wasn't always 90 minutes+ I would have more to say....
Sorry Spork, but I've tried 4x to come here and each time have been let down and turned away... :( -
Review from Alicia W.
Never thought that you can get full off half a milf shake and bread...then really stuffed from splitting an inside out burger... which leaves no room for the risotto.
Came here with my girlfriend and we decided to split a milf shake and each order an entree... which turned out to be too much food for both of us.
I really like the the milf shake, may be because it is made from gelato instead of the regular ice cream. It was really thick and creamy and absolutely delicious with a bit of fudge mixed in.
The inside out burger was really good. I love how there are two thick beef patties, every bite has more beef than bread. The smashed fries are okay, not much flavor by itself, but it was like eating fried mash potatoes.
I took a few bites of the risotto that we ordered. I really liked how the kale soaked up the sauce and the texture of the farro was soft yet crunchy. There were also bit of butternut squash in the risotto, which added a nice flavor. The risotto was also very very very cheesy, which I like, but I was too full to eat anymore of anything that heavy.
The lighting was not that great, I think it is a bit too red and dim. And the tables seems a bit squished together.
The service here is amazing. Our waitress was very accommodating and actually gave us our milf shake for free because they ran out of regular straws and long spoons, so it was really hard to drink/eat the milf shake. -
Review from Sabrina T.
San Francisco, CA
10/30/2011
My friend and I were just lamenting about how this was one of the worst dining experiences we've had in a loong time. It's taking a lot of effort not to give this place a one-star, but I'm not food poisoned and the service was decent, so 2-stars it gets
We shared a salad and their daily special which was Mission eggs. The salad was soo over priced at $10. I'm not really one to complain about prices unless I feel really jipped, and that was just NOT worth $10! It was maybe half a head of unchopped butter lettuce, maybe ONE walnut that was cut up to 4-5 pieces and a few pieces of radish. I don't even remember there being any parmesan on it, although the menu claims it does have it. The salad dressing tasted like old fridge dressing.. you know, the kind you forget about..
The Mission Eggs had a weird presentation, it was 2 small tortillas with cheese in between, 2 over-cooked eggs on top and then a whole heap of shredded lettuce. When it came to the table all you could see was the pile of lettuce. It was definitely more of salad then the salad was. The taste was okay, but I had the feeling of 'I could of made this at home'. I was just not impressed with it.
The space was OKAY. They make a big whoop about it being an old KFC, and while it surely is an improvement over KFC, it wasn't trendy or exciting in my opinion.
To add to our annoyance, there were flies and moths circling us as we ate. We kept shoeing it away, but it kept managing to find it's way back to the food. The final straw was at the end of the meal when moths started circling our feet. It was just gross and we got the check and booked it out of there as fast as we could. Yikes!
I will say though, that the best part of the meal was the free bread. It was warm and soft, and that's about the only thing I enjoyed there. -
Review from Christine H.
San Jose, CA
10/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
I can't really say the food I had here was all that great... Maybe it was the menu at the time I had come and maybe I chose the wrong items on the menu.
We had the inside out burger and the pork dish with mussels. It was so-so. But the burger was definitely better than the pork.. you can't really go wrong with a burger!
One thing I gotta say was good is the bread! Slightly sweet and very dense. Yum! -
Review from Janet L.
Hercules, CA
10/24/2011 Seated via OpenTable
Complimentary bread that comes before the food makes this place a winner. Awesome, warm, fresh bread. Got me already....
Burger's a burger, bun was fun, sauce was good, nice n juicy, yeah yeah....it's a burger.
Can't beat the early bird burger special. -
Review from Paul G.
Chicago, IL
12/22/2011
Such a cool place. Use to be a KFc. inside out burgerrrrrrr.
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Review from Nancy R.
Irvine, CA
9/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
Made a reservation thru OpenTable and was seated before it was time, dope.
Talked to the waiter for a sec and once we didn't decide to get an appetizer, worst service I've had besides a late night eatery after the club. Totally was ignored after we placed our order, didn't even get the "free bread" til about 15-20 mins after we ordered. Waiter never picked our "appetizer" plates up after we were done, just left em. until the chick came with our actual dinner plates =| Like really??????????
The dude would stare at us every single time he walked by to other tables, and would even chat up storms with them. Am I missing something here? We didn't order two waters and a soup, we ordered two overpriced entrees, a soda, and a rootbeer float. I've been to some of the nicest spots all up and down the state and across the country, never experienced such isolation or plain avoidance.
The food was DELICIOUS, but doesn't make up for the HUGE lack of CUSTOMER SERVICE that was never provided during our mealtime at Spork. I only gave two stars because of the food. Yeah, that bad. -
Review from Surge C.
Coming into an appropriately dimly lit restaurant with a pleasant hostess must be a good sign that the place is a great dinner spot.
As a belated birthday dinner, my friend took me to Spork (it was our first time). After reading multiple reviews mentioning the inside out burger, it was at the top of my list to order. AND I am sure glad I did because I saw many of the other entree dishes and the portion size was too small for the prices and for my appetite :).
My brother from another mother settled on the ahi tuna and definitely regretted his choice. I tasted a bit of it and was not impressed by the lack of flavor and size of the dish. This was part of the reason I docked a star off. The other reason was because our waitress was freakishly perky...this seems like an odd reason to dock a star and normally I wouldn't, but she creeped me out. One moment she would be talking normally to her co-workers and the next moment she would scrunch up her face as if she ate too much sugar and talk like a cheerleader from L.A., but she was very nice and attentive...it was just putting off.
Back to the inside out burger...absolutely a-m-a-z-i-n-g. I appreciate a fork-and-knife burger because I hate eating with my hands. They made it perfectly medium-well and the meat, special sauce, and bun were incredibly flavorful. I highly recommend ordering the smashed potatoes, which come with dipping sides of aoili (YUMMY!) and ketchup.
Overall, my experience was great and I am looking forward to the next time I have the infamous inside-out burger. -
Review from Cicie W.
10/3/2011
If you read the history from the website, this place used to be a KFC and is named after KFC's spoon fork thing, hence spork. they actually use a metal spork instead of the plastic one. it's definitely a one of a kind restaurant and worth checking out.
I had the mussel pork with a spork, which was delicious. the mussels were big and fatty, cooked in belgian beer. the pork was tender. I also shared a butter lettuce salad with my hubby, which was really good! wine selection was also good, we had this french wine and it was reasonably priced. we had to skip dessert as my entre was pretty good, but the menu definitely looks interesting. we could see why some people would say the service is a bit slow, but it was ok, we were not in a hurry. overall, I really enjoyed the experience here. -
Review from carrie l.
San Francisco, CA
9/4/2011
If there were half stars, I would give this place 4.5 but I don't think it quite impressed me enough for a five star rating, so I'm going to give this four stars.
To start off with, their service was awesome. I called the night before to try and make a reservation for a fairly big party (~7) and they were really accommodating. Then the day of I changed my reservation to 9 people but they were still really friendly about it.
When we arrived, they couldn't seat us immediately because so few of our party was there, but they were quick to offer us the drink menus and brought out our drinks quickly.
In terms of food, our group tried a few items off the menu. I had the alaskan halibut and it was really good. The flavor was really nice, it wasn't dry, and the outside layer was just a bit crisp. The combination of the fish was the tomato and corn worked really well. It added a bit of freshness to it. My other friends ordered the steak stroganoff, crispy chicken dinner, and mussels and pork with a spork. I cannot vouch for these entrees myself, but they all said it was good.
The restaurant is not cheap, but I would definitely come back. It was great food and the setting was great. Their menu gives a little history of this place, that it used to be a KFC but is now turned into a restaurant. It's not very big, but I think there's ample space between tables so the guests have enough privacy. The lighting was great and it had a clean look and feel to it.
The only downside was that their alcohol menu is a bit limited - only beer and wine. -
Review from Kevin G.
Carrollton, TX
12/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
Definitely better than the KFC that used to inhabit this spot. Let me count the ways....but ach! I see that it's just closed :(
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Review from Sheila D.
San Francisco, CA
10/25/2011
4 stars just because they didn't have the coffee cake. I made reservations for brunch the day before and I have been craving for it until the waitress tells me the Pastry Chef was not successful on baking it that morning. Shucks...
Overall, all the dishes we ordered were very good. We started off with French toast just to satisfy our sweet cravings (since we wanted the coffee cake), I ordered the carnitas and my friend ordered the egg sandwich w/ bacon. Low key, service was good. -
Review from Evan Q.
Belmont, CA
9/25/2011
5 stars for Spork? You kiddin' me? Yes, 5 stars for its tricky, trendy and not trying to be the French Laundry tongue-in-cheek digs, food and flair.
Decor: Neo-diner meets KFC meets Green, with barebones lighting (almost a problem but the menu was just readable enough), and a circular low-stool arched diner bar plus about a dozen tables definitely not all in a row. Some reuse of KFC equipment turned upside down as accents, relaxed and fun. Our table looked like it even had cigarette burns in it, but it was actually a Green (not the color) table that was in the early stages of decomposing. Only thing missing was a jukebox rewired as an iPod.
Service: Knowledgeable, smiling, sense-of-humor and willing to share recommendations and a little inside info. Quick, but not diner super speedy, salads arrived a tad too pronto, clearing took place at the right pace. Despite reports of service issues in some other reviews, it was spot on for us.
Food: Tidy menu, but enough choice for anyone to find a happy combination. Greens, dressing, dates and apples in Endive Salad were crisp, light and with no shortage of flavor and textural interest. Goat Cheese Croquette similarly well-constructed with dark, funky flavors that marched around the goat cheese. In-side out burger, with the applewood bacon, utterly fun to eat; excellent beef cooked to perfection, and deep-French Onion Soup style caramelized onions playing off against the tomato, bacon and cheddar in delicious concert. This burger requires fork-and-knife, and you can mix-and-match your ingredients each bite. Pot brownie with vanilla gelato knocked-it-out-of-the-park! Brownie edges in the hot ramekin sticky and crusty, gelato slowly melting in with the rest of the brownie, best comfort dessert in a long time.
Wine: Smallish but thoughtful list, we went for Unti Zin by the glass. Anyplace carrying Unti gets our thumbs-up. Love their Syrah, like their Zin. Anyway, some nice choices and pretty fairly priced.
Nits: Prices somewhat steep, wine pours could be a tad more generous, add a few lumens to the lighting. Not much to complain about otherwise.
Summary: Flour in Boston is famous for taking all those bakery items you loved as a kid, the Hostess cupcakes, Pop Tarts and the like, and rising them up to the edge of culinary art - whimsical and delicious. Spork's approach is similar, like a Denny's gone gourmet with ironic touches all around you if you care to notice. This is the kind of place that will put you in a good mood. -
Review from Jenni C.
Chapel Hill, NC
12/20/2011
Pricey, but worth it. Left feeling satisfied and kind of fancy. I'd been dragging my husband around to every vegan restaurant in San Francisco, and wanted to make sure he got to have an amazing burger. He got the Inside Out Burger and was really, really pleased. I got the Rustic Farro Risotto -- I don't know if it's usually vegan or if they omitted something to make it vegan, but it was really good, and I was so grateful that they could effortlessly offer something filling when I was prepared to take one for the team and just grab some lettuce. Would definitely recommend this place.
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Review from Mar A.
9/4/2011 Seated via OpenTable 1 Check-in Here
I had high hopes for their beef and was sadly disappointed :( The patty just needs a little bit more love (aka seasoning), and maybe more pink when I ask for it to be cooked medium.
I ordered the regular burger. Two of my buddies ordered the inside out burger, and one of the girls had the risotto. The food was good. But it wasn't anything to write home about. After hearing how great the food was, I had high expectations. The smashed potatoes were decent, but I've had better.
The ambiance is cool. We came on a night when it was completely dead. So it took away from the atmosphere.
Overall... the stars say it all.... "Meh. I've experienced better." -
Review from Serena Q.
8/1/2011
There is so much good food in the Mission that many spots have been forced to gimmicktry in order to be noticed and create a buzz (comverted KFCs, Muppet themed bars, niche dishes, etc). Personally, I think it is fun and exciting, but ultimately gimmicktry only goes so far and the food needs to be legit.
Spork is a trendy spot that absolutely delivers! Yum yum yummy yum yum! Find a good looking dining companion tonight and get your ass to this bitch cause it is a damn good spot to just play footsies or have a laugh or gossip before doing some drinkin'. Such a cozy casual restaurant with such good food. I had the Ahi Poke appetizer and it was one of the best preparations of poke I have ever had with pine nuts and sesame oil. I also had the Mussels and Pork with a spork (the house specialty). Let me tell you: that grilled bread that they bring out with the dish is the most wonderful savory thing ever, especially when dipped in the mussel broth! The pork is fall off the bone good. -
Review from Patrick K.
Pacifica, CA
12/16/2011
Spork serves an excellent high end hamburger! I had the inside out burger, and it was awesome! It was very well balanced, you could still taste the quality of the meat, along with the other ingredients. The service was great, and so was the atmosphere. Spork serves great food, but not at cheap prices, so don't complain! I recommend Spork!
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Review from Kazu O.
8/20/2011 Seated via OpenTable 1 Check-in Here
It's all about the bread. Yes, I kid you not. The highlight of the meal was BREAD.
Warm, freshly-baked, crispy-on-the-outside but super soft on the inside, BREAD. Gotta try that, trust me. I actually had a friend tell me a long time ago that I have to go there just for their bread.. damn, was he right!
Okay, so we ordered real food, too. The goat cheese croquette was delicious, although they only give you one tiny croquette. Definitely not big enough to share =/ The inside-out burger with the bacon was awesome. It basically is and tastes like a well-made, classic, all-American burger... except that you have to eat it with a knife and a fork. Maybe it's not worth the extra cost if you think about it, since it technically is just a burger, but it was a damn good burger.
I'll definitely be back.. it's casual enough, but not TOO casual. It's the perfect atmosphere for a friendly dinner! -
Review from alan r.
Cupertino, CA
10/3/2011
Had a very good meal the food is fun in an old KFC whp kew!
They use the space well the food I had was good with chicken and enjopyed the fun and whimsy. Mussels salads and chickenm worked for me -
Review from Coco V.
Los Angeles, CA
7/29/2011
3 words. SUPER SLOW MO.
1. Took about 20 minutes for the waitress to come take our order.
2. Took another 20 minutes for my friend to get her beer.
3. Took about 15-20 minutes for our bread to come after requesting it.
4. Almost a hour of waiting and still no food. When asked what was the hold up, we were told 5 out of the 7 dishes were ready, so they're just working on the last 2. And something about the temperature??!!?! Regardless, the waitress didn't answer the question.
5. After OVER A HOUR of waiting for mostly stinkin burgers, our food finally comes.
6. They got 3 orders wrong.
7. COMPLETE DISAPPOINTMENT. No one enjoyed the burger. I had the right side in burger with smashed fries. Burger was dry and small and desperately needed more flavor. Fries were just whatever. Tried my friend's sausage pasta and that was bland and super dry too! No sauce and just sheets of pasta with pieces of sausage.
Needless to say, after waiting super long for everything, the food had to have been like the best thing ever to make us ever come back again. But of course, it wasn't... and even if there wasn't all that waiting, I would still not come back because the burger just wasn't very good!!
And why do they remind you on the menu that this used to be a KFC?? Yes, KFC uses sporks, but I didn't see one single spork while I was there. And KFC isn't slow as hell, so wtf?? I will say this, even though everything came out at a snail's pace, the waitress was friendly but she needs to step her game up. I know she can't control the kitchen, but damn, she can at least bring out the drinks and take our orders quickly. -
Review from Alice C.
8/1/2011
Really, I think this place is a mixed bag.
Been here a couple of times, and the first time I was here, it didn't really made an impression, the second time was a bit more of a saga, hence this review.
4 of us didn't have any reservation in Mission on Saturday night, yes, I know... bad idea. I was not the one who was suppose to plan.
While hanging out at Ritual Cafe, we called Spork and got a 9:30 reservation. Okay cool, headed over there at 9:30...
Waited....
Waited......
Oh... oh... a table is leaving! Now is almost 10pm, and we are starving!
Hostess: Sorry girls, that table is for a party of 5.....
Us: but.. but... we been waiting for 20+ min, and the other party is no where in sight!
Hostess: Sorry, but they have a reservation.
Us: Wait, we also have reservation, can't we get seated first, and we can move to a booth that only seats four later.
Hostess: Nope.
Finally after another 10 mins waiting around, and the table remained being empty. I went to the hostess and told her it was unacceptable that we been standing around for 30 mins now while a table sits idle.
The manager came out and apologized, and told us to order some appetizers on the house, and assure us that another table is leaving.
Finally, we got seat at a booth around 10:10am. They did comp us a couple of appetizers.
Food is good, but I never understand the allure that pack this place. I was satisfied with the meal, but not with how they ran the place. I have no desire to return, the only reason they didn't get 2 stars is they realized they messed up.
I mean....... that table for 5, remained empty for the rest of the night!
Management, use some comment sense. -
Review from Julie B.
San Mateo, CA
8/13/2011 3 photos
Right when you take a look at the menu, the cover says that, "Spork a little place that was once a kfc and now a spot where robots and space people love to eat."
Our waitress was the nicest, bubbliest person there. We were very pleased with her caring animated service.
The dinner rolls they serve before the meal are bomb! I hate when restaurants give you hard flavorless bread, the roll is definitely a plus.
Went here with a big party most of the people ordered the different burgers. It was good but it wasn't great, these burgers were not memorable or stand out from any other burger we have had. It tasted like a burger nothing more nothing less.
I ordered the mussels and pork which came with a SPORK (note all dishes don't come with a spork, but i think they should just have it in the place setting because thats the name of the restaurant)! robust flavors it was ok, some flavors didn't fully mesh.
My friend ordered the chicken, part came out uneven and raw.
Trendy Retro/Modern Diner Food that was a tad bit dissappointing. On a better note the staff was extremely bubbly and offered great service. A-ok. -
Review from Shira H.
San Francisco, CA
Review for brunch only:
For American diner fare it is pretty good, but when I feel like I can make the items on the menu myself, I usually don't' become a frequent diner.
I had the fried egg sandwich, which was tasty on foccacia, but nothing impressive. I asked for it vegetarian style, but they forgot my avocado. Thankfully I am an avocado feign, so I checked my sandwich, and when I brought it to their attention that it was missing, they kindly brought me some out on a plate. The four barrel coffee was weak for $3 bucks a glass and the potatoes were nicely cooked but bland. Bummer. -
Review from Andrew M.
7/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Being a Mission area noob, I usually let my more knowledgable friends choose the place to eat around here. So ...... Spork?
How come they don't give more sporks? They only come with certain dishes? I had normal silverware with my dish. Boooooo.
Its pretty dark. And the restaurant seems like a pretty trendy place. Fairly casual crowd. Medium sized restaurant with not too many large tables, so plan accordingly.
The bread they bring as an appetizer is delicious. Yum.
Wasn't in the mood to eat burgers so I ordered the steak stroganoff. Steak, gnocci, horseradish cream, and a dash of balsamic ...sauce?
It came ...... and it was a lot smaller than I thought it was. Not that I'm a huge fatty who requires huge portions, but for $22 I expect a little more. It had enough steak, don't get me wrong, but the gnocci was really missing. I expected a hearty portion of both and only got 1.
3 stars.
Tastewise, it was fairly decent. Seasoned well. The steak was a little tough, so I would probably order it medium next time (instead of my normal medium rare). The horseradish cream was awesome.
Solid 4 star.
It was a busy night and the service reflected that. We weren't ignored, but our waters weren't refilled as much as I would like (and I drink water sloooooooow).
3 stars.
The burgers looked really really good. I don't know if its a case of grass-is-greener-on-the-other-side, but I would probably get that next time. -
Review from Lisa W.
San Francisco, CA
6/27/2011
At Spork without the aforementioned in sight.
Disappointing to say the least.
I was actually looking forward to it.
Decent yet uninspiring upscale diner fare. Great place to be seen amidst the Rayban wearing, skinny jean donning, "I'm too cool to shop at the mall" crowd but if that's your cup of tea, hey, to each its own.
I think I'll waste my money elsewhere. -
Review from Alice W.
I really wanted to be impressed by this place but turns out it wasn't so spectacular. I waited all week to eat their burger....
Complimentary Bread n Butter: not as fluffy, warm n soft as I thought it would be (from other's descriptions)
Goat Cheese Fritter: This was actually pretty good but wished there was more than just 1 fritter & arugula.
Ahi Poke: Poke was alright but a bit salty, i did like the crispy thing on the bottom
Champagne Burger: Could have been juicier and taste was just alright. I like the burgers from The Refuge in San Carlos better.
Smashed Potato Fries: awesome idea but anything fried should be awesome =)
Cioppino (special of the day): taste wasn't spectacular and could've had more seafood and less pasta noodles
Steak Stroganoff: Steak was pretty juicy n tender & I liked the balsamic but i didn't try the gnocchi
Now for the best part.... dessert!
Sunday Special - The Humphrey Solocombe chocolate covered potato chip ice cream was the best thing I ate here. I am still drooling thinking about it....
Beignets - just ok, not spectacularly tasty -
Review from Wendy L.
San Francisco, CA
7/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
This is by far the SLOWEST restaurant I have ever been to. We got here at 8:15pm and we did not get our food until 9:45 and half of our 7 orders were wrong. It took my friend's beer 30 mins to even be poured in a cup (at least they comped it). Did they brew it in the kitchen?? I must add, they reminded US twice that the beer is coming. The service was horrible. There were 2 waitresses and they did not take our order until 30mins later. The space was small enough to be WAY faster. Unacceptable!
I ordered the house sausage pasta and it had NO sauce. It's like they just boiled the pasta and threw some cheese on top... It was REALLY BAD PASTA. Prego/Ragu is better! My $5 side of mashed potatoes were simply mashed potatoes (literally)... creamy but just a slab on a little plate. My friend's burgers were dry and not worth $14!
I hate being full, but not satisfied. Never will I come back again. :( -
Review from Marlon T.
7/8/2011
For some reason I was thinking that this place was going be "healthy" so I was a bit disappointed when I was looking at the delicious menu that looked heavy.
Apparently this joint is a place for good beer and a good burger. So if this is what you want at a popular restaurant, this is where to be.
The reason why I am giving 3 stars is because:
1) The waitress seemed disappointed when we only ordered one thing
2) We got a bread roll really late (after we got our main dish)
3) We ordered a Right-Side-In Burger but got an Inside-Out-Burger instead
4) Service was mediocre in general
Unfortunately, I didn't have a chance to use a spork here. Sporks weren't even in the utensil set they keep on the tables. They should have a spork with every meal to live up to the name of the restaurant. Oh well--I think I would've gone somewhere else.
To end on a good note, the food was tasty and flavorful. -
Review from Kelly C.
San Francisco, CA
8/16/2011
Pros:
1. We had a great people-watching table.
2. The bread was delicious.
3. The vibe was fun.
4. My friend's chicken and mashed potatoes was some serious home-cooked deliciousness and the portion was generous.
Cons:
1. My food (beef stroganoff) was tepid and unrealistically small-portioned (3 small pieces of meat). To Spork's credit, when I sent it back to be heated up, they corrected the portion size without me saying anything.
2. They are heavy-handed with the salt, even for my taste. (I do like my salt.)
3. We went on a quiet Tuesday night and it still took 40 (!) minutes to receive our entrees.
4. The price was a little high for what we were served.
Take-away:
There are too many great restaurants in the city. I won't be Sporking a second time. -
Review from Emily T.
8/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
Dear Spork, please change the name of your cauliflower calamari dish to something else. The word calamari can not do the dish justice. We were THIS close to not ordering it because it's just "calamari...." But boy am I glad to have gotten it!!!!!!
Inside out burger disappointed me. Maybe it's because my friend got it medium well, but the burger was very ordinary and on a dry side.
I got the halibut, which is an excellent summer dish. Fresh ingredients and the polenta is to die for. Impressed.
Will return for the champgange burger and the beef entree! Can't wait! OH and how can i forget?!?! The flipping bread/butter is also to die for. Ok my salivary glands can't handle this review.... bye!
