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Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Diners, Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
Neighborhood: MissionMon-Sat. 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
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I'd never been to St. Francis Fountain-- had never heard of it.-- but it was in the right place for dinner. I was walking from the bus stop to the Brava Theater Center, and the St. Francis Fountain on my way.
Dinner was a BLT, macaroni and cheese, and a vanilla shake. Both the service at the counter and the food were good. (Milkshakes are definitely better through paper straws.) Not cheap, but I wasn't offended by the prices.
I'll definitely try it again, when I'm on that side of town.
I agree with this place having 4 stars total.
Yummy food but steeper prices. Great inside feel but you also feel a little rushed [for some reason] when you dine-in. For the most part nice service (the waitresses having the "punk pin-up" look are cool additions to the neo-50s vibe in this place) and vegetarian friendly food (yay!).
I'm definitely a fan of SFF. It's been too long since I've been and will have to change that soon.
As for the staff being rude .Not True, you are less important than the person being served at that moment , wait your turn ...( San Francisco the land of the entitled )
I have always been treated well here either with family or friends in tow .
I have also witnessed the staff treating special needs customers very well .
Food acceptable, interesting place to visit, - this ain't no freaking yuppie brunch adventure spot , it's just a throw back dinner from some hick town Last Picture Show flick .... Take it for what it is ...It's history .
Vegan/vegetarian choices aplenty.
Something here will take care of your hangover if the wait for a table doesn't kill you.
Great vibe, food and service...me like.
I was so devastated by this experience that it has taken me a full week to finally write the review. So Patricia P has been talking about how she's had this place bookmarked for months. St. Francis Fountain looks/seems like it would be so much better than it actually is! Boo.
It's a janky, dirty, hipster hangout gone completely wrong with crappy service, crappy food, and crappy bathrooms (broken lock). Thank god we didn't arrive til 145ish pm, which meant we didn't have to wait in line.
I had studied the menu a few times and couldn't wait to try it after seeing things like shakes, malts, the Nebulous Potato Thing (a large plate of homefries topped with melted cheese, fresh salsa, sour cream & green onions), Chef's Mess (eggs scrambled with homefries, bacon & mushrooms, topped with melted cheese, tomatoes, sour cream & green onions), chili cheese fries, mac and cheese, and a few bomb looking sandwiches.
Patty got a turkey sandwich with avocado and I had to go with the Chef's Mess (seems like it could've been one of my own messy concoctions). The turkey sandwich was on crappy bread that you get at Safeway, the turkey was clearly pre-packaged, and it just didn't look appetizing at all. The Chef's Mess was gross. I left at least half of it on my plate. That partially could've been my fault, ordering something so heavy.
The shake and malt were way too watery and the cheese fries, which we had ordered with bacon were no bueno. They didn't get that we wanted bacon bits on the cheese fries, so they brought us a plate of bacon??!! What??? The fries were soggy and not seasoned well. Yes, I know, we may seem like gluttonous pigs, but we were tired, hungover, and starving...
The service was also annoying. We had to ask the poor water boy to get our waitress to take our order after 15 mins of being seated.
Gosh, I really didn't want to be disappointed by this place!!!
Another Sunday brunch disappointment.
It was a rough morning, deliciousness was crucial to make it through the rest of the day. Jenny W and I journeyed one hour in traffic on the 27 for the much hyped St. Francis Fountain.
We missed peak lunch/brunch time so luckily didn't have to wait for a table. But once we sat down no one took our order. Ever. We finally asked someone, who let us know he could only take drink orders and we'd have to wait for our server. Finally she comes over.
Between us we ordered:
1. The Chef's Mess: scrambled eggs with homefries, bacon & mushrooms, topped with melted cheese, tomatoes, sour cream & green onions. To me this looked like what the menu said it was, but Jenny said it was blah with too much cheese. She left most of it on her plate.
2. Tom-Tom Club with mac n cheese: turkey, avocado, lettuce, tomato & mayo. I wasn't expecting the sandwich of the century with these ingredients, but the one I got really sucked. Gross sliced sourdough from the grocery store, nasty slimy packaged turkey, shredded iceberg lettuce, skimpy on the avocado. All around lame. The mac n cheese was probably the best thing we had.
3. Cheese Fries with bacon: Tasteless fries. And somehow our server interpreted cheese fries with bacon as cheese fries and a plate of bacon strips. Not what we had in mind.
4. Chocolate malt: Thin and runny. They said it was a malt, but I didn't taste any malt flavor. This tasted like a chocolate shake.
5. Caramel shake: also runny. They use flavor syrups in the shakes, so get ready for sickly sweet caramel flavoring.
Total = $34. Kinda pricey for crappy quality ingredients and zero service.
After our meal, I went to use the restroom and felt really bad for the couple in the booth that is practically in the bathroom. The bathroom itself was unacceptable. The lock was broken so I had to speed pee out of fear that someone was swing open the door while my pants were down. The soap was weird and there were no paper towels. It just didn't feel clean. It's one thing to have a shanty bathroom in a dive bar, quite another in a restaurant. Gross.
The quintessential brunch place in my neighbourhood. The staff is very friendly and helpful. The food is good comfort food: not fancy, but sometimes exactly what you want on a Sunday morning. It is vegan friendly. It is a real joy of mine to sit outside with friends eating brunch.
If you are coming here for brunch on the weekend, I would recommend arriving before 10 a.m. The crowds get quite vicious at right about 10 a.m. This applies for both Saturday and Sunday.
In terms of food, I'd recommend the vegan strawberry soy shake with real strawberries. For non-vegan types, I've heard that the nebulous potato thing is not to be missed.
This place is CRAWLING with greasy-haired hipsters. If that's your thing, then this is the place for you.
Ben and I came here for lunch one day, wanting to try some place new in a different neighborhood. I felt like we transported to Williamsburg or something, though the diner itself was pretty cool. I admired the old fashioned look of the place, the vintage decor, and the counter. Upon entering, we were told to sit wherever we'd like, and so we chose a table for two right by the front window. However, after sitting there for perhaps ten minutes, we were told to move because the table had been reserved. Really? I didn't see a reserved sign. Kinda rude, I thought.
No worries, though, we moved on to a booth in the back of the diner. Service was kinda iffy, we had to really reach out and grab a server to get coffee refills. Our food was fine, but forgettable, and the price wasn't really right. But the diner itself has a real charm, no matter how jacked up the service is. I understand it was a Sunday when we visited, but it was also in the afternoon and it wasn't packed. C'mon, you can do better. I'd like to return one day, I'll try harder to blend in with the clientele next time ;) You think I'll get my window seat then?
St. Francis serves rotten food and treats their customers like crap.
Been going to St. Frannie's since it re-opened and it's always been consistant. Not great, but pretty reliable.
Went in for breakfast on a Saturday morning, noticed menu had changed a bit, prices went up. More Vegan options for those who care - I do not. However, I did order the vegan choriso and 2-egg scramble, wanting something a little lighter and also subbed out a side salad for the potatoes and toast. Something St. Francis has had no problem doing for me in the past.
Breakfast comes to the table and the salad out of the bag that they gave me was brown and rotten, covered in dressing. The waiter never came back to check and after waiving down the busser had it sent back, explaining it was brown and rotten and asked for a new one. After 15 minutes and some confusion on the staff's part my salad comes back to the table. More brown. More rotten than before.
I finished my breakfast, went to pay the bill and mentioned to the waiter that my salad, again, was brown and rotten. I was told that that's all they have right now. i said, "well why didn't you level with me and tell me that and offer me something else rather than serving me rotten food twice?" Then the waiter said that there was nothing wrong with the salad after telling me loudly that I needed to "calm down." I had the manager come out, walked over to my table, picked up the plate of salad and showed in to them and said, "I'm sorry, would you eat this?" The manager shook his head no and the waiter said that he would eat it and that he saw nothing wrong with it.
It was a joke. I'm not talking about a little brown around the edges - I'm talking about slimy, brown and rotten- old.
I punished them by getting out of there as fast as I could and leaving a $20 dollar bill. Meaning I tipped about 25% and paid $10.50 for 2 scrambled eggs for my breakfast.
How hard would it have been to say, "I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention, we're not ready for salad service." Or "How can I make you happy?" or "Please don't call the health department."?
Their food is totally unremarkable, except the Guiness float, and their service makes me want to throw a flaming brick through the window. To save myself the hard time, I don't need to go back.
Get bent St. Francis. Choke on your kitchy display of stale jawbreakers.
This is my go to brunch spot in the city. The environment, food and wait staff are exactly what I'm looking for in a good brunch joint. It was the original soda fountain in San Francisco and they do a good job of maintaining the look and feel of an old soda fountain. Plus, the milkshakes are delicious.
When i moved to the city i was frequenting the St. Francis about 3-4 days a week. The wait staff is super hipster but very friendly. I have quit a bit of experience in the restaurant industry and I am definitely not hip enough to be a server at the St. Francis but it provides a great aesthetic.
As far as the food goes, I feel I'm very schooled on the St. Francis' menu. The scrambles are great! The ingredients are fresh and there's a good distribution of cheese. I've never been much of an omelet gal but I've heard they're good. I really like the biscuits and gravy and when I'm in a glutenous mood this is where its at. The breakfast burritos are tasty as well and definitely try the vegan chorizo even if your against fake meat. On that note, for all you veggies out there, they have a wide variety of vegetarian options. They're tofu dishes are delish along with all the vegetarian entrees I've had. The sandwiches are a good option as well.
The only reason I'm not giving the St. Francis 5 stars is, its not my favorite brunch place or even in my top three favorites. The coffee isn't great either but i drink it anyway. If your a mimosa person they're available but a bit pricey and bloody's which i love are not offered. I keep going back because the food is consistent, the service is good and it's fun.
The St. Francis Fountain takes the cake for the worst customer service I've ever experienced in San Francisco, and that's really saying something. I'm just amazed that the owner continue to employ people like this in the age of Yelp. Here's the deal:
I'm new to the neighborhood and went in for ice cream on Tuesday, Sep 15 at about 4:15PM. The store was empty, except for a foursome sharing a booth and two employees - a man and woman - behind the counter.
"Cup, or cone?" the girl asked.
After paying approx $4.50 for a double scoop cone, I proceeded to enjoy it at the otherwise empty counter. The girl who took my order was smiling and courteous and continued about her work. That is, until the guy - a muscly young man with blue eyes - working behind the counter literally shoved her out of the way in order to tell me that I had to leave.
"Huh? Why?"
"Because you have a cone. Cups inside. Cones outside. Leave, now."
I was flummoxed. "Uh...ok," I stammered as I walked outside, a bit shocked by the rudeness. I figured I'd walk around the block, finish my cone, and go inside to express my dismay that I wasn't told ahead of time that I couldn't stay if I got my ice cream in a cone.
When I entered the store again, a few more customers had come in, but the girl recognized me and asked, "is everything all right?"
I said, "I'm here to complain, but please go ahead and finish with these people." After a few minutes, the customers cleared out. But right then, the male employee came back out, saw me, and made a dash toward us. "What do you want?" he said, forcefully and visibly angry.
"I'd like to talk to someone about the cone policy. I've never been in here before..."
"Look -" he cut me off. "I can't even talk to you. You're going to have to leave."
"Excuse me?"
"If the owner even finds out I've been taking complaints from customers, I'll get in big trouble. It's store policy."
I looked at both the guy - still starting at me, eyes blazing - and the girl, who was looking at the floor in embarrassed silence. "Wait, are you telling me I can't come in here and talk to the manager about the service?"
"I'm going to get in trouble, in TROUBLE" he repeated.
I didn't buy it. "You're not going to get in trouble for listening to me."
"Sir, I'm going to get in trouble if I so much as even talk to you. You really should just get up and leave."
"Look, if it comes down to it, I'll tell the owner that I just wouldn't shut up. I don't want my money back, and I don't want anything free. All I want is to suggest suggest that you be more proactive about telling people about your policy."
"THERE'S A SIGN!" he yelled, pointing to a small 12"x16" sign at the far end of the long fountain. "We don't HAVE to tell people." At this point I turned around to the four people in the booth who were staring, mouths agape.
I said, "Okay, what I hear you saying is that you want me to take my complaints to the owner. That's fine. Where can I reach him?"
The guy silently slapped a card on the counter that had the number of the store on it. "And I can reach him here?"
"Yeah, go ahead and try." the guy spit back. "Now leave."
I was literally reeling with shock at this welcome to my new neighborhood. I left the store, and called the number, and got the girl, who suggested I call back "maybe on weekdays, between 11 and 3, and on some weekends." She said the owner's name was "Levon."
I have called back almost every day since and left my name and number, and somehow "Levon" never calls me back. The guy on the phone recognizes my voice when I call. As far as I can tell, the guy is playing a game, and never intends to put me through to the owner.
Just today, I called the St. Francis, gave my name and number, and asked if the owner was there. "He's in a meeting," the guy responded. I called back 10 minutes later, asked again, and was told he wasn't in today and that I should try back later. "Well, someone just told me that he was in an in a meeting."
"Oh? Well, we have lots of employees here and I don't like being called a liar. Bye." And he hung up.
I wouldn't have imagined that level of service here in San Francisco. That said, I'll be living right down the street from them. We'll see how long the charade keeps up.
***
I finally connected with Levon through Facebook, and we met for coffee. He was very cordial, and listened carefully as I recounted what happened. He explained the (rather charming) purpose behind their deliberately old-fashioned policies, and apologized for the bad experience I had there. I'll keep private the details of our conversation, but he welcomed me back to the store at any time, and I look forward to taking him up on his offer once I get settled in to my new neighborhood.
Gee, with such an ecclesiastical name, I was expecting to see the apparition of the Virgin Mary at the soda fountain with the white light shining around her, uttering her opening words, "I am the Immaculate Conception...you want fries with that?" But alas, no such miracle occurred for me, though there did seem to be a pilgrimage coming to the place. OK, maybe not a pilgrimage...it was like three people, three burly, grubby-looking people with leather jackets and handkerchiefs tied to their heads. They ordered chef's salads, I think, with the dressing on the side.
Anyway, Jamie W. and I came in after facing bitter disappointment over the depletion of the maple apple bacon donuts at Dynamo across the street. Embittered, I thought a visit to St. Francis Fountain would cheer us up. Indeed it did with its old-fashioned, creaky wooden booths like you'd see in those WWII-era movies where Mickey and Judy are doing the Lindy Hop and sipping through straws into the same ice cream soda. You know you just have to have a burger at a place as retro as this, and before you can say, "This is so Mel's", here it comes...
Jamie had the $8.75 Patty Melt with Fries, which was good, diner-level fare, but I have to say mine just hit the spot, the $7.50 Burger with Swiss cheese and sauteed mushrooms for an extra $1.50 (see photos). Not huge but juicy and full of fixings. I went for a cup of veggie chili instead of the fries, and like the burger, it was chock full of veggies if a bit too watery. It was at this point that we got over our disappointment in missing the maple apple bacon donuts because we realized we could get good-tasting carbs and calories anywhere on 24th Street!
FOOD - 4 stars...satisfying diner fare
AMBIANCE - 4 stars...I kept picturing young George Bailey getting slapped in the ear by Mr. Gower in "It's a Wonderful Life"
SERVICE - 3.5 stars...hipster waitress seems to fit in with the dated ambiance
TOTAL - 4 stars...I didn't see the Virgin Mary, but I think I was miraculously healed from my disappointment over Dynamo
Date & Time: Monday September 7, 2009 @ 1:30pm
Company: Michael & Jack
Crowd: Groups of Hipsters
Vibe: Nostalgic
Decor: Charming Old-Fashioned Soda Fountain & Ice Cream Parlor. Counter-Seating for Burgers & Shakes, Wooden Booths & Al Fresco Under Red & White Stripe Awning & Chocolate Brown Walls
Service: Nice & Friendly Hipsters
Imbibe: Egg-Cream Soda & Guinness Float
Devour: The Griddle & Breakfast Burrito
Total: $27.48
Note: Happy Labor Day, Everybody!!!
This has got to be my new favorite brunch place by far! Apparently St. Francis has been around since 1918 and I only JUST found out about it?? This is preposterous! Better late than never I guess! =P It has an old diner feel that really takes you back in time. (http://www.yelp.com/bi...). I love the little candy stand as you walk in too! (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) There was a mannequin set up there but I wonder if we would have been able to purchase the candies. Definitely has a hipster crowd/vibe.
The wait took only about 30 min so the smaller the party, the better...my sister and I sat up at the counter space and saw that they made milkshakes, fountain drinks, and ice cream sundaes! Awesome! Our server was super busy so he didn't refill our waters until we asked but more importantly, our food came out hot and in a timely fashion. As usual, there was the dilemma of sweet or savory? We opted to share one of each so it worked out perfectly!
Savory:
3 egg white omelette with spinach, mushrooms, and jack cheese ($9.50 plus $1.50 to sub for egg whites) - $11 was worth all the food we got! The omelette tasted amazing...the spinach and mushrooms were on top of the eggs and the cheese was melted inside. A different approach but SO good! The home fries with a drizzle of tabasco sauce was heaven...thick crispy layer on the outside (the way I like it) and didn't need salt or pepper. And to top if off, the corn bread was TO DIE FOR! It was fresh and crumbly with a crunchy crust...not dry at all either. (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
Sweet:
2 chocolate chip pancakes ($6) - Wow I never imagined having that many chocolate chips in each bite from a pancake...until I had the pancakes here. Extremely chocolatey with abundant melted chocolate chips so it may not be for everyone but I really enjoyed it since I loooove chocolate! The pancakes were GIGANTIC so it was an incredible deal. Epitome of perfect pancakes...fluffy and sweet with a nice brown color. Maple syrup not needed in this case unless you have a major sweet tooth!
(http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
In conclusion, a very filling and delicious meal perfect for 2 people! Extra points for having tons of menu options that will keep me coming back for more. I recommend everyone go check it out!
This is what diner food should be. Cheap, tasty, and with lots of milkshakes. The line is huge but it moves quick. I scarfed down my country breakfast and was deliciously full all day. Sad I didn't have the egg cream chocolate float, I know I would have loved it (mmm egg cream).
Success! Scored a table for 4 with no wait!
Ate here yesterday with my 4 member Birthday Girl Club. Every month b-day or not we go for an outing which always includes eating!
I was thwarted in my attempt to eat here last year since there was a humongous line!
We could easily have spent an hour reading their extensive menu. There is something for everyone. If you can't find anything to eat from the menu then you must be from another planet.
The breakfast menu has at least 20 different kind of 2 or 3 egg omelets, french toast, pancakes, waffles, 4 kinds of tofu scrambles
and much more.
They have lots of choices for Vegans including Vegan Ruebens!
They also have malts, shakes, sundaes, floats including a Guinness Float!
So collectively we had:
Pancakes, Biscuits, home fries, eggs, pesto tofu scramble.Vegan sausage, Vegan chorizo hash, an omelet, ww toast,Chocolate malt, coffee and tea!
So yummy and filling! We had little and big tastes of each other's dishes and give St FF 7 thumbs up!
The pancakes were fluffy, the potatoes had crispy edges, the tofu pesto scramble was yummy, the biscuits were light and buttery-mmm,
and the malt was luscious!
We're looking forward to eating here soon and having lunch!
Our server was super sweet and attentive,
The candy counter had wax lips! Sugar Daddies! Bubble Gum packs from Three's Company, Bo Derek, to name a few; Button candy!
Garbage Pail kids candy! Pop Rocks!
Talk about Blasts From the Past!
We'll be back again during another hopefully uncrowded time!
St. Francis Fountain- woooo! yeaaaa! okaaaaaay!
We waited a good spell for our table, but it was 11 on a Sunday so I'd expect nothing less. The place itself embodies why I love SF so much. It's quaint, cute, retro and cozy.
They have a large vegan selection of breakfast goodies, which is great when you wanna take your non-veg friends out for brunch without relegating yourself to toast and potatoes. It has something for everyone.
I had the no-huevos rancheros with guacamole and I enjoyed it, it's not the best I've had but it was pretty tasty. I had a bite of their biscuits and those were damn good (though not vegan). I also had the soy shake in chocolate and that was delicious.
All around thumbs up for this place. Thanks Vegansaurus for another great recommendation.
Real rating: 3.5
This place makes me SO happy.
Except when they are out of vanilla soy for my vegan dream-sickle shake.
I can leave this place stuffed and as a vegan that makes me ecstatic. The last time I discovered that I loved their mushroom sandwich and I dont like mushrooms.
I haven't tried breakfast yet because I always need my milkshake and I can never make it all the way out there so early. But I must walk past boogaloos and get there someday.
I went to this place yesterday morning for the first time because my friend and I were craving some greasy spoon type fare. This place hit the spot! I ordered the biscuits and gravy with a side order of bacon (oh yeah, my arteries are closing up just from typing that sentence) and surprisingly the gravy was so much better than I thought it was going to be. This really didn't taste like your run of the mill canned gravy. It has some spices and flavors going on that I didn't expect from this joint. And the bacon, well don't even get me started on the bacon. I know me some bacon, and this was pretty duuuurned good bacon. This wasn't some limp-dick, see-thru, paper-thin, bacon you might get at Denny's or IHOP or some other chain type place. This bacon was thick, salty, and crunchy, just the way it's supposed to be. The homefries weren't half bad either. Normally homefries aren't my thing, I always find big chunks of potatoes to be too dry and starchy. But these were mixed up with little bit of green onions and probably cooked in a nice amount of oil/lard/something to keep them somewhat moist.
This place is a little heavy on the hipster vibe, but the waitstaff was actually really nice to us. We sat at the counter so maybe that's why we got a little more attention since they're right in your face while they grab silverware or make the coffee. But they were johnny-on-the-spot with the coffee and water refills.
Folks are right, it's not the cheapest greasy spoon in town. But I'd go back for that gravy!!!
I used to love this place growing up. This is place is only a block up from where I lived growing up and we used to go there all the time for their ice cream.YUM! but UNFORTUNATELY they changed owners.... the service there is rude. from my experiences I can say that if you are not white or look somewhat white, then you're treated so differently like you don't belong there! I wish it was like before..(sigh) PLEASE PREVIOUS OWNERS GO BACK!!!!!
I can't believe the beating this place is getting on Yelp lately. I moved a block away from here a few months ago, and this place (and Taqueria San Francisco) is my standby!
Hipsters? Yes. Crowded? Yes (at the predictable times, duh). Cheap ingredients? Sometimes - the syrup is Jemima knockoff and my iced tea comes from a soda fountain. On the other hand, they have the freshest, best veggies I've seen for their sides; in fact, the very best side salads I've had in a diner. Try the Caesar - real Parmesan (which almost never happens) with romaine! Delicious!
In terms of food, I stick to a couple favs. The Bird is hands down the best chicken burger I've ever had, well worth the money. Additionally, you can't go wrong with anything on the menu involving grilled chicken. Their fries are tasty - and ice cream sodas are great too, the soy ice cream they serve is delicious. My only culinary disappointment there came with one of the combo breakfasts, which was just too messy and didn't have enough flavor. However, I just went back today for scrambled eggs and pancakes with a fruit cup (again, fresh, delicious produce) and loved it. Great pancakes are HARD to find in a diner, but these guys know what it's all about. Even the fakey syrup couldn't fuck 'em up.
In terms of these service complaints, I don't know what other yelpers are talking about. I guess first impressions are everything - and mine was charming and delicious. The service was sweet without being condescending, not to mention attentive. (Kids come here all the time, after all) I never leave the place without being thanked on the way out, and I always get my order taken within a couple minutes of walking in the door - and the food about 10 minutes max afterwards.
Listen, LA would KILL for a place like this. St. Francis is what a diner should be, the perfect balance of cheap and chic, and I'm happy to be a repeat customer.
This is my favorite place in to go for diner food in The Mission. Sure, it's totally a hipster joint, where a few of the waiters are jaded (or hungover?), but it's really good food, for regular diner price. Their hamburgers are tasty - especially ordered with avocado and jack cheese.
Wait, there is one waiter who is always so posi. and smiley. I love being served by him!
Anyway, stop by St. Francis. On the way out, feel free to buy some Saved By The Bell or Alf trading cards too. haha.
Okay here's the deal. I would've given this place FIVE well deserved stars had the service just been good!!! However, THE SERVICE WAS TERRIBLE (see details below!!) OH and the prices are too high.
HOWEVER, this place is truly a gem. A very special place in the ranks of San Francisciana!! This place has been on the first floor of this quaint Victorian building for the last 91 years!!!
THE APPEARANCE: I love everything about the appearance of this place. The signage on the outside of the restaurant is absolutely wonderful, orginal and vintage and the inside has it's original wooden booths and vintage signs ... with a look that time has stood still. Which is what my husband and I love.
THE FOOD: My husband and I went there for breakfast and the food was truly exceptional. We both had omelettes. I had the vegan chorizo, with tomato and sour cream omelette, with hash browns and sour dough toast. Everything about our meal was just right. The omelettes were huge and cooked just right. The potatoes were great and the sourdough toast had a great authentic San Francisco sourdough taste.
THE PRICES: The prices are truly too high. Many of their omelettes are $11!!! This place is in a lousy part of town and is very casual. So I just don't understand the high prices. However, if paying $11 for an omelette is going to keep a place that has been doing business in San Francisco for 91 years from going out of business, I'll pay it.
THE SERVICE: After our waitress took our order WE NEVER SAW HER AGAIN! Yes, that's right! Aside from our food runner who brought out meals, NO ONE ever came back to our table. Not our waitress nor anyone else. Not to ask if we needed anything else! Not to refill our drinks! Not to clear out dishes! We were ignored by everyone in the staff!
In order to get our sodas refilled, my husband had to get up with our glasses and walk up to the counter, where he was ignored by at least 4 employees before someone finally asked him if he needed anything. Even THEN, NO ONE came over to our table. NO ONE asked us if we needed anything else and no one cleared our plates. Yes! $11 omelettes and No service!!
Then to top it off. When we went to the register to pay, the female employee (not our waitress), did not smile, did not ask us how our meal was, did not say thank you, hello or good bye.
Unfortunately, this was a very sad way to bring to an end such a positive meal, in terms of the food and surroundings.
I am willing to give this place another try. I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt that there was just something off that day. But after paying $31 for two breakfasts (including tip), it may be awhile.
One aside about the staff .... this place has at least 4 really cute men working as waiters. Nice to have a little eye candy with your meal!!
First off, huge points for being close to my favorite Taqueria. St. Francis is a quaint little place in the Mission - think old school diner without all the Happy Days stuff. It has quite the charm as when you first enter, you see a candy counter off to the side that sells old and new school candy. The people who work there are pretty nice and accomodating. I've only ever tried their breakfast foods, so I can't say much for their burgers or sandwiches. But their omlettes are pretty tasty and their milkshakes are tasty as well. I can never finish a plate of food there, so the portions are on the bigger side, which is great because their prices are on the cheaper side of things. Overall, a good place to eat.
Ate my first ever patty melt here. Yes, I am aware that I am little off. Had to ask what it was exactly, and upon ascertaining the facts, I knew it was right up my alley.
It shaped my expectations of patty melts for the rest of my life, and I'm glad it did the treat justice. Haven't found one quite as good around L.A. yet, but at least I can fall back on the expensive as balls one at Jerry's Famous Deli.
I personally didn't get a shake but ended up siphoning some from my peers. Twas fairly bomb.
Very homey feel to this place. Supposedly this is where the idea for the San Francisco 49ers was hatched, so that's cool. Employees hooked us up. I considered buying some packs of Yo! MTV Raps cards.
/end of experience
Right around the corner. Bitchin' brunch and I had a pretty sweet bacon cheeseburger yesterday. Theres a bunch of veg options on the menu too.
It seems like this is the only non-mexican spot in a 10 block radius.
Well, as long as you don't count the pizza joint on 24th and Potrero.
Which I don't.
Have you ever feel imminent and in-demand to try a restaurant, but for some reason your proposed target spot(s) is/are closed and/or crowded with a "long" wait. We all experienced that many times, have we? "Stop lying and admit it that we all been through that!"
Whenever I've needed to work in the 24th Street area, I've been here nearly a dozen times on my quick break; just for the milkshakes. But when I'm hungry, this 50's-like corner-diner has a long wait. So I ended up eating elsewhere for my lunch intermission. You want to talk about perfect-timing in desires and apathy. Go figure!
Today and with the recent nice weather, lunchtime at noon was crowded with a long wait. So I, like I aforementioned, ate elsewhere. I did came back like around three o'clock where everybody is working or enjoying the weather elsewhere so I can enjoy the Coffee/Espresso Milkshake. For $5.00, the milkshake is made with coffee ice cream and espresso shots and other dairy mixture with a cloud of whipped cream and a cute maraschino cherry on top for that perfect shake. (I get too overwhelmed by saying "cute maraschino cherry").
I also got a $3.00 bowl of fruit that has sliced apples, pineapple, strawberries, grapes and cantaloupes to complete my snack on my break. I actually enjoy the variety of milkshakes made at this diner, but my review is incomplete until I eat something from here.
Paid my meal in cash and a favorite of Yelp too.
Still rockin' the YUM food after all these years. The Spinach salad is SO yummy....fresh pecans, oranges with some feta cheese also! De-LISH
The have a great Vegan/Veggie menu also for your no-meat kinda peeps
When I lived near by I used to go to this place at least once a week. Now I find myself dreaming of… Read more »
St. Francis Fountain and Creamery is one of the old diner haunts in the City. Classic diner food, burgers, fries, shakes and the like are the specialty. Happy to see it is still around.
This place always seems to be slammed. Is it the food? the prices? Naw...I think it's more of the scene. Man, I felt out of place without the tight jeans, greasy hair or major B.O..Just playing!! The sandwiches were average to me so people must be lining up for their breakfast. I'll have to come back and check it. The place is pretty cool though and the servers are friendly.
Only in San Francisco...
Decent grub, and I love the old trading cards they have...
I felt a little out of place as I'm not a Mission hipster...
Went in the mid-afternoon on a Monday before the playground with a little kid - people there but not crowded, so got to sit right down. Nice waitstaff. Soda fountain/diner style food - some updated & modern twists on things, veg/veegs options. It was just fine. I liked the chili and I like that they sell trading sticker cards too!
PS I'm pretty sure the trading cards are authentic, the ones I got were dated 1986, the gum uhhhhh not so much a good idea to mow down on.
Let me start off by saying I love old-fashioned diners, soda fountains and the like. I am huge fan of the 5 dollar milkshake and I believe it goes perfectly well with a giant denver omelette. I had heard great things about this place, so I jumped at the chance to try a malted here.
Thanks, but no thanks. In addition to ignoring my friends and I for a good fifteen minutes both before we were seated and after we got our menus - despite the fact that this place was barely crowded - we were totally ripped off. After our meal finally came, we were told that our milkshakes were "coming right up." Another 15 or 20 minutes later, when it became apparent that we'd just been forgotten, we asked for them to go. Now, I'm sorry, but when I pay 5 bucks for a "small" milkshake, I expect a little more than a six-inch high paper cup thrown at me.
The bottom line is they couldn't be bothered to care about their customers, and no amount of old-school charm makes up for that.
Not worth the hype.
Stopped in to grab a quick bite, hoping to experience an adorable old-timey soda fountain before catching a show at the Brava Theater up the street. (We showed up at the St. Francis with an hour and half before the show started...had to rush out with to go milkshakes. Enough said.) Disappointed from the moment we walked in. The waiters didn't acknowledge us for over 10 minutes, and despite the 4 empty booths, then asked us to wait another few minutes before actually seating us.
Upon ordering, the waitress argued with my 12-year-old over ordering from the Kiddie Meal...who asks a 12-year-old for ID over a waffle with whipped cream!
Waited too too long for the food and even longer for our milkshakes, the place was nowhere near crowded.
Waiters were pissy and slow, milkshakes (when put in a to go cup) were such a rip.
We've come here twice in the past two weeks.
First time, my boyfriend and I got burgers with cheese and/or avocado with a side of fries and homefries. I also got a strawberry straight shake. The burgers were very diner-esque, perfect portion, and tasty tasty tasty. The buns were just the right softness, and the cheese was melted fine. The fries were pretty good (medium thickness and crispy enough) and the homefries had good seasoning. My strawberry shake definitely hit the spot.
For our second trip there, we got a chicken salad and a reuben with chicken vegetable soup. I loved how the soup was served piping hot. It was a little salty though. The reuben was very good, not too salty, not too greasy. Bread was perfected toasted with just enough butter and went well with the melted cheese and just the right amount of pastrami. My boyfriend's chicken salad was good enough (not disgusting and not amazing). We also got a mint ice cream for dessert. I like softer ice cream, so I thought the texture was great.
Both time we spent between $26-32. Service is a little on the slow side, but still quite friendly.
Overrated.
It's places like this one that remind me why people bash hipsters. The food is OK, and yes, there are veg/vegan options, but the homefries aren't vegan and that angers me. The seating is uncomfortable and crampt, especially when they place you at the back of the diner right next to the bathroom so you have to watch people go in to drop a grumpy. The service was slooooow, and our waiter seemed to disappear for way too long at regular intervals while another server was practically having a menage-a-trois with the group next to us. Yo, can I get some service over heeeerrre? Oh, you're busy? Fine... I guess I'll just wait...
I ordered the no-huevos rancheros. My beans were runny and had a generally peculiar consistency. The biggest insult were the tortillas that were shoved onto the plate and into the beans where they got wet and made them difficult to operate in typical huevos rancheros-eating fashion.
Even more annoying: our bill was delivered to us in the form of chicken scratch. Only the discoverers of the Rosetta Stone might be able to relate to our experiences trying to figure out who ordered what and how much we all owed.
As we left we noticed a cue of people waiting to get into SFF for their Saturday brunches. Clearly some people are willing to put image before quality, but I'll leave that to the guy in the tight, acid-wash lavender pants.
It gets crowded on the weekends, especially on a sunny day. The workers are friendly, and fast. It didn't take more than 10 min for mine and my boyfriend's food to come out. They have tasty vegetarian reubens and extra thick a good malt shakes. "as thick as you want it"
For the amount of food we got, it was pretty cheap. 2 meals a side and large milkshake for $25.
Despite the spot being smothered with hipsters like their perfect pancakes are smothered with butter, this is my favorite breakfast/lunch/sundae spot in the city. I have been going here since I was 5, yes, really there are still SF locals here, and although I am pretty sure the majority of the patrons at the St. Francis Soda Fountain are LA hipster transplants, I can ignore that for the amazingness that is their food. I love the simple, unstuffy feel of the atmosphere, the tiny booths are great to sit at, but I love being front and center at the counter.
The best three breakfast items are (in no particular order) fried egg sandwich with bacon, chorizo and egg scramble, and their pancakes. Simple dishes, but some how St. Francis makes them divine. Perfect portions, I never leave feeling too full, and I always clean my plate, and am tempted to order a sundae...but maybe thats just me :)
PLUS the best prices for really great food!
OH MAN, their coffee is Peerless! Without peers. And the like seven cups I drank did not mess me up all day. The food was pretty standard for breakfast, pretty generous, and pretty fairly priced. I think their "vegan chorizo" is just the stuff from Trader Joe's, but it tastes good. Good job.
Most astonishingly, the waitstaff, which pretty much consists of hipster stereotypes with seventy tattoos and fishnets, were amazingly attentive and pretty nice. Our peerless coffee cups were never drink-less. Oh God, I just made a pun in my review. I feel like Paula Abdul.
Anyway, would go back enthusiastically.
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