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Category: American (New) [Edit]
Neighborhood: CastroMon-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Sat. 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Sun. 10:30 a.m. - 11:00 p.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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Overall: Good food (harmonious pairing of ingredients), fair prices, worth a second visit.
Friday night, dinner, party of 2, 8-ish. After reading yelp reviews about the long wait, I expected much worse. Called 40 min ahead, got there exactly when the 40 mins was up and waited 20 mins. The patrons here all seem very hip. Service was friendly.
Apps: Fries w/3 dipping sauces (ok, could use a little more salt); popcorn clams (oysters?). It tasted like calamari, maybe it was. Roasted beets w/some cheese-- tasty.
Pizzas: We got two (1): the jalapeno w/bacon w/goddess dressing. Delicious and oh yeah, I felt the fire burn in my mouth. (2) Squash pizza w/pine nuts-- had an nice sweetness and crunch from the earthy pineuts. I've never had a pizza like this at all, in either texture or flavor.
I'll go back for their other pizzas.
Dessert: sticky toffee pudding. Can't really go wrong with this. I love sticky toffee anything!
Vibe: warm, kinda hip, comfortable. I wish this were in my hood! There are a few two-top bar-level tables in the back, against the wall. Those have far more privacy than the two-tops at the front of the restaurant.
Great addition to the neighborhood. Let's face it, the food in the Castro sucks compared to a lot of other neighborhoods. Starbelly brings a destination restaurant to the neighborhood that is also accessible to locals during the week. I love the ambiance and the food, while nothing out of this world, is solid and hits the spot every time.
I love going there and sitting at the bar with a friend. The bartenders are nice and the service quick. I have loved everything that I've ordered there, from the fries with house made ketchup and remoulade, to the BLT, and the pizzas.
Thanks, Starbelly. It's the closest thing I have to a neighborhood joint right now.
I'm so glad that this restaurant is in the Castro - for me it's going to be a definite go-to when I'm hankering for delicious food at a decent price and a relaxed atmosphere!
I know people complain about the wait, but it's easy enough to call ahead and get on the waiting list beforehand. Last time I was there, my dining friend and I weren't terrible hungry so we just shared a few plates.
Starbelly salumi - c'mon, who doesn't like charcuterie?
Starbelly salad - I usually eat salad as a formality, but this one was delicious, perhaps a little heavy on the on the dressing
Mussels - never had mussels with chorizo in the broth and I am now a huge fan, maybe I can recreate this at home...
Sonoma lamb chops - hello, it comes with grits! very tender regardless
Probably a good date spot or great for a cosy evening with friends.
Pros:
1. Service was excellent, not overbearing yet very attentive
2. Price - it was really cheap for the experience, the ambience and the food especially considering that nearby fast food outlet Burgermeister which is really just a meister of making overpriced frozen patties costs just as much
3. The food - had delicious split pea soup, chicken liver pate and jalapeno bacon spaggheti - delish!!
Cons: The idiot customer next to me - quotes include:
"My fries are too salty" - and sent them back
"Well, I could use at least a little salt" - when the waiter brought them back unsalted
and "Now my sauce has disappeared" - cos his ketchup was missing. Thankfully my girlfriend and I left before he would surely declare that it was the worst day of his life
Absolutely loved Starbelly. Have been twice and on both visits left extremely satisfied.
For starters, it's about time the Castro had a first-rate, chef-driven restaurant. When was the last time they changed the menu at 2223? 2003? And Catch? Eureka? They serve a purpose, but it isn't culinary.
Started off with just a taste of the New Belgium 1554 dark beer. All the taste of Guinness and beyond without the weight.
I had the roasted mushrooms with the levain croutons and sunnyside-up duck egg for the second time and it didn't disappoint. I had a double-order of the clams as an entree along with a side of the brussel sprouts and bacon. To Caroline I., no offense, but honey, if you can't tell the difference between a clam strip, an oyster and calamari the restaurant isn't the problem.
The salted caramel pot-de-creme was absolutely D I V I N E. Texture: superb. Intensity of flavor: just right. Slight savory taste of the shortbread- fantastic. What made it even better was the bartender's recommendation of the Italian dry vermouth, Dillon, to go with it. Flawless combo.
The beverages, two starters, two entrees, one side and the dessert came to under $100. I dare you to eat and drink that well for that much in an "upscale" eatery anywhere else in the city.
Starbelly. Definitely one of the ten best to open in '09.
I've eaten at Starbelly 5 times since its opening with friends, children, and my boyfriend. The food has been amazing and they seem quite kid friendly as I see families in there often.
The interior is beautiful with lovely details. My only real pinch is that the front staff is not very friendly, or not sincerely friendly. This stinks as I live on this block and would love to make it a regular supper spot.
It's highly recommended it for the food and table service~
******* Now on my list of San Francisco faves *******
Two snaps around the world and back. Starbelly, you've done the Castro very well!
Love the friendliness of this place. They handed us a drink menu as we waited for our table, and they were ready / willing / able to take the order. Now that's service.
Food is *delicious*, hands down. Fries with three sauces are money, and don't you DARE pass up that squash pizza!!! So muaahh that I ate the rest for breakfast this morning before yoga. (For those that don't know, eating before yoga: major faux paux. Had to do it though!) Oh, I almost forgot desserts...what's wrong with me? Caramel pot de creme comes in a cutsey little jar. Even yummier than it looks and the best part is the rosemary cookie on the side.
The ambiance is similar that of many new places popping up in the last year or so: Simple, super clean, beautiful hard wood (uh huh). Lots of bustle and hustle to get a table. (Last week I showed up and they threw down a 2-3 hour wait! What?! I couldn't hang.)
Yes, it's frustrating to wait for a table, but HAVE NO FEAR!
****Major tip for getting a seat: Friday and Saturday nights are uber busy. They don't take reservations for under 6 people, and they're not on Open Table (yet, anyway). Call about 30-40 minutes ahead, get your name on the list, then let them serve you a cocktail if you have to wait when you arrive.
After that, enjoy!
They are out of their league, and don't seem to know what they are doing. The MUNI of restaurants in SF.
we came for a later dinner last night and were able to snag a spot on the corner of the communal table. i love communal dining. since it was thanksgiving wknd, a lot of people were probably out of town, so it wasn't as crowded.
we started w/ the popcorn clams and the fries. the fries were awesome, but i couldn't really tell the popcorn clams were clams. it seemed like a lot of batter to me, but yet i ate it. i would probably skip that next time. we also got the celery root and apple slaw, which was really good w/ pistachios and dried cherries. finally, we shared the mushroom and guyere pizza, and it was so good. i wanted to try the squash pizza, but maybe next time. the crust was really thin and crisp. to finish, we got the warm toffee cake w/ marscapone and dates. yum. it wasn't a huge portion, but it was the perfect amount to cleanse your palate.
i like the drinks here. i had a mango michelada which is beer w/ a chili-salted rim and some mango juice. they also had other interesting beer and champagne cocktails here that i will have to try next time!
The only things that will get me out of bed before noon on most weekends are:
1) Delicious brunch
2) Gorgeous men
3) Delicious brunch with gorgeous men.
I got lucky and had #3 at Starbelly today.
The delicious brunch started off with strong coffee served up in a bright orange French press and olive green mugs by a friendly and attentive server. I tried the Wild Mushroom Stratta with locally made Goat Cheese and Leeks. We liked its flavors but they were somewhat dulled because it was served room temperature rather than warm. (Damn you Bar Tartine! You have ruined me for all other savory bread puddings.)
The potatoes that came with it were nicely roasted, buttery, and sprinkled with chives. Luckily we asked for ketchup which tasted homemade and had a spicy kick to it. The side of fruit was like a colorful bit of edible art made up of slices of yellow pineapple, orange persimmon, red strawberries, and blackberries. Like running into a good friend, I was happy to see Dynamo donuts on the menu. (Yes, donuts are my friends.)
Gorgeous men make delicious food taste even better. (Or is it that I get to eat more of said food by stealing it off of their plates? I stole tasty bites of Sour Levain French Toast with lip smackin' Strawberry Preserves and Spicy Breakfast Sausage. Mmm!) Either way, love to my brunch buds, J, S, and L for making my trip to Starbelly even better with your always delicious company.
Note to self: Come back to try out Starbelly's dinner menu and see if the pizza is just as good as big sis Beretta's!
Came here with a big group and everything went smoothly and its oh so delicious. I guess we're lucky we didnt have to wait for a table (even on a Monday it was packed) but I am willing to go back with a group under 6 and try it out.
The service and food was outstanding. We brought in our own wine for a $15 corkage. I also brought in a birthday cake and was charged a $18 plating fee without warning which was then knocked down to $9 when I complained.
They even brought us a free pizza that was really yummy. Skip the octopus salad, definitely get the scallops, the pate and the parsimmon salad.
Awful, awful music played in here but it still deserves 5 stars!
We enjoyed our lunch...squash and pumpkin seed pizza and the pork sandwich. The crust was perfect but the pizza could have been a little bigger in circumference. The pork sandwich was homemade pulled pork with a dipping sauce. Both were absolutely delicious. They also has hitichino beer, a japanese beer not found in many restaurants. The host came off a little pushy but warmed up after he found an open table for us. The server was attentive and not over-bearing. The guy who brought our drinks was cool, "eclectic" and had huge attitude glasses on. Total lunch bill for two $50. Oh, the dressing on the caesar salad was too thick and not well dispersed in the salad but the salad still fresh tasting.
Surprisingly, a friend went there for dinner and hated the food and the service...but won't stop me from going back.
Starbelly is a place with great ambiance to enjoy solid food with good friends.
Perhaps my friends and I did a poor job selecting dishes, but half were pretty good, while the other half weren't bad. I would highly recommend the pate (it was quite delish), but not the mixed salumi pizza (tasted kinda ordinary). The veggie pizzza that we had (I forget which) was pretty good too. The crust was perfectly thin (near paper-thin) and the toppings were just about enough - to the point where you didn't want more, but maybe could have had more, but maybe more would have been too much.
The service was good. Our waitress was observant and kept the water refills coming. That's always a good sign.
The price was right too. Bob Barker would have agreed.
it was ok. i'd go back, if invited.
what i liked best about it were the glasses; really nice water and wine glasses. i want them.
the worst thing about it was the fact that the wooden bench was sticky. if i hadn't been wearing work pants it could've been very upsetting.
the food was ok. i didn't get to order what i wanted. (i never would've ordered mortadella pizza!)
the server was fabulous.
Hip minimalistic industrial chic.
Yes. It is the place to be in the Castro. Packed house on a Monday night. I like the communal table as well.
Order the Romano beans with tomato ragu. Order the spaghetti with bacon and jalapenos. Order the salted caramel pot de creme and leave happy.
We had a wonderful meal at Starbelly's sister restaurant Beretta recently and we were in the neighborhood so we thought we'd give it a try last Saturday.
We arrived at 7:45p on a Saturday and the hostess said it might be 45 minutes, or it might be sooner. We ordered some wine (from a surly bartender - star, but the wine was good + star) and were seated within 10 minutes (+ star). The waiter who took our order was very nice and friendly (+ star). We ordered the small plates of fries, mussels, wild mushrooms and the entrees of ravioli and lamb chop. The mussels came RIGHT away, like one minute after we ordered them. They were also luke warm/cold, which leads me to believe that they'd been made before, maybe a mistaken order and had been sitting there for a while? Very disappointing. I'm also disappointed that the restaurant that would serve them like that (- star). Next came the fries. Delicious. Great dips, especially their homemade ketchup (+ star). Wild mushrooms were too salty. Ravioli was ok. The lamb chop was perfectly cooked; however, the sides along with it (wilted greens, cheesy grits, cold yams), were not as good, still + star for the lamb. Also give them a star for the nice ambiance, decor.
Since the food was pretty uneven, I don't think we'll go back.
Another excellent addition to the neighborhood. Man, hard to decide whether 4 or 5 stars warranted.
Reservation (or not) - I called in a bit before and a table wasn't going to happen, but space at the communal table was no problem (it was empty at 7pm).
Food - We had fries with three really solid home-made sauces, scallops in a ginger/yam puree, and a sqaush and sage pizza, all of which were really excellent. the only thing that was uniquely excellent was the sauce on the scallops. Everything else was 4-star material, that sauce was definite 5-star.
Wine - really solid list, though pricey. No surprises.
Service - friendly, consistent, helpful, good.
This place is trying hard to be too cool for skool!!!
Right off, the hostess denied our party of three a 3-top, in spite of several open. She explained that the tables were "reserved" yet they remained unclaimed for no less than 15 minutes. After we sat at the communal table for 20 minutes, the hostess finally offered us one of the several unclaimed reserved tables. That was the highlight of the night because it all went downhill starting with the piece of cork in my glass of wine.
I found the menu too big for its britches and the execution of the plates pretty mediocre. The roast chicken was a salty, dry and small-portioned mess.
I certainly will not be going back! There are too many good restaurants in SF.
So, I really want to like this place...
But we had the worst service I've ever had in a San Francisco restaurant. Though some of the staff are friendly and accommodating, it's just the whole operations thing that's off.
For example...
Drinks took almost 15 minutes to reach our table (and this was brunch; only one person had a cocktail)...
When my orange juice finally came, there was a hair in it...
(and dishes and silverware in general weren't completely clean...)
One of my dining companions didn't get the right dish (and then had to wait another 15min for the corrected dish to reach him; he was granted an apology but nothing was comped);
And the timing on everything was just totally off.
Okay, the rant is over. I love the physical space and design of the restaurant, food is decent enough, and it's an overall welcomed addition to the Castro restaurant scene. But, they just can't seem to get the service and operations thing down (on neither of my visits), though it's now been open several months. (Also, seems like any of my friends who've dined there separately have experienced similar slipups...). So, until they get their act together, I can pass on the mini corn dogs.
This place is just so damn good, I have to share. It's even taken me a few days to compose my feelings about Starbelly. I came here with a friend and foodie, love the new experiences and tastes of different places.
Our neighbors at the bar were just finishing up their meal and being the talkative person that I am - I wanted to know what they had. Inside scoop, I took their suggestions and was very pleased with my dinner.
Drinks - Beer and Wine Only, but their Champagne Cocktail was not only beautiful but very tasty. They also have quite a selection of really nice beers, which they let me sample - I'm a little picky when it comes to beer.
Appetizers - I ordered the mini corn dogs, they were so cute, tasty and I loved the homemade ketchup and mustard. Very good. We also ordered a salad with butter lettuce, apples, goat cheese and walnuts. It was really great as well.
Meal - I ordered the Roasted porchetta, salsa verde & salsa calabria, market greens - it was fantastic, I was floored by the savory taste of this dinner. My friend ordered the half rotisserie local chicken, blistered romano beans & fingerling potatoes - which was incredible.
Dessert - I chose the Salted Caramel Pot de Creme with Rosemary Cornmeal Cookies. I sat there sucking on my spoon savoring every moment of that dessert. It was truly incredible and I can't stop thinking about it.
The place is really that great, I am not surprised that so many people have given it 5 stars. It was very reasonable for the level of service and quality of food.
3.5 stars here. The service was solid, but really, at the end of the day, this wasn't all that impressive of an experience.
We ordered your basic bocas - here they were from the menu:
Popcorn clams with Old Bay remoulade
House cut fries with three dips
lamb meatballs, preserved lemon, kalamatas, tomato & feta
pan roasted diver scallops, gingered yam puree & pepitas (only two scallops on the plate, really? for 14?)
oven roasted beets, chevre, horseradish
and a fall squash & sage, black garlic goatcheese, pepitas pizza
None of it was particularly remarkable, though they have my compliments on the seasoning of the lamb, and my wing man's kudos on the popcorn clams.
Although it was an acceptable place to dine, we don't expect to be going back. Too many more interesting places in the city left to try.
Many restaurants set up shop by having a nice environment--good interior design, and music and then the actually execution of the restaurant is an after thought. Starbelly is firing on all cylinders. For a long time there was a drought in The Castro--at least in the food department--and now with several good eateries like Kasa and Eureka there is another good one--Starbelly.
The California fare restaurant has a small yet well edited menu of both small and larger plates. The wine and beer list is equally small but well chosen. And to bring it all together is good service that dialogues with it's patrons and does so equally and thoughtfully. I had the super fresh Octopus salad which was well balanced with spicy arugula and the citrus elements sewed each distinct flavor together. I enjoyed the Prather Ranch burger with what seemed a lot of french fries--I was thinking how could I eat all of these? But the were completely light, crunch and delightful. The housemade ketchup was another plus--I am tired of high fructose sweetened mass produced ketchups. This is a nice ketchup that allows you to enjoy your fry but not bury with overly thickened and dangerously sweet ketchup.
I could have eaten dessert but could not imagine eating a dessert by myself--that would have been too much. I really wanted to try the salted caramel pot de creme but I will give that a try next time. I enjoyed Starbelly on many levels and look forward to a return visit.
Usually I like the original versus the spinoff. Mary Tyler Moore over Rhoda, All in the Family over The Jeffersons - you know how it is. But in this case, I am a much bigger fan of Starbelly than of this group's original restaurant, Beretta.
I had lunch there with a friend a few weeks ago and it was a great experience. Starting with the friendly service, and a large and well thought out beer list, I immediately felt the casual,down-to-earth vibe of the place. We were on the same page.
We started with a bowl of beautifully roasted padron peppers with olive oil and sea salt - perfect in its simplicity. Followed by the chicken liver pate, which was smooth and tasty with a thin layer of fat for extra flavor, it was off to an excellent start.
For our mains, we shared the porchetta sandwhich and the oyster poorboy. Poor oyster poorboy was a little bland, but the porchetta was very tasty. Made in house and slow-roasted in the old world tradition, it's a great way to treat pork and lends itself well to a sandwich topped with 2 different salsas and nutty arugula.
Dessert was pretty good - a pot de creme and 2 cookies, but I think there is some room for improvement here. i will happily go back, sample some more desserts, and report back.
The decor is light and cozy-modern, with a nice outdoor space in back. Lots of room at the bar, too.
In a neighborhood where the old standby restaurants seem a little bit dated and worn, this is a welcome addition, and I look forward to my next visit.
This place is just soooo goood!! We had a group of 8 and were able to easily make a group reservation the day before. Everyone in our party enjoyed their brunch, drinks, and service. The service was fantastic! The prices were just right ($32/person, including tax & tip) and the setting was bright, airy, and modern. Perfect brunch place. The Castro desperately needed a place like this!
I had the pulled chicken sandwich with fries - yum! My girlfriend had the decadent chorizo & egg pizza - Wow! Several of our friends had burgers and they were all very pleased. They even serve Micheladas (beer with lemon juice, served in a salt & chile rimmed glass)!!
Can't wait to return!!
Similar to someone else's comment, I believe in the potential of Starbelly. It's got some kinks to work out... but like a fine hooker, it will only get better with time. Oh. You say it's "wine" and not "hooker?" Are you sure? Whatever. Like a fine "wine", it only gets better with time.
The lines are pretty ridiculous (and I can't justify them after our meal), but they have this neat thing where you can call ahead an hour in advance. The only problem was that we called ahead for 9pm and didn't get sat until 9:40. I'm all about eating late, but after going to the gym and coming here I was a hungry monster. Luckily the bartender was helpful in suggesting a good wine that helped pass the time.
We ordered the fries with 3 sauces as an appetizer and it was very tasty. I was a huge fan of the 2 darker sauces, not the one white creamier one (for obvious reasons- and no points off to Starbelly for that). I had the salmon with some kind of beans I wasn't able to completely finish. My friends had a cheese pizza and one with mushrooms. Everything was pretty good.
I was neither over nor under whelmed. Very whelmed. In reality, it's 3.5 stars. I'd definitely come back, but perhaps at an odd hour in the afternoon.
love, love, love this place! we live in the neighborhood and frequent this place a couple of times a month and have never been disappointed. we've never had a wait (but we have gone on "off peak" times). the service has always been way above average. and the food...amazing! brunch or dinner...you can't go wrong.
why only four stars? my one gripe is that the portions tend to be way small for the prices. esp. with the small plates. however...the two desserts we had were both decent size.
and something else to note...it does indeed tend to get pretty loud in there, so if yr sensitive to that (which i am not), heads up.
I got so excited when I read you could call in to put your name on the wait list, but I'm fairly sure this didn't help our cause too much. We waited for quite a while and the hostess seemed annoyed that we were standing up front having a glass of wine. I get that Starbelly is new and cool and crowded, but that's not a unique occurrence in SF, so I hope they don't develop an attitude.
Once seated, the service was attentive and food came out quickly. Everything was awesome, from the baby octopus to the roast chicken (moist, salty and delicious!) to the thin crust pizza.
My only complaint (another service detail) is that we ordered a pizza with wild nettles specifically because we were excited about the nettles and when it came, it had radicchio instead. We told a couple different servers and they all acted confused and said they had to check with the kitchen. 15 minutes later, it was confirmed, yes, the pizza had radicchio instead. Um, we know! I just wish the server had apologized when we first brought it up and asked if we'd like something else. We would have said no and enjoyed the pizza, minus the irritation. Hopefully the service kinks get ironed out because the food was great!
I cannot stress enough how important it is that a restaurant have a skilled and pleasant host or hostess. He or she will set the tone for your dining experience, and if they are rude or inept, your meal is affected.
Which is exactly what happened at Starbelly.
We'd called ahead to make a reservation and, when we arrived, we were told by the airhead hostess, 'Oh. I didn't think you guys were coming, so I crossed you off. It'll be about 20 minutes before I can seat you.'
We'd arrived 10 minutes EARLY for our reservation, so we didn't understand why she'd think we weren't coming, but ok. I can wait 20 minutes, especially for a table at a restaurant with the amount of buzz that Starbelly has had.
20 minutes passed. Other people came and put their names in, and the hostess kept telling us. 'You guys are next to be seated. You're next.' But then, she would seat other parties, people who'd come in after us. We were totally confused, especially because there were only 3 of us, and she was seating parties of 3 and 4 ahead of us. We kept asking her what was going on, and she'd reply, 'You're next! You're next!'
An hour passed.
An HOUR. Were we idiots for waiting? Maybe. But we really wanted to eat there, and, by that point, we were just being stubborn. And we were getting a huge, bitter laugh out of the hostess, who, by this point, had simply turned her back on us and pretending that we weren't there.
Finally, a table opened up, and we were the only ones waiting. But it needed to be bussed. Did she bus it? Nope. She stood there, DOODLING, and waited 10 minutes for a busboy to finally come out and clear the dirty dishes.
She seated us, but apparently didn't tell the waitress that we were there, because another 10 minutes elapsed. Since we were seated right by the hostess stand, I waved our friend down and said, 'Do we have a waitress?' She replied, 'Oh. Yeah. Do you want me to get her?'
Yes, inept hostess. Yes I do.
The waitress, the food...fine. All fine. But our dinner was ruined long before it was even served. And nobody even offered us an apology for being treated like lepers.
So no thanks, Starbelly. There are enough restaurants in this town for me to be perfectly satisfied never patronizing you again.
I was disappointed.
Be prepared for a long wait and for your server to bring you the wrong thing. I shared a salad, pizza, mini-corn dogs, and beer.
Eh.
A castro local, I was excited to try out Starbelly, which replaced Asquew in that "cursed spot" on 16th/market where restaurants just don't seem to be able to make a business.
The place obviously wants to go against the "healthy food" trend and go for comfort food. I have absolutely no problem with comfort food, as anyone who knows me - and my own belly - can attest. But what I had (a roasted porchetta) was so ridiculously swimming in melted fat and uber salty it felt like a joke.
2 stars because the appetizer and service were decent. Still, I won't go back.
Went last night with a large group (had reservations) for a Birthday dinner. Service was good, place was PACKED (aka Overcroweded and loud). Weird that the lights kept flickering every few minutes or so - waiter said there was a short and electricians couldn't figure it out (hope they do b/f it triggers a fire!).
Food - I had the Corn dogs - very good w/ homemade ketchup.
THen i went for the Burger - usually you can tell a joints skills by ordering something basic the first time you go there. Came with shoestring fries which had a nice crisp to them. The burger wasn't so special. Actually over cooked and the bun was overtoasted. Looking around the table I should've ordered one of the pizzas.
Not sure what all the hype is about this place (found out it's actually owned by the same group as Pomodoro, i like those places)...if you ask me in SF there is way better out there, Starbelly is fine but again, way better out there with out all the clutter.
I had a great time there. Very rustic and not pretentious decor. Great service. I love love love the hand made spaghetti, split pea soup and the summer squash pizza. :D
Please make sure you make reservation in advance and you may be sitting in the communal table.
Have fun!
I had lunch at Starbelly recently and was excited since I'd heard so much praise about this place. The decor is nice and open and the menu looked quite good. I'm giving the low rating because of the HORRIBLE service. Really, it was just awful. Not only did we wait a good 10 minutes before anyone even noticed us and took our drink orders, but the drinks took ANOTHER 10 minutes to arrive. The food was pretty good, although I did find some gristle in my pulled chicken sandwich... a little too much for my liking. And true to form the food took its sweet time getting out to us. The one thing on the menu I DID enjoy immensely was the donuts. YUM. However I was disheartened to hear later that they purchase these pre-made from some place in the Mission. FAIL.
I may go back in 6 months to try this place out again, but they need to work out the kinks first.
Mussels: absolutely delicious. The flavors, the flavors! I devoured them.
Split pea soup: my date's, not really my thing, but very tasty (I'm sure the bacon helped--it always does).
Burger: yum! I just read a print review (remember those?) that said it was disappointing. I didn't think so. It was cooked how I like it. I didn't get fries; I opted for a salad which was dressed wonderfully.
Porchetta: Flavors very similar to the mussels, so that was a little odd, even though I loved them both (peppery, savory). It was a LOT of meat, but have you ever been to a restaurant in the Castro? Men there OFTEN order two portions of meat (I've seen it a hundred times) so i guess they know their customers. (Question to consider: why does the Castro love Midewest food and meats so much? Every single restaurant has mac and cheese and/or pot roast.)
Pear Cobbler: wow, really nice. Hot and sweet and just scrumptious.
ALL IN ALL: a great meal, but not for the noble vegetarians in your life.
So good!!
My bf and I went here on a Sunday afternoon. We wanted to try so much stuff that we told our server to just keep coming back and we would order in shifts. He was totally accommodating, even when it got really busy in there. He also had grrrreat recommendations!
We started with the mini corn dogs. YUM! But beware, they definitely are mini! Second came the mussels. I don't even eat mussels, but tried them because they looked and smelled delicious. I ended up eating my half! They had chorizo in them that gave them a little kick. Then, we went for the bacon pizza. Delicious- took two pieces home for lunch the next day and they didn't reheat very well, but the original pizza was perfect. We had originally ordered a different pizza and asked to add bacon to it, but the server came back and said that the chef didn't want to do it and it wouldn't taste good. I appreciated that, and we ended up with just what we wanted.
After we had the scallops with yam puree. Again, I don't eat scallops. But this time I did, and loved them. We also had the green beans, which were simple but good.
Throughout the meal we were trying different beers, since you can get little ones for about $3, making it easy to try a handful of them. Great local selection to choose from. They also bring complimentary sparkling water- a simple touch that makes all the difference.
Our server was Steven, who was cheery, helpful, and around just enough. Love him.
The only thing I would say is the dessert menu looked a little boring. We passed, which is unusual!
Next time I'm trying the chicken. Nom nom nom.
Try the Fresh Figs, Bleu Cheese, and Arugula pizza--it will knock you on your back! There is an option to put Spanish Ham on it, but I was with a vegetarian that night so I couldn't delight myself. I'm sure if I had I would have freaked the geek out (and gone home a bit bloated).
Also had one of the domestic cheese plates as a starter--also very good. The only part that marred the occasion was that they got the order wrong on the cheese plate and I didn't get the one I wanted. And when I asked for more water, the waiter gave me a look like I had asked for too much. Great decor--communal tables are fun!
All the variables came together this visit to Starbelly. I like this place. I wish there was something like this in Lone Mountain/USF area. The food was tasty and the beverage was good too.
I really liked the decor and the less-than-five-minute-wait on a Thursday evening at 7:00 PM.
Catches breath, slips past lips, uses tongue, and experiences intense shudder and fluttering eyelids ! A short description of the dinner experience at STARBELLY.
"Is it really that good?" you inquire .....
"You bet your sweet ass it is!" I reply.
If you want to hear about dessert you'll have to be older than 18 and sign a waiver!
Starbelly is fantastic. Everything is just right for a high class local joint - nice interior, good seating, not too much flash. The food is uniformly good - the superb cole slaw sandwich for lunch, the burger, the appetizers, all of it says "we're kind of pretentious, but we're kind of trying not to be. Look, you can have a corn dog!" It works. Very SF that way. Cf. Father's Office in Santa Monica, which also has accessible food but fully owns the pretension. SF vs. LA in a nutshell. I like them both.
Like Father's Office, the owner of Starbelly cares about beer. The place does not have 50 choices, but it has 15 great ones that go with the food. They have Hitachino, which is the new hit in beer circles, they have random belgians, they have some nice locals. And they are thankfully taking a stand against the Pabst phenomenon in this town. Mustaches and PBR were never a good idea - keep them in the 19th Century. Watch Tombstone rather than wearing it, please. And go to Starbelly - the slaw's comin!
This place is good. Really happy that the previous restaurant is gone
Their reservation system (or lack thereof) requires fixing as calling ahead does not guarantee you a table.
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