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Mon-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Mon-Thu. 5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Fri. 5:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sat. 5:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
"Excellent pizza and really friendly delivery guy - pizza comes fast and warm with a yummy crispy crust! I had the turkey ham and pineapple -…" read more »
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I also agree with Gina W.'s review (bottom). I want to start off with tonight experience actually made me felt quite uncomfortable for hours. It wasn't so much the problem I had with the food, it was the way the manager/waitress decided to handle the issue. After I called the manager over and explained to her why I was unhappy about the food, the first thing she said to me was.. " that happens with organic vegetables, but thats an issue you need to talk to chef about"-- then darted off...my whole table thought it was extremely rude. it sounded like an excuse more than an explaination. Just because its organic, it does NOT make it okay.
I am also giving five stars because of the way the head chef decided to handle the situation. He was very apologetic about the situation, took the time to be personable and explained to us why it might have happened ( i genuinely appreciated this), took the item off our bill, and gave us free dessert. I do believe that once in awhile these "mishaps" do happen but when it does, I expect the management to know how to handle these situations properly. I definitely didn't think the " things happen, so deal with it, go talk to the chef instead" attitude was idealistic for good management. I would listen to your customers concerns, understand where they are coming from..apologize if there was any mishaps. Instead of instantly defending yourself and passing the blame to others.
The head chef definitely cares about his gourmet food. I can tell he puts a lot of heart and soul into his work. And the outcome is fantastic. but I do believe that it takes the entire team to work together to make a pleasant experience for diners. I hope that the owner take my review as constructive criticism.. as this issue can be easily fixed.
I like the food a lot. Their food is fantastic. They have good happy hours, and all the other servers was fantastic. The bus boy was very helpful and the majority of the team gave good customer service.
I don't understand why the issue of "rude waitress" keep coming up on the reviews... over and over and over.. yet tonight i experienced it first hand! It did put me off a little bit, but it's the head chef + the taste of the food i'm giving 5 stars to.
5 stars to the head chef
5 stars to the bus boy
5 stars to the crunchy flat bread
5 stars to the 50 cents HH oysters
5 stars to the awesome dessert. it was drooling good. !
I added a star to my previous rating due to my tonight's experience at Zuppa. My experience tonight started extremely unpleasant due to my waitress' rudeness and poor customer service skills. When I asked to speak to the restaurant manager, she "claimed" to be the restaurant manager. I found out later from Joseph, the owner that she's not the manager any more. When the bartender tried to take my order, I told him that I had lost my appetite and would like to speak to the owner. He kindly asked if he can help. Just when I started to inform him what happened, the rude waitress came over and interrupted us by telling me that the bartender reports to her, she is the manager, talking to him is pointless/useless. I do not want to get into more details of the unpleasant part of my tonight's experience. It was all caused by one person, the rude waitress.
However, I would like to share the pleasant part of my tonight's experience. I was extremely upset before the bartender came over and tried to resolve the problem. He tried to listen to me/take care of me by offering to pay for my wine before we were interrupted rudely by the waitress. I did not accept the offer and asked to speak with the owner again. Then I spoke with Joseph/the owner, he was as usual, genuine, caring and personable. I could've just walked out of the restaurant without talking to Joseph, but I care about Zuppa enough to share this unpleasant experience and feedback with him hoping he can do something to fix the problem/improve this waitress' customer service skills. I believe Joseph cares about his customers and is in the restaurant business to bring gourmet cuisine/experience to his customers.
All my past experience with Zuppa's customer service were great! Everyone's polite, happy and playful except the rude waitress I encountered tonight. I've been craving for Zuppa's Al Ragu di Campagna, rigatoni for days! I was excited to go to Zuppa tonight and enjoy a gourmet dinner with 1 or 2 glasses of wine. It's unfortunate that my appetite was ruined and I did not get to enjoy Joseph's cooking tonight. I look forward to going back to Zuppa again without the presence of the rude waitress.
Thank you Joseph for listening, for caring and for your understanding! The extra star I added is for you! Keep up the great work you've accomplished!!
**** 4 stars for my Zuppa experience below in July *** *
Romain Lettuce - fresh and crisp, lightly dressed but just enough to compliment the fresh tasty flavor of the lettuce!!
Bread with the cheese - sooooooooooooooo good!!
Al Ragu di Campagna - the best rigatoni I have ever had
Black Cod - delicious! Crispy skin on top and tender, juicy bottom
4 stars for the food
2 stars for the service (i would even go as low as 0 star)
------------------
average 3 stars
pros:
50 cent oysters for the happy hour - yum
flat bread - yum
grilled octopus - yum
happy hour menu - yummy!
cons:
snobby, i don't need to help you, even though there is no one here waitress - she needs to go.
my friend and i finally had to literally flag her(calling out: excuse me ms.) to get our drink order when there was absolutely no one else in the place. seriously - she needs a proper lesson in customer service. i would have preferred to leave her nothing for her "i gave you no-service but leave me a big tip" attitude, but my friends are way too nicer then i am...
Love this place. I've eaten here three times and everything has been great!
I've had a selection of pastas, pizza margerita, the salumi plate, various appetizers and wines. All have been excellent and plentiful (including the wine).
Last time we sat at the bar and the folks couldn't have been friendlier and made some delicious recommendations (the burrata & heirloom tomato salad - yum!)
Big fun & good food.
Was looking forward to Zuppa - but left disappointed. Start with a positive - the services was great - friendly, smiles - there when you need her. The space is great - nice lighting.
The negative:
The food was a miss. Started with grilled sausages - nice presentation - but they forgot the salt - tasteless. We split a margherita pizza - flavorless and bland. And we split the vegetable plate - $26 for veggies? The quality was good - but there was nothing memorable about them. Roasted Beets, cauliflower, potatoes, chard. All bland.
Although the service was great - it won't get us to come back for bland food.
Chef Joseph Manzare and his gracious staff made our dinning experience top of the line. Every morsel of food was delicious and perfectly prepared ! And I am a good cook, hard to please, especially when it comes to Italian.
Joseph is a generous, personable, and awesome Chef who's food and dinning room "vibe" reflect his warm personality. Zuppa is very kid friendly, with great service too.
Shortly after we were seated a freshly made bread and ricotta cheese dish, drizzled with olive oil and a sprinkle of nutmeg was delivered to our table. It was melt in your mouth good! Then Joseph walked over asked us if we ate meat. A few minutes later the server arrived with a plate of his freshly made sausage, (compliments of the chef) coiled into a little cast iron frying pan and then cooked in the pizza oven. It was "too good". We devoured it in seconds.
For a main course my friend had the Salmon, I had the short ribs and my son had pizza. All of it was amazing! Needless to say we did not need a doggie bag! Our desserts where really yummy too!
There is a large room upstairs, perfect for parties. I am planning to have my next birthday party there.
Food was very good. LOVED the flat bread- couldn't get enough. 50 cent oysters for HH! Now how can you beat that BUT the worst service I had ever received at a restaurant. The place was empty and I practically had to stand up and yell to get our waitresses attention and at the end of the night after we had paid our bill, we sat and talked a little longer (the restaurant was not packed, no one was waiting and it was no where near their closing time) our waitress came back and asked of if we needed a cab *hint hint* get out. I just thought she was rude. If it was not for the bad service I would love to give this place more stars but I just can't.
Upside:
Location: Right across the street from my new digs
Food: The "caprese salad" consisted of Burrata and Heirloom tomatos -to die for..the short ribs are mouth watering..the chef gave us a plate of warm beets to try...very earthy and delicious!
Service: We sat at the counter..and got to watch the chef prep the food..he was extremely friendly and took the time to explain some of his plates despite how swamped he was
Downside:
Service: Perhaps our server was taking care of too many tables..she rarely came around and was not very personable...quite the contrast for such a welcoming space. We waited to get our drinks and waited to get our plates. After we finally got the check we noticed that she charged us for the plate of beets that the chef had comp'd us. Perhaps she thought we ordered directly from the chef--in any case..her minimal interaction with us killed the overall dining experience.
Happy Hour~
Monday - Friday. 5pm - 7pm.
http://www.zuppa-sf.co...
$5 Wines
$4 Beers
$0.50 to $10 appetizers.
Yes! Only 50 cents each for local oysters! (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) Compared to the raw oysters served around the city, the ones at Zuppa are huge. I was a bit hesitant about these bigger oysters. Cheap and big? Must be gross. But to my surprise, they were so fresh. Mmm...delightful little slurps.
Of course, all great things come with a catch. Each person is only allowed 12 oysters with the purchase of at least one drink. Still, not a bad deal when you think about it.
Other favorites:
-PEI mussels ($5) (http://www.yelp.com/bi...): served with yukon gold potatoes and cooked in basil pesto and white wine. The pesto is so good!!
-Flatbread ($3) (http://www.yelp.com/bi...): with some rosemary, roasted garlic, olive oil and pecorino. Good way to balance out the oysters. Mmm.
-Margherita Pizza ($7) (http://www.yelp.com/bi...): Could've used a bit more flavor. But loved the gooey cheese and sauce!
Pass:
-Grilled Short Ribs ($5) (http://www.yelp.com/bi...): Good, but not that good. Especially when only 2 strips were brought out. Very disappointing.
Overall, love this place! Great happy hour! =D
I can't believe I haven't written a review of Zuppa. One of my girlfriends used to live right around the corner, so I have enjoyed many dinners at this charming, understated restaurant. I'm actually surprised Zuppa doesn't get more hype, publicity... although that being said, all of the times I've been, the place has been packed.
Excellent Italian comfort food. A perfect place for a large group on a cold winter evening. I love the pizzas and the antipasto. I have had the oven roasted chicken and I still remember it, even though it has been a few years since I've been to Zuppa (must make plans to change that!) I also distinctly remember enjoying a fabulous "Italian Margarita" - STRONG but fantastic.
This was an odd experience. We were excited initially as the place looked like a SOMA style restaurant focusing on Italian cuisine. But I have to say that the whole experience was a bit off. For example, the lighting (up stairs) was like small spotlights on our table. Napkins, well, have you seen those white baby towels... Loud music with low attendance...
As for the food the menu was disappointing. I was surprised there wasn't more pasta. We went with the salmon and pork shank. The salmon was fantastic and cooked well, but the pork was not of high quality and dry. Waitress was pleasant. I don't think we'll give this place another try. Given four restaurants next to it were packed this same night and they weren't, I assume others already knew something we didn't.
I might come back to try the pizzz...
I am really torn between a two, and a three.
- The first time I ate here my dad had given me a Groupon (great site/ idea)
I brought a fellow co worker, and we had the lasagna, salad, eggplant Parm and some other little tasty thing. Food is great. I loved the arugla salad. Things got a bit busy, there was no check back on the food, we waited 13 minutes when done for the check to even be brought over. Tip was added (really? for two people?) which I thought was presumptuous when frankly the service was not what she deemed herself worthy of (20%)
-Today: I ate there with the same co worker and a new guest. They were out of the Eggplant Parm. Bummer. Waitress unapologetic. Fine.
Sodas: Menu mentions nothing about them. No where. Not a thing. I asked. $4.00 for a no refill coke. Um, that is CRAZY.
Totally sketchy to charge such a high price for something and not let people know.
Out waitress didn't come back to check on us, or bring pepper and Parmesan, even though there was a salad and two plates of pasta on the table. Instead, while our food got cold, she went to get wine over to a new table. Perhaps just placing salt and pepper on the table would be a sufficient way to help an understaffed restaurant. (Although, when we arrived, we were one of two tables there)
And then of course, you can only use two credit cards. No offering to split, etc. And since I was here with co workers, that makes it a bit awkward, and also lets me know I will not be bringing any other co workers there. We wouldn't be able to pay.
This is a shame, because I think the food, really is great, and there are some inexpensive options that would be nice for entertaining clients or even just going for a nicer ambiance.
I think this place is hurting, they are reaching out to coupon places, they are being sneaky with hidden charges, and have yet to sort out their waitstaff. (see other reviews)
I think I will skip it next time. Too bad.
Four stars for the food.
Two stars for the overall service.
I've been to Zuppa a few times and have always enjoyed the food, so I was a little surprised to discover the 1- and 2-starred reviews here. However, during my last visit, a week ago, I witnessed some of the complaints users had with Zuppa.
Upon entering the restaurant, I noticed that the place was packed and there were some people waiting for tables and spots at the bar. This surprised me because on previous visits, Zuppa's dining room was never completely filled. (It used to be a restaurant we could count on getting a table without a reservation.) I guess things have changed.
Since I had a reservation, I wasn't too concerned about the wait. Because I arrived way ahead of the rest of my party and the reservation time, and was by myself, I snagged a lone bar stool at the bar. I did however have to wait about 10 mins to get the bartender's attention for a menu. And then again had to wait another 15-20 minutes for my glass of wine because they had run out of wine glasses!! They were clearly overwhelmed and under-prepared.
Somehow, having read the Yelp reviews before showing up at Zuppa this last time, I felt like I was "in the know" and strangely felt "prepared" for this wait. Not that I enjoyed the wait, but it didn't bother me as much. Admittedly, I was distracted during this wait by experiencing first-hand a lot of the complaints that I had read on Yelp. Some people who had no reservations were told by the staff to wait by the front for spots at the bar to open up. Some just walked in and headed straight to the bar to wait. Arguments ensued between the parties when a couple spots opened up. When the parties engaged the bartender and the waitress to mediate, neither staff member wanted to help. They just shrugged their shoulders. I found this to be very odd.
I had a good dinner that night, like I've had there in the past, but the scenes I witnessed made me wonder how much the establishment cares about their clients.
The menu looks great, tasty descriptions of food for low prices. Classic example of 'you get what you pay for'. I can't stand it when restaurants act like they know what they are doing...
Do not do the $.50 oysters. There is a reason they are that cheap. They are too big, the flavor is off, and they come on a plate with NO ICE. Serving raw oysters without ice should be illegal. Seriously, a warm raw oyster?
The little olive appetizer deal is ridic as well. I think Safeway has better olives. They tasted like the ones that have been in my fridge for a year. I guess that is why the app is only $3.
The octopus salad was decent. Very small, but not bad.
The star goes to the bartender who was prompt and friendly. He was new so he had no idea he was serving us crap food for dinner.
I think Zuppa deserves 1.5 stars, and I rounded down because I don't think they are trying. At all. And I really mean that.
I met my lady here on a Thursday for dinner at around 6:50. We had noticed the sign outside said happy hour goes until 7:30, which sounded good to us.
There were only two tables occupied, so we were seated immediately. However, the server didn't come to take our drink order for a good 10-15 minutes. So when she finally did, we asked about the happy hour special and she said "oh sorry, it ended at 7."
Really? The sign outside said it goes until 7:30, and if you had come within, say, the first 5 minutes of seating us, the way they would at any restaurant where service is even somewhat of a priority, then we still would have been within your happy hour. Also, when you work a job that is dependent upon tips, it's probably in your best interest to let little things slide, like offering the happy hour specials even if it's 2 minutes after you think it ended.
Anyways, we each ordered a glass of wine; the house chianti I got was awful. I ordered the mushroom pizza and my date got a pasta dish. The food came out pretty fast (which makes sense since, again, there was no one there). I liked my pizza except for - get this - the mushrooms (which are supposed to be the main feature). They were rubbery and tasteless, definitely out of a fucking can. I picked them off and then enjoyed my dish much more. I think my date's pasta was fine.
So, once this was done, my date presented a coupon she got online for $35 off, which the server accepted When we got the bill, there was 18% gratuity already added. It doesn't say anywhere on the coupon that gratuity is added, and there's no way it's standard practice to include gratuity on a party of 2, but that's how it went down.
It's times like this when I wish it was possible to tip negative. The server wasn't rude, but that doesn't make up for a lack of competence. I'm not saying it isn't possible to have a good experience here, I'm just saying that ours was shite and there didn't seem to be any good excuse for it.
I'm saddened to say that the pizza at Zuppa has seriously gone downhill. The cracker thin crust was once chewy and delicious - our pie last night was more like cardboard and gnawy* Bad crust makes me sad.
The rest of our meal was pretty good...we split three kinds of meats (mmm, meats) and were overwhelmed by the portion size. Of course that didn't stop us from almost finishing it. And the bucatini was pretty fantastic - Zuppa knows how to make pasta!
As for our service...our server was really friendly and the bussers on top of things but there must have been some serious issues with the kitchen last night. The restaurant wasn't that crowded (especially towards the end of our meal) but it took FOREVER for each dish to arrive. I could tell our server was embarrassed as she apologized each time she brought a course over.
I'm hoping that I caught Zuppa on an off night but based on last night's experience I'm definitely not rushing back anytime soon. And that also makes me sad.
*yes, gnawy...as in "Phil H. had to gnaw his way through the crust"
On a rainy Saturday evening, Zuppa was the perfect spot for some comfortable Italian fare. Our… Read more »
You know what's better than dollar oysters at Bacar or Hog Island?
$0.50 oysters without the wait! And they are huge! [Insert that's what she said joke here.]
Happy hour, Monday-Friday, 5-7. Appetizers start at $3, bottled beer at $4 (note, no draft, boo).
Each person can get 12 oysters max with one drink min.
Free hourly parking if you park on the other side of 4th, next to the freeway.
Entrance in the alley around the corner from 4th.
For a local Italian restaurant, I think Zuppa is great! I've been there twice and was impressed both times. The first time I took my mom for her birthday and we both enjoyed our meals. I got a pork ragu pasta dish that I thought was very good. The second time I went there was with a large group of about 12 people. We ordered the oven roasted chicken, and it was one of the best chicken dishes I've had. It's hard to describe why it's so good, so you'll just have to go and try it out yourself.
I also thought the service both times was great. On the 2nd visit, it was towards the end of the night and the restaurant was getting ready to close. The chef came over with a bottle of tequila and joined us for a night cap. Now if that doesn't epitomize service, I don't know what does!
It doesn't look like many people are overly impressed with Zuppa's service and cuisine, but I thought it was great both times I was there, and I look forward to the next time I can go back!
I'd give 5 stars to the bartender who had to deal with our loud, crazy arses schlurpping down .50 cent oysters for happy hour. Yet, only 3 stars for the food b/c what we ordered was average..Of course, I might have to go again just to verify b/c I feel as if I enjoyed happy hour a bit TOO much and might not be giving the rest of the food a chance.
The decor is subtle and there is an outdoor, indoor, loft feel to the place.
With 4 people, 4 dozen oysters, a Parmesan bread app and 3 rounds of drinks...I think we came out pretty good (~91 dollars, not including tip) Parking is available on several of the side streets and the main streets are metered until 6PM.
Just ok.
I came here for oysters & they looked really milky, tasted milky...iono...didn't taste fresh to me. Where's the cocktail sauce? Nope, they only had Siracha sauce....which shouldn't be a hot sauce for oysters....cuz it ain't right. It ain't! Well, at least they're 50 cents each.
The happy hour appetizers were okay....just breaded gnocchi & fried risotto. Pizza was okkkk...everything...okayyyy...
We went there with a couple of people and ordered pretty much everything on the menu and shared it over a period of a couple of hours. Delicious food with a simple menu that offers excellent variety.
Great. Go there. We had at least 36 oysters. Wine. Pizza. Various other dishes. Their happy hour menu can't be beat. What's in it for them? 7:00 comes fast. Odds are, you'll stay and order more. If not, you provide a good ambiance for the new dinners coming in. Frickin brilliant business plan. That is why Joe (who was there, chatting with people, making espresso for the waitresses) has been so successful. He understands how to go with the flow and bend with the times.
Mike (the bartender- the wiseass) awesome. He's got the right spirit. Eavesdropping SOB just like a good bartender should be.
All kidding aside - 50 cent oysters. $5 wine. Go. Now.
WOW! I was absolutly blown away by my experience at Zuppa. I walk past it every day on my way home from work, and see a sign for their "50 cent Oyster Happy Hour" and was intruiged. I surprise my boyfriend by taking him for the HH last night, and was dissapointed when we were told that the 280 daily oysters were already gone at 6pm! - HH is advertised from 5-7.
However, sensing my disapointment, Chef Joseph drove all the way to the bay to pick us up fresh oysters so we could enjoy our date! The oysters were FANTASTIC, as was the ensalada de pulpo, couldn't believe the HH prices were real. And after all his hard work, Chef Joseph sent a surprise desert our way!
One of the best overall dining experiences I have had in San Francisco, will definilty be back!
Being right down the street, it seemed strange we hadn't stopped here before. I think Zuppa is a good solid choice for a weekday dinner or a relaxed weekend. Not too fancy, but a simple well crafted menu, that should have something to please everyone. I didn't try them, but I bet the cured meats are amazing, they look amazing.
I love that the kitchen is out in the open, seeing the pizza dough being tossed and prepared, and watching as it comes out of the oven and on to the dish, then (hopefully) quick to the table. Not the best pizza in SF, but very serviceable, much better than some places I've been.
The wine list is a little strange as it tends toward the very cheap or very expensive, not a whole lot of choices in the middle. This seems strange based on the price point of the food and casual nature of the establishment.
Overall, I would consider Zuppa as a neighborhood staple if only the service was a little more friendly and the bar slightly less spendy. I'll certainly be back, and hope Zuppa is around for a long time.
Zuppa is one of the most delicious places I have eaten at in the city. I've been there many times now with my boyfriend, friends and family and everytime I am delighted we dined there.
I love the atmosphere. The heiloom tomatoes and buffalo mozzerla caprese salad is heavenly. I adore the beets and basil combo. I am obsessed with the bianca pizza. Luckily for me, Zuppa is literaly located behind my apartment! Thank you SoMA for finally having a delicious and reasonably priced resturaunt!
First time at Zuppa, very good experience. Started with "Happy Hour" starters, short ribs, flat bread, and Octopus salad. All were solid hits! All the dishes were very good and reasonable. Entrees Ragu Pasta and Pork Chop were both winners. Service was very good. Looking forward to another visit!
Love the couple that owns and runs this place!!! They used to work for Wolf Gang Puck and are the most down to earth couple!!!
Was just going to go for the happy hour ($.50 oysters) but ended up getting a full meal. OMG! The chicken was divine!!! It was huge so we only had a piece and took the rest home for dinner and lunch! It was perfectly marinated and came with bread crumbs that I absolutely love! The squid salad was so good!!!! Will definitely go back! Everyone should heck this place out!!!
Leaving diners feeling zapped, rather than zippy, Zuppa does not live up to its potential.
Located in a poured-in-place concrete building in the heart of SOMA, Zuppa confuses from the onset. Rather than situate the entrance in the logical place at the front of the building on Fourth Street, the designers decided to hide the door down a dimly lit alley. Once patrons find the portal to Joseph Manzare's domain, they enter a cavernous space with naked concrete walls devoid of warmth.
Rather than offer a unique dining experience, the menu presents a rather generic list of Italian specialties. It is almost as if the chef picked items for the menu off a list developed by a spreadsheet-wielding restaurant analyst. Ubiquitous housemade salumi. Check. Wood-fired oven pizza. Check. Costoletta di agnello (grilled lamb T-bone) and costoletta di maiale (grilled bone-in pork chop). Check.
Execution is spotty: while the pizza ai frutti di mare (seafood pizza) was so soggy as to be almost inedible, the margherita pizza was almost perfect with exactly the right amount of char on the crust. The bucatini alla pomodori (thick spaghetti-like pasta with tomatoes) was perfectly al dente, however, the arancini (fried risotto balls) had so much breading that one could almost not find the rice center. Perhaps Mr. Manzare needs to spend more time with the kitchen staff.
There is a deep, well-priced (for SF) wine list with extensive Italian selections, as well as a good selection of American and Italian beers and a full bar.
Service is sporadic, but well below average: on a recent visit, the wait staff was confused about who was covering which table; on another, diners waited 20 minutes for water and even longer for drinks. The waitress didn't write down the order and subsequently didn't remember it correctly, causing even more delay.
For an establishment that has been around for nearly five years, Zuppa makes many rookie mistakes. Diners seeking great rustic Italian food would be better served at other, higher quality establishments in SF like 54 Mint or Perbacco.
definitely come here if you're a raw oyster lover. i've only been here once so my review may not be as comprehensive as someone else who's been here more often.
pluses:
- $0.50 oysters
- nice atmosphere
- friendly wait staff
- clean bathrooms
minuses:
- some oysters were too small
- they limit 12 oysters per person
i'd come back for happy hour, but i'd bring someone who doesn't like raw oysters so i can dip into their share :)
I don't care what other people said about this place. I *heart* Zuppa!! I might be biased because it's right across street from where I live and I love the convenience that I can put down my t-shirt and jeans and no makeup and walk in there without feeling under-dressed. It's casual. It's laid-back. It's cozy. It's my fall-back place if I don't want to spend too much money and walk too far way in a cold saturday night.
Must-order: cured meat plate (spicy pork jowl - mmmm), Bianca pizza and pork sugo sauce with pasta!
The best food I've had in a while! Went there with two of my friends, one of whom is Italian, and the food here had him going "ga! ga! goo!".
MENU
- Prosciutto Rotundo (round prosciutto di parma) and Mortadella di Bologna (pork & pistachios) were absolutely amazing in taste, texture and execution (came served on a wooden cutting board).. now I know how Hannibal felt every time he looked at meat.... lick!
- Salsicca con Basilico e Pecorino (house made sausage seasoned with san marzano tomatoes, basil, pecorino, cooked in an iron skillet) had a lot of heat in it and was hence, was my favorite dish of the night!... you can hit me with that iron skillet anytime!
- Agnolotti dal Plin con Speck (ricotta stuffed pasta, smoked prosciutto, shallots, ricotta salata) took my breath away! I've never been a fan of ricotta but this truly took the award for best "convert a ricotta hater to a ricotta lover!". The stuffing was just the right amount and melted in my mouth. Flavorful and filling and just made me want to come back for more.
- Pollo alla Grigliaall (natural half chicken, soft polenta, mariquita farms roasted carrots, sea salt) was quite the scene stealer! The polenta (I'm a fan!) was cooked just right with just the right consistency. The carrots were superb and delicious to bite into... eat your heart out, Bugs Bunny!
- Carciofi con Ricotta (baked artichoke stuffed with ricotta cheese and black olives) was excellent and I'm an artichoke luvah, so this dish could do no wrong!
- Vanilla Panna Cotta... major oinkers from my dinner party as they watched me devour this one without sharing... sorry! I'm a dessert hoe who don't share.
- THE FINALE was the Jacopo Poli, Torcoloto Grappa that was the PERFECT digestif to the PERFECT meal with the PERFECT company! Zuppa definitely has the best selection of Grappa. But be prepared to totter out the restaurant straight to a cab coz this stuff is strong but friggin awesome!
HINT: Good thing when you want to take your date to the next "level"!
- The serving sizes were just right. Not big but so flavorful that even a small bite was filling.
- It's gourmet Italian dining at its best and with a name like "Zuppa's"... come on!!!
ATMOSPHERE
- Really well laid out and the key is simplicity. Simplicity in everything they do and its almost like country cooking. No frills and just good Italian food.
- Crowd was mixed but leaned towards slightly older but it all gave the place a really neat provincial charm.
- Charming, quaint, quiet, unique, simple, tasteful and elegant but not "chi-chi" unfriendly... very laid back
- Great service staff and hostess!
- No attitude from anyone and they'd like you to leave your attitude at the door as well... LOVE IT!
ON THE FLIP SIDE
- Pretty expensive place (almost compares to Bar Tartine prices) but for the food you get, its worth every penny and I did not mind the cost
- It's the place you go for special occasions.. not when you're getting out of work and want to grab a bite to eat.
Me love Zuppa's long time... from time to time when I got the cash. :)
Came here for lunch. Had heirloom tomato, mozarella cheese salad. That was very good. EXCELENTE! Had the pork lasagna, which was a bit too salty and meaty for me. Overall, it was a good experience. If I go back, I will not order the pork lasagna.
My husband and I stopped by Zuppa before heading to a friend's birthday party. It was past 9 pm and the restaurant was pretty empty. I do have to agree that the restaurant was cold. I had my coat on for a while.
We ordered the skirt steak which was fabulous, as well as the Margarita pizza which I didn't think was that special. However, with the Groupon deal, we really enjoyed a good dinner while paying very little.
We went for Happy Hour (M-F 5-7) after hearing about it when they were at the SF Chef's event last weekend.
Got there around 4:50, parking wasn't to hard except the metered space we got was an only 5 minutes for every quarter!! I thought the lowest in SF was 6 minutes? Oh well.
Ordered up drinks and oysters-everything was excellent!
$5 house wines (1 white, 1 red), $4 bottled beers, 50cent Oysters from WA & a great selection of appetizers starting at $3.
We work near by and really try hard to like this place. Unfortunately, after our recent visit a few things stood out.
The first was that the place was empty, except for the loud mouthed guy on the cell phone acting like a Prima donna and the extremely "caffeinated" male waiter.
Oh! And the table who thought they smelled some sort of toxic chemical.
We ordered two half chickens. Which you'd think would total a whole chicken, right? Two hungry patrons hoping for a hearty feast of comfort food. What we ended up with was much less.
The chicken entree? $22.
The chicken was served with a smear of Polenta and four, small slices of carrot. The flavor overall, was not bad and our wait was 30 minutes for our main course to make it to the table.
I do like the space, but the service made me a tad nervous to say the least. I'm not sure why, but the dancing waiter (on the sidewalk) and the lack of attention could have been avoided.
So, to sum it up: Small Portions, In-attentive Service & Over-Priced.
On a positive note... the dessert was not half bad.
We've been here a few times and unfortunately, I think that's going to have to be our last visit. Nothing makes me want to return.
One star for the bus boy.
Service was lame. Food was absolutely flavorless. My first and only time here. Tried many dishes. Appreciated the simplicity of the menu. Excited to try the beets, cauliflower, peperoni verde, potatoes, Margherita pizza, and salmon.
The beauty of a simple dish is to construct flavor with drizzles and pinches of zip. It was like my taste buds were burned off or something - it was that bland. And the salmon was dry as a sock. The pizza was like a cut of cardboard with ketchup and rubber. My friend and I couldn't even finish a slice each. The waitress asked if we wanted to take it to go - we said no - and she wasn't even phased. C'mon. Who doesn't take left-over pizza home.
She hit our table just to take our order (it took her about 12 minutes to even take our drink order - we were one of two tables) and bring the food. No smile - no nothing. It was like she was doing us a favor by taking our order. The bus boy checked in on us a lot more - with a grin.
Sorry Zuppa.
Zuppa Fails On All Counts.
We went on 8/4/09 for happy hour (or unhappy hour, if you were there). I arrived at 6:05pm and sat there for 20 minutes before our waitress visited us. During that time she visited the table next to us twice. We sat 2 tiny tables away and looked hungrily at our bare table wondering how it would taste.
The bus boy came by and filled our water. I asked who our waitperson was and he replied, "She's coming." Great, but that is not what I asked.
While waiting, we notice the head chef @ the hostess stand answering the phone. Okaaay. Not really where I want my chef. If you want a sweaty hostess wearing a coat stained with food, this is definitely the way to go. Otherwise, stick with the skinny model types who haven't been around 100 degree ovens and tomato sauce. There is a reason restaurants divide jobs into front-of-house and back-of-house. Did he wash his hands after touching that germ-laden phone? Did they end up in on my plate? Who knows!
I was about to suggest we go somewhere else when our waitress finally stopped by to take our drink order. I'm sorry, after 20 minutes I'm ordering more than just drinks because I may not see you again!
So we ordered: white wine for me, Stella for him. Oysters? The whole reason we're here... no, out. OK, I guess there really was only ONE happy hour, from 5-6. If you arrive after 6, too bad!
Plan B: margherita pizza, octopus salad, arancini (fried risotto balls), bucatini alla pomodori (the Twizzlers of pasta), and flatbread. She didn't write anything down and left. Hmm... could this be a problem?
5 minutes later, she returns. Was I having the red or the white wine? I resist my urge to tartly suggest she write it down and repeat my order. I guess I should be grateful that she didn't just bring a glass figuring she had a 50-50 chance of getting it right. She returns with the correct color of wine. And, just like at dive bars, I order another round of drinks because God knows when I'll get another chance. She looks at my bf and says, "Another Peroni?" and starts to walk away. My bf half yells, "Its a Stella," and picks up the bottle on the table. It ridiculous when you have use dive bar tactics in a nice restaurant.
30 minutes into my dining "experience" I have a glass of wine. Progress! Let happy hour begin!
45 minutes and counting. The food starts to arrive. And arrive. And arrive. We run out of room on our tiny table. The margherita pizza and octopus were good. If you could convince me to return I would definitely order them again. The arancini were gross. The insides were so mushy you could barely tell what it was supposed to be. Had they over-cooked the rice? Too much cheese? Too much breading? It was "too" disappointing to contemplate, so I quickly moved on.
The second wave of food is bucatini alla pomodori and flatbread with rosemary. The bucatini was al dente - too al dente for me. Added to that it had a weird starchy taste. The sauce was good though.
While cleaning our plates the bus boy apologized for our wait. The bus boy? I appreciate it, but why is the bus boy apologizing for the service? As far as I'm concerned his service was the best part of the evening.
Then came the bill. We give her a Cosmo Card with our credit card. She returns with our bill but doesn't say anything. We look at it and notice that the Cosmo Card hadn't be applied. We ask about it. She gets defensive and says since its happy hour there is no discount, its printed on the menu (no, I didn't see it during my 20 wait), and offers to show it to us before we have a chance say anything else. Obviously they've had problems with this before.
All in all, a failing grade.
The management failed on its main responsibility: to successfully manage a restaurant. If you are promoting your restaurant plan accordingly!
The chef failed. The food is mediocre. The only things that were reasonably good were pizza and flatbread, both hard to mess up!
The staff failed. If you made it this far, you've already read about it.
How Zuppa Can Improve
(a.k.a.Heather's Hints to Running a Restaurant)
1. Have a host to answer the phone. Don't distract your chef with taking reservations.
2. Hire enough servers. Its a recession, they'll show up.
3. Order enough food (although after reading the oyster reviews, I'm relieved).
4. Adjust the system. If you're busy, have bus boys automatically bring bread. It will pacify the hoards of hungry locals & buy your servers more time.
5. Have your servers check on all their tables before disappearing into the kitchen. Its a tiny place. Don't you think we see you ignoring us?
6. Quality control the food. I usually send food back if its not right. In this instance I didn't bother - it would have been too little too late.
Dear Owners of Zuppa:
Last Friday my boyfriend and I were in the neighborhood, and decided to try Zuppa, for the first time. Due to our first horrible experience, we will not be trying Zuppa again. As we walked in for the first time Karolina greeted us and asked if we would like to sit at a table or the bar.
We looked at our options, scanned the room and Karolina seemed very impatient with us and snapped "that is all that I have".
Having never been here we were simply looking at the space to see where we would be more comfortable.
We asked about the oyster special and she said it is going on till 7PM. It seemed as though she was talking her time to take our order, and we were wondering if we would even make it for the Happy Hour specials. The place wasn't packed (3-4 other parties) although it looked like she was one of the only servers on the floor.
We ordered wine and oysters. When we got our wine one of the glasses tasted a bit "off" or "corked" . We mentioned this to
Karolina and she said they were both poured from the same bottle and that they couldn't taste different and that perhaps we just didn't like the wine. She definitely seemed annoyed at us for bringing up this point. We drink wine on a regular basis and go to wine tastings as well. Even some of the top restaurants have a bad bottle from time to time. The point is that even if the wine wasn't corked, it would be a more natural response to say, "I'm sorry I'll bring you another glass "or " would you like to try something different". Her reaction was that of being offended and non-belieaving that two glass could taste different. Instead of offering a more positive solution, she brought back another taste of the same wine. It tasted better, but we decided not to order another one because of her attitude. She was so cold and snappy and we didn't want to hang out any longer and be around that kind of negativity.
I looked at the glass and it seemed a bit dirty so perhaps it was the glass. I even mentioned to her that it could very well be the glass and she seemed indifferent at my comment.
When my boyfriend decided not to order another glass I still had a full glass of wine to finish and she asked us "will there be anything else or just the check?" We were originally planning on staying for dinner. However, we did not want to stay with the coldness and rude attitude of Karolina. We ate a wonderful meal with fantastic service over at Isa's and the service was just night and day. We dine out a lot. We like to sample appetizers at new places precisely for this reason.
I hope the owners read this review and that someone will address this service issue. There was a bus boy that was very nice and should replace Miss K. It is amazing how one person can have such a negative effect on what could be a great place to eat. As long as Karolina is serving, customers we will not be going to Zuppa. She is cold, snappy, rude and made us feel as if she did not want us there.
Minus one star only because every time anyone came in or out the door, we were blasted with cold air. My husband and I came here for dinner because we got the groupon (Yay, Groupon). I was a little concerned about some of the Yelp reviews warning of tiny portions and indifferent service, but when we went for the sunday supper tonight, we came home stuffed and happy. I had the insalata, the lasagna, the pork chop and the panna cota, which were all wonderful. My husband had the torta, the spaghetti,the flank steak and the crustini and was equally happy. Whoever decided that the portions were small is either on crack or weighs 600 pounds. $40 for four yummy courses? Yay! I would like to see some more reasonably priced wines on the list, but the $28 Chianti is good. Overall, we're very happy and full and ready for food coma. Lots of New Order on the stereo was a plus!
I forgot to mention. The lasagna. OMG, bring me a bucket of it. A bathtub of it so I can roll around in it like a little piggy and gobble up all the crispy edges and cheesy, meaty goodness.
Quaint little place near our home. Loved the service and loved the food : ) It's small, but there are plenty of large tables for large parties, as well as romantic two seaters, there are also some kitchen bar seating. Glad we bought those $25 giftcards off http://restaurant.com
On a Thursday night it was hustlin' and bustlin' and filled with people. We made a last minute reservation before we left our house and still had to wait 15-20 min when we got there. But luckily there were seats at the bar. The bartender was really cute and sweet and she introduced us to their special wine of the evening, 5 points. You must try their Pinot Noir, it's delicious.
As soon as we got our table we were ready to order because we were starving already. We got a prosciutto platter (love that they served foccacia with ricotta instead of the usual bread and butter), the ricotta stuffed pasta w/ prosciutto (yes, i LOVE prosciutto), bone in pork chop and panna cotta for dessert. The pasta was really rich and flavorful and the pork chop was really tender and moist, so good! and i finished that panna cotta all by myself, shouldn't have, but i couldn't help it.
Definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone.
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