Yum! This place is a new favorite, got the #5 bagel (salmon lox, capers, cream cheese, onions) and it didn't disappoint. Plus good location (located next to the Student Services building on SFSU campus), and tons of good food options. Will be back. Updated to add that the chicken teriyaki bowl is really good. I recommend asking them to go easy on the sauce though. The Breakfast Sandwich with egg and cheddar also didn't disappoint! read more

People working there are a lot nicer than at cafe 101. I ordered cafe frappe 5.95$ and I'm asking myself where the coffee is at? Just look at the color read more

Cafe Rosso - 8/11/2025 cafe frappe medium $5.95 - Sandwiches Near Me - San Francisco, California

I love the convenience since it's one of the decent places on campus. The staff is always super positive and energetic and the food doesn't take too long to come out. I've had the garlic fries which aren't my favorite, they were definitely way too oily for me and I love me some garlic but wow these were overpowering. Their chicken tenders are average - pretty dry and super crunchy outside but not too bad. Their burgers are also not bad. Pretty decent place if you're just looking for some food. read more

Solid Sandwich. Normal sandwich, good bread. Nothing to make it excellent, but there is nothing below average. read more

Cafe Rosso - Chicken Pesto Avocado - Sandwiches Near Me - San Francisco, California

Coffee was very tasteful food was decent to me not sure why people are complaining about

Pretty pricey food but over all it's okay for it being on a campus. The workers are super busy and they still seem to be very positive and friendly. I recommend getting the chicken teriaki salmon. It's pretty delicious. Will probably try the pasta next! read more

Got a coffee and added some sugar to it. Found a desiccated grasshopper in my coffee that must've kicked the bucket in the sugar. Swore off their food for a few months. Went back to get coffee and decided to use the simple syrup thinking it was a safer option and a stream of dead ants came out and went directly in my coffee. read more

Bro gave me a whole ass raw burger, crazy part is ian even order a burger I ordered a chicken sandwich, save your money get food off campus

Cafe Rosso is a nice little spot on the SFSU campus, where one could get a variety of snacks, sandwiches, and drinks. This time, I simply got the hot cocoa with oat milk and sat in their lovely outdoor area. read more

Cafe Rosso - Cafe Rosso - Sandwiches Near Me - San Francisco, California

Coming from someone who has worked in the food industry- STOP BEING A PRICK TO YOUR CUSTOMERS. The white older guy who works there is just flat out rude. When it gets hectic he seems to forget that we the paying customers are the ones that keep the cafe open.. I went in around 9:30, it was pretty busy when I got there but I was hungry. I told that guy my order like 3x & he still managed to get it wrong then gives me the most nastiest attitude when I simply asked "hey don't mean to bother you but..." if you're not a morning person & can't deal with how busy it gets, do everyone a favor and don't work there so you're not ruining someone's morning! read more

I tried this place for the first time today. I got the garlic fries and the turkey bacon Swiss sandwich on Dutch crunch and they were both spectacular. Linda was the lady who helped me and she had such a positive energy it made my day. Definitely check this out if you're around. read more

Had the tuna melt on ciabatta bread for lunch, nice mixture of toppings: mustard, mayonnaise and avocado. Cheese was just enough too.

I like this place, good coffee, but their opening hours are not consistent. They can't seem to decide when they will close from one day to the next , it's totally random. Wish they could be a little more professional read more

Hit or miss. Sadly this place usually ends up pissing me off more than filling me up. Their hot cider and mixed drinks are tasty when no bugs end up finding their way into them and their service is always friendly... at least until you complain about said bug. But the food sucks. And don't give me the line that it's cheap because the HSS Cafe costs the same... and their food is miles better than Rosso. I actually trek the 10 minute walk during break to HSS because Rosso's sandwiches are sooo bad and HSS's are sooo good. I'm not kidding, try it for yourself. If they weren't the closest food place I would never come here. Meh. read more

Cafe Rosso is a usual spot for me and my classmates because all our classes are in Burk Hall! I've only tried their items such as the bagel special #5 (lox bagel), clam chowder, garlic fries, and BLTA. They have a huge menu so I've only tried these things and liked everything I've tried so far. As for drinks, I like their vanilla latte the most-- hot or cold, it's pretty consistent and keeps me awake during class. If you want hot water for tea you pay for the water and grab a tea bag of your choice at the counter. I do NOT recommend their iced chai though, it is too sweet for my liking and you don't really taste the chai. The downside of this place is that the wait can be long. I know the employees here are always changing on a semesterly basis so that might explain the hold up. The drinks come out quickly though, it's mainly the food. read more

I'm here to grab a bite whenever I have a class around noon near the Humanities building. Cafe Rosso is notorious for being super slow, there are always a group of starving students and coffee deprived staff standing at the pick up window. My regular orders are a double latte and egg and cheese croissants for those early morning red eye classes, a hardy meal of avocado chicken on wheat roll with a Tazo tea for a lunch re-boost or a chicken noodle soup on the go. I've tried almost everything on their menu during my one year stint as a freshman here. Those combos are tried and true. Well, you can't really go wrong with most of the choices, they have some funky fare like Thai noodles with peanut sauce and comfort mac and cheese too. Whatever you order, just make sure you have a spare ten minutes. It will take long because your order is made to order, but hey, at least you know it's fresh! read more

If you come here, you gotta try their chicken pesto avocado sandwich --really good. Pros: speedy service. Food is always fresh. Cons: on busy days they tend to sell out of typical sandwich breads/loafs. read more

Sometimes I would come here in between my classes to grab a bite to eat. I ordered spaghetti pasta with garlic bread. It's great that they give big portions! Makes it worth the money for a college student like me haha! The pasta is okay but it's all good because it fills you up! The garlic bread is good depending on the day. Sometimes it's a little stale and sometimes it's toasty. The workers are also really nice. I would come back if I don't wanna walk to the ccsc and if I wanna get something to eat! read more

Cafe Rosso - Spaghetti pasta and garlic bread - Sandwiches Near Me - San Francisco, California

I'm not on campus often but when I am and need food, I usually come here. Average food but better than the other places on campus. Today I ordered my usual bagel special #8: pesto, sprouts, roasted red peppers, and tomatoes. Instead I got sprouts with cream cheese and smoked salmon. If I were a normal person, I would consider myself lucky that I got a more expensive bagel than what I paid. But I'm not and I hate seafood so instead I am disappointed and going hungry today. read more

Cafe Rosso - Ordered veggie bagel. Got salmon instead. - Sandwiches Near Me - San Francisco, California

The lines maybe long here but it's worth the wait if you want you B.L.T.A . you get to pick what bread you want and its' best for you to eat it when it's still warm. Their bagels on the other hand are kind of small. They used to give generous portions but maybe it was a different person making it back then. You just have to try their B.L.T.A because it's the best i've ever had! read more

Cafe Rosso - Sandwiches Near Me - San Francisco, California

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The service has declined over the last year. Today I waited 30 minutes for a vegan sandwich, which is basically no meat, just vegetables on bread and because they gave all the bread away when they finally called me it was to say I'd have to choose from another option, then making me wait another 10 minutes. It's definitely not efficient and if you're just trying to get a healthy bite between classes and don't have the time, you will undoubtedly be late. This doesn't just apply to food, as drink orders take a good while too. Ahh well, guess I'll have to bring food next time. Pros: food is good Cons: wait time is lengthy (20 min +) and you may not get completely what you ordered by the time it's ready. Too bad there aren't many vegetarian/healthy options on campus. read more

It's not the worst food on campus, but I find a few annoying things about it: -rude employees, including the owner (word) -watered down espresso drinks (not ordering a mocha here again) -cash only (annoying!!) As for the food, stick with the vegetarian stuff, for sure...I had an unpleasantly bland turkey sandwich a few years back and I still won't touch cold cuts :/ but the pesto sandwiches are pretty good, and filling; and you can get red bulls or whatever pre-made stuff like energy bars (i.e., so you don't have to wait) pretty quickly. read more

Pretty fab. Used to get bagels from here before I discovered garlic bagels and smoked salmon cream cheese at Natural Sensations up at the student center... Tend to avoid this place when it's past 8am, lines aren't that appealing to me... hrmph, but they don't seem to be very slow, seen loadsa peeps get their food in time during breaks and such and make it back to devour. The bagels here seem to be undertoasted in my opinion, but I do like that they slice your bagel in half without having to ask. Easy munching. read more

Cafe Rosso - hot tea $1 and onion bagel with sun dried tomato cream cheese $2 - Sandwiches Near Me - San Francisco, California

I tried their Clam Chowder ($2.95 w/o tax)on Monday and it was pretty fulfilling. It consist mostly of soup base, lots of little clam pieces and a couple of potato strips. It comes with a small slice of simple bread. It wasn't steamy hot but it wasn't stone cold either. In summary, I enjoyed it~ read more

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Another one of my daily haunts, mostly due to work in the Student Services Building, and early morning classes in the vicinity. A lot of the female staff here is really disagreeable, I'll just be frank. One of the ladies who seems to be a manager here - really thick accent, short rust-red colored hair, and a lot of makeup usually - is really snappy at people. They also stared at me like an alien when I asked if they made tea lattes, and the Early Grey they have in the glass jar in the front tastes like straight up celery. The bagels here are usually good, especially the ones with sundried tomato, paired with an onion bagel. But they sometimes come out under-toasted, and you get it in that in-between state where the outside is crunchy and toasty, but the inside it still chewy. Their bananas are also almost always old. Also! Everyone raves about the bacon mac and cheese and how it comes with garlic bread. Don't believe the hype! The mac and cheese lacks any cheese flavor. It's not even as cheesy as a box of Velveeta. And my garlic bread is always, always, always burnt. And beware of the muffins, they can be deceiving. The tops look like they're chock full of berries and yummy goodness, but it's all concentrated at the top of the muffin to draw you in. I felt deceived. read more

Oh Cafe Rosso. Even though this is not my ideal spot to go to, you have to give it up for the kids that work here, they endure the cold and still manage to be nice, have a sense of urgency and are knowledgable about the menu. The downer was that there was coffee grinds in my drip. Hmmm, I want to drink my coffee, not eat it. There's nothing like taking the last of your coffee to the dome and being surprised with a having a mouth full of ground up coffee beans to spice up your morning. Gross. read more

Second time in a row they run out of Thai peanut chicken. Sucks especially to find out after the order has been placed. Was really looking forward to it. The least they could've done was offer me something extra So I got the teriyaki chicken but I kept biting into bones at the end of my meal. Needless to say, probably won't be coming back for a while :( read more

Another one of the cafes on the San Francisco State University campus. It is perfect for students getting to the next class. There are so many places to get food at on or off campus. Most staff and faculty members get food here as well so it's practically college lifestyle. The food and beverage items on the menu are under $10 so it is definitely worth the money spent. Their coffee: they brew coffee beans by Peet's Coffee & Tea (Station Cafe and HSS Cafe brews up coffee beans by Peet's Coffee & Tea as well) Some of the food and beverage items I tried are: - Bagels & Cream Cheese - Potato Chips - French Fries - Fettuccine Alfredo with a complimentary slice of Garlic Bread - Coffee & Snapple beverages are some of the items I've tried 08/25/2014: I am a fan of macaroni and cheese. With a hint of crispy bacon added in, it's even better. The Macaroni and Cheese with Bacon is delicious - I enjoyed it. I'm so craving for another bowl of Bacon Mac & Cheese as I write this edit. Overall, good food, good service and friendly staff members. This is definitely another good spot for lunch on campus. read more

Chicken pesto sandwich, hmm.. I added American cheese on sliced bread. Thae sandwich is fulfilling but the sandwich would be beeter if it was tossed in the pesto sauce as well. The line and the service was quick and simple.. read more

Cafe Rosso - Sandwiches Near Me - San Francisco, California

I really only come here because it's across from the Humanities and all my classes are there but today is DEFINITELY the last time I come here for coffee . I dont even really like Starbucks but Id rather get up earlier to go there instead. The lattes here are awful. The baristas are always reusing the milk instead of pouring new milk they just resteam by adding a little cold milk. Doing this BURNS the milk making it taste really bad. Bagels here are awesome! The people who work here... they really seem like they don't want to be there at all. Fortunately, today I was helped by a girl I hadnt seen before and she was super nice and friendly. Usually a girl with colored purply bluish hair is working and is pretty unpleasant. read more

I just bought the Bacon Mac n Cheese there. The Mac n Cheese was okay. But the Garlic Bread that came with it was burnt. But for $7.50 student lunch, that's what I get I guess. read more

Cafe Rosso - Burnt Garlic Bread. - Sandwiches Near Me - San Francisco, California

The food here is pretty good actually! I love getting the veggie sandwiches and the breakfasts when I can. However, the service is straight up disrespectful. When I go up and order a sandwich with my partner, I ask for them to split it down the middle so we can share evenly. Without fail it is unevenly split even though they tell me it will be even when I ask. I just don't get it. read more

I waited a long time before updating my review, to be as fair as possible and to write a review based on a lot of different experiences. The food still comes out slowly here, despite the fact that they have a good number of people working and bumping into each other constantly on a given day. Also, of all the places on campus, food or otherwise, the staff here is unimpressive - frankly, most of them are dicks. They've switched some people around and most of the people there now are rude, short, and never say "you're welcome" when thanked. I'm not asking you to be Miss Manners, but I could also say FUCK YOU instead of thanks when I walk away, which I don't think you'd appreciate nearly as much as a thanks. So say you're welcome back. There are a couple of girls in particular that work there that aren't nice to anyone (when you have to stand around waiting for food as long as you do, people watching often becomes cashier watching for me), so I've stopped caring about being nice to them and treat them like they treat everyone else. The Thai Peanut Chicken has become a staple of mine; there's not only a ton of chicken, but the pieces are really big, with a ton of veggies, a great peanut sauce, and a great portion of jasmine rice. Stay away from the macaroni and cheese - as a pasta fanatic and a mac n' cheese lover, I had to throw away the plate I ordered, which shamed me because I HATE wasting food, for any reason. The cheese was flavorless and sprinkled with herbs on top, so it was basically like eating a raw herb pasta in a milky, flavorless sauce. No bueno. And the garlic bread was way overpowering. Stick to the sandwiches, soups (MINESTRONE), bagels, and various other dishes here. And don't bother trying to be nice, unless you like being treated like you have the intelligence of a juniper hedge. read more

Cafe Rosso's open-to-the-elements kitchen makes a number of items which could be consistently identified as food by a number of cultures around the world if they were placed in a line up of other things that were not food. Incredibley, Cafe Rosso will sell these things that are food in exchange for money. I realize that may be the most generic description for a restaurant possible, but in the weird world of dining at SFSU, that may be the highest praise I can give. Lets talk sandwiches! (YAY! I LOVE SANDWICHES!) A sandwich is stuff between bread, often a roll, sometimes sliced. At Cafe Rosso a sandwich is...stuff between bread, often a roll, sometimes sliced! Hey, we have a winner! To be sure the under-five-dollars "Vegan Sandwich" often includes a healthy dose of Avocado, the B.L.T.A. is pretty good, and the "Southwest Breakfast Sandwich" (lets be honest, its an Egg McMuffin with Bacon, Chipoltle Sauce, and Onions) isn't a bad choice for under four dollars. Lets talk about Soups! (OK! SOUPS ARE COOL.) A soup is edible stuff in a drinkable liquid, often hot. At Cafe Rosso, a soup is...edible stuff in a drinkable liquid, often hot. Winner winner hot soup dinner! While the minestrone and lentils are decent, everything else I've had is unremarkable. Lets talk about ethnic food! (fine...) Ethnic food is a preperation of edible stuff that would seem exotic to someone living in Wyoming. Hey! Cafe Rosso does that! Is it authentic? Nope! Does it taste OK? Yep, especially if you order the Thai Green Curry. Lets talk about coffee! (Can we stop this now? Sure, after this.) Coffee is the preparation of ground coffee beans in hot or cold water, with or without sugar and milk added. Hey, Cafe Rosso does that! Its not great coffee (but it is Peets), and the espresso machines are all automated, so you don't have to worry about a student worker overextracting. Its perfectly mediocre every time, and at SFSU, thats just fine. Lets talk about service! (Shaddup. Finish this review or I'll knock your damn teeth out.). Got it Other Casey. All I have to say is that the lines at peak hours are crazy, and the student workers can be awfully friendly (although they probably think I'm a vegan). (Good...I'm done with this call and response thing, lets get drunk. Sounds good to me Other Casey, sounds good to me). Overall: Cafe Rosso produces very food-like food, which makes it far better then most other options at SFSU. Extras: Outdoor seating available, credit cards accepted. Near the Humanities Building, One Stop Student Services Center, and Burke Hall. read more

One of my favorite spots to eat on campus. I never really classified myself as the "broke college student", but $3 salads, $4 sandwiches, and $1 coffees are surely the way to go. I need to remind myself every now and then that WE ARE IN A RECESSION and I can no longer afford to wine and dine in only fancy shmancy venues. Cafe Rosso humbles my inner foodie to appreciate the more simpler treats in life. Though I'm not typically a fan of salad (I'm just recently getting over my anti-veggie mentality), their Caesar salads are more than tasty and satisfying. I'm not too fond of the pastas because I've tasted a few undercooked noodles before, but the sandwiches are excellent. I love the pesto sauce they smother all over the bread. Take a few minutes to browse through the wide variety of sandwiches on the menu to find the perfect one. It's no Ike's Place, but good enough for college food. What I like best about this cafe is that they move with the quickness. No matter how long the line is, I'm always in and out just like that. So for the starving students that need a quick fix in between their classes, enjoy! (Found in front of the Humanities & Student Services building, near Tapia.) read more

For campus food, this place really isn't too bad. The sandwiches are okay, the "Chinese" chicken salad is tasty and the pesto ravioli doesn't taste microwaved. But, my favorite post-bacc friend Greg and I have noticed that they fuck up sandwich orders more frequently than I whine about school in my Yelp reviews. The people at Cafe Rosso seem hellbent on giving us as many condiments as possible on one sandwich. I thought it was weird enough that they have a turkey/pesto/avocado sandwich on the menu, but the other day I ordered that sandwich without the pesto and got hummus on it instead. Don't get me wrong, I love pesto and hummus, just not with all that other stuff. Greg got a bagel sandwich one time with feta, roasted peppers, and other veggies (kind of a mediterranean style thing) and they put cream cheese on it. Probably the most egregious offense was calling white American cheese Provolone and putting it on my chicken pesto sandwich without asking me/putting it on the menu. That said, it's on the SFSU campus, I like the outdoor seating area, and they take credit cards. You know where I'll be, whining away... read more

I'm a firm believer in the three strikes rule - and in this day and age, I think it's pretty generous. The folks at the register are nice and efficient enough to bring this ZERO star review to a two star. At least they smile and are accommodating, even on the busiest cold mornings. They have to stand at a halfway point between indoors and outdoors, and you gotta commend them for being able to take that weather. I'd be sick in a minute. I only really patron this place for their caffeinated beverages and the occasional bagel. Their selection is awesome and the bagels are a great consistency and texture. Now for the bad part - there's a girl who works there in the morning and I can understand that when it's busy and cold outside she may get frazzled and forget to be customer service-oriented, but come on. I've been here more than once while she's working and it's the same poor service every time. God forbid you ask for Splenda [since it's expensive they keep it behind the glass], because she'll just toss it at you without even looking. And if one isn't enough, and you ask for another... you get a glare with the second packet. I hope the next time she throws the soymilk carton my way it spills all over the place because that would be perfect restitution. The nice girl at the register sometimes jumps to her rescue when her low-efficiency work ethic gets even worse and there are 20 people waiting for a latte. I'm pretty lenient and understanding as I work in the food service industry too, but I have no tolerance for breaches in food safety. A piece of advice, crankypants: The rubber gloves you're wearing aren't to protect YOU from the ickiness of the garbage cans or used coffee grounds. They're used to protect the food surfaces from cross-contamination. There's no point in wearing them if you're going to carry the garbage can over to the counter, grab the coffee filter basket, bang it against the inside of the garbage can to empty it out, and put the damn thing right back onto the coffee maker, all without sanitizing the surfaces or washing your hands. She started making another batch of coffee wearing the same gloves so I couldn't bear to watch. And to think - she's in charge of making the sandwiches sometimes too. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand nausea sets in. Let's hope e. Coli isn't swimming in my coffee today. read more

Where can you find a cup of Joe for a buck? Here! Sure, it's not great coffee, but it's perfect for students who need their caffeine fix in the morning and a possible second cup during the afternoons. It can be a long wait at times, but if you have a cup already, you can just give the money to the cashiers and you can instantly enjoy your Joe right away. I tried the lunch items and they are decent for what you're paying. I suggest going to subway for your sandwiches, sure, it might be a long walk, but hey, where can you find a $3 sandwich? read more

Ordered the veggie scramble with English muffin, as I've done numerous times in the past 2 years here. As I'm walking away with my order, I open the box and it's missing the muffin. I go back and tell them and the lady proceeds to argue with me and ask if I'm sure it isn't in the box. After she asks everyone else who works there, digs in the trash for my receipt, she brings me a plain English muffin. I asked for some butter or jelly and she says there's a charge....REALLY?? After all that, $1 is nothing for some condiments but you already messed up and now want to hustle me...flash forward in my day. It's now 7 hours later, and I have food poisoning, could be the eggs, not too sure. The one star is for the sandwiches, they have and the convenience of the location. read more

Oh, Cafe Rosso. This is really too bad. I've been pleasantly satisfied by your affordable and varied sandwiches, soups, and delicious cookies over the past couple of years as a student at SFSU. But today, you really disappointed me. Please brush up on your customer service skills, because they are very, very lacking. I ordered a sandwich and for some reason it took you 20 minutes to make it -- all the while at least 10 other people after me were already served. Every sandwich but mine was churning out of the kitchen like clockwork. I finally had to ask about it only to discover it hadn't yet been started (and by this point my slightly hypoglycemic self was blurry-eyed and literally shaking with hunger). When it was finally up, you tried giving it to me on the wrong type of bread with nary a mention (let alone eye-contact). Yes, it may seem petty, but seriously. Did you think I would not notice? So, of course when I approached you about it, I was told that "Oh, weranoutofyourbreadsowejustputitonsourdoughandthatswhyittooksolong." You offered this lame excuse this without a sorry or a smile. Sad, sad, sad. Why couldn't you have told me once you realized you ran out of rye? What if I absolutely hated sourdough? No, I didn't want a refund, I just wanted to eat and I really, really didn't want to wait anymore. I know you tried to cover for your sloppy mistake. I'm truly one of the last people who would ever complain at a restaurant/cafe/place-where-food-is-served-to-me. Those in food service work very hard and have to put up with a lot of sh*t. I know. I've done it myself. But really....Cafe Rosso...please put a little more care in to your work. read more