Came back again for the steak frites and finally got to try the mussels! I've been wanting to try them since they were sold out the last time I was here. They were good, but I do wish the mussels were a little bigger and had more flavor. Overall, I still think the food here is really good. I especially love their aioli, and the service is always fast, even when we're sitting outside. The outdoor seating does get a lot of foot traffic and can get pretty cold. Since the outdoor tables seem to be really popular, I wish they would install some heat lamps, it would make sitting outside so much more enjoyable. Still a solid spot and I'd definitely come back! read more

Chez Maman West - Pork Chop - French Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Today I took my friend for a Birthday lunch. It has become "our place" for celebrating. In the past I have always had great service and phenomenal food. Today was a bit "off" on two levels, both service and food quality. Because the place is quite small and intimate on the inside, we decided to sit at the counter, which we really enjoyed. Our server Lucas was nice but once he took our order we never saw him again until the bill was presented. All other engagement (no conversation) was done by others delivering plates, removing plates and right down to taking our dessert order. We were never approached about our meal as in "how are you doing". Which is so rare for this place. Had anyone asked I would have immediately requested a new salad. I couldn't even get the attention of anyone as they seemed to all be huddled in the kitchen. I had the Caesar - $14, which presented well but was really awful. It was soaking wet with a dressing that had absolutely NO CAESAR flavor. The cheese on top, also flavorless and the 2 croutons were rock hard. I have never had such a bad Caesar. The Artichoke soup was o.k. My friend did really enjoy his Moules Thai which had the best sauce I have ever tasted and the killer fries of course. We each had a Crepe for dessert which is always super delicious. The whole meal was not worth $102 for lunch. My friend tipped over generously, which I would not have done for service that was non existent. I will return, as much of there food is outstanding, I will just steer clear of a few of these fails. read more

Beef Tartare -- cubed meat bites, its flavor was tart, the bread slices were a bit dry and cold. French Onion Soup -- bitter after taste, soup was a little sweet and bland. Fettuccini -- delicious pasta, pasta was super al dente, sauce and mushrooms tasted great all together. Sat outside after a 40 minute wait on a Saturday, service was great the waiter asked us for honest feedback on our food! read more

See all

the food at this french casual bistro was pretty average -- e.g. I thought there was too much cheese and not enough onion in the french onion soup. the crepe was rather dry. however, the staff here are sweet! we were worried about being cold seated outside so they offered to turn on the heater for us. they also proactively moved together 2 tables for us to accommodate all the dishes we ordered. great service till the end! read more

See all

Mussels were slightly overcooked but the duck confit was delicious. Passion fruit champagne dessert was fun and unique and the cinnamon pain perdu was phenomenal. Service was friendly and quick. Slight wait on a Sunday evening but there are both indoor and outdoor tables. read more

See all

One of the best French restaurant meals I've had! We tried the French onion soup, escargot, duck, and mushroom crêpe. The soup was especially delicious--served piping hot with plenty of cheese and a perfectly golden crust on top. The duck was another highlight, easily one of the best I've tried, and very filling. Service was great. The mushroom crêpe wasn't quite to my taste, but everything else was delicious. Overall, a wonderful meal, and I'd definitely come back for the French onion soup and duck! read more

Chez Maman West - French onion soup Escargot - French Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Stopped by for a late lunch with wife and daughter. Cute spot in Hayes Valley with indoor and outdoor seating. Service was quick and our selections were darn good. French Onion soup was delicious!! We are still wondering if it was possible that there was too much cheese.. of course not! Baguette and butter, baked Camembert with toast and roasted garlic was a messy and delicious dish to share. The Niçoise salad looked great but was a bit lacking in dressing/vinegar and the seared tuna was just okay. We are all ready to come back to try out their dinner crepes! Bon appetite read more

Chez Maman West - French Onion Soup! - French Near Me - San Francisco, California

Came here on a quiet Monday and was met with super sweet staff who were super attentive & helpful. Despite it being a French restaurant I couldn't help but order their carbonara, it seemed appetizing. My mom decided on their chicken panini. Carbonara: first three bites were absolutely amazing, so much cream, butter, and flavor. Then it became a little too much for a recovering lactose intolerant. But who knows, might have been just an issue for me haha! Chicken panini: super delicious, chicken tasted amazing! Really I do not have anything against the carbonara, just might not have been the best choice for me, especially after getting ice cream right after... LOL! read more

See all

Great food! I've been coming here for years and the food is always wonderful. The staff that work here are so kind and always willing to help with whatever we need. The prices are also really great and quality of ingredients never disappoint. I've been here many times with friends, family, myself and will continue to visit. Also I don't have a photo but the French onion soup is so yummy and cheesy. read more

See all

Great service, yummy appetizers, and a good wine list! This is a great spot for an after work bite to eat right on the edge of Hayes valley. I had the steak which was pretty good but the appetizers, in particular the backed Camembert, were the stand out! read more

See all

Chez Maman has some some good quality food. My only gripe was that the sauces was overly salted. The service tho was really good with refills and menu explanations. The atmosphere was pleasant given outdoor seating. The heater was cozy and I was able to watch sports tv from the bar next door. The mussels was plenty and fresh , with a great pairing of bread. The duck confit came with potato gratin and green beans. read more

See all

Finally got around to trying this place. Everything we ordered was delicious!! We started with the soup of the day which was red pepper soup. It was super smooth and had a good spice to it. We also got the spicy lamb sausage, which was so so good. Omg it was actually spicy and so flavorful definitely will be getting that again. For our mains we ordered the we ordered sol fish and the branzino. Both were so good, the branzino was so crispy and cooked to perfection. For dessert we ordered the cinnamon French toast. It was so so good. I had not had French toast in a long time so this was such a delicious dessert. I can't wait to come back here. Our service was great as well. read more

See all

Nice local lunch spot on Hayes. They have a great pasta carbonara but you may need a nap after finishing. The chicken burger, salmon burger, and regular burger are all solid choices with a nice ciabatta bread. They have beer and wine so someday maybe I will have a visit for happy hour but so far I have kept myself limited to water or a soda with lunch! Super nice team and they are a cut above most quick lunch spots in the quality and detail put into their menu. Give them a try! read more

I loved this place! The ambiance is lovely and the service is great. We started with a viognier wine and then the mussels. These were perfectly cooked and the white wine, garlic and lemon juice (with butter of course) was delightful. You have to pair this with fries! And Acme bread. The crepe was delicious. Perhaps it was very rich. I also tried the salmon crepe and this was very fresh and delicious. The capers paired perfectly. Overall, ambiance and service were great. read more

See all

There's not too much that can go wrong with a burger. The portions for the fries were huge and the flavor was great on the burger. I didn't have that big of an appetite to try much else for appetizers or entrees. Maybe next time. The desserts are extremely sweet, more than I am used to. The things that knocked down some stars are weird particles in my beer that I noticed towards the end. My friend had the same beer with nothing. I've also had this beer many many times and there shouldn't be anything in it. There's also a lot of flies outside in the booths so it makes eating a bit annoying when you have to constantly swat around. The servers check up on you almost a little too much. By that I mean a different person coming up to the table to ask if you're done and when you say no, 5 min later, another comes up to ask the same thing. It felt like it was being rushed. read more

Chez Maman West - Caramelized Apple Tartetatin - French Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Walked in on a Saturday afternoon around 2:40 in the afternoon. They told us to come back in 20 minutes because they had just ended serving brunch and would be switching to the dinner menu. The place is in a cute neighborhood with a park nearby. We sat outdoors because the weather was so nice and sunny. Service was quick and the waiters were really attentive and came to fill up my water a couple times. Our food also came out pretty quickly. I got the pan seared petrale Sole entree and my friend got the duck. I really enjoyed the sole and ordered it because i wanted something light and our waiter said this was his favorite dish. It was tangy, fresh and buttery with a cauliflower puree that tasted really nutty. I would definitely get this again. The portion was pretty small but I did want something light. The duck dish seemed to be more hefty and my friend enjoyed it. She took half to go. read more

Chez Maman West - Pan seared petrale sole Meuniere - French Near Me - San Francisco, California

Love this gem in Hayes Valley, especially when there's no wait list. Table on the sidewalk is great for people watching. All food is good but I'm especially fond of the burger. Comes on ciabatta bun with everything on the side. Delicious. Service is fun and attentive. read more

Chez Maman West - French Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

This is a charming cozy place to get delicious food before or after a show. It's location is a walking distance to the ballet, the symphony, or the theater. They do not take reservations. You can add your name to a whiteboard when you get there. We got there late afternoon on a weekday before the rush and got seated by the window. The French Onion Soup was rich and I was glad I shared it with my daughter. The Moule Marinieri was delicious. It's a generous serving of fresh mussels steamed in a savory broth of white wine, butter, shallots, garlic, lemon juice and parsley. One has to have this with frites which they make really well here and is served with aioli. If you are down for more carbs, get their Acme French baguette to soak up the delightful marinieri broth! We decided to share the Grilled New York Prime Steak and asked our waiter if we can substitute the side of fries for brussel sprouts and he said he would. Unfortunately, the order still came with fries and by that time the place was hopping and we could not get our waiter's attention. We did not want the steak to get cold so we just started sharing the dish. The sumptious perfectly seasoned tender steak made up for the abundance of frites LOL. One other thing that was missing were two smaller plates since our waiter knew we were sharing the steak. Anyway, my daughter and I made do. Food was great and we were too full to get dessert. It was perfect that we were walking to the theater after our meal. I will certainly be back for a delightful meal in this charming neighborhood close to the theater. read more

See all

When in Paris, one of my favorite meals is duck confit so I searched duck confit in SFO. I chose Chez Maman after looking at the menu and the reasonable prices and of course because of the duck! We had the Malbec which pairs well with duck. It was good. The French onion soup was one of the best I've had. My salad was the endive with walnuts, Roquefort, pears and caramel balsamic dressing. That was great as well. The star was the duck with the best potato gratin ever. My only critique was that the skin was not crispy seared. Other than that it was fall off the bone. I will definitely be back when in SFO again. read more

Was super excited to try the dishes here, but was slightly let down given the prices. The beef tartare was by far my favorite dish. I got the soup of the day (cream of artichoke) but it was extremely salty so I had trouble finishing it. The mussels I was excited for, but they turned out to have quite small meat and grit inside them. The service was very sweet though. We waited around 30 min walking in on a Tuesday night with a party of 5. read more

See all

This cute restaurant is located in Hayes Valley and the pure aesthetics is what drew me here! I always wanted a similar experience from my last visit to France minus the traveling. I was fortunate to come here on Friday night as a walk-in. My server was friendly. The menu was not extensive so I had to do research to figure out what I wanted. A lot of people here seem to love their French Onion Soup, Escargot, and Mussels with White Wine Sauce. I got the Petrale Sole Menuiere and it was seasoned well. I think the amount of food can be enough, but maybe not for some people. Complimentary bread would be nice. Love the homey and cozy vibe overall, but unsure if I would come back here since it is quite expensive. read more

Chez Maman West - Pan seared petrale sole Meuniere :) - French Near Me - San Francisco, California

Small restaurant with outdoor heated seating. Everything we ordered was just delicious. Service was fine, the server allowed us to eat and enjoy our meal without rushing us or overly checking in. Overall, a lovely place to lunch. I'm looking forward to returning to try a few more dishes on the menu. No complaints! read more

See all

I always come to Chez Maman for their moules and beef tartare. I love their thai style moules and frites, and their burgers are very solid. This location is on the smaller size, but I never had to wait that long to get a table. read more

Chez Maman West - Beef Tartare - French Near Me - San Francisco, California

Les Moules ! Les Moules!! Le Moules!!! I tried Thai inspired Moules this time and it was incredible! Thank you for the recommendation (forgot our waiters name but he was awesome) We were just there for the mussels, wife ordered poulette, daughter got mariniere.....I also got a warm goat cheese salad and a beer as well! They also boast some of the absolute best French fries in the city, and plain or how ever you dip them ...incredible No food wasted, nothing to bring home, truly perfect dining experience! 5/5 . read more

We were going to a show in the city near there so we found this place. We didn't have a reservation and it wasn't that busy so the hostess sat us down right away. The hostess was really nice. Our waiter came over right away and brought us water and asked if we needed anything. The place is really small inside so seating is limited. They did have outside seating so that was nice. We ordered some a couple glasses of wine (Malbec, Pinot Noir) which both were pretty good. For our appetizer we tried the onion soup to split. It came out pretty quick and it was delicious. It wasn't too hot to eat which sometimes can happen with soups. The flavor was on point, plenty of cheese, and bread inside. For our entrees we ordered the mushrooms crepe and the duck. The duck was so tender, great flavor, the sauce was out of this world with flavor, the green beans were cooked perfect and not too soft, and the potatoes au gratin I believe was cooked well. The whole dish had nothing but flavor in it. The mushroom crepe was delicious as well. It was cooked well, the mushrooms had great flavor to it and the cheese was a perfect blend to the dish. For our dessert we had the tart. The tart dough was fluffy and light. The fruit just melted in your mouth. The only thing it really needed was vanilla ice cream, it came with whipped cream which was light and good but ice cream would put it overboard. The service was outstanding the whole night as well. We'll definitely be back for more. read more

See all

Visited the place for a lunch on a weekday. The restaurant got seats both indoor and outdoor. They were pretty busy for a weekday. The smoked salmon paninis was greatly flavored. The smoked salmon is buttery and well seasoned, it is not overly salty. The caramelized onions adds a great crunch and flavor, along with the capers and herbs. I asked for dairy free, but the panini still tasted great. The salad on the side makes it a great addition, a perfect meal choice. The service was great, the staff were friendly and attentive. A great place for a quick lunch. read more

Chez Maman West - Smoked Salmon Panini - French Near Me - San Francisco, California

The food at this restaurant is delicious and the staff are lovely. I loved being able to speak French too. We ordered the mushroom crepe, Nutella crepe, tomatoe soup, French fries and the Brie appetizer and we loved it all, my kids too. We will be coming back! read more

I always always get the burger at Chez Maman and eat way too much butter and bread every single time but this visit we tried the sole and the hachis parmentier and both were incredible The hachis parmentier is basically a French shepherd pie which I would have known maybe if I spoke French so I was very pleasantly surprised It was so good I was just shoveling it in my mouth while burning but I could not stop it was that delicious I love that this location is right in the heart of Hayes Valley and when you sit outside you get that little touch of European dining where you can people watch and enjoy your meal Chez Maman never misses read more

Chez Maman West - hachis parmentier - French Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Overall we love this restaurant - come 2-3 times a month. The burgers, the mussels, the goat cheese salad are all impeccable and you feel like you're in France! I do want to share that the host needs some work - we got there at 2:20 pm on Sunday for brunch (they say they are open until 3) and she just kept repeating "kitchen closed" with no explanation and even pointed to their hours that expressly said 3 pm closure for brunch. I'll likely come back, but definitely not risk brunch, and hope not to have to engage with that host again since she seemed to have no clue as to how to communicate with customers. read more

This place has all the makings of a true French bistro, down to the patio seating out front, French food staples, and glasses of water with no ice (how European!). Chez Maman West is definitely the smaller of the locations, with its more roomy sister location being in Potrero Hill. To give you an idea, indoor seating is limited to bar seating or small tables where you're practically finding yourself double dating with a nearby table. Luckily there are tiny patio tables out front, and larger parklet seating outside. It was a bit chilly, so we opted to sit at the bar. The long bar table allowed us to fit more dishes than the standard tiny tables indoors, so I definitely recommend bar seating if indoors! Our server/bartender was so sweet, I wish I caught his name! Escargots de Bourgogne ($17) --- 4/5 stars Always a must at a French bistro! You can't go wrong with snails covered in herbs and butter! My only critique is that it could use a tad more salt. Our server brought out free bread and butter for us (so sweet!) insisting that it paired well with the snails. Boy, was he right! We used the bread to mop up the herb butter from the snails for a perfect bite. French onion soup ($14) --- 3/5 stars Soup covered in cheese, what's not to love? This was accidentally ordered by our server who pressed the wrong button, so he comped us this soup. I wish the onions were more caramelized and rendered down to their natural sweetness but overall it was ok. I looked around and it seems like this is one of their most popular appetizers. Glad I got to try it though! Grilled New York Prime Steak (12 oz) ($50) --- 4/5 stars I asked for my steak to be medium rare and it was cooked to perfection! The green peppercorn sauce is a must to pair with the steak, however I wish they had other sauce offerings like perhaps an herby/Entrecote sauce. Fries were perfectly crisp and paired well with the aioli. Pork chop ($28) --- 5/5 stars So succulent and juicy! The pork chop tasted perfect by itself but even better with the slightly sweet apple cider mustard sauce. Loved the brussel sprouts and veggies that soaked up the sauce well! I'd recommend this place as a cute little date spot, but also as a cute solo dining spot. I noticed a few solo diners sitting at the bar/patio reading a book with light bites/drinks. What a vibe! read more

See all

Delicious like always. Nice to sit in the outdoor seating. The bussers were super attentive. Made sure we had everything we needed. read more

See all

The staff are wonderful and the pricing is reasonable. My favorite was the fries that I didn't take a picture of. Everything else was just ok. It isn't horrible, but not the best French food I've had. read more

See all

Horrendous service. Zero communication between service and the kitchen. We were 2/3 finished with our appetizer steak tartare when a server brought out our entrées. He stood there waiting for us to make room on the tiny table. I mentioned the lack of space, and the fact that we weren't yet done with the starter, and he suggested that we replate the steak tartare onto smaller plates ourselves. He stood there and watched as we hurriedly did so. Wait staff stand around and chat with each other while tables need assistance. People add themselves to the waitlist. Waters are not refilled even when empty. Brusque service here is definitely not worth the food, there are so many other delicious places that will serve in a friendly and professional manner. read more

Chez Maman West - French Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Chez maman is a SF staple cute French bistro. I've been here a few times and the food and vibes are always immaculate. I do prefer the East location as it has better views and feels less cramped. The French onion soup here is delicious and comforting, with scrumptious melted cheese and great caramelization on the onions. The mussels were a bit unimpressive. While the flavour of the broth was good, it was quite salty and the size of the mussels is rather small. For the price of the dish, you expect to be wow'd but it was more eh. The fries are decent and a nice accompaniment but nothing extraordinary. I have had the burger on a previous visit and that was delicious. I am not a big fan of the cramped interior, as the tables are small and stacked close to each other making it hard to eat. read more

Chez Maman West - Mussels Style: Marinière (Garlic, shallots, white wine, lemon juice, parsley) - French Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

We dropped in for lunch on most and there was both seating inside and out. Despite it being a nice day we decided to sit inside since we had a few bags with us. Our waitress took our order and made a few recommendations. We ordered the Moulles Poulette, Escargot, and the Petrale Sole, as well as a side of truffle fries. The food was great but I resuscitation loved the sole with the cauliflower puree and the roasted broccoflower which really tied the dishes texture. read more

See all

Hands down the best burger I've had in this area. I get it medium rare and the flavor is just amazing. I don't even add cheese to it. It comes with a generous amount of fries that are delicious as well. I really need to try other things on their menu, but that burger is hard to turn down. The photo doesn't really do justice to how juicy and delicious the burger is. read more

Chez Maman West - 100% (8 oz)Angus Beef Burger - French Near Me - San Francisco, California

This is a quaint little restaurant located in the Civic center area. They don't take reservations so you just walk in and hope for the best. Thankfully it was just my husband and I so we got seated quickly, but a group of 5 had to wait quite a bit. The restaurant is quite tiny so be prepared to be seated fairly close to other parties. Our server was nice and not overtly pushy, which we liked. The menu was not very extensive but there are lots of options for appetizers, sandwiches, entrees, salads, mussels, and dessert. We started with a red blend and their German Reisling. For an appetizer, we got the French onion soup to share. For entrees, my husband got the pork chop on a bed of mustard sauce, pear, bacon and grilled broccoli and I got the hachis parmentier, which was basically the French version of a shepherds pie. The drinks were decent and exactly what we expected to have, so that was nice. The French onion soup was the highlight of our meal. It was perfect - warm, the right amount of onions, the perfect amount of cheese and absolutely delicious. The portion is quite big, so it is probably a good idea to share this. We loved it and will come back here just for the soup. The entrees were a 50-50. The pork chop was very good. It was perfectly cooked, not too dry, not too chewy. The mustard based sauce added a lot of flavor to the meat. The pear, bacon and broccoli were a great accompaniment. My husband enjoyed his plate thoroughly. The hachis parmentier wasn't as good. It needed an oomph factor, which it did not have. The minced meat was good but I kept hoping for more peas, onions, tomatoes, spice, just something more. The top layer was a thick layer of cheese and mashed potatoes. The potatoes needed seasoning and the meat didn't have enough of its own to help the potatoes. The cheese made it very filling and after a while, quite greasy. So all in all, this dish fell flat. I had to ask for salt, pepper and chili flakes to bring some flavor to the plate and did not finish it. We decided to forego dessert because we planned to go elsewhere but the dessert menu did not look super appetizing anyway. The whole meal cost close to $100 which would have been fine based on the soup and the pork chop, but I know we overpaid because of the hachis parmentier. I would recommend coming here, just don't order the hachis! read more

See all

Better hostess. Doesn't honor waiting list. First on the list. One hour wait outside! Ridiculous. Food is delicious though read more

Good food and service. I really like their salmon plate and Niçoise salad. The place is really small so it gets busy, oftentimes a wait. The pork chop plate was a little too sweet for me though. I like their fries though. I would go back to try their mussels read more

we came here on a Sunday after Thanksgiving weekend to have brunch with friends. we were waiting outside for a little bit and got seated right away for a table of seven people. Everyone inside was very friendly. It was a small shop but felt very cozy and warm. we were really hungry so we ordered lot of entrées, appetizers, and things to share. The highlight was definitely the mussels and I liked the mariniere, which is the original. we also ordered a side of bread on top of the bread that came with the meal in order to dip it in the sauce from the mussels read more

See all