Cancel

Open app

Search

Creative Ideas Cafe

4.6 (84 reviews)
ModerateColombian, Mexican, Cafes
Closed • 8:30 am - 2:30 pm
Updated a few days ago

Order Creative Ideas Cafe Takeout or Delivery

Creative Ideas Cafe Photos

Business Info

CREATIVE IDEAS CAFE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Outdoor seating
Dogs allowed
Happy hour specials

You might also consider

More like Creative Ideas Cafe

Recommended Reviews - Creative Ideas Cafe

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

Chicken Street Taco
Alyssa F.

Absolutely incredible! We stopped in while doing the cross town trail and it was the perfect lunch. The staff was so friendly and accommodating to our crazy crew. We will be going back again and again! Also, I'm sorry there aren't more photos of the food, we dug in before anyone thought to take photos lol!

Outdoor seating available.
Benny W.

This little Colombian restaurant is amazing. Indoor and outdoor seating is available. Metered street parking is plentiful in this quiet neighborhood, but one can take the Muni metro to get here. The food came out fresh and hot. Also, the server and cashier was friendly and efficient. This restaurant is very casual, but that's all I'm looking for.

Bandeja Paisa: Columbian chorizo, chicharrón, carne en polvo, egg, plantain, avocado, mini cheese arepa, red beans, rice ($23)
Cherylynn N.

A sleeper hit in the hood. I haven't walked through Viz Valley in decades (since attending elementary) so it was nice to see it change for the good. There's now a charming cafe (Mission Blue) and more dining options on Leland. Yea, it's still hood but these are the places where humble mom and pop shops reside. Creative Ideas Cafe is a woman-owned, family-run catering business that started in 2013 and their café in Viz Valley opened in June 2022. They've been on my list to go to so I'm glad I finally had a chance to visit. Open for takeout, delivery, limited indoor dining, and outdoor dining. M E N U Extensive menu of Colombian and Mexican Fare: Breakfast, empanadas, arepas, burritos, quesadillas, rice bowls, sweets, and more. Vegetarian and vegan friendly. For drinks, they have soda, agua fresca, hot tea, and coffee (Proyecto Diaz). They run their catering business in the same location and are on TooGoodToGo (discounted surplus food). F O O D * Breakfast Arepa w/ bacon, eggs, cheese ($10) Freshly made, griddled corn cake generously filled with soft eggs, crispy bacon, and savory cheese. The arepa texture was on point, crispy on the outside and fluffy soft on the inside. * Rellena "Chicharrón" Arepa w/ guac, fried plantains ($15): https://tinyurl.com/3wn9bbhf The arepa was overflowing with crispy, tender pork belly. The sweetness of the plantains and creamy tang of the guac nicely contrasted the savory pork belly. * Bandeja Paisa: Columbian chorizo, chicharrón, carne en polvo, egg, plantain, avocado, mini cheese arepa, red beans, rice ($23): https://tinyurl.com/yjurnsjh A quintessential, hearty Colombian dish with a little bit of everything - garlicky chorizo, ground beef (carne en polvo), oozy egg, creamy beans, fluffy rice, and crispy cheesy mini arepa. The chicharrón was a bit hard on the teeth tho but otherwise this platter was delicious. Make sure to try their array of sauces and condiments. My favs were the salsa rosada, a ketchup+mayo based sauce and pickled jalapeños. S E R V I C E Warm, welcoming staff. The son (?) of the owner was friendly and attentive despite being fast casual. Even offered water for TT. We were the only customers at the time and food took about 20-25 minutes. If you're in a rush, call in your order. A M B I A N C E Low-key with a large kitchen. Several café tables inside and handful of tables on the sidewalk. P A R K I N G Very easy metered parking. Overall, if you find yourself driving through 101, take a detour through Viz Valley and give this family-run business a try! Get the arepas!!!

03.29.25 storefront
May A.

Colombian|Mexican Eats [San Francisco CA] I thought the name was a little odd for a restaurant and at first we couldn't find the name of the establishment while looking for it until we parked across the street and it was written on the top part of the awning. They are actually a full-service catering business serving Colombian Mexican dishes. They have a small outdoor patio seating under the awning and a couple of small tables inside the cozy interior. Came and picked up an order today -- grilled chicken with rice and black beans. Tortillas were wrapped in foil. Plentiful serving, definitely shareable. The meat was flavorful with the two types of salsa sauces they included with the order. Friendly customer service. No complaints. This was a takeout order. Review #3742

Lunch for 2!
Louisa D.

They were out of the pozole so they recommended (and I'm so glad they did) the Ajiaco instead. It was so hearty and reminded me of home. Service was friendly, with a couple of check ins to make sure we were doing ok. I asked for my soup to be heated up some more and it was promptly accommodated with no hesitation. The other food was the corn arepa, plantain chicharone and fresh avocado. Everything we tried was fresh and delicious. The ambiance is vibrant and lively. Felt cheered up after what had been a crappy morning. So glad I came here and can't wait to come back. :)

Burrito de Desayuno con Chorizo / Breakfast Burrito with Chorizo
Alex T.

One of the best latin-style breakfast burritos - the flavors are cohesive, the mushed black beans melds with the cheesy chorizo and eggy goodness. The ratios were so good- you never feel like you're rationing the chorizo. Ordered online pickup and it was ready by the time I arrived (8 mins)! Parking is sparse, so beware... The value is insane! $10 for a medium-large breakfast burrito. A lot of places will skimp you on chorizo, egg/cheese while being way more expensive - this place doesn't. I'm coming back and bringing friends to try their other stuff for sure.

Hot cheese arepa. Flaky outside, gooey, cheesy inside. Comes with two dipping sauces.
Katherine J.

The first thing you notice is how good the place smells! Your mouth starts watering before you reach the door. Second, is how friendly the staff is. The food selection is phenominal but the flavors are even better. It's a neighborhood jewel that really shines. I'm already planning my next visit.

Lindsay M.

This meal was delightful! The service was friendly, helpful (we needed suggestions), and attentive. We ordered the breakfast plate and the breakfast arepa with chorizo. Our food was out quickly - thankfully, as we were oh-so-hungry. And the food? Oh my gahhhhd. The food was flavorful and filling. We were especially fond of the breakfast arepa. *drool*

2023-11-10 Pulled Pork Arepa - 5 stars. Tasty meat, crisp yet soft arepa, this really hit the spot!
Ziyan C.

We were surprised to come upon this lively spot! It was a Friday in November, they were open late (til 9pm) on the night of the Visitacion Valley Light Festival, and there were tons of people hanging out and eating outside of Creative Ideas. Our friends live in the neighborhood and had already recommended this place, and we just had to go. Plus, I've been looking for an arepa spot on this side of the city! * Pulled Pork Arepa - 5 stars Tasty meat, crisp yet soft arepa, this really hit the spot! * Fish Tacos - 4 stars Confusingly, the menu says "fish tacos, $12 for 2", but when my partner said "I'd like the fish taco", he was given (and charged for) just one. When my friends ordered, they specifically asked, do you want 1 or 2? But they didn't ask us that for some reason. Anyway, the sauce and flavors were great! These are not battered/fried FYI, I found the fish slightly overcooked, but overall tasty.

Empanadas with black beans and rice (the empanadas were different flavors but all very good).
Darcy B.

This place is WONDERFUL!! Everything I've ordered has been delicious!!! My new go to spot while I'm here, as I've been ordering here for once a week for tue past three weeks through to good to go!! Also, the people working here are friendly. All around A++++ and I've tried many foods I wouldn't have otherwise tried!! The empanadas, pozole, and the chicken quesadillas have been so good!! I will be back next week and the week after (my stomach is a happy cam

Arepa
Connie W.

My friend and I found this place on our trek thr the Crosstown Trai. We sat outside at the nice tables to enjoy our Latin breakfast. There we got to view the pretty tile works and the big wall mural across the street. What a great neighborhood. Arepa - corn cake stuffed with cheese, eggs, tomato, and onion. Cafe de Olla was good tasting coffee, not bitter, not sour.

Restaurant week menu.
lesi w.

Delicious food from a cute hole in the wall. Had restaurant week special, empanadas were really good. Had the burritos with carne asada was delicious. Salsa delicious too. The bandeja paisa was recommended but was only ok, would not get it again. Friendly staff but may been a wait food is made fresh.

Menu
Vivian Y.

Food - 4.5 stars Had the chicken bowl that came with cilantro rice, black beans, well-seasoned chicken, and 3 tortillas. I enjoyed the roasted (red) salsa with these items. Good taste and value! Service - 5 stars Staff was very friendly and courteous. Ambiance - 4.5 stars This is a small restaurant in a not-so busy neighborhood. While I was waiting for my food, I saw many people leisurely wait for their food and eat at the tables outside. I love the chill and friendly neighborhood vibe here.

Arroz con pollo & Empanadas De Carne/ Beef Empanadas

See all

Photo of Tom E.
0
20
6

4 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

Page 3 of 3

Creative Ideas Cafe Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Creative Ideas Cafe

You might also consider

Pica Pica Arepa Kitchen - Shredded Beef Pabelln

Pica Pica Arepa Kitchen

3.9(1.8k reviews)
3.9 mi•Mission
•$$

People have recommended Pica Pica to me for years and I never had the chance to go ... until a few…read moredays ago. For some reason, I thought this was a regular restaurant with table service, and a much larger space, but it's a somewhat narrow space and you order at the counter. I decided to try their trio sampler plate so I could get an idea of how a few of their meats were prepared and they each were in their own mini-arepa, so I thought that would be a good introduction. Unfortunately, I didn't like the arepas as much as I thought I would. I found them to be a little dry and lacking that rich corn masa flavor I was expecting. I don't know if this has to do solely with Pica Pica or if it's simply how arepas are made in general, but I came away feeling like I preferred other foods with a corn base such as tamales and pupusas. Meat-wise I had the fried chicken, the shredded beef and the asado negro. The fried chicken, to me, was not very exciting. The shredded beef was good, tasty, but the asado negro was the absolute star of it all? As far as I'm concerned, it's a most delicious cut of brisket with a sweet tomato sauce. I wish I had ordered more. The platanos or fried plantains were not like maduros that are very sweet. They're a little dry and flavorless, and the side order that I got of them for $7.50, they sure don't give you all that many. so that was a bummer for me. I also tried two flavors of what essentially are aguas frescas, the passion fruit and the mango. The passion fruit was out of this world! The mango, don't bother. It tasted like water with a powdered mix. I will definitely be back -- unfortunately, not for the arepas, but for the asado negro, either as a plate with rice & beans or in a salad.

My first arepa and cachapas experience! We came here on a Sunday around 5pm and it's empty. The…read moreplace didn't seem to have lights on when we were there and we decided it's more pleasant to get it to-go and eat at Dolores park. I liked the cachapas with pulled pork so much more than the arepa with shredded beef. The pulled pork portion was huge and very juicey and delicious! The combination of sweet corn and savory pork was incredible. It's a bit weird though there are was half an uncut avocado just sitting inside the sweet corn crepe. The salad that came was also fresh, and I enjoyed the all the sauces that came with it. The white arepa we had was dry and uninteresting. I liked the plantains and the beef fillings too but the cachapas just couldn't beat. When we asked for to-go they put it in a brown bag. They didn't include any utensils so I suggest getting them if you want to eat somewhere else.

Photos
Pica Pica Arepa Kitchen - Some seating

Some seating

Pica Pica Arepa Kitchen - Yucca fries

Yucca fries

Pica Pica Arepa Kitchen - Pica Pica Nachos

See all

Pica Pica Nachos

Colombians Food Factory - Sobrebarriga con Hogao
Grilled special flank steak, 58 oz (250 g) (slow-cooked for hours, this dish is accompanied by Hogao

Colombians Food Factory

3.2(14 reviews)
4.7 mi•Civic Center
•$$

Decided to grab lunch at this food truck while they were stationed at Open Sauce in Cow Palace, and…read moreI'm so glad we chose this over the other food trucks. I was really craving something dank, and so I got an arepas de queso rellena from Colombians Food Factory, and everything was so delicious, The arepa with steak was rich, but the sweetness of the corn in the actual arepa dough helped dial back the overall savoriness of everything. The dish with fries, crispy potato sticks, sausage, beef, and sauce (sorry, I don't know the name) was SO good and satisfying for an empty stomach. The sausage, potato sticks, and sauce really elevated everything. Seriously, if I find this food truck again, I'm ordering with no hesitation. Loved our food :)

The food had a lot of meat to it. The beef empanadas were full of beef, but a little salty. overall…read moreit was really good. The arepas de Chicharron were delicious. You could tell the arepas were made from scratch and were super cheesy! The chicharron was soft and seasoned. Again a lot of meat was included! This food truck is Definitly worth a try. The service was quick and efficient. The order was out in less than 10 minutes. The ambiance personally lacked. The food truck was a little dull and it is on a random corner in Folsom . I feel like they could have a picture of their logo bigger and more noticeable. Overall I think it is a great combination of Colombian cuisine & fast food!!

Photos
Colombians Food Factory - Currently at 1233 Folsom St, San Francisco

Currently at 1233 Folsom St, San Francisco

Colombians Food Factory - Sweet corn arepa filled with fresh cheese. - Arepa de maíz dulce rellena con queso fresco

Sweet corn arepa filled with fresh cheese. - Arepa de maíz dulce rellena con queso fresco

Colombians Food Factory - Lunch House Style
Complement any of our lunch options with coconut rice or white rice.

See all

Lunch House Style Complement any of our lunch options with coconut rice or white rice.

Chao Pescao - Tostones, empanadas, cuban sandwich, ajiaco, pozole & arroz con dulce de leche

Chao Pescao

4.3(369 reviews)
4.8 mi•Civic Center
•$$
Large group friendly
Gluten-free friendly

We decided to come here on a Friday evening, and the vibe was great from start to finish. The décor…read morewas beautiful and full of interesting details, making it fun to take everything in while deciding what to order. We started with two cocktails: the Mango Tango and the Copa Copa Havana. We weren't huge fans of either at first, nit after a couple sips they definitely did the trick. For our meal, we ordered the ropa vieja, lechón Cubano, pan de bono, and yuca frita. Every single dish was a 10/10. Everything was incredibly flavorful, perfectly prepared, and the portions were generous, so don't be surprised if you leave with a to-go box. I can't wait to come back. From the unique décor and delicious food to the warm, attentive service from the waitresses, this place delivered all around. Definitely 10s across the board!

My first time here in the former home of Millenium. I liked that it was easy to park and get in…read morehere at night, which is surely is less so during the day at the Civic Center. The steak sandwich had maybe the best first bite of any I have ever had. The beef was crispy at the edges and also flavored with sauce. The middle was decent too, but the edges were sublime. They have three beers on tap. I know I like the two light ones and I took the Firestone Hazy IPA, which made me rethink that I didn't like IPAs. The salads my companions had were huge.

Photos
Chao Pescao - Ropa Vieja (opted for no rice)

Ropa Vieja (opted for no rice)

Chao Pescao - Tajin Fried Chicken: hree-pieces free-range local poultry, mexican spices, lime, hot sauce - served with black beans, rice & plantains

Tajin Fried Chicken: hree-pieces free-range local poultry, mexican spices, lime, hot sauce - served with black beans, rice & plantains

Chao Pescao - Our Daquiri & El Avión

See all

Our Daquiri & El Avión

Macondo Colombian Fusion

Macondo Colombian Fusion

4.5(96 reviews)
8.2 mi
•$$

We were short staffed so I offered to come in two hours early and I didn't have time to eat but a…read morebowl of cereal. I wanted something hearty but not heavy, so I pull of the Door Dash app. My friends wife is Colombian and I'd seen one of my influencers I follow do a piece on an Arepa place in SF. So I find this one. I didn't look carefully that it was kind of far from my work, but I digress. They had a breakfast arepa and a cheese bread, similar to Brazilian cheese bread so I ordered that. So what's an Arepa? I like it to a Salvadoran pupusa/Pita style item, but made with corn instead of flour. They cut it open and stuff with different items. Mine came with scrambled eggs, bell peppers and green onion. and the Bunelos was one giant ball and made with cassava flour and tapicoa flour (good for gluten free folks) and finely shredded cheese. The food arrived still warm and was really good. the breakfast Arepa could maybe have had some cheese added, but there wasn't an option to add and I was expecting maybe and order of small size bunelos, like three, but the giant one was fine and fried to perfection. I will try to actually visit the restaurant for futher items. They have an arepa for vegetarians as well as empanadas.

We wanted a quick, casual bite at the awkward late Saturday afternoon time. We'd always wanted to…read moretry this spot. We stopped by -- and it was spectacular. It packed the flavor punch of homestlye cooking and would rival more expensive sit-down restaurants. What a gem! We ordered the Venezuelan arepa, birria empanada, mushroom empanada, side Macondo salad, and passion fruit juice. Every dish was fantastic, and I'd easily recommend any of the above. Venezuelan arepa -- the was ridiculously yummy. The perfect balance of creamy, rich avocado sauce with chicken. It was hearty, balanced, and perfectly seasoned. Birria empanada -- this was delicious, rich, and perfect for the particularly chilly late afternoon. Birria on point. If you're craving birria in a delectable, crispy empanada format, you'll be quite happy. Mushroom empanada -- yummy. We love mushroom empanadas and they executed this one well. Macondo side salad -- surprisingly fantastic! Did not expect it to be so tasty. It was only a side dish for the combo, but it held its own among the baked goods. That's how yummy it was. Passion fruit juice -- sweet and relatively thick. They definitely didn't water it down! If you're a fan of passion fruit juice, you'll must try this one. Environment was fast casual. Only drawback was althe comfort level of a few of the dining chairs, which sloped backwards in an awkward way. The bench actually felt more comfortable, so we opted for that. Take out seems easy and common here, so we'll like try that as well in the future. Located on a busy street, but you can almost always find free parking down one of the perpendicular side streets. Looking forward to coming back for a delicious, casual bite!

Photos
Macondo Colombian Fusion
Macondo Colombian Fusion - Banh Mi Arepa

Banh Mi Arepa

Macondo Colombian Fusion - Sancocho Trifásico

See all

Sancocho Trifásico

Arepas Latin Cuisine - San Francisco - Los tequeños son espectaculares y esa salsa de ajo ni se diga!!

Arepas Latin Cuisine - San Francisco

3.9(170 reviews)
3.8 mi•Mission
•$$

When we walked into Arepas Latin Cuisine, we were pleasantly surprised by the bright, natural…read morelighting and how quiet it was for a Saturday evening. We ordered and got our food quickly, and this spot definitely satisfied our cravings! We started with the yummy tequeños, and I ordered the Arepa Pabellón. The combination of savory meat and beans with the sweet plantains was absolutely perfect--the sweet and savory flavors complemented each other so well. I highly recommend giving this place a try. I'll definitely be coming back!

Arepas- my first time trying Venezuelan food! Why did I wait so long?!? Wow wow wow!!! So good!!!!…read more I started with a coffee that had Nutella it was very sweet but delicious. I also had to try one of the traditional sodas the freskoleta.. probably didn't spell that right! Anyways- wow so good! For starters my friend ordered the Tequeños which is the Venezuelan version of mozzarella sticks! So so good! I got an arepa with the traditional beef! Amazing! I still dream about this entire meal! The meat was melt in your mouth! This restaurant is located in SF! It's well decorated and very cute inside! Our service wasn't great.. that was the only downfall. The World Cup was going on- so that might be why! But it took almost 40 minutes to get our check after asking for it! Would still come back because of the food.... Oh my god! So good!

Photos
Arepas Latin Cuisine - San Francisco
Arepas Latin Cuisine - San Francisco
Arepas Latin Cuisine - San Francisco - Margarita de parchita

See all

Margarita de parchita

Arepas En Bici - arepa de pabellon

Arepas En Bici

4.7(47 reviews)
5.2 mi•Lower Nob Hill

HEADS UP- this is NOT a restaurant‼there is one chef who sets up a "pop-up" in various locations…read more We were not aware of this at first so we walked to two different locations before finding the right one, which was at Mayes Oyster House on Polk St. Finally came across the correct location on his Instagram story at @arepasenbici. Now we know to also check his website at arepasenbici.com *WAIT TIME- our party of 3 arrived right around 7 pm. We were a bit confused upon arrival since there were no other customers, only a bartender on FaceTime and a DJ jamming out by himself in the corner. We were worried that we went to the wrong place again, but it turns out that majority of the chef's customers just orders ahead online then picks up to-go. After asking the bartender if this was the right place to find arepas, she told us to walk towards the back and meet the chef in the kitchen. Then the chef handed us barcodes to scan and we did not have to wait extremely long for our orders but it also wasn't super fast since he had other orders to take care of. *AMBIANCE- fun, loud, "going-out" type of vibes at this specific location since it is also karaoke night on Wednesdays starting at 7 pm. *QUALITY- great! This was our first time trying our Venezuelan food and definitely won't be our last. Although we have no other arepas to compare it to, we can confidently say that it was prepped with great care and skill. Love how there's also a vegan option, which is the Dom arepa! *CUSTOMER SERVICE- great! The chef is friendly and highly personable, which definitely plays a role in us wanting to support him even more! He even surprised our friend with 2 pastellitos after finding out she didn't order some when both my fiancé and I did, which was very nice and inclusive of him. *RESTROOM- bathroom available inside at this specific location. *OUTDOOR SEATING- available, but no outdoor heaters. *PARKING- no private lot available, best bet would be metered street parking on streets surrounding Polk like Bush St which is free after 6 pm!

Thank you Victor for hosting the Yelp event the weekend of Oct 17. We picked up our meal on Sunday…read moreand was quite pleased. I had been following you since you opened at the beginning of COVID and have been mightily impressed with your fortitude to start and grow a business. Articles here: Eater SF https://sf.eater.com/2020/4/22/21230298/arepas-en-bici-venezuelan-bicycle-delivery-san-francisco Good Morning America: https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/food/story/make-chef-victor-aguileras-delicious-home-chicken-avocado-71755150 Hoodline: https://hoodline.com/2020/07/unemployed-sf-restaurant-workers-pivot-to-home-based-pop-ups I thought for are I would like the beef sandwich better, but it was the chicken and cheese that stole my heart. ALSO loved the cheese sticks, and the guava pastry.

Photos
Arepas En Bici - Arepa de pabellpn criollo

Arepa de pabellpn criollo

Arepas En Bici - Arepa de pabellon

Arepa de pabellon

Arepas En Bici - Logo

See all

Logo

Cocina Milonga - Apple Almond

Cocina Milonga

4.8(162 reviews)
4.9 mi
•$

Why 5 stars? Because despite a few non-ideal circumstances, it was very worth the visit…read more --- --- --- After eating lunch nearby, I had one final stop to make here for coffee and dessert, before I headed to SFO. The issue is that I was definitely pushing it on time if I planned on making my flight. As I was driving here, I had the thought that if there was an annoying parking situation or a line, I would just have to pivot and forego patronizing. But as it turns out, there was one spot available right next to the front door and no one inside. But then when I requested a nitro, the owner (I assume?) was extremely apologetic that their coffee machine broke. I asked for a few alternate types of coffee, but it turned out said machine controlled it all. So we shifted to the pastries. I read on the website that they had something with guava, so I asked for two of those: one for me, one for the wife. He even offered to heat mine up, which I will say yes to 100% of the time. I then jumped back in the car and was back into "don't' miss your flight mode." Of course, when you're in a hurry, you manage to hit every red light along the way, so I was doing a lot of yelling at electricity and God. But then I figured I might as well take the time to try the pastry that I'd originally planned on eating on the plane. As it turns out, it brought me into a nearly immersive experience of zen. The only bad thing is that I devoured it within seconds and then it was merely a thing of the past. My wife is fortunate that I have the amount of integrity that I do because I am sitting on the plane as I write this and I could easily inhale that 2nd pastry with her being none the wiser. If you're reading this, wife, remember that you hit the spousal lottery.

Discovered Milonga at the farmers market and so happy I did! Their empanadas are amazing!…read more My husband and I tried the mushroom, potato, tomato and basil, chorizo, beef and pineapple. They were all well balanced, not too salty or sweet, toasted to just the right crispiness, and definitely satisfying. Not to mention the staff were fun and friendly

Photos
Cocina Milonga - Counter & menu

Counter & menu

Cocina Milonga - Empanada

Empanada

Cocina Milonga - Mini Palmiers/Palmeritas

See all

Mini Palmiers/Palmeritas

Creative Ideas Cafe - colombian - Updated October 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...