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Esther's Kitchen & Beer Garden

3.8 (863 reviews)
Closed • 10:00 am - 3:30 pm

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ESTHER'S KITCHEN & BEER GARDEN ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Classy
Casual
Moderate noise
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - Esther's Kitchen & Beer Garden

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The German pancake with raisins, thicker than the super thin pancakes, but same flavor. Pretty good!
Erik N.

Very good food! Super good potato pancakes and lox!! Maybe not a signature dish but should be.. it's my go-to. Delicious!!

I stopped in to Esther's for a late lunch today. I've lived in the area for 26 years and for some reason this is my first time here. This is such a quaint and charming little spot. The owners were lovely. It's now owned and run by a Latino couple. They told me they purchased the place about 4 years ago. I ordered the bratwurst in a bun (I chose the polish sausage) and a side of potato salad. The total for the two came to $20.10. The polish sausage was good, the pretzel bun was delicious. I actually sliced up the sausage and ate the sausage and bun separately dipping both in the German mustard. The mustard was the star of the plate! It was absolutely fantastic. The potato salad was supposed to be a traditional German potato salad (made without mayo) but it was very runny and had no flavor. More like bland runny mashed potato's (but with no butter or cream) with lumps of potatoes in it. It was $5.95. I would suggest to pass on this item. I couldn't leave without trying dessert so I tried the almond lemon torte and a berry cream cake. The cake was a very light sponge cake with whipped cream filling. The lemon torte with the light almond crust was delicious. I would highly recommend! The two items came to a total of $17.90. The breakfast seems to be pretty popular and looking at the menu I can see why. I'll be back again to try some of the breakfast items and a few items I noticed on the lunch/dinner menu. (And I really want to try one of their large pretzels,made in house, with that delicious German mustard)

Pfannkuchen with apples and schlemmer breakfast!
Araceli E.

We've gone to Esther's a couple of times and I've been impressed with the attentive service and delicious food! The inside has plenty of tables but the back outdoor patio is super cute. Their beverages range from espresso to large pints of German beer. Their German pancakes are a must (with apple is my favorite)!

Pancake
Madeline M.

This place is a hidden gem I have never had German food and was a bit skeptical but honestly beat my expectations breakfast was delicious! Enjoyed my whole meals and definitely will be coming back. The owner is super friendly and explained what each dish was. The inside is beautiful but if you want nice fresh air with a good ambiance I recommend sitting outside, it is hidden in the back but I do recommend it. Food was a 10/10

Bavarian breakfast, no longer with house made pretzels - now reheated previously frozen-and-reheated American soft pretzels
Monica S.

So TLDR, the original Esther's is gone. I stopped by having missed they are under new management and now operate as a restaurant only, serving mostly reheated items made elsewhere. For example, the Bavarian breakfast has a similar menu description, but instead of transcendental house made German pretzels, it's served with the previously-frozen-and-reheated American soft pretzels - the kind you buy in the freezer section of a Safeway. Sweet Bavarian mustard missing, just served basic deli mustard. Sauerkraut is the standard jarred stuff and the sausage seems previously frozen and reheated. The food would be fine at a lower price point but the prices are still set to "special house made items" level even though it's more of a "reheated and plated" items spot now. The dishes are overpriced for plated packaged food (I spent over $20 for what I could buy and reheat at home for around $8), but if you're just looking for a middling Germanesque restaurant and don't care about the markup, it's not bad for what it is. I'm sure the new folks are doing their best to offer a similar menu given that they likely don't hold same expertise or vision as the original German bakery owners and need a different business model that reflects that. The service is fine and they retained the Esther's aesthetic. However, the original Esther's offerings were special, built around the backbone of exceptional in house German bakery items. In comparison, this new version of the place feels like a pale (and overpriced) shadow, which is disappointing. On its own merit, this place is a 3/5. If you came looking for the original Esther's, it may feel more like 2/5.

Plastic-like pretzel

I seem to remember when Esther's first opened there was a brighter ambience with a more communal feel in the restaurant. Now it feels rather dismal to be one of the few guests dining on too-expensive for grocery-store quality, frozen-defrosted food. The cashier could have cared less whilst on his phone for most of the hour we were there. The bakery case used to make me crave for more. This time, it made me want to go get mall pretzels.

German Omelet

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2 months ago

Frozen butter, ordered 2 eggs got half an egg at max, microwaved bacon tool AT LEATST 20 minutes

Business owner information

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Alex O.

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10 months ago

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5 months ago

Great food and atmosphere. This was close to our hotel and easy to find. The service was outstanding as well

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1 year ago

It's a cute deli. Food is flavorful we enjoyed it I ordered the schnitzel and my husband ordered breakfast.

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7 months ago

Great service great food highly recommend...the egg sandwich was amazing and ample seating

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Esther's Kitchen & Beer Garden Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Esther's Kitchen & Beer Garden

Do they serve gluten-free pancakes, or gluten-free waffle waffles?

No at this moment.

What time does the lunch menu start?

It normally starts from the 11:00 hour or later

Does this bakery happen to have schneeballs? I know they are uncommon, but I have been craving one for so long! If not.. do any bakeries (possibly in the bay area) make them?!

I did not see those on the menu when I was there. They're not a truly German bakery/deli in the traditional sense except for having some German items on the menu and some Weiss wurst.

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Tldr: Ludwig's cares…read more Ludwig's always hits the spot. The portion is always great in consideration for the cost of the dishes. I've come multiple times, solo, and with friends, and I've never had a bad experience. The service has always been consistent in the way that this establishment always take care of their guests. Every guest around you is always having a good time. This is a key component that you want to experience in a restaurant setting. Masha took care of me today (and multiple other customers at the same time.) I observed and received nothing short of what is expected in a restaurant setting in Mountain View on Castro Street: Quality service, and great suggestions. I think guests sometimes overlook the novelty of being able to enjoy your time in the establishment you choose to dine at. Folks seem to be in such a rush these days. It's nice to slow down and enjoy the sunshine and hustle/bustle of the world around while enjoying a quality meal and some sunshine or indoors while letting the wind sweep your table top. P.s. if you ever have some issues with your experience--talk to the staff. Don't leave a low quality yelp review. It doesn't help anything besides, perhaps, one's self esteem.

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Esther's Kitchen & Beer Garden - german - Updated May 2026

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