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    Foundation Cafe

    4.2 (247 reviews)
    Open 7:00 am - 3:00 pm

    Foundation Cafe Salad Restaurant Photos

    Business Info

    FOUNDATION CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Classy
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Foundation Cafe

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    Grilled salmon bowl
    Jon L.

    Your classic downtown weekday salad/sandwich lunch spot with a decidedly Filipino spin. It's popular for lunch and has been on Kearny for a while now. Avoid lunch rush if you have to hurry. Takes a little longer here but there's more care to making your food to order. Besides the standard salads and sandwiches, the rice bowls are really great here. Filling and hearty without weighing you down. From sisig and chicken adobo to the lighter and healthful tasting grilled salmon bowl that's served with kimchi and pickles over a bed of brown rice. Foundation Cafe is a solid lunch spot on Kearny.

    Is the place with the owner serving
    Eduard E.

    The food was amazing. The orange juice fresh squeezed and the people very friendly and upbeat love it here

    Bob, is the owner. Say "hi" and chat if he's not swamped. Such a sweet man!
    Tracy O.

    If you haven't tried the Foundation Cafe, you're missing out. Missing! Out! The food is made with fresh ingredients and the vibe is right. I got the breakfast burrito. I ate it too fast for a photo. And I put the tater tots on the side as I was trying to keep the burrito healthy. Even the tots were crazy delicious! And I'm not one to eat those! The burrito is their best selling item and I know why. Delish! And Melanie manages and she's a riot! Best energy ever! This place is bringing life back to this street!

    Egg over broccolini
    Dominique H.

    This place caught my attention because of the sign outside the door advertising Filipino dishes and my fiancé loves Filipino food so he walked in to look. I followed him in not really wanting to purchase anything from there and the lovely cashier Melanie started chatting us up with no pressure to buy so I began to browse the menu and to my surprise it wasn't just Filipino food and Melanie was offering to make us anything we liked if it was something relative to what they offered, which was a lot. We loved her vibe so much we wanted to support so I got the breakfast burrito, my fiancé got the broccolini egg and we were amazed with how delicious they both were. She even shared with us how to make the broccolini over egg at home so we could make for our kids. She went above and beyond! Thanks Melanie!

    Interior

    Ambiance: Cozy Service: quick staff: friendly food: delicious! Great place to have breakfast or brunch! I got the sisig rice bowl which was flavorful and filling, and I liked that the vanilla bean latte was not overly sweet.

    Had the most amazing Sisig rice bowl today! The staff are all super nice and friendly, and the tight-knit vibe just made everything better! Will definitely come back for more:)

    Sisig Rice Bowl

    The food is amazing! I especially love the sisig rice bowl--I get it every single time I come here. The staff was also very welcoming which made the experience just that much sweeter. I'm Filipino, so I was really happy that the staff are also Filipino serving filipino food. I study here sometimes since they do have tables and it's not noisy!

    Interior

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    1 year ago

    Robbie is a G! Best food spot on Kearny we literally go here every day for lunch. Food is bomb, service is bomb, everything is bomb!

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

    Sisig breakfast burrito! Really delicious, really hit the spot. Great people there too. Highly recommended.

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

    The best avocado toast I've ever had. Literally my fave cafe in SF, I'm addicted and go almost every day

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    1 year ago

    Sisig Rice Bowl is the best quick lunch in the financial district. Cool vibes inside, great customer service. Always a treat.

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    1 year ago

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    7 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    1 year ago

    such a great place!! staff is so kind and good is fantastic! will def be coming back:)

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    2 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    3 years ago

    So psyched that this place opened up! The food is great and the portions are really generous. It's my new favorite downtown lunch spot.

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    4 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    8 years ago

    One of the few places I know of to get something close to a bulletproof coffee other than my kitchen.

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    Page 2 of 7

    Foundation Cafe Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Foundation Cafe

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    RT Rotisserie - Fat Rice; half Rotisserie Chicken

    RT Rotisserie

    4.2(880 reviews)
    1.4 miHayes Valley
    $$

    I was pleasantly surprised by this casual, neighborhood spot. :)…read more The chicken bowl is great! Tender, juicy chicken cooked perfectly - it's almost shredded but not fully. The rice is so tasty - it's the chicken broth rice type (NOT vegetarian). And I liked the garnishes that came with it. There is quite a bit of good seasoning on it, including sesame seeds, dill, etc. so you actually don't really need a sauce in my opinion. I got the chimichurri and it was more sauce-based than the traditional oil-base, which I really liked. I also ordered a side of Brussels sprouts and it was a good portion with aioli. For me personally, I thought it was pretty salty. Service is casual - you walk up to the counter, order and get a number. It's quick and easy.

    Giving this a solid 3.5 stars (but I'll round it up for Yelp purposes) hehe…read more The atmosphere is nice and cozy but man does it get packed quickly! The service was quick and kind. Never a moment where old dishes or cups were sitting on the table. To eat, my friend and I had the sweet potato, baked potato, quarter chicken (dark meat), artichoke, brussel sprouts, and the sorbet : ) 1. Sweet potato was sweet and flavorful 2. Baked potato was good but needed extra salt or butter to really jazz it up. 3. Quarter chicken was sooo juicy and flavorful 4. Artichoke needed some level of salt to even out the heavy lemon but well cooked nonetheless 5. Brussel sprouts were flawless 6. The sorbet is amazing! It's how I expect strawberry ice cream to taste but lighter and fresher. Overall, would I come back? Absolutely Would I recommend it to a friend? Already done lol

    Photos
    RT Rotisserie - Inside View of Restaurant

    Inside View of Restaurant

    RT Rotisserie - RTR Salad $10.50 + Chicken $4.25; iced tea $4.00

    RTR Salad $10.50 + Chicken $4.25; iced tea $4.00

    RT Rotisserie - Roasted Cauliflower $9.50

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    Roasted Cauliflower $9.50

    MIXT - Sanoma Salad

    MIXT

    3.5(286 reviews)
    2.4 miMission
    $$

    I came in specifically for the seasonal items and let me tell you... mission fully accomplished…read more My two picks were the Sonoma Salad and the Bangkok Bowl, and WOW -- both delivered in totally different (but equally amazing) ways. If you're craving something refreshing, light, and fruity, the Sonoma is a must. The pears take it to the next level and give it that perfect sweet, crisp bite that makes every forkful feel extra refreshing. It's the kind of bowl you order when you want to feel bright and satisfied. Now if you're in the mood for something warm, crunchy, and nutty, the Bangkok Bowl is your girl. The texture, the richness, the cozy vibes -- chef's kiss. It's hearty without being heavy and hits all the comfort-food notes. And can we talk about portions?! These bowls are NO joke. I swear I made a huge dent in mine, looked down thinking I was almost done... only to realize I basically still had a whole second meal left. Instant take-home win. On top of all that, the staff is super friendly, the space is clean, bright, and welcoming, and the whole experience just feels good from start to finish. I came for the seasonal menu but I'll definitely be back for everything else too. If you're debating what to order: Sonoma for fresh + fruity, Bangkok for warm + crunchy -- you truly can't go wrong!

    Salad bar? Excuse me, no. Salad LOUNGE. This is upper class salad that had a good childhood and…read morewent to a private school. I say this not in jest, but envy. This is the salad we wish we could have everyday. The main part of the restaurant is your standard table and booth situation, but off to the side is a darker, cozier arrangement of plush chairs and couches. The tables are a bit low and awkward to eat at, but the ambiance is immaculate. You can even get beer and wine here to complete the vibe. I will always love a MIXT salad. The ingredients are fresh, well-prepared, and fairly portioned. You can eat well and healthily and it's not unreasonably priced. I still mourn the loss of the green Goddess dressing... But I'll keep coming back regardless. It's that good.

    Photos
    MIXT - Inside

    Inside

    MIXT - Bangkok Bowl

    Bangkok Bowl

    MIXT - ORCHARD

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    ORCHARD

    Wildseed - panzanella salad

    Wildseed

    4.5(1.8k reviews)
    1.6 miMarina/Cow Hollow
    $$

    Overall very tasty! I really enjoyed the Mushroom Bao - definitely my favorite dish we ordered. The…read morebao was warm, the mushroom was crispy, and I enjoyed the pickled toppings. It was a bit spicy. The beet poke was an interesting combination - I'm impressed they were able to capture the essence of poke! The spicy sauce pizza was good - you can't tell it's vegan at all. The restaurant was very cozy and intimate. The staff were all really friendly! The food came out pretty quickly.

    This is a really beautiful, upscale vegan option in San Francisco near Fort Mason. I took my mother…read morefor Mother's Day. I realized I had not added seating accommodation to my reservation and tried to call, but no one answered. When we arrived, the hostess told us we would not be able to sit in any of the currently empty booths because reservations were coming in later. We were seated at a table off the dining space near the kitchen, my mom was a little too chilly and the booth didn't have enough neck support. I expressed to the host that though I was sorry I had forgotten to add accommodation, that this was just not the way to handle the problem. I was able to speak to the manager, who had been outside taking orders and was clearly working very hard that day. (Her name is quite uncommon so I'm just going to call her M, but I really appreciate your help!) She asked me what my concern was, and I told her, at which point she asked me to wait nearby while she figured out if she could rearrange some tables for us. The bartender was incredibly kind and served me while I waited, and distracted me from imminent tears by sharing intricate details about each drink he was making. I learned do they have a myriad of health oriented cocktails, with ingredients like turmeric, ginger, and aloe liqueur. The manager returned and said that she had already seated my mother in a new space and escorted me to the table, which allowed me to relax and enjoy the meal. At the beginning of the menu, they list the ingredients that are currently in season, and at the back of the menu, there is a color wheel, telling you the benefits of the colors of food. (Purple foods can assist with memory and brain function!). We ordered the asparagus, which was in season, spicy cucumber, and the Aji grill for two. The tofu that came with the grill for two was my favorite thing that we ate. I think you can judge a vegan / vegetarian restaurant by their treatment of tofu. Perfectly seasoned with a crispy outside and I would come back just for this. The cauliflower steak was also pretty tasty. The cocktails are excellent, we tried the BLACKPINK and my mother tried the espressotini and we were really happy with both. I don't know how popular their bar scene is, but I imagine it would be a nice way to meet other vegan and vegetarian folks over light bites. Our waiter Daniel made sure to give us the Mother's Day special dessert the restaurant had created, which was an avocado Grenache with fresh berries. If the experience had started with less stress, this review would be five stars, but I'm very grateful to the staff for doing what they could to correct it and ensure that we had a great Mother's Day! I would love to visit again and update my review :)

    Photos
    Wildseed - Restaurant inside

    Restaurant inside

    Wildseed - Heirloom tomato bruschetta

    Heirloom tomato bruschetta

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    Caprese girl

    Blue Barn

    Blue Barn

    3.8(76 reviews)
    3.1 miCole Valley

    Because of the girth of their abundant salads, the Blue Barn on Polk provided me salvation during…read morethe pandemic on more than one occasion. Sure, their price point was on the high side, but even a cursory review of the ingredients made me recognize the focus on quality was not a one-off. Riding the N-Judah MUNI line westward, I passed by this particular location often and stopped by for a quick lunch. I must've forgotten how big their salads were because I was overwhelmed by the size of the bowl for the $19.95 Thai Chicken Salad. It was quite a fresh and satisfying mix between the thin slices of chili-lime Mary's chicken, carrot, snow peas, cabbage, scallion, herb mix, peanuts, sesame seeds, crispy wonton strips, and house romaine, all tossed with peanut-sambal dressing (Photo 10). I couldn't finish it, not even close. Further illustrating my lack of common sense, I ordered the $4.25 side of French Fries which came piled in a slightly smaller bowl (Photo 9). They were tasty but a lot. I ate upstairs where I found myself in solitude. They had takeout boxes next to the utensils, so I ended up packing away most of the food in two containers. They kindly gave me a bag on the way out. FOOD - 4 stars...hefty portions of fresh ingredients AMBIANCE - 4 stars...the privacy of the second floor was nice SERVICE - 4.5 stars...friendly and attentive TOTAL - 4 stars...abundance thy name is Blue Barn RELATED - Exploring the Sunset? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/LgUQWjvgIW

    First time having their BLT and loved! The addition of goat cheese and the basil aioli really…read moreelevates the simpleness of this sandwich. Love their salads as well. $30 for a salad is a bit steep though. This is once you add protein but it's still. Portion size is quite big so there's that.

    Photos
    Blue Barn - Interior

    Interior

    Blue Barn
    Blue Barn - Inside

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    Inside

    Foundation Cafe - salad - Updated May 2026

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