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    4.1 (84 reviews)
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    kurobuta pork tamale (ABC tamale)
    Grace W.

    Quintessential San Francisco Chinatown cafe. Clean, friendly service, nice ambience. Great place to take a break from walking around Chinatown. First time trying a Chinese tamale!

    Reminds me of Mom's
    Melanie C.

    Chinatown's iCafe at 133 Waverly Place was a nice find for me! Recommended to me by seasoned diners who frequent Chinatown for all the good eats they offer. This review is for their JOONG (粽), Chinese tamales, lovingly steamed rice and savory fillings that brings you back to Mom's homemade joong's misen en place rice, mung or green beans, duck eggs, pork belly, etc., or free assembly line of Joong makers. Not unlike Christmas time Mexican tamale making! You enter the small, bright, bakery cafe in a throughway Waverly alley, clean with a few tables of two scattered around. And there's the baked goods and JOONG in glass cases on the left and seating to your right as you enter. Most will take their goodies to go but they have their regulars who buy fresh baked rolls, still warm from the oven and sit right there to enjoy! Service is quick and efficient. Especially if you know what you want and/ or are a regular. They also have freshly baked breads and rolls. I love it when i placed my order for which JOONGS I wanted, and the counter person was quick to add "...how about some bread today! It's fresh out of the oven!" LOVED and appreciated that!!! I'll be back for my beloved JOONG and freshly baked breads and rolls!

    Mochi
    Kimberly J.

    I found this places back in 2018 when I worked close by. They make fresh mochi daily but they usually sell out before lunch time. Since Covid I haven't seen it in store. I went in today and asked for it specifically and they had 2 left. Jackpot! So happy to have this again after almost 7 years. They're very friendly but always assume I'm Chinese and I have to disappoint them and tell them that I'm Korean. It's never busy and it seems very clean.

    Denise C.

    Fun times in Chinatown happy ..old times with my family ..mom and fun snacks ..cute kids ..good life China nice

    Display of food

    The customer service here is very pleasant and I had an opportunity to try one of their tasty tamales (try the warmed braised pork tamale) and their egg tarts are delicious.

    Pineapple Bun and Egg Tart
    Generous Y.

    Cozy spot with seating which feels special for bakeries here. Good spot to sit down and take a break from walking around before tackling the inclines of SF. I found the baked goods to be fresh and tasty at an average price, but I only tried the pineapple bun (bo lo) and egg tart (dan tat) which I'd say are reasonably popular and more likely to be fresh instead of sitting around.

    Gigantic pineapple buns!
    Wendy H.

    Dropped in to pick up some buns and got a bag of almond cookies. These are the best cookies I've ever had. Better than the ones sold in LA Chinatown.

    Mark L.

    Bad values on the Chinese tamales. Small size compared to others but more than 30% more expensive. The meat is not fatty enough, the salty egg yolk used packaged one. Dry, not oily nor crumbly. Biggest issue is they didn't use 五香粉 to marinate. So, I won't be going back. On the side note, I bought a bun and HK milk tea. Milk tea is really bad. And the bun is not worth it.

    Theresa L.

    Reasonably priced bakery located in Chinatown. They accept credit cards including Amex. Clean bakery with tables and seating inside. We got 2 bubble milk teas, egg tart and green onion bun which came out to $13.50. The 2 ladies working the counter were friendly too, answering and helping the other customers.

    Durian mochi
    Joshua M.

    iCafe is a nice little bakery and cafe located in a side street in chinatown. The inside is fairly clean with a more modern aesthetic. They have some booth seating for those who want to enjoy some bread and a hot drink while taking a break. They have a nice assortment of classic Chinese bakery staples. Everything is made well and you can't really go wrong with anything here. If wanted, you can also request for them to heat it up a bit if you plan to eat it soon. They also have an interesting assortment of sticky rice choices to bring home and prepare. Each one is quite unique and worth a try.

    Robert K.

    Stopped by for a quick bite, and this bakery did not disappoint. This is a bakery many "locals" come to. Many were seniors who just hung out and read newspapers and chatted with each other. They didn't have a large variety of baked goods, but what they did have were delicious.

    Chinese tamales
    Lina W.

    This is the year tradition for NY, organic radish and taro cakes. Their Chinese organic Tamale also very tasty and many choices even vegetarian. Fresh ingredients and great service.

    Menu
    Sohaib L.

    I had high hopes when I walked in, as this place is in china town. I got spenge cake but it wasn't that spongy I have had better flavour and softer cake at multiple other places. I also got the Pineapple Egg yolk mooncake, it was good but I didn't love it either. The worst was Vietnamese coffee, she quickly put together some random coffee and added cream, I didn't even finish and threw it away. The inside of the place was clean with some seating but not going back.

    Braised pork with preserved greens $6

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    8 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Good, fresh homemade bread. Their milk tea is decent and prices are fair. They have seating inside

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Delicious Chinese tamales. I live the original with peanuts and meat filling. Sooo good.

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    5 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Cash only. Local vibe. Love the bbq pork buns and egg tarts. Traditional Chinese sweets, moon cakes, and more.

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    5 years ago

    Avoid this place, they have a rodent infestation. Walked in a couple of days ago to get some egg tarts and saw a rat raced across the room.

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    6 years ago

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    5 years ago

    The staff here is so rude, i got a pork bao, it was not fresh. Definitely had a bad experience.

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    8 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    6 years ago

    Only came in for tauchi, but had I not been on a diet I would have ordered more things.

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    4 years ago

    Cash only! No receipt! No English! The B.B.Q. Pork bun is hollow, egg tart's custard only half filled...

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    5 years ago

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    8 years ago

    We come here every time we are in town. They really make their food with special care.

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    Mr East Kitchen - Caramelized Banana French Toast

    Mr East Kitchen

    4.5(987 reviews)
    1.0 miSoMa
    $$
    Casual dining
    Vegetarian friendly

    Quick bite with super friendly service…read more Stopped by on a Monday morning for brunch. Bright, clean environment. Though the waiter encouraged a second beer a few times (so unprofessional for me at 10 am), it was all in good fun. Thai tea French toast is as advertised and delightful. Instead of syrup it comes with a Thai tea flavor glaze. Lovely arrangement of fruit as well. Toast is standard thickness for bread, cooked well. All combined, I was really pleasantly surprised. Though I love French toast, I usually feel queasy and overfull afterwards. Sugar drenched. Not here, my friend. Delicate flavor. Not overly heavy or sweet. Just right for a sophisticated palate. Went well with beer. But just one beer.

    A great brunch spot that takes reservations (there were even reservations still available the…read moremorning of a holiday weekend)! Drinks - more options than the food, which is really saying something. We got the pink dalgona coffee and a lychee jasmine tea. Both weren't just good but also came with fresh fruit on top. For food we got the chicken & pandan waffle combo that came with two eggs and sriracha bacon. The waffle was perfection, crispy and light while still very flavorful. The chicken had a nice thin crisp on the outside but was a little dry and flavorless on the inside. The bacon actually tasted better with the waffle than the chicken did. That was really the only flaw for this place (4/5 stars). We also got the steak benedict that comes with a curry hollandaise. This was really unique and we'd absolutely get it again. The potatoes on the side were also crispy and they give a lot of fresh fruit too!

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    Mr East Kitchen
    Mr East Kitchen
    Mr East Kitchen

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    Sisterita

    Sisterita

    4.5(1.1k reviews)
    0.2 miFinancial District
    $$
    Locally sourced ingredients
    Casual dining

    Excellent service! My only advice is to come and see for yourself. When we called to ask about a…read morewait, they mentioned there was not wait... part of the reason they do that is because they don't keep a list. You either have reservations or you're a walk in and you stand in line until a table is available for you. At first this was strange, but I think it makes for a better experience. The team was incredible, they were so kind on a day that can be stressful for a small restaurant. We had incredible food. I was so happy to get my Eggs Royale and my husband said the French toast was the best he's ever had. (Even comparing it to French toast in Paris) No notes. This will be our Mother's Day place going forward next time with reservations.

    Sisterita may be a cozy brunch spot, but it delivers an unforgettable experience from start to…read morefinish. The atmosphere is warm, creative, and full of charm -- almost like stepping into a whimsical tea-party dream. Between the stylish décor, welcoming service, and amazing food, every detail makes the visit feel special. The cocktail menu adds the perfect touch, featuring everything from comforting classics like a White Russian to fun signature drinks inspired by Harry Potter. The food was just as impressive. Whether you order the crispy fried chicken, the flavorful Eggs Benedict, or the Alcatraz Escape omelette, every dish is packed with flavor and made to satisfy. If you're looking for a unique brunch spot to enjoy with friends, good vibes, and great food, this place is definitely worth adding to your list.

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    Sisterita
    Sisterita
    Sisterita

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    Brenda's French Soul Food - 3 way beignets- plain, chocolate, apple

    Brenda's French Soul Food

    4.2(12.8k reviews)
    1.0 miTenderloin
    $$$

    In town visiting San Francisco for the first time & heard this place was a must try and a MUST TRY…read moreIT WAS! My husband and I's favorite place to eat in the world is New Orleans so this place definitely did not disappoint. We started with coffee drinks, I had some sort of boozy espresso drink which I could have done without since the bitters tasted like licorice which is probably a taste preference. My husband had the grandma coffee which was also fine. Then the food came out and it went up from here! The catfish & grits just might be the best I've ever had. My husband also really enjoyed his banana foster French toast, & i loved that they allowed you to get one piece of fried chicken because i had to try it out despite a full meal. The wing I had was Nice & crunchy with a delicious sweet sauce on the side that reminded me of mambo sauce ( a DC staple.) My husband also had the gumbo which was good but I wouldn't say our favorite. I prefer my gumbo with a little more spice but that could just be personal preference. We ended the meal with beignets: I had the ube beignet which was so unique & flavorful! I don't think I would have had a chance to try that type of beignet anywhere else so glad to try something different, it was delicious. The crawfish beignet was also so flavorful! The beignets in general were much more bready than typical beignets but still very good & unique to this place. On top of that, the service was great & the food came out quick, hot & fresh! I wish we had more time (& stomach space) to try other items on the menu, everywhere we looked everything looked delicious so we'll just have to try more the next time we're back in SF!

    I've been to the Oakland location of Brenda's and gotten delivery before, but my first time…read morevisiting in SF was a few months ago, when I booked a last minute reservation for a group of 8 friends. The place is a little cramped, but we were able to wait inside until the whole party was there to be seated. It was a good place for a group dinner. The cocktails are cheap for San Francisco, and the beer selection is decent. And the food is dense and delicious without being too heavy. I shared the catfish with crawfish etouffee (special), the gumbo, and a dungeness crab beignet with my boyfriend. We also ordered some banana cream pie for the table, which was a huge hit.

    Photos
    Brenda's French Soul Food - Dining area and entrance

    Dining area and entrance

    Brenda's French Soul Food - Shrimp & Grits

    Shrimp & Grits

    Brenda's French Soul Food - Their dark chicken and shrimp.

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    Their dark chicken and shrimp.

    Plow - French Toast

    Plow

    4.1(3.6k reviews)
    2.3 miPotrero Hill
    $$

    This is an incredibly popular restaurant in the Dogpatch district of SF. The wait time on a holiday…read moreweekend was about 1.5hrs. There is some room to sit as you wait and there seems to be plenty of street parking around. The inside is cozy and I was tickled by their menu. They print a new menu daily! I wonder if they vary the menu by the day. We liked everything that we tried! We shared a biscuit and Hong Kong Toast. The toast was a little burnt and you could taste that through the condensed milk. The biscuit with the honey butter was delicious! These make great shareables because they're a lot on their own. The plow is a great sampler breakfast platter and I'm so glad they offer that! It comes with 2 lemon ricotta pancakes, choice of eggs and protein! Huge portions and I shared this with my husband! We really enjoyed the food and would love to return when we're next in SF!

    Had brunch at Plow for the first time. I'm local to SF and had been meaning to try it, but the wait…read morewas rough -- 2 hours on a Monday morning. That alone makes this a place I'd only revisit when I have plenty of time. The restaurant itself was clean, and the service was solid with no complaints there. I ordered the lemon piccata pancakes. I love lemon flavors, but the lemon curd topping was a little overpowering for me. Once I ate around some of the curd though, the pancakes themselves were delicious. The real standout was the potatoes -- absolutely amazing. The bacon was just as good and honestly ended up being my favorite part of the meal. Overall, no complaints about the food or service. Would I come back? Probably... but only if the wait wasn't so long.

    Photos
    Plow - Indoor ambiance

    Indoor ambiance

    Plow - Buttermilk biscuit

    Buttermilk biscuit

    Plow - Fried Egg Sandwich

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    Fried Egg Sandwich

    iCafe - bakeries - Updated May 2026

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