This is where we head for breakfast on a Saturday or Sunday morning together. We also love to bring friends from out of town because the location can't be beat. It's just a short walk from Ocean Beach, so on sunny mornings it's so wonderful to eat outside and then amble on down the street to admire the ocean.
What's great:
* Love those women that work there. I'm a big fan of cute girls with positive attitudes, and it seems that's all they hire. Can't remember the last time I saw any guys working there so if I've missed them, my apologies. Not that I don't love guys too, but hey, estrogen just squirms its way into my heart a little easier on a slow weekend morning.
* Expect deliciousness. I've never ordered anything there that wasn't delish. I noticed that some previous yelpers have had problems with their orders being messed up but I've been there at least twenty times and that has never happened to me.
* Coffee bar, baby! They always have at LEAST four big towers of different coffees, and no matter what your way of preparing your coffee they'll have the condiment of your choice for FREE. None of this "extra 50 cents for soymilk." Nope. They've got stevia, splenda, the blue, the pink, the white, the brown sugar, the agave nectar. Skim, 2%, whole, cream, soy, almond, you name it. Pour it on in.
* Outdoor seating. On a beautiful day it's so splendid to look down the street and see the ocean and soak in the warm sun. Sure, during peak times you might get stuck with a table around the corner in the shade, but it's still nice.
*Location location! Within walking distance to the zoo and right down from the beach. I've never been to the other location and I don't plan on it. This one suits me just fine. We drive all the way from San Bruno for this place about once a month.
* Wide variety of selections. Whatever you're in the mood for and whether you're vegan, raw foodist, paleo or diabetic sugar+meat-lover they've got an option for you.
* Kid friendly. Kids love this place and people love to bring them since it's right next to the zoo. This is one of the few places I'm exposed to the lil' tykes, and it's always funny to listen to little kid conversations, so that's part of the entertainment I guess.
* Great place to work. They have wi-fi and it's cozy inside, so bring a laptop and pull up a chair.
* USUALLY great parking, for San Francisco. Unless there's some kind of event going on at the zoo, and then forget about it.
* Dog friendly. Bring fido, because you can always eat outdoors with him/her.
What's less than great, but hey:
* Slow service. It just is. I've never NOT had to wait in line, and once out of five times there's no seat because it's packed. But all good things in life require a little patience, right?
* Hella crowded at peak times. And people can get cranky about you coming in and out of the door to get more water or bus your table. Probably because they've been waiting in line for ten minutes and they keep getting bumped. Crowded has always been a good sign to me, though, and something worth tolerating.
* Outdoor seating. Yes, it's good on sunny days, but of course this is also right next to Daly City in That Part of San Francisco, so it's usually foggy. And that means it's cold. When the seating is all taken up inside you're forced to huddle and shiver at the outside tables in the grey, wet, pea-soup fog.
* Kid friendly. So if you're out for a romantic date or trying to work on your laptop, expect the occasional scream or picky eater complaining loudly. But hey, they look cute so calm down.
* Bus your own table. Yup, gotta clean up after yourself. Which means some people don't. So expect to occasionally have to bus your own AND somebody else's table if you want a seat.
* Less than sanitary at times. A previous reviewer mentioned a lot of crap on the floors, and that is accurate. There are always all kinds of scraps of dirt or paper napkin or food all over the place. This may just be a symptom of people bussing their own table, towing dogs and kids, and running in and out for various reasons; but if you're a stickler for cleanliness, just don't look at the floor.
So for me the good definitely outweighs the bad. The ambiance is warm and jovial and the decor is very beach-y. It's a relaxed place for families, bikers at the end or in the middle of their ride, developers/writers/university students, and even tourists. If you're in the neighborhood, stop on by and give it a try! read more