Tommy's Joint is a San Francisco Institution. When I first moved to SF around 2005 one of my first…read moreoutings to a restaurant was Tommy's. I had a delicious hot roast beef sandwich covered in gravy. It was one of the most comforting dishes I have ever had. I remember coming to Tommy's many times over the last two decades and trying everything from their oxtail stew to their meatloaf to their lasagna. Everything here is good! On my most recent visit I got to try their lamb shank with boiled potatoes and carrots. The lamb shank perfectly fell off the bone and the fat melted in your mouth. The gravy was very flavorful. The only thing I found underwhelming were the potatoes as they could've cooked a little longer. The service at the counter is always very good and quick! These guys have been working this counter for a long time. The place still feels a little like a dive bar, but that's all part of the charm of this historical eatery.

Tommy's Joynt is hands down the best hoftsbrau in San Francisco. Its ample portion lend well to…read moresharing meals, and I only learned about the "Slim Plate" after I ordered but I am definitely getting it next time. For sides, I got a scoop of stuffing (divine and exactly the right amount) and broccoli (okay with a dash of salt and pepper). I asked for beef jus on the broccoli and got turkey with gravy as my main. The turkey was substantial if a little dry. My friend got the lean barbecue brisket with mashed potatoes and broccoli. He's a regular and says order is always solid. I would come again to try the pastrami sandwich. Inside it's a bit like an old timey bar, with picnic cloth tables. There is an extremely large indoor area and tons of old signs and photographs. The there is also free pickles if that's your thing. The guys behind the counter are super nice.

Located on the second floor of the old building. I was hungry and when I found out that there was a…read morecafeteria I decided to check it out. After COVID, it's only take out. They are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Menu changes daily. Make sure to check the hours of operation. I went on a Wednesday for dinner and they had Mongolian beef or veggies with tofu. The sides that were available were jasmine rice or string beans. I chose the Mongolian beef for 3.75$, tofu veggie for 2.75$ and veggie sides for 1.xx$ the taste was decent for hospital cafeteria food. Exceeded my expectation. I will go back for lunch and breakfast to see what they offer. In my opinion, it's good value when you are stuck at the hospital.

Love the SFGH Cafeteria! For hospital food, it is one of the best! Most affordable, nutritious, and…read moretasty meals you will find in San Francisco! For example, yesterday I had a cup of West African peanut soup with collard greens, sweet potatoes, and carrots, a cup of brown rice, and stir fry tofu with red and green bell peppers, onions, and broccoli for under $8. I had plenty of leftovers for two meals. Definitely hit this place up if you are visiting a friend or loved one in the hospital.

I recently had the chance to attend a special James Beard-related event at Saluhall, located inside…read morethe IKEA San Francisco building on Market Street, and it turned out to be such a fun and unexpected experience. I had actually never visited Saluhall before, so walking in for the event was my first impression of the space--and it's beautiful. The whole place has a modern Scandinavian feel with lots of warm wood tones, clean lines, and an open layout that makes it feel both stylish and welcoming. For the event, tables were set up throughout the space with different James Beard-recognized chefs and restaurants serving small bites, and it felt like walking through a tasting tour of incredible Bay Area talent. The room buzzed with energy, great food, and even a few familiar faces in the crowd. There were so many standout bites, but a few really stuck with me: From Kristina Costa -- Babka Bread pudding with labneh creme anglaise and citrus supremes, which was rich and comforting in the best way. From David and Serena Fisher -- a super creative porcini meringue with cold-pressed venison tartare with a spring onion veil bite....I may have had 4. From Sana Rival -- cashew dacquoise with chamomile white rum buttercream was just a flavor explosion and the best way to end the night. There were also amazing vendors pouring and sampling, but if I'm being completely honest... the caviar was one of my favorite bites of the entire night. Simple, elegant, and one of those moments where you just pause and enjoy the indulgence. Helpful tip: If Saluhall hosts ticketed events like this again, grab tickets early. The space works really well for tasting-style events and it's a great way to experience multiple Bay Area chefs in one place. Between the beautiful Scandinavian design, the incredible food, and the energy of a room full of chefs and food lovers, it was one of those nights where you walk out thinking, wow, that was special. And now I definitely want to come back and experience Saluhall on a normal day too.

Honestly really nice venue overall, but the unpredictable evening hours and lack of food vendors…read morenowadays (most seem closed?) make it frustrating to visit. Good: - Great atmosphere: There is lots of open seating, making it a good place to sit, read, work, and chat with people. - Work-friendly: Wi-Fi is decent and I saw a few people with a laptop watching movies or working while eating. Frustrating: - Early vendor closures: Most of the food options, including the main IKEA vendor, were completely closed by 6:00 PM. And heck it's not like they have that many food/bars here. - Abrupt hall closure: At 7:00 PM, the entire hall suddenly closed without any announcements, or signage about an early closure. So I got asked to leave while still eating :(. The security folks said they just randomly close early sometimes.

I mean, I am stuck here until 3, and I had both breakfast and lunch here at this federal building…read morecafeteria, so I may as well write a review. Either that, or more youtube. The breakfast was not bad. They had an egg and cheese sandwich on their menu (no picture), and it was relatively inexpensive. When I asked is it scrambled, the cook said she could cook it anyway I wanted. She quickly scrambled some eggs, toasted the muffin, and breakfast was had. Simple, inexpensive, to the point....not bad. Lunch was a double cheeseburger. The same cooks, but now more of them due to the "lunch rush." Again, the cooks are very friendly. They are prompt, take special orders, and run it with the efficiency of a busy greasy spoon. The double cheeseburger was basic, I could say "nothing special," but again for a Federal Building cafeteria, the burgers actually tasted like.....beef (rare for quick service places, so credit on them). The fries were thinner (I prefer thick), but each order of fries is literally fried to order, so they were hot and crispy. Overall, the prices, considering we're in San Francisco and stranded here due to whatever brings us here, are fairly reasonable. The cashier at lunch ahd a little attitude, but the breakfast cashier was very sweet. If you are stranded here or don't want to go through the ID and x-ray check line again, then it is not bad for breakfast/lunch to hang around.

I was a captive in the building for 3 weeks of jury duty. I alternated bringing my own lunch with…read moreeating at the cafe. Considering that there isn't much of an alternative for places to eat in a short break, the cafe exceeded my expectations. The food was good and very reasonably priced. The sandwiches were large. The daily special was usually a hot sandwich and fries for about $10. They made the sandwiches to order quickly. There was plenty of seating.

In celebration of their 100th year in business I'll give them an extra star. The chef seems like…read morehe was born behind that grill and stayed there ever since. Everything is cooked exactly as you want it. While the menu has a few misses, there's so many items that they have that are amazing. The hamburgers are simple but perfect, they are way better than 99 percent of restaurants that only serve burgers. The french dip is the best I have had. Every Tuesday thanksgiving turkey dinner and Thursday St Patty's corned beef are both excellent and bring a sense of celebration to days that have nothing else to celebrate. Go ahead and reward yourself with the liver and onions or maybe the prime rib. Your wallet and stomach will thank you. Here's to another 100 years.

Prime rib with au jus is really good....probably the cheapest in the city and still super generous…read more Tried something different this time and went with the steak and eggs. The eggs and hash browns were great, but the steak itself was pretty bland.

Merchant Roots is iconically perfect. It's always fun and delivers wonderful food! Thank you Chef…read moreRyan and team!!!

SPOILER ALERT I wish…read moreI could give this 10 stars. That's how blown away I was. This was a surprise dinner, I walked in completely in the dark and somehow it just kept surprising me all night. It wasn't just dinner. It was a full on whimsical, immersive experience where every corner had something clever waiting for you. Our table looked like a forest exploded in the best possible way. Moss, little details everywhere, this elaborate fairy setup that had us literally "foraging" for parts of the meal. At one point a tiny fairy door opened and revealed a sweet treat to take home. I'm not kidding. It felt like being inside a storybook but with seriously good food and drink (I did the NA pairing, excellent). And the food? Every bite and every sip perfect. Everything beautifully curated and actually delicious, not just pretty for the gimmick. Sometimes immersive spots lean hard on the theme and forget the flavor. Not here. They nailed both. ~ $400 per person which is not small change. But this isn't a casual Saturday night out. It's a once-in-a-lifetime kind of experience. The kind you talk about for years. We caught the very last day of their mushroom theme and next up is Alice in Wonderland. If I can't make it back, I'll be stalking photos because I can only imagine how over-the-top they're going to take that concept. Highly, highly recommend. If you're on the fence, do it. Some dinners are meals. This one's a memory.

Wow! Across the board…read more.... My main San Francisco eatery. Hands down. I have never had a bad meal here and it's been many visits over the years. The fresh made pasta, salads, pizza, arancini, cocktails, dessert, and staff are bombdiggity! Awesome ambiance and one of the most fun neighborhoods in town with innovative retail shops, great shoe stores, bars, and cafés. Live music from opera, to world class Jazz. And of course the prestigious SF Ballet around the corner. I guess it's fair to say quite the hip hood. Please beware that parking is always a challenge if you don't want to park in an expensive garage. If the King of the World said that I had to choose one Italian restaurant to eat at in the San Francisco Bay area this is it. Update: And the hits just keep on coming! Another excellent lunch!!!!!

Location is great as it's walking distance from SF Symphony. Outside seating was great with the…read moreheaters above our table on a chilly night. We ordered the spaghetti, a rotini, ravioli and 2 pizzas. Pastas were a solid 4; pizzas just so/so at 3. We had also ordered the kale salad which could have used more anchovies and more Parmesan. Maybe my expectation was too much, but no one came with fresh pepper mill, nor extra Parmesan to grate tableside. Also, they do not put any bread on the table to sop up sauce. Maybe I expect too much...

The Food Emporium is located on the concourse level inside the centre mall. The food court has…read moreplenty of food style options, all tables are for public use. I like the variety and convenience, although I think it's a bit annoying you might need to clean the table yourself before use.

A wide variety of options, including Thai, Japanese, Mexican, Italian, and burgers, plus a decent…read morevegan option as well. Located on the basement level of Westfield San Fransisco. I chose the Pakistani food but there are so many varieties. Its clean!

The nurses recommended the poke bowls so went for a grab-n-go meal…read more The teak-colored wood and large windows make this place serene, unlike any other drab hospital cafeteria. The set-up is confusing. Staff is busy working at different stations. Am I ordering from them, is there a dedicated area for that? I got the poke bowl with shrimp. The shrimp had been sitting in a garlic or lemongrass broth but instead of imparting flavor, the shrimp was mealy and unappetizingly mushy. I got all the fixin's so I picked at the shrimp and ate the seaweed and some rice and put it aside. They have vegan and vegetarian options as well as pizzas and burgers though with fit 'n' trim medical staff conspicuously ordering brown rice, vegetables and tofu you might feel the eyes of judgment on you. If you want a break to sip some tea undisturbed while watching the world go by or grab something healthy to eat, you can find it at this cafe that is gently priced despite its convenience inside the hospital. 2.10 for the poke bowl (don't leave shrimp soaking in water, they get mushy) 3.15 for the behind the grill/station staff, they are kind but disorganized 4.25 for a beautiful, airy restaurant and understatedly solicitous staff

This cafeteria is on the 2nd floor of the Sutter Health CPMC medical center. It has a variety of…read morefood stations: pizza, deli, salad, soup, hot grill as well as a variety of snacks and beverages. The food is cooked to order so keep that in mind if you're in a hurry. There are daily specials and lots of seating. The cafe overlooks Van Ness Avenue And has plenty of sunlight which makes it a pleasant experience.

Solid food and a laid-back bar atmosphere. The burger and fries were the highlight--cooked just…read moreright, full of flavor, and served hot. The fries paired perfectly with the burger and made for a really satisfying meal. One thing that really stands out is the drink selection. There are plenty of options to choose from, whether you're into beer, cocktails, or something simple. It's a great place to grab a drink and relax with friends or unwind after a long day. The vibe is casual and welcoming, with a clean space and a fun, no-frills atmosphere that fits perfectly with the location. The staff were friendly and kept things moving smoothly, adding to the overall experience. Between the great food, wide drink selection, and relaxed environment, Tempest Bar & Box Kitchen is definitely worth checking out. A solid go-to spot in San Francisco for a good burger and a drink. Highly recommend!

Loved the Impossible meatball sandwich (RIP). Sadly, it is no longer. And there are no reasonable…read moreoptions for vegetarians other than fries. Bartender highly recommended the vegetarian chicken sandwich. It is the most disgusting sandwich I have ever had. Over-fried, rock hard vegan chicken nuggets with a slop of coleslaw dripping in mayonnaise and garlic aioli. This may serve as bar food after a few drinks, but the term food is a loose interpretation. Fries were good. Diet Coke was alright.