Mel's Drive-In is a fun, nostalgic spot that's definitely worth visiting--especially if you enjoy…read morethat classic retro diner vibe. The atmosphere really stands out, with a cool 50s theme that makes the whole experience feel unique and memorable. The burger was the highlight of the meal--juicy, flavorful, and cooked just right. It's exactly what you'd hope for from a place like this. The fries were decent, but nothing special--good enough, just not as standout as the burger. The cheese sticks were tasty and cooked well, but at around $18, they felt a bit overpriced for what you get. The restaurant was clean, and the staff were friendly and kept things moving smoothly. Overall, it's a great place to visit for the experience, solid food, and fun atmosphere. Not perfect across the board, but definitely a spot I'd recommend checking out at least once if you're in San Francisco.

I remember this place being significantly better. We came after a late night Giants game because…read morenothing is better than good ole fashioned diner food. Greasy, salty and fatty. Here's what we got: 1. Banana milkshake 10/10 2. Coke float 10/10 3. Beef dip 2/10 4. Smash burger 6/10 Service was still great! There was only one server and the place started to get pretty packed so that's the good news. Also, forgot how nostalgic it is at a diner and one that still has a juke box. Come for the vibes and milkshakes.

Original. Iconic. Comfy food. Excited to dine here for the…read morefirst time while visiting SF! Service is on point. Staff is always quietly checking up on us and clearing unused items which is so thoughtful especially when someone at the table is in the middle of a story - so grateful! The ambiance is unpretentious, vibrant and welcoming. I look forward to dining here again when we return! Scroll through our meals in the photos attached and send some love Thank you Orphan Andy's for a memorable 5 star experience!

Want a true San Francisco late night eats experience? Go to Orphan Andy's…read more Growing up in the city, me and my friends would always go to Orphan Andy's after a late night out. Orphan Andy's is located in the Castro, near the major Muni lines and the best part is? It's open late! They used to be 24 hours, but not sure if that's still true after Covid. A couple of friends and I went to a party downtown last Saturday night and we ended up here at 4:50AM. This place is a classic - super cozy and cute inside that just feels at home. No frills, very straightforward. Their menu is pretty standard. I ordered a decaf coffee (which I believe is bottomless) and a veggie omelette with feta cheese and I asked for crispy home fries, but it came out average - nothing to complain too much about. The server was able to split up the bill 3 ways, which was nice of her to do. I absolutely am so glad that Orphan Andy's is stiil around!

Honestly, I'd rate it more like a 3.5. The kids menu is…read moredefinitely worth it... everything is under $10 and a solid deal. They have a wide selection overall, and the short rib grilled cheese and omelettes are pretty good. That said, there's nothing particularly special about the food. I usually come here with a Groupon, which makes it feel like you're saving more than you actually are (it's really only about $7.50 that you're saving). I will say the service is consistently great. But if you're ordering off the regular menu, it feels overpriced for what you get and pretty average food at higher-than-average prices. My kids love it though, so for now, it's still our go-to spot!

I want to drop Mel's at least a star, but I gave it two stars when I first reviewed it, and it…read morewould be dishonest of me to pretend that it has remained at two stars all these years, because I've come here occasionally in the intervening years and have mostly enjoyed myself. So it might have rated three stars before this past April. What happened in April? Well, I don't know whether it actually occurred in April, but in April, I noticed that Mel's very prominently advertises on its menu that it fries its fried foods in beef tallow. That means I can't eat French fries or onion rings from here, because they're needlessly not vegetarian. And while I'm not the most healthy person out there, I do notice when things probably aren't vegetarian. In short, I'm pretty sure this is a change, because I would have noticed this a long time ago and ordered accordingly. So why did Mel's make this change? Probably because its owners are MAHA people, and RFJ, Jr., and a bunch of other clueless people believe that seed oils are deadly. But even if you believe seed oils are deadly, there are other non-seed oils that aren't sourced from dead animals. I only noticed because it's printed on the menu, so it's not like Mel's is trying to hide this change--on the contrary, I think they really believe using beef tallow is a selling point. Except that there are expressly vegetarian items on the menu, including a veggie burger. Non-beef fries aren't even an option? Really? I must issue a GRATUITOUS MEAT ALERT. Other things annoy me about Mel's too. It's not open late enough. They do that stupid thing where they charge you a hidden fee to pay either their workers' salaries or for their health insurance. A Bunch of SF restaurants do this same thing; it's false advertising, and it should be illegal. Build the cost of doing business into your actual prices. It's not as if the restaurant is paying these fees; we customers are. Finally, the service has been atrocious the last two times I came here. If you don't have enough servers to offer good service, do not seat people. That's the time-tested solution. Seating people without enough help just makes everyone angry. This isn't a one-star review, because Mel's is useful in a late-night bind and has a parking lot. If more places in San Francisco were open late or at least until ten p.m., Mel's would probably only warrant one star. Still, I can't see coming here anytime soon, especially after such recent bad service. It's also really expensive, even pre-hidden fee.

We hosted a 20-person corporate dinner at Cache and were incredibly impressed with both the food…read moreand the service. As the event planner, I had several last-minute headcount and timing changes. Florent, the manager, handled everything with so much professionalism, flexibility, and a great sense of humor. It made a last minute high-pressure work dinner feel easy. The restaurant may feel intimate, but do not underestimate their capacity. The same evening we were there, they were hosting another group our size and the kitchen executed flawlessly. Every course was presented beautifully and was so delicious. Service was just perfect and warm across the board. Jeron (our waiter), Captain Devyn, the bartender (*footnote: drinks are fantastic and they have several N/A options), and the host team were attentive without being intrusive, exactly what you want for a business dinner. Cache works great for: * Corporate group dinners * Client entertainment * Romantic date nights *** This one for sure * Private patio gatherings ***Perfect for a Birthday or Anniversary, I am thinking about it for my hubs If you're planning a group dinner in San Francisco and think it might be "too small," don't skip it. They are extremely capable and run a tight, professional operation. I LOVED this place, can you tell!!? We'll absolutely be back.

3.5 stars Good but…read moreunmemorable, not dying to revisit. But can see it being a nice neighborhood restaurant option for people who live nearby. We got: Bread and Butter - Simple but good bread. Scallop Carpaccio / Yellow Corn Puree / Brown Butter / Celery - Scallop was very tender and delicious, although I don't know if I loved the pairing with the celery Duck Breast, Sweet Apple / Creamy Polenta / Shallot Red Wine Sauce - I liked how the duck paired with the slight sweetness from the apple, and I think this was most people's favorite of the night. Duroc Pork Tenderloin Eggplant Puree - Cubes / Chorizo Cream Sauce / Hazelnut - not bad but probably my least favorite of the mains Petrale sole, Parsnip / Green Apple / Dry Vermouth - Tarragon - I actually quite liked this, it was probably my personal favorite main, which is surprising because I don't usually love creamy sauces and sold. Warm Cookie, Caramel, Peanuts, Sweet Almand Gelato - Too sweet for me with the caramel, but otherwise a very well executed warm cookie. If you're a skillet cookie fan, I think this would be up your alley. I can't put a finger on it but overall pleasant meal that somehow I just didn't love. I think it might just be this type of cuisine that's a bit heavier than I personally like.

I recently returned to the Silver Terrace area where I grew up and was on the hunt for a great…read morebreakfast spot. What a fantastic find in the San Bruno Ave strip! I ordered Tiffany's Classic Breakfast with bacon and the Avocado Toast special, and both dishes were incredible. The Classic Breakfast was satisfying, while the Avocado Toast was fresh and delicious. The ambiance of the place is cozy and inviting, perfect for a leisurely brunch. It was great to meet the owner, Patty, who was so welcoming, and our friendly server, Song, made our experience even better with their attentive service. All in all, this place is a must-visit, Highly recommend!

The place itself is semi crowded but still pretty quiet, and I do like the classic diner style…read moreambiance. It feels comfortable and familiar, which is what drew me in. The menu has a lot of classic American breakfast options, which sounded great. I ordered the trio eggs benedict and asked for extra crispy hash browns, but unfortunately the hash browns came out barely cooked and borderline raw. My bacon never came out at all, which was disappointing. On top of that, the food took a really long time to arrive. It seemed like they were overwhelmed with delivery orders, which is probably why everything felt slow. On the positive side, the waitresses were fast, attentive, and kept the place clean. Service itself wasn't the issue, it was more the kitchen timing and missed items. Overall, I like the vibe and the staff, but the food execution and long wait really took away from the experience.

Ahh bummer they have closed! No wonder those Almond Slivers…read moreon my sundae were stale. Going out of business stale. Well the ambience is empty- just a parking lot. No more service. Farewell to all the good times!

I feel a little bit bad writing a bad review of this Mel's location, as it had a major fire a few…read moredays after I ate here with my parents and niece. But this is Yelp, man; you can do whatever you want as long as you're reviewing honestly and not getting quid-pro-quoed to do so. I know Mel's Drive-In. One of this Mel's Drive-In's selling points when I came here late at night recently was that it was open. Another was that it had a parking lot. Check to both, but with some grains of salt. THE PARKING SITUATION Yes, it has parking. But beware! It's one-way for some ridiculous reason, and the only legal way to enter is from Lombard Street. That's right; although the parking lot is attached to Lombard, Steiner, and Moulton Streets, you're only legally allowed to enter from Lombard Street, which is a huge busy street that's difficult, if not illegal, to make U-turns on. If anything, you should be forced to exit onto Lombard and be allowed to enter at or exit from either Steiner or Moulton, but nope, you'll be breaking the law to do what's convenient to both you and most other drivers. Great work, Mel's. THE INTERIOR It's weird. And small. And crowded. The bathrooms are kinda gross. Fifties diners make me think of comfortable booths. I know that Mel's is a '40s drive-in--supposedly--not a '50s diner, but booths are booths. Why aren't they more of them, and why is that weird seating area right in the middle of the restaurant? THE FOOD If you can call it that. I had the worst restaurant omelette I've ever had in my life. It was supposed to have veggies and cheese. Instead of being inside the omelette, all the veggies were underneath it, as in the cook put veggies on my plate, and then he put the cheesy omelette on top of it. My dad ordered the same thing, and his came out the same stupid way. THE SERVICE Friendly, but impossible to flag down. They have a lot of people working, but only your person can help you with your problem, even if it's an any-person problem like needing more napkins or salt. It also took forever for our food to come out. We could see and hear the cooks having a grand old time in the kitchen, and the servers were bringing things out to people, but our meal was awkward, because my niece's plate came out four minutes before my mom's, which came out seven minutes before my dad's and mine. I still kind of like the Mel's on Geary. Maybe that's just for nostalgia reasons, but I will say that I've never had poor service there, and the food is generally good. This Mel's, on the other hand, was a joke. I was embarrassed to bring people here, even if they were my seventeen-year-old niece and my parents. (My niece had been here before with her friends late at night, that little social butterfly.) I didn't pay, but I saw the bill. It's just as expensive (which means too expensive) as its Geary Boulevard location, but with way less value.

Fun late night place to eat after watching a show. However, the neighborhood is so bad! A…read morehomeless drug addict chased us out of our parking space around the corner from the restaurant. So we zoomed off and came back around for the parking space. All clear. We parked and cautiously walked to the restaurant. We walked in, oh, its a hofbrau! Never knew that. Every protein was stacked up with so many options. The staff was friendly and took our orders. :) BBQ brisket plate with mash potatoes and coleslaw - mash was wonderful, the brisket was tender but the slaw could had used more sweetness and tang. 4 Stars :) Cornbread plate with mash and slaw. The cornbread was very good. 4 Stars The decor was flea market whacky. Definitely had its own personality in a cool way. Glad I was finally able to try this institution of San Francisco. Just be careful of the craizies outside.

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.

St Francis Fountain is a legacy business, the oldest on 24th street, and there's a reason why…read morethey've been around serving up some of the best diner food in SF since 1918!!! I stopped by for breakfast early on Saturday. There's the main restaurant with tables and bar seating, and they have the restaurant space next door with even more tables. Apparently at peak brunch time, the whole space is packed even the outdoor seating. The whole time our service was fantastic, it wasn't super busy so they were also able to give us a little history about Saint Francis fountain and the building. The space has that classic diner decor, fresh pothos cuttings at every table, I felt the good energy. The coffee was good, no frills diner coffee. We ordered the chef's mess side of banana bread (the warm it up straight on the grill), biscuits and gravy with poached eggs, and the sourdough French toast with banana walnut topping. Was this too much food for two people? Of course. When you look at this incredible menu, good luck choosing only 1 thing! The food came out hot and very big portions. The biscuits and gravy were perfect. The gravy was creamy with nice size chunks of sausages, cooked so well, sausage wasn't overcooked. The biscuits were so soft, buttery. The home style spuds were seasoned really well, paired really well with my eggs and biscuits and gravy. I was so happy. The sourdough French toast was so good. The fresh banana topping with walnut and a little butter in one bite, wow!! It was also done so well, sourdough wasn't mushy at all. My partner enjoyed their chef's mess. It was seasoned well, cooked well, and the mushrooms in it were great! Overall, this is a very memorable breakfast for me. I can't wait to go back to try more on the menu. They had so many good options in the quality of food was fantastic. I think this is generally one of my favorite spots in the city for a classic diner breakfast.

Been coming here 20 plus years now & it has changed in just that short amount of time. Considering…read moreits been open and serving similar food since 1918 I'd say they pass the diner test with a solid B or 4/5 stars. Service sucks here and it always has since I can remember but this time one guy in particular was pretty nice to us. At least there are way less hipsters and scene kids working here now. The ambiance and food is what I come here for and that has stayed the same over the years. Its one of the top 10 diners in SF for me with the BEST pancakes!!!! Of course I love the " thing" too. Will continue to come back bc of the nostalgia & items mentioned above.

1. Don't go to Sam's burger because Anthony Bourdain called it one of his favorite burgers…read more 2. Don't go because Yelp reviews tell you it's a "must try!" In San Francisco burger spot either. Go because some places still reminds us what a burger tastes like when no one is trying to hard or adding aioli or truffle foam. The burgers are charbroiled, with smoky flavor and diced onions, lettuce, ketchup and mustard. It's an unpretentious and delicious 101 fundamentals burger. Love their burgers!

As good as a traditional burger counter can be…read more If you are craving a fast affordable China-town stop, this is it. Sit at the counter and share condiments with the other folks eating there and chat with the friendly fry-cook! Smells like an amazing burger the whole time you're in there. Which could be extremely short since the food comes out so quickly! Fries come out hot and you watch them get made every time along with the onion rings. The atmosphere is great, lots of regulars and people trying it out. Greasy and delicious. Definitely going back next time I'm in the area.

We went on a Tuesday morning and sat up at the bar with no wait. The service was quick and…read morefriendly. The vibes are classic old school city diner with no frills but the food hits! The hash browns were cooked to perfection! Would definitely recommend to give it a try if you're in the area.

I ordered the Spicy Art's Cafe Pork Belly Sandwich, it was a tasty sandwich with good quality pork…read morebelly, but a bit too many onions for me. The friends I went with all enjoyed their burger orders. The service was excellent, they go above and beyond for their guests. The interior has a great diner feel, but if it's full, their will be a wait time. There's a small clipboard outside to add the name and number of guests. My friends and I decided to sit in their parklet and didn't have to wait to sit inside.