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    The Sentinel

    4.1 (1.3k reviews)
    Closed • Closed
    Updated 1 month ago

    The Sentinel Photos

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    THE SENTINEL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Casual
    Moderate noise

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    Jason F.

    What a find! I was looking for a breakfast sandwich and noticed their cool black board before I saw their store's sign. The wood covering most of the infront facing service area also makes it hard to notice this place I got a breakfast sandwich the ham, soft egg, and the pesto really blended flavors well together. There's no where to sit of course, and parking is tough to find. Seems like a place for the busy people who work in the area. would recommend this place for anyone in the area

    Kathy L.

    Newly returning to the office and no longer familiar with what's in the area to grab lunch--I was recommended that tiny sandwich spot near my office. Literally looks like a little hole in the wall. Look for the House of Shields sign above it. I've walked past this place from across the street and never really noticed it. The was a short wait on my visit, but the line goes fast. If you want to avoid a wait, go early. It was a short and simple sandwich menu that's posted on the wall. I ordered the barbecue beef short rib sandwich with caramelized onions and it was packed with a generous amount of meat and served with pickles on the side. The sandwich was juicy so it was a little messy eating. It's a great sandwich & if you work in the area, worth checking out.

    Muffaletta Sandwich with Coppa, Mortadella, Capicola, Green Olive Relish, and Provolone Cheese
    Mike L.

    Back when I worked on the Peninsula, places like The Sentinel were the exact reason why I wished I worked downtown. Not because I had heard they were amazing or because there weren't interesting places like this where I worked, but rather, I would hear about popular eateries like this in FiDi and SoMa and I could never check them out since they were only open on weekdays! Thank goodness all of that has changed, though ironically enough, now that I work in FiDi/SoMa, I miss being able to get my fixes of pho so easily. I guess the grass really is always greener... Now, in the spirit of transparency, I have to admit that my first visit here was actually more than a year ago. After drafting my original review (my comments on the first sandwich are still the same), I was so torn on how many stars to give, I figured a second trip would help break the tie. That said, I may not have any idea as to why it took me so long to come back, but at least it helped me to finally decide! In the time in between, the menu seems to have evolved a bit (their list of sandwiches is pretty different), but their offerings are no less delicious than they were before. -- MUFFALETTA SANDWICH with Coppa, Mortadella, Capicola, Green Olive Relish, and Provolone Cheese...$11 (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/the-sentinel-san-francisco?select=_SZtrVQuzH32whRBf5i2Zg) This is what I had the first time, and while it sounded terrific, this was just okay. The coppa and capicola were both great, and I liked the taste of the bread (despite how it was a bit dry), but I didn't care much for the mortadella and the olive relish was rather overpowering. -- FRIED CHICKEN SANDWICH with Napa Cabbage...$11 (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/the-sentinel-san-francisco?select=mZGCfIFh5y3TjQrMOi_Txw) Way, way better than the Muffaletta. It was kind of disappointing how they used chicken tenders instead of a patty, but they were no less meaty or tasty. What's more, the bun was super soft and I liked how well the Napa cabbage/slaw complemented the chicken. Given how popular The Sentinel is, you can pretty much expect to run into a decent crowd here during the peak of the lunch hour. However, the line actually moves pretty steadily, as they turnaround orders ridiculously fast considering their small confines (it's pretty much just a small kitchen and a counter to order/pick up from). All of that, along with their relatively budget friendly prices compared to other nearby alternatives, makes it easy to see why The Sentinel is so popular. I just need to do a better job of taking advantage of how close they are to my office now!

    Fried chicken sandwich
    Kayla R.

    Talk about a hole in the wall joint. No seriously though. It's literally a walk up to the wall, order, and on your way you go! Perfect for that busy San Fran worker bee that needs to pick up something quick on the way back to the office. I was in town visiting for work and we had an off-site lunch hour to grab some grub. The couple days before, I decided to venture further away from our office and kept arriving back late (not used to that San Fran traffic. We hardly have any in Vegas!). A group of veteran CMs and I decided to walk over to this sandwich joint, grab some grub, and take it back with us to eat at our office's outdoor patio. Excellent choice. I opted for the fried chicken sandwich. I had been craving one like crazy. They also had fresh strawberry lemonade which I received the last pour of, so you know they aren't lying when they say fresh! I pretty much finished the entire lemonade on the way back to the office because it was that good! So fresh, and you could taste some of the chunks of when they grinded the strawberries. Very tasty! The sandwich had a tender piece of fried chicken with some coleslaw between these two delish buns. Holy crap. Probably one of the best fried chicken sandwiches I've ever had. My coworker also bought a chocolate chip cookie which he kindly shared with us. Wow was the fresh, soft and fluffy. Next time I visit San Fran, I will definitely be back for that fried chicken sandwich. Yummmm!

    Halves of roast beef and meatball sandwhiches
    Jared S.

    Pro tip: If coming here for lunch, get here before the noon crowd (as with most popular office spots) I came here with a group of 4 others and they're so fast behind the counter that we were all in-and-out of there with food in-hand in about 8 minutes. One of my colleagues and I truly become friends as we agreed upon the sacred ritual of going halfsies. Personally, my favorite of the two was the roast beef. I was never a top 1% student in math but I do know this: one half of a roastbeef sandwich + one half of a meatball sandwich = imminent nap. Pro tip: Get the cookie

    Crispy chicken sando
    Denise C.

    The Sentinel is fun and serves sandwiches downtown to people downtown like office people and etceteras. The sandwiches are crispy chicken, deviled egg, pulled pork, and more. They have a list of 6-8 sandwiches in a day. They have breakfast and a lunch time. People walk by and pick it up. The old cigar sign is still hanging. It's near House of Shields. The Sentinel has sandwiches and it's cute. I got a chicken and I ate it at the museum nearby. It was foccacia.

    Daniela J.

    Just had the Vietnamese Bahn mi. Sooo good. Bread is nice and soft, although toasty and close to burnt but I'll disregard that. The meat was very tender and good amount of spicy sauce. They also have jars of homemade pickles you can serve yourself to take to go. This is only a walk up window and no seating nearby but great for a quick sandwich pickup.

    Fried Chicken Sandwich
    Claire W.

    Sorry I was just not that big of a fan. The Sentinel had been on my list to visit for awhile now, but given that it's only open M-F till 2:30p, I hadn't gotten a chance till now. Excited, I got a fried chicken sandwich to-go. The sheer weight of the sandwich signaled that I was getting a bang for my buck. The sandwich sure looked pretty. But it was cold, somewhat bland, and the fried chicken tenders they used (not a whole chicken patty) was pretty underwhelming. Not the worst but also wasn't worth me going out of my way to try.

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    2 years ago

    A terrific sandwich stand with good value and excellent quality. But if you blink you might miss it!

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    Page 1 of 33

    The Sentinel Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - The Sentinel

    Voice mail message says House of Shield. Is this the same business?

    No, this is a small brkfst and lunch take out window with a daily special menu of 5-8 items.

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    Saint Frank Coffee - Yuzu macadamia cookie and orange cream latte

    Saint Frank Coffee

    4.3(1.1k reviews)
    1.3 mi•Polk Gulch, Russian Hill
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    Cozy, upscale cafe located in the vibrant Russian Hill neighborhood…read more I went on a Monday afternoon and there was a great crowd there. Lively customers and staff, good vibes! There was a lot of natural light in the coffee shop, definitely a visually-appealing, 'aesthetic' place. I got an iced red tea and it was delicious. The tea was botanical, smooth and fragrant. Amazing experience! Excited to come back and try the coffee and pastries, which looked super fresh.

    First time here for coffee! It's quite a popular shop and you see many sitting inside or waiting in…read moreline. Luckily we didn't have to wait a long line. It seems like there's also an upstairs but did not get the chance to check it out. I got an iced latte with their almond macadamia milk, and they're also so nice to do complimentary cold brew! So we got an extra drink for free. Trying the iced latte, it was pretty disappointing lol. I thought it would be similar to like a Hawaiian style latte with macadamia milk, but it was a lot lighter than I thought. It was definitely very nutty, but it also just tasted like water down latte. Honestly not much going on with the drink, but it does taste lighter in general. Crazy have to pay $1.50 more to add on this milk. Overall, its alright. I do like the natural lighting coming into the shop, but nothing too special.

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    Stonemill Matcha - Yuzu Fish Katsu Sando, Straw Yuzu-ade (08/2026)

    Stonemill Matcha

    4.2(1.7k reviews)
    2.0 mi•Mission
    •$$

    Love this place!! The matcha was really good, does not come super sweet but there is a side area…read morewhere you can add your own simple syrup. The workers were very nice and brought the food to you, and the overall interior was really cute, but packed. The ginger matcha was very unique, and tasted like Taho (Asian tofu dessert with ginger syrup), and was super creamy and yummy. The sandos were AMAZING! We shared the chicken katsu sando and the tamago sando, both came with 3 pieces and were very well worth the price. The chicken one was so saucy and crunchy and the egg one was also good.

    Came here on a Saturday afternoon to grab a quick lunch! I ordered with the cashier up front who…read morewas very helpful in explaining to me the options available here. After I ordered, I took a seat in the waiting area by the Togo window to wait for my order. There was plenty of tables for dining in, but they were filled so I grabbed my order to eat outside. There was a little area in the front of the store for you to eat at. Stonemill matcha has been on my radar for a long time now and I'm happy to say I was not disappointed. I ordered the matchazuke 4.5/5 and the matcha latte 4/5 and they were both delicious. The matchazuke was perfectly savory, each bite packed full of umami. The piece of salmon was seasoned nicely, not too salty and paired perfectly with the matcha. The matcha broth was so comforting, you could taste the bonito dashi they used to make it. I was worried the portion would be too small but it was pretty filling! The matcha latte had a beautiful deep green color and was creamy and not too sweet. I did noticed that it was a little grainy, which was the only thing I didnt like about this experience. My partner ordered a hojicha latte and said it was a 5/5 and it's her new favorite place to get hojicha latte in SF. I would definitely come back and try more of their menu. I'm eyeing that matcha silk pie!

    Photos
    Stonemill Matcha - 03.20.2026- Stonemill Matcha SF- interior

    03.20.2026- Stonemill Matcha SF- interior

    Stonemill Matcha - TO Hojicha Pumpkin Pie

    TO Hojicha Pumpkin Pie

    Stonemill Matcha - Strawberry Yuzu-ade, tamago sando (w/ pork katsu on the side (that i sliced and put in myself)) (02/2026)

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    Strawberry Yuzu-ade, tamago sando (w/ pork katsu on the side (that i sliced and put in myself)) (02/2026)

    The Sentinel - sandwiches - Updated October 2026

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