Cafe Francisco — Restaurant in San Francisco

I visited Café Francisco with my wife for breakfast and, unfortunately, our experience didn’t live up to the 4.5-star rating we saw on Google Maps.

We ordered two waffles and a mocha. The orders were mixed up—my mocha came as a regular coffee, and when I pointed it out, the staff simply added chocolate syrup and creamer instead of preparing a proper mocha from scratch. It didn’t taste like a true mocha at all. The waffles, meanwhile, were visibly burnt and clearly store-bought—just heated and served on disposable plates. After we pointed out how burnt they were, they were eventually replaced, but it was disappointing that they were served that way in the first place.

What made it harder to digest was the cost: $40 for two waffles and a doctored-up coffee felt steep, especially considering the quality. This felt more like a $20 breakfast at best. The ambiance was casual and the outdoor seating seemed nice, so it might be an okay spot to hang out for a drink. But if you’re visiting primarily for the food, I’d suggest tempering expectations.

Café Francisco might be popular for its location or vibe, but from a food and value perspective, I found...

Still going strong!

Cafe Francisco is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, cafe's in the neighborhood. Near a quarter of a century ago when I moved to San Francisco, I started coming to this neighborhood cafe where I met many neighbors who later became friends. Many of them have moved on now, but those of us who are still around still get together here and enjoy each other's company over a beer, coffee or a meal.

The coffee is good, as are the sandwiches, but my favorites remain the same: the Mediterranean Plate (under Salads) and Falafel Sandwich. For breakfast, I always go with Francisco Bagel with Lox! Those are my picks and I tend to get into routines and that is precisely why you should not limit yourself to my favorites list when...

We stumbled into this cafe on our way back from a fantastic SF walking tour, and the light lunch we had here ticked all the boxes. The service was friendly and efficient, and the two tall iced coffees and ice creams we had were lovely and refreshing. We shared a Mediterranean frittata (delicious!), which came with a generous number of slices of sourdough bread with butter and jam (we didn't use the jam) so it was a very substantial and enjoyable meal for lunch, without making us feel heavy or sluggish. There is some marvellous artwork on the walls, which really adds to the decor and feels spacious and roomy throughout. Definitely worth a visit if you're in the area, the extensive menu has something...