Chez Maman West — Restaurant in San Francisco

This is a quaint little restaurant located in the Civic center area. They don't take reservations so you just walk in and hope for the best. Thankfully it was just my husband and I so we got seated quickly, but a group of 5 had to wait quite a bit. The restaurant is quite tiny so be prepared to be seated fairly close to other parties.

Our server was nice and not overtly pushy, which we liked. The menu was not very extensive but there are lots of options for appetizers, sandwiches, entrees, salads, mussels, and dessert. We started with a red blend and their German Reisling. For an appetizer, we got the French onion soup to share. For entrees, my husband got the pork chop on a bed of mustard sauce, pear, bacon and grilled broccoli and I got the hachis parmentier, which was basically the French version of a shepherds pie.

The drinks were decent and exactly what we expected to have, so that was nice. The French onion soup was the highlight of our meal. It was perfect - warm, the right amount of onions, the perfect amount of cheese and absolutely delicious. The portion is quite big, so it is probably a good idea to share this. We loved it and will come back here just for the soup.

The entrees were a 50-50. The pork chop was very good. It was perfectly cooked, not too dry, not too chewy. The mustard based sauce added a lot of flavor to the meat. The pear, bacon and broccoli were a great accompaniment. My husband enjoyed his plate thoroughly. The hachis parmentier wasn't as good. It needed an oomph factor, which it did not have. The minced meat was good but I kept hoping for more peas, onions, tomatoes, spice, just something more. The top layer was a thick layer of cheese and mashed potatoes. The potatoes needed seasoning and the meat didn't have enough of its own to help the potatoes. The cheese made it very filling and after a while, quite greasy. So all in all, this dish fell flat. I had to ask for salt, pepper and chili flakes to bring some flavor to the plate and did not finish it.

We decided to forego dessert because we planned to go elsewhere but the dessert menu did not look super appetizing anyway. The whole meal cost close to $100 which would have been fine based on the soup and the pork chop, but I know we overpaid because of the hachis parmentier. I would recommend coming here, just don't...

If I lived closer, I would become a regular here. The service and quality of the food was phenomenal. Some dishes shined more than others. The rockstars of the night were the Truffle Mac and Cheese the Roasted Duck Confit. The staff was amazing - efficient, friendly, and super knowledgeable. Truffle Mac and Cheese - I scarfed this dish down as if it was a hearty soup on a cold winter’s day. The creaminess of the cheese blanketed over the macaroni, with hints of truffle made this dish stellar. Is it unique? Nah. But does it check all of the boxes for a Mac and Cheese? Yup. If you like Mac and Cheese, order it. If you’re so-so about M&C, then pass on it and get something different.

Roasted Duck Confit - Fall-off-the-bone confit. Loved the port reduction and as a guy who loves sauce, yup, I would have also drank this like soup. The duck was very tender, but don’t expect a crispy duck skin. The potato gratin was also executed flawlessly and paired nicely with the green beans.

Mussels - You get an option of several different bases. We chose the Thai and it tasted like a sweet Tom-Kha soup. Solid dish. And if you like mussels you’d love the variety of different flavors.

Burger - Solid patty and the buns are ciabatta. Loved the caramelized onions. Nothing TOO special with this dish, but a solid choice for those who crave a burger.

Escargots - Classic herb and butter sauce. Escargots were a bit small, but again, a solid execution! Be sure to order some extra ACME bread to dip up the sauce :)

French onion soup - I’m a stickler for a solid French onion soup and am always searching for the best there is. Is it the best I’ve had? No. Is it still really good? Yes. It had an excellent amount of cheese and a very good broth. What could have been better? The best French onion soup I’ve ever had made it in a way of preserving the crispy bread even inside of the broth. Is my preference technically authentic? Probably not, but it’s damn good :) I would certainly still order this classic soup here next time I’m back :)

Rum raisin gelato - Creamy, not too sweet, and a good dose of rum flavor.

I look forward to returning here and will try the pork...

Edited review to add - the owner reached out to me via private message to apologize and invite us for a meal. Very much appreciated and speaks volumes to the professionalism and attention to service. Thank you.

My husband and I went to Chez Maman West for brunch before a performance at the nearby Herbst Theatre. We knew the restaurant doesn't take reservations, so we arrived at noon, two hours before the show. We added our name to the list for an indoor table. We understood it would take longer than those who were flexible about sitting outside, but what we weren't expecting was for several groups on the list after us to be seated inside before us. This was after the hostess told us we would be next, and it would be about 5 minutes. In total we waited an hour. It was a frustrating start to the experience.

Our server came immediately after we were seated and took our drink order and said she would give us time with the menu unless we knew what we wanted. In the interest of time, we ordered food right away. Our server was very friendly.

We shared a bowl of French onion soup while I had a blood orange mimosa. My husband's latte didn't arrive until after we finished the soup, which was fine but a little surprising. The French onion soup was delicious.

After about a half hour wait, my husband had the Angus burger with added mushrooms and I had the smoked salmon omelette. They gave me the wrong omelette at first but our server quickly fixed it once we flagged her down. At this point I'm getting quite anxious about arriving to the theater in time so I quickly eat half my food and we paid the bill and left.

Overall it's a cute spot with a hustling staff but I would suggest only going for a Sunday brunch if you are able to spend 2+ hours there. The mussels looked good but I can't say...