Little Skillet — Restaurant in San Francisco

I’m from out of town and noticed that I couldn’t find many Black Owned restaurants in San Francisco. This one was referred to me and had great reviews so I decided to check it out. My brother and I ordered for takeout. The woman taking the order was helpful and really nice and welcoming.

My brother and I ordered 2 chicken po’boys with fries, a lemonade, and then chicken and waffles. The fries were actually the best thing about those 3 meals. They were hot, the perfect size and texture, and seasoned well. The corn bread muffin also seemed like it may have had potential but it was the size of my thumb so hard to really tell if it was my first bite hunger or actually great, so far 6/10.

Unfortunately everything else wasn’t quite up to par. The chicken in the po’boys didn’t really taste seasoned and I would have preferred more sauce for my sandwich. It was a 5/10. Just okay. The waffles had an overpowering yeasty taste, not my favorite. I would rate that a 3/10. The syrup was pretty watery and had an interesting bitter aftertaste. I could do without for that.

The fried chicken was just okay at a 5/10 as well. But the absolute worst thing were the grits. They were really dry and crumbly and at first taste it seems like it was cooked in straight unsalted butter. I tried to add a bit of salt and black pepper to help it out but it was honestly done for.

This was one of those experiences where the pictures of the food seem to be better than the actual food. For the amount that we paid, I’m really disappointed that the food did not deliver.

All in all, I would say that Little Skillet has nice food presentation (even with takeout) but very basic flavors and an overpriced menu.

There are quite a lot of good reviews though so I’m giving the benefit of the doubt and assuming I simply caught the kitchen at a bad time. I would still say to give this restaurant a try if you’re fine with the prices because with a few tweaks on the things that were wrong with my meals, I’m sure the overall food...

If you're in the mood for chicken and waffles, try another place. My meal was inedible, which was too bad because I liked the vibe in the seating area.

When my lunch arrived, I was disappointed to see powdered sugar sprinkled liberally on my waffles and receive cheap plastic utensils. I tried eating the waffles but they were cold and tasteless. When the guy brought my beverage, I told him the meal wasn't quite what I was expecting with the cheap plastic utensils and waffle. He said the waffle didn't look quite right and offered to bring me another cooked better and without the powdered sugar. I appreciate him wanting to please me but the second waffle was equally bland. The guy also brought me butter, as requested, but on another cold waffle didn't do much good to add moisture.

The chicken, while moist, was tasteless. Thank god for the packet of hot sauce.

The guy had praised the macaroni and cheese when I asked about it when I placed my order. (An honest staffer would have told me to stay with my original side selection or steered me to another dish.) The macaroni was cooked al dente, which is fine for an Italian pasta dish but not for macaroni and cheese. I couldn't stomach more than two bites for it also didn't taste like the macaroni and cheese I expected.

It's sad to spend $30+ on lunch and leave it behind...

I had high hopes walking into this restaurant, but unfortunately, the experience left me wondering what exactly people are raving about.

The chicken was completely unseasoned bland to the point of being forgettable. The syrup had an odd, almost artificial flavor that didn’t pair well with anything on the plate. The cornbread? Tiny and dry, with a taste that was outright unpleasant. I’ve had better from a box mix, and that’s saying something.

Speaking of boxed foods, the waffles didn’t even resemble waffles in taste or texture. Honestly, I’d prefer some frozen Eggo waffles over whatever that was. The macaroni and cheese, usually a soul food staple, was the final straw. I was tempted to say it tasted like KFC’s, but that would’ve been an insult to KFC.

The prices are outrageous for what you get, and the overall vibe just didn’t feel authentic. There wasn’t a single soul food flavor in sight, and surprisingly, the only Black person I saw during the visit was the bartender. It felt less like a soul food experience and more like a poorly executed imitation. And not to mention, they played no authentic black music, very odd for a soul food place. And with the lack of black people, the watermelon felt… racist? Odd?

Save your money and try another spot. This place is all hype...