Stonemill Matcha — Restaurant in San Francisco

The rudest service ever and bitter matcha make me hesitant to ever return here. I visited twice during the pandemic when orders were available for takeout only. I couldn't remember if I liked the drinks here or not, so I dropped in with a few friends to get some post-brunch caffeine when in the neighborhood.

There was a bit of a wait when we walked up, but we quickly got to the front of the queue and saw there only appeared to be stools available at the small bar table, which we were completely fine with. We asked the host if we could sit there instead of waiting for a normal table, and he confirmed it was fine. One person from our group of 4 went to sit at the bar stool table while the rest of us looked at the menu and went to order at the front counter. The guy at the cash register insisted we all had to be there in a group to order first, then get assigned a table, and be seated. He cited, "It's the policy", in a very rude tone and made everyone come back and stand together at the cash register. Right after I ordered my drink, a strawberry matcha latte, and before anyone else ordered, yet another employee asked if we could go sit at the bar stool table we originally requested. She was slightly nicer about it, but it seemed like she didn't want us all crowding around the cash register which was near the entrance. With 3 different employees telling us different things, it felt like we were being micromanaged.

When the drinks arrived, the matcha I got was bright green, which was a good sign, but it tasted slightly bitter, which isn't my preference. I prefer a smooth, creamy, or nutty profile.

My group stuck around to chat and catch up for a while, and I guess we were approaching the maximum time limit to dine in because a fourth worker came to our table and rudely asked us to leave. Now I don't mind leaving at all if we've exceeded the time limit, but I didn't appreciate the brusque tone he used to basically force us up and out. His delivery came across as hostile, whether or not it was intended.

Overall, the in-person experience here left a negative impression and I don't think...

I love matcha, so I was excited to try this place. I've tried matcha at most boba places and matcha places in the bay area and make my own at home. I have to say that the matcha here was pretty good, but not fantastic. It definitely needed more matcha flavor (you can add an extra shot for $1, which I should have done), although the sweetness was about right (not super sweet or watered down like many other places). The matcha latte I had was good, but not the best I've ever had. There are better matcha places in San Francisco. My boyfriend's hojicha latte was good, but also not the best I've had.

I think this place does better food than matcha, honestly. My boyfriend's katsu sando was amazing. The katsu was very meaty and juicy. I honestly wish I ordered that, but I got the tamago sando, which was good, but nothing to write home about. It was pretty pricey at $12 and really needed salt and pepper (which they didn't have).

I wouldn't rush back here for the matcha, but I would come back and try their other food items, including their katsu sando.

Also, keep in mind that you'll probably have to wait in line for about an hour if you come on the weekend (we came at 12:30 on a Saturday and the line was VERY slow since I think they were short-staffed). The line is for both dine-in AND take-out (not online order). They close dine-in at 3:00. Also, if you dine-in, they only allow you to sit at a table for 30 minutes if you get drinks and 1 hour if you get food. And they are very strict about it (they told several people there that their time was up while we were there and told them to go). It's not a place to chat for long periods of time since the place is small and popular.

There is a separate order window for online orders if you want to avoid the line, which I think we might...

Really good option in SF for authentic Japanese Katsu sandwiches and desserts! Why is it 4 and not 5 star? Will it’s the service and how uncomfortable it could be when it’s packed with people. Don’t think of this place as a cafe with good flow of people going in and out or as a casual restaurant. It felt a bit like a food court where you get your food and wait around for a table and if you’re not aggressive you may not get one.

Let’s start with the positive - the food was amazing and really felt like it took me to a cafe in Japan. We ordered the katsu sando, which came with 3 sandwiches and that’s more than enough for me, I ended up taking 1 of them home. For dessert we ordered the sesame puff and soufflé cheesecake, both were delicious and I’d definitely have them again!

Now, why wasn’t the service up to par? Well, first off, they give you your desserts before your savory food. For us who were there to have lunch that was just the wrong order of things. And they don’t hold your desserts for you, you just gotta have your dessert sit there while you wait for your savory food.

We went on a Sunday and it was packed! Endless number of people flowing in, but not enough tables or people leaving. You see groups of people standing around, holding their food and eyeing the various tables that look like they’re almost done.

Some people may not like this feeling so I’d recommend just buying to go and eating it at home. All in all, I’d come back for the...