Tastebuds — Restaurant in San Francisco

The Best Fried Chicken for brunch, within walking distance from Golden Gate Park!

This quaint little restaurant sits on a quiet 5th avenue street with sunny outdoor seating and a clean public bathroom.

Dining here was by happenstance as we decided to take a short break while walking to Sutro baths. Unsure about what to order, we looked around and saw that their fried chicken was a popular choice. Wanting a quick fix to sate my hunger, I went with the crowd's favorite. However, from accumulated experience, a dish's popularity does not directly imply great taste and delivery. Regardless, I welcome the occasion with an open mind.

There was very little need for convincing. And my stance is firm that this restaurant delivers quality food. It was a breath of fresh air from the string of insipid food from weeks past. So true to the restaurant's name, your tastebuds are in for a ride.

The fried chicken was crunchy, well seasoned, and moist on the inside. There was a slight hint of cayenne, and you could taste the paprika. The buttermilk waffle was crisp and had a fluffy interior. Drizzling the maple syrup over the chicken and waffles complemented well. The whipped butter would melt in the squares, and all elements in a mouthful were simply delightful. It was uncomplicated and cooked just right. You may find yourself licking your fingers.

The fried chicken sandwich is the same chicken seasoning you would get on the waffle. If tangy and crunch is what you're looking for, then this sandwich will not disappoint. The acetic dressing from the coleslaw, pickles, and the waft of spices from the chicken and aioli sauce will surely tickle your senses. As a complete experience, I would not leave this restaurant without ordering their Southern-seasoned fries. Each bite begs another, and soon you'll wonder where they all went.

While at the self-service checkout, I noticed that they offered a coffee, caffeine-free alternative as a Chaga mushroom mix. Finding that to be rather amusing, I gave it a shot. And to my surprise, the mushroom powder in my frothed soymilk tasted nothing like mushrooms. And of all things, it tasted like liquid gingerbread. Marketed as a gimmick that promised enhanced health, such claims shouldn't be taken at face value. But since it reminded me of Christmas, I might be enticed to order it again.

The TLDR: Great tasting fried chicken in a nice neighborhood! An excellent option for a weekend brunch.

This experience has won my heart as one of San Francisco's best places for...

I really want to give this place a higher rating than I have, since it's recommended by someone I kind of know, but I just can't: I have been impartial in all of my reviews, and I shall remain as fair and as unbiased as I possibly can in the future.

The service is really, really bad here: another table of mostly Asians, and myself at the last table have both been asked to go to the counter to order what we want when we are ready, since we have been seated outside.

This is the first time where I have to go to the waitress or the waiter for an order, as opposed to the servers coming back to check on me. As if that wasn't bad enough: except when delivering my food, the servers never ever came to check on me or the other table of mostly Asians. I certainly hope this isn't some racial discrimination, but I can't help but feel that way.

To top it off, you are not given anything: not water, not utentils. Literally nothing.

I get that I ordered a sandwich and I don't really need either, but if I get nothing, where is the service part, other than the actual food delivery ? :-)

If I had known service would have been this bad throughout the entire dining experience, I wouldn't have tipped my normal 15% (up to 20-25% and sometimes much more if the service is better than I expected) when I paid for the order.

Yes, this is one of the few places where you have to pay before you get your order. (I was so hungry that I didn't mind going to the servers to get my order, but in retrospect, that's not how people should be served :-p).

The food was, uh, unusual, to say the least: it was sweet all the way. The shrimp sandwich, sweet. The fries, sweet.

In terms of novelty, it was pretty fun I guess, but normally, I wouldn't want my burger to be sweet, and much less my fries.

And good luck finding the shrimp: I had to really, really, really look to find some "shreds" of shrimp meat (or at least what I thought was shrimp), as I couldn't tell from the taste.

I therefeore can't recommend the place to anyone. However, in all due fairness, when the sandwich was hot, it actaully tasted ok (or maybe it is because I was just really hungry).

I guess if you are taking it to go, where you don't have to tip (their service is just so bad that I really don't think tipping is fair), and you don't mind the overly sweet taste of everything, it's an ok option if you have no other choices...

Sign at door says "wait to be seated" but sign at counter says "order at the counter"... a bit confusing. Please pickup your silverware to the right of the door when you enter.

Counter/Cashier takes order and money then runs out the order.  The gent is really busy.  The kitchen is FAST.  Large group in front of me had food out within 10 minutes... really impressive.

The Corned Beef Hash: I am pretty disappointed in this dish.  This is more like what you would make at home the day after St. Patrick's Day dinner.  Potatoes, Cabbage, Carrots and leftover corned beef.  Please note the order I list the components of this dish.... corned beef is last because there was a true lack of corned beef in this corned beef hash.  The dish was also under seasoned so I had to add salt and pepper. If you are watching your animal protein then this dish is for you.

Southern Shrimp & Grits:  The grits themselves are good and buttery, but the shrimp was not fresh (frozen out of bag) over cooked so it was a bit rubbery. The grits were a little runny, but the toast took care of this.

Most restaurants use 12" plates, but plates here were about 8" - 10", perfect for those who are looking for portion control.

If you are in the market to purchase a succulent, they have cuttings for sale along the window counter.

Single restroom.  Clean, but not well lit.  LED strips running around the wall... saves energy that is a plus.  The décor is entertaining and fun.

In my opinion, cost, quality and value does equal up and I would not elect to...