Violet's — Restaurant in San Francisco

They've succeeded in making a hip bar/restaurant in the Outer Richmond, but the service is lacking, the food is overpriced, and it's really cramped.

We showed up on time for a 7:30 reservation and were in line to check in. Just as we were about to check in, a woman pushed past us and asked to be seated. The host stand is in a really unfortunate place, so perhaps she didn't notice that we were standing in line. We were seated right after, so it didn't seem like a big deal. BUT... after being seated, it took another 15-20 minutes for us to even be greeted by a waiter. It was so long, in fact, that the woman who'd cut us in line had already received appetizers by the time someone took our drink order. I had to get up and talk to the manager to get anyone's attention.

The place is also really small, and it definitely feels like they packed in at least one too many tables. I'd suggest that they need another waiter for that many tables, but there's really no room. It's also loud. Granted, the loud, packed feel contributes to the "hip" feel of the place, but don't expect to be able to have an intimate conversation here.

The food was fairly good. Oysters seemed fresh and well selected. Had an Impossible Burger (really glad they have this option, actually!) and shared a salad. For a half dozen oysters, one salad, two burgers, and no drinks: $90 after tax and tip. Not insane for SF, but...

This used to be a favorite for myself and my fiance. We had not come here for a few months due to work and being busy and where looking forward to returning.

The service was solid, however the food was a different story. The menu was all new, which is not a bad thing, so my partner and I decided to order new things. She got the pulled pork sandwich which was sauceless, poorly seasoned and incredibly fatty it really did just taste of salt and pork fat. I got the cioppino, a favorite dish of mine, and was similarly disappointed. Cioppino is meant to be a stew and there was nearly no broth in the dish and none of the seafood tasted like the broth that was served. I was excited for a classic with a latin flair but I got unseasoned seafood that seemed to be prepared away from the stew itself leading to a very bland mix that neither I or my partner enjoyed.

I do not mean to be over harsh, however, at least the dishes I did sample needed work. I will say all the cocktails where lovely and well crafted but I just cannot say the same for the food, far from it in fact. If the price point was cheaper I would give it a pass but paying 40+ dollars for a subpar entree is...

Imagine biting into a caramel covered apple only to discover that it is actually an onion.

Overpriced cafeteria food.

The place has a nice and laid back ambience that lulls you into believing that you are in for a gastronomically satisfying experience.

There is a marked gap between the price of the menu items and what actually arrives in front of you.

To be fair, the Brussel sprouts were good, albeit slightly over cooked.

The entree's are a different story. If you were out for dinner to satisfy your hunger, you will be gravely disappointed. You would literally have better food out of a vending machine.

I recommend having an actual meal before eating here so that the disappointing food would be less of a heartbreak once it touches your poor unsuspecting tastebuds.

The drinks were good but the alcohol was not enough to mask the unfortunate tasting food.

If you want good food, go elsewhere.

If you want to get drunk in a pretentious ambiance, this is the place to be.

It's better off marketed as a bar that serves food, that way you know up front that it's a place to drink,...