St. Francis Fountain Reviews

On a recent visit to SF we visited this brilliant restaurant twice, love the tables/booths, the staff were so friendly and the food, well that was amazing. Drip coffee served in mugs, my favourite was the Upside-down Hog Cakes, they tasted amazing & I also sampled some of the pancakes and the Chefs Mess from other family members in our group. So many places to choose from but St Francis' Fountain is in my top five restaurants in San Francisco.

A classic American diner. Great staff. Great food. No baby change facilities. Definitely worth a visit.

The food here was just ok, nothing to write home about and abit pricey for breakfast. The atmosphere is why you want to visit at least once.

A good friend suggested this place, we were not disappointed! Great historic place serving simple but excellent food in a no nonsense way. Followed my lunch with a homemade ice-cream. All first rate.

Expensive... Sorta... But cures the worst hang over and taste great while doing it! (not to mention they have NKOTB trading cards!)

Food was decent, but the best part was the soda fountain. Let the kids sit up on the stools (the booth are super tiny). Ordered club sandwich, BLT, fried egg sandwich, huevos. All the food was decent. Nothing outstanding, but a good solid lunch. The part worth going for is the soda fountain drinks. Kids both ordered malts (large ones) and they were huge - big enough that the two adults got to finish off what the kids couldn't. Nice selection of fountain drinks from egg cremes to old-fashioned chocolate sodas with ice cream and syrup (other flavors too), nice sundaes, etc.

St Francis Fountain is one of SF's excellent places for breakfast or lunch; we were very fortunate that it is just around the corner from where we are staying. Packed on weekends, but easy to get in during the week. The range of dishes is pretty good, including reasonably standard breakfast/brunch fare, with mexican influenced options. Located in the Mission district, close to lots of fabulous mural work for those interested in wandering the neighbourhood. Bottomless coffee (but no espresso machine!), excellent and friendly service, and reasonable price (two of us ate very well for $30).

Open since 1918 - this is an interesting trip down memory lane, cute old-skool atmosphere; u can imagine the changing clientele fashions thru the decades, while the decor has remained little changed. Also check out the collection of tats on the staff while you're there! :)

My wife and I loved that place - I discovered that place from Food Network. Breakfast was great and full of flavour - service is good - Coffee is excellent and milkshake are excellent. Pricewise it's good as well

DO have the Nebulous potato thing! Best homefries in SF in my humble opinion. I love their pancakes and they dont skim on the fruits. It's not fancy, but it is delicious. You can't go wrong with the classic breakfast.

So, this crowded small joint in the Mission is always hopping... servicing an outstanding breakfast, stick to your ribs scrambles and chef mash.. just makes you happy you ate here..... don't pass on the biscuits as they are wonderful, and other baked goods served looks great... super friendly staff and as crowded as it is, service is really good.... this is a wait your turn outside spot, but well worth the wait.

This place was a fountain for many years, and still sells sodas and shakes, but it's mainly a vegan/vegetarian resturant still trying to masquerade as an old fashioned fountain/diner. They need to change their name. Went there for breakfast and ordered sausage and biscuits. They said the biscuits were homemade, but they would have been better off using Pillsbury. The biscuits were heavy, starchy and undercooked. The sausage gravy had a weird herbal taste to it. Fine if that is what you are expecting. My friend had vegan chorizo and eggs, which really was pretty good (the reason for the three stars). She also had a root beer float. $4.35 for a tablespoon of tasteless ice cream in the bottom of a glass only 3/4 filled with root beer. If you're a vegan/vegetarian you will like this place, but you won't if you're expecting a diner.

This place is insanely good - we went twice for breakfast during our recent trip to San Francisco. The first time we both had chefs mess which was blindingly good, incredibly tasty and I did everything but eat the plate! The second time we had an omelette and my partner had the deluxe French toast with berries and granola. Again both fantastic. The endless coffee is fab and such a nice touch, and the service is excellent. Nothing is too much trouble, even advice on where to shop locally. I am so glad that we discovered St Francis Fountain - we will be back every time we visit San Francisco!! I have to say that HBO's TV drama 'Looking' tipped us off as is was featured. Well done guys, can't wait until the next visit!

This place was a soda fountain years ago, and it has retained the atmosphere and decor of an old street corner soda fountain - but what great food! There were three of us: my husband, our adult daughter, and me. Our daughter raved about her "Thing My Spuds," which are potatoes with melted cheese, salsa, sour cream and green onions. I loved my "Veggie Mess" - scrambled eggs with potatoes, vegan chorizo and mushroom, topped with cheese, tomato, sour cream, and cilantro - delicious! And my husband had chili with corn bread - so good! Service was prompt and pleasant. We had to wait a bit to be seated, but actually we didn't have to wait as long as we expected. Overall, this was a wonderful meal in a very interesting neighborhood - we strolled around for quite a while after we ate.

Old Fashion Soda Fountain. Great for the oldies, but goodies..

We love this quaint little cafe with its unique decor and delicious food As vegans we loved the choices for us . We had the tofu scram with added garlic , mushrooms , spinach , cilantro and vegan sausage . Wanted to try other things but the tofu scram was just so delicious that we decided to have it again on our second trip . All the staff are genuinely friendly with great personalities . We wish we lived closer but every time we come to SF this will be on the agenda for sure . Perhaps next time we will venture to try other items on the menu .

Everything is good.

When I first visited SF I was delighted to find this gem at the end of a day's Mission District exploration. At the time it was still being run by the prior life-long owner operators, and I was the only customer they had. It was then, and is now, a slice of original Americana that's become hard to find in the city. I fell in love with the city on that first visit, moved here a couple of years later, and now live 3 blocks from the St Francis. Although the original owners sold the place, it has kept it's menu and environment almost exactly the same. They even kept it's tiny classic candy counter - where you can buy Knight Rider bubble gum, candy canes, and the like. It has also become something of a young local hipster mecca. So the days of lone dining are long gone. If you want to hang with hipster families, and enjoy traditional American Diner faire, this is the place to go. Expect to wait for up to an hour on weekends for brunch. I recommend the fried egg sandwich with fries and a large chocolate malt. (My arteries beg to differ.)

I walked a little over 2 miles and arrived a few minutes after it should have opened so I was not pleased to wait about 10 minutes to see if it would open. I choose this restaurant for the vegan options and after taking off most of the cheese (vegan) I found my tofu rancheros to be very good.

We were a little worried when we had to put our name on a list by the door but the service was quick. The food was excellent - had the chef's mess which was a huge brunch. Staff came back frequently to top up our coffee. The waiter phoned for a taxi for us and waited until it came. He gave us tips on where to shop and eat in the neighborhood. We enjoyed it so much - we went back for brunch the next week.

Crispy fried potatoes generous portions, vegan choices, banana bread included as toast, good coffee, What's not to like? A coat of paint would be great without destroying the original details.

Best breakfast in SF if you like mexican food. Amazing huevos hancheros and breakfast burritos, even if you´re not used to have lots of food (including black beans) in the morning. Its so good you´ll not regret. Not expensive and worth the visit to Mission District.

This place has been around for eons. I always stop in when I'm in town. Malts are like they used to make when I was a kid, thick and, for my taste, chocolaty. Have lunch or dinner at Roosevelt Tamale parlor before coming here for dessert.

I have talked this place up to all and sundry since my last trip. No dissappoint here. The chefs mess was awesome and blueberry pancakes with endless coffee. The service is extraordinary. I love this place. Best ever breakfast in the Mission

We live around the corner from this gem. Now I should preface the review (4 dots) by saying St. Francis is not for foodies or those looking for a standout memorably delicious meal– this is straight-ahead diner food done right. It's not really about the food here as much as the ambiance and it's undisturbed classic feel which is immaculate and one of the best in the city, bar none. For us, it's not a line we think is worth waiting for (we'd much rather amble into Taqueria SF--best burrito in the city, or Punjab chinese, or Minivanh thai a few doors down), but if you do get there early or choose to dine mid-afternoon then you can get in without a wait. Our food favorites at St. Francis are the breakfast burritos and the lunch specials. They also have a rocking soda fountain, so malt and shake it up to your hearts content. Staff is super friendly and always quick to refill your coffee.

This is the oldest ice cream parlour in SF. It's an authentic American diner. Service is excellent and friendly. Food is really good and has generous portions. Coffee just keeps coming.

I hear it's not the same since renovation. Used to go here often. Old school diner with charm. Great burgers and shakes. Made their own ice cream.

We ate breakfast/brunch here before exploring the Mission District. There was a wait, but it was well worth it. The coffee was great, the service quick, and the sourdough french toast absolutely delicious. The place heaps of character - sit outside to enjoy the sights and sounds of the neighbourhood. My girlfriend is vegetarian and she had vegan pancakes which were great too!

We asked a local to give us a tip for somewhere historic and interesting to eat, as we are interested in finding the 'old' wherever we go, and they recommended St Francis Fountain. I'm glad they did, because the authentic interior of this place is lovely....I could just imagine it full of teenagers in the 50s and 60s. The breakfast we had was good, but a lot like much of the diner food we had in California. If I lived locally, this would definitely be on my list of local hangouts. Lovely, friendly atmosphere, great interior, nice food

I had a brilliant brunch in this unlikely spot. It is essentially a 1950's diner that has not been touched since then. The food was plentiful and delicious. I look forward to going back soon. The ultra-hipster staff was totally professional and friendly.

Whenever I visit my son in the Mission I make a point of breaking fast at St. Francis. As a child of the 50's I love the retro ambience. It has a rather non-hipster clientele (although hipsters also show up), and casually friendly ambience and service norm. It is comfortable even for a newbie. As a vegetarian I always appreciate the range of vegetarian choices, but always fall prey to the eggs and vegan chorizo hash, a large glass of orange juice and a an old fashioned diner mug of un-hipster, old fashioned drip coffee. Just as I started my meal the house music shifted to Bob Dylan's "Everybody Must Git Stoned" and I was back to my first visit to the Bay Area when I hitchhiked here when I was 20. I linger after breakfast for as long as I can manage. Of course I'll be back.

Great food at a wonderful price! Everyone was warm and inviting. They have a wonderful selection for Breakfast and Lunch...Highly recommend!

greasy diner...thats all.

Go back in time to a classic soda fountain! Off the beaten track in a run down section of the Mission district, this little place is worth a visit for a delicious breakfast with a south of border flavor. The breakfast burrito, served up with black beans and avocado, is generous is size and full of flavor. For the children all the traditional fountain fare including an authentic malted milk shake that brings back fond memories of a NYC childhood. Check out the candy counter that includes blasts from the past such as candy Lucky Strikes cigarettes! fun for a change of pace.

Don't let the outside scare you away, this restaurant was surprisingly good and classic breakfast dining. Traditional menu but vegetarian and vegan-friendly. Large portions and good flavors.

We went in for breakfast, all the food we ordered was really good! We also had milkshakes which were excellent and the service was friendly. I highly recommend this place!

We ate breakfast here once and ice cream once. They have a great selection for carnivores and vegans. The staff is super nice and helpful. Everything we had was delicious.

Few places can make an omelette that isnt' over cooked, this is one. The cornbread must be cooked with bacon butter or something cause it's damn good. A coffee milkshake rounds out a fine breakfast.

Good for breakfast!

Cool place for brunch, strong feel. Large menu, something for everyone here. It's a bit run down and well used but very popular.

A friend suggested St. Francis and we have thanked him several times since. I had the French toast with Blueberries which was some of the best I have ever had. Make sure to get the real Maple syrup. My wife had the spinach and cheese omelet and was equally happy. Visit the mission and make sure to visit St. Francis Fountain. You will not be disappointed. The service was also first rate. The coffee kept coming, which for my wife and I was and is critical.

A wonderful diner down in the Mission which I believe will celebrate its 100th anniversary next year. Gives you a real sense of the past and the present mingling together in a bustling neighbourhood. Good food, good prices and a strange array of bubble gum from the 1980s for some reason.

A diner with a true authentic look, old signage even. The ice cream is delicious and a chance to get local color.

Visited St. Francis Fountain on a weekend trip to SF. We couldn't resist the charm of eating at an old time soda fountain. They even had paper straws! You feel like you are going back in time when you walk in the door. An awesome place for dessert or a hearty breakfast or lunch. The food was spot on. The staff was very friendly though because they were so busy there were a few times I wished they checked in with our table more frequently. Overall an awesome experience and I love the neighborhood. So much to explore and enjoy.

The location could not be better. This Hotel has been hosting Members of my Family for over 50 years now. It is probably not the best in town and I no longer prefer big, old hotels.

I was looking for a location for a style 1950s Diner party with milk shakes and ice cream. The website looks amazing and I was truly excited to have found “the“ place. I knew it‘s in the Mission but with the bar across the street the neighborhood did not seem right for 13 y old girls and inside the does in no way hold what the website promises. So if you need breakfast- that may be your place - just not a film set quality diner. Not that Mel‘s is that much better and it’s a chain but you get the decor. YMMV.

There are many reasons why the St. Francis is a family favorite. First, there is the overall authentic quality. Next, everyone who works there is friendly and kind... everyone is welcome there. As a vegan, I am blissful between their vegi stir fry or blueberry pancakes. I have heard from family that non veg choices are delicious. The "BORAXO" hand soap dispenser in bathroom is so totally cool; my brain almost explodes every time I use it. To my mind, there is no better, more comfortable place to eat in San Francisco.

The best burger and malt you can get anywhere is HERE! There's usually a 30-45min wait and it is worth it! This is still the same place my grandparents took me too when I was a little girl. The menu is large and has enough variety to please any picky eater! The vintage diner motif is so cute and kitchy.

When you step inside it's deja vu (at least to anyone over 60). A real soda fountain where they prepare real ice cream sodas and also have some of the best grilled egg/cheese sandwiches on planet earth. A local eatery in the Mission District of San Francisco where the locals go for a real comfort food meal. The menu is great and the atmosphere is absolutely San Francisco crazy. You'll love it.

We chose St Francis Fountain because of its old worldcharm. The front of house staff looked after us and we looked forward to a good lunch experience. I ordered a grilled chicken club sandwich on sourdough. The flavour was ok, but it was small and not a “club” sandwich. The accompanying fries were twice cooked dark brown and just warm. One of the other orders was a BLT. Again the flavour was fine but small and I am not convinced it was sough dough. But the third dish was inedible. It was called Thai Dyed salad. It was so old the lettuce and apple were turning brown. It had no flavour. I looked around and the other diners seemed to be enjoying their meals. Maybe we were just unlucky.

Excellent breakfast in authentic diner atmosphere. Great service - plenty of water and coffee refills. Good coffee. Vegan friendly.

I ordered a delicious omelette with feta and spinach. It was hands down the best omelette I ever ate. No joke! The potatoes were fresh and the buttery corn bread, incredible. The service was great too. Our waiter came back to our table often, refilling our waters and coffee. My friend got a vegan banana pancake which was delightfully sweet! We found it to be such a great experience that we stayed a while, trying to eat everything we could and bought some eklectic knick knacks and vintage trading cards. Cyndi Lauper Stickers and Pee-Wee Fun Packs for our brunch dessert! You must go here!

I took a chance and walked the few blocks to see if they were open on the 4th of July, and much to my surprise and delight they were and there was no lineup! Diner style setup with an old school feel and a modern take on classic diner fare. Had the biscuits and sausage gravy with fried eggs and hash browns, delish! Service was friendly and efficient and the coffee didn't stop flowing. Great value for the money.

Fun spot with good food. Staff was friendly and accommodating of the highchair age child with us. I had the French Toast with fresh fruit - very tasty. Others had egg dishes and sandwiches, and everyone seemed happy with their choices. We had no wait at 11:30 on a sunny Sunday.

Everything here is delicious. Especially the vegan chorizo hash!

Even on a Monday it was busy...staff were overstretched on this occasion, so much so that this experience wasn't as good as our last. Still a tasty brunch, and we shall return.

decent burgers, super slow service. great candy collection. skinny jeans & shaggy hair central.

It was my first time in the gold rush city of san francisco, checking all the site the town had to offer me, one of them was a small diner at the corner of 24th street. The good It's a great place for family, friends or any other social gatherings, I had a corned beef rubin sandwich as well as the vegan rubin one, the shakes are really boss with a speciel additive, "love", If you want to get a drink just walk across the street to pop's a awesome dive bar. The bad during the morning I wanted to get a cup a coffee, but there was a huge wait to get seated, in which I don't like waiting, plus I wanted to spend more time there. Overall If you like local home made meals and shakes, this is a place for everybody and are welcome.

had the devil burger today, vegan seitan sliced very thin. one of the best sandwiches in all of San Francisco. Been there many times and everyone on the staff is very nice and friendly. love this place.

This is a treat: trendy, relaxed, original, arty-farty, noisy, laid-back and truly great place. I met with friends and had a very tasty weekend special, the Sandhya poached eggs made to perfection with crispy bacon and delicious avocado. Strange they only serve filter coffee though and no expresso. And the bathroom is strangely close to the tables. The service is informal to awkward, the menu is extensive and the prices are fair. I love the authenticity of the whole experience. It's so Mission.

On the advice of a friend, I happened into this little corner diner with interior fittings dating back to at least the 1950's a couple of years ago for breakfast. (They do breakfast, lunch and ice cream treats.) I recently returned and found it just as comfortable and delicious. The retro decor and menu are fun. It is solid and satisfying home cooking which was a comfy change after an evening on a block with two Beard Award restaurants. The clientele is as mixed as anywhere in San Francisco--hipsters, quite a few couples (of all kinds), and the usual mix of ethnicities. It is standard American breakfast fare with some Mission touches and lots of vegan and vegetarian choices. I chose the eggs with soy chorizo hash that came with toast or warmed commercial tortillas, an average but good cup of coffee, and a large glass of lovely, fresh squeezed orange juice. It was all good; an easy improvement would be to make the tortillas on site and scooch the quality of the coffee a little towards Philz a few blocks away. I sat and read the Economist to refills of coffee and it was a great morning!

Wonderful burgers and shakes. Love the old time booths and all the candy from the 60's, 70's and 80's . Yummy milk shakes , all flavors and banana splits.

Friendly and clean establishment. Seating fills up fast so expect a wait. Fantastic food and great service. Highly recommend.

We came for our final breakfast in SF. It was great service and good food, to the point that we ate too much and had to walk it off immediately afterwards.

I came here just to see where exactly Pato and Richie had one of their dates. I loved the ambience and the food. We got also sat at the right same place where the couple had their brunch. Loved "Looking" and loved this place.

A fun place for a grilled cheese and an ice cream float. Go with friends when you don't have to do anything after-the food is heavy.

Good old American style breakfast . We had amazing French toast and scrambled eggs. Gets very busy on weekends, get there early.

I struggled deciding because the menu had so many terrific options. I opted for heuvos rancheros and they were very tasty. The servers were nice, the interior is authentic, and it's clearly a very popular place. My only recommendation is that they have some more delicious coffee options. My coffee was very diner .... tolerable. Regardless, I love this place.

A classic in the Mission.

This little cafe is located in the middle of San Francisco on a corner of a old neighbourhood. The food looked good but was a little dry. The services as friendly but messed up the orders. The outdoor seating was pleasant but too busy to go inside. Seems to be a favourite of the locals. Not somewhere I would go back to.

I have to start this review off by saying I've only eaten at this restaurant on two occasions so this review will only be based on a couple of visits. I've also only had breakfast here. My first visit was a really great experience. The breakfast I ordered was prepared perfectly and I enjoyed everything I ordered. Service was good, the place appeared clean and I liked the old school atmosphere. Had I written a review after that meal, I would have given this place five stars. So here's the problem. When I went back a second time, my experience wasn't quite as good. The meal I ordered didn't measure up to the last one. I ordered something different but I don't think that should make a difference. So I can only attribute it to the possibility I didn't have the same cook the second time around. That would make sense. What is troubling is the one item on my plate that wasn't prepared properly were two freaking fried eggs. I think that at a minimum, a cook should be able to get those right. They were overcooked on one side and that's the one thing that bugs me--when eggs are left too long on the grill and they get brown. Aggghh!! The dreaded overfried eggs. When I make that mistake at home (it's rare but it has happened), I toss the things and fry myself up a couple more. I did takeout this time so I left without looking at the carton before I left the place. That was my mistake. So now I'm on the fence about this place but have decided to give it a third try. I really like their menu and the fact they have a lot of selections for vegetarians and vegans so it could be a great go to place for me when I'm on that side of the city. I also think I'll try it for lunch next time around. They have a nice selection of lunch items and I don't want to rate them strictly on their breakfast selections. We'll see how I do next time. Fingers crossed.

From the old school charm and care of the place, to the new school character of the people, and most importantly the wonderful food, authentic and to order. Real Corn beef hash, and a heavenly banana bread, seared on the grill for a little crunch. So. Good.