Chez Maman - Goat Hill - Thumbs UP

[Waterboy]

This narrow and not terribly presentable place hit the spot - flatiron steak and chicken sandwich were a bullseye, as was the very French server.

Cooks (2) are Mexican. It works.

Lips were smackin' all 'round - both thumbs way up....not crowded but only a seat or two available 5:15 pm Friday. Don't expect Gary Danko - do expect the unexpected: good to excellent chow quick and freshly prepared as you watch.

There's something about Goat Hill, it's mild funk carried over to the interior of Chez Maman, maybe giving perspective to and highlighting the good chow. It's a pleasant neighborhood, mostly of single family homes, but nearly every address needs a fresh coat of paint. Has the air of safety nearby at night.

$45 for two with beer and soft drinks. Next door is Petite Patisserie where we scored a pretty good walnut tart.

1453 18th St
San Francisco, CA 94107
Phone: [phone]

We were headed for a newish restaurant by one of the guys who ran La Suite If I cound only remember the name....thinking it was Chez Maman, our GPS unit delivered us to Goat Hill. Glad it did actually.

[ML8000]

Chez Maman is in the old "Just For You" space.

Supposedly a new Chez Maman is going into a new pedestrian only street near the Mint Bldg on 5th/Mission, soon to SF History museum.

[BernaDiva]

This Chez Maman is sooooo tiny....I prefer to go to the one located on Union Street - the food is equally as good, and you have a little more space to stretch your limbs. I love their burger with Roquefort....delicious!

[Waterboy]

Wha? Where? Is there a small dark dining room upstairs?

Believe I WAS going to Chez Maman, but the Union St. location wasn't listed on our Magellen GPS unit. Still, we sort of made it....but our friends were in a parallel universe, Union St.

No wonder....Dang!

Union St. needs sound deadening walls, don't you think?

[Mick Ruthven]

Any more info on the Union St. version of Chez Maman? It's much closer to me than Potrero Hill.

[BernaDiva]

The Union Street location has the exact same menu as the Potrero Location, really the only difference is that the restaurant is bigger with indoor and outdoor seating. The waitstaff is French too. I believe they have a website at http://www.chezmamansf.com

[Atomica]

They haven't updated that website in a good long time. They mention just opening a Bernal Heights location

[Robert Lauriston]

Chez Maman moved into the old Goat Hill Pizza space?

[Waterboy]

Chez Maman seems to have been there some years. Goat Hill Pizza is on Connecticut at 18th street - maybe 1/2 block West?

[Robert Lauriston]

I've always heard that neighborhood called Potrero Hill. Never heard Goat Hill outside of the name of the pizza place.

[Waterboy]

I've heard Goat Hill Pizza has some history of the place.

Potrero Hill, or pasture hill, used to be called Goat Hill as goats were grazed there. About 1850 it was a place for cattle grazing. Maybe 60 years back the name moved to Potrero Hill.

[Robert Lauriston]

Supposedly there were three hills (Goat, Poppy, Holy) in the "nuevo potrero," but in 30 years I've never heard residents call it anything but Potrero.

[Waterboy]

True.

My wife, doing stained glass restoration off 16th St. & Connecticut, hit Goat Hill Pizza a few years back. It's been Goat Hill for us since though that's many years out of date.

Potrero Hill it is....

[ML8000]

Goat Hill Pizza...use to have an all you can eat Monday. Great deal.

[grishnackh]

They still do, though it is a bit of a mob scene unless you go quite early or quite late.