It's Tops Coffee Shop: Thoughts?

[boris_qd]

Any thoughts?

I've passed it a number of times and it seems to have the old school vibe down. Is it old school? good? greasy but cheap? diamond in the rough?

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It's Tops Coffee Shop
1801 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94103

[ML8000]

It's an old-school greasy spoon known for being open late and breakfast (pancakes). It's not necessarily cheap however. From what I heard the prices have gone up. My take, you go there if you're in the 'hood, because it's central to some friends or you happen by at 2 a.m. after drinking.

[bbulkow]

I've found the atmosphere better than Sparky's and Bagdad Cafe, but to each their own. As ML8000 says, prices aren't excellent. It's a little hipster.

Pancakes are the specialty; the place is worth a stop sometime. warning: I haven't been there in a decade, but I don't think it's the kind of place that changes.

[mariacarmen]

I agree - better atmosphere and also better food than Sparky's & Bagdad. Really good pancakes - they claim it's because they make them on the original cast-iron griddle. I've ONLY been there in the wee hours of the morning after a bar hopping evening, and we usually get breakfast and fries and a blue cheese salad. All good, not ultra fantastic, but it hits the spot - and again, better than what else is around in that neighborhood. and yeah, prices aren't super low.

[boris_qd]

Thanks for the reports... it doesn't sound like there's a compelling reason to try it.

[Meredith]

My coworkers were big fans of the burgers there but they never really did it for me. However, they do a bacon waffle that is fantastic. Very basic thin waffle with inch long strips of baon throughout. After discovering that, I haven't argued about going to Tops.

[vulber]

good food, some of it pretty interesting, like the bacon waffle. and definitely overpriced. i almost got really excited when i went there because i thought i'd finally found a place that feels like a true old-school diner, until i saw their advertisement for soju drinks

[ML8000]

As breakfast places goes, it's honest just not special. I do remember the bacon waffle. It's been awhile but I never had problems getting a table there on a weekend morning. Somehow I always ended up there when it rained.

[boris_qd]

But the same could be said of many breakfast/brunch places in the area. Better then Kate's Kitchen perhaps? (which I don't like and is also not cheap).

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Kate's Kitchen
471 Haight St, San Francisco, CA 94117

[mariacarmen]

yes, i'd say better than what's in the area. it's tops has a cozy feel to it, too.