Seeking unique breakfast in San Francisco (see wish list)

[dimsumfan]

Looking to go beyond eggs benedict and the usual pancakes/French toast as I try to figure out where to find a few good breakfasts in SF. I'll take something mainstream if the setting is particularly special/unique (I'll hit Tartine Bakery, also, based on quality), but I'm especially looking for something off-the-beaten-path. Ethnic is totally fine. Hole-in-the-wall is totally cool.

Non-pho Vietnamese soup?
Early morning tacos or burritos, but not the usual breakfast kind?
Something I've yet to even dream about? The more unusual, the better.

Will travel a little for food. Will be ready to eat as early as 8am.

Will look forward to your replies. (Thanks!)

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Tartine Bakery
600 Guerrero St, San Francisco, CA 94110

[Robert Lauriston]

Have you had Chinese breakfast?

[dimsumfan]

Yes. (Note the name.) I think I'm going to pass on dim sum this trip, unless you want to wow me with a suggestion!

[Mr_Happy]

I think he might mean jook, chinese donuts, cheung fun, etc. Like at Hing Lung in SF.

Or, maybe a northern style breakfast with warm soy milk, buns, etc. I don't know where to find this in SF though.

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Hing Lung Restaurant
674 Broadway, San Francisco, CA 94133

[Robert Lauriston]

Exactly. Dim sum is not breakfast.

[betterbeheaven]

Not traditional Chinese breakfast, and not a hole in the wall, but Charles Phan's Out the Door in Pac Heights comes to mind:

http://www.outthedoors.com/downloads/OTD_bushstreet_breakfast_menu.pdf
http://www.outthedoors.com/downloads/...

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Out the Door
845 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94103

[Cynsa]

the slow cooked egg with brisket will satisfy every wish

[hyperbowler]

Five Happiness does a Sunday chinese breakfast (soy milk, long fried doughnut sticks, etc.)

[mariacarmen]

maybe not super exotic but i had really delicious breakfast a couple months ago at Palacio Latino on Mission Street between 18th and 19th. It's Guatamalan, and everything about the food was just great. Delicious, thick, flavorful and tender corn tortillas, black bean puree, longaniza sausage, crema, fried plantains, queso fresco ... your usual Central American breakfast but done really well. Sorry, the only menu i find doesn't list the breakfasts.
http://www.allmenus.com/ca/san-franci...

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Palacio Latino Restaurant
5925 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94112

[Cynsa]

Red Cafe is my destination on Mission Street - now I'll bookmark your Palacia Latino, too - thanx

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Red Cafe
2894 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110

[mariacarmen]

i've been wanting to try Red Cafe! what do you recommend?

[Cynsa]

Platanos con casamiento, huevos, queso fresco y crema.

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Red Cafe
2894 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110

[JasmineG]

What about chilaquiles? Here's a good thread with options http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/697385

[Eat.Choui]

I second chilaquiles! My favorite in SF is from Red Cafe, on the corner of 25th and Mission.

[mariacarmen]

I had the chilaquiles at Red Cafe today -delicious! crispy tortillas, fluffy scrambled eggs, fresh peppers and tomatoes.... loved it. the pureed beans on the side weren't very flavorful, tho, but overall a good meal. also ordered a side of plantains expecting 3 or 4 slices. there were 8 fat quarters - way too much, but they were tasty. I'd only had chilaquiles one other time - at La Oaxacana, where they were terrible - i was in no hurry to try them again. We walked right in at Red Cafe and got a table for 2 at noon. Thanks, Cynsa and Eat.Choui for the tip.

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Red Cafe
2894 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110

[sfbing]

If you're here on Saturday, maybe grazing at the Alemany farmers market or the Ferry Building.

[sfbing]

Also on Sunday, there are two Thai temples that serve brunch:

Wat Mongkolratanaram in Berkeley near Ashby Bart and
Wat Buddhapradeep in San Bruno.

The Berkeley temple has a wider selection of food, the San Bruno temple has a smaller selection, but the food is noticeabley gamier.

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Wat Buddhapradeep
310 Poplar Ave, San Bruno, CA

[Mr_Happy]

I like the pork and beans with poached egg and tomato salsa that the golden west sometimes has. It's a take out window.

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Golden West
8 Trinity Pl, San Francisco, CA 94104

[ceekskat]

+1. Just had this & cornbread with chorizo gravy...sooo good & very comforting on a cold morning. We spent a couple of days in the City (from the 'burbs) with our girls & this was one of the highlights of our mini vacation. Took the food & sat at table in Crocker Galleria. Also grabbed a corned beef sandwich for a late lunch from Sentinel (very good, they were sold out of everything else). Kids can't wait to go back to these places!

http://theauwest.com
http://www.thesentinelsf.com

[Cynsa]

Canteen's weekend breakfasts are the top of my morning list; then Brenda's French Soul Food, and for my cheap thrills/comfort food rice with eggs:
Art's Cafe at 747 Irving Street for bibimbap
http://www.artscafesf.com/Art_s_Cafe_Menu.html
Curly's Coffee Shop at 1624 Powell Street
won ton soup and rice with eggs at Joe's Coffee Shop
at 6134 Geary Blvd.

Sol Food in San Rafael
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/310695

PLOW has lemon ricotta pancakes
eatatplow.com
Mission Beach Cafe at 198 Guerrero Street
www.missionbeachcafesf.com

breakfast sandwich (Belfast Bap) at John Campbell's Irish Bakery
www.johncampbells.com/

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Canteen
817 Sutter St, San Francisco, CA 94109

Mission Beach Cafe
198 Guerrero St., San Francisco, CA 94103

Brenda's French Soul Food
652 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Curly's Coffee Shop
1624 Powell St, San Francisco, CA 94133

Joe's Coffee Shop
6134 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94121

John Campbell's Irish Bakery
300 De Haro St, San Francisco, CA 94103

[ssfire]

I recommend the lemon souffle pancakes at Aurea, the restaurant in the Stanford Court Hotel. It's less of a souffle-type pancake, and more of a pancake-like souffle. Very pricey. On the other end of the spectrum: Art's Cafe has the added bonus of being an authentically gritty dive.

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Art's Cafe
747 Irving St, San Francisco, CA 94122

Aurea
905 California, San Francisco, CA 94108

[Cynsa]

another good breakfast: McAllister Scramble at Velo Rouge with Blue Bottle coffee

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Velo Rouge Cafe
798 Arguello Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94118

[alanbarnes]

Canteen definitely makes one of the better breakfasts around, but much of the menu falls within the Eggs Benedict / pancake range the OP wants to get beyond. So a more specific recommendation: the Chupacabra. It's a Yucatecan-influenced achiote-scented bean/egg/sausage thing that's really pretty amazing.

[DpBluSea]

John Cambell's Irish Bakery - 5625 Geary (between 20th x 21st) ...had a delicious scone and a Irish Sausage Pastie from the place this morning - the scone was $2 and the Pastie was $5 - this pastie is delicious, rich, and the 2 items were plenty to feed 2 people breakfast with coffee or tea.

The pastie was not all that impressive to look at - but the quality of it, perfectly seasoned and baked, was really fantastic.

[Windy]

The baps with egg and sausage or bacon are amazing too. Not to mention the brown bread, or the corned beef.

I think they have the same menu at all three locations.

[Cynsa]

I love John Campbell's Breakfast Bap, the breakfast sandwich on brioche at Matching Half Cafe and this Breakfast Sandwich at Lou's Cafe - $4.49 with a choice of bacon or ham - or, both - on ciabatta

http://www.louscafesf.com/
http://www.matchinghalfcafe.com/food

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Matching Half
1799 McAllister St, San Francisco, CA 94117

Lou's Cafe
5017 Geary Blvd, SF, CA 94118

[scarmoza]

Show Dogs is now serving breakfast M-F 8am-11am. Sat and Sun Brunch 10am-2pm. They're a sausage place by the same owners of Foreign Cinema. The menu may not be so unique but it's not so common either. Plus, the ingredients seem to be of very good quality. Four Barrel Coffee, french pressed.

Turtle Tower is good for breakfast (Vietnamese). Hai Ky Mi Gia is another noodle house around the corner that's good (hot soy milk is a popular drink here - weird but not bad).

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Turtle Tower Restaurant
631 Larkin St, San Francisco, CA 94109

Hai Ky Mi Gia
707 Ellis St, San Francisco, CA 94109

Show Dogs
1020 Market St, San Francisco, CA

[carfeng]

I really enjoy the pupusas at Balompie Cafe, especially the one with shrimp. Great coffee too.

Farmer Brown's has a all-you-can-eat fried chicken brunch with various dishes. There was a very tasty homemade granola and some great desserts (pecan pie, red velvet cake).

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Farmer Brown
25 Mason Street, San Francisco, CA 94102

Balompie Cafe
3349 18th St, San Francisco, CA 94110

[ML8000]

How about menudo or caldo de pollo. Chava's use to be good but there must be a couple of dozen places in SF.

[Cynsa]

We like breakfasts at El Delphin — and pozole.

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El Delfin
3066 24th St, San Francisco, CA 94110

[vulber]

i have yet to make it to chava's - but i often end up at sanjalisco (formerly los jarritos) for good mexican breakfast - they have the best birria i've found, as well as excellent menudo and chilaqiules

[Cynsa]

I like the Huevos Divorciados

[escargot3]

love their birria...

[dimsumfan]

Thanks, everyone, for all these fabulous suggestions! For my three breakfasts, currently leaning toward Tartine Bakery, Canteen, and farm:table, sneaking in a pupusa at Balompie (may actually swap that out for farm:table if too crowded) and beignets at Out the Door.

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Tartine Bakery
600 Guerrero St, San Francisco, CA 94110

Out the Door
845 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94103

Balompie Cafe
3349 18th St, San Francisco, CA 94110

[TravellingFoodie]

I also might add Dottie's True Blue Cafe for a scrumptious old fashioned pancakes, waffles, omelet breakfast made with fresh organic ingredients.

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Dottie's True Blue Cafe
522 Jones St, San Francisco, CA 94102

[mrs bacon]

Dottie's uses organic ingredients? Don't think I've ever heard that before. Another vote for the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market -- Primavera, 4505 Meats, Cane Rosso are just a few of the tasty options there. Just tried Red Cafe the other day. Good chilaquiles and fried plantains.

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Ferry Plaza Farmers Market
One Ferry Building, 200 The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA

4505 Meats
1 Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA 94111, CA

[vulber]

the chef of dottie's used to work at the ritz-carlton - so it wouldn't be entirely surprising.

while it's definitely usually a safe bet that most of the greasy hole in the wall breakfast places are not organic, some are - i don't think kate's kitchen is entirely organic, but i know they do use organic ingredients in quite a few of thier dishes

[TravellingFoodie]

Dottie's is no greasy hole in the wall.

[Keesey]

Lucky Chances! It's a casino but they have a restaurant in there too with mainly Filippino dishes. Most are accompanied by eggs and rice plus several selections of meat -- chorizo-ish sausage but sweeter, grilled fatty pork back meat, sisig, etc. You must be familiar with Chinese jook, but perhaps try the Filippino arroz caldo... different flavors.

This place is actually pretty great any time of the day/night, but the accompanying egg and rice reminds me of breakfast fare.

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Lucky Chances
1700 Hillside Blvd, Colma, CA 94014

[Robert Lauriston]

In Colma?

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Lucky Chances
1700 Hillside Blvd, Colma, CA 94014

[Keesey]

Yes! I'm sorry I don't know how to add an address link to places that haven't been registered. I tried doing it when i first replied, but I guess I did it improperly.

[rosiella1]

yeah - Lucky Chances is my kinda spot for 3am breakfast! ... and yes, even when sober, the food does taste quite good. My favorite is Chicken Tocino, with poached eggs and garlic fried rice dipped in their seasoned vinegar.

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Lucky Chances
1700 Hillside Blvd, Colma, CA 94014

[grayelf]

That sounds delicious! Is it filipino?

[josquared]

Haven't eaten there, but I can vouch for those Filipino breakfasts growing up in such a household.

My dad would just fry up tocino or longanisa, usually cut up some egg (and fry some eggs up separately as well - cholesterol beware!) and other assorted stuff like spam and green onions and throw it into yesterday's rice, and fry it up with lotsa' garlic.

Definitely sounds like the perfect 3 AM spot for sure.

[myst]

Yes. I love filipino breakfast. Garlic rice, fried eggs, longanisa, chopped fresh tomato and jalepeno and seasoned vinegar for dipping. I use siracha too...

[johnrsf]

If you like Filipino breakfasts (silogs, a word that describes a combination of garlic fried rice, fried eggs, and breakfast meat), you should try the aptly-named Tselogs on Mission Street in Daly City, just across the border from San Francisco. They have delicious silogs -- I've tried the longanisa, tocino, sisig, bangus and beef tapa, and have heard that their fried chicken is also wonderful. Very friendly, very clean and very reasonable, with silogs costing 4.99 to 5.99, and they have had a special from 9 am to 1 pm with all silogs 3.99. Only one small egg is included in their silogs, so I'd recommend paying an extra .75 to get an extra egg. Sisig, made with marinated bits of chicken, onion and garlic is my favorite, served in a sizzling mini-skillet, but I haven't been disappointed by any of their offerings yet. Their skinless longanisa appears to be homemade. They also serve very good pancit bihon, pancit palabok, and arroz caldo. I haven't yet tried their filipino spaghetti, with sweet meat sauce. They're not open Sunday mornings, but they are open late on Friday and Saturday nights for late night breakfasts.

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Tselogs
6055 Mission St, Daly City, CA 94014

[bigwheel042]

Went here with some friends very late on Saturday night and tried sinigang for the first time, with pork spare ribs. Pretty good! Tender meat, a nice tangy chicken broth, and topped with crisp green beans. If this place were in the city it would easily rocket into my top 5 late-night eating options.

[Cynsa]

Beyond Eggs Benedict — Sweet Jo's Chili and Biscuits is Sunday Brunch at The Corner. Do you like the flaky buttery goodness of the Meetinghouse biscuits ala Joanna Karlinsky? She's at the stove from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm on Sundays and the variations of biscuit benedicts will satisfy and delight with hearty lip smackin' flavor. I had the biscuit with pork sausage gravy ($1.25) and the Anson Mills cheese grits ($2.50), other plates were the biscuit benedict with Swiss Chard and bacon or biscuit benedict with ham hock stew...($9). She'll be at The Corner with her pop-up on Sunday, September 4.
Catch her on Thursday and Friday evenings at Oasis Cafe for chili and biscuits on 8/29 and 8/30 at 901 Divisadero Street at McAllister.

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The Corner
2199 Mission St, San Francisco, CA

[lannanh]

You should try Brunch Box food truck: http://sf.eater.com/archives/2011/07/19/the_brunch_box_launches_sfs_first_brunch_themed_truck_this_weekend.php
http://www.yelp.com/biz/brunch-box-sa...