Ellen L.
Yelp
***3.5 stars***
my cousin chose this restaurant for her son's post-graduation celebration lunch, and it was a great location, farther from the city, much less crowded, with a nicer view (from the outside). since it was a very warm day, we chose to eat inside, although i'm not sure if the a/c was on, but it was definitely cooler than sitting outside under the hot sun.
our party of 9 had to wait a bit for a table, but it wasn't long before we were seated at a long table near the front of the restaurant, and more or less away from the other guests, so we could social distance. we started with several appetizers to share: onion rings ($15), chips + guacamole ($14), napa truffle fries ($14), sweet potato fries ($8.50), and nacho waffle fries ($17). it was a fried food lovers wet dream, seeing all of these fried carbs on the table! my favourites were the truffle fries and sweet potato fries, and they were tasty on their own without any condiments.
while most of my relatives ordered the james beard competition burger ($24 a piece), i, the vegetarian, ordered the napa valley & beyond ($21), aka "beyond burger" a juicy patty, with the taste and texture of a regular burger, without the meat! it was pretty much vegan for me, since i skipped the cheese and aioli sauce, but the burger was quite tasty with the addition of avocado and caramelized onion. i further made it gluten-free by swapping out the bun for a lettuce wrap. there was a bit of salad on the side which was quite tasty...not sure what the dressing was, but i liked it! this was definitely a tasty meal, but the $$ was a bit much, esp since fries were not included.
service was generally good, a little on the slow side, but the restaurant was pretty busy even at 1430 on a friday afternoon. while the fries & chips came out quickly, the burgers took a bit of time, so by the time we finished our meal and paid, it was around 1600!
2 separate restrooms were in the rear, and i always had to wait, and was disappointed at the condition of each...definitely needed some attention on this day.
there are public parking lots 1-2 blocks away for $4/hour, not too bad for a semi-touristy area.
after this heavy meal, we enjoyed the walk along the bridgeway, taking in the view of the bay and downtown sf.