Special Feature: Products Sally Recommends
Kate's Kitchen
471 Haight Street between Webster and Fillmore
San Francisco, CA 94117
(415) 626-3984
Cuisine: American
Pluses: Great breakfasts
Minuses: May have to wait for a table
Don't Miss: Cornmeal buttermilk pancakes, Home fried potatoes
Price: Inexpensive Ammenities
Overview: Open for breakfast and lunch daily
No reservations
No credit cards
Street parking
Completely non-smoking
Wheelchair accessible
By 9 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays a crowd has gathered waiting for Kate's Kitchen to open. By 9:15 or 9:30 there's already a waiting list. The word is definitely out: Kate's serves one of the best breakfasts in the city.
The breakfast menu includes eggs, a daily omelet special, fruit plates, granola, French toast, and cheese and green onion biscuits; but my favorite breakfast is the cornmeal buttermilk pancakes. They're plate sized, with a light texture and just a little crunch from the cornmeal. Served with fresh fruit and real maple syrup, they're among the best pancakes I've ever had.
The other food at Kate's is also fine. The eggs are tasty, and the yummy home fried potatoes with sautÈed onions and peppers are crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside. The orange juice is fresh squeezed, with no bitter rind taste, and the coffee is good and strong enough to curl your hair.
At lunchtime you can order sandwiches like the M&M (meatloaf spiraled with mashed potato); or red beans and rice with grits and greens, and they're good, too. But since breakfast is served all day, I have a hard time passing up those pancakes.
Servings are generous, and even when Kate's is busy, service is friendly and efficient. So put your name on the waiting list (or go during the week when it's less crowded) and get ready to enjoy a fine meal.
Note: the neighborhood around Kate's Kitchen is definitely on the funky side. This may not be the place to bring your timid relatives from Iowa.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the businesses in question before making your plans.
