An oldie but a goodie - Zuni Cafe
I know it'a been around for ever, but aside from Chez Panisse, there isn't another restaurant that can deliver as quintessential a San Francicso dining experience as the Zuni Cafe - the Caesar salad, the whole roast chicken, the wine list - not to mention the atmosphere and the service. I don't think it's possible to eat here often enough.
2 cents
Nov 09, 2007 08:04AM
YAWN. Had one very dull meal here and then one very unsatisfying meal here with lousy (watery) cocktails, totally inept wine service, and very uneven execution of dishes.
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I agree with you completely. It is the quintessential SF restaurant, the food and the ambiance is unique. The Caesar is as good as ever but the burger needs an overhaul. Big doughy focaccia (genuine focaccia not as bread-y and has a sligthly crunchy texture) has to go in favor of some other artisan bread, the fries are average. The meat is still very high quality
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The 'shoe string fries' are my favorite thing!! very crisp and flavorful...I just ask for the burger on different bread....not a focaccia fan with drippy burgers!
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I love the burgers but not a fan either of the focaccia bread as a bun. What bun do you ask for Chowfun? Do they always have it available? Thanks for tip.
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I ate there yesterday. I always want to like it more than the actual experience. Started off with the bartender dishing management, then we had a really junior server who was bug eyed over every question, that we shouldn't have had to ask i.e. what is the "fish of the day", "soup of the day" can we have some bread , can we have some water....yikes. $48 for a chicken is getting to be elitist and tired coupled with horrible service (the busboy was great!). What happened to this place?
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I ate there a few weeks ago and the chicken was $41, serves at least 2 and was wonderful, in our opinions. I don't see Zuni as any more elitist than any restaurant in that price range. Given the quality of the food, I think it's a completely reasonable/competitive price. Range, for example, charges $19 for 2 pieces of roast chicken. Personally, I liked Zuni's chicken better than Ranges, too.
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Yea, it was $41 early last month when I was there. Did it really jump $7 a pop in such a short time? Last xmas time it was $39. Whatever, best Chicken dish anywhere!
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ate there last week and was truly looking forward to the experience - i've been many times and, like most, love the chicken and the atmosphere however, the service was off (i.e., we sat at our table for a good 10 minutes before anyone acknowledged us and after putting in our order for wine waited again another 10 minutes before anything happened). the server explained we would have another server and she would take great care of us - didn't happen - we could barely get her attention. the food was good (but not great) it'll be a while before i go back. (just my 2 cents!)
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p.s. should mention that this was an early dinner and the place was not full.
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ate there a few weeks ago (maybe an hour or so after stepping off the plane). burgers, fries and a few drinks. zuni is comfort food. we'll keep going back.
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Everyone can say what they want about Zuni but it continues to pack them in. This is a SF institution. I agree it the foccacia for a bun is terrible and needs to be retooled. I have been impressed with the waiters I have serving me. Their knowledge of the oysters was pretty good. The $41 chicken is pricy but you can always make it at home and it is so easy to do so in a traditional oven. I make it all the time. Get her book and you will see how easy it is to make. Even the cheapest chicken comes out juicy with a crisp skin using Judy Rogers method. Check it out!
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We went about a month ago and it was a great experience. It was a Friday night, our server was extremely helpful with both wine and helping us decide what to eat ahead of the chicken. We walked away stuffed and pleased. We'll definitely go back.
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