People who get fat together, stay together. With that being said, yes my boyfriend and I are getting THIICCCC from eating out so much. Anyways, we came here on a Thursday night with reservations and I'm happy we did because it was pretty busy. We were seated right away upon arrival, which was nice because we all know there are some places that make you wait an extra goddamn 15-30 mins even with a reservation. Hamachi Crudo: came with 4 pieces. Super flavorful, super delicious, super good. I recommend this as it was light but tasty. Seared Foie Gras: this is honestly the prettiest dish I've ever seen. Not only was it good, but the presentation was hella pretty... (hella extra with the tiny flowers), but SO beautiful. GET THIS!! Scallop & Pork Belly: the pork belly was nice and tender, but unfortunately our scallop was slightly overdone. I would say give this a try because I remember the last time I came, the scallop was cooked perfectly. A pretty good appetizer if you want a couple of small bites. Uni Creme Brulee: being a fairly small appetizer, we decided to ball out and get 2. One for me and the other one for me lol jk. You can actually taste the uni in this one, which I really appreciate. Overall a well presented and delicious appetizer, but by the size of it, I really can't see people sharing this... Black Truffle Ravioli (with added shaved truffles): you HAVE to eat this with your pinky up. The truffle scent is really strong and made me a happy person that night. I do have to say though, the smell is stronger than the taste. Overall a nice dish, but a tad greasy. Parpadelle: I actually enjoyed this a little bit more than the ravioli just because I thought it tasted better. I really like creamy stuff * lol ;) * so this was one of my favorites. Duck Breast: my boyfriend and I both agreed that this was cooked perfectly, but one thing that was a tad disappointing was the skin. It was soggy and tough, and kind of took away from the wonderful and soft texture of the meat. In my opinion, the duck would be 10/10 if the skin was crispy. Overall, all of the food was great! I would definitely be back again :) read more

Eclectic dining experience. Menu had some unique flavor combinations that somehow worked. We had the tasting menu with a couple of add ones for a total of ten dishes. The stand out for me was the uni creme brûlée which was not only aesthetically pleasing but absolutely delicious with the combination of sweet and savory and the burst of ocean flavor. My other favorite was the hamachi which was surprisingly sweet and smooth, and I am normally not a fan of raw fish! I also love the porcini & truffle ravioli. The Miyazaki beef was melt in your mouth delicious as well. Kudos to the chef! read more

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Everything was perfect from the impeccable service to every single creative dish that was served. Outstanding! The tasting menu was wonderfully portioned and every dish was lovely, unique, beautifully presented and simply delicious. My father had a food restriction which they were able to accommodate, our teens were able to order a la carte. The space is intimate and elegant. It was a special evening and would highly recommend and come back! read more

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UPDATE TO MY REVIEW THIS AM: I greatly appreciate the owner reaching out to me and trying to rectify the situation. I will write another update once we give them another shot. ************************************************************************** Nobody wants to be that person.... The one who looks like a complete d*ck for sending back their food. Apparently, we were those "d*cks". When we sent back our food, the ladies at the next table looked at us and whispered to each other. They continued to stare at our table throughout the night--I guess I must have had a huge booger hanging out from my nose. Anyways, the staff at 3rd Cousin were really nice about it and was apologetic so may this review is more of constructive feedback. I've been to the owner/chef's previous restaurant/pop-ups (Lot 7 and Kinfolk). Though I had lukewarm experiences at both places, I wanted to put those aside and give 3rd Cousin a shot. My friend and I both live nearby so we thought it would be a good place for us to catch up during the week. Usually ambiance has little to do with my overall experience but in this instance, it did. Poor acoustics made the dining room incredibly loud so we had to shout across the table to each other. So did every table so it felt like being stuck in a metal box with a bunch of raging banshees. My friend was also bothered with the poor ventilation. Additionally, it was so dark that we had trouble reading the menu. Please note that a credit card is required to secure reservations and if you don't cancel your reservations within 48 hours, you will be charged a $25 fee. The New American Menu is short and concise with 8 snacks/apps ($5-$17), 5 entrees ($21-$32), 2 sides ($9), and 3 desserts ($9). There's a chef's tasting menu available for $89 pp. Beer and wine only. I noticed many of the menu items are carry overs from the owner's previous restaurant/pop-ups so I thought they would have had enough time to perfect these items. I know they're still new in this location (opened mid-November) but quite frankly, I was surprised some of these dishes we received left the kitchen. At these price points, I expected more care and finesse. My friend and I shared the following (sorry for the dark pics, I lightened them on Photoshop as much as I could): *Pine nut, spigarello, and ricotta fritters w/ sofrito ($9): bit.ly/1IK6YTp The pine nut and ricotta fritters were creative but left in the fryer too long. The exterior was quite hard and the interior was hollow with whole pieces of pine nuts. *Fried organic chicken thighs w/ romesco, autumn royal grape agrodolce, herbs ($11): bit.ly/1O0j7FQ The menu indicated "thighs" but there was one boneless thigh quartered which seems a bit excessive for $11. I picked up one piece with my fork and noticed the burnt side was placed faced down on top of the sauce. I took a bite and it was confirmed--burnt. The burnt bitter taste lingered in my mouth throughout dinner. We sent this back and the second order was better (not burnt) but the chicken was quite bland and was 70% batter. The romesco sauce was bland as well. Perhaps brining may help? Zero Zero and Mason Pacific have a similar fried chicken dish which are both fantastic as they brine their chicken. *Uni Creme Brûlée w/ hackelback caviar, trout roe, tobiko, toast ($17): bit.ly/1SSxp9F As the chef's signature dish from both his previous stints, the uni crème brulee was the best dish of the night. The silky smooth custard was topped with uber fresh sweet briny uni and you get a nice pop of saltiness from the caviar, roe, and tobiko. *Pappardelle w/ spigarello, wild mushroom, smoked mozz, creme friache, reggiano, truffle ($24 + $3 guanciale): bit.ly/1HYTxPm The pappardelle arrived as a pile of mush. We sent this back and the second order of noodles kept its form but it was still a little too soft as it lacked a toothsome chew. I enjoyed the indulgent cream sauce with the bite of the salty guanciale but didn't see or taste any truffle. It's a heavy dish so thankfully our waitress suggested sharing this entree. *Spiced Pear & Sunflower Cake w/ cardamom ice cream, pomegranate, caramel ($9): bit.ly/1lBlsLl The dessert looked and tasted like holiday with the spiced cake and scarlet pomegranate seeds. It was good and did help cleanse the bitter taste that lingered in my mouth from the burnt chicken. The staff was very welcoming and friendly which is what you would expect from a "neighborhood" restaurant. I hate sending food back and when we did, they were nice about it. Usually restaurants send out bread or a little something from the kitchen gratis to tide diners down while they re-fire their entrees. They didn't but maybe that's something they should consider.Dinner took 2.5 hours so food service was a bit on the slow end. With time, I hope they're able to work through all the rough patches we experienced. I wish them well. read more

What a great spot for special takeout meals!! The food is delicious and beautifully presented, and re-heating is a breeze with the provided instructions. The uni creme brulee is so fun to try, and the truffle ravioli definitely fulfilled my cravings :) Their wagyu meat quality is great as well, and remained tender even after microwaving! They offer huge portions -- you will most likely have leftovers!! Would love to return and try indoor dining some day. read more

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I took my adult daughter to Third Cousin on a special occasion in October 2024. We found the dishes to be very good and a few were excellent. My body didn't feel so content after the meal due to the richness of the food, but it was a sacrifice I made in order to enjoy the taste. I was very disappointed, however, with the alcoholic beverages. I ordered a glass of Bare Bottle beer before the meal and sent it back because it was flat. I asked for a replacement with a different glass of on-tap beer and was warned it might be flat too. I promised I would not send back the second glass and I didn't, though it was only slightly less flat. I switched to wine for the meal and ordered a glass of $21 mediocre Sancerre that tasted like it would cost about $12 a bottle in a wine shop. My advice to customers is to bring your own bottle of wine to enjoy with the meal or drink water with the meal and go to a wine tasting bar afterwards. Overall, I did not think the cost of the meal was money well spent and I would not go back. read more

I had a wonderful dining experience at this establishment. The menu offers a great variety, and the presentation of the dishes is impeccable. The staff was attentive and made sure everything was perfect. read more

Greg got in trouble for contacting me on Yelp. He wanted me to come to eat at his new pop up, and I'm glad that he did, because I was delighted by his invitation and subsequently came here to dine during the hottest day of San Francisco, 84 degrees when we arrived at the former Lazy Bear location. Lately, my enthusiasm has returned, slowly but gradually I feel once again myself and ready to greet the world. It had been a toughie, all those work you put in, sometimes your body and mind still break down and there is nothing you can do about it. But then I was better. I met Greg and became a 3rd Cousin under a much better circumstance than several weeks ago, and because of it, I was able to experience the food in a way a real food lover would. I savored. The setting, as many would know, was the same as Lazy Bear old locale, the casual snacks were served in the beginning as some people gathered. A very cute couple celebrating their 26th year wedding anniversary. A young couple just bought their house on Mission and 29th after moving from Chicago: one guy worked for a former employer of mine, and his partner worked for a tech giant in the valley. I started to rattle off restaurant names which made one of the boys feeling a bit in awe but at the same time made me feel a bit self conscious (have I wasted countless evenings eating out?). I shared the secrets for getting into State Bird and Rich Table, and told the boy in consulting the best bone marrow is now at Monsieur Benjamin, better than LoLinda. A preppy Brit walked in and asked me what this super cool joint was. He was getting off his Gbus and discovered it on foot. Such was how an evening started. A great group of people formed a small circle, taking small bites of caviar and cream on chips and tuna tartar on rice crackers, and since when I'm on, I'm really on, I carried the conversation like I used to, assertive, attentive, inquisitive and assuring. That was how I liked a dinner party, a way to get to know others who liked to dine. We came here to bond over good food, in that sense, we all became 3rd cousins before food was served. Greg started out with spaghetti squash with pine nuts fritter then it was crab falafel aka a fancier version of crab cake, I liked it a lot. Then bacon wrapped sea scallops and crisp pork belly. Can't complain. All extremely tasty. We went inside the kitchen as we once did at Lazy Bear and watched them prepare food. It required a bit of patience and lots of discipline to do so many dishes all at once. I told Greg that I was good at eating, not so good at cooking, there was no way that I'd learn any of it, but to watch food getting prepared, that was fun. Butternut squash gratin was simply heavenly. Rack of lamb was juicy and not dry, I had no idea that you had to put that much herb to make it tasty but now I understood it's mostly about preparation when you cook rack of lamb. Note to self: always order lamb at restaurants. You can never make such a dish on your own. Too damn complicated. The most surprising thing was yuzu curd berries. Quite unexpected and completely delicious. Greg took his food seriously but with discipline and originality. Some will tell you Lazy Bear was phenomenal with a cult following, but eating at Lazy Bear to some is stunt eating. It's fanciful and not necessarily in a good way. The same group of people will also probably tell you there is something very distinct and different about Greg's cooking. There is a bit of substantialness that reminds of us his Midwestern roots. You don't have to create a complicated dish to wow the audience. You just need to manage the flavor and execute it well, be authentic and truthful to your own sense of style. While I have met and made many friends who are from the Northeast, I am secretively drawn to Midwesterners: there is a bit more subtly and authenticity in their behavior, and that transcends into how they create things. In this case, the meal is not overly complicated for the sake of being complicated, it's well executed, it's needing refinement as a new popup entity, but it's well thought out. With the fall, we start to see more squashes and root vegetables and that we wanted heartier meat. That was what was served tonight, there was consideration made to the seasonality and that subtly was not lost on us. I'd watch this spot. I'd encourage you to come and try it out. Mostly, I'd like to invite you to venture out of your comfort zone and enter the secret and exclusive pop up San Francisco dining scene, if you have not already done so. You want to be the one who can say, "I've eaten there before it actually opened." There, that's how you enter the big league (of super food lovers). and separate yourself apart from the rest of self-proclaimed foodies (99% of San Franciscans will call themselves foodies because they have once waited in line at Bi-Rite or Tartine). And do it soon before it goes mainstream. read more

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Si quieres disfrutar de una cena romántica o una noche con amigos, este restaurante es el lugar ideal. ¡La música y la iluminación son perfectas read more

I tried 3rd cousin during SF restaurant week so there was a special pre-fixe menu of their regular dishes. No surprise that the 'uni brulee' was superb! Small but rich in flavor and a good appetizer. I also really loved the desserts - the pistachio cake and the Tahitian vanilla pot de creme. One slight inconvenience was that there were 3 of us, and I wasn't able to make a regular table reservation, so instead we had to get a table at the "kitchen/bar". This wouldn't have been an issue except that there's only one section with 3 chairs and the previous party of 1 was still hanging around for about 20m after our reservation so it became an inconvenience. read more

3rd Cousin - Striped bass - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Food was great, in fact, really good. Staff was nice and the restaurant space was very warm and cozy, but the two hour limit on the table made things just a little less enjoyable. Felt rushed. Hard to relax and enjoy yourselves with the looming specter of a time limit on your table. I'm not a business person, so I get that it probably makes sense for the owners to do this. Too bad though, because that makes me not want to ever go back again. read more

3rd Cousin is every bit an experience as they promote it to be. We were excited to get a reservation for the 8 course prix fixe menu and I'm glad to say that it didn't disappoint in terms of creativity and service. The food is next level! Everything we had from the seafood sausage to the coconut panna cotta was excellent and left us wanting more. The pièce de résistance was the uni crème brûlée. This thing is mind blowing. It's as if a fisherman and a pastry chef had a baby, then hired an artist as its nanny. This thing is decadent and then they throw extra uni on it to throw it over the top. They could've just served this to me 8 times and I would've left just as satisfied. There were a few hiccups though, which is partly to blame on the lack of information given on the website. We thought the chef's table would make for a better experience, as there is an up charge per seat; however, we found it hard to converse with all the movement, background noise, and seating arrangement (bar style). The only reason I'd pay more for the chef's table is if I'm lucky enough to have two dates at once and I want to keep my conversations completely separate from the person on either side. It's just awkward. Also, it should be disclosed that the hundreds of dollars you're paying in "service charges" doesn't include gratuity. So all in all, you'll be looking at 40ish % of your total bill for the service. The table next to ours were really confused when the bill came and their conversation made perfect sense once we got ours. It just doesn't make for a smooth experience for an establishment that takes so much pride in providing one. Lastly, the portions are a bit tiny compared to similar experiences I've had at other fine dining restaurants, but it's not a deal breaker. I definitely recommend 3rd cousin as a place to check out in SF just off the strength of the food and experience (get used to hearing that word a lot while you're there). The staff is super knowledgeable and friendly. The food is great. And with a few tweaks, this place can compete with the best of em. read more

3rd cousin was such an amazing experience! The location is really cute with great ambience and a lovely staff. We got a few different appetizers and we loved the fritter, the crudo, and the uni creme brulee was so unique and unlike anything we'd ever had before. For mains we split the scallop and pork belly, truffle ravioli and the lobster risotto. The ravioli was incredible! Great flavor and really generous portions. They have a really extensive wine list and the recommendations were great, we got to try some new varietals that we really loved. Finally - the molten chocolate lava cake was to die for. It's a must get. We definitely will be coming back!! read more

OMG! This place is incredible. Our first visit and what an amazing experience we had. We were celebrating a new job for me and my wife's birthday, even though it's not until next Friday. The staff were also incredible, in particular Jessie at front of house and Sarah who helped us select some wonderful plates of food - the Burrata, the 3-meat pappardelle, and the wagyu short rib were out of this world! They also couldn't do enough for us. Highly recommend. We will definitely be back! Thank you so much. read more

Love, love, love. I visited for dinner on my birthday and I was absolutely blown away. From the moment we arrived, we were greeted warmly by the Chef - and there was even a birthday card from the restaurant on my place setting! We opted for the tasting menu and the wine pairing. Chef Greg Lutes came to our table and asked us if we had any allergies, if there was any food we disliked, etc -- just a personal, extra touch that made us feel special. My sister being pregnant, he made some adjustments to her tasting dishes - which was pretty awesome. My favorites: the bread/butter, Uni Creme Brulee, Grilled Octopus, and Porcini & Black Truffle Ravioli "Francese." To start, the bread is from Tartine Bakery - and as much as I try to not fill up on bread -- I mean hot damn. It's so good lol...and the butter...I had to force myself to stop. It's so good! The Uni Creme Brulee - I mean it's beautiful. It's a totally different and unique dish that is absolutely delicious. This is must try. It's super famous and popular, I definitely recommend it. Also a highly IG-able dish lol. The Grilled Octopus - I am not a huge fan of tentacles and am usually freaked out - but this dish is plated so beautifully that I didn't even notice them! I loved the charred/grilled flavor and the octopus was cooked perfectly. Also, it was shaped like a heart -- pretty damn cute. The Porcini & Black Truffle Ravioli "Francese" - yeah this ravioli is pretty damn good. Definitely try this, it was one of my favorites and absolutely delicious. Lots of flavor. The wine pairings were amazing and it's definitely not like some places where they don't really give you enough. I definitely had more than enough...but in the best way possible LOL. Overall -- I LOVED this place. I can honestly say it was one of the best culinary experiences I've ever had. The staff was so amazing -- friendly, polite, knowledgeable -- they just go above and beyond to make your night special. I also like how this restaurant is small/intimate. It has a luxurious, yet casual vibe. Don't miss out on this hidden gem -- I literally can't stop telling everyone about it! read more

I feel cheated. My uni creme brulee did not come with a piece of uni on top; we got crab instead. On their website, you only see this dish with the uni on top. On all the Yelp pictures, they all have a large piece of uni on top. Why did we get crab instead? Why didn't they tell us as we were ordering that there is no uni on top? We went there because my wife is a uni lover, and this is their signature dish. Otherwise, we would have gone elsewhere. I didn't complain at the restaurant because I'm a chill guy and I wasn't aware of all the pictures beforehand, so I spent the time calming my wife down. In hindsight, she was right. I gave 2 stars because the food is decent, though not amazing. read more

3rd Cousin - We got crab on top instead of uni - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

My wife and I met with our favorite foodie friends and decided to try 3rd Cousin on Courtland Av. The food, service and overall experience exceeded our expectations. Each dish had it's own distinct flavors and was carefully crafted, timed and served. The Master Chef and Owner Greg Lutes was there the entire night which lended a personal feel to the experience. Although it is a small space, I noticed that it has sound absorbing ceiling panels making it easy to talk and not too loud. I will recommend it to all my friends. read more

3rd Cousin - Dining area and Kitchen - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

We booked a reservation for six at 3rd Cousin for restaurant week and it was a great experience. Dinner was $65 for a 4-course meal with an optional wine pairing for $49. First Course: Beer battered oysters topped with fennel, setsuma and black sesame ranch. The fried oysters were a good size and fresh. Second Course: Winter salad with shinko pear, pancetta, puffed quinoa and Vietnamese vinaigrette. Salad was good but nothing particularly special. I should have gone with the winter root soup for something more unique. Third Course: American wagyu flat iron steak. Steak was cooked to the perfect medium rare, salty in some bites but overall good flavor. Fourth Course: Vanilla Pot de Creme. This was an alternative dessert option to the listed desserts for SFRW and it was tasty. Overall a great choice for SFRW. Would I go other times of the year... maybe for an anniversary dinner or special occasion. read more

Their signature dish, the UNI CREME BRULEE, served along side toast, was the only reason why I wanted to dine here and to me it was...... OK. The uni was very small in comparison to the trout roe and caviar. I wasn't even able to taste it really because the portion was so small. I also ordered the Wagyu & short rib, medium, and it was served to me almost well done.. ughhhhhh. None of the dishes really stood out to me, however service and atmosphere was nice. read more

Boyfriend and I got to try the $125/person 4-course pre-fixe Valentine's Day menu. DEFINITELY make reservations because it gets PACKED! Also, apologies in advance for the lack of pictures because we were seated in a dimmer area of the restaurant, which is so upsetting because some of that plating was phenomenal! For our first course, we each got the Hamachi Crudo and added one Uni Creme Brulee for an additional $27. I liked the hamachi better but Boyfriend liked the uni better. The hamachi was fresh. The yuzu and kiwi gave it the right amount of tartness. It was just so smooth. Uni Creme Brulee was what drew Boyfriend to this restaurant. The perfect amount of saltiness and several textures with the caviar, tobiko, and roe. I just wish we got more crostinis. Second course was Little Gem Salad and Porcini & Black Truffle Ravioli. Boyfriend thought both were skippable and I think he'd rather the Uni Creme Brulee be part of the menu as the second course. But I'm a huge fan of black truffle and refreshing salads with plenty of crunchy textures, so both won me over. For our main entree, Boyfriend ordered the wagyu and I got the snapper. We both agreed his wagyu was infinitely better than my snapper, but I really liked the colorful cauliflowers and butter bean puree that came with the snapper. Lastly, dessert was Banana Foster's Pot de Creme and a heart-shaped raspberry chocolate mousse kinda thing. Neither of us are huge fans of coconut, so we enjoyed the chocolate mousse more. I LOVE a dessert with raspberry accents to cut into the thick richness of chocolate. Lastly, service is amazing. Overall, the food was amazing but I wouldn't say it's worth $125+/person. Looking back at Yelp pictures, they raised the price from $99 to $125 for their Valentine's Day menu - that's a 25% increase! read more

With over 4,000 restaurants in SF, how do you find gems like this? I thank my lucky starts that my colleague recommended this place for us to celebrate our 2-year work anniversary, or I never would have known it existed. And my life would have been very sad. The three of us sat comfortably in their parklet with overhead heaters on a foggy evening last week. Since it was a "school" night, we dined right when they opened at 5. Incredibly, I found plenty of FREE street parking around the corner. In San Francisco. Whut? That's an extra star right there, because all 5 stars go to the food. The prompt service, enthusiastic staff and kind hospitality were all just [delicious] gravy. We enjoyed complimentary non-alcoholic cocktails to start: a sparkling yuzu/plum concoction that tingled my taste buds. We followed with the delicate little gems salad, silky buri (crudo) and the buratta that will rock your world. My co-worker took one bite of that and said, "I need a cigarette." I am not kidding. For our mains, we shared the perfectly cooked king salmon, and the succulent duck confit. Every thing I put in my mouth made me happy. Lots of kindness towards special dietary needs. Even our delectable panna cotta dessert was made with coconut milk; no dairy. On top of it all, the food was achingly beautiful with brilliant colors and artful plating. Honestly, I've never dined like this anywhere, and with no attitude or overly precious stories about our food's origins and motivation. Just world class cuisine that speaks for itself. You should go here! read more

My wife and I had a wonderful time celebrating her birthday recently at 3rd Cousin. We enjoyed a nine course meal at the chef's counter with wine pairings. First off, from top to bottom, the wine pairings were simply perfect. I can't say I've done a tasting before where everything was so spot on from that aspect. The highlight for us from the menu was the uni crème brûlée, which seems to be a favorite of other diners. Paired with champagne it was pure decadence. We also really enjoyed the off menu A5 dumpling that was a surprise treat during the tasting and the ravioli with truffle supplement was also fantastic. Our main protein of sustainably sourced venison had three components that blended remarkably well, a theme of the evening. The blackberry bavarois with puffed rice was a wonderful finish to the meal. We enjoyed conversation with Chef Greg and many of the other staff, who made us feel incredibly welcome. It was a memorable evening and we can't wait until our next time back. From our evening, the spot is on par with other Michelin star quality experiences we have had. Thank you! read more

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Two things that 3rd Cousin excel at are their flavorful food and outstanding service. While the venue itself was minimal and non-eccentric in any design sense, the service felt like a Michelin rated venue. The servers were much more attentive than the average romantic dinner spot, executing perfectly throughout the meal. 3rd Cousin has a cozy feel to it, dimly lit with a gentle hum of conversation embedded on the main street of a residential neighbor. Every plate we tried at 3rd Cousin was delicious and something unique. Their crab ramen was sweet and savory, a very large portion for a non-expensive price. The creme brulee uni wasn't overly sugary but with roe and caviar to balance it out was beyond tasty. Scallop was seared perfectly, ravioli bursting with flavor. All of the plates were delicious and well thought out - the whole meal felt much more elevated than the prices you were paying for them. If you want a cozy yet refined place to have a great date, this is the restaurant for you. Sure, they have a floor heater heating the venue but everything else makes up for its homey charm. read more

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I left the restaurant thinking it was a 3 star dining experience, but am removing an extra star for since my coworker and I both had stomach cramps after dining here. Luckily for us, that was the worst of our symptoms. We came in for dinner on a Friday night around 8pm, and was able to grab the last two seats at the bar. The restaurant was pretty full, so reservations are definitely recommended for weekend nights. Make sure you request the porridge bread and butter, since the portions are on the small side! We tried: -Hamachi Crudo (Avocado, Fuyu Persimmon, Cranberry-Kosho, Furikake Tuile, Black Garlic, $15, https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=bwRwCdTayyF0DMD8iuQaiQ&userid=76vIFZcC7owykCBjMfGVXg): For $15, the pieces of crudo were super thin, and they tasted a bit fishy. We're pretty sure this is what caused the stomach cramps. The flavors were ok, but there was too much going on- I wouldn't get this again. -Maine Lobster & Crab Ramen (Bacon, Savoy Cabbage, Tat Soi, Soft Egg, Mesilla, Half Portion/$22,https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=xaGfgoAz3W4O7JchOO8S9Q&userid=76vIFZcC7owykCBjMfGVXg): On the bland side, and I didn't like the presentation- I don't think you should call a dish "ramen" if the noodles aren't submerged in the soup. The "soup" was also too salty- Skip! -Uni & Creme Brûlée (Petrossian Caviar, Yuzu Tobiko, Trout Roe, Toast, $21, https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=zZIoG35t5JDdN7abY_aLrA&userid=76vIFZcC7owykCBjMfGVXg): Sadly, overrated for me. I love uni, and I thought the sweetness from the brulee overpowered all the other flavors, including the brininess of the uni- skip! -Pappardelle (Di Napoli Squash, Wild Mushroom, Smoked Scamora, Creme Fraiche, Mint, Half/$18, https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=Pnt6_RjJmjAoQWfzdskrvQ&userid=76vIFZcC7owykCBjMfGVXg): The pappardelle was great, and really fresh tasting. It was cooked perfectly, and I liked the creaminess of the sauce. However, the squash wasn't fully cooked, and the pieces were still crunchy. I would recommend the pappardelle, but not with the squash. -Bread Pudding (w/Caramelized Banana, Strawberry Ice Cream, https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=FuAu-kkYNTbakIkvnWOpfA&userid=76vIFZcC7owykCBjMfGVXg): Just ok, and I didn't think all the flavors worked well together in this dish- skip! -Complimentary Dark Chocolate Truffles (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=PpF6-73PluxXiKEY_d--FA&userid=76vIFZcC7owykCBjMfGVXg): Good, but not amazing. These were very rich. The servers are very friendly, but the service was a little slow (not sure if it's because we were at the bar or not). The other Yelpers are correct in that the portions are small, especially for the prices. Based on this experience (and the stomach cramps), I doubt I'll be back. Parking is very difficult to find in this area, but at least the street parking is free. read more

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Came in on a Tuesday night - excited to try this spot. Pros - Food was delicious. Cons- oddly our experience was both rushed ...and ignored...at the same time! We were sat for our reservation immediately - but it forever to be initially greeted by our server. There were maybe 4 or 5 tables and at least 3 different service folks on the floor - so that didn't make a lot of sense. 1st and 2nd Courses came out fast but then ZERO check backs - and plates left for far too long in front of us. We decided to order desert and tea (because we saw the table next to us had these cute little teapots) - dessert was dropped with 2 cups of tea (no pot) and then we were ignored for at least 30 mins. At one point i looked at my companion and she said "there is no one in the kitchen" (which is open to the dining room) "and no service staff and no hostess". The entire staff of the whole restaurant was not visible! We get it's hard to find good staff - but if this was my restaurant I'd be pressed to be there whenever it was open until the staff gets it. Tasty - but Expensive and disappointing experience. read more

@greglutes is one of the most sweetest and innovative chef I've met! Third Cousin provides a really diverse culture to courses. The tastes can range from American, French, to Japanese! Greg was inspired by all of the flavors from when he was traveling around. What was once a pop up shop is now a great place to dine in! You can choose different types of tasting menu, my friend and I chose the four course meal with the wine pairing. - Uni dip is probably the best uni i've ever tasted! I would highly recommend this dish. - The hamachi was really good, fresh fish and had sweet and sour nodes to it (paired with smoked shoe and yuzu dressing) - Squash Soup with Lobster: This was a splendid dish, the squash soup was light and sweet and paired really well with the lobster - Wagyu Ribeye - This wagyu came in as a big treat! It was covered with truffle and was a ride to find it, it was really good - Porcinin mushroom & black truffle ravioli - this was probably our favorite dish. The ravioli was packed with deliciousness and it tasted rich and creamy! The truffle on top really made it special as well - Pistachio Cake - really good wrap up dessert, the pistachio ice cream was so good, it was also house-made! The poached pear paired really well with this meal I'm really excited to come back to try the bigger tasting menu sometime! This place is great for large parties or a date. It has a really nice open kitchen as well. read more

Delicious food, intimate space, and superb customer service. I've been here twice and have had a wonderful experience.

Got to try this place because of restaurant week! My girlfriends and I never heard of this place, but it was on a blog as the top ten restaurants to try during restaurant week. Thus, we made our reservations and dined here! They do switch out some of the menu items daily, so what you see online may not be what is offered at the restaurant for that day. Now to the food: For appetizers: I got the beer battered oysters- light, not overly salty, a great first course. My friends got the uni-creme brulee. They said it felt like an explosion in their mouth. Definitely worth the extra 20 dollars!!! They both said they will come here just for the uni creme brulee. Second course- I got the winter root soup and it was perfect for a cold night. Not too heavy! My friends got the beets, and that was pretty refreshing. Third course- we all to the waygu flat iron. The portion was huge! I was pretty full after half of my plate! Definitely a solid choice. Forth course- I got the passion fruit sorbet, but definitely liked my friends' pistachio cake way better. However, if you like really tart sobert, you'll enjoy it. Overall, definitely a solid recommendation. Easy to find parking, a cozy nice restaurant with stellar customer service! read more

Food was ok, service and ambiance were good. Hated the steak but some of the other dishes were worth trying.

We ordered takeout from 3rd cousin over the weekend during shelter in place and it was delicious! Haven't had a great meal in awhile and the portions were pretty decent sized. The wagyu ribeye was cooked to perfection and the dessert was a light pairing to go along with the meal. Will definitely go back for dine-in. read more

3rd Cousin - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Food was ok, not interesting or any new takes you can't find at many other restaurants. We had a typical mix salad, dry over-cooked sea bass, kind of bland focaccia. Some highlights were the desserts including a delicious moist pistachio cake, wagyu was perfectly cooked, nice wine selection, and friendly professional staff. Very tacky and unacceptable was how the tables along the wall we sat were literally 6 inches away from each other. Guests had to move tables each time they entered and exit. It was very awkward for all 6 or so tables as we were almost staring into our neighbors' eyes. Staff's bums were in our face as they spoke to neighboring tables. For a $400+ dinner for two or at any price point, I was very disappointed in this uncomfortable setting and their decision to do this. read more

The food here is on par with Michelin Star restaurants at its best, but there are a couple of misses on the menu. The uni creme brûlée is a legit dish that is liable to make this place known. I also had a pasta dish which was extremely well executed: pasta was homemade with excellent texture, and the sauce was rich and creamy without being heavy. Also, this is a small thing, but their bread and butter is SO good. The bread has a nice hearty and deep wheat taste, and the butter is at a great temperature and consistency. Reminded me of the bread and butter at Coi. I did get an octopus dish which was below meh (rubbery, served with weird steamed broccoli and a rather unremarkable sweet soy sauce), but if you dodge that, it's amazing. read more

With great hesitation I write this review - this hidden gem in Bernal for me is basically in the same class of restaurants as State Bird or Al's Place (except without the star, which means reservations can actually be made :) ). But it's inevitable that people will find it eventually... Service 4.5/5 - personable and friendly coursing (though they forgot a dish of ours) Value 4/5 - I mean... you'll prob spend $50-70/person + wine $ depending on your appetite, and portion sizes lean small, so you should set your expectations properly. You're basically getting elevated, 1-Michelin-star equivalent foods so you're not gonna get that for cheap. Food 4.5/5 - special shoutouts to the rich foie on toast, the juicy-tender duck breast, as well as the decadent chocolate cake dessert. OK - lobster not-actually-ramen noodles, scallops and pork belly (wish the belly was a bit more delicate), the pork loin (wish it was a tad less lean), the crudo (would prefer a more delicate taste), and the well-executed but unmemorable almond cake. Final score: 4.5/5, rounded up to 5 stars for this lovely li'l spot on the hill! read more

This is a wonderful restaurant. Food is excellent, impeccable attention to detail, excellent knowledgeable yet unpretentious service. This hidden gem is criminally under appreciated. read more

3rd Cousin - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

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To be honest, I couldn't wait to try this restaurant with my best friend because it was his Birthday and he specifically wanted to dine here because of that uni creme brûlée dish that his friends have been telling him.. that dish sure is their most popular signature item on the menu. We were so excited to try this place and arrived early to the restaurant. The restaurant was not packed (about 4 tables seated inside the dinning room) as we picked an earlier time to avoid the wait time for food. We were greeted by the host and was able to get seated prior to our reservation time. Then after he explained the courses on the tasting menu, I politely asked the host if they were full committed for the night because we wanted to switch to the next table by the wall... he said no because they were fully committed for the night and therefore, we cannot move to another table. I appreciated his honesty but there were two main reasons that I wished to move - 1. The table we had a lot of sunlight coming in during the time we were seated/it was making my eyes uncomfortable 2. The tables by the wall I wanted to be seated were empty and were not filled until towards the end of my dining experience. What got me to write a review about this was because when another couple that was seated next to us asked to move their seating to the table by the wall and they got it right away (no questions asked) - It was very upsetting. I go out and dine out a lot.. from moms & pops to Michelin 3 stars restaurants.. I must say I am not happy at all for my dinning experience here and I had to say something as a feedback. The food is great but with the treatment I have received here just ruined my night. Thank you to the management for coming by to apologize but damage has already been done. IMO: no one likes to be treated differently. We came to have a good time, not a disappointing time :( read more

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Small intimate dinner spot. Great service and very attentive. The food was good, but I didn't get to try their set menu so will need to update my review when I go back. read more

Tasting Menu = $93 (worth it). I was SO full after all dishes came out and i couldn't even finish dessert, which is VERY rare for me. Yes, it's pricey for the amount you get, BUT the ingredients are quality. I know how much i have paid for good seafood before and 3rd Cousin gives you some good seafood (uni & scallops). 1. Hamachi - good starter as it had subtle flavors that really got to ready for the next few plates 2. Uni Creme Brulee - i could eat this allllll day 3. Octopus - this doesn't stack up to Lolinda's octopus at all.....just an okay dish 4. Scallops w/Pork Belly - cooked perfectly and eating that with the crispy pork belly was just the combo i needed 5. Ravioli - i was getting full, but this dish made me want more.....i loved this dish and would get a whole plate myself next time 6. Steak - cooked perfectly and was oh so tender 7. Choc Souffle - loved it....great ooey gooey way to end the meal. It was more like a molten lava cake though They give you free truffles too :) 3rd cousin was just the treat I needed after a very long day at work. read more

Since I'm back from Asia.....I decided to not be lazy and make good use of my time jet-lagged and all. : ) I had dinner at this restaurant a while ago before my trip and never had the time to write up my review so here goes! 3rd Cousin is located on Cortland Avenue in the Bernal Heights area of San Francisco. It was on my list of cool new restaurants to visit that month so I was psyched and ready to stuff myself. The restaurant is in an area where we drove through some pretty narrow streets. (Think streets where one car is able to drive down the street. Yep, that narrow.) The parking situation is pretty much street parking. Upon walking into the place, I noticed that it seems like a little hole in the wall but done in a very clean and modern way. I loved the large roundish window by the front entrance. There's about 15 small tables with some pushed together to accommodate larger groups. There's also 2 seats at the bar area. We glanced over the menu and noticed it's shared plates, family style. We opted to go a là carte instead of their tasting menu because we weren't interested in some of the dishes. Everything we ordered was to our liking and I feel that this is definitely a restaurant that I could bring friends to for a small group dinner. The pricing isn't too steep either. Pain Bakery Porridge Bread & House Butter : This was complimentary if asked for. I couldn't tell the taste between regular bread and porridge bread, but it was good nonetheless. Caramelized Brussel Sprouts : These were a good veggie side. Really can't go wrong with Brussel Sprouts. Hamachi Crudo : This was nice. Delicately made and plated. I really enjoyed the sauce it came with and I'm not even a sushi connoisseur. Uni Crème Brûlé : This was my must-order. I love my Uni and Caviar and this was the highlight for me. The Uni cream with Caviar slathered on top of the thinly sliced toast was just HEAVEN. This is definitely a dish I can't find anywhere else. Yes, it does look like a small portion. I do wish there was more. Pappardelle : This was on the menu so I had to order it. (Pappardelle and Tagliatelle are my favorites.) This was really creamy and rich; richer than I'm used to. It was ok, but I would probably order something else next time. Meyer Lemon Pot De Crème : This filled up half the glass jar so it didn't seem like a lot, but when it was just enough as a dessert. It was light and not as creamy as I thought it was going to be. Truffles : This came complimentary with our bill. It was a nice touch. It seemed like dark chocolate and was quite bitter. read more

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Sad to write this review. Our first time here, several months ago, was very good. But this recent experience - perhaps it was an off-night. I was particularly disappointed because it was a special meal - a family reunion with my sister who hadn't been to California in 10 years. We also said as much in our reservation notes. And, you'll see, I don't leave many poor reviews. There was one thing that was out of the restaurant's control - a loud speaking couple seated next to us who were arguing through their entire meal. Then again, because of how small the restaurant is - you're sort of elbow to elbow - it was impossible for several of us seated nearby to not notice. Isn't this something the host could address politely with the arguing couple? Next - the music choice. So weird! And it's not because I'm middle-aged. It was 80s rock and it was loud. At three different points, we asked the server to turn down the music. Maybe once, he seemed to honor our request, but quickly the music level crept right back up - their strategy in response to this request, I suppose. More on the tight environment: the man I think is the chef/owner was at one point pulling chairs out from the table behind us and was doing so with difficulty. At one point, he elbowed my wife - without ZERO acknowledgment. He then took these chairs and placed them at another table. Anyway, it took him a while to do it - it was awkward and he made no apologies whatsoever to his surrounding diners. Weird. The food? The appetizer of squash fritters was tasty. When my sister was ordering and asked the server what Yuzu is (she's from the east coast!), he said it's a Japanese lime. She asked how it differs from limes here, he wasn't really able to answer or respond why they include it in their salmon dish. My entree was the duck breast. It was luke warm, flabby and just not particularly interesting - for one of the higher-priced entrees on the menu, I would expect more. Anyway, I'm sorry to give a bad review to a neighborhood restaurant and I know how hard it is to hire good workers right now in SF. I know how hard it is to do business in SF. I was just super disappointed. read more

Poor service and food was ok .......... Parking was difficult and environment was cramped and noisy. Poor wine selection read more