Nothing stellar, but for bacon, eggs and rye toast with crispy hashbrowns... it hits the spot. Coffee could be better, given the City. Omelettes are good, but sometimes the eggs get browned and I hate tha read more

Delicious greasy spoon with excellent service. We've only had breakfast but it was yummy. What a nice family place :) We will be back! read more

Walked in and was greeted by the owner with a huge smile. There are two entry-ways the one to the left is the counter and to the right is the dining room. Service was really sweet although they could be a little more attentive on refilling drinks. We were pretty much on our own once the food got there. French toast was simple and delicious I definitely will be back. read more

Cheap, fast, good. I love a brunch that comes without a long wait. It's a diner with a few nicer CA touches, like fresh squeezed OJ and some decent salad greens to go with your standard eggs Benedict, omelette, burgers and bacon fare. read more

This is the perfect spot for all your staple diner foods, especially breakfast. I had the Mediterranean scramble (extra ground beef added)... And it was DELICIOUS!! My husband had the eggs Benedict and he was thoroughly pleased. Also they have amazing fresh orange juice. The coffee is bleh... Nothing fancy. 3 adults, full breakfast and two drinks each= under $50! For SF, that's a steal. read more

Wow I have walked by this place for years! And never went in, today I braved it out and had brunch, yum! I'm so excited to have found another local business I will be supporting for years to come! read more

Friendly staffs. Foods are fresh and tasty. I went for breakfast couple times. Perfect go to place.

This place serves up, good old-fashioned generously portioned diner food in an old-school setting. The core of the wait staff are all family members, and you can often times catch them bickering amongst each other as they busily run about their chores, which I think adds to the character and personality of the place. It's an old-school diner enviroment, which is hard to find these days, last of a dying breed (particularly in SF). The food is awesome (although somewhat overpriced for diner food). You have to try their homemade salsa, which, is THE best salsa I have ever had in my life. They should seriously bottle that stuff up. I always get breakfast there, so I can't speak for their lunch/dinner items, but the breakfast is outstanding. You will definately leave full after a breakfast at Al's. Check it out if you haven't been. Keep good, authentic old-school diners alive! read more

I'm sad I had to change my review of Al's. Everything must come to an end someday, and Al's changed ownership when the owners of over 40 years finally retired. I think it is under asian ownership now. They've tried to keep the decor the same, but much of the old hollywood memorabilia has been removed. The food is still decent, but the atmosphere is just not the same. I'll still eat here from time to time, but i'm not a regular anymore... RIP A's Cafe Good Food (the real one) Formerly: You never know what you're going to get when you walk into Good Food. (you may get a tip on a horse race!) The old school atmosphere is reminiscent of a time before i was born. "oldies" are always on the jukebox, and you can cure a hangover with a greasy, generously portioned breakfast/brunch food. The staff are like a family, maybe yours. prices are average, there is never a wait. If you order a hamburger, you get free meatball stew, which has always been some of the best stuff i've tasted! I live across the street, and will continue to eat at Al's Cafe frequently! read more

oh al's. How I miss your window displays, your sassy waitresses who called me baby doll and sweetie, your swinging tunes from the 50's, and just that family owned feel, all the way from the atmosphere, and deep within the greasy spoon that is you! Since reopening, it seems that al's is still family owned, but by a family of people who might not have the knack for running a restaurant. Gone are the window displays and music, and only some of the paraphernalia remain. (kudos for keeping BOTH Selena plates.) My BF and I happened to both order the mission omelet. I decided to get the scrambler, just to switch it up a bit. However, who would have thought getting the same thing two different ways would actually end up so different! Mine did not come with spinach, and my BF's spinach was nearly RAW. Both were a little skimpy on the portions, but not to fear! Half of our plates were piled high with undercooked, under seasoned scalloped potatoes. They're advertised as home fries i guess? They also served some homemade salsa(?) I don't know, I guess I just prefer tabasco on my raw potatoes. Along with our serving of margarine with a side of toast, our waiter also brought the check. He mumbled an apology and something about being so busy, but to take our time. I looked around at the 4 other tables, and thought to myself, this guy has probably never worked as a server before. As the waiter took our check, he asked if everything was ok. And through gritted teeth and a grin, I replied, "yes. everything was ok." ok...just ok. Even down to the water and coffee, there was just something not right about our experience...was it the lack of kitsch? I may never know. I, like many other reviews might come back when this place gets its act together. But for now, I'll just have to trek a little farther into the mission for my diner experience. read more

Well, I hate to join the rest but yup, this place sucks now under new management. I remember coming here when I was little, it was our family's Sunday morning breakfast go to. The ladies were grumpy but friendly most times and called you sweety. The pancakes WERE huge and awesome! Now, the menu is one page, and the food is bland and cold. I am so bummed, will not be returning. read more

Worst restaurant experience in as long as I can remember. I hope they get better. I feel sort of bad that they're so awful. But the food was heavy and gross, the service by a young gal in braces was painfully slow, and to top it off, they're expensive! Our little basic breakfasts (three of us) plus coffee came out to nearly $40. read more

Update: The original sisters have sold the place and it has changed a bit. The food is still greasy-spoon goodness, and large portions. However, the delightfully cranky sisters who have been there forever are gone, and the menu seems to have changed. It's large and there is never a wait. We still enjoy it every now and again. read more

I decided to try this place out even though, because of the reviews, I didn't have high hopes. The food was really mediocre. The hash browns tasted like the 'just add water' kind and the biscuit was definitely not from scratch. I was hoping to find a good diner in the neighborhood. Guess I'll keep looking. They don't take card if your order is under $10, FYI. read more

The hot beef sandwich and the hash browns with biscuits and gravy were just like we remembered from the 50's as was the ol' waitress and cook. The service was personal. The prices were in line for the day and age, maybe even on the low side. The restroom was dicey. read more

Memorabilia from W.C Fields, Shirley Maclaine, and Judy Garland - check. Bacon as crisp as a new 5 dollar bill - check. Older waitresses that call you 'Angel' and 'Doll' - check. Me hearting Al's - check. read more

I went here for lunch yesterday. The food didn't knock me off my feet, but it was good - a bit pricey for what it was, but at least filling. The main thing is the decor, full of nostalgia, but in a grimy, old, dusty kind of way. Old rusty metal posters for 1950s movies and cardboard cutouts and autographed photos of celebrities long dead. Which I love. But my favorite part was the staff, old talkative ladies and fat cooks - trying really hard to please. It's a good place for a date, if your date is interesting enough. Also, the salsa is really good. read more

Best pancakes in town. Best breakfast I've eaten in town. The pancakes are light, fluffy, flavorful and drowning in butter. just like they should be. The corned beef hash is shredded, well cooked, flavorful and topped with two eggs. The atmosphere is kooky and fun, and the servers are extremely friendly and familiar. It's worth the drive for me to eat breakfast at Al's. read more

I've been meaning to try this place ever since I started working nearby. I finally decided to do it when I got a 50% ScoutMob coupon. I'm sad to say it still wasn't worth it. The chef/owner/cash register guy does every order himself AND rings them up, while the other folks look on busying themselves with little odd jobs. Meanwhile, I figured - well, so no atmosphere, but the food has to be great, right? Biscuits & gravy, with eggs & hash browns? I can write this date down on the calendar as the first time I've ever left biscuits & gravy uneaten on my plate. DRY (stale is a better word), gravy OK though - but not enough to make up for it. The eggs were OK, and the hash browns were literally inedible, with NO flavor. And the bacon - even the bacon (extra charge) couldn't lift this meal out of its funk. For the first time in my life, I left over bacon - I didn't think this was possible. I'm sad that this place was such a disappointment. read more

I absolutely love the eggs florentine here. As someone who hasn't been eating any meat lately, it's super satisfying, with amazing complex sauce AND the hash browns offer an excuse to dump on the exceptional salsa. Great prices, great service; they'll be getting my eggs florentine business for a long time! read more

Best breakfast I have had in recent memory. They really know how to cook here. I will definitely be back many more times. The service was relaxed and friendly. I ended up having to order an extra side because there is a $10 minimum for card payments, but it's not like I needed much of an excuse to order some bacon anyway, which was perfect, I might add. If you want some no frills, down-home cooking, I can strongly recommend giving this place a go. read more

I live in this neighborhood, and have always wanted to eat here (I like old school diners). I finally did today. Sorry to say, the experience was poor. The dishwasher was banging dishes around behind the counter so loudly that I thought he was trying to get me to leave just by the shear sonic force he was creating. After ordering a fish sandwich (they were out), I ordered a garden burger with potato salad. It came with fries. Food was OK, though it sat in my stomach like a stone. The place is pretty dirty as well. I'm sad, because I hoped I'd have a nice diner here at the edge of Bernal. read more

One of my favorite breakfast places in the Mission. Food is standard hearty breakfast/lunch diner food, with a special shout out to the chicken fried steak. The owner is very friendly, and the food is pretty reasonably priced in the $8-12 range for most items. Definitely not a bougie upscale dining experience, but if you want a classic greasy-spoon breakfast without breaking your budget, you can't beat Al's. read more

Best breakfast in San Francisco. Great joint, exactly what you want from a diner. Family owner place. Delicious fresh squeezed orange juice... makes for a great mimosa!! Just what I needed on a hungover Saturday morning. read more

Good food. Name doesn't lie. You'll eat well whether you are there for breakfast (including a very good waffle topped with strawberries) or lunch (Thai lemongrass chicken on sourdough with a side salad was the highlight). Service was attentive and genuine. Space was diner inspired. Just nothing special that earns them a fourth star. Just good food. read more

No lines. No foo foo French pastries and latte. No laptops at every table. No yuppies checking you over for not wearing the latest designer athletic wear. Just your working class All American simple classic breakfast and coffee. Punto! read more

No nonsense kind of place. A true cafe with lots of choices on the menu. Joanne was our waitress and she's pistol. Decent food with a decent price. Watch out though it's cash only. read more

I really wanted to like this place. It has fun old-timey Hollywood diner decor, and a wide selection on the menu. However, I've been twice, and both time the food was very mediocre. I had tasteless meatloaf one time, and bland eggs the other. If they really had "good food," I'd go all the time. Oh, well. read more

Went there for brunch this morning with some friends, for Sunday brunch around 11. It seemed like a reasonable no-frills diner from the outside but my interest drained as the meal went on. Service was slow with the place being not too busy. Our food took about 30-40mins to arrive and I was pretty disappointed when I saw the chef microwaving food. I ordered the Al's scramble (I think is the name): ground beef, tomatoes, onions, and three eggs. Portions were huge but the food was mediocre; it tasted like a bunch of ingredients added together after being cooked, not something with mixed together with flavors. We left feeling too full and not so happy, so I probably wouldn't go back here again. read more

I can't believe anyone would compare this to Toast or Chloe's in Noe Valley. This is the type of place you come to because you know there won't be a wait and you'll get a good, solid breakfast. Nothing fancy, but again, no hype, no drama, no wait. And the staff is very friendly. read more

Larry is awesome! This is one of the best diners in San Francisco and the best part are the people that work here. The food is great and I've been a regular here for years. Awesome part of the community and I hope they never leave! read more

I come here at minimum once a week. It's my new go to for breakfast in SF. Super affordable and really good, also love supporting a family owned restaurant! read more

This place has all the great elements of a diner: simple, delicious food in a relaxed atmosphere at affordable prices. My go to breakfast spot when I want some pancakes, eggs, and bacon. Also serves excellent mimosas. read more