When I was super cheap and just started working in the FiDi, I had the bizarre notion to keep all my meals under $6. I say "bizarre" because that's nearly impossible when you work downtown. Even so, I used to come here for their delish side caesar salad and call it a lunch for $3.50. It came with a hunk of tasty sourdough, too. And then I'd be hungry an hour and a half later. read more

Boudin's is definitely a solid choice when you're craving clam chowder in sf. I'm so glad I discovered this location because it's a lot less crowded compared to the one on the pier and you get your food with little to no wait. read more

Fairly nice people and decent food. It's kind of a chain restaurant at this point, but still good food. The place to go if you love bread bowls!! The area has gone downhill in recent years and is pretty dirty and sketchy, unfortunately. The sights are beautiful, as it overlooks the water. The ambiance is excellent, as you can hear the bustle of street performers and the barking of sea lions nearby. Decently priced! Great option for a quick San Francisco meal! read more

It kinda burns my buns to give this place a lower rating than I normally would give. We came for lunch on Saturday as we were excited about the prospect of grilled cheese. We picked out our options, paid, and sat down with our number. 20 minutes later, we were still sitting there. Were they busy and swamped you ask? Nay, I say. It was pretty quiet actually. People were coming in and out but there was maybe 3 or 4 tables of people at the time. Well it turns out you actually have to wait at the counter to get your food, which they put out when it's done. It would have been nice if we'd been told that instead of waiting to have our food delivered to the table. Except even that was kind of fail. My partner went up to find out where the food was because it looked like his was sitting out there. His had actually *just* come out and mine took another five minutes. I don't understand how two grilled cheeses, a salad, and a bag of chips took nearly 25 minutes to get put together and set out. I don't understand how both our dishes also didn't come out together, leading my partner's sandwich to be lukewarm. As others mentioned, the customer service is kinda lacking. Clear instructions would have been great, food coming out in a timely manner would have been even better. Coming out at the same time shouldn't be rocket science. That being said, the food was excellent. We had the regular grilled cheese and the apple/fig/brie grilled cheese. It was one of the best grilled cheeses I've had in a long time. Get your staff together Boudin and I'd be happy to give another star. read more

I'd been wanting to come here for lunch after I realized that they did grilled cheese (it's one of my many food weaknesses). Then to discover that they did a grilled brie?? You've caught me: hook, line and sinker. Boudin is very reminiscent to me of Panera. You order at the counter and then bring your number to a table and the food is brought out to you. On paper plates that can be recycled! Good way to be conservative. There's also an option to order ahead online, to be picked up at the counter at your leisure. I found my grilled brie sandwich to be pretty greasy, but even eating just half of it was really filling. I honestly didn't notice too much cheese, but it may have been that the fig jam and apple slices overpowered the brie. Still very yummy though! And for under $10, it's not too bad in terms of San Francisco pricing. read more

Boudin - Grilled Brie with apples and fig jam with potato chips. - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

Made a recent trip to San Francisco and had to make a stop here to try their clam chowder in a bread bowl. Service was fast and friendly on the packed day. We got a bread bowl to share because there was so much more we wanted to try on the pier. The chowder was ok but the bread was amazing. I am a true lover of carbs and this did not disappoint. I especially liked the combo of the soft inside with the hard sourdough exterior. This place would be so much better if they kicked up their clam chore game but I guess they are more about the bread. read more

Boudin - Clam chowder in their famous bread bowl - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

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The bacon grilled cheese and the butternut squash soup are my guilty pleasures. I usually come here at least once every other week, when I'm craving a good, crusty sandwich on their sourdough bread! I try to get here before the lunch rush, because it gets pretty packed. I also like to order their box lunches for work meetings from here. We rarely ever have an issues with their deliveries and food quality. In fact, my colleagues get excited when they hear I've ordered catering from Boudin. read more

Boudin - Bacon grilled cheese - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

I was a bit wary but decided to try Boudin again. I ordered the Ham and Cheese Croissant and a Diet Coke. First bite and I regretted not going to Posh Bagel. Basically flavorless and oh so different then what Boudin used to be. After forcing it down I asked to use the bathroom where I was told it was out of service I said the sign says being disinfected so which is it. They somewhat smiled and ignored me. I know there is a homeless problem in the area but I am a paying customer. I also had a 30 minute walk to my meeting. Crappy customer service and abysmal food. Both things clearly now noted in my memory. read more

Sitting here and waiting 30 minutes for an in store order. Also heard that the online order process is equally inefficient. Something isn't working when you have to tell waiting customers that they are too backed up to take orders. Exactly why I stopped coming but couldn't resist the clam chowder on this blustery day. read more

02/20/08 Edit The pizza still isn't as good as the Market St & Stonestown Boudins but I like the bread. You don't have to be a tenant to get a Frequent Shopping Card. You can just go into the building mgmt office (behind the Oasis convenience store) and ask them for a card. You get a 10% discount at Boudins for anything (bread, cookie etc). Yeah so I'm adding another star for my bread fix. ----------- Their food is greasy (see pesto chicken pizza). I also think the portion is smaller here than at the other stores. Ehh, I just go there if I'm in the neighborhood. Otherwise, I'd take the longer walk to the Market St location! read more

Great Food! Great cashiers! Bad Management Man, how long does it take to pour a bowl of soup and put it in a bag? Whats up with all the workers just kicking it and chit chat'in with their co-workers while there's 8 people waiting for their food? All the wild there's ONLY one women making the salads, sandwiches all by herself. Somone gotta step up and tell these guys get back to work. Don't come here during a shift change or when they are on break. This place can hit or miss often. read more

My first time eating here was on February 2, 2014, on National Clam Chowder day, when Boudin was offering a special buy one get one free offer on clam chowder. My coworker and I decided to get in on this deal and got 2 clam chowders for about $7, which is a pretty good deal. We took it to-go so they put 2 clam chowders in a paper bag and then tossed in 2 breads afterward. The bread was surprisingly not terrible, but it wasn't that great either. When I eat bread, I compare it to ACME bread, because for me ACME bread is just top quality great bread. My office sometimes caters from Boudin ordering a lot of bread, and usually it ends up being tossed out because it's so hard and stale-like. It's like biting into a tough rock. It hurts your teeth chewing on it because it's so tough. That's not the kind of bread I prefer. The bread bowl had this same consistency of being tough, but it wasn't as tough thanks to the chowder I poured in. The clam chowder is good, although it's nothing special. It doesn't have an "oomph" to it that makes it memorable. I could easily open a can of clam chowder and it'd be just as good. But for $3.50 for a bowl, it's definitely worth it. I don't know if I'd pay the full price for one though, but that's just me. I don't like how they "trick" you with the bag though. I know that it's 10 cents per bag, and so when our cashier asked if I'd like a bag, I said no thank you, but my coworker said sure. After we paid, I said "you know it's 10 cents right?" Then he looked at the receipt and saw it was 10 cents...and frustratingly said, "I wish they would've told me.." Failing to mention the bag is 10 cents isn't right to me. The point of this program is that 10 cents might push people away from using as many bags. If she mentioned the bag is 10 cents, my coworker wouldn't have gotten the bag, and thus saves a bag. Overall, Boudin isn't a bad place. It's good, but it's nothing special. read more

Visited from out of town excited to try the sourdough and experience the hype. Made a huge mistake apparently by ordering the pizza. I don't know if I can think of a pizza i've ever eaten worse than this one. I waited so long I thought they forgot my order then got served inedible pizza which I tried to eat but ultimately went in the trashh read more

Good improvement in service since my last review, so I'm going back to 4 stars. The food is always good and prices are reasonable too. Employees are very nice and keep the drinks and food items well stocked. I like their spring salad the best and all their sandwiches are great. read more

The pesto avocado toast (the pesto puts an incredible twist on a classic) and the butternut squash soup are TO DIE FOR!! Would highly recommend coming here for simple and delicious, hearty food. read more

Boudin - The Pesto Avocado Toast, Butternut Squash Soup - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

A nice place for soup and sandwiches in a central Fidi location. Boudin has a spacious interior and overlooks the Embarcadero plaza across the Ferry Building. Decent selection of bakery and entree items. Boudin is located in 4 Embarcadero center, and offers meals at a great price. The interior is clean and spacious, with a slightly rustic feel. Decor can be described as "traditional." Boudin's 1/2 soup 1/2 salad combo is an affordable deal. The clam chowder here is decent, and will occasionally really hit the spot for you. If you work in the Fidi area, or in one of the Embarcadero centers, you should add this place into your lunch rotation during the week. Personally, I don't think this place deserves the hype of a tourist spot. I understand the history behind this place, but if I were coming in as a tourist specifically for the sourdough, I think I would leave disappointed. Expectations would be too high, and while the clam chowder in the sourdough bread bowl would be good, it wouldn't be worth its own trip. Having the expectation of Boudin as a solid lunch spot makes the experience more enjoyable. 4/5. read more

Nice relaxed place for a Sunday lunch. Hot soup and half a sandwich for 7.99 do it. Boudin is boudin great soup and love their sandwiches. The staff is really friendly and work with a smile:) I will decently come to this location again. read more

Boudin - Order on line :) - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

Butternut squash soup and sourdough bread were both so delicious! Came here for lunch and would definitely come back to try their salads.

Boudin is the French word for Slut Lizard. When I found out there weren't any sluts or lizards, I was mildly disappointed. However, Boudin is in a hot location on the pier in San Francisco. The environment is great and the food is okay. I got the Italian Sandwich and the only thing Italian about it was that the guy who gave it to me had a mustache. I've heard their bread bowls of soup and pizza are delish. If you need to do your taxes or run for President you'll have enough time to do those while waiting for your food because it takes a looong time. Also the server had one of those "I'm dying inside" smiles. All in all, pretty good food, great location, but if you're trying get the bang outta your buck, I wouldn't recommend this place. read more

After the unfortunate incident described above, the VP of Bus Ops reached out to me and apologized and assured me that this was not up to their standard. I have eaten here many times before, and agreed that what happened was an anomaly. Due to the personal acknowledgement of my experience, I have gone back since, and have enjoyed the meal. read more

One of the best bargains if you know the menu. Went here with my wife and two kids. There is a kids menu (not on any of the menus in the restaurant where you can get a pizza or half grilled cheese and a cookie and a fountain drink for $5. Now, they sell the cookies you get for $2.29. It comes with chocolate chip, but you can ask for any of the cookies and you will get what you like. The grilled cheese is excellent with the boudin sourdough bread. I had what I would also consider a good deal. The combo of soup in a sourdough bread bowl and a generous half salad for around $10. The Spring salad I had was very nice and they were generous with it. You can order chili for about $1 more as your soup or have the clam chowder. After passing by many places downtown, aside from subway this is probably the best deal and they said any one (adults or kids) can order the kids meal. The cookie and drink would cost $5 and the pizza, which my son devoured was good sized. The grilled cheese was more modest and proper in size. Overall a pleasant experience. read more

Once in a while, I get this insatiable craving for some clam chowder and sourdough bread and there is no better way to scratch that itch than Boudoin. This location caters to the FiDi lunch crowd and you can get your order pretty quickly. I would not recommend ordering ahead of time through Yelp/Grubhub since it actually takes longer than making the order in person. The clam chowder here isn't amazing by any means but it's decent and relative quick to get your order during lunchtime. There is also a half sandwich and soup combo that is reasonably priced and a good deal by FiDi lunch standards. Bottom line, it's pretty average in terms of price and quality but is also relatively quick and acceptable by FiDi lunch standards. read more

**EDIT: Their management team refunded our delivery fee and sounded apologetic over the phone. Thank you for making the effort to remedy the issue! I have never written a 1 STAR REVIEW, until NOW. I ordered Boudin for a catering event, and they were extremely unprofessional in terms of the delivery. I scheduled a delivery time for 11:00 AM, yet they did not arrive until 12:10 PM. They charged me a delivery fee, yet they don't provide the service that justifies their delivery fee. I am utterly disappointed. read more

Horrible organization. Ordered clam chowder to go. Soup isn't ready, but will be in 10-15 minutes. Since I've already paid, I decide to wait. After five minutes, I hear them tell another customer that it'll be 15 minutes. What??? I guess time works backwards in this place. I keep getting told "it'll just be five minutes", etc etc. After about 30 minutes, which several requests from me to check on it, finally the soup is ready. Don't go here if you're in a rush, or need to get lunch before it becomes dinnertime. read more

I got a bread bowl and it honestly wasn't anything special, not even the sourdough bread. Tasted like it came from a grocery store. Very underwhelming. read more

Boudin SF Combo: Clam Chowder & half Turkey Avocado Sandwich. Enough said. Call in for pick-up. Save yourself some time :) read more

09.22.15 I was feeling cold and nostalgic, so stopped by Boudin for a clam chowder in a bread bowl. Tastes like childhood. Total damage: $7.59 read more

First one star for salads of complete epic failure. Stay away from the walnut and cobb salad. So take note for all other locations of Boudin. I implore you never to order a salad at this location or others. Thankfully they do one thing right with the salad, serve it with their sourdough bread. Salad is made up of chopped up iceberg lettuce, seen better quality in the pac fresh salads from IGA, cubbed chicken that has no sign of grilling or cooking, green apples that are way to tart to compliment anything in this disaster and crown cracking walnuts. At least the cranberries were OK. Now on to the salad dressing. A simple honey vinaigrette. Not to hard to mess up wrong. Who ever concocted this horrible tasting, reeks of spicy mustard should be demoted to yeast inspector. And if they were charging $3.95 for this salad it would not be a deal or steal of the century. Save up your pennies and hit up Mixt Greens or Vino Venue if you want a legit salad. Not some chopped wonder pos. read more

Who mixes mayo in a Chicken Walnut salad and doesn't tell you about it? Fortunately, when they presented me with the mayo-mixed concoction, the dismayed look on my face prompted the cook to ask me if I'd rather have the Spring Salad. Yes, please. P.S. The Spring Salad was great :o) Chicken was undercooked and pink, so I couldn't eat it, but it helped me with portion control. Tiny holiday dresses, here I come! read more

The Panera of San Francisco. Boudin didn't do much for me other than satiate my hunger, which I guess is something positive. The clam chowder could have come from a can and I wouldn't have known the difference. Maybe it did. Their one counter person who was taking orders on the day of my visit (a Saturday - and they're located across from the bustling Ferry Building) was just awful. She didn't seem to know the menu or the different combinations that were offered, and she rang things up incorrectly for both myself and my boyfriend. The guy who was running food and cleaning tables was a hustler, however. Perhaps management should switch those two up and put him on the register instead! There are definitely better places for lunch in San Francisco, and I'll be searching them out next time. read more

Boudin is a San Francisco classic. They have been all over town, and I've seen them in the malls. This one in Embarcadero Center is typical. Order and pay, find a table, relax. On a cold winter morning, the "find a table" part was the best. They had plenty of inside seating, when other restaurants left people to take out or sit in the cold. My Lady ordered a chicken caesar salad and hot green tea, and I ordered a chinese chicken salad and a bottle of Arrowhead, for $22 + tip. That chinese chicken salad had at least 3of the 5 flavors in it: sweet, sour, bitter. Two or three thinly shaved strips of chicken hid among the chopped romaine pieces. The vinegar seemed exceptionally sweet, and my tongue did flip-flops whenever it encountered a pocket of lime. All in all, it was a fairly decent salad. Not something I would go out of my way for, though. I guess I'll save my Boudin visits for other locations, like Market Street and Fisherman's Wharf. read more

I work in one of the Embarcadero Centers and was craving soup, so naturally I decided to go to Boudin. Unfortunately it was a major disappointment. :( Note: get the FREE frequent buyers card because you can get 1 free loaf of bread every month plus a $5 discount for every 50 points you accumulate. ATMOSPHERE There's ample seating, which is great (you can either sit inside or outside). The lighting is good and there's a good view of Embarcadero and the water. The service is pretty fast and the cashiers have a sense of humor. FOOD 1) Best of Boudin: tomato bread soup and a chicken pesto sandwich 2) Grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup First off, the presentation wasn't very classy. The food came on biodegradable plates and bowls. I didn't order to-go, so why didn't my food come on regular plates and bowls? It made the food look cheap and made the portions look tiny. The chicken pesto sandwich sounded delicious and packed with tasty ingredients on the menu (chicken, tomatoes, arugula, pesto mayo, vinaigrette, sourdough roll), BUT (insert HUGE but here) I was surprised to find that the main ingredient was the sourdough roll. I literally felt like I was just eating a sourdough roll. There was barely anything else in the sandwich! There a few slices of chicken in it, maybe 2 leaves of arugula, two thin slices of tomato, and barely any pesto mayo and vinaigrette on the bread. The majority of my bites consisted of bread. Way to be skimpy, Boudin. On the other hand, my friend's grilled cheese looked delectable. It was grilled to perfection and she seemed to really enjoy it. We both ordered the tomato bread soup, which turned out to be a major disappointment because it wasn't the traditional thin tomato soup that we were expecting. Instead, we got bowls of chunky tomato glop. It tasted as though we had been served canned tomatoes in a biodegradable bowl! The "bread" was basically giant croutons thrown into the soup, making it even chunkier. Blech. Overall, the food here is mediocre. I don't know if it's because I ordered the wrong menu items, but I was extremely disappointed by the presentation, the portions, and the taste. The only reason I'm coming back is to get my free monthly loaf of bread. read more

I must admit I probably eat Boudin about once or twice a month just from getting lunch catered for work - so I'm certainly not in any position to complain. Beggers can't be choosers. But I felt compelled to leave a review, because this Boudin location in particular does have some clear strengths and weaknesses. Best of Boudin? Always a great choice. The best part about this place is the variety, and this combo really lets you take advantage of it, which is great if your lunch options are limited. On the other hand, the caesar salad here (my favorite thing on earth) is a little watered down, and doesn't pack a punch. It's almost kind of sad frankly. But the sandwiches and soups here are the real deal, and the turkey cranberry joint is crazy. Can't go wrong with the clam chowder in a bread bowl either. It's just a classic. Stick to the sandwiches/soups and you'll be likely to leave happy. Just be careful during lunch - you can oddly be forced to wait a pretty long time here despite how straightforward most of the food should be to prepare. That's just how it is. Overall solid lunch spot with enough options to keep things interesting. read more

Do NOT use their WEB-2-Go "online" service! It's CRAP! How difficult is it for a food server to serve food? You look at the list (which she did) and place the items in the bag. As I observed this, I thought to myself, "Oh, good! They're making sure everything I ordered is in the bag." Oh how I thought wrong! My hopes of people having common sense has greatly diminished the moment I set foot back to my desk at work. Not only was I missing the drink I ordered, but they also forgot to add the "extra avocado" that i paid extra for. Don't get me wrong about the food being amazing, hence the reason for the one star, but as far as service, they need to get a clue. Specialty's has a FAR BETTER ONLINE SYSTEM and NEVER got my order wrong. Boudin needs to rethink their strategy. Bottom line: Service is severely lacking at this location, so be mindful about the lack of common sense and don't apologize for your forwardness. After all, you paid for it. read more

Not a great experience. Had lunch at the Embarcadero 4 location today and was extremely disappointed. This restaurant seems to struggle with cleanliness, service and food. My first impression upon entering was that the restaurant was nearly empty (was around 11:15 am) but the dining area was in disarray. Chairs pulled out from tables. Dirty tables not being bussed and just not a well organized or appealing atmosphere. I ordered my lunch (a salad) and sat down at a table in the smaller dining area to the far right of the restaurant. This area seemed to be more of an employee lunch area with several employees eating lunch, looking at their cell phones and talking loudly. There was a table that was being used to store paper goods (napkins, plastic forks, bags, etc.) which I assume was for delivery orders or catering. At any rate, no one wants to sit and dine in an area where work being done by employees should be done in back of house. Not very appetizing or welcoming. The restaurant has poor ventilation and whatever was being cooked (seemed to be bacon) had a smokey odor that permeated the entire restaurant. It made it difficult to breathe. The floor and furniture could use a very good cleaning as the restaurant appeared to be dingy and unappealing. As for lunch, my salad was also a disappointment. The salad seemed to be not fresh at all. The lettuce appeared to have been cut one or two (maybe more) days ago and was slightly wilted. The chicken was clearly not cooked that day and I would hate to guess when. I ate less than half and threw the rest out. There doesn't seem to be a manager present, or I don't think that four employees would have been eating lunch in the dining room with the customers, all at the same time. Just not a good look. Overall the restaurant is just not well run and service just misses the mark. With some attention to detail, cleanliness, service and fresh food preparation, this could be a great place to dine. But, as it is today, I don't think I'd go back. read more

Boudin is one of my favorite lunch spots. I think the one on Market Street is better run (and has charming decor) but what can I do... my office is near this one. I recommend the Best of Boudin special and I always get a clam chowder and a half sandwich with turkey and havarti (on sliced sourdough). Don't get the pizza unless you like eating cardboard. And an added bonus for this location: if you have an Embarcadero Center discount card (most employees in the complex get them), you get 10% off your order. read more

Who doesn't like soup in a bread bowl? I don't want to meet the man. I love Sourdough Bread. I often buy a loaf or two and take it home to Newport Beach, Ca when I fly home. Nothing like San Francisco bread. On a rainy day I love to go to Boudin and get a Chicken Noodle Soup bread bowl. Nothing warms the body and the soup like some soupy bread. So good. read more

Boudin's clam chowder in a bread bowl on a cold rainy days is one of life's little pleasures. The clam chowder here may not be as good as some of the smaller restaurants and stands at pier 39, but for the financial distrcit, it is just fine. It's so creamy, and doesn't have many clams in them, which I actually don't like that much. Sprinkle in some tobasco and pepper, and you've got yourself heaven in a bread bowl! I usually pair it with a half sandwich, either roast beef pesto or turkey cranberry which are both pretty good, but on the dry side. And as with all lunch spots in the fidi, come beat the lunch rush by coming before 12pm! read more

Good food bad service. Clam chowder was good. Wedge salad was good. But had to ask for my cup of clam chowder which took like 20 minutes to get and wasnt even that busy and my friend got his like 10-15 minutes before me LOL... bartender said "they are slammed" how long it take to pour pre-made clam chowder in a cup??? Then waited like 30 minutes and had to cancel my chicken club cause took forver and never came.... read more

A solid soup/sandwich/salad place for lunch. Service is fast, there is plenty of seating, and the food is consistent and good. You can also get combos, pizzas, and baked goods (great lemon bars). $3 off for taking an online survey makes this place one of the best deals in the financial district! And if you don't love sourdough, you are just wrong. read more