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Cafe Okawari

4.5 (542 reviews)
Closed 10:30 am - 7:30 pm
Updated 2 weeks ago

Order Cafe Okawari Takeout or Delivery

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CAFE OKAWARI ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Hipster
Casual
Trendy
Moderate noise

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Recommended Reviews - Cafe Okawari

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Joyce C.

egg sando was unfortunately not up to expectations... the bread was not fluffy nor soft and the egg filling lacked flavors. it was also very cold. def have had better egg sando in the states. the chicken katsu curry was not bad tho! the chicken was well fried. crispy on outside and juicy inside. curry was your standard curry. not spicy. in terms of service the cashier was nice and the food came out really fast. besides that everything else is kind of self service so it's hard to rate. for seating there was some inside tables and bar seats as well as outdoor seating overall this place was kind of just average. not sure if i would go back

Chicken Katsu Sando
Sylvia Y.

Came here for a late lunch. Cafe Okawari is conveniently located by Caltrain. The inside is simple and not too large but there are a few tables as well as counter seating. Service was very efficient. I got the chicken sando and it arrived to my table less than 1 minute later. I was suspicious at first because I thought they were serving me an old sandwich but I was pleasantly surprised that the chicken was warm, juicy and delightfully crispy. Portion was just right for the price. It was filling but not heavy. I would be back for a quick lunch if I'm in the area again.

Eui L.

Simple and rich flavors, three working male professionals, three different curry bowls, three different styles. Service was quick and efficient. They'll bring the food to you if you eat outside or at the table. Receive over the counter for the bar seating. Ambiance is modern with a nice wooden touch. Plenty of outdoor seating Curry n rice Katsu curry n rice Tender chicken curry n rice $9 curry you can't beat it.

Sake Cup - pretty easy to drink from this thing
Amitaabh M.

Stumbled onto this place in a mild hunger panic on the way back from the city, looking for something Japanese before jumping on 280. Yelp delivered. Parked easily on the side street, walked in around 3:30 in the afternoon, no hassle. The place has an authentic Japanese cafe feel, the kind where the menu has things you don't typically find at your average sushi spot. I had my eye on the sandos, specifically the Chicken Katsu Sando, but landed on the Spicy Tuna Don instead. Good call. Spicy yellowfin tuna tartare over well-seasoned sushi rice, topped with sesame, furikake, green onions, with a little radish and cucumber on the side. The tuna was very fresh, the rice was on point. Service was quick and polite - they even have an outside window for takeout. One nice detail: a neat dollop of wasabi is pasted along the inside wall of the bowl, which is a clean way of letting you control exactly how much heat you want to mix in. Tasteful presentation, but don't let that fool you. It has a legitimate kick, so calibrate accordingly. Paired it with their Honjozo dry sake cup, which was a nice complement to the meal and exactly the right call for a mid-afternoon bite. The sandos looked great on other tables and I fully intend to go back for the Chicken Katsu Sando - and then go try the wine bar next door to it. which was pretty tempting.

Iced matcha latte
Anchal A.

This review is for their matcha only, not food. Stumbled upon this place and I'm surprised I haven't heard of it before! I got a plain iced matcha and it was so. good. The matcha flavor was strong and the drink overall was creamy. I got it less sweet but did end up adding splenda in it later on. They have a lot of food which smells delish, haven't tried it yet tho!

Chicken Katsu Sando
Erica W K.

One of the best katsu sandwiche places in the Bay Area! Cafe Okawari has been on my list for the longest time and I'm glad I finally got the chance to try it. I went on a weeknight at around dinner hours at 6pm and the place was busy but not packed. I managed to find a spot very quickly after ordering. We first ordered at the counter and then the seats are self-served. I got the fried chicken katsu sando with their house soda. The katsu sando is 5/5. The chicken is juicy and tender. The outside is crispy. The pickled cucumber and the lettuce are so refreshing to pair with the katsu. The bread.. let's talk about how amazing it is. The bread is fluffy and milky. What stands out to me is really how soft and fluffy the bread is. I took one bite and immediately know that this katsu sandwich would be bomb. The house soda is just alright, solid 3/5, nothing too surprising. I would definitely come back for the sando again!

Menu
Brittany D.

Japanese sandos? yummmmm, some of the best in town I must say. If I'm in the mood for a chicken katsu sando, I come here. Why? Because it's consistent and just the right amount of crisp. I also love their fruit sandwiches. I think tho the katsu sando is the best texturally with the softness of the bread and the crunch of the katsu. If you don't believe me, try for yourself!

Chicken Katsu Sando + Dirty Matcha
Jamie T.

Staff members are friendly and polite. Orders are made fairly quickly. Love that! It's fresh and delicious. My go to is the chicken katsu sando and dirty matcha. Bon appetite!

Chicken Katsu Sando
Wendy L.

Tried the Chicken Katsu Sando since I was in the area and it did not disappoint! $17 feels pricey for a sando, but it was a pretty hefty portion that left me very full. The bread was soft and pillowy, the chicken was super juicy, and there was a perfect amount of thinly shredded cabbage that added the right amount of fresh crunch. I do wish the breading was slightly crispier/thicker, and that there was bit more of the tonkatsu sauce, but those two changes probably would've made the sandwich overall more heavy (I appreciated how light it was despite being a fried chicken sandwich). If you're a saucy, strong flavor type of person, you might find the sandwich too plain flavor-wise, but I'm sure you can ask for some tonkatsu sauce on the side, or order a side of curry sauce to dip your sandwich for an extra fee -- another Yelper recommended this so I might try it next time! I also ordered an iced strawberry matcha latte to-go and it was solid. FYI you can adjust the ice and sweetness (which would be adjusting the amount of strawberry puree they use). I got light ice and default sweetness and the sweetness was just right. The strawberry balanced the matcha nicely, but I wish the drink was a little less milky and that the strawberry flavor came through more. Overall, I'm sure there's other better sandos and matcha lattes out there, but as some reviewers have pointed out, there's not a lot of places that have this casual Japanese cafe-style offering in SF or even The Bay in general, so this place is a keeper! Service was fast during Monday lunch hour -- I ordered my food at the front, sat at the counter, and got my food in literally 3 minutes.

Jenna M.

Stopped in for lunch on a weekday and was pleasantly surprised! The area has so many options and this is a great one with coffee and meals of varying sizes to please all! The curry katsu plate is a pretty solid size with tender yet crispy chicken and rich curry! Highly recommend if you are in the area!

Chicken Katsu Sando
Chastity V.

5 stars for the Chicken Katsu Sando! The panko fried chicken thighs are juicy, paired with the right amount of mayo and sauce and cabbage on delicious milk bread. We ordered at the counter and were able to get seats for 2 people around 11:50am on a Wednesday. Our food was served to us within 12 minutes. My friend and I split the seasonal Mango Cream Sando for dessert (3/5), which was mildly disappointing only because the mangos weren't sweet. I also got the green tea lemonade (4/5), which was decent.

Eva C.

Yummy pork cutlet sando! I've been wanting to try this place but it only opens on weekdays. I was able to try this place before going to a concert at chase center on a weekday. There are seats inside and they also have one restroom. Not sure about parking since it is in the city. The sando was pretty yummy! The pork cutlet was juicy and their sauce was nice with the milk bread.

CeCe C.

I stumbled upon this little cafe this evening! It was a nice surprise to find esp in this neighborhood! I ordered the beef gyudon ($17.50) and substituted the rice with salad. I also got the housemade soda ($4.50)! My friend ordered the chicken katsu ($13) Both dishes were very tasty and filling! The staff was very quick with servicing us our food and friendly! The bathrooms are clean and the seating area is casual and spacious!

Chicken Katsu, Croquette Curry

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1 month ago

I love their katsu plate and sando! The food comes up fairly quick with reasonable price! Good for a try if you live closeby!

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Cafe Okawari Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Cafe Okawari

Can one order and pay for a loaf of milk bread by itself?

I don't know what do you mean. In my opinion, you should try and it's really delicious!

Can the onsen tamago bowl or potato croquettes / curry be made without onions or garlic?

The onsen tamago bowl can be made without onions and does not have garlic in the dish. The potato croquettes dont have onions or garlic in them. The curry cannot be made without onions.… 

Hey is your chicken halal? What brand halal is it?

Due to supply chain issues we are not using Halal chicken at this time

What brand oat milk do they use?

Califa Farms

View All 8 Questions

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Deli Board

Deli Board

4.3
(2k reviews)
0.7 mi
$$

I wanted to see what the hype was about. What I got was a pretty damn good sandwich, chill staff &…read morenot too long of a wait at all. I got the Carzle and the meats are definitely the star of the show here; the brisket and pastrami were so juicy, smoky and complimented all the veggies great. However, of course, it is incredibly expensive; even sharing a half with a buddy puts you at $15 each after tip/tax. While tasty, it's a little less than expected/underwhelming for that price point. I don't see myself really coming here too often unfortunately, so many other cheaper and just as delicious eats in the city. Seems like this place definitely caters to a certain crowd in the area that are more than happy to make this their daily lunch spot so I don't see that changing any time soon

If you're in line and near the entrance of the pizza shop, you're at about a 35-40 minute wait. Is…read moreit worth it? YES. I don't even like pastrami and the 49er was delicious. But more than just the sandwich- the owner and all of the employees are incredibly kind and clearly care about their community. I read in another review that they saw the owner usher in a homeless man and I saw a similar act of kindness. The regulars also have a great rapport with the owner and they honestly just give GOOD VIBES. The good vibes must have been contagious because we were behind a Romanian father and his two sons who ended up paying for the older woman in front of them. Def worth the visit if you're in the area!

Photos
Inside
Inside
Chairman's corner (from left to right): thweethead, RLMB (02/2026)
Chairman's corner (from left to right): thweethead, RLMB (02/2026)
Mick.b (10/2025)

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Mick.b (10/2025)
Irving Subs

Irving Subs

4.3
(566 reviews)
4.2 mi
$$

This is probably the only place where the sandwiches don't taste like the store's essence…read more I mean, don't get me wrong, a store's essence from any given deli/liquor store definitely adds unique character to the sandwich and sometimes I want that in a sandwich. But when you want a sandwich that only tastes like its ingredients, Irving Subs is the spot. Their Dutch crunch is famous for being fresh and actually crunchy. Their lettuce is shredded but fresh and crispy. The salt content is just enough to bring out the flavors. And the overall composition of their sandwiches are very well proportioned. You're not getting skimped, but you're also not biting into a mouthful of a packet of deli meat. They definitely know what they are doing. Service is good and ambiance is a small humble shop on the corner of 12th Ave.

Ordered the Nearly Reuben on sliced sourdough, toasted, with house garlicky mayo and brown mustard…read moreon DoorDash. Double pastrami, horseradish, havarti, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, pickles, and pepperoncini. A lot going on, and it all came together. The horseradish and havarti gave it enough personality to stand apart from a standard pastrami sandwich, and the garlicky mayo tied everything together. The one casualty of DoorDash was sogginess by the time it arrived. That's not a knock on the sandwich, it's just the reality of ordering something like this for delivery. At $14.50 it's a hearty sandwich at a fair price. I'd recommend it, but eat in.

Photos
The   Turkey Bacon  Avocado  Lettuce Tomato    Pure awesome
The Turkey Bacon Avocado Lettuce Tomato Pure awesome
Turkey, avocado, bacon, lettuce, tomato on Gluten free bread. Yummy.
Turkey, avocado, bacon, lettuce, tomato on Gluten free bread. Yummy.
Giant's Sub (left) 
 Fratellino (right)
 with Potato Salad
 Yum :)

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Giant's Sub (left) Fratellino (right) with Potato Salad Yum :)
Dolores Deluxe

Dolores Deluxe

4.6
(87 reviews)
2.4 mi
$$

Dolores Deluxe evolved from a boutique bottle shop into a celebrated deli featuring a highly…read moreacclaimed, eclectic sandwich program. A very hip setting, well stocked with good beer and expertly curated grocery items. Charming and kind employees with wonderful ambience. Limited outdoor seating available . Scores BIG in all areas. Suitable for the Culinary Cognoscente. WOW! Now dats da real deal..... A better SAMWICH is not known to mankind! Insane in the membrane. Insane. My daughter suggested we drive over the bridge from Marin for lunch. She's been raving about it for months. I was a neophyte. Here's what we devoured: VEGAN SANDO #45 caramelized yellow gypsy peppers + fennel, melted sungold tomatoes, saffron rouille + caper salsa verde on acme green onion slab (TOASTED) $16 ------- LADY GIANA caramelized eggplant, basil, mozzarella, fontina charred tomato arrabbiata + garlic potato chips on acme focaccia garlic bread (SERVED HOT) $16.50 ---------- FYI: I selected in my brain my next visit order: GOBHI BRYANT $16.50 generously spiced cauliflower * potato, oaxacan cheese. tomato-tamarind chutney, minted snow peo yogurt raila. fried cashews + curry leaves on ome green onion slab (SERVED HOT) ----------------------------- Certainly the best sandwich I've ever had in my life, and I've been around a few decades. And for dessert, a shared chocolate chip cookie, which was simply divine. Dolores Deluxe location/hours: 3500 22nd St San Francisco, CA 94114 (415) 875-9136 Hours Every day 7:30am-7pm

I haven't submitted a yelp review in awhile- but this Sandwich at Dolores Deluxe made me…read moreimmediately want to come here and say, 10000/10 Post run meal with a beer on the corner of Dolores...too good

Photos
Market
Market
Deluxe breakfast sando
Deluxe breakfast sando
Ode to Barber (rotisserie chicken breast, homemade toum, lebanese pickles, crispy potatoes, parsley + sumac on acme green onion slab)

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Ode to Barber (rotisserie chicken breast, homemade toum, lebanese pickles, crispy potatoes, parsley + sumac on acme green onion slab)

Cafe Okawari - japanese - Updated July 2026

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