Amazing!! This place has such a nice vibe, the music is great, the staff is friendly, vibrant and attentive. Most importantly, the FOOD! Wow. So good. Great options for a vegan, too. Delicious, fresh, flavorful, healthy and still filling. I'll definitely be back! read more

Cute atmosphere! Ordered their CA Donburi and was pleasantly surprised that you could sub the rice for salad leaves or something from inside the case; I got roasted green beans and it was a free substitution. I went with a party of 5 and the cashier overcharged us for an extra donburi bowl. Luckily, they were nice about sorting it out and gave us our refund. read more

Foundation Cafe - Salad Near Me - San Francisco, California

I stopped by here for a lunch during work on a friend's recommendation. When I got here, the place was super crowded and I was wondering if it would live up to the hype. I ordered the California Love sandwich and it was just average. It's a pretty good price point for FiDi, but I feel like there's a lot better sandwiches in the nearby area. Maybe this isn't what they are known for, but I probably won't be back. read more

I feel really badly writing this but I cannot recommend their veggie burger Any place that touts a homemade veggie burger begs a priority spot on my must-try list & since Foundation Cafe is the newest kid on the block to offer said veggie burger..... Not sure if it was doomed from the beginning but after I ordered, I saw their veggie burger came w/ a walnut-mint pesto sauce & mint is a showstopper for me. Fortunately, this pesto seemed to have a very subtle mint undertone & was tolerable even for this mint hater But where this sandwich really lost me, was w/ its vast amounts of oil. The "burger" patty ( made from barley & mushroom bits & held together w/ some kind of oil ) had been fried in oil, the roasted peppers were extremely saturated, & even the bun had been slathered in oil then grilled to give it crispy grill-marks. Added to the pesto which is obviously is made w/ oil & you've got an extremely greasy sandwich w/ no fresh, crispy lettuce or tomatoes or anything to counteract the oil I was also hoping more of the mushroom flavor would stand out in the "burger" - or at least that there would have been additional flavor layers / ingredients besides just barley & mushrooms - like beets, lentils, corn, carrots, or anything...but I didn't see it. Regardless, I think the patty lost its chance to shine w/ all the various oils overwhelming the sandwich I did see that they offer a quinoa salad & their daily soups looked promising..... most definitely willing to give them another try for something else & definitely willing to reevaluate but for this review, I gotta go w/ what what I had! And at this point, have to say, sorry - but I've had way better veggie burgers read more

Butter coffee dreams come true! Love the eggs over broccolini on sourdough - got it every morning I was in town. Staff is extremely friendly :) read more

My co-worker bought me avocado toast for breakfast as a welcome to California from this place and it was absolutely delicious! I WILL be back for more. read more

Foundation Cafe - Salad Near Me - San Francisco, California

This is a tough part of town to find good coffee. For some reason, all the cafes are further east / deeper into the FiDi. I was thrilled to find Foundation. They make a delicious latte, have very friendly staff, and the food is tasty. Oh, and bonus: the frequent coffee buyer cards have cute drawings instead of boring punches! read more

One of many places which is giving Seattle a run for it's money on truly great coffee spots. The drip coffee here is unremarkable, but this is more then redeemed by it's espresso, latte and particularly it's sherpa offerings. The sherpa coffee is coffee made nepali style, with coconut oil, clarified butter, and vanilla bean. If you like a dirty chai, you're gonna like this. Comes with mint by request if you want to cut the rich fattiness down a bit. The food-lunch and breakfast only-is on the slow food model. artisan items of high quality. Baked items such as scones, and biscuits appear to made on site. They're good but sometimes they'll run out of items if you don't get there early. I like how in addition to the usual sweet offerings, they also offer savory. For example the toast comes in sweet (banana with nutella) and savory (ricotta cheese and avocado) variants. Coffee and a breakfast item will run you around ten bucks depending on what you get. read more

Foundation Cafe - Nice dune reference - Salad Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Ok so this place is probably the best lunch spot and my coworkers would agree. We probably go here maybe 3-4 times a week, so pretty obsessed. The salads are AWESOME and filling, with flavors that you don't find at Mixt Greens and those chains. They also have specialty items, kind of like a buffet-but-nicer-gourmet type of choices. The prices are good for the area, especially since their food is delicious and fresh. Try the Spanish Bombs salad with grilled shrimp (my fav, I'm biased). Shout out to the awesome friendly staff, Miguel & Chris you guys are stellar! If in the FiDi or anywhere in SF for that matter, come check it out. Just be warned, it does get crowded during lunch :) read more

Great customer service! They let me use their bathroom without a problem and weren't even open yet! So sweet of them.

Had coffee from this place many times but did not realize that they have moderately good selections for lunch & salads. Met up with a friend for lunch and she suggested to eat here. As you may notice it's small &, I believe, a family owned business. The ingredients, salads & other items seemed super fresh and tasty. I tried their bahn mi chicken , was really good. It's a must try if you are in FIDI or in china town area. Please See pics read more

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I stopped here for a quiet cup of coffee on an early Wednesday morning and while I definitely love the cafe itself and the quiet moments you can have before the onslaught of the FiDi waking up, I found it a little pricey for what you get. I had their Four Barrel Nitro cold brew, which while delicious, set me back $4.25 for a teeny tiny cup (think "plastic cup that you find at the water cooler" size). So, if you do get the cold brew, sip slowly otherwise it'll be gone in a heartbeat. The breakfast options look delicious and everything seemed like it was made to order. Foundation definitely gets busy as the morning goes on, so come early or call in your order ahead of time! read more

Foundation Cafe - Four Barrel Nitro Cold Brew - Salad Near Me - San Francisco, California

Foundation is one of my go-to downtown lunch joints. No one doing the downtown workweek lunch scene should be skipping it. I had always enjoyed Foundation from the time they opened; and then, some time a few months ago, they got a new chef who has kicked the menu up a notch further. Noteworthy qualities: The food taste clean without sacrificing taste. It actually feels like your eating food, as opposed to just stuffing yourself into an afternoon coma. The selections change over time, keeping the options exciting You can order half sizes of the veggie side dishes to customize your own variety, and also add a side of meat for an easy "paleo"-ish meal. Kinda like creating an American bento. Even as a half-side, the portion are solid. The coffee is good, as are the pastries. If I'm not mistaken, it is a family owned business. Some current favorites: California Donburi with added briskets Crispy Eggplant Wrap -- If I was vegetarian, I would be so grateful for this dish! read more

Been meaning to try this place for a while because they have Nitro Four Barrel Coffee on tap! At 7AM on a Thursday, the cafe was empty so I was in and out of there pretty quickly. It's $4.25 for a small cup, so it's probably not something I'd get daily. It's dark and has a beer head, similar to a Guinness. The drink is slightly bubbly and comes cold so there's no need for ice. Definitely something worth trying! They don't offer small enough lids for the cup so if you take your coffee to go like I did, you'll look like you're drinking a beer at 7 in the morning. Hey, it's 5PM somewhere. read more

I'm giving 1 star for the staff and 1 for their mediocre grilled chicken. i got the kale ceasar salad and it's a joke. I'm glad i added chicken because that's the only part i could eat. i normally love kale but this is awful. the kale tastes unwashed and i think they drizzled mayo instead of ceasar... it's bad. i ate the chicken and threw the rest away. i dont think i'll be coming back here. read more

I love a good salad but struggled to find one large enough for under $14 in FiDi. Now that I have, I can't stop going. This place offers excellent salads and the staff is great. My favorite things on the menu are the avocado toast (fried egg added) and the Kale Caesar salad with chicken. They are gracious with the chicken! My co-workers love the Spanish Bomb salad and California Donburi. Got a sweet tooth? The chocolate chip cookies are my favorite in the city! Five stars for the salads, toast, staff, efficiency, and THE COOKIES. read more

I'm so glad I stumbled on this place! I'm a breakfast person & all their options sounded great so I went for the breakfast empanada. Very tasty and the side of tamarind sauce was a yummy touch. Their vanilla bean latte also worth trying! Great service read more

Cute atmosphere and very clean. I got: Grilled chicken Asparagus Potatoes The three sides made for a good sized lunch and came out to $11. Not a bad price in my opinion considering the neighborhood. read more

I pass by the place all the time but I don't know why I never tried it out. Decided to give it a shot today so placed my order for Cajun chic sandwich added bacon. Also added a white bean w/ chard soup. Spent $16. After placing order I browsed yelp pix of this place. Immediately freaked the eff out when I saw that pic of the chic sandwich that was raw inside... Fuck, that's what I ordered. Man, that was disgusting. Anyway, when I got my food, I tried the soup first.... Ehhhh nothing special. The sandwich, damn that was a big portion and it was good. All the crap they put in there seemed to work. Pickled onion, brown butter, the chicken. I'll def be back to try more of their food read more

Foundation Cafe - Cajun Chicken Sandwich & white bean with chard soup - Salad Near Me - San Francisco, California

Just wandered in here because I liked the look. They were out of the fried chicken (sounds like it was pretty popular) so I went for the Porcini coated tri-tip. Ten dollar sandwiches are a dime a dozen in the area but this was one of the better ones I've had in my two years working downtown. The tri-tip was high quality, the mushrooms were juicy, and the goat cheese set the whole thing off. Beats the pants off anything I've had at Fleur De Sel, DGF, or Harrows (all nearby spots where you can obtain said ten dollar sandwiches). The hardest part was picking what I wanted, the blackened rockfish was calling my name too. I'll definitely be back here. read more

TL;DR - Maybe a good option if you work in the area, but definitely not worth a trip on its own. Weekday lunch in fidi there's sooo many options, but we walked by here and decided that the line was indicative of a good lunch. I was super unimpressed. The service was lackluster (understandable since it seems like the main service is the lunch crowd). We got the fried chicken banh mi ($10) the california donburi ($8.5) and a sherpa coffee. The food was ok, kinda pricey for what it is, but again, understandable for the location. I guess the main reason for the two star review would be the fact that the sherpa coffee was watered down. We heard the guy behind the counter say to BOH that there wasn't enough coffee and he actually ended up just filling the other half of the cup with water. Yes.... water. Seriously? 4 bucks for watered down coffee? Sadly, they use four barrel but what we got tasted worse than Starbucks (yeah, I went there) If you're out of coffee, you're out. Either let me know so I can change my order, or tell me how long the wait for more coffee will be. Don't just try and "play" the customer. read more

It is lunch for take out and eat in where you buy at the counter. The nice décor is lovely and the food in fresh, local, and traditional that is inspired by the abundance of good ingredient choices. The Pastrami BLT is tummy, and I get the deviled ages every time I come in. The bread was fresh and light and a medium portion with lots of goodness in it. I go here as a treat. It beats all the take out that I go to in the union square/ financial district for me! read more

Ok, so I am giving two stars for using sustainable and local ingredients and friendly service. The people who work there are nice, helpful and smiling, which I appreciate. I got the California donburi bowl (which is under the salad portion of the menu? why? ) bc the ingredients sounded appealing. I feel like I have a box of random vegetables and a scoop of rice with nothing really tying them together. And get this...the raddishes in the bowl taste super moldy. I had two other people (pour souls) taste them, so I am not crazy. I spent $13 bucks and I almost want to go get lunch somewhere else now. Its interesting to me that this bowl is so popular. It sounds like it would totally be my jam, but Its just not my bag baby and mold flavor is gross af. read more

Foundation Cafe - I had a few bites at this point, but you get the picture. - Salad Near Me - San Francisco, California

The mushroom barley burger is truly yummy and prepared with utmost care. Things don't feel thrown together here as they sometimes can at Box Lunch and Boulange. A squeeze of lemon would put it over the top. The service is good and they are very nice. They have plenty of vegetarian options (well, maybe 4 or 5 lunch variations including things cobbled from sides). It's expensive. I can get a large sammie and greens around the corner for 9 bux, but here it comes to 14 and change. Attribute it to lower volume and the organics. A latté is $3.75. The eggplant parmesan is sublime. It has a slow-cooked flavor and the tomato sauce is very rustic. If they included a piece of crusty bread with it I'd be eating here once a week. It's expensive, but their food is carefully prepared and they seem to use very good ingredients. A classy joint. read more

Cute space and good make your own bowl. Price was around $11 and they provide water. Will return the next time I am nearby to try other things. read more

I often get food here on my lunch break. The physical space is tasteful and restrained with a hipster-in-the-financial-district kind of feel to it. They have a long wooden communal table, some tables inside and outside, and three single bar-style seats that look out the window. It's good if you're on your break and need somewhere to enjoy a quick meal; the space has plenty of light and isn't overly noisy like some cafes. They serve Four Barrel coffee and leave a fruit-infused water jug out for patrons. I've gotten cappuccinos and cafe au laits, and they've been well-made. They serve a Tuna Melt ($9) that's surprising, in the best way: it has fresh tuna with melted cheese on a tasty bun. I also like the Blackened Rockfish, which is a little expensive for lunch at $12, but very healthy and satisfying. The Fried Chicken ($10) is their most popular dish, but I don't think it's their best. As far as salads go, I think their Baby Beet ($9) is pretty good, if you like beets! I'm excited to go back and try some more menu items, especially during breakfast! The staff is calm and nice. I'd definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for an above-average cafe in this area. Tip: They have a coffee card, which gives you a free coffee drink after ten purchases. They draw little animals to mark your progress along the way :) read more

Lamar is the best bartender ever! I always keep coming back no matter how long it's been. At bay club SF tennis by the way. His drinks is amazing. His energy is unmatched. Most personable bartender ever met! Thank you for everything Lamar! read more

The food is good but expensive. The interior of this place is very nice -- it's a bit of a hipster oasis in the middle of the FiDi. I think the issue that I have with Foundation Cafe is that there are a lot of options in the neighborhood that does many things they do better, for cheaper. Their salads are great but paying $5 extra for grilled chicken is a bit much. read more

Sometimes restaurants have good ideas (combining bahn mi flavors with fried chicken) but do a poor implementation of it. The fried chicken was really chewy at times and it was very odd but I loved their pickles. A good combination nonetheless. I would trust their veggie stuff more than the unhealthy stuff. read more

Hipsterish joint with some decent food, but for the price I rather go somewhere else in the area.

Stopped in here on my way to a conference. Delicious bacon and egg sandwich, and great coffee! The atmosphere is cozy and personable...and the staff is nice! Far cry from some others around the area. Definitely recommend this place! read more

Foundation Cafe - Nom Nom! - Salad Near Me - San Francisco, California

The sandwiches and salads are high-quality and fairly creative. If you want something a little more special for lunch this is the place to go. The cold appetizer/vegetable options are okay, but nothing to write home about. There is some community seating in the middle and a few tables but only really big enough for a group of four. The aesthetic/style of the restaurant is industrial/trendy and looks very well put together. One issue is the wait time for you food, which can vary wildly. There is also not much room to stand/wait for your food between the tables and people in line to order. read more

I thought I would give this place another try but I'm done. I got the fried chicken banh mi in a wrap and the chicken was dry and the batter on the chicken fell right off. Take a look at my picture and see for yourself. Chicken isn't even that expensive!! Is it so hard to get some appetizing chicken these days?? read more

Foundation Cafe - Dry chicken. I don't see anything fried about these things at all. - Salad Near Me - San Francisco, California

This place honestly makes my day better. With the busy bodies walking to and fro in the Financial District, this place provides a nice breath of fresh air -- cool, modern interior, amazing music playing, a great selection of coffee, breakfast, sandwiches and salads and artisanal soda pop (and chocolate chip cookies that are out of this world). Everyone here is super friendly and laid-back, and I look forward to going just to take a few-minute break out of my workday. These guys rock!! read more

found this cafe on a whim while walking to work...was attracted by the esthetics of the small dining room, and excited by the creative menu. I ordered an iced vanilla bean latte and the California Donburi Salad ($8.50) with added grilled shrimp ($4) and was so happy! The shrimp was cooked and marinated perfectly, kimchi was light, and the plate was super satisfying. I will absolutely be back again, and look forward to sharing my next visit with a friend! Great option for a quick yet creative vegetarian lunch. read more

Foundation Cafe - California Donburi Salad with added grilled shrimp - Salad Near Me - San Francisco, California

Delicious coffee, delicious food. Not too much to choose from for breakfast and a tad more expensive than other coffee/breakfast joints around there. However, I liked the cozy feel for a sit down breakfast. read more

This is a not to be missed type of place. The Fried Chicken Sandwich is just outstanding. Not Bake Sale Betty amazing, but up in the pantheon of fried fame. One of my co-workers went back the day after we found this place just to get it again and she doesn't even get the bacon on the sandwich! It is THAT good. The chicken is closer to a schnitzel style than a KFC style of fried goodness. The clincher - it doesn't leak grease all over the place destroying the roll, the to-go container, and eventually my work shirt. The ingredients are all top-shelf from the chicken, to the roll, to the veggies. I will go back to try the steak sandwich and the fried fish sandwich. I already have it on good account the fish sandwich is great as well. The veggies sides also look to be gourmet-ish. For some reason I see myself being loyal to the F.C.S. after I get this experimentation out of my system. Is it a bit pricey? Maybe considering there are no sides involved, but not so far out of character for the neighborhood as to be alarming, and not given the quality of the ingredients. read more

Their chilaquiles and eggs is the perfect way to start your day. Also having four barrel coffee without having to trek out to the mission is also awesome. read more

Foundation Cafe - Chilaquiles - Salad Near Me - San Francisco, California

Their breakfast menu is limited, which is good, IMO, and the prices are so reasonable compared to other eateries around there. I ordered some kind of broccolini, egg sandwich on sourdough. The service was quick and the food delicious. I plan on inviting friends and colleagues for return visits. read more

I was excited to try this new place...even waited a couple of weeks for them to find their groove. Although my roasted beet salad is tasty, the beets are flavorful and the dressing is well balanced, the salad is more than 75% arugula with all the stems. Stems do not belong in any salad. Ever. The place is still pretty new and I'm hopeful they will survive the fierce competition on Kearny. read more