After visiting the good people across the street at Vespa San Francisco, my wife and I ended up at Grubstake for dinner. I've heard about Grubstake from a lot of friends and also I saw them on the Travel Channel on an episode where they were visiting late night eateries in San Francisco. We arrived a little bit after 5pm which means they just opened. The hours here are 5pm to 4am. So we were actually the only ones there when we ordered even though by the time we left the restaurant was full of customers. Here's what we ordered: Nugget Burger: this is a 1/3 pound burger that comes with a fried egg and bacon. Fries are $2 extra (didn't taste that great) and onion rings are $4 extra (tasted good). Overall it was a decent burger. Along with the onion rings it's added up to about $15. Was it $15 good? Umm, I guess it was ok value but anymore $ and I would say no way. Portuguese buffalo wings: the wings are slow cooked in spices. They were ok but they should take the name buffalo off the wings. This were Portuguese wings that are baked. When I think of buffalo I expect fried and with buffalo sauce. Service was average, but the waitress was very nice. The restaurant decor is kind of cool in a bar/diner type way. Would I come again? I don't feel a dire need to, but it's still a decent spot and definitely on the short list for late night eats. read more

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I love it here this is the best place I've ever been. Ambiance is 100. Chill late night vibes. Charming. Great staff. Fast service.

One of my last meals in San Francisco before moving back East. I have a lot of good memories from this place over the years- late night shenanigans followed by a solid meal before crawling back home. They've eliminated quite a bit from their menu since Covid but I'm happy they survived the pandemic and other challenges. Great food, and one of the few late night neighborhood spots. Go support them! read more

Well folks I came to San Francisco and stayed at the holiday inn. Across the street is the grubstake diner. Service incredible. Attentive staff. Perhaps because only 3 tables were occupied out of around 15. Clam chowder - excellent. Chicken tenders - the best I have ever had. Mozarela sticks equally as delectable. Could not test the rest of the menu but have had clam chowder twice this week. Totally vouch for it. And reasonable pricing. Great little place. read more

Grubstake Diner - Awesome main floor - Burgers Near Me - San Francisco, California

After drinking all night at a birthday party at a bar with some finger foods, we were ready for real food. Around 11pm we told my friend we were leaving the party and asked for a recommendation to where we could go within walking distance of the bar we were at. She said Grubstake. We walked over, it was pretty busy for 11pm, but we got a table. Service was fast and friendly. We each ordered a different burger, for him, a Strike burger, for me, a Nugget Burger. We also got an order of tater tots and a chocolate shake. The food was out in no time at all. Both of our burgers were large and tasty. I loved that mine had bacon and a fried egg. He said he was good, but wished he had ordered what I had. The tots were fine, they were served on a plate, we maybe got 12? It looked sad, but really, it was all we needed. Overall, the food was great and just what we needed. The shake was perfect, a great way to round out our night of drinking and to compliment our burgers. We happened to be carrying a bunch of crap with us since we were staying in Berkeley and had picked stuff up on our trip to the city, they were kind enough to give us a bag to haul our load in. I think this is a great place for late night eats, and I wouldn't hesitate to come back again next time we are in San Francisco. read more

Nerissa D's review was right on target. The server was old and rude and really bad. The food was even worse and when it was delivered, the kitchen order's ticket was still left on the plate. Too bad the french dip wasn't delivered to another table by accident... I will never go back there again. read more

We just had amazing food this evening!!!! Been years since we had eaten there n it was as good as we remember. Nugget burger n Patty Melt! The onion rings we sooooo good!! Highly recommend this iconic place!!! read more

Grubstake offers a diner-like ambiance and serves classic American-style diner staples (burgers, steaks, etc), but you don't go here for those items. You eat at Grubstake for their Portuguese menu. Slightly more expensive, but with decent portion sizes, the Portuguese menu consists of a few different seafood-based dishes (codfish or shrimp), steak, pork chops, or the popular caldo verde soup. Choice are quite limited and nonexistent for vegetarians. The caldo verde soup was light, delicious, and warming. The kale was thin, but I felt the soup itself should've had more linguica. The sauteed garlic mushroom appetizer was delicious, but very oily. My main dish, the Camarão con Molho de Alho (prawns sautéed with garlic, with a side of potatoes and veggies), was pricey at $17, but portion size was substantial. The shrimp was seasoned nicely, but the side potato and vegetables were on the blander side, nothing special. Service was very friendly and attentive, as my party was attended by the owner Fernando. Partially designed inside an old rail car, Grubstake has some San Francisco history behind it and also an interesting, but warm and homey atmosphere. The addition of colored lights and wreaths along the ceilings makes this place festive. read more

Grubstake Diner - Camarão con Molho de Alho (prawns sautéed with garlic, with a side of potatoes and veggies) - Burgers Near Me - San Francisco, California

I ordered the Grubsteak Burger and a side of Onion Rings through Grubhub. Utterly disappointing. The "Lots of bacon" was maybe one full piece of bacon broken into a few pieces. The patty was thin and not that good. I would have been better off getting a whopper meal and save $20. The onion rings Im sure were awesome when they were fresh, but by the time i got them, they were just on the warm side if cool, and soggy. I had heard great things and maybe visiting the restaurant would yield better results, however I will not order from here again. read more

Grubstake Diner - GRUBSTEAK burger and Side if Onion Rings - Burgers Near Me - San Francisco, California

Great customer service, food came out fast and fresh, still hot off the grill! The environment was welcoming and it was an overall fantastic experience! I ordered the nugget burger and which features an over-easy egg cooked to perfection and a side of French fries! My 4 comrades and I had a phenomenal experience here at 2am! Keep up the great work! Highly recommended! read more

$10 strawberry banana milkshake is sooooo worth it!!! Go there!! Open til 4a.... Quick, friendly service. We ordered the grubstake hamburger and Portuguese pork chops (forgot the exact name). I ate all mine, well ok, with a little help from the Man. Portions are just right. Oh, we had another milkshake to go... read more

Grubstake Diner - Portuguese pork chops.... - Burgers Near Me - San Francisco, California

The patty was perfect. The service was top notch. Better than any soon to be hung over customer deserves.

Sorry would have been 1 or 2 starts but my partner was ok with food ny and scrambled. Now the fing pattymelt was without a doubt the worst I ve ever had anywhere. Maybe drunks at 1:00 am don't know but they used to be awesome there. Who the f puts tomatoes and lettuce on toast and call it a patty melt. The menu grillled onion, sourdough and Jack cheese. I actually ate half of a half now i don't feel good. read more

Finally went to Grubstakes for the first time for a late night bite last night. Two stars for the history and originality of the place, -3 stars because it will take the rest of my life to get over paying $12 for a serving of five mozerella sticks. RIP. read more

Nice place for after hours. The owner is a pretty nice guy. He is a pretty good freestyler if you ask.. i like their chicken tenders very zesty and hood style read more

Come to this landmark for ambiance, impeccable food safety score, the late hours - till 4am, and for some comfort food to sober you up. Certain items may seem a tad expensive but its still a great value... Plus, word on the street is that this place might get changed and rebuilt.... I've got lots of reverence for places that have been around this long and wanted to pay last respects if what I heard was true. The city is changing so much great to see something that has been around for so long. Its easy to drive past this little treasure... I've been doing it for years. You've had a few on Polk St and this is your next stop... and a good choice as they are open till super late... an hour later than Tommy's Joynt. Once you get inside you will see the main dining area decorated with greens and what I remember to be some hanging grapes. To the right is the the bar and a few more tables in the old rail car. Ambiance couldn't be better -- you will immediately see this place is special. Below the bar are some black and white tiny tiles. Behind the bar lots of bottles to look and a TV recapping highlights of the latest Warriors game. Old nostalgic music plays in background. Also in view is the food safety score which is as great as their ambiance here. Sitting at the bar in the old cable car is such a nice place to be. You can even peek in the kitchen and watch them at work depending on where you are at. Its better than watching reruns of Julia Child. My turkey burger, $13, had lots of flavor from the mushrooms, cheese and their special hot sauce. Toasted bun had a light crunch. Vegetables nicely cooked and lightly seasoned. Apple crumble cake AWESOME!! Warm, nice crust. Apples well cooked.... and a few peppermint leaves. Order with a scoop of ice cream for a dessert that stands strong among even the best bakeries in the city.... and I would know... I've tried most of them. Yes, its expensive but hopefully your tipsy and it doesn't' bother you too much. Local police came in too while I was at the bar - they know whats up... Endorsements from SFPD. There was an unhappy yelper who left a recent negative review for a take out order. Don't go take out route here - that is just plain silly... come in this restaurant. The ambiance is one of the biggest attractions... the other - the late night hours. Furthermore, this Yelper ordered fries and a burger and then complained it was greasy... of course its greasy!!! If you are worried about bikini season order a turkey burger and steamed vegetables like I did... see my photo receipt. So many options here - some lighter than others. I will never understand people who get what they ask for and then complain. If anything, for her, the one biggest place to complain was the Nascar delivery driver who apparently threw her burger around. Seriously, this is a great place to go to after a night at the local bars. The server, Paul, couldn't have been more attentive and friendly. Food variety/menu is huge. If you don't get something you like you just need to let somebody who knows you better than yourself order for you - maybe mommy or a significant other. And if food gets all over you when you eat... wear a bib... and remember messy burgers are merely bragging rights. Thats how they should be. read more

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This is the the the third time I get to go here I love this place but wouldn't come back no more the older white male is always rude he complains and talks to your rude. I just asked for some green sauce. He was complaining they barely open. There was no customers in there is it he had enough time to make more sauces to go I'm just over it sad to say, but I'm never come here again. I've been coming here for 10 years. read more

Whenever you are in the city and you just want an old fashioned classic American feast, go here. Even at 1 in the morning the service was super friendly and helpful. read more

Grubstake Diner - Cali Chicken Sando Caesar Salad -Full French Toast (3) Mozzarella Sticks - Burgers Near Me - San Francisco, California

I came here years again and remember it being a life saver after being at a concert. Food is still amazing to this day and the ambiance is so cool and really good service! read more

We were starving and looking for food that was open till 10:00pm as we just landed. Well after searching a few places on Yelp we walked passed it looking for something besides Thai & pizza this gem shined and said it was open tell four. I server was a bit chatty but very cool. Had the wings and OMG they were amazing, I had the Philly and my wife the Cali chicken. Everything tasted wonderful. I see why Guy Fieri was part of this location. Post COVID review!!! And it's amazing!!!! read more

The food is good, but this Russian dude is the biggest assh**** I've met in months. I sat at the bar and placed my order 3x with this piece of sh** worker: once when I got in, after I used the restroom, and then again after the female waitress took my order. The place was half full, with only me at the bar. The dude asked me CASUALLY if the Nick's Smokehouse was what I wanted 3 TIMES. It wasn't until I bothered the waitress and said in the politest way, "Excuse me, I hate to bother you, but that I don't think the bar guy took my order at all. I don't know what his problem is." She apologized for him and punched in my order, basically doing HIS work. Also, after I got my food, I asked him for some ranch. He said ok, then asked a group table of girls away from the bar if they needed more water and served them water without giving me ranch. I ended up asking the barback, and he helped me right away. Side note: the menu both online and printed version state that Nick's Smokehouse comes with onion rings--they don't, I got charged for both. My total was $20.62 for a chicken sandwich and onion rings. I gave him a $3.38 tip with my bill. Then pulled out a wad of $20 bills (making sure he saw this) and put a $20 bill in the waitress' pocket and a $5 bill in the barback's hand. As I walk out, I see him staring blankly, at a loss of words. This is the type of guy that if you saw him getting beat up on the street, you'd want to have some popcorn with you. read more

Grubstake Diner - Burgers Near Me - San Francisco, California

My fiancé and I have been having a wonderful vacation with our friends. We did the alcatraz tour?and we were celebrating one if our friends birthday. Based on the yelp reviews we decided to try grubstake. Thats where the grubstake mistake began. We first received waters with no ice, ok no biggie. We all ordered something different. I ordered the grilled chicken caesar salad, my fiancé ordered the tri-tip caesar salad, two of our friends shared the french dip sandwich and the birthday boy got the grubstake cheeseburger with bacon. The girls that shared the french dip said it was ok, it did taste old but it was ok. The fries were good, but that was it. 1. Early in the meal my fiancé sent the Tri-tip salad back, because the salad was really warm like it was under a heat lamp and the tri-tip was over cooked and looked like it had been sitting for hours. The server took it back and never came back to ask if he wanted anything else. So he did not eat 2. The chicken in the chicken caesar salad was dry and over cooked. I was able to add to it make it palatable. 3. Bacon on the cheeseburger was so burnt it looked like charcoal. The burger was also over done but he ate it because it did have some flavor. We were not happy but at this point we just wanted the birthday boy to have his desert. We ordered the ice cream sandwich with homemade chocolate chip cookies. Well lets say the chocolate chip cookies were so hard you had trouble cutting it with a knife and a fork. This was the last straw We asked the server nicely to speak to the manager and let him know that his service was not the problem, but the kitchen really let him down. Being that we all work in the food industry we all have had to deal with this type of thing before. This is where things got worse. The "manager" came over, grabbed the cookie desert without acknowledging us at all and went into the kitchen. We sat there for about 10 more minutes. We saw the server and asked if we could just pay the bill so we could leave. The server came over to us and actually told us the he was told to ask us to leave. SERIOUSLY... whoever this "manager" is need to learn how to treat his customers. read more

Grubstake Diner - Really ???? And the manager came and took it very upset as soon he saw me taking a picture of it. - Burgers Near Me - San Francisco, California

Update -- I have not been to Grubstake in awhile because of the following: Same great food, but unfortunately not the same experience without Jay and Gary, and the prices have gone up too. You would think prices would have gone down when they replaced their frontline employees with an app... read more

Stopped by late at night and grabbed a bite to eat. THE BEST FOOD EVER. wings to die for + bacon burger is killer. Rewarded myself with a chocolate shake that did not disappoint. visiting from tx read more

Grubstake Diner - chocolate milkshake - Burgers Near Me - San Francisco, California

There is no better option for late-night dining in this area than Grubstake (See my review on Mel's Diner Ewwww). The portions are hearty, the menu is extensive (See the Portuguese options), and the food is tasty! At 2 AM I'm generally in burger-mode so I go for the Blue cheese burger. it comes on a juicy beef patty with a generous slathering of thick blue cheese and fries. The breakfast choices are also great with various lumberjack-type, mountain-manish plates. A perfect cure for those drunk munchies, and you should have enough for a doggy bad the next day. read more

I did go with high expectations. They were not met. Caldo Verde Soup - this was a highlight. if other parts of the meal had been better i would go back often and order this soup. French Burger - a burger on a french roll. it looked like it was going to be great. but there was an overall oily taste to every bite. not greasy like a great greasy spoon burger but the actual taste of a cook oil. Portuguese Pork Chop - this was relatively good. but once again, there was a distinct taste of oil in every bite. Ambiance - it is a nice little room. it has that greasy spoon kind of feel to it. with the train car and the added space. it works as a comfortable place for a meal. Service - the wait service was straight forward. nothing to complain about or to glow about. the owner was nice and friendly and stopped by the table. Overall - the quality of the food did not meet my expectations. the oiliness was a factor that took the food to a below average point. if the remainder of the food had been average, the soup would have made it worth it. i will not return. read more

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Came and was pleasantly surprised. Looking over the menu a few times over, I really couldn't decide on anything. Nothing really stood out...but a quick turn around to look at the daily specials looked pretty appealing. Ultimately, I decided on a grilled portabello burger with brie and pesto aioli and was kind of blown away. The pesto aioli was spread on the bun then toasted which made the burger less visibly greasy but still imparted that nice pesto flavor. The mushroom was hefty, juicy...and when combined with the melted brie, heavenly. The special included a side of sweet potato fries which were nicely made - crispy on the outside and fluffy inside. I paired my burger with a strawberry shake which, despite the $6.25 price tag, is enough to split between two people. The shake was very good and delivered the way a proper shake ought to be, in a fountain cup with plenty of extra in the tin can. As for our other plates, my brother tried the nugget and while he enjoyed it, I was disappointed that he was suckered into fries (extra, not included with the burger)...the waiter asked the question but didn't bother to provide a reminder that it would be extra. Lame. Mom had the stuffed pepper special and my dad had the salmon. Both enjoyed their meals very much. read more

Grubstake Diner - Strawberry Shake - Burgers Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I was recommended this place by the hotel concierge and must admit I loved it. A crusty old diner that serves the best chicken wings I have ever had. Portuguese style wings served in a nice hot sauce and meat so tender it just fell off the bone. Honestly good Buffalo wings can't hold a torch to these ones :-)) The area where this diner is was also quite interesting with lots of bars with music pumping. The diner itself was packed at 1am when I arrived. Plenty of take out orders were also coming in when i was there. The staff at the counter were nice and got me going quickly with wings and jalapeño poppers both of which I enjoyed. The atmosphere was great and I loved it. Happily come here again any day. It's a great diner with great food and open till 4am. read more

Grubstake Diner - Burgers Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Overpriced crap... No one greeted us either. Tipped 18% for zero service... You have to prepay everything upfront too, including tip. Never coming back. Went to Pinecrest the next night, and the difference was night and day. read more

Soup amazing like always even though I could see them microwaving it. The guy with the cast or brace on his arm is flat out rude and hurting the business. Wings weren't award winning like they usually are. Doordash was upsetting him as he slammed things around. I couldn't get a refill on my coke. The French Dip used to be amazing. Now it's packaged steak mixed with white American cheese and it was probably the worst one I've ever had. The steak cooked in fat that once was amazing was burnt and not good. The only thing good about this place anymore is the soup, being open late for eats and nostalgia. Probably won't return unless I'm drunk and need soup. read more

Not awesome and don't understand the hype. The burgers were fine; my mother got The Frenchy and I got the Guacamole burger. The Caesar salad, when it was first delivered to us, had no Parmesan. Fortunately we got the dressing on the side because it was nasty and sent that back also for some ranch. Finally, after that was fixed, we discovered it had a fly in it which was super gross and we couldn't finish the salad. Also the service was incredibly slow. By no fault of the two (count 'em, TWO) waiters who had to deal with a full restaurant AND making cocktails for a brunch crowd AND making desserts along with everything else they had to do. The owner needs to hire more staff. Basically, we would not come back here. read more

Grubstake Diner - The fly discovered in our Caesar - Burgers Near Me - San Francisco, California

Yelp is asking me to consider the keywords Food, Service, and Ambiance in my review. Well, I'll start with the best part of this restaurant; its ambiance. This place has charm. It looks great from the outside. Everything about rolling up to an old railcar after a night of drinking gets you excited about the possibilities. This is a good reason you don't judge a book by its cover. The 5 star ambiance ends once the service and food come into play. Not sure why Guy Fieri stopped by this joint but this episode should have been left on the cutting room floor. The food was okay, the coffee okay, the service was okay, but the value and flavor of the food was left back at whatever rail station this building used to travel on. In all honesty, a denny's would have been better. They would have at least brought regular coffee refills, given you more than 6 coffee creamer containers so share with 2 other people, had different sugar options, and enough napkins. Then again, you don't need a lot of napkins when the food is all eaten in two bites. The French Toast, and eggs must have come from Babie's farm because they were minature compared to regular sized servings. Save yourself money and time. Walk by and take a picture but if you are hungry, find another place. read more

Great diner with great service! I happened upon this diner when on a short trip and was hungry and wandering around the area looking for an early dinner as I was on East Coast time. I was seated quickly and my waitress was excellent. I had the grilled pork chops which were excellent! The atmosphere is eclectic but very warm and overall just a fun place to have a meal. I would recommend if you want a good meal at a reasonable price (for San Fran...)! read more

The service was ok. I do not understand what we had to pay before we ate. Anyway we order potato skins and they were fair. We then each had a chicken sandwich terrible. No flavor very just very plain. Were disappointed. We would will not go back. We really miss the previous owners! read more

I've been in SF for years and I'd always been curious about Grubstake. I finally tried it out and it was actually very good. I had their Mushroom and Swiss Burger and it was a hearty, great-tasting meal. The quality of the burger was very good and it was seasoned pretty well. I also ordered the onion rings, which I thought were fantastic...perfect amount of batter and perfectly cooked. I split a chocolate milkshake, which was also very good. The ambiance is definitely casual and eclectic...definitely one of the more interesting places to eat in SF. The price-point seems a bit off to me - fairly pricey for what you get. A "regular" (as in vanilla, chocolate, strawberry) shake is $9.50 and a "fancier" one (as in salted caramel malt or Nutella) is $12.00, yes, $12.00! The shakes are made with real ice cream and they are very good, but they arrive in a regular-sized glass and I don't think they are worth the steep price. The price for two burgers, two sides (fries and onion rings) and one shake was $51.00. I really enjoyed the unique atmosphere and the good food. I hear it's closing soon so I hope to experience it again before that happens. read more

Rude staff member (not the old dude he was super sweet and helpful) talks to you in a condescending tone and told a friend "they don't do change you either round up or round down " when asking for her change back it was like 15 cents or something instead gave her a dollar after a making a weird remark about making it even? I don't know what his problem was it seemed like he was being nice and respectful to every other table Food was ok my milkshake was absolutely trash though read more

Was referred here by a friend. And definitely would recommend this to anyone as well. BIG BONUS they are open until 4am!! Get in late off the plane and not many places were open I had the Nugget Burger and possibly one of the best burgers I have ever had. My fiancé had the guacamole burger and was also very tasty. Meat was cooked well and very moist Our waitress was very attentive. The restaurant/bar is an old trolley so gives it a great atmosphere. Definitely would recommend trying this place out. read more

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Food is less that mediocre. Service even worse. You order through phone and prepay so of course as a decent person I offer a respectable tip. I was a server for 4 years while at college - this isn't worth a damn thing. It looks and tastes like microwaved frozen food. For example, bacon bits? Pre packaged. Breaded chicken? I've never been more convinced it's frozen and literally looks microwaved, I can do better with a home air frier and frozen nuggets. Don't waste your time and money. And I thought I was done - tried to take food to go and god a filthy to go box: greasy puddle on the inside. read more

I'm just thankful there's a place that's open as late as Grubstake is. It's nothing that's gonna knock your socks off, but you'll be happy you stumbled into this place after a long night out. The wings are actually decent and pancakes are fluffy, so they both hit the spot. read more

1st time ordering from here. I paid $50 after tip for a burger, chicken tenders and 2 glasses of sprite. The order showed up extremely late, the food was cold and the bacon was all fat. Such a disappointing 1st time order with Grubstake EDIT: The owner of the restaurant personally reached out Eat24, apologized and is issuing a full refund. Because of that kind gesture, I will visit them in person and give them another shot :) read more

Grubstake Diner - $51.88 for a burger, 2 sprites and chicken tenders. I will not order from this place again - Burgers Near Me - San Francisco, California

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