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    Hard Knox Cafe

    3.8 (2.1k reviews)
    Special Hours Closed

    Order Hard Knox Cafe Takeout or Delivery

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    HARD KNOX CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Hard Knox Cafe

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    Stef M.

    I've been going to this place for a long time .When ever I feel like some heavy comfort food that's close this is it . I do not do Uber Eats. The service is fair usually good workers. The place has a sort of southern decoration it's clean and welcoming. They have a nice breakfast Benedict s my favorite and a few other high cholesterol treats . So once in a while I'm here . Like last night open only till 9 but that's what it is . They have a steady run of daytime clients like regulars that enjoy their food . The parking is really hit and miss but not too bad . Prices have gone up recently on the items I like but that's life . They also have a tasty beautiful pear salad with a little blue cheese if your in to a healthier alternative

    Fried Chicken plate with sides
    Robin H.

    Staff was friendly and inviting. Ordered the fried chicken with sides of red beans and rice and Mac and cheese. Came with a side of cornbread. Chicken was hot and great! Red beans and rice were also quite tasty. Wasn't a fan of the Mac but my taste buds have been off lately so I will chock it up to that. It was too much food and staff suggested on a future visit to order ala Carte and customize. Would definitely go that on a return visit.

    Oxtails, mac & cheese and greens
    Marquitta H.

    Let me start my review off on a positive note, the staff is really friendly and nice. However, that's about the only positive thing I can say about this restaurant. I ordered takeout after searching for soul food and most restaurants were closed. I seen that they were open. I live in the East Bay so I took a drive after seeing the pictures on yelp of their food. I ordered the oxtails mac & cheese, greens, fried chicken, yams, and red beans and rice. I have never had anything like this before. I wouldn't consider this soul food. The flavors were really off the mac & cheese taste like it had nacho cheese on it. It was just not good to me. I didn't like anything that I ordered.

    Chicken & Waffle 2 orders  @rosyeatssj
    Rosalind W.

    Came in for Sunday dinner. Was greeted and seated immediately. Loved the decor. Service was very friendly. We enjoyed: Hush puppies Chicken & waffles Fried chicken with Mac n cheese and fries Oxtails with collard greens and rice & gravy Country fried steak with candied yams and collard greens All the meals were served with corn muffins. The corn muffins were soo good. Oxtails were fall off the bone tender. Large portions for sides.

    Jambalaya over linguine
    Glenmarie J.

    Parking was a headache. Once we found parking, we had to walk about one block which wasn't bad at all. We were greeted and seated in a timely manner. Was seated in a comfy booth, but lighting was a bit too dim for us. There were some tables that had different brightness in light so not all tables had the same lighting. Our server was kind and attentive, checked on us a couple of times and refilled our beverages without being flagged down. EVERYTHING we ordered was delicious and my kids were very vocal on how they enjoyed their dinner. We also have alot of leftovers for tomorrow.

    oxtails with mac and cheese and collards
    Geri S.

    Friendly service is foremost at Hard Knox on Clement Street. We are welcomed and seated and served warm corn muffins with delicious fried chicken, oxtails, and shrimp po'boy...generous sides of green salad, collard greens, mac and cheese, red beans and rice to satisfy our lunch appetites. The menu entices us with breakfast favorites...corned beef hash, CFS - chicken fried steak, and chicken with waffle for another visit.

    Corn meal muffins
    Donna L.

    Eight of us came for lunch. The corn meal muffins were nice, but wasn't fresh out of the oven. Most ordered the fried chicken. We thought the chickens were pretty small. My oxtail was pretty big for 2 pieces. The catfish looked good too. It's a lot of food so everyone took half their meal home. Our waitress Susan was so friendly. I didn't know you can ask for certain pieces of fried chicken - like all wings or 2 thighs and a leg. She also offered gravy for the fried pork chop and kept coming by to refill our hot water with lemon. An excellent dining experience!

    Yuri P.

    A very interesting place! Atmospheric in its own way. At first glance, the interior doesn't really stand out, but after the first bite, you start to sink into the experience and see everything from a completely different perspective. The food is delicious, and the staff is extremely friendly and welcoming. Highly recommended.

    Candied yams
    Brian G.

    This is the spot for comfort food. Soul food always hits, just be ready to work off those calories from all the fried stuff and rich foods. Here's how I rate all the dishes I've tried. Hush puppies: B Cajun shrimp balls: C Mostly rice. Shrimp flavor is there but pieces of shrimp are not noticable. Gumbo soup: B Chicken fried steak: B Cornbread: A- Candied yams: A Mashed and heavy on the cinnamon and sugar. Loved how this tastes, although it's almost like a dessert! Collard greens: A- These taste great and are super tender and umami. Mac n cheese: B- Pretty cheesy, macaroni was quite soft. Potato salad: C- Too sweet for my preference. Amazing service every time we've been to this location. Huge portions too!

    BBQ Pork Spareribs Black-Eyed Peas & Rice with yams.
    Nichole B.

    Walked in and everyone that worked there greeted us as well as helping us figure out how to put our name in the list and where to wait. They checked on us frequently (we only had to wait 15mins on a Saturday night) they sat us and helped us with the menu right away. If there's one thing you MUST try it's the GUMBO!!!!!!!!!!! Do not miss out!!!!!!!!! We didn't even get a picture of it because we devoured it so quickly lol. All the food was incredible. I need to go back asap. The whole inside has a classic look to it and makes you feel like you're right at home. A big thanks to our server Nora who treated us like VIPs

    Corn Muffins
    Laila K.

    This is one of my long time favorite spots in the city! Discovered it about 10 years ago. Perfectly nestled in the central Richmond neighborhood, blocks away from the stunning Baker Beach. It's a cute and small spot but still spacious. They now have some outdoor patio seating as well which is lovely on a sunny day. The service is always a hit. Yesterday my server was fantastic and made sure I was well taken care of the entire time. The food is the reason I keep coming back - those corn bread muffins are out of this world!! With some melted butter on top, they are to die for. The fried chicken is perfectly crispy and juicy, and the waffles are made just right. If you're ever in the area and in the mood for Southern cooking, I'd highly recommend Hard Knox.

    Fried Catfish, Red Beans & Rice, Collard Greens, Hushpuppies
    Emanuel L.

    It was a gut punch learning the 3rd St. location had closed. So, I took my valentine to the Clement St. location. Pains me to say it, but this was a complete let down. We both got fried catfish. Catfish 2.5outta5 Fried perfectly but had no seasoning Collard greens 2.5outta5 tender cook but no flavor & lukewarm Red beans & rice 2.5outta5 No seasoning Hushpuppies 4outta5 nice cook, nice flavor Potato Salad 1outta5 Bell peppers, diced onions, grainy potatoes, a very off-putting bite. We've never had potato salad like this. It's not a southern recipe. We passed. Cornbread muffins 4outta5 Attentive & prompt service, chill atmosphere but the food left a lot to be desired. No comparison to 3rd St. It could've been an off day for the kitchen.

    Corn bread
    Kaela N.

    Went to Hard Knox after work and had some amazing comfort food! I went around 6pm on a weekend and there was no rush. Although there is plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. There are TVs if you wanted to watch a game and have some good comfort food. I love the portions--well worth the price. Not only do you get to pick what types of cuts for the chicken but you get two generous portions of sides (I got macaroni and collard greens) and the best part, two warm corn bread muffins. I will definitely come back!

    Oxtails

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    3 months ago

    Food is great. But placed my order for jambalaya with rice and got pasta delivered to me. at least they got me condiments this time!

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    Hard Knox Cafe Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Hard Knox Cafe

    Do they deliver?

    Only thru services not in house

    Is hard Knox Cafe on clement closed? I see recent reviews.

    No they're open for pick up but hours are different than what's listed on google. I ordered from them Friday 7/17.

    I just found out about this place. I'm originally from Texas, this is the kind of food I grew up eating. Any recommendations?

    Yes, my husband also grew up in Texas eating this stuff. Oxtail!

    How spicy is the etouffee?

    Mildly spiced but not spicy hot

    View All 6 Questions

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    I got the chicken and waffles and I found out that maybe ion like chicken and waffles. I don't have…read morea gage of if a chicken and waffles is good or not so not really the restaurant to blame on why I think that their chicken and waffles is okay. They're probably great to the avid chicken and waffles enjoyer but I js don't fw it. Also brunch in it of itself is a weird concept to me but I think that this place does it good. Next time I'm here I'm not getting the chicken and waffles and order more appealing to my palette like salmon or them steak and eggs. Service was good the workers are very nice. Also my meal was free bc my grandma paid for it so that is pretty awesome

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    That bacon, tho...

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    Wow this place was so amazing! Not only were the servers so friendly, kind, and accommodating but…read morethe food was also incredible. I loved the decor all around the restaurant with adorable cow art and a very clean feel. The servers and hosts were coming over to chat with us and just made us feel so welcome and special. From the second you walk in until the second you leave you are in good hands. It's also right across from the train so it's super easy to get there! I don't normally like horseradish, but the burger came with the perfect amount of horseradish where it tasted very fresh and added a good burst of flavor without being overwhelming! The fries were delicious and crispy. 10 out of 10 food, service, and environment. I would give them more stars if I could.

    If you happen to stumble upon Marlowe like we did I'm confident that you will leave as full and…read moresatisfied as we did. A charming little bistro inspired by the Marlowe cows, I'm assuming, managed to stun us with several memorable dishes. The warm deviled eggs were an excellent start. Savory yet delicate enough to not weigh us down right at the beginning of our meal. The horseradish aioli wasn't for me, but I can see its appeal for a certain audience. You give me a Calabrian chili sauce and it's guaranteed to make me happy and this shrimp with sweet corn was no exception. Again, light but a punchy flavor that was enjoyable. I could go on and on about the different dishes we tried but the real standout of the night was the pork tenderloin with chorizo and peaches. The sweetness from the peaches somehow managed to enhance the flavor of the chorizo. This dish gives you a bold, savory and sweet bite all together but still won't have you feeling super heavy. The portion size is perfect. Im hoping to return soon for another exquisite meal.

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    Marlowe Burger with side of fries

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    We arrived to The Plow at 10:30am and got a table for two. The waiting time can be anywhere from…read moreone hr to over and hour and half. We got seated by 12:30pm. The hype is real, the wait is real too! It was all worth it! We got seated outside, nice chill San Francisco breeze. They have blankets available if you get cold. Great service! The host, the waiter they were totally awesome! The food was exactly what I expected. We ended up getting the plow and French toast. They were both great! Delicious, if I had to pick one it will still be the plow. The home made pork sausage along with a two small lemon pancakes were not just a surprise but just amazing! Those pancakes are small and they do pack a punch! The lemon flavor is just delicious ur not over powering. As soon as the first bite of pancake is near ur mouth you can smell the aroma of lemon and when it hits your palate you get this citrus flavor that hits your palate just right mixed with the pancake syrup totally delicious. I totally recommend The Plow. I can totally see us going back and walking around the area checking out the stores and maybe grab a coffee while we wait, like I said the waiting is real lol. Overall I loved it! Perfect for a brunch day, just be prepared to wait and don't arrive too hungry cause you will wait for a n hour or two as we did. :)

    Heard this was a staple brunch spot in San Francisco and stopped by. Approximate wait time was…read moreabout 30- 45 minutes but waited ended up waiting over an hour to be seated outside for a party of four. There are a few tables outside the restaurant that are slanted on a small hill and a platform with a few tables on the street. We were seated on a table on the hill and had to be mindful of fluids/sauces filled to the brim. Blankets are also provided on each chair in case it gets breezy outside. The menu is set daily, so the dishes can vary from what's shown in previous photos. After ordering, it took over 30 minutes for our food to arrive. The summer vegetable hash comes with beans, squash, tomatoes, corn, carrots, peppers and eggs. I typically associate hash with potatoes, but surprisingly this dish does not come with potatoes. The dish was fairly mild, with most of the flavor coming from the individual vegetables. It's definitely a lighter, healthier take on hash and would be a good option if you're looking for something with more vegetables. The plow comes with eggs, lemon ricotta pancakes, potatoes and choice of meat. The lemon riccota pancakes were the star of the dish- light, fluffy and not too sweet. The potatoes were crispy. The steak + eggs was a hearty option. The steak was tender and juicy and went well with the chermoula sauce. Overall, I'm glad I got to try this restaurant at least once, but hesistant to come back because of the long wait and value of each plate.

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    Hard Knox Cafe - soulfood - Updated September 2026

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