My date and I visited Old Skool Café with high expectations and delicious food, wonderful service and delightful atmosphere and they delivered. We were presently greeted by the hostess and chef for our 7:30pm reservation. We arrived early but were seated shortly after arriving. The restaurant appears to seat 50 comfortably and we dined on an extremely busy night with a nearly full dining room. We were seated across a party of twenty near the piano player, which if you do not enjoy listening to the piano may be a nuisance but we loved the sound and were quite impressed that someone so young could play so well. Our server was delightful and opened with an explanation of the restaurant which also services as a non-profit for at risk youth, which was delightful to hear. She followed with the specials for the evening and took our order for appetizer and drinks. The only complaint I have for the evening is that they were out of certain alcoholic beverages and dishes, but the server quickly offered alternatives. There were several birthdays that evening and our server announced them over the microphone and the entire restaurant saluted the birthday men by singing happy birthday. It was really fun. I may have to take a birthday wo/man to celebrate...it was cute. Definitely saving the best for last, the food was great. We ordered the fried chicken dinner and accompaniments of collard greens and garlic mashed potato and gravy. The chicken was absolutely delicious, very moist and seasoned well; the collard greens were better than my own and mine our delicious; the garlic mashed potatoes came with gravy but were very good without it and we did not taste the gravy. Our second entrée of shrimp and grits was cooked perfectly. The grits were adequately seasoned and sprinkled with chorizo, the shrimp were excellently seasoned, and the combination was perfect. We ordered a side of macaroni and cheese that was individually baked inside a small dish providing a large enough serving for two, or if it is the only thing you order enough for one. This dish was filled with ample cheese, properly cooked pasta, and seasoned just right. To finish our meal, I ordered the sweet potato pie that was topped with the most delectable cream. If I weren't full, I could have ordered a second piece of pie, and was almost tempted to take one to go. On recommendation, I came from the East Bay to enjoy this place and am definitely glad I faced the traffic to do so. I would most definitely recommend this restaurant. Great ambience, good service, great food, and a great cause. read more

Old Skool Cafe - Delicious sweet potato biscuits w/ honey butter. I can eat this butter by the spoon full. - Soul Food Near Me - San Francisco, California

This is a feel-good dining experience: good food, friendly/motivated staff, excellent live music and all to benefit a good cause. The wait and host staff we interacted with were very young and very professional. Service at times was a bit overattentive, but understandably they are trying to get the word out about their great cause. The food here is pretty solid--tapas style soul food. We had the mac and cheese with bacon, peanut butter stew, shrimp and grits, ceviche, red velvet lava cake and a coconut rice pudding style dessert. They even gave us a free oreo truffle type bonbon, which was probably my favorite dish of the night. The shrimp and grits and mac and cheese were wonderful. Can't complain about the peanut butter stew either. The ceviche was my least favorite--not super flavorful and the menu said there was avocado, but there was none to be found once the dish arrived. All this food plus a bottle of wine, we had about an $80 bill for two, which I thought was pretty reasonable given all that we had! The live music was wonderful--a singer and guitar player--and it made my night. Very talented kids! If you live in central SF, it's a bit of a haul out here, but parking was easy. We made reservations, and while the restaurant wasn't packed, it was busy, so I would recommend making reservations. It's likely I'll return--it's nice to know your money is going to a good cause, and in exchange, you get good food! read more

OSC is just a great addition to the neighborhood, I moved here four years ago from Bernal and I love living in the Bayview District. This restaurant has a nice sophisticated atmosphere , the food is really good and the mission even greater, you'll love their Sunday brunch too! read more

This place is incredible. The ambiance is cozy and very inviting. I wanted to try this place for a very long time and I finally was able to. Old skool café has superseded all my expectations. The staff was very polite and professional not to mention the food which was delicious. Another interesting thing about this place, that I never knew is that it helps youth in need to get their lives back together and to begin a new chapter in their careers. A couple young men Who work there shared their stories during dinner. it was very inspiring to see a business that dedicates itself to not only producing a great quality product but also helping the community. Fried chicken is a must try, everything else was delicious as well. read more

I CANNOT wait to come back!! Had the spinach salad and peanut butter soup! Amazing! The staff is so polite and full of smiles! The decor is fabulous! And the music! Such talented young men! read more

Old Skool Cafe - Love the decor! - Soul Food Near Me - San Francisco, California

Truly a gastronomical experience. A step back in time once you enter through the front door. Reminds you of a speakeasy in the Nawlin's. The Brussels spout and Kale salad is to die for. The shrimp and grits who could ask for better, sweet potato Biscuts who knew! And dessert? Well, the cheesecake... Oh and for chocolate lovers the chocolate mousse is decadent! Truly award winning. We will be back! And don't forget to sign up for the 500 club. read more

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Wow. Great southern food! The ribs were fantastic along with the fried chicken, gumbo, and little shrimp appetizers which I forgot the name of. The food is great for its price but the fact that this place gives at-risk youths in the community an opportunity to learn job skills is even better. The service was great and everyone there from the waitresses to the owner were extremely friendly. WIll definitely be back. Oh yes, there's entertainment too. read more

Dined at Old Skool with my sweetie and some friends. Awesome food and atmosphere! Made even more awesome in that it is run by "at-risk kids" (who were it not for Old Skool) might be out robbing, murdering and committing other crimes. The food rivals any that I have ever eaten in terms of seasoning, price, -- very high qualify and very "down home [Southern USA] tasting. While I was there, someone from New York performed some songs which totally brought the evening together. Bayview is changing for the better. Better hurry and eat at Old Skool before all the edgy artsy folks claim this as their own! Superb evening was had by all! Ann D. Bayview read more

Soul food, cool vibes, and all for a great cause. The restaurant itself is located in a questionable area, but upon entering, you're indeed transported into an 'old school' New Orleans setting! There's live music during dinner, and the whole place is run by local students, which is awesome. The food is just as awesome, and the bf and I wanted to try everything on the menu. We ordered: - Peanut butter stew: the #1 item you should try. Subtle coconut flavors blended with rich, creamy peanut buttery goodness and generous chunks of tender chicken. - Calamari appetizer: Not super impressed with this one, but you can't really blame 'em. Still quite tasty, and it was paired with a sweet chili sauce. - Fried chicken: Comes with two large pieces of nicely fried chicken; just enough for both the bf and I. Served with yummy mashed potatoes and cole slaw. - Mac & cheese + bacon: Creamy, cheesy, delicious, and most definitely food-coma inducing. You just can't go wrong. This was such a pleasant experience and a good addition to our collection of date spots. The upbeat staff, warm environment, and yummy comfort food will keep me coming back for more. read more

Amazing. Amazing food, amazing cocktails, amazing service, amazing ambiance. The interior was done up in red, with a sprinkling of chandelier light and feathers. Before we ordered, we were served a honey bun which was excellent. I ordered the shrimp and grits and they were able to accommodate my request to make it without the andouille sausage (I don't dig on swine). It was delicious - the grits were super cheesy, the shrimps were just the right amount of spicy and there were also peppers sautéed in some magical sauce. I also had a sazerac - which was made the traditional way and very, very good, so I had another. I also tried some of my friend's Mac and cheese and mashed potatoes, also very yummy. And our meal was accompanied by someone playing soft jazz piano on the balcony. The whole experience was top notch. read more

A few friends and I came here for my boyfriend's birthday. Overall, the food was pretty good (we had fried chicken, peanut butter stew, jambalaya, and grilled cheese). A little pricey for a college budget, but we liked the cause so it was worth it. A couple notes: -Sweet potato biscuits and fries were great -They give free dessert for birthdays -They give you a bill at the end that has your total and a line for donations. After this they will bring out another bill with a line for a tip. We incorrectly thought they were doing a donation line instead of tips, so we ended up spending a little more than we were planning. -Live music is great -Join the Faithful 500 club. They will give you discounts in the future and a different food item of the week when you come. read more

Service was great everyone there was super attentive and kind. Food was delicious I got the cauliflower Mac and fried chicken. I'll Definitely be back! read more

Had a great night out here at Old Skool Cafe a few weeks ago! Highly recommend the fancy mac n cheese with all the sausage and onions (DROOL). Live music, beautiful style, good service: and it's your money well spent. Support your local community read more

I had dinner here with my family last night, we all enjoyed ourselves. The service was good, everyone was friendly & kind. The place was very clean and I loved the decor. The music was plus as was the dim lighting. We had gumbo, blackened catfish, greens, and the shrimp and grits. All the food was tasty, it was flavorful and fresh. The only thing I didn't like was how the food was not brought out together. My son received his meal well after the rest of us. I will return. read more

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First, Old Skool Cafe is a great gastronomic adventure for a foodie like me. Everything at Old Skool has flavor and a point of view - there's a story and a surprise in everything I have ordered. There is nothing dull on the menu - even "ordinary" items (like BBQ chicken) has some extraordinary flavor in it! But the food is the lesser part of the Old Skool story... it's really about the people and the promise behind the Cafe just being in existence! Ask any of the waiters how they got there and what the Cafe means to them! It's a beautiful story! read more

Great food! For appetizer we had the Taumoepeau Ota, recommended by our waiter. (You'll read how much I appreciated his service!!) It was amazing! For entree, I had the shrimp with grits (better than my husband's!!) and my husband had the half rack ribs. For dessert we shared the chocolate mousse. Excellent!! Great ambiance! There was live music during our diner. It was a guitar player who mastered almost all genres of songs you can hear while dining, with the right volume. So there is plenty of chances to have a great conversation. The decor is beautiful, the place is very clean and slick looking. The service? Where can I start? Made a reservation over the phone. Got a reminder call the same day of our diner! We were greeted like Gods at the front door, and taken to our table in seconds. The waiter was wonderful. He took the time to explain the particularities of each dish. We made our choices and told him that we were celebrating our anniversary, so we had time, and we wanted to take our time to enjoy our food. (I am a foreigner and I LOVE to enjoy my meals, otherwise I would eat at home) So the pace in which the food came (appetizer, entree and dessert) was perfect! See? our waiter was awesome!!! The buss-girl kept our water glass full. And she took care of any need we might had. Parking is so easy, I will not think twice going there over any other restaurant. There is a parking lot right up front from the entrance. Sweet!!! It's affordable, its great food, decor and amazing service... and it's a good cause. I am coming back in two weekends and I am bringing friends!!! I can't wait! read more

This place is more than a restaurant. Not only is it a "Supper Club," it's an establishment that reaches beyond the kitchen, touching and transforming the lives of at-risk youth. The food, service, and ambiance is superb, but the program Old Skool represennts is undeniably one-of-a-kind! Chef Kevin and the staff (who are the young graduates of the "second chance" program) cook and serve with excellence. I beseech you my brethren and sisteren by the mercies of God to support this cause. The program is a successful one, some of the graduates have gone on to attend colleges such as Stanford and Howard University. read more

I love this restaurant and what they are doing with their young staff. They help guide teens who need a place to put their passion. The food was amazing and I would go back in a heartbeat. Fantastic food and great staff. read more

my party and I received excellent personable service. Thestaff was very friendly and helpful. The chef even came to our table to checkon us. I would definitely come again. The food, customer service, music andoverall ambiance was so pleasant. I will be back for sure read more

I visited from the LA Area and was pleased to hear this cafe promotes youth outreach. We need more places to do this. Our server Deandre was a very nice guy and did a good job following all the steps to ensure he provided service and asked the right questions . The cafe has a lovely atmosphere and ambiance with jazz music playing. Tip: MUST GET the lime chili chicken wings. I'm back in la wanting more!!!! read more

I think sometimes that when it comes to a aide program being implemented in a consumer-facing service, there can be an unreasonable fear that it will be gimmicky or sub-par in some way. This is absolutely not the case with Old Skool Cafe. The NPO work and the menu are awesome in equal measures. Speaking to some of the waitstaff really drove home the importance and necessity of this establishment. Amongst many, many things it represents hope and opportunity. And the food? if If I were to die from drowning in a vat of Abu Peanut Butter Stew, in my eyes, it'd be a decent and honorable way to go. Looking forward to a return trip for sure. read more

Food was on point. Service was good!!! Good ambience with Live Music!!!!! Highly recommended to come and enjoy :)

The servings are large (reconsider an appetizer unless you're ready to share it with a few people as the main course is enough), the food is great, and the mission is awesome. The Gumbo was pretty solidly good but I honestly was envious of my friend's ribs. The mouth watering deliciousness of a full rack of ribs was just great. The Fried Chicken was succulent and the overall food selection was great. read more

I love this place and will definitely be back to try more dishes! A friend of a friend was involved with the inception of the restaurant, so I heard a lot of first-hand stories about the great cause. Even without the backstory, I would have been very impressed with the place - everything from the food to decor was great. My 2 favorite dishes were the shrimp & grits and Daniel's gumbo. The food is very authentic and nicely presented...a great place to come with a small group of 4-6 so that you can get a good taste of everything. I'll be back to try the ceviche and peanut butter stew! Not exactly in the greatest neighborhood, so I wouldn't take public transportation here. Come w/ a car! read more

4.5 stars 2nd time here. Loved it once again! Ordered the ribs, chicken durmettes, Mac and cheese, homemade blackberry soda and sweet tea (my GOD these drinks were EVERYTHING!!!!) And sweet potato tart w/ coffee whipped cream... AMAZING! I hate coffee, but this cream was delicious. Service was impeccable & with a smile. All-in-all another delicious night at Old Skoo Cafe and a great Valentine's Dinner. read more

I love this concept. I love these kids and I've never been disappointed with food or service. Great neighborhood dining spot.

Wonderful 1st time experience at the Cafe celebrating my Daughter's Birthday! Great food, music and customer service! We will definitely be back read more

My review is on Medium: https://medium.com/parts-of-how/old-skool-caf%C3%A9-1a8284b4a79?source=linkShare-7f9d0a7f25d6-1471109020 read more

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This is a must go to location if you're in the San Francisco area. The restaurant is one of those places that reminds you there are still so many awesome and thoughtful people in the world. Its tucked away on a main street in an area called Dog Patch. If you weren't looking for it you would probably miss it. When we first pulled up I must admit I was a little nervous there were tons of people hanging around on the corners and you could tell the neighborhood was a bit sketch but once we walked through the doors we felt right at home. The fact that the entire restaurant is "ran" by young adults is great. Our waiter Marcus was very helpful and patient. He explained that the menu was meant to be served Tapas style and made sure to answer any other questions we had. The young man playing the piano was great and we got a chance to talk to him for a bit while he took a break. Also Chef Kevin was such a wonderful guy. He came by our table several times and spoke with us about the concept of the restaurant and giving us suggestions for our trip. Be warned that if you get to this restaurant by taxi It will take you a while to get one to pick you up. Food: Ceviche: Great flavor! Served with pita chips. Barbeque Ribs: These were very good, the meat was nice and tender and the barbeque sauce had a great flavor. I also really liked the coleslaw which is rare for me. It was mixed with a sweet light salad dressing instead of mayo which was nice. Fried Chicken: The fried chicken was yummy. The buttermilk coating was tasty and although the menu says it comes with only 2 pieces of chicken it actually came with 5. Its also served with garlic mashed potatoes. Gumbo: This gumbo was on point and this is coming from a few Cajuns and Texan girls! The roux was nice and thick and had a great color which let me know it was going to taste great. It came with four big shrimp and plenty of crab meat in it. Mac & Cheese w/ Andouille: Now this was probably my least favorite thing we ordered. It is large serving that you can share with several people and while it was very cheesy and had a nice texture and taste something was just missing for me. Maybe it was missing seasoning or something. Cheesecake: Great dessert. read more

Old Skool Cafe - Mac & Cheese, Gumbo, Cheesecake, Ceviche, Fried Chicken and Ribs - Soul Food Near Me - San Francisco, California

I went here with my family. We first heard about this restaurant from Check Please. We started off with the house made sodas; think Italian sodas. I had the blueberry one; the soda could have used a little more syrup. For starters we had the kale salad, tomato soup, chicken drumettes, and sweet potato fries. I wish the all of the sauces came in bigger containers. I had the shrimp and grits; it was creamy and flavorful. We had the fried chicken; it was crispy and moist. Service was initially attentive. As the meal progressed, we didn't see much of our server. For the most part, service was very friendly. I would return. read more

This place was fabulous! I loved the fact that these kids are learning a trade and given a second chance! The food was awesome and a great price! We went on a date night and it was 22 bucks for dinner and dessert... SO GOOD. The atmosphere was great too. Very 1920s speakeasy feel and there was even a kid singing and a man playing piano! read more

I've been to Old Skool several times. The food is consistently great. The fried chicken, greens and gumbo are all fresh, properly seasoned and nicely presented. The ambiance is New Orleans style, with cozy and intimate seating areas where you also have a good view for people-watching. I love that this is a non-profit, training youth in all aspects of running a restaurant. The only thing that keeps them from 5-stars is that the servers are....well...in training. So you may not get quite the type of service that you'd expect, given the caliber of the place, however they are all sincere, attentive and trying hard to get it right. Last time we were there (a Friday night in August) there was a young man named Jeremy Sullivan performing solo guitar and singing, mostly what seemed to be his original songs. His style was sort of jazzy, bluesy, folksy. Very beautiful sound. He was really mesmerizing and so talented. Catch him there if you can. But by all means support this wonderful restaurant. read more

Pretty impressed, decent prices, good ambiance, and respectable business model. From what I gather, they hire/train at risk youth to help build themselves up for the future and I think thats pretty awesome. The menu is interesting and the food is also pretty dam good. Our group was large enough to order just about everything on the menu. I believe the menu changes and I don't remember exact details. An entree or two may have been over salted and some others a little under seasoned but everything had great flavor and stood on its own. The chef even came out to tell us about how they work and ask us how the food was which I thought was nice. The place does feel like an old school lounge with a mellow intimate atmosphere. I think they had a stage with mic for shows too which they used to announce something but it was too difficult to hear. I believe it was one of the bussers birthdays which was a nice gesture. The staff didn't perform a flawless service, we had to ask for water and silverware a few times but its clear they're learning, care about their job and enjoy working there. This place deserves the positive praise not only for their mission but also delivering on good solid soul food. read more

So glad to see this gem of a place still going strong, still providing exceptional service, dishing out even more of their delicious grub and, oh my, what a wonderful cause! read more

What can I even say about Old Skool? It's amazing. Seriously, GO! Enjoy a wonderful dinner knowing you're in a restaurant that's run by at-risk youth who are learning key skills that will help them be successful in work and life. Please go watch their video...a few minutes well spent: http://player.vimeo.com/video/42301027 Few things I love about Old Skool. 1) The warmth and joy of the youth. 2) The 20s/30s ambience is so fun. 3) The food is down home and good. read more

Excellent service and delicious home cooked food cooked and served by youth! This is better than any 5 star restaurant! Friendly ,attentive and polite service all for an amazing cause!! The jazz band is amazing ! Restaurant decor to resemble an old 1930's speakeasy. Al Capone would've been a frequent client! Now go and get some and bring cash to tip the kids !! read more

Damn Fine. This is the perfect romantic restaurant, she will love it. The service is excellant. Our server was friendly, attentive and took time, not only to answer our questions but ensure we knew what was good. He even knew not to reach across my face and I can't say that for most restaurants. He could get a job at any restaurant in the city. Service is five stars but the food wasn't perfect, really colse though. The wait staff, and every other employee we encountered were so professional that I can't with a clear conscience give this less than five stars. The Peanut Butter Stew really is that good. GIve it a try, its marvelous. Dare I say, "perfect." The Sweet Potato Pie is good but I won't have it again. If you really like Sweet Potato Pie, then why not give it a try, but it won't blow your mind. The Honey Butter is something I will never forget. The Shrimp and Grits are OK but not magical. Brenda's and Brown Sugar are a million times better. The Gumbo really isn't that good. It's not bad but I'll pass on it next time. The Calamari and ribs were not that good. The ribs a little too dry and calamari was boring. Overall the the service, live jazz, and atmosphere made up for the food not being perfect. The food here is great, don't get me wrong, just not the best in San Francisco. read more

Great cause, good food and fabulous service! Check out their website to learn more about what they do and why and it makes the restaurant experience all the better. Live music is always fun too. Favorite dishes: fried chicken, mac 'n cheese, gumbo read more

Amazing food, great staff, incredible mission! I don't know what else to say, go here - you won't be disappointed! read more

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Ambience is 1920's great. Food is delicious. The shortrib was soft and tasty! Staff is perfect. Hope they keep up the good work!