I decided on this cafe based on reviews. I am attempting to find qualities I can rate highly and really cannot. I do not understand why it received four stars and this is what I am most disappointed with. Perhaps friends and family wrote all the responses?It is an okay place. with no ambiance at all....really old tables and chairs, the walls are dirty and need to be painted, The food was overpriced and mediocre. We had five people and we were forced to tip at 15%. While I would do this normally, I did not appreciate not even being told they intended to force us to tip. I would never go here again. Nothing about this place or its style or food or service deserve four stars. read more

CHECK YOUR BILL BEFORE YOU PAY!!!!!!!!! .................so I have been to this spot several times and had a decent breakfast I usually get a machaca breakfast....I will have to say everytime I visit there our several items on the bill of which didnt have or they charged for condiments like table chili for your food...also if you ask for some extra tortillas they overprice the tortillas...anyhow I'am not a cheap skate however I have never been charged for a little tiny bit of chile for a mexican breakfast ever.....This is the 3rd time they over priced and charged out for table chile....And when I say table chile like the kind you get a taco truck....AGAIN PLZ BEWARE OF ALL BILL BEFOR YOU PAY....After I asked the waiter who I believe is the owner...I told him what the items where on bill because was shocked they charged me $2.50 per table chile......He stated that they charge everyone the same for table chile.....unheard of .....anyway we also had to pay $2.50 for a few tortillas they also charged us a bill for splitting a dish........Im very fair however go somewhere elso to eat a decent breakfast in the mission....if you do try plz beware of the suprises on your bill...............good luck read more

I was contemplating making my own breakfast burrito this morning and after the burrito I received this morning, I should have went with that route. To start off, the breakfast burrito cost $7.99 plus tax. I don't mind paying any cost as long as the quality is there. The choice for meat are sausage, bacon or ham. I requested if I could have all three meats but with equal amounts so as if I only had one. They told me I would have to be charged an extra $2.99 and I said ok. So this breakfast burrito is now $11 plus tax. I get home to open my to go container and I have a burrito not even half the size of an el Farolito regular burrito that cost $7. I tell myself it must be the quality and that's why it's so small. I take a bite out of this kid's meal and it's mostly egg with barely had any kind of meat in it. Remember they charged me an extra $2.99 because i wanted the mixture of all three that they offered. If I didn't live so far from this place, I would have came back to ask them how the burrito they gave me cost $13 but I decided to write a yelp review instead. Talking about highway robbery. Lesson learned and will make sure none of my friends or clients ever give this place any business. Good job red cafe. Kudos for your shady business practices! read more

Generally a good, basic diner with some tasty, not-so-standard-diner options. Previous experiences included great, friendly service along with delicious chilaquiles and breakfast quesadilla. This morning, something went awry. Red Cafe has been busy and bustling every time I've been there, and today was no different. Friendly, helpful waiter took our orders but when the food came something was terribly wrong. Chilaquiles, check. Plantains, check. I brought my mother today and she ordered the hash, which comes with poached eggs and toast. First on the table: cold, soggy toast that had the crusts detached and thrown on top of the pile of sadness. That got sent back, and new toast came with a smile from the waiter. OK. Then the hash came, and one poached egg was a hard fossil while the other egg had the yolk broken and oozing its innards before the plate even got introduced to the table top. I didn't notice this because I was busy digging into the chilaquiles. The waiter was called over and informed of this. My mom clearly told him she would go ahead and eat it, but that it seemed like this was a mistake on the part of the kitchen to let something so sloppy come out to service. He seemed confused as to what the problem was at first, presumably because a little broken yolk is common to serve up to the customers there. I don't know. But then he starts excusing the issue by blaming rushed service. There's no need for that. Just apologize, offer to replace and move on when that offer is turned down. Customers just want to feel like their complaint is heard. My mom asked that the manager be informed too, since all she was getting was sloppy plate after sloppy plate. The manager was the worst part of the whole experience. He came over ready to fight, it seemed. He opened with accusations, and seemed angry when he asked my mom what she wanted, saying they already offered to replace it or take it off the bill if she didn't want to eat it and that he didn't "want to argue" about this. She said she didn't want to argue either, she just wanted to say that this isn't what should be allowed to be served and she wanted to bring it to their attention. He said if she kept talking and "arguing" he would have to call the police. Frankly, I'm sorry he didn't because they would have laughed in all our faces. Voices got raised and he finally went away but presumably not because he realized he was being a jerk since he never said one word of apology. The check came, and our waiter apologized again. Since he had maintained a friendly demeanor the whole time, I don't hold anything against him. The hash was indeed off the bill, which was very nice of him since it was not something we asked for. Bottom line, kitchen needs to look at what they're sending out and management needs to take a chill pill. read more

Not a bad place for breakfast on Mission. Service was not the greatest though. It's like you have to go past being assertive to aggressive to get helped. Food was good enough that I would come back after noon if I were in the area. read more

I have to say red cafe blew my mind away! The first time I dined here was with my husband I ordered a oatmeal pancake which were phenomenal! We both ordered an orange juice, the purest orange juice I've ever tasted the taste was tangy and sweet. My husband ordered ( pickiest eater alive) ordered a chicken Caesar salad. As he was eating his eyes brightened and looked amazed, I thought to myself " another plate he doesn't like what am I going to do " turned he like it so much he ordered another one for lunch the next day. By far my new favorite spot read more

I just devoured a breakfast burrito from here and it was mighty delicious. The bill was ~$10-$11 for the burrito plus hash browns which is a little steep for a breakfast burrito. The burrito comes with scrambled eggs, cheese, and your choice between bacon, sausage, or ham. You also get a side of beans, pico de gallo, and salsa verde. The service was friendly and they take card which is always a plus for me. I'll be back soon. read more

Fast friendly service. Had the egg white scramble with veggies and hash browns, delicious and fresh. Cappuccino was on point as well.

Red Cafe is a completely solid, Mexican-American greasy spoon. I wouldn't necessarily say the food was anything to write home about, but it certainly held it's own. Combine that with the fact that the service was solid, the prices are decent, and the location's convenient, and you've got yourself a win. read more

I love love love this place. Boyfriend and I come here for breakfast practically every weekend, and every time we try somewhere else we both kind of wish we'd just gone back to Red Cafe. The plantains are delicious, and all of the Mexican options are amazing (disclaimer: I don't eat meat, so can't comment on that). In the American section of the menu, I highly recommend the oatmeal pancakes with strawberries. All delicious and cheap. The staff are super nice, service is fast and efficient, and we've never had to wait more than 10 minutes to be seated. Oh and the fresh orange juice is FRESH. There is nothing I don't love about Red Cafe. read more

My favorite cheap, consistent, go to breakfast spot. The wait has gotten longer over the years, but the food has never disappointed. Very friendly and attentive service, highly recommend the French toast or chilaquiles! read more

i love this place! especially that it's mostly families from the neighborhood, the employees are so nice, and it's the perfect diner food the morning after binge drinking. i don't even really wanna say anymore, because if the hipsters take over this spot, and rob me of another diner, i just might fucking lose it. read more

it's a good breakfast place with a lot of good looking mexican dishes. i could see coming here more. the coffee is a little thin, but that's the kinda coffee you expect. i got the chilaquiles which was just warm. I wanted them hot, but probably more so that day because it was raining. which is a good thing and all, but on that day, give me the chilaquiles hot! they have plantains which the gf loves. read more

Good local diner with great omelette options. Very accomodating for families!

excellent placa i think it deserves more reviews from people of course good ones , hashbrowns are perfect , definetly better than overrated toast will be going back more for sure to try their lunch read more

We looooove this local spot!! Best friendly staff. Fresh fast food. Amazing chiliquiles, hash browns and beautiful lattes.

My experience with Red Cafe's menu is admittedly limited as the only thing I get from here are the pupusas. I lived in Honduras for a while last year and fell in love with these "stuffed tortillas". The curtido, a cabbage salad served with pupusas, is great, just the right amount of vinegar and spice. read more

Great breakfast. Delicious garden scramble, carne deshilachada and pancakes. Great for an inexpensive Sunday morning. Very nice service.

Great food! Reminded me of my mother's cooking every sunday before church when I was little. Only problem I would have is that there isnt any ketchup at any of the booths, and the waiter who attended me would run off before I could ask for any! :( read more

First time here went here for breakfast.Friendly Staff. I had Food quality and portion was good. Everything made fresh when order have been place. Price Reasonable. Would recommend come here if you lazy to cook at home decide to have grandma home style breakfast serve. read more

Was delighted to meet a friend for what would be considered a mini community meeting and I thoroughly enjoyed the food on the table in our server! The place was full on a Monday afternoon and getting a table was a little difficult but I did get one 2 to 3 minutes after arriving. The young lady that served me while we waited for my guests was very patient and very courteous so customer service was ever so present! They have a wide selection of food on the menu including breakfast items which I would have thought would not have been served after 11 a.m. But yet they were available to the customers. So even though my colleague was late they did not mind so much that I was holding up a table for 4 and they did serve us promptly once she got there. Apparently there are also items Latino menu type items that were not on the menu so you should ask or possibly there may be a secondary menu. All in all a great selection for food the food was presented in an appetizing way and I cannot even begin to say thank you to the server she just was ever so on top of things! I will use it whenever I have personal or business to conduct in the Mission District it's a great location thank you. read more

I don't know how this place has 4 stars on Yelp. The food was good, not great. My egg was overlooked, but everything else was fine. The service however was slow and inattentive. My mom ordered a decaf coffee and it took them 10 minutes to get it to her. We also ordered water for the three of us and they only brought two waters. My mom also ordered the country scramble that on the menu said came with avocado. Only it didn't come with avocado and when my mom asked where it was, they said "sorry we don't have any left." The reason she ordered it was for the avocado. Moreover, there was someone in the booth directly behind me who kept pushing back on the booth chair, causing mine to move forward unexpectedly over and over again. Lastly, I unfortunately sat in front of the restroom door and all I saw all brunch was a toilet as so many people opened and closed the door walking in and out of the restroom. I will not be back. read more

The food here is pretty good but i was stunned when we received the bill. They charged us $1.79 to remove bell peppers from an omelette. Not only did they not tell us before putting it on the bill, we only found out after asking directly what the charge on the bill was. I've worked in relaxed fine dining for over a decade and this is the most ridiculous charge I've ever heard of. Yes, they may have prediced the omelette vegetables but they shouldn't charge you to cut them fresh and if they insist on that, they should inform you before putting it on the bill. Unbelievably unimpressed. read more

Very friendly staff, quick food, cozy diner-like environment. Happily sat at the bar and had a delicious whites-only scramble with lots of tasty veggies. We were also fortunate enough to be serenaded by two gentlemen with a guitar and accordion. While the whole restaurant was enjoying their songs the staff were quietly singing along. It was a great little brunch moment. Will definitely go here again! read more

Absolutely fantastic Mexican breakfast spot. Great location, speedy service, enormous portions and well priced. The bar is a fun spot to sit and watch them crank out orders at lightning speed in front of your eyes. Have never had anything other than a great experience. read more

The Red Cafe has great breakfast but their cheeseburger and fries aren't very good. Bland meat, flat patty and the fries are mushy. I'll only go for breakfast. Chilaquiles are good. ;) read more

Here is an inexpensive diner that just gets it right. I don't know if they always have the same cook, but the days I've been there, she has made everything with skill. Diners usually serve terrible scrambled eggs. The chef here knows how to make fluffy, buttery scrambled eggs. Everyone here is really nice. My 8-year-old and I absolutely love Red Cafe. (Today I noticed a line--it's nice to see that they are doing good business on the weekend, because they totally deserve it.) read more

Great quick feed! Clean, friendly, coffee never got low and French toast was perfect. What else could you ask for?

this place is amazing. i've had many breakfasts here some as late as 2pm. its this tiny little place that feels like home from the first time you go there. everything is delicious and fresh and relatively healthy compared to other breakfast places. oh and there's usually really good music playing. read more

This place is great! I stopped by for the first time today for breakfast and ordered the Huevos Rancheros which were delish--salsa good and beans great. I ordered a side of pancakes and they were also yummy. PRompt service. Everything awesome. I will definitely return! read more

This place switch hits, going one way for we fat americans who love our big classic breakfasts, but going to the other side of the plate for those who like plantains, beans and juevos rancheros for their numero uno desayuno. One thing that kind of annoys me: they serve their toast a little cold and undercooked with the butter cold and wrapped in those little foil packets. So by the time you unwrap it and try to get it on your tooast or english muffin or rye, the melting factor has diminished significantly. But that s me...all i do is crush melted butter on toast. read more

Red Cafe is what it is. Its a diner style place. I have tried the Breakfast Burrito and the Cheeseburger and Fries. How to really explain?? The Cheeseburger is a nice sized patty, a toasted bun, lettuce, tomato, and a few condiments. Special sauce, mayo and mustard. While this all sounds basic, its really simple and tasty. The is the great burger drip that everyone knows what I am talking about. There is the almost perfect diner french fries. And then there is the price. I got 2 cheeseburgers and fries for less than $13. Burger and fries. It is really a way of life. In the morning the breakfast foods are fantastic. The breakfast burrito is awesome to behold. My only complaint about it is they don't have a side of hash browns to accompany the cheesy tasty awesomeness that will soon be entering your body. But I like to order them and eat bites with or separately. The service is really quick. And I actually enjoy the club type music they play inside. Its like the party in my mouth is dancing with the music. I go here a lot and so should you!!! They have a lot of different foods all are pretty decent. read more

I tried this place for the first time today and was so happy I did! It was crowded when we arrived, but we only had to wait 5 min before grabbing a corner spot at the counter. I had the chilaquiles, which were some of the best I've ever tasted. (crispy tortilla strips and excellent beans and green chili sauce on the side) We also had a side of plantains, which were great on their own and even better when paired with the beans. The portions are hearty - definitely large enough to share, especially if you get something small on the side as well. We will be back! read more

Favorite breakfast spot in SF hands down. The service is great, the atmosphere is always fun, and the chilaquiles are amazing! Great prices for a great and fast breakfast. read more

I had high hopes for this place when looking at reviews which were all shot down. My hash browns were half the size compared to the picture, I was charged for a refill of orange juice ( I wouldn't order another if I knew it wasn't free as it is in most restaurants) and to top it off my eggs a la Mexicana had no salt, pepper or seasoning (none) Top 5 worst breakfasts read more

I have been here twice for breakfast and both times have been completely satisfied with the food. I ordered the Mexicana plato, the one with eggs jalapeos refried beans and tortillas. I'm usually the bland breakfast type, not too much sugar not too much spice, however, this restaurant changed that all! The meal was just right amount of spicy. The staff at the Red Cafe is incredible nice and accommodating. I am giving this place 5 stars because of the menu, the service and location. read more

I would never had thought that a good pancake restaurant would be discovered in the middle of the Mission District. Again, based on the reviews of the fellow Yelp reviewers and a massive craving for pancakes all of a sudden, we decided to try it out. Parking was a bit hard on a Saturday afternoon, however we were not deterred. Finally finding that free, one-hour parking space (HOORAY!), we walked to Red. We had the Combinations and Chicken sandwich. The pancake was delicious! Possibly because I was famished or my love of sweet hit me right then and there, but that pancake was buttery! Price was right for two dishes, atmosphere small yet cozy, food was the right portion. Definitely a "good eats" place. read more

Red"s is one of mynew favorite spots, although the staff is a little rude the food compensates. I had the grettest set of pancakes and sausage. It was well worth the wait , I just wish some of the servers were nicer and smiled alittle bit. But good food has its down side. read more

great little diner with mex and american breakfast food.. super kid friendly. Good but not outstanding food but cheap and quick service

For the life of me I can't understand why this place was rated so well by others. The food selection was basic and cooked like a house wife who was in a hurry would cook. The service while not unpleasant was only average. There wasn't one piece of art on the walls. A couple of maroon carpet rugs with rubber backing were on the floor. The table tops were worn down in bare wood in spots. Will not return. read more