I had planned an Adventure in the City that included visiting some dear friends. M had never been up to Golden Gate Park to see the Japanese Tea Garden, so include that with the DeYoung museum and we had a plan. I wanted to stay kinda close to the park, a bed and breakfast or something. Seal Rock Inn seemed to fit the bill, so I booked a room. Upon arrival at 4 sharp for check in time, I was very pleased. We had the Sutro park across the street, the closed Cliff House restaurant, and once night settled in it was quiet for the city. Parking under the building was adequate and included in the cost. Checked in, got the keys and a funky old elevator, or as this one deserved the British version " the lift". Nice room, simple, no carpet, new bathroom, small fridge, microwave, heavy curtains, decent mattress we never turned on the telly. This will do just fine, a diner downstairs for brekkie and we are good to go. Our friends picked us up for dinner, see "Social" restaurant review. After dinner we had a drive over to Fort Point at the bridge, through the Presidio. Once back at the Seal Rock we slept well and had a pleasing experience overall, thank you foodguy-Martin read more

Seal Rock Inn - Out the front door a few steps - Hotels Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Great food, fabulous view, engaging chef, skilled staff, pristine, pleasant atmosphere

Ok. Great location. Great views over Sutro and the Pacific Ocean. Pillows really suck. There needs more pillow for proper neck support and they are very small and flimsy. The toilet is made for very small people and plus sizes are not really easy. The food at the restaurant is pretty good. Not sure how some folks had great service, as the inn staff seem really not enthusiastic or friendly. At least to us. Maybe they are better with families? Anyway, the staff of the restaurant are great, but they don't run the inn. The rooms are pretty dusty and old. The floor in ours wasn't level. Also there is no AC so on hot days you will be sweating. It is nice that you can open the windows at night but there are buses coming and going all night next to the inn. We may be back for the location and views, but for the price it is just ok. read more

Nice cozy inn nothing fancy but the location can't be beat. A short distance from the Sutro ruins and the SF Ocean beach. You can also explore the golden gate park from there and public transportation is easily accessible. You can always get a delicious hamburger at their cafe. Simple Clean and understated. Staff was friendly and welcoming. read more

They have a great French Inspired Restaurant from Chef Alfred Schilling Great views! Great Foods! Open for Great Views and Great Scenery Seven Days a week 8 am to 2 pm read more

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Food is meh. View is very good. Service is sketchy. Clientele is mixed 18-25, 60+ Parking is neighborhood. Not a tourist spot. read more

We used to like this the Seal Rock Inn as a place to stay, but we have had a bad experience this time starting with the room. This room has to be among the worst: no light next to one of the beds; the light for the other bed is below the bed height. A locked door separates the 2 beds. There was a microwave and coffee makers jammed on top of a small cabinet in the room's corner, once again no light to see what one is doing in the morning. The coffee maker didn't work, clogged and overflowed. No one answers the front desk phone. The bathroom sink looks like it used to for handicapped, so low it is at one's thighs, making it difficult to wash your face. I am thoroughly disgusted and will try to leave early as this is intolerable. No pleasant people at the desk. I have nothing good to say. Good bye Seal Rock--you once were an option, but no more. read more

The staff here is super friendly. What the place lacks is all just due to it being an old building. What makes up for that is the staff, the delicious restaurant attached, the friendliness of the waitstaff, the helpful amenities like power strip and mag chargers everywhere you might want one in the room, Cleanliness, location, it's a quiet and calm little corner of the city with great local spots for food and beautiful views, it's the first time I've ever seen a sunset in the city and I saw three there so far! IYKYK. All of that and it's affordable. Easy access to Golden Gate Park. It's just a gem! read more

So delicious! Came to the restaurant for lunch and was so impressed by the quality of food! We had a little bit of everything, but the French Onion Soup, pate, and Eggs Benedict were all outstanding. They make their own bread in house, and they had the most heavenly blueberry muffins. Planning to go back and try dinner. read more

Great for families. They were sweet and patient with our kids. Plus the food was delicious- so glad this old gem has finally reopened!

I love the seal rock inn! I took a trip here solo after driving by it on a previous SF visit and knew I wanted to stay there. Only later did I make the connection to the Hunter S Thompson mystique. I stayed on the third floor and loved my room with the fireplace it was very clean and quiet. I seemed to be the only one staying at the hotel at the time. The weather was cool and very rainy and foggy- Very perfect for staring out the window to the sea, smelling the amazing air and day dreaming. read more

Poor service and very mid range food. Beautiful views which is why I'll probably go back.

Just came from the Seal Rock Inn, and was very glad they reopened although I've been waiting patiently for the Cliff House to reopen as well. The location is great and the atmosphere welcoming with lots of staff available. Now for the food, which is after all the real reason for this review. My wife ordered the Bahn Mei sandwich. It was good but should be called a bacon and egg Banh Mei at the most . I ordered the two egg breakfast which came with a sprinkling of potatoes and two little baked tomato halves. This was accompanied by a slice of sour dough toast. We ordered two cups of coffee which arrived in two small cups and were charged six dollars each. We assumed that there would be refills but when none arrived we just asked for more. The reason for only two stars in this review is because we were charged four dollars for each refill. The food was good, but ordinary and nothing to rave about, Charging $4. for a coffee refill while you're trying to build a returning customer base is a poor business decisions and won't bring us back, read more

I am so glad that the restaurant had reopened. The new chef and team are great. Very friendly and attentive staff. The food was wonderful.

Best stay in the Hunter S Thompson Suite on the eve of Bay to Breakers - innkeeper is a gem. Thank you for the hospitality! read more

Seal Rock Inn - Sweet clean room with a view - Hotels Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Awesome place- what a great location and such a reasonable price. Great views and friendly staff. Parking is even free and no extra costs that other hotels charge. Now that the restaurant is open it is even better. read more

Not a lot of frills, but the room was very clean and spacious. Great location near the water and close to the Beach Chalet sports fields where my son was playing lacrosse. And affordable!! read more

We recently stayed here as we were attending a family function. The hotel is in a great location with lovely views of the ocean, and literally seconds from the Land's End hiking trail. A few minutes walk gives you an amazing view of the Golden Gate Bridge! The hotel is also minutes away from Golden Gate Park. The rooms were clean, tidy and decently sized. The hotel managers were friendly and helpful. There is currently no restaurant, but plenty of places nearby. The whole area is rather a forgotten gem; I'd definitely recommend it for someone looking for great nature trails or a place a bit off the beaten track. read more

Wow! I didn't know what to expect. My hubby has stayed here before and said the rooms were simple- fine by me! The gentleman who check us in could not have been nicer or more welcoming. We got to our room and it was BIG! Beautiful stone fireplace which pretty much stayed on our entire stay. The furniture is dated but clean. The room had a mini fridge and microwave so you could easily eat in your room or bring back leftovers and eat later. We stopped at a nearby Trader Joe's and brought dinner back. The room was perfect, clean and quiet. We have already made a reservation to go back in March- Honestly loved being away from the hustle and bustle of downtown- a few minute walk and your at the beach- simply a great place to stay! read more

This is in the perfect location. You can walk across the street to Sutro's Bath which are oceanside ruins. Great view of the ocean. Quick walk to the legendary Cliff House which has beautiful views and mediocre food. The hotel has a parking garage under it at street level. There is a courtyard with a pool, a ping pong table, and corn hole. There are shaded tables to sit at. The elevator is unusual but it works well. The rooms are kind of fun. It has a gas fireplace, flat screen, and newly renovated shower. The rest of the room is dated. The bed is fine. The room and hotel had a fun personality. We ate breakfast there for convenience. We wish we hadn't. Location. Location. Location. read more

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Oh gosh, the Seal Rock Inn is like a Snuggie with a repeating print of seals balancing balls on their noses. It's that familiar to me since I've been coming here periodically for the last twenty years at least. My friend Maggie, Jamie W. and I came here after a morning at the Legion of Honor enjoying the Impressionist Paris exhibition. You would have thought we were hankering for a croissant and a cafe au lait. But no, we just wanted some diner eats. I knew better to lay off the Eggs Benedict - which are good here - and went instead for the $6.75 Big John's Omelette, which had a filling of sausage, onions, mushrooms, and Jack cheese topped with sliced jalapenos (see photo). Maggie went for the comparatively modest $6 Ham and Mushroom Omelette with both of us getting a side pile of hash browns (see photo). Jamie had his mind set on a $6.50 Quarter-Pound Sutro Burger with Bacon and Swiss Cheese (see photo). Tasty Guy-Fieri-level food. Service was friendly enough but rather sporadic as coffee and water glass refills had to be prompted. The joint was really jumping with families and tourists and families of tourists. The bright, brisk weather had something to do with it as comfort food provided a natural antidote to the nip in the air. Not this Nip but nip like in cold... oh never mind. It's also a nice excuse to hike on the coastal trail to burn off those calories afterward. Yeah, like that really happened. FOOD - 4 stars...still diner-friendly fare AMBIANCE - 4 stars...the place is Denny's redux but the distant ocean view is lovely SERVICE - 3 stars...harried this time but still friendly TOTAL - 4 stars...time to put the seal-print Snuggie on read more

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My boyfriend and I spotted this place last weekend, when we drove up here to take a walk around the cliffs surrounding the bay. Since we were both hungry and it looked good enough from the menu displayed outside, we decided to take a chance on it. It was pretty empty for the early afternoon so we got a great seat by the windows looking out to the water. We got served coffee right away, which was nice, plus they have great coffee here - my grandma always told me, a good way to determine if the food is good is to judge by their coffee and their soup. She's been right so far. The menu is pretty extensive, with classic American fare: a wide variety of breakfast choices (my boyfriend ended up going with breakfast), hot and cold sandwiches, etc. I got the salami sandwich on toasted sourdough, with a side of fries. You can choose the bread, type of cheese, and whether you want potato salad or fries with your sandwich. We really didn't have to wait at all for our food, it came out so fast, and I was really impressed by what I had. They weren't skimpy on the meat by any means (there was a good stack of sliced salami on there), and I had a generous portion of fries with my sandwich. There was a really nice older man that always kept our coffee topped off, with a smile, and our waiter was a nice guy, too. With the good view, quiet and quaint vibe, cheap prices, and unpretentious, simple, but delicious food, I'd come back here again. I'm glad we decided to try it out, we would've missed a good place if we decided to go elsewhere instead. read more

Seal Rock Inn - Salami sandwich with a side of fries. - Hotels Near Me - San Francisco, California

Friendly service and beautiful views . Dated ! Needs a remodel . But then prices we'll go up because of scenery. Nice clean rooms. Covered parking garage is great too with all the rain. read more

After being seated and waiting 15 minutes, I went and grabbed a couple menus myself, at which point the tired and uninterested waitress apologized. I ordered a Bloody Mary, which was more light orange versus red. A very boring and probably the worst Bloody Mary I've had in SF. The orange juice is served in a tiny plastic kids cup. We ordered the combo fish/shrimp and chips. The shrimp, I'm sure was previously frozen and not fresh, and the fish. Not bad, but you can decrease 1/4 lb of oil intake by wrapping the fried filet in a napkin and gently squeeze. French fries and home made tartar sauce were good. It's a shame, as this place probably has an interesting story and you can't beat the location. Needless to say we, nor anyone I talk to won't be coming back. Good candidate for food channel's "restaurant Impossible" read more

Seal Rock Inn - Orange juice in a plastic kids cup at an adult price - Hotels Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Feb. 14th evening my partner tried to fix the noisy, non-draining toilet by lifting the lid only to unawarely pull out a syringe (thankfully by the handle side) with a little bit of pinkish liquid still in the chamber. We immediately wanted to leave, packed up, and asked for a refund a few hours after we had checked in for the one night. The front desk woman rejected our request by saying the manager would be able to process the refund on Monday, which they haven't done yet. Extremely seedy and shady. Photos have been uploaded for reference This will be reported to the San Francisco Department of Public Health Response from the hotel manager: Dear Suzi! Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts after your recent stay with us. I'm sorry your experience didn't live up to your expectations. While we regret the incident and sincerely apologize for it, we can assure you that it is most unusual and has never happened before. We did not respond immediately to your call; we never found the syringe you were talking about. As yet, it remains unclear if the syringe was brought in during a prior stay or yours. Who would hide a used syringe in a toilet water tank? And who would touch something like that and not call the hotel front desk? You can be assured that I have taken your comments to heart and will take appropriate action to address this issue as best I can. Zsombor Seal Rock Inn Hotel manager read more

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We stayed in this inn 2 weeks ago for 3 nights during the weekend for the first time. Someone highly recommended this place, and it is a hidden gem. It is not a fancy high rise hotel, and the inn is a little outdated. We had a family room that sleeps 4 and it was spacious. The bathroom was newly renovated. It included useful appliances (coffee maker, mini-fridge). It had free parking and the inside courtyard had play area with ping pong table and pool. The location was awesome since it was away from the noisy, hustle and bustle of San Francisco. We loved the area in Sutro District. It was across the street from Lands End Lookout and there were trails leading to spectacular landmarks and sites. The staff were nice. Overall, we enjoyed our stay and plan to stay here again next time. read more

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A relaxed Sunday Breakfast Place with Lots of parking, and a space that makes you feel that you are far removed form the bustle of San Francisco are just some of the reason I come here. . What I love about the Seal Rock Inn, are the Short Waits, Good Solid Breakfasts, Fair Prices, and an Interesting space where both locals, and Tourists can feel like Traveled Visitors. I know the Seal Rock makes items for Lunch, but for me its all about the Scrambles, Omelette's, and items from the Grill like their Sourdough French Toast, or a Short Stack. I like to use it as a nice starting point for a lazy, weekend, but if you are visiting San Francisco, and heading out to Ocean Beach, Golden Gate Park (DeYoung Museum, Academy of Sciences), The Presidio, or Lincoln Park (Legion of Honor Museum & an 18 Hole Golf Course) its a nice alternative from an impersonal expensive Hotel dinning experience downtown. read more

Seal Rock Inn - Outside the Seal Rock Inn , the Restaurant and Street Level - Hotels Near Me - San Francisco, California

In addition to all the pros listed below, my daughter left behind one of her stuffed animals and the staff mailed it to us in New Mexico. Pros: - Amazing location: walkable to Lands End, Cliff House, Ocean Beach - Free covered parking - Courtyard: ping pong table and badminton - Clean Thank you for a wonderful stay and your kindness. We will be back! read more

The food is terrible and over priced for the quality they provide...opt out, save your money and take your appetite elsewhere...You'll thank me later and so will your lower intestines read more

Seal Rock Inn - These are the tables that you can expect you and your family to eat off of...full of old moldy food - Hotels Near Me - San Francisco, California

We so want to come back and spend a week! And, as prior SF residents (15 years for your author) I think that speaks for itself. My wife and I stayed at the hotel for our anniversary, and could not have made a better choice for the price. This review speaks about the hotel and restaurant. (You will need to scroll down for the restaurant review.) As we were informed by the staff, the hotel and restaurant are run by different owners, so keep that in mind. Our room was larger than the average hotel room. It had two queen beds, a fireplace and large flat screen tv, bathroom, and a kitchenette. The kitchenette intrigued me. The area behind a small breakfast bar contained a good sized sink, microwave, small refrigerator and a two burner stove. The cabinets were locked, but a small sign stated that "kitchenette units are available for a small extra fee." While I do not know, I assume that for a small deposit they turn on the stove and unlock the cabinets which might contain basic dishes and cookware. (Again, I did not ask so confirm before you go.) The room (305) was clean and had a view of the ocean and the park at Land's End. The beds comfortable, and amenities good. (O.K., so they should provide conditioner in addition to the shampoo [but, for the love a Pete, not a combo shampoo/conditioner!] and considering that the room is for a max of two couples, an extra coffee and towels, but the latter was nothing that a nice note to housekeeping and a $5 tip could not cure.) And, double plus bonus was the free parking. While it is listed as "limited" we always found a spot. Given the charge most hotels tack on for parking, I'll take a free parking lottery every time. We did not notice any odd "smell" discussed by other reviews. The room smelled find, but, like all hotels, did smell like a hotel. Not bad, but not home. True that there is no A/C, but for a Ocean Beach located hotel this is not a problem. As my first S.F. landlord told me, there is A/C, it's called opening a window. Street noise? Yes, and it is located on a street frequented by MUNI buses. But, I did not see this as an issue. First, it is San Francisco, and so city noise (even in the outer Richmond) is expected. Second, the windows are double pained and if closed eliminate the noise. Our only regret about the hotel is that we stayed during the outer Sunset/Richmond "summer" (that couple of weeks in late August/early September when there is less fog and more sun) and we were not able to open the windows and enjoy the fog with the fireplace. All in all, I think if one were to spend the extra cash on the "kitchenette" this would be an excellent home base for an extended San Francisco stay. Especially if one likes to take in the verity of markets and can not wait to try the goods until you get home. One thing, this is Land's End, and as the name implies, there is not too much right nearby. The closest establishments (aside from the restaurant in the inn) are Lou's and the Cliff House. Neither of which are bad, but they are tourist places at tourist prices. However, fear not as plenty of great spots are only a short drive or Muni Ride away (like Trader Sam's for a tiki drink or Kufuya for Japenese.) On to the restaurant. Clean, prompt service and good food. We had breakfast there both mornings of our stay. The first day, I had the eggs Benedict, while my wife had a mushroom, cheese, and spinach omelet with sausage. Both were first rate. The Benedict, my "test' dish for breakfast houses, was perfect. Homemade hollandaise sauce and the poached eggs were perfect. Warm, runny yellow yokes surrounded by a firm white. My wife's omelet was also very good, and she states that the Swiss cheese they used was fabulous. The portion size was also good and, despite my wife's efforts, she could not finish the dish. Second breakfast we switched it up,me ordering two eggs over easy and corned beef hash and my five going for the Benedict. Again, the Benedict was perfect. My egges were also quite good, and again a firm white with a runny yoke. (If you cook eggs, you know how hard this is to do.) The corned beef hash was also quite good, but I suspect from the evenly sized potato dice that is was canned. And, I prefer my hash a bit more on the crispy side, but it did come to the table pipping hot. Still, nothing to dissuade me from returning, and just need to order my hash crispy. All in all, a very good trip. If you are looking for a great place to stay in San Francisco, you cannot beat the Seal Rock Inn. read more

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We stopped here for lunch as we were unable to secure a table at another restaurant in the area. It's a tired and old place with minimal decor and felt like walking into a truck stop diner. The menu has breakfast, burgers, fish and chips and sandwiches. It's classic diner food and the staff are friendly but did struggle to understand us at times. They have a selection of drinks including wine and craft beer. I had the 1/4 pound burger and it was served open face. It tasted ok and was nothing special. It's the type of place I would stop for a quick feed but always know it's going to be average. The others in my group were also satisfied with their meals. It's a motel and restaurant together and I presume many of the guests eating here are people staying at the motel. It's an ok place for a feed. read more

Seal Rock Inn - Hotels Near Me - San Francisco, California

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My wife and I came here for a nice weekend in San Francisco. What I like about this place the most is that it is small and cozy. Views of the ocean and local parks are great. I will be back. read more

Seal Rock Inn - View from my room. - Hotels Near Me - San Francisco, California

Seal rock, so one off my list of places to try. Was I impressed, let me just say that the view was spectacular. Seating was seat yourselves. Silverware was something from a cheap five and dime. Food standard breakfast menu, eggs , pancakes, omelette and coffee. I ordered the Joes scramble. I was on the small side for the price, came with a small side of hash and toast. Coffee was 2.95 with lots of refills. Parking was easy enough. Street just watch out for street cleaning violations. Have a quick bite go for a stroll along lands end and enjoy the fresh sea air. Bath rooms are adjacent to the restaurant. Scary 50 s stalled bathroom. Reminds me of the bathrooms in some Foreign countries. BTW they are not handicap friendly. read more

I agree with fellow Yelper Gremlin O. - we also got similar crappy attitude from the hostess/manager. Upon entering Seal Rock Inn Restaurant the hostess/manager said, "Wait here!" - we got the hand. Fifteen minutes goes by and not a word, she continues to add up guest receipts (counting her tips - WHATever). She never acknowledged our presence...maybe I should've waved a $Hamilton$ in front of her. Finally, a waitress says, "Your table is ready, sorry for the wait." Walking by the hostess/manager, I muttered, "At least someone knows we are still here." As for the rest of the experience - waitress and busboy was excellent -booster chair for my daughter and extra napkins, refilling of ice water and coffee. However, food portions were very small. read more

Breakfast was good but a little pricey for what it is. Was expecting it to be home cooked with home cooked taste and flavors. It was just ok. I'd Rather spend money someplace else. read more

As my friend Dan says "it's the best mediocre breakfast west of the Rockies." It wins on location and rock bottom prices. (Pun very much intended.) read more

Pros: Location-- is perfect! Just across from our favorite trail. Across the street from Sutro bath and the cliff house. A short walk from the beach. View -- we got the top floor room which according to the front desk has a full view of the ocean. Yes, we could see some ocean view... in between the trees. It's not really a full ocean view but I can't complain. The location made it up for me. Space -- the room is very spacious with extra twin/full bed, a table and 2 chairs; I love the wide windows. Even though we didn't have that full ocean view, we had a nice view of big trees. Shower room is spacious as well. Semi updated -- fire place is updated, big screen tv, modern table lamp. It is kind of a mix of modern and retro. It's nice to have a coffee maker, microwave and a small fridge in the room. Parking -- is free. It can be full but if you come in at the right time, it's nice to have a free, lighted parking garage just below the rooms. Cons: Reservation -- is not easy and not fast. You cannot do online reservations. You have to fill out the online form which goes to their email. Then they call you. Then they mail you the confirmation letter. Smell -- if you have a sensitive sense of smell like me, the smell in the room will bother you. It smells like a very old room. Reminds me of my husband's doctor's clinic and antique store. The room looks clean but the smell kind of make me question it. Air conditioning/ fan -- no AC or fan in the room. They have a heater and a fireplace but no AC. No air circulation in the room. We had to open the windows but it gets too noisy with the bus stop next to us. It gets pretty annoying after a while. Recommendation --- because of the location, I recommend this Inn. It is not fancy but very close to nature. Lots of options as far as restaurants go. I don't mind going back here again. It's nice to just cross the street, go to your room and crash after a long nice hike! read more

Seal Rock Inn - View from 3rd floor room - Hotels Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Chalk this review up to a place I never would've tried if I didn't Yelp it first. It's a quaint and intimate spot for breakfast with a nice view of the beach. The omelets are fluffy and the ingredients inside are fresh. The portions aren't overwhelming but maybe that just says they aren't trying to overcompensate for bad food. You know how it goes. If the food isn't all that good, a restaurant will give you a lot of it so your stomach's feelings of fullness masks your taste buds dissatisfaction. I may go back if I'm in the area and don't want to deal with the crowds at Louie's or the Cliff House. read more

We had lunch here with friends, while walking from the Marina to the zoo. (http://www.yelp.com/biz/edges-of-san-francisco-walk-san-francisco#hrid:OCylfRq-kWxp45ApyZeimA) Honestly, it won out over other nearby places, primarily because it had no wait. It was great that we could get a table for six on a Sunday afternoon. Service wasn't the friendliest but it was quick, which was more important on this particular day. Like my friend Jason B, I also ordered the turkey burger with a side salad. Also like my friend Jason B, I was a bit disappointed by the $2 extra charge for the salad, especially since it was a slightly sad iceberg version. The turkey burger was slightly better. read more

Gave this place a try because my group of friends always raved about going here after school. Let's just say, they exaggerated. i I was a little bummed with the taste quality, prices were a bit high, and just was not what i expected. I ordered an orange juice which to mention was so damn small, size of a minute maid juice box, and they charged $3.50 like whaaat.... I ordered an omelette with spinach and mushroom, the spinach was very watery and the mushrooms were very rubbery. Maybe it just depended on what i ordered but i am basing this review on exactly that. Definitely, not a major go-to breakfast place as what my friends had said it would be. read more