I read about this place Sears Fine Food, no connection to the defunct department store if you were wondering. This place is supposed to have the ultimate Swedish Pancakes ever! Ok, I maybe don't get super excited about pancakes, but OK, I gotta see this. Parking around this area of SF is too crazy, but Sears Fine Foods was just a few blocks from our room at the Fairmont Hotel, so we just carried our gear and walked here. It was less than 10 minutes, so that wasn't bad. Inside we waited a little and got seated. The inside is long (deep) and narrow. I see you can actually get the famous pancake mix to go or even mail order! Now, I'm getting excited. The pancakes are small, not the plate filling kind you get at IHOP. This isn't the cheapest place for breakfast or lunch, but this is right ion the heart of SF so it is what it is. We ordered pancakes, and one of my crew added bacon to his order. OK, I gotta say these were some damn tasty pancakes, not like what I normally have. These I think are yeast raised and have a different texture and flavor compared to normal American pancakes. I really like these and I'd say if you're in the area, give them a try for a real SF experience. I am gonna get some of that pancake mix to take home! read more

See all

Decent food at $$$ price. So you have to make this choice... are you hungry enough to pay for overpriced food? If you are...this place is for you. The eggs Benedict is average. read more

Sears Fine Food - American Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Service - less than good Food quality - less than good Ambience - excellent Speed - excellent Taste - less than okay read more

Super cool ambiance, they definitely created that old school diner feeling. Service is nice but took them a little bit longer to bring the bill after they took our plates away. It was almost completely empty around 2:30pm on a Tuesday. Food was good but pricey like the other reviews, happy to try their famous pancakes but just know it's not super filling. I feel bad leaving a long time restaurant 3 stars but nothing too special stood out to me unfortunately. read more

See all

I have been coming here for decades. It is a quintessential San Fran eatery; old school charm and service, simplicity at its finest. I have enjoyed breakfast and dinner a time or two, but mainly come for lunch. This time lunch worked out perfectly with my schedule, so I made sure to stop by and get their Fish & Chips. They cook the fish perfectly, not greasy, and just the right amount of crunch in the outside, super meaty and flaky on the inside. Service is always excellent, place is always clean, portions are huge, and the price is reasonable. They serve comfort food similar to an East Coast Diner, a little bit of everything for everyone. Their chowder and soups are great, sometimes I'll get a chowder and grilled cheese. But they have good salads too, and breakfast items. read more

See all

I got to have breakfast at one of the oldest American diners in SF, and it didn't disappoint. We ordered the corned beef hash, Denver omelette, and French toast/pancakes. It had been a while since I'd had corned beef hash with eggs- while it was good, I do wish they had added a bit more beef hash. Everything else was on point. The Denver omelette came out well presented, and they were nice enough to switch out the sourdough French toast for pancakes- which turned out to be a blessing in disguise, because I got to try their world-famous pancakes. It's no wonder they're known for their hotcakes; they're soft and delightful with honey. Definitely a must-try at this place!! Very friendly and fast service, and truly a staple among the local Bay Area community. read more

Sears Fine Food - Classic American breakfast.. - American Near Me - San Francisco, California

I really like the old-school feel of this restaurant, and the bacon was fantastic. But I thought the famous Swedish pancakes were gummy, and weren't like Swedish pancakes I've had at a Swedish restaurant. Basically they seemed like regular pancakes, but smaller. The owner got the attention of the whole restaurant to tell an "old school" joke, i.e., slightly offensive. For people staying at nearby hotels who like old fashioned places, I'd say Sears is a decent choice, but as a local, I won't hurry back. read more

Food:**** Service:**** Ambiance:**** First timer. Place is cool with lots of nostalgia. Very clean. Servers were quick to get us seated. After Lunch crowd so not too many people. Took our order n served right away. I had one of the best beet salads. Love the goat cheese n peanuts. Hubby had a sandwich. He loved it. We will be back again. read more

See all

The food was okay overall, portion sizes were good, but the flavor was a bit lacking. The pancakes, which they're known for, were definitely the highlight and worth trying. It wasn't busy when we visited, so we didn't have to wait. We were seated by the window, which gave us a view of the street outside. Unfortunately, there were a couple of large flies flying around, which was a bit unpleasant. Aside from that, the service was fine and the ambiance was decent. There was also some interesting artwork on the walls, which was nice to look at. read more

See all

Sears Fine Foods is a great place. You easily tell why it has been in business for as long as it has been. We had breakfast and let me tell you; it was delicious. Pancakes were fluffy and delicious and eggs, bacon and sausage (don't judge ) were cooked perfectly. Service was quick, courteous and attentive and the restaurant itself is nice with plenty of seating and a great decor that makes you feel like you stepped back in time. read more

I came recently with aunt, the Swedish pancakes had been on her foodie list for sometime. I knew going into the dining experience it was going to be light pickings on the menu for my diet (gluten free) but I was along for the ride. I wasn't wrong, lol. I had a nice salad (a little wet) with goat cheese, maple vinaigrette, and apples. I added chicken, it was fine. It is about what I was expecting. My aunt loved the pancakes, that's what the goal was. read more

Sears Fine Food is a nostalgic throwback that still delivers. Their thin Swedish pancakes are absolutely perfect--served with warm maple syrup and a compote of lingonberries. Breakfast portions are generous, including hash browns, eggs, bacon and sausage--plenty for multiple meals out of one order. The drip coffee is also surprisingly good. It's a fun spot to sit and take in all the old photos of San Francisco history. Just one block off Union Square, it's a great stop for both locals and tourists. The manager on that day made sure we were well taken care of! read more

Sears Fine Food - Celebrate 80 years - American Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Cheap food spot - usually great place, but some workers need retraining on what is important in critical moments! I was sitting there enjoying some coffee and eating my food, it was hot and steaming, the crab omelet. I was starving. The older waitress, she is snippy and absent minded at times (I've been here numerous times) but still kind. She was bringing food to this huge table of 10 people and dropped a plate which had jelly on it. She sees it splatter all over my pants leg. She says "oh no, I'm sorry," but CONTINUES TO BRING OUT FOOD. She made three trips back to bring their food out. THEN she called for help and they began cleaning up the mess, while clearly seeing I had jelly splattered all over my pants leg. No one offered me any napkins. No one offered me any towels. Nothing happened until I said "Helloo? I have jelly all over my leg, could ya give me some wet paper towels??" And they did. That was it. We didn't finish our food. We just left, despite just receiving our food. Terrible customer service. Brain dead responses to preventable issues. The manager was sympathetic, but that's it. I'll never return. read more

Do not understand the hype. Mid food, terrible service. Went early in the morning, many tables were available but was seated on a rickety one at the end, right by the kitchen. Took 35 minutes and asking multiple waiters multiple times for the check to arrive. read more

Sears Fine Food - Interior - American Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Traditional Swedish Pancakes are thin, chewy, eggy, and lace-edged. Like a crepe. You should be able to fold them into quarters. (See reference photo." The Swedish Pancakes at Sears are good, but the New Jersey diners I grew up with--and even iHop--would call these "Silver Dollars." I would describe them as a close relative of fluffy American-style pancakes but smaller and flatter. I'm guessing they are made without baking powder, which gives them a unique texture. The $3 "lingonberries" topping was a sweet lingonberry jam. I don't know if it was house-made or not, but it lacked the tang of what I had imagined--tart lingonberries in a light, sweet syrup. I don't mean to imply that I didn't enjoy them. I did. I have a big problem with diners who don't get exactly what they expect because the restaurant interprets it differently, but ultimately enjoy what's on their plate, and then give a bad review anyway. That's unfair. I'm not talking about "I told you I was a vegetarian, and you served me a BLT," wrong. That's different, but if the error is corrected graciously, still bad juju to penalize an honest mistake. But I digress... The pancakes were good--just not what I assumed they would be. On the Champs-Élysées crepe-to-Milwaukee Avenue fluffy-flapjack continuum, I'd put these squarely in the middle: American-style silver-dollar pancakes with a similar taste, but a little chewier, and without the loft. I quite liked them and would order them again. Kind of like how I can enjoy a slice of a good Chicago pizza, but anywhere else, don't sell me "pizza" and not serve me a thin-crust slice so perfect that when I fold it, bends gently while the orange oil and molten cheese slide down my throat, at once scalding and choking me. Chef's kiss* Service was friendly and attentive. The food came fast. The iced coffee was just fine. Old-fashioned decor with tables comfortably spaced and seats at the bar. This is a great spot for reliable un-fancy food that is reasonably priced for Union Square and convenient to the theaters. $35 and change for Swedish Pancakes with Lingonberries, iced coffee, and a 20% tip. read more

Sears Fine Food - Swedish Pancakes with Lingonberries - American Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Came here as part of a big group dinner and we were all served very quickly and on time. Good: - The salmon dish was incredible! So much flavor and it was really flakey and tender. - The bread was tasty with the butter - I liked the cream of asparagus soup, creamy and simple - The creme brulee was amazing! Super tasty, not too sweet and it came with fruit. - The waiters were super friendly Bad: - Fairly expensive for the 3 courses we got - Place is pretty stuffy downstairs where we were seated Overall this was a great place for a large group dinner, a little narrow so it was hard to talk to someone if they were on the other side of the room though. read more

Sears Fine Food - Smoked Salmon - American Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Shout out to Efrain for the great friendly service! The wife really loved her shellfish pasta, and the boy loved the crab chowder, which I ordered for myself, but he liked it so much that I just gave it to him (y'all know how it is). I forgot to take a pic of my Reuben sandwich, which was excellent, by the way. Just be sure to eat it right away because it is juicy, and the rye might lose its crunchiness if you wait too long while trying the pancakes. Yes, I had both. read more

See all

We had a nice holiday breakfast with the family. The restaurant was crowded, but the wait time was not too bad. The food was good and fulfilling. The service was great! We ordered pancakes and the traditional eggs, bacon and hash brown. read more

Had lunch. Service was excellent Food was good. I used to go there regularly 15 years ago and was disappointed that Sears did nor still serve their steamed artichokes which were my favorite. It is an old time restaurant serving solid diner food and clean with good service read more

I've been dropping in at Sears Fine Food for their great breakfasts for more than 45 years -- and I've never been disappointed until my latest visit. You can't go wrong with most of what's on the menu. My longtime favorite has been the Swedish pancakes: light, tasty, perfectly made each time. This go-round, however, they were horrible. Either buckwheat had been mistakenly substituted or the batter they used was old. Regardless, they tasted like cardboard. I will say that my wife's corned beef and eggs were, according to her, "excellent." I also wasn't thrilled with the service -- we sat for about 10 minutes before we were offered something to drink. Then, it took about another 10 minutes before the coffee came. (It should be noted that there were only a few other customers inside Sears at the time -- certainly not as packed as I'd seen many times before -- and workers were standing in another part of the restaurant just chatting and joking around.) I know this all sounds a bit whiny, but it was a bit of a bummer to see a place I've enjoyed for decades and recommended numerous times to friends perform so poorly. read more

Sears Fine Food - Sears' famous sign (on Powell St.). - American Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

We've come here for breakfast over the years but this was our first dinner visit. It was alright and everyone (we were a party of 3) seemed satisfied. I enjoyed my Fisherman's Platter, pretty good size of fried and battered fish, shrimp, calamari (tasty but slightly over fried) with lots of fries. I intended to eat only half but I ate it all, along with a bottle of cider. Service was super friendly and they let us linger after we finished our meal. We seemed to beat the dinner rush, and a steady stream of patrons filled the upstairs dining area, I'd say about 75% full? I'd consider coming here again for solid American food, spacious dining room, and friendly service. read more

Sears Fine Food - Menu, part 1 - American Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

I had heard that Sears Fine Food was a popular place for locals and tourists and had to try it. We started with the a couple appetizers...Brussels sprouts and Calamari. Both were very tasty. I tried the burger and it was okay. The service was great and attentive. The interior decor was definitely took us back in time , a reflection of when the restaurant originally opened in 1938. read more

Sears Fine Food - American Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

I went here some friends visiting from out of town during the Christmas holidays. Union square does not have a lot of breakfast places so we went here. We were seated quickly and had wonderful service. We all got different things from the menu. I ordered the standard with eggs, bacon, sausages, and toast. Decent prices especially for the city. I would come back again if I were staying in Union square and needed to a breakfast place. It's cute too. read more

It was my second time to try this breakfast restaurant. It was a few years ago I ate here. Restaurant looks the same nothing changed. They are famous for their Swedish silver dollar pancakes. It was so thin and it was freshly made. We also orders the all meats omelette. Foods were exceptional. Totally recommended read more

See all

Another mandatory stop on my God-father's (walking) tour of San Francisco. His advice: Come here for the pecan waffle. It was great advice. The waffle was delicious, the service fantastic (Laura Pa.) and the ambiance super cool. I enjoyed the old photos, and the accolades. If it was just a bit later in the day, I might have had a drink at the bar. A short walk from Union Square, and the trolley, it was a great stop to get off at. Take the trolly up the hill, have a waffle, walk you way downhill to the bottom. read more

See all

Love this place, it's old school San Francisco. Great breakfast, attentive staff and really cool place! I have been on a couple occasions over past couple years. I even ubered there from my cruise ship for breakfast on my last visit! Yeah it was worth it!!! I'll be back! read more

See all

The crab cakes were small compared to the price. They were just ok but the sauce was good. We had the lobster ravioli, which was very disappointing. No flavor in the sauce or filling at all! Even adding my own salt and pepper could not save this meal. Service was nice, kind of curt hostess. Ambiance is fine, nothing really special. We won't be back! read more

Sears Fine Food - Crab Cakes - American Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

It is hard to overstate how disappointing this was. This is how you'd run a restaurant if you could phone it in and rest on decades old acolades. The omelette I got was actually excellent - I got the prawns and it was very tasty. The service was utterly indifferent. But the space was a huge eff you for the price. I was seated where I could see years of dust behind a weirdly mounted and incongruous TV screen. Dust was honestly all over most surfaces except the actual eating surfaces. Not a good sign. Items -- including backstock nonperishables -- were stored haphazardly. There was no attention to lines of sight for the diners. Also, a place with fine foods in the name that has famous pancakes maybe can charge a bit more to serve maple syrup? This place charges over three dollars for real maple. As someone with a corn allergy their ketchup, jellies, and regular syrup were all out for me. (Mel's has started offering cane sugar sweetened Simply Heinz ketchup, so it is possible to do better.) This place is the face of complete indifference. I can't believe I came for what I thought would be a nicer ambiance. Do yourself a favor and walk another block or two. read more

A San Francisco institution, Sears is the go-to place for breakfast in the Union Square area. The restaurant itself is fairly large (and filled with memorabilia), divided into two sections: dining area and bar/counter. If I'm solo, I'll park myself at the latter rather than hog up a table. The offerings are always filling (at least to me), and I only just discovered they have MIMOSAS here woohoo! :-D My favorite part of the menu is the Benedict section. I'll usually bop between the Classic and Smoked Salmon Benedicts depending on how I feel. The service has always been great in all the years I've been coming here. Always friendly & fast. I never feel rushed to finish, which is great since I can take my time gawping at all the photos of famous people on the walls. ;-) Now that I've written this out, I need to start making Sears part of my regular restaurant rotation! read more

The Swedish pancakes with lingonberries is always a go to order at Sears Fine Food. The bacon is also delicious as they make it extra crispy. read more

See all

This is our standard, dependable lunch place whenever we attend plays at SF Playhouse or nearby. Convenient walk from Powell BART, clean, safe locality next to Union Square, no unsavoury characters lurking around outside, and great food. 4 of us had lunch: I had a Reuben (I always get this), my wife had Fish & Chips, and the other couple had the Chicken Pesto and Club Sandwiches. All 4 of us enjoyed what we got. (My wife usually gets the Swedish Pancake breakfast.) The staff is friendly, attentive and courteous. The establishment is clean, spacious, and with clean bathrooms. read more

We enjoyed breakfast here. My daughter had the oatmeal and I had a club sandwich. She found the oatmeal to be filling and enjoyed the accompanying strawberries and bananas. My club felt hearty and tasty. I would go back next time I'm in the area. read more

Sears Fine Food - Club Sandwich - American Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Typical deli fare. Came in with friends for breakfast Everything was as expected with pancakes, omelets, juice and coffee. All good and a clean place read more

Sears Fine Food - Dining room - American Near Me - San Francisco, California

The restaurant is quaint inside and the service was good and attentive. Overall , the food was just okay and slightly overpriced. To start, with the pricing and the simplicity of the bread I feel it should have been complimentary. My partner said his ravioli was fine , but nothing special. As a pescatarian, I often order salmon when it's available. The salmon was a good portion, but there could have been more veggies. The potatoes were pretty simple and a little undercooked and the salmon was not tender and a little dry. It was a good meal, but something I could have made at home. We were disappointed for the quality with the price read more

See all

The Swedish Pancakes and hot chocolate were incredible! The service was fast and we got our drinks in under 5 minutes of being seated, and our food came shortly after. Also, I love the old timey look of the place! The pictures and posters really set the scene! read more

We were staying next door but I wanted to try Sears for breakfast. On a Sunday morning we arrived around 9/9:30 AM. We were promptly seated even though there were several people waiting as well. I opted for the two eggs, hash browns, and sausage link breakfast. It was very good! My wife had the pancakes with her breakfast and I tried a few of those and they were very light. Our waiter was friendly and efficient but not over the top. Restaurant itself has a classy/traditional feel to it. This is a San Francisco staple and I highly recommend it. Good food, good location right there in Union Square. Definitely worth the stop. read more

See all

We waited over 45 minutes for sub par food. Service was terrible, my omelet was burnt yet cold when it arrived. Dont waste your money or time. McDonalds has a better breakfast! This place sucks. My friend got the eggs benedict and the ham was like rubber. read more

The pancakes are delicious. We orders a short stack and the 18 smaller ones. The restaurant is busy and loud. We sat for a few minutes before the waitress approached us. Overall, the service is good. The ambience is retro restaurant with lots of antiques inside. read more

See all

I have to say, the choice for decor seemed a bit odd. I'm not sure I fully understand the concept, as it appeared more like a mix match collection of stuff that didn't go together. I personally did not care for the World Famous 18 Swedish Pancakes. I thought they tasted grainy and dry. The eggs over easy, chicken sausage, hash browns, and toast were earlier to digest. We came here because it was very close to our hotel. Service was decent and the food came out quickly. read more

See all

Back in San Francisco with the wife visiting the kid who is in college in SF. The kid had some things to do one morning and the wife and I were in a hotel across the street from Sears. We had been here before many years ago and we remembered that we liked it. Off we trekked avoiding feces, needles and walking zombies now commonplace in San Francisco. Was a short walk, so not too much to prevent us from getting to the restaurant. We were there on a Saturday morning around 8am, so it was busy, but not packed and no line. When we were shown to our table, there was a table that the wife saw up against one of the front windows so we asked to be seated there and it was no problem. The waiter was quick to come and take our drink order. Diet coke for me and, coffee and a Mimosa for the wife. I didn't want to drink since we were taking cable car later and I wanted to be sharp in case the driver needed help pulling on the brake to stop us from flying out of control down one of those steep axx hills! After looking through the menu, I had to choose my typical fancy restaurant (it is called Sears Fine Food) breakfast item, the corned beef hash and eggs. The wife ordered scrambled eggs with sausage and hash browns. The food appeared quickly, even with the bustling crowd of hungry tourists packing the place. The wife's scrambled eggs: Yellow and white, not all yellow. A huge pet peeve of the wife. Scrambled eggs should be scrambled, not tossed. The wife's sausage and has browns: very good. My over medium eggs: Over medium well... My corned beed hash: Got to give it to them, they make their own and the corned beef flavor was evident. It was a bit dry and as a corned beef hash connoisseur, I do prefer the Libby brand corned beef fresh from the can. All was hot, so that was nice. The food was a solid 2.5 stars, so a bit disappointing since the prices were, typically these days, outragious. Not to mention that, but San Fran adds on multiple fees and taxes and charges, oh my! $90 for pretty simple breakfast for two. Yikes! Our sever took very good care of us, so the 3 stars is for the food, not the service. Go. Eat Somewhere Else. HAVE FUN! p.s. I laughed at some of the comments about the decor. It is eclectic and is fun to look at all of the stuff spread around the place. read more

See all