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    Smile House Cafe

    3.1 (860 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 3:00 pm, 5:00 PM - 11:00 PM
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Smile House Cafe Reservations

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    SMILE HOUSE CAFE ATMOSPHERE

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

    Recommended Reviews - Smile House Cafe

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    Reviews With Photos

    Stanley L.

    Had to update their review as I haven't eaten here in a while. Ordered the Teppan Sliced Beef over rice again with mango yakult as my choice of drink. The mango yakult is delicious - you can taste both the mango and the yakult. Teppan slice beef over rice is always delicious! I loved the corn on top of the rice, makes it taste sweet and balanced. Total price I paid for the meal and drink was $30.85 with 15% tip included. Service is excellent per usual. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Ideal spot for family, friends, and dates![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Highly recommend with my utmost respectful regards.

    Smile House Special Baked Pork Chop with Tomato Sauce
    Mike L.

    Back when Smile House Cafe first opened, I was both excited and a bit hesitant. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The former because it's always awesome to have another HK cafe around, especially one that's so new and clean; the latter because of all of the tepid reviews they seemed to be getting.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Since I figured a lot of their issues might have to do with being so new, I figured I'd wait for them to work out the kinks before finally check them out...and it seems like it worked! Though, perhaps I didn't need to wait THIS long... [[HIGHLIGHT]]The first time I stepped inside, what immediately struck me was how the look of the place has been updated and refreshed compared to their earlier photos on Yelp.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Similarly, the menu has been updated as well, with a fancier sort of look that's a lot less cluttered. While some past items have fallen off, such as their bibimbap and mini-hot pots, you'll still find a ton of HK staples to choose from - a mix of appetizers, soups, noodle soups, macaroni/instant noodles, baked spaghetti/rice, classic Chinese dishes, lo mein, butter toast, milk teas, and desserts. In addition, they also have an interesting impressive selection of pasta dishes, teppan plates, and puff rice, which aren't quite as common to see. -- (#A013) SPICY WONTONS As simple of a dish as this may be, it was still far better than others I've had. The wontons were delicate and plump, the filling was porky and juicy, and I love that instead of sambal, they used chili oil instead, which tasted great. -- (#BG01) SMILE HOUSE SPECIAL BAKED PORK CHOP WITH TOMATO SAUCE Not my favorite version I've had, but not too shabby either! Plus points for all of the gooey cheese on top and the pork chop was nice and juicy. However, the sauce was a little wet/runny and tasted a bit sweet from all of the tomatoes. -- (#N010) BEEF BRISKET AND TENDON NOODLE SOUP Pretty solid. I added wontons (+$5.95 for 6 pcs) and I iked how soft the skins were and how flavorful the filling was. A couple of chunks of beef were a bit lean/chewy, but the rest, as well as the tendons, were really tender. The broth didn't stand out, but it was more than fine. -- (#P002) TEPPAN SLICED BEEF WITH RICE Maybe it was because of my low expectations, but this was surprisingly good! There slices of beef turned out pretty good, the rice was well cooked, and I really liked the sauce that everything was cooked in. -- (#W011) CHICKEN STEAK WITH BLACK PEPPER SAUCE OVER RICE Ehh...not amazing, but not terrible either. The chicken thigh was moist and I liked that there was a good amount of mushrooms. That said, I do wish the skin had been crisped up (it was a little mealy) and that the sauce had been thicker. As far as service goes, ironically, I actually thought it was one of the highlights every time I've been here. Maybe it's because I wasn't expecting much, but the workers have always been really warm and friendly, they greet customers almost immediately, they're attentive and not pushy (refilled our teas multiple times unprompted, didn't try to nudge us out, etc). and our orders have always come out relatively fast. In fact, if anything, our dishes have come out suspiciously fast! While everything that I've tried thus far has been pretty good for the most part, one thing I will note is that the portion sizes do feel a little light. In particular with the Chicken Steak dish we had, but also with the Teppan Beef Plate as well (though, to be fair, it's also because I just wanted to eat more of it). That being said, Smile House's menu prices aren't terribly high, so at least they don't feel horrendously short on value. Plus, if nothing else, it leaves room for us to try the desserts the next time we're here!

    Cabbage w/goji berry, curry fish w/ spaghetti
    Helen L.

    Either we didn't order the right thing or the food wasn't very good. [[HIGHLIGHT]]I was impressed with the outside window. You can see out but you cannot see in with the advertised dishes in front[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. Back to food. We had daikon beef brisket soup. Brisket was nicely done but the soup had a strange taste. The cabbage soup was bland. Its like me boiling cabbage and serving it up with goji berry. Either put more goji berry and add some Chinese dates to flavor it up. The curry fish did not look appetizing. Add spaghetti add $1. Spaghetti is pretty cheap, shouldn't warrant add $1. Curry was ok, not enough sauce to cover spaghetti. [[HIGHLIGHT]]This restaurant was very busy last night.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Service was good. You hailed them down and they quickly come. I dont think i will come any more, "sad smile:

    spaghetti with white sauce
    Anphie K.

    There were many choices of food on the menu. The waiter was friendly but not able to recommend the right vegetarian food when I asked him. They served me the wrong dish and just threw the menu to me for reordering. Overall the food tasted great and [[HIGHLIGHT]]the restaurant was clean.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]

    Smile House Special Baked Pork Chop (tomato sauce) ()
    Lynn N.

    I went to Smile House again recently, and I think I came on an off day. We were seated immediately and greeted by the server. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The restaurant was lively and very homey, as per usual.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] He got our orders swiftly and the food came soon after. The food was much more bland than how I remembered. There was a lack of sauce with all of the baked dishes, there was no flavor. I did not enjoy my meal much, but the fried milk custard was a new item we got and ate with no issues! We also got a black sesame soup for dessert, and that was delicious as well. Smile House Cafe is still one of my favorite restaurants, but I would like to go again to make sure that this day was just an off day!

    D001.Hong Kong Style Milk Tea
    Tiffany C.

    Another HK style cafe in the sunset area of SF, this spot has been around for years now. They don't offer breakfast sets on the weekend which kind of sucks. Service is more polite than your usual brisk service from these kind of shops. Menu is extensive and I opted for a simple HK cafe staple of baked pork chop with tomato sauce over rice. Pork chop was huge and uncut, had too much tendon and fat to cut around. I would've appreciated more edible meat. Milk tea came in a to go cup which wasn't as nice as a regular teacup. There are better options elsewhere in the sunset area

    Melanie K.

    Not sure why the reviews are all so negative but I really enjoyed dining at Smile House. Service was good and food tasted close to home (Hong Kong). This is definitely a local gem in Sunset. I ordered the fishball noodle soup and the broth clean yet flavorful, highly recommend their sizzle beef dish as well.

    BG02.Smile House Special Baked Pork Chop with Tomato Sauce ()
    Melissa C.

    [[HIGHLIGHT]]A classic Hong Kong cafe in the Sunset district![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] They stay open later than other restaurants in the area so it's a good choice if you wanted a later dinner option. Came on a weekday night after 8:30 pm and we were seated immediately. There was one main worker taking orders and he was very efficient and quick with service. I got the baked pork chop with tomato sauce over spaghetti and the portion was huge. The pork chop pieces were huge but hard to cut, so it felt like I spent more time cutting than eating. The meat was a little chewy but not bad taste wise. My friend got the hai nan chicken which seems like one of their best dishes. Overall still a solid spot for Hong Kong cafe style food and I'll have to try other items on the menu next time!

    Daniel L.

    Food was awesome as was picked by the waiter as a leap of faith. Not salty, sweet, and just right. Highly recommended and just ask the waiter to pick if you feel too overwhelmed with the selections.

    Melissa P.

    LOVE THIS SPOT! The people are the friendliest ever, had the best experience here. The stir fry noodles are so good, definitely will be my go to order for the next times I visit. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Ambiance is bright, spacious and welcoming.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Highly recommend!

    Michelle N.

    I'll start off by saying the food was delicious and the portions were huge. Both dishes were so filling and came out piping hot. I had fun mixing the pepper rice and the baked cheese over the noodles was straight out of the oven. However, the last time I went, there was a tissue in our water pitcher. We let the waitress know and she looked at it and brought us a new one in silence. A small apology or acknowlegement would've been nice, but that's okay

    Inside
    Areeta W.

    3.5/5 Their service is highkey so Hong-Kong vibes like they're FAST, WITTY, and NO BULLSHIT! The restaurant is run by two dudes and they're ZOOMING the entire time like literally rushing from table to table making sure the customer has whatever they need. [[HIGHLIGHT]]They're always packed and the place is full of Cantonese speaking people so you know this is a locals spot.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Their menu is HUGE like there was so much flipping to be done. We did have to order everything in one go because their kitchen is packed and they gave us the dessert before the main stuff. We got the: HK style French Toast - 3/5 pretty average but I thought the toast itself could've been better like more peanut butter and fried more Cantonese Fried Milk - 2/5 could've fried it more Baked Seafood with Tom Yum Cream Sauce - 3/5 the tom yum was pretty light ngl we got one more noodle dish but i forgot which one BUT it was pretty mid so does not change this review LOL Overall, not bad but also not good. Shoutout to the hardworking staff though; one of the homies be sweating from running around.

    SG05. Smoked Salmon and Wild Mushroom Spaghetti in White Wine Cream Sauce
    Ruby T.

    Came here for dinner. Easy street parking. I was immediately greeted and seated. Came with a party of 3 and we all ordered different pastas and shared. Everything we ordered was so tasty. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Fast, reasonable, good service, clean, comfortable, lots of space and I did not feel rushed to go.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We stayed to chat and drink our tea/drinks. Ordered a cold almond tea, passion fruit soda, black ink squid pasta, smoked salmon in white sauce pasta, and beef mushrooms in e-fu mein noodles. Everything came piping hot in minutes and we all eagerly shared and devoured our dishes! Everyone truly enjoyed their meal and will return & try something different.

    Spicy Beef Tendon

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    I love coming here to order and spend time in my car and spend time at home to eat and it is worth it..

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    Page 1 of 22

    Smile House Cafe Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Smile House Cafe

    What are the actual business hours? We drove by at 7:30 and the place was dark and closed. But yelp says they were supposed to be open 'til 8:30

    Is indoor dining available?

    Yes

    They seemed to have seal up the glass as of last week so obviously not reopened yet. Anyone know when/if they are reopening?

    They're open for take out as of June 3rd

    Is this place closed? Anyone knows what happened to it?

    Heard they were closed for vacation, open currently.

    View All 5 Questions

    A Buttercup Dessert House

    A Buttercup Dessert House

    4.3
    (248 reviews)
    3.2 mi
    $$

    Although they don't serve variations of buttercups, A Buttercup is one of the few dessert houses…read moreoffering Taiwanese-style treats like Bingsoo, Milk Bread Toast, and other Asian fusion creations. I'm always hunting for spots like this because I have a weakness for those over-the-top, Instagram-worthy desserts that look like diabetes in a dish. Like most places in this genre, A Buttercup is small, modern, and minimalist with limited seating. If you plan to go, aim for off-hours unless you enjoy waiting in line for sugar. The decor is cute and trendy, perfect for photos if that's part of your dessert ritual. As they say, "you eat with your eyes first," and when it comes to presentation, this place definitely gets an A+. The desserts look stunning and set high expectations. Unfortunately, that's where things started to crumble. It's like going to see your favorite artist live. You've watched the videos, memorized the songs, and paid for the experience. But instead of the electric performance you imagined, you get someone lip-syncing and barely connecting with the crowd. That was this place in dessert form. We ordered the Mango Bingsoo on our first visit, and when it arrived, we were surprised by how small the portion was. The guy next to us even looked over and said, "Whatever that is, I'm getting that next time." He shouldn't have. The Bingsoo looked great but was bland, and the "snow" was more chunky ice than soft shave. The Thai Tea Roti was also not what I expected. It came with Thai tea ice cream and sauce alongside a roti that was fried to a crunch. Interesting idea, just not the best execution. The sauce and ice cream needed a stronger Thai tea flavor to balance the crispy roti, and the flavors never quite came together. Overall, A Buttercup nails the aesthetics but misses the flavor. If you're here for the photos, you'll be happy. If you're here for the taste, you'll leave with a full camera roll and an unsatisfied sweet tooth.

    We got the pandan roti, which was fantastic! The roti itself was super flaky and crispy, and I…read moreloved the combo of the roti + spoonful of ice cream with a bit of the pandan drizzle. The coconut strips were also the perfect addition. Super decadent and overall the perfect sweet treat I agree with the other reviews that portions + presentation are a bit disappointing, but it was still undeniably tasty food

    Photos
    A Buttercup Dessert House
    Menu 1 of 2
    Menu 1 of 2
    Menu 2 of 2

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    Menu 2 of 2
    NaYa Dessert Cafe

    NaYa Dessert Cafe

    4.1
    (808 reviews)
    3.7 mi
    $$
    Vegetarian friendly
    Vegan friendly

    Been wanting to try this FOREVER and finally got a chance to. I heard lots about the mango tango…read moreand honestly thought the mango would be the main part of the dish that I'd like but WOW that ice was top tier did not know it can be so good. Also did not expect to like the sticky rice but that too was a hit. They said they were out of the big size so they gave us the smaller one which is good for two people. Definitely coming back and honestly will try other stuff here too next time.

    Naya Cafe has some of the best shaved ice I've had in the city! I swung by with friends after…read moregrabbing lunch. The shop is small and cute, and we were able to quickly find seating. Service was nice and prompt. We ordered one of their new items. The salted duck egg bingsoo, as well as a Thai tea lava cake. The Thai tea lava cake was rich and cocoa-y, pairing so well with the Thai tea ice cream. The star of the show, however, was definitely the shaved ice. The portion size was nice and large, and the mochi on top was so soft and chewy. The salted duck egg topping tasted like the filling in the lava egg yolk buns from dim sum, so earthy and rich and sweet with a perfect umami hit. It paired perfectly with the milky, not too sweet shaved ice. I love salted duck yolk everything and this is yet another item to add to that list! Naya is a bit pricy but so worth it for that bingsoo.

    Photos
    NaYa Dessert Cafe
    NaYa Dessert Cafe
    Chocolate Toasted  cr. foodswithyu

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    Chocolate Toasted cr. foodswithyu
    Dandelion Chocolate

    Dandelion Chocolate

    4.4
    (1.9k reviews)
    3.3 mi
    $$

    Got a smore while walking by and it was freshly toasted. It was a decent price too. With plenty of…read moresamples of chocolate around the store. They had a lot of delicious looking drinks I wish I got a drinking chocolate but I will have to next time. So good!

    If you're planning to visit Dandelion Chocolate, my biggest piece of advice is to double-check…read morewhich location you're heading to. We originally went to the location near Union Square, thinking we'd be able to grab pastries and hot chocolate, only to realize it's primarily a retail shop with chocolate bars and merchandise. We ended up making our way to the Valencia Street location, and I'm so glad we did. We learned that it used to be the original factory before they outgrew the space. Production has since moved a few blocks away, and now this location offers classes, a café, and plenty of chocolate treats. While we were there, a chocolate-making class was in session, and it was fun to watch part of it. The instructor even came over to chat with us and answer a few questions, which was such a nice personal touch. We ordered the brownie bite flight along with a hot chocolate, and both were fantastic. The brownie flight was rich, flavorful, and a fun way to sample different chocolates. The hot chocolate came with a tiny cookie that was absolutely delicious. At first, we were a little disappointed because we thought our hot chocolate was supposed to come with a marshmallow and didn't see one. When we mentioned it, the instructor smiled and showed us a toppings station we had completely missed. There were homemade marshmallows, flavored sugar cubes, and other little extras you could add yourself. He even encouraged us to take a few extra marshmallows, and they were some of the best I've ever had. One thing to know before you go is that Dandelion Chocolate focuses on high-quality chocolate that isn't overly sweet. If you're expecting the sugary milk chocolate flavor of a candy bar, this is a different experience. The chocolate has a richer, more complex flavor, and we really enjoyed trying something different. Between the friendly staff, delicious treats, and unique experience, I'd definitely recommend adding it to your itinerary--just make sure you head to the café location if you're looking for food and drinks!

    Photos
    European drinking chocolate
    European drinking chocolate
    House Hot Chocolate
    House Hot Chocolate
    Canele

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    Canele
    Kiss Of Matcha

    Kiss Of Matcha

    4.3
    (602 reviews)
    2.8 mi
    $$

    WOW ... pow ... whoa with the massive punch of flava coming out of an extremely tiny shop. Kiss of…read moreMatcha on Clement Street is sort of made even tinier and cramped, with the number of customers going and entering and ordering. Tight quarters means everyone here, maybe kissing da matcha. But if you can overcome the claustrophobic ambiance, you may find enjoyment of the goodies on the menu. Got some of their matcha soft serve for me and my Elite pal. He isn't into or familiar with matcha, but that is okay. Trying new different things is what life's about. The green tea flavour was very intense, assertive and good. High quality. The vanilla base tastes rich and dense. It was all inside a crunchy yummy waffle cone. Well worth the price of admission. Excellent customer service by the gal who helped me with the stuff because I'm clueless and hopeless on apps and kiosks most of the time. I did mention I am on their e-mail list though. But she was kind, kool and patient. An extra star for her service. Nice dessert and nice staff. Kiss of Matcha is kissy kissy Kool.

    The Kaiser Matcha spot is really good. I really like their Matcha taste very clean fresh service…read more Here is really fast and reliable, and the ambience feels like I just walked into Japan because the smell of the green tea aroma's from the restaurant. Yes highly recommend coming here

    Photos
    Taiyaiki Soft Serve
    Taiyaiki Soft Serve
    Uji Matcha Latte, Matcha Frappe
    Uji Matcha Latte, Matcha Frappe
    Matcha Jasmine Latte

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    Matcha Jasmine Latte
    Powder

    Powder

    4.4
    (856 reviews)
    3.0 mi
    $$

    My friend and I walked 20 min from Haight to Powder since we were craving a sweet treat! She got…read morethe earl grey with misugaru, and I got the honeydew with mochi and misugaru (a type of Korean roasted grain powder). The mochi topping was a bit hard, and the misugaru started blowing away in the wind and getting all over our clothes! Definitely consider the weather in SF and how this might affect your plans, because I wouldn't have gone with this topping had we thought ahead. The honeydew was so light and perfect- we had such a hard time deciding which flavor to get, but this nailed it for me. I'm a big fan of the personal sizes they offer. There's very few places to get shaved ice in the Bay in the first place, and many are meant to be shared with friends. This way, you can mix and match with your party and try different options!

    like eh. the flavors and toppings were good and it tasted good, but for what it was, the shave ice…read morewas mainly air and barely any flavor payoff for the price. you only get like one or 2 toppings before one tiny shave ice starts hitting double digits which i feel like is crazy considering that if you condensed it down to liquid the entire thing would be just like maximum 1 tablespoon of milky liquid. the good thing was that compared to other shave ice, it was less watery icey and more like milky. recommend: thai tea, sesame, and guava

    Photos
    Matcha Green Tea w/ mochi
    Matcha Green Tea w/ mochi
    Matcha with strawberries
    Matcha with strawberries
    Strawberry & Cereal Snow

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    Strawberry & Cereal Snow

    Smile House Cafe - desserts - Updated August 2026

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