Three months after graduating from SFSU, I have decided to come in here and try the new menu as a customer. The Vista Room is a learning laboratory and restaurant, where the servers are students who are in the Hospitality and Tourism Management program. The place simulates a fine dining atmosphere, with a reasonable prie fixe price. ($17 for an appetizer, entree, and a dessert, along with unlimited refills on things like bread, water, lemonade, teas, and drip coffee; They don't accept cash however. Payment is only by Credit or Debit Card: Visa, Mastercard, Discover) I ordered the prie fixe; I chose the Buffalo Chicken Wings, Oyster Mushroom Po'Boy and Bananas Foster. All were delicious and pretty filling! I would recommend bringing your friends, your family, etc to try the Vista Room at least once in your lifetime. read more

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Do not get the salad.. The salad was just lettuce and the Shepard pie was unseasoned soupy lentils with yams on top. The service was amazing! I love this idea of students running a restaurant, very unique and fresh. The food on the other hand was not good, but maybe I just ordered the wrong things. Cute vibes though, good lighting. read more

The Vista Room - Salad? - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

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The food was good and the students were attentive. It's only open on Tuesday and Thursday. This time I had the chicken milanese, it was lightly battered and crispy read more

Vista Room...why have I only discovered you during my last semester? The Vista Room is run by unpaid students taking a class for their hospitality management major. Considering the inability to receive tips, our service was impeccable and the food was very worthy of any fancy shmancy restaurant. To enjoy the wonders of the Vista Room, you must purchase your meal "vouchers" at the bookstore then make a reservation for the day you want to go at Burk Hall 321. To know what will be served up the week you decide to go, take a look at their website before making your reservation: http://cob.sfsu.edu/cob/vista-room/menus/ My best friend and I decided to try the Vista Room out today since the bookstore was offering a $8.99 (regularly $16.99) special for their 3 course prix fixe menu. Our server was Andrea, who was truly a delight. She was incredibly attentive and I was sad that we were not allowed to tip her directly. If you do decide to tip, it is considered a donation towards their department =(! Oh SFSU how you exploit students... On to the food... The best friend had: 1. Mushroom soup and veggie medley...not sure what other veggies were in it, but she enjoyed it http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/HUGRJvgK5kFyy2f_DEx-rg?select=sTo_rr3SjTXq1TO6GdSPVA 2. Quail and veal with pesto mashed potatoes...meat was very tender, juicy, and full of flavor. The pesto mashed potatoes were the perfect combination http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/HUGRJvgK5kFyy2f_DEx-rg?select=Xr-RGmN6TBrzIuaXwZnLyA I had: 1. The Cesar salad with Greek olives...the Greek olives were very bitter. The croutons were a bit soggy =\ It was not the best salad... http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/HUGRJvgK5kFyy2f_DEx-rg?select=aIskA43Ic8x9PJrM1m8Zug 2. Pan fried tuna with ratatouille, shrimp, corn cake...so delicious. The tuna was slightly dry, but I really enjoyed everything. Very flavorful. We both got the honey almond apple tart and the crust was so delicious. It reminded me of shortbread and the apple and honey almond tart were so flavorful. It came with some lemon and vanilla tasting ice cream. Super yummy and I don't even like lemon-flavored anything. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/HUGRJvgK5kFyy2f_DEx-rg?select=YpEY8OkSiyt7puboaS-evw Overall, great experience. Wonderful service and food. I cannot wait to go back! read more

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Ok manage your expectations. They are students trying to learn the industry. The food for what it is is great. People complaining must be dissatisfied with everything in life. The servers were nervous and cute in their newness. They were attentive but not overly so. The food was good! If you're looking for a true 5 star experience you're gonna spend 15x but for students doing their best it has a unique charm and appeal to it and for 19 dollars can't be beat. read more

The Vista Room - a plate of appetizers on a table - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I so luv this place. Where on earth can you get a three course meal with tea or coffee and fresh warm bread for only $15? They only open on weekdays and I have discovered, Columbus Day is the only day I can reserve and enjoy this meal because college is still in session and I have no work. YAY!!! So this is my annual lunch tradition Iol!!! The menu changes weekly, just google Vista Room Menu. We had.... Butternut squash with sweet potato soup - delicious n full of natural flavor Red peppermint & feta cheese salad - my son finished it, that says a lot! Baked Veal cordon Bleu - colorful dish, yummy veggies, veal lacked flavor Chocolate Expresso Meringue - had it to go. The bread n butter filled me up. However, it was perfect for afternoon tea. Tea + herb and/or cheese rolls and they have boxes to go in case, like me could not finish my meal yay! And they come around topping your glass with lemon water.. Previous times I went there, there was a tip box in the corner. Opps felt bad that I forgot to look for that tip box today, of cousre its at your discretion. I always have good experiences here so they do deserve a tip. Not sure it goes to the students or back to the training. Anyway, they get 5 stars everytime. I sense students can be nervous and yet very helpful and attentive. Afterall, they are in training and therefore provide excellent service. Alot of faculty staff were there today, including the chancellor of SF. Did not notice any students, I guess $15 can be a lot to a student but for special occasions, it's well worth it. Looking forward to next year's Columbus Day lunch, can't wait, btw you have to pay in advance on the 3rd floor. The restaurant does not handle any money...if you go, enjoy!!! read more

The Vista Room - Excellent 3 course meal for $15. Google Vista Room Menu, as it changes weekly...Enjoy!!! - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

It has been three years since my studies, and I never knew this was; nothing; on the initial visit, I was amazed at the professionalism of the staff and the students.I love the drink and one thing to look out that and something that I didn't clarify that the soup will be cold or hot my mistake there. The main course was the outstanding chicken was perfect, and the dessert as well, don't forget to bring a cash card machine doesn't work. read more

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I hate going on "dates". I am generally shy, so first few dates consist of dull and cliché forms of small talk. Of course, in good time, things tend to blossom beautifully. Let's face it, this is America; patience is not our strongest suit. How do I remedy this? Friends- one in particular. Skip the learning, straight to the knowing. We eat, watch movies/television reruns, stay in, and go places together. It's awesome, no awkwardness or self-consciousness whatsoever. The thing is, we are very different: I love dining out, he loves eating in; I cheat public transportation, he pays honestly; I prefer quality, he prefers quantity; I'm economical, he's frugal. We have an ability to latently compromise. Every once in awhile, we'll find ourselves at a crossroad. Paying for the place was the biggest hassle. They don't take cash this semester, so I went to use the machine next to the bookstore to put money on my ID card. The machine spat out my $5, so I walked all the way to the Patelco ATM to get $10. Machine took one $5 but not the other. I went to the HealthyU to exchange for a clean $5, machine spat it out again. I asked the person next to me to trade, spat out again. Went to the bookstore to find out that the machine is too old and does not recognize new $5 bills. Terrific. After loading on the monies, I ran to Burk Hall in the rain to pay up. The office was closed, so I had to walk all the way to the business building. The card machine was malfunctioning, so the girl had to call me back to notify me about whether or not the transaction went through. She called later and it did. It was only $13 for some odd reason. She said the first four weeks for students is only $13 and then it turns to $15. I don't understand, but okay. Now I don't know what to do with the remaining monies on my ID card.. I suppose I'll buy a sandwich and do some laundry. Because The Vista Room is only open from 11:45am-1:30pm (seating until 12:30pm), our only available day was Friday. So Friday, we marched up to Burk Hall and were amazed when we walked in. The tables were neatly set, the waiters and waitresses were dressed professionally, and the atmosphere was perfect for lunch. We were assigned a table next to the window, where we got to look out at the poor souls trapped in the rain. Service was very well done, although the woman who forgot my Coke seemed nervous. In terms of fine dining, the food was okay. My friend and I ordered all the same dishes for appetizer and entree, but we actually got different plates. I had two pieces of duck with veal and he had duck, lamb, and veal. I had two scoops of yellow stuffs and he only had one. There wasn't salmon in my soup, but there was in his. All very odd. The meat wasn't as quality as I hoped, as most of it consisted of fat. For $15 (or my case, $13), there isn't really anything to complain about. I'm just thankful for having this place at all. Food is in good portions, on the large side, so don't be like me and eat a whole meal beforehand. Someday, these will be the guys and gals working at the restaurant you'll be waiting a month to get into. Watch out, world, SFSU's culinary arts students are coming your way! read more

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One of the best fine dining experiences I've ever experienced on a budget. To quote one of the CLS instructors, one of SFSU's hidden gems! Considering that most of the eating options around campus are quite underwhelming, this is saying quite a lot. Considerations -$15 for a three course lunch chosen from a small menu. The menu changes weekly and can be accessed here (http://cob.sfsu.edu/vista-room/menus). -The Vista Room requires prepaid reservations in the form of OneCard or check (read: no cash or credit card). -The Vista Room is open when university classes are in session during the academic year: September to December, and February to May. When in session, it is Mon-Fri. -Seating is between 11:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m with meal service until 1:30pm, but from my personal experiences this is flexible. -Front and back staff consist entirely of students in the Hospitality and Tourism and Consumer & Family Studies/Dietetics majors. --- VENUE: Located in the fourth floor of Burk Hall. Elevators take you directly to the restaurant. This was reminiscent of another fine dining establishment I experienced back in SD (and was least 10x the cost of this). SERVICE: The staff were always on their feet. Depending on the student, they will immediately refill your drink if they see it or you may have to flag them down to get them to serve you. Nevertheless, they were very flexible in accommodating people with different schedules - this was pretty important as I was dining with my fellow CLS classmates and were divided up into two groups for afternoon lab. DRINKS: Choice of coffee/tea, iced tea and soda with free refills. FOOD 1st Course: Options consist of a soup or salad. I've always done the soup option. Oyster Rockefeller Soup was decent, the texture of oyster was a bit weird as this texture I'm more used to raw oysters. Could have been seasoned a bit more. Tofu, Eggplant and Shiitake Mushroom Noodle Soup: Aside from wondering where the noodles were, also a decent soup. Shiitake was a bit overcooked. 2nd Course: The options consist of a meat dish, fish dish or pasta dish. If you are not a vegetarian or don't have any dietary restrictions, please do yourself a favor and order the meat or fish dish! This is a chance to try what you can experience at a fine dining establishment without paying the cost typical of fine dining establishments. My first visit I tried their fish dish. The basil crust and tomato sauce enhanced the fish, though the coconut rice underneath was a bit tough. Presentation was excellent. My second visit consisted of grilled herb baby lamb chops. This is a great dish if you don't like your lamb too gamey, as this can be a deterrent for some people. I'm used to having my lamb chops unbreaded, so it took away from the taste I would usually associate with lamb. Couscous texture was more like mashed potatoes. The dish was still able to hold up in the microwave. 3rd Course: One of the options will always consist of "assorted fresh fruit". Please do yourself a favor and pick the actual dessert, which is the other option. I have been quite impressed with my dessert both times. Whoever is in charge of the desserts has great potential to become a pastry chef. Macadamia Nut Tart: Lots of macadamias. Macadamia nut lovers will appreciate this. Chocolate Orange Iced Souffle: Looks more like chocolate mousse inside a carved out orange, but this does not detract; the orange taste was evident yet I can taste the smoothness of the mousse. Strawberry had mousse as well. My only minor complaint is that the dishes are a little on the lukewarm side once served to you. As there is a limited menu, I assume that all the dishes are made in advance, this is why there is a short wait time (compared to other restaurants) between the time you order and the time that you get your food. I'm glad that I was able to experience this more than once during my pre-clinical semester when class is on campus. read more

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Dear Vista Room, I highly commend you for the excellent food and great service, which I would give you 5 stars for. However, for a five star restaurant like youself, and since interior design is in the same building, would it hurt to invest in redesigning your outdated, 80s style decor? - May read more

This place is actually run by students.. well the waiting part of it us. i don't think they take part in the cooking. The menu changes every week and it's best to make reservations at least a week ahead of time. it's a three course meal and you can preview the menu weeks ahead of time. It's best to get here at 12 and you should try showing up late. you are greeted by a bunch of servers when you first walk in. Once you are seated they bring you water and bread. They bake their own dinner rolls here and it's so fresh and warm. It's really good!!! The starter course is usually a salad or soup. For the main course they usually have meat or seafood. They also usually have a pasta dish for vegiterians. and for dessert.. well you can never go wrong!! read more

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On campus we have a student operated fine dining experience called the Vista Room (in Burk Hall- BH 401). It is a great program that provides real-time experience for students in the Hospitality Mgmt department in somewhat of a "safe" environment frequented by the campus community. I love how aggro these kids are in their attempts at creating a froo-froo atmosphere saying madame/monsieur, filling up your water/coffee every 2 minutes, and just love when their manager is on an obvious tirade and you see the look of death in the faces of the student servers...running around nervously sweating like crazy. Good fun! The eats are on point here- you pay from $12-14 for a seating dependent on the amount in ur party-- must call in advance and they have a fantastic rotating menu that changes weekly! The portions are just right to allow a bit of room for dessert--standouts for me have been the New York steak in bearnaise sauce, pancetta wrapped scallops and jumbo prawns w/truffled lobster risotto, and the seared sea bass w/polenta. All the dishes come with a tasty soup or salad and a yummy fruit cup or dessert- i love the pear and walnut crostata w/espresso rum ice cream!!! I swear i always feel so displaced after eating here that iam still at work...the actual room setting and design need a major facelift--very outdated. read more

The Vista Room - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

$15 for a 3 course meal! Choice of soup or salad. Entree choice is usually beef/lamb, chicken/fish, and vegetarian option. The dessert is usually some delicious creation or fresh cut fruit. Your glass of water is already set at arrival. Your server will come to take your beverage order - sodas, teas, coffee or milk. You can choose a beverage with your meal and order coffee with your dessert if you like - of course they keep coming around for re-fills. They don't request tips, but there is a tip box discreetly placed by the door. read more

My little cousin is attending SFSU, so I thought it'd be great to give the Vista Room a second chance. I'd say this spot beats the shiddy Quickly's downstairs at the student center. It's Columbus Day, so it was totally desolate in there. We had a table which was situated close to the door. Let's rewind to an eon ago: Back when I was an SFSU student, I ate here once with a few friends and we ALL got the worst food poisoning ever. Needless to say, playing battle crap in the can came out like hot molten magma. --- O V E R V I E W: The Vista Room is a restaurant simulation for students who are enrolled in the Hospitality Management program at San Francisco State University. Its goal is to give students a simulation of how the service industry works. In my case, I'm just a critical culinary specialist who points out noticeable faults (JK, disregard my bs). F O O D: 75% of the items on the menu this time around were salads (Tarragon Chicken Salad, Albacore Nicoise Salad, Caesar Salad, Simple Salad, Mixed Salad, Composed Salad, Dredged in Salt Salad). I had the Albacore Nicoise Salad, which in my mind, I thought the albacore was going to be lightly seared, plated fashionably and then served. Well honest to god, these slices of fish were dry af and overcooked out of existence. Heh...maybe that's why its called the chicken of the sea... As someone who enjoys a delicious nicoise salad from time to time, the salad I was consuming looked like it was dredged in salt before being plated (the salt granules were clearly visible all over the place). P L A T I N G: Plating is what makes food aesthetically appetizing. We tend to eat with our eyes first before enticing our smell sensors and stomach to devour the sight before you. In this case, I wasn't prepared to have a salad served to me in a cone shaped dish. Intriguing. The ONLY thing that stood out like a sore thumb to me were the finger smudge marks on one side of the dish. UGH... S E R V I C E: OKAY. I'm very critical when it comes to this section. Its either you show me your skills or lose your game (and your tip). Our waitress, Gigi, seemed like she was too scared sh*tless to wait a table. Girl was so timid and extremely soft spoken that I was about to ask if she came with a turn-up-the-volume crank. Yes, I am a total A-hole about this. But IDGAF, its for your own good! Second, I totally loathe the feeling of a buzzard circling my table and giving us weird facial expressions when I am eating. Most awkward when they ask me a question when my mouth is at its fullest. Can you not see that I can not reply when I am chewing?! C H A N G E S: Still have to make a reservation in advance when coming to eat here with the exception of today being a holiday, and so DANG slow. No longer do you need to order from a prefix menu, items are now a la carte and payable by credit card. Also, no need to tip either! O V E R A L L: Our experience was A-OKAY. The experience was especially enjoyable since we were visited by the Chef de Cuisine and Service Manager during our meal. Until next time! read more

The Vista Room - Albacore Nicoise Salad w/ noticeable finger smudges on the bottom left hand part of the dish and visible salt grains everywhere. - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

I love the Vista Room! It is SFSU's hidden restaurant on the top floor of Burk Hall. The Vista Room's menu is posted online and is changed weekly (http://cob.sfsu.edu/cob/vista-room/menus/). It is run by students and I always plan my trips near the end of the year where students have had time learned how to serve and cook the food properly. The price is $15 dollars per person which is extremely reasonable since you don't have to pay tax or tip. The meals are high quality and definitely worth a try. I thought it was really entertaining that the class (just like every other class at SFSU) was impacted so the students outnumber the customers 2:1. Overall, Vista Room is the place to go for a classy meal at a low price! read more

I've been here numerous times, lost count. If you want to know what the process is, you can read my first review of this place http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-vista-room-san-francisco#hrid:AkPWcrlCuCNHHdHOeGokCQ. I would say each time I go, it gets better and better. If i were to ever be on Check Please, this would be my restaurant of choice. 5 tips for a better experience: 1. What you need to do is have low expectations for the waiters? Yes, they're nervous and if you go during the beginning of the semester, it's worst. Sometimes the utensils aren't always clean...just wipe it and look away. Most of the time, it's clean but there are a few rare occasions that they are not. 2. Get here early, the food is made before diners arrive, so get here early while the food is still HOT! 3. Don't get the salad! Don't do it, it's always always dirty. Get soup instead, and again, get here early while it's still hot. That soup with cheesy bread is a meal within itself, so so sooooo gooooooooood. 4. Get the meat of the week, because the fish/seafood can be dry or weird too nasty ocean tasting and pasta is not worth the price anywhere. I've had the salmon and cioppino before, it was ehh but the SCALLOPS WERE DELICIOUS! I guess the seafood can be a hit or miss at times. The meat is always tender, ahhh I'm salivating as I type this. 5. Remember, you only paid $15 for a 3-course meal, it doesn't get any better than that. Even though I've said some not so great things about this place, I STILL LOVE IT! I try to come here at least once a semester, and I'm no longer a student here anymore. I wish they would serve dinner here. read more

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Me - Hi Alex! (my sister) I'm at your school...on the 4th floor in the Burk Hall building. Alex - What are you doing at my school?! Me - Eating at the restaurant where students serve you a 3 course meal. There's a fine dining restaurant here. It's only $17. They're only open during lunch time and during fall and spring semester. Alex - Weeeeird Me - LOL! Dining at The Vista Room was an interesting experience. To make a reservation you have to prepay and purchase through their website. Once you've made the payment, you call and see what day they can fit you in. So you need to be flexible because you might not get to dine on the day that you want. Their menu changes everything week and when you arrive you get to choose what you want from preset choices (3 for main dishes). So make sure to check the website to see what they are serving for the particular day you want to visit. Once you've made you're reservation, you show up between 11:45pm and 12:15pm. We didn't know where to park so we parked at the mall. I know I know....bad bad girl. We eventually arrive and are greeted at the entrance. We're seated and are immediately served bread and drinks (which are included in the $17). We decide to order mushroom soup, skirt steak, and fruit tart for dessert. The soup hit the spot since it was a cold muggy day. It was the perfect consistency...not too watery and not too thick. The skirt steak was perfectly cooked and flavored. It was served with potatoes and carrots. The fruit tart exceeded my expectations. It wasn't too sweet at all with just the right amount of tart. Overall, it was a good experience. Parking was a pain and you can definitely tell the waiter/student that served us was VERY nervous. Is it a good place to go for a date? No, but it's a great place to visit when you want to eat a 3 course meal for lunch. The quality of the food is definitely worth it. read more

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It's been about 3 years since we went here and the quality has shrunk considerably. I lay much of the blame on the teaching staff who apparently do minimal supervision of the students. We arrived yesterday with our party of 4 and were seated right away in a round table. The first thing I noticed was the rockiness of the table top. We mentioned it to the waiter who acknowledged it, but did nothing to correct it. Additionally, there were no silverware or condiments (salt and pepper) on the table. Has there been a rash of thievery or are they just unprepared? The first thing we ordered were ice tea and we specified lots of ice. Well the tea was room temperature with no ice. What kind of place serves ice tea with no ice? We finally had to ask our waiter for separate glasses of ice. He should have been on top of this. Speaking of which, our waiter did not look professional, but disheveled. Maybe its okay for walking around the campus, but not when you are serving paying customers. They ran out of one of the appetizers and one of the main courses. The bread served was hard and not flavorful. It would have been better to serve Boudin french bread than what they have. No butter was provided, just some oil for the bread. The best thing was the salad appetizer and the chicken salad main course. The pasta dishes were served in large white bowls which magnified the small quantity of pasta served. I had a peach cobbler with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I could hardly taste the peach as it was drenched by too much cake batter. The price was $18/person. One could order any of the dishes (appetizer, entree, dessert) separately. If this is the best instruction they can provide, then the students need to go out in the real world and understand what value is in serving patrons, certainly they will not gain any experience here. Not a good value. read more

The food may not be super hot when you get it, but its a good experience. The meal is cheap compared to what you would pay at other restaurants. The service is never really the same since this are students, but if you go later in the semester they probably be better. I went early this semester and the student that was suppose to wait on us, forgot she had another table. We saw the manager do her walk around and saw us and immediately went to fetch the waitress. I wouldn't have mind if she didn't see us, but she did. She served both tables next to us, looked at me and then walk away. read more

The Vista Room - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

I've worked here so I may be cheating a little bit but honestly this is a fun dining experience. $15 for 3 course (fine-dining) lunch meal. Every week they have 2 appetizer choices, 3 entree, and 2 desserts. Just got to check on the website for menus. Reservation is required. So call ahead. Food here is very good. I always love the meat dishes and salads and especially the dessert! they always look amazing!! This place is student-run except for the chef. The chef is a part of the faculty and he supervises and teach the students the menu. He is a really passionate chef and cares deeply that each guests enjoys their meal. Also great place to do EVENTS! much cheaper than booking at other venues. I think this is a great thing at SFSU. But not a lot of students know about this establishment. so SPREAD THE WORD. read more

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I was introduced to this place from my friend who currently attends SF State University. It's fantastic discrete restaurant located on campus run by students studying hospitality management and dietetics. They are a fine dinning establishment with a different three course menu selection every week for $15. The customer service was great! They were very attentive and polite. Every time I finished my plate, they were quick to take it away and asked if I needed anything. =D I had the Roasted Ratatouille soup (w/ white beans & serrano ham) for appetizer Entree: garlic rosemary roast chicken: served with gingered shitake mushrooms, string beans, irish bacon, jus warm potato salad, and buttered cabbage. Dessert: toffee, coffee & chocolate silk pie Everything was great! the soup consisted a robust taste of tomato complimented with hearty chunks of white beans and serrano ham. The chicken came in a huge serving with rosemary aroma. Although, it was a little dry the vegetables around it definitely juiced it up. Lastly, the pie wrapped up the meal with three layers of creamy chocolate delight. Definitely worth it for $15!!! read more

The Vista Room - garlic rosemary roast chicken - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

Super cool hidden gem in sfsu! Make sure to make your reservations before 10am:) they dont credit card as form of payment. It was a very nice fancy dining experience 6/5 customer service 5/5 food 5/5 overall experience & food quality read more

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Had to try it out for the price and the unique situation makes it all the more interesting. Pause. A brief background on the place... it's waitered and hosted by students learning the ropes in hospitality. Un-Pause.. First off the reservation system is a little weired. We tried to reserve on a Monday for the same day for lunch. Made a few phone calls and were met with voicemails. Went through the process on the website and pre paid. Yes you pre pay for your meal before you eat it. A little backwards but no worries. For the price and what you get it's worth it. Later in the day we get the phone call that there's no availability until Friday of the same week. Friday arrives. Didn't know where to park so we got creative and parked at the mall. We knew we'd be quick so we didn't worry too much about it. We were running a litle late for our 1145 seating for a 1200 reservation. Got in at 1215 and were seated right away. Didn't feel rushed or anything which was great. The students serving us you can tell were a little nervous maybe. A little confused on where to stand and place certain utensils but no complaints. We knew they were learning. The food was awesome. We got the same order. Mushroom soup, skirt steak, and fruit tart for dessert. All of it was perfect. The cheese bread was really good too by the way. The soup was really good and hearty. The mushroom was pureed it seemed but I liked it. The chunks of mushroom provided a cream of wheat texture that I enjoyed. The skirt steak was perfectly done. Not too tender and not over done. Served over potatoes and carrots. All was done just right. The dessert was perfect as well. The tart was filled with a custard that was really good and satisfying. We topped our lunch off with coffee. The service was a little shakey because of the students but it didn't ruin anything. The reservation system is a littel confusing and wonky though. I'd come back for sure and would suggest to anyone else to give it a try at least once. read more

The Vista Room - Skirt Steak - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

A restaurant on campus that is run by the SF State School of Business that gives students an opportunity to have hands on experience on the hospitality and service industry. I believe that the students are being graded as they serve patrons at the restaurant. They have a rotating menu for each day of the week and is open at lunch on weekdays during the regular school year. All meals here consists of a Non-Alcoholic Beverage, Appetizer, Entree and Dessert. The food here is good, but the portions are very small. I guess you have to sacrifice quantity for quality. The service here is very attentive and there is also a professor that is managing and supervising the restaurant. I do not believe that they take cash at the Vista Room and they also require a reservation in advance to guarantee a seat. Overall a good place to get lunch on campus. read more

Good place to go if you're a college student that wants to take a chick out for a nice place to eat but you don't have a car to leave campus and you're trying to take her back to the dorms to smash before your 3PM chemistry class. read more

I am definitely a fan! $15 for a 3-course meal is a plus in my book. I attend SFSU and was looking for a place to eat for a lunch date with my friend, so I went on my Yelp app (totally awesome by the way) and search for nearby restaurant/food and this came up. I read the reviews and saw that it was conveniently on campus and reasonably priced. I ordered the leek potato cheddar soup for starter and the sirloin for main course and the cake for dessert (if you want a better description of the dishes you can check out their website and look at the menu for the week of the 28th). My soup was good and refreshing with lots of potatoes, the sirloin was good with mushroom sauce and the stuff mashed potatoes was also perfect (not dry), although, the cake was dry.... very dry.... It was also very crumbly, and the frosting wasn't creamy or anything. I only ate the strawberries on my plate. Oh, and the meal includes a drink too. You also get a warm dinner roll at the beginning and they come back to offer you more. Here's the scoop about this place (because I sure didn't know), you must call them to make reservations and they only take checks or OneCard. You must pay before dining. They only serve lunch and their doors closes at 12:30 so you have to make it there before then. Also, one other thing you should probably know is that the servers are all students. Oh last but not least, no tax and tips required. read more

The Vista Room located on 4th floor of Burke Hall at SFSU is part of a hospitality management program for students getting some degree of experience in the restaurant field. I remembered when I had to partake in this course back in 2009, and it was much more expected of students to really shine as hospitality and tourism has been a growing industry especially with the unique market and demand of San Francisco. Now, I came here on Wednesday (4/3) after securing a reservation weeks in advance. My first impression after stepping in was that students wasn't really paying attention or greeting with a smile at their guest coming in....secondly, after being seated, while receiving our menu, the hostess (student) accidentally knocked over the vinaigrette which spilled a bit on my friend. Although the incident was accidental, the response of a quick, sorry wouldn't remedy the situation in an actual fine dining restaurant. A better apology with empathy should be noted here. The hostess also didn't provide another menu after getting vinaigrette all over my friend's menu...I suppose she forgot? After we've placed our order by going with a pre fixe selections (appetizer, entrée and dessert), the hostess didn't retrieve the menu right away...a bit odd to me after we've ordered. The menu was collected a bit much later. Food: I had the buffalo chicken wings (4ct), oyster mushroom po'boy sandwich and the pecan pie. Food was good, nothing extraordinary which I felt I had better back in my school days. The pre fixe also comes with coffee or you can get soft drinks, which is nice. Afterall, for $17 pre fixe, this is like a sampling experience and does reflect well on fine dining concept. Overall I felt that this restaurant experience lacked much of what a fine dining restaurant should entail. Students/workers didn't display the open hand while providing silverware/plates or even beverages. Our experience included many "elbow" arm instead of "open arm." Also, no attention to detail as our water glasses were empty...I had to call someone over to get a coffee refill...Most of the time, the workers were just socializing with each other and clustering in the small area by the entrance of the restaurant. I hope the faculty and teacher can improve our next generation of hospitality students. I hope the next time I come, I'll receive a better impression of our hospitality management program here at SFSU. read more

Great place to support the students at SFSU! For a restaurant, it lacks the nuances that make a restaurant good but overall is not too bad! The menu is hit or miss but if you try things that sound interesting, it's pretty good! Presentation of food need more work and just overall attention to detail will make the restaurant more popular but then again, it's for a class. read more

My 2nd experience here was kinda better than my first. Even though i was starting to get sick, the beautiful food was comforting. Newbie service as usual, better expect it than be frustrated. This time i dined with past interns that have worked here before, and we talked about all the things theyre supposed to do, and what theyre not doing right. Appetizer: Curried Parsnip Soup with Red Pepper Cream It was hot this time! not warm, i was afraid that it was going to taste like curry sauce, but it was very creamy and good. Entree: Grilled Sea Scallops with Prosciutto and Black Trumped Mushrooms MORE PLEASE! thank goodness i was sick and couldnt split with someone with the beef brisket, this was so yummy and colorful. You know how they say you should eat rainbow colors for good health,? Well this had all the colors you could think of. Purple cabbage, green asparagus, orange sweet potato puree, yellow lemon, pearl white seared scallops, garlic mash, brown mushrooms, it was just so yummy i didnt want to eat it. I CLEANED off my plate. there was nothing left, except the lemon. The apple pie dessert was too tart. The lemon ice cream that came with the pie was good. I left most of the pie there. :[ Besides the service, i heard the food is almost always good because its the same chef. going again next month! read more

We have a promo code discount for the vista room right now. I set paying $17, you can pay $15 if u use our code "VRG5" and u can reuse it over and over again. U can go to this web https://commerce.cashnet.com/cobus then click on "578 promo lunches" then u can purchase there with the code You can reuse it and it expires on 5/1 but if u already purchase with code then no expiration They also do walk in right now but u have to bring your check and remember to write the code inset For each person Thank you read more

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My brother and I are both students at SFSU, and he took me here for my birthday. It was an amazing experience. The service is great, especially considering that most of the waiters and waitresses are students. The lunch consists of three courses, each with two choices. I had onion soup with blue cheese croutons for my appetizer, roast of pork for my entree and cinnamon biscuits with fruit for dessert. Each dish was absolutely delicious and the servings were generous to the point where both my brother and I were too stuffed to eat much of the dessert! read more

Supporting the San Francisco state hospitality and tourism majors. They have really good food. 15 dollars for a three course meal is not expensive at all. It is worthy to go ! They have better service than most of the restaurant, however there are limited choices for drinks. I've been there for three times and I enjoy my food every time. One thing that I don't like is, they only open during lunch . It is recommended place for everyone. read more

I really really wanted to love the Vista Room, and I will probably be back to give it another chance, since I may have gone on an off day. Alas, I have to be blunt and honest. Also note - I am not a SFSU student, just a curious Yelper. The concept is lovely - a fine dining experience in a school building served by aspiring students. The menu certainly appears to be very fancy, and for $15/person, seems super reasonable. Even though my server dropped 3 whole glasses of water on my table, which my party and I didn't mind at all, I would still rate the service and overall ambiance fairly high. To me, quality and taste are the most important aspects of a dining experience, and sadly, why I had to give only 3 stars. We were given warm rolls and butter, which was nice. Appetizer: Salad. It was a mixed green Caesar salad with unattractive anchovies and olives. The lettuce was fairly fresh, and I did like the lightness of the dressing. All three people in my party ordered salads, so I cannot comment about the soup. Entree: Quail and veal with succotash, mashed potatoes, and a few other sides. This course was a disaster. All of our quails were insanely overcooked and almost inedible. The veal was also overcooked, but less so. The sides were all pretty awful, as well, to be really honest. Dessert course: Apple tart with white chocolate ice cream. The dessert was really delicious, though it was WAY too sweet, and the portion was diabetes status big. The crust of the tart was really tasty - just wish it didn't come served on a pile of syrup. It would have worked really well alone. All in all, I would go back to try on a different day. If you are planning to try it out, just keep your expectations open. The Vista Room is a great experiment - I just think the food could be a lot better. NOTE: You have to pay with a check before you eat, and reservations are usually a good idea. They may also call you the morning of your reservation reminding you of this. read more

Party of 3 went to the end of semester buffet. Since it is on the SF State Univ. campus parking can be a challenge. Reservations are required. They follow defined seating times for the entire room. When time for the next seating is approaching they inform you. When it is time they empty the dining room promptly. The decor is a bit dated but well maintained. There is a 4th floor view of the SFSU campus. Run by students & faculty. The students are dressed in white shirts & ties. They are friendly & attentive. Since I don't want to write a novellla, I will just say the buffet offered an interesting culinary variety. I especially liked the many items made with vegetables & fruit. The food was flavorful & healthy. read more

I stumbled upon the Vista room when I saw a youtube video about it. It seemed interesting, I looked up some yelp reviews, and not too many fans. My birthday was coming up, and it was a great excuse for my friend and I to try this place. For only $15 a person we received a delicious appetizer, entree, and dessert. The waiter was wonderful, when he forgot to bring my drink, he sincerely apologized. My friend jokingly promised she wasn't gonna tell his teacher. But besides that, everything was wonderful, he checked up on us a couple times during the meal, made sure if we needed any refills and things like that. The salad I got (appetizer) felt fresh, and the amount of dressing was perfect. Not too much, not too little. Then the linguini I ate was EXTREMELY delicious! Also tasted very fresh! For dessert, again, fresh fruit. Wonderful experience! Wonderful food! Definitely coming back! read more

The Vista Room - Dessert - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

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What a great opportunity to support the emerging hospitality community at SF state. Enjoy a 3 course meal including beverage for a flat $17. Plenty of appetizer and entree options. Excellent presentation. Our party of three had a great time and we explored the campus afterwards. There are so many great dining options in SF, but dining here is about much more than a culinary experience. It's about supporting the students who can learn as much from you as you can from them. The instructor was also present as the host and was very engaged as well. He explained how the curriculum for the student servers included nutritional science / dietary science as well. The vista room is open lunchtime during only a portion of the academic calendar, so call first for reservations. read more

So my friends and I have come a multitude of times and the food has been getting more bland as the time has gone on, while prices have increased. I do love when they have the bookstore sale where instead of paying $17 for the meal you get your three course meal for $8 or $9. There's also Farm to Fork in the spring semester, where the Vista room cooks vegetarian dishes to highlight local organic food grown around the Bay Area and for sustainable purposes for about $10. Pretty reasonable.I also like that it's a pretty fancy place on campus instead of far away from everything. And for college students who might be looking for a good date locale that's in the daytime- I would suggest this. read more

The Vista Room - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

A special occasion place primarily used for departmental or holiday luncheons. The menu changes every week & you must choose between two (either one or the other) for appetizer, entree & desert. On the plus side, everything is always tasty. You're waited on by very attentive & courteous -- if a bit nervous -- students from SFSU's Consumer & Family Studies/Dietetics department (hospitality management majors, I believe). Considering the high quality of the meal, it's always a great bargain. read more

When I was a sad and broke college student I would come to the Vista Room to feel rich. The folks that work here are fellow students and provide superb service maybe cause they work for class credit. But the food is excellent for the price. read more

Gourmet dining at SFSU? Who would have thought there would be a gourmet dining oasis in midst of the organized disarray called SFSU? I had their take of a prix fixe planned out by the Koi Palace restaurant and it was pretty good. The student waiters who are students in the College of Business' HRM program did a good job attending to my needs and the food was great - well accept for the cold sweet potato fries that accompanied my satay appetizer. All in all, I'd definitely come back again. I miss having a somewhat casual dining experience since I left DVC in Pleasant Hill but this makes up for it. read more