Restaurants

Chloe's Cafe - a Noe Valley Destination

There are lots of places to have weekend brunches in San Francisco. You can choose a posh brunch at the luxurious Campton Place Restaurant at Union Square, or instead try a neighborhood hot spot like Chloe’s Cafe in Noe Valley.

Recently I tried Chloe’s Cafe for the first time, to see what all the fuss was about.  I met a friend there mid-week because there always seemed to be lines for their weekend brunches.  Given the persistence of the lines every time I drove by, it was my mistake to think that the food was going to be that great. Everyone I spoke to in the neighborhood, shoot even the lady waiting in line when I arrived raved about the menu and how the wait was worth it!

Maybe it was an off day, or maybe I should have ordered the breakfast items rather than the sandwich – but both my friend and I had a so-so experience.

My friend has a discerning palate so I thought he would help me give an accurate account.  We both decided to get sandwiches, partly because we wanted to and to be honest, because we had limited cash on hand.  They do not take credit or debit cards. I went with the BLT on rosemary bread which I hoped would be great, because they added avocado.  I love avocado! Because I had high hopes, I even added their house potatoes for $1.00 extra.  Meh. Seriously, the sandwich was alright but for this price, was just kind of boring for an $8 Bacon-Lettuce and Tomato sandwich.  Look at the photo.. the sandwich looks so much more exciting than it tasted.

BLT with Avocado @ Chloe's Cafe

My friend fared no better.  He had their Albacore Tuna sandwich for $9 and did not care for the diced egg for starters.  He also thought they overly peppered the sandwich as well.  His highest marks were for the cold Coke because they sat us outside and we were melting while waiting for our meal.

Albacore Tuna @ Chloe's Cafe

Which brings me to the service, or lack thereof.  We saw that they were fairly busy but seriously, we were neglected.  I have a sunburn on the side of my neck to prove how long we waited for everything. Maybe if you live in the ‘hood and order from their breakfast menu, the food and your experience will be better than ours.  I hope so.  I really do.  The place seems nice but we weren’t sold and probably won’t be back. Oh and only street parking which can be difficult.  Take the J-Church trolley if you decide to venture over – and maybe consider Toast instead.

1399 Church St
San Francisco, CA 94114
(415) 648-4116

Mon-Fri. 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Sat-Sun. 8:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Photos taken by Sharon Castellanos