long lines. a lot of the food is incredibly sweet or too much spices. for breakfast, i need subtler flavors.

long lines. a lot of the food is incredibly sweet or too much spices. for breakfast, i need subtler flavors.
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Great coffee, great service, homemade breads and jam, etc. The Benedict Blackstone and the Northern Italian omelette are fantastic! If you've got the time, the wait is worth it. We've gone about... More

Great coffee, great service, homemade breads and jam, etc. The Benedict Blackstone and the Northern Italian omelette are fantastic! If you've got the time, the wait is worth it. We've gone about 1:30 to 2:00 on weekdays and the wait hasn't been that bad at all Pros: Everything homemade -- Italian omelette is a killer Cons: The line, of course -- and for a laugh, the restroom
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First about the wait...whether at Mama's,Tommaso or other old line fixture in NB, you wait up to an hour or more. With 40 seats Mamas serves 400 people a day.. The INGENUOUS part is the people... More

First about the wait...whether at Mama's,Tommaso or other old line fixture in NB, you wait up to an hour or more. With 40 seats Mamas serves 400 people a day.. The INGENUOUS part is the people passing through watching the cooks and fresh baked item coming out of the oven throughout the day, makes them by more items (duh). FYI The Mama's that was in Union Square served 1200 people a day with 125 seats ( I worked there). If Mama's NB had 125 seats they would do same. As for the food yes they have basic items, what breakfast place wouldn't? However the omelets with Italian meats, fresh herbs, Dungeness Crab, Benedict with prosciutto or wild mushrooms (seasonal). The pancakes, lemon blueberry french toast, (not the best but none better)Their prices are on par,except with Curly's, which is not on par. No breakfast place in Bay Area consistently put out this type of breakfast. I have worked and eaten at most over the past 35 years. Like your, just an opinion. Pros: Excellent selection of morning fare, Cons: can take a long time, parking in NB is a drag
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If you are impatient or in a hurry, I'd pass, but you'll be sorry. This was one of the best breakfast spots I've visited. Well worth the 30 minute+ wait to get to the door. Choosing your... More

If you are impatient or in a hurry, I'd pass, but you'll be sorry. This was one of the best breakfast spots I've visited. Well worth the 30 minute+ wait to get to the door. Choosing your breakfast will be the hardest part. Food was exceptional in this intimate setting. Service attentive and very friendly. Sally was great (go Kalamazoo!!). Wide selection of fresh breads, fruit, juices and willingness to accomodate fickle palates made the experience worth every penny. Note to the wise, NO CREDIT CARDS! Bring your cash and enough of it because breakfast is not going to be cheap, but you won't regret it. Pros: Ambience, Best fresh breads
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Definitely worth the wait and standing on the the street side in the foggy mist. My husband and I have actually driven from Sacramento to San Fran just for their food. Must go. Pros: Every... More

Definitely worth the wait and standing on the the street side in the foggy mist. My husband and I have actually driven from Sacramento to San Fran just for their food. Must go. Pros: Every item on the menu. Cons: Bathrooms and the wait.
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Be prepared for long lines at this northbeach institution, but the breads and hollandaise dishes are to die for (as in, by a cholesterol-induced heart attack)

Be prepared for long lines at this northbeach institution, but the breads and hollandaise dishes are to die for (as in, by a cholesterol-induced heart attack)
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I completely agree with NBAYCRITIQUE, this place isn't crowded because it's the best, it's because it's too small to seat more than 30 people at a time. See that cute little picture next to the... More

I completely agree with NBAYCRITIQUE, this place isn't crowded because it's the best, it's because it's too small to seat more than 30 people at a time. See that cute little picture next to the restaurant's name? Well THAT long narrow walkway is where you get to wait for 20 minutes AFTER you've waited for an hour OUTSIDE. And guess what else? You're in line to place your order and then PAY for your meal - in CASH, mind you - BEFORE you get your table, or your very basic meal. A party of five, which was in line WAY ahead of us, was still waiting to be seated 20 MINUTES AFTER they had placed their order at the INSIDE line. The staff seemed surprised there was a group of 5 that whole time, and then didn't know where to put them after they had ordered and paid for their meal. Where did they wait, you wonder? in this same narrow little passage with all the people in line on one side of them, and diners sitting on the other side of them, and staff barking at them any time they needed to come through. The staff seemed unapologetic for this inconvenience. This is no way to run a business. Take people's money and then have them wait LONGER? Had I understood this was how they operated, we would not have waited around the hour outside. There are equally fine restaurants in the same neighborhood with better prices. And at those OTHER restaurants, they have this really ingenious way of treating guests. You see, they INVITE you in and allow you to SIT DOWN, peruse a menu, whilst lingering over a cup of coffee, order WHEN YOU'RE READY, bring your food to you, THEN ask you to pay WHEN YOU'VE FINISHED eating! Novel, I know, but perhaps this crazy way of running a restaurant will catch on.
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Mama's is simply the best breakfast in San Francisco, hands down. This is one of those places where even though you have to wait in line, you love every minute of it because you know how amazing the... More

Mama's is simply the best breakfast in San Francisco, hands down. This is one of those places where even though you have to wait in line, you love every minute of it because you know how amazing the wonders ahead are going to be. Pros: mamas benedict, cinnamon french toast Cons: Long line
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I thought this place was great! I am taking one star off for the really long wait (about 1 1/2 hr for line, ordering, and waiting for food), but otherwise it was well worth the line. I am usually... More

I thought this place was great! I am taking one star off for the really long wait (about 1 1/2 hr for line, ordering, and waiting for food), but otherwise it was well worth the line. I am usually very health food conscious, but I splurged this time on the French Toast with fruit and my husband had the Veggie Omelet and potatoes. Both portion sizes were perfect, I thought the Mimosas were a little pricey for this type of joint at $7.50, but otherwise, well worth it! The beautiful day helped also! Pros: Great food, good portion size, nice location Cons: loooooong line
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Great choice for mother's day or when people are visiting. Prices are low and food is good. Make sure to take cash!

Great choice for mother's day or when people are visiting. Prices are low and food is good. Make sure to take cash!
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