Tasty fried chicken, mediocre (and grossly oversalted) sides; not a good value. The service (waitstaff AND kitchen) are the worst I've encountered anywhere in SF. It took a while for a server to... More

Tasty fried chicken, mediocre (and grossly oversalted) sides; not a good value. The service (waitstaff AND kitchen) are the worst I've encountered anywhere in SF. It took a while for a server to appear with a menu, and then she vanished. 15 minutes later another server took my order. When I ordered the fried chicken lunch, the waiter said I was entitled to another side, so I went along. Some time later, Server #1 reappeared and tried to take my order, seemed annoyed that I had been served, and complained to the manager about the poaching of "her" table. I waited, waited, and waited some more. By now I had been at the restaurant over an hour. Finally server #2 came to apologetically explain that my chicken breast (ordered over 1/2 hour ago) was taking longer than expected. FINALLY, about 20 minutes later (I kid you not) my food appeared. The kitchen's staggering slowness was especially bizarre given that there were only six diners in the whole restaurant. When the bill came, my waiter had charged me the dinner price, twice the price of lunch. When I pointed out I had specifically ordered LUNCH, he seemed confused, and said that the dinner had more chicken and two sides. I'm not sure what each meal includes, but when I order, I expect guidance about what comes with what. After a convoluted explanation he promised to adjust the bill . At this point I had been at the restaurant over two hours (for a simple lunch) and just wanted to get the hell out. Even after the adjustment, the bill was almost $12, still almost 2X what I was supposed to pay. Given the service so far, I didn't want to waste another 1/2 hour of my life arguing, so I just paid. And of course the manager was nowhere to be found. Since it was my first visit (I had said so) and the waiter's "mistake", he should have just charged me the lunch price (and maybe generated some goodwill?). Instead, I had a mediocre, insanely time-wasting lunch that was memorable for all the wrong reasons. Pros: Good fried chicken Cons: Too much salt, unbelievably slow kitchen, and clueless service
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I've been to Powell's Place several times and enjoy the food. The last time I went, however, the servings seem to be getting smaller. For the price one pays here, and considering soul food is... More

I've been to Powell's Place several times and enjoy the food. The last time I went, however, the servings seem to be getting smaller. For the price one pays here, and considering soul food is supposed to be a lot like good ole southern hospitality, they need to heap the plates full of food and not skimp. Their hush puppies are also way too small to be considered soul or southern, so they need to improve on those. The bad thing about this place, and what I have seen echoed on this site, is the service. You usually have to wait quite a while to be seated, to get a glass of water, to order and to be served. So don't take a first date here, unless you're a darn good conversationalist. The restaurant simply does not have enough waiters or waitresses and that's the problem. I can understand why there may not be enough waiters or waitresses though, because almost every time I've been in there, there's hardly anyone else there. Maybe only 4-6 people in what is a nice sized restaurant. Maybe it's just the age old paradox of which came first, the egg or the chicken, but I'd say, improve the customer service and the crowds will get bigger. Of course, the small number of people present makes the insult out, -that it takes so very long to get service when hardly anyone's in there. One time I was in there and there was 1 young, attractive, waiter, attempting to serve maybe 4 tables, running back and forth, this and that, and everyone frustrated. He was trying though. If you want a home cooked meal, try this place out, just don't expect to have the best customer service. Although the owner occasionally shows up to great you, his niceness cannot make up for the lack of prompt and efficient customer service. I, myself, will continue coming when I want a home cooked meal, unless I find a better place or the servings continue to diminish in size. Pros: Nice clean environment; good home-cooked food. Cons: Most of the time -poor service; sometimes small servings on plates.
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Okay here it is Mother's Day and I am taking my family and extended family to Powell's Place for Mother's Day lunch. Our reservations are for 2:00pm I get there ahead of the rest of the family at... More

Okay here it is Mother's Day and I am taking my family and extended family to Powell's Place for Mother's Day lunch. Our reservations are for 2:00pm I get there ahead of the rest of the family at around 1:55 and I am standing in line to let the person know that my party is here for the 2:00 reservation(13 people). at this time it is about 2:05 and the man tells me that I am late. Well forone I was not late, secondly I was waiting in line(which i understand because it is Mother's Day so I expected a wait, but don't tell me that I'm late when you don't know when came in. I am finally seated and the tables are set up for my family, however it took about 30 mins for a waiter/waitress to even acknowledge that there are people waiting to be served or orders taken. Mind of that half of my family was just now coming in but some customer service would have been nice. Finally I get somone's attention and we finally get some water (but was given water for only half the people that were there). At this time we have waited about 40-45 minutes before a waitress (who by the way wasn't suppose to be serving in the section that we were in BUT she took our orders anyway) She could used some help (she didnt get any) we were given menus that had different items on it for different days, when we FINALLY received our food we were just glad to have some food in front of us. Now I'm not blaming the waitress because she was doing the best she could but wouldn't a restraunt be prepared on a whole to have enough staff to serve patrons? Wouldnt you expect parties of say 4 or more and be prepared to serve those patrons? After it's all said and done the food wasn't that great. it was okay. I probably would have enjoyed the food a lot better had I and my family received actual customer service that a dining establishment SHOULD have. I get the feeling this happens alot. I would have to think long and hard to go back to eat there. But to those who want to brave it, good luck! Pros: Ambience Cons: CUSTOMER SERVICE!! Prices a bit high for what was given
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I tried Powell's Place based on the hype and good reviews here, but now I feel really misled. I'm a soul food expert and sadly the truth is that I've had better fried chicken in all the fast food... More

I tried Powell's Place based on the hype and good reviews here, but now I feel really misled. I'm a soul food expert and sadly the truth is that I've had better fried chicken in all the fast food places in S.F. On a weekday (lunchtime), the place was almost empty. The fried chicken was barely warm, blandly seasoned (maybe just lightly salted), not juicy but slightly dry, and the crust was very thin, not crispy at all and even slightly rubbery. The collard greens were OK - not too salty, but they didn't have the slight smoky flavor that I am used to. The mac n' cheese was 'homestyle' which I prefer, not the cheap 'processed cheese' version you might get in other places. The corn muffins were slightly sweet the way I like, but they were way too small, and kind of chewy - definitely missing the 'crunchy top' that another reviewer said they would have. Strangely, they were 'finger burning hot' - like they were reheated too long in a microwave. The only thing that made them worth eating was the pats of butter that they came with, plus we were all still hungry from the small portions of food that we were given. I had a chance to sample the oxtails which I liked better than my chicken. They were well-seasoned, had a nice gravy and were 'fall off the bone' tender. All in all though, I would not recommend Powell's Place because I did not get my money's worth. I don't mind paying extra money if the food is worth it, but I don't like leaving a place feeling like I've been ripped off. To its credit, Powell's Place does have good customer service, friendly and competent wait-staff, and a nice atmosphere. When you are there you do get a strong sense of its history and community pride, but the bottom line is that a restaurant is supposed to be about the food. Powell's Place will have to step up to compete with places offering a better value if they want to regain former customers or attract new ones. Pros: The atmosphere and customer service Cons: Small portions, not very good value for the price
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The blackened catfish was moist, but was covered with spices which was way too salty (and I like salt). Luckily it was easily fixed by scraping most of it off. The collard greens had good flavor and... More

The blackened catfish was moist, but was covered with spices which was way too salty (and I like salt). Luckily it was easily fixed by scraping most of it off. The collard greens had good flavor and texture. Hush puppies were tasty and not too greasy. Best part of the meal was probably the excellent corn bread, which had a nice crispy top. Pros: Excellent corn bread
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We had the Fried Chicken and pork ribs. The Fried chicken was fantastic with every little crispy bit getting eaten. The pork ribs fell off the bone and smothered in a mild bbq sauce. The sides were... More

We had the Fried Chicken and pork ribs. The Fried chicken was fantastic with every little crispy bit getting eaten. The pork ribs fell off the bone and smothered in a mild bbq sauce. The sides were ordinary and saved for the last as we ate up the main course. Service was friendly, welcoming, and attentive. Everything was sparkling clean and they had a brisk separate take-out section that was constantly busy. Basically great comfort food at a very reasonable price. Pros: Quick seating, Fried Chicken, Service Cons: Wine list-red or wht
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Probably one of my worst dining experience in SF. Was Fri night and not too crowded (probably at 1/3 capacity). Seated after 5 min by the person that rudely did not hold the door open the door for... More

Probably one of my worst dining experience in SF. Was Fri night and not too crowded (probably at 1/3 capacity). Seated after 5 min by the person that rudely did not hold the door open the door for us. At first I thought it was okay but then when I found it out it was the owner, I'm thinking he should have asked us to go in before him (and not rudely close the door behind him). Took at least 15 min take our order. Food took about 45 min. We noticed 2 parties that came in, sat down and walked out after not being tended to. Food was lukewarm and not as good as before. Took a lot of waving to get the bill. The owner then comes to us and asks us if we are "satisfied or not satisfied" like we are taking some sort of survey. Pros: easier parking Cons: everything
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Just go for the fried chicken (largest drumstick you'll ever see) and potato salad. And yams, if you like yams. The food is very reasonably priced and their chicken is delicious. They also have... More

Just go for the fried chicken (largest drumstick you'll ever see) and potato salad. And yams, if you like yams. The food is very reasonably priced and their chicken is delicious. They also have ribs, pork chops, salads, sandwiches, and breakfast food until 3pm. The new space is nicely decorated with bright yellow walls, dark wood furniture and, of course, the jukebox. Highly recommended, especially if you love fried chicken.
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Not only is the location new, but the entire spirit of Powell's has been revived. The service is so wonderful, friendly, caring, and attentive. The staff seems so much happier at this location... More

Not only is the location new, but the entire spirit of Powell's has been revived. The service is so wonderful, friendly, caring, and attentive. The staff seems so much happier at this location too. The decor of the new space is fantastic: it is spacious and yet feels so warm and inviting. There is plenty of space for big groups. The lighting is nice and the space is so clean! The food, of course, is better than ever: from the smothered pork chops to the fried chicken, corn muffins, and cajun-style hush puppies. The flavors are wonderful and the portions are generous. Oh, and be sure not to miss the sweet potatoes! They are heaven! My only complaint: the greens are just too salty. Pros: amazing food, lovely new space, GREAT staff Cons: greens too salty
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