Andalu

Last Thursday evening, a man snatched my bag from under the table. Upon reporting it to the owner, he never apologized, he never showed compassion or sympathy, he never offered any type of compensation, and he never made any effort to help catch the thief. Believe it or not, the owner actually encouraged me to write this review to tell people they are not safe at his restaurant. What is ironic is that he saw the thief loitering around the restaurant for about 20 minutes, but did not ask him to leave because he was not hurting anyone. (The back door was wide open, with no camera on the door because the owner says he can keep an eye on it while he works the bar; keep an eye on it he did - he saw the thief enter the restaurant and walk around while talking on his cell phone, but never asked the intruder to leave). The owner also would not speak with the police, even though he could perfectly describe the thief to me. It is this attitude that would never bring me back to Andula again. It has now been four days since the incident, and the owner has refused to respond to my calls requesting information for the police and my insurance claim. I hope you never get robbed, but more importantly, I hope you never have to deal with the staff at Andula, because they obviously have not been trained in customer service...even if the food and drinks are good. more

I love Andalu. I always take my friends from out of town here. It's all about the Gruyere fondue. Served with toast and apples and pears...and simply awesome. The Ahi tacos are delicious, as is the pumpkin barley salad. The wine selection is nice, and they have lots of fancy mixed drinks to choose from. The ginger halibut was a bit too much by itself, but atop some of that toast...divine... I really liked their crab rangoon...but that seems to have been taken off the menu. Still, the good service, classy, dim lighting, and overall feel of Andalu is worth it...even without the crab. Pros: fondue! great atmosphere, friendly servers more

Love it! more

I've dined at Andalu for both dinner and for Sunday brunch a handful of times. The food is good but the dinner menu is limited and seems to be unchanged in the 2+ years I've been going there. The brunch menu is excellent but the brunch hostess flat out refused to let our waiter know we wanted to order coffee, then filled all of the water glasses at our table except mine. She was just too hip to lower herself to speak to the waiter, I guess. I sent a letter to the management but 3 weeks later have not received any response. So, that tells me that the management just simply does not care. This place is worth going to for dinner but not on a date because it's very loud. Try the tuna tacos. They're wonderful. Go for brunch if you don't mind being treated like you should consider yourself fortunate to be in the presence of their hipness. Pros: good food, good location Cons: rude/indifferent staff, limited menu, noisy more

I?ve been here before and each time, I have had a very pleasant dining experience. On top of that, did you know this restaurant is teaming up with StreetSmart4kids? It?s actually really cool what they?re doing. I just heard about how SS4K is a nonprofit organization that helps underprivileged teens stay healthy. They are running their ?Dine Out and Donate? campaign here (as well as approx. 70 other restaurants in SF) during October and early November. After having a fabulous dining experience, just fill out the donation form when paying the check (minimum donation $3). This is perfect for people like me, who love to eat out all the time and also like to give back to the community. Check it out for yourself on the StreetSmart4Kids website!\r \r more

We went here on a Thursday night around 9:30pm, which is half price Sangria night, FYI. Our waiter, Morty, chose some great options! We recommend the Fondue!!! The olives are mild but delicious. We also had the Sea Bass, Short Ribs and Sliders, all which were delicious, but the Sea Bass was our favorite. All the portions were great size and we were even too stuffed for dessert. I could see how it would be crowed and too noisy on the weekends, but the food definitely makes this place worth visiting. We will be back. PS? watch out for the fondue gas. Pros: Great food, great portions, Sangria on Thursday Cons: Parking, valet is is expensive more

Picked this place for solo Saturday brunch based on the ""free doughnut holes"" enticement. The holes were excellent -- tasty and hot -- but two's all you get. If you want more than two, you pay. (Groan.) My ham/chorizo/egg scramble was delicious, and so were the polenta fries that came with it. Portion size was decent. Coffee was above average but it's all French Press, and you pay by the cup. Note to management: Brunch without free refills on coffee is annoying. Got a bloody mary. Lots of stuff in there, including a whole celery stalk, a pickled green bean, several cocktail onions, and a lemon wedge. Showy but tasty. Service was friendly. The place was 85% empty when I arrived at 1:00, and the floor smelled very heavily of cleaning fluid. I'll probably go back. But I think I'll try a few other places first, as I'm pretty new to SF and wasn't bowled over. Pros: tasty brunch fare Cons: no coffee refills, ""free"" doughnut holes limited to 2. more

We ate here for a birthday party... bad choice! The service obviously knew they were getting the ""18% gratuity for parties of 6 or more"". We waited for drinks, watching other tables get served second rounds and food before we were served water.\r The food arrived cold, when expected hot, warm when expected cold... forget about complaining. No server to be seen! The bathroom was so poorly maintained, I seriously have seen better restroom conditions in gas stations on the way to Tahoe, Friday night at 11:00pm. Needless to say, filthy toilet... no TP... no paper towels. This room is only a few feet away from the tables. I sent a complaint letter to the manager. No response. I really don't understand how this place remains in business... it must be those darn ""mac & cheese sticks"" which are truely devine... if they arrive warm! Pros: good mac and cheese sticks Cons: bad service, poor food service, filthy restrooms more

Our foursome thoroughly enjoyed each of the eight dishes we chose - veggie, meat and fish - and saw many others on the menu that sounded equally appetizing. We agreed we'd need a return trip! With cocktails, wine and dessert our bill for the four of us was $160. The space has character and appeal, the waitstaff was knowledgeable and friendly, and the service was excellent. We passed three comfortable hours there, very enjoyably! Valet parking made us happy, too! Pros: Food quality and interest; service; valet parking Cons: A little loud more

I recently had dinner with a girlfriend of mine there. The place was super accommodating. We were able to make last minute reservations on a Friday night!! We called to say we were running late and they said they would still seat us. When we arrived, the servers were very friendly and brought us our food in a really timely manner. The fondue was amazing, the short ribs were delicious, and the banana lumpia ice cream desert was amazing. We will definately be going back. It's so rare to receive such superb service these days. more

My girlfriends and I were seriously looking forward to dining at Andalu based on all of the excellent reviews that we read about the place, the food, the service...and yet nothing stood up to the hype. First off, the restaurant was freezing cold, which never makes for a comfortable dining experience. Then the service was terrible, w ith our waitress constantly either chatting with the rest of the staff over by the bar or walking right past us. We had to beg other servers to bring us some water at one point. Perhaps all of this could have been overlooked had the food been decent -- but it wasn't. Our tapas were some of the saltiest things I have ever eaten. My mouth was actually puckered afterwards. The mahi mahi was dripping in oil, the shrimp had no flavor, and the crab cake was less crab, more fried breading. The much-hyped sangria was even sub-par, being that it was more juice than anything. We ordered desserts, hoping that our meal could be redeemed. The sorbets went over well, and the espresso-chocolate mousse wasn't too bad. The donut holes were just okay, though, even though several reviews raved about them. To top the experience off, the valet couldn't find our car for 20 minutes. We will NOT be returning. Pros: Large wine list Cons: Bad food, service more

Andalu has consistently fantastic food and service. We have been there many times, both with small parties and large and have always found the food to be amazingly tasty and well prepared. The wait staff is superb and is excellent with recommendations. We have found Andalu to be an ideal location for large groups who are interested in a unique San Francisco dining experience at a reasonable price. While the wine list provides more than enough options, for a cost conscious group, the Sangria provides an excellent alternative. Our last visit there was with a large group of both San Francisco residents and out of town guests. Everyone left satisfied with both food and Sangria for (shockingly) around $20 a head. (We have always found it to be closer to $50 a head if you visit in a smaller group and prefer to stick to wine.) All from the last group visit are still quick to comment on the great food and atmosphere there whenever the experience comes up. Be sure not to miss the Cambazola Cheese Fondue with Fuji Apples and Asian Pears, though the Dungeness Crab Rangoon with Sweet and Sour Sauce and the Grilled Flatiron Steak with Chimmichurri and Fries are also worth the visit. Pros: Excellent service, Excellent for Groups, Good Wine List, Great Sangria & Food Cons: Typical of resturants in the city, they will not seat you unless more than 1/2 of your party is there more

I must comment on the person who posted before me...I know they were understaffed because of a death and YEAH that shook up the staff...I have been there and the service has always been good. As long as u don't bust out your snobby attitude at any restaurant staff anywhere you will always be taken care of even if they do make a mistake. I know the place is in transition for a new owner so that could be partly why things seem unorganized. Also sometimes what happens when you make a reservation and have to wait for your table that is because there is still a party sitting there and they have not either paid yet or finished eating-it may be due to that party straggling in or being late so it backs everyone elses reservations up. That is probably why you had to wait so long for your table. Pros: big portions, fast service, valet Cons: blown out speakers more

I was very disappointed with this restaurant. A party of 13 joined me for me for my birthday dinner after I selected the restaurant based off of the reviews on city search. The food was not bad, but for the most part the dishes came out cold. I made reservations in advance and confirmed. When my party arrived, the table was not ready so they suggested we wait at a bar down the street since the place was crowded. Instead we waited in front of the restaurant in the cold. We had a long wait for our table. Once we were seated instead of going downstairs to get an additional chair, they pulled a fold out chair from the back for one of my guests. They should also consider scrapping the gum from underneath the tables. They were understaffed. The waiter complained about our ordering and she also brushed the crumbs onto our laps when clearing off the table. I would not recommend this place. more

Party of 5 not so welcomed at this place. It was a Saturday night and we knew we did not have reservations, but we took a chance. The host was very rude about letting us know there was another party of 5 coming that has a reservation and they were his priority. After consideration ---once we pointed out that the dinner room and bar area were mostly empty -- he agreed to seat us as long as were freed up our table in an hour. We were fine with the time limit, but I think every single staff person in the place knew we were to be rushed. Food was just thrown on the table. Staff members would point and tell others we were to be out by 8:30pm. We felt like there was an egg timer sitting right on our table. And all that time of not being able to enjoy the fair food that was tossed on our table, the dinner room and bar area remained mostly empty. The party of 5 that had a reservation did not even show up. \r \r Too many nicer places in the city to even both with this one. Cons: rude staff, fair food more

White wine sangria- what a great way to start the evening. This restaurant is great for birthday dinners and for dates. The restaurant staff does their very best to accomodate for large groups on the second level of the restaurant. The menu offers a great selection of tapas. My recommendations: Ahi Tartar Tacos with Chili and Lime, Mango Salsa, Cheese Plate - Taleggio with Grilled Walnut Bread and Quince Paste, Duck Confit and Black Mission Fig Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette. With a glass of sangria- all of these plates are delicious! Pros: Good value, birthday dinners Cons: Parking in the Mission more

This place was awesome! I went with quite a large party so we got to pretty much order everything on the menu. There wasn't one thing that I did not enjoy. I had a few favorites. I LOVED the Fried Macaroni and Cheese and the Ahi Tuna Tacos. I've never seen macaroni and cheese served that way. It reminded me of a mozarella stick, but with mac and cheese in the inside. They also serve 2 types of Sangria. I've never seen anyone else serve white wine sangria, but one sip and I was hooked! It was a perfect blend of fruit, fruits juices and wine! I highly recommed Andalu and I suggest you try everything on the menu. Pros: Amience, well stocked bar, awesome food Cons: Parking more

I just went to this restaurant for a birthday party and it was absolutely great. They had a variety of finger foods that everyone was happy to share; there really was something for every one of us. The donut holes for dessert, and fried mac 'n cheese as an appetizer are a must. Definitely recommended. Pros: Great Food Cons: Drinks are Pricey more

The food was great! I wouldn't say service is the best but the quality of the food makes up for it. The price is very reasonable. Parking on a Friday night is impossible but valet is available. Highly recommend this restaurant! Pros: Reasonable Price. Great Food. Cons: Hard to find Parking. Service is OK. more

I want to really love this place. It's cute. It's hip. But oh boy, does the menu really dissapoint. For one, it never changes. I don't think I've ever been offered specials. The small plates sound good on paper, but end up falling short because of poor execution in the kitchen. Hot dishes get served lukewarm. Allegedly spicy food is bland. You end up paying too much for what you get. This place needs a major overhaul - fast. Pros: Lovely Interior, Atmosphere Cons: Food, Price, "Valet Parking" in the Mission more