Ella's Restaurant

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500 Presidio Ave
San Francisco, CA 94115

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(415) 441-5669
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Ella's Restaurant - San Francisco, CA
Reviews
( 11 )
( 9 )
( 5 )
( 2 )
( 6 )

Best

This is by far the best place for Brunch in SF. Yes the line is long.... Isn't that a good indicator! Everything on the menu is well thought out and exceptional quality. ALL o...

Worst

One of my friends had heard that there was a great breakfast place in Laurel Heights called Ella's. The two of us decided to go there on a weekday in hopes that there would not be...

It is like going to Church but with a fresh biscuit 8/30/2007

This is by far the best place for Brunch in SF. Yes the line is long.... Isn't that a good indicator! Everything on the menu is well thought out and exceptional quality. ALL of the baked goods are baked in house. Not just your run of the mills egg dishes from Chicken Pesto Omelets to Ham & asparagus scrambles. I have NEVER been disappointed there and I eat there every week...just like church :) One thing also to keep in mind they will substitute anything on the menu that you want as long as it is on the menu for that weekend. So if you don't like a certain veggie and want a different one from another dish..Go for it they don't care. But they only have what is on the menu in house that way it is all fresh. Great Ice Tea and Bloody Mary's. Suggestions - Buttermilk Biscuit, Pancakes (Don't go for the full stack unless you are REALLY hungry), The omelet are great both open face or folded. Enjoy Pros: The food and the service Cons: Long line more
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Good food served with large portions of attitude 11/21/2006

This place has pretty good food but it is overshadowed by a host and several servers who are pretentious and aloof. more
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Yummy Pancakes 10/28/2006

the pancakes are big and fluffy. just the way i like 'em. the waiter and host were both really nice. i wish they would have asked if we wanted refills on our ojs since they were little baby shot glass sized. more
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Yummm 10/3/2006

I love this cute little diner. It's pretty out of the way from where we live so we don't go as often as we'd like but each time we've went we were not disappointed. It's a long wait so bring a paper or book - but they do supply coffee during the wait which is nice. There's always friendly service and the menus changes often and is always unique. My favorite was their potaote scramble, but I also love the chicken hash. You really can't go wrong for a hearty tasty breakfast here. Pros: food Cons: long wait more
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great bread 8/12/2006

Their house made bread was delicious, and so was the open-faced omelet with shredded pork and black beans in a tomatillo sauce. I only wished that their brunch menu was a little larger... I was really looking forward to french toast for breakfast. Pros: great bread and friendly service Cons: long wait with not much variety on the SMALL menue more
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One of the best spots in SF for breakfast 8/10/2006

This is a great breakfast spot that serves up some excellent fare for breakfast. Excellent host and waiter (Daniel). While in SF, we had three excellent breakfasts and I would rate this one second after Mama's. We had to wait about thirty minutes but it was defintely worth the wait. Pros: food and service more
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No Longer Special 8/6/2006

Yes, I've had a great meal or two here but not for at least 2 years now. I've given them many chances but have concluded that Ella's is nothing special (and absolutely overpriced for what you get.) Nothing has any flavor: $8.75 got me scrambled eggs w/ a dry, flavorless biscuit and cubes of fried potatoes more in need of seasoning (even salt would do) than a paper napkin. The ""special"" for $10.75 was unremarkable, too. I think the neighborhood is ripe for some competition. Pros: pleasant space Cons: the food, prices more
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Scrumptous, Towering Buttermilk Biscuits and More... 6/30/2006

Could it be the mouth watering, oh-so-tall buttermilk biscuits? Or is it the freshly squeezed bright Blo*d red Orange Juice? Maybe it is the tender, homemade chicken hash? Hum...gosh, those fruit cups were filled with the ripest exotic fruit--fresh figs, raspberries, mangoes and such. Oh, and those sumptuous pancakes and baked goods--ricotta/lemon pancakes and buttery peacan rolls. And, the service...oh the service...friendly prompt faces...never an empty coffee cup... Pros: Yummy! Cons: Long waits after 10 am on weekends more
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Great Food, Not Great Service 4/16/2006

I have been eating at Ella's for years (yum) and the weekend hosts, woman behind the counter, and servers are rarely friendly. Yes, weekends are busy, but condescending explanations to why the wait keeps getting much longer than their original promise-time is not appreciated nor professional. The food is incredible, which keeps my friends and I from going back, but management should ALWAYS remember that the people ""up front"" and the servers are just as an important a reflection than just the food itself. Pros: Food, Quick Cons: Host, Service Attitude more
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the worst dining experience ever 3/28/2006

My first and last time eating here. We went for brunch and waited for more than an hour. The restaurant is NOISY, food is just OK, the bread was cold and not as fresh as they claimed, the hostess had a horrible attitude, and the service is not good either - we failed to receive our complete order. Not kid friendly, either. Not recommended. Pros: n/a Cons: Service, Food, Everything more
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super crowded-- for a reason 2/27/2006

Ella's has excellent food. Though it's always stuffed with Pac and Presidio Heights yuppies every weekend from mid morning on, it's because the food is really good. Service is really good, too, despite their being so busy. I can see why people go here, though the crowded waiting area is not my idea of relaxing on the weekend. Pros: good food, good service, location Cons: crowded, crowded, crowded more
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Nothing Special 2/10/2006

One of my friends had heard that there was a great breakfast place in Laurel Heights called Ella's. The two of us decided to go there on a weekday in hopes that there would not be long lines. We arrived and the place was bustling, however, we were sat immediately. After reading several Citysearch Reviews, I wasn't sure what to expect. Most of the reviews could not have been more accurate. The food was really nothing special. I tried the eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes and bread. It's true, the bread there was really good, but not good enough for me to come back. The potatoes were dry and tasted like cardboard, the bacon was undercooked, and the sausage was lacking flavor. The service was attentive and the atmosphere is nice. Unless your going for the bread, I would pass. Pros: Bread Cons: Potatoes, Sausage, Bacon more
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I've had better... 11/16/2005

This place where was packed when we went, but after I got my omlette I thought: ""What's all the fuss about???"" I'm not going to lie, I finished my breakfast, but there wasn't anything special about it. I think the only thing I really enjoyed was the extra thick slices of bread I got the meal. Pros: Bread Cons: Long wait, Medicore menu more
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Service is obviously not their priority 10/8/2005

Went to restaurant to celebrate a birthday. Waitress did not take our order until 15 minutes after we were seated. Orders were not taken down correctly. Check was given to us before we even finished our meal. Food is OK, but service is horrible! Cons: Service is horrible, No Parking more
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horrible service 9/23/2005

i just ate at this place yesterday, and the horrible service is what prompted me to join citysearch just so i could write this review. the food is only mediocre, with the only thing going for them is the bread. the host and waitress were extremely rude, not thanking me once even when collecting my payment. the busser however, was very nice, and he was the only one who thanked us upon leaving the restaurant. verdict: i would never go back there again and i highly suggest that you shouldnt either. Pros: bread Cons: service, pricey, unwelcoming more
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yum! 4/9/2005

Few things can get me out of bed before 10am on a Sunday morning, and the banana pancakes at Ella's are high on the list. The restaurant gets very crowded, so the service isn't always the best.. but I've always found the food to be worth it. Also, the prices are quite reasonable. Pros: Quality of food, Price more
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not worth the wait 2/1/2005

for the amount of time you will have to wait in line, this place is not worth it. the food is below average and the place is nothing special. the only thing going for it is that they have a hottie host. Pros: price Cons: wait time, atmosphere more
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Popular doesn't mean Quality 1/13/2005

There are few things as sacred as Sunday morning brunch. Based on the number of people waiting on Presidio, you'd think Ella's was a good brunch place. I don't mind a wait for a quality breakfast, but even if I had been seated immediately Ella's would have been a disappointment. The service was slow, my coffee was bad, and the food was over-priced and just not good. Im just glad that so many people like and patronize Ellas, itll mean shorter lines at the quality breakfast joints!! Cons: Awful Service, Over-priced Food, Bad Coffee more
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Best American Lunch/Dinner 11/13/2004

Ella's is a gem. One of the rare places that serves old fashioned American cuisine (roasts, stews, pot pies), and they do everything with such care. Simple, comfortable, relaxed setting. Homemade breads, rolls and desserts. Nice lunch menu and even greater choice at dinner (m-f). Wish San Francisco had more places like this! Pros: homestyle food, friendly, casual, flowers on tables more
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Great dinner! 10/25/2004

Most of the reviews here seem to deal mostly with brunch. I haven't brunched at Ella's, but the dinner I had last night was great! I started with a green salad with a simple vinaigrette -- unremarkable except for being a very large portion. The bread and rolls were good, especially the herbed roll. My entree, one of the specials, was fabulous! Grilled halibut cooked exactly right -- done but still moist, tender, and flaky, with a pleasantly sour green tomato sauce. A simple steamed cauliflower and zucchini medly and wonderfully garlicky orzo rounded out the plate. The fish was outstanding from the first bite to last and is what earns a high rating from me. I'm definitely going back. Pros: outstanding fish more
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Menu for Ella's Restaurant


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Editorial

  • The Scene
    The sunny, pleasant dining room is simple and utilitarian, with intimate table settings and a partially open kitchen gleaming with chrome. Fresh flowers add a touch of color and...

  • 6/11/2004 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: M-F 7-9, Sa-Su 8:30-2
  • Payments: American Express, Visa, Master Card
  • Neighborhoods: Lower Pacific Heights (Fillmore), Central North, Lower Pacific Heights
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