Jackson Fillmore Trattoria

It's really hard to beat the Jackson Fillmore menu. They start you off with the most amazing, fresh bruschetta ever. Big chunk of fresh bread, high end olive oil and insanely fresh tomatoes and basil. The tre colore salad (radicchio and two other lettuces chopped) is out of this world. Order any of the pastas, you can't go wrong. We love the tortellini and the gnocchi. Hands down the best thing on the menu is the zucchini carpaccio. Thinly sliced zucchini sauteed with olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, fresh herbs. And tossed with toasted almonds and parmesan cheese. It's wonderful! \r \r They don't take reservations for groups less than three and there isn't much room to stand and wait, so bundle up to be prepared to stand outside and wait until a table opens up. It's worth it. more

I have been a neighbor of Jackson Fillmore since 1988. My expectations were realized. The food was superb. The only disappointment was the snobish and arrogant hostess. I hope to return but will peek in to make sure she is not working that night. more

I've been here a couple of time, always had a good meal and good service. This night was different. First we were dining early around 6pm. For SF that's early. We were a party of 2 and were asked to sit at the countertop. There were tables available but we were told that they were for larger parties. When we left one of the previously available tables was still available. The service lacked personality. The server took our order and got lost. He never once came back to ask how our meal was. I don't think that he ever said thank you even when we paid the bill. The food was uninspired and somewhat tasteless. I ordered the Chicken OOA (olives, onions and anchovies). The only taste was the anchovies. The dish came with several pieces of chicken. That's not what the menue said. There was another menu item that said 1/2 chicken but not the OAA. I was expecting a fillet of chicken or a chicken breast. Instead I received several parts of a chicken. The chicken was moist but there was no taste. No sides were offered with this dish. We had a salad as well. The dressing was lite but tasteless. My girlfriend had the snapper in the spicy sauce. The fish was tasteless. It simply tasted like they poured a can of tomato paste over a piece of bland fish. There was no spiciness with the sauce. This was not a meal worth paying for. Cons: bland food, unfriendly server, served food didn't match what was on the menu more

Tried this place last night for the first time, and it definitely lived up to expectations. The food came out super fast, was very authentic and the portions were pretty big. We have the calamari app which was Ok, but the Gnocchi and Chicken Ravioli were amazing! This is definitely a no frills, not trying to be trendy or stylish. Just authentic, good Italian.. Will definitely return. PROS: Food, Timely Service CONS: Lack of Ambiance, Style more

The best for garlic and spice lovers. Best wines.\r We agree with the reviewers that don't understand the bad press. If you don't like anchovies or gutsy food don't come here. Our out of town guests from St. Louis to DC won't let us go anywhere else. The veal chop and contadinas are the best. So are the zucchini carpacchio and any zabaglione. Jack, the owner travels the world for terrific wines--maybe not the cheapest--but we don't come here for 2buckchuck. Our favorite along with the sister restaurant in San Anselmo. If you don't want to wait...long, try the Marin restaurant.\r Pros: Food and wine Cons: long waits sometimes, but reservations for 3 or more more

I live around the corner and have been going there for decades. I highly recommend the ""Zucchini Carpaccio"" as an appetizer for 2 and the ""Hot Zabajone"" as dessert for 2. Anything in between is normally good with a glass or two of italian wine, red or white according to the type of entree! Pros: Friendly, Young patrons Cons: Difficult parking, Service jumpy more

This place has a great reputation and I went there expecting something good. SO disapointed - I got stuck sitting at the counter which is totally lame given the prices. The decor is very plain and diner-esque. Food was good - but didn't make up for bad atmosphere, shorteage of good dining tables and overall lame decor ESPECIALLY given that the prices were high. I can't believe how popular this place is in San Francisco. I did only go one time though so who knows if it was a one-time experience... PROS: Good food CONS: Dining counter is lame, decor is not impressive more

... and oh yeah, the other stuff is good too. Solid pasta both times I've been here -- as good as they are with the noodles as stuffed pasta. The sauces are tasty, well-rounded, complete. Service can be a bit, well, blunt at times. Did I mention the bruschetta was heavenly? Best time to go -- right when it opens at 5:30. Mark my words! more

it's still good. yeah, the service can be spotty, and yeah it's customers can be too trendy or obnoxious for their own good but let's focus on the main thing: the food. the marinara sauce is simply classic--intense without being overpowering. the fra diavolo sauce, on the other hand, has balls. is massive, in your face. beyond sauces, the seafood is consistantly fresh, the pastas as well. the only other negative note i can imagine is the desert menu which is a bit of a disappointment. Pros: Food, Food, Relatively Casual Cons: Wait Staff, Sometimes, Wine List Lean, Desserts more

Last night I dined at Jackson Fillmore on an impromptu outing. We were seated at the bar, and chatted with the friendly host and friendly waitress. They had homemade gnocchi with wilted radicchio and pancetta as a special, and being ever on the quest for good gnocchi (not easy to find in this city!!), I ordered it. It was the best I've had in years. Perfect little pillows that melted in the mouth, and the sauce was superb. I was delighted with this restaurant. more

After months of wanting to try Jackson Fillmore, but always being wary of the wait, I finally went last night with friends. The hostess was adorable, but the rest of the staff unattentive and grim. The wine list was thorough, but over-priced for the casual ambiance and reasonably-priced menu. The complimentary buschetta was amazing, but the main course only okay. I had the meat tortellini with tomato sauce, and was left unsatisfied both because of the bland taste and small portion. As far as cozy Italian restaurants are concerned, Parma is a better bet. Pros: location, atmosphere Cons: food more

The hostess at Jackson Fillmore is a friendly, outgoing, great perk to this establishment. The food is very flavorful, however they could do more with the meat and seafood portions. The pasta is very fresh, but since you only get such small toppings, you really are stuck with a lot of extra pasta. The downside to this place is the arrogant, useless, rude waiter - this guy would rather be ANYWHERE than serving you. He is one of the worst waiters I have ever seen in this city and hopefully management will realize that he, singlehandedly, is going to drive away business. The food will bring you back, but with so many other great restaraunts in SF, it can't bring you back forever. Pros: Flavor, Hostess Cons: Waitstaff more

Be prepared to wait or go early. It's crowded and noisy but they always make you feel welcome. Order a bottle of wine while you wait and stand outside and feel the brisk SF air as you prepare to stuff yourself. The food is very Italian especially if you get there on arugula and prosciutto appetizer night. I always order the same thing and I am never disappointed; a huge veal chop. . Have dessert and eat till your hearts content. No parking but a good long walk after dinner will do you good. Pros: great veal chop, amazing dessert, lively Cons: no parking, no bar, no reservations more

With a huge line waiting to dine, I was excited about the food. In this case--don't judge a book by its cover. I had the pasta/asparagas special--which tasted as bland as a Lean Cuisine. Seanyboy had a pasta/cream sauce which was okay, but how does one screw up alfredo? You can ensure your membership in the clean plate club, as plates are small. The dessert was great (try the chocolate cake), but couldn't make up for the rest of the experience. Service??--very ignorant. We asked for bread on 3 occasions and finally got it as he was taking our plates away. After waiting 10 minutes to get him to take our payment, we realize our server is at the table next to us eating his dinner. Sorry to interrupt--it will NEVER happen again! Pros: dessert Cons: Entrees, Service, Crowded more

I love this place and cannot understand why there are so many negative responses. Yes, it is crowded but so is every good restaurant in this city at prime time. I like the owner, the service is low key but efficient and I love the unusual twists on traditional italian dishes. Price is really reasonable, and besides last time I was in there, I got to eat dinner next to Benjamin Bratt and his family. more

Every time I go to the Bay Area I insist on eating here. I am at a loss to explain the bad reviews on this site. I love the brusetta and often order the linguini with scallops and shrimp. It is just the level of spice I love. The waitstaff is always friendly and we love to sit at the bar and chat while we eat. Pros: great food, small, friendly Cons: always crowded more

The hostess was snotty, the waitress hovered around our table pressuring us to order, and the house chardonnay was overpriced at $8/glass when most entrees were $11-$15. The food was decent, but the ambience left something to be desired. I don't get the hype and why people were standing in line when I left. Cons: noisy more

This place certainly has appeal as it is always crowded. However on the times that I have gone I was less impressed with the food than simply that my party could get in. The food is definitely regional Italian which is fine, just not my tastes. Unfortunately, that makes the menu limited. It seems that the same two sauces are used for everything (meat, seafood, pasta, etc.). And when I asked for no anchoives I got extra olive oil instead. My pasta was more like a soup with an olive oil base. more