MarketBar

Beautiful place near the Ferry Building. Unfortunately, the other reviews about the manager are true. He is unfriendly (and downright rude) to the point that it overshadows the experience. I hope Marketbar turns its service around; it has all the makings of a nice restaurant. more

The location and outdoor seating alone for this place earns it 3 stars, I am going to tell you this straight up. \r \r I am biased towards places with outdoor seating and plenty of sunshine. This place has it, and is in a spot where 90% of the time it's sunny. Because of that, I already liked the place before I sat down and before I ordered anything. So I am biased and even if the food was horrible, it would have to be really bad for me to not come back. \r \r That said, here is how the food was: \r For lunch, we went with the prix fixe menu because as our server explained to us, for 3 courses, we essentially only pay $2 for the 3rd course which is dessert, and who doesn't ever want dessert. \r \r I went with the mozzarella and tomato salad, the salmon and beans entree (it was described in a much nicer way, of course I am ruining the description here) and then the bread pudding with caramel ice cream. \r \r All of it was good but the mozzarella and tomato salad, which more commonly is known in restaurants in as the caprese salad I think, stood out to me because it was FRIED! Yes siree, it was all fried, and I loved it! The cheese melted in my mouth, and the tomatoes had the perfect kick to it with the fried texture. Yup nice surprise and one that now will make me want to come back again. \r \r The salmon and beans and bacon were really good, as they were elements I wouldn't normally think as being paired together, but they worked well in the dish and tasted really good. So good that I ate every last morsel on my plate despite the fact that I was supposed to be watching my portion sizes to try and fit my wedding dress the following month. Oh well. \r \r Dessert was good, I've never had bread pudding made with a croissant, and it was really flavorful and yummy and despite my best intentions to only have 2 spoons of the pudding, I ended up taking 5 spoonfuls! \r \r Service was fast in the beginning and slow in the end, so slow that this would have been a 4 star review had it not taken almost 25 minutes for us to get dessert. more

We thought this would be a good place to treat ourselves to a fancy meal on a visit to San Francisco and overall it was a success. There were only a couple of other tables occupied, but as we were shown to our seats, our waitress suddenly decided that we couldn't sit where she had placed us and moved us to another table with no explanation. Our original table remained unoccupied for the whole of our meal. The food was lovely, if a little expensive, but the portions were rather small. This just gave us an excuse to order dessert, which was superb - the cheesecake was one of the best I've ever eaten. The only thing that we didn't like was the speed of the service. I have never been hurried through a meal so quickly in my life. We were hoping for a long, chatty, romantic dinner, but the wait staff kept arriving at our table and hurrying us along to the next thing. If we stalled them, they came back two minutes later. Maybe they are more used to business customers rather than tourists? Pros: Location Cons: Service is hurried more

I meet someone for a business lunch about a month ago, service was okay. My guest had the sole that was served to them in a small cassrole type dish, the fish had been deep fried. I thought for the $14.95 price he was getting a complete lunch, no ! It was ala carte. \r \r I had a small house salad that was okay, but $ 9.50 that's pushing it. This isn't the place for value and the day I sat their it was windy. I'd go look for something else thats not a tourist trap. more

We went in for lunch after shopping. I asked if there was a place to hang our coats after the hostess sat us. She ignored us and walked away. We then waited for a waiter but none came. I watched as several workers were joking and laughing together. I couldn't believe with the few tables they just didn't seem to care. When we finally got our drinks my single malt scotch was on the rocks!! I told the waitress it was ruined and she told me that is how I ordered it. I told I have been drinking scotch longer than she has been living. I NEVER would ruin a scotch by watering it down. She told me, it wasn't water but ice. I had to tell her the water melts when it hits the warm scotch. And it ruins the flavor. I couldn't believe I was having this conversation. When the food arrived I was shocked by the portion size. Also the pizza crust was burnt. Not to mention the sauce was too thick in one place and non existent in another. We also ordered the pork and bean casserole. It was nice and bland. And a little bit cold. After our nasty lunch we weren't even offered dessert. Instead the check was just dropped off. I will never return to this dump. Cons: food, service, value more

We went at the Market Bar for brunch on a Saturday and were very disappointed by the quality of the food. Waiters were nice and understanding but inefficient. We ordered what was supposed to be some ?eggs with roasted potatoes and bruschetta?. Instead, we got eggs, ashbrown, and toasts. When asked about the toasts we got instead of the bruschetta, the waiter responded that the bread for the bruschetta had not arrived (there is a huge street market outside the restaurant and I am sure the staff could have arranged some bread delivery, especially if this kind of bread is on the menu). Regarding the potatoes, our waiter did not seem to understand the difference between ashbrown and roasted potatoes. Last but not least, we thought this place was very expensive for the service provided: we paid about $60 for two for this very mediocre brunch. Cons: Very expensive for the quality of food/service more

Yesterday my friends and I had lunch, the restaurant was really busy but the greeting very polite from the hostess who got us a table in no time were our server Jahem was great, he answered our question and he recommended dishes that I don't usually go for but don't regret getting, they were delicious! and the food is so fresh. \r He insisted on having glasses of wine with our meals..next time.\r thanks more

Yesterday my friend and I went to Market Bar for lunch. The host service was average but or server was really nice and friendly. We ordered the pre-fix menu and like I said you get what you pay for. The first course were Steamed clams and butter lettuce salad and those were really good. our second courses were ""grilled"" italian sweet sausages, those were too dry, you could tell they poached them first before running them through the grill, they were garnished wit a green cilantro sauce which later I learned that they try to tell you is green mole, but like I said is nothin but a cilantro sauce.It was also garnished with snow peas (overcooked) and toasted almonds. The other plate was seafood risotto and it wasn't creamy as I would have expected, it was more like mexican rice with seafood. For dessert we had the rice pudding, which was very bland. And I had the ""fresh"" fruit salad in wich you can find canned pineapple and very sour berrys garnished with an undercooked cream sauce, I could still taste the egg. In conclusion for $28 you can't expect that much. Pros: Very friendly service Cons: Average food more

Our experience wasn't nearly as bad as some of the reviews say about the service but you should be warned. They are not exactly the most professional wait staff I have met. \r \r We had a large seafood platter which was tasty and lots of their toasts (tapenade spread). Overall it was a nice lunch. Not sure I would go there again though unless I find myself by the Ferry building.\r \r There was a farmer's market outside the restaurant when we went. Sitting outside on the terrasse was nice.\r \r When: Lunch on June, 16th 2007 Pros: Seafood platter, bread toasts, outside dinning Cons: Service, wait more

This isn't a place that I would usually go to unless it was on the company tab, but the food is solid and... more

This isn't a place that I would usually go to unless it was on the company tab, but the food is solid and the ambiance fine. I wouldn't be writing ... more

The food was OK. Not worth the price and the scenery is very nice. But, where do they get these servers? I was told my table was set for four. When we sat down it felt like it was for 2. The table next to us was very loud and I asked the waitress to ask them to quiet down. She told me in a very rude way, ""What do you want me to do""? The food took forever and was OK, but not worth the time or the noise or the rude staff. Stay away. And by the way, the second bottle of mineral water I never recieved . I was still charged for. Too bad this place bites it has so much potential. Pros: There is only one Cons: One is enough, parking, staff more

If you want average food in an average place in a touristy location with waiters who tell you that you changed your order to save face, then this is the place to go. If you want your order to come out at different times for each person in your party, then this is the place for you. If you want $15 eggs and toast, then this is the place for you. I've eaten here about 1/2 dozen times and this is the last time I'll dine at this place. Just because it has nice yellow awnings doesn't mean the food or service is good. Pros: it's in the Ferry Building -that's all it's got going for it Cons: the waiters are not professional more

The Bloody Marys are worth the trip. The outside patio is a huge plus in the summer. The menu is limited, but the food is tasty. Service is fantastic. It's a better brunch location than dinner location, simply because of the limited menu. Pros: Bloody Marys, Patio, Location Cons: Limited Menu, Pricey more

I have been there couple times in the past, but I wasn't impressed........ This time was totally different................\r Service was extraordinary, competent and polite, casual and friendly without being too familiar or pushy. People who dislike foo-foo restaurants because of stiff service would find MArketBar a breath of fresh air. The waiters were helpful in explaining the menu, and later on in explaining the intricacies of the cheeses available for the cheese course. One thing I noticed was that at least in our dining room all the waiters were women; I hope that was just a coincidence and not an active discrimination against male waiters. \r Food: was a memorable experience,,, Starting with the Devil Eggs and Zucchini Soup,, and THE GRAPE PIZZA!!!!!!! oh boy you have to try it. Never heard about something like that I tried it and I decided to change the name..Great Pizza!!! with Pancetta and ricotta cheese..\r \r Enjoy. more

I went there last week on Thursday night,, the patio was packed with people enjoying cocktails and appetizers.\r When I walked in the greeting by the host was OK, but the service I received from our server Jahir was spectacular, later on we had a young Hispanic manager that came to our table to make sure our experience was being up to expectations.\r \r Food was really good, I dont feel the food in here is price no for the quality and freshness you get here..\r \r thanks more

I've been to this restaurant two times in the last month. Once for a Friday night dinner and for Mother's Day. For the Friday dinner, we were completely ignored by the wait staff and it took over 20 minutes to get a glass of water. However, the food was good, and I was willing to give this place another chance. What a mistake. Mother's Day was a nightmare. They ran out of most seafood by 1:00 p.m - which was a good chunk of the menu. The service? Abysmal. Our waiter actually complained that we wanted to put in our food order at the same time as our drink order because we were ""keeping him from his other tables."" Cons: Service, Kitchen Management more

We asked our waiter what he recommended on the menu. He could not offer a suggestion--even after thinking about it. Table service was OK; the secondary waitstaff was more efficient than our primary waiter. Didn't have to ask to have plates removed, but had to ask to get bread. Food was fairly good, though for the prices asked, I would have expected something more. On a scale of 1-10, I'd rate it a 6. Cons: service more

Since I originally reviewed this place (back in 4/04), the service has suffered terribly and this once promising gem of a place is now just cubic zirconia. We were last there on 11/21 right after work, early enough to be one of the few tables. After being seated, we waited 10 minutes for someone to come around to take our drinks order. Once served we were totally ignored while the waiter stood outside chatting. We finished our drinks, the water and the bread before someone got up to find help. And it didn't get any better from there. One other thing to watch out for in this place is the noise. The concrete floors create a garage-like atmosphere that can become overwhelming when the place gets full and the crowd gets lively. Pros: Excellent location, Martini expertise Cons: Poor service, Very noisy more

Manager was very rude. Told the table we had one minute to order after seating us if we wanted breakfast. There would be no exceptions. Had the waiter standing there to take the order. This gave us a bad feeling from the very start. Didn't like the abrupt, rushed and hurried serive at this ""supposed"" fine dining experience. Also. BEWARE. Ask for champagne and you will get the most expensive one with no questions asked. At $14 per glass that can be a shocker. more