The Stinking Rose

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325 Columbus Ave (at at Grant)
San Francisco, CA 94133

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(415) 781-7673
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The Stinking Rose - San Francisco, CA
The Stinking Rose - San Francisco, CA
The Stinking Rose - San Francisco, CA
The Stinking Rose - San Francisco, CA
The Stinking Rose - San Francisco, CA
The Stinking Rose - San Francisco, CA
The Stinking Rose - San Francisco, CA
The Stinking Rose - San Francisco, CA
The Stinking Rose - San Francisco, CA
The Stinking Rose - San Francisco, CA
The Stinking Rose - San Francisco, CA
The Stinking Rose - San Francisco, CA
Reviews
( 23 )
( 20 )
( 9 )
( 7 )
( 12 )

Best

The all Garlic appetizer is divine, the garlicky Rabbit was amazing. And the garlic ice cream for dessert sealed it.

Worst

greeted by 4 bored and unhappy looking hosts who can't be bothered. bagna caulda is the only thing worth tasting. wilted arugula and expensive pastas make this place not worth t...

STINKS!! 3/9/2008

This is the #1 WORST restaurant I have ever eaten at. Dirty tables, dirty silverware, dirty glasses, you get the picture. Almost walked out before ordering, food was second rate. Pros: DIRTY, DIRTY, DIRTY more
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solid italian, sure a bit quirky but a great find 1/19/2008

terrific stable italian place. nothing to die about, but it was good and somewhere i'll go when i don't want fuss, good price, and consistent quality. this isn't the garlic maddening mess people or the namesake indicate. the food is normal italian with the normal amount of garlic. they have a few extreme garlic dishes to keep up with the name. but don't be scared into thinking you'll stink for days like people are saying...they probably got the garlic steak, ice cream and raw garlic and then wonder what happened. portions are big too, so it's good for groups.\r \r it's a busy place, so it's not romantic or anything, and yes it's a touristy place. but for the place and good quality, you can't go wrong. i've been to all the italian places on columbus and i think it's the best there. Pros: solid italian fare, good prices, great flavors Cons: busy, kinda quirky atmosphere more
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Garlic can't even save this place 1/12/2008

We were seated promptly to be greeted by bad food and even worse service. The server was very conversational about how slow of a time of year it was only to follow it with some of the worst service we ever recieved. He was hesitant to answer our questions about the menu and then did'nt even check to see how our meal was going. we went today, 1-12-08 @ one in the afternoon. the place was dead. The three apps. we got were marginal at best. Making me glad to not order any main courses. The best thing about the place was the garlic,parsley,olive oil... and that was ""free""!! Sadly it even was agonizing to get our check to pay and leave. This place is no DEAD FISH!! more
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Lotsa Garlic Here 12/9/2007

The Stinking Rose is a garlic inspired restaurant located in San Francisco. I recommend the 40 clove chicken with is amazing. Suprising, it... more
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Love the smell 11/26/2007

As you can imagine...the smell of The Stinking Rose can overtake you from a block away...and that says alot considering how many other human and mechanical smells there are on the streets of North Beach. This garlic haven is a cozy (read ""cramped"") restaurant where you can't help but breathe garlic into people's faces. We occasionally visit this location when in the city, but the closeness of the dining room usually turns me off and we end up somewhere else...usually somewhere on the Pier 39...or even in Berkeley. Yes, the food is good here...yes...you MUST love garlic...but no...not my favorite dining spot. more
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Great Food 6/21/2007

If you love garlic this is the place to go. The food was excellent. We were told to go here and do not regret it. When I'm in the area I will go back. Pros: Food Cons: Not too spacious more
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If you love garlic, this is your place. 4/21/2007

I am a huge fan of garlic. I scoop spoonfuls into just about anything I make that goes well with garlic.... more
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If you love garlic, this is your place. 4/21/2007

Darren Provided by Partner
I am a huge fan of garlic. I scoop spoonfuls into just about anything I make that goes well with garlic. Thus, I'd been looking forward to this res... more
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Solid Italian Restuarant 4/17/2007

Everything we had was delicious and deserves their good reputation. Crab and Bouillabaisse are EXCELLENT - strongly recommend. Pricey, but good food! more
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I Love It! 4/2/2007

I love garlic on anything. Well, almost. Ever since a friend told us about this place three years ago, we've made it our destination every time we're in SF. The hosts at the front leave something to be desired, but that's pretty much how it is everywhere in SF. You need reservations, but they won't seat you until your whole party is there. I've never heard of that before, but oh well. But...if you like garlic, this is the place. The prime rib is rare, but good. I really enjoy the ambience. The red curtain area in the back is primo! If you want ""room"" go to Olive Garden! (Please.) Our waiter was attentive. The mussels and shrimp are excellent, however I am a gnocchi lover, and it is wonderful here! The red curtain area is romantic for two. And the merchandise at the front is cool. Don't go there to make friends with the staff. Go for the garlic! Pros: ambience, food Cons: host staff more
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Worst dining experience I ever had 3/6/2007

I really want to give a -10 rating! We were there on 2/10/07. After half hour waiting, we were taken to the crowded, red-lighted, curtain separated booth area. We are all normal to small size people, but we found the space so jammed. My brother can't even pull back the chair to sit down. Turned out that a big guy was sitting behind him. We requested the waiter to ask the big gentleman to move a little bit but the waiter refused, said we have to do it ourselves. Well, the big man & his party left quickly anyway, so we finally sat down. Soon the other party came sitting next to us, one of them came to our table asking us to move a little bit. Alright, at least he was polite. But then a party of 3 very big women came sitting on the other side behind us. The woman sat behind my sister first rudely asked my sister to move back, but my sister really didn't have much space to give. Then the woman suddenly push back her chair and my sister's chest hitting the table! My husband tried to negotiate, but after gaining the space they want those rude women didn't even bother talking to us. We ask another waiter for help, and again he failed to offer any. We had to save ourselves by moving to another table. We really would just leave if it's not my friend's treat.... of course, nothing taste too good after what happened! I can't understand why they keep taking big customers to that crowded booth area, and why don't they just take out a few tables so customers can eat with comfort? And why do their waiters and waitresses have to be so bore-faced? more
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Best garlic appetizer! 3/2/2007

I'm in love with the bagna calda! Warm roasted garlic cloves in butter and olive oil for dipping and spreading on their focaccia. Mmm. more
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Good, but expensive 2/11/2007

I had the culotte steak which was cooked differently than I'm used to: almost completely well-done except in the middle which was somewhat rare, though closer to medium. This gave the steak almost a charbroiled consistency, which wasn't bad, but I probably would've preferred it just cooked medium rare and that's it. I didn't really care for my spinach but my mashed potatoes were really good, if not a bit chunky for my taste. My girlfriend had the Garlic Gorgonzola Gnocchi with slices of asparagus and pine nuts. She wasn't a really big fan of the pine nuts, but the gnocchi was flavorful. I'd be interested in coming back for their Killer Crab or BBQ Chicken Pizzette. Our bill was about $50 including tax and tip, without appetizers or drinks. Bit pricey for the amount of food we got. It wasn't bad, but the price is going to keep me from coming back often. Pros: decent food Cons: expensive more
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Be sure to take a HOT shower afterwards 1/12/2007

Recently went here for my birthday (after hearing about it from a friend). I thought the food was good as did the other guests. They took a long time to seat us despite having a reservation. The bread and oil was amazing but realize that you are ingesting whole cloves are garlic at a time. That being said, you will notice that you will reek of garlic for up to 2 days depending on how much you eat. So, be sure to take a hot shower to steam all the stinky out. :) Also, going clubbing afterwards is probably not the best idea but it sure does keep the unwanted attention at bay. \r \r I'd recommend trying this place at least once! Pros: GARLIC!!!!!!! Ambiance Cons: Price, wait despite reservation, really loud more
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bad tourist food 1/10/2007

greeted by 4 bored and unhappy looking hosts who can't be bothered. bagna caulda is the only thing worth tasting. wilted arugula and expensive pastas make this place not worth the time and effort. go once in your life and wake up w/ a garlic hangover, that's all you need. Pros: garlic? Cons: expensive, no variety more
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Try the garlic ice cream 11/14/2006

Bring breath mints for afterwards. We went there with a really large group and they would only seat us if every last person sat down. The food was fabulous though. I'd like to go back with just a couple peopel and sit in the more intimate room. more
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Garlic heaven 10/15/2006

OK, this place is definitely a tourist trap; but nonetheless it is a garlic lover's dream. The skillet of buttered garlic was welcome for sure. The food was not bad, and the wine was decent. I don't regret the experience here; and tourists should check it out once. Residents should check it out when they move here, then probably experience more of the wonderful flavor North Beach has to offer. Stinking Rose, you stink! LOL Pros: garlic, garlic, garlic Cons: touristy more
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Unbelievable garlicky goodness! 9/15/2006

I went to the Stinking Rose this past week, on a trip to SF. We went earlier in the day, before the dinner rush, and I think that made it better. The food was very good, especially their bread and garlic relish. I ordered spicy tomato shrimp soup, the small size, and still the portions were huge! I had plenty to eat. Our server was friendly, and our food was served quickly. The decor is fun, too, garlic braids everywhere, and photos of the celebrities who've eaten there. I would reccommend this place to anyone who LOVES garlic! Pros: great food, garlic, large restaurant Cons: a little overpriced, but lots of food for the money more
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Place to be if you love garlic 9/3/2006

Restaurant can get a little busy, reservations are always good to make. Best plates to order are the neon ravioli and the lasagna. If you REALLY are a garlic fan, try the bagna calda, spread it on a slice a bread and enjoy....tastes like butta!!! Good luck on finding parking, that can be a bit of a challenge, but if you are adventurous, park near union square, and take the bus (or cable car) up to North Beach. Pros: food, ambiance Cons: parking, restaurant a little crowded more
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poor and rude service 9/1/2006

food good, but sevice terrible and when asked the waiter became angry and arragent and very rude. if you do not mind poor service and rude service people then go, but be warned Pros: good food Cons: poor service more
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Menu for The Stinking Rose


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Editorial

  • In Short
    Fragrant and flagrantly crowd-pleasing, this popular North Beach attraction is a temple to garlic. The multiple dining rooms are festooned with objects d'art, murals and the...

  • 9/8/2004 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: Monday To Sunday From 11:30 AM To 10:00 PM
  • Payments: American Express, Cash, Discover, Diner's Club, Visa, Master Card
  • Neighborhoods: North Beach, Northeast
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