B & M Mei Sing Restaurant

Fast, delicious, cheap chinese food, with a massive upstairs section where you can actually talk to people! I’m in love :)

This place is nothing more than 3 stars. I only come here if I have 5 minutes or so to grab food and don’t care if I feel like crap from the salt and oil in the afternoon.
A 2-​item plate is $ 7.50 with tax. The chow fun is decent enough, and sometimes the egg is okay and other times it is not.
I don’t know the cutoff, but by a certain time they do not refresh the buffet and you are stuck with whatever remnants are left from the lunch rush unless you order off the menu.

Came here again with my girlfriend and boy was it absolutely terrible this time around. My girlfriend ordered chicken chow mein and what she got was almost not edible. The noodles were all super dry an the chicken itself did not look like the good parts of the chicken. I ordered the Bok Choi over Hong Kong style noodles. It was ok overall, but tasted really greasy this time! Really disappointed in my visit here and will look elsewhere for some different Chinese food.

Real gem in the heart of Fidi/​Soma. Rice plates for $ 7 look good and fresh and way more authentic (Chinese chefs, Chinese ingredients, Chinese workers). The noodle soups are great too. I got duck with ho fun thick rice noodles which was good quality and fresh.
Love their old school put a marker on a board to tell the chefs what to cook and customize system, pretty unique.
2 floors, so plenty of space too. Now they just need to get on Eat24 so I can order ahead and pickup/​get delivered.
I’ll be back to the salt and pepper rib rice plate which looks tasty, and more noodle soups on windy cold SF days.

Full disclosure: I haven’t been to B&M in 25 years. So my review is probably invalid.
Nevertheless, I used to go several times a year when I would go into San Francisco for lunch with my dad, who worked nearby. It was great for a quick lunch with family, friends, and coworkers. The owners had a system that got you your food quickly. The lunch crowd regulars would help you out, but you had to learn fast, because no one had time to wait for newbies.
The food was plentiful and great. I virtually always ordered the same thing: Pork chow mean (otherwise known as lo mein). It was greasy, almost to a fault, but delicious. I could devour most of a platter myself. When I tried my fellow diners’ selections, I was never disappointed.
Since the management has changed hands over the years, I suppose some things might be different. But on the off chance that nothing significant has changed over the last quarter century, and you’re not looking for super-​fine Chinese, then this is for you.

A friend highly recommended the restaurant. The environment is nice and the waiters are so kind. I ordered fried curry rice noodles and two dishes– cabbages and chicken with special sauce which is a little sweet. A little greasy, but delicious.

The B&M has been around for many years. I started going to the B&M in the late 70’s when it was across the street from it’s current location. My co-​workers and I would eat here 3 times a week as we worked about 2 short blocks away and would hurry to get there by 11:45 AM… otherwise you would be in a line that extended out the door. I ate here for 17 years, starting from when Mom & Dad ran the place (we called them Benny & Mary), then the children took over the restaurant and for all I know now, the grand kids are running it. I’ve moved away from SF and live in the LA area now but I’m looking forward to getting on my motorcycle one day soon and riding up there it time to have a late lunch and then drive across the bay and visit the ex-​wife…
Last time I ate there was probably 1992. My usual order was tomato beef chow mein, no onions or peppers or beef wanton soup (I’m not into spicy food).
Like I said, I’m looking forward to eating there again.

I love Chinese food! Or for us Chinese people, we just call it food’. I love all forms of it from the 10 course Chinese banquet meal to Panda Express… Well that was until I went to B&M.
The restaurant is structure so you get in line at one side of the buffet area and pick you items (up to 4 for $ 8.90). I got chow fun, general chicken, fish and Green peppers and Green beans. The good thing is that they give you a lot, enough for two meals! The bad… Well I only ate the equivalent of ¼ of a meal. I have always finished my food no matter how bad until I went here.
A quick summary: the food was either too greasy, overcooked, or too much sauce.
The chow fun noodles were dry and hard on the outside from being under the heat lamp for too long. The general chicken has been over cooked to a point where it was as tough as its crispy batter. The fish had no flavor except for its sauce and the green beans left a greasy trail in my throat after each gulp.
The staff are really nice, no complaints there. Will I give it another try? Maybe… But I would have to get the least greasy items.

The food is average. They give you a lot for your money. Cash only that’s a big reason I don’t go there for lunch.

I think this is a great lunch spot, if you work in downtown and if you are in the mood for cheap Chinese food. They have the usual classics from Szechuan Noodle Soup, Wonton Noodle Soup, Stir Fried Beef etc.
There’s two ways of ordering:
1) from the buffet and the fill up a plate/​container for you
2) from the menu, which will then be freshly prepared.
I prefer the latter, as I find that the value is better on that: more for your money ;-)
In terms of service and décor/​ambience, this is as bare as it gets. Don’t expect any niceties from the staff… it’s all: what do you want… here you go!
Fast and cheap… right up my alley!

I came here in search for won ton noodle soup. There aren’t a lot of options in Southern FiDi.
I remembered coming here over 5 years ago, and left feeling gross… It is the same way I felt today after my meal.
I ordered the combination wonton noodle soup. The price with tax is $ 10.01. The duck was the best part of the soup. Everything else seemed like mystery meat to me.
The noodles were not cooked all the way through and were still stuck in clumps (yuck), and there was definitely an abundant of MSG in the broth.
Oh.and this place is CASH ONLY.

went here for lunch yesterday and it was better than what I thought it was gonna be. The food was fresh and everything coming out had big portions!
I had the wonton noodle soup with duck which my Cantonese friend said was very authentic! For $ 7.50 you get a big bowl that I did not finish because there was so much food!

The first time I went here, I waited over 30 min for my rice plate order. They forgot my order and made it in a rush, and was super salty. I generally prefer my food salty, but it tasted like they dumped salt all over the thing in a hurry.
The 2^nd time I went there today, decided to get the 2 item combo of faster service. Rude lady I can deal with, but not cool to call my African American coworker «sister.»
I found a long black hair in my chow fun. I’m including the picture to show you.
I know mistakes like hairs and whatnot happen, but after these 2 bad incidents I’m not coming back.
Overly salty and unsanitary. You should be wearing hair nets if you’re serving food!

This is a fine place for a quick lunch for those who work in the financial district SF. They serve faster and the prices are affordable. I’ve tried the Shrimp fried rice and Mongolian beef rice. Both tasted really good.
I forgot to take my change after giving $ 100 at the counter, but the lady was nice enough to set it aside.

This place is so dang good. You can get a whole fried sole fish for $ 10 that’s big enough to share for 2! I rendezvous here with friends and family as it’s such a central location.
I heard the buffet is meh, but I always order fresh and it’s quick. Nomtastic. A big plus is that the health score is 90+ (that place with the burritos full of sushi is under 90).

What’s in a name? The B & M has always amused me for a restaurant name. In Hong Kong, there was a place called «The More Better and Cheaper Store». That sums up my focus for shopping. What the B & M lacks in a name more than makes up for in the quality of the food. Traditional Cantonese food prepared quickly and with generous portions. I’ve eaten hundreds lunches there. They have a buffet, but I avoid buffets because the food is never as good as an individual dish. I always eat one of the following:
1.) Basil Chicken over rice: It is a little spicy with jalapenos in it, but sweet and flavorful.
2.) Fried Flounder over rice: deep fried it comes out crispy and tender. I have to have this every 3 months because it is so good. Best to share this one with a friend because it is pretty greasy.
3) «32 — Cha Shoo» — is chow mien with BBQ pork slices. I’ve eaten it so much, I just say the number and the Chinese for BBQ pork 32 can be beef or chicken also.
4.) Roast Pork over rice — Like the flounder, I’ve got to have their roasted pork over rice. The crispy skin and flavorful spiced pork! Makes me want to drive up there and eat a plate just thinking about it.
5.) My own creation: «32 — Roast Pork». It is not on the menu — but if you ask for it, they will do it. When I ordered it a third time, one of the women was «agitated» that I’d do that so she gave me this «Ok tough guy, you think this is your private kitchen?» look and sternly said, «That will be two dollars more!». It is worth $ 2 more!
B&M chow mein has that «breath of the wok» taste that makes it the best chow mein! Once you have tasted it, you will likely be disappointed it it is not properly seared in the wok to give that delightful taste. You can see it in the noodles with slight burn marks and taste it. This alone is one reason to eat at B&M.
B & M has an upstairs room that is spacious and has nice tables. I nearly always ate alone and enjoyed reading books while I ate or looking out the window at the street scene. It is most peaceful up there. Sometimes I forgot my hat — but the old Pa-​Paw up there always kept it for me under the counter and gave it back to me when I returned.

It was exactly what you could expect for under $ 7.00. I got 3 items, sweet and sour pork, sesame chicken and steamed rice. There was nothing special about the sweet and sour pork — that’s a dish that is pretty hard to get wrong. The sesame chicken was pretty good, better than I expected.
The women who work there were all very friendly and patient — it took me forever to decide what to get and they smiled and gave me suggestions the entire time. I didn’t feel rushed in the least. They have options to order from their 2/​¾ item options or an additional more expensive menu that was still well priced (under $ 10).
The interior of the place is very nice and clean. I like the tv screen that plays a rotation of items from their menu. I got lost looking at it for a moment.
Overall, a good, affordable lunch place. It’s close to my job so I will most likely go again.

If Panda Express only took cash and had an all Asian staff… it would still not quite be B&M. I know, I know. Some of you are probably offended because you like Panda better, and others of you are upset because you like B & M more. Je suis desole. Review intros are not always easy to write, y’all.
Anywho, a coworker friend of mine suggested this place for a lunch outing last Wednesday. My friend came into the city at around noon, but unfortunately, my friend’s girlfriend was not able to make it. (Side note: I’m really blessed that both my boss and my friend have sharp wits and fabulous senses of humor. When my boss found out where I was headed for lunch, she merely said: «Sounds tough.» Dyyyying.)
12:15 PMish — About half of the tables on the first floor were taken, and there were maybe 4 or 5 people standing in line at the front. No illuminated LED menus in this place, but it helps to make it feel less fast-​food-​y, even though there are steam trays at the front and food comes out, well, fast. My friend and I settled for the combination chow fun, and my friend went with steamed rice and salt and pepper pork chops.
There’s a side table to grab forks, chopsticks, hot tea, etc. We sat at a round table for four near the window, and in 5 – 10 minutes, our order numbers were called out. I kind of like the tiny numbered casino poker chip pieces. You never have to worry about anybody misspelling or mispronouncing your name, and with it, dredging up traumatic childhood memories of substitute teachers who couldn’t get it right, and all your classmates laughing at you… is that just me? Oops, sorry.
They give really generous portions at a price that can’t really be beat in the FiDi (under $ 10 for lunch), but the chow fun was just alright. Looking through the photos posted for this place, I realize I probably should have gone with one of their noodle soups. Next time.
What I really love about this place, though, is that you don’t have a bunch of waitstaff rushing around, and rushing you around, and the noise level is moderate. The décor is pretty Spartan… except for the gigantic set of kitchen utensils that hang to the left of the menu boards. Yup. I’m pretty sure even King Leonidas didn’t have that. It’s really the perfect kind of place to sit and talk, which is exactly what we did, and it was great to get to share that time together discussing everything from date ideas to American history.

This place would have gotten 5 stars if they were open on the weekends! Most people who don’t work in the financial district can’t dine here if we work 9 to 5 jobs! So I would have to call in sick to eat their food!
My parents introduced me to this place because they use to work in the financial district and they would eat here for lunch! They would bring home to-​go so my brother and I can try the food. 15 years later, my parents came out to the city on a Friday to help me with wedding plans. My fiancé and I requested the day off so my mom suggested we eat here. My fiancé fell in love with the pan fried noodles! I got the lo mein! It’s basically a wetter version of pan fried noodles with wontons! So good!
The food outweighed the service! I would come here again if I had a weekday off!
Remember to bring cash! Cash only!

Contrary to what it looks like from the outside, this place actually serves pretty authentic Chinese food if you know what to order. I got the congee, which was HUGE and actually tasted like what I would expect from a authentic Chinese place. I also saw Roast Duck Lai Fun on the menu, so if you know what to look for, you will find the authentic stuff.
Having said that, this place is still focused mainly on Americanized Chinese food, which is what almost all of the customers order.
Stop by if you’re looking for a quick meal and are craving for some fast-​food-​Americanized Chinese food! Or the occasional stop if you are craving congee in the area.