Beyond Expectations Cafe

My personal favorites are the grilled chicken wrap, oriental noodle salad, Turkey Vegetable soup and the Tomato Basil soup.
I usually call my order in and take it to go. But there is seating towards the back of the café and there is a large garden.

Not great, but not terrible either. I had a sandwich and salad that was decent but, as others have written, a little overpriced. I liked the addition of toasted almonds to the tuna fish, but could have done without the wilted veggies on my salad or the too-​thick salad dressing (a poor attempt at homemade, maybe?). My friend’s soup also looked really watery… but maybe we just ordered the wrong things. I would be willing to give them another try and perhaps order one of the heartier dishes like lasagna or enchiladas.

I Unilocaled for a sandwich place around home and came up with this place. A few weeks ago I had come here and bought a carrot cake and wasn’t impressed by the price of $ 4 something, nor of the quality. But I thought I’d give their lunch a shot.
Tuna melt panini and salad plus soft drink was $ 11. Very basic stuff, but kind of expensive. It was a good sandwich, but I wouldn’t get it again. I’d probably go for something more substantial for that price. Next time I’ll try the vegie lasagna or another sandwich.
No frills café, no extras, just simple lunch items. I’d come back but not for the carrot cake nor tuna melt panini with salad.

Walking around the Laurel Heights neighborhood, I thought I would try Beyond Expectations Café. The owner was very friendly and courteous in taking my order.
I ordered the Egg Salad and the Hot Pastrami w/​Swiss sandwiches. The Egg Salad sandwich on sourdough was delicious with lettuce, tomato and the right amount of mayo. My husband told me that the pastrami was a bit on the gristly side which made the sandwich only ok. Also, I asked for rye for the pastrami and got sourdough. With the sandwiches we each got a potato salad. This was only ok as well with a bit too much mayo, but still very flavorful.
Will probably go back for the egg salad and will try a slice of some of the cakes in their dessert case.

Such a cute little café. I was in the area to run some errands and ran into this place to try and eat something healthy for lunch. They have lots of healthy options. I ordered the tuna melt but got the chicken salad sandwich by mistake. The man who took my order was such a sweetheart. I ate the chicken salad sandwich anyway and it was really good. I got a side salad with really tasty dressing. Everything tasted really good, service was friendly and overall a healthy meal for a decent price.

I hit up the BEC every Saturday for a «Saturday Special» which the owner created for my cousin and I. It is simple, but for a breakfast sandy, it is perfect.

If you read my review of Rigolo, this place is the opposite — instead of feeling like the old shirt you should throw out but keep wearing anyway, Beyond Expectations feels like your favorite pair of Levi’s: nothing fancy, but feels just right.
The owner is very nice and goes out of his way to accommodate patrons. You can often find him sitting at one of the front tables, chatting with guests who seemingly have known him for years. He is very familiar with my typical order (and always politely has to remind me that what I get is a «club sandwich, with added bacon»). And he knows that the chocolate cake calls my name (though I have to say — they recently changed that up a little, and while it’s still good, it’s not the perfect dark chocolate gooey-​ness it used to be). Recently, I’ve branched out and tried the enchiladas — whoa, who knew these would be fantastic at a place like this?! And I highly recommend getting anything that comes with corn bread — or just corn bread alone. Yummmm, top on that butter and tell mama a dirty secret.
I like the very… how shall I say…“straightforward” décor of this café. They have some framed art on the walls that I believe is for sale… and they have a cute backyard area that you can only look at, not sit in (because, presumably, you will fall straight through the deck if you step onto it). That’s about where the true beauty of the place ends. The rest is all old charm — 1980s tables and chairs, and I believe even carpet. But the place is clean, and that’s all that matters when I’m enjoying such tasty food and pleasant service!

Beyond Expectations gives hope that the Starbucks of the world won’t take over. It’s slightly more expensive (a buck or two) than you would expect but you’re paying for the real stuff, not processed ingredients. For example, the turkey meat is from a real turkey, which you can occasionally see on the counter in the kitchen behind the cashier. There’s free Wi-​Fi and copies of the Chronicle and the Wall Street Journal available everyday. The coffee is great.
The food is good too. For breakfast, they have egg, bacon, cheese and bagel sandwiches but it’s not obvious. Trust me, they are there. The lunch is good too. I like the chicken salad and the pot pie. If you get the pot pie to go, I think you get a smaller portion than if you have order it to stay.
The owner/​manager is very friendly to everyone and will chat you up all day if you let him. His name is Sy and everyone seems to know him.
My only objection is the cake counter, which is strategically placed so that it’s the first thing you see when you walk in. The temptation is over the top. If you don’t make eye contact with it, you stand a chance but just a peek and you’re a goner. I like the coconut cake and the chocolate one is good too. Sometimes there are pies… See what I mean!

Calling a place «Beyond Expectations» is going to lead to some, well, expectations.
Things that were Beyond Expectations: Very friendly owner, toasted almonds in the chicken salad sandwich, food came out quickly.
Things that met expectations: bbq sandwich was about what you think a café would pull off, overall food was good.
Things below expectations: prices a little too high (wait, does that count as «beyond?»), décor was a bit drab, not a very cheerful spot.

I found myself in the middle of Laurel Heights in between appointments and famished. I wandered in on this place not expecting much else than to curb the intolerable hunger pangs but what do you know. The cran turkey sammich was perfect and so was the spinach salad. And the brew hit the spot. Also nice window seating in the back to stare off at greenery in the patio. The icing was the free wifi! What more could I ask for in a café?!?

I went there for lunch and ordered the tuna melt (excellent!) with tomato basil soup (oh, yeah) and a chocolate brownie. Orangina from the cooler for my beverage. For the $ paid, this place is truly excellent. The tuna melt was grilled just right. The tomato basil soup was exceptional: fresh tomatoes, nicely seasoned, flavorful – perfect for this sunny but cold san francisco day.
Try the corn bread: homemade, warm, fresh, moist. Mmmm…
The service, too, is charming, efficient, cordial, and warm. I’ll definitely eat here again.

i pass this place on my way to work every single day but i’ve only eaten here twice. and i’m pretty sure the reason for that is, that this café is not very good. the blueberry banana bread had a funny aftertaste to it, and the carrot cake was dry and not very fresh. the only thing i’ve sampled at this place that was actually pretty good was their brownies that come in cellophane wrap and sit in a small basket up on the counter. let me clarify, their brownies are good if you like the kind of brownies that could easily cause a diabetic coma seconds after ingesting one. i gotta tell ya, i don’t think i’d accept anything less when it comes to chocolate engorged death fueled desserts. so to sum up: brownies = good
everything else = meh

It’s great that this café is tucked away from the hustle and bustle of Laurel Village. It’s packed with mostly regulars during the week, and I’d say that a good three-​fourths of those are people who work in the neighborhood.
You can’t go wrong with a sandwich, cornbread & enchiladas, or quiche. The other menu items are hit or miss, especially the soup. I took some co-​workers and 3 out of 5 of us enjoyed our lunch. Again, I stick with my usual order bet. 2 – 3 items b/​c I know it’ll be good.
The best part is having the owner remember you and greet you in a friendly & genuine manner, so I go mostly for the service.

I work across the street and have the luxury of eating here almost every day for lunch. Sometimes I leave the house late on purpose, just so that I have an excuse to stop by for a morning bagel and coffee. Sy, the owner, keeps his shop clean and running efficiently, while carrying on conversations with all of the regulars and newcomers alike. I’ve made it a point to try every item on the menu and if I had to pick my favorite three items, they would be the meat lasagna, the chicken enchiladas, and the tuna salad. The daily specialty soups are superb. The week starts off with one of the best split pea soups I’ve tried, midweek is the cream of broccoli, and there is no better way to end a week than having the tomato basil on Friday. If you live or work in the area, you should drop by and visit Sy to introduce yourself, but don’t be surprised if he already knows who you are.

Everybody seems to love this place, but I’m not impressed. Great location, with a ton of potential, squandered with ugly seating and a weird smell.
I’m giving this guy the benefit of the doubt, because he’s Persian, but at the same time I hold him to a higher standard.
The prices were high, and the «soup» that I added on to my sandwich for an extra two bucks was like a little finger bowl with a some broth and way to much celery. Cooked celery sucks.
The sandwich was pretty good though.

Considering one my favorite films/​books is Great Expectations, Beyond Expectations was just that: great. Having had for lunch, today, a Club Sandwich (single decker) I could not be more satisfied with my choice. The turkey was succulent, mainly I’m sure, because they pan roast it on site which is always a plus. The pasta salad was equally fresh and home made (the broccoli in it was steamed just right with the perfect amount of crunch).

Places where life seems so much nicer when people remember your name:
Corner coffee shop
Your favorite bar
Local wine shop (maybe that’s just me…)
Your bedroom
The pizza place from which you periodically order a ‘lazy dinner’
Please now add to this list — a low-​key neighborhood lunch spot
A little backstory here (get comfy):
I have a friend (who happens to be a Unilocaler so we’ll just call her ‘A’) who refuses to give in to pain when she is injured. Back thrown out? Back at work the next day. Airlifted out of the wilderness with a major leg injury? Give her a week and some crutches. So when I inquired about weekend plans and the response to my email began «My car was totaled in an accident yesterday» I *knew* she didn’t just walk away. Sure enough, when we arrived to take A. to lunch I couldn’t even give her a hug and she walked like she was wearing a full body cast.
We inched our way over to Beyond Expectations, a small, slightly dingy lunch spot with horrendous tables and chairs but a lovely view of the garden patio out back. The food is basic but good — my quiche was delicious and the homemade cornbread that arrived with the chicken pot pie was light and sweet. There are enough options between sandwiches, salads and specials to make return visits expected.
But what made this an especially nice lunch was the reaction of the owner when he saw A. walk in the door. Not only did he fuss over her, he got the names of everyone there, scolded us to take care of her and insisted she go sit down right away. It was priceless — and so nice to hear someone else telling my friend what I always try to tell her.
I am definitely a regular here now. They know my name after all.
(UPDATE: A. is doing much better — thanks to all who have asked. She says she will be dancing in two weeks!)

Great spot for lunch. They have a back dining area that reminds me of the my parent’s kitchen… even has the same chairs.

I eat here almost every Friday. It’s good food, but also one of the few non-​chain sandwich places in the neighborhood. Try the chicken parm or the turkey pot pie. Both are great.
The people who work are nice, but a bit subdued. The owner is the real personality of the place. He’s nice and a social butterfly.
There are a few tables up front, but skip those and head to the back where you can see the back porch and garden.

Great neighborhood café in Presidio Heights. Very warm atmosphere with a nice view of the backyard. I liked the toasted turkey, cheese, and avocado sandwich with soup combo. The creamy tomato basil soup was amazing.