Cafe Prague

Glad you didn’t close and only moved. Pacific was a cuter spot tho. I thirst for Krusovice

NEW LOCATION 424 MERCHANT (a small alley) 2 or 3 small tables outside — one very large round table inside — spacious & comfy — zip code 94 111 — needs new pics — more later

and it’s baaaaaaack!
and it’s close to my work too! actually i just moved up to sf in december and never have eaten at its old location. BUT my co worker Alona is good friends with the owner and told me to try it out since 1) the food is great, 2) the people are friendly and great, & 3) its practically across the street from me. ALL THREE HAVE PROVEN TO BE TRUE.
journey into the merchant alleyway off sansome and discover the lovely world of café prague… the décor is gorgeous and cozy and the lunch menu was yum.
i had the turkey provolone (on a french bagette) with a pesto spread. they toasted the bagette and put tomatoes and greens. then the sandwich also came with a choice of a soup or side salad. i have heard people rave about the tomato gnocchi so i had to try it!
everything was so fresh, simple, and delicious. it made for a light yet very satisfying lunch. the place lives up to its reputation, mos def.
i have to come back for the dinner menu! (which i hear is completely different!) ps. they also serve wine and beeeeer hoorah!

Oh no no no…
I am planning a trip o SF in February. Having worked near Café Prague for two years, I had many cups of well brewed, highly aromatic drip coffee. I made getting a cup of mushroom soup (best ever, anywhere) or tomato soup (very very close second) with bread my Friday lunch ritual. I had been to a couple of the late night jazz jam sessions. All that fond memories made me looked it up on Unilocal today, thinking that I could finally revisit this little restaurant again to refresh my memory of the super yummy soup. CLOSED was what I found on Unilocal.How can it be? Why??? I still haven’t gotten over the shock. I’ll probably have nightmares tonight… no soup for you! RIP.

Czech beers on tap. The mugs are GINORMOUS!!!
Strawberry stuffed dumplings a la mode. OMG. You have GOT to try it. Really.
Sauerbratten with thick sliced bread-​like dumplings. Tender slices of beef covered in a carrot purée. Absolutely tasty comfort fare.
FUNKY FUNKY FUNKY ambiance. GOTTA LOVE IT.
I absolutely adore this place.
Waitress was a sweetheart. Tip her well, folks. Even if you don’t — she’ll keep the change. ;-)

This review is for drinks only.
I found it such a cute place, with a good selection of beers (more in quality than quantity) and nice deco. Good space for a beer (or three) with friends.

This place would get more stars but the guy behind the cash register did something so stupid today…
how could anyone be dumb enough to put a container of salad sideways? He put one right side up and the other one sideways. OMG sauce started pouring out after i got in the car WTF~?!
man anyone with an ounce of brains would know that you put the salads right side up at the bottom of the bag and sandwiches on top of the salads.
other than that the sandwich was not bad~ booo on that stupid guy

I really can’t understand why there are such bad reviews for this place. I like Café Prague! The beer selection is small yet delicious and the food here is delightful. Plus, I think the service is nice and not overly attentive. I especially like how there’s never a wait for a seat at this place. I recommend enjoying their salad and/​or soup along with a refreshing Czech beer.

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RJR — Issue # 64 — A CZECH OUT THE CROSSROADS SPECIAL
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During the middle of the week after working a day in Foster City, I decided to drive up to the city and go on a walkabout solo.
Combing the streets of Chinatown on foot — with the spring sun still high early evening — I meandered from store to store perusing all they had to offer. With scores of hours now past and countless blocks eagerly walk, I ended up springing out my wallet for a couple HK DvD’s.
With the sun racing down, I still wasn’t ready to laying in the course home. Walking away way from Grant Ave, I found myself on the outskirts of Chinatown with people hustling home and cars weaving in and out of traffic. Standing in slow motion on the corner — I sensed the craving for dinner…
*Pondering* What should I pounce & sink my yearning carnivorous teeth on? RAWRrrrr
So many options in the middle of the city… What to do? What to do? Standing at the crossroads…
AHEAD of me, up the hill… The Hustler Store and all kinds of joints of debauchery…
BEHIND me, down the street …The House of Nanking & Bocodillos…
To the LEFT, several blocks… Steps of Rome and O’Reilly’s Irish Pub…
And to the RIGHT — Uhhmmm… Huh??! I’ve never been down that street…
So I turned right…
And I found my way in front of this little Czechoslovakian café and stepped inside to have dinner — CZECH STYLE…
(Yelp Photo Archive)
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Pork Loin with Cabbage & Dumplings
Krusovice Light Beer
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The Pork Loin was lightly seasoned… a little more cooked then I like — but it was still very enjoyable to eat. The cabbage was buttery & creamy which soften and flavored it which complimented the pork loin with each bite. And the dumpling, I couldn’t help but dip pieces in the juices of the pork loin much like a French dip…
Now this was my first go at drinking a Czech beer. And found that the Krusovice light beer has a light golden color, with a nice synchronization between aroma and a slightly bitter taste, an excellent palate and a rich foam. When you drink this beer you’ll notice a pleasantly refreshing taste which will lead you to want another… Ahhh beer…
The service was most appealing in euro-​kinda way… Most of the people/​the cooks loudly talking stories in Czechoslovak among them selves and a few regulars in the kitchen or at the small bar.
The place was not overly pack or anything it seemed more like a local eatery for comfort food and a good beer in a relaxing quaint atmosphere — away from the hustle and bustle of city life… Which is why one attractively well blessed girl — — undoubtedly of Czech decent — — that was the hostess/​barwoman/​waitress/​and cashier could perform her job with ease and friendly smile that last well into the evening…
The bar was quite small… but just right for the 5 locals enjoying themselves on stools in a Cheers sort of way… drinking…laughing…showing hard copies of vacation photos. and drinking even more… hanging out with the barwoman who knows her regulars very well… with beers always well replenished.
*TAKE NOTE*
Be sure to check out the daily specials on the outside chalk board or their listing on the upper brick wall close to the cash register. Last time, they had a Roasted Duck with Cabbage and Dumplings… And I believe I saw a listing for Sole fish dish…
I’m sure I’ll find my way back, to try their other specials… and give their Czech Double Bock beer a taste…

So the company you work for is paying for you to learn Czech, eh? Do two things:
1. Tell them to hire me because dude: That is one RAD company! Ha.
2. Go to Café Prague during off-​peak hours to practice your Czech with the sweet/​cute/​nice waitstaff and then write off your meal as a business expense. This part is key.
OTHERWISE ~ This place gets 2 stars.
Food was mediocre and overpriced.
Service (minus the fun if irrelevant fact that our waitress was a total cutie) blew. I got up to refill my own water glass. With a pitcher from behind the bar. Twice. Okay, once but still. Sheesh.

Mediocre at best, and overpriced. I’ve been there a couple times now as its on my way to work. The cashier moaned when I gave her a $ 20 for a $ 1 bagel. She rudely handed me one napkin when I asked her for some. The food isn’t even that great, and it’s totally overpriced. I disagree with whomever said the black bean soup is that great, because mine had raw onions in it: (
Oh, and they don’t take credit cards either.

Oh I really want to like Café Prague, but the food is just no good. When you walk into the café you truly feel like you are in Prague. They got the ambiance down pat. Now they just need to make some food that doesn’t make you want to puke.
Good place to grab a beer.

Consistantly inconsistant.
I gave it a shot. Actually about thirty shots give or take. And while I waited for the place to just click it just doesn’t go smoothly.
Don’t get me wrong I love this place but you just never know what is going to happen on each and every visit.
Prices changes daily it seems. Sometimes even between the time you see the price on the outside board to when you pay. Coffee orders are usually 75% correct. ATM machine is always a crapshoot. Ice some days… some days no.
If you are like me (an eastern europeanphile) you’ll just chalk it up to the culture from which it sprung. The interior is laden with Prague images and artwork. They play Czech music often (which may be a minus for most). The servers are aloofly nice. The food is downright good but a little pricey.
All in all… I still recommend this place. I’ll just have to whittle my visits to just a beer on the patio only times. Otherwise, I just can’t count on getting the same experience twice… and unfortunately, this is right by my work and my mind is on other things and I need a little more consistency to make the rest of my day easier.

It was an interesting experience that’s for sure…
5 of us sat down for lunch at 1pm and we all ordered the same thing: tomato gnocchi soup and the tuna melt (I requested mine with no lettuce/​tomato cause I’m a freak and an orangina).
It took 20 minutes alone to get our drinks, and since they didn’t have orangina they took it upon themselves to serve me some other miscellaneous drink (out of courtesy, you should first ask if it’s ok to switch my selection).
It took 40 minutes to get out food! Soup and sandwiches! And the place wasn’t even full. The tomato gnocchi soup, had zero gnocchi’s, which was interesting… and my tuna melt came with tomatoes and lettuce although I requested for it not to. I have to admit that the food was delicious though. The best tuna melt I’ve had and the focaccia was fabulous! Still… I don’t know if it’s worth a 40 min wait…
By the way, they don’t accept credit cards.
3 and ½ stars for the food, 1 for the service.

In old country, we eat potato and schnitzel.
We work the field. We eat potato and schnitzel.
We milk the cow. We eat potato and schnitzel.
We make the whoopie with wife. We eat potato and schnitzel.
Is good life, yes?
Café Prague is like old country.
Many foods here like when I was little boy.
But not like my mama make.
Is good life in new world, no?
They have potato and schnitzel, but I eat light.
I look like old cow before we shoot her.
I ate Roast Pork Loin with Cabbage and Dumplings ($ 14)
Dumplings like under-​baked bread slice.
Not like my mama make.
Meat is good, Cabbage a little salty.
Watching weight to get new wife.
My friend have Hungarian Szeged Goulash with Dumplings ($ 13)
It come with big pool of sauce to rim of plate.
Ready to put elbow in. Not good for my new suit.
Men’s Wearhouse. 50% off.
Beef chunks a little chewy. Same dumplings as me.
Not like my mama make.
He watching weight to get new wife.
Or husband. He is light in loafers.
Is OK. Not special. Not friend… the goulash.
But pretty waitress from homeland tell me to try Blueberry Cake ($ 4.50).
She prettier than Jewel so I say OK.
Is homemade by owner’s wife.
Is good. Like Sara Lee coffee cake.
Ah, just like my mama make.
Total bill come to $ 38 — six months wage in old country.
My friend say he do waitress.
I call him a cow patty.
He go back to old country.
FOOD — 3 stars… real Czech dishes but not as tasty as I was hoping… and the dumplings were disappointing even if they are authentic
AMBIANCE — 3 stars… bit of a squeeze, our bar table came up to my chin, and a party of local Czechs kept pointing their fingers at the pictures on the wall even though their hands were in my face
SERVICE — 4 stars… courteous if a bit anxious
TOTAL — 3 stars… pretty standard Eastern European fare… go to Old Krakow instead

Turning away from Frisson & Old Ship Saloon in favor of a more mellow happy hour, we headed to Prague…the best that can be said about this place is that it whisks you right away to somewhere else with the greenery and eclectic colorful pictures/​posters on the wall (esp. liked the starry sky on the ceiling). We both got the house red for $ 6 bucks each. Very generous glass — swear half a bottle was poured into that glass. Our waiter was like a loyal puppy, very eager to please. While we were there, they dimmed the lights and had a set up with one flickering red candle on each table. Would like to go back and try the Czech food. Very romantic setting!

Strawberry dumplings with a butter sauce? I guess Czech food just isn’t for me. They also didn’t have three of the desserts listed on the menu for the day. On a side note, the décor looks like someone went crazy at a thrift store and just threw in whatever was within reach. The dented floor is pretty cool though…

If Café Prague really wanted to mimic its patria, beer would be cheaper than water. Not the case here (though the bordering on oversize imported Czech beer was tasty.)
It was a rainy evening when I was there and the rain was dripping through the roof into my soup, beer, and bosom. Now, this is Mitteleuropa at its finest!

Man… disappointing.
Last night, I got a chicken sandwich (to go). No prices listed on the board, but I was thinking it’d be 8 or 9 bucks, w/​my drink. So they wrap up the sandwich & add a Snapple, & it was 11.50… Please. Especially considering they were out of focaccia bread & the sandwich was kind of dry.
The capper is that it’s cash only… wha? I ask where the nearest ATM is, &…viola…it’s in the back of Café Prague… which means they get a nice kickback.
No likey.

I’m having a rash of revisting some old haunts, and was pleasantly suprised both by how Café Prague has stayed the same and how it’s changed. The tuna nicoise used to be made with canned tuna, which was pretty depressing, but I liked that you could get a cheap glass of wine with it and the staff/​service and interior were great.
The service and décor are still inviting and slightly exotic (it feels like you dropped back in time into a european café), but the menu has changed – no more sad tinned tuna, now there are several organic salad choices (the chicken breast salad was hearty and fresh), they use hormone-​free dairy products, and the soups were housemade and delicious (friend had tomato and I had black bean). However, the upscaled menu hasn’t gone to their head – the prices are still totally reasonable.
Like running into a long-​lost friend on the street, I hope that I will be seeing more of Café Prague.