Joe’s Coffee Shop

This is my favored restaurant that I will never forget! Small family owned the place.

I only hail Joe’s with 3 stars after about half a year of coming to this establishment for fear of rating it with 2 star.
Food is consistent as I always order the corn beef hash, eggs over medium, and english muffin. Yes, the server, an elderly Chinese lady, always asks for your order in this fashion. Be warned and ready to respond.
Service is uhhh meh at best. Take for example the coffee, I’ve been to friendly neighborhood spots (even Lucky Penny) that cordially fill up your coffee with a smile. This place is not like that. After 3 minutes of ordering your coffee be prepared to have your coffee filled up even before having taken a sip then never having them tend to your coffee ever again.
Furthermore, while I was still using the tin canister to pour the milk into my coffee it was ghetto snagged and given to another customer. Seriously? I am not a milk bandit and grimace at the implication.

I come here once in a while for years. Today, it was a bit crowded. I waited. Sat myself by the table as no one helped me. I was then shuffled to the counter top by the regular helper…
No problem.
These rude waitress that seemed like she just WOKE up proceeded to help me. (Young skinny out of school helper).
I pointed out what I wanted but she kept interrupting me like she knew what I wanted. I mean totally unprofessional.
Food was ok but SERVICE IS TERRIBLE!
I will not come to this place no more.
That young skinny lady that seemed like she just woke up hopefully will be nicer to other regulars that frequent their place.
I will never come back to that place no more.

What makes a dive diner appealing to me is a friendly, homey vibe. While this diner is certainly cozy and cheap with standard/​good diner fare, the workers don’t seem to really care. But I will say that they have the cleanest bathroom of any dive diner I have ever visited! Low points are not for food, just for service.

Came here super hungover. They are a great place which reminds me of home. That good olé breakfast in the morning type joint. I was here with my boy Christian after a heard night of drinking. I order the cornbread hash and my boy ordered 4 bacon hash. Both were on point and legit AF. It was a nice walk to get there. The prices are cheap and it reminds me of being at those cafés and diners you see in those old school movies. Definitely coming back here again. Coffee, and juice are fresh. This ain’t gonna be your elegant breakfast place but if you are a blue collar worker, this is the place to come to.

Joe’s Coffee Shop is not where you go for coffee or food, but an unforgettable experience that comes with food. Consider Lee Chong’s grocery store in Steinbeck’s novel Cannery Row. Joe’s Coffee Shop is what I’d expect had Steinbeck said in passing, «…and Lee Chong had a brother who opened a diner in the Richmond district of San Francisco.» (Here’s a character sketch of Lee Chong:
)
I was married to a Chinese for 30+ years, so I have a pretty good idea about Lee Chong’s money (re: character sketch). Wife’s uncle had a Chinese restaurant in Japantown in the 40’s and worked there until the 70’s when someone bought the building they worked in and tore it down. I have no doubt husband and wife would still be in that restaurant quietly preparing food had not someone graciously torn down the building. What did they do after that happened? They went out and bought a brand new 3 flat building in the Sunset for $ 1.5 million, paid cash, traveled, watched TV and took care of the grandchildren. Consider that same building is worth around $ 3 million today — well they had a very good business model going there. I do not know how long Joe’s has been in business, but from looking at the place, 50 years would not surprise me.
Why should you go to Joe’s? At Joe’s, you can take in the experience of a lifetime. You can see pragmatism, hard work, dedication and a lifetime of memories preserved in a little time capsule — garnished by patrons of the present flowing in and out to be fueled by a constant stream of surprisingly good food. Sofie had an omelette and I had a cheese burger. Sofie enjoyed her omelette and commented that it was good without any prompting! My cheeseburger was surprisingly good too! I liked the bun and the taste of the dill pickles in with the greasy meat… and I like my hamburgers a little greasy. Neither of us ordered drinks. I did not want to give a «one star» to this place and send it to my «lame coffee» list because this is a time capsule. It serves coffee like people drank it in 1950. Good strong coffee would be out of place here, and honestly — I may be nostalgic, but not for coffee brewed in 1950.
Sofie and I have lunch in the Richmond district after we visit the Legion of Honor Art Museum. It was appropriate that the exhibit we saw was on time pieces — only to have lunch in a diner that has captured a slice of time and stayed there. Think of this place as an aged cheese. One cannot open a diner today and have the same experience. You would have to time travel back 50 years and open that restaurant so that you could get the formica counter top worn down by the flow of plates of food across it, the cracks in the paint, he assorted signs taped to the wall and all other manner of detail that makes this a unique and special restaurant. In the museum, you will see signs that say, «Don’t sit in the chair» or «Don’t touch the exhibit» — here, you can not only sit in the chair, but you can become part of the exhibit. Eat at Joe’s and be part of time.

Good hashbrowns are hard to find in this town, but you’ll find them at Joe’s. Great old school diner that only serves the basics, but does them well. Perfect for those weekend mornings when you want to get out for breakfast but don’t want to deal with the crowds.

The veggie omelette was fresh and delicious, and the waffle with strawberries hit the spot perfectly. Excellent service: simple, fast, and efficient. Definitely recommend for a quick but delicious breakfast spot.

This is a small place. Seems like a neighborhood joint with lots of regulars stopping in, with which the staff were friendly.
Hash brown was good, but everything else is not too impressive.
Cash only.

No line, food came out in like 10 minutes and tasted delicious. Prices for San Francisco were EXTREMELY cheap and really enjoyed my breakfast here. Will be back!

Amazing no-​frills greasy spoon type diner. Perfect place to kill a hangover if you live in the outer Richmond. Omelets, coffee and toast with very quick service and attentive staff. I love this shop…

There’s hundreds of reviews giving this place a very high rating. I don’t get it. It’s a dump. Don’t get me wrong, I love dives, but the food must be good. The food was crap. I could have done a better job at home. The price was ok, but again with basic food, what is the deal with the high ratings? Don’t bother.

Food? Delicious. I ordered the corned beef hash and it was so good!
Price? Totally fair.
Service? Firstly, let me say that the layout of the restaurant is flawed. It can definitely fit more people, and comfortably, if they brought in the counter space. There were only 3 people behind the counter but they had a lot more space behind there then the sitting area had. They were a little slow on taking our order but it didn’t really bother me.
Cleanliness? I saw someone pour water, scoop ice with their bare hands and put it in the glass before serving my friend. That’s not okay. It’s definitely a family restaurant but please keep in mind, that you have non-​family members as customers. Considering I ordered bottled water for myself, I still may come back for the food as it was one of the best cheap breakfast plates I’ve had in the city.

Not the best breakfast I’ve ever had at a diner. The sunny side up eggs were overdone. The spider web-​like layer of hash browns where crispy all the way through. I like some fluffy potatoes in the middle. The corn beef hash was similarly prepared and presented. Were they trying to make the plate look full? I should not have asked for one piece of toast instead of the two that came with. Typical diner coffee, not so good.
Service was fine.
3 breakfasts, 3 coffees, tax and tip $ 36. Not really worth a drive across the park and finding parking.
We’re running out of blue collar neighborhood breakfast places of old! Gotta have my hash browns, the shredded kind! I know, it’s very expensive to do business in the City. Plus it’s hard work in this type of business. I appreciate the effort, though.

See I was going to give an ohkay review until I looked over at all the large cups and saw that she gave me a medium when I paid for a large orange juice.
to start things off the western omelet had a funny taste the sausage was ohkay the bacon tasted funny like fish, it was hard as a rock the bagel was burned and they only gave me enough cream cheese for one side. The hash browns was like paper and tastless. At least they had sriracha and crystal hot sauce. The place is just as dirty as the owners or servers. They wer not friendly and they jipped me! This place its discussing in more than one way and I think racist! Smh I’m not coming here ever again!!!

Love this place!
Stopped by for breakfast one morning on my way to study at a coffee shop nearby. Plenty of seating on a weekday morning with about 4 other parties already seated. The place is a little small but they do have extra seating near the front of the store for larger parties. I ordered the joe’s scramble with mushrooms, spinach, onions and a whole lotta goodness! Came with perfectly crispy hash towns and buttered toast. Really great and cheap place to fill your breakfast craving. Will definitely have to come back to try their waffles!

Joe’s is a small little diner like spot in the Outer Richmond but I love it. It isn’t very big so the max number of people you could take is probably four and if you are going alone you can sit at the counter. You can call ahead and then go in and pick up. ONLY CASH.
I’ve had omelettes, Wonton Soup, pancakes and many other things on their menu. My go to is always the Wonton Soup. The broth is tasty, never fishy, stale and they give you just the right ratio. Add some soy sauce or Siracha to add a kick to it, but its great alone too. It works miracles with hangovers too.
They have the basic drinks such as can sodas (Coke, Sprite, etc). They serve hot chocolate as well. Their coffee is good so if you want a nice cup of Joe with your breakfast go for it.
They close early by 3pm I believe so this wont be a spot to go after work but great for early breakfast, brunch, or dinner.

This is one of the rarest hole in the wall breakfast joint that you will find in the city. Come prepared with cash, no credit cards will be accepted. The hash browns and BACON is super crispy and their scrambles are always on point. The waitresses refills your drink every so often.
As mentioned in the reviews below, it’s a small restaurant with a few tables and a few counter seats. There isn’t much to see behind the counter except industrial restaurant equipment, large bags of pancake mix, etc… They do have a sign that tells you to be careful of the meter maid!
If you’re looking for something fancy, this is not the place for you. This is one of those breakfast joints you eat at and go on with your day.

Hidden little hole in the wall with great food. The interior isn’t much to look at and there isn’t a lot of space but you are attendee promptly, food is made to order and served quickly. Drink refills a plenty. I felt like I was at my mom’s house while having my meal, it’s not very organized behind the counter but it gives you that home feeling. At least for me it did. I had the Joe’s scramble. Mushrooms, spinach, ground beef scrambled in eggs. Very tasty. Hash browns were great.
This place only takes cash but there are ATMs close by in case you don’t have cash on you. I’d return.

Nighthawks this ain’t: A man with long hair and flannel beside me sits and reads «Beating Co-​Dependent Relationships», his current chapter: «The Cycle of Abuse». On the other side, a man with a face from a different era sits down, and with a brief, curt nod toward the waitress is given scrambled eggs, hash browns, and a cup of coffee. Mirrors adorned with a bromeliad reflect bare white walls, a row of stools, a vintage clock advertising Seven-​Up. Don’t expect service with a smile; they act like you probably feel. Its strange: the space should feel unwelcoming, but it somehow invites one to linger far longer then the sleek gastronomic edifices San Francisco thrives on.
The breakfast menu is blessedly simple. No ultimate whatever, stuffed mystery adjective, or loaded special thing, just eggs served with meats and hash browns, pancakes, french toast. Although my corned beef hash (7.55) and hash browns could have used a little more time on the grill, the eggs were cooked to a perfect over-​easy, and my meal came out in under five minutes. The coffee is decent, a little underextracted, and incredibly hot, but refills are freely given. Need a hangover helper? Go for a bowl of rich wonton soup; while not a traditional breakfast, its a great pep-​up for the bleary inebriate.
Overall: Simple food, quick, unsmiling service, strangely comforting environs. A classic. 3.5 stars, rounded up for intangible reasons I can’t quite begin to describe.
Crumbs:
Hot Sauce: Tabasco, Crystal, Sriracha, depending on where you sit.
Jelly: Smuckers.
Coffee Refill Count: 3 cups, 27 minutes.
Transit: 38, 38L, 38AX, 29.