Outerlands

So I was conflicted as to what test I must use in order to give this place a fair review. Clearly I am NOT going to subtract a start for the über overpriced menu and for the difficulty getting a table. Both of those things are sign of being a cheap skate and having zero experience living in the city. Good places are packed AND they are expensive. Supply and demand AND that combination works like 50 bucks at the club door, you get my drift there…
The ambiance is awesome. Great architect and great execution. The food is good. The service is great. Now the drinks: those were a disappointment. I tried bloody Mary and on another occasion had few glasses of wine. Nothing bad, just not up to par with the rest of the place in terms of quality but hey that’s an opinion so maybe next time I will try some shots and there’s no way that could possible fail, yes :) So I’m settled: I will use the drinks test for my review since that is a significant part of my life, what makes me happy, what I research on the Internet and spurs my interests.
Will I come back? Yes!

I’m not a fan.
I wanted to be fan and I put in a lot of effort to be a fan…
I tried eating here 3 times before actually making it inside. Unfortunately the 1 to 2 hour wait and no option for a day reservation made me hangrier.
I decided to try again, alone, during the week for lunch around noon. I scored a seat at the bar, with no wait. However the drama was not over…
I waited a bit while the bartender chatted up her friend, sitting next to me, on the wedding they attended the weekend prior. She finally tuned in and gave me a menu. I quickly ordered a drink. By the time She returned and I got to order my meal, it was «sold out». No prob. I chose something else. That too was sold out. Annoyed that no one bothered to tell me what was sold out from the start, I ordered yet again and was told that the item was sold out. This is when the bartender finally told me what was available.
Finally, I settled on the mushroom broth (shocker! It was available).
It was flavorful and came with a yummy slice of bread (this is the 2 stars part). But I has to beg for some butter.
For the hassle of getting in and accepting that menu items may be sold out, attentive and informative service would have been very nice.

6÷4÷16: Feel like a quality breakfast that is deserving of your refined palate, and not the typical American grease or sugar fests? And even better, taking in fresh sea air while enjoying a small-​town vibe… well, you might very well love this place.
This day I was to meet a friend who just came back from a multi-​month trip through South America, to talk about revelations and the purpose of life. Over coffee. And for that, I think this place was near perfect. We were able to get a cozy table, and inspired by all the natural beauty, words flowed freely. I had a great time.
As for what I had…
1. House Espresso $ 3: Alright, I’m not a coffee connoisseur, but I think this was one of the best espresso’s I’ve ever had. I’ve been to many of those trendy fancy coffee houses that serve sour vinegar that they call espresso, without depth and body. But this one, yeah, it has that acidic kick up front, but backs it all up with a full and rich body and just the right amount of bitterness. Lovely! ⁹⁄₁₀
2. Dutch Savory Pancake Baked in a Cast Iron Pan $ 14 (add Ricotta $ 2) «savory bacon, pickled onion, parsley»: Firstly, I want to note that despite the name, this was not a pancake – it’s closer to a Yorkshire Pudding. The pudding bread was formed into a bowl where they put bacon and the ricotta cheese, along with some pickles and veggies. I think overall I liked it, but some sauce would help a lot. As is, it was a bit dry since it relied on moisture from the pickles and cheese. A good and light dish, but I think it can be bettered. ⁷⁄₁₀
3. Glazed Doughnut $ 3.50 «roasted apricot, browned butter»: Unfortunately this was a letdown. The doughnut flesh was quite dry, and possibly even stale. The glaze was okay, but was a bit melting. I think the only real success were the apricots, which took on a more intense flavor from the roasting, but was cooked perfectly such that they retained their juice and texture. Those were great, but the doughnut sucked. Fresh donuts from your average doughnut shop would probably be better tasting. ²⁄₁₀
Well, aside from the dessert, I’d love to come back to try more and see how they jazz up other American breakfast favorites. And that sea breeze…
⁴⁄₅
#breakfast #brunch #americanbreakfast #americanbrunch

Buckwheat brownie-​A
Cornbread Egg Benedict-​A plus
Brisket sandwich-​A
Coffee-​B
Service-​A
I imagine weekends are crazy busy, but had a delicious lunch with no wait on Tuesday.

Came here on Saturday at 11 am, and the wait was about 30 minutes. Parking is also really terrible in this area.
We were impressed by the interior of this restaurant. Very aesthetically pleasing.
We ordered an egg-​in-​jail and a sweet Dutch pancake, and both were okay…
Only down side was that they messed up on our order, so we waited for our food for another 30 – 40 minutes. They didn’t bother to let us know about the mistake until we finally asked why our food wasn’t coming out. People who got seated 10 minutes after us got their food at least 20 minutes earlier. Huge disappointment because we had high expectations for this place.
Ended up wasting 1.5 hrs there waiting for our food most of the time and only eating for 10 minutes.
Visited from Los Angeles, and this was a terrible start to our vacation.

My friend lives within walking distance of this place and I was staying the weekend in SF at her place so we decided to get up early, walk up the street and check it out. We put our names on the chalkboard outside with about 6 other people/​couples waiting before us. It took about 30 minutes for us to get a table, but once we did service was prompt. I liked the décor of the place, very modern, but beach like. I also liked that it had an open kitchen area where you can see the chefs making everything.
We both ordered the dutch pancake with bacon and added ricotta. I wasn’t sure how the ricotta would go with everything, but it actually went very well with the sweetness of the dough and maple syrup. It was a very good quality ricotta that you could almost spread over the pancake like butter. And of course you can’t go wrong with bacon. Everything went melded great.
The only thing is that we didn’t realize that they charged you for refills on coffee, and they didn’t mentioned it so we were a little surprised when the bill came with the refill charges, but hey maybe we should have asked. Was it expensive for just getting a plate sized «pancake» and some coffee? Yes. But it’s a place we have been wanting to try so we went with it.
I’m curious to see how their lunch and dinners taste, but I’m not sure I would rush back to satisfy that curiosity.

Wood paneled corner brunch café with full bar located in outer sunset. Ambiance is great. Location is great. Came here on a wfh Friday since there wasn’t any crazy lines for lunch.
Food: Veggie sandwich $ 14. Fresh bread with hummus stuffed with pickled cabbage that masks any grilled veggies included. Way too expensive for what you get and no sides. It’s definitely on the pricier side for a sandwich I could easily make at home.
$ 4 for 2 fried eggs, $ 2 for bacon and $ 5.50 for side of soup. Sides tastes better and more for your $.
Overall I probably wouldn’t come back unless I was in the area but I would try the beach hut and Java house down the street first.

The most amazing brunch spot! The wait was long, but so worth it. The service was great and fast. The interior and vibe was so well done and beachy chic.
We had the sweet version of the Dutch pancake with strawberries + ricotta and the eggs in jail + avocado. A side of bacon. And two delicious mimosas. Definitely recommend this spot for brunch!

Be prepare to wait and grab a warm jacket. Locating at the outter Sunset, it can get fairly chilly while waiting. Once you have that expectations set, then you’re good. Food was bomb. Ambiance was welcoming with a cute modern vibe. Service was impeccable.
Considering the long wait to be seated, the wait for the food to arrive wasn’t bad at all. In fact, it came out pretty quick. The Mister ordered eggs in jail and I chose the Dutch pancakes (vegetarian). Both were over the top yummilicious. The pancake was sweet sprinkled with fresh strawberries. I fell in love with it as soon as I took my first bite. It was crunchy, yet light and I thoroughly enjoyed every bite. Now that I tried this sweet version (which I LOVE), I don’t know if I dare to try the savory one. Although I didn’t try the eggs in jail, but the Mister thought it hit the spot for him. Everything, including the thick toast, was freshly made. Apparently, they make their own bread there. Egg was perfectly cooked, runny and well seasoned. He also gave two thumbs up for the cup of cappuccino.
I guess we lucked out because I later found out these two items are not served on weekdays. Oh man, what a great place for brunch (you have a choice to sit inside or out). Well, only if you don’t have anything to do, or perhaps meet up with friends while waiting, this is a great place to be. We waited exactly 60 minutes, and yes, definitely worth the wait.

What I like most about this place is that the food is good and there is plenty of parking which is always a struggle in SF. If the wait is long you could go walk to the beach real quick or go to Trouble next door. Be prepared to wait here for an hour or so on a weekend for brunch.
So far I have been here twice; came 1pm on a Saturday and there was still a while of a wait. The other time I came here, one of my friends was able to snag a spot right when they opened so we got seated immediately when I arrived. So when I had to kill time this past weekend, me and my friend went over to Trouble coffee and got a little snack & drink. They called our names when we were wandering elsewhere, and they were very accommodating when we went back to the host stand to see where we stood on the long waitlist.
I like the ambiance of Outerlands; very modern, cozy and has a feel of a cabin or a lodge. The food here is very good also! First time around I got the eggs in jail (MUST get if you haven’t tried anything like it before) and second time I got the savory dutch pancake (bacon, pickled onion and peppercress) and veggie hash (eggs, ginger, sunflower seeds and black garlic). All the dishes I had here so far are really good and light! Good portion sizes for sharing and for the price. They serve alcoholic beverages during brunch also for $ 12 each.
Overall good service, good food and good ambiance. Great for those who already live in the area or planning to visit the beach right after!

Got there at 8:40. They seat a first wave of about 15 people, then they wait a few minutes and then will seat a few more. We actually didn’t get in during the first wave even though we got there 20 minutes early, but we were sat shortly after.
While you’re waiting, get a coffee at trouble coffee.
The menu is short, but what they do have is pretty good. Get the eggs in jail with avocado added to it. The dish has mayo on the plate and it makes it awesome.
I wish I had gotten the savory Dutch pancake because the sweet was just okay.
We got a doughnut with chocolate icing, almonds, and salt. It was goooooood.

Came here for brunch right after Bay to Breakers today. We were a party of 3 and were seated surprisingly quickly considering how many people were waiting.
I ordered the eggs-​in-​jail and a side of the potatoes. This is basically an eggs in a basket with bacon and arugula. The egg was yolky and delicious. And the bread was think and pan fried to perfection. Highly recommend. The potatoes were also delicious, although I wish I had a smaller portion that came with the eggs-​in-​jail or something. Potatoes were crispy and had chile, garlic, and an aioli sauce. Also, portions were smaller than expected. But it was still filling since the food was pretty dense and carb-​y.
Service was good despite the massive amount of people. And our server was nice enough to split the bill for us and not give us a dirty look!
There’s also seating outside, which was nice for a sunny day like today. And there’s a pretty mural on the outside wall of the restaurant (perfect for instagram/​snaps)
Next time, I want to save room to try the different pastries, namely the scone!

3.5 Stars.
I had really high reviews for Outerlands and had attempted twice to visit during weekends. Quoted a 2 hour wait, we refused and finally on our third time, made it back during a weekday.
I should have done more research but they don’t serve their fluffy dutch items on weekdays. What a bummer.
We ended up ordering the Grilled Cheese with a side Salad (+$ 5) and the
Everything was pretty mediocre even though it was served on fluffy, yummy thick toast bread.
The grilled cheese was just ok — the one at Hog Island is far better and tasty. The brisket sandwich was tasty but the brisket was paper-​thin which was weird. Even thinner than bacon. We added a side of mushroom soup (+$ 5.5) which was also pretty bland.
All their lunch entrees are just the single item in itself, so we each had ordered a side for an extra $ 5 – 6 charge, making each of our lunch items $ 20 – 21 each — pretty steep for a sandwich and soup or salad.
For a $ 60 lunch for two, I expected amazingness, especially after driving 40 mins to get here.
I hope to return again to finally try the Dutch Pancake as that seems to really be the only stand-​out item at Outerlands.

It’s a long wait and a long trek. For those reasons alone, Outerlands is probably overhyped, but given all the buzz, I think it’s worth trying once (ideally on a warm day when you can lie out on the beach while you wait).
Every aspect of Outerlands is lovely. Their attention to detail is a little insane. The interior is spacious and airy with a large open kitchen in the middle, and there are lots of pretty rustic details that make Outerlands look more suited for glamping than brunching.
The food is good but not so deliciously differentiated from other top brunch spots in San Francisco. My friend and I ordered the famous eggs-​in-​jail and their sweet Dutch pancake du jour, which happened to be a strawberry + sesame version. While I thought the Dutch pancake was pretty special, I didn’t find the eggs-​in-​jail dish to be very special (it was solid but not especially delicious or unique).
I would come back if 1) I happened to be in the area AND 2) the wait was under 30 minutes, but until then, the brutal brunch wait will probably keep me away.

On my top 5 places to brunch in the city! Can’t believe I’m just writing this review now. Outerlands is a bit out of the way for me but its totally worth the trip. My friend and I got there around 1030am on a Saturday morning and our wait time was about 30 mins. Not bad at all but the later you get there, the longer the wait. I get so excited when they are calling out names and no one is claiming them. haha And once they say your name, YES its our turn!
My last visit we started out with coffee and bloody marys along side a order of their STICKY BUN. so good.!! They have seasonal selections. It’s really delicious! I can eat two of them myself. so soft and fresh.
My friend and I both got their EGGs in Jail. I always get their eggs in jail. Always good. Served with bacon, aioli, raddichio, arugula, balsamic, currants. Love the presentation, it’s unique but I’m starting to also notice some places are starting to follow this trend. But the toast was just perfect blend with the egg. The bacon was perfectly cooked. Good crisps on the bacon.
I love the décor as well. Warm and a little rustic. Good amount of seating and with outdoor seating. Services is always friendly.

Came here for a 2^nd time for breakfast on a Monday morning. I was hoping to get their pistachio matcha donut, but after looking at the menu, I was a little disappointed at their limited selection of pastries and breakfast items for the day.
FOOD:
They offer a limited selection of dished for breakfast, lunch & dinner. They also have a rotating pastry menu on the weekdays. However, on the weekends they have a wider variety aka. their well-​known dishes (Egg in Jail & Dutch pancakes).
Dishes I’ve tried here:
1) Dutch pancake (again rotating flavors) — taste wise, nothing too spectacular except for the way it’s made and looks
2) Corn Benedict — I appreciated the presentation of the plate, but this benedict only came with 1 egg, 1cornbread and taste wise was okay. Not really what I was expecting because all benedicts I’ve had had 2 of everything. And for $ 11, I don’t think it was worth it.
3) Turkish Coffee Orange Scone — this was pretty good, the orange was a great addition and gave the scone a great striking flavor.
SERVICE:
Pretty good service, no complaints!
AMBIANCE:
Love, love, love the outdoor-​sy and modern mix vibe. The architect of the interior is impeccable. I would say this was my favorite part of this restaurant. They have a good amount of indoor seating and some outdoor.
I would come again, but probably on the weekend. I still want to try their matcha pistachio donut!

I liked this place but wouldn’t travel far to go here. The food here is very cute and pretty, ideal for the ‘stagrams — especially with the wooden table and window sill, lighting and whatnot. Not very many options for brunch. We ordered the eggs-​in-​jail, sweet dutch pancake and pistachio donut. The sweet dishes were way too sweet but the dutch pancake texture was really nicely done — light and flakey. Not sure about donuts. I donut like donuts much.
We had to wait a bit, but there’s this little coffee shop a few steps away that has great lattes.

I really have mixed feelings about this place due to the fact that they got the order wrong, my bill wrong and I had to wait almost 2 hours to sit down. We came here at 11 am on Sunday, wait was close to 2 hours.
We finally managed to sit down and it took quite a bit to get our order in. I ordered savory Dutch pancakes with ricotta, the execution on my pancake was excellent. My friend ordered the same thing, however, the kitchen accidentally added ricotta on his. Service was very poor and I get it its probably due to peak hours, but after almost a 2 hour wait the least I can ask for is good service.
If I had to rate the food itself it’d be 4 to 5 stars. Do I think this place is worth the wait? Definitely not, but if you haven’t been you should definitely try it.

pretty small restaurant and the wait is always crazy on the weekend. I was so excited to finally go but I strongly urge you to go within the first hour it opens or something bc we went at 12:30pm (impromptu brunch decision) and we didn’t get seated until almost 2:30pm.
Portions are filling and both the eggs in jail and savory Dutch pancake were delicious. They rotate the fruits of the Dutch pancake because some of the photos had apples or peaches. Ours were fig and raisins I think.
If you’re on the bigger side, I suggest eating outside or something bc the table for two we were seated at made us feel like Giants. I am 5’6 and my bf is 6’0 and our knees were knocking each other under the table (and not the fun kind…) lol
Overall not a the best place for a group but def a place to check out
Tip: there’s a coffee shop up the street to check out while you wait.

Brought the boyfriend this time as we’re big fans of Dutch pancakes. In his view, he didn’t like it as much as the one we get from the Original Pancake House. The pancake isn’t as eggy and a bit too burnt tasting.
What we did end up liking and probably would get again instead of the Dutch pancake is the Eggs-​in-​Jail. The Levain toast was a thick nice chewy toasted sourdough with a hole cut out for the egg. The aioli was a nice touch even though I thought it was just edges of egg! We ended up using it as dipping sauce for the dutch pancake since it was just missing a tart/​sour component. The eggs felt a bit under done as I saw the whites were still clear. This dish felt more well rounded in terms of flavors whereas the dutch pancake still felt lacking in other flavor components.
It took exactly 30 minutes from putting our names down to getting seated at the bar which was more like sitting in front of the area where they make the drinks. We arrived at 1:30pm on Sunday. The food came out fairly quickly. Our water wasn’t refilled until the very end as they gave our bill to us. I feel that since they’re so busy, the service feels cold. They’re like a running machine wanting to serve and just get people in and out. Perhaps other days are better than the weekend, but I just wish their ambiance matched the service.

Une bien jolie découverte au détour d’une promenade à San Francisco côté Ocean !
Et merci Lucie C d’avoir persisté dans la recherché d’Outerlands. Nous avons beaucoup marché avant d’arriver à destination et heureusement, car cela nous a ouvert l’appétit. Après une petite frayeur… Arrivée à 14h30 pour une fermeture à 15h, sans tables dispo… Voila des places qui se libèrent au bar. Nous étions prêtes à découvrir la carte gourmande du lieu !
Ce sera un Dutch Pancake au bacon pour moi avec un supplément avocat et des potatoes sauce aioli. Les quantités étaient largement suffisantes et je me suis régalée. Attention pour le fameux pancake, né vous attendez pas à une crêpe toute plate mais plutôt à une sorte de soufflé vraiment léger. Les amateurs de sucré/​salé aimeront ce plat. Le pancake garde un côté dessert, avec quelques notes de miel qui se marient très bien avec les petits morceaux de bacon. Le mieux est encore d’aller voir la photo que j’ai prise du plat pour vous faire une idée.
Et la bonne surprise: l’addition ! Les prix sont vraiment honnêtes. Nul doute que je reviendrai chez Outerlands lors d’un prochain séjour à SF.

Sans aucun doute mon commerce coup de coeur de cette dernière semaine passée à San Francisco.
Arrivée heureuse mais jetlaged, j’avais envie d’air grand bol d’air, de quitter Financial District où nous allions passer toute la semaine, pour aller voir l’océan. Je commence donc ma petite recherché ici, sur Unilocal SF, et je tombe sur les avis dithyrambiques sur Outerlands.
Banco !
Nous empruntons un bus à Market, qui remonte vers la plage, pendant 45 minutes environ. C’est un peu long mais ça permet de voir du paysage en un minimum de temps, et d’être avec des locaux. Les maisons penchées et pastels défilent sous nos yeux, jusqu’au terminus sur Ocean Beach.
Dépaysement total: immense plage, grand soleil, grand air iodé. Destination idéale pour en finir avec le jetlag.
Il faut longer la plage, marcher 20 bonnes minutes dans des rues, désertées ce jour-​là, pour arriver enfin à Outerlands ! Il n’y a pas grand chose autour, et nous sommes complètement affamées. Le resto ferme à 15h, il est 14h30 quand nous arrivons, et la gérante nous fait comprendre qu’il y a une liste d’attente, que ça va être compliqué… Armées de nos plus beaux airs de Caliméro et d’un accent franchement français, ça passé tout juste pour nous, et on nous installe finalement au bar.
L’endroit m’a fait penser à certains coffee shops /​restos australiens, c’est soigné, mais ultra cool en même temps. Le travail sur la déco est impressionnant: du bois partout, découpé comme des vagues, mais le tout reste assez sobre. J’aime beaucoup.
On passé finalement commande: je prends le «blt» à 13 $: salade, sandwich toasté avec des «sunny side eggs», bacon, aioli, et de l’avocat et quelques pommes de terres en supplément. L’eau plate ou pétillante est gratuite.
C’est exactement ce qu’il me faut à cet instant. C’est bon, pas TROP copieux (on évite de gâcher contrairement à beaucoup de restos aux US) et c’est frais. Il y a aussi beaucoup de pastries maison, un bon choix de craft beers, et tout est fait sur place.
L’addition est hyper correcte et le staff très serviable, nous avons demandé conseil au barman sur un endroit où aller prendre une glacé ensuite, il était juste adorable !
En résumé, une bien jolie adresse, loin du tumulte du centre d’SF, bien locale !