Plow

I wouldn’ve given Plow 5 stars if not for the fact that we waited almost an hour for a table for 2… on a weekday! But we had a nice time walking around Potrero Hill while waiting (it was a warm day) and the food was phenomenal. The lemon ricotta pancakes are Plow’s star dish, and they were indeed delicious (almost like a very light cheesecake in pancake form). But the breakfast sandwich with avocado was so surprisingly perfect and flavorful and it was the thing I want to eat every day for the rest of my life. Also good: The two slow scrambled eggs and the iced chai latte. Service was friendly and fast once we were seated, and the atmosphere both inside and out (on a nice day, anyway) is lovely. I’d love to come back, but the wait is just too long!

My husband loves this place. He always gets the lemon ricotta pancakes.
I love the chia pudding and the Hong Kong toast.
The service is a little slow on the weekends but they get pretty busy so it is understandable.

Okay, I understand all that hype about the lemon ricotta pancake but seriously, waiting hours just for that? I certainly have more important things to do in life.
I went in on a Friday morning before I go to work assuming that things will move fast and boy, was I wrong. I sat at the bar, ordered the plow with beacon and found out that they don’t have beacon. Uhm…, so you don’t have the most consumed product in your menu at 9am? Well, then I went ahead with the chicken sausage per their recommendations and it took exactly 45 minutes for me to get my food. If on a normal Friday morning things are moving that slowly, I can’t imagine how it’d be like on a weekend.
So to sum up, lemon ricotta pancakes were awesome. Scrambled eggs were fluffy and pretty good. Sausage and plow potatoes failed. Wait is frustrating. Prices are right.

With my Unilocal bookmarks on the rise due to Ben F.‘s food pictures, I knew I wanted to knock a few off during the Memorial Day weekend. After a quick stop at Neighbor Bakehouse beforehand, we headed over to Plow. We arrived about 10 minutes before opening to already a long line so still had to wait an additional 40 min after opening to secure a table. We were flexible with either inside or outside tables to cut the wait time so I was a bit confused when two parties of 2 after us in line got seated inside before us.
We got one of the outside tables that they start opening up at 8:30 and although it was a bit chilly, they provide blankets to keep you warm or to use as a backrest if you happen to be leaning back on an incline. Per Ben’s recommendation, we knew we had to get the Plow and if I did not just buy 7 pastries from Neighbor, we would have both gotten the Plow. Lemon ricotta pancakes, potatoes, pork sausage and two eggs anyway you like (we like poached), it is brunch heaven on a plate. For our second order, we decided to go for a full order of lemon ricotta pancakes with blueberry compote and Vermont maple syrup. If you order just pancakes, they are larger and thicker than the ones that comes with the Plow and comes with an order of 3. At first bite, it tastes fluffy and light but as time goes by, you realize it is also decadent because of the ricotta with the hint of lemon lending a brightness to it.
If I lived in the city and could get here even earlier without having to get up at 6AM, you would see me here more often so if this is Ben’s way of getting us to move to SF, it may just be working! Seriously though, although it is not foreign to me to wait in line for good food my limit would still be an hour. However, if you don’t mind waiting longer, I suggest swinging by Neighbor Bakehouse beforehand and get a pastry to stave off your hunger while you watch all the good food paraded past you while you wait.

If it’s a Sunday, GO EARLY!
My parents and I arrived 30 minutes before doors opened and there was already a line of 8 people! By 759AM, there were more than 2 dozen people in line! That’s crazy for a Sunday morning. As soon as the doors opened at 8AM, we were greeted and went straight to the counter. (We always enjoy sitting at the counter to watch the chefs. The chefs get into a rhythm which is a joy to watch. Each station is so different and they’re masters of it!!)
As for the food, it was above average. To be honest, in the past the food was a bit better. Whenever we go, at least one of us with get The Plow which is amaaaaazing. (It comes with two eggs, two pancakes, your choice of house-​made pork sausage, bacon, or chicken sausage, and Plow potatoes.) This time we got The Plow and it was just okay. The potatoes weren’t really seasoned, the pancakes were gummy and the eggs were over-​easy when I requested for sunny-​side up. The best part of the meal was the house-​made pork sausage. It had some spiciness to it, which was great. My mom ordered the Smoked Trout Salad and my dad ordered the Corned Beef Hash and Eggs. My mom’s salad was lightly dressed with a vinaigrette, large chunks of smoked trout, avocado, and a poached egg on the side. It was tasty. My dad’s corned beef hash was decent. We’ve had better at Sally’s Dinner on the corner of 16^th and De Haro. Both are homemade, but the one from Sally’s has a better texture. The one from Plow was crunchy where it was hard and not as flavorful as the one from Sally’s.
The service was great as always. They’re personable and attentive to the customers. Every so often we catch a glance of them checking their phones and chatting, but it feels like a norm in the restaurant industry. Whenever we needed their attention, they gave us their undivided attention which is what matters anyway.

One word: Overrated. The hype is disproportionate all around. This is a trendy, healthy spin on continental breakfast. Yes the food is good, but that’s a standard met across the city. The food is not unique in concept nor content and the long lines you’ll encounter after 8 am, moody staff, and pricy extras you need to buy to have a full meal make it overrated.
Following up on that, my most recent experience here was terrible. My boyfriend was leaving for an extended trip and we decided to come at 7 am. We were friendly and yet from the start the waitress was quite rude. She actively glared at us, while smiling and laughing with their customers, went out of her way to not serve us unless we gesticulated wildly, and rushed us out before we even finished our food.

Checked in on May 31^st, 2016.
First time to San Francisco, searched on Unilocal for breakfast place and found Plow. Very impressed!
Rating:
1) Food — ⁵⁄₅
2) Service — ⁵⁄₅
3) Ambiance — ⁴⁄₅
We ordered:
1) The Plow: was very good. It was a big order, can easily be shared between 2 people with big appetite, or 3 people with small appetite. Comes with 2 eggs, choice of sausage (we took Apple chicken), potatoes and 2 lemon ricotta pancakes. The pancakes were my favorite. Everything else was good and perfectly cooked.
2) Mochi: was excellent.
3) Cold brewed Iced coffee: did not care much for it.
Service was efficient and timely. I have taken off one star due to the cramped setup. I would like to see them move to a larger location with more space between 2 tables.

5 stars for seating my party within 5 minutes of our arrival (with no reservation) for brunch on Memorial Day.
Also one of the best brunches I’ve had — everything is organic! + excellent service

Came here on a Saturday around noon, the wait was 1.5 hours for a party of 2. We put our names down and walked around the neighborhood to kill time (many, many hills beware). Walked back a little early, there were still a lot of people waiting outside. There are a few benches to sit on while you wait, so you wouldn’t have to stand the entire time (they also serve you drinks and mimosas)! I think they still seat you after 2pm (when they close) as long as you put your name down ahead of time.
We got:
The Plow $ 17
— breakfast platter w/​eggs, sausage, potatoes, french toast (substitute for the lemon pancakes w/​an extra charge), the potatoes were SO GOOD. Perfect amount of crunch, everything else was also tasty
Chia seed pudding $ 10
— pretty interesting, it was my first time trying chia pudding. Wasn’t too sweet which I really enjoyed the fruit toppings were a little sour (apricots + peach)
Side of bacon $ 5
— basic bacon craving satisfied
The price is a little high for brunch + the wait is terrible but overall a pretty good experience. Service was good, the guy who sat us was very welcoming. Would come back again!

So this is my first time in San Fransisco & I must say the food is amazing; just off this one brunch spot alone!
So yes, there was a long wait (about an hour); but well worth it!
*Suggestion: go with a group & divide & conquer regarding waiting to be seated. We split up in 2 groups & wandered to the nearby bookstore & swapped off in 30 min increments to wait in line.
Anyways, the ascetics of the place is so San Fran! Cool vibes, natural lighting, nice people, good drink options, a little hipster energy!
I ordered the Plow & subsisted the pancakes for French toast, for a small fee. The potatoes were hardy & crisp & the overall meal itself was bomb! We also got the small fruit plate which was sooo tasty & fresh; it came with peaches, mango, plum, & some other exotic fruits.
I’d definitely recommend this place, just brace yourself for the wait!

Damn you, lemon ricotta pancakes.
I was quoted a 2.5 hour wait. Unfortunately there didn’t seem to be too much else in the area to explore, so my friends and I went to 2 other brunch places, put our names in, and after calling back to Plow to check in 2 hours later, were told we were the next large party to be seated, so come back. Slightly misleading, because when we got there we waited another 30 minutes — this place is TINY, with 6 – 7 tables and some bar seating. At least their wait time guess was accurate?
I got «the plow» which was 2 eggs, potatoes, choice of sausage or bacon, and the lemon ricotta pancakes (2 small ones compared to the 3 larger ones that come as an entrée). Were the pancakes good? Yes. Was the wait worth it? No food is worth 3 hours.
Do yourself a favor and do breakfast instead of brunch.

Finally got to eat here!
We avoided the ridic long wait by coming on a weekday around 12:30. We were told the wait was 20 minutes and were seated at a communal table in about 15 min.
Food was AMAZING! I don’t know if I would wait any longer than 45 min for a meal in SF but this place blows many hyped brunch places out of the water in terms of quality and deliciousness (*cough cough* Zazie).
I ordered the Plow since I don’t know when I’ll be here again and it’s got a little bit of everything. I was disappointed that they didn’t have any of their biscuits (though at $ 4 each, that was probably a good thing). The best thing on the plate BY FAR were the potatoes. Breakfast potatoes can go so wrong and these were perfectly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Pale, limp potatoes are such a travesty and Plow has mastered the art of frying/​baking this humble vegetable.
Second best thing were those lemon ricotta pancakes — sooooo good! Flavorful and lite. You don’t really need the maple syrup at all on them!
Scrambled eggs and bacon were above average and quality was there. Entire plate was $ 17 which I thought was fair given the quality of ingredients and the portion size.
Would love to say «I’ll be back» but the wait times are just silly so I probably won’t be back again unless it’s another random time on a weekday.

Finally got my seat at plow this passed Saturday. Been waiting to come here for awhile. The week before I got to plow at 11:30am and it was a 2.5 hour wait for a party of 3. We couldn’t wait because we were hungry. Came back this Saturday at 10:30am and it was 1.5 — 2 hour wait for a party of 2. WOW!!! I know, the wait is crazy long. Instead of just waiting outside, my friend and I decided to get coffee 2 blocks away to kill time. Also you can order coffee, drinks and baked goods from Plow as you wait for your table.
It was slightly over 1.5 hour wait and got a seat at the counter. We ordered **Equator coffee $ 3.75. Unlimited refills. We started with their **Hong Kong style toast buttered brioche + sweetened condensed milk. I was super excited because its been forever since I had condensed milk. The brioche we had was super dry. Was a bit disappointed with that. We had one piece and let the milk soak in to soften up the brioche. My friend had their famous **“The Plow”. Comes with everything, two eggs, choice of protein, 2 lemon ricotta pancakes + plow potatoes. She got the house made pork sausage patties. I thought it was super yummy. I got to try everything she had. I really like their triple fried plow potatoes. Must have! I got their special **Cornbeef hash on poached eggs. I really like it. Wasn’t too heavy. This dish is smaller in portion size but I thought it was perfect for me.
Not my favorite in the city but it has became my TOP 5 BRUNCH in SF. Service was good, staff was friendly, especially the chefs.

Solid, but why is there ALWAYS a wait? I’m a huge fan of the lemon ricotta pancakes and their crispy potatoes, but I’m not a big enough fan that I’d wait an hour+ on a given day. I guess if you’re down to wait, there are several coffee shops you can meander to and then catch up with friends while waiting outside. Whenever I drive by on early weekend mornings, there’s always people with books reading outside — they were prepared to wait! Parking is not a problem — you’re bound to find something around the block or so, but be careful not to leave anything out in open view, since I’ve heard of lots of people getting their cars broken into.

For those of you looking for quite possibly the best brunch on earth, well this is it. You’ll hear a lot about the long lines that surround this place but, be patient and wait it out because it’s very much worth it. I’m by no means a regular at Plow but, have been here many times before and have never been disappointed.
Much like the other reviews I’ve read of this place, there is only one rule. Make sure someone in your party orders the infamous «Plow». Usually that’s me. :) There are also other amazing options like: the egg sandwich, and the unmissable biscuit and butter. Man, I’m drooling again right now. It’s perfection in brunch. The most serious of elegance and comfort food, and just the best.
«The Plow» consists of the following (these are ranked in order of my favs):
1. Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
2. Rosemary Potatoes
3. Pork Sausage
4. Two eggs (any style you want)
The service is top notch, the owners are amazingly friendly and it feels like what it’s supposed to be… a friendly neighborhood joint. So I say, bravo, bravo, bravo Plow for being the brunch of a lifetime.

The plow at the plow.
No matter how early you go, the wait is at least an hour. I came with a couple friends at 9:30am on a Saturday, and we weren’t seated until 10:30am. Half the times I’ve waited before for brunch doesn’t take that much time, but the brunch game in SF is always on point. Service here was efficient and welcoming, and street parking is everywhere.
TIP: Drop your friends off to get a spot on the waitlist while you find parking.
All 3 of us ordered the Plow, and I also ordered a grapefruit mimosa along with my meal.
The Plow (two eggs, two lemon ricotta pancakes, crispy potatoes, and side of either bacon or sausages) was delicious. How did the potatoes stay so crispy the whole time, I will never know. They were well seasoned too. I expected the pancakes to be the highlight piece on my plate, as I’ve had them before. Sadly, these pancakes weren’t as good as I remembered when I came here last. Yes, the sweet lemon and honey taste was there, but the flavors just wasn’t as packed this time around. The grapefruit mimosa was alright. Nothing too special and isn’t worth $ 10.5 a glass. I’d rather go to Radish for their unlimited grapefruit mimosas ($ 15/​person).
I’d come back just for the pancakes.

I enjoyed yet another brunch adventure with Nina Y. even though she had been here before. We waited for about 45 minutes in the freezing cold weather. For some reason I never seem to check the weather before I head to brunch in my maxi dress… #BRUNCH.
We were seated at the countertop facing the chefs. It’s always fun to see them prepare each meal. I like that the menu is short and simple. For such a small place, patrons needs to make quick decisions! We ended up sharing the Lemon Ricotta Pancakes and the Scrambled Eggs. Both tasted very light and healthy. Would recommend. The service was also wonderful.
Overall I felt like we spent longer waiting in line than actually eating and sipping our coffee, but it’s definitely worth coming here to get a taste of those pancakes!

I came for brunch and stayed for Kanye.
If you want to feel pumped up and ready to party while you enjoy your delicious brunch, Plow is definitely the place to be in the city.
The restaurant is small, but the vibe is ‘popping’ as the staff is all super friendly and fun and the music blasting through the restaurant will get you grooving in your seat (or up and about the restaurant if you’re brave enough).
I was in the mood for a bit of everything that day, so I decided to order the restaurant’s namesake, The Plow, which is an all in one dish that consists of two eggs served in any style, two lemon ricotta pancakes, crispy potatoes, and a choice of pork, bacon, or chicken apple sausage. I asked for my eggs poached and I substituted a salad for the meat options.
The eggs were perfectly poached, but had no seasoning to them otherwise, and the salad was fresh and crispy, but again, bland. The standouts of the dish were the crispy potatoes and the lemon ricotta pancakes. The potatoes were so expertly seasoned and full of flavor — they could quite easily be some of the best potatoes I’ve ever had. And those lemon ricotta pancakes were out of this world! The lemon is very present in the pancakes and is balanced nicely by the ricotta, and the syrup with the pancakes added a nice sweetness that wasn’t overbearing. The pancakes were light and fluffy and don’t sit heavy in your stomach. I’ll definitely be coming back for those pancakes!
Something to keep in mind: Plow is one of the most popular brunch restaurants in SF, so expect a long wait time (at least 1.5 hours) on the weekend. However, if you’re a brunch queen like me who’s trying to catch ‘em all, you are an expert on surviving the brunch hunger pains and boredom of long wait times, and having to wait no longer affects you.
If you are not on a brunch quest like I am and you are willing to endure the long wait, bring a friend to keep you company, eat something light beforehand, and try to come as close to opening hours as you can, and you’ll be brunching down in no time.
There is a lovely café across the street called Farley’s that has plenty of indoor and outdoor seating and serves tea and light pastries where you can keep yourself from starving as you wait to be called. In general, the neighborhood where The Plow is located is really lovely and has a stunning view of the city skyline, so even if the wait is long, the environment is inviting.
I’m putting The Plow on my list of brunch places to return to, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an exciting brunch spot!

About as warm and friendly of a neighborhood restaurant as you could ask for. We were lucky enough to be the last 3 seated (at the kitchen counter, highly recommended) for a Saturday breakfast once it opened up at 8. We shared two Plows (with delectable twice fried potatoes & lemon ricotta pancakes that are quite different, in a good way, than the ones at MyMy in Nob Hill) and a Gruyère Prosciutto plate (with an Instagram/​porn-​worthy garlic chili egg running overtop of the open-​faced toast — WOW) and were treated warmly and with care from the moment we walked in the front door.
We ordered a cinnamon bun, which came out hot and fresh towards the end of the meal, and was simply orgasmic. The orange zest that’s baked in is an incredibly palatable yet subtle addition to the already-​near-​perfect bun.
Maxine, the owner, is one of the nicest people I’ve met in the industry of late, and I really appreciated her talking to us for quite some time during our meal and sharing stories with us. The chefs were hard working and communicated well to knock out ticket after ticket during the morning rush — they were fun to watch! Our service was outstanding throughout the meal. Can’t wait to dine again in the friendly confines of Plow. It’s worth the trip to Potrero in and of itself!

My favorite underrated brunch place in SF! I feel like there isn’t enough hype around Plow, but there is still always a wait. The wait on weekends can be about an hour; I came on my own on a weekday this time and had to wait ~20 minutes.
I had the dungeness crab scramble a while ago and remember loving it. I was really looking forward to getting more of it this recent time but it wasn’t on the menu anymore, so I tried a couple new things instead.
1) Buttermilk biscuit with honey butter (⁵⁄₅) — AMAZING. The biscuit is large, golden brown on the edges, and fluffy inside. The honey butter is essentially butter mixed lightly with honey, but the balance of the creamy saltiness of butter with the sweet was so good.
2) The plow — Combination plate that allowed me to try a lot of different components. Crispy potatoes (⁵⁄₅) — YES, so crispy on the outside, really well seasoned, but still buttery on the inside. Two overeasy eggs (⁴⁄₅) — no complaints on the eggs themselves, wish they could have salted it a bit more though. House-​made pork sausage (⁵⁄₅) — really flavorful, it tasted like they mixed in little pieces of onions and herbs into it. Lemon ricotta pancakes (⁴⁄₅) — actually not quite what I expected, for all that I hear about these pancakes, I was a little disappointed. The pancakes tasted really good, with just a hint of lemon that wasn’t overpowering. However, because of the ricotta, the texture of the pancakes is a lot more dense, and I prefer my pancakes fluffier and airy.
A bit out of the way over in Potrero, but the trek is worth it!

Superbe endroit pour bruncher à l’américaine ! Attention il faut venir tôt le week-​end si vous voulez avoir une table. Nous sommes arrivés à 10h et avons eu une table pour 4 vers 10h45. Le Plow brunch est composé de 2 pancakes (les meilleurs de tous au citron), du bacon et des oeufs (brouillés, pochés ou sur le plat) + café à volonté. Le jus d’orange est pas le meilleur de tous en revanche. J’y retournerai pour essayer autre chose et peut être en semaine pour être plus tranquille.

The best brunch in SF! Sin duda volvería a repetir: no solo por la carta, que además la cambian cada mes, sino por el servicio. No te puedes perder la visita. Fui varias veces y siempre toca esperar, pero merece la pena. Cuando llegues, entra y que te apunten en la lista (normalmente en SF siempre funcionan igual). Además, para mi fue la excusa para descubrir el neighbourhood… I love it!