Universal Cafe

A solid 4 star brunch spot. The egg items on the menu are done very well. Portion sizes are good and flavors great. I wish they had a side of potatoes which I usually order at brunch. The poached eggs on green garlic and potato cake was fantastic.
We went at 11:00 am and didn’t have to wait at all.

Universal Café has quickly become one of my favorite go to brunch spots. It’s such a charming little place in a great location that isn’t overrun with traffic (and parking is generally easy even on Sunday!)
As a (mostly) vegetarian I am always able to find multiple options on the menu and each of them has been equally tasty. There’s also a dangerously delicious selection of breakfast pastry!
There is often a wait to get in (people love a good thing) but I’ve actually gotten to know the manager Matt from putting my name down week after week and he’s always very personable and friendly and will take your drink order for you to have while you wait.
All in all Universal is a tasty place that functions like a well oiled machine despite the seemingly non-​stop line of customers. Would recommend!

What a delicious experience! Probably the best breakfast/​brunch I have ever had! There was a bit of a wait but it was OK because they had free (and really good) coffee available to sip on while you wait for your table (inside on the table to the left). We decided to sit outside because the weather was gorgeous (duh it’s San Fran).
The server was super nice and explained everything on the menu and gave us his recommendations. I went with the Scrambled eggs with spinach, heirloom tomato, and feta cheese. Oh my goodness… it was so freakin’ delicious! The eggs were cooked perfectly and had a lemony taste which was so different I have never tried that before but it was just so unique and yummy. The salad on the side seemed weird at first because I don’t normally eat salad for breakfast but wow… it complemented the dish so well.
Everything came together perfectly. The toast on the side was also yummy, not toasted too much but just right and it helped clean my palate between bites. I was also able to try all of my friend’s plates and everything tasted amazing, everyone was beyond satisfied.
If you are ever in San Fran, you must come here for brunch!

This place deserves a standing ovation for how brilliantly it serves a twist on some fav brunch items.
1) blood orange mimosa. Changed mimosas forever
2) fresh fruit shake — pricey but outstanding!
3) French toast — the consistency and the saucy– Chantilly compliment so well
4) the flatiron steak was by far my favorite and I’d just go back for dinner and have that as a main. The accompaniment with it (frites) was tasty as well
5) the service is friendly and very accommodating.

I called today to make a reservation for a late lunch. The woman picking up the phone was extremely rued. She barked «we don’t take reservation for lunch!» and hung up on me without another word.
Stay away from Universal Café if you want a friendly staff.
Christian

Local brunch spot tucked away in between two Mission homes.
Tip #1: To all you weekend warriors, go after 12:45pm to avoid waiting 30 minutes.
To all you weekday warriors, wait won’t be more than 15 minutes.
Tip #2: Order the toasted banana bread with home made whipped cream. Who’d ever thought that slicing a banana bread at 1.75 inches and lightly toasting it would make that much of a difference. GENIUS
Tip #3: To all you health nuts: there’s a detox bowl that they top with an avocado cream that’s to die for. and a fresh fruit shake with cinnamon and carob chips.
To those looking for an untraditional brunch dish: order the lentil-​chickpea dhal w/​aloo fritters topped w/​chermoula and yogurt. The fritters are lightly fried and infused with lemon zest and garlic, while the dhal is reduced with just the right amount of onions and seasoning.
Tip #4: If the wait is too long, walk on over to Heath Ceramics and gawk at the awe-​inspiring aesthetics of their handicrafts.
Happy SF brunchin’ yall.

TL;DR — Amazing food AND sensational customer service? Uhm, I’ve found my new Saturday morning brunch spot!
Universal is a very unassuming little shop from the outside, but charming and modern on the inside. Note: this place is packed on the weekends (but then again, where is it not when you’re in the mission?) so be prepared for a wait!
Ok, but the reason for 5 whole stars is because the service here blew me away. He ordered the poached egg dish and because I’m a girl who loves sweets for breakfast, I got the french toast. To tide us over until the dishes came, we ordered a macchiato and a cappuccino. Both drinks were tasty and I seriously dug the fact that none of the silverware matched (haha, call me weird).
Anywho, food arrives and I was really impressed by how well plated everything was. The eggs were super tasty and so was the hash. However, I was not a fan of the french toast. Maybe it was just the way it was cooked but the inside was a bit too mushy for me and it seemed kinda one note as there was only a little bit of fruit drizzle to contrast all the bread-​y sweetness. I didn’t want to say anything because it was obviously my fault for ordering the wrong thing (it seems like the toast here is a big hit though) and it seemed like everyone else had ordered something savoury.
The manager came to give us the check and saw that my plate was pretty much untouched and asked if I wanted a box, I said no and when he found out that I wasn’t the biggest fan of the toast, he didn’t hesitate to replace it with a different dish. That is amazing customer service! I ended up getting the Croque Monsieur; which our waiter confirmed to be a popular choice. Omg yes. Get the Croque. It is amazing and pretty much changed how I order brunch now.
We left feeling so delighted and of course, left a hefty tip in appreciation.
Thanks Universal Café! I can definitely see myself being a «regular» here.

Great food, great service from friendly people, awesome for families, especially early on a Sunday.
Get the banana bread to start or the beignets. Then the English muffin!
Pro Tip: Go inside and grab coffee while you wait out front for your table.

A breathe of fresh air!
We were greeted by Matt during week day brunch.
He was accomodating and friendly. It really set the tone for our dinning experience. The food came out quick and hot. It exceeded my expectations ~ pure mouth orgasms. Our server Asta was on top of it and you can tell there are repeat regulars. Such a warm atmosphere.
Definitely a new favorite spot. Looking forward to try dinner!

This is my second check in. Both times for brunch. I have yet to experience a dinner here. On a personal note, the creations amazing.
Each time we came here, this tiny café that had a «waiting line. » I asked to see a dinner menu while we were waiting. It was then explained that their dinner menu changes daily, and is posted at 5:30 PM.
Today, New years day we only waited about 20 minutes. It was well worth the wait.
One suggestion is to add shades to the front windows to minimize the GLARING sunlight. Otherwise, if you’re looking for another spin on brunch, I believe you will enjoy your experience.

I’ve loved this place for years, since an old coworker insisted on us coming for, what she called, «kick ass French toast». She was absolutely right, it was amazing! Since then, I’ve been dying to come back with my manfriend, and lucky for me, they’re open on a Monday for the holiday season! Their menu changes quite often, so unfortunately, the French toast I’ve been longing for was not on there; however, everything else sounds just as appetizing. We ordered the eggnog French toast and the sourdough muffin with egg, cheddar, avocado and bacon (egg mcmuffin) served with fresh mixed greens, a fresh scone and coffee. There’s a party in my mouth and everyone is invited! Soooooo satisfied and happy that the hype I’ve been giving this place lived up to it.

A renowned brunch spot!
The wait can get long so plan accordingly.
Feel free to sip on some coffee while waiting and add it to your tab later.
I recommend:*
1. House-​made ginger lemonade
2. Soft scrambled eggs
3. Bacon (sides)
4. French toast, especially if you’re planning to drink coffee.
*Their menu is subject to change.
They also have brunch on Mondays now from 10:00am-2:00pm!

This busy eating house serves good food. We had the the common Sunday wait which is typical of any place doing good things!
The fun of the place is that the menu does consistently changes… the signature dishes of course do remain.
So amongst the food we enjoyed included the Fresh Fruit Shake… it had a delightful flavour and so smooth where the banana and strawberries blended well. The local fruit plate was fresh, and the fruits were all juicy and just right for consumption. Often this is not the case when there is at least one fruit on the plate which really should not have been served however this is certainly not the case here!
The fried eggs and heritage pork were amazing … and the polenta dish was the pick of the day.
A good experience and look forward to coming back as the food will be good and there will be a few surprises on the daily menu.

Ricotta toast — 4 stars
Fried egg on homemade sourdough muffin — 3.5 stars
Orange juice — 4 stars
Salad of the day (butter lettuce) — 2.5 stars
Would get the toast again for sure. Next time would like to try the burger or French toast.

I came here for brunch on a Saturday to celebrate a friend’s birthday. We didn’t have to wait too long once our whole party was there, maybe around 20 minutes.
Looking at the menu, I was a little conflicted about what to order. The price point is higher than normal, and looking at the pictures, all I saw was french toast (I can’t eat french toast for breakfast… too much) and soft scrambled eggs (don’t wanna pay $ 14 for something I can make at home, lol). I ended up with the fried eggs, heritage pork belly with pineapple hot sauce, and a crispy brown rice salad with lemongrass. When the food came I was disappointed with the size of the dish. For close to $ 17, you would expect more than 1 slice of pork belly… Unfortunately, that was not the case. The pork belly was okay, not as tender as I like, but it was very flavorful. I enjoyed the pineapple hot sauce drizzled on top (wish there was more!!). The crispy brown rice thingies (not sure what to call them) were something different and I enjoyed these as well! They had the lemongrass flavor infused in them and were crispy on the outside, and had brown rice on the inside. The salad that came with the dish was way overdressed and too oily for my liking.
My friends ordered the spicy sausage sandwich and the pumpkin french toast. The spicy sausage sandwich was kinda funny because it was literally a sausage in between 2 pieces of bread. Why didn’t they cut the sausage in half to spread the meat within the sandwich, so you’re not just getting bites of bread? Lol! I tried a bit of the french toast and it was okay. My friends said it kinda tasted like a holiday french toast, sort of a mix of Thanksgiving and Christmas, which was spot on.
Overall this was an okay brunch place. The prices are too high for me just for mediocre food and small portions… I probably won’t be back.

Came here for weekend brunch. Great décor with chalkboard menus and stainless steel accents. Interesting menu printed daily to honor whatever occasion was happening that day (Olivia Newton-John’s birthday on the day we went). Outdoor seating is in the sun, and indoor seating was slightly loud as it sounded like there was constantly some sort of grinder in use in the kitchen. Not sure what that was, but I don’t think there was construction happening in the neighborhood. As for the food, the pork was well cooked with a unique side of crispy rice balls and fresh salad. We also had the pumpkin french toast, which was delightfully crispy and fluffy. I would come here again!

Although the food is very good, I think it’s a bit overpriced.
IMO, the pros are:
–very good coffee! strong, dark roast, full-​bodied, and you can serve yourself at the counter.
–food was good.
–nice outdoor seating underneath a canopy
cons:
–the wait times can be very long
–while waiting, there is no shade outside the café and no place to wait inside. I saw many people walk across the street to stand under the shade tree over there.
–overpriced. $ 117 total for 3 of us, and we only ordered 1 round of drinks and entrees. No appetizers or dessert.

After the first two times of visiting Universal Café for brunch, I’ve just felt meh towards the food. The third time, I had French Toast, which was incredible and way above and beyond normal French Toast (even fancy San Francisco French Toast). On one hand, I feel like French toast is pretty easy to make amazingly delicious. On the other, it still makes me really want to go back to Universal.
It’s a bit expensive. For the more popular weekend brunch times, you have to get your name on their list, but there are a few coffee places nearby if you dare.
I have mixed feelings about eating outside. It’s less stuffy than inside, but when I’ve gone on sunny days, I’ve been stuck at tables that didn’t get enough shade from the awning, which was really uncomfortable and kind of ruined the experience.

I love that they serve brunch here on weekdays! It is a slightly limited menu compared to the weekend, but everything is still top notch and it’s totally worth not having a wait. Please see my photos for extra info/​details!
THE WAIT: None for two at 1:15pm on a Wednesday. The lunch rush was dying down and there were several tables open. It was a nice, quiet meal.
THE SERVICE: Great, no complaints here!
COST: $ 42 total, including tip, for two brunch entrees.
* English sourdough muffin; fried egg, heritage pulled pork, pimento cheese, cheddar, $ 14.50 — 4 stars
Definitely a heavier dish, but the pulled pork is soaked in a wonderful savory sauce and is delicious. Of course, the runny yolk makes it even better.
* Soft scrambled eggs w/​cherry tomatoes, summer squash & basil pesto, toast, lettuces, $ 13 — 4 stars
Incredibly fluffy soft eggs. If you like eggs, you’ll love this. Relatively light compared to the pulled pork, a very well balanced dish. The greens are lightly dressed and very simple.

What? I don’t have to wait an hour for brunch on a weekend? Is it my lucky day? Is this real life?
Universal Café has been on my bookmarks for a couple of years. I finally got the chance to give this place a try for brunch last Saturday. My friend and I arrived at about 11am on a Saturday and literally waited about 15 minutes before we were seated. Yessssss!
After considering all the appetizing options on the menu, I ordered the panko crusted portabello mushroom stuffed with oozing munster cheese and my friend ordered pork shoulder with corned bread, baked beans, and egg. We also decided to share the beinets which weren’t overly sweet. I was pleasantly surprised. My sancwich was delicious and came with a side salad with very tasty dressing. The sandwich looked and resembled the portabello mushroom burger from Shake Shack which I’ve actually been craving since the nearest Shake Shack to me is now in Vegas. I liked it so much I would go back and order the same thing.
The prices were fair and the service was great. Definitely a go to spot for brunch.

There’s something very hipster-​glamorous about this place. It’s always packed but my friend and I somehow got in immediately at 10:30 on a Sunday. Maybe because we sat at the counter?
Service is incredibly friendly. We got our blood-​orange mimosas almost immediately and, wow, delicious! The server convinced us this was the «healthier» choice too… haha… healthy mimosas. If only.
We shared the French toast with rhubarb compote, a side of bacon, and a fruit platter. It’s an open kitchen so you can see all the chefs making food in front of you. We spent about $ 50 for the entire meal and it was a little pricey but well worth it.
The environment is very pretty and inviting. We spent maybe an hour slowly eating and chatting and there was no real pressure to get in and out. Though I’m sure the wait would have been longer, next time I’ll sit outside on the patio and enjoy SF and all its beauty.
Street parking!

Et encore un avis 5 étoiles à SF. Définitivement cette ville se fait une petite place bien chaude dans mon coeur et dans mon… estomac. Poésie bonjour.
Universal café est un peu plus européen qu’universel pour être tout à fait juste. La cuisine a des notes italiennes, françaises, avec cette petite touché américaine (la peach pie reste quand même deep fried hein, il né faudrait pas non plus que le tout reste trop sain).
Le flatbread aux courgettes et au fromage était une tuerie, la salade de nectarine et de figue fraîche aux noix caramélisées aussi. Et ma fameuse peach pie ou le granité de rhubarbe de ma voisine étaient eux aussi sensass’ (mot qui mérite d’être remis à l’ordre du jour).
Le tout est un peu cher mais l’expérience en vaut la peine. Le décor simple, rustique mais sophistiqué, et le fait que le petit café soit caché dans une petite rue isolée lui donnent un charme infini.

Decent brunch, but a bit pricey considering the quality.