It's all about the creole and the grits. Ordered a beignet sampler. Our favorites were the savory beignets and the apple beignets. The jar of jam at the table was tasty over their fresh baked English muffins. I ordered the shrimp and grits... very flavorful and easy to eat. My guest ordered the fried oysters omelet. It was good too, but a little on the dry side for me. Overall, I really like this place and their chicory flavored coffee reminds me of Cafe du Monte. The ambiance is nice with bright sky lights. They do not serve fresh squeezed orange juice, like they used to years ago when I went. Service was good and quick. We arrived early so didn't have to wait. On weekends, there's always a line outside. The neighborhood is sketchy, but it's getting better. That's why this place is a lunch/breakfast place. I highly recommend you try this place if you haven't. This one is definitely not over hyped like the other restaurant we tried yesterday.
(4)
Katie P.
I've never been to a French soul food restaurant, so I wasn't quite sure to expect. But wow, was I blown away! This place is awesome! There were so many delicious-sounding items on the menu that it was really hard to choose what to order. We had the crawfish beignets for an appetizer. I'm usually not one for anything seafood, but these were just the right amount of spicy and tasty. For my meal I had the beans and rice with fried chicken and a biscuit as sides. The portions were large and everything was delicious. The server was friendly and helpful. The streets outside of the restaurant were a little sketchy, but I guess that's to be expected in this area.
(5)
Angel S.
We had the specials: pulled polk benedict and french toast with bananas foster. Both were delicious and super-rich. For my own taste, I'd like a little California cuisine sensibility mixed in to offset the richness, perhaps with some fresh veggies and fruit to cleanse the palate. Chicory coffee was solid (though they were out of soymilk). Vegetarians/vegans/paleos: most of the food here involves some kind of bread, eggs, and dairy. There was a tofu dish that appeared to satisfy limited diets, but don't expect to be able to substitute gluten-free *and* dairy-free. For the best experience of the menu, you'll want to go off-diet. Atmosphere: noisy, jazz/oldies music, casual Tip: The line is long. Don't be the moron who tries to joke "I could be Susan" when the host/hostess calls "Susan, party of 2". You'll get a stare of death from the host/hostess, and you'll deserve it, honestly.
(4)
Mike M.
I've always heard that SF was an awesome city for foodies, so for our first meal of our trip, we decided to check out Brenda's since it had an insane number of reviews. While walking here we noticed that the surrounding area was pretty sketchy, so we didn't really know what to expect. It turns out Brenda's is actually a pretty nice and clean spot and the food totally made it worth the trip. It reminded me of one of those hipster brunch spots in Chicago. The actual restaurant isn't that big so it was already full when we got there. You put your name on the chalkboard and just wait till they call you. While waiting we were looking through all the pictures on Yelp but were pretty disappointed to find out that a lot of the pictures were daily specials that weren't being offered on the day we went. There were so many great looking pics of different types of eggs benedict but unfortunately they weren't available. Either way, the food that we did order was still great. Chocolate Beignet - Super rich chocolate inside some fried dough. The chocolate center was so dense that it coated the inside of my mouth. Loved it. I made sure to save some of it for dessert at the end of the meal. Crawfish Beignet - More of a savory version of a beignet. I'm honestly not too big of a seafood fan, but cheese and cayenne pepper is a combo that can make anything taste really good. Hushpuppies - These were just okay. They were a little on the dry side and not much better than Long John Silvers. Shrimp and Grits - I always had the idea that grits were pretty bland and tasteless, but these grits were just delicious. They were some of the best grits I've ever had (basically only had it once before haha). The actual grits were creamy and buttery, the insane amount of cheese mixed in almost made the grits unrecognizable, and the super savory tomato bacon gravy poured on top just elevated it on another level of taste. The shrimp absorbed all the flavors of that gravy and were probably fresher than any shrimp I'm used to eating back home. Chicken Etouffee - Etouffee, jambalaya, gumbo...whatever you call it, I'm a fan of any sauce and rice combination. The chicken was moist and pull apart tender, and that tomato gravy was just so flavorful with a great balance of spicy and saltiness. Being Filipino, I love rice with everything so this was my kind of dish. Pulled Pork Po Boy - This was the daily special. I only had a little piece but that pulled pork was as tender as can be and it was a nice spin to the traditional po boy sandwich. Brenda's was definitely a cool spot to check out. Since almost everything on their menu sounded awesome, it was perfect to come here with a big group so we could try a little bit of everything.
(4)
Rosie S.
There was a long line when we first got in and I love the idea of a chalk board waiting list, somewhere we got seated right away. I tried beignets for the first time and they were so delicious, we got the original. Next I noticed they had my favorite breakfast food: biscuit with country sausage gravy! Yay! I ordered that with eggs and home fries and it was perfect.
(5)
Russell Allen E.
I have never been to Brenda's in the 5 years that I have lived in San Francisco. However, my boyfriend has been a few times and always brings me crawfish beignets. They are SO GOOD. I wish I could eat them every day. I don't know if I'd wait in line to get to eat here in person, which is why I haven't been. But, if I were walking by and it looked slow I'd go in just to order the beignets.
(5)
Sarina A.
crawfish beignets are an absolute must to try. it may not sound tasty but i promise theyre worth every bite. ive tried grits at other places but Brendas nails it. shrimp & grits is another must
(5)
John B.
Brenda's puts an interesting twist on soul food. You will find some traditional taste in their dishes as well as their own version. Traditional beignets come with powdered suger only. Brenda's beignets are creative and tasty which makes this a nice spot for some fun soul food.
It's a good thing I don't live in San Francisco. There is SO much yummy food and Brenda's was by far at the top of my list for outstanding food. Warning visitors-this restaurant is in the Tenderloin area and our public transportation trip to get here was interesting in itself. Waiting outside for your table can lend to some "interesting" observations and events. Although I grew up in LA, for some reason I find the Tenderloin district pretty scary even in broad daylight. On to the restaurant, when we arrived there was a wait. It is a fairly small restaurant and it was packed. We waited about 30-45 minutes and it was worth the wait! I've been to New Orleans and Brenda's topped any restaurant I went to in NOLA. We shared the Beignet flight (one plain, one Ghiradelli chocolate, one granny smith apple, and one crawfish). I thought to myself I would not like the crawfish well since I don't like crawfish in the first place, but it was delicious! Every single beignet was outstanding, but the chocolate and crawfish being my favorites. I had: Eggs Benedict Two poached eggs on cream biscuits with creole hollandaise, and choice of grits or hash with fried Catfish 13.00 My hubby had: Crispy Pork Belly 12.75 Poached egg, cheddar grits, spicy onion relish I am not a fan of eggs benedict. But the person ordering it at the table next to us made me want it. I had to have it. Biscuits? Really? to die for Creole Hollandaise? Perfect cheesy grits? Best I've ever had, really! Fried catfish? Can't get better Poached eggs-done just right I also had the watermelon iced tea which I loved and they willingly gave me refills without me asking. We all enjoyed our meal. It was very heavy and guilt inducing! Everything on the menu sounded good.
(5)
Jessi M.
I went here for dinner before a Pride event a few years ago and now i go every time Im in town.The shrimp and grits are amazing ! the beignets again AMAZING. found this through yelp and now i go all the time .
(4)
Ameenah M.
This place really is as good as it gets. The wait is no joke. My friend and I tried to go as early as we could but we couldn't. LOL. We waited outside, there were two benches outside that you could sit at. There's a host, but the way it works is, you would walk inside and write your name down on a chalk board, and wait until your name is called. And people really do wait. Every SF building is small, which is terrible, but my friend explained to me that rents very high in SF, and I do believe it. Outside of the building was not so nice, run down looking, kind of. But inside was very nice. Kind of upscale looking. Imagine my joy, when we were finally called to be seated. Honestly it wasn't that long of a wait and i could see why. I'm not saying the staff tries to rush you but they kind of do. When we were sat, we got our drinks, but automatically she assumed that we were already ready to order. It was our first time, and she wasn't too friendly. I can understand why, I mean it was busy, but still. And when we finally got all of our meal, not even a minute after someone came up to us and asked if we wanted a box. We just got our food. =/. But i'm not going to let that ruin my experience here. What we ordered: The beignet flight (keep in mind, you can only order 4) Chocolate, plain, and two crawfish beignets. Shrimp and grits, and eggs Benedict with catfish. What it tasted like: Amazing, I loved the crawfish beignet. I liked how the beignet tasted with the cheese and crawfish, it went well together. The other beignet were good as well but they were sweet and I don't know why we ordered them first, just to try i guess. It's ok, I was not disappointed. I'm not a fan of grits, and i'm still not a fan of grits, but these ones are very flavorful, and it was pretty tasty but I don't like the texture of grits. My best friend loved it though, so she finished it. Let me tell you about the eggs Benedict. I do not like hollandaise sauce at all. Maybe the place i tried it was just not good, but every since then, I've stayed away from eggs Benedict all together. But here, at Brenda's, the eggs Benedict were so good, I was so glad we ordered it, and the catfish was very good. everything was nicely blended together. would I come back? every time i'm in SF i would. Best soul food brunch i've ever had.
(4)
Donna L.
Waited two hours for a table, which isn't so bad, coming from New York and their infamous long lines during Brunch hours. Finally sat down and everything looked so good. Ordered the Crawfsh beignets, the best beignets ever. The cheesy goodness paired with the crawfish made this all so pleasing to the tastebuds. I ordered from the Brunch menu, and I can't quite remember the name of the dish but it was an enormous portion, I couldn't finish that plate. The grits were pretty good, probably the only thing I remembered from the dish. It was an omelette with bacon, crawfish, and something else I can't remember. I wish I could've ordered something else instead, because the eggs didn't quite make an impression on me. Overall, would be back to try other items from the menu, but will never forget how good the crawfish beignets were!
(4)
Jared R.
I'd love to be giving this place a 5-star review. I was born in southern Louisiana and spent a good chunk of my childhood there as well as a few of my teenage and adult years. My whole family cooks amazing food that I loved but never knew how to appreciate until I left and realized that everyone was eating cardboard wrapped lettuce and calling it flavorful. Hearty stews were just not going to happen here in California. That said, I've been California washed through and through, and I don't carry the Louisiana authenticity snobbery with me. Good food is good food, even if it's fusion or adapted to be healthier. I've heard a lot of great things about Brenda's from folks in the city, so I was excited to order the chicken etouffee off Caviar to try them for the first time. And so I did... When the dish arrived, it smelled delicious coming upstairs. Even when I opened it, it looked really tasty, though unlike anything I've ever had before in the South... but it was after stirring through the container that I wanted to toss up. It was a large plastic bin brimming with a thick orange-ish sauce with just gobs and GOBS of chicken--and like 15 grains of rice total. This death-meal honestly felt like a medieval pigeon stew and like something only The Vikings or the Donner Party could enjoy. The sheer ratio of meat in this thing made it gooey and repulsive. At one point I remember chuckle-gagging to myself trying to imagine some yoga chick spooning this Renaissance era meal into her mouth. Still, I was ravenous and was enjoying the flavor of the sauce, so I tried to eat some of it before finally being like "OK I really have to leave right now to go get some naan from next door to try to take down this pail of poultry." To get 1 star out of me, a place usually has to really piss me off with some serious negligence, but man, this dish was bad bad bad... bad enough to deserve the one-star on its own. Now, perhaps some of their other dishes are rave-worthy, but they really should have chosen another dish to represent them on Caviar. From what I saw, their "crawfish beignets" looked really tasty, so I think I'd be writing a much different review had they selected that dish. But they chose to serve up the trough of foul fowl. Sorry, Brenda's, I can't give you my seal of approval this time. I'm sure you've got a great menu, but you did it wrong this time.
(1)
Dayl S.
Awesome breakfast. The wait is long, but it is well worth the wait!! Must try the beignets!!!! The original ones are the best, just don't inhale while eating you'll get a lung full of powdered sugar! Definitely recommend walking after consuming because you will be so full!!!
(5)
LovesToEat S.
As much as I would like to give this restaurant a solid 4 like the 6000+ people, I cannot be so generous with my rating. I give this place a solid 3. Criteria: customer service, cleanliness, and most importantly - Food. Customer service and wait time was excellent. Cleanliness is good. Ambiance and decorations are nice; I enjoyed all the natural light coming in from the skylights. Prices are reasonable, so it is a decent place to dine for less. Food - I ordered the sweet watermelon tea, gumbo, plain beignets, and shrimp po'boy. These are all signature dishes from the south, I would know - I've eaten these dishes in New Orleans. My husband is born and raised in New Orleans and he definitely knows southern food that is good vs. food that is Great. I don't know how many of these 6000+ people could actually compare food eaten in New Orleans to Brenda's. I'd say items on this menu is a hit or a miss. Sweet watermelon tea - A Hit! Right balance of sweetness, free re-fills, and refreshing! Plain Beignets - a miss... If you've ever been to Morning Call or Cafe du Monde in New Orleans you'd know what Excellent beignets taste like. Maybe Brenda's is the only restaurant that might ease a southerner's palate if they were dying for a beignet. But I would wait for my craving until I go to New Orleans again. Brenda's plain beignets were the right color, size, and powdered sugar. The miss was the inside. It was thick and dense as bread. THIS is a BEIGNET not Bread. Just to describe the whole experience of a beignet - it comes out on a plate of 3, then a powdered sugar mix is dunked on all over it where you see a mountain of white and just the slight corners of those 3 beignets. Then you dive into the first one, where powdered sugar gets everywhere, but you don't care because the beignet is fresh and warm. The first bite - you feel the texture of the crust and that crunch, then you hit the lite and warm fluffy inside. And before you know it, that first bite becomes an empty plate. Beignets give an unforgettable food moment. Brenda's beignets did not give me a food moment and I would not try it again. If you are fine with these beignets, you haven't eaten the real thing. Gumbo - A Hit! =D Great flavor, portion, texture - anything you would want to eat that felt like an authentic New Orleans food experience. Shrimp Po'Boy - a miss... What can I say...it looks like a po'boy with the fresh ingredients, but it missed the mark. The type of bread was right, but the bread preparation was off. There were no bits of crunchiness to it from being toasted. For some reason, it was drenched in butter, all my husband could taste was the buttery bread. All I tasted was their seasoned mayo that completely dominated the flavor profile of a po'boy. Shrimp po'boy, you'd wanna taste the shrimp and the seasoning on it - I tasted nothing, only felt the texture in my mouth. This imbalance in a signature dish was somewhat disappointing, esp. for my husband cuz he heard ravings about this place. Maybe they'd do a better job next time, and I'd ask them to put mayo on the side. I'd come back again, maybe I'd give it another star. I'd recommend this place to others. Brenda's is kinda authentic to a New Orleans food experience - but I'd recommend you take a trip to New Orleans and find out for yourself what real southern food tastes like.
(3)
Melanie Y.
Brenda's French food is absolute FIREEEEE. Now I know why they call it soul food because my soul felt so happy and complete just being and eating there. Situated at a slight sketchy party of SF, Brenda is located at the corner and is cute and quaint. Parking is a little hard (like anywhere in SF) and you'll have to get lucky by finding metered parking in neighboring streets. We came here on a Friday around noon and was already greeted by a crowd of people mobbing the front. Once entering, we were greeted by a large chalkboard where you put your name and number of people in your party down to hold a seat. We waited around 20-30 minutes before we were seated. Mainly, we came here for the crawfish beignets and obviously because booze during brunch is a must, we opted for the guava mimosas and some bloody marys. The following was split by 4 girls and we left happily satisfied and buzzed. We ordered the following: --BEIGNET FLIGHT: The flight came with 4 choices and we opted for 2 crawfish, 1 chocolate, and 1 granny smith apple. It was perfect because we each just wanted a bite to try of each one. The crawfish was BOMB. SO FLUFFY. SO SAVORY. SO GOOD. The chocolate was also worth the try and not too sweet. I'm not too into apple pies but the granny smith one was also pretty good. --SHRIMP AND GRITS: DELICIOUS. FLAVORFUL. AND SOOO TASTY. It was my first time eating shrimps and grits, and I would never imagined it to taste this good! It came with I would say 4-5 large pieces of shrimp. And the grits were savory and silky smooth, the texture was out of this world delicious. --EGGS & BACON TARTINE: OK tbh the name sounds better than it tasted or looked. It was just basically scrambled eggs on bacon and toast with a side of hash. Kind of basic, so next time I would pass! TIP: GET THE GUAVA MIMOSAS. They are SOOOO DELICIOUS. Also, the Bloody Mary was huge and hit the spot! Super tasty and spicy. TIP 2: Come early, leave happy. If you're ever in SF, Brenda's is the SPOT. And you wonder why they have so many reviews.
(5)
Chris M.
Definitely impressed with this place. The service was a perfect balance of prompt and casual. The layout is comfortable and bright. We sat near the kitchen but the noise level was no problem. The food was great. We had a flight of beignets but they were too massive to finish all of before our main meals arrived. I had the crawfish beignet and the apple pie beignet; both were really excellent. My brother took the plain one and the chocolate one home. My main was the Grillade & Grits. Awesome. The gravy was fantastic, and the beef tender and flavorful. The grits were a nice, solid-mushy with cheese. Even the scrambled eggs had great flavor. My only complaint - the servings were massive!
(5)
Lennie G.
Breakfast here is awesome and a must try. I had the shrimp and grits and my cousin couldn't stop eating off my plate. The beignets are the best here try the crawfish beignet its the best but the sweet one's are delicious too
(5)
Kayhan K.
Came in on a Sunday for brunch. Wait surprisingly was not that long. Had to try the shrimp and grits and it was really tasty. Beignets were fluffy and filled with chocolate so nothing really could go wrong there. Bloody Mary was good as well. Spicy!
(4)
Rockne H.
On a few occasions, I've taken the opportunity to visit Brenda's because of the big hype this place puts up. Being new to the area, I'm always trying to find new spots to brunch at, so I know where to go when friends come and visit. Brenda's definitely falls into a "Great SF Brunch" category. When you go there, don't be alarmed by the surrounding area and the wait. Just stick around and be patient. The wait goes by relatively fast. You walk in, approached the chalk board and write your name. They will call you when they are ready. The place is pretty compact. Lots of tables and seating however you might feel as if you're sitting on top of the next party. Especially on a two top, I get pretty uncomfortable sitting on the inside bench, for fear of having to get out at the end and accidentally bumping into the next table. lol. The service is relatively quick as well. They know they're always busy and don't really fool around. For my few visits, I've gotten a couple of dishes. Here's what I thought: -Fried Chicken Eggs Benedict for $12.75. Two poached eggs on cream biscuits with creole hollandaise and choice of grits or hash. The hash is more like seasoned potatoes. Good but not great. The fried chicken was super crispy and a great touch to the Benedict. Add with a perfectly poached egg and Hollandaise and you've got a pretty good Benedict. -Three Crawfish Beignets for $9.00. Three HUGE beignets stuffed with crawfish, cheddar, scallions and spiced with cayenne. You'll get a plate full for sure! They stuff it with lots of crawfish and cheddar, yet the beignets are pretty dense. It'll be hard to finish all three for sure! At the end of the day, Brenda's is a huge win for the SF Brunch community. It's wait really speaks for the great food. If you're on the fence on whether or not to visit this place, don't question it. Just go and try it out. You are bound to find something that will keep you coming back!
(4)
Samantha S.
Brenda's is my go-to place in the city. Make sure to get the shrimp and grits omelette and to show up at least 45 minutes before you'd like to be seated- always a line out the door, which is a good sign!
(5)
Natalia K.
This place is A-MAZING! Cute ambiance and delicious food. I love that you can order a piece of fried chicken a la carte cuz sometimes you just need a piece even though you've ordered a bunch of other food. What we had: - Housemade Watermelon Iced Tea: 11/10 - Chicken, Sausage and Okra Gumbo: 9/10 - Collard Greens: 8/10 - Fried Chicken Drumstick: 10/10 - Shrimp and Grits: 10/10 - Cream Biscuit: 10/10 Our meal was so good and the portions very generous. We left stuffed and even had plenty of leftovers to bring home that I had for lunch the next day. My only complaint was that the service wasn't the best. Our server wasn't very friendly nor attentive. Water & iced tea glasses constantly empty and when we wanted to pay the check, she walked by our table twice, once with us holding out the check & credit card to her, oblivious of us. I could tell it was getting late (9:30) and she was preoccupied with side work instead of checking in with us, ever. And the place wasn't busy at all. Luckily the food was sooooooo good we'll be back again for sure!
(5)
Annie D.
Omg, omg, omg... I want to relive that moment when I first took a bite of my crawfish beignets and the cheesy grits :'). I came here on a Friday afternoon with a great friend of mine and we were so stoked to see what the place has in store for our stomachs! We ordered the shrimps and cheesy grits and pork belly and cheesy grits, along with crawfish beignets for our appetizers. The cheesy grits was excellent! It complimented the toppings so well. It is veeeery filling and on the heavier side but so worth it because it is french comfort food! I suggest coming here on a weekday during lunch because I heard it gets really busy and packed on the weekends.
In our recent Bay Area trip I finally, finally feasted in this continuously popular eatery in the Tenderloin region of SF County/City. During the 1st hour of opening on a chilly Saturday morning we were the 6th and 7th guests to get seats. But as the minutes slowly progressed, more and more people squeezed into this small yet gorgeously put-together, contemporary atmosphere . Simon opted for the Grillades and Grits ($12.50). Sure, the execution of the grits and these creole-packed beef cutlets appeared generous yet stagnant, but we didn't underestimate how both were straightforwardly delicious with such smooth consistencies. As for me the primary goal of Brenda's was the [Crawfish] Beignets. I was too enticed with powdered fried puffs in general that I justified my 1st visit there by selecting the Beignet Flight ($10), which had all 4 of the following flavors in the menu... The Ghirardelli Chocolate Beignet was tolerably rich yet handsomely packed with the molten chocolaty goodness--i.e. strongly recommended for my chocoholic buddies. The Plain Beignet was bluntly meant for a purist, though its dough carried less sweetness than the ones served in Anaheim ;D. So, to add more sugar to that plain puff, dab liberally with their yummy housemade berry jam. Meanwhile, Granny Smith Apple Beignet was utter addiction for someone like me--often craving for some sensuous and crisp caramelized minced apples, a subtle smack of cinnamon, and a light amount of honey butter. But this particular beignet would be the piece I'd see myself reorder: the savory Crawfish Beignet. More than its uniqueness I reveled in the mild zing from the gooey cheddar, the pungent scallions albeit scanty (which may be a good thing for most taste buds), the perky cayenne pepper, and the piquancy of the minced, terrifically cooked "little lobster"--all warmly encapsulated in this intriguingly thin yet soft dough. If you haven't seen this photo yet, it's doused in what seem to be similar to Old Bay seasoning, rather than powdered sugar (as I honestly imagined -_-). For service it was minimally friendly with a note of some slowness near the end of our weekend breakfast, in spite of the increasing, hungry guests. Both of our orders were humongous, but that didn't impede us to order another Beignet Flight to-go. We used an SUV to get to our destination, so if you're taking a similar mode of transportation, super good luck finding a close metered spot. Overall, I can happily nick this soulful restaurant off my To-Eat-in-SF list, and by the way: Brenda's a street or 2 away from the eternally beloved Philz Coffee.
(4)
Shane C.
Maybe I expected too much. After reading the reviews I could not wait to try this place. I should preface this with I am originally from Louisiana and I know my soul food. I read the ship and grits was what they were famous for so that is what I ordered. The grits were smooth and creamy and had a very good taste. However the shrimp and sauce we're very bland and flavorless. I covered it with hot sauce just looking for a kick. I was dissapointed. The hush puppies were very good but the biscuits did not taste homemade. Overall not what I expected.
(3)
Nata T.
Eggs Benedict with Fried Chicken was very delicious! The biscuits were probably one of the best I've had. Definitely will have to come back here again to try other items on the menu!
(5)
MyMy T.
For breakfast this morning, I wanted to steer away from the ordinary breakfast that is served everywhere; eggs, bacon, muffins, breads, orange juice, etc. I am yearning for something really different. So I've found this place via Yelp ... Finding something delicious and out-of-the-ordinary to eat is exactly what I aim for every time I get a chance to explore the city. It's what I live for and if I can find some place GREAT and AWESOME, it really makes my day. I love everything about this place. The decor, the atmosphere and especially the food. OMG! All of the food is so so good. I was gonna order some extra plates to take with me for tomorrow's lunch and the next day and next day...hahaha. Anywho, I don't recall how the grits taste like or if I have ever had them before so I ordered the Shrimp & Grits. But since the chicken-sausage-okra gumbo also screamed my name, I had to get one cup as well...heheheh. I am pigging out, I know! I definitely will have some leftovers and I am more than happy to have those for tomorrow's breakfast. My nephew ordered the Crawfish Beignets and after I took a bite, I wanted to order another order to go too. But, I had to stop myself and hold back on that end. THIS IS TOO MUCH!!! The Shrimp&Grits were so delicious, with the spicy tomato & bacon gravy sitting on top of the jumbo sauteed shrimps and cheddar grits ... it just can't get any better than this. The grits flavor was just perfect with a hint of sweetness in it. The cheddar cheese on top gave the grits a nice texture AND taste. The crawfish beignets? Don't have words to describe them. They are just simply delicious and a must-try as well. I definitely will order these dishes again if I come back. But not until I try out all of their dishes....like the Crispy Pork Belly Grits, Grillades & Grits, etc... Btw, the pace here is fast. Most of the waitresses here don't have time to chit chat with the customers so be prepared to deal with that. They are not rude, they just don't have time since this place is really popular and therefore, the turnover is quite fast.
(5)
Sh J.
Food was OK!!!! Beignet was Luke warm, shrimp pork boy was really good,. Only 2 stars for the rude and Incompotent Service..,, expected better from my hometown!!!!
(2)
TaÃna G.
The wait can be long, but the food is delicious! Yum yum yum! You can have some coffee while you wait to be seated, which helps. Try to arrive early and have your whole party ready to be seated and be ready to grub on some good food!! Takes me back to Nola!
(4)
Calin D.
It's not easy to come by some decent crawfish this far away from NOLA. Good food and service, I'll definitely go back soon
(4)
Joni R.
(This review should have posted last September 2014) OMG!!! If I had money I swear I would fly to Frisco every week just to eat here. But I guess as long as I have my memories I'll be ok. So we strolled in Friday morning for a good meal before a long day of sightseeing. No wait( awesome), friendly staff( awesome awesome) cozy seating and fresh coffee served straight up as soon as we sat down( tres awesome)!! Looking around the place has an interesting decor. I love the wall of mirrors( love mirrors all over a home..so much light added) and they make Brenda's feel especially roomy. Quiet chatter and the restaurant has a certain hum to it. It made me feel excited...then the folks next to us received their food....I became giddy!!! So our plan of attack while visiting San Francisco was to order all we wanted to try, eat a little, share with ourselves and others. You know this strategy works here in Chicago because folks are always grateful for free food. Here most people just looked at me like I was homeless and the food was tainted or something. Well excuuuuuuuuse me!! Anyway back to the food. Flight of beignets were so good. You get a plain, chocolate filled, apple cinnamon and crawfish stuffed. The crawfish was my favorite one. It had a creamy spicy sauce swimming with tender crawfish tucked inside a pillow of fried goodness dusted with Cajun seasoning. Don't eat all the Cajun seasoning unless you like having heartburn. IJS Then we ordered the Hangtown Fry with cheddar cheese grits, the andouille sausage/ cheddar omelette, pancakes and the cream biscuits came with the Hangtown fry. It was the best damn breakfast ever!!!! The biscuits were the absolute best biscuits I've ever had. The homemade jam they serve with them is just priceless. Needless to say we rolled ourselves out of there and waddled our way down to Fishermans Wharf for a full off fun and sea. Don't ever hesitate to eat at Brenda's!
(5)
Amir A.
Brunch review. Somehow was able to score parking and had no wait here so perhaps my review is a bit biased? Inside decor is great, lots of natural sunlight coming through which helps set the mood for brunch. The $2.50 for all-day watermelon iced tea was great, I highly recommend it. Fried chicken eggs benedict was a heavy meal and comes w/ a choice of grits or hash. The crawfish beignet is loaded with paprika on the outside, and crawfish on the inside. They are extremely filling! For hte sweeter beignets, my personal favorite was the Grandma styled beignet. The apple flavor inside reminded me much of the Julian apple pies I consumed back in San Diego. Prices are very affordable given the portion. Highly recommend coming here for brunch if you can!
(4)
Paulina F.
I guess Southern isn't my thing. I liked neither the beignets nor my benedict with pulled pork and potatoes. No milky eggs was the biggest letdown. Service is okay, considering how busy the place is. The wait is super long. Not a fan of the decor. Not much of a cozy brunch feel.
(3)
Lina T.
We trekked up to San Francisco last September for the Aftershock festival and after driving all night and morning, decided to stop by Brenda's on the way into Sacramento. Even though it's not really on the way, Brenda's has been on my list of places to go eat for some time now. I know how busy it gets on the weekends and the last time I was in San Francisco we didn't get to go because the wait was so long and we were so hungry we just went to another place. But we got there about 30 minutes before opening and we were one of the few people there. I think there were two other groups waiting as well. So when they finally opened they sat us right away, yay!! Now onto the food. My friend and I ordered the fried chicken eggs Benedict and my boyfriend ordered the Black Forest ham Benedict? We also ordered the flight of beignets to share. I like to go to a restaurant and order what they're famous for, for obvious reasons. I got my fried chicken Benedict with a side of grits and my friend got it with a side of the home fries. My boyfriend also got his with a side of the home fries too. The fried chicken Benedict was delicious, although I did think that it could use a touch more seasoning. The grits were bland and a little boring. It was my first time having grits, and I don't think they're for me. I don't get it. My boyfriend, really hated his Eggs Benedict with the ham. The ham was this weird combination of sweet and salty and savory at the same time. It was really strange, the meal would have probably been delicious without that ham, but just that little slice ruined the whole meal. The flight of beignets were pretty good, my favorites were the plain beignet and the crawfish one. The crawfish beignet was creamy and crispy and savory, it was delicious. And the plain powdered sugar beignet was simple perfection as well. The chocolate and apple beignets were too sweet for my taste, and between the three of us, we were only able to finish half of each, because the sweetness was a little overpowering. The service was good, our waitress was really sweet and always had our drinks filled. And I think it was the head chef that came out at one point during our meal to check up on all the customers. Finally, I think I would definitely come back to Brenda's whenever I'm back in the area. I know the best time is to come a little early now; no wait right when they open. And also to order the Fried Chicken Benedict. With a plate of crawfish beignets-yummy!
(4)
Brian J.
I've been here before; and I'll be back again; NOLA, Soul-a, vibe.
(4)
Norman W.
Holy cow. I've never had grits that were that good. Warm, buttery, and everything that comfort food should be. My friend also loved it and couldn't help herself over the fresh homemade strawberry jam.
(5)
Sean J.
The Food was amazing, the service was outstanding (thank you Tanya), desert was to die for and the watermelon sweet tea, mouthwatering!!!!
(5)
PunkRock S.
great Restaurant, excellent food, generally a great place to be
(4)
Sabrina L.
comfort food at its finest! service is fast and portions are large, more than enough to share. definitely try their beignets and bananas foster!
(5)
Sarah M.
Finding Brenda's is half the fun of sitting down to eat there. It's hidden, blink and you'll miss it. But, you surely don't want to miss it! One morning I woke up with a serious craving for pancakes... it would just not go away! I started searching google and yelp for the best pancakes in the city hoping my fellow pancake lovers would send me on the right path. I decided if I was going to indulge my craving, I wanted to try something completely new. So here comes in Brenda's. After walking to Brenda's from North Beach I was ready to eat back on the calories I burned while walking there. So I ordered a plate of chocolate beignets to start and their House made Granola Pancakes with Fresh Fruit to finish. That sounds like an insane amount of food, and it was, but when in rome? Or when at Brenda's is more apt. It would be a shame to venture to this creole gem and not try their variations on beignets. The Ghirardelli Chocolate beignets are more like dessert. The second you pull apart the perfectly flaky dough and take a big mouthful you get the perfect balance of chocolate, powdered sugar and fried dough. Despite being insanely heavy and fattening, they tasted light which is a major feat in my book. Eating a beignet left me desiring more out of Brenda's. What else could they artfully master? I will tell you, granola pancakes. Don't be fooled by the granola. These pancakes are not health food but they are delicious. Fluffy and thick and perfectly cooked through. I loved the crunch of the granola scattered throughout the pancake too! My experience at Brenda's was perfect. And I loved that the tables were set close together almost begging you to begin in conversation with your neighbors. Eating is always a social affair and it's fun to lean over and ask your neighbor what they got. I was able to make friends with an amazing couple who come to Brenda's often. They suggested the shrimp and grits. So it seems I'll be planning a second trip to Brenda's very soon.
(4)
Eva O.
That crawfish beignet! (I assumed it was going to be one, but they come in threes, oh my!) I came here for brunch on Saturday with my friend no we ordered more than we could eat, surprisingly because we both love to eat. We ordered the crawfish beignet, eggs benedict florentine, okra gumbo, and the fried catfish. The service was superb and the atmosphere is nice. The seats aren't too crowded when you're sitting next to other people. It isn't elbow to elbow. Only thing to keep in mind is that there is a wait but if you're with good company, it goes by pretty fast.
(5)
Kevin S.
In the real world, this place deserves 4-5 stars but were in the yelp world. To be honest, the food is good. The ambiance is ok to good. However, the line is always awful, so you always feel cheated no matter how ok to good the experience is.
(3)
Lauren K.
Typical 45 minute wait for brunch in the city on a weekend. Cool that you go in and write your name on the chalk board. Ordered the pulled pork benedict with a side of hash ($12.75). Wasn't able to finish all of the potatoes (ate half) and barely finished the benedict which was a buttery, moist biscuit on the bottom of flavorful, greasy pulled pork and topped with a perfect poached egg and hollandaise sauce. Wish I could have tried the beignets but there will definitely be a next time. Brunch here was a great experience but the food is heavy and will probably only make it out once a year to get my Brenda's fix.
(4)
Greg F.
Uh... It is good southern fare, done correctly. The food i had is commonplace in the South... Fried, fatty, good... The shrimp and grits is good, but not ground breaking, the catfish is also well fried, but again, nothing special anywhere outside of Cali. The huspuppies are good...
(3)
Dennis I.
Good Food, good service (beware the up-selling by the wait staff).... but, all items were delicious!
(4)
Rebecca L.
I drive an hour away, all the way from San Jose, just to eat at Brenda's. The beignets are like nothing I have ever had before. They're amazing, flavorful, and satisfy my craving so well! I definitely recommend trying all 4 flavors of the beignets (crawfish is the best)! All you have to do is write your name on their chalkboard, be willing to wait about an hour, and your tummy will thank you later!
(5)
Jessica K.
The french toast with the butter pecan sauce is literally the best thing I've put in my body to date. Brenda's is a classy little brunch spot that I'm always taking my visiting friends/family to. The food is top notch and extremely delicious... I'm a huge fan of their Creole Bloody Mary as well! It's a small spot that gets quite busy because it's so damn delicious. If you're looking for a new brunch spot, Brenda's is it.
(5)
Aubrey H.
Food is good. Love the grits and cheese. Pork belly was also very good. I did not like the shrimp and goat cheese omelet. It's was not a good combination. The chocolate beignet was awesome. Made with real ghiradelli chocolate. Very nice One thing I did not like was the table size. It was way too small for our plates.
(4)
Jared B.
Fat. Oil. But tasted great.
(4)
Charles Z.
I was definitely all for this restaurant! Their fried chicken is very similar to Brenda's 3 meat restaurant (I'm assuming they have the same owner). Absolutely delicious.
(4)
Cody F.
Grillades & Grits are amazing with scrambled eggs and biscuit! Really wish I would have tried the Beignets.
(5)
Flora L.
Service was HORRIBLE. And the food was WORSE. My friend's egg benedict was not even cooked the right way. The egg was fully cooked so the yolk did not pop out. And horseradish sauce was too buttery. Everything was so oily and yucky. I do not recommend going to this place. So not worth the wait. Worst restaurant I've been to.
(1)
Sea Bee C.
Maaay-be I'll try the breakfast sometime, but if I see the same server we had last time, I'm running for the door. Seriously, when you get to that point in your career when you start coming off like you have resentments towards your customers before they open their mouths, it's time to throw in the apron. But then again...maaay-be not. There are definitely better soul food options in the City. I appreciate that Brenda's portions are big, but ingredients seem cheap and the dishes overall just lack, well...soul!!
(2)
Jessica W.
We arrived at about 5:30 on a Saturday and within 10 minutes were immediately seated. Score. The shrimp and grits was delicious! Also, there happened to be a special pork shoulder on the menu that night that was the best I've ever had. Service was so-so; though the servers were kind, they weren't very attentive. I ordered the beignets off of all the amazing yelp reviews and was unfortunately disappointed. They were a bit less fluffy and more thick and bread-like than I prefer. But those entrees...wow. I will be returning!
(4)
Cody H.
Really good food, but really really heavy. Love the Beignet Flight. Make sure to get there early, otherwise expect a long wait.
(4)
Shabnam E.
The crawfish beignets are amazing! Chocolate beignets are also great. Can't wait to try their other menu items.
(4)
Jennifer G.
I called in an order for brunch today. Some time around noon I called in , placed the order, and was told the food would be ready in ten minutes, available for pick-up. pancake tofu hash(cream biscuit) beignets (plain) watermelon tea(2) The pancakes were very smooth , big and creamy, so good The tofu hash was more on the spicy side. It was way to hot for me. I ate all the tofu , then gave the rest to my friend to finish. The biscuit was huge and very filling and the jam it came with was very fresh tasting. beignets were different in that the sugar to coat them wasn't very soft light sugar , rather it was a mix of powdered and candied sugar, good mix, and very evenly distributed amount of doughnut, just like a pillow, amazing. Tea was very light and refreshing tasting, I drank the whole thing almost instantly.
(4)
Bridget M.
What a fabulous style of menu and ordering. Food kept me comforted for the whole day. Very delicious. Definitely get the glazed carrots, Mac-n-cheese, and the fried chicken. Fun diner seating and service was great!
(5)
Rachel F.
We tried Brenda's for the first time today and it was super delicious. Great flavor and a unique menu. We ordered the Beignet Flight and just like everyone has said, the beignets are an absolute must! The crawfish and chocolate beignet are the obvious winners but the apple and plain are both decent. Do yourself a favor and order the flight so you can try them all. We weren't sure of the portion sizes so I also ordered two scrambled eggs and grits and my husband ordered the Andouille Sausage & Cheddar Omelette and grits. The scrambled eggs were pretty basic, as one can expect. The omelette was excellent; the flavors are tasty and the sausage brings an extra kick to it. However, we both agreed the grits were the highlight of our individual meals. Highly recommend ordering something the comes with grits as a side or adding grits to your meal. They may have a touch too much cheese, but has too much cheese ever really been a bad thing? No, it has not! Oh, and ordering the Beignet Flight plus two entrees for ourselves was too much food. Just FYI for those who haven't been and aren't sure of the portion size. We could have easily shared the flight and one meal. But hey, we got some yummy leftovers out of it.
(4)
Jane H.
Came here with my boyfriend on a Saturday morning. We waited about 30 min. The Benedict was good but not wowing. We weren't a fan of the grits that tasted like salty and oily oatmeal.
(3)
Vivian W.
I've been looking forward to trying Brenda's because of all the great things I've heard, and oh what a disappointment. The food was just soooo heavy, and I only really liked the biscuit. I got the shrimp and goat cheese omelette. I guess its just not my kind of perfect brunch.
(3)
Salinda N.
Came here around 5-6 PM on a Wednesday. Came right before the dinner rush, I guess, because the place filled up fast during our meal. And I can definitely understand why this place is busy! I ordered the Shrimp 'n Grits, a side of Mac 'n Cheese, and my boyfriend ordered a burger. The Shrimp 'n Gris was DELICIOUS. I cleaned up my plate pretty well. It was the first time in awhile that I have finished a meal. I was full though so I wasn't able to finish my Mac 'n Cheese. Was able to take a bite of it though and it was just as good! Took that home and ended up eating it the second I got home, haha. My boyfriend also loved his burger. Great place, great food!
(5)
Amanda H.
Fantastic southern food and if you go for dinner you can avoid the insane wait during brunch.
(5)
Lin C.
The food is nothing special, but if you are in the area and hungry it's good.
(3)
Emma H.
Brenda's really does live up to the hype. We waited 2 full hours, (after being told an hour to an hour & 15) and even after the host teased us by coming out and calling our name then told us he was just seeing if we were all there, then coming and doing that a second time and telling us the table he was waiting on was paying (that is painful news when you are hAngry AF) we all agreed as we left that it was worth the wait. Things you must try: We got the beignet flight and the crawfish beignet and the chocolate beignet were the winners(the others were so-so) The Shrimp and Grits (amazing) The Porkbelly and Grits The French Toast (you can taste vanilla bean and Bourbon in the sauce) I almost ordered the Hangtown Hash but got the Catfish Benedict instead. The Hangtown (ordered by my friend) was good but it was more like an omelet than a hash, it was jsut lots of yummy goodies cooked into scrambled egg. It was good but I wouldn't rec. it over the other gems on the menu. The Catfish Benedict was pretty good, the Creole Hollandaise was great and they didn't put too much of it. My only qualm was that it was really heavy and the biscuit was so dense and rich and big that it kind of took over the dish. IMPORTANT WARNING: DON'T ORDER THE POTATOES! Order the grits as your side, the potatoes are really soggy and mushy, I didn't like them AT ALL. I boxed up the second half of my Benedict and just left the potatoes on my plate. Watermelon Iced Tea is excellent, Bloody Mary was good, but I wouldn't recommend the Guava Mimosa, it tasted of cheap champagne- unless you like cheap champagne or cannot tell the difference. Oh and don't get me wrong, I didn't expect them to use Veuve in their mimosa... Prices are very reasonable. Most Brunch entrees are $13. Go early, wear sunscreen and prepare for a wait.
(5)
Natasha K.
WOW. Everything we ordered was excellent. The service, prices, quality, and portions were great. The only thing that sucks is the wait...it is worth it though (at least once).
(5)
Breanna J.
Went here to write a review, saw my sisters (L.J.) down below and laughed. No lie, this place is good. My sister brought us here bc she loves this place and wanted us to try it out yesterday for a late breakfast...hearty, filling, satisfying food. After ordering the crawfish beignets, a hometown fry, and ham and cheddar omelette we were full with plenty left on our plate. We rolled ourselves outta there with joy.
(5)
Christine Y.
First time going and plan to return. Ordered the sampler beignets. A little heavy but every place makes it a little different. Nothing can compare to Cafe du Monde but I cannot fly to New Orleans every time I get a craving. This place is 2nd best. My party ordered the hang town fry which had fried oysters in the omelette, Shrimp and grits, hush puppies and watermelon ice tea. Every dish tasted great. Loved the hush puppies. The service was excellent. Cannot wait to return and try other dishes.
(5)
Strauss S.
Okay for starters this spot was jammed pack, so I knew it had to be good. I waited 45 minutes at their small cafe, "Libby Jane" two doors down. I was pleased that they carried Community Coffee... a new orleans staple. Haven't had this in years except at my grandmothers. We were off to a good start. I knew this place was legit. The ambiance is crazy good... new Orleans jazz music playing in the background. I ordered the Eggs Benedict with Two poached eggs on cream biscuits with creole hollandaise, and grits. It was unbelievable and out of this world. I also ordered a plain and chocolate beignet. Everything was so delicous. I'm making this place my spot when I come to Frisco from now on. Gosh I have nothing bad to say because everything was really great!
(5)
Teri S.
Recently spent over a week in San Francisco for our wedding and this was the best meal we had, bar none. We had planned on coming in for brunch but ended up eating at Brenda's for dinner. It was AMAING. Our party had the gumbo, ribs, fried chicken and the sweet potato dumplings. We had the oyster flight (incredible) for appetizer and the beignets and pie du jour (lemon cream) for dessert. I don't usually go for lemon flavored desserts, but that pie was out of this world. My husband had the gumbo and his only criticism was that it wasn't creamy or spicy enough. He ended up adding hot sauce to it, but he said that the flavor was incredible. The biscuits were divine... No matter what you order, make sure you get a biscuit too. You can't go wrong. The atmosphere of Brenda's was great. Beautiful open lightning coming in through the ceiling, tables spaced well enough apart so that you aren't sitting on top of the party next to you. My only quip on the service was that it seemed to me that they're used to servicing locals more than tourists. When we asked to substitute one item in an entire for another, our server obliged but not before making us feel a little guilty for asking first.
(5)
Bora L.
Their beignets and grits are the BEST! I've tried a couple of their omelette dishes, which are also solid choices. But you can't go wrong with the beignet flight (I like the crawfish one the best), and an entree with a side of grits and a biscuit! I've gone on weekdays before 10am and didn't have to wait more than 5 mins.
(5)
Jesse G.
Truth be told, I've never been to New Orleans, or anyplace that serves "real" soul food, but Brenda's makes me want to go... immediately. I've been to Brenda's 3 times now and each time has been incredible. A friend and I recently went, split a flight of beignets, and a veggie omelet and we could barely finish everything. On another occasion I tried the sweet potato pancakes, they were incredible, could've done with a bit less of the butter pecan sauce, a bit too much sweetness for me... but still delicious. GF got the the pork belly grits... Also incredible (I stole a few bites). As an added bonus their coffee w/chicory in it is worthy of drinking black. I've heard their bloody mary's are done very well also, but I've yet to experience first-hand. Quick tip: It may be faster to actually fly to NOLA than arrive after 9AM and get breakfast. Brenda's is popular for a reason, if you're not at the door before 9:15 you may be waiting a while... And the neighborhood isn't one you'd want to stroll around waiting for an open table. I make it a point to never arrive past 8:30.
(4)
DynamicDuo H.
Brenda's is one of our favorite place to eat at when we come to San Fran. Other than the Saturday morning long waits, this place is on point. Must try: beignet flight- sample of all four of their delicious beignets (plain, chocolate, Granny Smith apple & crawfish) Also the grits here are amazing, actually a lot better than the ones I've had in Georgia . If your ever in the area make your way to Brenda's.
(5)
Joshua V.
The grits are so good; the beignets are so good; the pork belly is so good. Great brunch place if you can beat the line.
(5)
Green B.
I love this place!! every time I am in frisco i stop by. I don't care if its raining i still wait the long line its worth it
(5)
Dolly P.
I cannot even write in words how amazing this place was! We had the sweet potato pancakes with pecan syrup (sounds odd I know) and it was THE MOST AMAZING THING I HAVE EVER TASTED. The tofu hash was also yum! The guava mimosa was good and strong! Definitely worth it. The atmosphere is awesome. Very New Orleans feel. Staff was super friendly and attentive.
(5)
Michael D.
My girlfriend found out about this place on yelp. Suggested we try it for brunch and try & beat the rush. Overall the food was Okay. Nothing spectacular. We tried the crawfish beignets which were good. She ordered the shrimp & grits but didn't seem to like it too much. Said it was too soupy. I had the two eggs and sausage breakfast. Not exactly a unique dish to order at a place like this but its only because nothing on the menu really seemed all that appealing to me. The staff and service was good. But overall I found the place a bit overrated and unlikely to come back.
(3)
Elaine Z.
Yum! The hype for Brenda's had been through the roof days before I set foot in the establishment, but I kept expectations moderate as I'm not a huge fan of soul food. That being said, everything was delicious served fresh and oh so rich. The party I came with ordered two flights of beignets - the crawfish and apple were divine! We also ordered s'mores pancakes to share, but I had a bit too much of sweetness by that point. For my entree, I ordered the shrimp and goat cheese omelette, which was perfectly savory and had just enough kick. The wait outside was quite chilly - there isn't much space in the inside waiting area, so come prepared. Luckily, we didn't wait too long, but the place was quite full at 10 AM! Definitely recommend if you're in the area.
(4)
Zack S.
My wife and I went here for brunch when we were vacationing in San Francisco. The lines are always long for brunch but its worth the wait...plus they were nice enough to bring out coffee for those who wanted it that were waiting outside. The place is decorated in a very neat way that gives it a nice ambience. My wife got the chocolate beignets and absolutely loved them. They were enormous and decadent and we're only made better by the fresh strawberry jam at the table. The only reason I gave it four stars was I was a little bit underwhelmed by the shrimp and grits. The tomato bacon sauce was a bit too sweet and there were too few grits for the amount of sauce and honestly too few grits in general. I would absolutely go again but I definitely wish that small improvement would be made.
(4)
Soo C.
I honestly don't understand why this place is so popular. Don't get me wrong...it wasn't horrible but I would never wait an hour to eat here again. I ordered the chocolate beignets. They were ok....maybe i just don't know what a great one tastes like. The order came with 3 or 4 pieces. I only ate half of one and asked to pack the rest. The waitress took it and never came back. At the end we had to ask for the leftovers because I thought she just threw them away. They were saving it in the back which was very nice but she could've told us that. Ok, then I ordered the eggs Benedict with the fried chicken. The biscuit was extremely dense and there was some seasoning on the chicken breading that over powered the taste. I couldn't taste anything but that spice/seasoning. I ate half of my food and I couldn't do it anymore. It came with some red potatoes and those were just meh. The service was quick. A little confusing because everyone helps every table but it made things go faster that way.
(2)
Tracy V.
Came here with my friends to celebrate a birthday, and we were seated pretty quickly (table for 4). Ordered so much food, and each and every single dish was amazing! The shrimp grits is to die for! The waiter and waitresses were very nice and friendly, they even noticed that it was my friends birthday and decided to give her a candle when we ordered dessert. The area is a little sketch, i got lucky with parking, but if i was to come back, im going to lyft.or uber it.
(5)
Tony W.
Food is unbelievable good I ate there two mornings in a row breakfast was out of this world,the beignets were great!! If you go on the weekends expect at least a half hour wait but it's well worth it
(5)
Eugene L.
I was Chilling at a CMYE in Oaktown about 6 Rum Coconut Drinks Deep and a Beer when one of the EBC Dining Crew Suggested an EBC Dinner at a Ethiopian Place in SF . I was out Free Wheeling so I seconded the Suggestion and We Headed for BART . When I usually go to SF I like to roll Heavy , But I didn't have time to roll and get my Go Bag . I wasn't really too worried as I was rolling with Porsche - The Female Suge Knight and Stan - The Hitman. So I was safe. The Cool thing about the EBC Dining Crew is One Rule . There are NO Rules !!! So we Roll to Bart and Jumped on a SF Bound Train . I wasn't really feeling Ethiopian so I mentioned Brenda's French Soul Food since its been one of my Book marks forever . Everybody liked the Idea so we changed are destination to Brenda's. We got off at Civic Center and Street Hiked to Polk Street and Brenda's. When we arrived at Brenda's it was a PACKED House !!! Ms Porsche signed the Wait List Board and since she's a Ruff Rider like DMX , we were called for our table in 5 Minutes . . We were seated at a Prime Table right next to the Jazz Quartet that was playing . So Cool. Our Server Emily came and Brought us our Menus and Water . She was very Nice and had a great sense of Humor. We Ordered The Cheesy Shrimp and Grits and I ordered 2 Fried Chicken Breasts What can I say I'm a Breast Man LMAO !!! The Cheesy Shrimp and Grits came out in a Scalding Hot Bowl and the Grits were even Boiling . This Plate is a Must Order it was so Good I really liked it , The 2 Chicken Breasts were Finger Lichen good . We ordered 3 Chocolate Beignets to Spilt between the 3 of us. When they arrived they were 3 Big Doughy Pillows Of Love with Molten Chocolate inside . They were so good and very filling. Brenda's would be a great place too take a Date. They Even take Discover Card . I will definitely return .
(4)
Kim V.
YUM. Pleasant service. Had the corn-meal fried shrimp po-boy with french fries. It was delicious. Watermelon iced tea was OK. Went on a Thursday afternoon, no wait. Will be coming back, probably not on the weekend though. I don't like to wait for my breakfast for too long ;)
(5)
MaryBeth C.
The must try's at this place are the flight of beignets and the watermelon tea. Both are outstanding. The beignets are as good as cafe du monde. The ambiance is really cool. Has a great New Orleans vibe. This is one place I will return to while in San Fran!
(5)
Sarah S.
Great breakfast.
(4)
Mav M.
I have to agree with everybody here that the shrimp grits is pretty tasty and very filling. I am not really into the crawfish filling on the beignet, it was bland, but the bread is cooked well. The fried chicken was mediocre, nothing special. My complaint about this place is that the tables here are too small and it is pretty cramped.
(3)
Porsche C.
Have you heard the word about Brenda's French Soul Food? If you haven't you GOT to check it out! *I wish someone would have told me that, I would have been to this restaurant sooner than I thought* I was finally able to check out this location after deciding if I and my yelp friends wanted Ethiopian or some good ol' fried chicken. Let me tell you....That fried chicken wins over Ethiopian food any day! This location is walking distance from the Civic Center BART Station which is very convenient for people like me that hate driving in SF. Once we walked in we noticed that the restaurant was filled with standing ovation of people who had the same mindset as me (Interested in eating some good southern food). We were instructed to put our name on the board which is on the right hand side as you enter the restaurant. Now either I was REALLY hungry or I was REALLY excited for my first time here because I couldn't stop telling my friends how unique the sign-in board idea was! HA. I even made then take a picture of me putting my name down! HA! We were seated right away which I was totally surprised because there were SO many people in the front area that I assumed that the wait will be over an hour. We got the pleasure of having the lovely Emily as our server and she was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!! She made our first time experience so worth it! After we informed Emily that it was our first time she went over things that were good and items that were REALLY good. Of Course, I was going for the REALLY good food items so I ordered the Shrimp and Grits with 2 pieces of fried Chicken legs on the side. The portions are very generous! I was full by the time that I was done with my entree but of course I couldn't forget about dessert. We had the chocolate beignets that come in 3. I swear I haven't seen Beignets that dang big before. HOLY SHESH! The great and tasty thing about the chocolate beignets!? They were GOOD!! Chocolate was tasty and warm and just melt in your mouth. OMG, I'm drooling just thinking about it! Prices are so reasonable. $24 per person for some good ol' southern food! Count me in anytime! I definitely will be back here to try tons of other things on their menu! Coming here is a MUST when in SF (Don't forget)!
(4)
Pamela M.
I have experienced better right in this restaurant several years ago. Sometimes expansion means the quality of food goes down. Two of us went to Brenda's after seeing "The Book of Mormon." We were seated right away (hooray) and from there the experience went down. First of all, the floor was filthy. No one had swept since the doors opened that morning. The table was sticky, as well as the condiment containers. I ordered the Hangtown Fry. It was good, but it used to be better. It used to be a scramble with moist fluffy eggs, now it is like an omelet, but the eggs are dry and crisp. My potatoes were cold and so was the biscuit. My partner had the beef grillades with grits. Not sure what happened with the grits. They are now almost tasteless. My real disappointment was the service. Our waitress seemed ok. When we sat down she was there to take the order. I politely asked her to give us a minute and she made a face. She then punished us by making us wait 10-12 minutes before she returned. She later became nice as the meal ended. I guess she was working on a tip. We left a small one of 15%. We usually leave 20% or more. Needless to say, I doubt I will return. Too bad, Brenda's used to be soon good.
(2)
Fuji O.
Excellent food, great service, get here early and be ready to wait but is well worth it over 6k reviews says a lot.
(4)
Sharon B.
I was impressed with their chalkboard waiting list. As I expertly wrote my name on it for 3 people, I realized how big I was writing. For a minute, I felt like I was tagging. We waited a while, but not as crazy as I feared. Paired with a walk to Philz Coffee and good company, we did pretty well while waiting. No outside drinks, so my half-drank large cup of Philtered Soul was thrown out so we could be seated. I was set on fried chicken but sad to see they didn't have it on their brunch menu. I opted for the pork belly grits as my alternative. We also ordered the *beignet flight* so we could sample all the fillings. My favorite had to be the crawfish. It was coupled with cheese inside, so yay! The chocolate was good but the beignet itself was not as soft nor warm as I hoped it to be. My grits were delicious and the pork belly- so yumms. I ate around the tomato sauce they placed right in the middle of the dish, but good regardless. I'm definitely coming back for the fried chicken!!
(4)
Marc S.
Shrimp and grits, gumbo and the crawfish beignet are amazing! Get here early because it will get packed. They also take to-go orders if you dont want to wait. Parking is limited to street parking. No valet. Service is good. Servers are helpful in choosing what to order.
(5)
Kyle M.
Rock hard biscuits and terrible service. very surprised with all the other reviews. :(
(1)
Danielle J.
I went to San Francisco on a personal vacation and Brenda's was at the top of my list of restaurants to try. I walked in and to my right I wrote my name on the chalk board to be called for a table. I was traveling solo and the host was so sweet in making sure I had a little table for myself. My server was sweet and helped me choose the ohhhhhhhh so delicious Shrimp and Grits. I like my grits creamy, if you don't then move aside because Ms Brenda's grits are smooth and delicious. I order beignets to go and enjoyed them all the way down Polk. Thanks Brenda's Staff! I can't wait to visit again.
(5)
Michelle H.
First time trying French soul food and the beignets are amazingggg! I ordered the popoy and gumbo, but was not a huge fan of that. I'd definitely return for the beignets!
(3)
matthew h.
This place is decent can figure out why the line is so long. I'll give the food 3 stars since it came in bog portions but was nothing special and mostly bland, including the crayfish Beignet. One of the things that put me off about this restaurant was that it was kinda dirty and the fact that I found food in my water cup was pretty gross. Would give three stars but place is dirty. Or is that supposed to add to the character of being in the TL?
(2)
Carmela A.
I've heard mixed reviews about this place. I've definitely heard the term "overrated" a lot. But, I had to find out for myself. We came during a moderately busy weekday morning. They may have been busier because of the Giants opening day. We started off with the beignet sample. I don't know how big beignets are supposed to be, but these ones were huge! I went for the crawfish one first. The bread was lightly fried--soft and fluffy with a nice crisp on the outside. The spicy, cheesy crawfish filling was good! I ate half and proceeded to tackle my pork belly with cheesy grits. The pork belly was crispy and tender and went well with the cheesy grits. However, I stopped midway as my stomach started feeling funny. My boyfriend, who is normally a big eater, barely touched his food and was in the john for a good while. I didn't even get the chance to try the other beignets. Food was okay (not exceptional) but won't be going back. Maybe the food was just too heavy for us?? I don't know....
(3)
Latavia K.
When you first get there make sure to go in and turn to your right and write your party on the chalk board, this the waitlist. Okay now that that is out of the way let me start with the service. Service was great! Although it was long wait, they saw I was a party of 1 and I was seated at a counter within 15min of getting there. Now the reason for the 3 stars is because I was underwhelmed by the food. I have had SPLENDID, MOUTHWATERING, shrimp and grits and these were just okay, nothing I would recommend. Before I finished I was already thinking about my next meal. If ever back in town I may go back again for dinner or try a different dish because they are very popular and that has to be for a reason right?
(3)
Dave M.
Brenda's is delish... Great servings, quality food but most importantly... This was the best coffee I have had since being in the states... Go Brenda!
(4)
john W.
Oh my god. beignets! And not just fried dough and powdered sugar. Fried dough, filled with super yummy stuff! I tried the Spicy crawdad.. YUM The chocolate filled, so amazing.. Ok so now that that's out of my system. Everything about this place is great. We had brunch and everything was great! Super tasty. The staff was very friendly and service was snappy. Brenda's is definitely on my list now whenever i'm in SF
(5)
Aaron K.
Food: 5/5 Price: 5/5 Service: 5/5 Organization: 5/5 Layout: 5/5 Ambiance: 5/5 Honestly I haven't had much experience with soul food, but this was a great first impression. My friend took me here on my week long visit to SF and I couldn't wait to rave about this spot! It is in the shadier part of the city so taking a cab there or walking in a group may be recommended if you're visiting the city. The service and organizational flow are superb. They're not pushy but they are genuinely friendly and make you feel at home. The layout is charming with mirrors of all types hanging on the wall. I did mean to ask why there was a crack up the wall but it added to the atmosphere in my opinion. Plus the chalk sign in board was a nice touch. The ambiance was very relaxing and added to the mood. The music was not too loud and it had a lot of throwback R&B. Now onto the main part of the food! I AM IN LOVE! - Watermelon Tea ($2.75): This tea is a must have! It is nice and refreshing and really flavorful. There is just the right amount of blend to bring out the full tea and watermelon flavors without the excess water that some teas will leave you feeling. No sugar necessary to add. - Crawfish Beignets ($3.50 each): The beignets were nice and crispy on the outside and the inside was just marvelous! They are definitely a must have. If you do not like spicy, you have nothing to fear. The spice is very mild to say the least and just blends right into the overall taste. This was my first time ever having one and I am now hooked! - Casino Oysters ($2.75 each): The oysters were also superb. No complaints on that level at all. They were very soft and easily came apart from the shell. I also didn't taste any sand which quite often happens when I partake in shellfish. - Pork Shoulder ($16.75): This is a dish you will finish by yourself! The pork was just heavenly. It literally melted. Combined with the mashed potatoes and the green beans, it was a fantastic, yet simple combination. Coming from Hawaii where we have Kalua Pork, this really made me feel like I was having a cultural experience of soul food since we have our own flavor of soul food here in the islands. We were a bit too stuffed to fully indulge in dessert but the waitress was nice enough to allow us to purchase one of the Granny Smith Apple Beignets for $2.25. My friend got a little worried when I told him I was about to cry from the overall flavor. It was like biting into my grandma's apple pie. The outside was nice and crispy and reminded me of a malasada and the inside had a good amount of cinnamon for just the right blend. Overall, if you are visiting SF, please please please go and visit this place. You will not be disappointed! The oysters and dessert do have a sampler so you can have a little bit of everything.
(5)
Claire S.
Loved the food here! My favorite is the shrimp & grits! The crawfish beignet was also interesting, i really liked it but it may be a hit or miss depending on the person I think. We did the beignet flight so we got to try all 4; I liked the plain and crawfish the best :) The chocolate was a bit too sweet for my liking. Quite a bit of a wait on weekends especially but definitely worth trying at least once :)
(5)
Sayalathieo M.
So good! It's a great place to have breakfast, my husband and went recently and walked out happy and full. The only thing I could complain about is the lack of space, it's a small space and they've managed to jam as many tables as they could in there.
(4)
Mariah T.
LOVED IT! The wait time surprisingly went by fast, but you don't feel rushed while dining there either. I went there mainly for crawfish beignets and yes, they were made to please your taste buds. Wishing I had some now! The pork belly grits and oyster/egg dish (not exactly sure what it was called) were also delicious.
(5)
Peter M.
I dont understand this place. I'm assuming no chef running the kitchen? I prefer Hardknox for soul food and if you want to taste a real beignet, go down to Just For You in the dogpatch. Beignets are quite dense at Brenda's, more doughy. At Just For You they're as close as you can find to a New Orleans beignet. Got chicory coffee as well. I think the popularity of Brendas has to do with people just not knowing better?.. People in SF are also brunch obsessed for some reason.
(2)
Connie Q.
I heard great things about Brenda's, and being a total foodie, I was surprised I didn't like it more. I decided to try the Catfish des Allemands, and it was just ok -- filling but also kinda mushy. My friend got fried chicken and it was good, but not as life changing as Yelp made it sound. Thankfully, we were seated quickly since we got there at like 4:45. Overall it wasn't a bad experience, but a classic case of too-high expectations on my part. I wouldn't consider this place a "must try" of SF unless you love southern food.
(3)
Erin L.
The Pulled Pork Benedict is life-changing. Worth the wait!
(4)
Marla G.
Absolutely Delicious!! Came here on a Sunday about 1pm, to indulge after running the SF Marathon. Needless to say it was packed with over an hour wait. Luckily, I was having service for 1 so I was sat at the bar within 10 minutes. Ordered the eggs Benedict with fried chicken, cheesy grits and a half order of the special of the day, peach cobbler pancakes! Amazing!! I wanted a taste of something sweet but didn't want to have more food than I could polish off. The waiter informed me they could make half orders of most of their dishes which was just perfect! Brenda's is a must if you're looking to indulge in some genuine souther comfort food!
(5)
Kristina C.
Went here a few weeks ago with a friend visiting from out of town. After all the hype, we decided we'd finally brave the wait. After writing our name on the chalkboard, we stood outside for an hour and twenty minutes. The food was fine, although not sure it was worth all the talk. The benigets were delicious, although three per order is too much!!
(3)
Reginald S.
Brenda's is as good as it gets. While we waited for our table, we grabbed snacks from the associated restaurant a couple of doors down. we sampled a couple of things like meat pies, biscuits etc. and it was all good. When we were seated we ordered the catfish benedict and the omelet with the oysters inside. Both were huge portions and delicious. Nice atmosphere. great service. Highly recommend this place for food and service and huge portions for the price.
(5)
Laura D.
I finally tried Brenda's! I went in about 4 o'clock when they have a limited menu, it's right before their rush as dinner so it makes sense to have a limited menu. However, even with the limited menu, that's all you really need! The flight of bingets and the gumbo alone will fill anyone grown adult up to the brim! They have a specials board on the wall that people often forget to look at, so see what's available! The drinks were decent, the watermelon tea has a strange consistency so if you don't like thick drinks, be careful. Overall a good experience!
(4)
A'raelle F.
Amazing, amazing food! Eclectic menu, and wonderful fusion of French and Southern food. Amazing ambience and lively crowd. Everyone was nice, and welcoming. I'll definitely be back when I return to SF!
(4)
Tammia H.
A few months ago, a co-worker of my mine recommended I give this restaurant a go and I'm so glad that I did, because the food is the bomb. I tried the special of the day, which was the BBQ pulled fork and it was excellent. The restaurant is pretty small, but it makes up for it in the quality of service and delivery of food. I would highly recommend this place!
(5)
Christopher S.
Good stuff! Fantastic comfort food in the tenderloin of all places. Priced very reasonably.
(5)
Amanda G.
Amazing. So glad I had a chance to go here while I was in San Francisco. Staff was friendly and fast. Food was awesome.
(5)
Valerie L.
Everyone talks about this place so when I made the trip up to San Francisco I had to finally try it. We went on Saturday morning around 10 and it was very busy. We put our names on the chalkboard wait list and were worried that the wait would cause us to miss our train to San Jose but we gambled anyways. The wait went VERY quickly. Space is small, quaint, and loud due to everyone enjoying their food. Wait staff took our orders quickly and before we knew it we had a flight of beignets on our table. Everything was so very good. We got a good mix of food at our table. Eggs Benedict and pork belly and grits. The pork belly was perfectly cooked. Fell apart and was so incredibly decadent with the cheese grits. I had a perfectly poached egg on top and even as I write this in thinking of how quickly I can go back. If you're in San Fran, be brave, head out into the Tenderloin because this place is worth it.
(4)
Alisea R.
This place was Awesome!!!!!!! I'm from the south and this is the first biscuit since I've moved out west that actually reminds me of Great southern biscuit!!! And first time I had shrimp and grits that tasted soooo good!!!! It was amazing!! Cheese grits superb!! Oh and the guava mimosa 5 starts!! Super quick service bc I came really early.. When I left the line and wait was around block.. Highly recommend!!!
(5)
Mary B.
Amazing soul food, friendly and reasonably attentive service. I'm taking a star off for the noise level - it was a bit too loud for me! I had the eggs benedict most recently, which didn't wow me. Brenda's really seems to chine when it comes to more traditional soul foods, like their grits. Their beignets are quite tasty.
(4)
Rico P.
Brenda's is one of my favorite places to eat! Service is great! You feel at home with decor. Food of course is fantastic!!!! Definitely a must try! Beignet flight is something we always order, get it you won't be disappointed
(5)
Kelly N.
I love the crawfish beignets here. I would come back just for them. I would give 5 stars for the food but the most recent time I came here the person helping with my togo order was pretty rude to me. I know they were close to closing for lunch, but you have to be friendly to everyone. I saw her being rude to some of the other guests too. She kept rushing me and it just was not a great experience.
(3)
Joel V.
There are very few places in SF that offers soul food at this quality. Whether it is to have a great time with a couple of friends or to fix a soul food craving, Brenda's is a definite winner. Their crawfish begniets are to die for. Definitely worth the wait.
(5)
Dana M.
Thursday 7/23 Restaurant experience: Very rude waitresses, spilled hot coffee on me. Not very apologetic about it. Food was good but those two women need better training. I caught the "manager rolling her eyes" when we first arrived. Apparently you have to sign your name on the chalkboard to get a table. First timer so we had no idea. She was so rude. Don't sit at the table in my pic. You might get burned!!! If the owner sees this, train your people because those two ruined my experience and that's why I give 1 star.
(1)
Yogi S.
I went there with a few friends for breakfast on a Sunday morning (bad time to go, very long wait). If I were to rate their food alone, without taking into account the wait and the service, I would give the food alone a 3.5 stars. But the wait is oh-so-long. About 1.5 hours of wait. And then you meet kind of arrogant staff, who are just too busy to serve water, serve coffee etc. You keep asking them, but they seem to have better stuff to do. And then the food itself: was okay. Not bad, but I have had better food. Much better food. We ordered a bunch of dishes to go around among the 7 of us. The french toast and grits were our favorites. Would recommend those, if you can stand the wait and the service. Glad I experienced the food of a place that has 1.5-2 hours wait times. "Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted," as someone wise said. Would not go there again. :(
(2)
Alize H.
The food was jus right not dry or under seasoned, first time experience was 100% great definitely loved the individuality of the chalk board and the environment I am definitely coming back for more.
(5)
Bella E.
One of my fav places for soul food! Such amazing food & good vibes, fast & friendly service as well! y'all doin it right!!
(5)
Richard C.
Amazing food, everything was fresh, ginormous portions. Good friendly and fast service.
(5)
Allen V.
Beignets, apple, chocolate, crawfish, they're all so good. It's good, the wait was actually not that bad, only 30 minutes in the early morning. The wait staff was a little slow, water refills and whatnot could have been better. But the place was absolutely packed. The food besides the beignets was very good too. the scramble with spicy sausage was also pretty good. overall, pretty solid experience.
(4)
Christian S.
LONG WAIT. WORTH IT. Come hangry, and you will be soothed with excellent food. Everything is amazing except for NOTHING. Brenda's beignets are a must. Yes a must. Your mouth will die with regrets if you don't try them. She may not know it, but Brenda is DEF my bff. And yours. Trust me.
(5)
Fernando H.
Had the Beignet flight which is all 4, all amazing! Had some Jambalaya I honestly don't remember what was in it perhaps shrimp. It was amazing. Will be back soon so I can try more stuff!!
(5)
Stephanie Y.
Ugh, I wished I could have liked this place more. I was so excited to try this place after rading such great reviews on yelp. We came here for Sunday brunch and was put on "page 3" of the waitlist chalkboard. Yes, page 1 and 2 were already filled up. We already expected the wait so no big deal. About an hour later, my name was called. The host was a older man, whom I started following into the front door of the restaurant. He turned to me and said abruptly and said "you need to go into the back door" okay... whatever...so we start following him again to the back door. Then he abruptly turned around again and called another party's name. Kinda confused, we just contiued following him. When he noticed that we were following him, he said, "wait are you Stephanie?" Uh.. yeah.. that's why I'm following you... but with so much attitude he said, "you didn't answer when I called your name" now I'm really confused because he obviously saw me follow him around in circles from the front door to the back door... again, whatevers. I was finally able to get seated after getting the dirtiest look from him. I still don't understand why he was so rude. AnywaY's fast forward. We ordered and I decided to use the restroom. They have two restrooms, one on each side of the wall, which also serves as an entrance way to the kitchen. As the restrooms were full, I was waiting against one of the walls and a serves comes up behind me and says in an annoyed voice "can you stand on the other side of the wall?" I was taken aback by her rudeness, but again, gageing from the hostess incident, this attitude must be a norm here. However, obediently, I scooted over to the other side of the wall. Like ten seconds later another man comes behind me and says abruptly "ma'am, you need to stand on the other side of the wall". OMG, what is wrong with this place. Where am I supposed to wait! So by this time, nothing in the world can make me want to come back to this establishment. Now for the food, we got the apple bingnets, fried shrimp Benedict and Shrimp and Grits. It was okay, nothing so great that it can compensate for the restaurant's bad attitude. Of course, our waitress never came by to ask how our meal was going or refill our waters. She also took away my dish without asking if I was done, which I wasn't!!! This place is overrated, rude and pretentious. It was a bad start to my wonderful Saturday.
(1)
Beth B.
Worth the wait for brunch. Waited over 1 hour, but brought coffee and it was sunny out so not so bad.
(4)
My P.
mmm mmmm mmm - need to go back yesterday...
(5)
Jennifer C.
The place looks HELLA nice. It's a 10 minute walk from the civic center Bart station but it was totally worth the walk!! The place looks very clean, they have very nice mirrors on the walls. We came around at 2:56 which was like 4 minutes till breakfast ended but they did mention it so if we wanted something on the breakfast menu we had that option!! Service was a 10/10. Forreal was super cool to talk to and very real. The two we talked to the most was a boy and girl and I think the girl had blonde short hair but she was really cool to talk to! I haven't had good customer service like that in awhile where the server was easy to joke around with(both) and I guess easy going! Food was bomb. My sister got an order of fried chicken, coleslaw, fries and a biscuit and it looked and tasted HELLLAAAAA good. I can't wait to go back!
(5)
Siobhan S.
Atmosphere is casual and cute. Love the decor and music. A great place for brunch! Got here around 11am on a Thursday and there was no wait, but upon leaving, the line was out the door! The best biscuits ever!! Super light and fluffy. Also, would highly recommend trying their beignets. They are similar to doughnuts, but covered in powdered sugar and less dense. Delicious!
(5)
Tracey K.
Nice local place. Great music playing in the background. The service was fast and the servers very friendly. The Gumbo was excellent - flavorful and with good spice. The chicken etouffee was delicious - could have been a bit spicier, but otherwise very tasty. I definitely recommend!
(4)
Rachel Y.
I didn't understand what all the crazy hype was for until I decided to visit this place on my last visit to the bay. My friends & I decided to call in an order to pick up because we heard about the long lines. I called about 20 minutes before hand, was told it'd be a 10 minute wait, but still had to wait 10 minutes while we were there - but it wasn't that big of a deal because we were just so excited to try the infamous beignets. I ordered the sampler flight of beignets ($11.20 including tax) which came with the 4 types of beignets they have: crawfish, plain, chocolate, & Granny Smith Apple. Never did I know how soft & gooey a beignet could be until I ate the ones here.. The crawfish beignet had the perfect balance of bread & ingredients inside. AHH, it almost makes me drool right now thinking about it. My other favorite was the plain beignet, which was simple yet so delicious! The chocolate & apple ones were a tad too sweet for my liking. I didn't understand why my friend decided to order 10 beignets to-go to take back to LA until I tasted them later.. I'll definitely be asking my friends from the bay to bring me some when they come to LA. Happy beignet-Ing!
(4)
Marianne M.
Amazing beignets- the flight was the best and so filling we should've split one breakfast. Great ambiance and friendly staff - they were shooting a food show at the time which tells you're at the right place- loved it!
(5)
Amanda B.
I honestly had higher expectations coming into this restaurant. I've heard a lot of great things but I just wasn't that impressed. I got the flight of beignets, the chocolate, cinnamon apple, and 2 crawfish ones. I've never had a beignet before but this was good. There was a lot of breading so I kind of got sick of it towards the end. The crawfish was good but, I just dont think I would come here again for it, its just too much breading. The cinnamon apple beignet was really good though! It wasn't too sweet, it was perfect. The chocolate beignet had way too much chocolate. My bf loved the pork belly grits. The pork belly was extremely fatty, but it was really good however again, I kind of got sick of it towards the end, it was really filling though. If I were to come back I would want to try the granola pancakes, but I think this restaurant is more of a first time thing.
(3)
Maggie W.
It's a sunny Sunday in the city, so you gotta hit up brunch or it's social suicide. Brunch usually ends at 3pm, but have no fear, Brenda's serves brunch all day on Sunday (8am-8pm). So I can stay hungover majority of the day and still have brunch? Uh, hell yes. Made a last minute decision to come here at around 3pm on a Sunday. I was initially nervous about the wait time, but we luckily only needed to wait about 10 minutes for a party of two. I'd recommend calling to see how long the wait is if you don't like surprises SWEET FLIGHT OF BEIGNETS ($10)- BEIGN-YAYYYYYS! They are only good when they are fresh (I took some leftovers home, but it's not the same). It comes with four of your choice: plain, chocolate, granny smith, and crawfish. If you order the crawfish, they will charge you a little extra on top of the price. Either way, it's worth it because you get to eat savory and sweet. They don't skimp out on the crawfish filling either. As for the other flavors, they are good and what you'd expect. FRIED CHICKEN BENEDICT ($12.75)- Two poached eggs sitting on two fried pieces of chicken, which is supported by two biscuits. You have a side choice of grits or hash. I never tried grits before, so I took the risk and it was worth it. The grits was flavorful and cheesy. The chicken was a bit dry, but it was masked due to the eggs and hollandaise sauce. The meal was tasty, but quite rich as well, so I got full pretty quick. PULLED PORK BENEDICT ($12.75)- Basically the same as the fried chicken benedict, but swapped with pulled pork. My friend ordered hers with a side of hash, which was good, but I felt like it lacked seasoning. Flavor it up with some ketchup, salt, pepper, or hot sauce. The pulled pork was sooooo good though. I preferred it over the chicken. The food came out pretty quickly too, considering how commonly busy it is. If you haven't been to Brenda's, succumb to the hype and give it a try! And if you haven't tried grits or had a bad experience with unflavored grits, their grits will change your life.
(4)
Cindy P.
Food was great but not sure it lived up to the hype. It is defiantly a must go to restaurant if you live in SF or come from somewhere where you can't get southern comfort food anywhere else. The big shrimp and grits where ok but the beignets were amazing! Definitely try the crawfish one. Oh and the wait, it's long so go to peets coffee while you wait.
(4)
Diane Y.
We had the fried chicken, red beans and rice and shrimp with grits. Fried chicken was ok nothing special. The biscuit was yummy and the grits was good. We had a side of Mac n cheese, needed salt. Got to restaurant by 6pm and was seated immediately. Service was good. Also ordered the sampler plate of three oysters. Tasty but very small portion for $8.25..small bite and your done. Not sure I will return
(3)
K B.
Came here on my visit to SF. To be honest, everything was mediocre to the boyfriend and I. Either we came on a bad day, our taste buds weren't up to par, or we really just didn't enjoy the food as much as the other commentators did. I ordered the shrimp & grits, it was definitely unique-tasting, but it was not spectacular. In my opinion, I'd prefer the grits to be a little more firm in texture, it was more soupy (perhaps this is french style, I'm not sure). Overall I could not get a true "grits" taste, and just an overpowering flavor of cheese! I did enjoy it, however when asked if I would get it again, I realized I would not. The boyfriend got gumbo, and that was extremely mediocre. I've had amazing gumbo before, and this was NOT amazing. It tasted almost like something you could warm up in the microwave. It was definitely comforting to eat, but I'd never go out of my way to get this. Luckily, the crawfish beignets were up to my standards, even if they were just a tad bit salty. The bread was incredibly soft and the inside crawfish with the creamy sauce was delicious! I'd get these again. Also, ordered the biscuit that was highly recommended, yet there was nothing special about it. Just an ordinary biscuit. P.S. they never served us the deep fried black eyed peas while waiting for our food, which was highly disappointing.
(3)
Christopher O.
My boyfriend and I love to travel and try the local favorite spots. I'm a native Louisianan and former New Orleanian who recently returned with the bf to show him what New Orleans was really like (he'd been once before but had barely scratched the surface). Needless to say, he had an amazing time and was consistently wowed by the food. That brings us to Brenda's. We both went in expecting a real New Orleans-inspired experience. It's particularly surprising to me that Brenda is actually from the New Orleans area, since this dining experience had only a superficial resemblance to NoLa dining. From the sweet Bloody Mary to the oversized beignets and sweet and soupy grits, nothing about this place said "NoLa native" to me. It said "I've been to New Orleans once but don't really like spicy food." Seriously, less sugar, more heat would solve lots of problems--though not all of them. Cafe DuMonde coffee cans on every table do not a New Orleans restaurant make. I haven't even mentioned the service which was subpar. Not recommended. You'd be better served just visiting New Orleans if it's within your means. If not, just go to Popeye's.
Favorite biscuits in the world! I live close by so I can go on "off hours" -- otherwise the weekend lunch crowd can definitely make for a long wait. Fried chicken, gumbo, all very delicious! :)
(5)
Angela G.
I've ordered here via Caviar. Definitely fits both the "French" and "soul" aspects of the name. However, I think any food with a high fat and dairy content will taste good. It wasn't anything special. I'm sad to say that it did not live up to the hype for me.
(4)
Mariell N.
This place smelled wonderful at first walk in. Super casual dining place with a small menu. They also had specials on the wall. You write your parties name on a chalkboard as you enter. Make sure your party is all there before you get seated, because they'll only seat full parties. Service was pretty quick and fast for a thursday night. Everything came out in a good amount of time. I got a bowl of Gumbo and it was delicious. Definitely a hit. It came with sausage, chicken and okra. Super flavorful and has an herby essence to it. Also ordered a side of crawfish beignet, savory and yummy. Wish I got more than one, but its reason to come back!
(4)
Yukti G.
Yes, yes, & yes. This place is GREAT. Just make sure you wear loose clothing when you go....the food doesn't necessarily support skin tight clothing ;) We were warned that seating would take a while- however, we went in a larger group (~10) and only had to wait around 40 mins. Another plus. Beignet's are to die for - definitely a treat. Must try this place, will be back.
(5)
Jennifer W.
CRAWFISH BEIGNETS. Definitely made it a must to stop by here while I was in town and made sure to show up early to beat the rush. I ordered the Shrimp & Grits and was torn between getting the Beignet Flight or all Crawfish Beignets. Eventually just decided on the crawfish ones and I'm so glad I made the right choice. The beignet itself is light and fluffy and the crawfish was well seasoned. I wasn't so much a fan of the Shrimp & Grits though as I thought it was a bit bland. Overall, the service was good and I enjoyed the food.
(4)
Nessy N.
Thank god we got here at 3 pm because we were able to avoid the 2 hour wait! We ordered the crawfish beignet and it was delicious but wish we got the combo we could of tried all the options. The shrimp dish was delicious too! would definitely go back!
(5)
Sarah H.
Shrimp and grits was to die for! Friendly, helpful staff. The wait was long but well worth it! The beignets were also amazing! Just like New Orleans.
(5)
Francis C.
We got really lucky and got seated right away before the dinner rush. Whew. They won't let you sit until all your party is there and luckily my Uber was only trailing a minute behind everyone else's. If it trailed one more minute behind I think we would've been screwed. Needless to say, this place is popular. And for good reason. The flavor is pretty on point, and for soul food it surprisingly wasn't that heavy. I had the sweet potato dumplings with the crawfish addition. I'm knocking off a star because I feel like there's something to be desired with the portion size. All of us got really different dishes, paid similarly, but I felt like the portion sizes were uneven. Maybe I was just tired that day, but it looked like the gumbo appetizer was the same size as the shrimp & grits and my sweet potato dumplings. Here's a watch out: When they say beignet, you can expect a REAL beignet. I guess I'd never had a REAL beignet because all my life I thought they were like little donut holes. NOPE. After I saw the size of the beignets I googled it and it turns out I had been eating faux beignets all my life! REAL beignets are legit full donut sized. We ordered the dessert sampler to share and we were stunned to see how huge they were. I think if we knew it was going to be that big the 4 of us would've just shared 1. Felt like this was worth a call out in case you'd been living in the dark like me.
(4)
Aaron M.
YUM. Came here in a group of five and ordered a bunch of their famous stuff. Right to it! - Shrimp and Grits: magical. There were a solid 7 tender shrimp in there, swimming in a sauce that was cheesy, spicy and sweet all at the same time. Not exactly a light dish, but perfectly executed. - Crawfish beignets! Yes, they make savory beignets with crawfish inside. Believe the hype. - Chocolate beignets: the tastiest of the sweet beignets in the sampler (which also had the plain one and an apple cinnamon one, plus the crawfish one). - Watermelon tea: good, especially if you light sweet southern tea. But be advised. If you miss the crazy light, crazy sugary beignets from Cafe du Monde in NoLa, you will not find them here; the skin is thicker and the inside filled with more (and in my view too much) dough. But the filled ones shift the balance away from the "too much dough" side because most of the dough is replaced with, well, filling. Service was excellent. Also, I'm a sucker for the decor in here; high ceilings and skylights framed by concrete walls adorned with large paintings. I will definitely be back.
(5)
Char K.
Your house rules at the entrance set a very uninviting tone. Especially the no outside drink policy. If you think that telling your customers to place their drinks they purchased with their hard earned money outside the building is going to make them purchase MORE drinks from your restaurant ...you are VERY mistaken. This day in age people are a little more conscious about their purchases than that. You should rid the "rules" all together.... NOT a very good business strategy. Service was inattentive and food was mediocre. Not a recommended experience.
(2)
Orlando F.
The food was delicious and worth the wait. The shrimp and grits were good along with the pulled pork eggs Benedict and biscuits. When you add your name to the list, they are true to wait time. If you are not there when they call your name, they skip you and will call your name again later. Also consider that there are multiple locations. The location on eddy & Polk street is the busiest.
(5)
Derik E.
It's a great spot, I come often. The food seems to just be getting worse n worse though. They're always busy which is great, but I want to see them killing it again.
(3)
Elle E.
So overrated. Got two of the Benedicts and beignets and I liked none of them. Don't waste your time here. You can go somewhere else for far better southern food with half the wait time.
(2)
Chris L.
This place doesn't need any more reviews, but after last Friday night, I couldn't help myself! It can be summarized in one word: amazing! I had the fried chicken, but I also ate off my friends' plates :) Must go!
Great place to have brunch on Sunday! I had benedict eggs (florentine version) and I have planned to get the beignet, but, by the time I have finished my plate I couldn't eat anymore. The portions are really big!
(4)
Carolina O.
Great great great food try the mimosas there are awesome!!!!! the customer service is great
(5)
Loon E.
Brunch here is fantastic. However, the wait is far from it. Borderline ridiculous. Last time we came here to dine in, we had to wait close to 90 minutes. Still worth it, but also long enough to warrant a whine. Catfish benedict could've used a wee bit more seasoning, but the grits were as good as I had remembered (PERFECT) and the crawfish beignets are on another planet of deliciousness. Almost always just get water or booze when dining out, but the watermelon tea here is great and a must have at brunch. Most of my recent visits have been just to stop in and grab some of those addictive savory beignets to go. Quick and efficient. Usually ready within 10 minutes and piping hot when you come to grab your bag to go. If this place were within walking distance and knowing how I behave in my munchies state, the over/under on numbers of beignets consumed weekly would probably be close to twenty. No joke. I never feel guilty when it tastes THIS good.
(5)
Right Z.
It's OK!
(5)
Annie C.
The crawfish beignets are amazing! This was my first time eating here, and my friend and I shared crawfish beignets and each ordered our own entrees. I ordered the hang town fry, and she got the cinnamon battered brioche French toast. The hang town fry was a crispy oyster, scallion, and bacon scramble with grits or hash and cream biscuit or toast. Both were delicious, especially the pecan syrup on the French toast, which made it taste buttery and warm. Out of the three dishes we ordered, the beignets stand out the most. They were stuffed with scallions and cheddar and topped with cayenne. The gooey cheddar and scallions reminded me of eating grilled cheese, and the texture of the beignets was perfectly crispy. The cayenne added a little bit of flair to the savory perfection. I will definitely be coming back and ordering more crawfish beignets.
(5)
Eileen Y.
Growing up in N'awlinsI know great food. This place is the real deal. Their Catfish des Allemands is as close as anyone will ever come to N'awlins food anywhere else. In times of stress at work this is what I come to eat. I keep talking people into trying the Muffalettas. Everyone loves them. So, happy this place is here.
(5)
Christina R.
Very cute atmosphere and super delicious food. I've been for both brunch and dinner, and both times the food was outstanding. The line can get long, but the time I went for dinner I came by around 6 PM on a Thursday and was seated fairly quickly. San Franciscans love them some brunch though, so expect to wait for that. For dinner, I had the shrimp and grits and they're are as good as everyone says, and I liked them better than other places in the city, but they are a bit saucy if you're not into that. Also, oh my god the biscuits; do yourself a favor, and order a side one if you're meal doesn't include it. For brunch, I split the tofu hash and the creole veggie omelette with a friend. The hash was so good, I didn't even care I'm not vegetarian. The omelette was nothing special, and I wouldn't order it again over the other food they offer. We had guava mimosas to complete the meal, yum! Also, ordered the beignet sampler, but, in the future, I would only get the plain ones as the flavored ones seemed to be too heavy for the light beignet. Service has been great every time.
(4)
Tiffany V.
The food here is delicious. I came here with two of my friends during their dinner time. We ordered some gumbo and chicken thighs. This was the first time I ever tried gumbo and I have no regrets trying it here. The gumbo came out hot and was exploding with flavors. The chicken came out crispy and moist. The beignets I tried here were the best beignets I have ever consumed. The plain ones were soft and fluffy and the sizes of these beignets were pretty large. The chocolate & apple beignets were just as incredible in size and the weight was impressive. They do not go stingy with the fillings for their beignets. Their customer service was also spectacular! I am so excited to try their breakfast menu the next time I go to SF!
(5)
Dominic E.
The food was excellent and the portions are huge. The prices are reasonable, also. In addition to the catfish, which had a New Orleans flair to it. I had the mac and cheese and candied yams. The mac and cheese was cheesy and had the proper texture. The candied yams were grilled uniquely sliced and flavored. The only drawback to Brenda's is the neighborhood. It's in the Tenderloin District, so be careful. I was there around 8:00 pm and did not experience any problems.
(4)
Thien H.
Be prepared for a long wait! Very tasty food, worth trying! The classic beignets and crawfish beignets are amazing! Didn't care too much for the chocolate or Apple one, but get the flight just to try them all! Shrimp and grits and fried chicken Benedict are delicious! I was full after a couple bites though, really heavy meal!
(4)
Duane Z.
Went there for Sunday Brunch. The place had a cool decor. Service was GREAT, and the Shrimp & Grits, Hangtown, and Beignet were DDDDDelicious
(4)
Savanna W.
So elated that they have vegan options!!! I have trouble eating at most Soul Food joints with my bf for this reason but Brenda's saved the day!! Also the guava mimosa is everything!
(5)
Elle H.
Went here for the first time with my husband and we loved it! We went on a Thursday night around 7 and got seated right away - although 15 minutes later, the restaurant was packed! Food was amazing, as was the service. Only con is the area is a little sketchy, but other than that, I highly recommend!!!
(5)
Charlene C.
First time having (French) Soul Food! It was so bomb! The food was AMAZING. I had the BFC! They switch menus during certain time. It's not like other restaurants where they serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner all the time. They serve breakfast until a certain time, lunch, and dinner. For example, they only serve macaroni and cheese during dinner time. Sort of bum about that, but it's cool! The workers were CHILL and BLUNT! I like that because you don't get that type of service at chain food restaurants etc. It was also a more "homie" feel. I will definitely come back!!!!!
(4)
Jennifer R.
We always take our friends from out of town here. It's great food. Great service. Great ambiance. Really solid place all around. It's always consistent too. The brunch menu is fantastic but I tend to skip the line and get it to go. My favorite time to go is actually dinner when it's a little more low key. And the food is just as good as brunch.
(5)
Christopher C.
The food was great, but the service was terrible. The host was very rude and seemed to think that we were privileged to eat in this restaurant. When we were seated, things didn't improve. The waitress said that we could not have ten people order as nine had been seated. I was later informed that this was a house rule, but it was very rudely communicated by the waitress. She stared me down when I asked if she could ask her manager if it was all right. She also said repeatedly to her coworkers (within earshot of the table) that she would be happy when our group left. This was the second time I have spent my birthday at Brenda's. The last time was my first time eating here, and it was an awesome experience. I've returned three times since then, all of which were great experiences. This, however, was terrible. I had told all of my friends how excellent the food was and how friendly the service was. My parents had also bought me a $100 gift card for my birthday knowing how much I loved this place. Ultimately, however, I chose to use it all today to pay for my friends so that I wouldn't have to return. It's a shame to take a group of people here and to have bragged about the outstanding quality of the restaurant, only to have the staff act like it was our duty to accommodate them rather than the other way around. My girlfriend and friends/coworkers all communicated that it was my birthday in hopes that the staff would prove more friendly and hospitable. It didn't happen. One of the reasons I chose this place is that it reminds me of home. Birthdays spent thousands of miles away from home can be a bit lonesome, but finding a place where the food is similar to that you grew up with goes a long way to making those feelings go away. And honestly, as a southerner, I expect the same kind of respect that I give others, especially those in the service industry. I hope this place changes. It has really great food, and it is a shame that the quality of their service does not match the outstanding quality of their food.
(1)
Jerome P.
I've had soul food in both Alabama and Georgia and this isn't close but about as good as you can get in the city. My wife love love loved the crawfish beignet and I had the fried chicken which was overcooked. The slaw was decent and chocolate beignet for dessert was good. There was no wait for us on a weekday after 1pm... maybe we missed the rush and customer service was great. Try the watermelon iced tea its pretty darn good.
(4)
lisa g.
There is nothing bad about this place other than your belly churning as you smell the delicious dishes being served while you are waiting. Shrimp and grits were tasty and was my favorite dish here. Don't miss out on the flight of beignets. Fast and attentive service.
(4)
John B.
The food was very good. Although not traditional soul food. Probably catered toward the the palate of non soul food eaters. Service was good. Wait was long but that's to be expected. Thought it was a little strange to be at a "soul food" restaurant with no African American employees, but I guess that's today's day and age. Overall, had a very pleasurable experience. Would definitely come back next time I'm in the City.
(4)
Johnson N.
After a considerable amount of time wasted in deciding what is for dinner, my friend from socal wanted to try Brenda's because their breakfast ratings were off the charts. Little did we know about Brenda's, we decided to go here anyways because they were apart of a list of "Things to eat before you leave SF". The location is in a very distant part of the pier and wharfs, more inland in a sense... the neighborhood has a lot of homeless and some of these homeless people are super freaking ignorant and untruthworthy - please, if you park your car in the surrounding neighborhoods... BE SAFE and weary about the homeless... they will BITE, and literally bite. Back to the review, The wait for 5 on a Saturday night at about 7-8pm was 20 minutes. We got there, put our names down and waited for my friend to relocate his car away from shady homeless people. By the time he got back, roughly 10-13 minutes... we got our table! Super quick! A plus ;). Being that I was a noobie here to this establishment, noticed my neighbors had a super delicious looking dish, turned out to be the BFC! Recommend! SERVICE: The service is amazing! The employees are super attentive and definitely always willing to provide their service. Always filling water, always asking how we were... super nice and friendly. FOOD: Okay, the food here blew me away! My party ordered the hushpuppies and 3 of the crawfish beignet. Dig these two appetizers! Who knew! Definitely worth getting one or two or more! Beignet comes in 1, so you would need to order multiple if you want to share! suggest 3 for a group of 5. The filling is crab met, with some sauce? and looks like macaroni, was not too sure as I was pretty tipsy from a whole day of drinking. I ordered the BFC, my friends ordered: The braised short ribs The catfish The BFC x2. The braised short ribs, looked sooo good, they fell of their bone! The mixed collared greens with the sauce made that dish worth it! Definitely something you should try. The BFC dish comes with 3 pieces of chicken, fried, a huge biscuit and collard greens. The greens are amazing!! freaking delicious and the fried chicken looked like the ones from KFC literally next door! JK The chicken had a nice flavor to it, the skin was super crunchy and had some seasoning that made it POP. Overall, if I was not full I would had tried and/ or ordered everything on the menu to go! haha This place is definitely a great place for outsiders to try out.
(5)
Chris R.
Their food is really great but the waiting time was what bothered. Group of 6 and had to wait 30 mins until seated then another hour until food arrived. But it was well worth it!
(4)
Jennifer L.
Every bite I took here was divine. Let's start with the good and end with the...oh wait there was no bad :) At least when it came to food! + The beignets were pillow-y dough balls with oh so decadent fillings mmm + Crawfish beignet was full of spiced crawfish chunks and cheese. The spice mix is soo good. + Chocolate beignet was oozing with chocolately goodness and tasted like an overflowing chocolate jelly doughnut. + Pork belly with cheddar grits. My first thought was well that's an interesting combo! The tenderness of the pork, the cheese and side onions...somehow the flavors blended so well together and came topped with a poached egg! - Make you throw out your Philz because "no outside drinks" even though everyone buys a cup during the ridiculously long wait - The ridiculously long wait (but it's worth it!)
(5)
Diana C.
Quaint little restaurant in a busy part of town. Came in on a Sunday night where there was live jazz playing in the back of the restaurant. Quite the pleasant surprise! It was filled inside, but luckily for us, there were only a couple people ahead of us on the wait list. Since we had a party of 4, a table opened up pretty quickly and we were seated after only about a 10 minute wait. We were informed by the server that on Sunday's they had a "Breakfast for Dinner" menu, which featured their breakfast/brunch items as well as a couple dinner items for us to choose from. All 4 of us were starving and couldn't quite settle on what to get since everything sounded amazing. Finally, we settled on 2 orders of their BFC (5/5), shrimp and grits (2/5), 2 cups of gumbo (2/5), oyster po' boy (3/5), and the crayfish beignets (4/5). The gumbo was the first thing that arrived at our table. It was very average and after a couple bites, my friend mentioned that it reminded him of the canned soup gumbos that he used to drink as a kid. All in all, not very impressive, but it was a hearty warm gumbo that filled us all with childhood memories of when we were sick and just wanted some warm soup, so a thumbs up for that. Then came the crayfish beignets. There were 3 giant puffy beignets to each order. Inside was filled with some sort of creamy mayo covered crayfish. The beignet itself was delicious. Crunchy on the outside, chewy and fluffy on the inside, but not too dense like a lot of beignets are. We felt that they were lacking in crayfish though. Each one only had about 2-3 crayfish inside and the rest was all the mayo-y cream filling that was strong and masked the sweet crayfish. The cayenne pepper on top was a nice touch of heat. This was a texturally perfect dish, but flavor and filling were lacking. As for the main courses, their BFC was definitely the star of the night. Their chicken had a kick to them and the skin was perfectly crunchy and delicious. The meat was tender and juicy. Each plate was served with 3 large cuts of chicken (thigh, wing, and breast), a bowl of collard greens, a biscuit, and some pepper jelly. Everything on that plate was damn good. They did the south proud with this one. Their biscuit was so buttery and so good and the collard greens were so good with the bacon inside. Sadly, I cannot say the same for the other 2 entrees we ordered. The oyster po' boy was lacking in oysters. There was way too much bread to oyster. But. Their oysters were fried perfectly. The cole slaw and fries were very typical and nothing to rave over. As for the shrimp and grits, I was greatly disappointed. The shrimp was slightly over cooked. The grits, though fluffy and cooked well, were covered in a layer of grease and way too much cheese. Then to top it off was a bacon tomato jam. The jam was so good and a nice touch to the plain grits, but since there was so much grease already, this just made the dish heavier than it needed to be. I ate 2 bites and called it quits. If I were to come back, I'd def get the BFC again and I'd probably give the other dishes a try. There were a lot of things to chose from and they all sounded delicious. Who doesn't like homey southern food, after all? Pros: - they really know fried chicken - it's not named Brenda's fried chicken for nothing - servers were super friendly (spilled water and he was super nice about it!) - service was very fast - nice ambiance (live jazz on sundays is a plus) Cons: - hard to find parking - can get busy and hard to find seats if you have more than 4 people in your party - some foods were very overrated (careful with what you order. read reviews and tips on yelp first)
(3)
Chris O.
Food was amazing. Service amazingly rude. Had a delicious meal with some friends, four stars worth. Even though the service was abrasive it's fine, I came here for some bomb food not service.
(4)
Cherrilyn B.
Sunday at 2pm is definitely a long wait. Left at around 3:30 and the wait board was practically blank. Any who... Brenda's is my favorite brunch spot in SF. ITS WORTH THE WAIT. the oysters are bomb. Crawfish beignets are to die for. Shrimp Po boy is Great. Catfish eggs Benedict is glorious. Oh and the watermelon tea is quite refreshing. Plus the waiters are nice. Service is pretty fast considering how packed it is all the time.
(5)
Dom M.
My boyfriend and I love trying new breakfast places in the various cities we visit. We went to Brenda's for breakfast with a friend on a Saturday and the wait around 11am was about 1 hour. Luckily during that time, we looked at the menu and specials so that we could order once we got seated as we were all starving! The set-up of their staff is somewhat confusing as we never knew who exactly our server was or who was just helping out. But we put our orders in quickly and the wait for food was minimal. I ordered the special of Sweet Potato Pancakes with butter pecan sauce. The sauce was very sweet, too sweet. It tasted like eating pecans with sugar. With the combination of the "sweet" potato pancakes, it was a little too sweet. I also ordered the chicken apple sausage, some of the best chicken Apple sausage I've ever had! The last thing for my meal were the plain grits. When it came to the table, the grits were yellow and swimming in butter. I took two bites and so did my boyfriend and we sent it back. It felt as if we were eating butter with grits. Lastly, my boyfriend ordered the French toast and comparing to previously visited venues, it was sub par. Overall, very eclectic restaurant with a great vibe but some work to do on the preparation of their meals.
(2)
Richard W.
Great place but long wait. We waited over an hour for a table for three. I think with all the great reviews the bar might have been set too high. Nevertheless, the food was excellent overall. The shrimp and grits were good and tasty but not anything to write home about. The pancakes were fluffy and beignet sampler was solid. I was impressed with the jam on the table as well as the side biscuit which was crispy on the outside and fluffy melt-in-your-mouth on the inside. It's a great place for food very intimate and casual, but I am not sure if I would come back because of the long wait.
(3)
Diego P.
yeah, it was good.
(4)
C R.
I've been going to Brenda's for several years. Breakfast/Brunch is divine. The portions are large, so it's fun to go with a group so everyone can share a mix of the savory and the sweet dishes. The servers are wonderful too.
(5)
Nick D.
Great place to have breakfast at the eggs Benedict with chicken they were amazing. Like the ambience the artwork on the walls and the people are so friendly.
(5)
Chloe B.
For treat myself day! I decided I wanted a soul food breakfast. I ordered: BEIGNETS plain but there is nothing plain about it they were good. Shrimp & Goat Cheese Omelette (Good God this was good) Community Coffee w/ Chicory I walked in around 9 AM and was seated immediately. Two seconds later I was asked what I would like to drink. These people like too hustle and they are good at their job. It was fun sit and people watch. When my coffee arrived I was asked what I'd like to order I asked if they could spread out the time between the Beignets and my omelette because I do not like to be rushed. She was a rockstar and did not rush my meal and it was great and huge. Thank you for making treat my day special.
(5)
James F.
Friendly and fun on a week night with kids. Just like it used to be back in the days of the previous establishment. Food is good and the service was great.
(5)
Christopher D.
First time trying out Brenda's and it was not bad. We came in a group of 5 so the wait was about 15 minutes, they had a cool chalkboard for signing in. The menu was pretty simple, which made ordering easier. We got the BFC, Shrimp and Grits, Jambalaya, Beignet Flight and French Toast. The BFC was decent but the Beignets were amazing, a must try. The best ones out of the sampler were the Crawfish and Original Beignets. I also got the Watermelon Sweet Tea, which had actual watermelon chunks in it! Overall, not bad besides the wait time. I really wanted to try the Eggs Benedict over fried chicken, but that was for weekend brunch only :( Pros: - Beignets were to die for - Simple menu and sign in chalk board Cons: - Food took a bit long - Long wait for bigger parties
(4)
Elliott P.
We expected a lot from this place but it did not live up to the word-of-mouth or yelp hype. Service: Great! They have well-trained staff. We were essentially seated with another group at a tiny table, but what can you expect with the line out the door this place has? Food: The Shrimp & Grits were delicious, but quickly became too much after a couple bites. Pulled pork Benedict and fried chicken Benedict were nothing special. I've had much better benedicts in San Diego! The gumbo was a bit bland, would not recommend. Crawfish beignets were decent, but very overrated! The meat was good, but the balance between cheese, crawfish, and bread was off. I was wavering between a 3 and 4 star rating, but realized I do not plan to ever return. Two hours was far too long to wait for the food here.
(3)
Maggie J.
Loved everything we ordered. We also felt like every other dish other tables were delicious. The service was also very good. We had to wait for 20 minutes on a weekday, and the neibourhood is not the best. Only one down side, all food seemed to be very fatty. Too many calories packed in every dish!! What I loved the most? The savory scone that comes with the omelette.
(4)
David N.
While I was in the city for OSL2015, I was recommended to check this place out by a random stranger (shoutouts to the locals!). Boy... do I not regret making small talk with random strangers because this spot was a sunday punch to the tastebuds... It was a total experience worth checking out if you are in the city on any given day. It isn't just the food that attracts customers from coming back but the vibes.... Yes.. There is live music to accompany your delightful meal. S/O to the guacho jazz fam for the entertainment. I had to snap a couple shots of their epic performance. We ended up ordering the gumbo, hangtown fry, BFC, and crawfish beignets for a group of 3. The standouts were definitely the BFC and the crawfish beignets... The fried chicken was some of the best fried chicken i've ever had. It was insanely crunchy, but the meat was moist and juicy. Usually fried chicken can get sickening, but the breading on things were exceptional. Seconds were definitely in order. The biscuits also are worth mentioning for their crumbly, fluffy, and buttery goodness. The crawfish beignets were on fire... I already knew they were about to amaze when I tore one in half and watched the insides ooze out....and they were bloody good. Other than that, the rest of our orders were satisfactory. I can see why this spot consistently forms a waiting list on a daily basis. I'll be on that waiting list again.
(5)
Annik D.
After all the great reviews, I went to have Sunday brunch here and it was ok. For the wait, it wasn't worth it for me but it was a good experience.
(3)
Stefanie F.
After reading the reviews and being told how great this place was, I was really excited. Also, I was starving. I really wanted the fried chicken Benedict, but they didn't have it when we went for whatever reason. Disappointing. So I ordered the beef with grits and a biscuit, which was good. The beef was tender and the sauce was good. I was a little iffy on grits, but I figured I'd try them anyway - ended up eating all of it because it was surprisingly good. I also shares a flight of benigets with my boyfriend. The plain one was good - nothing insanely special. The apple one tasted like apple pie - yum! The chocolate in the chocolate one was a little too thick and overwhelming for me. Overall, the food was good and the service was good too. Go early to prevent waiting so long!
(4)
Amy L.
I think if it wasn't for the two hour wait, this would have been a very nice brunch. I guess the reviews, the ratings, and the wait hyped it up a little too much for me and my expectations were through the roof. Their waitlist system is very efficient, though, and the host handles the crowd well. It's a great vibe inside. They don't overfill the room so it doesn't feel stressful. The best part of my brunch was the crawfish beignet. You can order the sampler or have a plate of 3 of each of the beignets. I think I would have been very satisfied having all 3 crawfish beignets as my main course haha. The dough was soft and fluffy, the crawfish were plentiful and large, and the cream/cheese just ties everything together and is to die for! However, we shared an order at the table and I ordered the fried chicken benedict. The fried chicken by itself was great. The biscuits were so buttery and flakey. But the hollandaise just did not work for me. I was really hoping they had the fried chicken a la carte like they do on the regular lunch/dinner menu but that menu is only for M-F and weekend brunch is a different menu. I would definitely be back but during the week so that I can have the fried chicken the way it was meant to be served - by its glorious self, naked of any sauces. My friends raved about the gumbo. I'm not sure if they were just really hungry or it was really that good. The fried catfish po'boy looked amazingly flakey and I was told it was delicious. The pancakes were unnecessarily ginormous. All in all, it was an all right experience for me but I'm sure it will get better once I hit that right menu item.
(3)
Anthony N.
Crawfish Beignets are so bomb and the oyster flight is highly recommend for a range of flavors!!
(5)
Shijia L.
I love it, soooo GOOD! Food comes in big portion. Be prepared for the long wait, it is worth it though.
(5)
Jemusu L.
Had brunch here and it was great. The check in place is a black board next to the door which was a little bit hard to find but somebody helped me out. I got shrimp grits, oyster omelette, and eggs Benedict. Each dish was great with fresh seafood. The service was also excellent, the waitress was very nice. Overall experience was fantastic and I didn't even have to wait for too long ( 15-20 min).
(5)
Jordan K.
This place is literally the worst. I used to live in New Orleans and it's a total imposter. It's a total rip off and terrible food and service.
(1)
Eleanor C.
If there is no line, it is ok. But who wants to wait an hour in the Tenderloin to get in?
(3)
Nicholas G.
Crawfish beignet - Definitely something different but decent overall. Fried chicken - Was pretty disappointed by this, didn't like the coating much at all Dessert beignet sampler - Beignets were all good Was an unhealthy meal when all was said and done lol
(3)
Heidi B.
My stomach was upset after I had dinner at Brenda's; but since that could be other things I am basing this review on factors other than that. We came in a group of 5 around 6:30pm on a Saturday and waited about half an hour. Service wasn't the fastest but they were busy. I had shrimp and grits. Shrimp is slightly overcooked while grits are swimming in grease. I left a good chuck of the grits because of that. I've had shrimp and grits in a few restaurants in Louisiana and they weren't like that. Chicken etouffee wasn't well flavored imo. Fried chicken got good feedback. Although I didn't try my friend's crawfish beignet; I looked at her peeling off most of the dough only to find a small chuck of fish. While mostly dough could work on sweet beignet, I'm not sure it's a good idea for savory. Price was decent but overall I just wasn't impressed with the quality.
(3)
J E.
Great food bad service . We waited over 30 mins to pay after we were ready to leave . That is why they have such long wait times . They need to come up with a better system to get people in and out . The food is great but they take their time to do everything.
(2)
John P.
You come to restaurants for two reasons, the service and the food. The food here is better than average and certainly better than I could make at home on a first try. Nothing was a Giant home-run... The service here is dead inside. We told our waitress that someone in our party was having a birthday at day and she replied with the most upsetting and monotone "congratulations" with a bit of shade thrown in for good measure. I thought the reply you are supposed to give is happy birthday? I'll treat my yelp response like they treated me in service and end it here.
(2)
Mary D.
Loved the French toast - pecan butter sauce was to die for and the apple beignets were really yummy - not a healthy breakfast but it was definitely delicious!
(5)
Susannah K.
Nice twist to New Orleans food like the stuffed beignets. Coffee is subpar and water needs new filter so doesn't work for us for breakfast. But gray ambience and friendly staff. Portions are big. Probably won't be back.
(3)
Bonnie S.
I don't really get the hype. I love Cajun food but this wait is just not worth it, especially in the tenderloin. We got the beignet flight to share, and it was ok. There is too much dough to the flavor inside (the chocolate or crawfish). I got the hangtown fry which is a scramble of oyster, bacon, and scallion, hoping for an authentic Cajun meal. The scramble itself isn't bad but the egg was a bit overcooked. The hash was not very flavorful but the biscuit was on point. I had high expectations and they just weren't met.
(3)
Tina C.
The hostess is terrible. Three of my friends and I walked in today since I wanted to try Brenda's beignets. Two of my friends wanted to grab something else to eat, so one of my friends and I told her it'll be just for two. The hostess didn't even smile or look us in the eye but just gave me the "in between" menu (I'm guessing they were transitioning to dinner menu) and told me that if I'm not ok with it, let her know. I just wanted beignets, and that was on the menu, so I said it was fine. My friend and I slowly walked inside the restaurant, and FOR SOME REASON, the hostess got so angry at this. This is what she said: "HOLD UP (with her finger pointed at us), I will sit you." Um?!? Incredibly rude. However, our server was nicer than the hostess so that kinda made up for it. The beignets were really nothing spectacular, but I guess I can't fully judge this place by their beignets. I'm not sure if I will come back.
(2)
C H.
Very good food long wait but very much worth the wait will def be coming back!!! We had the shrimp and grits, crawfish Ben and the shrimp poor boy yum yum yum!!
(5)
Kathleen U.
This place has been one of my long time bookmarks that needed to be checked off. Surprisingly, I live in the city and even work nearby but never tried this hot spot. One of my co workers decided that it was about time for me to check it out. We planned accordingly to have a late late lunch to avoid the lines. At 2 pm on a Friday, the wait was only 5 minutes. YES! Pretty cool how there is a chalk board to put your name down. The place looks pretty small from the outside, but there is plenty of space inside. I decided on ordering the shrimp and grits to give it a try. Plus, it's one of the popular dishes. First of all, I don't like grits in general. However, this dish was more bearable. I actually enjoyed it after a couple of bites. Our food came out fairly fast because there wasn't much people eating at the time. The waitress was attentive to us. The highlight of my meal was the crawfish beignets. Of course, beignets are fluffy and extremely doughy. Here I am trying to eat "right", but ended having a cheat day. WORTH IT! The crawfish was oozing out when you cut the beignet in half and you could see the steam coming out. I could only finish half of a beignet, while my co worker ate the other half. We ended up taking home left overs. I took whatever was left my shrimp and grits and one crawfish beignet. We both had an extremely late and heavy lunch. Had to survive the rest of the work day with food coma. Three stars are for the crawfish beignets and the service. Sorry, Brenda's your place ain't for me.
(3)
Pearl D.
It was 1pm on a Saturday when we came for Brunch. Waited only about 20 mins. Tables are very close to each other so plan on the table next to you listening. Must order watermelon ice tea--- super refreshing and delicious! Also the crawfish beignets are soooo good! We ordered the beignet sampler but I could live without the sweet ones. Can't go wrong with anything on the menu.. Food is a little on the heavy side. Expect to take a power nap after.
(4)
Evelyn B.
Crawfish beignets, Chocolate beignets, and Shrimp n' Grits...nuff said!!! =) Just a heads up---the place is small and you might find yourself "sharing" a table. Write your name and #in your party on the chalk board to the right of the main entrance. Despite being so busy, staff were friendly and helpful. Service was not too bad. Do yourself a favor and try this place-you will not regret it.
(5)
Tommy A.
I'd died and went to heaven! Beignets were soooo yummy - chocolate was the best. No line on w Monday morning. Woo!!
(5)
Hilary H.
Let me help you out. You will see the incredible line and the excruciating wait time and you will ask yourself, "Is this place really worth the wait?" Let me save you some time: "No." This isn't Disneyland. It's not an art opening. You aren't about to ride a roller coaster or experience some amazing cultural phenomenon. There are only so many ways that you can cook an egg or a doughnut and none of those ways are worth two hours for breakfast. That's just not a real thing. However, to be fair, if you are like me, and you just can't forego a curious experience, you'll stay. I stayed. I waited. The food was okay. The time spent wasn't worth it. But I couldn't help but stay. I had to know for myself. And maybe you'll need to do that too. But if you are hungry, and if you are with people who are also hungry, you should probably go somewhere else.
(2)
Tammy L.
I am only here to review their beignets. This restaurant is so small and hip. The menu has your typical brunch dishes like French toast, egg benedicts, beignets, and other cajun dishes. The staffs don't really make much conversation like other restaurants. They are short with their words. I understand that you are busy, but customer service plays a big role. Anyway, I love Disneyland beignets, so what's more legit than getting one at a restaurant that is famous for it? I got the Beignet flight which gives you all 4 flavors: Crawfish, original, chocolate, and apple cinnamon. All these cost only $10, which is not bad. The crawfish is my favorite one because it is so cheesy and creamy and I just love seafood. The apple cinnamon is delicious but its too sweet. The chocolate is good but I wish it was Nutellla flavor. The original was good, but nothing special. The beignets here are good but it so soon oily and doughy. Each bite tastes like diabetes and heart attack. You can feel the oil, which leaves a waxy feel in your mouth. I only took a bite of each ones, and that was enough. I think the one at Disneyland is better because the size is smaller and you don't get disgusted as fast. The ones here are so big. It will take at least 7 bites to finish each one. Overall, I do like the beignets here, but will only eat this one in awhile.
(3)
Christine M.
This place is in the Tenderloin district, so the area is a little dirty. I'm not sure I would come here if it's dark outside. Just my own precaution. I came here at 5:30 p.m. on a Wednesday (daylight savings time) and there was no wait. Everything on the menu looked good. The waiter said their best seller is the fried chicken. My friends ordered that and I decided to try one of the items on the board -- crawfish & Andouille pot pie. We also ordered the crawfish beignets, mac n' cheese, and bread pudding to share. The food was wonderful -- just the right spice, just the right juiciness in the fried chicken, and a wonderful reminder of the soul food you find in New Awlins. They even have Abita root beer. Service was good. Waiter was friendly and helpful.
(4)
Anthony N.
Delicious beignet and good eggs Benedict. I've been twice in groups of four for brunch, and it has been about an hour wait both times. It's a reasonable place to wait outside, and they seem efficient with getting people through though. Despite the popular, the restaurant is reasonably spacious, and it has nice decor. I like their apple beignet the most, and the chocolate is pretty good too. They taste pretty light with a lot of flavor, and they come out warm. The eggs Benedict was good but not great. I got it today with ham, and it's harder to eat (with no benefits) than traditional Canadian bacon because of the thickness. I like the biscuit that it is served on, but it's an overwhelming amount of carbs in the plate overall because of it. Good hollandaise sauce. Not mustard-y like some. A little spicier would have been nice. The hash is ok. I much prefer hash browns with eggs Benedict, but these have some pretty good flavoring.
Good food and great service, but I think this place is just over-hyped. Some friends wanted to meet up for brunch to catch up on life. We arrived around 9:30AM and waited about 45min before being seated (stopping by Philz to get some caffeine while we waited -- NOTE: They have a no outside drinks policy, so be sure you can finish your coffee before you're seated!). Location: In TL, the location is less than ideal, but it's really no that bad. Ambiance: Old exposed brick, giant cracks in the walls, huge skylights, and massive mirrors make this place a trendy place to eat. It gets crowded, but doesn't feel overwhelming because of the high ceilings. They made good use of space with booths and counter seating. Service: The service is friendly. The hostess was nice and our waiter was very engaging. Food: We ordered the flight of beignets to start, my friend and I ordered the fried chicken benedict, my bf ordered the french toast, and my other friend ordered the grits. The beignets were so filling that even among the four of us, we couldn't finish the entire plate. The craw fish one was definitely unique and pretty tasty. The chocolate one was a bit too sweet, but the apple one tasted like an apple dumpling. The plain one was also pretty solid. My fried chicken benedict was pretty good. The seasoning was on point, but probably having just the fried chicken would have been better because it wasn't as crispy with the sauce on top. The grits were okay (but then again, I'm not a big grits person). The french toast was a bit overwhelmingly sweet. Would I return? Maybe if a friend wanted to come here, but otherwise, there's plenty of other places to try!
(3)
Alan P.
Had the grillades and grits. A little under seasoned so have the hot sauce, s&p ready. Good price and a lot of food. Nice interior and freindly staff. Was hoping it'd live up to the hype maybe I just chose the wrong item.
(3)
Jack W.
Every now and then I run into a company that is so good that I regret that I can't give it 10 stars. Such is the case with this wonderful restaurant. I am a graduate of Tulane University and spent some years of my life in Louisiana. I know what real New Orleans cuisine is. This wonderful restaurant has it down. The food is incredible. The service is superb. There is also an old pearl of wisdom about restaurants anywhere in the world. If you want to find a good restaurant; find one that is crowded. Elena and I had to wait one hour to get a table here. The wait was worth it. The final wonderful surprise was the bill. We had drinks, two great meals and a dessert. The bill was a modest $62.00
(5)
Susan C.
A must if you visit SF. Don't miss this breakfast/lunch Tenderloin restaurant. Long lines but well worth the wait. Just put you name and group size on the chalk board. All must be present in order to be seated. Oh, the beingets! We ordered the flight along with all the French soul breakfasts we could muster. Two of us ventured on the grits side. Man did we score. Yummmmmmy! Shrimp and grits, crispy pork grits. The rest ordered up French toast, pulled pork eggs Benedict. Now we are off on a long walk to burn the calories off. This may take awhile.
(5)
Fran P.
This place is worth all 5 stars. I've had it booked marked for quite some time and was finally able to give it a try when I was in the area. Their food and service is great! The tables were pretty close to each other so we were able to chat up our neighbors who were loyal customers from Southern California. Their fan base is from everywhere! We got the flight of beignets. All delicious! Crawfish beignet and the chocolate beignet were my favorite although complete opposites sides of the flavor spectrum. Main course being the Grillades and Grits and the fried chicken Benedict. Grillades and Grits was the winner. Their grits was so buttery. Their homemade jam on the table made the biscuit to die for. Paired with some sunny side up eggs and beef cutlets made for a great hearty first meal. They were slammed but we never had to flag anyone down for anything. Everyone helped everyone so it ran really smoothly. Our waters were never empty. We got our food and boxes promptly. No complaints!
(5)
J S.
This place is the real deal. Fried chicken. Awesome. Collard greens. Amazing. Shrimp and grits. Best I've ever had. Wish I lived closer because I know I will be craving a meal from here soon. They were filming a TV segment when we were there but I hope popularity won't affect the quality of the food. Service was great too.
(5)
Thomas K.
Very good brunch food couldn't trump really awful service from both the greeter and the waitstaff. Not interested in coming here twice.
(2)
Reggie S.
Came here on a Tuesday and the line was out the door. Great food! Had the flight of beignets and the shrimp grits. Flavors are very authentic New Orleans. worth the wait!
(4)
Ramin A.
Food was delicious and the service was on point. I had the shrimp and grits with beignets. Worth the long wait in line!
(5)
Jefferson D.
The place is really nice. Not is the most appealing location... but from NY so used to the street environment. Food was great. Actually too much. A cross between a Cajun restaurant and a Breakfast Joint... My sister and I had the combo beignets. Apple, Chocolate, Plain and my favorite... Crawfish cheese and a little kick. Delicious.I continued with he peach cobbler pancake which was something special especially when topping it with the homemade jam.My sister had the breakfast Po' Boy... what can I say... you are not going to leave there hungry... actually they may have to roll you out. Coffee was the chicory blend. Nice flavor. Only advice do not plan on eating until dinner after visiting this establishment.
(4)
Shania W.
This was a really nice little spot. The service was REALLY great. The food was just okay. Not really NOLA style but a good try.
(3)
Chris P.
Been to Brenda's a few times, waited outside for 1.5 hours each time. I thought maybe my tastebuds had gone mad because I saw nothing special here, so I had to get back a few times to make sure...and sure enough every time I left disappointed. The breakfast is a quality southern breakfast, it's just that it isn't anything special (ordered the fried chicken and shrimp and grits). Maybe because it's near the TL it can claim to be a hip spot, deserving of the wait - but the food itself is just OK.
(3)
Jacqueline K.
Went during lunch on a weekday, it was lively but service was quick. The seafood pasta special that day was really good. Our beignets took a while to arrive; we got the flight (sampler) and they came after our entrees. They were good, but not amazing.
(5)
Will C.
Outrageously wonderful and fun and friendly. Do it.
(5)
Vineyard V.
Yummy! I normally my orders to go. Love their chicken and waffles. Funky ambiance with good music. Definitely worth the trek thru the outer edges of the tenderloin.
(4)
Wendy Z.
My first experience with soul food and I thoroughly enjoyed it! The restaurant is located in the heart of the tenderloin and the interior provides a very classy yet comfort vibe. Once seated, you are given a small dish of black eyed beans which are lightly crisped and seasoning with spices, a very nice "small bite" to have prior to meal. We ended up ordering the fried chicken and collard greens, BBQ pork ribs with Mac and cheese, gumbo, and the beignet platter. The fried chicken was cooked perfectly with just the right amount of crispiness and coating and the chicken was so moist. The BBQ ribs were very flavorful but wasn't my favorite because I felt it was slightly rich. The Mac and cheese was on point, just the right amount of cheese and portion was good to complement the ribs. The gumbo? amazing! Just the right amount of rice and the soup was nice and thick with bold flavors that really scream gumbo. We ended the meal with the beignet platter which consisted of all the beignets they serve: original, Granny Smith apples, and Ghirardelli chocolate. Our favorite was definitely the chocolate, the beignets were light, but not too sweet and the filling to dough ratio was portioned very well. Definitely enjoyed first soul food experience. Highly recommend coming here for those who want to try soul food for the first time!
(5)
Jessica X.
The 6 of us waited for about 1-1.5 hours and finally got seated... and this was a Monday morning at like 11am. So, if you plan on coming during the weekends, make sure you either go really early or prepare to wait. The good thing is, you don't have to be physically there to wait. You just put your name down on a blackboard and wait till your name gets called. Onto the food: we order the crab beignets and the chocolate beignets. I would recommend getting both, but I do think the general consensus amongst our group was that the crab beignets were much better and so savory! My friend and I also split a shrimp & grits and thought it was decent.. quite heavy and we couldn't finish it all.
(5)
Alicia D.
Make sure you check your food before you leave during take-out. I've ordered for take-out several times hoping they'd actually get it right and they've messed up my order every time. However, when I actually have time to dine in...they are great! They just need a little work on attention to detail. The food is amazing and the chicken is "wow, super delicious."
My fiance and I came here for brunch a few weeks back. There was definitely a line however we got in pretty fast. We ordered the crawfish beignets, jambalaya, and an omlette. The crawfish beignets were to die for and they're definitely a must, on the flip side I wasn't to impressed with the jambalaya it was very blend and not creamy enough. The biscuit that came with the omelet was fluffy and delicious. I will definitely be back here for the beignets.
(4)
Gonzalo S.
I've been here twice and while the food is rich and flavorful, I'm still not convinced it deserves all the praise. Maybe I need to try brunch? For dinner, I've had the shrimp and grits and while tasty, it's not the most visually appealing dish with the shrimp swimming in a pool of oil from the cheese. The grits are well done and the dish is satisfying but beware since it will sneak up on your after a couple of bites. I've also had the shrimp creole pot pie, this was not as heavy and something I'd get again. Imagine a shrimp stew/gumbo in a small crock-bowl (like the kind used for french onion soup) topped with bits of biscuit and covered in cheese. Aside from the top, I didn't find any biscuit on the sides or bottom but it was still satisfying. The wait can be really long, so bring a companion.
(3)
Zeke M.
This place is amazing, the food is outstanding, service not over the moon over but worth the visit. Don't come starving as the wait can be over 1 hour. Sat and Sundays are super busy but the wait is definitely worth waiting.
(5)
Rosa S.
Delicious gumbo! We ordered the grits and shrimp, the fried chicken, gumbo, and a couple of bloody marys which all were good but the stand out for us was the gumbo. We were expecting a long wait because of other reviewer comments, yet it only took 15 min...score. The restaurant is very tight, but that was fine with us we actually got to know our table neighbors. The service was great and fast. Prices are reasonable, too. Tips: If you are spending the day in SF, such as fisherman's warf pier 39 we suggest taking an uber to this location it's what we did since we dont know SF very well. Super easy and cheaper than a taxi. You can also find promo codes and get a free ride. Driving in SF is no joke so just park in the Fishermans warf area and take the uber to the restaurant. I can't wait to go again and order the gumbo and some of those beignets...mouth watering.
(5)
Shana W.
Crawfish beignets are a huge YUCK!!! If you like crawfish wrapped in sourdough then go for it. Catfish was okay but the rice pilaf on the plate was better. I also didnt care much for the garlic shrimp fondue. Ill go back but next time ill try the chicken or the fried pork chop.
(3)
Stefan C.
My favorite dinner joint in the city. Everything is amazing, especially the Shrimp & Grits and the beignets.
(5)
Trena M.
Came here with a large-ish group of friends the same weekend as outside lands and the wait was ridiculously long. The guy managing the front was cool as a cucumber though, even though you could tell he was a bit stressed out. We ended up getting our food to go and ate it in a park nearby. They pack their to go orders really well, and the food was still warm 30 min later. I got the veggie omelet, it was alright. I will definitely be going back for the beignets though! The sampler is a good deal, and great for sharing. I've been craving beignets and chicory coffee ever since going to cafe du monde in NOLA. While the beignets were delicious, the chicory coffee wasn't the best. The biscuits with jam are really good too.
(4)
Linda R.
I love this place and would go more regularly if there wasn't always such a wait. Friendly, efficient staff and I love the Shrimp and Grits and beignets. I don't like food that is so spicy you can't actually taste anything else. Luckily Brenda's uses spice to compliment the food, not cover it up.
(5)
Sean W.
The food was excellent the service was good but the line was long. There are better areas for a restaurant keep being, but this is San Francisco. I ordered grits and chicken I wish they could have had a little cheese in it but everything was great despite that.
(4)
Jackie B.
This place was pretty darn good! I had started with the crawfish beignets. They were good... Not great. The shrimp and grits were yummy! Especially when you got a bite of the sweet tomato. Finished with a chocolate beignet and it was fluffy and sweet! Nice touch! My husband had the ribs with Mac and cheese and collards. He loves it! And he had a watermelon tea that he thought was great! Good prices as well!!
(4)
Andrew M.
Brenda's used to be really good, before the expansion, before the dark times! :) When Brenda's was a small one room hole in the wall it was goooood! And the people who worked there were cool! Now... Now, Brenda's is the lower half of ok! The food tastes like it was made at the airport and has none of the zing it once had! And the people seem ...oddly passive aggressive, like you've interrupted a college kid studying for his/her finals at work! I'll give you an example of the food these days!! I had the fried chicken the other day. The outside was so hard it hurt my teeth and the inside was so dry it made me pucker! Who screws up fried chicken?? I'll give you another example. I'm the second guy in line before Brenda's opens. We are let in. It's the the first thing in the morning and there are 3 people total in Brenda's! 3 people!! I order some eggs. They come out in 5 minutes (Yay!) and they are cold! How does that happen? It would take longer then Brenda's was open for my eggs to cool down to the temperature they were at! Everything on my plate was cold except for the biscuit! But it would take longer then Brenda's was open to get my food that cold! How is that possible? I mentioned my food was cold to the server and she seemed put out! I have a teenage niece who makes the same face when she wants to see her friends and has to say "Hi!" to everyone first! Long story short, I was eventually able to get slightly, slightly warmer eggs! :( Understandably, I haven't been back for breakfast at Brenda's since! I still enjoy the deserts enough to come to Brenda's. But, I need to want a beignet bad enough to put up with the kids who seem to be running the show! Which these days is about once every six months. I'd rate Brenda's at 2.5 stars rating. All that is the deserts! I would have rated them at 4+ stars way back when. Brenda's seems to have lost its way! I hope Brenda's finds its way back!
(3)
Frank G.
Without a doubt, the best casual restaurant in SF. Love the gumbo, mac and cheese, fried chicken, shrimp and grits, and red beans and rice. Biscuits are just plain sick either with the pepper jelly or with butter and fruit jam. Mouth is watering just thinking about them. And the watermelon iced tea? I could go on and on. As for desserts, the bread puddings and peanut butter ice box pies are out of this world. My friend hates peanut butter and she would not stop eating my pie until I threatened her with my fork. Too bad it's too crowded for brunch/lunch. Oh well, at least I can get my fix still at dinner.
I see why everyone waits in line for this place. Huge portions, and pretty good food. Everyone raves about their crawfish beignets, but I think the highlight of our meal was the shrimp and grits. It was sooooo good, that it completely overshadowed the beignets or my fried chicken benedict.
(4)
Lisa L.
Pros: The crawfish beignets were delicious and well worth the money. I also had the pulled pork egg benedict (daily special) with a side of grits which was nothing to complain about. Cons: What does need improvement is the service. I genuinely feel like good food can only take a restaurant so far. People want to feel welcomed and respected - feelings that were unfortunately missing during my visit. Like everyone else in line, we waited an hour and a half to be seated. Knowing that our party was large, with 6 adults and 2 kiddies, we knew what we were getting into and didn't complain at all. We stood/sat there patiently waiting for our party to be called like everyone else. However, upon being seated, we all noticed a big problem. The area only seated six...umm....but we have a party of eight. We quickly addressed the problem to the host who proceeded to let out an annoyed sigh. While rolling his eyes, he said, "I thought they had their own chairs." Um...yeah...we didn't bring our own chairs here. Sir, we know you don't need our business to keep afloat, but we also don't need your attitude. Bringing small children to any restaurant is hard to do. Please be kind.
(3)
john m.
I really liked the food but I'm not exactly sure about the French soul food moniker. But defiantly worth a go!
(4)
Charlotte M.
Favorite! The location sucks, but what the hell-- I love coming in on a Sunday evening, listening to Gaucho (gypsy jazz) band and having the TOFU scramble. The atmosphere is noisy and happy-- a mixture of NY and NOLA. The food is worth the wait. Sign in on the chalk board when you arrive.
(4)
Elena N.
I first had Brenda's years ago. At the time, the roommate worked in the area, so I asked him to bring us take out home for dinner. I remember enjoying everything we ordered. Especially the crawfish beignet, fried chicken and mac and cheese. Last Thursday, July 30th a little before 6pm, I decided to try Brenda's again. We ordered through Caviar ( trycaviar.com ) and our dinner arrived a little before 7pm. Prices below are what I paid using Caviar. *Crawfish beignet ($3.57): spiced with cayenne, scallions & cheddar I loved the filling, but the beignets were a little too doughy and slightly bitter. Too much cayenne? These are also super oily. *Sweet flight of beignet ($6): 3 per order - plain, chocolate and granny smith I don't know why, but I didn't enjoyed their beignets as much. My favorite was the plain one since it was fluffy with a nice chew. The apple filling was a little dry and the chocolate filling a little too thick. *Chicken, sausage & okra gumbo ($5.10 cup) I didn't try this as I don't like gumbo, but the roommate finished the whole thing. *BFC dinner ($17.09): three pieces of Brenda's secret recipe fried chicken, their famous cream biscuit, hot pepper jelly & collard greens I remember this being so much better! The breading was crunchy with good flavor, but the chicken pieces were super small. It didn't seem worth the price. Not much meat on the bones. *Oyster flight ($8.42): Casino - bacon, scallion, biscuit, crumbs, parmesan, gruyere; Tchoupitoulas - cayenne butter, garlic, herbs; Orleans - Blackened voodoo bbq sauce I love oysters, so I enjoyed this. Casino was probably my fav, then Tchoupitoulas and lastly Orleans. *Bbq pork and ribs ($16.07): mac & cheese, collard greens Yum! The ribs were tender and meaty. The only disappointing thing was they forgot to pack our mac & cheese. And I love mac & cheese. That was actually really sad. *Shrimp & grits ($13.75): sauteed shrimp, cheddar grits, spicy tomato-bacon gravy So I don't normally eat grits, but I've been craving a lot of carbs lately. The grits were fluffy and the shrimp tender. And the ooey gooey cheese just brought it all together. Super tasty. Some really solid dishes and some not. I really wish I got to try the mac & cheese again and the fried chicken was as good as I remember. Maybe one day, I'll actually eat at Brenda's. But until then, 3 stars.
(3)
Suzanne W.
Went here when I had tickets to Book of Mormon at the Orpheum theater about half a mile away. We got there around 6 and there was a short wait. I love how you write your name on the chalkboard instead of a piece of paper. Little details like that makes the world restaurant that much more unique. This is my second time here. The first was for brunch and my second for dinner. For brunch I remembered loving everything! It was delicious, hearty and had that southern elevated homecooked feel. I remember the shrimp and grits the most so I ordered it. My boyfriend had the ribs with Mac and cheese and collard greens. My shrimp and grits was so good for the first few bites. Less than halfway in I realized that this would make the perfect side dish to share, but not a main dish. The flavors are strong but it got monotoned and I wanted something else so I kept picking at my boyfriends plate. Grits are super cheesy and oily so don't order if you're calorie counting. The ribs were good but the portion is really small. Love the collard greens though. They were tender and full of meaty flavor. We also ordered the trio of beignets for dessert. I'm sad that I didn't love it... Not one of it. We had he original, chocolate and apple. I thought they were too dense and heavy and I was looking for that airy fluffy texture. Either way I do really like the restaurant and would definitely come back. I would just do everything family style so I can taste a little bit of everything.
(4)
Dana A.
Best brunch in San Francisco hands down... I've wanted to try Brenda's for a long time now and finally made it on a Monday morning ... When there was still a ton of people waiting to my surprise. The line went fast though and the food was delicious. Have to try the biscuit! Definitely recommend for everyone to try!
(5)
Jordan H.
Cool place. Delicious beignets. Crowded. Long waites
(4)
Nadav C.
I love that place. I'm there at least once a month and I always recommend to everyone to taste their awesome food. This time I'm giving that place 1 start and if I could to give 0 I would! It's not because of the food it's literally because of the service. The waitress is actually nice but I'm talking about this horrible host at the front. This blonde dude that think that he owns the world and he can treat people like shit. When you go to a restaurant first you need to treat your customers well and not make them feel bad. We are actually the reason that business like this is working consistently (the return customers). We went there to celebrate one of my girl friends birthday and he didn't give them a table until I came and we were only party of 4. He didn't even let them talk and every time they said something he yelled at them and turned around. After we got the table he dropped by accident glass of water on the floor and some of the shards of glass touched my friend's arm and he didn't even apologize he actually looked at her with his obnoxious face and keep walking. and at the end when we had an issue with one of the main courses and we weren't happy he told us that we can exchange it to something else and he didn't even wait 5 second he just turned around and said while he is raising his voice "you decide and I'll come back later" and then I was really really mad and I yelled at him! I don't think that this kind of place needs to hire this horrible person. People like him doesn't need to work around people. Unfortunately you lost a good customer and I'm not gonna return there ever after that bad experience. Of course I'm attaching a picture of him that everyone need to be aware of him!
(1)
Jena H.
Always incredible. This is by far one of the best places that San Fran has to offer. We have been here many times, there will most likely always be a wait and it will be entirely worth it. All of their food is great, you can't go wrong here. Wether you are visiting or living in the city you have to try this place!
(5)
Ashante D.
Wow!!!!! Amazing!!! Outstanding!!!! Delicious!!!! Lawd I can go on for days about how Outrageously Good the food is here! We were visiting for the day and wanted a great Breakfast place. When this came up and had over 6,000 reviews I knew there had to be something special about it! Please Believe this review if you weren't convinced by the others! We ordered the Shrimp and Grits- My Goodness!!!! Best I have ever had (and I've had Alot! ) Don't second think it! Get it! The Beignets are fabulous! Light and fluffy. We had the flight and tried them all. They were all different and their own greatness to it. The biscuits- .......Just get them if it doesn't come with your meal. You will not regret it! And the Peach Preserve that is on the table!!! Match that with the biscuit....Peach Cobbler!!! Yummers!!! The Sweet Watermelon Iced Tea! Ugh! Just great if you like the Ole fashioned type of Iced Tea (which I love) And the Hostess/Waiter Justin!!! He was a Doll Quick and Efficient without being rude. Being a New Yorker that is Valued. This might be the longest review I have ever written, as I wait for my check! Lol Thanks San Fran! We will be back!!!
(5)
Team EK L.
I had the tofu hash with sourdough toast and it was absolutely delicious. Expect a long wait, but you can wander around and there's a Philz the block over where you can kill some time! :) -Edmund The wait was around 1 hour for two people during Sunday brunch. I ordered a Croque Monsieur with cole slaw for my meal and it was absolutely delicious. Totally was worth the wait! -Kristen 5 stars from Edmund & 5 stars from Kristen 5 stars from both of us ^__^
(5)
Kristin C.
Wow! Stopped for brunch and was blown away by the food! Started with the flight of beignets...they are HUGE and delicious. The dough is so light and fluffy and miraculously not greasy at all. The crawfish beignet was my favorite! I had the pulled pork benedict special--amazing! The pork itself was so flavorful and the juices dripped down into a perfect biscuit. The grits were a little loose for me but had good flavor. My husband really enjoyed the fried chicken benedict as well. Side note: try to ignore the location on the outskirts of Tenderloin. It's worth it. Also, the host was very rude. I understand the stress of a high volume brunch, but he was yelling at people. Unprofessional. Ignore him too!
(5)
Erica O.
I won't stop until I have had everything on the menu. My must have menu item? Shrimp and grits. Mmmm mmmm.
(5)
Kimberly C.
This was my second visit to Brenda's. The first time was when it first opened several years ago and the food memory had it first on my list of places to eat over this past weekend. Our wait time to be seated was short at 2pm. From now on, I'll only visit Brenda's around this time because the wait for the food was longer than anticipated. The food is still excellent. We had the Beignet flight, Grillades and grits, and pancakes. The apple beignet is better than I remembered and the crawfish beignet not as good. The Grillades were so tender, I didn't need a knife and the grits were perfection. The most noticeable change was the vibe of Brenda's itself. Perhaps many years of success have eaten away at its Southern charm? It definitely didn't give me the warm feeling I remember so vividly, but the food (which is most important) is still good enough to bring me back for more - or try one of the newer sister establishments.
(4)
Jennifer T.
The service and food was horrible. I was really excited about this place. I went with my family. Not only was our server rude, but the manager seemed to be rude to his employees too. I'm pescatarian, so I asked the server if the entree I was interested in had any meat. He said no, so I got it. When it comes out, there's SAUSAGES in it. So I sat there and didn't have anything to eat. The beignets he brought out weren't the flavor we asked for, so we told him kindly that we received the wrong ones. He didn't even apologize, just took our plate and walked away. The silverware and cups were all very dirty and dingy. We had a horrible experience here, and it honestly still upsets me the poor food and service we received.
(1)
Tim J.
Glad to see them in the neighborhood but some food isn't available. Only at the other location . communication with waiter can be off if u get the wrong service.
(2)
Sui N.
First time having gumbo and it was delicious, service was alright nothing outstanding, but the place was crowded during lunch
(4)
King N.
The setup of the restaurant was cool. Had a live band playing Blues music, definitely went well with the theme of Brendas. The food was really good!! This was like the non-commercialized version of popeyes. Only give it 4 stars instead of 5 because i found a small piece iof plastic in my red beans and rice. And they gave us our dessert for free to compensate for the mishap. Overall it was very good.
(4)
Brad H.
8/2/15 @ 9:00 AM - We knew there would be a wait for a party of 3 on a Sunday morning. Seating order was arranged by putting your name on a board until it is called and you are seated. We were seated at an end table for 2 with a 3rd chair. It is your typical 24" x 24" table. After we ordered, a larger table for 3 opened up next to us. We explained to our waitress this was crammed and could we please move. She said she would have to check with the host. She walked to the back, spoke to him and I watched him rudely dismiss her with a glare and a "no." She calmly came back to us and said we could not move. Her face said it all...."yes, it is ridiculous..." So, we ate from 3 large oval plates with 1/3 of each plate hanging over the edge of the table. I had to sit sideways. As we left the restaurant and were on the sidewalk, the host comes out and tries to backtrack. He has "such a complicated system" with the chalkboard, people waiting, having to check tables...WOW. Wrong job for this person. The right thing would have been to explain before we sat that there was end table for 2 and would we take it or like to wait for a larger table for 3. I won't be returning. Too many other crowded, busy brunch spots also with good food, but also with good manners towards their customers.
(1)
Sam B.
Brendas is amazinggggg. Best time to go is week days.. the weekends get hella busy and you'll wait forever but its worth the wait. the pancakes are magical!! and everything else is equally as good but i always make sure to get an order of pancakes no matter what. Staff is friendly and quick as well!
(5)
Mandy L.
NO WAIT, OPEN TABLES, FOOD SERVED IN FIVE MINUTES! Sunday serves brunch from 5-8 PM. Overall taste of the food was not spectacular but the quality was up to par. Of the fried items we ordered, Brenda's Soul Food does a great job keeping the batter dry and crunchy. I'm usually a Benedict person but I liked the Po' Boy more. Shrimp po' boy comes in a toasted and chewy French roll, lots of medium sized battered shrimp with sauce, and a mound of French fries on the side. I would ask for extra lettuce and tomatoes. First time trying a po' boy did not disappoint. Fried chicken Benedict was served on a biscuit instead of an English muffin. It was warm and elevated and flaky and buttery and soft on the inside, crunchy on the outside. The biscuit definitely took the spotlight from the fried chicken, eggs, and hollandaise sauce. Side of hash was enough potatoes for another meal, score! The famous Crawfish Beignets come in an order of three for 9.75, which is a good deal considering how large they were. The texture and taste of the beignet dough is similar to a thicker version of Chinese fried doughnuts. Inside each beignet has about four fatty crawfish mixed in cheesy sauce. Crawfish usually has an earthy taste because they're fished from the mud, but this wasn't too bad. Coming from someone who doesn't like crawfish and loves bread, try it! If we could choose again, my friend and I would have ordered the crawfish beignets + 1 entree to share. So much food!
(4)
Shaun C.
I love Brenda's and Brenda's new place on Divisadero. The crawfish beignets are always a go to and service is better than average for brunch. Keep it up and I will keep coming back!
(5)
Wendy F.
Their food definitely warmed my soul. Their crawfish beignet is a must-try!!! FOOD: My friends and I shared the crawfish beignet (3 for $9) and I also got the fried shrimp egg benedict with cheesy grits on side ($12.75). I was very, VERY happy with everything I got, even though I've never had either beignet or egg benedict before in my life. The crawfish beignet is a MUST TRY. It's fried dough with crawfish and cheese inside and it tasted just perfect. The egg benedict was also great and I feel very full from it. My friends tried the calm omelet and the pork belly grits, both of which were delicious. SETTING: You should know that the restaurant is located in a not-so-safe neighborhood, aka the Tenderloin, in SF. I got here by N and had to walk through some sketchy people. There are a lot of tables & bar seats inside of the restaurants but pretty crammed. You'll know when you got to the restaurant when you see a bunch of people gathered outside a bench. SERVICE: We came here around 11 and waited 30 minutes to be seated (for a party of 3). The waitress was very quick with our order and the beignet was ready within 5 minutes. The rest of the food came within another 5 minutes and we were all very happy with the service. They also let us split the check 3 ways, which was very nice of them! OVERALL IMPRESSION: I am usually not excited for savory food but I've heard great things about this place and Brenda's did not disappoint. I am definitely coming back again for their beignet sampler. :D Very very cute brunch place.
(5)
David N.
Went here for the first time with my wife and some friends and I loved it. The wait time was long because we had a party of 6, but it was worth waiting. I ordered the 3 eggs omelette with tomato, chicken apple sausage, and spinach. One the side I got toast and potatoes. The eggs wasn't over cooked or under cooked. They were just right. Egg omelette I was so delicious. The funny thing was I got Coca-Cola for brunch hehe. I was the only one drinking sonda too. Pros: Clean Great services Cons: Street parking Restaurant is small.
(5)
Shannon P.
Crawfish Biegniets
(5)
F G.
WOW!!! - This place does it right! Hands down the best fried chicken I've ever encountered. I'm a big hot sauce guy and typically consider it as a must to complement fried chicken wherever I go. Not sure what they're secret recipe is, but the chicken is truly better without the hot sauce. Been here many times for brunch and lunch. Tried multiple items one the menu and every dish has been beyond expectation. My favorites are the BFC and any of the beignets, but especially the crawfish beignet... AS GOOD AS FRIED CHICKEN GETS
(5)
Jonathon M.
After an hour and fifteen minute wait and two trips to the parking meter my review still stands as five stars! The service was great! Everyone is professional, kind, and expedites orders very quickly! Our server also gave great recommendations regarding the eggs Benedict options, and we are so thankful for his opinion because the options were so hard to choose from! I personally had the banana fosters French toast. It was perfect, like a desert for breakfast! However my friends had the fried chicken Benedict and the pulled pork Benedict. I was fortunate enough to sample and holy moley...so good. I will be back, and wait patiently for this awesome brunch again!!!
(5)
FK R.
Excellent food, when made right. If you are vegetarian, specify ahead you need your breakfast food cooked separate in a pan, if you don't want to have your stomach turn upon tasting bacon grease on your vegetarian food.
(3)
G V.
I don't care for spicy food much and many of the items on the menu I won't eat. However, their homemade biscuits are TDF... Don't miss those!
(4)
Adrianne R.
We went on a Friday at 11am, it wasn't a long wait at all. I enjoyed the French toast with the pecan butter very much, I loved it the fried chicken was good and the catfish was tasty as well, the biscuit remind me of this is my grandmother used to make, is the shrimp and grits were great they, gave you an option of keeping the bacon off which was good, and also Asked for spicy sauce on the side for my daughter who had been craving shrimp and grit for months now. Lol , I was shocked this Soul food restaurant did not have at any Afro-American employed I'm just saying. I will being going back. Over all it was a great experience parked to parking places down and got a ticket, because they said the wheels where not turn to the curb, on the slight hill. Wow. 62.00 dollars. Wow well.
Considering how popular this place is, I really wished I liked it more. That being said, I had really high expectations, but wasn't thoroughly convinced after my meal. First thing's first, we ordered mimosas and they ran out of glasses so we had to drink out of plastic cups. Not too much of a big deal, but you would think that with so many people eating at your restaurant on a daily basis, you would have a large supply of kitchenware. Anyway, we ordered our food and it took a really long time to come out, but our waiter was very attentive and hospitable so it made up for it. We ordered the Beignet Flight which came out first and it was the best part of my entire meal. I am a huge fan of beignets and these ones were great. My favorite one was the Crawfish Beignet! I had never had a savory beignet and I have to say, this was life changing. It was really flavorful and had lots of spices which contrasted with the fluffy outside, so it was a good combination. The other beignets were really tasty as well :) For my entree I ordered a Hangtown Fry, which is an omelette with fried oysters and bacon with hash on the side. I love oysters so I felt like this was the dish for me. Nope. It was really heavy for an omelette and the oysters tasted bitter and salty. I wanted to like it, but the taste was just too overbearing. I guess you just have to come here with a hearty appetite and be ready for the heavy food. 3 stars pretty much goes to the beignets for me.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Accepts Bitcoin : No Good For : Brunch Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Duke D.
It's all about the creole and the grits. Ordered a beignet sampler. Our favorites were the savory beignets and the apple beignets. The jar of jam at the table was tasty over their fresh baked English muffins. I ordered the shrimp and grits... very flavorful and easy to eat. My guest ordered the fried oysters omelet. It was good too, but a little on the dry side for me. Overall, I really like this place and their chicory flavored coffee reminds me of Cafe du Monte. The ambiance is nice with bright sky lights. They do not serve fresh squeezed orange juice, like they used to years ago when I went. Service was good and quick. We arrived early so didn't have to wait. On weekends, there's always a line outside. The neighborhood is sketchy, but it's getting better. That's why this place is a lunch/breakfast place. I highly recommend you try this place if you haven't. This one is definitely not over hyped like the other restaurant we tried yesterday.
(4)Katie P.
I've never been to a French soul food restaurant, so I wasn't quite sure to expect. But wow, was I blown away! This place is awesome! There were so many delicious-sounding items on the menu that it was really hard to choose what to order. We had the crawfish beignets for an appetizer. I'm usually not one for anything seafood, but these were just the right amount of spicy and tasty. For my meal I had the beans and rice with fried chicken and a biscuit as sides. The portions were large and everything was delicious. The server was friendly and helpful. The streets outside of the restaurant were a little sketchy, but I guess that's to be expected in this area.
(5)Angel S.
We had the specials: pulled polk benedict and french toast with bananas foster. Both were delicious and super-rich. For my own taste, I'd like a little California cuisine sensibility mixed in to offset the richness, perhaps with some fresh veggies and fruit to cleanse the palate. Chicory coffee was solid (though they were out of soymilk). Vegetarians/vegans/paleos: most of the food here involves some kind of bread, eggs, and dairy. There was a tofu dish that appeared to satisfy limited diets, but don't expect to be able to substitute gluten-free *and* dairy-free. For the best experience of the menu, you'll want to go off-diet. Atmosphere: noisy, jazz/oldies music, casual Tip: The line is long. Don't be the moron who tries to joke "I could be Susan" when the host/hostess calls "Susan, party of 2". You'll get a stare of death from the host/hostess, and you'll deserve it, honestly.
(4)Mike M.
I've always heard that SF was an awesome city for foodies, so for our first meal of our trip, we decided to check out Brenda's since it had an insane number of reviews. While walking here we noticed that the surrounding area was pretty sketchy, so we didn't really know what to expect. It turns out Brenda's is actually a pretty nice and clean spot and the food totally made it worth the trip. It reminded me of one of those hipster brunch spots in Chicago. The actual restaurant isn't that big so it was already full when we got there. You put your name on the chalkboard and just wait till they call you. While waiting we were looking through all the pictures on Yelp but were pretty disappointed to find out that a lot of the pictures were daily specials that weren't being offered on the day we went. There were so many great looking pics of different types of eggs benedict but unfortunately they weren't available. Either way, the food that we did order was still great. Chocolate Beignet - Super rich chocolate inside some fried dough. The chocolate center was so dense that it coated the inside of my mouth. Loved it. I made sure to save some of it for dessert at the end of the meal. Crawfish Beignet - More of a savory version of a beignet. I'm honestly not too big of a seafood fan, but cheese and cayenne pepper is a combo that can make anything taste really good. Hushpuppies - These were just okay. They were a little on the dry side and not much better than Long John Silvers. Shrimp and Grits - I always had the idea that grits were pretty bland and tasteless, but these grits were just delicious. They were some of the best grits I've ever had (basically only had it once before haha). The actual grits were creamy and buttery, the insane amount of cheese mixed in almost made the grits unrecognizable, and the super savory tomato bacon gravy poured on top just elevated it on another level of taste. The shrimp absorbed all the flavors of that gravy and were probably fresher than any shrimp I'm used to eating back home. Chicken Etouffee - Etouffee, jambalaya, gumbo...whatever you call it, I'm a fan of any sauce and rice combination. The chicken was moist and pull apart tender, and that tomato gravy was just so flavorful with a great balance of spicy and saltiness. Being Filipino, I love rice with everything so this was my kind of dish. Pulled Pork Po Boy - This was the daily special. I only had a little piece but that pulled pork was as tender as can be and it was a nice spin to the traditional po boy sandwich. Brenda's was definitely a cool spot to check out. Since almost everything on their menu sounded awesome, it was perfect to come here with a big group so we could try a little bit of everything.
(4)Rosie S.
There was a long line when we first got in and I love the idea of a chalk board waiting list, somewhere we got seated right away. I tried beignets for the first time and they were so delicious, we got the original. Next I noticed they had my favorite breakfast food: biscuit with country sausage gravy! Yay! I ordered that with eggs and home fries and it was perfect.
(5)Russell Allen E.
I have never been to Brenda's in the 5 years that I have lived in San Francisco. However, my boyfriend has been a few times and always brings me crawfish beignets. They are SO GOOD. I wish I could eat them every day. I don't know if I'd wait in line to get to eat here in person, which is why I haven't been. But, if I were walking by and it looked slow I'd go in just to order the beignets.
(5)Sarina A.
crawfish beignets are an absolute must to try. it may not sound tasty but i promise theyre worth every bite. ive tried grits at other places but Brendas nails it. shrimp & grits is another must
(5)John B.
Brenda's puts an interesting twist on soul food. You will find some traditional taste in their dishes as well as their own version. Traditional beignets come with powdered suger only. Brenda's beignets are creative and tasty which makes this a nice spot for some fun soul food.
(4)Jennifer L.
This might be the best brunch place in SF....or possibly the best brunch place EVER!!! There is always a line no matter what day it is, but totally worth the wait. I came here on a Monday the first time and there was still a 45+ min wait. Who brunches on a Monday in October?! This time we came on a Saturday afternoon, so we knew there would be a wait. When you walk in, you sign the chalkboard with your name and the # in your party. There were at least 10 or more parties ahead of us, so we had drinks around the corner at Chambers. We came back about an hour or so later to be seated. The inside of the restaurant is pretty small and the tables are really close together, but the décor is cute. We ordered the beignet flight to share with three people (comes with 4 - plain, apple, chocolate, and crawfish). I only ate the crawfish one since I don't really care for sweets. The beignets are huge and definitely shareable. The crawfish beignet was as savory and flavorful as I remember. I ordered the eggs benedict with fried chicken (you can pick other meats or no meat) with a side of grits. The waiter asked if I wanted cheese on my grits which I decided against because I was already indulging in fried chicken. UGH, wrong answer! I definitely needed the cheese. The grits were way too bland for me and I have been told I have bland taste. The eggs benedict though....OMG!! I normally don't care for fried chicken and peel the skin off because the skin makes me feel sick, but I wanted to try the famous fried chicken here. I made the right choice!! Brenda's fried chicken was DELICIOUS!! Not greasy at all AND the chicken was still moist and tender!! The skin was not hella thick like KFC chicken, but thin and crispy. The egg was perfectly poached and the hollandaise sauce was TO DIE FOR!! Soooo creamy and tasty! The combination of the yolk, hollandaise, and fried chicken was AMAZING!! I definitely recommend this dish, but I don't think you can really go wrong here. I have had the shrimp and goat cheese omelet with the potatoes and OMG, I discovered I LOVED goat cheese because of it! Melted goat cheese with shrimp - best combo EVER!! I would be here EVERYDAY if I lived in SF.
(5)Melissa G.
It's a good thing I don't live in San Francisco. There is SO much yummy food and Brenda's was by far at the top of my list for outstanding food. Warning visitors-this restaurant is in the Tenderloin area and our public transportation trip to get here was interesting in itself. Waiting outside for your table can lend to some "interesting" observations and events. Although I grew up in LA, for some reason I find the Tenderloin district pretty scary even in broad daylight. On to the restaurant, when we arrived there was a wait. It is a fairly small restaurant and it was packed. We waited about 30-45 minutes and it was worth the wait! I've been to New Orleans and Brenda's topped any restaurant I went to in NOLA. We shared the Beignet flight (one plain, one Ghiradelli chocolate, one granny smith apple, and one crawfish). I thought to myself I would not like the crawfish well since I don't like crawfish in the first place, but it was delicious! Every single beignet was outstanding, but the chocolate and crawfish being my favorites. I had: Eggs Benedict Two poached eggs on cream biscuits with creole hollandaise, and choice of grits or hash with fried Catfish 13.00 My hubby had: Crispy Pork Belly 12.75 Poached egg, cheddar grits, spicy onion relish I am not a fan of eggs benedict. But the person ordering it at the table next to us made me want it. I had to have it. Biscuits? Really? to die for Creole Hollandaise? Perfect cheesy grits? Best I've ever had, really! Fried catfish? Can't get better Poached eggs-done just right I also had the watermelon iced tea which I loved and they willingly gave me refills without me asking. We all enjoyed our meal. It was very heavy and guilt inducing! Everything on the menu sounded good.
(5)Jessi M.
I went here for dinner before a Pride event a few years ago and now i go every time Im in town.The shrimp and grits are amazing ! the beignets again AMAZING. found this through yelp and now i go all the time .
(4)Ameenah M.
This place really is as good as it gets. The wait is no joke. My friend and I tried to go as early as we could but we couldn't. LOL. We waited outside, there were two benches outside that you could sit at. There's a host, but the way it works is, you would walk inside and write your name down on a chalk board, and wait until your name is called. And people really do wait. Every SF building is small, which is terrible, but my friend explained to me that rents very high in SF, and I do believe it. Outside of the building was not so nice, run down looking, kind of. But inside was very nice. Kind of upscale looking. Imagine my joy, when we were finally called to be seated. Honestly it wasn't that long of a wait and i could see why. I'm not saying the staff tries to rush you but they kind of do. When we were sat, we got our drinks, but automatically she assumed that we were already ready to order. It was our first time, and she wasn't too friendly. I can understand why, I mean it was busy, but still. And when we finally got all of our meal, not even a minute after someone came up to us and asked if we wanted a box. We just got our food. =/. But i'm not going to let that ruin my experience here. What we ordered: The beignet flight (keep in mind, you can only order 4) Chocolate, plain, and two crawfish beignets. Shrimp and grits, and eggs Benedict with catfish. What it tasted like: Amazing, I loved the crawfish beignet. I liked how the beignet tasted with the cheese and crawfish, it went well together. The other beignet were good as well but they were sweet and I don't know why we ordered them first, just to try i guess. It's ok, I was not disappointed. I'm not a fan of grits, and i'm still not a fan of grits, but these ones are very flavorful, and it was pretty tasty but I don't like the texture of grits. My best friend loved it though, so she finished it. Let me tell you about the eggs Benedict. I do not like hollandaise sauce at all. Maybe the place i tried it was just not good, but every since then, I've stayed away from eggs Benedict all together. But here, at Brenda's, the eggs Benedict were so good, I was so glad we ordered it, and the catfish was very good. everything was nicely blended together. would I come back? every time i'm in SF i would. Best soul food brunch i've ever had.
(4)Donna L.
Waited two hours for a table, which isn't so bad, coming from New York and their infamous long lines during Brunch hours. Finally sat down and everything looked so good. Ordered the Crawfsh beignets, the best beignets ever. The cheesy goodness paired with the crawfish made this all so pleasing to the tastebuds. I ordered from the Brunch menu, and I can't quite remember the name of the dish but it was an enormous portion, I couldn't finish that plate. The grits were pretty good, probably the only thing I remembered from the dish. It was an omelette with bacon, crawfish, and something else I can't remember. I wish I could've ordered something else instead, because the eggs didn't quite make an impression on me. Overall, would be back to try other items from the menu, but will never forget how good the crawfish beignets were!
(4)Jared R.
I'd love to be giving this place a 5-star review. I was born in southern Louisiana and spent a good chunk of my childhood there as well as a few of my teenage and adult years. My whole family cooks amazing food that I loved but never knew how to appreciate until I left and realized that everyone was eating cardboard wrapped lettuce and calling it flavorful. Hearty stews were just not going to happen here in California. That said, I've been California washed through and through, and I don't carry the Louisiana authenticity snobbery with me. Good food is good food, even if it's fusion or adapted to be healthier. I've heard a lot of great things about Brenda's from folks in the city, so I was excited to order the chicken etouffee off Caviar to try them for the first time. And so I did... When the dish arrived, it smelled delicious coming upstairs. Even when I opened it, it looked really tasty, though unlike anything I've ever had before in the South... but it was after stirring through the container that I wanted to toss up. It was a large plastic bin brimming with a thick orange-ish sauce with just gobs and GOBS of chicken--and like 15 grains of rice total. This death-meal honestly felt like a medieval pigeon stew and like something only The Vikings or the Donner Party could enjoy. The sheer ratio of meat in this thing made it gooey and repulsive. At one point I remember chuckle-gagging to myself trying to imagine some yoga chick spooning this Renaissance era meal into her mouth. Still, I was ravenous and was enjoying the flavor of the sauce, so I tried to eat some of it before finally being like "OK I really have to leave right now to go get some naan from next door to try to take down this pail of poultry." To get 1 star out of me, a place usually has to really piss me off with some serious negligence, but man, this dish was bad bad bad... bad enough to deserve the one-star on its own. Now, perhaps some of their other dishes are rave-worthy, but they really should have chosen another dish to represent them on Caviar. From what I saw, their "crawfish beignets" looked really tasty, so I think I'd be writing a much different review had they selected that dish. But they chose to serve up the trough of foul fowl. Sorry, Brenda's, I can't give you my seal of approval this time. I'm sure you've got a great menu, but you did it wrong this time.
(1)Dayl S.
Awesome breakfast. The wait is long, but it is well worth the wait!! Must try the beignets!!!! The original ones are the best, just don't inhale while eating you'll get a lung full of powdered sugar! Definitely recommend walking after consuming because you will be so full!!!
(5)LovesToEat S.
As much as I would like to give this restaurant a solid 4 like the 6000+ people, I cannot be so generous with my rating. I give this place a solid 3. Criteria: customer service, cleanliness, and most importantly - Food. Customer service and wait time was excellent. Cleanliness is good. Ambiance and decorations are nice; I enjoyed all the natural light coming in from the skylights. Prices are reasonable, so it is a decent place to dine for less. Food - I ordered the sweet watermelon tea, gumbo, plain beignets, and shrimp po'boy. These are all signature dishes from the south, I would know - I've eaten these dishes in New Orleans. My husband is born and raised in New Orleans and he definitely knows southern food that is good vs. food that is Great. I don't know how many of these 6000+ people could actually compare food eaten in New Orleans to Brenda's. I'd say items on this menu is a hit or a miss. Sweet watermelon tea - A Hit! Right balance of sweetness, free re-fills, and refreshing! Plain Beignets - a miss... If you've ever been to Morning Call or Cafe du Monde in New Orleans you'd know what Excellent beignets taste like. Maybe Brenda's is the only restaurant that might ease a southerner's palate if they were dying for a beignet. But I would wait for my craving until I go to New Orleans again. Brenda's plain beignets were the right color, size, and powdered sugar. The miss was the inside. It was thick and dense as bread. THIS is a BEIGNET not Bread. Just to describe the whole experience of a beignet - it comes out on a plate of 3, then a powdered sugar mix is dunked on all over it where you see a mountain of white and just the slight corners of those 3 beignets. Then you dive into the first one, where powdered sugar gets everywhere, but you don't care because the beignet is fresh and warm. The first bite - you feel the texture of the crust and that crunch, then you hit the lite and warm fluffy inside. And before you know it, that first bite becomes an empty plate. Beignets give an unforgettable food moment. Brenda's beignets did not give me a food moment and I would not try it again. If you are fine with these beignets, you haven't eaten the real thing. Gumbo - A Hit! =D Great flavor, portion, texture - anything you would want to eat that felt like an authentic New Orleans food experience. Shrimp Po'Boy - a miss... What can I say...it looks like a po'boy with the fresh ingredients, but it missed the mark. The type of bread was right, but the bread preparation was off. There were no bits of crunchiness to it from being toasted. For some reason, it was drenched in butter, all my husband could taste was the buttery bread. All I tasted was their seasoned mayo that completely dominated the flavor profile of a po'boy. Shrimp po'boy, you'd wanna taste the shrimp and the seasoning on it - I tasted nothing, only felt the texture in my mouth. This imbalance in a signature dish was somewhat disappointing, esp. for my husband cuz he heard ravings about this place. Maybe they'd do a better job next time, and I'd ask them to put mayo on the side. I'd come back again, maybe I'd give it another star. I'd recommend this place to others. Brenda's is kinda authentic to a New Orleans food experience - but I'd recommend you take a trip to New Orleans and find out for yourself what real southern food tastes like.
(3)Melanie Y.
Brenda's French food is absolute FIREEEEE. Now I know why they call it soul food because my soul felt so happy and complete just being and eating there. Situated at a slight sketchy party of SF, Brenda is located at the corner and is cute and quaint. Parking is a little hard (like anywhere in SF) and you'll have to get lucky by finding metered parking in neighboring streets. We came here on a Friday around noon and was already greeted by a crowd of people mobbing the front. Once entering, we were greeted by a large chalkboard where you put your name and number of people in your party down to hold a seat. We waited around 20-30 minutes before we were seated. Mainly, we came here for the crawfish beignets and obviously because booze during brunch is a must, we opted for the guava mimosas and some bloody marys. The following was split by 4 girls and we left happily satisfied and buzzed. We ordered the following: --BEIGNET FLIGHT: The flight came with 4 choices and we opted for 2 crawfish, 1 chocolate, and 1 granny smith apple. It was perfect because we each just wanted a bite to try of each one. The crawfish was BOMB. SO FLUFFY. SO SAVORY. SO GOOD. The chocolate was also worth the try and not too sweet. I'm not too into apple pies but the granny smith one was also pretty good. --SHRIMP AND GRITS: DELICIOUS. FLAVORFUL. AND SOOO TASTY. It was my first time eating shrimps and grits, and I would never imagined it to taste this good! It came with I would say 4-5 large pieces of shrimp. And the grits were savory and silky smooth, the texture was out of this world delicious. --EGGS & BACON TARTINE: OK tbh the name sounds better than it tasted or looked. It was just basically scrambled eggs on bacon and toast with a side of hash. Kind of basic, so next time I would pass! TIP: GET THE GUAVA MIMOSAS. They are SOOOO DELICIOUS. Also, the Bloody Mary was huge and hit the spot! Super tasty and spicy. TIP 2: Come early, leave happy. If you're ever in SF, Brenda's is the SPOT. And you wonder why they have so many reviews.
(5)Chris M.
Definitely impressed with this place. The service was a perfect balance of prompt and casual. The layout is comfortable and bright. We sat near the kitchen but the noise level was no problem. The food was great. We had a flight of beignets but they were too massive to finish all of before our main meals arrived. I had the crawfish beignet and the apple pie beignet; both were really excellent. My brother took the plain one and the chocolate one home. My main was the Grillade & Grits. Awesome. The gravy was fantastic, and the beef tender and flavorful. The grits were a nice, solid-mushy with cheese. Even the scrambled eggs had great flavor. My only complaint - the servings were massive!
(5)Lennie G.
Breakfast here is awesome and a must try. I had the shrimp and grits and my cousin couldn't stop eating off my plate. The beignets are the best here try the crawfish beignet its the best but the sweet one's are delicious too
(5)Kayhan K.
Came in on a Sunday for brunch. Wait surprisingly was not that long. Had to try the shrimp and grits and it was really tasty. Beignets were fluffy and filled with chocolate so nothing really could go wrong there. Bloody Mary was good as well. Spicy!
(4)Rockne H.
On a few occasions, I've taken the opportunity to visit Brenda's because of the big hype this place puts up. Being new to the area, I'm always trying to find new spots to brunch at, so I know where to go when friends come and visit. Brenda's definitely falls into a "Great SF Brunch" category. When you go there, don't be alarmed by the surrounding area and the wait. Just stick around and be patient. The wait goes by relatively fast. You walk in, approached the chalk board and write your name. They will call you when they are ready. The place is pretty compact. Lots of tables and seating however you might feel as if you're sitting on top of the next party. Especially on a two top, I get pretty uncomfortable sitting on the inside bench, for fear of having to get out at the end and accidentally bumping into the next table. lol. The service is relatively quick as well. They know they're always busy and don't really fool around. For my few visits, I've gotten a couple of dishes. Here's what I thought: -Fried Chicken Eggs Benedict for $12.75. Two poached eggs on cream biscuits with creole hollandaise and choice of grits or hash. The hash is more like seasoned potatoes. Good but not great. The fried chicken was super crispy and a great touch to the Benedict. Add with a perfectly poached egg and Hollandaise and you've got a pretty good Benedict. -Three Crawfish Beignets for $9.00. Three HUGE beignets stuffed with crawfish, cheddar, scallions and spiced with cayenne. You'll get a plate full for sure! They stuff it with lots of crawfish and cheddar, yet the beignets are pretty dense. It'll be hard to finish all three for sure! At the end of the day, Brenda's is a huge win for the SF Brunch community. It's wait really speaks for the great food. If you're on the fence on whether or not to visit this place, don't question it. Just go and try it out. You are bound to find something that will keep you coming back!
(4)Samantha S.
Brenda's is my go-to place in the city. Make sure to get the shrimp and grits omelette and to show up at least 45 minutes before you'd like to be seated- always a line out the door, which is a good sign!
(5)Natalia K.
This place is A-MAZING! Cute ambiance and delicious food. I love that you can order a piece of fried chicken a la carte cuz sometimes you just need a piece even though you've ordered a bunch of other food. What we had: - Housemade Watermelon Iced Tea: 11/10 - Chicken, Sausage and Okra Gumbo: 9/10 - Collard Greens: 8/10 - Fried Chicken Drumstick: 10/10 - Shrimp and Grits: 10/10 - Cream Biscuit: 10/10 Our meal was so good and the portions very generous. We left stuffed and even had plenty of leftovers to bring home that I had for lunch the next day. My only complaint was that the service wasn't the best. Our server wasn't very friendly nor attentive. Water & iced tea glasses constantly empty and when we wanted to pay the check, she walked by our table twice, once with us holding out the check & credit card to her, oblivious of us. I could tell it was getting late (9:30) and she was preoccupied with side work instead of checking in with us, ever. And the place wasn't busy at all. Luckily the food was sooooooo good we'll be back again for sure!
(5)Annie D.
Omg, omg, omg... I want to relive that moment when I first took a bite of my crawfish beignets and the cheesy grits :'). I came here on a Friday afternoon with a great friend of mine and we were so stoked to see what the place has in store for our stomachs! We ordered the shrimps and cheesy grits and pork belly and cheesy grits, along with crawfish beignets for our appetizers. The cheesy grits was excellent! It complimented the toppings so well. It is veeeery filling and on the heavier side but so worth it because it is french comfort food! I suggest coming here on a weekday during lunch because I heard it gets really busy and packed on the weekends.
(5)Jhoanne S.
Came in at 1:30 pm on a Monday, with my sister. We were greeted with a smile by the host and got seated immediately and there were still plenty open seats. I wanted to see what the hype was all about. Lots of people talk about this place that I have to give it a try. Parking could be hard, but we found metered parking immediately. It was about $2.25 for 70 mins parking. Not bad. Inside the restaurant, the decor was pretty homey.. Lots of different size mirrors up on the wall. Everything on the menu sounded amazing. Decided to get the daily special-- The Spicy Pasta Orleans with sautéed shrimp, crawfish, mussels and andouille sausage in a garlic cream sauce-- it was so delicious and they were very generous with their portions and the seafood! My sister ordered from the house favorites: Hangtown Fry: Crispy oyster, bacon and scallion scramble with hash (or you can have it with grits) and toast (or you can choose cream biscuit) -- she said it was delicious, heavy meal and filling! We wanted to try their beignets and couldn't decide which one to try so we ended up getting the Beignet Flight!!! Crawfish beignet was light and perfectly spiced! lots of paprika on the outside and crawfish and cayenne inside!! Deeeliiiciooousss! Plain beignet : came warm with dusted powdered sugar on top. Chocolate: filled with molten ghirardelli chocolate, was a lil too sweet for my liking. Granny Smith Apple: (my personal favorite) filled with apples sweetened with cinnamon.. it reminds me of an apple pie! These beignets were huge! We have plenty to take home with us. For drinks we ordered: Abita Strawberry lager for my sister and guava mimosa for me since I don't drink beer. Amazing experience. Great staff and service. Food were very filling and a lil heavy for me. Price is just right for the portions it comes in. Definitely would come back and try other stuff in their menu. If you ever around the area, don't hesitate to try Brenda's! You'll find something you'll enjoy in the menu.
(5)Fia R.
In our recent Bay Area trip I finally, finally feasted in this continuously popular eatery in the Tenderloin region of SF County/City. During the 1st hour of opening on a chilly Saturday morning we were the 6th and 7th guests to get seats. But as the minutes slowly progressed, more and more people squeezed into this small yet gorgeously put-together, contemporary atmosphere . Simon opted for the Grillades and Grits ($12.50). Sure, the execution of the grits and these creole-packed beef cutlets appeared generous yet stagnant, but we didn't underestimate how both were straightforwardly delicious with such smooth consistencies. As for me the primary goal of Brenda's was the [Crawfish] Beignets. I was too enticed with powdered fried puffs in general that I justified my 1st visit there by selecting the Beignet Flight ($10), which had all 4 of the following flavors in the menu... The Ghirardelli Chocolate Beignet was tolerably rich yet handsomely packed with the molten chocolaty goodness--i.e. strongly recommended for my chocoholic buddies. The Plain Beignet was bluntly meant for a purist, though its dough carried less sweetness than the ones served in Anaheim ;D. So, to add more sugar to that plain puff, dab liberally with their yummy housemade berry jam. Meanwhile, Granny Smith Apple Beignet was utter addiction for someone like me--often craving for some sensuous and crisp caramelized minced apples, a subtle smack of cinnamon, and a light amount of honey butter. But this particular beignet would be the piece I'd see myself reorder: the savory Crawfish Beignet. More than its uniqueness I reveled in the mild zing from the gooey cheddar, the pungent scallions albeit scanty (which may be a good thing for most taste buds), the perky cayenne pepper, and the piquancy of the minced, terrifically cooked "little lobster"--all warmly encapsulated in this intriguingly thin yet soft dough. If you haven't seen this photo yet, it's doused in what seem to be similar to Old Bay seasoning, rather than powdered sugar (as I honestly imagined -_-). For service it was minimally friendly with a note of some slowness near the end of our weekend breakfast, in spite of the increasing, hungry guests. Both of our orders were humongous, but that didn't impede us to order another Beignet Flight to-go. We used an SUV to get to our destination, so if you're taking a similar mode of transportation, super good luck finding a close metered spot. Overall, I can happily nick this soulful restaurant off my To-Eat-in-SF list, and by the way: Brenda's a street or 2 away from the eternally beloved Philz Coffee.
(4)Shane C.
Maybe I expected too much. After reading the reviews I could not wait to try this place. I should preface this with I am originally from Louisiana and I know my soul food. I read the ship and grits was what they were famous for so that is what I ordered. The grits were smooth and creamy and had a very good taste. However the shrimp and sauce we're very bland and flavorless. I covered it with hot sauce just looking for a kick. I was dissapointed. The hush puppies were very good but the biscuits did not taste homemade. Overall not what I expected.
(3)Nata T.
Eggs Benedict with Fried Chicken was very delicious! The biscuits were probably one of the best I've had. Definitely will have to come back here again to try other items on the menu!
(5)MyMy T.
For breakfast this morning, I wanted to steer away from the ordinary breakfast that is served everywhere; eggs, bacon, muffins, breads, orange juice, etc. I am yearning for something really different. So I've found this place via Yelp ... Finding something delicious and out-of-the-ordinary to eat is exactly what I aim for every time I get a chance to explore the city. It's what I live for and if I can find some place GREAT and AWESOME, it really makes my day. I love everything about this place. The decor, the atmosphere and especially the food. OMG! All of the food is so so good. I was gonna order some extra plates to take with me for tomorrow's lunch and the next day and next day...hahaha. Anywho, I don't recall how the grits taste like or if I have ever had them before so I ordered the Shrimp & Grits. But since the chicken-sausage-okra gumbo also screamed my name, I had to get one cup as well...heheheh. I am pigging out, I know! I definitely will have some leftovers and I am more than happy to have those for tomorrow's breakfast. My nephew ordered the Crawfish Beignets and after I took a bite, I wanted to order another order to go too. But, I had to stop myself and hold back on that end. THIS IS TOO MUCH!!! The Shrimp&Grits were so delicious, with the spicy tomato & bacon gravy sitting on top of the jumbo sauteed shrimps and cheddar grits ... it just can't get any better than this. The grits flavor was just perfect with a hint of sweetness in it. The cheddar cheese on top gave the grits a nice texture AND taste. The crawfish beignets? Don't have words to describe them. They are just simply delicious and a must-try as well. I definitely will order these dishes again if I come back. But not until I try out all of their dishes....like the Crispy Pork Belly Grits, Grillades & Grits, etc... Btw, the pace here is fast. Most of the waitresses here don't have time to chit chat with the customers so be prepared to deal with that. They are not rude, they just don't have time since this place is really popular and therefore, the turnover is quite fast.
(5)Sh J.
Food was OK!!!! Beignet was Luke warm, shrimp pork boy was really good,. Only 2 stars for the rude and Incompotent Service..,, expected better from my hometown!!!!
(2)TaÃna G.
The wait can be long, but the food is delicious! Yum yum yum! You can have some coffee while you wait to be seated, which helps. Try to arrive early and have your whole party ready to be seated and be ready to grub on some good food!! Takes me back to Nola!
(4)Calin D.
It's not easy to come by some decent crawfish this far away from NOLA. Good food and service, I'll definitely go back soon
(4)Joni R.
(This review should have posted last September 2014) OMG!!! If I had money I swear I would fly to Frisco every week just to eat here. But I guess as long as I have my memories I'll be ok. So we strolled in Friday morning for a good meal before a long day of sightseeing. No wait( awesome), friendly staff( awesome awesome) cozy seating and fresh coffee served straight up as soon as we sat down( tres awesome)!! Looking around the place has an interesting decor. I love the wall of mirrors( love mirrors all over a home..so much light added) and they make Brenda's feel especially roomy. Quiet chatter and the restaurant has a certain hum to it. It made me feel excited...then the folks next to us received their food....I became giddy!!! So our plan of attack while visiting San Francisco was to order all we wanted to try, eat a little, share with ourselves and others. You know this strategy works here in Chicago because folks are always grateful for free food. Here most people just looked at me like I was homeless and the food was tainted or something. Well excuuuuuuuuse me!! Anyway back to the food. Flight of beignets were so good. You get a plain, chocolate filled, apple cinnamon and crawfish stuffed. The crawfish was my favorite one. It had a creamy spicy sauce swimming with tender crawfish tucked inside a pillow of fried goodness dusted with Cajun seasoning. Don't eat all the Cajun seasoning unless you like having heartburn. IJS Then we ordered the Hangtown Fry with cheddar cheese grits, the andouille sausage/ cheddar omelette, pancakes and the cream biscuits came with the Hangtown fry. It was the best damn breakfast ever!!!! The biscuits were the absolute best biscuits I've ever had. The homemade jam they serve with them is just priceless. Needless to say we rolled ourselves out of there and waddled our way down to Fishermans Wharf for a full off fun and sea. Don't ever hesitate to eat at Brenda's!
(5)Amir A.
Brunch review. Somehow was able to score parking and had no wait here so perhaps my review is a bit biased? Inside decor is great, lots of natural sunlight coming through which helps set the mood for brunch. The $2.50 for all-day watermelon iced tea was great, I highly recommend it. Fried chicken eggs benedict was a heavy meal and comes w/ a choice of grits or hash. The crawfish beignet is loaded with paprika on the outside, and crawfish on the inside. They are extremely filling! For hte sweeter beignets, my personal favorite was the Grandma styled beignet. The apple flavor inside reminded me much of the Julian apple pies I consumed back in San Diego. Prices are very affordable given the portion. Highly recommend coming here for brunch if you can!
(4)Paulina F.
I guess Southern isn't my thing. I liked neither the beignets nor my benedict with pulled pork and potatoes. No milky eggs was the biggest letdown. Service is okay, considering how busy the place is. The wait is super long. Not a fan of the decor. Not much of a cozy brunch feel.
(3)Lina T.
We trekked up to San Francisco last September for the Aftershock festival and after driving all night and morning, decided to stop by Brenda's on the way into Sacramento. Even though it's not really on the way, Brenda's has been on my list of places to go eat for some time now. I know how busy it gets on the weekends and the last time I was in San Francisco we didn't get to go because the wait was so long and we were so hungry we just went to another place. But we got there about 30 minutes before opening and we were one of the few people there. I think there were two other groups waiting as well. So when they finally opened they sat us right away, yay!! Now onto the food. My friend and I ordered the fried chicken eggs Benedict and my boyfriend ordered the Black Forest ham Benedict? We also ordered the flight of beignets to share. I like to go to a restaurant and order what they're famous for, for obvious reasons. I got my fried chicken Benedict with a side of grits and my friend got it with a side of the home fries. My boyfriend also got his with a side of the home fries too. The fried chicken Benedict was delicious, although I did think that it could use a touch more seasoning. The grits were bland and a little boring. It was my first time having grits, and I don't think they're for me. I don't get it. My boyfriend, really hated his Eggs Benedict with the ham. The ham was this weird combination of sweet and salty and savory at the same time. It was really strange, the meal would have probably been delicious without that ham, but just that little slice ruined the whole meal. The flight of beignets were pretty good, my favorites were the plain beignet and the crawfish one. The crawfish beignet was creamy and crispy and savory, it was delicious. And the plain powdered sugar beignet was simple perfection as well. The chocolate and apple beignets were too sweet for my taste, and between the three of us, we were only able to finish half of each, because the sweetness was a little overpowering. The service was good, our waitress was really sweet and always had our drinks filled. And I think it was the head chef that came out at one point during our meal to check up on all the customers. Finally, I think I would definitely come back to Brenda's whenever I'm back in the area. I know the best time is to come a little early now; no wait right when they open. And also to order the Fried Chicken Benedict. With a plate of crawfish beignets-yummy!
(4)Brian J.
I've been here before; and I'll be back again; NOLA, Soul-a, vibe.
(4)Norman W.
Holy cow. I've never had grits that were that good. Warm, buttery, and everything that comfort food should be. My friend also loved it and couldn't help herself over the fresh homemade strawberry jam.
(5)Sean J.
The Food was amazing, the service was outstanding (thank you Tanya), desert was to die for and the watermelon sweet tea, mouthwatering!!!!
(5)PunkRock S.
great Restaurant, excellent food, generally a great place to be
(4)Sabrina L.
comfort food at its finest! service is fast and portions are large, more than enough to share. definitely try their beignets and bananas foster!
(5)Sarah M.
Finding Brenda's is half the fun of sitting down to eat there. It's hidden, blink and you'll miss it. But, you surely don't want to miss it! One morning I woke up with a serious craving for pancakes... it would just not go away! I started searching google and yelp for the best pancakes in the city hoping my fellow pancake lovers would send me on the right path. I decided if I was going to indulge my craving, I wanted to try something completely new. So here comes in Brenda's. After walking to Brenda's from North Beach I was ready to eat back on the calories I burned while walking there. So I ordered a plate of chocolate beignets to start and their House made Granola Pancakes with Fresh Fruit to finish. That sounds like an insane amount of food, and it was, but when in rome? Or when at Brenda's is more apt. It would be a shame to venture to this creole gem and not try their variations on beignets. The Ghirardelli Chocolate beignets are more like dessert. The second you pull apart the perfectly flaky dough and take a big mouthful you get the perfect balance of chocolate, powdered sugar and fried dough. Despite being insanely heavy and fattening, they tasted light which is a major feat in my book. Eating a beignet left me desiring more out of Brenda's. What else could they artfully master? I will tell you, granola pancakes. Don't be fooled by the granola. These pancakes are not health food but they are delicious. Fluffy and thick and perfectly cooked through. I loved the crunch of the granola scattered throughout the pancake too! My experience at Brenda's was perfect. And I loved that the tables were set close together almost begging you to begin in conversation with your neighbors. Eating is always a social affair and it's fun to lean over and ask your neighbor what they got. I was able to make friends with an amazing couple who come to Brenda's often. They suggested the shrimp and grits. So it seems I'll be planning a second trip to Brenda's very soon.
(4)Eva O.
That crawfish beignet! (I assumed it was going to be one, but they come in threes, oh my!) I came here for brunch on Saturday with my friend no we ordered more than we could eat, surprisingly because we both love to eat. We ordered the crawfish beignet, eggs benedict florentine, okra gumbo, and the fried catfish. The service was superb and the atmosphere is nice. The seats aren't too crowded when you're sitting next to other people. It isn't elbow to elbow. Only thing to keep in mind is that there is a wait but if you're with good company, it goes by pretty fast.
(5)Kevin S.
In the real world, this place deserves 4-5 stars but were in the yelp world. To be honest, the food is good. The ambiance is ok to good. However, the line is always awful, so you always feel cheated no matter how ok to good the experience is.
(3)Lauren K.
Typical 45 minute wait for brunch in the city on a weekend. Cool that you go in and write your name on the chalk board. Ordered the pulled pork benedict with a side of hash ($12.75). Wasn't able to finish all of the potatoes (ate half) and barely finished the benedict which was a buttery, moist biscuit on the bottom of flavorful, greasy pulled pork and topped with a perfect poached egg and hollandaise sauce. Wish I could have tried the beignets but there will definitely be a next time. Brunch here was a great experience but the food is heavy and will probably only make it out once a year to get my Brenda's fix.
(4)Greg F.
Uh... It is good southern fare, done correctly. The food i had is commonplace in the South... Fried, fatty, good... The shrimp and grits is good, but not ground breaking, the catfish is also well fried, but again, nothing special anywhere outside of Cali. The huspuppies are good...
(3)Dennis I.
Good Food, good service (beware the up-selling by the wait staff).... but, all items were delicious!
(4)Rebecca L.
I drive an hour away, all the way from San Jose, just to eat at Brenda's. The beignets are like nothing I have ever had before. They're amazing, flavorful, and satisfy my craving so well! I definitely recommend trying all 4 flavors of the beignets (crawfish is the best)! All you have to do is write your name on their chalkboard, be willing to wait about an hour, and your tummy will thank you later!
(5)Jessica K.
The french toast with the butter pecan sauce is literally the best thing I've put in my body to date. Brenda's is a classy little brunch spot that I'm always taking my visiting friends/family to. The food is top notch and extremely delicious... I'm a huge fan of their Creole Bloody Mary as well! It's a small spot that gets quite busy because it's so damn delicious. If you're looking for a new brunch spot, Brenda's is it.
(5)Aubrey H.
Food is good. Love the grits and cheese. Pork belly was also very good. I did not like the shrimp and goat cheese omelet. It's was not a good combination. The chocolate beignet was awesome. Made with real ghiradelli chocolate. Very nice One thing I did not like was the table size. It was way too small for our plates.
(4)Jared B.
Fat. Oil. But tasted great.
(4)Charles Z.
I was definitely all for this restaurant! Their fried chicken is very similar to Brenda's 3 meat restaurant (I'm assuming they have the same owner). Absolutely delicious.
(4)Cody F.
Grillades & Grits are amazing with scrambled eggs and biscuit! Really wish I would have tried the Beignets.
(5)Flora L.
Service was HORRIBLE. And the food was WORSE. My friend's egg benedict was not even cooked the right way. The egg was fully cooked so the yolk did not pop out. And horseradish sauce was too buttery. Everything was so oily and yucky. I do not recommend going to this place. So not worth the wait. Worst restaurant I've been to.
(1)Sea Bee C.
Maaay-be I'll try the breakfast sometime, but if I see the same server we had last time, I'm running for the door. Seriously, when you get to that point in your career when you start coming off like you have resentments towards your customers before they open their mouths, it's time to throw in the apron. But then again...maaay-be not. There are definitely better soul food options in the City. I appreciate that Brenda's portions are big, but ingredients seem cheap and the dishes overall just lack, well...soul!!
(2)Jessica W.
We arrived at about 5:30 on a Saturday and within 10 minutes were immediately seated. Score. The shrimp and grits was delicious! Also, there happened to be a special pork shoulder on the menu that night that was the best I've ever had. Service was so-so; though the servers were kind, they weren't very attentive. I ordered the beignets off of all the amazing yelp reviews and was unfortunately disappointed. They were a bit less fluffy and more thick and bread-like than I prefer. But those entrees...wow. I will be returning!
(4)Cody H.
Really good food, but really really heavy. Love the Beignet Flight. Make sure to get there early, otherwise expect a long wait.
(4)Shabnam E.
The crawfish beignets are amazing! Chocolate beignets are also great. Can't wait to try their other menu items.
(4)Jennifer G.
I called in an order for brunch today. Some time around noon I called in , placed the order, and was told the food would be ready in ten minutes, available for pick-up. pancake tofu hash(cream biscuit) beignets (plain) watermelon tea(2) The pancakes were very smooth , big and creamy, so good The tofu hash was more on the spicy side. It was way to hot for me. I ate all the tofu , then gave the rest to my friend to finish. The biscuit was huge and very filling and the jam it came with was very fresh tasting. beignets were different in that the sugar to coat them wasn't very soft light sugar , rather it was a mix of powdered and candied sugar, good mix, and very evenly distributed amount of doughnut, just like a pillow, amazing. Tea was very light and refreshing tasting, I drank the whole thing almost instantly.
(4)Bridget M.
What a fabulous style of menu and ordering. Food kept me comforted for the whole day. Very delicious. Definitely get the glazed carrots, Mac-n-cheese, and the fried chicken. Fun diner seating and service was great!
(5)Rachel F.
We tried Brenda's for the first time today and it was super delicious. Great flavor and a unique menu. We ordered the Beignet Flight and just like everyone has said, the beignets are an absolute must! The crawfish and chocolate beignet are the obvious winners but the apple and plain are both decent. Do yourself a favor and order the flight so you can try them all. We weren't sure of the portion sizes so I also ordered two scrambled eggs and grits and my husband ordered the Andouille Sausage & Cheddar Omelette and grits. The scrambled eggs were pretty basic, as one can expect. The omelette was excellent; the flavors are tasty and the sausage brings an extra kick to it. However, we both agreed the grits were the highlight of our individual meals. Highly recommend ordering something the comes with grits as a side or adding grits to your meal. They may have a touch too much cheese, but has too much cheese ever really been a bad thing? No, it has not! Oh, and ordering the Beignet Flight plus two entrees for ourselves was too much food. Just FYI for those who haven't been and aren't sure of the portion size. We could have easily shared the flight and one meal. But hey, we got some yummy leftovers out of it.
(4)Jane H.
Came here with my boyfriend on a Saturday morning. We waited about 30 min. The Benedict was good but not wowing. We weren't a fan of the grits that tasted like salty and oily oatmeal.
(3)Vivian W.
I've been looking forward to trying Brenda's because of all the great things I've heard, and oh what a disappointment. The food was just soooo heavy, and I only really liked the biscuit. I got the shrimp and goat cheese omelette. I guess its just not my kind of perfect brunch.
(3)Salinda N.
Came here around 5-6 PM on a Wednesday. Came right before the dinner rush, I guess, because the place filled up fast during our meal. And I can definitely understand why this place is busy! I ordered the Shrimp 'n Grits, a side of Mac 'n Cheese, and my boyfriend ordered a burger. The Shrimp 'n Gris was DELICIOUS. I cleaned up my plate pretty well. It was the first time in awhile that I have finished a meal. I was full though so I wasn't able to finish my Mac 'n Cheese. Was able to take a bite of it though and it was just as good! Took that home and ended up eating it the second I got home, haha. My boyfriend also loved his burger. Great place, great food!
(5)Amanda H.
Fantastic southern food and if you go for dinner you can avoid the insane wait during brunch.
(5)Lin C.
The food is nothing special, but if you are in the area and hungry it's good.
(3)Emma H.
Brenda's really does live up to the hype. We waited 2 full hours, (after being told an hour to an hour & 15) and even after the host teased us by coming out and calling our name then told us he was just seeing if we were all there, then coming and doing that a second time and telling us the table he was waiting on was paying (that is painful news when you are hAngry AF) we all agreed as we left that it was worth the wait. Things you must try: We got the beignet flight and the crawfish beignet and the chocolate beignet were the winners(the others were so-so) The Shrimp and Grits (amazing) The Porkbelly and Grits The French Toast (you can taste vanilla bean and Bourbon in the sauce) I almost ordered the Hangtown Hash but got the Catfish Benedict instead. The Hangtown (ordered by my friend) was good but it was more like an omelet than a hash, it was jsut lots of yummy goodies cooked into scrambled egg. It was good but I wouldn't rec. it over the other gems on the menu. The Catfish Benedict was pretty good, the Creole Hollandaise was great and they didn't put too much of it. My only qualm was that it was really heavy and the biscuit was so dense and rich and big that it kind of took over the dish. IMPORTANT WARNING: DON'T ORDER THE POTATOES! Order the grits as your side, the potatoes are really soggy and mushy, I didn't like them AT ALL. I boxed up the second half of my Benedict and just left the potatoes on my plate. Watermelon Iced Tea is excellent, Bloody Mary was good, but I wouldn't recommend the Guava Mimosa, it tasted of cheap champagne- unless you like cheap champagne or cannot tell the difference. Oh and don't get me wrong, I didn't expect them to use Veuve in their mimosa... Prices are very reasonable. Most Brunch entrees are $13. Go early, wear sunscreen and prepare for a wait.
(5)Natasha K.
WOW. Everything we ordered was excellent. The service, prices, quality, and portions were great. The only thing that sucks is the wait...it is worth it though (at least once).
(5)Breanna J.
Went here to write a review, saw my sisters (L.J.) down below and laughed. No lie, this place is good. My sister brought us here bc she loves this place and wanted us to try it out yesterday for a late breakfast...hearty, filling, satisfying food. After ordering the crawfish beignets, a hometown fry, and ham and cheddar omelette we were full with plenty left on our plate. We rolled ourselves outta there with joy.
(5)Christine Y.
First time going and plan to return. Ordered the sampler beignets. A little heavy but every place makes it a little different. Nothing can compare to Cafe du Monde but I cannot fly to New Orleans every time I get a craving. This place is 2nd best. My party ordered the hang town fry which had fried oysters in the omelette, Shrimp and grits, hush puppies and watermelon ice tea. Every dish tasted great. Loved the hush puppies. The service was excellent. Cannot wait to return and try other dishes.
(5)Strauss S.
Okay for starters this spot was jammed pack, so I knew it had to be good. I waited 45 minutes at their small cafe, "Libby Jane" two doors down. I was pleased that they carried Community Coffee... a new orleans staple. Haven't had this in years except at my grandmothers. We were off to a good start. I knew this place was legit. The ambiance is crazy good... new Orleans jazz music playing in the background. I ordered the Eggs Benedict with Two poached eggs on cream biscuits with creole hollandaise, and grits. It was unbelievable and out of this world. I also ordered a plain and chocolate beignet. Everything was so delicous. I'm making this place my spot when I come to Frisco from now on. Gosh I have nothing bad to say because everything was really great!
(5)Teri S.
Recently spent over a week in San Francisco for our wedding and this was the best meal we had, bar none. We had planned on coming in for brunch but ended up eating at Brenda's for dinner. It was AMAING. Our party had the gumbo, ribs, fried chicken and the sweet potato dumplings. We had the oyster flight (incredible) for appetizer and the beignets and pie du jour (lemon cream) for dessert. I don't usually go for lemon flavored desserts, but that pie was out of this world. My husband had the gumbo and his only criticism was that it wasn't creamy or spicy enough. He ended up adding hot sauce to it, but he said that the flavor was incredible. The biscuits were divine... No matter what you order, make sure you get a biscuit too. You can't go wrong. The atmosphere of Brenda's was great. Beautiful open lightning coming in through the ceiling, tables spaced well enough apart so that you aren't sitting on top of the party next to you. My only quip on the service was that it seemed to me that they're used to servicing locals more than tourists. When we asked to substitute one item in an entire for another, our server obliged but not before making us feel a little guilty for asking first.
(5)Bora L.
Their beignets and grits are the BEST! I've tried a couple of their omelette dishes, which are also solid choices. But you can't go wrong with the beignet flight (I like the crawfish one the best), and an entree with a side of grits and a biscuit! I've gone on weekdays before 10am and didn't have to wait more than 5 mins.
(5)Jesse G.
Truth be told, I've never been to New Orleans, or anyplace that serves "real" soul food, but Brenda's makes me want to go... immediately. I've been to Brenda's 3 times now and each time has been incredible. A friend and I recently went, split a flight of beignets, and a veggie omelet and we could barely finish everything. On another occasion I tried the sweet potato pancakes, they were incredible, could've done with a bit less of the butter pecan sauce, a bit too much sweetness for me... but still delicious. GF got the the pork belly grits... Also incredible (I stole a few bites). As an added bonus their coffee w/chicory in it is worthy of drinking black. I've heard their bloody mary's are done very well also, but I've yet to experience first-hand. Quick tip: It may be faster to actually fly to NOLA than arrive after 9AM and get breakfast. Brenda's is popular for a reason, if you're not at the door before 9:15 you may be waiting a while... And the neighborhood isn't one you'd want to stroll around waiting for an open table. I make it a point to never arrive past 8:30.
(4)DynamicDuo H.
Brenda's is one of our favorite place to eat at when we come to San Fran. Other than the Saturday morning long waits, this place is on point. Must try: beignet flight- sample of all four of their delicious beignets (plain, chocolate, Granny Smith apple & crawfish) Also the grits here are amazing, actually a lot better than the ones I've had in Georgia . If your ever in the area make your way to Brenda's.
(5)Joshua V.
The grits are so good; the beignets are so good; the pork belly is so good. Great brunch place if you can beat the line.
(5)Green B.
I love this place!! every time I am in frisco i stop by. I don't care if its raining i still wait the long line its worth it
(5)Dolly P.
I cannot even write in words how amazing this place was! We had the sweet potato pancakes with pecan syrup (sounds odd I know) and it was THE MOST AMAZING THING I HAVE EVER TASTED. The tofu hash was also yum! The guava mimosa was good and strong! Definitely worth it. The atmosphere is awesome. Very New Orleans feel. Staff was super friendly and attentive.
(5)Michael D.
My girlfriend found out about this place on yelp. Suggested we try it for brunch and try & beat the rush. Overall the food was Okay. Nothing spectacular. We tried the crawfish beignets which were good. She ordered the shrimp & grits but didn't seem to like it too much. Said it was too soupy. I had the two eggs and sausage breakfast. Not exactly a unique dish to order at a place like this but its only because nothing on the menu really seemed all that appealing to me. The staff and service was good. But overall I found the place a bit overrated and unlikely to come back.
(3)Elaine Z.
Yum! The hype for Brenda's had been through the roof days before I set foot in the establishment, but I kept expectations moderate as I'm not a huge fan of soul food. That being said, everything was delicious served fresh and oh so rich. The party I came with ordered two flights of beignets - the crawfish and apple were divine! We also ordered s'mores pancakes to share, but I had a bit too much of sweetness by that point. For my entree, I ordered the shrimp and goat cheese omelette, which was perfectly savory and had just enough kick. The wait outside was quite chilly - there isn't much space in the inside waiting area, so come prepared. Luckily, we didn't wait too long, but the place was quite full at 10 AM! Definitely recommend if you're in the area.
(4)Zack S.
My wife and I went here for brunch when we were vacationing in San Francisco. The lines are always long for brunch but its worth the wait...plus they were nice enough to bring out coffee for those who wanted it that were waiting outside. The place is decorated in a very neat way that gives it a nice ambience. My wife got the chocolate beignets and absolutely loved them. They were enormous and decadent and we're only made better by the fresh strawberry jam at the table. The only reason I gave it four stars was I was a little bit underwhelmed by the shrimp and grits. The tomato bacon sauce was a bit too sweet and there were too few grits for the amount of sauce and honestly too few grits in general. I would absolutely go again but I definitely wish that small improvement would be made.
(4)Soo C.
I honestly don't understand why this place is so popular. Don't get me wrong...it wasn't horrible but I would never wait an hour to eat here again. I ordered the chocolate beignets. They were ok....maybe i just don't know what a great one tastes like. The order came with 3 or 4 pieces. I only ate half of one and asked to pack the rest. The waitress took it and never came back. At the end we had to ask for the leftovers because I thought she just threw them away. They were saving it in the back which was very nice but she could've told us that. Ok, then I ordered the eggs Benedict with the fried chicken. The biscuit was extremely dense and there was some seasoning on the chicken breading that over powered the taste. I couldn't taste anything but that spice/seasoning. I ate half of my food and I couldn't do it anymore. It came with some red potatoes and those were just meh. The service was quick. A little confusing because everyone helps every table but it made things go faster that way.
(2)Tracy V.
Came here with my friends to celebrate a birthday, and we were seated pretty quickly (table for 4). Ordered so much food, and each and every single dish was amazing! The shrimp grits is to die for! The waiter and waitresses were very nice and friendly, they even noticed that it was my friends birthday and decided to give her a candle when we ordered dessert. The area is a little sketch, i got lucky with parking, but if i was to come back, im going to lyft.or uber it.
(5)Tony W.
Food is unbelievable good I ate there two mornings in a row breakfast was out of this world,the beignets were great!! If you go on the weekends expect at least a half hour wait but it's well worth it
(5)Eugene L.
I was Chilling at a CMYE in Oaktown about 6 Rum Coconut Drinks Deep and a Beer when one of the EBC Dining Crew Suggested an EBC Dinner at a Ethiopian Place in SF . I was out Free Wheeling so I seconded the Suggestion and We Headed for BART . When I usually go to SF I like to roll Heavy , But I didn't have time to roll and get my Go Bag . I wasn't really too worried as I was rolling with Porsche - The Female Suge Knight and Stan - The Hitman. So I was safe. The Cool thing about the EBC Dining Crew is One Rule . There are NO Rules !!! So we Roll to Bart and Jumped on a SF Bound Train . I wasn't really feeling Ethiopian so I mentioned Brenda's French Soul Food since its been one of my Book marks forever . Everybody liked the Idea so we changed are destination to Brenda's. We got off at Civic Center and Street Hiked to Polk Street and Brenda's. When we arrived at Brenda's it was a PACKED House !!! Ms Porsche signed the Wait List Board and since she's a Ruff Rider like DMX , we were called for our table in 5 Minutes . . We were seated at a Prime Table right next to the Jazz Quartet that was playing . So Cool. Our Server Emily came and Brought us our Menus and Water . She was very Nice and had a great sense of Humor. We Ordered The Cheesy Shrimp and Grits and I ordered 2 Fried Chicken Breasts What can I say I'm a Breast Man LMAO !!! The Cheesy Shrimp and Grits came out in a Scalding Hot Bowl and the Grits were even Boiling . This Plate is a Must Order it was so Good I really liked it , The 2 Chicken Breasts were Finger Lichen good . We ordered 3 Chocolate Beignets to Spilt between the 3 of us. When they arrived they were 3 Big Doughy Pillows Of Love with Molten Chocolate inside . They were so good and very filling. Brenda's would be a great place too take a Date. They Even take Discover Card . I will definitely return .
(4)Kim V.
YUM. Pleasant service. Had the corn-meal fried shrimp po-boy with french fries. It was delicious. Watermelon iced tea was OK. Went on a Thursday afternoon, no wait. Will be coming back, probably not on the weekend though. I don't like to wait for my breakfast for too long ;)
(5)MaryBeth C.
The must try's at this place are the flight of beignets and the watermelon tea. Both are outstanding. The beignets are as good as cafe du monde. The ambiance is really cool. Has a great New Orleans vibe. This is one place I will return to while in San Fran!
(5)Sarah S.
Great breakfast.
(4)Mav M.
I have to agree with everybody here that the shrimp grits is pretty tasty and very filling. I am not really into the crawfish filling on the beignet, it was bland, but the bread is cooked well. The fried chicken was mediocre, nothing special. My complaint about this place is that the tables here are too small and it is pretty cramped.
(3)Porsche C.
Have you heard the word about Brenda's French Soul Food? If you haven't you GOT to check it out! *I wish someone would have told me that, I would have been to this restaurant sooner than I thought* I was finally able to check out this location after deciding if I and my yelp friends wanted Ethiopian or some good ol' fried chicken. Let me tell you....That fried chicken wins over Ethiopian food any day! This location is walking distance from the Civic Center BART Station which is very convenient for people like me that hate driving in SF. Once we walked in we noticed that the restaurant was filled with standing ovation of people who had the same mindset as me (Interested in eating some good southern food). We were instructed to put our name on the board which is on the right hand side as you enter the restaurant. Now either I was REALLY hungry or I was REALLY excited for my first time here because I couldn't stop telling my friends how unique the sign-in board idea was! HA. I even made then take a picture of me putting my name down! HA! We were seated right away which I was totally surprised because there were SO many people in the front area that I assumed that the wait will be over an hour. We got the pleasure of having the lovely Emily as our server and she was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!! She made our first time experience so worth it! After we informed Emily that it was our first time she went over things that were good and items that were REALLY good. Of Course, I was going for the REALLY good food items so I ordered the Shrimp and Grits with 2 pieces of fried Chicken legs on the side. The portions are very generous! I was full by the time that I was done with my entree but of course I couldn't forget about dessert. We had the chocolate beignets that come in 3. I swear I haven't seen Beignets that dang big before. HOLY SHESH! The great and tasty thing about the chocolate beignets!? They were GOOD!! Chocolate was tasty and warm and just melt in your mouth. OMG, I'm drooling just thinking about it! Prices are so reasonable. $24 per person for some good ol' southern food! Count me in anytime! I definitely will be back here to try tons of other things on their menu! Coming here is a MUST when in SF (Don't forget)!
(4)Pamela M.
I have experienced better right in this restaurant several years ago. Sometimes expansion means the quality of food goes down. Two of us went to Brenda's after seeing "The Book of Mormon." We were seated right away (hooray) and from there the experience went down. First of all, the floor was filthy. No one had swept since the doors opened that morning. The table was sticky, as well as the condiment containers. I ordered the Hangtown Fry. It was good, but it used to be better. It used to be a scramble with moist fluffy eggs, now it is like an omelet, but the eggs are dry and crisp. My potatoes were cold and so was the biscuit. My partner had the beef grillades with grits. Not sure what happened with the grits. They are now almost tasteless. My real disappointment was the service. Our waitress seemed ok. When we sat down she was there to take the order. I politely asked her to give us a minute and she made a face. She then punished us by making us wait 10-12 minutes before she returned. She later became nice as the meal ended. I guess she was working on a tip. We left a small one of 15%. We usually leave 20% or more. Needless to say, I doubt I will return. Too bad, Brenda's used to be soon good.
(2)Fuji O.
Excellent food, great service, get here early and be ready to wait but is well worth it over 6k reviews says a lot.
(4)Sharon B.
I was impressed with their chalkboard waiting list. As I expertly wrote my name on it for 3 people, I realized how big I was writing. For a minute, I felt like I was tagging. We waited a while, but not as crazy as I feared. Paired with a walk to Philz Coffee and good company, we did pretty well while waiting. No outside drinks, so my half-drank large cup of Philtered Soul was thrown out so we could be seated. I was set on fried chicken but sad to see they didn't have it on their brunch menu. I opted for the pork belly grits as my alternative. We also ordered the *beignet flight* so we could sample all the fillings. My favorite had to be the crawfish. It was coupled with cheese inside, so yay! The chocolate was good but the beignet itself was not as soft nor warm as I hoped it to be. My grits were delicious and the pork belly- so yumms. I ate around the tomato sauce they placed right in the middle of the dish, but good regardless. I'm definitely coming back for the fried chicken!!
(4)Marc S.
Shrimp and grits, gumbo and the crawfish beignet are amazing! Get here early because it will get packed. They also take to-go orders if you dont want to wait. Parking is limited to street parking. No valet. Service is good. Servers are helpful in choosing what to order.
(5)Kyle M.
Rock hard biscuits and terrible service. very surprised with all the other reviews. :(
(1)Danielle J.
I went to San Francisco on a personal vacation and Brenda's was at the top of my list of restaurants to try. I walked in and to my right I wrote my name on the chalk board to be called for a table. I was traveling solo and the host was so sweet in making sure I had a little table for myself. My server was sweet and helped me choose the ohhhhhhhh so delicious Shrimp and Grits. I like my grits creamy, if you don't then move aside because Ms Brenda's grits are smooth and delicious. I order beignets to go and enjoyed them all the way down Polk. Thanks Brenda's Staff! I can't wait to visit again.
(5)Michelle H.
First time trying French soul food and the beignets are amazingggg! I ordered the popoy and gumbo, but was not a huge fan of that. I'd definitely return for the beignets!
(3)matthew h.
This place is decent can figure out why the line is so long. I'll give the food 3 stars since it came in bog portions but was nothing special and mostly bland, including the crayfish Beignet. One of the things that put me off about this restaurant was that it was kinda dirty and the fact that I found food in my water cup was pretty gross. Would give three stars but place is dirty. Or is that supposed to add to the character of being in the TL?
(2)Carmela A.
I've heard mixed reviews about this place. I've definitely heard the term "overrated" a lot. But, I had to find out for myself. We came during a moderately busy weekday morning. They may have been busier because of the Giants opening day. We started off with the beignet sample. I don't know how big beignets are supposed to be, but these ones were huge! I went for the crawfish one first. The bread was lightly fried--soft and fluffy with a nice crisp on the outside. The spicy, cheesy crawfish filling was good! I ate half and proceeded to tackle my pork belly with cheesy grits. The pork belly was crispy and tender and went well with the cheesy grits. However, I stopped midway as my stomach started feeling funny. My boyfriend, who is normally a big eater, barely touched his food and was in the john for a good while. I didn't even get the chance to try the other beignets. Food was okay (not exceptional) but won't be going back. Maybe the food was just too heavy for us?? I don't know....
(3)Latavia K.
When you first get there make sure to go in and turn to your right and write your party on the chalk board, this the waitlist. Okay now that that is out of the way let me start with the service. Service was great! Although it was long wait, they saw I was a party of 1 and I was seated at a counter within 15min of getting there. Now the reason for the 3 stars is because I was underwhelmed by the food. I have had SPLENDID, MOUTHWATERING, shrimp and grits and these were just okay, nothing I would recommend. Before I finished I was already thinking about my next meal. If ever back in town I may go back again for dinner or try a different dish because they are very popular and that has to be for a reason right?
(3)Dave M.
Brenda's is delish... Great servings, quality food but most importantly... This was the best coffee I have had since being in the states... Go Brenda!
(4)john W.
Oh my god. beignets! And not just fried dough and powdered sugar. Fried dough, filled with super yummy stuff! I tried the Spicy crawdad.. YUM The chocolate filled, so amazing.. Ok so now that that's out of my system. Everything about this place is great. We had brunch and everything was great! Super tasty. The staff was very friendly and service was snappy. Brenda's is definitely on my list now whenever i'm in SF
(5)Aaron K.
Food: 5/5 Price: 5/5 Service: 5/5 Organization: 5/5 Layout: 5/5 Ambiance: 5/5 Honestly I haven't had much experience with soul food, but this was a great first impression. My friend took me here on my week long visit to SF and I couldn't wait to rave about this spot! It is in the shadier part of the city so taking a cab there or walking in a group may be recommended if you're visiting the city. The service and organizational flow are superb. They're not pushy but they are genuinely friendly and make you feel at home. The layout is charming with mirrors of all types hanging on the wall. I did mean to ask why there was a crack up the wall but it added to the atmosphere in my opinion. Plus the chalk sign in board was a nice touch. The ambiance was very relaxing and added to the mood. The music was not too loud and it had a lot of throwback R&B. Now onto the main part of the food! I AM IN LOVE! - Watermelon Tea ($2.75): This tea is a must have! It is nice and refreshing and really flavorful. There is just the right amount of blend to bring out the full tea and watermelon flavors without the excess water that some teas will leave you feeling. No sugar necessary to add. - Crawfish Beignets ($3.50 each): The beignets were nice and crispy on the outside and the inside was just marvelous! They are definitely a must have. If you do not like spicy, you have nothing to fear. The spice is very mild to say the least and just blends right into the overall taste. This was my first time ever having one and I am now hooked! - Casino Oysters ($2.75 each): The oysters were also superb. No complaints on that level at all. They were very soft and easily came apart from the shell. I also didn't taste any sand which quite often happens when I partake in shellfish. - Pork Shoulder ($16.75): This is a dish you will finish by yourself! The pork was just heavenly. It literally melted. Combined with the mashed potatoes and the green beans, it was a fantastic, yet simple combination. Coming from Hawaii where we have Kalua Pork, this really made me feel like I was having a cultural experience of soul food since we have our own flavor of soul food here in the islands. We were a bit too stuffed to fully indulge in dessert but the waitress was nice enough to allow us to purchase one of the Granny Smith Apple Beignets for $2.25. My friend got a little worried when I told him I was about to cry from the overall flavor. It was like biting into my grandma's apple pie. The outside was nice and crispy and reminded me of a malasada and the inside had a good amount of cinnamon for just the right blend. Overall, if you are visiting SF, please please please go and visit this place. You will not be disappointed! The oysters and dessert do have a sampler so you can have a little bit of everything.
(5)Claire S.
Loved the food here! My favorite is the shrimp & grits! The crawfish beignet was also interesting, i really liked it but it may be a hit or miss depending on the person I think. We did the beignet flight so we got to try all 4; I liked the plain and crawfish the best :) The chocolate was a bit too sweet for my liking. Quite a bit of a wait on weekends especially but definitely worth trying at least once :)
(5)Sayalathieo M.
So good! It's a great place to have breakfast, my husband and went recently and walked out happy and full. The only thing I could complain about is the lack of space, it's a small space and they've managed to jam as many tables as they could in there.
(4)Mariah T.
LOVED IT! The wait time surprisingly went by fast, but you don't feel rushed while dining there either. I went there mainly for crawfish beignets and yes, they were made to please your taste buds. Wishing I had some now! The pork belly grits and oyster/egg dish (not exactly sure what it was called) were also delicious.
(5)Peter M.
I dont understand this place. I'm assuming no chef running the kitchen? I prefer Hardknox for soul food and if you want to taste a real beignet, go down to Just For You in the dogpatch. Beignets are quite dense at Brenda's, more doughy. At Just For You they're as close as you can find to a New Orleans beignet. Got chicory coffee as well. I think the popularity of Brendas has to do with people just not knowing better?.. People in SF are also brunch obsessed for some reason.
(2)Connie Q.
I heard great things about Brenda's, and being a total foodie, I was surprised I didn't like it more. I decided to try the Catfish des Allemands, and it was just ok -- filling but also kinda mushy. My friend got fried chicken and it was good, but not as life changing as Yelp made it sound. Thankfully, we were seated quickly since we got there at like 4:45. Overall it wasn't a bad experience, but a classic case of too-high expectations on my part. I wouldn't consider this place a "must try" of SF unless you love southern food.
(3)Erin L.
The Pulled Pork Benedict is life-changing. Worth the wait!
(4)Marla G.
Absolutely Delicious!! Came here on a Sunday about 1pm, to indulge after running the SF Marathon. Needless to say it was packed with over an hour wait. Luckily, I was having service for 1 so I was sat at the bar within 10 minutes. Ordered the eggs Benedict with fried chicken, cheesy grits and a half order of the special of the day, peach cobbler pancakes! Amazing!! I wanted a taste of something sweet but didn't want to have more food than I could polish off. The waiter informed me they could make half orders of most of their dishes which was just perfect! Brenda's is a must if you're looking to indulge in some genuine souther comfort food!
(5)Kristina C.
Went here a few weeks ago with a friend visiting from out of town. After all the hype, we decided we'd finally brave the wait. After writing our name on the chalkboard, we stood outside for an hour and twenty minutes. The food was fine, although not sure it was worth all the talk. The benigets were delicious, although three per order is too much!!
(3)Reginald S.
Brenda's is as good as it gets. While we waited for our table, we grabbed snacks from the associated restaurant a couple of doors down. we sampled a couple of things like meat pies, biscuits etc. and it was all good. When we were seated we ordered the catfish benedict and the omelet with the oysters inside. Both were huge portions and delicious. Nice atmosphere. great service. Highly recommend this place for food and service and huge portions for the price.
(5)Laura D.
I finally tried Brenda's! I went in about 4 o'clock when they have a limited menu, it's right before their rush as dinner so it makes sense to have a limited menu. However, even with the limited menu, that's all you really need! The flight of bingets and the gumbo alone will fill anyone grown adult up to the brim! They have a specials board on the wall that people often forget to look at, so see what's available! The drinks were decent, the watermelon tea has a strange consistency so if you don't like thick drinks, be careful. Overall a good experience!
(4)A'raelle F.
Amazing, amazing food! Eclectic menu, and wonderful fusion of French and Southern food. Amazing ambience and lively crowd. Everyone was nice, and welcoming. I'll definitely be back when I return to SF!
(4)Tammia H.
A few months ago, a co-worker of my mine recommended I give this restaurant a go and I'm so glad that I did, because the food is the bomb. I tried the special of the day, which was the BBQ pulled fork and it was excellent. The restaurant is pretty small, but it makes up for it in the quality of service and delivery of food. I would highly recommend this place!
(5)Christopher S.
Good stuff! Fantastic comfort food in the tenderloin of all places. Priced very reasonably.
(5)Amanda G.
Amazing. So glad I had a chance to go here while I was in San Francisco. Staff was friendly and fast. Food was awesome.
(5)Valerie L.
Everyone talks about this place so when I made the trip up to San Francisco I had to finally try it. We went on Saturday morning around 10 and it was very busy. We put our names on the chalkboard wait list and were worried that the wait would cause us to miss our train to San Jose but we gambled anyways. The wait went VERY quickly. Space is small, quaint, and loud due to everyone enjoying their food. Wait staff took our orders quickly and before we knew it we had a flight of beignets on our table. Everything was so very good. We got a good mix of food at our table. Eggs Benedict and pork belly and grits. The pork belly was perfectly cooked. Fell apart and was so incredibly decadent with the cheese grits. I had a perfectly poached egg on top and even as I write this in thinking of how quickly I can go back. If you're in San Fran, be brave, head out into the Tenderloin because this place is worth it.
(4)Alisea R.
This place was Awesome!!!!!!! I'm from the south and this is the first biscuit since I've moved out west that actually reminds me of Great southern biscuit!!! And first time I had shrimp and grits that tasted soooo good!!!! It was amazing!! Cheese grits superb!! Oh and the guava mimosa 5 starts!! Super quick service bc I came really early.. When I left the line and wait was around block.. Highly recommend!!!
(5)Mary B.
Amazing soul food, friendly and reasonably attentive service. I'm taking a star off for the noise level - it was a bit too loud for me! I had the eggs benedict most recently, which didn't wow me. Brenda's really seems to chine when it comes to more traditional soul foods, like their grits. Their beignets are quite tasty.
(4)Rico P.
Brenda's is one of my favorite places to eat! Service is great! You feel at home with decor. Food of course is fantastic!!!! Definitely a must try! Beignet flight is something we always order, get it you won't be disappointed
(5)Kelly N.
I love the crawfish beignets here. I would come back just for them. I would give 5 stars for the food but the most recent time I came here the person helping with my togo order was pretty rude to me. I know they were close to closing for lunch, but you have to be friendly to everyone. I saw her being rude to some of the other guests too. She kept rushing me and it just was not a great experience.
(3)Joel V.
There are very few places in SF that offers soul food at this quality. Whether it is to have a great time with a couple of friends or to fix a soul food craving, Brenda's is a definite winner. Their crawfish begniets are to die for. Definitely worth the wait.
(5)Dana M.
Thursday 7/23 Restaurant experience: Very rude waitresses, spilled hot coffee on me. Not very apologetic about it. Food was good but those two women need better training. I caught the "manager rolling her eyes" when we first arrived. Apparently you have to sign your name on the chalkboard to get a table. First timer so we had no idea. She was so rude. Don't sit at the table in my pic. You might get burned!!! If the owner sees this, train your people because those two ruined my experience and that's why I give 1 star.
(1)Yogi S.
I went there with a few friends for breakfast on a Sunday morning (bad time to go, very long wait). If I were to rate their food alone, without taking into account the wait and the service, I would give the food alone a 3.5 stars. But the wait is oh-so-long. About 1.5 hours of wait. And then you meet kind of arrogant staff, who are just too busy to serve water, serve coffee etc. You keep asking them, but they seem to have better stuff to do. And then the food itself: was okay. Not bad, but I have had better food. Much better food. We ordered a bunch of dishes to go around among the 7 of us. The french toast and grits were our favorites. Would recommend those, if you can stand the wait and the service. Glad I experienced the food of a place that has 1.5-2 hours wait times. "Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted," as someone wise said. Would not go there again. :(
(2)Alize H.
The food was jus right not dry or under seasoned, first time experience was 100% great definitely loved the individuality of the chalk board and the environment I am definitely coming back for more.
(5)Bella E.
One of my fav places for soul food! Such amazing food & good vibes, fast & friendly service as well! y'all doin it right!!
(5)Richard C.
Amazing food, everything was fresh, ginormous portions. Good friendly and fast service.
(5)Allen V.
Beignets, apple, chocolate, crawfish, they're all so good. It's good, the wait was actually not that bad, only 30 minutes in the early morning. The wait staff was a little slow, water refills and whatnot could have been better. But the place was absolutely packed. The food besides the beignets was very good too. the scramble with spicy sausage was also pretty good. overall, pretty solid experience.
(4)Christian S.
LONG WAIT. WORTH IT. Come hangry, and you will be soothed with excellent food. Everything is amazing except for NOTHING. Brenda's beignets are a must. Yes a must. Your mouth will die with regrets if you don't try them. She may not know it, but Brenda is DEF my bff. And yours. Trust me.
(5)Fernando H.
Had the Beignet flight which is all 4, all amazing! Had some Jambalaya I honestly don't remember what was in it perhaps shrimp. It was amazing. Will be back soon so I can try more stuff!!
(5)Stephanie Y.
Ugh, I wished I could have liked this place more. I was so excited to try this place after rading such great reviews on yelp. We came here for Sunday brunch and was put on "page 3" of the waitlist chalkboard. Yes, page 1 and 2 were already filled up. We already expected the wait so no big deal. About an hour later, my name was called. The host was a older man, whom I started following into the front door of the restaurant. He turned to me and said abruptly and said "you need to go into the back door" okay... whatever...so we start following him again to the back door. Then he abruptly turned around again and called another party's name. Kinda confused, we just contiued following him. When he noticed that we were following him, he said, "wait are you Stephanie?" Uh.. yeah.. that's why I'm following you... but with so much attitude he said, "you didn't answer when I called your name" now I'm really confused because he obviously saw me follow him around in circles from the front door to the back door... again, whatevers. I was finally able to get seated after getting the dirtiest look from him. I still don't understand why he was so rude. AnywaY's fast forward. We ordered and I decided to use the restroom. They have two restrooms, one on each side of the wall, which also serves as an entrance way to the kitchen. As the restrooms were full, I was waiting against one of the walls and a serves comes up behind me and says in an annoyed voice "can you stand on the other side of the wall?" I was taken aback by her rudeness, but again, gageing from the hostess incident, this attitude must be a norm here. However, obediently, I scooted over to the other side of the wall. Like ten seconds later another man comes behind me and says abruptly "ma'am, you need to stand on the other side of the wall". OMG, what is wrong with this place. Where am I supposed to wait! So by this time, nothing in the world can make me want to come back to this establishment. Now for the food, we got the apple bingnets, fried shrimp Benedict and Shrimp and Grits. It was okay, nothing so great that it can compensate for the restaurant's bad attitude. Of course, our waitress never came by to ask how our meal was going or refill our waters. She also took away my dish without asking if I was done, which I wasn't!!! This place is overrated, rude and pretentious. It was a bad start to my wonderful Saturday.
(1)Beth B.
Worth the wait for brunch. Waited over 1 hour, but brought coffee and it was sunny out so not so bad.
(4)My P.
mmm mmmm mmm - need to go back yesterday...
(5)Jennifer C.
The place looks HELLA nice. It's a 10 minute walk from the civic center Bart station but it was totally worth the walk!! The place looks very clean, they have very nice mirrors on the walls. We came around at 2:56 which was like 4 minutes till breakfast ended but they did mention it so if we wanted something on the breakfast menu we had that option!! Service was a 10/10. Forreal was super cool to talk to and very real. The two we talked to the most was a boy and girl and I think the girl had blonde short hair but she was really cool to talk to! I haven't had good customer service like that in awhile where the server was easy to joke around with(both) and I guess easy going! Food was bomb. My sister got an order of fried chicken, coleslaw, fries and a biscuit and it looked and tasted HELLLAAAAA good. I can't wait to go back!
(5)Siobhan S.
Atmosphere is casual and cute. Love the decor and music. A great place for brunch! Got here around 11am on a Thursday and there was no wait, but upon leaving, the line was out the door! The best biscuits ever!! Super light and fluffy. Also, would highly recommend trying their beignets. They are similar to doughnuts, but covered in powdered sugar and less dense. Delicious!
(5)Tracey K.
Nice local place. Great music playing in the background. The service was fast and the servers very friendly. The Gumbo was excellent - flavorful and with good spice. The chicken etouffee was delicious - could have been a bit spicier, but otherwise very tasty. I definitely recommend!
(4)Rachel Y.
I didn't understand what all the crazy hype was for until I decided to visit this place on my last visit to the bay. My friends & I decided to call in an order to pick up because we heard about the long lines. I called about 20 minutes before hand, was told it'd be a 10 minute wait, but still had to wait 10 minutes while we were there - but it wasn't that big of a deal because we were just so excited to try the infamous beignets. I ordered the sampler flight of beignets ($11.20 including tax) which came with the 4 types of beignets they have: crawfish, plain, chocolate, & Granny Smith Apple. Never did I know how soft & gooey a beignet could be until I ate the ones here.. The crawfish beignet had the perfect balance of bread & ingredients inside. AHH, it almost makes me drool right now thinking about it. My other favorite was the plain beignet, which was simple yet so delicious! The chocolate & apple ones were a tad too sweet for my liking. I didn't understand why my friend decided to order 10 beignets to-go to take back to LA until I tasted them later.. I'll definitely be asking my friends from the bay to bring me some when they come to LA. Happy beignet-Ing!
(4)Marianne M.
Amazing beignets- the flight was the best and so filling we should've split one breakfast. Great ambiance and friendly staff - they were shooting a food show at the time which tells you're at the right place- loved it!
(5)Amanda B.
I honestly had higher expectations coming into this restaurant. I've heard a lot of great things but I just wasn't that impressed. I got the flight of beignets, the chocolate, cinnamon apple, and 2 crawfish ones. I've never had a beignet before but this was good. There was a lot of breading so I kind of got sick of it towards the end. The crawfish was good but, I just dont think I would come here again for it, its just too much breading. The cinnamon apple beignet was really good though! It wasn't too sweet, it was perfect. The chocolate beignet had way too much chocolate. My bf loved the pork belly grits. The pork belly was extremely fatty, but it was really good however again, I kind of got sick of it towards the end, it was really filling though. If I were to come back I would want to try the granola pancakes, but I think this restaurant is more of a first time thing.
(3)Maggie W.
It's a sunny Sunday in the city, so you gotta hit up brunch or it's social suicide. Brunch usually ends at 3pm, but have no fear, Brenda's serves brunch all day on Sunday (8am-8pm). So I can stay hungover majority of the day and still have brunch? Uh, hell yes. Made a last minute decision to come here at around 3pm on a Sunday. I was initially nervous about the wait time, but we luckily only needed to wait about 10 minutes for a party of two. I'd recommend calling to see how long the wait is if you don't like surprises SWEET FLIGHT OF BEIGNETS ($10)- BEIGN-YAYYYYYS! They are only good when they are fresh (I took some leftovers home, but it's not the same). It comes with four of your choice: plain, chocolate, granny smith, and crawfish. If you order the crawfish, they will charge you a little extra on top of the price. Either way, it's worth it because you get to eat savory and sweet. They don't skimp out on the crawfish filling either. As for the other flavors, they are good and what you'd expect. FRIED CHICKEN BENEDICT ($12.75)- Two poached eggs sitting on two fried pieces of chicken, which is supported by two biscuits. You have a side choice of grits or hash. I never tried grits before, so I took the risk and it was worth it. The grits was flavorful and cheesy. The chicken was a bit dry, but it was masked due to the eggs and hollandaise sauce. The meal was tasty, but quite rich as well, so I got full pretty quick. PULLED PORK BENEDICT ($12.75)- Basically the same as the fried chicken benedict, but swapped with pulled pork. My friend ordered hers with a side of hash, which was good, but I felt like it lacked seasoning. Flavor it up with some ketchup, salt, pepper, or hot sauce. The pulled pork was sooooo good though. I preferred it over the chicken. The food came out pretty quickly too, considering how commonly busy it is. If you haven't been to Brenda's, succumb to the hype and give it a try! And if you haven't tried grits or had a bad experience with unflavored grits, their grits will change your life.
(4)Cindy P.
Food was great but not sure it lived up to the hype. It is defiantly a must go to restaurant if you live in SF or come from somewhere where you can't get southern comfort food anywhere else. The big shrimp and grits where ok but the beignets were amazing! Definitely try the crawfish one. Oh and the wait, it's long so go to peets coffee while you wait.
(4)Diane Y.
We had the fried chicken, red beans and rice and shrimp with grits. Fried chicken was ok nothing special. The biscuit was yummy and the grits was good. We had a side of Mac n cheese, needed salt. Got to restaurant by 6pm and was seated immediately. Service was good. Also ordered the sampler plate of three oysters. Tasty but very small portion for $8.25..small bite and your done. Not sure I will return
(3)K B.
Came here on my visit to SF. To be honest, everything was mediocre to the boyfriend and I. Either we came on a bad day, our taste buds weren't up to par, or we really just didn't enjoy the food as much as the other commentators did. I ordered the shrimp & grits, it was definitely unique-tasting, but it was not spectacular. In my opinion, I'd prefer the grits to be a little more firm in texture, it was more soupy (perhaps this is french style, I'm not sure). Overall I could not get a true "grits" taste, and just an overpowering flavor of cheese! I did enjoy it, however when asked if I would get it again, I realized I would not. The boyfriend got gumbo, and that was extremely mediocre. I've had amazing gumbo before, and this was NOT amazing. It tasted almost like something you could warm up in the microwave. It was definitely comforting to eat, but I'd never go out of my way to get this. Luckily, the crawfish beignets were up to my standards, even if they were just a tad bit salty. The bread was incredibly soft and the inside crawfish with the creamy sauce was delicious! I'd get these again. Also, ordered the biscuit that was highly recommended, yet there was nothing special about it. Just an ordinary biscuit. P.S. they never served us the deep fried black eyed peas while waiting for our food, which was highly disappointing.
(3)Christopher O.
My boyfriend and I love to travel and try the local favorite spots. I'm a native Louisianan and former New Orleanian who recently returned with the bf to show him what New Orleans was really like (he'd been once before but had barely scratched the surface). Needless to say, he had an amazing time and was consistently wowed by the food. That brings us to Brenda's. We both went in expecting a real New Orleans-inspired experience. It's particularly surprising to me that Brenda is actually from the New Orleans area, since this dining experience had only a superficial resemblance to NoLa dining. From the sweet Bloody Mary to the oversized beignets and sweet and soupy grits, nothing about this place said "NoLa native" to me. It said "I've been to New Orleans once but don't really like spicy food." Seriously, less sugar, more heat would solve lots of problems--though not all of them. Cafe DuMonde coffee cans on every table do not a New Orleans restaurant make. I haven't even mentioned the service which was subpar. Not recommended. You'd be better served just visiting New Orleans if it's within your means. If not, just go to Popeye's.
(2)Gloria C.
Warning - this might be long, but I'll try and be as brief as possible. Décor & Atmosphere: really cute and quaint. It's a small place. We went for dinner and luckily it wasn't a very long wait for 6. Food: 1. Gumbo - nice mixture of ingredients with the okra, sausage, chicken. etc, however my husband felt like it was missing a certain Cajun spark that only the gumbo in NOLA has. But still a good soup, perhaps needing some thickening. 2. Crawfish stuffed beignets - If you're expecting Café du monde's beignets, don't order it even the traditional version. It may have the look, but definitely not the taste by far. Crawfish was tasty. They shouldn't call it a beignet though, it's more like a bread stuffed with crawfish. Beignets are like and fluffy. This was dense and doughie (prob not a word). 3. Oyster Poboy - the French bread was good and so were the oysters. Very filling and fresh ingredient. One of their better dishes. 4. Shrimp & Grits - This was where the ball was dropped. The look wasn't very appealing to start off. The plate was so hot, I had to wait at least 5 minutes to slightly cool off before I could get a taste. The grits and cheese were so melted and hot that it was a soup and runny and all of the oil had come out of the cheese so it was floating on top which was kinda gross. I ate one shrimp which was good. I gave me husband one shrimp and some grits and asked what he thought and he wasn't excited about it. Being from NOLA, this was such a disappointment to what I'm used to eating. Go to Surrey's Café in uptown and tell me that I'm wrong. If you liked this better, then you've probably gotten your tastes buds burned by this plate at Brenda's, therefore my condolences. I asked to just take my dish off the check. When I was asked what was wrong I said that the dish was too hot to begin with and the taste didn't meet my expectations. They asked if they could change the meal for me, but I had gotten full eating my husband's dish waiting for mine to cool off, that I had no room to change my meal to another one. Then the waitress started to tell me that since I already ate most of the shrimp and I've had the dish for 10 min, they could only take half off. (I ate one and my husband ate the 2nd one...really lady you only have 4 in there? and it took at least 5 min before I could even touch the plate) Then this got escalated to the GM. He told me that he can take it off the check this time, but the next time I should tell them sooner so that they can take care of it and handle it in a timely manner and ensure that I'd be pleased. (Note that I had the dish for 10 min, it took 5 min to cool down some, and I told the waitress as soon as she came back after giving us our dishes. I don't know how much faster I could have made it. Maybe they should give me a bell so I can get their attention after the first bite.) I've never had so much trouble at any dining facility regarding returning a dish. They made me feel as if I was inconveniencing them instead. Overall, I'll most likely not be returning; sorry Brenda.
(2)Denise W.
Favorite biscuits in the world! I live close by so I can go on "off hours" -- otherwise the weekend lunch crowd can definitely make for a long wait. Fried chicken, gumbo, all very delicious! :)
(5)Angela G.
I've ordered here via Caviar. Definitely fits both the "French" and "soul" aspects of the name. However, I think any food with a high fat and dairy content will taste good. It wasn't anything special. I'm sad to say that it did not live up to the hype for me.
(4)Mariell N.
This place smelled wonderful at first walk in. Super casual dining place with a small menu. They also had specials on the wall. You write your parties name on a chalkboard as you enter. Make sure your party is all there before you get seated, because they'll only seat full parties. Service was pretty quick and fast for a thursday night. Everything came out in a good amount of time. I got a bowl of Gumbo and it was delicious. Definitely a hit. It came with sausage, chicken and okra. Super flavorful and has an herby essence to it. Also ordered a side of crawfish beignet, savory and yummy. Wish I got more than one, but its reason to come back!
(4)Yukti G.
Yes, yes, & yes. This place is GREAT. Just make sure you wear loose clothing when you go....the food doesn't necessarily support skin tight clothing ;) We were warned that seating would take a while- however, we went in a larger group (~10) and only had to wait around 40 mins. Another plus. Beignet's are to die for - definitely a treat. Must try this place, will be back.
(5)Jennifer W.
CRAWFISH BEIGNETS. Definitely made it a must to stop by here while I was in town and made sure to show up early to beat the rush. I ordered the Shrimp & Grits and was torn between getting the Beignet Flight or all Crawfish Beignets. Eventually just decided on the crawfish ones and I'm so glad I made the right choice. The beignet itself is light and fluffy and the crawfish was well seasoned. I wasn't so much a fan of the Shrimp & Grits though as I thought it was a bit bland. Overall, the service was good and I enjoyed the food.
(4)Nessy N.
Thank god we got here at 3 pm because we were able to avoid the 2 hour wait! We ordered the crawfish beignet and it was delicious but wish we got the combo we could of tried all the options. The shrimp dish was delicious too! would definitely go back!
(5)Sarah H.
Shrimp and grits was to die for! Friendly, helpful staff. The wait was long but well worth it! The beignets were also amazing! Just like New Orleans.
(5)Francis C.
We got really lucky and got seated right away before the dinner rush. Whew. They won't let you sit until all your party is there and luckily my Uber was only trailing a minute behind everyone else's. If it trailed one more minute behind I think we would've been screwed. Needless to say, this place is popular. And for good reason. The flavor is pretty on point, and for soul food it surprisingly wasn't that heavy. I had the sweet potato dumplings with the crawfish addition. I'm knocking off a star because I feel like there's something to be desired with the portion size. All of us got really different dishes, paid similarly, but I felt like the portion sizes were uneven. Maybe I was just tired that day, but it looked like the gumbo appetizer was the same size as the shrimp & grits and my sweet potato dumplings. Here's a watch out: When they say beignet, you can expect a REAL beignet. I guess I'd never had a REAL beignet because all my life I thought they were like little donut holes. NOPE. After I saw the size of the beignets I googled it and it turns out I had been eating faux beignets all my life! REAL beignets are legit full donut sized. We ordered the dessert sampler to share and we were stunned to see how huge they were. I think if we knew it was going to be that big the 4 of us would've just shared 1. Felt like this was worth a call out in case you'd been living in the dark like me.
(4)Aaron M.
YUM. Came here in a group of five and ordered a bunch of their famous stuff. Right to it! - Shrimp and Grits: magical. There were a solid 7 tender shrimp in there, swimming in a sauce that was cheesy, spicy and sweet all at the same time. Not exactly a light dish, but perfectly executed. - Crawfish beignets! Yes, they make savory beignets with crawfish inside. Believe the hype. - Chocolate beignets: the tastiest of the sweet beignets in the sampler (which also had the plain one and an apple cinnamon one, plus the crawfish one). - Watermelon tea: good, especially if you light sweet southern tea. But be advised. If you miss the crazy light, crazy sugary beignets from Cafe du Monde in NoLa, you will not find them here; the skin is thicker and the inside filled with more (and in my view too much) dough. But the filled ones shift the balance away from the "too much dough" side because most of the dough is replaced with, well, filling. Service was excellent. Also, I'm a sucker for the decor in here; high ceilings and skylights framed by concrete walls adorned with large paintings. I will definitely be back.
(5)Char K.
Your house rules at the entrance set a very uninviting tone. Especially the no outside drink policy. If you think that telling your customers to place their drinks they purchased with their hard earned money outside the building is going to make them purchase MORE drinks from your restaurant ...you are VERY mistaken. This day in age people are a little more conscious about their purchases than that. You should rid the "rules" all together.... NOT a very good business strategy. Service was inattentive and food was mediocre. Not a recommended experience.
(2)Orlando F.
The food was delicious and worth the wait. The shrimp and grits were good along with the pulled pork eggs Benedict and biscuits. When you add your name to the list, they are true to wait time. If you are not there when they call your name, they skip you and will call your name again later. Also consider that there are multiple locations. The location on eddy & Polk street is the busiest.
(5)Derik E.
It's a great spot, I come often. The food seems to just be getting worse n worse though. They're always busy which is great, but I want to see them killing it again.
(3)Elle E.
So overrated. Got two of the Benedicts and beignets and I liked none of them. Don't waste your time here. You can go somewhere else for far better southern food with half the wait time.
(2)Chris L.
This place doesn't need any more reviews, but after last Friday night, I couldn't help myself! It can be summarized in one word: amazing! I had the fried chicken, but I also ate off my friends' plates :) Must go!
(5)Jp M.
Wonderful food, great service even if it took a pretty long time for our food to come out, I wasn't in a rush so it wasn't any trouble. Service was friendly and helpful. Hush puppies were tasty. I got the crawfish étouffée as my entree and it was good, hearty and filling.
(4)Sonia F.
Great place to have brunch on Sunday! I had benedict eggs (florentine version) and I have planned to get the beignet, but, by the time I have finished my plate I couldn't eat anymore. The portions are really big!
(4)Carolina O.
Great great great food try the mimosas there are awesome!!!!! the customer service is great
(5)Loon E.
Brunch here is fantastic. However, the wait is far from it. Borderline ridiculous. Last time we came here to dine in, we had to wait close to 90 minutes. Still worth it, but also long enough to warrant a whine. Catfish benedict could've used a wee bit more seasoning, but the grits were as good as I had remembered (PERFECT) and the crawfish beignets are on another planet of deliciousness. Almost always just get water or booze when dining out, but the watermelon tea here is great and a must have at brunch. Most of my recent visits have been just to stop in and grab some of those addictive savory beignets to go. Quick and efficient. Usually ready within 10 minutes and piping hot when you come to grab your bag to go. If this place were within walking distance and knowing how I behave in my munchies state, the over/under on numbers of beignets consumed weekly would probably be close to twenty. No joke. I never feel guilty when it tastes THIS good.
(5)Right Z.
It's OK!
(5)Annie C.
The crawfish beignets are amazing! This was my first time eating here, and my friend and I shared crawfish beignets and each ordered our own entrees. I ordered the hang town fry, and she got the cinnamon battered brioche French toast. The hang town fry was a crispy oyster, scallion, and bacon scramble with grits or hash and cream biscuit or toast. Both were delicious, especially the pecan syrup on the French toast, which made it taste buttery and warm. Out of the three dishes we ordered, the beignets stand out the most. They were stuffed with scallions and cheddar and topped with cayenne. The gooey cheddar and scallions reminded me of eating grilled cheese, and the texture of the beignets was perfectly crispy. The cayenne added a little bit of flair to the savory perfection. I will definitely be coming back and ordering more crawfish beignets.
(5)Eileen Y.
Growing up in N'awlinsI know great food. This place is the real deal. Their Catfish des Allemands is as close as anyone will ever come to N'awlins food anywhere else. In times of stress at work this is what I come to eat. I keep talking people into trying the Muffalettas. Everyone loves them. So, happy this place is here.
(5)Christina R.
Very cute atmosphere and super delicious food. I've been for both brunch and dinner, and both times the food was outstanding. The line can get long, but the time I went for dinner I came by around 6 PM on a Thursday and was seated fairly quickly. San Franciscans love them some brunch though, so expect to wait for that. For dinner, I had the shrimp and grits and they're are as good as everyone says, and I liked them better than other places in the city, but they are a bit saucy if you're not into that. Also, oh my god the biscuits; do yourself a favor, and order a side one if you're meal doesn't include it. For brunch, I split the tofu hash and the creole veggie omelette with a friend. The hash was so good, I didn't even care I'm not vegetarian. The omelette was nothing special, and I wouldn't order it again over the other food they offer. We had guava mimosas to complete the meal, yum! Also, ordered the beignet sampler, but, in the future, I would only get the plain ones as the flavored ones seemed to be too heavy for the light beignet. Service has been great every time.
(4)Tiffany V.
The food here is delicious. I came here with two of my friends during their dinner time. We ordered some gumbo and chicken thighs. This was the first time I ever tried gumbo and I have no regrets trying it here. The gumbo came out hot and was exploding with flavors. The chicken came out crispy and moist. The beignets I tried here were the best beignets I have ever consumed. The plain ones were soft and fluffy and the sizes of these beignets were pretty large. The chocolate & apple beignets were just as incredible in size and the weight was impressive. They do not go stingy with the fillings for their beignets. Their customer service was also spectacular! I am so excited to try their breakfast menu the next time I go to SF!
(5)Dominic E.
The food was excellent and the portions are huge. The prices are reasonable, also. In addition to the catfish, which had a New Orleans flair to it. I had the mac and cheese and candied yams. The mac and cheese was cheesy and had the proper texture. The candied yams were grilled uniquely sliced and flavored. The only drawback to Brenda's is the neighborhood. It's in the Tenderloin District, so be careful. I was there around 8:00 pm and did not experience any problems.
(4)Thien H.
Be prepared for a long wait! Very tasty food, worth trying! The classic beignets and crawfish beignets are amazing! Didn't care too much for the chocolate or Apple one, but get the flight just to try them all! Shrimp and grits and fried chicken Benedict are delicious! I was full after a couple bites though, really heavy meal!
(4)Duane Z.
Went there for Sunday Brunch. The place had a cool decor. Service was GREAT, and the Shrimp & Grits, Hangtown, and Beignet were DDDDDelicious
(4)Savanna W.
So elated that they have vegan options!!! I have trouble eating at most Soul Food joints with my bf for this reason but Brenda's saved the day!! Also the guava mimosa is everything!
(5)Elle H.
Went here for the first time with my husband and we loved it! We went on a Thursday night around 7 and got seated right away - although 15 minutes later, the restaurant was packed! Food was amazing, as was the service. Only con is the area is a little sketchy, but other than that, I highly recommend!!!
(5)Charlene C.
First time having (French) Soul Food! It was so bomb! The food was AMAZING. I had the BFC! They switch menus during certain time. It's not like other restaurants where they serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner all the time. They serve breakfast until a certain time, lunch, and dinner. For example, they only serve macaroni and cheese during dinner time. Sort of bum about that, but it's cool! The workers were CHILL and BLUNT! I like that because you don't get that type of service at chain food restaurants etc. It was also a more "homie" feel. I will definitely come back!!!!!
(4)Jennifer R.
We always take our friends from out of town here. It's great food. Great service. Great ambiance. Really solid place all around. It's always consistent too. The brunch menu is fantastic but I tend to skip the line and get it to go. My favorite time to go is actually dinner when it's a little more low key. And the food is just as good as brunch.
(5)Christopher C.
The food was great, but the service was terrible. The host was very rude and seemed to think that we were privileged to eat in this restaurant. When we were seated, things didn't improve. The waitress said that we could not have ten people order as nine had been seated. I was later informed that this was a house rule, but it was very rudely communicated by the waitress. She stared me down when I asked if she could ask her manager if it was all right. She also said repeatedly to her coworkers (within earshot of the table) that she would be happy when our group left. This was the second time I have spent my birthday at Brenda's. The last time was my first time eating here, and it was an awesome experience. I've returned three times since then, all of which were great experiences. This, however, was terrible. I had told all of my friends how excellent the food was and how friendly the service was. My parents had also bought me a $100 gift card for my birthday knowing how much I loved this place. Ultimately, however, I chose to use it all today to pay for my friends so that I wouldn't have to return. It's a shame to take a group of people here and to have bragged about the outstanding quality of the restaurant, only to have the staff act like it was our duty to accommodate them rather than the other way around. My girlfriend and friends/coworkers all communicated that it was my birthday in hopes that the staff would prove more friendly and hospitable. It didn't happen. One of the reasons I chose this place is that it reminds me of home. Birthdays spent thousands of miles away from home can be a bit lonesome, but finding a place where the food is similar to that you grew up with goes a long way to making those feelings go away. And honestly, as a southerner, I expect the same kind of respect that I give others, especially those in the service industry. I hope this place changes. It has really great food, and it is a shame that the quality of their service does not match the outstanding quality of their food.
(1)Jerome P.
I've had soul food in both Alabama and Georgia and this isn't close but about as good as you can get in the city. My wife love love loved the crawfish beignet and I had the fried chicken which was overcooked. The slaw was decent and chocolate beignet for dessert was good. There was no wait for us on a weekday after 1pm... maybe we missed the rush and customer service was great. Try the watermelon iced tea its pretty darn good.
(4)lisa g.
There is nothing bad about this place other than your belly churning as you smell the delicious dishes being served while you are waiting. Shrimp and grits were tasty and was my favorite dish here. Don't miss out on the flight of beignets. Fast and attentive service.
(4)John B.
The food was very good. Although not traditional soul food. Probably catered toward the the palate of non soul food eaters. Service was good. Wait was long but that's to be expected. Thought it was a little strange to be at a "soul food" restaurant with no African American employees, but I guess that's today's day and age. Overall, had a very pleasurable experience. Would definitely come back next time I'm in the City.
(4)Johnson N.
After a considerable amount of time wasted in deciding what is for dinner, my friend from socal wanted to try Brenda's because their breakfast ratings were off the charts. Little did we know about Brenda's, we decided to go here anyways because they were apart of a list of "Things to eat before you leave SF". The location is in a very distant part of the pier and wharfs, more inland in a sense... the neighborhood has a lot of homeless and some of these homeless people are super freaking ignorant and untruthworthy - please, if you park your car in the surrounding neighborhoods... BE SAFE and weary about the homeless... they will BITE, and literally bite. Back to the review, The wait for 5 on a Saturday night at about 7-8pm was 20 minutes. We got there, put our names down and waited for my friend to relocate his car away from shady homeless people. By the time he got back, roughly 10-13 minutes... we got our table! Super quick! A plus ;). Being that I was a noobie here to this establishment, noticed my neighbors had a super delicious looking dish, turned out to be the BFC! Recommend! SERVICE: The service is amazing! The employees are super attentive and definitely always willing to provide their service. Always filling water, always asking how we were... super nice and friendly. FOOD: Okay, the food here blew me away! My party ordered the hushpuppies and 3 of the crawfish beignet. Dig these two appetizers! Who knew! Definitely worth getting one or two or more! Beignet comes in 1, so you would need to order multiple if you want to share! suggest 3 for a group of 5. The filling is crab met, with some sauce? and looks like macaroni, was not too sure as I was pretty tipsy from a whole day of drinking. I ordered the BFC, my friends ordered: The braised short ribs The catfish The BFC x2. The braised short ribs, looked sooo good, they fell of their bone! The mixed collared greens with the sauce made that dish worth it! Definitely something you should try. The BFC dish comes with 3 pieces of chicken, fried, a huge biscuit and collard greens. The greens are amazing!! freaking delicious and the fried chicken looked like the ones from KFC literally next door! JK The chicken had a nice flavor to it, the skin was super crunchy and had some seasoning that made it POP. Overall, if I was not full I would had tried and/ or ordered everything on the menu to go! haha This place is definitely a great place for outsiders to try out.
(5)Chris R.
Their food is really great but the waiting time was what bothered. Group of 6 and had to wait 30 mins until seated then another hour until food arrived. But it was well worth it!
(4)Jennifer L.
Every bite I took here was divine. Let's start with the good and end with the...oh wait there was no bad :) At least when it came to food! + The beignets were pillow-y dough balls with oh so decadent fillings mmm + Crawfish beignet was full of spiced crawfish chunks and cheese. The spice mix is soo good. + Chocolate beignet was oozing with chocolately goodness and tasted like an overflowing chocolate jelly doughnut. + Pork belly with cheddar grits. My first thought was well that's an interesting combo! The tenderness of the pork, the cheese and side onions...somehow the flavors blended so well together and came topped with a poached egg! - Make you throw out your Philz because "no outside drinks" even though everyone buys a cup during the ridiculously long wait - The ridiculously long wait (but it's worth it!)
(5)Diana C.
Quaint little restaurant in a busy part of town. Came in on a Sunday night where there was live jazz playing in the back of the restaurant. Quite the pleasant surprise! It was filled inside, but luckily for us, there were only a couple people ahead of us on the wait list. Since we had a party of 4, a table opened up pretty quickly and we were seated after only about a 10 minute wait. We were informed by the server that on Sunday's they had a "Breakfast for Dinner" menu, which featured their breakfast/brunch items as well as a couple dinner items for us to choose from. All 4 of us were starving and couldn't quite settle on what to get since everything sounded amazing. Finally, we settled on 2 orders of their BFC (5/5), shrimp and grits (2/5), 2 cups of gumbo (2/5), oyster po' boy (3/5), and the crayfish beignets (4/5). The gumbo was the first thing that arrived at our table. It was very average and after a couple bites, my friend mentioned that it reminded him of the canned soup gumbos that he used to drink as a kid. All in all, not very impressive, but it was a hearty warm gumbo that filled us all with childhood memories of when we were sick and just wanted some warm soup, so a thumbs up for that. Then came the crayfish beignets. There were 3 giant puffy beignets to each order. Inside was filled with some sort of creamy mayo covered crayfish. The beignet itself was delicious. Crunchy on the outside, chewy and fluffy on the inside, but not too dense like a lot of beignets are. We felt that they were lacking in crayfish though. Each one only had about 2-3 crayfish inside and the rest was all the mayo-y cream filling that was strong and masked the sweet crayfish. The cayenne pepper on top was a nice touch of heat. This was a texturally perfect dish, but flavor and filling were lacking. As for the main courses, their BFC was definitely the star of the night. Their chicken had a kick to them and the skin was perfectly crunchy and delicious. The meat was tender and juicy. Each plate was served with 3 large cuts of chicken (thigh, wing, and breast), a bowl of collard greens, a biscuit, and some pepper jelly. Everything on that plate was damn good. They did the south proud with this one. Their biscuit was so buttery and so good and the collard greens were so good with the bacon inside. Sadly, I cannot say the same for the other 2 entrees we ordered. The oyster po' boy was lacking in oysters. There was way too much bread to oyster. But. Their oysters were fried perfectly. The cole slaw and fries were very typical and nothing to rave over. As for the shrimp and grits, I was greatly disappointed. The shrimp was slightly over cooked. The grits, though fluffy and cooked well, were covered in a layer of grease and way too much cheese. Then to top it off was a bacon tomato jam. The jam was so good and a nice touch to the plain grits, but since there was so much grease already, this just made the dish heavier than it needed to be. I ate 2 bites and called it quits. If I were to come back, I'd def get the BFC again and I'd probably give the other dishes a try. There were a lot of things to chose from and they all sounded delicious. Who doesn't like homey southern food, after all? Pros: - they really know fried chicken - it's not named Brenda's fried chicken for nothing - servers were super friendly (spilled water and he was super nice about it!) - service was very fast - nice ambiance (live jazz on sundays is a plus) Cons: - hard to find parking - can get busy and hard to find seats if you have more than 4 people in your party - some foods were very overrated (careful with what you order. read reviews and tips on yelp first)
(3)Chris O.
Food was amazing. Service amazingly rude. Had a delicious meal with some friends, four stars worth. Even though the service was abrasive it's fine, I came here for some bomb food not service.
(4)Cherrilyn B.
Sunday at 2pm is definitely a long wait. Left at around 3:30 and the wait board was practically blank. Any who... Brenda's is my favorite brunch spot in SF. ITS WORTH THE WAIT. the oysters are bomb. Crawfish beignets are to die for. Shrimp Po boy is Great. Catfish eggs Benedict is glorious. Oh and the watermelon tea is quite refreshing. Plus the waiters are nice. Service is pretty fast considering how packed it is all the time.
(5)Dom M.
My boyfriend and I love trying new breakfast places in the various cities we visit. We went to Brenda's for breakfast with a friend on a Saturday and the wait around 11am was about 1 hour. Luckily during that time, we looked at the menu and specials so that we could order once we got seated as we were all starving! The set-up of their staff is somewhat confusing as we never knew who exactly our server was or who was just helping out. But we put our orders in quickly and the wait for food was minimal. I ordered the special of Sweet Potato Pancakes with butter pecan sauce. The sauce was very sweet, too sweet. It tasted like eating pecans with sugar. With the combination of the "sweet" potato pancakes, it was a little too sweet. I also ordered the chicken apple sausage, some of the best chicken Apple sausage I've ever had! The last thing for my meal were the plain grits. When it came to the table, the grits were yellow and swimming in butter. I took two bites and so did my boyfriend and we sent it back. It felt as if we were eating butter with grits. Lastly, my boyfriend ordered the French toast and comparing to previously visited venues, it was sub par. Overall, very eclectic restaurant with a great vibe but some work to do on the preparation of their meals.
(2)Richard W.
Great place but long wait. We waited over an hour for a table for three. I think with all the great reviews the bar might have been set too high. Nevertheless, the food was excellent overall. The shrimp and grits were good and tasty but not anything to write home about. The pancakes were fluffy and beignet sampler was solid. I was impressed with the jam on the table as well as the side biscuit which was crispy on the outside and fluffy melt-in-your-mouth on the inside. It's a great place for food very intimate and casual, but I am not sure if I would come back because of the long wait.
(3)Diego P.
yeah, it was good.
(4)C R.
I've been going to Brenda's for several years. Breakfast/Brunch is divine. The portions are large, so it's fun to go with a group so everyone can share a mix of the savory and the sweet dishes. The servers are wonderful too.
(5)Nick D.
Great place to have breakfast at the eggs Benedict with chicken they were amazing. Like the ambience the artwork on the walls and the people are so friendly.
(5)Chloe B.
For treat myself day! I decided I wanted a soul food breakfast. I ordered: BEIGNETS plain but there is nothing plain about it they were good. Shrimp & Goat Cheese Omelette (Good God this was good) Community Coffee w/ Chicory I walked in around 9 AM and was seated immediately. Two seconds later I was asked what I would like to drink. These people like too hustle and they are good at their job. It was fun sit and people watch. When my coffee arrived I was asked what I'd like to order I asked if they could spread out the time between the Beignets and my omelette because I do not like to be rushed. She was a rockstar and did not rush my meal and it was great and huge. Thank you for making treat my day special.
(5)James F.
Friendly and fun on a week night with kids. Just like it used to be back in the days of the previous establishment. Food is good and the service was great.
(5)Christopher D.
First time trying out Brenda's and it was not bad. We came in a group of 5 so the wait was about 15 minutes, they had a cool chalkboard for signing in. The menu was pretty simple, which made ordering easier. We got the BFC, Shrimp and Grits, Jambalaya, Beignet Flight and French Toast. The BFC was decent but the Beignets were amazing, a must try. The best ones out of the sampler were the Crawfish and Original Beignets. I also got the Watermelon Sweet Tea, which had actual watermelon chunks in it! Overall, not bad besides the wait time. I really wanted to try the Eggs Benedict over fried chicken, but that was for weekend brunch only :( Pros: - Beignets were to die for - Simple menu and sign in chalk board Cons: - Food took a bit long - Long wait for bigger parties
(4)Elliott P.
We expected a lot from this place but it did not live up to the word-of-mouth or yelp hype. Service: Great! They have well-trained staff. We were essentially seated with another group at a tiny table, but what can you expect with the line out the door this place has? Food: The Shrimp & Grits were delicious, but quickly became too much after a couple bites. Pulled pork Benedict and fried chicken Benedict were nothing special. I've had much better benedicts in San Diego! The gumbo was a bit bland, would not recommend. Crawfish beignets were decent, but very overrated! The meat was good, but the balance between cheese, crawfish, and bread was off. I was wavering between a 3 and 4 star rating, but realized I do not plan to ever return. Two hours was far too long to wait for the food here.
(3)Maggie J.
Loved everything we ordered. We also felt like every other dish other tables were delicious. The service was also very good. We had to wait for 20 minutes on a weekday, and the neibourhood is not the best. Only one down side, all food seemed to be very fatty. Too many calories packed in every dish!! What I loved the most? The savory scone that comes with the omelette.
(4)David N.
While I was in the city for OSL2015, I was recommended to check this place out by a random stranger (shoutouts to the locals!). Boy... do I not regret making small talk with random strangers because this spot was a sunday punch to the tastebuds... It was a total experience worth checking out if you are in the city on any given day. It isn't just the food that attracts customers from coming back but the vibes.... Yes.. There is live music to accompany your delightful meal. S/O to the guacho jazz fam for the entertainment. I had to snap a couple shots of their epic performance. We ended up ordering the gumbo, hangtown fry, BFC, and crawfish beignets for a group of 3. The standouts were definitely the BFC and the crawfish beignets... The fried chicken was some of the best fried chicken i've ever had. It was insanely crunchy, but the meat was moist and juicy. Usually fried chicken can get sickening, but the breading on things were exceptional. Seconds were definitely in order. The biscuits also are worth mentioning for their crumbly, fluffy, and buttery goodness. The crawfish beignets were on fire... I already knew they were about to amaze when I tore one in half and watched the insides ooze out....and they were bloody good. Other than that, the rest of our orders were satisfactory. I can see why this spot consistently forms a waiting list on a daily basis. I'll be on that waiting list again.
(5)Annik D.
After all the great reviews, I went to have Sunday brunch here and it was ok. For the wait, it wasn't worth it for me but it was a good experience.
(3)Stefanie F.
After reading the reviews and being told how great this place was, I was really excited. Also, I was starving. I really wanted the fried chicken Benedict, but they didn't have it when we went for whatever reason. Disappointing. So I ordered the beef with grits and a biscuit, which was good. The beef was tender and the sauce was good. I was a little iffy on grits, but I figured I'd try them anyway - ended up eating all of it because it was surprisingly good. I also shares a flight of benigets with my boyfriend. The plain one was good - nothing insanely special. The apple one tasted like apple pie - yum! The chocolate in the chocolate one was a little too thick and overwhelming for me. Overall, the food was good and the service was good too. Go early to prevent waiting so long!
(4)Amy L.
I think if it wasn't for the two hour wait, this would have been a very nice brunch. I guess the reviews, the ratings, and the wait hyped it up a little too much for me and my expectations were through the roof. Their waitlist system is very efficient, though, and the host handles the crowd well. It's a great vibe inside. They don't overfill the room so it doesn't feel stressful. The best part of my brunch was the crawfish beignet. You can order the sampler or have a plate of 3 of each of the beignets. I think I would have been very satisfied having all 3 crawfish beignets as my main course haha. The dough was soft and fluffy, the crawfish were plentiful and large, and the cream/cheese just ties everything together and is to die for! However, we shared an order at the table and I ordered the fried chicken benedict. The fried chicken by itself was great. The biscuits were so buttery and flakey. But the hollandaise just did not work for me. I was really hoping they had the fried chicken a la carte like they do on the regular lunch/dinner menu but that menu is only for M-F and weekend brunch is a different menu. I would definitely be back but during the week so that I can have the fried chicken the way it was meant to be served - by its glorious self, naked of any sauces. My friends raved about the gumbo. I'm not sure if they were just really hungry or it was really that good. The fried catfish po'boy looked amazingly flakey and I was told it was delicious. The pancakes were unnecessarily ginormous. All in all, it was an all right experience for me but I'm sure it will get better once I hit that right menu item.
(3)Anthony N.
Crawfish Beignets are so bomb and the oyster flight is highly recommend for a range of flavors!!
(5)Shijia L.
I love it, soooo GOOD! Food comes in big portion. Be prepared for the long wait, it is worth it though.
(5)Jemusu L.
Had brunch here and it was great. The check in place is a black board next to the door which was a little bit hard to find but somebody helped me out. I got shrimp grits, oyster omelette, and eggs Benedict. Each dish was great with fresh seafood. The service was also excellent, the waitress was very nice. Overall experience was fantastic and I didn't even have to wait for too long ( 15-20 min).
(5)Jordan K.
This place is literally the worst. I used to live in New Orleans and it's a total imposter. It's a total rip off and terrible food and service.
(1)Eleanor C.
If there is no line, it is ok. But who wants to wait an hour in the Tenderloin to get in?
(3)Nicholas G.
Crawfish beignet - Definitely something different but decent overall. Fried chicken - Was pretty disappointed by this, didn't like the coating much at all Dessert beignet sampler - Beignets were all good Was an unhealthy meal when all was said and done lol
(3)Heidi B.
My stomach was upset after I had dinner at Brenda's; but since that could be other things I am basing this review on factors other than that. We came in a group of 5 around 6:30pm on a Saturday and waited about half an hour. Service wasn't the fastest but they were busy. I had shrimp and grits. Shrimp is slightly overcooked while grits are swimming in grease. I left a good chuck of the grits because of that. I've had shrimp and grits in a few restaurants in Louisiana and they weren't like that. Chicken etouffee wasn't well flavored imo. Fried chicken got good feedback. Although I didn't try my friend's crawfish beignet; I looked at her peeling off most of the dough only to find a small chuck of fish. While mostly dough could work on sweet beignet, I'm not sure it's a good idea for savory. Price was decent but overall I just wasn't impressed with the quality.
(3)J E.
Great food bad service . We waited over 30 mins to pay after we were ready to leave . That is why they have such long wait times . They need to come up with a better system to get people in and out . The food is great but they take their time to do everything.
(2)John P.
You come to restaurants for two reasons, the service and the food. The food here is better than average and certainly better than I could make at home on a first try. Nothing was a Giant home-run... The service here is dead inside. We told our waitress that someone in our party was having a birthday at day and she replied with the most upsetting and monotone "congratulations" with a bit of shade thrown in for good measure. I thought the reply you are supposed to give is happy birthday? I'll treat my yelp response like they treated me in service and end it here.
(2)Mary D.
Loved the French toast - pecan butter sauce was to die for and the apple beignets were really yummy - not a healthy breakfast but it was definitely delicious!
(5)Susannah K.
Nice twist to New Orleans food like the stuffed beignets. Coffee is subpar and water needs new filter so doesn't work for us for breakfast. But gray ambience and friendly staff. Portions are big. Probably won't be back.
(3)Bonnie S.
I don't really get the hype. I love Cajun food but this wait is just not worth it, especially in the tenderloin. We got the beignet flight to share, and it was ok. There is too much dough to the flavor inside (the chocolate or crawfish). I got the hangtown fry which is a scramble of oyster, bacon, and scallion, hoping for an authentic Cajun meal. The scramble itself isn't bad but the egg was a bit overcooked. The hash was not very flavorful but the biscuit was on point. I had high expectations and they just weren't met.
(3)Tina C.
The hostess is terrible. Three of my friends and I walked in today since I wanted to try Brenda's beignets. Two of my friends wanted to grab something else to eat, so one of my friends and I told her it'll be just for two. The hostess didn't even smile or look us in the eye but just gave me the "in between" menu (I'm guessing they were transitioning to dinner menu) and told me that if I'm not ok with it, let her know. I just wanted beignets, and that was on the menu, so I said it was fine. My friend and I slowly walked inside the restaurant, and FOR SOME REASON, the hostess got so angry at this. This is what she said: "HOLD UP (with her finger pointed at us), I will sit you." Um?!? Incredibly rude. However, our server was nicer than the hostess so that kinda made up for it. The beignets were really nothing spectacular, but I guess I can't fully judge this place by their beignets. I'm not sure if I will come back.
(2)C H.
Very good food long wait but very much worth the wait will def be coming back!!! We had the shrimp and grits, crawfish Ben and the shrimp poor boy yum yum yum!!
(5)Kathleen U.
This place has been one of my long time bookmarks that needed to be checked off. Surprisingly, I live in the city and even work nearby but never tried this hot spot. One of my co workers decided that it was about time for me to check it out. We planned accordingly to have a late late lunch to avoid the lines. At 2 pm on a Friday, the wait was only 5 minutes. YES! Pretty cool how there is a chalk board to put your name down. The place looks pretty small from the outside, but there is plenty of space inside. I decided on ordering the shrimp and grits to give it a try. Plus, it's one of the popular dishes. First of all, I don't like grits in general. However, this dish was more bearable. I actually enjoyed it after a couple of bites. Our food came out fairly fast because there wasn't much people eating at the time. The waitress was attentive to us. The highlight of my meal was the crawfish beignets. Of course, beignets are fluffy and extremely doughy. Here I am trying to eat "right", but ended having a cheat day. WORTH IT! The crawfish was oozing out when you cut the beignet in half and you could see the steam coming out. I could only finish half of a beignet, while my co worker ate the other half. We ended up taking home left overs. I took whatever was left my shrimp and grits and one crawfish beignet. We both had an extremely late and heavy lunch. Had to survive the rest of the work day with food coma. Three stars are for the crawfish beignets and the service. Sorry, Brenda's your place ain't for me.
(3)Pearl D.
It was 1pm on a Saturday when we came for Brunch. Waited only about 20 mins. Tables are very close to each other so plan on the table next to you listening. Must order watermelon ice tea--- super refreshing and delicious! Also the crawfish beignets are soooo good! We ordered the beignet sampler but I could live without the sweet ones. Can't go wrong with anything on the menu.. Food is a little on the heavy side. Expect to take a power nap after.
(4)Evelyn B.
Crawfish beignets, Chocolate beignets, and Shrimp n' Grits...nuff said!!! =) Just a heads up---the place is small and you might find yourself "sharing" a table. Write your name and #in your party on the chalk board to the right of the main entrance. Despite being so busy, staff were friendly and helpful. Service was not too bad. Do yourself a favor and try this place-you will not regret it.
(5)Tommy A.
I'd died and went to heaven! Beignets were soooo yummy - chocolate was the best. No line on w Monday morning. Woo!!
(5)Hilary H.
Let me help you out. You will see the incredible line and the excruciating wait time and you will ask yourself, "Is this place really worth the wait?" Let me save you some time: "No." This isn't Disneyland. It's not an art opening. You aren't about to ride a roller coaster or experience some amazing cultural phenomenon. There are only so many ways that you can cook an egg or a doughnut and none of those ways are worth two hours for breakfast. That's just not a real thing. However, to be fair, if you are like me, and you just can't forego a curious experience, you'll stay. I stayed. I waited. The food was okay. The time spent wasn't worth it. But I couldn't help but stay. I had to know for myself. And maybe you'll need to do that too. But if you are hungry, and if you are with people who are also hungry, you should probably go somewhere else.
(2)Tammy L.
I am only here to review their beignets. This restaurant is so small and hip. The menu has your typical brunch dishes like French toast, egg benedicts, beignets, and other cajun dishes. The staffs don't really make much conversation like other restaurants. They are short with their words. I understand that you are busy, but customer service plays a big role. Anyway, I love Disneyland beignets, so what's more legit than getting one at a restaurant that is famous for it? I got the Beignet flight which gives you all 4 flavors: Crawfish, original, chocolate, and apple cinnamon. All these cost only $10, which is not bad. The crawfish is my favorite one because it is so cheesy and creamy and I just love seafood. The apple cinnamon is delicious but its too sweet. The chocolate is good but I wish it was Nutellla flavor. The original was good, but nothing special. The beignets here are good but it so soon oily and doughy. Each bite tastes like diabetes and heart attack. You can feel the oil, which leaves a waxy feel in your mouth. I only took a bite of each ones, and that was enough. I think the one at Disneyland is better because the size is smaller and you don't get disgusted as fast. The ones here are so big. It will take at least 7 bites to finish each one. Overall, I do like the beignets here, but will only eat this one in awhile.
(3)Christine M.
This place is in the Tenderloin district, so the area is a little dirty. I'm not sure I would come here if it's dark outside. Just my own precaution. I came here at 5:30 p.m. on a Wednesday (daylight savings time) and there was no wait. Everything on the menu looked good. The waiter said their best seller is the fried chicken. My friends ordered that and I decided to try one of the items on the board -- crawfish & Andouille pot pie. We also ordered the crawfish beignets, mac n' cheese, and bread pudding to share. The food was wonderful -- just the right spice, just the right juiciness in the fried chicken, and a wonderful reminder of the soul food you find in New Awlins. They even have Abita root beer. Service was good. Waiter was friendly and helpful.
(4)Anthony N.
Delicious beignet and good eggs Benedict. I've been twice in groups of four for brunch, and it has been about an hour wait both times. It's a reasonable place to wait outside, and they seem efficient with getting people through though. Despite the popular, the restaurant is reasonably spacious, and it has nice decor. I like their apple beignet the most, and the chocolate is pretty good too. They taste pretty light with a lot of flavor, and they come out warm. The eggs Benedict was good but not great. I got it today with ham, and it's harder to eat (with no benefits) than traditional Canadian bacon because of the thickness. I like the biscuit that it is served on, but it's an overwhelming amount of carbs in the plate overall because of it. Good hollandaise sauce. Not mustard-y like some. A little spicier would have been nice. The hash is ok. I much prefer hash browns with eggs Benedict, but these have some pretty good flavoring.
(4)Brian M.
Chicory coffee, Beignets, and Eggs Benedict over fried chicken! All served by an attentive and friendly staff, I just hope they are trained in CPR! The Eggs Benedict on top of the fried chicken probably didn't need the biscuit under it but it was a good biscuit so no complaints. The Crawfish Étouffée Beignet was very good, could have used more kick but I added my own with the Crystals Hot sauce on the table. a Bit surprised to taste cheese in the sauce for it but still very good and I might add some cheese to my own Étouffée.
(5)Leana L.
Good food and great service, but I think this place is just over-hyped. Some friends wanted to meet up for brunch to catch up on life. We arrived around 9:30AM and waited about 45min before being seated (stopping by Philz to get some caffeine while we waited -- NOTE: They have a no outside drinks policy, so be sure you can finish your coffee before you're seated!). Location: In TL, the location is less than ideal, but it's really no that bad. Ambiance: Old exposed brick, giant cracks in the walls, huge skylights, and massive mirrors make this place a trendy place to eat. It gets crowded, but doesn't feel overwhelming because of the high ceilings. They made good use of space with booths and counter seating. Service: The service is friendly. The hostess was nice and our waiter was very engaging. Food: We ordered the flight of beignets to start, my friend and I ordered the fried chicken benedict, my bf ordered the french toast, and my other friend ordered the grits. The beignets were so filling that even among the four of us, we couldn't finish the entire plate. The craw fish one was definitely unique and pretty tasty. The chocolate one was a bit too sweet, but the apple one tasted like an apple dumpling. The plain one was also pretty solid. My fried chicken benedict was pretty good. The seasoning was on point, but probably having just the fried chicken would have been better because it wasn't as crispy with the sauce on top. The grits were okay (but then again, I'm not a big grits person). The french toast was a bit overwhelmingly sweet. Would I return? Maybe if a friend wanted to come here, but otherwise, there's plenty of other places to try!
(3)Alan P.
Had the grillades and grits. A little under seasoned so have the hot sauce, s&p ready. Good price and a lot of food. Nice interior and freindly staff. Was hoping it'd live up to the hype maybe I just chose the wrong item.
(3)Jack W.
Every now and then I run into a company that is so good that I regret that I can't give it 10 stars. Such is the case with this wonderful restaurant. I am a graduate of Tulane University and spent some years of my life in Louisiana. I know what real New Orleans cuisine is. This wonderful restaurant has it down. The food is incredible. The service is superb. There is also an old pearl of wisdom about restaurants anywhere in the world. If you want to find a good restaurant; find one that is crowded. Elena and I had to wait one hour to get a table here. The wait was worth it. The final wonderful surprise was the bill. We had drinks, two great meals and a dessert. The bill was a modest $62.00
(5)Susan C.
A must if you visit SF. Don't miss this breakfast/lunch Tenderloin restaurant. Long lines but well worth the wait. Just put you name and group size on the chalk board. All must be present in order to be seated. Oh, the beingets! We ordered the flight along with all the French soul breakfasts we could muster. Two of us ventured on the grits side. Man did we score. Yummmmmmy! Shrimp and grits, crispy pork grits. The rest ordered up French toast, pulled pork eggs Benedict. Now we are off on a long walk to burn the calories off. This may take awhile.
(5)Fran P.
This place is worth all 5 stars. I've had it booked marked for quite some time and was finally able to give it a try when I was in the area. Their food and service is great! The tables were pretty close to each other so we were able to chat up our neighbors who were loyal customers from Southern California. Their fan base is from everywhere! We got the flight of beignets. All delicious! Crawfish beignet and the chocolate beignet were my favorite although complete opposites sides of the flavor spectrum. Main course being the Grillades and Grits and the fried chicken Benedict. Grillades and Grits was the winner. Their grits was so buttery. Their homemade jam on the table made the biscuit to die for. Paired with some sunny side up eggs and beef cutlets made for a great hearty first meal. They were slammed but we never had to flag anyone down for anything. Everyone helped everyone so it ran really smoothly. Our waters were never empty. We got our food and boxes promptly. No complaints!
(5)J S.
This place is the real deal. Fried chicken. Awesome. Collard greens. Amazing. Shrimp and grits. Best I've ever had. Wish I lived closer because I know I will be craving a meal from here soon. They were filming a TV segment when we were there but I hope popularity won't affect the quality of the food. Service was great too.
(5)Thomas K.
Very good brunch food couldn't trump really awful service from both the greeter and the waitstaff. Not interested in coming here twice.
(2)Reggie S.
Came here on a Tuesday and the line was out the door. Great food! Had the flight of beignets and the shrimp grits. Flavors are very authentic New Orleans. worth the wait!
(4)Ramin A.
Food was delicious and the service was on point. I had the shrimp and grits with beignets. Worth the long wait in line!
(5)Jefferson D.
The place is really nice. Not is the most appealing location... but from NY so used to the street environment. Food was great. Actually too much. A cross between a Cajun restaurant and a Breakfast Joint... My sister and I had the combo beignets. Apple, Chocolate, Plain and my favorite... Crawfish cheese and a little kick. Delicious.I continued with he peach cobbler pancake which was something special especially when topping it with the homemade jam.My sister had the breakfast Po' Boy... what can I say... you are not going to leave there hungry... actually they may have to roll you out. Coffee was the chicory blend. Nice flavor. Only advice do not plan on eating until dinner after visiting this establishment.
(4)Shania W.
This was a really nice little spot. The service was REALLY great. The food was just okay. Not really NOLA style but a good try.
(3)Chris P.
Been to Brenda's a few times, waited outside for 1.5 hours each time. I thought maybe my tastebuds had gone mad because I saw nothing special here, so I had to get back a few times to make sure...and sure enough every time I left disappointed. The breakfast is a quality southern breakfast, it's just that it isn't anything special (ordered the fried chicken and shrimp and grits). Maybe because it's near the TL it can claim to be a hip spot, deserving of the wait - but the food itself is just OK.
(3)Jacqueline K.
Went during lunch on a weekday, it was lively but service was quick. The seafood pasta special that day was really good. Our beignets took a while to arrive; we got the flight (sampler) and they came after our entrees. They were good, but not amazing.
(5)Will C.
Outrageously wonderful and fun and friendly. Do it.
(5)Vineyard V.
Yummy! I normally my orders to go. Love their chicken and waffles. Funky ambiance with good music. Definitely worth the trek thru the outer edges of the tenderloin.
(4)Wendy Z.
My first experience with soul food and I thoroughly enjoyed it! The restaurant is located in the heart of the tenderloin and the interior provides a very classy yet comfort vibe. Once seated, you are given a small dish of black eyed beans which are lightly crisped and seasoning with spices, a very nice "small bite" to have prior to meal. We ended up ordering the fried chicken and collard greens, BBQ pork ribs with Mac and cheese, gumbo, and the beignet platter. The fried chicken was cooked perfectly with just the right amount of crispiness and coating and the chicken was so moist. The BBQ ribs were very flavorful but wasn't my favorite because I felt it was slightly rich. The Mac and cheese was on point, just the right amount of cheese and portion was good to complement the ribs. The gumbo? amazing! Just the right amount of rice and the soup was nice and thick with bold flavors that really scream gumbo. We ended the meal with the beignet platter which consisted of all the beignets they serve: original, Granny Smith apples, and Ghirardelli chocolate. Our favorite was definitely the chocolate, the beignets were light, but not too sweet and the filling to dough ratio was portioned very well. Definitely enjoyed first soul food experience. Highly recommend coming here for those who want to try soul food for the first time!
(5)Jessica X.
The 6 of us waited for about 1-1.5 hours and finally got seated... and this was a Monday morning at like 11am. So, if you plan on coming during the weekends, make sure you either go really early or prepare to wait. The good thing is, you don't have to be physically there to wait. You just put your name down on a blackboard and wait till your name gets called. Onto the food: we order the crab beignets and the chocolate beignets. I would recommend getting both, but I do think the general consensus amongst our group was that the crab beignets were much better and so savory! My friend and I also split a shrimp & grits and thought it was decent.. quite heavy and we couldn't finish it all.
(5)Alicia D.
Make sure you check your food before you leave during take-out. I've ordered for take-out several times hoping they'd actually get it right and they've messed up my order every time. However, when I actually have time to dine in...they are great! They just need a little work on attention to detail. The food is amazing and the chicken is "wow, super delicious."
(4)Sharon Q.
Probably one of the best things that happened today! Small resto but no wait time this morning. We ordered: Shrimp & Grits (Sautéed shrimp, cheddar grits, spicy tomato-bacon gravy) That was SO GOOD! Lots of flavor on every single bite. Egg & Bacon Tartine (Bacon, scrambled eggs, gruyère &tomato-bacon relish on toasted french roll,with choice of grits or hash...I had mine with hash) This too was good... but if...and when I do return...my order will be the Shrimp & Grits. We also HAD to try their Beignets. We ordered one chocolate and one granny smith apple. If you do not like cinnamon..then stay away from the granny smith apple because it has a strong cinnamon flavor to it. However, I don't mind cinnamon so I absolutely loved both of 'em.
(5)Josh Giosue D.
My fiance and I came here for brunch a few weeks back. There was definitely a line however we got in pretty fast. We ordered the crawfish beignets, jambalaya, and an omlette. The crawfish beignets were to die for and they're definitely a must, on the flip side I wasn't to impressed with the jambalaya it was very blend and not creamy enough. The biscuit that came with the omelet was fluffy and delicious. I will definitely be back here for the beignets.
(4)Gonzalo S.
I've been here twice and while the food is rich and flavorful, I'm still not convinced it deserves all the praise. Maybe I need to try brunch? For dinner, I've had the shrimp and grits and while tasty, it's not the most visually appealing dish with the shrimp swimming in a pool of oil from the cheese. The grits are well done and the dish is satisfying but beware since it will sneak up on your after a couple of bites. I've also had the shrimp creole pot pie, this was not as heavy and something I'd get again. Imagine a shrimp stew/gumbo in a small crock-bowl (like the kind used for french onion soup) topped with bits of biscuit and covered in cheese. Aside from the top, I didn't find any biscuit on the sides or bottom but it was still satisfying. The wait can be really long, so bring a companion.
(3)Zeke M.
This place is amazing, the food is outstanding, service not over the moon over but worth the visit. Don't come starving as the wait can be over 1 hour. Sat and Sundays are super busy but the wait is definitely worth waiting.
(5)Rosa S.
Delicious gumbo! We ordered the grits and shrimp, the fried chicken, gumbo, and a couple of bloody marys which all were good but the stand out for us was the gumbo. We were expecting a long wait because of other reviewer comments, yet it only took 15 min...score. The restaurant is very tight, but that was fine with us we actually got to know our table neighbors. The service was great and fast. Prices are reasonable, too. Tips: If you are spending the day in SF, such as fisherman's warf pier 39 we suggest taking an uber to this location it's what we did since we dont know SF very well. Super easy and cheaper than a taxi. You can also find promo codes and get a free ride. Driving in SF is no joke so just park in the Fishermans warf area and take the uber to the restaurant. I can't wait to go again and order the gumbo and some of those beignets...mouth watering.
(5)Shana W.
Crawfish beignets are a huge YUCK!!! If you like crawfish wrapped in sourdough then go for it. Catfish was okay but the rice pilaf on the plate was better. I also didnt care much for the garlic shrimp fondue. Ill go back but next time ill try the chicken or the fried pork chop.
(3)Stefan C.
My favorite dinner joint in the city. Everything is amazing, especially the Shrimp & Grits and the beignets.
(5)Trena M.
Came here with a large-ish group of friends the same weekend as outside lands and the wait was ridiculously long. The guy managing the front was cool as a cucumber though, even though you could tell he was a bit stressed out. We ended up getting our food to go and ate it in a park nearby. They pack their to go orders really well, and the food was still warm 30 min later. I got the veggie omelet, it was alright. I will definitely be going back for the beignets though! The sampler is a good deal, and great for sharing. I've been craving beignets and chicory coffee ever since going to cafe du monde in NOLA. While the beignets were delicious, the chicory coffee wasn't the best. The biscuits with jam are really good too.
(4)Linda R.
I love this place and would go more regularly if there wasn't always such a wait. Friendly, efficient staff and I love the Shrimp and Grits and beignets. I don't like food that is so spicy you can't actually taste anything else. Luckily Brenda's uses spice to compliment the food, not cover it up.
(5)Sean W.
The food was excellent the service was good but the line was long. There are better areas for a restaurant keep being, but this is San Francisco. I ordered grits and chicken I wish they could have had a little cheese in it but everything was great despite that.
(4)Jackie B.
This place was pretty darn good! I had started with the crawfish beignets. They were good... Not great. The shrimp and grits were yummy! Especially when you got a bite of the sweet tomato. Finished with a chocolate beignet and it was fluffy and sweet! Nice touch! My husband had the ribs with Mac and cheese and collards. He loves it! And he had a watermelon tea that he thought was great! Good prices as well!!
(4)Andrew M.
Brenda's used to be really good, before the expansion, before the dark times! :) When Brenda's was a small one room hole in the wall it was goooood! And the people who worked there were cool! Now... Now, Brenda's is the lower half of ok! The food tastes like it was made at the airport and has none of the zing it once had! And the people seem ...oddly passive aggressive, like you've interrupted a college kid studying for his/her finals at work! I'll give you an example of the food these days!! I had the fried chicken the other day. The outside was so hard it hurt my teeth and the inside was so dry it made me pucker! Who screws up fried chicken?? I'll give you another example. I'm the second guy in line before Brenda's opens. We are let in. It's the the first thing in the morning and there are 3 people total in Brenda's! 3 people!! I order some eggs. They come out in 5 minutes (Yay!) and they are cold! How does that happen? It would take longer then Brenda's was open for my eggs to cool down to the temperature they were at! Everything on my plate was cold except for the biscuit! But it would take longer then Brenda's was open to get my food that cold! How is that possible? I mentioned my food was cold to the server and she seemed put out! I have a teenage niece who makes the same face when she wants to see her friends and has to say "Hi!" to everyone first! Long story short, I was eventually able to get slightly, slightly warmer eggs! :( Understandably, I haven't been back for breakfast at Brenda's since! I still enjoy the deserts enough to come to Brenda's. But, I need to want a beignet bad enough to put up with the kids who seem to be running the show! Which these days is about once every six months. I'd rate Brenda's at 2.5 stars rating. All that is the deserts! I would have rated them at 4+ stars way back when. Brenda's seems to have lost its way! I hope Brenda's finds its way back!
(3)Frank G.
Without a doubt, the best casual restaurant in SF. Love the gumbo, mac and cheese, fried chicken, shrimp and grits, and red beans and rice. Biscuits are just plain sick either with the pepper jelly or with butter and fruit jam. Mouth is watering just thinking about them. And the watermelon iced tea? I could go on and on. As for desserts, the bread puddings and peanut butter ice box pies are out of this world. My friend hates peanut butter and she would not stop eating my pie until I threatened her with my fork. Too bad it's too crowded for brunch/lunch. Oh well, at least I can get my fix still at dinner.
(5)Ashley B.
This place was spot on! I was missing some Cajun when I moved away from the south and they filled the void. The restaurant was a comfy vibe of downtown and home town and the food spoke for it self. I had the shrimp and grits which was awesome. I loved every bite. It was smooth, cheesy, and spicy. My fiancé had the baby back ribs and they were flavorful and tender. The watermelon tea was delicious too! Also, you HAVE to order the crawfish beignets.
(5)Kazu O.
I see why everyone waits in line for this place. Huge portions, and pretty good food. Everyone raves about their crawfish beignets, but I think the highlight of our meal was the shrimp and grits. It was sooooo good, that it completely overshadowed the beignets or my fried chicken benedict.
(4)Lisa L.
Pros: The crawfish beignets were delicious and well worth the money. I also had the pulled pork egg benedict (daily special) with a side of grits which was nothing to complain about. Cons: What does need improvement is the service. I genuinely feel like good food can only take a restaurant so far. People want to feel welcomed and respected - feelings that were unfortunately missing during my visit. Like everyone else in line, we waited an hour and a half to be seated. Knowing that our party was large, with 6 adults and 2 kiddies, we knew what we were getting into and didn't complain at all. We stood/sat there patiently waiting for our party to be called like everyone else. However, upon being seated, we all noticed a big problem. The area only seated six...umm....but we have a party of eight. We quickly addressed the problem to the host who proceeded to let out an annoyed sigh. While rolling his eyes, he said, "I thought they had their own chairs." Um...yeah...we didn't bring our own chairs here. Sir, we know you don't need our business to keep afloat, but we also don't need your attitude. Bringing small children to any restaurant is hard to do. Please be kind.
(3)john m.
I really liked the food but I'm not exactly sure about the French soul food moniker. But defiantly worth a go!
(4)Charlotte M.
Favorite! The location sucks, but what the hell-- I love coming in on a Sunday evening, listening to Gaucho (gypsy jazz) band and having the TOFU scramble. The atmosphere is noisy and happy-- a mixture of NY and NOLA. The food is worth the wait. Sign in on the chalk board when you arrive.
(4)Elena N.
I first had Brenda's years ago. At the time, the roommate worked in the area, so I asked him to bring us take out home for dinner. I remember enjoying everything we ordered. Especially the crawfish beignet, fried chicken and mac and cheese. Last Thursday, July 30th a little before 6pm, I decided to try Brenda's again. We ordered through Caviar ( trycaviar.com ) and our dinner arrived a little before 7pm. Prices below are what I paid using Caviar. *Crawfish beignet ($3.57): spiced with cayenne, scallions & cheddar I loved the filling, but the beignets were a little too doughy and slightly bitter. Too much cayenne? These are also super oily. *Sweet flight of beignet ($6): 3 per order - plain, chocolate and granny smith I don't know why, but I didn't enjoyed their beignets as much. My favorite was the plain one since it was fluffy with a nice chew. The apple filling was a little dry and the chocolate filling a little too thick. *Chicken, sausage & okra gumbo ($5.10 cup) I didn't try this as I don't like gumbo, but the roommate finished the whole thing. *BFC dinner ($17.09): three pieces of Brenda's secret recipe fried chicken, their famous cream biscuit, hot pepper jelly & collard greens I remember this being so much better! The breading was crunchy with good flavor, but the chicken pieces were super small. It didn't seem worth the price. Not much meat on the bones. *Oyster flight ($8.42): Casino - bacon, scallion, biscuit, crumbs, parmesan, gruyere; Tchoupitoulas - cayenne butter, garlic, herbs; Orleans - Blackened voodoo bbq sauce I love oysters, so I enjoyed this. Casino was probably my fav, then Tchoupitoulas and lastly Orleans. *Bbq pork and ribs ($16.07): mac & cheese, collard greens Yum! The ribs were tender and meaty. The only disappointing thing was they forgot to pack our mac & cheese. And I love mac & cheese. That was actually really sad. *Shrimp & grits ($13.75): sauteed shrimp, cheddar grits, spicy tomato-bacon gravy So I don't normally eat grits, but I've been craving a lot of carbs lately. The grits were fluffy and the shrimp tender. And the ooey gooey cheese just brought it all together. Super tasty. Some really solid dishes and some not. I really wish I got to try the mac & cheese again and the fried chicken was as good as I remember. Maybe one day, I'll actually eat at Brenda's. But until then, 3 stars.
(3)Suzanne W.
Went here when I had tickets to Book of Mormon at the Orpheum theater about half a mile away. We got there around 6 and there was a short wait. I love how you write your name on the chalkboard instead of a piece of paper. Little details like that makes the world restaurant that much more unique. This is my second time here. The first was for brunch and my second for dinner. For brunch I remembered loving everything! It was delicious, hearty and had that southern elevated homecooked feel. I remember the shrimp and grits the most so I ordered it. My boyfriend had the ribs with Mac and cheese and collard greens. My shrimp and grits was so good for the first few bites. Less than halfway in I realized that this would make the perfect side dish to share, but not a main dish. The flavors are strong but it got monotoned and I wanted something else so I kept picking at my boyfriends plate. Grits are super cheesy and oily so don't order if you're calorie counting. The ribs were good but the portion is really small. Love the collard greens though. They were tender and full of meaty flavor. We also ordered the trio of beignets for dessert. I'm sad that I didn't love it... Not one of it. We had he original, chocolate and apple. I thought they were too dense and heavy and I was looking for that airy fluffy texture. Either way I do really like the restaurant and would definitely come back. I would just do everything family style so I can taste a little bit of everything.
(4)Dana A.
Best brunch in San Francisco hands down... I've wanted to try Brenda's for a long time now and finally made it on a Monday morning ... When there was still a ton of people waiting to my surprise. The line went fast though and the food was delicious. Have to try the biscuit! Definitely recommend for everyone to try!
(5)Jordan H.
Cool place. Delicious beignets. Crowded. Long waites
(4)Nadav C.
I love that place. I'm there at least once a month and I always recommend to everyone to taste their awesome food. This time I'm giving that place 1 start and if I could to give 0 I would! It's not because of the food it's literally because of the service. The waitress is actually nice but I'm talking about this horrible host at the front. This blonde dude that think that he owns the world and he can treat people like shit. When you go to a restaurant first you need to treat your customers well and not make them feel bad. We are actually the reason that business like this is working consistently (the return customers). We went there to celebrate one of my girl friends birthday and he didn't give them a table until I came and we were only party of 4. He didn't even let them talk and every time they said something he yelled at them and turned around. After we got the table he dropped by accident glass of water on the floor and some of the shards of glass touched my friend's arm and he didn't even apologize he actually looked at her with his obnoxious face and keep walking. and at the end when we had an issue with one of the main courses and we weren't happy he told us that we can exchange it to something else and he didn't even wait 5 second he just turned around and said while he is raising his voice "you decide and I'll come back later" and then I was really really mad and I yelled at him! I don't think that this kind of place needs to hire this horrible person. People like him doesn't need to work around people. Unfortunately you lost a good customer and I'm not gonna return there ever after that bad experience. Of course I'm attaching a picture of him that everyone need to be aware of him!
(1)Jena H.
Always incredible. This is by far one of the best places that San Fran has to offer. We have been here many times, there will most likely always be a wait and it will be entirely worth it. All of their food is great, you can't go wrong here. Wether you are visiting or living in the city you have to try this place!
(5)Ashante D.
Wow!!!!! Amazing!!! Outstanding!!!! Delicious!!!! Lawd I can go on for days about how Outrageously Good the food is here! We were visiting for the day and wanted a great Breakfast place. When this came up and had over 6,000 reviews I knew there had to be something special about it! Please Believe this review if you weren't convinced by the others! We ordered the Shrimp and Grits- My Goodness!!!! Best I have ever had (and I've had Alot! ) Don't second think it! Get it! The Beignets are fabulous! Light and fluffy. We had the flight and tried them all. They were all different and their own greatness to it. The biscuits- .......Just get them if it doesn't come with your meal. You will not regret it! And the Peach Preserve that is on the table!!! Match that with the biscuit....Peach Cobbler!!! Yummers!!! The Sweet Watermelon Iced Tea! Ugh! Just great if you like the Ole fashioned type of Iced Tea (which I love) And the Hostess/Waiter Justin!!! He was a Doll Quick and Efficient without being rude. Being a New Yorker that is Valued. This might be the longest review I have ever written, as I wait for my check! Lol Thanks San Fran! We will be back!!!
(5)Team EK L.
I had the tofu hash with sourdough toast and it was absolutely delicious. Expect a long wait, but you can wander around and there's a Philz the block over where you can kill some time! :) -Edmund The wait was around 1 hour for two people during Sunday brunch. I ordered a Croque Monsieur with cole slaw for my meal and it was absolutely delicious. Totally was worth the wait! -Kristen 5 stars from Edmund & 5 stars from Kristen 5 stars from both of us ^__^
(5)Kristin C.
Wow! Stopped for brunch and was blown away by the food! Started with the flight of beignets...they are HUGE and delicious. The dough is so light and fluffy and miraculously not greasy at all. The crawfish beignet was my favorite! I had the pulled pork benedict special--amazing! The pork itself was so flavorful and the juices dripped down into a perfect biscuit. The grits were a little loose for me but had good flavor. My husband really enjoyed the fried chicken benedict as well. Side note: try to ignore the location on the outskirts of Tenderloin. It's worth it. Also, the host was very rude. I understand the stress of a high volume brunch, but he was yelling at people. Unprofessional. Ignore him too!
(5)Erica O.
I won't stop until I have had everything on the menu. My must have menu item? Shrimp and grits. Mmmm mmmm.
(5)Kimberly C.
This was my second visit to Brenda's. The first time was when it first opened several years ago and the food memory had it first on my list of places to eat over this past weekend. Our wait time to be seated was short at 2pm. From now on, I'll only visit Brenda's around this time because the wait for the food was longer than anticipated. The food is still excellent. We had the Beignet flight, Grillades and grits, and pancakes. The apple beignet is better than I remembered and the crawfish beignet not as good. The Grillades were so tender, I didn't need a knife and the grits were perfection. The most noticeable change was the vibe of Brenda's itself. Perhaps many years of success have eaten away at its Southern charm? It definitely didn't give me the warm feeling I remember so vividly, but the food (which is most important) is still good enough to bring me back for more - or try one of the newer sister establishments.
(4)Jennifer T.
The service and food was horrible. I was really excited about this place. I went with my family. Not only was our server rude, but the manager seemed to be rude to his employees too. I'm pescatarian, so I asked the server if the entree I was interested in had any meat. He said no, so I got it. When it comes out, there's SAUSAGES in it. So I sat there and didn't have anything to eat. The beignets he brought out weren't the flavor we asked for, so we told him kindly that we received the wrong ones. He didn't even apologize, just took our plate and walked away. The silverware and cups were all very dirty and dingy. We had a horrible experience here, and it honestly still upsets me the poor food and service we received.
(1)Tim J.
Glad to see them in the neighborhood but some food isn't available. Only at the other location . communication with waiter can be off if u get the wrong service.
(2)Sui N.
First time having gumbo and it was delicious, service was alright nothing outstanding, but the place was crowded during lunch
(4)King N.
The setup of the restaurant was cool. Had a live band playing Blues music, definitely went well with the theme of Brendas. The food was really good!! This was like the non-commercialized version of popeyes. Only give it 4 stars instead of 5 because i found a small piece iof plastic in my red beans and rice. And they gave us our dessert for free to compensate for the mishap. Overall it was very good.
(4)Brad H.
8/2/15 @ 9:00 AM - We knew there would be a wait for a party of 3 on a Sunday morning. Seating order was arranged by putting your name on a board until it is called and you are seated. We were seated at an end table for 2 with a 3rd chair. It is your typical 24" x 24" table. After we ordered, a larger table for 3 opened up next to us. We explained to our waitress this was crammed and could we please move. She said she would have to check with the host. She walked to the back, spoke to him and I watched him rudely dismiss her with a glare and a "no." She calmly came back to us and said we could not move. Her face said it all...."yes, it is ridiculous..." So, we ate from 3 large oval plates with 1/3 of each plate hanging over the edge of the table. I had to sit sideways. As we left the restaurant and were on the sidewalk, the host comes out and tries to backtrack. He has "such a complicated system" with the chalkboard, people waiting, having to check tables...WOW. Wrong job for this person. The right thing would have been to explain before we sat that there was end table for 2 and would we take it or like to wait for a larger table for 3. I won't be returning. Too many other crowded, busy brunch spots also with good food, but also with good manners towards their customers.
(1)Sam B.
Brendas is amazinggggg. Best time to go is week days.. the weekends get hella busy and you'll wait forever but its worth the wait. the pancakes are magical!! and everything else is equally as good but i always make sure to get an order of pancakes no matter what. Staff is friendly and quick as well!
(5)Mandy L.
NO WAIT, OPEN TABLES, FOOD SERVED IN FIVE MINUTES! Sunday serves brunch from 5-8 PM. Overall taste of the food was not spectacular but the quality was up to par. Of the fried items we ordered, Brenda's Soul Food does a great job keeping the batter dry and crunchy. I'm usually a Benedict person but I liked the Po' Boy more. Shrimp po' boy comes in a toasted and chewy French roll, lots of medium sized battered shrimp with sauce, and a mound of French fries on the side. I would ask for extra lettuce and tomatoes. First time trying a po' boy did not disappoint. Fried chicken Benedict was served on a biscuit instead of an English muffin. It was warm and elevated and flaky and buttery and soft on the inside, crunchy on the outside. The biscuit definitely took the spotlight from the fried chicken, eggs, and hollandaise sauce. Side of hash was enough potatoes for another meal, score! The famous Crawfish Beignets come in an order of three for 9.75, which is a good deal considering how large they were. The texture and taste of the beignet dough is similar to a thicker version of Chinese fried doughnuts. Inside each beignet has about four fatty crawfish mixed in cheesy sauce. Crawfish usually has an earthy taste because they're fished from the mud, but this wasn't too bad. Coming from someone who doesn't like crawfish and loves bread, try it! If we could choose again, my friend and I would have ordered the crawfish beignets + 1 entree to share. So much food!
(4)Shaun C.
I love Brenda's and Brenda's new place on Divisadero. The crawfish beignets are always a go to and service is better than average for brunch. Keep it up and I will keep coming back!
(5)Wendy F.
Their food definitely warmed my soul. Their crawfish beignet is a must-try!!! FOOD: My friends and I shared the crawfish beignet (3 for $9) and I also got the fried shrimp egg benedict with cheesy grits on side ($12.75). I was very, VERY happy with everything I got, even though I've never had either beignet or egg benedict before in my life. The crawfish beignet is a MUST TRY. It's fried dough with crawfish and cheese inside and it tasted just perfect. The egg benedict was also great and I feel very full from it. My friends tried the calm omelet and the pork belly grits, both of which were delicious. SETTING: You should know that the restaurant is located in a not-so-safe neighborhood, aka the Tenderloin, in SF. I got here by N and had to walk through some sketchy people. There are a lot of tables & bar seats inside of the restaurants but pretty crammed. You'll know when you got to the restaurant when you see a bunch of people gathered outside a bench. SERVICE: We came here around 11 and waited 30 minutes to be seated (for a party of 3). The waitress was very quick with our order and the beignet was ready within 5 minutes. The rest of the food came within another 5 minutes and we were all very happy with the service. They also let us split the check 3 ways, which was very nice of them! OVERALL IMPRESSION: I am usually not excited for savory food but I've heard great things about this place and Brenda's did not disappoint. I am definitely coming back again for their beignet sampler. :D Very very cute brunch place.
(5)David N.
Went here for the first time with my wife and some friends and I loved it. The wait time was long because we had a party of 6, but it was worth waiting. I ordered the 3 eggs omelette with tomato, chicken apple sausage, and spinach. One the side I got toast and potatoes. The eggs wasn't over cooked or under cooked. They were just right. Egg omelette I was so delicious. The funny thing was I got Coca-Cola for brunch hehe. I was the only one drinking sonda too. Pros: Clean Great services Cons: Street parking Restaurant is small.
(5)Shannon P.
Crawfish Biegniets
(5)F G.
WOW!!! - This place does it right! Hands down the best fried chicken I've ever encountered. I'm a big hot sauce guy and typically consider it as a must to complement fried chicken wherever I go. Not sure what they're secret recipe is, but the chicken is truly better without the hot sauce. Been here many times for brunch and lunch. Tried multiple items one the menu and every dish has been beyond expectation. My favorites are the BFC and any of the beignets, but especially the crawfish beignet... AS GOOD AS FRIED CHICKEN GETS
(5)Jonathon M.
After an hour and fifteen minute wait and two trips to the parking meter my review still stands as five stars! The service was great! Everyone is professional, kind, and expedites orders very quickly! Our server also gave great recommendations regarding the eggs Benedict options, and we are so thankful for his opinion because the options were so hard to choose from! I personally had the banana fosters French toast. It was perfect, like a desert for breakfast! However my friends had the fried chicken Benedict and the pulled pork Benedict. I was fortunate enough to sample and holy moley...so good. I will be back, and wait patiently for this awesome brunch again!!!
(5)FK R.
Excellent food, when made right. If you are vegetarian, specify ahead you need your breakfast food cooked separate in a pan, if you don't want to have your stomach turn upon tasting bacon grease on your vegetarian food.
(3)G V.
I don't care for spicy food much and many of the items on the menu I won't eat. However, their homemade biscuits are TDF... Don't miss those!
(4)Adrianne R.
We went on a Friday at 11am, it wasn't a long wait at all. I enjoyed the French toast with the pecan butter very much, I loved it the fried chicken was good and the catfish was tasty as well, the biscuit remind me of this is my grandmother used to make, is the shrimp and grits were great they, gave you an option of keeping the bacon off which was good, and also Asked for spicy sauce on the side for my daughter who had been craving shrimp and grit for months now. Lol , I was shocked this Soul food restaurant did not have at any Afro-American employed I'm just saying. I will being going back. Over all it was a great experience parked to parking places down and got a ticket, because they said the wheels where not turn to the curb, on the slight hill. Wow. 62.00 dollars. Wow well.
(4)Barry B.
We had fried cauliflower, shrimp and grits, shrimp and crawfish étouffée, a couple of biscuits, watermelon sweet tea, a house wine and the beignet flight for dessert. All very good and would definitely order again.
(5)Michelle M.
Considering how popular this place is, I really wished I liked it more. That being said, I had really high expectations, but wasn't thoroughly convinced after my meal. First thing's first, we ordered mimosas and they ran out of glasses so we had to drink out of plastic cups. Not too much of a big deal, but you would think that with so many people eating at your restaurant on a daily basis, you would have a large supply of kitchenware. Anyway, we ordered our food and it took a really long time to come out, but our waiter was very attentive and hospitable so it made up for it. We ordered the Beignet Flight which came out first and it was the best part of my entire meal. I am a huge fan of beignets and these ones were great. My favorite one was the Crawfish Beignet! I had never had a savory beignet and I have to say, this was life changing. It was really flavorful and had lots of spices which contrasted with the fluffy outside, so it was a good combination. The other beignets were really tasty as well :) For my entree I ordered a Hangtown Fry, which is an omelette with fried oysters and bacon with hash on the side. I love oysters so I felt like this was the dish for me. Nope. It was really heavy for an omelette and the oysters tasted bitter and salty. I wanted to like it, but the taste was just too overbearing. I guess you just have to come here with a hearty appetite and be ready for the heavy food. 3 stars pretty much goes to the beignets for me.
(3)