Bistro 69

I went here on a «Free Cheeseburger & Fries at Bistro 69» Marketing promotion day. There was a line out the door in anticipation for a marketable meal. The place is cute inside however we were not treated in a friendly way. Second when we got our cheeseburgers back to the office they were raw. We had to throw the burgers out. If you go here, make sure you are aware of the meat.

Nice to find a little hole in the wall deli with great service from behind the counter, plenty of outdoor seating and delicious sandwiches and salads for a very reasonable price. Nice discovery for me.

Quickly grabbed a breakfast sandwich one morning. It was a very expensive breakfast sandwich…$ 7. I think for $ 7 I could have bought all the items to make a dozen if not more…
It did the job, but I definitely wouldn’t come here unless I absolutely had no option, which is rare in SF where there is so much food. We were in a rush, and I was getting hangry, so food was needed. We were on our way to Outsidelands.

The food was pretty good until I noticed the cockroach carcasses on the ground. Seems to me that, that would be something you would keep on the down-​low. Also, my boyfriend had to walk through a family home to get to the bathroom (full bathroom with shower). Kinda weird.

If I could give this place negative stars I would. Had the worst experience I’ve ever had at any restaurant at Bistro 69.
I’ve only eaten here in a pinch since I work next door, and never really found the food to be any good. This time I picked up a salad to go. I was nearly done when I found a large piece of hard plastic chillin’ in my lettuce. Gross!
I took the salad back and asked (nicely) to be refunded my 8 bucks. The owner flat out told me no, because I had already eaten a majority of the salad. I explained that I work upstairs, and he only got more rude from there. He told me no one cares and that I should tell everyone in my building not to eat there then. When I told him that his restaurant was disgusting, he turned right around and called me disgusting!
I mean, who does that to a customer?! I was appalled.
The owner is horribly rude and has no sense of customer service, and food service is questionable and unsanitary. I will never return here again, and neither will any of my colleagues.

My friend and I were on a shopping mission in SF one day. We wanted to grab a quick lunch, but still enjoy it. We stumbled upon Bistro 69. The menu looked great and it looked like we would get our food pretty quickly. The restaurant has tables set up in the middle of the lane. It was really cute. The surrounding buildings weren’t tall enough to block all the sun out so we were able to get a table in the sun. We got the chinese chicken salad and the caprese panini. We didn’t expect the portions to be very big. We were wrong and we were glad about it. The food was delicious and plentiful. We were very happy to have found this restaurant. I’m going to keep it in mind for my next SF shopping day.

Mmmmm… yummy buttery scrambled eggs, perfectly cooked crispy bacon, delicious potatoes and adequate toast. I was satisfied. Outdoor seating is nice because you can people watch and enjoy the sunshine. The restaurant is located in an alleyway next to Alexander McQueen and across from Tory Burch. Nice, exclusive location that has an avant-​garde urban feel being in an alleyway and all. It’s small inside but you’re not in San Francisco to be inside. A-​OK!

My nephew works near here, he likes their sammies so I gave it a try.
Arrive at 12:10 on a Thursday, place is empty (never a good sign for a lunch spot).
Got the pastrami, was ok, nothing too special, had a side of fries. Sammie and water = $ 12.50 — a bit steep, even for this hood.
I think this one is «one and done:» for me.
Ya feel me?

Myself and the rest of my party had a great experience here. The pastrami was to die for, and at the low prices for both the food and the beer, bistro69 is truly a hidden gem in SF. The pastrami is homemade and cured for 6 months before being served. The service was very prompt and staff courteous, plus beers for 3.95. Where else in this city of overpriced everything will you get such a well priced meal and beer?
Sorry to hear that others did not have a good experience here.

Usually when someone says that their products are «homemade» either it will be a fantastic product or something to give away for a white elephant regift.
This is the same when it comes to food, except that with food you can basically only regift it to the garbage or to someone hungrier than you.
So, when the guy at this bistro said that there pastrami is handmade, I was both intrigued and scared.
Either this could be really good, or really bad. And I’m all out of antacid.
Luckily, the pastrami on toasted baguette was lean and tasty, and came with a generous amount of medium sized fries. For $ 9.00 it was reasonable for downtown.
My buddy had the chicken salad sandwich, full of lean white meat, and very little mayonnaise.
I’m glad I stumbled onto this place, but beware when you eat outside since it’s full of killer pigeons waiting to pounce on your leftovers, or on you.

The food is mediocre. But the service is even worse. It is generally apathetic and unfriendly, and the food is delivered incredibly slowly. It’s difficult to believe how long it takes these guys to make a salad with 3 customers sitting down.
It is however very pleasant to be able to sit outside on quiet Maiden Lane on a nice day. If you don’t mind waiting. A long time. Bring a book. Enjoy!

I usually get a burger here, but the more I come here the more I regret it. The first time I had a burger here, I thought I was amazing for about $ 7 – 8. When I went there again recently the burger was just eh and my fries were overcooked and was overloaded with salt.
The place looks kind of grimey and I also noticed they recently covered their food display area with a banner… makes me wonder if they’re trying to cover up something. Don’t think I’m going to come back here for burgers anymore.

This place is disgusting it is so so bad … greek salad with wilted lettuce caned corn canned kidney beans and vinagrette the flavors of canned food with vinegar made me want to vomit, I aksed the owner why i had corn and beans on a greek salad? he argued with me and I simply asked him for a greek salad exactly as it states in the menu (tomato, olives, beets, feta… i. e– NOT canned beans and corn) Anyway he «cleaned it up for me» but the tatste was so foul I simply had to get my money back, something i have never done but felt like i had to, $ 12 for the salad on my credit card and he refunded $ 9 in cash and proceeded to argue with me that the wilted lettuce was fresh in front of other customers… Very uncomfortable and awkward situation like the «Amys Baking Co”. episode on Kitchen Nightmares… Also the bus boy was telling us on the side that the food was old and canned .
It felt like the twilight zone

Advice número uno: If you come here, don’t order the french fries or anything super American. Their specialty lies in their Mediterranean/​Italian foods. So order a panini, lasagna, baklava, etcetera. Their fruit smoothies are tasty and refreshing. They also have cold beer, which is sweet when you’re on a lunch break or after a day of walking around as a tourist.
My favorite thing that I’ve ordered here is a sandwich that had avocado, gruyère cheese, walnuts, raisins and sprouts with sun-​dried tomatoes spread. Such an eclectic combination with amazing results.
So, check out Bistro 69, and bask in its excellent location. Right off of Union Square on carless Maiden Lane, you can manage to easily escape the swarms of the city and delight in the rays of the sun.

Situated in what I would call glam alley (lined with high end designer shops), this place had a vibe of an European bistro. I stopped in on a Saturday morning for a quick bite. The menu is big and confusing, but ordering took more effort, given that everyone behind the counter seemed unhappy, unfriendly, and unhelpful. Maybe it was because it was a gloomy Saturday morning, and who wouldn’t rather be in a cozy bed?
After ordering my sandwich I sat at one of the tables that did not have the sign «reserved for group of three of more». When the lady server appeared with a plate of food, it was not the eggplant sandwich I had ordered so I said «that’s not what I ordered», and she seemed majorly peeved that *I* didn’t remember what I had ordered. I finally got my eggplant sandwich, which tasted ok but it was thrown together haphazardly and seriously lacking love. So it was ok, but a little disappointing, but that’s like many things in life.

Cockroach.
Yep, I saw one here. Came here for the first time for lunch with a friend. While I’m ordering my food from the cashier, I see it: A huge, brown, effing cockroach crawling up the front of the cashier’s shirt. He then spots it and quickly brushes it off, thinking I didn’t see it. (Think about it: he brushed it off… which meant it continued on its way… somewhere else in the establishment)
But! My friend had ordered her food already and I was halfway through ordering mine… and having been exposed to various environments in my life, I just thought «meh» and decided to eat there anyway.
So! The food was good. Had a big ol’ turkey burger slathered in cheese, sauce, and caramelized onions. Fries were good and reminded me of In N Out’s fries. After the lunch, I revealed to my friend the cockroach sighting and she freaked out/​almost gagged but then thanked me for not telling her. I’m such a good friend.
Cockroach side, not a bad lunch! Very filling.
Note: If you search this restaurant’s reviews for «cockroach,» you’ll find a review by another Unilocaler that explains the conditions that promotes these critters. Won’t be returning here.

I’m not sure what I expected when I ordered the Mediterranean Burrito. It had complex flavors, was served cold and gave me mixed feelings about tabuleh. After getting a salad on the side, I can almost see myself ordering an entrée salad here. The side had cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, carrots, and a variety of greens with a hint of mustard seed in the dressing. If they care this much about the mini salads, I’m excited about the others!

One of my friends was lucky enough and actually got a free burger. I, on the other hand got there later and they had run out. So 2 stars for my experience and 4 for hers. She raved about the burger. I guess if they had put on the flyer while supplies last, there may have been less upset people, but sometimes it is too good to be true.
On another note, I used to come here years and years ago for their grilled salmon. I don’t remember much about it other than it being just okay. It was a little pricey for someone in their early 20s, but I guess a fair price for the portion. It was salmon after all.
Overall, A-​OK.

FOOD POISONING ALERT
I’ve been going to this place for years, but now I’m scarred for life and can never go back.
In a nutshell, I saw the chef cleaning up to close by degreasing the kitchen with some sort of spray. His clear gloves were black with the gunk he was cleaning. After ordering with the cashier, he immediately went to making my salad, plunging his dirty gloves into the salad mix. I laughed because it was so ludicrous that someone would do this. Anyway, I asked for a refund. Scary…

Do you remember that scene in «The Birds» where Tippi Hedren was waiting in front of the school playground for Suzanne Pleshette to finish her class? The birds were slowly covering the jungle gym, and once the kids started running down the street, mass pecking ensued. Oh and that poor girl who broke her glasses… well, I had a flashback to that scene when I dined al fresco at Bistro 69 because the pigeons were out in force that day, and not even the swipe of a human hand was going to stop them from attacking plates of debris left by careless tourists who just came out of Neiman Marcus. I have to admit it was really hard to eat knowing that the pigeons could go into formation and attack my plate of greens.
Not that my plate was all that tempting to them. Even pigeons have their standards, I guess. Even though Bistro 69 had plenty of Mediterranean food on display in deli-​style platters, I ordered the Caesar Salad with Shrimp just because I thought it would make for a lighter lunch, but with the dressing ladled on awfully thick, it was hard to finish beyond the succulent though sparse shrimp that served as accompaniment. The price was rather steep, too. A $ 3 premium for the shrimp brought the Caesar to $ 11, but it is Maiden Lane after all. You look at my plate and decide if that’s a good deal (see photo). Meanwhile, I have to watch out for the pigeons who look like they’re about to strike. Run, kids, run!
FOOD — 3 stars… middling Caesar just seems too pricey for the portion
AMBIANCE — 2 stars… Run, kids, run!
SERVICE — 3.5 stars… the staff was trying to shoo those birds away but to no avail
TOTAL — 3 stars… even if I didn’t bargain for an aviary, it’s still a middling salad