Gateway Newstand

CLOSED.
SalesForce is moving into the building and apparently they are anti-​breakfast burritos.

They have great soft serve ice cream and already made half sandwiches. Yesterday my co worker and I went got toasted sandwiches were were soooo yummy. I had the tuna with olive spread and she had the roast beef with Gruyère cheese. The sandwiches were so good that I stopped in this morning for a breakfast burrito. The burrito was $ 6.50 and it was huge! It had eggs, potatoes, veggies, chicken, cheese, salsa, and maybe more. Great food at good prices.

If Jesus made breakfast burritos, he would still prefer to get one here. Amazing.

$ 8.50 For roast beef sandwich drink and chips. Fresh, convenient and quick, kinda light on the meat but was still tasty.

OMG love love love the breakfast burrito here. I hate to admit I have it at least once per week and the two gentlemen behind the counter now know me. I have never eaten anything else here; I just can’t because this burrito is huge (it serves at both breakfast and lunch) and delicious. I get it without meat (eggs, potatoes, cheese, spinach, salsa and avocado). Made fresh to order and pressed on an indoor grill. Freaking amazing. And $ 5.35 after tax… seriously.

It’s a good alternative to Café Algiers especially when lines are long at Algiers and they run out of stuff. Sandwiches aren’t as big, but a good variety, the price is right and the size. I like the ciabatta bagette they use and they toast it every time. The tuna is good, a little wet, but tasty. I had the ham and swiss and it’s on par with Algiers. I think this place uses Boar’s Head. $ 5.25 is pretty good and you don’t feel rushed or in a long line like Algiers. Great backup for something quick

Love this place! The staff are very friendly and I come here pretty often to get a breakfast burrito before going to work. It’s always made fresh and for the size of the food, it’s pretty well priced. You have to try their breakfast burrito!

Thank you jonathan s for speaking the truth!
Here is the issue — this is supposed to be a newstand/​convenience store, not a restaurant. For those of us who have worked in this building for a long time — back in the day the ground floor had Merrills. It was a fabulous place to shop for quick snacks, kleenex, film for your camera (ok no one uses film anymore but you get the idea), stamps, index cards… in other words all those things you realize you need in a hurry and would like to conveniently grab when you run out to lunch or when you have a quick break.
What we have here is a few really nice people who could care less about providing a newstand or convenience store items — they fancy themselves a family café — and that’s great but it isn’t what this building needs. We have Subway, SF Soup Company, Cello & Julies.
When I’m in a hurry and it’s pouring out, I want to dash into this place and find the batteries I desperately need, not a chai or a breakfast burrito.
Thanks for letting me get that off my chest!!!

Everything is made to order.
Huge breakfast burritos for under $ 5.
Bacon + Avocado + Lettuce + Tomato is outstanding.
Salads are terrific.

False Advertising at its worst…
I read through all the other reviews and can only wonder, why would someone review a NEWSTAND for its Chai?
I was out for a quick lunch break and tried to locate a decent news stand to find a particular magazine I need. Gateway Newsstand popped up in my google maps search and I walked the four blocks to get my magazine. When I walked in, I *couldn’t even find the magazines* until the owner pointed out a *single* shelf with time magazine, the Chronicle and one or two other publications and that was it! If I was looking for Chai, I would have been in luck, but silly me – I was searching for a «news stand» and was directed to this establishment. I recommend they change the name…

Still love this place (the tuna melt sandwich is my latest favorite), but I feel I have to mention that their premade salads are not good — every time I get one I wind up throwing half of it away because of black lettuce or chewy avocado.
Everything else here is cheap and perfect.

I come to Gateway for a few things and under these circumstances:
— My sweet tooth is craving a creamy, cannot believe it’s frozen yogurt serving :)
–It’s late in FiDi — everything is closed and I want a yummy sandwich or salad.
–I’m running low on my vitamin C intake and will pay 3.75 for their fresh, mixed fruit salad.
Great last minute spot that will take care of what you need! If they had small sit down area I would frequent it more often…

From Communism to Capitalism
When Russia first opened, it was full of inefficiencies. Two nice ladies trying to create sandwiches to satisfy that quick need during our ever shorter lunches. Though the sandwiches were great and cheap, there was NOTHING quick about the process. Long lines and shortages were abound. You could easily wait 15 minutes for one sandwich and that is simply unacceptable. With the crushing weight of capitalist forces like Baja Fresh and Subway right out the door, Russia had to reorganize.
After shutting their doors for awhile, Russia reopened with brand new Western equipment, hired two Latino workers, upped the type of foods offered, and the two Russian ladies took on a supervisory roll. Sure they have a younger Eastern Bloc girl there now, but she’s use to these capitalist (efficiency) ways. Now the new Russia is becoming the hottest thing on the block. Their breakfast burritos are amazing. Filled with yummy potatoes cooked in butter, cheese, eggs, spinach, and your choice of 3 different meats (for one dollar extra of course). Price? $ 5.43.
For lunch, they have great sandwiches. The lemon chicken is very moist and add avocado to it, then it’s perfect. My friend would always get the veggie sandwich that they fill with a ton of avocado. She says it’s very filling. Price? Less than 6 bucks.
Because of the popularity of Russia, the lines can get long, but there simply isn’t any way this small shop can increase capacity. I’ve been going at different times now and it appears all time slots are full. The word is out and Russia is packed. Get in line, order a burrito and wait a little. Just remember that this is the new Russia. Though it may appear slow to us now, but in the past, you would’ve waited an eternity.
ALSO, I DO KNOW that the lady boss is Ukrainian, but Russia just rolls off the tongue better. And most people don’t even know where the Ukraine is.

a chai/​coffee habit, like all habits, can be expensive. although seemingly a small chunk of change for a workday indulgence/​necessity, it’s surprising how quickly these morning/​afternoon/​evening treats can add up!
because I have strange neurotic tendencies from time-​to-​time and my attempts to budget are currently on the rise, I decided to figure out where to go to get the cheapest chai near my office out of the following (see my Cheap Chai? list for my other comparisons/​ratings!):
Review for Gateway Newstand’s Chai: [$ 2.25 for small] — so figured i’d see how the chai was at the closest coffee stand to work… and although it’s the cheapest cup of chai (so far), it did not hit the spot at all… not enough chai and way too much milk… felt more like warmed milk + chai powder/​tea bags! unfortunate… maybe their coffees are better?!

Another FiDi breakfast burrito review…
I went at 10 AM today to avoid the lunch crowd. However, I wasn’t sure if I would still be able to get breakfast, as some places don’t serve breakfast after 10 AM (not sure why?!). But I decided to take a chance, and boy, did it pay off!
I didn’t see any pre-​made burritos in their case of breakfast items, so that got me worried, but when I inquired, they said the burritos were still available. The guy made it fresh on a hot plate right in front of me. Just a word of caution… it will take a good 10 minutes for a fresh burrito, but it’s worth it.
I could see the fresh ingredients that were going into the skillet, with right right portions of spices. Eggs, potatoes, onions, sausage (I requested that… you can choose no meat, bacon, ham, or sausage), spinach & cheese. TIGHT!
They intentionally don’t make the burrito spicy, but provide packets of hot sauce for those who crave the heat. It’s priced at $ 3.95+tax with no meat added. $ 1 extra for meat. So it’s up there in price for a breakfast ($ 5+), but it’s not just a breakfast…
THIS IS THE BIGGEST BREAKFAST BURRITO YOU WILL EVER EAT!
Seriously folks, they even ask if you want it cut in half! It’s good enough for breakfast and lunch!
Try it… see how you like it!
P. S. They accept credit cards (even AMEX) for a $ 0.25 fee.

Alright, my co-​workers will probably kill me for letting the cat out of the bag on this one. This is a little deli/​convenience store located in the 50 Fremont building. The reason I felt compelled to write about it is because they make great sandwiches for under $ 5. They even toast the bread for you. For those of us who don’t feel that we’ve had a real meal unless it’s a hot meal, this is of vital importance.
The only drawback is that they are not fast. So don’t go during busy lunch hour times unless you’re prepared to wait. If you have a tendency to eat your lunch on the earlier or later side, definitely check this place out. Though they do serve deli meat, I find the sandwiches overall much fresher and tastier than Lee’s. And the price is ridiculously cheap for what you get in return.

(See pic)
So I have been lazy and not walking to work so the choice of breakfast drops significantly. Had enough of cold muffins and Noah’s that I decided to come to Gateway to pick up some hot sandwich. They serve toast, eggs, and breakfast burrito. 2 kinds of coffee, French Roasted and Italian Roasted, and a bunch of other specialty coffees. Italian roasted was pretty good.
There are 2 guys working there but at 9:07am I think one of them took a break, leaving only 1 man standing doing all the cooking! I tried to be patient but my looks cannot hide my anxious look after waiting for 10 mins.
That’s probably why even with the pre-​made burrito that just added bacon and put on the grill for 5 mins did not totally warm up the gigantic breakfast. And the other patron who jumped in line before me without knowing made the server even more guilty probably did not help the situation.
The 8″ burrito was $ 4.95 which can easily last for breakfast and lunch, if not more!
I felt a bit bad afterwards and tipped, an unusual move for me on a takeout breakfast.

I walked pass by this store on my way to work everyday. I was excited when I saw the yogurt sign. I finally came here to try it out with my coworker. I tried the twist in small cup for $ 2.25. It was big twist but it tastes more like McDonald ice cream which only cost $ 1. The lady was nice though, she said she wanted to make me a «perfect» twist. The stars are for her.

As the two other reviewers mentioned — this place is not as much about the food as it is the care and attention.
Went in this morning craving oatmeal. The man behind the counter served me a very generous portion and then pointed me to their «condiment bar». Cinnamon, soy milk, nuts, brown sugar, fresh fruit (!). I was very impressed! The woman behind the counter (owner perhaps?) made me such a good soy chai as well.
I asked if they served egg whites and he replied «yes, we can do whatever you want» Just totally feel like they make an extra effort to please their customers.
There is a .25 charge for credit card charge under $ 10 — which is totally understandable. The woman there was even kind of appologetic about the charge.
Definitely going back, may even make part of my weekly routine.
And yes they do have fat free fro yo but its probably brimming with sugar and crap. Still looking for the Pinkberry alternative here.

The sun is out, people are smiling, BART was delayed and smelled like smoke thanks to a fire (wait, that’s a bit off topic) — spring is definitely in the air. And perhaps the good vibes contributed to the easy five stars Gateway earned this morning.
Super friendly service, very genuine, you could tell this place was a work of passion for the lady who helped me, who likely is the owner. They were out of parfaits, but it didn’t matter. She generously agreed to make up another one, meaning the Trader Joe’s lowfat vanilla yogurt, strawberries, blueberries and granola were supremely fresh when mixed into the cup.
Gateway, you were already on your way to a fifth star.
The clincher? As she was making my latte, she confirmed it should be non-​fat, and then asked me to taste it to make sure there was an appropriate amount of flavor syrup. Thank you.
Confirms my rating system — it’s not always the food, but also the experience. Was the coffee or parfait life changing? Nope. But they were above average, and the service put me in a fantastic mood. Being prepared to tackle the day in an optimistic, let’s change the world kind of way is something you can’t put a price on. But you can give it five stars.
P. S. It’s worth mentioning from previous visits that the sandwiches are good and they do serve the always elusive non-​fat frozen yogurt.