M Cafe

Came in here with my girlfriend for lunch on our SF adventure day because of the good reviews. We had a little trouble finding it, because it sits between some huge buildings and there was construction going on nearby. The place was empty when we walked in and the cashier was hanging out in the back. I guess it was that time of day when there’s a lull.
After looking at the menu for a bit, we decided we wanted to order a couple bagels. We didn’t realize they stopped serving bagels an hour before we got there, but the cashier was sure to let us know, with a BIG attitude. He also was clearly annoyed when we took another minute or so to decide what we wanted instead. As we waited for our orders, we overheard the cashier we spoke with talking obnoxiously with another staff member about another customer that had left.
We ended up getting a turkey pesto crêpe and a ham/​tomato/​cheese crêpe. The crepes weren’t bad, but there weren’t particularly good either. If this was food alone, I would probably give them 3 stars. But service is a big part of a restaurant/​café and the service was just awful.

Reasons why I’m surprised M Café is closed:
* Food was tasty: Most cafes serve some pretty standard sammies but these babies were pretty hardcore. They were always stuffed to the nine, well presented, and delicious. Whether it was a panini, croissant, or bagel, it was a nice and simple meal.
* Fun ambiance: Whether it was catchy music in the background or the chill vibe of a coffee shop /​low key sandwich place, it was easy to hang out here and rock the wifi for a few hours.
* Sippy times: Coffee. Juice. Tea. Cafes will have them but not all of them make them well. M Café was certainly among the latter.
Reasons why I’m totally not surprised they’re gone:
* It was empty: At least the last couple times I came, I was always the only person nibbling my food and reading. The music at one point stopped and the eerie tranquility became more of a distraction than anything.
* Wifi issues: If the wifi wasn’t spotty, it was sometimes just straight up turned off. Thank the good lords for phone hot spots /​wireless internet adapters.
* Customer service: Numerous times I got funny looks from the owner, but the straw that broke the camel’s back was my last visit. First thing I was asked before I put my computer back down was if I was going to buy anything. When I noted that I would, I was then asked about what I would be buying. As it turns out, if I wasn’t spending more than a few bucks, I wasn’t welcome to use the WiFi. «Too many people use the internet and spend like $ 2 the whole time.» That was enough for me.

Awful, the owner is really rude, and told me he was just too busy to make me a bagel with cream cheese. He needs to learn how to run a business, every time I’ve been here it has been a terrible experience, and I live right across the street.
Also I’d like to add that a lot of the reviews he has here on Unilocal are by users with only a couple reviews and appear to be faked to boost his ratings, there is no way this place should have 4 stars.

I heard the owner tell his customer «a loser» for asking a few extra questions. And then went back to yelling at someone on the phone. Terrible customer service, too expensive, and just generally bad vibes from this place. No need to go here.

Went there today to get a bite to eat and do some work. When I unpacked my laptop, the owner stated that there was a new policy: NO COMPUTERS ALLOWED INSIDE THE CAFE. They are allowed outside and the wifi does work, but, with a 20 mile-​an-​hour wind outside (which has no sunlight or climate control) making it unbearably cold, it is worthless.
The owner was surly and unapologetic. Also, he really didn’t give a reason as to why the new policy was enacted.
Definitely will avoid this place in the future. You should too if you intend to work on your laptop there.

The service not only top notch but very easy going. I’ve been searching long and hard through the entire coast of of the west for a great panini.
The GOD FATHER is as good as it sounds. i just tried it today and will definitely be coming back I more then highly recommend this place.
Best sandwhich in soma! runner up is tony baloneys. But its something about a great sandwhich during a harsh work week that makes me enjoy every bite. I dropped a piece of chicken from my sandwich and was actually pissed!

I’ve been here twice and have been impressed with the quality of the food — A definite 4 – 5 stars for the quality of the food at this establishment, though I could probably go for some chips thrown in to make an 8 – 10 dollar sandwich really worth my while. The salmon sandwich and the veggie Godfather are excellent.
However, the lower star rating is for some comments made by the owner of M Café the last time I came to this establishment. The whole place is run by one guy basically, and he’s incredibly dedicated to this business he’s created, for better or for worse. After eating, my friend and I were chatting with him. He told us that he is planning to change the business over to focus more on wine and beer and had originally wanted to serve beer at $ 1.95 a bottle. Great, good story, right? He then goes on this rant about how he can’t sell it at that price because all the homeless people would start coming and if he tried kicking them out then he’d get sued, «because the homeless lobby is so strong in liberal San Francisco. If there was no homeless lobby, the homeless would disappear» or something along those lines.
My friend has been here before, and my friend may have indicated that they lean right of center, which would explain his long tirade. However, it was such a blatantly political and frankly heartless way of discussing the homeless issue that it made me not want to eat here in the future. I completely understand that businesses have a hard time with the homeless population — I followed the sit/​lie debate very closely. And I can see why selling beer at $ 1.95 would be problematic for HUMS (Heavy Users of Multiple Systems), drunks, and alcoholics in general. But when I go out to eat, I’m not looking for a bigoted political rant with my meal.
There are enough good places to eat in this area that don’t serve up cold assessments of the problems with the homeless that I don’t think I will be frequenting M Café any more.

You know when you cram for a test at 5am and you fail it? That’s what this panini tasted like.
We go in… The guy is being kind of rude when my friend is trying to decide on a drink… like okay man… stop. She’s a korean fob. Plus we glanced at the crêpe menu on the other side of the place and he screams WE DON’T HAVE THAT NOW GET IT TOMORROW MORNING… like okay you fucking brute we’ll get one of your bitchass paninis then. We get it. But that was only the beginning of this terrible experience…
Some little old Vietnamese lady came running in asking for change for the muni, and the guy is like yelling NO I GIVE ALL THE CHANGE TO MY CUSTOMERS FROM EARLIER IN THE DAY, I HAVE LOTS OF CUSTOMERS OK I HAVE NO CHANGE
and she’s like PLS PLS and he’s like NO GO AWAY and she just kinda slumps out of the place…
I was gonna give her some change but I didn’t have any.
The paninis tasted like something I could get from Quiznos or some shit. The godfather panini said on the menu that it would have mozzarella cheese and sun dried tomatoes and other good shit. But he put other shit on it instead because he ran out and he didn’t tell us. he told the regulars that came in after us, though. how overt can you be?
I was going to ask him about it but after seeing his mean ass treat that little Vietnamese lady, I was scared as fuck. He looks like an older Armenian dude. I almost got killed by Armenians who beat me up back in LA… not gonna get in a fight with this dude. Traumatized.
The bread cut up the roof of my mouth, too. fuck. i left this place in pain
TL;DR
dont go here

M Café is a haven in the chaos of the city. Step off the street and into an authentic Italian creperie and café. Definitely a hidden location that you would rarely stumbled across. A decent stop if you’re headed to the Oprheum theater.
We had the Godfather and the Chicken Lover paninis. Delicious. On other visits I’ve had delicious brews on tap, tried some of the wine selection and sampled a few of the dessert crepes. Recommended: banana, nutella and sugar crepes.

There is NOT free wifi. This wouldnt really be a problem except that they have a huge sign outside that says «Free WiFi.» Little would the enticed customer know, there’s a $ 5 minimum for WiFi (so you’re average cup of coffee won’t cut it). Again, not a huge deal. I get it: you’re a lunch spot, not a remote work spot. But the absence of transparency is pretty wack.
I’d give it one star, but the dude working there was super nice despite their general ingenuity, and it looked to have good food (but I cant really know).

I found this place through Unilocal since I was looking for somewhere to get lunch around Civic Center Bart. We came here pretty early in the morning and were one of the first customers. There’s plenty of indoor and front patio seating plus a bar in the back. I already knew I wanted to get the godfather, but we weren’t super hungry yet, so we decided to share a sandwich and a bagel.
What we ordered:
— Veggie Godfather Panini on Dutch Crunch ($~8):
— Breakfast Bagel with Tomato and Onion ($ 4.50).however the owner either heard wrong or forgot because he gave us a bagel with bacon instead :/​
The owner was really friendly and halfway through making our order, informed us that he was out of avocado for the sandwich. There was some problem with his shipment, but he was very apologetic and offered to put more cheese on instead plus take $ 2 off the order. I was surprised because judging by the menu, adding avocado to a sandwich was definitely less than $ 2, but he was offering to give a $ 2 discount. Great customer service! Given this, I was more forgiving when he brought us our food and accidentally made the wrong bagel order. We didn’t realize until he had already gone back to the counter and I didn’t want to make a fuss of it, so I just was like oh well. Too bad I couldn’t have any of the bagel since I’m a vegetarian :(
The panini was really tasty and the ingredients seemed to be high quality as well. The cheese was actually balls of fresh mozarella! Super crispy dutch crunch bread and I love that you can get dutch crunch on a panini!
TIP: Get the dutch crunch bread!

After some stumbling and bumbling down 6^th and 7^th street, (a bit sketchy as the day wears on) I eventually found M Café.
Upon checking in on Unilocal,I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I got a 50% off any drink (non alcoholic). I went with a cappuccino and the M Café Club Sandwich. The sandwich was a decent portion size, but I found it to be lacking in flavour. The cappuccino was neither particularly strong nor very enjoyable. I do think this place has potential, but it just did not do it for me today.

I checked in, and got a «50% off on any drinks with purchase» check-​in offer. Hubby ordered a beer on tap and I ordered a glass of wine. We were told we couldn’t use the check-​in offer because we didn’t buy any food. The check-​in offer should be more clear, and say «with purchase of food.»
Even putting the inexact wording aside, my glass of Sauvingnon Blanc was sour. It tasted like what wine that had been improperly stored in hot then cold conditions. I don’t like spoiled wine, so no more stopping by M Café before watching a show at the Orpheum next time.

This is the fifth time that I have been to M Café. In fact, I don’t know why I’ve waited this long to write this review.
Customer Service:
First off, the owner gets an AAA+++ for customer service. He has just the right personality and sociability to be the owner of a café. He engages, but doesn’t over do it. He remembered my face on the second visit. Also – and this is worth mentioning– he is VERY GENEROUS! Every single time that I have gone here, including the very first time, he gave me a discount (10−20%)! Oh wait, there’s more… On my third time or so, I told him I just started a new position that close by. He congratulated me and gave me my favorite (Scarface) and a Snapple FOR FREE! I told him I don’t mind paying, he said «nah, it’s on me, congratulations!» Needless to say, I am a fan for life and will continue to come here :)
Food:
The food is great! I have tried the Godfather and Scarface. Both are excellent. The magic is the bread (dutch crunch) and the spread! For around $ 8, you get your $ worth, since it’s pretty big. I went for lunch, and was only able to consume half comfortably. Food also gets an AAA+++
Location and Ambience:
Cool, quiet place on mission, walking distance from BART. Light music and friendly people. I sometimes bring a book and read.
Overall I would give this place 10 star if I could. First-​timers, go there and tell him it’s your first time, ask him what he recommends, and watch the excellent service happen! Love this place!

Walking in downtown SF, you are apprehended by a plethora of culture, destitution, incontinence, jeering, solicitations, anaerobic bacteria, parasites, marijuana, mephitic waste and malodorous indigents. The city streets offer no respite nor reprieve.
The images of human jeopardy will haunt me for days to come…
I am sobered by everything that I observed and am grateful for all the comforts that I have earned.
The godfather is served on Dutch Crunch bread with sliced chicken breast, banana peppers, sundried tomatoes, pickles, red onions, Buffalo mozzarella, roasted red bell peppers, red leaf lettuce, tomatoes and the secret sauce that tastes of mustard and mayonnaise.
The sandwich is imaginative and tasty.
The restaurant is well organized and offers breakfast and lunch. M, the proprietor, is kind and has an earnest desire to oblige his patrons.
Namaste!

Food: 3.5
I only tried one sandwich, the godfather, vegetarian style. The ingredients really worked well together. Except he burnt my friends sandwich and didn’t really say anything when he gave it to her. I’m not really a fan of mustard, or bad service, unless the food is really that good that bad service doesn’t matter, but read below for that story.
Service: 2.5 Stars
I had never been here before so I asked what the best thing was. He said the godfather was popular. I asked what the secret sauce was that’s in it, he said it’s a secret… Okay, DUH I just want to know what it tastes like or what one ingredient is. He wouldn’t tell me! I asked if I could try a bit… He straight up said No… Are you serious right now?! Okay guy you think it’s that special, DO YOU?!
Soooo I got the sandwich… and let me tell you all. secret sauce. more of a mustard sauce! Nothing really special about it, sorry. Plus I’m not a big mustard fan, so if he had told me, I probably would have gotten some other sauce. The sandwich was pretty good though, but I don’t think the star of it was the secret sauce at all. Try to be a little nicer to new customers! Your sandwich isn’t good enough to bring me back after this.

This is an effing delicious crêpe. I also got the Godfather before this and the man knows how to make a juicy panini. I especially love the little touches like giving me a salad on the side with roasted peppers and sundried tomatoes.
My favourite part is that I live a block away and M gives a small discount for «the neighbors»! He’s been friendly (watch him say about his own food «Not bad, huh?» and «Look at how beautiful this salad is») and opens till 7:45pm on weekdays in time for me to grab dinner after work… And the café is really pretty and clean, I’d definitely bring friends here. 5 stars because I couldn’t ask for anything more!

Yummy godfather. Also tried scarface (pastrami instead of chicken). Not a chicken fan but the godfather was better than scarface! Asked for sauce on side, couldn’t accommodate…“no mayo/​cream because everyone is health concious these days” but still it’s sauce. Glad I went with sauce on bread this time though.
If i knew about discount for working nearby, woulda asked, along with half off drink that Unilocal online couldn’t tell me but my iPhone does later that night… online Unilocal sort of sucks for not telling me that or at least being able to find it easily.
Godfather Panini with dutch crunch– oh ya… Impressed two catering professionals.
The owner is very blunt and helpful. NO FREEZER! key to awesome chicken.

This morning, I was walking to the Federal Building’s City Café for some breakfast grub when something prodded me to take a different route. The morning chill hanging in the air, forced me to stay on the sunny side of the street, and as I turned eastward onto Mission from 8^th Street, I happened to be admiring one of the refurbished older buildings when I realized that part of the ground floor was occupied by M Café.
At first I thought it was MacDonald’s trying an upscale twist on their name, so I crossed the street.
The entrance is a great outdoor eating area, fully covered and enclosed on three sides. Even on a rainy or windy day, this would be a great sheltered area for dining al fresco.
The inside décor is warm and inviting, with dark hardwood flooring, accented by earthtone ceramic tiles, earthy granit countertops accented with top-​of-​the-​line tiles, dark wood tables and chairs and a ceiling with lights that reminded me of a starstudded and moonlight sky.
For the breakfast crowd, coffee choices as varied as Peet’s, Nine standard crepes, with dozens of options to create your own, seven sweet crepes with everything from nutella to bananas, pastries, seven different varieties of bagels with ten different kinds of spreads in addition to tomatoes, cheeses, onions, meets, eggs and the list goes on.
For the lunch crowd, Panins, Sandwiches, Wraps, Soups and Salad choices range from vegan, to vegetarian to pescaterian to true meat lovers. You could acutally eat a different meal every day and it would take you six months to exhaust the offerings.
I asked for a BLT which is NOT on the menu, and I was graciously accommodated. And it was indeed a GREAT BLT, complete with the standard bacon, lettuce and tomatoe, but also onions and cheese, all served on a delicious whole wheat roll, the size of a submarine sandwich, all for only $ 6.50
After dining, I checked out the restrooms, which often speak loudly of a business and I can tell you that they were amoung the cleanest of bathrooms I’ve ever seen in a SF restaurant.
This place also gives a 10% discount to any Federal or State worker.
I wish them well … make a date to visit sometime this week. You’ll be glad you did!

Gee, I was wondering what happened to the SF Café that was supposed to open here months ago. It looked all ready to go with some surprisingly nice finishes, but I think it was in some city permit limbo state that they couldn’t resolve. Now it has a new owner (his name is Atreus, a nice guy), a new name and a new Mediterranean-​flavored sandwich and salad menu. He’s been open for ten days on that impossible stretch between 7^th and 8^th on Mission.
First, I really like the interior in here — open space with stone finishes, a separate bar section, and patio seating (if you want a view of the SoMa Grand and the passing 14). Second, he’s done a nice job with the menu (see photo) considering the fact that he doesn’t have access to a real kitchen. It consists mostly of paninis, wraps and traditional sandwiches. I tried the $ 7.95 Royal Panini on Dutch crunch, which had roast beef, Muenster cheese, tomatoes onions and Russian dressing (see photo). He threw in some sun-​dried tomatoes and even a cup of hummus for free (see photo).
I also tried a $ 5 bowl of the Chicken Lemon Soup (see photo). Everything tasted fresh, even at 6:30PM in the evening, and he told me he doesn’t even own a freezer. The one minor hiccup — and it was probably mine more than his — was the soup was a bit too puckery for my taste. Otherwise I highly recommend you come visit this place. I can’t imagine it being crowded at any time other than the lunch rush from the nearby Fed building. Besides he offers free Wi-​Fi to you laptoppers, but make sure you order something beyond a cup of tea for three hours. The guy has to make a living, and I need a table!
FOOD — 4 stars… a solid panini full of flavor… the hummus was quite smooth and fresh
AMBIANCE — 4 stars… nice vibe on a tough block
SERVICE — 4.5 stars… Atreus is a thoughtful guy
TOTAL — 4 stars… this area needs a go-​to hangout for us SoMa locals… let’s all give it a try, shall we?