Mee Mee Bakery

This USE TO be a must go to place. I always make it a point to buy some almond or chocolate macaroons when I’m in the city. So this time was no different, but I wish I went by gut instinct that they didn’t look as good as they normally do. I bought a ½lb of macaroons… I immediately opened the bag to eat some, and the chocolate one crumbled as I bit into it. Normally they are soft and chewy with a crispy edge, as macaroons should be. Then I tried one the almond ones. Not as bad, but definitely could tell they weren’t far behind the chocolate ones in terms of freshness. It was too late to stop my friend from buying his share from one of the twin salesgirls.
As my friends and I stood outside comparing notes,…I was so disappointed, that I thought I didn’t have anything to lose by telling them that they weren’t fresh. The response I got was, «we bake them fresh, and then we freeze them. Let them sit out for a bit, and they’ll get chewy again.»
I told the girl that they weren’t frozen and not even cold. I’m very familiar on what the texture of a macaroon should be like. She stood her ground and insisted they were fine. My politeness deteriorated, and I finally told her that they were just about stale, and shouldn’t be like that.
She then says, «what do you want me to do about it?»
I replied, «can you take them back?» Her reply was «no.»
Rather then argue, I told my other friend who about to buy something, not to bother… and we all left. TERRIBLE customer service!
I’ve been going here for over 35 years, and have never had a bad experience here until now. Didn’t even get an apology… or offer an exchange.
They have lost a customer for life, which is sad because whenever I have company visiting from out of town, I’ve ALWAYS suggested them to stop by here for macaroons. No more… if I could negative stars, I would.
It’s so sad to have to write this review. Epic FAIL.

Ask for prices before your purchase. Cow ear snacks are $ 4 for 8oz. per online. Which was what I paid in February. Today it was $ 4.50!

It’s been here since 1950, a classic hole in the wall with authentic Chinese goodies and yumminess! Freshly made fortune cookies, flat fortune cookies of multiple sizes, sesame cookies, moon cakes, cow ear cookies, almond macarons! There are many more things but these are some of my faves. Definitely worth heading down to Chinatown for!

A must go place when I’m in San Francisco. It locates in Chinatown, parking is not easy of course. I had to find a parking structure and walk a few blocks to this place. I always get a few bags of the cow ears, it’s my favorite snack in my childhood. It brings up a lot happy memories too.

This is a low key Chinese bakery with it’s old school charm located in Russian Hill/​Chinatown area of SF. Operates mostly as kitchen that ships their famous fortune cookies to different restaurants and stores, but also sells their cookies to the public in the front of the store. I came here to get their famous «Cow Ears» cookies for the family after dim sum-​ing nearby (FYI, they’re not actually cow ears or any other cow parts… they’re named Cow Ears for the shape of the cookies). We have been getting these cookies as gifts ever since we were kids from our SF relatives, and it’s always so nostalgic to get my hands on one of them — and did I mention they’re delicious too?

I came all the way from L.A. and stopped to get some packages of their famous «cow ear» chips to bring home for the family. When I walked up to the counter, the lady asked for my order, and I politely asked if they had any cow ears. Her face quickly turned sour and said that we had to wait until later if I wanted any. Disappointed, I was ready to walk out; however, the main baker in the back piped up,
«How many bags do you want?»
«Five, please,» I replied.
He turned back to packaging the baked goods of the day. Politely, I asked how long the wait for the cow ears were but the baker looked up in a fit of anger and screamed,
«Can’t you see that I’m getting them ready right now?!»
I was completely taken aback by the severity of the statement, but I tried not to let it get to me. The hot weather and cramped work conditions would make any sane man snap.
The lady behind the counter packaged up the goods and mumbled,
«Do you want a bag?»
The roar of the machinery muffled the question. I asked,
«Excuse me? What was that?»
She sighed, voice heavily laced with the temperament of a DMV worker, and her eyes rolling,
«DO you want a bag?. .. DO YOU WANT A BAG?»
Shocked at the harsh reply, I declined with a smile and started to pack my cookies into my reusable bag, thinking that it’d be best if I tried to leave the premise with haste.
As I was packing, the baker, with a rage that echoed the rampant pounding of the machines in the back, came to the front. He ripped a receipt from the counter and barked at the lady about information about the order. She tried to sneer back at him but soon faltered to his bullying. Scared of their exchange, I didn’t even put the last bag of cow ears into my bag before I dashed out, vowing to never return.
TLDR: Shop owners were dicks.

Came here to buy some gifts to bring back to my family in NY. Asked for an additional two bags of cow ear chips and got the illest attitude from the lady working there. A mother and son came in after me and left empty handed because of her rude statement to them. If service was better, this place would’ve gotten a higher rating.

Real old world charm in a new world age.
The register still has numbers that spin.
Got the tofu cookies when I was hungry and they were delicious — sweet but not overly so, and hearty enough to be filling.
Everything seemed fresh and crisp, what a happy find.

Nothing better than a fresh fortune cookie! Ok maybe two are better!
It’s a tiny hole in the wall stacked with fresh colorful fortune cookies, you can buy one, a bag of 4 or by the pound!

Macaroons are to die for, fresh fortune cookies, AND the first person to admit they spoke English AND he knew what the name of the candy Ii have been searching for since childhood — sugared melon. We WILL be back.

This is a hole in the wall like place. However they have a bunch if cool baked goods. Flat coin fortune cookies, cow’s ear cookies and a few other varieties which i dont even know the names to. Friendly folks and tasty treats. If in Chinatown, hit up this hole and you might see some fortune cookie production

Chinatown landmark, this bakery has been here well over 40 years. Not sure exactly how long, all I know is, my mom took me here as a toddler to buy fresh cookies. That was definitely over 4 decades ago. Fortune cookies, cow ears, moon cakes, wife’s cookies are their specialty. You have to ask for the XXX fortune cookies. Great for adult fun. They have it hidden in a bin behind the counter.

To the person asking below if «we really care that they place has rats»: Yes, I do care.
My melon cake went right into the garbage, and I’ll never be returning. Screw it, I’ll never be returning to Chinatown to eat ever again; there is better Chinese food downtown or in the marina, where it hasn’t been sitting under heat (more like warm) lamps all day since 6:30AM.
This place has vermin!

I needed a gift and MEE MEE came through with a unique and kind of awesome one. it’s a huge fortune cookie, and you can have them put whatever you want in it, from a custom fortune to an engagement ring. Or wads of cash. Whatever you want. I hate giving boring gifts so this opens up some great opportunities and I’ll go back again and again. Throughout the process I had access to them via email and phone, and the order was turned around in a matter of a few days.
I picked the gift up at the store and discovered an array of other fortune cookie options. you can see the machinery that they use to make them, which is kind of cool. And they have these other things called cow’s ears. They’re kind of like potato chips, but have a cool stripey pattern. Anyway, customers kept coming in and buying those, too. Mee Mee is known for them.

I knew this placed existed and would check em bc theyre nxt to walgreen’s. Instead of buyin my usual I came here bc when golden gate bakery closes for vacation, theyre gone 3 – 4 weeks. Mee mee bakery has satisified my needs for cow ear snacks, chewey pork cookies, and loh poh beng (winter melon cakes, old wife’s cake). The WM cakes are thick and heavy. Good flavor and reasonably priced at $ 2. The 2^nd item I purchased was the pork chewy cookies. Theyre fattening and delicious though. Probably has lard, but what has lard that doesnt taste good? Theyre the rite thickness so u dont pull any cavity fillings out.
They make the best cow ear snack crackers! Pricey at $ 4 a bag, makes u wanna stretch em ovr a week. (I lapsed and finished a bag in an hour). I’m weak. Forgive me.
i’ve edited the review. i returned the following day (yup forgot to check-​in AGAIN). my co-​worker requested some loh poh beng. $ 2 each but they fit jus nicely in a small square plastic container that they packed em in. the owner scotch taped it so it wouldnt pop open (and deterred me from jacking one).
i also upped MMB from 4 stars to 5 STARS
so u can tell, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BAKERY. it has some old school yummy items (read as, stuff still made of lard, which makes the pastry flakey and delicious)

Everyone raves about the fortune cookies, but I prefer the cookies at Golden Gate Fortune Cookies. What’s interesting about this place is that they sell flavor fortune cookies and Adult fortunes. Some of the flavors are a little too light in taste that you have to look at the color of the cookie to figure out the flavor. As for the Adult fortunes, they are pretty crude/​vile, think f-​word a lot and that’s what the fortune will read.
I like this place for their Almond Macrons. They are amazing in flavor with a strong Almond extract taste. Keep in mind that the texture is not what you normally would expect from a Macron. It looks like it would be crispy, but it’s almost bordering soft.
Also, keep in mind, they DO NOT like it if you take photos of their machines/​shop. You can go and look at how they make it, but DO NOT take photos.

Giant fortune cookies sold here!!! Mmm. Only $ 10.50 too. I went to the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie factory and they were selling it for like $ 16.50. Boo.
They have colored fortune cookies too. I don’t think they’re different flavors. They tasted all the same to me. They have kinda a sesame aftertaste.
They had some cool looking zodiac animal cookies but they don’t taste good. At all. But cute.

Stopped by here before finding the better-​known (but kind of hidden) «other» fortune cookie store in Chinatown. This place is an actual store so no watching workers folding the fortunes in the cookies.
The cookies themselves are a little thicker and heavier than I’d like them to be. Maybe if I had some milk or something instead of eating them by themselves on the sidewalk.
Taste-​wise, the cookies are great. Not-​too-​sweet but definitely a dessert treat. And they had ginger flavored cookies that the Mrs. likes better than the regular variety.

Walking along Stockton Street, we come across the sweet smell of freshly baked fortune cookies so we peek in and immediately the wifey FINALLY finds the place she has been telling me for years about her elemantary school field trip she had long ago to a fortune cookie factory.
The machine was cranking away hundreds of fortune cookies and the smell was so addicting I had to get some. they have other sweets and treats as well, but I just wanted fortune cookies, so I grabbed a big bag of multi-​colored ones which I thought were the same flavor, but came out to be assorted flavors as well which was cool… ALOHA!!!

Best place in Chinatown to buy fortune cookies according to my better half…
I’ll have to say that they are very crisp and light when they are fresh. By the time you have one in your favorite Chinese restaurant, they are probably stale…
I was a busboy in Chinatown a long time ago and I remember fortune cookies by the box load…
I’m not sure but I think you can also get the «racy» versions of fortune cookies here too (e.g. Foo Ling Yu says: blah blah blah), I just don’t remember if it is this one…