mrCrave bistro + café

I’m not sure what to make of mrCrave. It’s an oddly empty place to find deep in the ‘Loin. The menu is unlike any other in the neighborhood. After all, there’s no phở, no menudo, no strange internal organs swimming with bean sprouts or meat by-​products. The menu is as generic as a hotel restaurant could possibly be, and it’s my guess that the owners of the Cova Hotel do it that way to appease their guests who are probably too frightened to leave the premises. There actually isn’t that much on the menu — a burger, a trio of dinner salads, a chicken breast wrapped in bacon, and three pasta dishes including a mac ‘n’ cheese option for the kiddies if you’re the kind of permissive parent that brings your kids to the ‘Loin.
There were maybe two customers in the entire cavernous space, both at the bar, so I just parked myself against the long window banquette and hoped to elicit some attention from the server. It didn’t take long for him to come by with the menu, and no surprise, I ordered the $ 15 Niman Ranch Beef Burger with a side of Fries because standard cafeteria fare wasn’t appealing to me that evening (photo:
). It actually wasn’t bad, fairly juicy for medium-​rare with the requisite lettuce, tomato and onion on a toasted bun. The fries were abundant and finger-​burning hot out of the deep fryer but a bit too greasy even for my taste. I really don’t have any complaints about mrCrave, but perhaps a recording of crickets would help fit the mood.
FOOD — 3 stars… decent enough burger though the fries tasted lacquered in grease
AMBIANCE — 3 stars… like a Denny’s set in the Twilight Zone
SERVICE — 3.5 stars… attentive enough waiter considering I was his only customer
TOTAL — 3 stars… mrCrave feels more like mrLost

Wow, this place was a complete mess from the staff, food, and to the service. My friend and I initially wanted to get food from the buffet for $ 15 but we ended up ordering French Toast and Eggs Any Style (with toast and an english muffin). They were $ 7 each. Big mistake.
Red flag #1: After we order, we sit there and wait. And wait some more. I realized they weren’t going to ask for beverages so I just got some water at the self-​serve water station.
Red flag #2: You thought the waiting game was over? Nope. We waited 20 minutes for our food. I don’t know why it took that long since there were barely any other customers.
Red flag #3: I asked them about the delay and the waiter was mumbling about how the chef wasn’t there and the computer wasn’t working. I can understand the chef, but a broken computer? What does that have to do with making french toast and eggs?
The bomb: The french toast tasted pretty bad. It was chewy, not soft and the cinnamon tasted like medicine. The toast was standard and alright. The eggs were also okay but a few parts were a bit soggy and watery. I don’t even know what the english muffin tasted like — it had no flavor.
I gave another star because the manager felt bad and gave us free corn bread and muffins (they were a bit stale but it was still a nice gesture)

Stayed (2) nights with my girlfriend at the COVA Hotel right outside of this restaurant. Only went here because it was really close and the hotel gave us food vouchers, but I would’ve paid full price for the service. Went to breakfast and they had a small buffet style breakfast with cheese, bread, oatmeal, cereal and meats. It wasn’t too appealing to be honest, so I asked the server if we could get something warm off of the menu. Menu item was $ 7, but we paid $ 3 after giving them the voucher. Endless mimosas for $ 15 is a good choice because a single mimosa is $ 5 (i probably had 10), so it was well worth it.
The best part of this place is the chef, Frank. He came out to meet and greet with all of the guest and took a liking to our table because we were wearing Angels gear headed to a Giants game and he was very friendly about the flack that he gave us. My girlfriend said she loved the bacon he cooked, so he went in the back and made more on a small plate and handed it to her, at no charge.
It was the small things like courtesy and friendly staff that made this place amazing. The food and drinks are priced well and the service is second to none. I would come back for the conversation only to be honest. The food is a plus.
Thanks Frank!

Not open to the public until after 10:30 AM. Made the mistake of showing up here for breakfast this morning. Tons of empty tables, but they couldn’t serve us because we weren’t hotel guests… Why is there nowhere to eat breakfast in SF? It’s like a breakfast wasteland.

Stopped in last weekend for a no-​fuss brunch to start off a relatively gross rainy Sunday. It’s a little hard to find because it’s tucked next to a hotel, so we actually walked by it almost. Inside, there was no one there, which was a little concerning since it was noon (prime Sunday brunch hour), but the food was great. I got a burger– he got a frittata something or other. They were out of avocado so he was a bit sad about that, but the burger was great, french fries were nice and crispy and the service was excellent.
Took a couple stars off just because it was a little desolate and lonely in there (no music, kind of dreary), décor is somewhat… eclectic, and although the food was great, it wasn’t groundbreaking– just normal food you would expect– solid American food.

Where do I begin… well for starters I dined here on Sunday and frankly haven’t had the energy to write this review – it was that BAD!
We went for my friend’s birthday brunch and at first blush, we were so shocked to be the only people in the restaurant. That was our first red flag.
It took our server FOREVER to greet us and take our drink order. My thoughts – what is going on here?! We are the only table! If that wasn’t bad enough, when we ordered we weren’t told that cheese and other sandwich/​hamburger toppings were extra. Thankfully we saw on the menus we still were holding because she neglected to take them. We had to walk over to her at the bar and tell her our toppings request.
Here comes our food. I ordered the club sandwich and out it comes with a piece of red hair on the French fries (I am a brunette). I let our server know I’d like a new plate with a new batch of fries because of the hair. Instead of apologizing for the inconvenience or showing remorse, she just says OK. Um, OK?! This is not ok, nor is it ok to show that kind of customer service in a situation like that.
BUT THAT’S NOT ALL, after she brought the new plate and everyone began eating, not once did she check in with our table to offer napkins, more water, etc.
Another disappointment was when our bill finally came (mind you there were only 2 other tables at this point), she didn’t take off the club sandwich with the hair mishap and charged my friend extra for a full salad, when he clearly ordered a side salad. Unfortunately, gratuity was included in our bill because we were over 5 people.
While our server was completely aloof, it’s the management teams fault and problem. They have A LOT of work to do and changes to implement if they expect to have returning customers and satisfied diners.
Don’t go here at all for a meal, you’ve been warned!

Just left from a delicious lunch consisting of a veggie burger, a grilled cheese & a grilled chicken Caesar salad wrap. Everything was delicious and cost effective. The service was also excellent, even though they close from 2:00 — 5:00, they happily sat us at 1:40. Must stop if you’re in the area!

We were nervous when we came here, the place was completely empty on a saturday night at 5:30. The food did not dissapoint, i was able to substitute chicken on the burger and their special sauce on the bun was great. My husband had the lamb burger and enjoyed it too. Restaurant is fairly new, and needs more advertising. Great service!

I dont understand why this place was totally empty on a Saturday at 12:00, but the chicken and waffles and burgers are were bomb. Would def come here again. Bottomless mimosas!

We stopped in for a quick bite, one of us ordered the sliders and the other the burger and it was best burger I’ve had in a very long time!
Service was excellent as was the food!
5-​Stars all the way!
We will definitely go back again and we don’t even live in the city.

We visited on a Saturday. The service was great. The server was very friend and answered questions and gave recommendations. I ordered the Mac and cheese (added broccoli and bacon) it was very rich and had a balanced taste. It was not too sharp and definitely not bland. The pasta was cooked perfectly still had some bite not mushy or over cooked. Overall I was very glad I decided on the Mac and cheese. My boyfriend had the mr crave burger. I sampled it it had very good flavor and was not dry. The fries were definitely my favorite. Great flavor and not overly greasy. In short next time I go to San Francisco I will definitely visit again.

Great place for a casual, inexpensive brunch with a bit of flair in the Tenderloin. All American breakfast is a good deal. Great service and eggs cooked perfectly.

After receiving an e-​mail from a marketing blitz about mrCrave bistro, I thought it would be a good idea to go check it out on a Friday night. No sooner did we settle in at the bar we were nicely greeted by Amanda. As we were cruising the food and drink menu, along came Duilio who guided us through the menu and gave us a few suggestions.
We started off with a shrimp appetizer which was very good and it came with a tasty dipping sauce. What was even nicer was the appetizer was complimentary thanks to Spritz Marketing!
Next was the Caesar Salad. I really enjoyed the dressing on this one.
For the main course was the «Build your own Pizza». This was AWESOME. Imagine a flatbread pizza made Your Way! I haven’t had a pizza as good as this one in a long time.
I will definitely be back. If you haven’t been there, you must give it a try. Don’t let the location deter you. It is also under new management which is a plus. It will be worth your while especially if you have the pleasure of being waited on by Duilio and Amanda.

Maria was great. No wait. Chicken and waffles were very good. Crunchy chicken and very fluffy waffles. Burger was great with egg and chedder. Coffee is decent. Very clean new interior. Beer and wine bar looked well stocked. Get your 15 percent Unilocal deal.

You get 15% off your bill with a Unilocal check-​in, fyi!
This place was nice and spacious. I got the potatoes for a side (bad choice, they were dry and meh) and the eggs benedict (their version included pulled pork, eggs and salsa (with chips). It was interesting but I prefer the old fashion eggs benedict!
They give you a jolly rancher with your bill-​we asked to swap for cherry flavored ones and he laughed and gave em to us. Yay to that!

My boyfriend and I paid a visit to Mrcrave last Saturday morning and at a cursory judgment; we both were concerned. It was past 10 and the place was completely empty. Not a good sign. or so we thought.
I ordered the make-​your-​own-​omelette and he ordered the waffles. We were both pleasantly surprised at how high-​quality the food was. The potatoes that came with my omelet were crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside. The omelet was stuffed to the brim with goodies (sausage, avocado, tomatoes, cheese) and his waffles were light, fluffy and smothered in delightful raspberries.
Also, bottomless mimosas for $ 15. I’m coming here anytime I want a delicious breakfast without the hour wait that comes along with a lot of these SF brunch institutions (I’m looking at you, Dottie’s).

How do you screw up a order of eggs and bacon, with toast? Come here and find out! Frozen breakfast potatoes, eggs cooked incorrectly, bacon brought out still drowning in grease. Service didn’t ask what we wanted to drink; didn’t know what they had. Everytime I asked if they had something, they had to leave and go ask the kitchen; this was simple requests such as hot sauce and what type of juices they had. I am glad I find the 15% discount on Unilocal while sitting here…

Such high ratings… so I went. Ordered chicken and waffles.
Waffles came with candied nuts on top. That was not in the description. Not good for someone with a nut allergy.
The waffles were ok, but nothing special.
The chicken on the other hand was a TOTAL DISAPPOINTMENT. It had very little flavor at all. It was so plain. I don’t think they even used salt or pepper. Just flour. I’ve had better chicken at a KFC. I guess I should have gone for the burger, but when I go out, I want things I would not make for myself at home.
Servers were nice and friendly. Coffee was good.
I will not be returning. There are way too many brunch places in SF to check out instead of giving any place a second chance.

what they dont know if that im a FC for san francisco I have gone to this place now three times. My burger is never well done like i ask for it. I have had to go back 3 times today. :(
However once they get your food right it is very good. 1 of the cleanest places I have eatten in. I will eat there again and remember check you food before you leave.

THE BEST BURGER EVER! That’s all you need to know, just go!
Went there for a late Sunday brunch — had the French toast which was excellent and the burger which was tender and delicious. The flavors were spot on. They also have bottomless mimosas, enough said.
My new brunch spot; and will definitely be back for dinner!

Came in a week ago for beer and a meeting! Great spot! Not loud and great food. The staff is friendly too! Defiantly coming back next time I’m in SF! Gotta try some more of the heavenly foods! Defiantly wanna try breakfast next time around the area.
P.S the sliders are great with brew selection! ;)