Pacific Court Cafe

This place is still closed even though they post a sign saying it will re-​open in June. It’s July now and still this place is closed.

Maybe I’m just projecting here, but I imagine that for all of us, there’s a restaurant (or two) that we each have a skewed affinity for. Objectively, they might just be okay, but subjectively, they’re special for one reason or another. Like Pacific Court Café. An American restaurant in the heart of Chinatown may not do it for most, but it’s a little different when you first started coming here as a kid!
That being said, Pacific Court Café is actually pretty decent (biased, I know). Not amazing, but the fact they’ve been around for over 25 years means they must be doing something right. Which probably explains why both the restaurant and the menu have largely stayed the same, save for the Cool Tea Bar that’s taken over one of the «private dining rooms».
With essentially all of the dinner entrees, you also get garlic bread, soup/​salad, coffee/​tea, and dessert (jello with ice cream), along with your dish’s choice of sides. Given how much you get, it’s not surprising that their PRIME RIB is probably their most popular dish. It may be one of their pricier items, but it’s a solid value. While the quality won’t challenge that of HoPR, it’s a decently thick cut that’s tasty, well seasoned, and half the price (
).
Ever since I was a kid though, the FRIED CHICKEN has been a favorite of mine, as well as my family and relatives. Half a chicken for just $ 12.95? Quite the steal for all of those sides and four large pieces, each of which is flavorful, crispy, and nicely battered. Plus, more often than not, I only end up eating a couple of pieces, so it’s like getting two meals in one (
)!
The most remarkable thing about Pacific Court Café though is just how consistent they’ve been. My last meal here was my first in seven or eight years, yet everything looked and tasted the same as it did way back when. So for me, it’s a shame to hear this place might be closing. Despite the gap between visits, I’ve always been fond of this place. Hopefully the rumors aren’t true, but if they are, I’m glad I got to come back one more time!

Wanna eat prime rib without paying a arm and a leg?
I suggest coming here for an awesome prime rib dinner, with soup or a salad, a beverage, vegetables on the side and a dinner roll all for $ 16.
The service is quick and the prime rib dinner comes out fairly quick, like after you finish the salad or soup and your dinner magically appears right in front of u.
Ive also tried the fried chicken dinner its also an excellent choice, 4 big pieces of chicken with rice.
Recommended.

I came here recently with my family to this place tucked in one the malls in SF’s Chinatown.
This was one of my least favorite experiences in what Chinese people call «Hong Kong Western Meals». These meals consist of variations on the following theme: bread and butter, soup of the day or salad, a scrumptious entrée with rice or spaghetti, veggies on the side, classic HK styled milk tea, and a quick dessert (usually jello) ALL included in your single payment of around $ 10 or less. Obviously the veggies and meat are frozen and the dessert isn’t anything special, but if you want a nice quick meal for an unbeatable price, you usually come to these places and leave feeling awesomely satisfied.
While this place had most of the essential ingredients of a «Hong Kong Styled Western Meal», it did not have the HK styled milk tea. Only coffee or tea was included in your meal. This was a small point that could be overlooked. However, you really are pushing it when you force your customers to buy what they all really want – a nice piping hot cup of HK styled milk tea. Since the price was already at least $ 11.50 for most of our meals, we chose to bite the bullet and selected coffee or tea.
The bread and butter was fine, the brioche soup was decent, and everything was going along just nicely until the entrees came (all at the same time, which was nice too). I then tried my first cut of the mushroom chicken chop that I ordered. The sauce was all right, but somehow, it could not mask the bland chicken that it was smothered on top of. I hoped that the first bite of the chicken was only an outlier, but after a few more bites, they were all unamusingly similar to the first. To top that off, there was only a small scoop of rice and some really boring and unappetizing zucchini with a few frozen veggies on the side. I’d rather have them give me more frozen corn, beans, and carrots. Usually, I can stuff myself real quick with these meals. Alas, the blandness of the chicken made it extremely difficult to finish everything. After I somehow managed to stuff myself with this tasteless meal, the dessert of lime jello and vanilla ice cream attempted to save the day. I was left extremely full but unsatisfied.
Every single one of these «Hong Kong Western Meals» always delivers something at least mildly tasty, but this place did not. I give them 2 stars for filling me up. 1 star docked off for the price and lack of milk tea, and 2 stars docked off for taste (or lack thereof).
The Bottom Line:
If you want to fill yourself up with some kind of sustenance that will keep you full for a couple of hours, come here. If you want a better «Hong Kong Styled Western Meal» please go somewhere else. They’ll include milk tea too. Finally, if you don’t like «Hong Kong Styled Western Meals», go spend your $ 11.50 in the numerous other awesome places in Chinatown. I promise that they will deliver.

Another Chinatown favorite that I’ve been visiting for the past n years now. The restaurant is not too hard to find; while it is tucked inside the small and relatively quiet mall, it’s just at the back across from the entrance. They can be full on weekends, but there are usually enough tables around for a small party. The menu is a tad more pricey than other places in Chinatown though, particular for the lunch and dinner combination plates. I have not tried the prime rib, but I personally like the teriyaki chicken and lamb chop plates. Whatever you get, the meat portion is huge, and you pretty much get your money’s worth along with the garlic bread and soup, not to mention the classic ice cream and jello dessert at the end.
They’ve opened the Cool Tea Bar next door for a while now as well. So if you’d like to order a drink there and have it with your meal, just ask them for a bubble tea menu, and they’ll take your order and bring your drink to you.

The prime rib is ok and good deal. However, they only have coffee or tea, no milk tea. If they add milk tea there will be more perfect. Hehe…

This placed has changed. I used to eat here a lot then church moved out of Chinatown so didn’t eat here as often. Went back and food wasn’t the same but I’m glad one thing didn’t change — the Jell-​O and ice cream dessert… so good.

Have not been here in a long time. It’s gotten pretty rundown. Was looking for a place after CNY Run to eat with friends. Only place I could find that had mix of Chinese and American food that was open so early. The American breakfast was better. I could not eat what I ordered which was the special. Just thinking about it is making me nauseous so I will stop my review here.

Quite expensive but good quality perceived
Customer service ah ching is Good but lady manager is mean somehow. Food come fast

Thanks to Pacific Court, today was the best day ever! I was strolling in chinatown with my friends when it was about time for lunch. I heard about a restaurant that was named Pacific Court, which was near where we were shopping. My friends and I got there and it was an awesome experience. We went inside and bumped into a couple of my old friends!!! Since I haven’t seen them in ages, we sat down with them and decide to order. I decided to order a medium-​rare prime rib and milk tea with boba from Cool Tea Bar. The prime rib was so tender and juicy! The milk tea was so refreshing and had such soft and chewy boba. I had this delicious meal while talking to my friends, and we made plans to meet up again here next week! I love this place and will definitely come back!

This place is easy to miss. It’s tucked away and hidden inside a mini mall-​like building downstairs from a long-​vacant dim sum restaurant space on Pacific Ave in Chinatown.
This HK-​style café is pretty clean. Their lunch specials are very filling. Don’t come here if you expect to order something lighter such as a noodle soup (something you can do in some HK-​style Western-​food restaurants like ABC). I came for lunch with a friend per his suggestion and ordered a pork chop item from the lunch special. I almost didn’t feel like eating dinner that night because I was so stuffed. =)
My impression of the waitstaff is that they may at times be slightly unattentive due to being busy working in the other corner of the restaurant (we had to get our own menu). However, overall quite nice and much better than a place like ABC on Noriega or D&A Café on Clement (two of the worst in my opinion as far as service attitude is concerned).

You don’t need to go to House of Prime Ribs and spend an arm & a leg for a prime rib meal.
You can simply go to this café in the mini mall in Chinatown on Pacific Avenue for a decent and inexpensive prime rib dinner. «I know I am a frugal date!»
For $ 16.99, you get one big slab of beefy Prime Rib cut 1.5 inches thick. The meal also includes a small dish of salad, garlic bread, steamed vegetables, scoop of white rice and a scoop of Vanilla ice cream over jello for dessert. I haven’t had too many prime rib dinner in recent years. The thick slice of meat was cooked medium rare with aptness for the price I paid. The sides were passable. But the Au Jus dipping sauce was a tad too salty. For the affordable price I paid in Chinatown and having decent chefs cooking all the meals including my meal, I get what I paid. My Meal:
Also with my meal and sold separately, next door there is a new blended beverage place that is connected with the café: Cool Tea Bar. I bought a large (24oz) cup of Iced Hong Kong Tea with Grass Jelly in the beverage. I like the drink very much. My drink:
I will give you another review for the new beverage shop afterwards. But this Hong Kong-​style café serving Prime rib dinner is good, but tasted okay. However, I may try other dishes from the café.

Only go here for lunch. Food doesn’t move during a dinner service due to lack of customers.
Good portions, good prices, sleazy Chinese service.

This place is Hong Kong Style American food. The clam chowder was bland. The prime rib was a large portion but didn’t have a lot of taste. The Ox Tail stew was very tender and was good.
The bathroom wasn’t that dirty and usable. The service was a little slow but ok. Servers were very nice and speak english. We only liked the red bean ice drink. That’s the only thing worth coming back.
Just found out that the food safety score was an 81 and previously an 80. Take your own chances at this place

Customer Service: ⁵⁄₅ stars
Food: ⁴⁄₅
The Filet of Sole is the best! I love how each entrée includes soup, bread and dessert. The only reason I don’t give 5 stars is because the soup varies each time between the good clam chowder and the mediocre vegetable soup. Their garlic bread is hella good and compensates for the vegetable soup!

$ 5-​$ 10 breakfast w/​coffee
I had the steak & eggs. Not bad for $ 10 include coffee and lemonade.

I’ve been a fan of this humble place located on the corner inside a mini mall, since childhood! When I was growing up and going to school around this area, this café would be the go to place for eating with my family because it was close and offers Americanized Hong Kong fused entrees!
They surely give huge portions for each meal we ordered and the quality is good. Do order their prime rib!
When you order their fried chicken entrée, they serve like half a chicken and it feeds 2 – 3 people! IT’S HUGE!
They lack decent portions on their veggies for the sides — only three slices of broccoli here and there on each plate. Their spaghetti served for each plate, leaves much flavor to be desired!
For each plate ordered, they serve soup or salad and their scrumptious ice cream and jello as a complimentary dessert! Their ice cream and jello is like their signature stamp here! It’s something to look forward to when you are full from the main courses!
The service fits into the average side you get from Chinatown!
Again, their sizes they serve are big! You get your bang for the buck here!

This is probably my favorite café in San Francisco’s Chinatown. You get a lot of food for a decent price. Chinese people seem to think this place is expensive but I think its pretty good for the amount of food you get. The food is by no means amazing but is tasty enough. The place is pretty spacious so there is never a wait. I never had to wait for a table.
There are a variety of drink options and this is the only place I know of that sells garlic bread. I LOVE garlic bread!
Most of their entrée meals are enough for two. They come with a biscuit, soup or salad, and then a jello with ice cream. The entrees are also very big. I can never finish. My mom and I shared an entrée today with an order of garlic bread. It was the perfect amount of food. They gave both my mom and I the dessert! Score! They do this a lot!
I have been back and will continue to come back.

Decent American comfort food with friendly and efficient service at a great price!
My sis brought me here for dinner. The 4 of us got:
The Prime Rib (medium rare)…nice thick cut — just right with the au jus. Can’t beat the price of $ 15.95!
Salmon — decent
Red Snapper — very good
Pork Chops with Mushroom Gravy — good
All meals came with garlic bread, soup or salad, rice or spaghetti or french fries, and jello with vanilla ice cream for dessert.
Pacific Court Café is tucked away in the Misawa Mall on the 1^st floor. You wouldn’t even know they’re there unless you went looking. Their food isn’t going to win any awards, but I don’t mind supporting a hard working small business.

I’ve had the prime rib dinner each time I’ve been here. It’s not that great, so I don’t know why I keep ordering it. It’s so fatty. I eat the meat in the center without too much fat or gristle attached, so I really only get a fist-​sized amount of meat. I come here about once a year with the scholarship committee, so we come in a large group, maybe 25 of us?
The food comes out super fast, like less than 5 minutes. I had ordered, she walked away, then came right back with my salad and was putting down the prime rib and shrimp entrée of the person next to me (he arrived and ordered before me). Oooh that looks enticing. «Could I get that instead?» «No, your food just came out.» Whaaaat? You just took my order! What is this place? McDonalds? Too fast, because my medium rare prime rib was only warm. Not hot. The meat was quite bland. I drowned each tasteless chunk of meat into the au jus, begging it to soak up some flavor to make it palatable. The prime rib came with a side of steamed vegetables (zucchini) and choice of rice or spaghetti. I chose the spaghetti, even though I knew it would be over cooked and the sauce… kind of a weird orange color… maybe it’s the dark lighting in there.
The person next to me… okay, both persons on either side of me ordered the prime rib and shrimp. The shrimp, the chef (cook?) poured a cream sauce over it. My friend across from me ordered filet mignon, which came with big onion pieces, covered with a lot of sauce. Everything looks so mediocre. I don’t know what I will try next time. Maybe the prime rib again? It’s not really trying it, if I’ve already «tried» it multiple times, now is it? I’m not exactly adventurous. The prime rib isn’t horrible… what if I order something else that turns out to be even worse? At least the medium rare prime rib is on the tender side, so I don’t have to worry about trying to chew on rubber.
The entrée also came with a small plate of iceberg lettuce salad with 3 kidney beans and red cabbage topped with thousand island dressing, a cup of canned-​tasting minestrone soup and a slice of garlic bread. For dessert — a small scoop vanilla ice cream with jello (this time it was lime). I had the fresh watermelon juice drink. It’s pretty good. I thought about making the fresh watermelon juice drink at home, but I’m too lazy to wash the blender afterwards due to too many parts to wash. I’ve also had the bubble milk tea, which tastes okay. Nothing special… but then again, there is nothing special about this place, which is sort of like an American diner, with a Hong Kong twist. I guess if you like diners, you might like this one.
The service is really fast considering one server was serving our party of 25. The restaurant was pretty quiet… only one other group of about 8 people in the lower dining area. We were there between 6 and 7 pm on a Tuesday evening.