Sparrow Bar and Kitchen

This restaurant is so great! We ate here our first night in San Francisco and it just set the tone for a wonderful vacation in this amazing city! We had the grass-​fed burger and fries, along with the bacon wrapped dates appetizer! It was all so good — I wish we could have tried everything on the menu! :) The service was perfect, very attentive and we sat outside which was a great atmosphere! I would definitely recommend visiting this place when you are in town! Kudos to the owner ;)

This is by far one of the best restaurants I’ve visited in the city. I had a cheese board filled with an array of flavors: Burrata and chèvre cheeses, pickled cauliflower, onions and lemon rinds, dried cranberries, and a savory garlic deviled egg, all accompanied with a light rendition of a salsa verde, honey, and rustic millstone bread slices. If your mouth isn’t watering yet, wait til you hear what I had for dinner!
I devoured one of the most tender roasted chicken dishes I’ve ever had. Accompanied with a mushroom risotto and a lovely 3-​peppercorn sauce, this dish undeniably knocked my socks off! I begged the cooks for a side of sherry jus (regularly on their pork belly dish) and they gladly granted my request. It was a beautifully thick and bold sauce and a definite must on any dish.
Lastly, I was surprised with a mouth-​watering «dessert». I put it in quotes because it isn’t overwhelming sweet like you would imagine a dessert to be. It was two perfect potions of olive oil cake, one topped with a fluffy espresso mousse and a the other with a crème chantilly. It was all gorgeously arranged (trust me, I’m quick to judge when it comes to plating/​presentation) and garnished with poached pear slivers, supremed oranges and cocoa nibs.
The evening’s beverages included Kilogram Tea (I had the King Crimson which is an infusion of organic hibiscus, lemongrass and citrus) and a light-​bodied Sauvignon blanc with bright, citrus notes.
Thank you Chef Eddy for the exceptional masterpieces. Phillip was absolutely a pleasure to have as my waiter. Thank you to the entire staff for the wonderful experience. I look forward to my next visit.

I love Sparrow. I come all the time. Consistently good service and delicious food, cocktails, and wine selection.

BEST. MOSCOW. MULE. I HAVE EVER HAD. My goodness. The service was decent, not horrible, the atmosphere was really nice. Price was decent as well. I just can’t get over this Moscow mule, so good.

Decent meal with friends that started in a very promising way, basically ruined by really shoddy and slow service. There are too many nice places to eat, drink & spend our money in SF without having to waste time revisiting places like this that didn’t seem to appreciate it. The worst thing was, they were almost empty.

There were a lot of things I liked about this place, but the best thing was definitely the service. Our waiter, Zack, was just great. He was super friendly and attentive. My friend ordered an omelette, and in a hangover-​induced stupor, didn’t realize it had meat in it. She’s a vegetarian. Completely obnoxious and totally our fault. Zack could not have been cooler about it. Very empathic response. He immediately brought her a menu and was very understanding. Her replacement food came out quickly, which was good because the hangxiety was very real.
They also get high marks for food. I had the quinoa cake with brussel sprouts. It was super tasty. Romesco sauce can be hit or miss for me. This one was a hit for sure. And I appreciate that it was plated in such a way that the whole dish wasn’t just slathered in sauce. My friend cleaned her plate so I’m assuming she ended up happy as well.
Oh and the hostess was super fab too. Would do again.

Every time we stay with family in the Haight we make sure to stop by Sparrow.
The beer and wine selections are always just right for us (delish roses and love that they have Allagash White on tap), the fries are TO DIE FOR (I just do not understand how they stay some damn hot for so long AND so damn crispy on the outside! Seriously, they have perfected the art of the french fry), and the hamburgers are impeccable (no clue as to what makes them SO good, but they really are SO good). The last time we were in (last night) we changed things up a bit and got the trout and the roasted chicken. Both were delicious (that carrot and citrus purée? Such a beautiful compliment to the fish! And the risotto was just bonkers good). The fish was a small portion (compared to what the other portions seem to be), but between splitting a salad with the bf and sharing some fries, I was definitely satisfied!

Hostess in the front today refused to seat our group with no reason. She wouldn’t break us up into smaller groups either. A lot of attitude.

Tried to grab brunch here and the hostess refused to seat us. Would not give a reason and still refused after we offered to split our party up. Just shook her head and said no.

I came here for lunch recently while on a visit to San Francisco. The place looked respectable and had a clean bathroom so that was a good start. I ordered a grass fed burger for $ 14 and was told that fries were an extra 2 bucks… not a good
burger finally came out after over 20 minutes in an almost empty joint at 2pm on a
got worse… the burger had no flavor whatsoever and the fries were stale. I didn’t bother to buy a beer because I felt ripped off. After shelling out 21 bucks with tip for a crappy meal I left disgusted.

What makes Sparrow special isn’t it’s brunch menu or evening cocktails*, but rather its sunny and earthy backyard patio. It’s become a regular spot in the weekend rotation and I always find a reason to venture here.
Besides the fact that Sparrow is dog-​friendly, the quiet, quaint back yard setting really does set an ambiance unlike other brunch spots on Haight. Especially as we move towards SF summer in late August/​September, sitting outside becomes more and more desirable and often comes with long lines that make you regret not snacking on that box of granola before venturing out.
Today I tried the Quinoa Cake with Roasted Brussels and it was just what I wanted and more. The cake was crisped to perfection in a way I’ve experienced only once before, with warm, grainy insides. True #inspiration for someone experimenting with plant based cooking. There was so shortage of vibrant and cooling romesco which worked two-​part as a quinoa compliment and a dressing for the buttermilk biscuits. Speaking of biscuits, it was only okay. Not piping hot and as fluffy as I hoped for, and not huge, either. Wouldn’t order again.
Long story short: visit Sparrow for brunch and bring your dog.
*there isn’t any liquor served here — rather there’s some sort of sake replacement for Bloody Mary’s and any cocktail-​like item on the menu.

+: love the patio! Mussels were delicious, cheese plate (brie only) was tasty too, open kitchen.
—: servers were lackadaisical, we had to ask for some water and cutlery.

First of all, I want to say WELCOME SPARROW! The new and very cool bar and restaurant is comfortable attractive and welcoming with an inviting ambiance. The menu is eclectic with a variety of tastes, unlike many hip places where the food is all the same with different names. Because it’s new, SPARROW has a few rough edges to smooth out with the food and service.
A restaurants’s menu and food preparation is absolutely No. 1 for me. I can eat in the street if the food is delicious. Our visit on April 14 included, Sparrows on Horseback /​Medjool Dates /​Goat Cheese /​Bacon /​Lavender Saba; Mt. Lassen Trout /​Orange Carrot Purée /​Sun Choke /​Mustard Greens; Roasted Chicken /​Mushroom-​Leek Risotto /​Three Peppercorn Sauce and their Pilsner beer (great). Everything was cooked to perfection! We had to wait longer than AT KFC, but everything is PREPARED TO ORDER. This is dining not not fast food. Time critics need to relax.
Surprisingly, the kitchen is quite small to accommodate such a large space, including a big patio, and an ambitious menu. SUGGESTION: Perhaps there could be a few favorite items available everyday but a Chef’s favorite in each category. Less pressure on everyone.
The SERVICE: Everyone is very nice but all servers appeared lackadaisical, not particularly professional in manner or knowledgeable about the menu. Too often 3 – 4 stood chatting at the coffee bar. Sure, there weren’t many people, but the young servers need to be more attentive and less interested in each other; or have fewer but more experienced personnel.
I look forward to their success and to returning many. many times.
Alston Laughlin

My boyfriend and I have popped in to Sparrow quite a few times now for dinner. And each time we find another reason to return. The ambiance is great, laid back with a sense of style. The service is good, haven’t been wowed yet, but they’re all friendly and knowledgable. The wine and beer list is matched quite well with the menu. The food? Out of this world for the price range it’s in! The only things my boyfriend and I haven’t liked on the menu are things that Chef Eddie hasn’t gotten his hands on yet (he’s still got some thing to adjust). But everything that has come out of the kitchen from Eddie? Superb. We’re hooked and definitely going to be back many times to come.
God help our waistlines if the deconstructed s’mores are still on the menu next time.

I keep coming back for brunch because of the great outdoor patio in the back, the reasonable or non-​existent wait, and the solid food.
The servers are friendly. It often feels like it takes a while for them to come, and then a while more for my coffee and mimosa to arrive. To be fair though, I’m often quite eager to see those things on a weekend morning, so my sense of time may be skewed. ;) Thankfully, it’s brunch so I’m content for it to be a leisurely experience — especially when sitting outside on a nice day.
Everything on the menu always looks great — and it usually is. For brunch, they have a combination of sweet and savory breakfast items as well as savory lunch food. I’ve not yet been disappointed.
I just hope not too many people willing to stand in line for two hours at Zazie catch wind of Sparrow so I can keep slipping in without much or any of a wait.

Where should I start with this? The service or the food? Hmmm… Totally not impressed with this place. Our server, (not to mention any names), was at a snail pace this morning. When you walk into a restaurant with two hostesses you would expect top notch service. However, not this case. The hostess only welcomes the patrons, and that’s about it.
After we were seated, they gave us 3 cups of water when they were 4 of us. I raised my hand several times to get the attention of our server. Our waiter finally came by and got us our water (per our request). The hostess and I had eye contact, but refused to stop by our table to see what we needed. Of course after we ordered, I wanted to get a side of fries. Our waiter was the only one waiting for 5 or 6 tables, and it was a challenge to get him to stop by. Again, I flagged down the hostess and placed the order with her. She said, «I’ll tell your waiter.» However, she never did. The table next to us was complaining about the wait time. They should really work as a team and the waiter should pick up his pace (when he has so many tables).
The food was not all that great either. I ordered the French Omelette (Brie and Prosciutto with Arugula & Herb Salad). It was bland. I expected more, a lot more. The name tricked me. It was basically prosciutto wrapped in scrambled egg. Nothing more to it — disappointing and underwhelming. My boys ordered the Sparrow Farm Breakfast which came with eggs, sausage or bacon, potato hash and a Buttermilk Biscuit. Again, just didn’t think that was restaurant quality food. The sausage was dry, the hash were tasteless. For $ 16, it was totally a rip off. The Mister got the Eggs Benedict. Luckily, we didn’t experienced what others have had — cold benedict. In fact, I thought it was pretty good, and thus I’m giving the two stars are for his dish. The truffle fries were $ 8, and I expected a «wow.» IT came out soggy.
In general, this place is far too overpriced. If you must try, just expect super slow service. With so many options in the city, not worth returning, sorry.

My boyfriend and I ordered the appetizer of prosciutto on bread with arugula and split the chicken with risotto. Boy am I glad we ordered an app (and it was good!) because our ONE entrée (while dining on a very empty Wednesday night) legitimately took 40 minutes to arrive. I wasn’t starving because of the appetizer but if I was, I would have definitely complained. Their only saving grace was our waitress came by 3 times to tell us our food was on its way. Like okay I hope it is… because we ordered it!!! I won’t be coming back. The food was okay but not so great that the wait time was worth it.

Why should I feed dish ordered?
Why should the entrees come?
Why should mah belleh feel hangry?
And long for kitchen and some?
When breakfast is my portion
A constant frendo is eat
My meal is at the Sparrow
And I know eat brunches over me
My meal is at the Sparrow
And I know eat brunches me
You know when you walk by a place a million times but keep #fahgettaboudit then finally try it and wonder yth you didn’t go there way back? Sparrow.
(^_​^) Hangar Steak $ 17 (
)
Rare x Thufferin Thuccotash x #datbriochedoe
(^_​^) Eggs Benedict $ 16 (
)
Buttermilk biscuit, Avocado butter
(^_​^) Banana Harlem Shake $ 7 (
)
Brings all the cacao nibs to the yard.
(^_​^) Décor $ 0 (
)
Wood x black, Papel picado #diadelosmuertos
(^_​^) Music $ 0
Reggae cover of «In A Sentimental Mood”(!)
(^_​^) Plating $ 0 (
)
Flat square, Negative space
I dine because I’m happy
I dine because I’m free
My meal is at the Sparrow
And I know eat brunches me
Eat brunches meeeeeeeee

For someone who hasn’t spent much time in the Haight, I have sure found myself in this ‘hood quite a bit lately. The Upper Haight had been a particularly elusive area to me, but once I broke the ice with Parada 22, I thought I should maybe try another place to grab a bite. Sparrow was a pretty random find once I got off the 7 Line, but it has a very welcoming vibe even when the interior was as empty as it was. The young manager smiled and asked me if I wanted to eat inside or out on the patio. Hearing the murmur of diners out back, I decided to eat al fresco, and sure enough there was a small table just waiting for me. With the weather clear, it felt like a happening spot for a Tuesday evening with a pleasant mix of low-​key locals that crossed generations (photo:
).
The organic-​heavy American menu struck me as limited but appetizing. I started with the $ 14 Grilled Kale Salad with Organic Strawberries, Quinoa, Roasted Hazelnuts and a dollop of Salted Sage Ricotta (photo:
). Although it was an uncommonly well executed salad with a now-​turned cliché ingredient, I certainly waited a long time for it, over half an hour with apologies forthcoming from the young manager and the server. I barely noticed the elapsed time until I waited again for the $ 14 Chefs Burger, tasty diner fare, a bit smallish gussied up with an onion ring battered not in beer but champagne. It was satisfying in its medium rare glory with a $ 2 surcharge for a melted slice of cheddar. The server convinced me to get a $ 2 side of the Hand Cut Kennebec Fries.
They had just the right texture and salty flavor, although the cheery server’s sell job amounted to me nodding my head mindlessly at the mere mention of fries (photo:
). I decided to end my meal with an $ 8 sweet treat because of the lure of Soy Sauce Ice Cream, which I could tell will be next Salted Caramel fad. It came with an artistic wedge of Sesame Brittle to complete the Asian twang and then a ramekin-​size serving of Ginger Carrot Cake with Orange Zest Cream Cheese Frosting (photo:
). Of course it was totally unnecessary, but it was totally what I wanted at that very moment. The patio dining experience was nice, good people-​watching, even better people-​listening, but passing the two-​hour mark not so much. Eh, I wasn’t in a hurry.
FOOD — 4 stars… really satisfying all-​American fare with an organic focus
AMBIANCE — 4 stars… that patio is quite a cool, low-​key scene even on a weeknight
SERVICE — 2.5 stars… server was so nice but the wait between courses was interminable
TOTAL — 4 stars… keep your eye on this Sparrow as the comfort food is pretty darn good at this neighborhood eatery

So as I’m reading the reviews for Sparrow, it seems like there is a general trend.
Food-​good! good good good. yum yum in the tum tum.
Atmosphere-​pretty! pretty very pretty. Love to sit outside. That’s pretty too.
Service-​Oh no… Service BAD. Bad bad bad. About to throw a tantrum bad!!!
And you know what? I agree with it because my experience was just like that exactly!
My friend and I were exploring the Haight and we wanted to stop for brunch. This was the 1^st place we found.
We walked in and the hostess was V E R Y S L O W at going through people’s name. In fact, there was only a group of 3 in front of us in line, but it took 5 minutes to get them seated. The hostess was actually calling people in her book in between. It was a very odd procedure, and obviously it held things up.
Luckily, there was seating in the back patio. It was a beautiful area! Bright, sunny, and open. It was really the perfect brunch setting. Our server was very quick to come over and greet us. We ordered a carafe of Mimosa, coffee, and water to start. I asked her about vegan options and luckily she knew of some ways to modify a couple dishes to make it vegan-​friendly.
Our drinks and food came out in a timely manner, but then our server never appeared again. I wanted hot sauce and a refill of water, but never got it because it wasn’t even that she was busy talking to other guests, she wasn’t even around!
I noticed a table get sat next to us and they waited 15 minutes to even get greeted! Their FOOD came out and they still didn’t have their water or drinks. They too, got ignored their entire meal. We and they ate everything before our server came back around. I asked for some water, and then she disappeared once more. Still no sign of her until about 10 minutes later when we got our check.
It’s a bummer that service was lame. Are they being given too many tables? It’s really not ok to leave your guests in the hot sun without water for the time they did to us.
Too bad since the food was really good. I ordered the Quinoa Cake dish, but subbed the quinoa cake out for the Vegan Patty. This was a delicious dish! The patty is house made and you can really taste all the grains and veggies they used. It is topped with roasted brussel sprouts which was really tasty as well. I ordered a side of potatoes, which is cooked in oil, and that added that «Breakfast» touch to the meal. It was also cooked and seasoned well, with a combination of yellow and purple potatoes used.
I think I would go back, but only when I’m with company that I can talk to for long periods of time and don’t mind the long wait and slow service. The good food really does make up for it.