The Public

What the hell?! This place closed down??? NOOOOO!!! This can’t be. This can’t be!
I only came here once for dessert but was looking forward to coming back for dinner since I heard so much hype about it… except it’s CLOSED! dammit. well, the dessert was amazing. The bartender paired up the chocolate bread pudding with this delicious red dessert wine, which was a fabulous complement to the chocolate. I’m so sad. I still can’t comprehend this closing dealio!

I’m sad that this place is closing down because it’s one of the better fusion-​type/​Californian restaurants that I’ve ever been too. Why did I wait so long before trying it???
The service here is impeccable. I’ve never had such a great time at a restaurant and experienced such awesome service. We started off the nice with pear kisses for the ladies and mojitos for the guys. The mojitos were the only low point because it was a little too syrupy for my taste. Afterwards, we had three appetizers — ahi tuna poke, wild boar sausage, and the baby back ribs. All three were super excellent and plated very well. I was immediately impressed.
For the main courses, we had the braised ribs, steak, and jerk chicken. Once again, all were plated very well and tasted even better than they looked. I had the steak and I must admit it was one of the best steaks I’ve had in a LOOOOOOOOOONG time. Usually, restaurants don’t cook steak very well. Either the meat is poor quality or it’s just not cooked too well. This time, the chef perfected it and I wish I could come back for more.
We paired our dinner with two glasses of wine but we wanted it split. They made a mistake and instead, gave us 4 glasses of wine. That’s great service right there!
We ended dinner with the panna cotta. Everyone agreed that this dinner was one of the best meals we’ve had in a long time. No complaints. Just really sad that it’s closing forever on Friday night.
I wish the owners good luck and hope that they open up a new place sometime soon.

I’ve been to The Public a few tims and always have a good meal. I was there last night after easily being able to make reservations at 8pm just a few hours before.
I ordered the indian style, saffron infused risotto which comes with scallops and prawns. I wasn’t sure I liked the indian-​italian fusion attempt with the risotto. I also like the fact that they didn’t peel the prawns for some reason so you have to take everything off, legs and all, before eating it. However, my friend had the ahi tuna which looked super. In addition, their beet salad is delicious.
Another thing I like about this restaurant is that they change their menu pretty frequently.

Clean place. Great bartenders. Lots of room to lounge. Too bad the place is closing at the end of the month.
Try to park on 11^th and Mission, only two blocks from the bar. Be sure to check the parking signs when you need to move your car.

Went here for my bday dinner after my little brother’s raves about this place. There was plenty of parking on a Thursday night.
We started out with the mussels and the poke. The mussels were sitting in this yummy coconut sauce. We had to have the waiter come a few times with bread to sop up the sauce it was so good. The poke was delicious… and came with fried wonton skins.
I had the rib eye which was pretty good. It came with the scalloped potatoes and the trumpet mushrooms. Such great sides. It was a pretty big portion. My friend had the short ribs that was very tender. And my other friend had the seared ahi tuna. He ordered the salmon, but the waiter suggested the tuna instead, and even said he’d give him a dessert if he didn’t like it. He liked it. But we had dessert anyways… Bread pudding was good but I liked my friend’s pannacotta with the fresh berries more. Our waiter comped us for the dessert, cuz he forgot to put the order in. so nice.
Oh, btw… my friend’s mango mojito and other friend’s rum delight was delicious!!!
We were seated upstairs, food was good, but difficult to hear each other cuz of the acoustics.
Also, it was convenient to be so close to the freeway for the ride home.

I had a really not so great experience at The Public. I think I got sucked in because it looks cool from the outside, but after eating here I just don’t think this place is cut out to be a restaurant. It seems like the kind of spot that started out as a bar and serving food was just an afterthought.
The atmosphere downstairs is nice, but then you’re led upstairs to a loft like setting that kind of feels like you’re tucked away in an attic. The tables are also über close together, so we had to endure not one, but two annoying, loud conversations throughout our meal. Also the chairs are incredibly uncomfortable.
So onto the food… we started with the crab cakes — good, but not so fresh tasting. I had the fennel crusted ahi, which didn’t seem to be cooked properly because it was on the tougher side and tasted almost nothing like fennel. It was also supposed to come with a salad nicoise, which it most certainly did not. My mango mojito was a disappointment as well — one teeny tiny sprig of mint. Get real.
Our reservation was at 8:30, so by the time we were wrapping up with dinner at around 10:00, most of the other diners had left, the music had been cranked way up and downstairs had filled up with a birthday party. Not exactly the right setting for a romantic (or even non-​romantic) meal out. Bottom line, if you’re in the neighborhood, it’s probably a fun spot for drinks, but don’t come here to eat.

I first came to The Public NYE night before heading over to Mecca at City hall. My friend use to work here so of course she knew the bartenders and wait staff that hooked us up big time.
I had 2 – 3 mango mojitos (hmmmm… 2 of my loves: mango + mojitos = a start of a fun night. which I might not remember the next morning) and some pear champagne. The bartenders are very experienced and really know how to whip up some delectable drinks. No cheap liquor or bad alcohol to juice ratio here. This place also has a good noise volume level. Not rowdy like pub/​bars, not loud like clubs, and not too quiet like those FIDM/​SOMA lounges. The Public is a modern restaurant/​lounge with a very effortlessly classy, young, and hip vibe. A
Can’t wait to go back and try dinner & more cocktails here! Then maybe I can knock it up a notch with that 5^th star.

4 of us had dinner for the first time on Saturday. Parking was decent for SF, although we had to circle a few times. Décor/​ambiance is great and modern/​NY loft like. Noise level was perfect, since we were catching up with another couple. Entry level is bar and lounge with some tables, and upstairs is the primary dining area.
We were promptly greeted and seated. Waitress was attentive and knowledgeable with a question on portion sizes. Our appetizer was served by the chef. Turns out we know the other owner (Alan) who we later chatted with in the bar area after dinner.
For dinner, we had the wild boar sausage as a shared starter. Good but not spectactular. Tasted a bit like «hot dog» but the figs & onions accompaniments were good. For entrees, we ordered 2 short ribs (given Unilocalers’ reviews), the coconut risotto and pork chop. The risotto was very flavorful and unique. And I shared my boyfriend’s short ribs which were fall-​off-​the-​bone tender and tasty! I tend to prefer less salt but for those who are big meat lovers, the short ribs are definitely worth a try!
We opted not to get dessert b/​c the entrees are large! Prices are decent at about $ 35 per person including 2 glasses of wine total (only 2 ppl drank).
We ended up talking for a while but never felt rushed. It was a great evening and I’d definitely come back!

I thought I was going here for the first time yesterday, but when I walked in, I realized I had been here several years ago. Don’t remember my dining experience several years ago, but I enjoyed my meal yesterday. The service was pretty s-​l-​o-​w, but our server was very apologetic and friendly.
I liked:
sausage appetizer
mandarin orange salad *yum!
braised beef entrée
i think my friend thought her duck ragu was so so. the crème brûlée was super super thin! coulda been a tad more generous… don’t know if i’ll be back regularly, but it was a nice meal.

I highly recommend the mussels with coconut broth, tomato salad, roasted half chicken, and the tiramisiu.
Food came fresh and flavorable.
Not bad for SOMA.

It’s the weekend before Christmas so we knew we would have no problem getting a reservation in the city. We decided to try something new. We walked into The Public and we were greeted by a super nice and attentive host who turned out to be our waiter as well. The ambiance was very hipster and cool. I would definitely come here for just drinks sometime.
Our host wisked us up to our seats. We started off with a Lychee Saketini which I loved and a Mango Mojito which was a little too sweet. We ordered the Sausage appetizer, it was good. I liked the combination of sausage with carmelized onions and figs. I chose the Braised Ribs — amazing, the meat was falling off the bone and it was perfectly paired with mashed potatoes, carrots and brussell sprouts. WOW was it delicious! My boyfriend ordered the Jerk Chicken, he liked it but he kept coming back for more of the ribs.
We will definitely visit The Public again!

Went here on Friday night. Probably the worst «nice» restaurant experience I’ve had since moving to SF 6 years ago, so bad that i’m writing my first review in 2 years. Activity partner and I hadn’t been out to dinner for over a month, so I looked for someplace new/​interesting, besides, all of my Mission favorites (Range, Blue Plate, Maverick, Delfina) were booked.
Two things should have set off alarms — the review below that warns about the 5 star reviews not being from food experts and the fact that there were reservations available at every window on Open Table 24 hours prior.
Drinks — the first glass of wine (chilean pinot) was so bad i ordered a mojito. Also bad. The trick to muddling is to not shred the mint so fine that it shoots up your straw and sticks to your teeth. That was the only advantage of our dark, loud, hot table — Activity Partner missed my green specked teeth.
Food — appetizers were ok. we had crab cakes and roasted beet salad. The beet salad was decent, but difficult to eat.
Ahi tuna was nasty. you know when you find yourself drunk in a divey sushi bar and you notice the tuna has that metallic shimmer, but you are so drunk/​hungry that you eat it? Yep. only our drinks were so subpar that we were still sober for the main course (if you know me, you know this is a feat), and the tuna was shimmering like a stripper coming off of an 18 hour shift. Unfortunately, AP was significantly hungry so I didn’t point that out.
My ribeye was horrible, it was mealy. maybe 6 edible bites in the whole thing. ruined my taste for steak for a while.
Needless to say, we were both ill after. Next time i’m going to plan in advance and get a table at Range.

What could I possibly add about this place that has not already been said? I’m not sure but that won’t keep me from putting my 2 cents in.
I searched for just the right place to take my *ahem* friend. After reading the reviews and hearing accolades from others about the food and service, I decided to give this place a try.
We started off with mango mojitos which were fantastic. Then we moved upstairs for dinner. We transitioned to the Argentinian Malbec. Our waitress cooed at our choice and reinforced our selection. I’d heard great things about the duck sugo so I ordered that. My date ordered the rib-​eye. Both dishes were presented very well and accompanied by the perfect side dish-​pan seared broccoli. The portions are large, so beware.
Once the mojitos and glasses of wine took effect, we forgot about the food and got lost in our conversation. The atmosphere created by the soft music, the candlelight, and the attention to detail by the staff; specifically mis en place, resulted in the perfect dining experience. If I could give an unattainable sixth star, then this place would get it.
For some reason the bar on Thursdays is busy but the restaurant is not. Take advantage of the fact that not too many people venture here on Thursdays and experience one of the best restaurants in the city!

First, take a look at our menu by Chef Richard Chang:
FIRST COURSE
Crab and Rock Shrimp Cake — green papaya and carrot slaw, harissa,
grain mustard mango coulis
Cocoa Dusted Soy Glazed Baby Back Ribs — mango, red onion, grape
tomato and cilantro relish
Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad — baby arugula, frisee, candied
walnuts, citrus vinagrette
SECOND COURSE
Seared Fennel Pepper Crusted Ahi — salad ala niscoise, baby red
potatoes, grain mustard beurre blanc
Summer Squash Carnaroli Risotto — summer squash, zucchini, corn,
parmigianno reggiano, white truffle oil
Grilled Porterhouse Pork Chop — fennel, apple, sweet potato hash,
brussel sprouts, marsala jus
Grilled Angus Rib Eye Steak — king trumpet mushrooms, brocollini,
potato gratin, balsamic red wine reduction
THIRD COURSE
Trio of Tropical Sorbet — mango, strawberry, pineapple, ginger cookies
Warm Chocolate Bread Pudding — espresso crème anglaise, white chocolate gelato
Tiramisu — chocolate sauce
And yes! All 20 of us (Dine For Friends group) had a good portion of each of these dishes. Some of us even had 2 portions! And no, we did not empty our bank accounts. It was affordable and well worth it to have eaten ALL this yummy food! It was hard to pick a favorite out of these dishes, but I love crab cakes, so you know crab and rock shrimp cake had to be my favorite appetizer! The rib eye steak was very tender – I would’ve went for a second serving if I had any room in my tummy. And as for dessert – I loved all of them!!! I’m not quite sure I would order the risotto again. I like risotto, but this one didn’t hit the spot for me – PASS! The ahi was good, but nothing special that made it too memorable. The pork chops were good, but there was steak so the cow trumped the pig.
It was a bit dim, but when surrounded by 19 friends (old and new), the great conversations that went around the tables made the little things exactly that – trivial. The restaurant was very spacious, and with such a big group, sometimes, we’re forced to squish together in our seats, but we did not have that problem. We ate comfortably yet we were close enough to hear each others conversations. Towards the end of our meal, there was a private event being held downstairs; even with the music in the background, we still were able to enjoy the dining experience. The chef/​owner came out during our dinner and asked about our dining experience – I always love when the owner makes it a point to greet their guests – makes the dining experience even better and memorable!

Been in love with The Public for quite some time now. It’s the venue of many memorable parties past and definitely many more to come. Arrived last Thursday with a crowd of 15+ for a friend’s farewell party. Started off downstairs in the lounge for drinks. Our bartenders that night were Kinson and Ben who, might I add, was looking quite effortlessly stylish. The lounge was perfect for a big group of people who wanted to mix and mingle with the lady of the night, the guys behind the bar, and everyone else who came to join in on the fun.
Once seated upstairs for dinner, the night only got better. There’s something about a row of candles lighting up the glowing faces that I just really love. The service was excellent from the get-​go. It’s not always easy accommodating to a large party — esp when everyone is wanting this or needing that. Our server was nothing but attentive, and made a point to take care of everyone’s requests promptly. Kinson, by the way, seems to magically appear right when you need him every time. He’s a mind-​reader, that guy. I love him!
Certain menu items changes seasonally and for the summer I highlight the watermelon arugula salad as a starter. It’s a perfect accompaniment to the warmer nights that we’ve been getting in SF. The classics are still there though so no worries to anyone who might be panicking at the thought of their favorite short ribs or jerk chicken being offered only 3 months out of the year (what a pity that would be!). I pretty much ended up eating the tasty goodness off of everyone’s plate, even though I protested that I could eat no more, and this leads me to another point: The portions are more than enough for you and the hungry person next to you who wants to eat off your plate. None of that bite-​sized stuff, they know how to keep it real.
Once plates were cleared, Ben suddenly appears with a round of shots for everyone. Of course, a toast to the guest of honor followed. Claps and good feelings all around. Heading down for more drinks with the lounge taking on a whole new mood after-​dark, we continued the drinking and the fun, cutting it short just before midnight only because people had to work early the next morning. So we left reluctantly, bidding farewell to each other and another fabulous night at The Public.

Sooooo after a LONG day we descended upon The Public at Lauren S.‘s suggestion. As I walked into the main floor of the restaurant, I was pleased by the relaxing atmosphere and immediately began looking forward to spending some time there.
We headed to the bar for a much needed drink — BOY, can you say STIFF! I ordered a Grey Goose and Cran! I haven’t felt like a fire breathing dragon in a while! Damn, it was good!
After receiving our drinks we headed upstairs to grab a bite to eat… I wasn’t sure what I was in the mood for, so I decided on a salad, and an app to complete my meal.
The Gorgonzola Romaine Salad hosted Sourdough Croutons, Hickory Smoked Bacon, Roasted Garlic Gorgonzola Dressing and was DEEEEE-​LIIIII-​SCIOUS! I was in love! Just short of licking my plate clean… my 2^nd «course» arrived.
Although it was an appetizer size portion — the flavors were immense enough for a 4 course meal. The Cocoa Dusted Soy Glazed Baby Back Ribs came with a Mango, Red Onion, Grape Tomato and Cilantro Relish which was divine! For both the salad and the app– my bill was about 19.00 (minus the drinks) — not bad for the perfectly fullness of my belly! Although I have to admit, the entrees were a bit on the pricey side.
For someone who had no idea what to order… I don’t think I could have made better decisions. I highly recommend both plates — and the drinks!

I dedicate this review to my lovely friend and denim guru/​goddess, Helen F. Happy Birthday Helen!
With that said, I must admit that this review is slightly biased as I dined here as a part of Helen’s recent bday celebration and we were considerably taken care of due to the fact that Helen is friends with the head chef.
So when $$$ isn’t a terrible issue, you can dine like royalty and truly enjoy yourself. (See review for my Morimoto:
)
Our night began with a bottle of white wine (the first of several bottles of wine) and an amazing selection of appetizers: coconut milk/​Thai mussels, ahi tune poke and cocoa dusted soy glazed baby back ribs.
The mussels? I could have eaten two bowls by myself. The mussels were the perfect firmness and the sauce was divine. Not too salty as some mussel dishes can be. Forget about dipping your bread in olive oil and vinegar. Use it to sop up that coconut milk sauce! Mmm…
The ahi tuna poke was nice but I’m a pig and would have enjoy more.
Speaking of pigs, the baby back ribs? OMG. Make sure you order enough for everyone because EVERYONE will want to enjoy at least two. And as Helen stated, offering me a rib after seeing my friend and I tried to make the most of one rib, «Sharing a rib is ghetto.» Well said my friend. She loved the ribs so much, she decided to have a plate all to herself as the main entrée.
As for our main entrees, a couple of our party ordered the steak, one ordered the short ribs and my friend and I shared the pineapple risotto. The rib eye steak? Divine. The short ribs? How could you go wrong. The risotto? Meh. Very sad but it was like glorified pineapple fried rice. I think what went wrong is the fact that what makes risotto good is the addition of creamy cheese and this risotto had none. If it was listed as fried rice, then it would be pleasant, but I was craving risotto and risotto it was not. Alas, not the best dish on the menu but even their worst is still good.
Amidst all this gorging of food, we were given glasses of Hangar One Kaffir Lime vodka on the rocks so needless to say we were quite happy in general. (I have my current Unilocal user photo to prove it.)
Overall, an excellent meal with excellent company! A damn good birthday celebration if you ask me!

Today I’m having a fat day. I opted to not go get weighed in at my trusty WW meeting, my belt is a notch looser and I can’t see my toes when i look down. But you know what? That’s OK, because after the dinner I had last night… the bloat is welcome.
Michelle L. decided to have her birthday soirée here, and we had a delightful table upstairs for the 10 of us. I had ordered a mango mojito from the amazing Ben the bartender before we got sat, so i just brought it upstairs because i couldn’t bear to part with even a sip. Mint… good. Mango… even better. By far top 5 cocktails Ive ever consumed. Perfect muddle, perfect ice, just perfect.
The next part was the hard part. EVERYTHING on the menu looked awesome, so all i could do was hope that my friends would all order different items so i could try it all. I got pretty close. The ahi tuna tartar was perfectly tartar-​ish (i don’t know how to describe food), the romaine gorgonzola salad with apple-​wood smoked bacon was a perfect combination of flavors, and the tomato bisque with goat cheese was amazing as well, cuz who doesn’t love goat cheese. Those were just the appetizers I tried!
Onto the entrée. I had a hard time with this decision. Ahi? Rib-​eye? Jerk Chicken? After a ton of deliberation I went with the risotto. It was a yellow coconut curry risotto with scallops, shrimp and roasted peppers. I was worried I’d be pissed I made the wrong choice… but i was taught to go with your gut and my gut told me to order risotto. I made the right choice. Creamy, but not too creamy. Spicy but not too spicy. Coconutty but not too coconutty (although apparently any coconut is too much for Michelle)…the dish served me right. It made for a great lunch today too! I want to come back, and order some other delightful entrée, and not be disappointed with that one either. I took bites off of many… they were all intense, well executed and absolutely delicious.
The service was great. She was super attentive, and knowledgeable and helped steer me correctly in the risotto choice. But the big ups go to the bartender extraordinaire Ben. There was a bit of confusion on our parts with paying the bill, as per usual when you don’t have that one rich friend that picks up the tab… and he saw our plight. Next thing i know, he is calling us over, and has 7 shots at the ready for us. Absolut pear, lychee syrup, mango purée and grenadine… yummy.
Ben, if you happen to read this, cuz i know you said last night that as a manager you read your reviews… If i wasn’t married, you’d be in trouble.

Edit — 5÷13÷07
Went yet AGAIN for my birthday dinner and the service and food was impeccable. I will be back. The ribs were heavenly (appetizer ones).
Edit — 4÷15÷07
Went back for dinner tonight — had the mussels — still delicious and the braised ribs. Omfg. Having fat melt in your mouth is not supposed to be so fulfilling. The wine was amazing… I forgot the name, but will be back & update.
Love everything about this place. It’s the anti-​club. Great food (the mussels are better than the ones I had in Brussels (!!), service and ambiance. The only problem is trying to get reservations to eat as there are limited tables. My best recommendation would be to try this place on a non-​weeekend night.
Be sure to go to the bar and steal the lychees. They are the bomb.

Throw a surprise bday party for my boyfriend past Saturday for a party of 11. The experience we had @ this resto/​lounge is awesome. Our server, I think his name is Derek, is hella cool. Cocktails drinks… and our food came in like clockwork.
The Lychee Martini is my favorite… any bar that have this drink is a plus in my book. Also, they gave my babe a big shot of Johnnie Walker Black. I’m kinda bummed when they ran out of mango for my mojito.
Richard is good in helping me set up RSVP & everything I wanted was followed to a T even the Prix Price Menu were customized w/​a happy birthday! I was pleased.
Starters: we had Dungeness Crab & Rock Shrimp Cake & Tumba Tuna poke
Entrees: Braised short ribs, Duck Sugo & Pan Roasted Alaskan Halibut
Desserts: Anna Banana Split & Warm Chocolate Pudding
Chef Anna Bautista did a great job, food are yummy & the price is reasonable ($ 42 for 3 course menu). I can’t wait to dine here again.
Later, our crew headed to DNA to some dancing & more drinking. Guess what, Ben (I think) — the owner of Public literally went to DNA to look for me because I overpaid the bill, about $ 120 extra… check my bank balance & he did credit it back to my acct… now how cool is that. ^_^

Three words:
Chocolate bread pudding.
But the main dishes I’ve tried so far have also been great (sugo, skirt steak, fish). An odd combination of comfort food and an industrial loft interior that works surprisingly well. There is also a popular bar with comfy seats as others have mentioned.

I was at The Public on the same dark and stormy night that Jordan was there; in fact I was dining with him and Lisa G! Up until that evening, I had only had drinks at the establishment, so I was very keen on finally sitting down for a dining experience.
We sat down upstairs, and the place, while not that busy, definitely got more crowded as the night progressed, and the wine was poured.
Elana, our server, was super friendly, and really made us feel at home, like regulars. Well maybe regulars you keep at a distance but nevertheless, she was pretty cool.
Jordan touched upon our meals in pretty good detail, so I’ll just add that my Ahi Tuna was terrific, as were the sample ribs I managed to acquire off of Jordan’s plate. And man, that chocolate bread pudding, I’d go back just for that.
I’d recommend The Public again, it was an easy enough place to gather for a casual dinner amongst friends. And it’s hard to disagree with good food, good drink, and good company.