Wexler’s

Upscale smokehouse in FiDi. Closing at the end of the week.
Bowl of Red — ⁵⁄₅ — Smoky and filled with meat. Some of the best chili in the city.
Wings — ³⁄₅
Scotch egg — ⁴⁄₅
Biscuits — ⁴⁄₅
Short Rib — ⁴⁄₅ — A little tough on the edges but the flavor was great.
Plate of pork — ³⁄₅
Banana cream pie — ⁴⁄₅
Roasted pear pie — ⁵⁄₅ — Great crumb crust. Tasty pear filling.
Lemon chess pie — ⁴⁄₅
SERVICE — ⁰⁄₅ — Despite great food, our experience at Wexler’s was atrocious. We had a 7pm reservation and did not end up getting seated for 45 minutes. it was well over an hour before we even got any food. The host/​manager didn’t seem to care much. He said multiple tables were done and paid yet he didn’t ask any of them to leave despite us standing around for an hour. On top of this there was a single waitress who was so overwhelmed that she was on the verge of tears. All of this while the host is messing around behind the bar instead of helping her serve food or take orders. The owners and management should be absolutely ashamed of themselves.
Overall, the food was quality but it didn’t make up for the problems. Not that it matters since they are closing but, «I think not.»

I know why this place is closing for good on 6÷26÷15. Let this serve as a cautionary tale.
Since it opened I have been wanting to try the burnt end BBQ scotch eggs — sounded like amazing a conflux of 3 of my favorite things: BBQ, Burnt ends in particular and soft cooked eggs — how could this possibly go wrong?
Well let’s start with… $ 14 for 2 eggs??? — then a measly coating of «burnt ends» might be described as a super thin ground chicken tasting coating with a hint of BBQ flavor… all around a over-​cooked soft boiled egg… it oozed a little — but for $ 14 I want a perfectly oozing egg.
If that wasn’t enough — our bill for a drink of mostly ice ($ 11) and a 2/​3-​filled martini was $ 40!, and the bartender (maybe now the owner — who might have been sad) gave poor and grudgingly service. We went next door to Wayfare Tavern for another appetizer and cocktail and were heartily redeemed, with great food (free popovers), stiff drinks and great service!
So that is why they are closing and anyone else who wants to try this place this week before it closes… don’t bother

This is really not my kind of food, and I had a hard time finding something to order, so I’ll cut them some slack, but I wasn’t that impressed and found the value missing. I came here for lunch & ordered the flounder po boy. I had the spicy tartar sauce on the side because I don’t like it, but this meant the sandwich was completely plain and bone dry, just fish and bread. Obviously some lettuce, tomato, sauce, etc would have made it more interesting but I’ve had plain fish + bread sandwiches that tasted a lot better than this one did. The fish itself was ok, but the breading was dry and pretty tasteless. I think it was around $ 15 (prices in the restaurant are higher than the online menu) and definitely not worth the price.

HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE.
Long story short: I used to go to Wexler’s on a weekly for a specific, nearly $ 20 sandwich. Manager decided to discontinue sandwich. I got sad, gave a 1 star review. Unilocal’ers, reviews affect everyone in the business so be kind. It was not very nice of me, right? HOWEVER, I received an even not nicer message… This is a private message I received from Kyle K. who works at Wexler’s: (Emailed this message to management 10 days ago — zero response — guess they don’t care…)
DO YOU THINK THIS IS NORMAL (I put «*» on the bad words):
Look you dumb b**** don’t you know that good people’s (waiters, bartenders, small business owners, bus boys who may get % of tips, etc etc) can depend on Unilocal reviews? You give one star because a business decision was made to take off the chicken meatloaf sandwich? You are a dumb sow who pouts when you don’t get your way. There might be a very good reason to remove the sandwich. Perhaps you were the only fat a** eating it? Whatever the case a business doesn’t deserve a 1 star review because little miss h**bag can’t get her way. If I ever meet you I’m going take a real piss in your lemonade when you aren’t looking.

A friend of mine is crazy about Wexler’s. He gets the same thing every time and recommended that I do it too:
1. BBQ Scotch Eggs: Holy cow. So they’re scotch eggs with nice gooey yolks. But the «wrap» is made of burnt brisket ends instead of sausage. And they’re plated with a sweet tea gastrique and a house hot sauce that’s more of a chili paste. The flavors are killer. It’s a perfect scotch egg alone, but the smoke, sweet honey-​like gastrique, and heat from the chilis makes them amazing.
2. Mary’s BBQ Chicken Breast: My friend has raved about this chicken breast for years. Yes, a chicken breast. This is probably the last thing I’d order in a restaurant. But here at Wexler’s, it’s so good that you need to go there RIGHT NOW and get it. First, they smoke it for a while, then they pop it in the oven on super low, then they finish it in a pan for a nice crispy skin. Garnished with chopped up bits of what is essentially a chicken wing chicharron, the flavors and textures are out of this world. It’s juicy, super chicken-​y, smokey, amazingly tender, and has a nice complimentary crunch from the skin and the wing garnish. Hands down, the best chicken I’ve ever been served.
3. Bourbon banana cream pie. Banana flavor, banana pieces, rich caramel, salt, with bruleed banana slices on the side. I hate bananas, but I loved this dish.
I was a little surprised to see a 3.5 star rating for Wexler’s, considering how great my meal was. Maybe they don’t do everything as well as the staples I had, but I couldn’t care less. My meal was dynamite.

I like this place. Nice and cozy, not too crowed, great service, good food and drinks. I’ve had the banh mi sandwich and the rosé (both brut champagne and wine).
The bartenders were very kind.
The banh mi was also great, considering this is a BBQ place run by people who are probably not Vietnamese. I also liked the macaroni salad that comes as the sides.
Overall I think it’s a decent place. A bit pricey, but I’d probably come back again.

I’ve wanted to try Wexler’s for a while, but somehow always end up next door at Wayfare Tavern. This time, a group of my friends and I made a reservation and headed over. I was looking forward to Bbq, but rather than your average BBQ joint I found a very modern, typical CA restaurant (which isn’t a bad thing, it’s just surprising). The staff was all very nice, but they menu doesn’t have as many BBQ options as you would think. Actually, most of my party ordered fish. I wasn’t very hungry, so I ordered the honey biscuit and chicken liver mousse and a salad. My biscuit was super tasty, but by no means a really biscuit. And the salad was solid. I think everyone enjoyed their food and to finish off, we ordered 1 slice of each of their pies. The pear ginger was my favorite.
So bottom line, think of the as a southern BBQ inspired restaurant, rather than an actual BBQ restaurant. The food is good, and the price is that you’d expect from a downtown restaurant in SF. Overall, a fun place for dinner with a group.

Modern, cool, and chic.
Kind of a SoCal feel.
That’s the vibe I felt having lunch on a recent Friday. Arriving early for a 12:30 pm reservation, we waited a few minutes for our door front table. Studying Unilocal’s highlight section, I remembered two particular dishes: Scottish eggs and short ribs. Sadly, neither are offered on the lunch menu so here’s what we shared:
1) Smoked chicken wings (
) — Tasty good, decent flavor as I’m not a blue cheese guy.
2) Bowl’o’ red (
) — Short ribs being the main ingredient made this a must order. Meat was tender good though not a traditional version of chili. The toast was perfect for sopping every last drop of the sauce/​soup.
3). Beef brisket Banh Mi (
) — Figuring they are known for BBQ meats, this seemed the logical selection. Beef was tender good and nice balance with the pickled veggies and crunchy bread. Mac salad offered a good change of pace.
The service was prompt and efficient though a bit on the cool side. There was a steady flow of diners entering and departing this place, mostly comprised of local work staff. My only complaints are that the lunch menu is limited and many items are very similar.
Will be back hopefully to try those dinner highlights.

I didn’t even know this was a BBQ place, which I guess says a whole lot about this place already.
There’s a lot of hype about this place from my coworkers so I tagged along for a business lunch. That means I didn’t have to pay for it, since the company expensed it.
We started with their hot and spicy wings. Now let me say that I love Wingstop, so the fact that Wexler’s wings were small and not flavorful says a lot since my wing bar is so low.
The starter salad was also small and not flavorful.
Sad, sad, sad.
So what about their main food?
Sandwiches anyone? Because that seems to be most of their menu. Fish or chicken sandwiches, oh and the one off hot dog.
The fish sandwich was okay, same with the chicken sandwich.
Upscale prices for regular sandwiches.
And the sad dessert, the banana pie. It was okay but tasted flat. Like a lot of whipped cream and not much banana.
Hence the 3 stars. Can’t say I’m a huge fan of this place.

wexler’s was absolutely delicious. DELICIOUS!
i loved everything about it. just everything.
i went with our office. we had 2 vegetarians and they ordered the asparagus sandwich and they loved it. i ordered the chicken meatloaf sandwich and my friend ordered the brisket sandwich and we each shared a half. both were beyond words although the brisket was a teeny bit rich. the person sitting next to me had the fish sandwich and i just LOVED that. next time i’ll probably order the fish. it was breaded with some kind of corn meal thing. the sandwiches came with these home made spicy potato chips (amazing.)
the service could not be beat. we had handsome, charming waiters filling our water glasses every moment. they made sure every little thing was perfect.
oh yeah! dessert! (how could i forget?) we had the pear thing tart and the lemon something or other tart. there were 7 of us and 2 pieces of pie were just fine b/​c they were so rich and decadent.
it wasn’t too noisy, the décor was lovely and our group was graciously put in the back. a good time was had by all thanks to wexlers. we’ll definitely be back.

Wexler’s is the spot for high end barbeque and American cuisine with a twist right in the middle of Financial District. I came for lunch with a bunch of coworkers, and ended up having such a filling lunch that made work impossible for the rest of that afternoon.
I started with the warm chicory salad, which I had pretty low expectations for as salads are usually served cold. I was pleasantly surprised by the wilted greens and chicory that were tossed with roasted butternut squash, sauteed mushrooms, and pomegranate seeds. The ingredients meshed so well together, and it was a good way to open my palate. Based on recommendations, I ordered the flounder po boy. It was probably one of the best fish sandwiches I’ve had, with a huge slab of cornmeal crusted flounder that was crunchy on the outside but nice and flakey on the inside. The cole slaw and spicy tartar sauce was the perfect contrast, and the bread had just the right level of toast. My coworkers and I all shared a couple pieces of pie, but the highlight was definitely the banana cream pie. The crust was less buttery than I would’ve liked, but the cream was just right in terms of sweetness and banana flavoring. Their apple pie is also pretty unique as they add a savory element with the pepper. Overall, the meal was amazing and definitely a place to treat yourself for lunch. If you want to indulge, Wexler’s is probably the most guilt-​free way to do so, with fresh and carefully thought-​out dishes that are simply satisfying.

This place is pretty damn PRICEY! I mean $ 10 for a hot dog seems pretty outrageous to me! It tasted like bacon bits on top but I guess it was just a healthier selection or something! Oh and the banh mi was $ 15! It’s usually $ 2 at most places and probably 5x more authentic!
The meal came out really «pretty» though. As most would say, the food display was INSTAGRAMMABLE ;)
Inside of the restaurant was really nice! We sat on the bar and the bartender was pretty cool but also really quiet. I guess I am more use to friendly bartenders!
I would come here again for a nice date but the lunch menu selection is very limited. it’s definitely not a place you would go as a go-​to.

Came here for lunch with a colleague of mine. We shared two different sandwiches and a plate of smoked wings. We both agreed that we wouldn’t order a $ 15 Banh Mi. I’m used to paying $ 1.50−4 for a Banh Mi, but $ 15?! HOLY F X X K!!!
F O O D:
Pulled Lamb Sandwich with Pickled Watermelon Rind and Red Cabbage:
It was pretty sweet with the watermelon rind and extra watermelon dipping sauce. I think I will name this the meaty dessert sandwich with sweet n sour cabbage.
Smoked Chicken Meatball Sandwich with Peach Chutney and Uncooked Potato Wedges:
Really? Well, didn’t see any peaches in here or taste the chutney too well. Meatballs were on point and I could taste the smokiness. Bread was as tough as leather and difficult to chew and break apart. Maybe this would be better if the bread wasn’t ciabatta or serve it with a lettuce wrap.
Smoked BBQ Chicken Wings:
Nice presentation of 5 chicken wings with a few slices of celery and a small pond of sauce. That’s all for sauce?! Meh… I could have gotten a better deal for wings at Buffalo wildwings or something. Tasty but freaking overcooked.
S E R V I C E:
Like cattle, the wait staff herded us in, sat us down, and then herded us out within 53 minutes. Yes, I timed this. Waiters weren’t very friendly, didn’t care about what you ordered, and upon telling them we needed a little more time; they would make a sour face. Wings came out quick, but the sandwiches took forever. When we asked for more water, the waiter mumbled something and made another face. YOU CALL THIS CUSTOMER SERVICE?!
EXPERIENCE: Two Stars. I’d rather go to the food truck/​stand for Wexler’s than this overpriced s h i t down and wait place.

This is for a dessert review.
When I first walked it, I thought how simple this place looks and I could not have my board of directors meet here. It’s very informal. Wish I took a pic of the place. It’s just a long narrow place with table and chairs.
Im glad the dessert was yum but not memorable enough to come back.

My family brought me to Wexler’s for an early Father’s Day dinner, and we had a great experience. If you’re looking for a time to go when it’s not too busy, 5:30 on a Sunday night will pretty much do the trick. :)
We ordered a ton of things: the scotch eggs were really delicious (especially with the chili sauce). The octopus salad was nicely balanced. I ordered the pork plate, which that night was a few smoked ribs, a few big pieces of tenderloin, and a little bit of pork belly over some polenta. We finished with the peach pie, which was pretty fantastic, and the grasshopper pie, which was very minty, but not very chocolatey, so kind of a fail. The cocktails were quite good.
The service was spectacular. We’d actually made our reservation for the wrong night, but the hostess accommodated us anyway (again, 5:30, so there was plenty of room), and the waitress and bartender were both very friendly. My daughter is very young, and they offered her a hot dog, which I thought was a nice option (and ended up being a damned good hot dog).
I’m ashamed to say that we ordered too much food. Everything looked really fantastic, and I thought the portions would be smaller than they were. But we had some great leftovers to remind us of our visit. Will definitely be back.

The best way to describe Wexler’s is as a Cajun-​Thai sandwich place.
The food is no joke. Tried the fish po boy, which was great, but the wings… oh, man. I am not a big meat eater and typically stay away from chicken but these were finger licking good. The most delicious, flavorful marinade and yummy blue cheese sauce!
This place isn’t cheap (I think you’re looking at around $ 15 for sandwich), but the sandwich could easily last you two meals.
Overall, if you’re looking to indulge a bit on lunch in the Fi-​Di, I’d recommend it!

Double smoked pork chop and a smoked manhattan.
Enough said.
The pork chop was a special… it was awesome. I sat at the bar, was in town for business, the bartender was a good dude.
I’d go back for sure.

A well executed classy BBQ spot. I love my down-​to-​earth BBQ too, but there are too many places in SF trying to making the transition into what Wexler is actually pulling off well (like Hi Lo BBQ).
I’ve often walked by here and loved the rolling, black, spine-​like art piece that goes across the whole ceiling to their covered entrance. Turns out it’s meant to represent the black smoke (they have a smoker, and there’s definitely a «smoked» theme to the menu that you’ll quickly notice).
Fairly easy to make a reservation a week ahead of time for 7pm on a Saturday. The restaurant was full but not crowded, classy-​casual.
SERVICE: Our server was really sweet, made great recommendations, and took great care of us.
COST: About $ 240 total (incl. tax/​tip) for 5 drinks, 2 apps, 4 entrees, and 2 desserts. More than enough for 4 people — we definitely had leftovers.
MUST-​HAVES: Scotch Egg (esp if you’ve never had it), Chicken Liver Mousse, Short Ribs, Banana Cream Pie.
COCKTAILS
Menu:
* Mission Dolores (tequila, bitters, grapefruit syrup, smoked salt/​sugar rim. $ 10) — 4 stars
Great bittersweet grapefruit flavor, very well balanced. A little sweeter than I was expecting (especially the sips at the beginning b/​c of the rim), but it gets better as you go.
* Wexler’s Smoked Manhattan ($ 10) — 3 stars
Not too much of a standout — my bf had it and just wasn’t super impressed. He also tried the bartender’s special that night and it wasn’t memorable either.
Dinner menu:
APPETIZERS
* BBQ Scotch Eggs ($ 14) — 4 stars
pic:
cross-​section:
Very tasty, and the house made hot sauce and sweat tea gastrique gave the eggs unique sharp flavors. Love the contrast of the thick, hard breading on the outside and the soft gooey egg on the inside.
* Smoky Chicken Liver Mousse ($ 13) — 4.5 stars
Liver:
Bread:
The bread came on a separate plate — very porous, thick, toasted. The liver was great, soft & tasty, and loved it with the carrot gelée, sweet & sour vegetables, & violet mustard. My bf hasn’t really been impressed with liver before and really liked this one.
ENTREES
* Smoked Short Rib (w/​beets, horseradish, mashed potatoes. $ 25) — 4 stars
pic:
Tried a bit of my bf’s, soft and tasty tender meat. Lots of smoky BBQ flavor. The mashed potatoes had a wonderful velvety texture.
* Green Olive Crusted Black Cod ($ 25) — 3 stars
pic:
Maybe at a BBQ place, the fish isn’t going to be the best choice. The texture of the fish was soft, but I found it a little bit rubbery, each slice kind of sliding off one another and more snapping apart than tender, where your fork will slice easily into it. The veggies underneath were underwhelming and bland in flavor.
DESSERTS
* Spiced Pear Pie (w/​crème fraîche. $ 8) — 4.5 stars
pic:
Very rustic, homemade feel to this. Love the subtle spices with the sweetness of the pear. Really thick and crumbly upper crust, also a thick (and a little dry and hard to cut through) bottom crust. The crème fraîche was very thick, yet light, and wasn’t too sweet — great for adding texture. I have to qualify my review by saying my bf liked the Banana Cream Pie *much* better — he thought this Spiced Pear Pie was too dry.
* Bourbon Banana Cream Pie (w/​dulce de leche. $ 7) — 4.5 stars
pic:
A good contrast to have w/​the spiced pear — this one’s more smooth, more sweet. On the scale of banana cream pies in general, this definitely has more cream than banana, but it’s also great in its own way.

Nett gemachtes Lokal und sehr leckeres Essen — kommen gerne wieder…

This place earns 4 instead of 3 stars solely based on how remarkable the Banana Bourbon Cream Pie and the BBQ Scotch Eggs were. Wowza.
The ambiance is trendy & modern and the service is friendly and helpful. But aside from the two aforementioned dishes, none of the entrees we tried were noteworthy. I had the Pork plate which included pork belly and pork loins. The pork belly was good but not great (try Bouche for a mindblowing pork belly entrée) and the pork loin was too dry and flavorless. My friend ordered the Chicken Liver brioche and it was simply okay — the bread that accompanied the liver added more flavor than the actual chicken liver itself. Huh.
But having said that, I absolutely wholeheartedly and wholebellyly enjoyed the BBQ Scotch Eggs appetizer and the Bourbon Banana Cream Pie dessert. As someone who shys away from bananas, I was shocked at how incredible this pie tasted. It’s creamy, textured like mousse and literally melts in your mouth. The flavor is so powerful that I can’t even begin to describe it. Let’s just say I was in paradise for the whole minute it took to ravage that thing. As for the eggs, they’re fried to perfection for a crunchy exterior and liquidy interior. It’s a one of a kind appetizer.
I’d recommend coming to Wexler’s primarily for drinks, appetizers and desserts but not necessarily for a full three course dinner. It’s located in the heart of FiDi so it’s very convenient as a post-​work venue.
Happy Eating, Unilocalers!

It twas the last day of an epicurean adventure through the streets of San Francisco and we were confronted with a challenge: where do we eat? After all, we had dined at some of the best restaurants in the area and a plethora of cultures. Here comes Unilocal to the rescue and thank goodness, because it was one of the best meals that I had.
The Scotch Egg was definitely a hit with the bbq sauce and the hot sauce adding just a hit of heat. Its burnt ends was definitely different but offered a much welcomed twist and the crunch that I was needing. The broccoli with roasted potatoes and Parmesan was a welcomed side to the smoked short rib that was served with braised cabbage and mashed potatoes. Its tender meat wasn’t extremely tender, however the layer of fat brought out the saltiness and the beefy flavors of the meat.
The plate of pork is definitely not something to miss with a fantastic piece of pork belly that had the right balance of tender belly and crispy skin while the loin was moist and the sauce a great addition. The Chicken Liver Mousse with the toasted brioche was definitely a highlight and a must-​have. While the fact that your eating liver might be a turn-​off to many, it is not to be overlooked with the right balance of the iron and sweet onions and cream blending together in a beautiful harmony that made me think that fireworks were exploding in my mouth.
Be sure to check out the craft cocktails depending on your poison. Their smoked manhattan was quite refreshing with the combination of vermouth, bourbon and the right hint of smoked bitters. The vesper is a try if citrus and vodka happens to be your thing.
The ambiance is intimate and contemporary with a beautiful wood piece running down the center of the restaurant. It’s interesting mix of contemporary and traditional chandeliers with the natural wood tables put you at ease whether you are with a group of friends or on that intimate date. Service was stellar from start to finish. Our table wasn’t immediately available, but they welcomed us and kept us up to date and comfortable while the service team made sure our water didn’t go empty. They also clearly knew their menu from the bar to the entrees and kept food arriving in a careful orchestration that allowed us to enjoy each course.
While a hidden find in the financial district, it definitely was worth the trek and is definitely on my list of places to hit up when I happen to be in San Francisco.