I swear I didn’t even plan it this time. My friend Kim and I were running an errand in the Dogpatch area of San Francisco and wanted to grab brunch afterwards. We actually tried to go to Serpentine, but it was going to be at least a 30 minute wait. Instead, we wandered down 22nd Street to Just For You Cafe.
I had been there before, so I could already vouch for the food, and then it dawned on me…J week. Perfect!
It’s kind of got the diner/greasy spoon atmosphere going, but the food is outstanding. (Plus, they serve Mexican Coke…which I love). I appreciate the signs on the walls like “We reserve the right to pour coffee on your cell phone” and “We love your baby, not your stroller.”
There’s a lot of Louisiana influence on the menu (and on the walls…note the LSU championship flags). With that in mind, whatever you do…do NOT miss the beignets. They are the star of the menu. They are delicious pillows of fried dough dusted with a heavy hand of powdered sugar. Drizzle some maple syrup on top, and trust me, you’ll be in heaven. A word of caution: they are HUGE. We opted for the “3 for $4.75” option (I’m a sucker for a good deal), and it was A LOT in addition to all of the other food we ordered. That said, we cheerfully finished all three of them.
Being crab season and my affinity for hollandaise sauce, I was tempted by the Crabby Bennie. But unfortunately, they make their crab cakes with bell peppers. (For those who don’t know me well…I HATE, HATE, HATE bell peppers. But I digress.) Instead, both of us got the Huevos Rancheros with New Mexico Hatch Chile Green Sauce. As you know from my Enchiladas Verdes post, I love green sauce with green chiles. This did not disappoint, and as indicated by the ¡YOWZA! marking on the menu…it was a little on the spicy side. But I love spicy, and I thought it was perfect. You can get corn or flour tortillas…and both seemed to be made in-house or locally, and we both enjoyed them equally.
And because it wasn’t enough with the eggs and beignets, I also got a side of chicken apple sausage, which is made locally at Zoe’s Meats. Perfect accompaniment to our feast. Just For You is a little off the beaten path, but it’s totally worth it, especially if you’re in the area. Just make sure to check your strollers, cell phones, and attitude at the door!
SharksFanEsq
December 5, 2011 at 6:37 amI live in So Cal but lived in the City for years and visit as often as I can. Not living in the City makes it difficult to stay abreast of new great restaurants. I visit your blog on a regular basis and jot down your restaurant recs and recipe ideas. Just wanted to say great blog! Keep up the good work!