Fierro en Guerra

EDIT 1÷18÷07: The other day, I received a PM from Harris, the owner. Apparently, the business isn’t working out for some reason, and he’s decided to close down Fierro for good. I didn’t ask for details, but I’m hoping future business prospects work out for him.
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It’s yet another great find through Unilocal.My only real gripe is for them to work out the kinks with their menu. I overheard the staff ask one another several times whether they had certain food available, including macaroni and cheese, which is what I had really hoofed it all the way there for. I was also charged $ 1 less than what was stated on the menu, not that I’m complaining…
Rugs hide the cold, concrete floor below, with the rest of the décor being very patio-​like. Seat yourself inside on one of their padded basket weave chairs and listen to their eclectic range of music. On a sunny day, sit out front and watch as the cable cars pass by.
Service was exceptional – friendly and hospitable in every way. For me, cafes aren’t so much about the food (though, they do have other tasty sounding dishes), as they are about the atmosphere and the service, which is where Fierro en Guerra excels. So, while I wasn’t wowed by the food (the mac n’ cheese was a tiny portion of mac n’ grease; for $ 5, Myth Café serves up a better dish), I see this café as having a lot of potential. It’s unfortunate that it can easily be missed. Luckily, Unilocal serves as an outlet for these more obscure places to gain more business.

Fantastic location. Hidden gem. Such a cute, cozy Euro outdoor patio, lush green feel. A great use of space.
The soups I’ve had were amazing. The coffee is super high quality. I love the way they’ve chosen to serve it too. Be patient– it’s drip (and I’m not talking about Mr. Coffee maker). A great variety of teas I’ve never heard of (luckily the staff is knowledgeable). Paninis are great too. Good combinations of spreads, veggies and meats.
There’s no other place in the city that feels like this café. Harris, the owner, is doing it right!

yes. yes. yes.
update: he so had it right and this still kills me.

I love this place. I hope they make it.

I love this place. Try the peanut butter and banana panini, and the pear salad. Wide variety of aromomatic teas. The service is casual and friendly. Very homey. I hope this place makes it. I’m not to happy about the holiday hours as I work full days… but hopefully I will be able to go back when they go back to their normal hours.

Fierro en Guerra is a great addition to the neighborhood and I can definitely see myself becoming a regular here but my first experience left a lot to be desired.
My coffee was great but food was just ok-​I had the prosciutto sandwich which was supposed to come with lemon infused aioli but it appeared to be slathered with mayo instead. And the fries that came with the sandwich were luke warm (a huge no no in my book)
Service was really friendly but almost painfully slow. I’m not ready to give up on Fierro en Guerra just yet but I’m hoping things improve on my second visit.

Overall, a good experience: free wifi, good food, pretty seating, and a lovely break from ten million crêpe houses with chalkboard menus you may have been to in the last year.
Food: very good! We had grilled panini, hot from a back kitchen you don’t notice when you walk in, and they’ll happily substitute delicious little spring mix salads for the fries.
Drinks: the tea was indeed delicious, as the server promised us: very smooth. Apparently the maitre d. is a connoiseur of sorts. The mocha I had was disappointing: tepid, low on chocolate, and containing unannounced chili. What the hell?
Ambience: it’s winter now, and it’s co-​o-​old inside. We lost the armwrestle for the one space heater up front (they need to make you order those delicious pots of tea, right?), but look for it on your way in. The décor is slightly disappointing if you’ve been looking at the pictures: it’s all there, but kind of scruffy and lonely looking. I bet it’s a lot nicer on bright sunny days.
In addition: you know when you go to a café and the seating arrangement seems nice, but then the chairs are just a bit too far apart and you can’t quite sit back comfortably or the table is a bit too low and you have to half-​hover half sit on the edge of your seat? This place is like that. There’s also an enormous white wall that is dying to be populated with pictures and plants, but it will require my mother coming through and announcing it in a loud matter-​of-​fact voice to get that to happen, I suppose.

Update: For management — I was a little bummed that you weren’t open this morning for some morning coffee! Sunday morning seems like it would be perfect for you guys… alas, I’ll keep my rating at 4 stars though…
I just got back from this joint — grabbed some lunch and coffee while catching up on some reading. Great hidden spot that seems undiscovered, despite being on a busy street — probably not for long.
They play great tunes here, have some amazing coffee (apparently some brand that is super tough to get your hands on), and the food hit the spot. I had their Ham and Gruyère panini w/​side salad — tasty, grilled perfectly.
This is a great spot to relax and while away an afternoon — definitely recommend.

rich… bold…dense…full-body coffee… just what i needed this lazy saturday afternoon… just loung’n’…and relaxin’…slow down your life here… sit back… order a pot of coffee or tea…
simple menu… coffee…tea…or a light meal… great fries… really…they are… great pressed sandwiches… excellent grilled cheese sandwich… quality counts…

This café is my second and the better living room. Nice lighting, candles, perfect music… but better because they have great coffee, velvety cocoa, and a simple food menu prepared well. The french fries, paninis, soups rival all the best in town. ohhhh, and not to be forgotten is wireless access.
And your never bored in here.
the other day, this strange man walks into the café, sits down at the table next to me, stares, drinks a coca cola, walks out the café, returns a second later, wipes his fingerprints off and leaves. odd… did he just wipe his fingerprints off his glass???

i was very impressed today when i met a friend here for lunch. the owner/​host/​waiter/​counterperson took our order casually-​we split the pear salad and ham and gruyère sandwich, both spectacular. the salad was simple but flavorful, the sandwich a masterpiece with just the right amount of cheese, sauce and ham. the french fries served alongside the sandwich were just the right amount of garlicky-​salty goodness and my exotic tea-​lemonade fusion was on point. seeing as this is in my neighborhood i will definitely go back asap. i reccomend it to anyone who wants a tasty bite and a flavorful beverage, alone or with a friend.

Great find of a café through Unilocal!Thanks! Ventured here for brunch today and it was a lovely lil gem of a café. A smaller space café but very cosy with the natural skylight. We ordered the Grilled cheese sandwich with tomatoes and the ham and cheese gruyère panini. The Ham and cheese panini was amazing, so flavorful, crunchy crust on the outside and just the right amount of cheese. We shared a hot chocolate, was good but had a spicy kick to it. The owner mentioned that they were experimenting with the hot chocolate… overall, a great dining experience.

Oooohhhh… I’m so glad this place opened! I work only a few blocks away from here, so I’m ecstatic there’s finally a new lunch spot to try. Fierro en Guerra is a quaint, little lunch spot for salads, paninis, desserts, coffee and tea. There’s «outdoor» seating with a tent over you, so you’re not literally outside, but you have all the light as if you were without the wind. Although I really wanted something rich and fatty like the mac n’ cheese or grilled cheese panini w/​fries, I decided to go for an healthier option. I got the ahi mango salad. It was DELICIOUS! Slices of seared ahi tuna were spread over a fan of avocados and a pile mixed greens. The salad was also served with a side of fresh mango salsa. Real chunks of mango too! The dressing was a spicy wasabi mango. I loved every bite of it!
I’m coming back for sure to try the paninis and mac n’ cheese on the days when I really want to indulge!

Great little nook for doing some remote work during the day with free wifi, great coffee, and one of the best tuna melts this side of Tartine.

This place is magic, it’s so easy to walk right by without noticing it but if you step inside you’ll find a classy vibe that’s unique in this town. Beautifully furnished and laid out, and bright and airy even though it’s very small, the place has a distinctive vibe that feels like a gathering place somewhere in the Caribbean or the Mediterranean. Free wi-​fi too so it’s a great place to get work done in the afternoon or to get a bite in the evening. The staff is friendly and cool and they play great tunes. Worth a visit.

Even though I walk past this place nearly every day, I had no idea it existed until I read about it online. Even when I knew its address, I had to look hard because the café is wedged in the space between two buildings. They have an interesting variety of coffees and their food is OK too. The Elderflower soda makes a nice change from your typical Italian soda syrups.
Unfortunately the two times I’ve been there it’s been fairly empty. Also, for some reason I have a mental block on this café’s name. When referring to it, my husband and I call it «that tiny café by the Lumiere.»

The name of this cozy lil’ spot comes from the motto on the flag of San Francisco, which depicts a phoenix rising from the flames. Below the phoenix is the inscription «Oro en paz. Fierro en guerra» — Gold in Peace, Iron in War. Dunno how that applies to nutrition, prolly in some beautifully oblique and allegorical way.
Anyway, the café sports a prodigious selection of caffes and an nice mish-​mash of well-​made comfort-​y food. The décor is welcoming and the service (by the owner) was warm and congenial. Once they get all their liquor license paper work in order, the back loungey area has some good potential! 5 Stars!

UPDATE 1÷18÷07: Oh, how sad… They closed. :-(…
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After my burger at Slider’s I needed a nap… but, I had some shopping to do, so I went to Fierro en Guerra for an espresso. Very sweet little place. Very european. It was empty tho… I know they have not been open long, but it’s such a interesting café with so much potential…
Sitting there all alone, with my espresso, I imagined it filled with writers, poets, artists, thinkers… A tinge of smoke in the air… Heated debates and wild encounters… I imagined evenings filled with moody quiet jazz from a band playing in the corner infusing the place with a sullen melodic air…
Gosh, do those places exist? I finished my espresso and woke up from my little day-​dream… Back to reality.
I handed the barrista $ 1.50 and headed off to do my shopping…

Beautifully put together (and a smoking section out front!) but they definitely have a few kinks to work out. I have a good hunch it will get better once they’ve been open longer.
The coffee was better than Espresso Roma but not as good as Quetzal and the staff was kind of snippy and distracted (stress probably).
I’m still trying to assess if the pretentiousness level is right for what it is.

amazing green pea (not split pea) soup and grilled cheese sandwich. cool european style café, with ivy covered entry way for semi-​outside seating. a great place to grab an afternoon or evening meal before watching an indie film at the Lumiere — they’re open till 10pm. welcome to the «russian nob» hood!