Foundation Cafe

One of many places which is giving Seattle a run for it’s money on truly great coffee spots.
The drip coffee here is unremarkable, but this is more then redeemed by it’s espresso, latte and particularly it’s sherpa offerings.
The sherpa coffee is coffee made nepali style, with coconut oil, clarified butter, and vanilla bean. If you like a dirty chai, you’re gonna like this. Comes with mint by request if you want to cut the rich fattiness down a bit.
The food-​lunch and breakfast only-​is on the slow food model. artisan items of high quality. Baked items such as scones, and biscuits appear to made on site.
They’re good but sometimes they’ll run out of items if you don’t get there early.
I like how in addition to the usual sweet offerings, they also offer savory. For example the toast comes in sweet (banana with nutella) and savory (ricotta cheese and avocado) variants.
Coffee and a breakfast item will run you around ten bucks depending on what you get.

I thought I would give this place another try but I’m done. I got the fried chicken banh mi in a wrap and the chicken was dry and the batter on the chicken fell right off. Take a look at my picture and see for yourself. Chicken isn’t even that expensive! Is it so hard to get some appetizing chicken these days?

My coworkers and I go here at least 1 – 2 times a week for lunch. It is a great, healthy option, albeit a bit expensive. My favorites include the kale ceasar (with tofu — delicious!) and the Jimmy Churri sandwich if I’m feeling a bit more hungry.

I really enjoyed a catered lunch from Foundation Café at a work conference last week. It’s so difficult eating healthy when you’re away, and especially when menus tend to be preset to accommodate a large group. The salad bar that Foundation put together was fantastic and much-​appreciated. I loaded my plate with healthy veggies plus fresh avocado, grilled chicken and parmesan cheese for protein and taste. The balsamic dressing was absolutely delicious. I will likely seek this place out on future visits to San Francisco for a healthy lunch.

You’d think that salad would be the last thing people want to eat these days, but during a work conference where most of our meals were catered, Foundation Café hit it out of the ballpark! They brought in a make-​your-​own salad bar with everything from lettuces to cheeses to vegetables to bacon. Surprisingly the homemade guacamole seemed to be the clear winner of the toppings popularity contest. I work at a place where we get to eat lots of fun things, so having a healthier choice made for us was lovely.

TL;DR — Maybe a good option if you work in the area, but definitely not worth a trip on its own.
Weekday lunch in fidi there’s sooo many options, but we walked by here and decided that the line was indicative of a good lunch. I was super unimpressed. The service was lackluster (understandable since it seems like the main service is the lunch crowd).
We got the fried chicken banh mi ($ 10) the california donburi ($ 8.5) and a sherpa coffee.
The food was ok, kinda pricey for what it is, but again, understandable for the location.
I guess the main reason for the two star review would be the fact that the sherpa coffee was watered down. We heard the guy behind the counter say to BOH that there wasn’t enough coffee and he actually ended up just filling the other half of the cup with water. Yes… water.
Seriously? 4 bucks for watered down coffee? Sadly, they use four barrel but what we got tasted worse than Starbucks (yeah, I went there) If you’re out of coffee, you’re out. Either let me know so I can change my order, or tell me how long the wait for more coffee will be. Don’t just try and «play» the customer.

Now, Foundation Café seems like one of those spots that isn’t going to be cheap, but is going to be worth it for what you pay.
We actually did not try the spot, but instead, they catered a conference. And woah! It was a make your own salad bar that went all out. And I mean all out, different types of lettuce, peppers, bacon, cheeses, veggies, even homemade guacamole if you were feeling that. It was so good and I could have ate from this bar all day, but sadly, all the food ran out. And there was a ton of food.
If nothing else, that shows just how good this spot way.
If you’re looking for a different spot to cater a lunch than you might normally get, look no further. It is impressive.

I think you have to look a certain type of way or be a regular to be treated like a person. Whatever not coming here ever.

A bit pricey, but so so delicious.
Line goes out the door during lunch hour but thats because their sides are delish. The baby kale salad with chicken and tofu green goddess dressing: BOMB.
The kale, dressing, avocado, and omygoodness the fresh roasted corn. YUM.
Thought the line is long, the wait isn’t too bad!

If you’re looking for a crew to dampen your morning with awful attitudes, here’s your place.

I got here right at 11. There was no line and it took them over 15 minutes to make my kale salad. By then my 30min lunch break was nearly over. I looked over and saw one of the employees packing a huge order. I work in the service industry and I know that surely they could have bumped me ahead.

Friendly Folks with a convenient location on my way to the Financial district.
This place is Small, Hip, yet not so pretentious like most of the new coffee cafes popping up everywhere. This place RULES.
Great Coffee, fresh quick easy fresh foods. I myself enjoy the Savory sour dough toast riccotta, avovado, Lemon with a egg on top. So delicious and not expensive.
They always remember my name and make me feel welcome. Something most of the cool hipster spots lack.
This one has it all.
Thanks for being open on my work route.

The sandwiches and salads are high-​quality and fairly creative. If you want something a little more special for lunch this is the place to go.
The cold appetizer/​vegetable options are okay, but nothing to write home about.
There is some community seating in the middle and a few tables but only really big enough for a group of four. The aesthetic/​style of the restaurant is industrial/​trendy and looks very well put together.
One issue is the wait time for you food, which can vary wildly. There is also not much room to stand/​wait for your food between the tables and people in line to order.

found this café on a whim while walking to work… was attracted by the esthetics of the small dining room, and excited by the creative menu. I ordered an iced vanilla bean latte and the California Donburi Salad ($ 8.50) with added grilled shrimp ($ 4) and was so happy! The shrimp was cooked and marinated perfectly, kimchi was light, and the plate was super satisfying. I will absolutely be back again, and look forward to sharing my next visit with a friend! Great option for a quick yet creative vegetarian lunch.

Avocado toast with a fried egg and top off with their homemade hot sauce! Go to morning breakfast in the city!!!

Been meaning to try this place for a while because they have Nitro Four Barrel Coffee on tap! At 7AM on a Thursday, the café was empty so I was in and out of there pretty quickly.
It’s $ 4.25 for a small cup, so it’s probably not something I’d get daily. It’s dark and has a beer head, similar to a Guinness. The drink is slightly bubbly and comes cold so there’s no need for ice. Definitely something worth trying!
They don’t offer small enough lids for the cup so if you take your coffee to go like I did, you’ll look like you’re drinking a beer at 7 in the morning. Hey, it’s 5PM somewhere.

I stopped here for a quiet cup of coffee on an early Wednesday morning and while I definitely love the café itself and the quiet moments you can have before the onslaught of the FiDi waking up, I found it a little pricey for what you get. I had their Four Barrel Nitro cold brew, which while delicious, set me back $ 4.25 for a teeny tiny cup (think «plastic cup that you find at the water cooler» size). So, if you do get the cold brew, sip slowly otherwise it’ll be gone in a heartbeat. The breakfast options look delicious and everything seemed like it was made to order. Foundation definitely gets busy as the morning goes on, so come early or call in your order ahead of time!

Everything I’ve eaten here has been delicious. I’m kind of sad they don’t have the beet salad anymore, but I’m excited to try their new dishes. If you like brussel sprouts you HAVE to try their Vietnamese Brussel Sprouts. I guarantee your taste buds will thank you.

Sometimes restaurants have good ideas (combining bahn mi flavors with fried chicken) but do a poor implementation of it. The fried chicken was really chewy at times and it was very odd but I loved their pickles. A good combination nonetheless.
I would trust their veggie stuff more than the unhealthy stuff.

While I seem to hold an innate aversion to the super boug, I have to say: I love this place! A few reasons: the design and décor is clean, modern, and intentional without seeming overly pretentious; there are a great many vegetarian options that can easily be made vegan (including incredible side salad possibilities); and the presentation of the foods is impeccable and attractive without seeming contrived. A tad pricey for lunch, so I only frequent very occasionally, but am a huge fan. Particular favorites: any pureed soup there, the beautiful and delicious beet salad, walnut green beans, and crispy eggplant wrap. So yum!