Gracias Madre has been on my «to-try» list for a long time. Many times I have chosen to eat at Urban Fish instead(just a few doors down), or at the many other delicious vegan restaurants in the Mission. I’ve been here twice now and both times I have been thoroughly impressed with the food and will definitely make more effort to eat here again! Between dinner and brunch, Brunch wins my heart over! The Chimichanga is seriously one of the most tastiest things I’ve ever had. It is a crisp fried burrito filled with savory beans, veggies, and fresh pico. It is drizzled with a creamy sauce and served with guacamole and more pico. It comes out hot, it warms your soul up, and you just can’t put your fork down even when you’re full. Pair it with a glass of mimosa made with Fresh Squeezed orange juice and all of a sudden everything is right in the world again. For dinner I had the Enchiladas. This one was good, but not sure if I’d order it again. It is served open face with plenty of bean, greens, and drizzled with a cashew cream sauce. It is definitely full of flavor, but I wish there was«more» to it. Maybe something like tempeh or tofu or something else. It seemed incomplete. However, the watermelon margarita filled any void I may have had while eating. Yumm. A few things here: –Most tables are communal. If you can’t hang, don’t dine. –Prices are bit higher, but you’re paying for quality ingredients, organic, vegan, fresh, and cooked to order. –Reservations are recommended! I didn’t have one and got lucky, but tables did fill up quickly. –Try the hot sauce! They are really really good!
Stephanie D.
Place rating: 4 San Francisco, CA
I pride myself in my carnivorous appetite. The only time I eat a salad is as a tummy warm up for my meaty meaty meal. or I’ll only eat vegetables as an accoutrement to my medium rare steak. Gracias Madre is the only place my palate makes an exception for. I’ve eaten at other vegan restaurants in the city, usually followed by an unbearable feeling of starvation 2 – 3 hours later. But the flavors at Gracias Madre are so rich that I savor each bite and disregard the fact that my meal is lacking an animal component. I always get the enchiladas con mole. The mushrooms are sooo delicious on top of the cheesy enchiladas that I can’t believe aren’t smothered in real cheese(it’s cashew cheese but still yummy). Even the sauteed greens are so tasty with its salty simplicity. I’m writing this review backwards because the appetizers always take the longest for me to decide. The flash-fried cauliflower is FANTASTIC and so are the brussels sprouts. I have the hardest time deciding between the two. The guacamole is good, fresh, and organic, but not a necessity for me. I’m satisfied with the two choices of salsa in the middle of the table. If you can’t decided on an entrée, the appetizer butternut squash quesadillas are a great option. Their take on salsa verde in this dish is so good, I put that shit on everything. Lastly, their drinks are just alright. I’ve tried their margaritas and their sangria, nothing spectacular. I just stick to beer and wine. Vegan option or not, this place is an excellent restaurant in general. If you come here once, it’s probably not going to be the last time. A tip: Try to reserve on opentable since the inside isn’t very large and the tables are communal. This place could get busy.
Morgen S.
Place rating: 5 San Francisco, CA
I have been waiting to try this place since moving to SF and it did not disappoint. The food was amazing, the bloody Mary’s spicy and the service so so friendly. My Omni boyfriend absolutely loved his chimichanga. Will be back again and again!
Angela P.
Place rating: 4 Washington, DC
One of the best vegan restaurants in San Francisco is Gracias Madre, a Mexican restaurant in the Mission District owned by the same owners of Café Gratitude. I first dined here when they opened in 2009 and was impressed, but not overly so. Asking around, it seemed like everyone regarded this as one of the top restaurants still, so I swung by to meet a friend for lunch on a Thursday. This restaurant is really stunning from it’s Mexican-style clay front to its huge wooden tables inside. We arrived right when they opened and were the first ones inside. I thought we’d get to choose from their incredible regular menu, but beware, there is a very pared down menu for lunch. I started by ordering a fresh green juice to cleanse my body from the night before. For lunch, I tried the Bowl Uno. This delicious meal was loaded with tempeh chorizo, black beans, guacamole, brown rice, and pico de gallo over lettuce and served with cashew cream. Additionally, their housemade sauces could be added, further increasing the flavor. This dish was so simple, yet so good. My friend ordered the Gorditas — lightly fried potato masa cakes topped with salsa verda, avocado, and cashew cream. He liked them just fine and I found them to be a nice light appetizer. That was all we had. My bowl was fairly expensive at $ 12 and the gorditas were too at $ 11. But, they do specialize in fresh, locally grown, organic ingredients so you get what you pay for. The service was fine and the food was good. I’d come back, but next time, it’ll be for dinner.
Natalie T.
Place rating: 4 Providence, RI
I dropped by Gracias Madre with my sister today for brunch, and I was happy with my experience! The service is fantastic — the staff is incredibly friendly and ready to help, and I really appreciated how well they all worked together and how nice they were to one another as well. I ordered the Chimichanga($ 15), a dish which I’ve never had before, and was pretty pleased with the experience. I’m not particularly partial to Mexican food — I don’t eat it often and it’s not my favorite cuisine, but I did enjoy the Chimichanga. The portion was a bit large; I ate half the burrito and called it a day. I was kind of disappointed that the brunch options were so limited(hence the four-star review) — I believe there were only four main dishes and maybe three or four appetizers/smaller breakfast dishes. I would’ve liked to try the butternut squash quesadilla that everyone was raving about, but I guess I’ll have to save that for next time.
Stephanie L.
Place rating: 5 Pinole, CA
Came here for lunch and need to come back! For our meal, the brussel sprouts, cauliflower, a quesedilla, and two different tacos. The Quesadilla de Calabaza will deliver a mouthgasm! The butternut squash adds the perfect amount of sweetness and richness, while the roasted pumpkin seeds add a delightful texture. Get the habanero sauce if you like spicy. It adds the right amount of heat and gives your food a smoky taste. For dessert, we enjoyed the Mocha Cheesecake and Flan. It blows my mind that the flan is vegan. Spot on! All vegan and all delicious!
Ces L.
Place rating: 5 Denver, CO
5 Stars. Wish I could give it a hundred more though. This place was one of the most unique and delicious places I’ve ever gone too. I came here while on a trip to SF and came highly recommended, both by word of mouth and Unilocal. My two friends and I got here around 11 on a Saturday morning and were seated immediately. So many incredible options for both food and for drinks. It was so hard to actually narrow down my options and make a decision for what to order. I got the avocado toast, and a coffee. Our table also split an order of the GF French toast as well as chips and guacamole. My avo toast was the bomb. I’ve made it at home but never seen it on a menu before(at least not in Denver.) The plantain French toast was also out of this world. I loved how many GF options there were and it was clearly indicated on the menu. When I go back to SF, I will be going back here!
Rob M.
Place rating: 4 Rochester, MI
Eating here could make you become a vegetarian… the food is that good. I had the floutas, which was great. The portion was a little small, though. My only recommendation is that they offer a different alternative than only cashew cheese– perhaps the tapioca based one would be nice for those with nut allergies.
Sunny C.
Place rating: 4 Oakland, CA
This place completely changed my misconception of vegan food! I’ve tried a few vegan places and they always ranged from just ok to not very good. All the dishes I’ve tried here were fresh and vibrant. Meat and dairy were not missed at all while I was dining here. I also didn’t feel the gross over indulged food coma/artery clog after the meal. Some reviews complained about the price, but the portions were pretty huge. Service was great as well.
Astrid V.
Place rating: 2 San Francisco, CA
First off, this chain doesn’t serve TEQUILA. My aunt was instantly in a bad mood from this alone, but she the jovial party everywhere she goes type so this sounds worse that it was. Point being that if you manage to make my Tia, probably the most fun person on the planet, upset, you’re not doing something right.(Please note the LA local does serve tequila) Second, wtf is an OPENFACEENCHILDA? LAZYTHAT’S WHAT. Plus it was the worst thing we ate. The food was ok. Not actually that tasty, as much of it was definitely blanded for the… clientel. Don’t get me wrong, I actually love vegan food, and my tia and I are both vegetarian, but this place was an overpriced travesty. There is plenty of delicious vegetarian and vegan friendly options in mexican cuisine without using kale and butternut squash(the squash was good though) once you subtract the animal products Mexicans like to add(like lard and consome). Why not use Celites(keh-lee-tehs) and calabazas? That cashew cream was a pleasant surprise, but when you’re pricing mexican food at three times higher than is actually necessary, you’re doing something wrong. Needless to say, I won’t be returning. I’m going to a place down the street that holds the animal and still tastes amazing without me needing an extension on my rent.
Crystal C.
Place rating: 5 San Francisco, CA
If I could bottle the smell from the kitchen at Gracias Madre and just have it at my house, I would surely entrance the entire neighborhood. If I could wear it as perfume… well that’s a different topic altogether. As a tried and true carnivore, I usually seek out restaurants that feature some meaty morsel, but, it being a new year and with my main resolution being more of a «yes person», I figured why not try something different and, dare I say, meatless? My lovely lady friends and I found ourselves at Gracias Madre last night after a drink at Cease and Desist and settled in to our tented table at the front of the restaurant. The heat lamps were on point and kept us all toasty even though we weren’t in the main space. This was a revisit for both of them, so they knew the menu well and ordered for us to share right away. We all had the White Sangria which was sweet and refreshing. For our appetizer we had the Papas al Horno which were simple and yummy: small halved red potatoes with a creamy cashew cheese sauce, garlic, and olive oil. Then we had the Flautas and the Tamale. I asked for the extra spicy hot sauce which made everything amazing. I kid you not, I couldn’t tell that there wasn’t meat in any of the dishes because the flavors were so bold and delicious. The refried black beans on the side of each of our dishes were aaamazing. Now, to talk about the service. Our waiter was the bee’s knees. This guy was so attentive, friendly, and sassy. We all loved him, but of course didn’t catch his name because we were just so enchanted by his demeanor, we could not bear making the conversation awkward by asking for something so silly as a name. He had these necklaces on that caught my friend’s eye, so if anyone knows who I’m talking about, give that man a thumbs up. It was his last month at Gracias Madre and he had such nice things to say about the restaurant and the other people working there, so I think that’s saying a lot. In closing, Gracias Madre is bomb diggiity if you’re looking for good food. If you can’t live without meat in one meal, I suggest eating meat right before or after, or sneaking some in in your pocket like the weirdo you probably are, so you can still enjoy this spot. It tickles my fancy and I will gladly be back soon.
Shalini P.
Place rating: 3 San Francisco, CA
I stopped by again with my dad to enjoy a delicious lunch. What I got was not delicious per se, but interesting… We ordered the guacamole corn tortillas as an appetizer, which was the best part of the meal. The guacamole was flavored really well with lemon and cilantro, and the corn tortillas were hand-crafted to perfection. I was as happy with them just as I was the first time I tried them. Now for the lentil bowl: it was weird. It had lentils, which got my mind geared towards it tasting like lentil soup or lentil curry: basically something savory. Instead, it tasted… sweet? Huh? It had this weird sweet pineapple sauce on top that made it unappetizingly sweet. I guess the only Mexican thing about it was the sliced avocado on top. Now for the pesto and black bean torta… it was okay. It didn’t have as much flavor as I wanted it to BECAUSE of the cashew cheese. I thought the pesto was okay, but I’ve made way better vegan garlic pesto before. I ended lunch with a horchata, which is a sweet Mexican drink made of steamed rice and almond milk. I didn’t like it. It was too sweet and milky. Overall, I would ONLY come back for the guacamole and corn tortillas, and maybe try the butternut squash enchilada, but other than that, I wouldn’t be too excited about eating any of their entrees.
Massimo P.
Place rating: 5 Cupertino, CA
I don’t like fake vegetarian chicken, or beef. I don’t want to eat a hamburger in a vegan restaurant. Gracias Madre is unapologetically vegan. The food was delicious. I tried the Gordidas, Tamal, Papas AL horno, and Cesar salad. Everything was very tasty, tons of cashew cheese, delicious sauces, the right amount of spice, served quickly. My meat eating 13 year old son gobbled up the guacamole and black beans in tacos.
Inês L.
Place rating: 2 Medford, MA
I guess in their defense, we didn’t have an entrée. We came for happy hour(which is cool that they even have) and ordered a bunch of everything and some drinks. We sat in the front and it was a bit cold and loud. The waitress was meh. Sangria too sugary. The plates were teeny tiny and just okay. Nothing really blew me away very much at all and I was a bit disappointed, kind of annoyed with the price of everything. The best part was the cashew crema on the quesadilla so if they could just sell that in a bottle, that’d be awesome.
Bryce B.
Place rating: 3 San Francisco, CA
As vegan Mexican food goes, Gracias Madre is pretty good. Granted, I have never had vegan Mexican before, so I really have nothing to compare it to. But, the flavors were fresh and vibrant, so much so that you almost don’t miss the meat. Almost. Recommend getting the gorditas appetizer, which here are made with both masa and potato. Light and crunchy. For an entrée, the sweet potato flautas and sopes are excellent choices. Less good is the flan, which while it has a similar texture to the traditional version, the flavor is decidedly bizarre. Presumably, nuts were used to simulate the dairy, much like with the cashew cheese and crema. Service is attentive and friendly, pricing is reasonably for the Mission.
Melissa C.
Place rating: 2 Newark, CA
I’ve heard nothing but great things about this place and have been wanting to try it for awhile! Finally I made the trip out with some open minded friends. The décor is absolutely gorgeous but what totally threw me off were the communal tables… ehhh, not really my thing. Especially for a place that has a pretty romantic vibe otherwise. We started with the guacamole. While fresh it was ultimately bland. Seriously, even a person who doesn’t cook can cut an avocado in half and mash it up! The small bland portion is definitely not worth the price(nearly $ 10). Tamales being my favorite Mexican dish it didn’t take long for me to decide what my main course would be. Their tamales were not good… at all. Too much masa, hardly any flavor and a little more on the«rubbery» side. One friend got the tacos while the other got the flautas. I was unfortunately underwhelmed in general with all their dishes. I do like that they use fresh local organic ingredients but it didn’t really shine through the dishes. Vegan food can be delicious but didn’t feel this place did it any justice. If you’re used to eating food without any seasoning/flavor you may enjoy this place.
Ziyan C.
Place rating: 4 San Francisco, CA
No wait on a Tuesday night at 7:30pm for two. They were still fairly busy and we sat at the bar. The service was great as always. We got… * Guac(4 stars — fresh, great chunks) * Cauliflower starter(3.5 stars — Interesting with the creamy sauce, but a bit heavy for me) * Bowl Dos(4 stars — Love the spicy peanut sauce. Lentils are a little undercooked, apple sauce is slightly out of place. Overall like a filling salad bowl with a unique kick) Quite pricey. All this came to $ 44 total including tax/tip. It ended up being mostly a dinner for one since my friend wasn’t too hungry and only had the guac. See my photos for additional details!
Steph D.
Place rating: 3 San Francisco, CA
I hate that I don’t love this place. The evening started out so right: we found a free meter right out front, they seated us at the bar immediately, and the ambiance of the joint was just so warm and inviting. I knew it would be vegan food before I got there, but for some reason«cashew cheese» didn’t register with me til I was almost trying to enjoy it, on an almost tasty open faced enchilada. My suggestion– flauntas. Enchiladas had tortillas that were too hard and a VERY big portion of kale. Not that I don’t like kale… But if I don’t get cheese, I need some sort of compensation. Mole sauce was only ok. Flauntas on the other hand. Amazing. We left feeling unsatisfied. Good thing Humphrey slocombe and all its dairy goodness was a short drive away.
Leslie S.
Place rating: 5 San Francisco, CA
Mind-blowing flavors in this place! We had the chimichanga for brunch — filled with black beans, red peppers and caramelized onions served with cashew cream & cilantro on top and guacamole & tiny pieces of fresh tomatoes on the side. Amazing presentation. This is basically a burrito made with a whole wheat deep-fried tortilla. It was so tasty, so fresh and filling! I looove to finish all dishes but I could not! Too bad, I was dying to try the cobbler! I’ll just have to come back ;-) All of the food here is vegan and grown on a local farm. How cool. The creams are homemade as well, with nuts :-) Anyone eating here without knowing it is vegan couldn’t guess that it’s actually vegan! The atmosphere was super cool, with a musician playing around the tables. Super friendly staff. Wait time after we ordered: less than 10 minutes. Loved it! Can’t wait to come back.
Mia S.
Place rating: 3 Saint Louis, MO
So. I thought this was some sort of a branch of the GM in LA. But it is not. We enjoyed the dishes we ordered at this restaurant. They were delicious and the portion was perfect! I was so full but comfortable. They have some unique stuff and I absolutely love that everything was vegan! However, I didn’t like the host or the service… It was just not that great… You’d think it would be a very hip, friendly and welcoming place but it doesn’t feel like that. Also, they make you share tables. I mean really? Is that necessary especially when the staff aren’t that friendly. Do I have to listen to other people’s convo? I dunno about that! I’d recommend ordering«to go» than dine in.
Aleksandra N.
Place rating: 5 Zürich, Schweiz
OMG I love that place! Was für ein unglaublich tolles Lokal — bio, vegan und mexikanisch. WOW! Hört sich traumhaft an und schmeckt auch so. Das Lokal war sehr voll, wenn man in einer Gruppe kommt, dann sollte man reservieren oder mit Wartezeiten rechnen. Ich habe es mir an der Bar gemütlich gemacht und hatte ein Date mit mir selbst. :) tut gut von Zeit zu Zeit! :D Jedenfalls bestellte ich Flautas, knusprig gerollte Tacos und mit Süsskartoffelpüree gefüllt. Mhmmmm soo so so gut. Dazu gab es Horchata, ein typisch mexikanisches Getränk, welches ich täglich trinken könnte. Sieht aus wie Milch, wird aber aus Reismilch und Gewürzen gemacht. Yummi, schmeckt mega lecker. Dessert muss bei mri sein. Ich hatte jedoch nicht wirklich Lust auf Kuchen, um so mehr aber auf die mexikanische heisse Schoggi. WOAH. Pure Schoggi und dann noch eine scharfe Prise. Hammermässig. Muss ich mal Zuhause ausprobieren. Hab es richtig genossen. Schokolade macht halt einfach auch glücklich. Unbedingt hingehen und probieren, das Essen ist ein Traum, der Service sehr nett! :)
Katja S.
Place rating: 5 Hamburg
Oh wow, das war wirklich ein toller Abend mit tollen Menschen. Vegan und Mexikanisch passte für mich zunächst gar nicht so zusammen, ich sollte eines besseren belehrt werden. Wir haben zusammen eine kleine Auswahl von der Karte bestellt, darunter«Quesadilla» mit einem Cashew Nacho Cheese, Enchiladas, frittiertem Blumenkohl und roasted potatoes. Ich kann jetzt nicht mit Bestimmtheit sagen, was genau überall drin war, aber eines weiß ich: das war super. Besonders gut haben mir die Quesadillas gefallen und generell waren die Gerichte einfach super gewürzt. Feurig, aber nicht zu scharf, so dass man die einzelnen Bestandteile noch wirklich rausschmecken konnte. Kein Wunder, dass der Laden so gut besucht ist, dass man sich erstmal einreihen darf, um einen Platz zu bekommen. Das ging bei uns aber erstaunlich flott, schwupps hatten wir ein Plätzchen zu dritt. Hier würde ich auf jeden Fall immer wieder herkommen.
Yuri P.
Place rating: 5 San Pablo, Estados Unidos
I went with my husband and kids to have dinner. The place was nice and clean. At first it took about 6 minutes to be greeted by our server but besides that the service was fast and good. The food was good i wanted to try different items so I ordered gorditas, flautas, tamales and for the dessert the pumpkin cake… i really like the food BUT the portion are kind small and expensive. I don’t live in San Francisco but I will go back next week to have dinner again
Amaury C.
Place rating: 5 Paris
Encore une adresse qui m’avait été chaudement recommandée par un ancien san franciscain, et avec 4 étoiles de moyenne et presque déjà 1200 avis sur Unilocal,on était plutôt confiants. Nous y sommes allés un Vendredi soir, et la renommée de l’endroit est tout de suite vérifiée, il nous aura fallu attendre 30 minutes pour avoir une table Ce n’est pas plus mal, ça nous laisse le temps de déchiffrer la carte et de découvrir que ce restaurant mexicain est non seulement végétarien mais aussi végétalien: il n’y aura donc pas de viande au menu de ce soir ! L’ambiance est assez bruyante mais en même temps on est vendredi soir, il y a des groupes qui fêtent un anniversaire, il me semble même qu’il y avait un musicien Tout ça se passé dans une décoration moderne et chaleureuse(presque scandinave dans l’esprit), on est bien loin du kitsch de certains restaurants mexicains Pour accompagner les margaritas et se réchauffer progressivement on part sur une assiette de totopos: un genre de volcan de nachos comme celui dévoré quelques jours avant à Las Vegas mais en version beaucoup plus classe quand même ! Ensuite on partage des très bons quesadillas de camote(la garniture fait très purée mais attention de la bonne purée quoi, bien goûtue !) ainsi que des enchiladas con mole avec purée de black beans top et champignons Au final 65 $ pour 3 bonnes margaritas et 3 assiettes pleines de saveurs, c’est bien cuisiné et ça se sent !
Kate V.
Place rating: 3 San Francisco, Estados Unidos
Gracias madre por las enchiladas deliciosas… pero, la comida vegana Mexicana me da «gas» :(.
Sky L.
Place rating: 5 San Francisco, Estados Unidos
I LOVE gracias madre. The food is amazing.
Rena T.
Place rating: 5 Long Beach, Estados Unidos
Two words: Truly Remarkable! Gracias Madre isn’t just great organic, vegan Mexican food … it’s great food. Period. And so I say, GRACIAS, Gracias Madre!
Mark G.
Place rating: 4 San Francisco, Estados Unidos
I think that Gracias Madre has the best corn tortillas I’ve had in San Francisco. The problem I have with Gracias Madre is that it is very expensive, $ 5.00 for a small horchata? However, everything is organic and you do get a lot on your plate with the entrees(I couldn’t finish the enchiladas, so I took them home for later) The verde agua fresca is so far my favorite and I love their elote, but next time I will ask for the cashew cheese on the side The only other complaint I have about them is that they don’t change up the sopa del dia enough for me, I’ve been going there for the last couple months and every time I ask them what the sopa del dia is they always say«cream of cauliflower»(don’t you ever make any other vegan soups??) Also, one weird thing, for a Mexican restaurant they don’t serve chips to go with the guacamole or salsa,(they don’t even have chips on the menu as a side) you have to buy tortillas or tostadas if you want for the salsa