Grubstake

TL;DR This place deserves high marks for excellent mastery of the grill in the wee hours of the morning.
Do you know how hard it is to find a restaurant in the city open past 11? We went here last night (er, this morning) and enjoyed the wings and mushroom cheeseburger. Full disclosure, we were slightly intoxicated, but these were the best wings I’ve had in the city! The server explained that they are baked, marinated, then grilled — so basically no shortcuts taken here. My burger totally hit the spot, and when I come here again I will be ordering it.

Word on the street is that this place might get changed and rebuilt. Knowing this I headed down quickly to make sure I could give this place a whirl before it was too late. I’ve got lots of reverence for places that have been around this long and wanted to pay last respects if what I heard was true.
Its easy to drive past this little treasure… I’ve been doing it for years. It has towering buildings nearby and quietly sits aiming to please. You’ve had a few on Polk St and this is your next stop… and a good choice as they are open till super late… Even local police eat here — they know whats up… A few came in as I ate… Endorsements from SFPD.
Once you get inside you will see the main dining area decorated with greens and what I remember to be some hanging grapes. To the right is the the bar and a few more tables in the old rail car. Ambiance couldn’t be better — you will immediately see this place is special. Below the bar are some black and white tiny tiles. Behind the bar lots of bottles to look and a TV recapping highlights of the latest Warriors game. Old nostalgic music plays in background. Also in view is the food safety score which is as great as their ambiance here. Sitting at the bar in the old cable car is such a nice place to be. You can even peek in the kitchen and watch them at work depending on where you are at. Its better than watching reruns of Julia Child.
My turkey burger had lots of flavor from the mushrooms, cheese and their special hot sauce. Toasted bun had a light crunch. Vegetables nicely cooked and lightly seasoned. Apple crumble cake AWESOME! Warm, nice crust. Apples well cooked… and a few peppermint leaves. Order with a scoop of ice cream for a dessert that stands strong among even the best bakeries in the city… and I would know… I’ve tried most of them.
There was an unhappy Unilocaler who left a recent negative review for a take out order. Don’t go take out route here — that is just plain silly… come in this restaurant. One of the big attractions is ambiance… the other big attraction the late night hours. Furthermore, this Unilocaler ordered fries and a burger and then complained it was greasy… of course its greasy!!! If you are worried about bikini season order a turkey burger and steamed vegetables like I did… see my photo receipt. So many options here — some lighter than others. I will never understand people who get what they ask for and then complain. If anything, for her, the one biggest place to complain was the Nascar delivery driver who apparently threw her burger around.
Seriously, this is the best place ever to go after a night at the local bars. The server, Paul, couldn’t have been more attentive and friendly. Food variety/​menu is huge. If you don’t get something you like you just need to let somebody who knows you better than yourself order for you — maybe mommy or a boyfriend. And if food gets all over you when you eat… wear a bib… and remember messy burgers are merely bragging rights. Thats how they should be.

I had a very good experience at a late night. I ordered the 10oz NY steak with fries and it was wonderful. A great steak of a month of mine. The atmosphere is very good. I love how oldies the restaurant looks. The service is nice. The waiter is very friendly and kind. Will have another visit! Cheers!

We tried the wings and soup. The chicken wings were so delicious! The skin was light, they were baked to perfection and well seasoned. We arrived at midnight right before the drunks came in the door so we got seated right away! I can see this place definitely getting packed after 1am. Again, I’m writing this review off of the chicken wings Mainly… Get the wings or get out!

Tried to eat at this place cause I had heard that the food was good. The manager who says his name is, JC, left us waiting for over 40 mins. When we asked about being seated he grabbed pple that just showed up to seat them. Crazy, when I asked about our seating he laughed at us. What kind of service is this???

I ordered a Grubstake burger recently and when it was delivered to my house it was just a huge, sloppy MESS. First of all, they placed the entire burger on top of the lettuce, tomatoes, and onions; so the moisture from the veggies made the bottom bun extremely soggy, causing it to just fall apart in my hands… and all over my lap.
Secondly, I’ve never had such a greasy burger & fries in my life. You know that weird feeling that lingers in your mouth after you eat greasy food? Yeah, it’s been over 24 hours and I still have that feeling. Gross. It’s hard to mess up such a simple dish and I’m really not a picky eater either, but this was just too much.

Just ordered food for delivery. It was on time.
I payed 6 dollars for a side of onion rings, they where smashed into the box with my Philly cheese steak, and they layed the tomatoes and lettuce on top of the 5 rings they gave me, leaving them soggy and inedible. Super disappointed. Sandwich was ok, but the amount of meat in the sandwich was skimpy for the 13 dollar price tag. Potatoe salad was good but had no salt. Not going to reorder from here again.

Amazing! Loved it! We had the caldo verde, bacalhau à gomes de Sá, bife com ovo à cavalo and carne de porco à alentejana. The carne de porco à alentejana wasn’t exactly like it’s done in Portugal cause it was missing clams and the meat wasnt chopped. Everything was delicious and the staff was good.

First time here since it was sold to new ownership. I literally had soup (caldo verde) and a beer (Sagres). 2 hours later I start getting sick and days later I still am. Doctor tells me it’s food poisoning from the last thing I ate before I got sick… won’t be back here again.

You know those personal letters that people write when making offers on homes in hot markets? The ones that tell the current owner how much the bidder loves their home just as it is? How they’d never dream of changing anything? Those letters that tug at the heartstrings and sway owners to sell to you even though the offer might not be the best? Never believe them.
Consider this:
In a SF Chronicle article from 7÷15÷15 Grubstake’s current owners announced their retirement and the sale of the business to fellow restaurant owner, Nick Pigott. The owners were quoted as saying «We’ve had offers, but they all wanted to knock it down and put condos here. We really wanted to keep it Grubstake».
The new owner vowed «We’re going to take over and run it as is», «nobody is going to notice a difference», and «the biggest message we want to convey is that nothing is going to change».
You know where this is going.
Cut to the SF Chronicle headline of 4÷13÷16: «New Grubstake Owners Move Forward With Condo Plan». Yes, there’s a plan to have something called Grubstake be on the ground floor of that condo building but not before the existing thing is completely closed and demolished. Not before there’s 15 new housing units atop it. Not before it’s redesigned by D-​Scheme.
Whatever promises the new owner has made about keeping today’s menu and hours are, I imagine, as good as those he made to the previous owners and what I mean by relaying all of the above is this: If you want to go to a place that’s part of San Francisco history go now. Grubstake has been around since 1937 and owned since 1989 by the previous owners. It’s one of the few places around that’s open until 4 a.m. Some may think Guy Fieri put it on the map in 2007 but they’re wrong. It’s been a long-​time late night haunt (Harvey Milk used to come here) that probably would’ve been better served without a visit from the Food Network star.
Being featured on Food Network might lead people to believe that there’s something magical going on in Grubstake’s kitchen. Not. What’s magical is their hours. The food is and always has been that which sits nicely atop a stomach full of booze and what-​not, consumed post-​clubbing. I hate to think of anyone setting out for Grubstake at times other than late night. It’s no destination restaurant.
Eggs, sourdough, and home fries run about $ 9 and do the job they’re meant to. Same with a BLT and onion rings. Nothing about the food will cause you to crave it again on another day except if you’ve been partying like it’s 1999 (RIP Prince) and aren’t quite ready to head home.
I like Grubstake. I even like how appealing their retro menu (burgers, sandwiches, all day breakfasts and — go figure — Portuguese food) is when one is feeling famished. I’m not out clubbing anymore but a 2016 equivalent brought me here and I left fully satisfied despite somewhat MIA service.
If you want to experience a timeless place before time wipes it off the map pay a late night visit now. And despite what anyone puts in writing, when it’s time to sell your biggest asset, always pay attention only to the bottom line.

It was very hard finding a restaurant that is still open after 9pm. They were open — fantastic!
The meals are very generous. Water is served included! Delicious fries. As they didn’t have everything, ingredients must be fresh!
Funny decorated location. Service fast!

I came in for dinner and it was an interesting spot. Restaurant in an old tram car. The place wasn’t that busy but I get the sense it changes as the night goes on. Service was slow and it has a real laid back atmosphere which isn’t a complain just an observation.
The food was ok, I wanted a burger and it did the job but wasn’t anything special.
The real plus to the place is its green hot sauce. I loved this. I want my mouth burning and it really did the job.

Uh we stood in line for like 15 mins while two other parties just walked in before us. Guy at the roped off gate acted like he could just pick and choose who he wanted to let in. We left. It’s a diner… not a nightclub. I guess he has power issues. I guess he finally has a job where he feels like he gets some power over others… whatever.

It’s okay. The French toast tastes like cardboard. It kind of reminds me of a teeny tiny ihop french toast. Their hot chocolate is basically water and Hershey’s syrup.
I don’t if it was meant to be an insult but I am insulted.
Two stars because the waiter was niiice!

Came in after a long night of going around the bars. There was a guard at the entrance-​probably to stop drunk dine and dashers. Breakdown-​my friend got the burger (not worth, he barely touched it), the linguicia with over easy eggs, (the friend who usually eats everyone’s leftovers couldn’t finish this large portion), the bacalhau, (the drunk friend who didn’t eat dinner ate all of it), and me (sober but always down for soup), with my bowl of house made soup. It was beef and barley when I went and it hit the spot. I feel like this place could be a hit or miss, but considering the late hours that it’s open and the fact that there’s a guy guarding the door, I’m going to say this is a good place for drunchies, especially since it’s right off of Polk. See you soon from another drunken adventure.

Service sucks, we waited 90 minutes for soups and sandwich, fries salty, went to bathroom and saw cooks playing on their phones, it used to be good, not coming back

Me and my girlfriend were looking for somewhere good to eat that was open late because she just got off work. First appearance of the restaurant from the outside was small wasn’t sure what to expect. The inside was very warm and the atmosphere was very «old timey». The food was excellent! I ordered the steak and French fries because I am allergic to wheat. My girlfriend got a triple decker club. My steak was cooked perfectly and not over seasoned. The servers were all very friendly and it felt like a real family diner. My girlfriend also loved the food! The hours were great because we could get something other then the late night «paper bag dinner at burger places». Thanks guys for the excellent food and good service we will be back! My only feedback the music was a bit intense and modern for the setting the place gives a classic diner vibe play some oldi

This is basically the best late night spot to eat in San Francisco. A bit expensive but you definitely get what you pay for and there’s nothing like hot food at 3am.

Came here on the fly! Just landed in SF and headed to our hotel when we Unilocaled and found Grubstake.
Pros: Amazing service! Had the chicken wings and they were awesome! The fries were homemade and fresh as was the Philly Cheese Steak. Very fast service.
Cons: French Toast was a bit boring (fiancé ordered this)
Will return! Wanted to try the apple crumble but was too full to eat anymore. Next time…

This place has not changed very much. The Portuguese food is still very good. I also highly recommend the Apple Crumb Pie with ice cream. Also, this place is open very late.

I have been trying to go to this restaurant for what seems like a 100 years, but there’s always a long wait, so I end up frustrated and leave. I guess my mistake is that I always try to go here after the bars close, and that’s when everyone else is trying to go. Another problem is that the city of San Francisco is limited in late night/​24 hours dining so there aren’t many places to choose from. The best thing you can do after a night of drinking is eat food to soak it up. C’mon restaurateurs, there’s a gold mine waiting for you in late night dining!
Recently I arrived at 1am before the crowds and only had to wait about 10 minutes with my group of four. Not only is Grubstake really popular, it’s really small too. It’s part converted streetcar with attached dining room. So we’re talking 15 tables maybe that seat 4 and a long counter with stools. I got to sit in the streetcar with the counter. I was right next to the kitchen and could smell appetizing garlic. I had no idea that this was a Portuguese-​American restaurant. The menu is sectioned by Breakfast, Sandwiches and the «Portuguese Corner.» I’ve never really had Portuguese food so I ordered the Bacalhau a’ Gomes de Sa’. It came as a one plate meal with cod (bacalhau), potatoes, hard-​boiled egg, lots of garlic and a small dish of tiny black olives. It was really delicious, a little greasy, but truly tasty. A little bit of their house made hot sauce goes good with it too. My friends were satisfied with their standard American breakfast fare.
If I can get in again I would definitely order from the Portuguese menu again.

My favorite late bought dinner.
Chicken fried steak, I’m in heaven!!!
This place is an San Francisco institution.
A great place for late night food, that doesn’t suck!

After a long day of trekking the area, we napped early evening and decided we wanted dinner after 10pm. We decided upon one place and arrived only to learn the kitchen was closed. The bartender recommended this former streetcar turned restaurant as an option and noted it served the full menu until 4am on a Wednesday night.
Grubstake is located very close to the Polk Street bar scene (corner of Pine & Polk). When we walked in, it was pretty close to midnight but somewhat empty. In our 45 minutes there, the crowd began to show up. The crowd or lack thereof (for the first 45 minutes) did not seem to faze the servers either way. Their attentiveness and care was consistent and ever present.
After mulling over the menu and waffling between a salmon burger, cod and a burger, I ordered the grubstake burger with sweet potato fries. He ordered a Portuguese style steak with vegetables brushed in vinegar. Additionally, we ordered a side of potato salad.
Grubstake — a delicious cheeseburger burger served lettuce, tomato, pickles and onions along with your choice of fries or onion rings. Sweet potato fries, potato salad or other side may be substituted for an additional charge.
Potato Salad — chunky potatoes mixed with bacon and the other traditional ingredients. We revived two large scoops. This could have been a meal by itself.
NY Strip & Veggies (cannot recall the actual name) — it was very good. Large portion.
I would probably not eat here again unless it was the only thing open, but it was a perfect meal given the time of night. That said, I would recommend this to anyone looking for a solid, no frills bite, with good service.

Came and was pleasantly surprised.
Looking over the menu a few times over, I really couldn’t decide on anything. Nothing really stood out… but a quick turn around to look at the daily specials looked pretty appealing.
Ultimately, I decided on a grilled portabello burger with brie and pesto aioli and was kind of blown away. The pesto aioli was spread on the bun then toasted which made the burger less visibly greasy but still imparted that nice pesto flavor. The mushroom was hefty, juicy… and when combined with the melted brie, heavenly. The special included a side of sweet potato fries which were nicely made — crispy on the outside and fluffy inside. I paired my burger with a strawberry shake which, despite the $ 6.25 price tag, is enough to split between two people. The shake was very good and delivered the way a proper shake ought to be, in a fountain cup with plenty of extra in the tin can.
As for our other plates, my brother tried the nugget and while he enjoyed it, I was disappointed that he was suckered into fries (extra, not included with the burger)…the waiter asked the question but didn’t bother to provide a reminder that it would be extra. Lame. Mom had the stuffed pepper special and my dad had the salmon. Both enjoyed their meals very much.

After visiting the good people across the street at Vespa San Francisco, my wife and I ended up at Grubstake for dinner. I’ve heard about Grubstake from a lot of friends and also I saw them on the Travel Channel on an episode where they were visiting late night eateries in San Francisco.
We arrived a little bit after 5pm which means they just opened. The hours here are 5pm to 4am. So we were actually the only ones there when we ordered even though by the time we left the restaurant was full of customers. Here’s what we ordered:
Nugget Burger: this is a ¹⁄₃ pound burger that comes with a fried egg and bacon. Fries are $ 2 extra (didn’t taste that great) and onion rings are $ 4 extra (tasted good). Overall it was a decent burger. Along with the onion rings it’s added up to about $ 15. Was it $ 15 good? Umm, I guess it was ok value but anymore $ and I would say no way.
Portuguese buffalo wings: the wings are slow cooked in spices. They were ok but they should take the name buffalo off the wings. This were Portuguese wings that are baked. When I think of buffalo I expect fried and with buffalo sauce.
Service was average, but the waitress was very nice. The restaurant décor is kind of cool in a bar/​diner type way.
Would I come again? I don’t feel a dire need to, but it’s still a decent spot and definitely on the short list for late night eats.

Great location great food and open late! I got the bacon cheeseburger it was cooked perfectly and ready in 10 minutes. Definitely one of my favorite late-​night haunts and perfectly positioned amongst the Polk Street bars.