Mission Cheese

You’d be foolish not to accept this mission. It’s Mission: CHEESE!
The staff are friendly, hip, and knowledgeable and I always ask for the Monger’s Choice flight; their selections never disappoint and it’s fun to learn from their extensive internal food encyclopedias. You curd say that they have quite a knack for cheesy puns too.
The flights come with three beautiful cheeses and an assortment of bread slices, cornichons, and dried fruits. If you’re not too hungry, splitting one as a snack with a glass of wine or a pint makes for a perfect afternoon.
The tap list is also great and you can tell everything was selected very carefully. There always seems to be a creative project in the works here. Last time I came in, I had a chocolate hazelnut porter float — a special for SF beer week.
Will be back soon to try some of their main dishes and buy some of their cheeses to take home. I cannot whey’t.

Friendly staff and a cozy atmosphere when I arrived on an early Saturday evening (around 5:30pm). There wasn’t much seating left at that time, but I managed to grab a table for one, and I don’t believe there were any available seats by the time I left (5:50pm). I ordered the California Gold sandwich — buttery, very cheesy, with a great balance of sweet and salty from the fig preserves and the prosciutto. The chèvre was delicious, too.
The price is a little bit steep (about $ 13 – 14 including tax + tip) for a grilled cheese sandwich, but it’s fine for a splurge or for a dinner out. Very casual setting, and it does get a bit noisy and dim during dinner.

Came to try the cheese and meat platter. Thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere, bar style interior and warm ambiance. The patter we ordered was delicious except the 3 meats, one of them is like a fish pâté which didn’t fit my palate. Other than that the cheese were amazing and the platter was well presented. Ordering the 3 cheese platter, panini, and the macaroni and cheese came out to around $ 60. The Mac and cheese was a bit dry; so they could’ve been a bit more at tentative but the panini was well made; with all panini’s they are overly oily. Overall I enjoyed the experience.

Mission Cheese hit the spot when I was craving some good cheese and wine on my recent visit to SF. They have bar seats and several small tables with indoor and outdoor seating. The cheese selection was amazing and staff are very helpful and friendly. My server Sam was exceptionally knowledgable in the different cheeses and even gave us some to sample. I ended up buying a couple of cheeses to take back home to Hawaii. Sam told me that the harder cheeses would travel well so I got the Pleasant Ridge Extra Aged Uplands Dairy from Wisconsin and the Bjerg. I ordered a sampler board where a selection of three different cheeses are chosen by the staff, good if you like trying new cheeses. You can even tell the staff which cheese you preferred and get a second board with that cheese again. That’s what I did! I ended up asking for the Bjerg twice. The wine selection is small but a perfect pair for what I ordered. I had the red Zinfandel. Each sampler board comes with sliced baguette, dried fruit and delicious mini pickles. I will definitely be back for my next trip to SF!

Expensive, small portions– but high quality. I wouldn’t come here again, I think, unless I was really lacking in other food options. I enjoyed the food, but I feel like I could make some of these plates at home by grabbing cheese and charcuterie at Whole Foods or any other artisanal cheese shops. HOWEVER, they do have a mean raclette that takes a good 20 mins served over some good roasted round potatoes. It’s in a cast iron skillet so it’s hella hot– be careful! This was good, but small portions (meant for sharing, I suppose.)
If you’re hungry, don’t come here– go somewhere else. If you’re looking to have a cozy, homey tasting experience, come here. If it weren’t so crowded and the food wasn’t as expensive… I’d come here more often. Come with more than one person as you order all your food at the cashier and you’re left to fend a seat for yourself. Get a friend to grab the seats and you order (or vice versa.) mission cheese looks bigger from the outside but it’s smaller than I expected. There is outdoor seating, which is cool though. I mean, this place is decent but it’s not a go to.

Wow. What is it about the smell of a cheese shop? Just like w a good deli, the aroma grabs you when you walk in, & it doesn’t let go.
And it smells sensational in here.
I can’t imagine an employee not being in a constant state of bliss here.
Cheese & wine. What a perfect marriage. Check out the board, or rather, the wall, to your left when you walk in. All things cheese to entice you & fill your craving.
The whole thing is so distinguished, right? Do a cheese & wine pairing, relax, & ponder life.
Cheesy goodness in the mission.
4 stars.

Ummm… can I live here? Mission Cheese is exactly the kind of bar I would open, if I had the guts & moolah to do so. It’s simple: wine, beer, and all things cheesey. The whole place smells like crispy fried cheese, aka the best smell in the world.
The ambiance is casual but trendy, with a handful of tables and bar inside, and patio seating out front. It gets packed pretty quickly. You order everything at the bar counter, and they bring it out to you. Interesting wines are priced at $ 9−12/glass. Bottle prices are 4x the glass price (so, you get one glass for free, essentially). The perfect spot to meet up with a friend, sip wine, catch up, chill out. LOVE.
I really appreciate that they serve certain red wines at «cave temperature», slightly chilled. Very European!

Excellent little tucked away place on mission street where the cheese is always expertly picked and where glasses of good wines are waiting to be served.
I also love the lighting at this place where so few Bars and restaurants get it right.
We ordered the mid-​western flight of cheese (ash-​infused goat cheese, Gruyère like hard cheese, and the blue cheese) the Gruyère and blue cheese were phenomenal. They paired well with the Rhone blend which had complexity and depth to the aroma and taste.
Take your time here. An experience not to be rushed…

And this is what San Francisco has come to: Monger’s Choice Flight Cheese Flights. The place smelled amazing, and the servers asked us what styles of cheeses we prefer. The Monger created a plate based on our preferences, served on a board with a custom knife for each selection and a side of sliced breads, tiny pickles, and dried fruits. My girlfriend and I shared glass of Rose as well. All of this is all very nice and the cheeses were phenomenal. But it’s strange to see that The Mission has gone in this direction so quickly, towards expensive artisinal foodie spots.
At least the cheeses are great (and the sandwiches looked amazing as well).

Everyone who gets me knows that I LOVE cheese. Grilled cheese, cheeseburgers and pizza are my favorite food. I can’t live without it. I crave cheese like most girls crave chocolate.
When my bf suggested a date night here, I was thrilled — I’ve been hankering to come here for ages. I rifled through all the reviews and photos on Unilocal in preparation, & knew I had to order the Monger’s Choice (flight of cheeses selected by the staff with a side of pickles and bread), California Gold (sandwich with two types of cheese, prosciutto and fig preserves), duck liver mousse and the extra cheesy mac ‘n cheese.
Unfortunately, they were out of the duck liver mousse and they stop serving sandwiches after 8pm, so we settled on the Monger’s Choice, mac ‘n cheese, pork pâté and an amazing bottle of local wine.
The pork pâté with asparagus was okay. The bf enjoyed it thoroughly but I would’ve preferred the duck liver mousse.
The Monger’s Choice came with a fantastic selection of cheese — my favorite was that super stinky one from New Hampshire, oh my gawdddd. I saw plenty of reviews complaining about small portions so I wasn’t expecting much, but what I got I felt was sufficient. That being said, it won’t fill you up – it’s really more of a tasting plate, which I appreciated (as it gave me more room for the mac ‘n cheese).
Of course the mac ‘n cheese was super gratifying, with thick breadcrumbs that added amazing texture. Not my favorite mac ‘n cheese in the whole wide world, but pretty high up there. I’d be more than happy to order it again.
Keep in mind that you have to pay in advance, and you won’t get a whole lot of guidance as to what to order. Service is okay (staff behind the counter was snippy, but the people bringing us our food were super gracious and informative) — but that’s not what you should really focus on here. The ambiance and the fact that this restaurant’s premise is based on cheese are all that matters.
Good date spot, both for lunch and dinner. Cheese lovers, rejoice!!!

I went to mission cheese today and found it to be a wonderful experience. My friend and I shared the Monger’s choice cheese flight — which is when the staff chooses cheeses for you rather that the set cheeses on the menu. The staff was extremely knowledgable and their choices were spot on. Every cheese was complex, rich, and absolutely delicious! The three cheeses came with a sourdough bread, pickles, and dried fruit, all of which paired nicely with the cheeses. My only complaint would be that there didn’t seem to be enough bread for the cheeses.
The restaurant is small and quaint — perfect on a quiet afternoon but impossible to find seating during a busy day. I definitely recommend coming when the place isn’t as crowded so you can enjoy your cheese in peace.

Mission Cheese encapsulates what makes the Mission the MIssion. There is no way in hell a restaurant over in say, Castro Valley, can justify charging $ 12 for a grilled cheese sandwich or $ 11 for a kid-​sized portion of mac n’ cheese. Not to mention you’ve got the «too cool for school» hipster folk running this place (for better or worse).
The food itself is solid enough — the aforementioned mac n’ cheese is real thick and creamy, but you can’t help but feel like you’re getting ripped off. I think I’m just not the target market for a place like this.

On the new side of the Mission district where all the hipster, techie, young money is flowing, and only a block from taquerias that look and feel like a completely different San Francisco, Mission Cheese is a fun cheese and wine restaurant with delicious food and wonderful presentation.
My friend and I that were visiting SF ordered a «Midwest» cheese plate. The cheese here changes daily. The man behind the bar taking our order was happy to suggest wines to pair with our cheese. Our cheese plate was excellent: The Philistine that I am does not remember the names of the cheese, the farms which they came from, or even the type of animal (I believe two were cow cheese and one was goat?) that produced said cheese product. Let the picture speak for itself! All I have to add is that the atmosphere was fantastic and I wish I had ordered two plates of cheese instead of one.
Our waitress actually dropped a single slice of bread, which broke my heart because these kinds of restaurants are already so light on bread. Three times the bread and 30% decrease in price would probably make this spot five stars for me.

My friend, sister, and I decided to do a «restaurant hop» in the mission district last night. We started with Mission Cheese for our drink ad appetizer part of the night.
Love the ambiance, such a cute place.
Service was excellent. The hostess was really nice and the man that brought us our cheese platter gave the full detailed 411 on each cheese. I don’t remember the names of the cheeses, but the middle one in the pic I’m attaching was my favorite. I had the rosè, most of their wines are more on the dry side, so make sure you like dry wine. Prices are reasonable. Perfect place for a date or a night with the girls.

Nestled (not so snugly) between Dandelion and Four Barrel, Mission Cheese is plating cheeses and pates and offering knowledgeable advice on expanding your cheese game.
While I realize that cheese recommendations are about as reliable and long-​lasting as your favorite wine or beer and based on my ever popular and easy determinate of cheese monger knowledge of loving Grayson (or Oma), I was offered a new favorite: Ameribella. If this is your jam, you’ll be happy to get this nugget. Enjoy. It’s beautifully creamy and stinky.
I’m happy to make this cheese bar part of most of my San Francisco visits.

I really like the Mission District. And I really like Mission Cheese.
Mission Cheese is one of those favorites that you can swing by any time of day, rest your legs, and eat incredibly delectable snacks. The shop itself is teeny-​tiny, but from my experience, the wait hasn’t been too, too bad.
The last time I was here, my friends and I shared the a regional cheese flight along with a salumi plate. The regional cheese flight comes with a generous portion of sliced baguettes, pickled goods, and dried fruit. I can’t quite recall our specific cheeses, but they are regionally selected with a wide variety of textures and flavors specific to that region.
If you happen to find yourself in the Mission, do yourself a favor and stop by Mission Cheese. Good eats and a really good way to wind down a busy day.

Perfect place for a relaxing and cozy meet up with your special someone, friends, etc.
My husband and I stopped in here with a couple of our friends (who really appreciate good wine). Their wine selection (while not huge) offered a good variety of wines, and we really appreciated that their employees/​servers were educated about the wines. My husband had the Petite Syrah, which was very tasty. I had originally ordered the Barolo; however, after ordering one of the waiters stopped by to inform me that they were actually out of the Barolo. They apologized for the oversight (it was their first day opening after Christmas/​New Year’s, so they were a bit understaffed and had a few kinks in service); however, they were overly accommodating to try to find me another wine I might be interested in, offering me samples of two other reds before deciding on another glass. I opted for the Pinot Noir, which was of great quality. I’ll have to be back, however, for the Barolo!
We also wanted a few nibbles as we sipped on our wine, so we ordered the chef’s selection of cheeses and the charcuterie plate. Both offered interesting/​unique flavors — my personal favorite were the cheeses, but it was fun to have both the cheese and the charcuterie.
Love, love, love this place — the ambiance is impeccable, and the food/​wine they offer is superb. Definitely a winner in my book and will be back for sure.