Twilight Cafe

This is one of my favorite places to grab lunch or coffee. The family who owns it are the absolute best, and the food is always delicious. Support local businesses!

Love this place. It’s so cute. You will very likely run into the owner here. Regardless of whoever’s running the cashier, they are VERY friendly staff! Extremely sweet people who knows their products.
The coffee, food, sweets are all good. Great cost-​to-​quality ratio. While the café itself isn’t some rare hipster hype worthy Unilocal place, it is such a sweet shop to have in the Richmond District. Big bonus if you’re a USF student needing good coffee in between classes, it’s very close to Koret. Why pay for the notorious coffee on campus? Haha.
They take card, but there is a $ 0.50 fee :)

Tiny, often packed Mediterranean deli/​eatery serving some basic Greek and Lebanese staples. The food was just mediocre but the staff were very friendly and it’s dirt cheap so it’s ok for lunch. Plus, it’s a short walk to Golden Gate Park.

lamb and beef gyro
turkish coffee

Stumbled on this gem as I was early for my doctor’s appt. one of the best mochas I’ve ever had.

After my sister’s graduation Mass, us siblings walked over for a snack prior to the commencement. The lady helping us I could only assume was one of the owners. Very sweet and friendly.
The gyro and falafel a we ordered were delicious. Very flavorful and tender.
Service was fast. I can see why my sister likes to come here between classes and I can only imagine they do good business with the university nearby.

The best FALAFEL & TABOULEH & STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES { DOLMAS} in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area…
I know this for sure, for I am a Cabbie, and been eating at Twilite Café since 1983…
It is owned & run by a family who are originally from ALEPPO — SYRIA.
Their Middle Eastern chicken –usually on Tuesdays & Wednesdays–
is unparalleled for its unique mix of freshness & spices…
They make their Falafel on daily basis.
Their DOLMAS are home made; sometimes one may watch the mother –Antoinette– & the father –Pierre– roll it fresh while sitting in the far right corner table… their office…
Their only daughter –Joanna– always behind the counter, taking the orders & helping her mother preparing & serving it to the table. Some times their sons –Joe & George– drop by and give a hand.
They serve a unique Armenian thin crust pizza –lahm be ageen– wrapped around fresh condiments.
On daily basis they prepare the Hummus –chic peas– and Baba Ghanoog –egg plants dip– both made with added fresh garlic & lemon juice.
Often they make MOUSSAKA –mixed vegetables with tomatoes– which I like to eat cold.
One more item that is rarely found in Any Middle Eastern Cafes & Restaurants is the RICE PILAF with angel hair pasta. It is so delicious … even by itself…
Add to that their Mujaddara which is out of this world and is made fresh of rice and lentils & onions…
When I was driving the Taxi in San Francisco –1978 thru 1999, often I dropped by and ate in or took out; sometimes twice a day…
Now that I am retired, I make special trips from San Mateo to the Twilite Café to say «hello» and get my delicious combination plate:
Generous amounts of Rice, Mujaddara, Moussaka, Middle Eastern Chicken, Falafel, Tabouleh, Hummus & a couple of Dolmas. Always I take extra fresh garlic with my meals…
Just ask them for … «Hadi’s Special»…
Oh by the way, over the years, I recommended the Twilite Café to many & many more of my passengers… and they went & loved every bit of it.
Enjoy your self… and remember their SWEETS are mostly home made…
sometimes, they make Home Made Rice Pudding.
One last freebie is that they have FREE INTERNET wifi ACCESS…
Just ask for the code…

I came here for a snack and got a falafel sandwich. Now, I haven’t gotten falafel since I took a trip to Israel, and while it wasn’t quite as good as the place in the Arabic shook in Israel, it was quite tasty. Also, the service was incredibly friendly and energetic, something I really appreciated.

Family-​owned restaurant, homemade Mediterranean food. Yummy goodness served up by the sweet owner herself. Can’t go wrong with the lamb and beef gyro or middle eastern chicken sandwich

Great family-​run restaurant with all homemade favorites such as hummus, falafel, dolmas, gyros and kebabs. Of course the desserts are a crowd pleaser. They also make delicious roasted turkey sandwiches with cranberry sauce. It is addictive!

Cool little spot in the area, friendly staff and the gyro isn’t half bad. The pastries are great especially baklava. A nice change from your franchise type cafés and located right across from USF. Hey support small businesses!

I came here during my visit to the hospital. Ordered the latte with a sprinkle of cinnamon and chocolate (hold the sugar) and a lamb gyro. Both were quite tasty and the lady working there was super nice.
Oh and if you don’t want coffee, they have a bunch of soda, coconut water, and other beverages you can buy.

I cannot say enough good things about this place. Everything I have tried here is delicious and the people are so friendly and welcoming. Must come and try it!

I LOVE THIS PLACE
The Mediterranean chicken sandwich is currently my favorite sandwich in San Francisco. It’s my cheer-​me-​up food. And the baklava… They have pistachio! This place is quiet and the woman who owns it is really sweet.
You can’t not love this place.

I had never been to Twilight Café until a week or two ago, although I have lived in San Francisco for about four years, and furthermore have lived less than two blocks from Twilight Café for the past two years. I definitely regret not having come here sooner; this place is a real hidden gem.
The food is quite good and very reasonably priced. I would highly recommend the lamb gyro (which comes with tzatziki, lettuce, onions, tomato, pickle, AND HOT SAUCE, YES!!!). I also would recommend the vegetarian-​friendly «Twilight Special», a platter of hummus, tahini, and fava beans served with a basket of pita to dip in and make your own little vegetarian pockets. The atmosphere is cozy, but not in a cramped way, and comes across as intimate with plenty of seating; a great spot to go with a group of friends! The woman who has been working each time I have came has been nothing short of wonderful.
Twilight Café is quirky in an endearing way. It is a perfect place to grab a quick, delicious, cheap lunch between classes at USF, while during laundry at the nearby French Quarter, or if you just happen to live in the neighborhood. They have a small convenience store for Greek and Middle Eastern essentials such as jars of tahini, canned Kalamata Olives, and other oddities such as pickled eggplant. They also sell cigarrettes, beer, and wine.

I am a recent vegan and this place caters to my new dietary plan while still serving delicious food.
I would only recommend to wash bread baskets…

Authentic food, great service, never crowded, what more could one ask for!

You know how certain scents can take you right back to a time in your life and faded memories suddenly come into focus? I feel that way about certain places that were once part of my food repertoire. While in the area recently, I stopped by for (good) old times sake.
The food is solid here, a wee bit pricey, but I must admit that I’ve become spoiled over time by all of the high quality Lebanese, Persian and Armenian fare in LA (if I can utter those two letters while reviewing an SF restaurant and not get verbally stoned to death by the locals). You won’t be disappointed by the food but I do feel that I’ve had much better. Good option if you are near USF. The family that runs the place is very nice.
Food Virgin Milestone: This is the first place I tried Halva and I’ve been a fan ever since.

Under $ 10 for lunch and good food to boot. Give this place a shot if you are in the mood for gyros, dolmas, and more.
PS. They offer dolmas alone for $ 1 per — great deal if someone else gets more stuff and they are quite large!

I had been in the library since opening. And I was going to be there until it closed– probably close to 12 hours in all. With each November day that passes, my life loses vibrance. It’s like a fading polaroid, where the outline of my face has blurred, and everything is tinted the same obtrusive, whitish-​yellow of the halogen lights that are buzzing over my head. I’m a law student, and finals are here. It is a desolate place.
Among this barren library landscape, I need an oasis.
My phone buzzed and startled me– a fantastic friend was out of class early, and he was hungry. In less than 2 seconds I had scooped up my debit card and was flying down the stairs.
Eating seems like a job these days. Sure, the word «lunch» still revs me up. But the where and why and how much are questions with which I frankly do not have the capacity to concern myself. Tired of the usual near-​campus eateries (Cindy’s Market on Cole and Hayes for phenomenal sandwiches, Papalote’s, Arguello Market, Koret Deli, and the undergrad dining hall salad bar), my pal looked at me and said «That little Middle Eastern place?» and I said «Let’s do it.»
Located in a quiet neighborhood, this place is small and modest. The inside reminds me of one of my favorite Italian Delis in Reno (Paolo’s), and I liked it immediately. We ordered at the counter — the falafel– and seated ourselves near a window.
Noteworthy: The woman who took our order (I’m presuming the owner?), was perfect. She was friendly, and praised me for not being picky. When I dropped the F-​bomb way too loudly (my stubborn date and I were fighting over the bill), she reinforced my habit of cursing like sailor at inappropriate times with a warm laugh. Now, it might be that I was desperate for non-​law school, real human-​being interaction, or it might be that I had been clinging to the dry and lifeless pages of my Con Law book for far too long. It might even be that every other woman in my life (and many of the men) has vehemently reprimanded me for my foul mouth. But the warmth of her laugh shook me from my disparate, halogen mood.
My falafel was delicious. My favorite parts, in order, were 1) the sauce balance– perfectly hot and cool, 2) the onion and lettuce crunch accompaniment to the tasty falafel patties. And it was quite the value, for something like $ 6. I had to pawn off the last ¼ of my pita sandwich on my pal, who, by the way, deserves considerable praise for his suggestion. We both left absolutely satisfied.
I can’t believe I had never been to Twilight Café before. Its proximity to USF and my house merits many return trips. I want to try other things on the menu, and some of the delicious looking sweets on display.
For the brief moment that I escaped the mundane world of law school finals, I was reminded that I generally love people, I really love food, and that compassion can do wonders for the soul. Twilight Café is definitely my new oasis.
Touchy-​feely, I know. But whatever. That’s what you get. Be sure to check back soon for what is sure to be a hardened, cynical review of the law library.