Casual breakfast / lunch / dinner Cafe in a quaint SF neighborhood!! I was so happy to find them serving ritual coffee and having multicultural cuisine at all hours of the day. Atmosphere is very relaxed and cute!! Great art and wallpaper. They have both indoor and outdoor seating.

Overall experience was incredible. Every dish was delicious and made perfectly. Service was perfect as always. No more pics after the lobster and avocado salad. We inhaled everything that came to the table.

New find tucked in a building near Embarcadero. Loved the Salmon bento and avocado toast. Great coffee! Will comeback for sure.

Beautiful place, great food and absolutely exceptional hospitality. Such a gem in The North Beach! We had a great time there.

If I could give it 10 stars, I would. My first visit, we loved everything about it. The ambiance was chic, the service was very professional, and the food was absolutely amazing!

Great food and service. I have tried both brunch and dinner menu and the food was very good. Will come back 🥰

Plants! Hidden! Nice staff! Great owners! For full reel: tic toc = MLE colors

I really enjoyed the atmosphere and food. The oj is freshly squeezed and the black iced tea is divine! I got the avocado and egg and it was pretty, pretty good.

Such a nice and cozy place. Everyone is friendly and helpful. One of the waiters gave me a purse hook thing to hang off the table. Everything looked delish on the menu. I had the japanese breakfast and it was perfect for me. Just the right amount with different items like soup, rice, kim chee, grilled fish, and an egg in dashi sauce. It was very yummy.

The chicken sandwich is particularly incredible! I would boldly say it’s the best one I’ve had in SF and I think my little brother would agree. Living in the Outer Richmond this place is a staple for brunch!

This is a hidden gem!!! I was lucky enough to come here for an event and it was awesome! The food was incredible and the wine was delicious. The service here was incredible. Everyone was super friendly and did not miss a beat. I will definitely be back!

Reviews are consistent with the experience. The food was so good, every single dish was inventive, hearty, and non-pretentious. Good mix of flavors and food and I can tell they out a lot of thought into inventive recipes. I saw one bad review on this place and I must say that is not accurate at all. Staff was super friendly, checking on us constantly, food and wine were perfect. Very unexpected pleasant experience as it's not pretentious yet the food was amazing. Good job!

Booked a table for 11:15 on a Sunday and although we arrived slightly early, they had a table ready for us and the service was great. I ordered the Japanese Breakfast ($17)- I enjoyed everything but the salmon and thought that the fish pairing could've been better with something like Saba Misoni. I also had a bite of my friend's Fried Chicken Sandwich ($16)- which was huge and delicious. Overall, the food was pretty good and the service was excellent. I really appreciated the beautifully prepared dishes, though I enjoyed my friend's dish more than mine. I would definitely be interested in trying out their dinner menu.

A very chill vibe. Lovely atmosphere. They even have heaters! Great food, will definitely go back again. I really appreciate their weekday brunch- it makes them quite unique.

Staff was delightful and very attentive. The coffee was ok, maybe it wasn't my usual type of coffee but worth trying. We came here for brunch and I ordered the 12 hour braised pork shoulder open sandwich with fried egg. It was DELICIOUS. The pork was so soft and I'm honestly amazed with the entree. It was the perfect portion, just enough for me to get the panna cotta. My bf ordered the chicken and he seemed to enjoy it. We are definitely coming back for dinner.

The coziest outdoor patio you'll ever find. Excellent coffee tucked away in some tall brick buildings. It's isolated from cars, so it's nice and quiet.

Food was great , as was the service. We both had the summer sample. Only minor complaint, and it's personal taste, is the pasta that went with the steak was a bit overpowering compared to the delicate flavor of the rare done steak.

Delicious early Sunday night dinner, rigatoni and squash flowers were both delectable, the perfect taste of summer! Not pictured was pork chop - do not miss it! Lovely husband and wife team know what they're doing!

A totally cozy, new Californian restaurant in Outer Richmond, also focusing greatly on local foods/drinks/wines and producers. Carefully cooked dishes, relaxed atmosphere and what is more Nice guys and customers, what else? After being back to Japan, we always miss you guys, honestly!

+4

After a long time, I got to come to this new location. I was so happy to see everyone here. Food was very good as always. For the longest time, I got to taste the best cappuccino again.

Went here for dinner and was pleased to meet one of the owners. Had that "Ooh" moment (when you let out an audible "ooh" after taking a bite) for each entree we had. Reservations are definitely recommended. Looking forward to having brunch here soon!

A teammate recommended Cassava for our group dinner and I'm glad he did. A limited menu (Prix Fixe 3 course), but excellent choices. I had the Dungeness crab salad to start. It eas light and refreshing. The table ordered Buttermilk Fried Chicken which was crunchy on the outside, but moist inside. I had House made Rigatoni as my main with a creamy mushroom sauce. The pasta was perfectly al dente and the sauce was warm, earthy, and hugged the pasta. The portion was good sized. I ate it all, but couldn't have eaten more. Dessert was Chocolate Pot De Creme. Rich and decadent, but not overly sweet. Our party of 14 ate outside. The evening was warm enough we asked for the heaters to be turned down. The service was excellent. We didn't have to wait for anything. The owner came by and said hello. It was a charming visit. I'll visit again when I find myself in San Francisco.

We had the best time and are overjoyed to share that Cassava is now in North Beach and will be a frequent dining spot for us! The food was amazing! Fresh,modern and interesting presentation and menu choices! The wine list is impressive and the cocktails on the menu were creative and alluring! The combo of great food and drinks, the fun and contemporary space,the warm and welcoming staff ensured our repeat business! Meeting Yuka Ioroi the partner-owner with her chef-husband,and hearing the fascinating story about the restaurant’s name …and her name …(ask her!)… was the cherry on top of our delightful evening with talented and hard-working people who are doing a wonderful job at Cassava!

Owners are very nice. Coffee and quick food options. The patio is very nice and relaxing, but there is no Wi-Fi.

it was delicious, but we wanted to order another dessert, they refused us and said that the kitchen was closed, although the restaurant was still open

California Dreaming 💯 Back in the Bay and enjoyed a weekend brunch prior to visiting San Francisco’s Legion of Honor Cassava is the perfect weekend brunch spot and the fusion dishes reminded me of the creativity and flavors that epitomize why I love living in the California Bay Area Chef Owner Yuka Ioroi is the consummate hostess and stopped by several times to ask how the dishes were (as well as provide tips on natto that I usually dislike) as well as the news that Cassava is moving to a new home in SF’s North Beach Chef Yuka runs Cassava with husband Chef Owner Kristoffer Toliao and while their pedigree includes stints with Dominque Crenn, hospitality and friendliness is a key distinguishing factor beyond the amazing food I feel lucky to have discovered this gem and look forward to checking them out in North Beach Their Japanese breakfast is easily the best rendition I’ve had stateside and I couldn’t help but order their house-made natto (which I loved!) 📷 Fried Chicken Sando $16 ~ house baked bun, Pete’s live butter lettuce, early girl tomato jam, basil aioli, cilantro, 6 oz buttermilk batter chicken thigh / Japanese Breakfast $17 ~ koshihikari rice, simmered hijiki, pickled cucumbers, miso tomato corn, sake marinated Marin Coast salmon, citrus kosho, Mendocino kombu dashi miso soup with shiitake mushroom, house furikake, soft poached egg, Add House Natto $2 / Slow Braised Lamb Riblets $19 ~ hibiscus barbecue glaze, cilantro blossoms, house pickles / Champagne Cocktail $12 ~ Montsarra cava, sugar cube, Angostura bitters / Red Hot One $11 ~ beer, tomato juice, chili infused Sabe blanco chile, white pepper, lime, pickled cucumber 📍Cassava (San Francisco, CA)

+6

Cassava has fantastic service. All the staff are friendly, quick, attentive. The food is top notch. Lovely presentation and mouth watering flavors. This is my second time there and I am definitely coming again to try the other items on the menu!

Located in Richmond, Cassava offers their take on New American cuisine. We dined here on a Sunday evening during SF Restaurant Week, in which they offered a 3-course meal (each course had at four offerings the diner could select from). They also offer beverage pairings with each dish if you're so inclinded. If you're planning on dining here, I would highly recommend making a reservation (via OpenTable) since the restaurant itself is fairly small in size and limited in terms of seating. They offer three seating options: indoor dining room, heated sidewalk, and heated parklet. The indoor seating was all reserved by the time we made ours, so we elected to go with the heated parklet. Fortunately, the parklet was well heated and buffered us from the SF winds, so no complaints there! In order to maximize our options, we each ordered a different dish. From the first course, we ordered their blood orange carpaccio, and buttermilk fried chicken. For the main, we went with Kris's creste de gallo (a pasta dish), and the slow braised lamb belly. Not to forget about the dessert, we sampled their chestnut financier, and black sesame panna cotta. For a quick summary dish-by-dish. The blood orange carpaccio was made with smoked Alaskan Herring and horseradish cream, served atop of orange and blood orange slices. This made for a fairly interesting tasting dish with citrus and sour notes, not my favorite bite of the night; however, it was something new to try and that was my goal of the night to step out of my comfort zone (in terms of food and flavors). The buttermilk fried chicken was everything you would want from a good fried chicken dish. Both of the main dishes were flavorful and very enjoyable overall that I can't even pick a favorite between the two. Last, but not least, the dessert. The chestnut financier was served warm. The cake was light, moist, and full of chestnut flavor, an instant favorite of mine. The black sesame panna cotta was equally good with the silky texture that you're looking for in a good panna cotta. With its eclectic menu and expertly-prepared food, I would definitely recommend Cassava to anyone who's wanting to try out different food combinations and flavors!

Had the steak and fried chicken for lunch. The steak was cooked perfectly, and the fried chicken was lightly fried, not greasy. The batter and oil tasted fresh. I highly recommended.

The food, service, and ambience is even more elevated at the new location! So good that I recently went for dinner with one friend followed by brunch the next day with a different friend. Love the new espresso martini, and the Japanese breakfast is still spectacular!

+1

Delicious! This place is amazing and it comes with great service. We had the lamb salad to start and i cannot express how good this is. All the flavors and textures complement each other until the last bite. We also had the hash bowl and the waffle. All of it was great, served fast and with a smile. I do recommend to come a bit earlier because there’s a wait but is WORTH IT!

Really enjoyed my experience here!! Sevice was perfect and not stuffy! Food so beautiful and delightful! Unquie touches and great flavor combinations. Fried chicken was soooo moist! Definitely thier specialty! Great before show at Club Fugazzi or anytime!

+4

Absolutely amazing experience here for celebrating a birthday. Delicious prix fixe, attentive service, incredible price-to-value ratio for the 3 courses. One of the best meals we’ve had in SF!!

+1

Cassava has truly outdone themselves with their new French bistro brunch! From the moment I walked in, I was transported to a charming Parisian cafe. The ambiance was delightful with an inviting atmosphere. The menu is a brunch lover's dream come true. Each dish was a delectable masterpiece, showcasing the perfect blend of traditional French flavors with a modern twist. The croissants were flaky and buttery, the duck confit was divine, and the pain perdu was simply heavenly. The staff were exceptional, providing attentive service without ever feeling intrusive. They were knowledgeable about the menu and offered great recommendations. If you're in search of an extraordinary brunch experience, look no further than Cassava. This is a culinary journey you won't want to miss. I can't wait to return and savor more of their exquisite French-inspired creations!

+3

Service, food quality, and ambience were excellent!! Our good friends Nelson and Lea took us out to celebrate our retirement. The first courses included the buttermilk fried chicken, the peach/herring salad, and the beet,squash, strawberry salad. All were delicious and enjoyed by all, but the favorite was the fried chicken. The supplement dishes were the Brentwood corn soup, and the grilled octopus---- great flavors and texture in both dishes. Nothing was left in the bowl or plate!! Our entrees were the baja stripped bass, and the braised lamb belly. The bass was cooked just right, with a .nice corn saffron broth. The lamb belly was fork tender, very flavorful, and melted in one's mouth. Desserts included the strawberry tart, the plum panna cotta, and the poached white peach with fruit. Needless to say, all 3 desserts were perfect. This was a great dinner experience, and a place that we shall return again.

+4

Came for restaurant week + was delighted by how affordable and yummy the meal was. Lamb was *chefs kiss*. Staff was attentive + thoughtful. Food was intentional + beautiful. Great vibe! Excited to have them in NB.

Had such a stellar experience at Cassava! Enjoyed eating at their parklet which was amply heated. We had the three course menu with wine pairings, which made for such a special and delicious evening. In particular we loved the duck confit, fried chicken, and the panna cotta. All the wines were yummy too. Our favorite part of the meal though was our excellent server who went out of his way to make sure we had everything we needed, and took the time to tell us (just enough) about our meals and drinks. Highly, highly recommend :)

Found this on tiktok! Decided to try it for a meeting spot and it had a great outdoor seating area. Very cute and good matcha!

Аlisa Paludeti

Like this spot for it’s intimate feel. Getting there in the middle of the day teleports you to a twilight zone with warm lights on and slow vibes. I liked my avocado toast. It was loaded with salmon, cream cheese and greens. The presentation was great too. My friend tried the salad and also liked it. The service was fast and we got a seat without wait during the lunch break. Overall it’s a decent place for a lunch with a friend near downtown

Attay Hodgson

First time visiting this Cafe and didn’t disappoint us at all, atmosphere and ambiance are extraordinary amazing, delicious food and the service are impeccable. Recommend 200% 🙌🏼

+3

Jennie Wu

Nice vibe and solid, solid food run by the sweetest people. Didn’t get a pic of the matcha before I enjoyed it unfortunately. A great stop for tired legs and healthy eats.

Christina Enaa Indulge

🧡Nestled in a charming courtyard café in Jackson Square, Cassava SF captures the art of seasonally driven flavors and thoughtful presentation. 🧡I started with a comforting chai made with oat milk, perfect for those seeking a lactose-free option, while my partner enjoyed a freshly brewed latte. 🧡First up was the Herb Cream Cheese + Smoked Salmon by Gingras Smoked. Served on a crisp slice of bread, the cream cheese was luxuriously creamy, and the smoked salmon had a rich, balanced flavor. 🧡Next, I tried a side from the Poached Scottish King Salmon Bento Simmered Hijiki Seaweed with Carrots and Edamame. The seaweed had a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture, with the carrots and edamame adding a satisfying crunch. 🧡Then came the Chicken Minestrone a hearty, gluten-free, dairy-free soup with house-made chicken sausage, celery root, broccolini, white beans, and chickpeas. It’s light yet deeply flavorful. 🧡The main event was the Poached Scottish King Salmon. Perfectly poached with the skin left on, it had a buttery texture with a slightly crispy, nutrient-rich bite. The asparagus on the side was cooked to perfection not too soft, not too firm adding a fresh, vibrant contrast. 🧡One of my favorites was the Po’-Tama Onigirazu a unique sandwich wrapped in seaweed, filled with house-made spam, tamagoyaki, cabbage, bean sprouts, and red leaf lettuce. It was a satisfying, well-balanced bite, with each ingredient adding its own texture and flavor to the mix. 🧡I ended the meal with the Egg Salad, featuring Wild Planet albacore, market lettuce, cucumber, and creamy kewpie dressing a refreshing contrast to the rich, creamy egg and tuna blend. 🧡Cassava SF is a place where every bite feels like a carefully crafted experience, and the warm hospitality lingers long after you’ve left. 🧡If you’re seeking a world of flavor, elegance, and indulgence one decadent bite and sip at a time Cassava SF is a must-visit. @induglewithenaa

+4

Marianne O

This is a city oasis and hidden gem in the heart of the Jackson Square area. The Japanese inspired good is delicious and the owner is very friendly. The seating is comfortable. They closed their North Beach restaurant and moved to this place - I highly recommend you try and support them!

Suki Skye

Such a gorgeous space, perfectly designed with every touch a delight to the senses. Also lovely food and service from start to finish. We really enjoyed the duck leg, it was perfectly cooked and melts in the mouth. The scallops were absolutely melt-in-your-mouth! We felt super welcomed and cared for, especially after they asked for any food allergies and I shared that I can't have gluten and dairy, and the chef altered our shared dishes so I could avoid those things (which is rare!). We will definitely be back soon!

Romuald Vandepoel

Randomly looking for an early dinner in the neighborhood, we found a table available before the rush. Welcomed by Kai, we have been taken to a journey of tasting both the kitchen marvels and the wine gems thanks to a knowledgeable person. Tell them what you like (and don't) and you will have a personalized menu with the appropriate pairing. Note that the wine will be sampled to ensure a maximum experience along with Kai sharing their passion about the different origins. We went for two cold starters and two warm mains of fresh fish, colorful greens, and modern redo of wonderful well-known Italian dishes - perfect! Thanks Kai for the fine dining experience!

William Archer

I was lucky enough to attend a James Beard Greens event at Cassava where we not only got to sample the food and wine but also heard from the chefs and owners. The highlight of the night for us was the fried chicken with caviar; I am from Maryland and have had tons of delicious fried chicken and this hit the mark by being crispy, not overly breaded, and quite juicy. The caviar worked so well to just elevate it overall. The rest of the meal was quite good too, with the duck dish hitting the mark in cook and flavor. I will say the salmon salad was fine but not something I would order again. Additionally, the service was attentive and hearing from the owners made me like the restaurant that much more. They are equity and equality focused and looking to combat toxic masculinity and other issues in the restaurant business. Excited to support this wonderful business and try more food from them soon.

Antonio Maldonado

We loved Cassava’s 3 course prix fixe before, and because we heard they have the new a la carte menu we wanted to check it out. The server recommended Chef’s speciality lamb belly (we were told it’s fatty and we were like yes!) and the new entree pork chop. The pork chop was probably one of the best we’ve ever had, super juicy and not dry and tender. We always love the wine they have there, and the pairing is always exciting. We got to sit outside with our dog and watched people go by on the Columbus Ave. We liked their old location, but this location is more grand, gorgeous and North Beach is just a super fun neighborhood to be in. Looking forward to trying more new menu items soon.

+7

We enjoyed our meal here. Subtle tastes, wholesome food, nice, low key environment, friendly staff. Good lunch, and I'll bet their breakfasts are great.

Just the perfect low-key dining location. I enjoyed my meal and would recommend to others. This place is a gem!

Presentation was nice but I felt the food lacked some flavor. Japanese breakfast was just okay. Natto had no flavor

Great service. Liked their Japanese breakfast, duck confit and spice honey latte.

The food is great and the staff is very friendly and helpful.I would say, well trained. My only problem with Casava, at this price level, they need to do much better work on handling people's food allergies and intolerance. There is no information in the menue on the allergens, like gluten. You need to try to remember the long story that your waiter gives you on the gluten free items in the menue. If you have an intolerance, forget about their prefix menues. They don't have any information on the menue. If there is an item you cannot eat, the restaurant will not replace it for you by analogous item you can eat. You will need to go through long, confusing, and embarrassing explanations from the waiter. And the whole prefix experience will be ruined for your entire party, as they demand the entire table participate in prefix. Anyway, the food was good, but considering their indifference to the food intolerances and their very high price, I would unlikely to come again.

Charming little place I stumbled by as I was leaving immigration court. The food was excellent but just a little salty from my taste. I spoke with the staff and they told me that they are typically under salting things, but that was definitely not my experience when I ordered the duck. However, I'm more than happy to give these guys a second chance. I found the whole place very charming and the food very fresh.

This place completely won me over. Every course felt intentional, from presentation to flavor. I left excited and already thinking about when I could come back.

A quaint restaurant off the coast near Sutro baths. A few blocks away from the hustle of the tourist area. The dishes we ordered were light and well cooked. However nothing extra special or flavorful. The roasted hen was cooked perfectly and the crispy skins were delicious. The salad that came with it was bland and sparse. My first time trying persimmons. The short ribs were well cooked but did not fall off the bone and hard to eat with fork & knife. The server was very friendly but since it’s a busy restaurant we waited 40 minutes for a table and 10 minutes for server to greet us.

Went for brunch on a Saturday and it was pretty good. I had the Japanese breakfast (pictured) and a member of the meal had the Eggs Bacon and Waffle. The rice, salmon, and veggies were great. The egg in the bowl and the miso soup were just ok. I prefer more of a traditional miso and this was full of veggies. The egg was just in a bowl of water, not much flavor. Still a good meal and would eat here again!

Clean small place with quality food. I got Japanese breakfast and the siE and quality were beyond expectations. 25 bucks with coffee is fair price for such fair. Interior is bright and not too cozy though, not much atmosphere here

I have been here for brunch when in the Richmond and dinner in north beach. Brunch was really tasty, but maybe too fancy for me. Dinner was the three course prefix. The fried chicken is better as a table sharer than a starter option. I could taste a little bit of the oil. The duck confit was really good. The sweet potato corn bread was a nice finisher. The service was very nice and accommodating but the server was a little too chatty for me. The new space is nice, but I prefer the Richmond location. I would go back again if I lived closer, but there are restaurants in North beach I prefer.

Crab & Asian pear; the crab needs to be less salty. It was better when eaten all together with the sweet pear. Duck confit was hash; good dish, fall off the bone. Best eaten all mixed up with the runny egg and hash. Buttermilk fried chicken; decent, but nothing out of the ordinary. Would skip.

A rainy saturday led our walk to pass by the cheery Tiffany-blue(?) awnings with young-ish people enjoying interesting dishes (ceramics are beautiful) on display. They had space for us at the high-top tables near the kitchen at the rear of the restaurant. We started with a warming carrot ginger soup with spicy crumbles and shared two starters (Dungeness crab salad with 6-min egg and Asian pears + the fried chicken with fuyu persimmons. Fun combination of flavors and nice wine pairings on offer! Soup and chicken were a 5-star choice. The crab, not so much. The Quincy wine was excellent but the cider not so much. The wobble and lack of back support of high-top seating made it a little less enjoyable too. Would recommend regular seating area to future diners. Service was great! Overall a 4.5.

+2

Really patient staff and very chique Californian faire. Loved the prefix as it made an easy group seating. Don’t worry about sitting outside they’ve got plenty of good heating. Highlights were duck confit and the fried chicken.

I've been here once years ago, The process is smooth and easy, text directly 30 mins ahead, and they will prepare, and then just go to pickup and enjoy the meal! I ordered their signature meal-fried chicken, yummy, flavorful and juicy! Also their new package is looking fancy too!

I don’t like brunch but this will be my go to place from now on. I was lucky and got a seat as walk in, but I would recommend making a reservation. The Japanese Breakfast looks pretty, taste good, and is good for you. I really like their take on the miso soup, not overly salted like most places. They give you a huge bowl of rice though, so might want to ask for less if you’re not a big eater.

Good experience overall. They get busy so expect a wait. Food was solid and they had a good variety for lunch. The prices are average and everything came out in a reasonable time! Parking in that neighborhood can be tough.

+3

Came here for dinner on a weekend after visiting the Legion of Honor - lovely ambience with beautiful blue wallpaper and decorations! Staff were very friendly. Ordered the bruschetta, gnocchi variant, and grilled octopus. All were delicious but comprised too much food for two people. The pasta was very heavy, but we couldn’t resist...

Dog friendly on the sidewalk, and usually great service. However the last time I went, we were politely asked to leave before finishing our meal because there was someone else waiting, so can be a rushed meal.

Cassava's standout component is its service. Its servers and sommeliers are all extremely friendly, nice, and excellent at explaining the menu and giving recommendations. They all help each other out to make sure the dinner guest is never having to wait for them. Everything was brought out in a timely manner and timed appropriately for space on the table and the number of items you order. The food was overall very good. The fried chicken was spectacular, the burger was solid, and the caviar was great. The standout dish was the halibut crudo, by far the best and most complex taste profile. I highly recommend it. Would love to visit again.

Anna

This cafe is tucked away in the middle of an office building, transporting you to a world away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It feels very elegant and historic, with calm outdoor seating shaded by the building. The egg sando was light and airy, but the bread was quite dry for Japanese milk bread (probably in the fridge for too long). Not sure if they do iced drinks because I ordered a matcha latte and forgot to specify that I wanted it iced. It was bitter leaning grassy and I would probably put it in the same class as Kiss of Matcha. Their other food offerings look great, though! A good place to catch up or do some offline work.

Justin Snider

Food was very good for the most part. Thought the cod was a bit bland. The fried chicken was delicious and light, black sesame dessert was a hit and rigatoni with smoked salmon was cooked perfectly and way more delicious than you might think! Also had some of the duck and it had a great flavor to it. Overall a fantastic meal only issues were with pacing of the plates. We sat an ordered drinks then food a few minutes later with the fried chicken supplement. Less than 10 minutes later we get the fried chicken before anything else. We did say "as it's prepared" but figured it would come after the salad. From there it was a good 40 minute wait (about an hour after we sat down) before the salads came. Rest of the food was paced fine just a weird start. They were also out of several things, which happens but was a bit of a let down. Would definitely come again as it was way more good than bad! Space is super cool!

+23

Metinee Ding

After seeing all the hype about Cassava on Bay Area Eats, I was excited to try their restaurant week menu for date night! The meal started off okay as the ‘end of summer’ salad left something to be desired (figs were really flavorless and bland) and the salmon and avocado crudo felt very mundane. However, we opted to order the supplemental octopus and that was phenomenal. The octopus was wonderfully seasoned and slightly crunchy, arguably one of our favorite dishes of the night. The duck main course was also delicious, super succulent and flavorful with great accent flavors and textures (the fig on this one WAS sweet and delicious!). Unfortunately the cod was a little bland, but we did love the fried cauliflower mushrooms, and the textures were great in that dish. Desserts were absolutely wonderful and light as well, a wonderful way to end the meal. We also really enjoyed the ambience of the restaurant, and the service was excellent! Just falls short of 5 stars because of the appetizers though, sadly.

+2

Everything was really good. We had the short rib with brussel sprouts, pork open sandwich and the lamb salad.

Really wanted to like it, but the egg sando was very bland. I've had much better at 7-Eleven in Japan 😎 but the atmosphere is pretty nice.

Food was good but ironically while other reviews commend service we had a pretty lackluster experience. Don't set out to be with family at brunch on a Sunday and be snapped at for moving chairs around to accommodate a baby or clap backs when asking questions about juices available. The included gratuity was a poor surprise at the end in light of that, though I'm glad it allegedly goes to back of house as well. If you brand yourself "French-Californian cuisine" try not to import the wrong Parisian service stereotype.

everything at first glance is good. the service is spot on but the food is missing something. what are they going for? i dont understand!

+2

Super busy and packed but not as good as all the buzz. Great coffee and mimosa but confused dishes that lacked seasoning.

Service was slow. Reservation was at 1.30pm, seated around 2pm ish and food only came around 3pm. Despite the wait, the kitchen ran out of ingredients and swopped the eggs in the crab and pear salad for cheese, which completely threw off the flavor of the dish considering the more subtle flavors it was supposed to impart. The Cornish hen was dry and the whole dish was completely unseasoned and bland. The only part of the dish with taste was the boiled cabbage due to its natural sweetness. we had to ask for salt from our waitress. But that did not remedy an underseasoned roast much though it did become a little more palatable. Post roasting on a partially cold dish (i.e. no longer piping hot but warm), any finishing salt just rolls right off. That being said I believe the right techniques are there (at least the chicken skin was browned and crispy) but a step or two was skipped probably due to a mistake in the kitchen. Other friends in my group who ordered the Japanese breakfast enjoyed the salmon and miso soup so that was a plus. I rarely give such reviews but I do hope the place can improve its operations given the price point and some dishes that were well executed.

I very rarely leave poor reviews as I don’t want to hurt small businesses, but I am genuinely confused by this restaurant’s high ratings. First I will say that the staff are SUPER friendly, and I really appreciated that part! That’s why I’m still managing to give 3 stars. The restaurant was oddly empty around peak brunch/lunch hours on a Saturday, which I guess should have been my first red flag. Despite the emptiness, the food still took 30 minutes to arrive, and I wonder if they just forgot about us because by the time it came, it was totally lukewarm. Cold French toast is not great. But besides that, it was dry, and when i asked for syrup, the server said she’d go look for some, but never returned. Nobody came to check on us at all during the meal, and finally we had to flag someone down to even get the check. The avocado toast was decent , but served on the same dry and stale bread as the French toast bread. We felt pretty shocked to pay this much for extremely mediocre food. This won’t be one we will be returning to, and because of the price point, I need to leave a review to warn others. We ended up going into little Italy for pizza by the slice after this meal :/

Nice spot with an interesting menu and fresh ingredients but lacking in seasoning and flavor. I had the fried chicken sandwich and the texture was good but it needed salt and more of the sauce. Friends vegetable bowl was similar, very bland. No salt shakers on the table, so bland food must be a philosophical choice. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Sofia Lema

The coffee was good, but the "sandos" are just sandwiches in sliced bread and already made, put in to go boxes (they were fine, but don't call them "sandos"). The place is really nice, but all the tables are outside so check the weather before you go.

JD Rosensweig

The service is good and quick. The atmosphere is really nice located in an open area between the buildings in a calm part of town. The food, though, left much to be desired. My friend and I got the egg salad sandwiches and Chicken Tsukune Miso. While they were nicely presented and made with fresh ingredients. Both were fairly bland overall. The egg salad was fairly straightforward without much added to vary the taste. The soup had little to no salt. I did enjoy the Chai Latte. But was overall disappointed.

Jing Li

I’ve had Cassava on my want to go list for some time, so when we stopped in on Friday and they had a table without reservations, we were very excited. We decided to try to $118 tasting menu because it was suppose to be a James Beard finalist and you normally put your best dishes on a tasting menu like that. The menu was generally very disappointing, seemingly without any cohesion or theme. The asparagus appetizer was fine, but the crab and pea over toast was so bland that it kind of ruined the crab for me. The fish & lamb were fine but nothing special. Overall, it felt like a new chef trying their hand at a set menu, but didn’t really know what they were going for. They also seemed to forget about us between the 2nd and 3rd course. It took over 2.5 hours to receive and eat 5 course! The server was super friendly though, so overall I still give the service 3 stars. They did remove the price of our tea ($14 total) from the final price, but they charged a 5% SF mandate and a mandatory 20% gratuity, so overall it was still over $300 for 2 people. I wouldn’t come back again after that, which is a shame because it seems like their regular menu is pretty decent. For this price, there are many places in the city that’s much better.

+2

ayush kalani

My friends and I went to Cassava for Sunday brunch. We made an online reservation, but the place wasn't as busy, so walk-in would have been fine too. The walls of the restaurant are adorned with bright hues, and the large, expansive windows fill the space with an abundance of natural light, making it very warm and welcoming. We tried quite a few items from the menu- 1. Bread basket 2. Fried chicken 3. Baked egg skillet 4. Pain perdu 5. Mussel & fries 6. Barley tea The bread basket was decent. It came with butter and house berry jam. The beryy jam was good but very watery and didn't have the traditional jam like consistency. The croissant was very light and flaky. The mussels were fresh, sweet, and buttery. The fries were the highlight of the meal. Baked egg skillet lacked flavors. The fried chicken was okay. The aioli sauce that it came with was very salty and tangy. The pain perdu was a bit underwhelming. The bread/toast was dry and dense. The service was good but it can be better. There were times when we needed utensils and extra plates, and there was no server in our section of the restaurant to ask for help.

+11

Alexander Coughlin

Cute space but bland food. Our group dined a la carte at Cassava with high hopes. The menu has a lot of our favorite foods but we were left feeling very underwhelmed and overcharged. The parker rolls were stale. The rigatoni was cold with sauce that tasted like it was straight from a can and the noodles were undercooked. The chicken liver mousse was practically flavorless. The salmon and the burger both presented well visually but, again, flavorless. Even the sauce on the burger was flavorless. The one standout dish for our crew was the duck confit. During the meal, the timing was quite off and we waited a long time in between courses. When it came time to pay our bill we were told that service had already been included (really, for our group of 4?) which just felt tacky. We are generous tippers, but didn’t like the bait and switch of that. If you want to price in tip, I’m all for it, but be upfront about it and make that clear and/or price the dishes accordingly. And as for price, the premium they charge for the food is simply not justifiable for what you get. Would not return or recommend to others.

+1

Meng Hui Ong

Newly opened Cassava offers an interesting menu of Californian cuisine with a slight Japanese twist. The interior is very simple and basic. No fuss. No special decor. Minimalistic. A splash of colour on the walls. That’s it. The menu looked interesting. The items listed are for single serving and the server advised that a few dishes be ordered to be shared. The deep fried oysters looked cute with three dots of persimmon ketchup on top. It was an interesting take on oysters. I didn’t get much of the oyster as the batter over powered the delicate taste of fresh oyster. Torched local Halibut crudo with beets looked good. The delicate fish was overwhelmed by the taste of the beets. Sliced asparagus with rigatoni and cream sauce was good. The taste was light and refreshing. Perfect spring dish. Grilled black cod was ok. Can’t go wrong with the usual grilled fish. The pork chop was good. It was juicy and cooked just right. The sear was perfect which gave the chop great taste. This was the best dish. This restaurant have potential. They need to fine tune the menu and balance the taste profile of their food.

+4

My French toast was really sad. The bread is only half soaked so you have a stale white bread interior (see picture). The sauce was good so I covered with that but it makes me question if this place knows how to make French toast. Very disappointing

We really wanted to like this place and tried it for the first time during restaurant week, but we would not return and ultimately had a bad experience. We received a text 15 minutes before our 7:45 dinner reservation that our table was “delayed” by 15-30 minutes. Frustrating, but it ended up being around 10 minutes or so. The service was quite bad and our standards are not very high - it took 55 minutes for our main dishes to come out and during this period, our waiter didn’t check on us in any manner, inform us of any delay, or indicate any sort of caring for how long it was taking. We had to flag him down and he was just like “it’s cooking right now” only for the manager to jump in and say “it’s being plated now.” It was still another 10 minutes for our food to finally come out. If the food was great or high quality we could have overlooked these things, but unfortunately we were disappointed. The food portions were small and overpriced in our opinion, even for restaurant week. I’ve had much better value, cheaper homemade pasta dishes in SF and the meat was extremely rare (we hadn’t been asked how it should be cooked) and fatty. There were maybe 4 noodles in the pasta dish. Ultimately, we didn’t finish up until after 10pm due to the slow and unresponsive service for our 7:45pm dinner reservation. We generally got the vibe that they truly just didn’t care about us at all, although several waitstaff members (the host) seemed nice and pleasant.

My husband and I both got the short ribs at the recommendation of the attendant. We were prepared to order breakfast, it was 11:28AM and we had to settle for a very underwhelming bowl of arugula and peas with 2 pieces of short rib. The juices were fresh. We’re leaving to get a real meal somewhere else.

Very ok food with interesting service. Store is cute and clean. Stop by on a Saturday brunch time and got seated right away. First impression was good. I came by after a half marathon run and the associate was initiating conversation and providing hot water. Very nice job. Order a waffle and my friend ordered a Japanese breakfast. The waffle was very average taste. And he Japanese breakfast was tasteless, and by looking at it, we already lost the appetite. The reason why I gave a one star is the altitude from one associate. I was taking pictures for the restaurant surrounding and she showed up and say “if you take picture of guest or associate, you need to get their consent!” I’m like..... and my friend says she came her 3 times and every time she has some sort of conflict with the manager

B E

Will start out with the positive. The service was fantastic. All wait staff were super responsive and social. Some of the best I’ve encountered in San Francisco. The restaurant in situated on a fantastic North Beach corner making an excellent viewpoint for taking in city life. The food on the other hand was entirely mediocre. The mussels flavorless in a lifeless broth sat next to a micro bowl of fries characterized by an aftertaste of oil that went above its smoke point. The croque madame was okay. All this to wash down with a $16 pint of beer. Purely from a food perspective, this was an airport restaurant experience. For this price point in a vibrant city, diners deserve much better.

Sayantan Mukhopadhyay

Before any product launches in the market the company responsible runs a ‘self funded’ user testing period. This place wants to pay you instead for their five course tasting menu which is in highly experimental state. What a shame. All the dishes in the five course tasting menu are equally unimpressive. Lack balance, flavor or finesse. I have no idea why this place got James Beard nomination; I have no idea why this place got 4.5 rating avg here. The food here is not cheap, wine is stupidly expensive. I am also adding photos of the dishes; they look great but taste horrible. The location is actually cool. They should turn this to a cafe or bar and stop serving food until they find a products worth charging for. P.S. I am adding this section to clarify some context in the comment below from our server (not the chef/ owner). My main review remain unchanged. After eating the first four courses (three in picture below and a muscle risotto not in pictures) we felt pretty full and requested to skip the main course (the beef short ribs). We did not make this request because of the taste food served but the fact we were full. The waiter was very accommodating. Allowed us to box the risotto we could not finish also made a deduction in the bill (although I requested not to make the deduction because it's a fixed menu). I must agree the server was the most delightful part of our experience (in addition to the graffiti on the wall). Again, it does not change my review about the food I experienced on that day and it's a subjective assessment. My reviews are not endorsement or misinformation campaign.