Tennessee Grill

Big fan of this place...I have been enjoying eating here for 55 years !! ! Great for breakfast anytime of day... Pot roast ..very good! You also can't beat the "Tennessee Special"..Great Burger/fries combo ! I like it on a french roll with Cheddar cheese. Bacon also a great option. Prices are quite reasonable.... Great people serving here. All very attentive and smiling !

Go back in time to a diner built in the 1950s with standard diner offerings plus more unique finds like Irish breakfasts and British bangers. Staff is friendly and service is efficient. This is the old school place where you find morning patrons watching cable news on the TV or reading the morning paper over hot coffee.

I have been dining here when Lou owned it about 40 years ago. That's when there was an all you can eat salad bar. The new owners have kept it the same and have added many new dishes. This restaurant is the best for food quality, variety, friendly service and price. I am 78 years old and will continue to dine at Tennessee Grill. 5 stars!

I was born and raised in Texas so I know a good Chicken Fried Steak. And this place NAILS it. 100% recommended.

I've been to this establishment numerous times. It is a staple and a value landmark in the district. With its "Mom & Pop" vibe, this place never disappoints any appetite. I enjoy going there every time, when I'm in the area.

What can I say other than Tennessee Grill has never let me down on the quality of the food and service I would recommend no doubt great place to chow down.

Great old school diner to grab a bite. It's my go-to spot for a homemade burger and fries. They serve breakfast all day, as well. Oh! Don't forget to get a strawberry milkshake while you're there.

I got Lou’s Special and it was delicious. It’s a veggie scramble with corn beef, mushrooms and spinach. Not a pretentious place. Just good food at an affordable price with nice people serving you. They didn’t let our coffee cups get empty.

It was my preferred restaurant in my stay in San Francisco. A genuine, true place with good food, nice service, and welcoming ambience. I took the burger and it was delicious. At the good point of cooking, good taste and not greasy at all. I also met the owner and he was a kind, hard working and proud business owner. Thanks Mr Soe!

Came here for the first time with a good friend of mine! I’ve always walked past it but never made it a plan to come eat. I was craving breakfast food so I got their Mandalay Slam which comes with 2 sausages, 1 slice of bacon, 1 sausage patty, ham, 2 eggs, hash brown & wheat bread. This was only $14.95! I was surprised at the variety of meats for this price, I was expecting it to cost a little more. My friend got their spaghetti with meatballs which was $18. I tried a little bit of hers and it was also really good! Super flavorful! Love how tender the meatball was.

nice place to have breakfast. their irish breakfast and biscuit & gravy are amazing

11/15/2025: No line for brunch on a Saturday. Out of the row of bar stools at the counter, two were dirty. One had a used napkin on it and the other had an old newspaper. I sat down on a clean one and order a mushroom cheeseburger $13.50 and a side of sunny side eggs $5.25. Food arrived quickly. When I assembled and ate the burger, all this grease started spilling out. While it tasted good, that can't be healthy. Service was fine. Brunch 4/25/2021. Tennessee Grill has a truck stop feel to it. Both the indoor and outdoor decor can use a renovation. Today, I got the Mandalay Slam (bacon, ham, sausage link, patty two eggs.) Service was fast and the food came out quick. The waitress was attentive on the coffee refills. The food was not bad. The hash browns came out slightly crispy but was still too mushy for me in the middle. It lacked that buttery taste. The English muffins came pre-buttered, which was nice. Overall, this was not a bad meal. Thanks Tennessee Grill!

One of the best breakfast diners in Downtown San Francisco with good prices and good food at the same time. 👍🥞🍳🥪🥩🍝🧑‍🍳🥓🥗

This is the best place to have a good breakfast! The cooks are very nice and will cook whatever you request. Prices are reasonable, the place is very clean and the ambient is very nice. The place opens at 6am-8pm 24/7 365 days,(including Holidays!).

This place was amazing. I had the classic two egg breakfast combo . Service was good . The lady who served me was very attentive! I will be coming back for sure .

It's definitely a neighborhood spot! If you know, you know! The atmosphere is what you would expect from a neighborhood spot. I went here to meet up with my big sister to have a little food before we went to the beach to sprinkle our mother's ashes. If you know our family, it was NOT a somber occasion! We laughed, we gossiped, and we ate some great food! I had their traditional Irish Style breakfast with Black & White pudding, Irish bacon, Banger, and eggs... Incredible! Their staff are very attentive and super friendly! Whether you find yourself in the area or live in the area, and you want some down-to-earth, great food, this is your spot! Afterward, we went to the beach behind the Cliff House, spread our mother's ashes, and re-itterated our goodbyes. (This is the view from where we spread our mother's ashes.)

Feels like home comjng in here. Many options to choose from to satisfy your cravings. Great service and delicious dishes.

Awesome! The last of the true San Francisco diners! Great food, great prices and wonderful staff. Plus it really is one of the few places you can hear the distinct San Francisco accent amongst the OG locals!

Anna Ng

Came here for the first time with a good friend of mine! I’ve always walked past it but never made it a plan to come eat. I was craving breakfast food so I got their Mandalay Slam which comes with 2 sausages, 1 slice of bacon, 1 sausage patty, ham, 2 eggs, hash brown & wheat bread. This was only $14.95! I was surprised at the variety of meats for this price, I was expecting it to cost a little more. My friend got their spaghetti with meatballs which was $18. I tried a little bit of hers and it was also really good! Super flavorful! Love how tender the meatball was.

Collin Tse

One of the best breakfast diners in Downtown San Francisco with good prices and good food at the same time. 👍🥞🍳🥪🥩🍝🧑‍🍳🥓🥗

Jeff Ho

11/15/2025: No line for brunch on a Saturday. Out of the row of bar stools at the counter, two were dirty. One had a used napkin on it and the other had an old newspaper. I sat down on a clean one and order a mushroom cheeseburger $13.50 and a side of sunny side eggs $5.25. Food arrived quickly. When I assembled and ate the burger, all this grease started spilling out. While it tasted good, that can't be healthy. Service was fine. Brunch 4/25/2021. Tennessee Grill has a truck stop feel to it. Both the indoor and outdoor decor can use a renovation. Today, I got the Mandalay Slam (bacon, ham, sausage link, patty two eggs.) Service was fast and the food came out quick. The waitress was attentive on the coffee refills. The food was not bad. The hash browns came out slightly crispy but was still too mushy for me in the middle. It lacked that buttery taste. The English muffins came pre-buttered, which was nice. Overall, this was not a bad meal. Thanks Tennessee Grill!

Delia Ramixes

This is the best place to have a good breakfast! The cooks are very nice and will cook whatever you request. Prices are reasonable, the place is very clean and the ambient is very nice. The place opens at 6am-8pm 24/7 365 days,(including Holidays!).

Lala Valenzuela

This place was amazing. I had the classic two egg breakfast combo . Service was good . The lady who served me was very attentive! I will be coming back for sure .

John Holman

It's definitely a neighborhood spot! If you know, you know! The atmosphere is what you would expect from a neighborhood spot. I went here to meet up with my big sister to have a little food before we went to the beach to sprinkle our mother's ashes. If you know our family, it was NOT a somber occasion! We laughed, we gossiped, and we ate some great food! I had their traditional Irish Style breakfast with Black & White pudding, Irish bacon, Banger, and eggs... Incredible! Their staff are very attentive and super friendly! Whether you find yourself in the area or live in the area, and you want some down-to-earth, great food, this is your spot! Afterward, we went to the beach behind the Cliff House, spread our mother's ashes, and re-itterated our goodbyes. (This is the view from where we spread our mother's ashes.)

Alzila

Feels like home comjng in here. Many options to choose from to satisfy your cravings. Great service and delicious dishes.

This place is delightfully old school and a real neighborhood joint and they really treat you like family here. I mean, I was waiting for a friend outside and the owner put two and two together and walked out side to tell me that my friend was probably inside waiting for me. That's the kind of personal familial treatment that is hard to find.

The perfect greasy spoon with amazing simple food and incredible staff. They never disappoint with their breakfast and I wish I could eat here every day!

Well, growing up in The City during the 60's and 70's my family frequented this fine establishment many a time after a shopping visit to The Big E at Stonestown. After HS I joined the USMC and I have to say after all these years I could not tell you the last time a ate at the Grill. But reading the reviews, the menu, the reasonable prices and photos, I would say the Tennessee Grill has not changed one bit! That places a smile on this old mans face.

Jesus, where do I begin. The service, the speed, the quality. Exceptional. Best New Years Eve breakfast ever!

Andres Andrade

Jesus, where do I begin. The service, the speed, the quality. Exceptional. Best New Years Eve breakfast ever!

Michelle Jones

The perfect greasy spoon with amazing simple food and incredible staff. They never disappoint with their breakfast and I wish I could eat here every day!

J White

Well, growing up in The City during the 60's and 70's my family frequented this fine establishment many a time after a shopping visit to The Big E at Stonestown. After HS I joined the USMC and I have to say after all these years I could not tell you the last time a ate at the Grill. But reading the reviews, the menu, the reasonable prices and photos, I would say the Tennessee Grill has not changed one bit! That places a smile on this old mans face.

Andrew Peterson

This place is delightfully old school and a real neighborhood joint and they really treat you like family here. I mean, I was waiting for a friend outside and the owner put two and two together and walked out side to tell me that my friend was probably inside waiting for me. That's the kind of personal familial treatment that is hard to find.

Great burger and very generous with the avocado.. bland mashed potatoes . Over cool. Would eat there again tho. Just trying it out.

Great staff Never had to ask for a refill on coffee Food is good and prices very fair It's My favorite breakfast place Has ample seating and WiFi is available

Expensive. Not much food for the price. The waitress checks back only when bringing the bill. I had to go find her each time I needed something. They are all very nice, just no follow up. They have a unique spin on classics. Ex: Meatloaf, Philly steak and cheese looks nothing like one would expect. Side salads have lettuce, garbanzo beans, carrots, & beets. Roomy place. Metered street parking. Very nice people.

This place is unassuming but surprising. When we were staying for a week nearby, I almost passed it up because from its exterior did not look like much. I am glad I didn't. The diner-stye interior is nothing fancy but they do classics really well. My husband had french toast with 2 over easy eggs and sausages on the side. The sausages were juicy and full of flavor. The eggs were done perfectly and made a great pairing for the french toast with maple syrup. The only lackluster item were the hash browns which did not have as much flavor but we realized we should have had it with the eggs and toast vs on its own. What's interesting is that this place also serves non-traditional items such as ox tail stew, which I tried. The meat was super tender and very tasty. The whole vibe of the place is like the long-standing community spot. Looked like it had many regulars who had been coming for years.

This place has been here forever, heard about it back in high school bit never got a chance to try it out until now. The food here is your classic breakfast / lunch diner. It's very popular with the locals, as itself around forever and even expanded the area a while back. Food portions isn't gigantic nor is is petite, I say it's just right for the price. Service is excellent, very friendly waitress that makes sure your mug is always filled. Very few places like this around its location, making this place fairly special.

This place is a diner with the look and feel of the 1940’s with perhaps a couple of subsequent remodelings, the latest probably around the 1980’s. Its sort of nostalgic in a low rent kinda way. It might have been a place for a decent meal in the past but its appeal today certainly isn’t in the food. Its mostly food-service quality ingredients indifferently prepared. There are a few specials in a mostly typical diner menu but none of them warrant much of a mention. Its only redeeming factor is that its cheap, at least by SF standards. In a city that’s rapidly gentrifying it’s exceptional to see something of the more prosaic survive intact and viable. So go, sit down in a booth or at the counter, have a meal and enjoy the ambiance. This is a relic of a not too distant past when San Francisco was San Francisco. I’m glad it’s still here.

Neighborhood go-to diner. Good value. The noise level was high. Had breakfast. Lou's Special was good. Bacon was flimsy. Coffee was weak but plentiful. Servers are helpful and serve with a smile. Overall I'd say it's what you expect for a diner. Will go again.

You can tell this is a place that the locals go to!! Quick service, nice comfort food, and great pricing. It gives me that old-school dinner feel, and its actually an SF historic restaurant. Parking is a bit challenging, but well worth finding a spot.

We came here for breakfast on Saturday morning and this place was pretty packed but no waiting as it was a largely spaced restaurants. I liked that most customers appeared local and groups of families. We ordered Irish breakfast, breakfast specials and waffles. Irish breakfast was pretty good which had Irish bangers and other types of sausages that tasted like blood sausage . The hash browned seemed a little undercooked. Overall I felt that their savory breakfast was decent but the sweet breakfast such as pancakes and waffle were just ok . They were mostly dry and floury , even adding syrup didn’t make it better. I would definitely try for lunch and diner as the price seems to be reasonable.

Considering what you pay for the food, this is a great restaurant! The taste is definitely not there, mash potatoes tastes like mashed potatoes, no salt or butter. Grilled tilapia is just defrosted fried tilapia. I don't remember paying lower anywhere else in San Francisco. Friendly people.

We come here because of the price and the service. The food is decent. Place is worth going if you are trying to feed a family on a budget. Throwback diner, no frills but great, friendly service.

Tiffany Crossley

You can tell this is a place that the locals go to!! Quick service, nice comfort food, and great pricing. It gives me that old-school dinner feel, and its actually an SF historic restaurant. Parking is a bit challenging, but well worth finding a spot.

Grace Nicolas -Kim

We came here for breakfast on Saturday morning and this place was pretty packed but no waiting as it was a largely spaced restaurants. I liked that most customers appeared local and groups of families. We ordered Irish breakfast, breakfast specials and waffles. Irish breakfast was pretty good which had Irish bangers and other types of sausages that tasted like blood sausage . The hash browned seemed a little undercooked. Overall I felt that their savory breakfast was decent but the sweet breakfast such as pancakes and waffle were just ok . They were mostly dry and floury , even adding syrup didn’t make it better. I would definitely try for lunch and diner as the price seems to be reasonable.

Mahdiar Sadeghi

Considering what you pay for the food, this is a great restaurant! The taste is definitely not there, mash potatoes tastes like mashed potatoes, no salt or butter. Grilled tilapia is just defrosted fried tilapia. I don't remember paying lower anywhere else in San Francisco. Friendly people.

Abhi Shek

We come here because of the price and the service. The food is decent. Place is worth going if you are trying to feed a family on a budget. Throwback diner, no frills but great, friendly service.

Wonderful old school diner! Complete anachronism! Liver and onions, chicken fried steak, huge brunch menu to satisfy all-day breaky cravings! Cheap and good, local , neighborhood focused eatery. Not fancy, all regulars, lots of happy people!

I loved the interactions between the customers and the staff you can tell they been going there for years! Love the friendliness of the staff and the attentive but in from New York and I ordered the terayki chicken and it wasn’t my favorite I’m not used to it being steamed that’s how it looked but the flavor was good just not the texture. The space can use some renovations but like I said you can tell they been there for years very authentic

Stephanie Garcia

I loved the interactions between the customers and the staff you can tell they been going there for years! Love the friendliness of the staff and the attentive but in from New York and I ordered the terayki chicken and it wasn’t my favorite I’m not used to it being steamed that’s how it looked but the flavor was good just not the texture. The space can use some renovations but like I said you can tell they been there for years very authentic

ross Uchimura

Wonderful old school diner! Complete anachronism! Liver and onions, chicken fried steak, huge brunch menu to satisfy all-day breaky cravings! Cheap and good, local , neighborhood focused eatery. Not fancy, all regulars, lots of happy people!

It's all right if you're hungry but nothing special. Willing to try it again sometime.

+1

I wanted to like this place because it looked classic American and down-to-earth. But (1) the actual price of a steak dinner was 20% higher than it said on the website. (2) The steak was just really stringy and poor quality. (I wasn’t expecting a filet mignon, just a serviceable NY strip). (3) Veggies and bread were mediocre. Soup was pretty good though, and service was good.

It's a greasy spoon in need of an update. The service was top notch, but skip the corned beef hash.

Wendel Tse

It's a greasy spoon in need of an update. The service was top notch, but skip the corned beef hash.

We got the Famous Lou's Special and that was fine. The pancakes aren't the best because it's pretty chewy. Their French toast was just okay. Their scrambled eggs are fine. Coffee was nice and strong. Maybe it was an off day? This isn't my usual breakfast spot. The staff did recommend country fried chicken but we didn't feel like eating that.

When it came time to pay I went up to the register like you're supposed to and the younger hostess/cashier lady with the long hair, glasses, and baggy pants didn't say anything to me and just stared me down. I was there with my partner, so I'm not sure if it was discriminatory, but it ruined my experience because the food and server at my table were both great. I used to come here all the time with my grandparents growing up, so visiting Tennessee grill is very nostalgic for me, but this was a disappointment. She could have read back the total, or simply said "cash or card?" but instead she just stared me down in a very uncomfortable and somewhat hostile manor. I hate to say it, but I don't think she is cut out for working in the service industry and should be fired.

Jonny David

When it came time to pay I went up to the register like you're supposed to and the younger hostess/cashier lady with the long hair, glasses, and baggy pants didn't say anything to me and just stared me down. I was there with my partner, so I'm not sure if it was discriminatory, but it ruined my experience because the food and server at my table were both great. I used to come here all the time with my grandparents growing up, so visiting Tennessee grill is very nostalgic for me, but this was a disappointment. She could have read back the total, or simply said "cash or card?" but instead she just stared me down in a very uncomfortable and somewhat hostile manor. I hate to say it, but I don't think she is cut out for working in the service industry and should be fired.

linda m

We got the Famous Lou's Special and that was fine. The pancakes aren't the best because it's pretty chewy. Their French toast was just okay. Their scrambled eggs are fine. Coffee was nice and strong. Maybe it was an off day? This isn't my usual breakfast spot. The staff did recommend country fried chicken but we didn't feel like eating that.