Sheldon Magier

My partner and I sat at table outside and in front of restaurant. Weather was cool so they turned on overhead warm air fans per our request. We were attended to immediately with menus for review. I was told the soup of the day was chicken soup with mushrooms and vegetables in a chicken broth which I chose while my partner had a half dozen potstickers. Telling the waitress we were parked at a meter and had limited time she quickly brought our orders inside. We were grateful she returned quickly with our dishes. What we ordered may not have been large lunches but they were outstanding ! My chicken soup was very flavorful, matching the quality my Mom would cook it. I tasted a pot sticker and that too was excellent in a delicious sweet sauce. If you don’t want to remain hungry I suggest you ask for two orders of the potstickers. By the way there was pleasant, comfortable indoor seating as well. Finally I can relate the cleanliness of their bathrooms exceeded my expectations. I am including a photo of the restaurant frontage so that you may recognize it when you are in want of a satisfying meal done right.

Michael Guynn

This place is so much fun. The garlic gimmick is a blast, but it's more than a gimmick, it's delicious. The interior feels like a cozy, family run pizza parlor. Not fussy but full of so much heart. Black and white tile floor, garlic hanging from the ceiling, and neon lights everywhere. The service was attentive, friendly, prompt. We ordered drinks and they were on the table in five seconds, I swear. It shocked me. The bread was fluffy and delicious, the garlic appetizers were a great starter, and the mains were nice and really highlighted the garlic flavor. The standout was the short rib ravioli in Alfredo - and the star wasn't even the short rib, it was the perfectly creamy and garlicky sauce. We finished with the Gilroy Garlic ice cream which... Honestly was pretty good! The garlic was subtle up front but you feel the allium in the throat between bites. A cool sensation, and really overall a pleasant dessert, surprisingly! Check it out - the garlic is more than a gimmick at the Stinking Rose.

+1

I've been coming here for years whenever I visit the city and it seems to get even better as I age. The food is fantastic and the garlic theme is a win! service was great and on point and the decor…

I've been coming here for years whenever I visit the city and it seems to get even better as I age. The food is fantastic and the garlic theme is a win! Service was great and on point and the decor…

This place was garlic overload, but in a good way. Most everything had garlic in it, but they had a very funny anti-vampire theme emoji to indicate items that had no garlic. The staff were super fr…

Spent a really fun afternoon here with my friend Steve at The Stinking Rose, and it ended up being one of those stops that just works.\n\nWe grabbed drinks and sat outside at one of the small sidew…

Food was excellent service was very attentive. The ambience was quaint, charming, and elegant. The outside offered heaters if you have a table for two. The bill was hefty so as long as you're good …

Food was excellent service was very attentive. The ambience was quaint, charming, and elegant. The outside offered heaters if you have a table for two. The bill was hefty so as long as you're good …

Yummy garlic! Would come again! Try the garlic bread it's so good! I felt like we were in garlic paradise. Service was great

Made a reservation here for Thanksgiving & this place was packed! \nThis was our 1st time here & it was lively, a very energetic atmosphere. \nWe were seated on the 2nd floor & had a good view of t…

The shrimp was cooked to perfection. The servers should have sore cheeks from smiling so much. Perfect for a date night. Great ambiance.

Heard good things about this restaurant so my boyfriend and I decided to visit while we were staying down the street. We absolutely loved this place!! We had the GNOCCHI with bread for an appetizer. …

Great food, ambiance, and excellent service. Worth the trip to the City. As a local, we tend to overlook many places which cater mostly to tourists. But it was a beautiful day and we decided to ve…

Great food, ambiance, and excellent service. Worth the trip to the City. As a local, we tend to overlook many places which cater mostly to tourists. But it was a beautiful day and we decided to …

Great food, ambiance, and excellent service. Worth the trip to the City. As a local, we tend to overlook many places which cater mostly to tourists. But it was a beautiful day and we decided to …

Great food, ambiance, and excellent service. Worth the trip to the City. As a local, we tend to overlook many places which cater mostly to tourists. But it was a beautiful day and we decided to …

I always wanted to try this restaurant in North Beach and I’m glad I finally did! I love the fun atmosphere as we were seated upstairs! I tried the Garlic Alfredo which is one of the signature dish…

Amazing food. Large portions and very flavorful. Surprisingly, garlic dessert! Didn't make a reservation although to avoid disappointment I would recommend.

The crab had outstanding flavor. Although I wish it would have come with a side. It was just the crab. The baguette with garlic was wonderful also. The 40 clove chicken was surprisingly not ver…

The name refers to a Roman reference to garlic. I love it, and they use it. Not to overpower, but certainly to celebrate. I had a chicken mushroom linguini, with the pasta obviously hand-made. When…

Came here solo for lunch. Did not have a reservation but they asked if I wanted inside or not. There was another solo diner outside so I opted for that as it was a beautiful cool but sunny day. …

Family friend recommended. He had eaten here 30 years ago and recommended exactly what he had. The Brie chicken - OMG! We even tried the garlic ice cream. Glad we listened to the recommendation!!

Parking was really difficult, it’s best to take public transit. The menu didn’t have as many options as I would’ve liked. I remember there being more fresh garlic as opposed to roasted, but the roasted is better and doesn’t linger in your pores as much. Lemon torte wasn’t lemon-y enough but the cheesecake was fantastic

This place is really talked about, and I can see why. It's pricy, but if you really like garlic, you should really give it a shot. It's a fun place with great food. Get the garlic in the oil bath!

Erika Jiménez

Overall, a fantastic spot for date night. Sitting outside on a sunny day in San Francisco feels about as close to Europe as you can get. They have heaters, so it’s warm and comfortable even when the temperature drops. We ordered the Acme baguette, ribeye with Caesar, shrimp skillet, and the Honig Sau Blanc. Knocked a star since the owner doesn’t like for the bread to be pre-cut, a bit annoying to cut a baguette on the table. The steak was incredible, perfectly cooked and full of flavor. The Caesar dressing is made in-house, and you can absolutely taste the difference. The shrimp skillet was good, though the portion felt a bit small for the price. It’s also a great place to stop in for shared appetizers and drinks while people-watching. Service was fast and friendly. An SF classic for a reason.

Alex Moore

Neat location in SF’s Little Italy. Love the vampire theme. Be prepared for the garlic (silly thing to say for going to a garlic themed restaurant) Even as garlic fan, it was a lot and my nose hairs have probably been singed. I had the garlic spread and dungeoness crab. Both were delicious.

C

This place is famous for its garlic-themed dishes. 🧄 I highly recommend the roasted garlic appetizer, it’s amazing when spread on steak or pizza!

+6

Lauren Barnes

The Stinking Rose is such a fun place to go in San Francisco! Especially if you love garlic. They offer some non-garlic options as well. I am a garlic fanatic, and this was my second time here. We had Bagna Calda, 40 clove chicken and Count Vladimir's Sizzling Garlic Prime Ribeye Stake. For dessert, we decided to try the garlic ice cream and I'm glad we did! I wouldn't eat it everyday, but it was very fun to try. If you're looking for a novelty in a fun atmosphere, this is the place!

Hit List

Such a fun spot to hang outdoors when the weather plays nice. The little tables give it that cozy Italian trattoria vibe. The garlic martini was smooth and dangerous as it slides down like water but sneaks up like a ninja. The fettuccine was on point, no complaints there. An unexpected benefit from this place is that your garlic breath will keep away vampires and exes. The only complaint would be the wait for the restroom when this place is busy.

Eda

The Stinking Rose is a well established restaurant in San Francisco. I slipped minutes before close on a busy weekend, and were welcomed by great hospitality by the manager. We tried their Bagna Calda (garlic and bread), mussels and shrimp on a hot skillet, and garlic ice cream. As a garlic fan, this meal hit the spot. If you’re looking to celebrate a birthday here, do it! The wait staff sing in a roaring unison the birthday song to make sure the entire room knows you’re part of the birthday group!

A Helms

So yummy and fun! A really enjoyable experience, great food and great fun people watching and being in such a lively restaurant. Bagna Calda was awesome, very mild and an original version of garlic bread. Servings were the perfect size. Wait staff were super kind and attentive. They bust butt working really hard to keep everything running smoothly- super impressive! My only complaint was that it was colder inside upstairs than it was outside on a windy night. I would’ve ate outside if I’d known it was so cold inside. Otherwise an amazing time!

+1

Colin Goldstein

If you don't like garlic, pick somewhere else to eat! The food has a garlic flare, and everything we ate was good. Service could have been better. We sat upstairs, and it was noticeably warmer than downstairs. It's a fun place to eat, and you should spend a few minutes looking at the decor. They have a small selection of beer, but they do have a full bar. We spent $750+ for 10 people.

we got such a cute table on the 2F overlooking the bustling crowds on the bottom floor. it was a fun, delicious date night. the stinking rose lives up to its garlicky hype!! definitely order the bagn…

we got such a cute table on the 2F overlooking the bustling crowds on the bottom floor. it was a fun, delicious date night. the stinking rose lives up to its garlicky hype!! definitely order the ba…

If you love garlic, you HAVE TO come here!! Finally had the opportunity to visit the Stinking Rose after hearing about it through social media & am so glad I stopped by! Was seated quickly, and given…

We sat on the patio and had a good time. There's heaters out front for when it got cold. \nThe food was good but we were hoping it would have been absolutely smothered in garlic. We wanted to leave…

Went here for dinner with a group of friends. The space we sat was pretty tight but it worked. Food was delicious (rib eye and crab salad), drinks were average and staff were pretty slow and not at…

It's a nice Italian restaurant in san Francisco it has a nice environment and there's good food.

I think I found my new favorite restaurant in the city. It gives such an old school family restaurant that can still be considered a date night spot also. Staff is super friendly right when you che…

A bit noisy but you’re in the heart of North Beach so lots of traffic and people. But our pasta (ravioli and fettuccine and two sandwiches wee really good. We are every bite! The portions were a re…

Disappointing. Food was tasty, but expensive. Felt like a conveyor belt, we were fed quickly and offered to pay the bill quickly. We wanted a nice relaxed evening with some good food to celebrate o…

Such high expectations, but a poor experience for the price paid. Having booked several months in advance, we arrived and were taken to a small eating area above the main restaurant, rather than b…

I remember when the place was full and bustling. The food was amazing, the bread and garlic spread were complimentary. But when we visited last week, it was nothing like the old times. Cold bre…

Dinah Lee

Food portions not worth the price point. Fun, lively spot to visit but I would recommend eating elsewhere to fulfill your appetite. Service was excellent!

Sikun

apart from the garlic oil appetizer, everything looks better than they taste.. (out of them the aged brie and mushroom sauce is good!)

I was kind of disappointed. I was hoping the garlic flavors would be more prominent especially since we ordered the steak, the tub and the dungeness crab. I don't understand why the steak was…

Food is okay but not amazing, even their signature dishes. The settings make the place very loud, not great for conversations. Service was very friendly.

food is okay but not amazing, even their signature dishes. The settings make the place very loud, not great for conversations. Service was very friendly.

Food is okay but not amazing, even their signature dishes. The settings make the place very loud, not great for conversations. service was very friendly.

I've been to SFO many times and I often find myself here because my party wants to attend. Sure, if you like garlic, this is the place to go but be clear a) it's overpriced, b) there are other grea…

This was a huge let down. It was highly recommended for "Garlic Lovers". Everything garlic, or lots of garlic sounds like my kind of place. Let's with the service- The waiter forgot about our waters for about 10 min then when he got sat two additional tables he brought every table water. Then didn't see him again until after most of the food was finished seeing if we wanted desert. The Expo team and bussing team really carried the service on our visit. The Food- Cheesy bread for appetizer, couldn't taste any garlic. Even though it stated it should have some. The "Pizza" is more of a flatbread. That they didn't dock to get air bubbles out, it was mostly bubbled flatbread. It was supposed to be the Vampire Killer with garlic listed four times in the ingredients. All you could taste was the small amounts of random cloves they had on there. The fettuccine pasta with "Garlic Lovers Parmigiano" with the chicken, it was basically just a standard pesto again minimal garlic flavor. When the food arrived at the table it was warm not hot, seemed like the kitchen timing was off cause the pizza was hotter than the pasta but with the smaller portion of pasta it got to room temp by time I was close to done with it. Down to the last... dessert... I was really hoping that the garlic ice-cream would be the redemption course. It was not, all it tasted like was vanilla ice-cream with a hint of garlic powder. Didn't even taste like it was actually made with garlic. All and all, just go somewhere else and ask for extra garlic and it'll taste better than coming here.

Tummy Max

The service wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t good either, just average and unmemorable. Unfortunately, the food and pricing were where things really fell apart. The steak was priced at USD 50 and, while the portion was decent enough to share, it still didn’t justify the cost. The ribs at USD 35 were a major letdown, with a portion so small it felt overpriced from the moment it arrived. The fettuccine at USD 25 came in a tiny serving, honestly more suitable for a child than an adult. The worst value by far was the seafood combo at USD 70. For that price, we received only a few prawns, some clams, and half a crab....yes, just half a crab. Completely ridiculous for the price point. I understand paying more for good food and a good experience. But when a group of 10 people walks out spending USD 520 and feels totally unsatisfied, something is seriously wrong. Overall, extremely poor value for money and not a place I would recommend.

Tourist trap for sure. The garlic and bread wasn't great I ordered the seafood fettuccine and the sauce was almost broth. The flavor was lacking. We also got a garlic infused pizza, again the flavo…

Visited Nov 25th. Horrible experience I wish the Beverly Hills location was still open. We ordered wine and cheese bread. Enthralled in our conversation we realized our steak and seafood plate had …

Visited Nov 25th. Horrible experience I wish the Beverly Hills location was still open. We ordered wine and cheese bread. Enthralled in our conversation we realized our steak and seafood plate ha…

The chicken Caesar salad gave us food poisoning and we have been sick for 48+ hours!!! Beyond that, they didn't seat us until 30+ minutes after our reservation time. Terrible service and food. So d…

1 star -- Christmas Night reservation Not Honored\nPicture it. Entire family leaving restaurant and curbed in the rain because the Stinking Rose service STUNK. \nWe had a confirmed Christmas-night …

The service was incredibly poor. We made a reservation for 6:30pm, and were not seated until about 7:00pm. At one point, the host (of which there were two) walked us up to the second floor, at whic…

The service was incredibly poor. We made a reservation for 6:30pm, and were not seated until about 7:00pm. At one point, the host (of which there were two) walked us up to the second floor, at whic…

60 visits over 30 years, first one since 2019, it's dead, the food is bad, the atmosphere is bad, doesn't smell like garlic, no clove and bread when you sit and menu shrunk by 50%.

60 visits over 30 years, first one since 2019, it's dead, the food is bad, the atmosphere is bad, doesn't smell like garlic, no clove and bread when you sit and menu shrunk by 50%.

Samuel

The Italian potstickers are just frozen trader joe pot stickers, nothing Italian about the filling or the way of cooking it. $18 for 5 of those is an absolute scam and crime to call it Italian. The “sizzling” ribeye is not even hot, the mash potatoes taste fine but the texture is so bad, and the “garlic” is so bitter. Only good thing is the vibe.