By BlueZero
29 Apr 2011 01:35
I stared writing this review as I was on my flight leaving the San Francisco Bay Area. I visited my friends and family and of course went to places I love to eat. One of my friends tried to surprise me with a mystery restaurant while we were hanging out in the Sunset district of San Francisco. I surprised myself when I correctly guessed the location on my first try while getting the restaurant completely wrong.
Background:
I went to the Sloat Blvd Java Beach Cafe location as I found out there is another one on La Playa St. What you don't realize is I was looking forward to going to the Doggy Diner for the first time which had closed many many years ago. It was the famous local hot dog shop right across from the entrance of the San Francisco Zoo. I’m sure many people have fond memories of going to the zoo and getting a hotdog at the Doggy Diner. Unfortunately my family and field trips always ate inside the zoo. The only news I remember was a push to make the dog face sculpture on top of the roof historic. The sculpture has been restored and is now in the middle of the street divider.
After the Doggie Diner, there was the 49er Café & Bar before eventually becoming the Java Beach Cafe. As soon as I stepped inside I realized the place was a café with a distinct lack of hotdogs on the menu.
Ambiance: My initial reaction was shock at the small coffee shop vibe because I had pre-conceptions about seeing a hot dog shop. The interior was very quaint with four bar seats and about six or seven chair/booth areas. One thing to note was we almost had nowhere to sit since most people were using the free WIFI and hoarding tables. It was almost nighttime outside and the weather was a perfect mist/light sprinkle to complement any coffee shop.
Food: I spent a while deciding before I decided on the large O.B. Hot Sub Sandwich: Create Your Own Sandwich ($7.50). I ordered large roast beef sandwich on French roll with almost full condiments. I opted for mayo, mustard, lecture, tomato, pickles, and red onions along with pepper jack cheese. I also added the optional jalapenos and pickles since they were included in the price. I asked for the sandwich hot since I usually eat cold roast beef. My friend ordered one of their special sandwiches and a peasant pie (spinach feta, Moroccan lentil, Basque beef, and scrambled egg).
My sandwich arrived in good time and I really liked the look and taste of the bread. The roast beefy was luckily hot without being dried out. The lettuce had a good balance of moistness without being too wet. The jalapeno spice complemented the sandwich nicely without being too spicy. The side potato chips were better than average with a thick crunch and normal amount of salt.
The sandwich was filling while I really wasn’t super hungry for once while I was eating it. I had been really craving deli sandwiches during the week and the Java Beach Café sandwich was satisfying. My only complaint is $8 after tax is a lot of money for a large sandwich in my mind but this is probably standard for San Francisco with the higher cost of living. I really can’t hold this against the cafe
Drinks: Cafés are known for their delectable coffees and lattes. Unfortunately I do not regularly drink coffee or lattés and didn't order any drink. Therefore, I can’t rate their beverages. If the café had a smoothie or I was in the mood for hot chocolate, I would have gotten one. I drank only boring water with my sandwich.