Garcon

I recently brought a friend to Garcon who was visiting the city and used to be a food writer. I was really looking for high quality food in a relaxed atmosphere so we could enjoy ourselves and catchup.

Garcon fit that bill really nicely. We ordered mussels, fries, a beet salad, the beef, the halibut, the pork loin, and two fruit tarts for dessert. We also had cocktails, wine, and espressos. Everything was just lovely. I was really impressed with the quality of the mussels, and I honestly think the halibut was one of the best pieces I've ever had. The staff was wonderful and accommodating.

The only complaint I could think of is that I wish there was a bit more variety in the appetizers. Other than that, though, excellent evening.

Pros: Excellent food at each course, friendly staff

Cons: Limited selection of appetizers

Posted 05/29/09

I went there because I was looking for a place that serves mussels in the mission. This place is small and great for a date because it is not noisy. I sat at the small bar and Christoph the bartender took great care of me. I overheard them saying that they will stop servig food at 9pm because it was slow that night. So call ahead to make sure they are still serving and to make a reservation. I heard it get's really crowded on fri/sat. I went on a sunday night around 8:30pm and it wasn't crowded.
I had a bucket of mussels, chocolate mousse dessert (share it... it's fabulous) and a glass of wine. I spent a little bit over 30 dollars inc. tip.
I'd say try it!!!

Pros: great mussels and dessert

Cons: sometimes they stop serving food at 9pm

Posted 03/09/08

This place continuously delivers a nice environment, great food, good service, and amazing desserts!
Great place to go when you don't know where else to go.

Pros: Desserts!

Cons: Wish they were open later

Posted 06/05/07

Great Place to experience a dinner at the bar, Great wine List, Great Food, Very Nice Ambiance, Very Profesional staff,
Great Job !!!

Pros: Great Ambiance

Cons: none

Posted 03/20/07

I ate a late dinner at Garcon recently and they were nice enough to accommodate a group of about 15 people without a reservation. I must say, it was a great time. The staff was pleasant and the food was pretty good. The mussels are awesome, I haven't found better ones anywhere else. I must admit that I wasn't impressed with the desserts, they could use a little more work. Overall, a fun place to go with friends. Good food and great fun!

Posted 12/13/06

Well, I've been looking forward to trying Garcon for sometime. Wish I would have stayed home. For a group of six, none of the appetizers were good (avoid the mussels and proscuitto unless you like a greasy mess). I ordered a seafood dish that had whole peppercorns and a big, uncooked bay leaf. Huh? One person had the steak, which he said was good. The apple tarte stunk; it was mushy and tasted like bad applesauce. The service was okay at times, but not great. Overall, there are plenty of far better Bistros in SF.

Posted 10/24/06

The hype about Garcon is hard to understand. Everything from the wine recommendation to the service to the gratin was a disappointment. After being seated later than our reservation, our waiter was not informed about the menu, except the ahi tuna was sold out by 9! The experience continued to plummet. He recommended an expensive mediocre bottle of wine then after we finished dinner he "offered" us the chance to finish the bottle at the bar. This of course was preceded by him moving the table next to us over in the midst of our dinner. The manager and waiter made feeble attempts to check if everything was "alright." It too little too late. Oh, I forgot about the food. The goat cheese terrine was the highlight of the meal, as the gratin needed some salt. Needless to say, I will seek French cuisine in another SF venue.

Posted 09/16/06

thank god for garcon...one of the funniest restaurants to come along..jerome the owner is always cordial and makes a point to greet you..the food is over the top good..some of my favorites: the goat cheese (dont miss it), french onion soup (best ive ever had)..the spinach, the shrimp brouchette and by all means no one does frites like the french and the chef frank has perfected them..delicious!! i love to sit at the bar and absorb the great atmosphere and energy this restaurant creates..

Pros: the food, staff, owner

Posted 09/10/06

We ate at Garcon recently with my inlaws on a quiet Sunday evening. Everything was excellent - the service was attentive and informed and the food was amazing. We especially liked the Choucroute de la mer (a seafood stew), the cassoulet and the duck confit. Our server recommended a fantastic bottle of French wine that worked well with four very different dishes. Since we got there early (6pm on a Sunday), we had no problems with noise levels. Overall, it was a superb experience and I would highly recommend it. The food was a cut above that of many other Mission restaurants.

Posted 09/02/06

Food was perfection, staff was casual, friendly and professional, the bartender was great & the ambience was nice. The only drawback was our waiter wasn't quite on the ball but the experience on a whole was wonderful. We will definitely be going back soon.

Pros: Food, Bar, Staff

Cons: Waiter was a little slow

Posted 07/24/06

My husband and I have dinner out frequently, and Garcon is fabulous re service, attentive but not too, food, all good, some exceptional, and ambience (very cozy). We've also had brunch here, same comments. The charcuterie plate is the best we've had anywhere, a fine selection of cold meats, the salmon tart w/capers delicious, the duck confit perfect, and the halibut papillote (usually sole) was exquisite. This place has made our list of favorites...difficult to do in a city with so many great restaurants. tres bien, garcon! we'll definitely be back again...and again...

Pros: inexpensive, excellent food, fine service

Posted 03/20/06

Just had brunch here today. Service was good, food was ok (nothing special). Unfortunately our eggs benedict arrived to our table cold. Reason? Plates were cold. We told our waiter and he took them away. When the dished returned they had re-cooked them (not just reheated them) which was a good sign. However (and this blew me away) - the food was cold again. I mean come on? Same reason - cold plates. Didn't bother complaining again..as I had already made up my mind I wouldn't be returning. Any decent chef is going to know you don't serve hot food on cold plates. It is a sacrilige and no matter how good the food is, it will always come out crap if this happens. God I hope the manager reads reviews on this website because if not your business will be down the toilet within 6 months..

Posted 02/25/06

A great new french restaurant in the mission, run by a "mission type crowd". What I mean by that is young, inventive, and with a passion for good food and service. The Filet Mignon is great and the mussels appetizer is absolutely amazing. Everything about my experience ther was great. GO TRY IT!!!!!!

Posted 01/20/06

Well put together with great service, great food and a hip ambience. This is classic French bistro in a contemporary, trendy setting. From the frisee salad with egg, to the lamb and finally the Glace Haribo (yes, little candies including gummi bears in ice cream). Voila! This is way THE French eatery in this part of town!

Pros: Service, Amazing food, Ambience

Cons: --

Posted 12/05/05