Perry's

I was somewhat surprised to read the report criticising the quality of food and service in this wonderful establishment. I live in London but am a frequent visitor to San Francisco and was first introduced to Perry's in 1990. I have never visited the city without making this bar my first point of call, to which my family will attest!. The bartenders (without exception) are friendly and totally professional and the waiters, under the close supervision of Ian, have never failed to impress with their courtesy. The food is of the highest standard and presented without any delay or fuss, and I hasten to add in eighteen years I have never had occasion to return any dish or even pass an adverse comment as to its quality; the size of the portions is also beyond reproach. The decor is distinctive helping to make the atmosphere warm and inviting. I have no hesitation in recommending Perry's to anyone visiting this beautiful city. In fact of all the bars I have visited in the bay area - and they are many in number - Perry's wins hands down.

Pros: Excellent service, food and drink
Cons: Can get crowded - but not surprising considering the popularity of the establishment

If only the tourists were barred from entry, this place would be perfect. Great burgers, quick and friendly waitstaff. A dining pleasure.

Pros: easy parking

My girlfriend and a couple friends and I were walking down Union looking for a fairly casual, decent priced place to eat the other night, and I have always heard good things about Perry's, so we decided to stop in for dinner. I had already eaten dinner, so I just ordered a diet Coke, while the others all ordered French Onion Soup and my girlfriend ordered a twice baked potato. Everything came out quick and looked good, until they started eating. The cheese on the soup had a very weird texture and an even weirder taste. It was unlike any cheese I had ever eaten. It was just crispy on the top, too chewy in the middle, and lacked any kind of swiss cheese flavor. The soup itself was a little salty, but ok. My girlfriend's twice baked potato was over-whipped and too cheesy, and it was cold in the middle, so we sent it back. In the meantime, the waiter asked if I wanted a refill on my coke, so I said "yes please". A new potato and coke arrived quickly. However, the SECOND potato was cold in the middle too! That's a cardinal sin in the restaurant business, sending the same thing out twice in a row with the same problem! And to top it off, the waiter had a little attitude. The first time we told him about the potato being cold, he just replied in a questioning voice: "Cold?" as if we were crazy or something. When we told him the second potato was cold, he said "For Real"? To me, the epitome of bad service is an unapologetic waiter. So we sent the second potato back, and thankfully he offered to take the price off of our check. But then we got the check, and we saw that he had charged me for the refill on the Coke without telling me it wasn't free. Not cool. So combine 3 mediocre bowls of soup, 2 cold twice baked potato, a $5 coke, and an unapologetic waiter, and that equals a restaurant that I won't be returning to.

Maybe this isn't typical of a Perry's experience, but it's not worth my money to find out again.

Pros: Cool stuff up on the walls, right on Union Street
Cons: Nasty cheese on French Onion Soup, Cold Food, Charge for Soda Refills without telling you, Unapologetic waiter

I've been to Perry's for lunch and for dinner. It's fine. If you're in the mood for a chicken sandwich or a burger or pancakes or something similiarly plain and ordinary, it's perfect. The blueberry pancakes were actually fantastic. There's nothing special about this place, but if you are in the neighborhood and don't have the energy to come up with a more interesting idea for a meal, it's good.

Pros: Reliable, plain old American fare

I brought my dog here for lunch this afternoon and had a great time. In the middle of the week on a nice afternoon, there is good people watching to go with their delicious hamburger. The service is fast and friendly.