Bagdad Cafe

Folks have mixed opinions about this place but when my movie ends at 1230AM on Saturday and I'm hungry, we cab it over to the Castro and get Bagdad's Desert Fries (kinda spicy fresh cut french fries). And I am sated. Shared half of a Buffalo Chicken salad tossed in hot sauce and then craved more of the crumbled blue cheese dressing. Definitely didn't leave feeling jipped. Have had the Belgian waffle with pecans while hungover and I was cool..... comfortable.

Late night crew working were funky and one chick was 'inked'. Kinda hot.... ;D

Pros: 24 hour, late-night

Cons: Usually a line for the bathroom late night

Posted 03/03/09

Pray you don't get sick when you eat here. Their most recent food inspection score is 64 / 100, which pretty much says it all right there. According to the inspection report (available at sf.cleanscores dot com) the violations include: no hand washing by employees, inadequate sinks, and food that is not hot or cold enough. They were also dinged for improper food storage, lack of food thermometers, and "unclean premises".

My recent visits in January 2008 have all been disappointing: overcooked chicken tenders, badly seasoned food, rude/demoralized wait staff. I don't know whether they are coping with bad ingredients, bad recipes, or bad cooks, but the food coming out of their kitchen lately has been just awful.

I live nearby and have given this place many chances but with this latest health inspection failure I'm not taking any more risks.

Cons: Health hazard

Posted 01/19/08

This is the first review I have ever been compelled to write.
I personally love a good chicken fried steak with eggs. and was totaly surprised by this dish at the Bagdad. It tasted hmemade from the patty to the gravy and to the delicious home fries which were perfectly seasoned and mixed with sweet red peppers.. It was all in all the best I have ever had. The coffee was even of a good quality similar to a coffee house. While the servers wiere quite average in their service it was not bad at all. I will definately return there soon and am hoping that their lunch and dinner was as great as their breakfast.

Pros: Great food and room to move Coffee above average

Cons: none so far

Posted 05/10/07

This is a very ncie brunch place. The portions aer large and the prices not too bad. This can be very busy with a long wait. The wait staff, while generally friendly, are quite busy all the time and give great attentive service.

Posted 11/02/06

I have been to this joint several times and each time I ask why I chose it. I have never experienced a good server. In fact, I have never even had a server that was just mediocre. A terrible place that needs to get its act together! I MIGHT put up with all these bitchy servers if the food was decent but it isnt.

Pros: 24 Hours, Castro Location, Decent Menu Variety

Cons: Terrible Service, Rude Waitstaff, Bad Food Quality

Posted 10/09/06

I went there around 9pm on a Friday night, most of the inside tables were full but my friend and I got a table inside within 5-10 minutes. The food arrived in a reasonable amount of time, and it was tasty! Some of the former reviewers mentioned how Baghdad is overpriced, but my feeling is that it is not overpriced for the location. It is in the middle of everything! The cafe stays busy, and the service is still timely. IMO, Baghdad is a well-run business and I would go there again if I were in the area and had the late-night munchies.

Pros: good location

Cons: no parking

Posted 06/16/06

Yes, it is true. Every item on the menu at Bagdad Cafe now costs $1 more. Has the food quality increased as well? No. The large Sysco truck still pulls up in front of the restaurant and unloads its mountain of poor quality, over processed food product. Why go to Bagdad when there are so many quality restaurants available for the same price?

Posted 02/18/05

I went here the other night on recommendation of Citysearch and it was disappointing. Maybe it was an off night for them. The cobb salad was yummy but nothing special. The corn showder was excellent. Mmm I love corn chowder. However, the Creamy Macaroni & Cheese was HORRIBLE. The worst mac and cheese I have ever tasted. Worse than the frozen dinner kind! The pasta was way overcooked and soggy. The cheese sauce was bland and horrible. It needed more salt and it seemed like it was a horrible version of Velveeta cheese. If you are looking for some yummy restaurant mac and cheese, look elsewhere because this dish here, is NOT worth $8! It isn't even as good as $0.75 mac and cheese you can buy in a box!

Pros: Open Late, Good Teas

Cons: , Macaroni & Cheese, Slow Service

Posted 10/13/04

This place has reclaimed its position at the top of the Castro's -- no, the City's -- late night food chain, and a respectable place in the dining and brunch life of San Francisco as well. The friendly staff, good food, ample portions and inventive menu additions (don't miss the Hot Cherry Donut on weekend brunch!) make it a joy. Throw in the best windows in the Castro -- people watching (dare I say cruising?) is unparalleled!

Pros: Friendly staff, 24/ 7/ 265, Great for groups

Posted 06/10/04

Yes, Bagdad has gotten so much better. I was hungry early one evening and didn't want to spend lots of money for good eats..... So, my buddy convinced me to try the improved burger and fries at Bagdad. It's so much better now! I'm pretty sure there are new owners/managers and the kitchen has been upgraded. I notice more of a crowd there at evening now, too.... They've added a good fried chicken to their menu -- won't lose any weight here!

Try it...

Pros: cheaply priced, improved food, better service

Posted 06/12/03

Bagdad Cafe is by FAR the Worst of SF's FEW late night options. I'd rather have cold cereal at home than the mediocre fare served up by some of the surliest servers in town. Perhaps the cafe gets a lot of jerks b/c it is open so late, which would explain why the staff comes out STRONGLY on the defensive, treats a waaaay polite and diminutive "excuse me, do we give you our name?" as a flat-out insult etc. I've never met more combative, offensive (and defensive), surly, apathetic, insensitive, outright rude servers. Clearly it's not a gourmet place, and frankly, I'd expect the same kind of tired, vaguely harried service you might get at Denny's or Mel's at this hour, but I've been insulted, ignored, and worse at this place one time too many. They've definitely lost a customer and earned my "don't go there!" to friends...

Pros: None

Cons: Rude Service, Mediocre Food

Posted 12/01/02

In short, the attitude of the staff is "this place is always full anyway, so we can afford to be rude to you". Here's our story: We went to Baghdad cafe late one Saturday night. We were told to wait outside for a table although it was very cold and there was plenty of room for the customers and wait-staff to move around in. After waiting in the cold for a while, we stepped in when we saw a table being set up for us. Because we were anxious to get inside because of the cold, the waitress and the manager called us a "pain in the ass". Even if we were (which we weren't) this is no way for a restaurant staff to behave. When we tried to tell them we didn't appreciate that, they told us "they were very busy and didn't have time to listen to us".

Pros: open late

Cons: rude staff, terrible service

Posted 11/25/02

Even though it's open late, I have NEVER had a good meal here. The food is mediocre, at best. The service is slow. They have a very hard time handling larger groups. I won't eat there anymore.

Pros: open late

Cons: slow service, mediocre food

Posted 11/05/02

There aren't a great number of restaurants open for 24 hours in the city--Baghdad is one of the best ones. Our food arrived within 5 minutes after ordering, our service was friendly and polite. I'll definitely go back to satisfy the midnight munchies.

Posted 06/02/02

Great food and good value...the fries are the best.
Salads are good but lack croutons.
Service is always good...don't forget to smile servers!

Pros: good food, good value

Cons: servers should smile

Posted 05/21/02