Escape the bustle of Union Square in this charming time warp dishing up fresh, well-done diner food.
Famous Swedish Pancakes
Best Breakfast in Town
Upscale and Elegant Dinners
Since 1938, Sears Fine Food has been serving San Franciscans and tourists from around the globe and is conveniently located in the heart of bustling Union Square.
Historically known for their famous "18 Little Swedish Pancakes, Sears is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
At night, the lights are dimmed as Chef Patricia Blecha oversees the recent change to fine dining. With white tablecloths, candles and an amazing California-French menu, Sears features classics like Rack of Lamb and Beef Bourguignon and local favorites such as Pacific Bluenose Sea Bass.
Sears is also available for all your parties, events and gatherings.
The Scene The remodel balances antique kitchenware and the polish of a fresh coat of paint. Few things are as wholesome as coffee refills from waitstaff in embroidered uniforms, and a seat at the lunch counter is one of the best vantage points for the droves of loyal patrons to admire it all.
The Food The house specialty--thin, delicate pancakes--are an abundant treat, but stopping here would be cutting the kitchen's accomplishments a short stack. Eggs are perfectly done, particularly the well-textured and fluffy omelettes, and potato side dishes, both home fried and hash browned, reveal true depth without the heft of diner grease. Bacon is crispy and served hot as it should be, and soft, luscious corned beef hash is properly seasoned. Homemade cereals, such as granola, are pleasantly more nutty than sweet. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the overly moist sour cream coffee cake--more cake-like than breakfast pastry, inexplicably served with butter
A local recommended this place for dinner and told us the pancakes were a MUST. We were told to arrive early, so we did, and it's a good thing we did.
The server was, at the beginning of the meal, very polite, very helpful, a nice guy in general. By the end of the meal, he was not only the opposite of all those things, he actually snapped at us! I know things were pretty hectic by 7, but still, that is no reason to be rude to a customer.
All in all, visit if you know you can make it in there early, and order FAST, before all the other customers come flooding in,
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Yes, the food is very good, but its nothing that unusual and breakfast just isn't that hard. Everyone talked it up and so I stood on line with great anticipation. Perhaps that was the problem, it was oversold. Yes, its good. But 1.25 hours on line for breakfast??? And I love breakfast food... but I haven't returned after the first visit.
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I loved going here when I stayed downtown San Francisco. it was a must for breakfast. The wait is long, but worth it. The waiters don't write down what you order but somewhow know who ordered what. We tried to change seats but we still got the correct food!
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This little gem is located near Union Square in downtown San Francisco. They serve great Swedish pancakes and are also open for lunch and dineer. A must!
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Latest reviews by Citysearch:
(read all 22 reviews
on Citysearch)
Good but overrated
By TriGuy09
Like many others, went here after reading the reviews and getting a recommendation. Walked right in on a Thursday morning. Seated promptly and greeted timely. Had the swedish pancakes which weren't all that special, but were good. My wife had an omlette that was good. Hash browns were tasty but nothing special. Server was attentive and ready with coffee/water refills. Overall, though, couldn't say this was an earth-shaking experience and certainly didn't live up to the hype. Perhaps other menu items are more inspiring, but it's average based on this experience.
Pros: Great historical setting, convenient to Union Sq Cons: Over-priced, Over-hyped
Posted 02/21/09
Great Breakfast
By 1tab
I usually are not much of a breakfast eater, but was walking by Sears and low and behold there was not a line at all to get into the dining room which is very rare, so I went in and had the best pancakes every. I have never eaten any other meals here as there is alway a long line, as it is right in the middle of the hotel district and lost of tourist eat there
Posted 02/07/09
Huge, huge tourist trap
By ew4n
I did a seach for 'best breakfast san francisco' and Sears popped up. I headed over there with my wife. I don't know why I bothered. It was *fine*. But nowhere near 'best'. Witness an example: The Strawberry Smoothie was actually made with that strawberry milkshake powder. Rubbish! The orange juice looked straight out of a packet too. I ended up with a very safe ham omlete that was marginally better than what I could have made myself.
We went there at 7am on a Sunday and got a seat immediately. Go later and prepare to queue out the door. As for me, I'll not be back -- I'll be better served by the hundreds of diners on every street corner. If you're heading there, I recommend you think twice and set expectations to zero.
Pros: Serves food Cons: Huge, huge tourist trap
Posted 09/06/08
We cleaned our plates!
By MelissaFromIL
We arrived shortly before 10:30am, and the line was out the door. After about a 10 minute wait, we were seated. Our waiter promptly took our orders, and the food took about 15 minutes - fast, considering how busy it was. I ordered the 18 Swedish Pancakes with bacon, and my husband got the sourdough french toast, also with bacon, and a chocolate milk. Everything was amazing. The pancakes were delicious, his french toast was just as good, and the bacon was thick, tasty, and cooked perfectly. We couldn't have asked for anything better. Our ticket was about $35, and it was well worth it. I'd recommend this place to anyone.
Posted 08/12/08
Two bad breakfasts
By Dstone5553
There was a line outside the door so I thought the place must be good, right? I sat at the counter and while the service was bad, and the next time as well (I had to give it another chance), it was understandable because it was crazy. However, the food was mediocre at best. The small pancakes weren't that great and the omlette I had the next week was really bad. Bacon bad. Potatos bad. Everything bad.
