Dottie's True Blue Cafe (San Francisco)

"If you can't take care of yourself, don't go to Dottie's True Blue Cafe."


"I just realised I entered into one of the loveliest neighbourhood." 

The queue at Dottie's True Blue Cafe is so long, you can use it to either 1) eavesdrop on (or openly listen to) conversations (there is where the above quotes came from), 2) people watch or 3) do both.

The Cafe is located in the Tenderloin area and although we went to the Tenderloin area a few days ago for some Vietnamese food, we realised that this was the real Tenderloin area. When the girl said that this was one of the most loveliest neighbourhood, she was obviously being sarcastic. This place is one of the most dangerous places in San Francisco where there are many homeless people, drug taking, prostitution etc.

But, anything for food.

It opens at 730 am (closed on Tuesdays). If you don't want to queue, I suggest you reach there before 730 am. We reached there are 8 am, and ended in the shop at 915 am. For those arriving later than 8 am, I'm almost certain that your waiting time is going to exceed 2 hours. You won't miss the shop- the queue snakes round the corner and goes deep into the alley.

I ordered The Open Road ($13.50) which was a small glass of juice, two eggs (done in any way), bacon, ham or mild Italian sausage, home fries and two pancakes or 1/2 order of French toast.

I got orange juice, scrambled eggs, ham, home fries and two pancakes. The juice was freshly squeezed, and the eggs were nicely scrambled. I was craving for a little pepper on the eggs though. The ham was a tad too salty for me although it was chewy and it was thick. The home fries were small chunks of potatoes, seasoned with herbs and the skin was crispy on the edges.

Then, there are the BEST pancakes I've ever tried. So incredibly fluffy. So out of shape. So yummy. Drizzled with the maple syrup, sigh, this breakfast is high in calories but will raise your happiness level too.

The lunch portion was so huge I had to take away some food. Worth it? Definitely. The service is great and the servers are very helpful. Love the decor of the restaurant as well. But the queue and the location might deter some from coming here!

Dottie's True Blue Cafe
28 6th St (between Stevenson St & Jessie St)
San Francisco, CA 94103
Tel No: (415) 885-2767