Grubstake - San Andreas

One of the downfalls of the Russian Hill area is the lack of late night food…. No pizza slices, burritos, or other oh-so-tasty late night treats along Polk after 2am. But if you can walk a little further south, you will make it to Grubstake! It’s a diner built in an old railcar that serves up traditional diner treats like burgers and sandwiches, and breakfast all day long. They apparently added Portuguese dishes a while back, but I haven’t tried any of those at all. My fear was that I think all food is great at 2 in the morning after a night out, but I went back during the day once and was pleasantly surprised that the food ain’t bad! Service speed isn’t the greatest, but there seems to be only one waitress serving the whole place. She is nice, but she could use an extra hand.

If and when you happen to be in San Francisco and you’re suddenly struck by both hunger and a need for some nostalgia along with it, mosey along over to Pine just north of Van Ness Avenue and on your right you’ll find a converted diner. It’s owned by a wonderful Portugese gentleman who, up until a short while ago, did all of the cooking. He’s now hired a short order chef to help him out. The menu is extensive with many daily food specials that are not the typical diner fare, but, they are good. Everything is prepared with keeping you happy and full. Don’t be surprised if you see full meals ranging from Salmon Steak to Beef Sirloin Roast. All the meals are complete with sides and, usually, dessert. I enjoy the ambience and the fact that the food, though sometimes a bit on the greasy side, is all home-made. In particular, being declasse – as I sometimes am, I really enjoy there cheeseburger and fries. It’s a fun place if you’re in a hurry and want a full meal.

Great place. They serve breakfast but they don't open til 6pm. A couple vegetarian options. A few times we have gone and they don't have everything that's on the menu. Food is seasoned properly and very flavorful. My only issue is that they do not have hot chocolate. : usually they're cool but there's one guy that works there that's rude and makes you pay beforehand and is weird about giving you an actual menu. Also the side of sour cream is entirely too small.

Such a cute restaurant and open late enough for me to come by after work. Delicious party melt with bacon. 10/10.

Delicious late night eats! I highly recommend this place after a night out in SF. They've got a large selection to choose from. You won't be disappointed.