Amazing food, great coffee, takes Venmo for payment, little old man working behind the counter is a trooper! Definitely a hidden
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Curry Crepe
Debi Iantorno
Been coming here often for this past month and I love it. Everything is done by just one man and I honestly don’t know how he does it. He is so busy but gets everything done fast, calmly, and effective. Nice neighborhood café
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bagels
Regina Fisher
A nice little place to eat a great Crepe or have a coffee.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Aesha Barraza-Cruz
This wonderful man works by himself and cooks great food. The food is worth the wait.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Crepes
Aesha Cruz
This wonderful man works by himself and cooks great food. The food is worth the wait.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Crepes
Ernest Tavares
Cute cafe right in the middle of Glen Park.It was busy on Sunday morning but the owner hustled and showed each customer excellent service and pleasantries.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Crepes
Rich Z.
I've been coming to this local spot for years. There's a lot that I like about it, to include the homey atmosphere (a little bit grimy), greasy spoon feel, interesting menu, and the fact that it's a local business.What I don't like is that it's a one-person operation, and subject to overwhelm. The operator-owner, a quirky elderly man, is a one-man show who does it all: takes your order, makes your food, gives you sh*t, and moves things along. He doesn't take card, only Venmo, or cash. No problem, but not super viable in today's connected world, and in a tech-heavy city like SF.The food quality is OK, not great, but it'll fill you up... sort of, given the portions are quite small. Customer service is brusque and oddly "old world," as the owner is obviously overwhelmed and trying to spin multiple plates at once. He got my order wrong, but that's forgivable as we're all human, but mediocre customer service is risky. He whined about the complexity of my order, and then wouldn't explain which was which in my order ... "You'll just have to figure it out; it's easy." Not sure if he was being funny or a prick, but it seemed a bit out of place. But at least he still said thank you.So why keep coming back? It's the coffee. It's his special blend, and his secret. I once asked about it, and he quipped that he blended it himself, and I find it always to be tasty and delicious. But beware, it's his secret, and he guards it like Smeagol/Gollum (LOTR)... funny, because I just asked him where the beans were from (Africa? South America? SE Asia?). It's his precious, so I just shut up and drink the coffee.In the end, this place gets 2.5 stars, but I'll round up. -1 for service because it's not there. -1 for higher prices, smaller portions, and inconsistent execution. He gets 2.5 stars for being a local spot having survived, and for the audacity to serve a picky community, and feeding locals. Kudos for bravery. And, given that he's a one-man show, it's unclear how he can sustain and maintain. But I'll keep coming back here, if only for the great coffee and that I don't hang around.
Molly G.
Just discovered this gem! A quaint, rustic hole-in-the-wall, cash only, best crepes in the city with super unique flavor combinations you don't see anywhere else. This one man operation is not for the impatient or those in a rush, but it's worth the wait. You don't find many places like this anymore, and I'm so glad to have been introduced to Higher Grounds - we'll be back!
Eric N.
Starting shortly after my move from Istanbul to this beautiful city in 2017, there existed an annoyingly Iong period where I've felt a great lack of SOULFUL breakfast spots in my new environment with a number of disappointments although, I was carefully trying to avoid finding a displeasing ONE! Perhaps my expectations were too high; blame the Turkish cuisine!For a Turkish person, BREAKFAST is not just a meal, people, it's indeed a RITUAL which honors it for being the most vitally important course of the day for that provides US with the FOUNDATION of the remainder of the edible energies i.e., calories, WE will be accepting in OUR system further on in our day(s). US Turks do indeed take breakfast very seriously, and facilitate the entire course not only with bread / morning bun / pancakes & eggs and the meat of one's choice, yet we quite commonly and typically deepen the breakfast's nutritious values further down, by setting our breakfast tables up with supporting food items such as almonds, walnuts, dips varying from hummus to tzatziki (CACIK in Turkish and pronunced JA'Jhk), and lots of cucumber or carrot slices and definitely some pita to dip in, various kinds of cheese, olives and a number of fruit jam/spreads and last but nonetheless, at least one good quality honey for those who could really afford to have it on their kitchen table given the ridiculous corruption thus unfairness in income distribution in the Turkish economy, of course.Anyways, BACK to Higher Grounds NOW!.. As a former restaurant worker MYSELF, at a time when I was so bored of not being able to cook for I had no access to a kitchen at home, I have found this cute, lovely spot in Glen Park while I was exploring what other businesses existed in the upper skirts of Noe Valley - where I used to work - on a gorgeously sunny & warm day. If I'm not wrong, they were cash only, I don't know if they still are after the pandemic though, as my last visit dates back to a pre-pandemic day's morning. I had quickly become a subscriber of their Chicken Pesto & Spinach Crepes which every single time felt like I was also quite personally and very physically melting on higher grounds as that mozzarella kept melting further on and on, on my lucky taste buds! The coffee house then in a matter of weeks, became a room of my virtual house where I invited, hosted as well as fed my friends with the intention of also making them, Higher Ground's regulars. Shortly after those lovely gatherings to count our blessings, the pandemic happened and I unfortunately did not have the chance to follow-up with many friends I took there with me. A lot of people changed, did a full total 180, proudly switched characters, and one dear one of them passed away.The romantic commentator that I AM also wants to emphasize at this point that the business owner gentleman whose name I forgot, yet who is an incredible multi-tasker, taking all of the orders and payments from customers himself, then giving back their change to them by exchanging a few kind & sweet words with them as in the form of audible currency, then personally preparing each plate and coffee order, ultimately washing the dirty dishes that remain from leaving guests' simple pleasures, literally ALL by HIMSELF... *Ain't that like beyond adorable? Ain't that effort of HIS to feed the people of his community with great coffee & food despite being such a tiny and "ONE MAN SHOW" business worthy of a shout-out and domino dancing kudos?And he humbly accepts customer tips in a jar which makes you feel like you might've actually just traveled to a café back in time, where you would not be given a credit card receipt with advised percentages of tips on it to legitimately allow you to thank the service provider for their service to you. How much would be fair or legitimate enough for a good service, anyways?*...or perhaps everytime I was there, I was witnessing a moment of staff shortage, who knows? The adorable thing is that, I as a multi-tasker myse
this place is a must. i took a friday off of work to just have for myself, dipped in here randomly after the gym and ordered the canneloni crepe. tears. tears dripping into my marinara sauce. it was just an old man over a stove making food, that simple, that wholesome, that delicious. the ambiance is quiet and relaxing and the prices are okay and the coffee is strong. i will be back.
Clark Giraldez
The croissant french toast here is incredible plus crepes are also delicious. Service was stupendous.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: French Toast
Humming b.
The best crepes in the city. All others pale in comparison.I've gone there for years and the quality has never varied.
Josh Fiala
The crepes were amazing!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Crepes
James ..
Wow what a cool gem of a find in Glenn Park. Conveniently closes to Bart and has an amazing selection of breakfast dishes to choose from. It's the perfect neighborhood coffee stop too. Not many seats inside but has 3 tables in the street that are perfect for sunny days. The allá toscana was phenomenal and was a total change up to the ordinary breakfast egg plate you find at most places. I ordered it with eggs and it included Kalamata olives, avo, mozzarella , tomatoes, olive oil, sour cream and just really surprised me how well it came together. The eggs were cooked perfectly. It's served pretty much like an omelette. It comes with potatoes and a salad along with pre buttered toast which I appreciated the nice attention to detail. It's massive in size and could totally be shared. They only take cash or Venmo and only one guy was working but he took care of everyone quickly and with amazing service. Definitely check out this place if you
The crepes are great!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Crepes
Amazing food, great coffee, takes Venmo for payment, little old man working behind the counter is a trooper! Definitely a hidden
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Curry Crepe
Been coming here often for this past month and I love it. Everything is done by just one man and I honestly don’t know how he does it. He is so busy but gets everything done fast, calmly, and effective. Nice neighborhood café
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bagels
A nice little place to eat a great Crepe or have a coffee.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This wonderful man works by himself and cooks great food. The food is worth the wait.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Crepes
This wonderful man works by himself and cooks great food. The food is worth the wait.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Crepes
Cute cafe right in the middle of Glen Park.It was busy on Sunday morning but the owner hustled and showed each customer excellent service and pleasantries.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Crepes
I've been coming to this local spot for years. There's a lot that I like about it, to include the homey atmosphere (a little bit grimy), greasy spoon feel, interesting menu, and the fact that it's a local business.What I don't like is that it's a one-person operation, and subject to overwhelm. The operator-owner, a quirky elderly man, is a one-man show who does it all: takes your order, makes your food, gives you sh*t, and moves things along. He doesn't take card, only Venmo, or cash. No problem, but not super viable in today's connected world, and in a tech-heavy city like SF.The food quality is OK, not great, but it'll fill you up... sort of, given the portions are quite small. Customer service is brusque and oddly "old world," as the owner is obviously overwhelmed and trying to spin multiple plates at once. He got my order wrong, but that's forgivable as we're all human, but mediocre customer service is risky. He whined about the complexity of my order, and then wouldn't explain which was which in my order ... "You'll just have to figure it out; it's easy." Not sure if he was being funny or a prick, but it seemed a bit out of place. But at least he still said thank you.So why keep coming back? It's the coffee. It's his special blend, and his secret. I once asked about it, and he quipped that he blended it himself, and I find it always to be tasty and delicious. But beware, it's his secret, and he guards it like Smeagol/Gollum (LOTR)... funny, because I just asked him where the beans were from (Africa? South America? SE Asia?). It's his precious, so I just shut up and drink the coffee.In the end, this place gets 2.5 stars, but I'll round up. -1 for service because it's not there. -1 for higher prices, smaller portions, and inconsistent execution. He gets 2.5 stars for being a local spot having survived, and for the audacity to serve a picky community, and feeding locals. Kudos for bravery. And, given that he's a one-man show, it's unclear how he can sustain and maintain. But I'll keep coming back here, if only for the great coffee and that I don't hang around.
Just discovered this gem! A quaint, rustic hole-in-the-wall, cash only, best crepes in the city with super unique flavor combinations you don't see anywhere else. This one man operation is not for the impatient or those in a rush, but it's worth the wait. You don't find many places like this anymore, and I'm so glad to have been introduced to Higher Grounds - we'll be back!
Starting shortly after my move from Istanbul to this beautiful city in 2017, there existed an annoyingly Iong period where I've felt a great lack of SOULFUL breakfast spots in my new environment with a number of disappointments although, I was carefully trying to avoid finding a displeasing ONE! Perhaps my expectations were too high; blame the Turkish cuisine!For a Turkish person, BREAKFAST is not just a meal, people, it's indeed a RITUAL which honors it for being the most vitally important course of the day for that provides US with the FOUNDATION of the remainder of the edible energies i.e., calories, WE will be accepting in OUR system further on in our day(s). US Turks do indeed take breakfast very seriously, and facilitate the entire course not only with bread / morning bun / pancakes & eggs and the meat of one's choice, yet we quite commonly and typically deepen the breakfast's nutritious values further down, by setting our breakfast tables up with supporting food items such as almonds, walnuts, dips varying from hummus to tzatziki (CACIK in Turkish and pronunced JA'Jhk), and lots of cucumber or carrot slices and definitely some pita to dip in, various kinds of cheese, olives and a number of fruit jam/spreads and last but nonetheless, at least one good quality honey for those who could really afford to have it on their kitchen table given the ridiculous corruption thus unfairness in income distribution in the Turkish economy, of course.Anyways, BACK to Higher Grounds NOW!.. As a former restaurant worker MYSELF, at a time when I was so bored of not being able to cook for I had no access to a kitchen at home, I have found this cute, lovely spot in Glen Park while I was exploring what other businesses existed in the upper skirts of Noe Valley - where I used to work - on a gorgeously sunny & warm day. If I'm not wrong, they were cash only, I don't know if they still are after the pandemic though, as my last visit dates back to a pre-pandemic day's morning. I had quickly become a subscriber of their Chicken Pesto & Spinach Crepes which every single time felt like I was also quite personally and very physically melting on higher grounds as that mozzarella kept melting further on and on, on my lucky taste buds! The coffee house then in a matter of weeks, became a room of my virtual house where I invited, hosted as well as fed my friends with the intention of also making them, Higher Ground's regulars. Shortly after those lovely gatherings to count our blessings, the pandemic happened and I unfortunately did not have the chance to follow-up with many friends I took there with me. A lot of people changed, did a full total 180, proudly switched characters, and one dear one of them passed away.The romantic commentator that I AM also wants to emphasize at this point that the business owner gentleman whose name I forgot, yet who is an incredible multi-tasker, taking all of the orders and payments from customers himself, then giving back their change to them by exchanging a few kind & sweet words with them as in the form of audible currency, then personally preparing each plate and coffee order, ultimately washing the dirty dishes that remain from leaving guests' simple pleasures, literally ALL by HIMSELF... *Ain't that like beyond adorable? Ain't that effort of HIS to feed the people of his community with great coffee & food despite being such a tiny and "ONE MAN SHOW" business worthy of a shout-out and domino dancing kudos?And he humbly accepts customer tips in a jar which makes you feel like you might've actually just traveled to a café back in time, where you would not be given a credit card receipt with advised percentages of tips on it to legitimately allow you to thank the service provider for their service to you. How much would be fair or legitimate enough for a good service, anyways?*...or perhaps everytime I was there, I was witnessing a moment of staff shortage, who knows? The adorable thing is that, I as a multi-tasker myse
Restaurantji Recommends
this place is a must. i took a friday off of work to just have for myself, dipped in here randomly after the gym and ordered the canneloni crepe. tears. tears dripping into my marinara sauce. it was just an old man over a stove making food, that simple, that wholesome, that delicious. the ambiance is quiet and relaxing and the prices are okay and the coffee is strong. i will be back.
The croissant french toast here is incredible plus crepes are also delicious. Service was stupendous.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: French Toast
The best crepes in the city. All others pale in comparison.I've gone there for years and the quality has never varied.
The crepes were amazing!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Crepes
Wow what a cool gem of a find in Glenn Park. Conveniently closes to Bart and has an amazing selection of breakfast dishes to choose from. It's the perfect neighborhood coffee stop too. Not many seats inside but has 3 tables in the street that are perfect for sunny days. The allá toscana was phenomenal and was a total change up to the ordinary breakfast egg plate you find at most places. I ordered it with eggs and it included Kalamata olives, avo, mozzarella , tomatoes, olive oil, sour cream and just really surprised me how well it came together. The eggs were cooked perfectly. It's served pretty much like an omelette. It comes with potatoes and a salad along with pre buttered toast which I appreciated the nice attention to detail. It's massive in size and could totally be shared. They only take cash or Venmo and only one guy was working but he took care of everyone quickly and with amazing service. Definitely check out this place if you