Reviews for Old Skool Cafe in San Francisco, CA
This place is a real gem! Spectacular food, beautiful ambiance and wonderful service. ???????????????????? 5 stars all the way!
Walking into this restaurant is like coming home! Run by youth coming out of incarceration and foster care, eating at Old Skool... nourishes the body and soul. We love the Mac ‘n’ cheese (and regularly order it if we can’t get to the restaurant). Thevibe is great, with live music from youth musicians and the upstairs Louis Lounge is perfect for cocktails and small bites.Can’t wait for our next visit! Read more
Loved the vibe and interior and our waiter Hakim was so friendly. Sadly, they were out of 2 of 5 entrees - fried chicken and... spare rib. Argh. so that was a disappointment but what we did have was tasty. Wings are great - tender meat and wet with tangyflavor. Gumbo good and my friends liked the shrimp and grits. It’s a great cause and for me, it was great being in a nicerestaurant in Chicago where there more more brown and black people than not. I was not the only one or two in the room. Andsuper fun live music. Very kindly they moved the direction of the speaker for my guest with hearing sensitivity. They aim toplease. Don’t be in a hurry. Enjoy your friends and the warmth here. Read more
I have wanted to check out Old Skool Cafe for several years, and it did not disappoint when I finally visited with family!... First, the place is a bit non-descript outside, which is perfect for the speakeasy vibe. Once you walk in, however, you aretransported to the 1920s. Everything is covered in red velvet and luxury. There is a large bar, and a balcony for the jazzband. The hosts, servers, and cook staff are at-risk, foster, and/or formerly-incarcerated youth. We received great service.The youth were polite and so attentive. Chef Kevin also came around to check in on us, which we appreciated. The drinks -Aviation, Bee's Knees, Cotton Club - were tasty, and the food was delicious! Our favorites were the free biscuit to start themeal, the Tongan appetizer dish, collard greens, and the shrimp and grits. It's definitely worth a visit for a classy time! Read more
Amazing experience at Old Skool last night. We came for a birthday dinner before a show at Chase center. The vibe was elegant... and fun with a love jazz trio. The staff were warm, welcoming, and clearly inspired by their work. Everything we tried wasdelicious but in particular the fried chicken, beef short rib, and peach cobbler stood out as did the lavender French 75cocktail. We will definitely come back! Parking was easy in the lot in front and on the street ...there is also a muni trainstop on the T line right in front. Read more
Definitely a SF hidden gem! The food was really good! We arrived at around 6 on Saturday and they had happy hour on their... appetizers (buy one get one 1/2 off) until 6:30 which surprised me because its hard to find happy hour deals on Saturday But thefood was delicious, the service was excellent and the atmosphere was so relaxing and romantic! I’m definitely coming back totry their drinks and more food! You could make a reservation or just wake in! Read more
Great place! This was first time here, no live music today unfortunately, but the food was amazing. I had the roasted... cauliflower and my partner had the shrimp and grits. Service and cocktails were excellent, and our server was so nice andfriendly! The atmosphere really is very old school and 1920s, the decor and atmosphere is nice, plus by dining here you supporta nonprofit that helps at-rosk youth. Will definitely be visiting again! Read more
For anyone who cares about doing good and helping society, I strongly recommend Old Skool Cafe. The employees are all... marginalized and at-risk youth, learning and working in all levels of the organization, so you know your dollars are going tothe right place. It is run as a non-profit, and has grants and donations to help foot the bill. A plus, would absolutelyrecommend anyone go there! Read more