On my first visit to San Francisco in 2007, my husband Guy made a point of taking our son Alex and I to Sears Restaurant on Powell Street. Guy had fond memories of a visit there with his mum and sister during a California road trip back when he was a kid and wanted to share the experience with us. He remembered eating a plate of ‘about 48’ Swedish pancakes and enjoying every bite. Turns out, it’s actually six neat stacks of three pancakes each – a generous serving of eighteen, but it must have seemed like a lot more when he was a kid!
After just one visit, I could definitely understand why my husband remembered Sears Restaurant San Francisco so fondly. The restaurant has a wonderful retro feel to it, the service is friendly and efficient, and the food is amazing. Walking into Sears is like stepping back in time.
We all enjoyed our first family visit so much, we’ve returned countless times since then. In fact, for us no visit to San Francisco is complete without a visit to Sears Restaurant.
Since 1938, Sears has been a landmark restaurant in San Francisco, and their Swedish pancakes truly are world famous. Breakfast is served until 3pm every day, and on a Sunday morning there’s almost always a big line of people waiting for tables outside. They also offer many delicious lunch and dinner dishes.
The men in our family love the breakfasts. Guy almost always has the Swedish pancakes. The side of crispy bacon he orders is so generous we all share it.
Alex’s favourite is Al’s Special, two eggs any style, corned beef hash, nine little pancakes and hash browns. As for me, I love the Reuben sandwich with a side of Sears’ wonderful coleslaw.
I’ve eaten Reuben sandwiches in a lot of different places and I can confidently say Sears make one of the very best.
I’m in good company when it comes to my high opinion of Sears. The walls are lined with signed photographs of famous faces from the last 75 years, and Tony Bennett is quoted as saying that Sears is “The best in town”.
Sears has dining rooms both upstairs and downstairs, as well as a traditional lunch counter. When it’s just two of us, we are often lucky enough to get ‘the best table in the house’. Just off to the side of the lunch counter, it looks out on Powell Street and is fabulous for people watching.
This year Sears are celebrating their 75th Anniversary, and there is no better time to visit. With a loyal customer base from all over the world and a commitment to “support local farmers and their fresh produce , engage in sustainable, eco-friendly business s and to support local communities and charitable organizations”, Sears Restaurant has a bright future ahead of it.
Sears Restaurant is open daily from 6.30am to 10.00pm. Check them out at 439 Powell Street, just off Union Square.
I have not been compensated in any way for this post and the opinions contained herein are my own.
Shared with Food on Fridays
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