Squat & Gobble, San Francisco
The West Portal Squat and Gobble in San Francisco
We are on our way to Twin Peaks today and passed this breakfast place en route. Who could resist such a name?
The Squat and Gobble is right next to the Muni west portal tunnel, right on the corner of Portola West and Vicente. There are little tables and wrought iron chairs outside. Inside it is large and bright with soft guitar music playing in the background.
(Click on the image for a larger version)
The first thing you see as you walk in the door is a huge blackboard with their whole, extensive, menu written up, inter-spaced with colorful drawings of the food. Here you choose and pay for your food before you find a table and sit down, clutching your order number on its little stand in your hand.
Tom ordered the Triple Gobbler, which consisted of two pancakes, two eggs and two apple sausages for $9.25. There was granola on the board but no oatmeal. I did ask if they did oatmeal and was told they did. Great. I was also asked if I wanted it made with water or milk. This made me question whether it is made straight out of a packet and heated in a microwave. They assured me it wasn’t so I went for it. I was tempted by the choice of pancakes but resisted.
A long padded bench is fixed along the outside wall and the tables are small but can be pushed together. Covering the whole of one wall is a mural showing food in the foreground, including a bottle of Squat and Gobble wine, and a a scenic view in the background. There is a back section as well where they have framed pictures on the wall of food.
Tom’s coffee was brought first and he was impressed. It was good and strong. He thought it was as good as Peet’s. Then the food arrived and there was plenty of it. Tom’s came on a big white plate and my oatmeal in a very large glass bowl on a round white plate. It was topped with a liberal serving of bananas and strawberries. I had asked for mine to be made with milk so no milk came separately. I asked for and received a small jug of milk. The oatmeal had cinnamon on it and was good. There was too much for me to eat it all and I left some. That’s a first for me!
The restroom was one of the better ones. It was large and clean with plenty of hot water. There was one picture on the wall of a couple dancing. In the corner was a potted plant on a nice stand. The mirror was large and I liked the matt silver frame.
Our conclusion – lots of food, quick efficient service, pleasant surroundings and the food was good. Would we come here again? Yes and next time I’ll have the pancakes.
Squat and Gobble
1 W Portal Ave
San Francisco, CA
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December 05 2009 06:56 pm | Breakfast Log
Sue on 08 Dec 2009 at 5:07 am #
apple sausages?
Margaret and Tom on 09 Dec 2009 at 7:37 am #
I know apple sausages may sound strange to Brits but here they have all manner of wierd and wonderful fillings for sausages. The old fashioned English beef or pork sausage are impossible to find unless you go into a shop which only sells British food. When I visit England there are several things I have to have. Apart from English bangers there is of course fish and chips, a trip to an Indian restaurant and a cream tea with clotted cream. Makes my mouth water just to think of them. Tom loves English draught beer so several trips to a country pub is also a must.
Margaret and Tom