Universal Cafe

01/20/08

great brunch, great price

by monkies at Citysearch

i was really impressed. the food was a good twist on standards, albeit the menu was limited for brunch. the fruit smoothies were good too, and the eggs loose which is a rare but simple treat to implement in a restaurant. i went to foreign cinema which is in the same neighborhood...the food at foreign was definitely better (by a small margin), but the cost of universal made it more of an every weekend brunch joint. the only issue was the insane wait.

• Pros: tasty brunch, good twist on standard fares, good prices
• Cons: long waits, cruddy neighborhood with nothing else around

05/13/07

Universally Icky Cafe

by liquidsound at Citysearch

I have lived in the 'hood for five years and been a loyal customer of Universal all that time. Today's brunch experience changed that. An "intimate space", huh? Not at brunch it isn't. OK, in all fairness, a gentrification has been brewing in the neighborhood and it seems that Universal is feeling that effect. Brunch at Universal is a most unpleasant experience. I used to go and hop a seat at the bar, order my food and chit-chat with the two friendly wait staff there. No longer. It's find the list, sign your name, hope someone calls you and then squeeze yourself into a spot too small to eat. The cafe seems to have no realization of their own space constraints. They cram far too many people into too small a space. Today I sat at the bar and the space was so tight that I could not lift my fork to my mouth to eat my $20 brunch without bumping my neighbor and either spilliing her coffee or loosing my eggs to my paper napkin'd lap. Loose the fancy flower arrangement folks or find another place for your juice on the counter. Folks need space to eat. One thing about Universal, the food is good. But, as good as it is, it is still just french toast, eggs, bacon, fruit and coffee... brunch, folks....all served in an atmosphere as comfortable as a seat in any New York diner costing half the price. The noise level in the place is reminiscent of that too. The staff at Universal is totally over-worked. They have little time to recognize you and your needs much less be pleasant. The only time I saw the wait staff was to order, get my food and receive my check. And that totalled only a few seconds...yes, seconds. It would be nice if your coffee could be presented to you in as pleasant and fast a manner as your check. So, if your thing is a eating $11 eggs in cramped quarters with a "casually chic" crowd, have at it. I'm gonna walk a few blocks to Reds and save my money, my nerves and my good mood.

10/25/06

Good place for brunch

by mkbauer at Citysearch

I was impressed with the food here. The service was good. Though, the location itself is not where I would like to be for dinner. I would recommend for Brunch on Sunday.

• Pros: Brunch
• Cons: Location

08/24/06

Great reviews, too busy to get in or even get a to-go order

by txserin at Citysearch

I use to be able to go here and get food to-go. It was on my list of fav neighborhood places. Tonight I went, and they turned me away. Said they were not taking to-go orders as they were too busy. Very disappointing, especially to local regulars who liked to visit the place.

• Pros: interesting menu
• Cons: getting too busy

08/24/06

Great food in the Mission!

by buffasian at Citysearch

Great food in a fun environment. They use the best, freshest ingredients. Eaten here twice - first time for brunch and second time for dinner. Food and service was great both times. Looking forward to my next dining experience here.

• Pros: food, service