Jackson Fillmore Trattoria

01/18/08

20 year neighbor

by 1boscoe1

I have been a neighbor of Jackson Fillmore since 1988. My expectations were realized. The food was superb. The only disappointment was the snobish and arrogant hostess. I hope to return but will peek in to make sure she is not working that night.

11/01/07

Uninspired Food

by newenglandtransplant

I've been here a couple of time, always had a good meal and good service. This night was different. First we were dining early around 6pm. For SF that's early. We were a party of 2 and were asked to sit at the countertop. There were tables available but we were told that they were for larger parties. When we left one of the previously available tables was still available. The service lacked personality. The server took our order and got lost. He never once came back to ask how our meal was. I don't think that he ever said thank you even when we paid the bill. The food was uninspired and somewhat tasteless. I ordered the Chicken OOA (olives, onions and anchovies). The only taste was the anchovies. The dish came with several pieces of chicken. That's not what the menue said. There was another menu item that said 1/2 chicken but not the OAA. I was expecting a fillet of chicken or a chicken breast. Instead I received several parts of a chicken. The chicken was moist but there was no taste. No sides were offered with this dish. We had a salad as well. The dressing was lite but tasteless. My girlfriend had the snapper in the spicy sauce. The fish was tasteless. It simply tasted like they poured a can of tomato paste over a piece of bland fish. There was no spiciness with the sauce. This was not a meal worth paying for.

• Cons: bland food, unfriendly server, served food didn't match what was on the menu

07/14/06

Veal chop best in world

by cyrilhoerner

The best for garlic and spice lovers. Best wines.

We agree with the reviewers that don't understand the bad press. If you don't like anchovies or gutsy food don't come here. Our out of town guests from St. Louis to DC won't let us go anywhere else. The veal chop and contadinas are the best. So are the zucchini carpacchio and any zabaglione. Jack, the owner travels the world for terrific wines--maybe not the cheapest--but we don't come here for 2buckchuck. Our favorite along with the sister restaurant in San Anselmo. If you don't want to wait...long, try the Marin restaurant.

• Pros: Food and wine
• Cons: long waits sometimes, but reservations for 3 or more

09/03/05

Excellent

by manfro

I live around the corner and have been going there for decades. I highly recommend the "Zucchini Carpaccio" as an appetizer for 2 and the "Hot Zabajone" as dessert for 2. Anything in between is normally good with a glass or two of italian wine, red or white according to the type of entree!

• Pros: Friendly, Young patrons
• Cons: Difficult parking, Service jumpy

06/08/04

This cozy Italian restaurant wins diners over with charming surroundings and classic old-country fare.

by Contributor

The Scene
Step into this popular, inviting trattoria tucked discreetly into the north end of the Fillmore shopping district and be welcomed by a bustling mix of crowded tables, flowing wine and noisy chatter. A young, hip crowd that's perfect for people-watching makes the inevitably long waits pass more quickly.

The Food
Consistently good Italian fare is the kitchen's hallmark. A few antipasti rise above the fray, including a subtly flavorful bread and mozzarella in anchovy sauce and the worth-a-journey bruschetta--chopped tomatoes, olive oil and herbs atop a perfect piece of toast. Perfectly seasoned seafood risotto and an exceptional veal scallopine smothered in a rich sauce of brandy, cream, mushrooms and nuts are also real standouts. Dessert include bubbly, overflowing hot zabaglione and delightful mixture of espresso, vanilla gelato and whipped cream served in a wine glass.

05/05/04

Bruschetta's gold standard ...

by lost_sage

... and oh yeah, the other stuff is good too. Solid pasta both times I've been here -- as good as they are with the noodles as stuffed pasta. The sauces are tasty, well-rounded, complete. Service can be a bit, well, blunt at times. Did I mention the bruschetta was heavenly? Best time to go -- right when it opens at 5:30. Mark my words!

11/04/03

I Can't Get A Table Usually, But

by pcaps

it's still good. yeah, the service can be spotty, and yeah it's customers can be too trendy or obnoxious for their own good but let's focus on the main thing: the food.

the marinara sauce is simply classic--intense without being overpowering. the fra diavolo sauce, on the other hand, has balls. is massive, in your face.

beyond sauces, the seafood is consistantly fresh, the pastas as well. the only other negative note i can imagine is the desert menu which is a bit of a disappointment.

• Pros: Food, Food, Relatively Casual
• Cons: Wait Staff, Sometimes, Wine List Lean, Desserts

02/25/03

Best Gnocchi

by lilikoi_girl

Last night I dined at Jackson Fillmore on an impromptu outing. We were seated at the bar, and chatted with the friendly host and friendly waitress. They had homemade gnocchi with wilted radicchio and pancetta as a special, and being ever on the quest for good gnocchi (not easy to find in this city!!), I ordered it. It was the best I've had in years. Perfect little pillows that melted in the mouth, and the sauce was superb. I was delighted with this restaurant.

11/26/02

Nothing spectacular

by Jenifer1

After months of wanting to try Jackson Fillmore, but always being wary of the wait, I finally went last night with friends. The hostess was adorable, but the rest of the staff unattentive and grim. The wine list was thorough, but over-priced for the casual ambiance and reasonably-priced menu. The complimentary buschetta was amazing, but the main course only okay. I had the meat tortellini with tomato sauce, and was left unsatisfied both because of the bland taste and small portion. As far as cozy Italian restaurants are concerned, Parma is a better bet.

• Pros: location, atmosphere
• Cons: food

07/26/02

Horrible service, fantastic food!

by jgrilli

The hostess at Jackson Fillmore is a friendly, outgoing, great perk to this establishment. The food is very flavorful, however they could do more with the meat and seafood portions. The pasta is very fresh, but since you only get such small toppings, you really are stuck with a lot of extra pasta. The downside to this place is the arrogant, useless, rude waiter - this guy would rather be ANYWHERE than serving you. He is one of the worst waiters I have ever seen in this city and hopefully management will realize that he, singlehandedly, is going to drive away business. The food will bring you back, but with so many other great restaraunts in SF, it can't bring you back forever.

• Pros: Flavor, Hostess
• Cons: Waitstaff