Brenda’s Meat & Three

I’m generally not a brunch fan, but it was very good here. First, the two of us shared a bowl of gumbo, which was very rich and delicious. I got the delta scramble, which included shrimp, fried oysters, and tomato&okra maque choux. What’s maque choux? I still don’t know. But the tomato and okra flavors worked really well with the egg to make something delicious. The dish came with a really fantastic biscuit that was moist and flaky, along with some hash that I barely touched because I was totally stuffed. Overall, a great brunch place that we’ll definitely be visiting again.

I like coming here because what you order is what you get. Good for 2 to 4 people group. Weekdays are no problem, the wait on weekend is LONG.
Must have:
1. Fried Chicken
2. Biscuits (with their strawberry jam)
3. Banana Foster Frenchtoast (on the sweet side)
Heavy overall but YUMMY

Super leckeres Frühstück, netter und zuvorkommender Service und gemütliches Sitzen im Hinterhof. Wir hatten Glück zu viert an einem Samstag noch einen Platz zum Frühstücken zu bekommen und es war wirklich alles top. Der French Toast mit Cream Cheese, Blueberries und Pecans war genauso lecker wie das Veggie-​Omlette mit Hash-​Browns. Die Portionen sind riesig und der Kaffee top! Wir kommen bestimmt wieder.

Just been the once so far. Invited a friend from out of town to join me for lunch. It is very near my place and every time I passed it, I would think to myself «I must try that one day». Six months ago I heard or read of how the fried chicken was and set my foodie crosshairs on that for my first visit… Well, after relooking the menu over, debating with my lunch companion, and measuring up our gem of a waitress’s favorites, I went with the Shrimp Po’Boy. Now it was my first time here but I’ve had my share of shrimp po’boys. Very Good. Fresh tasting with just the right flavors in the sauce. Texture and just the right amount of «messy» (cut it in half before you start). French Fries that come along compliment the dish but I wish I tried the coleslaw.
Round 2 will be the Fried Chicken (no promises) and I shall re-​review.

I’ve been here for lunch and dinner. Both are great, but I think dinner is the most fun because you can select 3 sides out of an amazing selection of side dishes with your entrée. My favorite is the fried chicken — the batter is full of great spice (flavor, not as in spicy hot, not too salty either). I almost always have to get a taste of the gumbo, perfect appetizer and it always tastes delicious.

Years ago, I went to Brenda’s. A group of us were at Andytown, bemoaning the wait at Outerlands (1.5 hours!!), when we ran into a friend of our friend, who recommended Brenda’s Meat & Three — Brenda’s new diner outpost in the NoPA area of SF. We drove over and encountered a twenty minute wait. Not too shabby, and the menu looked so good.
Johnnycakes — fluffy and oniony, with a slightly spicy butter on the side. ⁵⁄₅
Catfish Benedict and grits — so amazing! The biscuit was fluffy, the catfish was not too greasy, and everything together (cheesy grits included) was such a perfect bite. ⁵⁄₅
Pulled pork hash and poached eggs — the hash was bland but the biscuit was towering and fluffy. ²⁄₅
Don’t get the hash, and all will be good!

I came here for dinner instead of brunch, and it was a pleasant experience. My boyfriend and I had to wait awhile for two seats at the bar to open up (the place was packed) but that gave us enough time to decide what we wanted to order. I love how simple the menu is, though the chalk on the menu above the kitchen with the daily Meat & Three Dinner options started rubbing off and made it difficult to read.
My boyfriend got baby back ribs with sides of macaroni and cheese, fried okra, and red beans with rice. The baby back ribs were impressive and just the right portion for one person. My favorite side was the macaroni and cheese. The red beans with rice looked like it had less sausages than other photos on Unilocal,but maybe that’s because this was ordered as a side of the Meat & Three Dinner instead of an entire bowl.
I got the oyster po’ boy which is a massive sandwich with cornmeal-​fried oysters, lettuce, tomatoes, and chipotle remoulade. I was totally sold on the remoulade. The oysters were plentiful but the batter was a little soggy by the time it got to me… then again I’m not a po’ boy connoisseur so what do I know? The po’ boy was packed with ingredients, and I was super full by the first half. For my side, I got half fries and half coleslaw. I liked the coleslaw. The fries were meh.
We enjoyed beers with our meals and overall had a great time here. I’ll definitely have to come back for brunch!

Stopped in for lunch yesterday to catch up with my good friend Ben I. and couldn’t have been happier that he chose this spot. As a self admitted addict of Brenda’s original location in the oh so wholesome Tenderloin, it didn’t take me long to agree upon this option when asked if I’d rather eat here or 4505.
Upon entering, noticed there were two tables open, a four top and a two top, on the left side and some seats available at the counter as well. The waiter told us to wait, quickly wiped down a just finished table to the right and sat us down. A little cramped, but still enough space that you aren’t bothered by other parties.
Started off with the watermelon sweet tea as always and it was brought out in a cute little pint jar and the glass full of ice had strips of watermelon in it. Nice little touch. As for the tea, perfect as always. Love it.
Sigh, then the hard part came: deciding what to order. Pure chaos in my mind! The menu was speaking to my heart like you don’t understand. Didn’t hurt that I’ve been craving soul food for the past week and a half. Knowing Brenda’s reputation for not putting out meager portions and from the many plates that have left me beyond stuffed at the main location, I naturally decided to get a cup of gumbo and a cup of red beans and rice as well, since I wanted to try as many things as I could. And, oh yeah, give me a bowl of those yummy cheesy grits too. I have these every time, so this was order was self-​admittedly just a function of pure greed from by belly.
The cup of low country gumbo for a mere six bucks was such a steal! Rich, deep flavors with a subtle smokiness. And, they certainly did not skimp on the seafood (crab & shrimp) and everything melded in together well to harmoniously create a waterfall of wonderment in my mouth. Not as much rice as in other gumbos I tried and surprisingly that was fine for me, even though I have a serious addiction to carbs.
The red beans and rice were just as strong. My friend said some of the beans in his dish weren’t as piping hot as he would’ve preferred on a cold day, but everything in my cup was just great and I was alternating bites between my three bowls. Good use of spices and strong pork flavor throughout made this an absolute delight!
The cheesy grits. What else can I say! Remarkable comfort in every single bite and would be surprised if it weren’t that way. Consistently fantastic.
The interior is great, albeit a little small. Good New Orleans vibe and the service was friendly without being overbearing. The exact kind of service I prefer. No complaints either way. More like a four and a half on the way to five stars after a few more visits as long as they don’t disappoint. And, I’ll be in utter shock if that happens, because I can’t think of many more chefs in the city whose food can leave me utterly stuffed, satisfied and leaving with a face full of smiles for the fair and reasonable prices she charges.
There’s only one Brenda, but it’s such a treat that there are two killer locations to unleash your inner piggy. Indulgence instead of abstinence. It’s the only way.

Why do i keep coming back? 3 words:
1. FRIED
2. BOLOGNA
3. SANDWICH
I’ve never had one before Brenda’s, so I guess I’m not a great judge. BUT I do know food and flavor and boy does Brenda’s FBS have tons of flavor! Portions are HUGE, so be aware when ordering (multiple appetizers are probably not required, unless you want to leave with left overs or rolled out in an ambulance!)
Because we’re porky pigs, for 2 people, our order consisted of:
+ 2 orders of the FBS (5 stars)
+ 2 sides of the chicken thigh (4 stars)
+ 1 side of the cornmeal oysters (5 stars)
+ a couple peach mimosas (4 stars)
TIPS
+ don’t come hungry, you’ll probably have to wait. but, wait may not be too bad. first time we waited for approx 40 mins and then the second time it was only about 15 minutes
+ street parking can be found
+ oh yeah, and it’s all reasonably priced!!!

My bf and I needed to try a new brunch place in town. Plow, Mission Beach Café, Griddle Fresh, had all been overplayed. Enter Brenda’s Meat & Three! To be honest, I am not a huge fan of Brenda’s French Soul Food in the Tenderloin. My only memories of her original restaurant include the beignets that left me underwhelmed. But we decided to give this place a whirl regardless!
Arrived here on a Sunday at around noon. We signed up, with a few tables in front of us. For 10 mins, no one’s name was called, but after that, a bunch of tables seemed to open up. I think we waited about 20 mins, not bad. When we sat down, the table next to us also sat down. It was fine at first, and then about 5 minutes into the meal, when I tried talking to my bf… all you could hear was their story. They had normal-​volume voices, but our table was way too close to theirs. It was definitely the restaurant’s fault in forgetting to slide the tables far enough apart — there was clearly enough room on the other side of our table, to put more separation between different guests. I mean, I hate to complain about such a small thing, but for the issue to be so fixable just kind of frustrated my whole dining experience.
Food was better than anticipated. We shared the Calas (similar to beignets) and Cup of Gumbo to start. I was really looking forward to the Gumbo, since the lady to the table next to us ordered a bowl of it for her entrée, and it looked fantastic. I think the flavors of the Gumbo were great — very rich, lots of seafood that you would expect. However, I wish there was a little more rice in there. Didn’t get to try the Calas, because our entrees came very quickly after. I got the Cream biscuits and Country Gravy, with sunny-​side up eggs and added on the creole-​fried chicken cutlet. Everything in this entrée tasted great — I loved the chicken, and it was super flavorful and not dried up at all. The Eggs were great, and best of all the biscuits were tasty! My only complaint is that it was way too much food. That being said, the chicken cutlet was an add-​on, so if you ONLY ordered the biscuits, you’d be fine. However, I think the dish may have fallen short without the chicken cutlet, since it all went fantastic together.
Service was great! We had a waitress who had this cool Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows tattoo. She was really pleasant, and food came quickly too.
I think this place is worth a shot, but you’ll take home food for sure if you order as much as we did!

Best hush puppies I’ve ever had!!! Perfect appetizer with our beer. Gumbo was tasty too.
3 pieces of fried chicken plus 3 sides for dinner… Delicious!!! The fried chicken was so juicy and tender! Loved every finger licking pieces! My sides were grits, corn bread and collard greens. Mm mm good! Next time I want to try biscuits, spinach and mac & cheese.
Service was friendly and quick. Big smiles from the waiters were a plus! +++
Loved the warm atmosphere at the bar. I want to go back again soon!!! Maybe for brunch next time. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Brenda’s Meat & Three provided me with my first few Bloody Mary’s of my most recent trip to San Francisco. I was not disappointed by any means, I instead couldn’t stop drinking and eating everything that had some kick to it! I ordered Big Mama’s Spicy Chicken Sandwich and got fries along with cole slaw. I am typically not a fan of slaw, but it was perfectly paired with the spice of my meals and cooled me down a bit.
The atmosphere is inviting, casual, and surprisingly trendy for a Soul Food/​Southern restaurant. Our server was really charismatic and we were grateful for his efficiency.
Eating some quality southern food was refreshing, especially in San Francisco. Well done!

A new restaurant from Brenda! I couldn’t have been more excited by this news. On a recent trip to San Francisco, Brenda’s Meat & Three was near the top of my list of places to visit.
As the name implies, BM&T serves up supper in the traditional southern manner. You choose a meat from the daily menu, and then pick three sides from another list. If you are a vegetarian, there is an option to skip the meat, and just get four sides. This all seems simple, but when everything sounds delicious, choosing can be quite the challenge.
On the night we went, there were about five different options for meat. Suckers for good fried chicken, my husband and I both ordered up the chicken plate. If one person at your table gets the fried chicken, I recommend you all get the chicken. Otherwise, everyone will have fried chicken envy. I think she puts crack in the breading, because once you bite into the juicy chicken, you just can’t put it down. In reality, I think it is just some kind of Cajun seasoning, but it has the same effect as crack.
We tried five different sides, and all of them were good, but not out-​of-​this-​world great. My favorites were the greens and the cornbread stuffing. I’d skip the red beans and rice. We also tried the much talked about rice donuts for dessert. They were okay, but nothing I would order again. Although, I did love the molasses butter that they serve with the donuts.
Prices are high, but the portions are large (not quite southern large, but certainly large enough). Most entrees were around $ 20. It was the first time I’ve paid so much for fried chicken, but I would certainly do it again. In fact, I think I will, next time I’m in San Francisco!

Finally made it to Brenda’s other restaurant this past Sunday for brunch. I must say that it’s a nicer wait than the Tenderloin location. Wait is just as long.
Menu is a little different from Brenda’s but the same southern cuisine. Ordered two eggs any style and creole fried chicken cutlet. You have a choice of toast or biscuits and hash or grits. I ordered mine with grits of course with eggs poached because I love breaking the yolk open on top of my creamy grits, so rich. Biscuits always at Brenda’s cause it’s buttery flakey goodness. Although I wish there was better jam or spread for them. I love the molasses pumpkin butter that came with the calas so I put it on my biscuit as well. Never had Calas before and I was glad we ordered them but I prefer their beignets at Brendas for their texture and the sweet & savory options of beignets. Blue plate special was okay. Meat was a little dry but sauce is okay.
Service is great! Our waitress noticed my poached eggs a bit over done as she was filling my coffee and she sent it back without me having to ask. Which was a huge relief for me because I would have never sent it back. Just not my style.
Will have to come back for dinner for their namesake, meat & three dinner.

I’ve been dreaming of their fried chicken ever since Cheryl Q. shared her love for it with me. After some schedule mishaps, we were finally able to go this week!
We both had the fried chicken and boy was it tasty! The batter was VERY good and the chicken was juicy. The breast was a teeny tiny bit dry but I kinda expected that as breast meat tends to be on the dry side. It would not deter me from ordering this again. The jam they serve with this plate is UH-​mazing.
For my sides I ordered the dirty rice, mac n cheese, and coleslaw. My fave was the mac n cheese. It was sooooo creamy. Even after it cooled down it didn’t get hard. Definitely recommend it. I didn’t care for the dirty rice as it was a little hard and dry, and the coleslaw was standard. I tried Cheryl’s red beans and rice and felt instant regret that I changed my red beans and rice pick to dirty rice when ordering. The fried okra was yummy too
Service was good. We were checked on several times.
Can’t wait to go back to try the other sides and BBQ!

Occasionally, I am hesitant to try sister restaurants, as in some cases the original proves to be better. MUCH BETTER. I have good reasons to think so, but I shall not dwell on the past. *AHEM — Ah, never mind I promised I wouldn’t.
Putting that aside, Brenda’s Meat & Three is just as delightful as the original Brenda’s. (Maybe even more… I just prefer the neighborhood).
The atmosphere felt very warm and lively, although I can’t say much because I was able to sit in the back patio! (Even better). I loved the calm crisp air setting outside; it was definitely a pleasant surprise for a first time visit.
FOOD TIME! I ordered the pulled pork hash! Pork in hash browns? Honestly I love pork and I LOVE hash browns even more but the combination threw me off. (Thank you Unilocal reviewers for the reassurance.) Just to top it off the appearance threw me off a bit too — looked like a flat brown brick. However, the taste is what matters and it was AMAZING! I gobbled up every bite. It also came with my choice of eggs and a biscuit. I’m not sure why I chose poached eggs. They came out cold and I could taste the vinegar. On the other hand, the biscuit was so rich and I felt like I could have a whole plate of them! It’s amazing with the pork or Brena’s fruit preserves (pick this over the toast!!!).
Brenda’s consistently offers a great dining experience, so I’m looking forward to coming back!

Where Y’at!
The second restaurant in the Western Addition and a spinoff from the popular Brenda’s French Soul Food on Tenderloin by Chef Brenda Buenviaje — a badass Filipina Chef originally from New Orleans, Louisiana is where Y’at to be.
Brenda’s Meat and Three is more Southern compared to the first restaurant, and it’s just as good and then some. Although you can still get the Brenda’s signature dishes like the Gumbo and Étouffée, Meat and Three offers your choice of protein and three sides, hence the name.
They have wonderful breakfast, lunch, dinner and daily specials, and the menu is seasonal and changes daily. So I would suggest you try their specials when you come across them. She might even sneak in a Filipino twist now and then just like she did at her first restaurant when she created a Crawfish Lumpia that was simply a great representation of who she is, where she is from, and her true essence as a Chef and her roots.
So in honor of Filipino Heritage Month, here’s a little bit of a history lesson for y’all:
Filipinos have been in Louisiana even way before the mass immigrations in Hawaii and California; The earliest known records date back to the 1700’s when Filipino sailors escaped from Spanish Galleons sailing along the southern coast of the United States. Mostly young Filipino men, they fled the brutal colonial conditions from these ships and some ended up in Louisiana. They built huts on stilts and created small communities that thrived by fishing, shrimping and catching alligators for food. They are largely responsible for starting the shrimping industry in this state. Though traces of these men have slowly disappeared, they are believed to have assimilated with the rest of the population and have contributed to the eclectic and rich history of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana.
With Brenda’s Meat and Three, the ever-​changing and seasonal menu speaks volume of the diversity and history of this city while representing New Orleans. The Chef is telling us her story and background through her food, and its rich culture while maintaining the essence of the south.
And when you do go, you have to order the Calas. If you’ve never have them before they are similar to beignets, but much smaller that you can easily pop in your mouth like a snacking on some popcorn. Yes, that means they are addictive and delicious. Again, Calas are sometimes referred to as Rice Fritters or Rice Doughnuts that have a Creole background. I can see some Filipino influence from this wonderful ball of yumminess.

I’ve always driven by here and peaked in only to suspect that this must be the sister restaurant to Brenda’s French Soul Food in the TL. However, unlike Brenda’s in TL, this place doesn’t seem to have that eternal wait.
I stopped by here for late lunch around 3pm and they have a different menu, or I should say limited menu, between 3pm to 5pm. I was hoping to relive my fried chicken moments I’ve had at Brenda’s in TL but my options were pretty much gumbo, fried chicken sandwich, and fried po’ bo’ sandwich. Salivating while reading that po’ bo’ option, I was transported back to having eaten the best po’ bo’ oyster sandwich in NOLA.
Po’ bo’ did not disappoint this not so po’ girl. The buttery bread, the crispness of the deep fried oysters, and a sauce all over it. It beats the po’ bo’ I’ve had in NOLA. The ambience of the place mirrors that Zatarain’s like atmosphere with upbeat jazz music in the background, waiters in their suspenders, brogues, and fedoras and waitresses with a rockabilly flair. Service is really warm and attentive. Totally nawwwwlens!
I’d love to return back soon to try their dinner menu with fried chicken and ribs. I know my appetite will love me, but my colon will hate me later.

I love me some soul food!!! So when I heard Brenda had another restaurant in NoPa (my parents and I love Brenda’s French Soul Food in the TL), I suggested it to my bf after a shopping trip in downtown and we were off to dinner!
You might be wondering what a «meat & three» is… I know I was. Basically, it means you choose a meat (they have fish too) and 3 sides of your choice! I love having options so looking at all the different sides they had – mac and cheese, fried okra, collard greens, cauliflower gratin, etc, was all eye candy to me!
We ordered to share our food, and we went with a cup of gumbo ($ 6) and the pan seared trout with a side of mac and cheese, sweet potato fries, and mashed potatoes ($ 19.50). The trout seemed pricey but we rationalized that by saying we get three sides with it. No harm, no foul!
The gumbo came first and it was delicious!!! For an appetizer, the cup was a perfect portion to share. I’m glad we didn’t get the bowl ($ 11) or else we would’ve been too full for our entrée! The gumbo had so much smokey flavor, and I loved the andouille sausage and the shrimp in it. I’m glad it wasn’t too spicy either. The entrée came out shortly after and the plate was pretty big; we got the whole piece of trout! The trout was cooked nicely and still had the skin on the underside. My favorite side was the sweet potato fries that came out crunchy, hot, and salted. The mac and cheese was good too and super creamy, but I wish there was more cheese in the sauce. It tasted like a cream sauce to me instead of a cheese sauce. The mashed potatoes were good too, really soft and they tasted like real potatoes! I would probably a different side next time though.
Our total bill was less than $ 30 which is a pretty good value since we were satisfied after! You should definitely consider sharing a meat and three because the portion is huge. I still want to try that fried chicken or those bbq ribs… Mmmm. One of the people at the table next to me got the ribs and I kept awkwardly glancing over there… Hahaha! Hopefully I wasn’t drooling.
Oh by the way, parking is pretty terrible around here… I think we circled for a little less than 10 minutes until we swooped a spot in front. The things you gotta do for good food!!!

Brenda’s sister restaurant in NOPA ! Wait is definitely much shorter here — I think the menu is a little different too. Still AMAZERING for soul food! Lives up to the name of ‘Brenda’s’ =))))
JOHNNYCAKES: sort of like a thick and small cornbread-​pancake with chives & bacon. YUMMM
SHRIMP & GRITS: Yummeh — but the texture palette gets quite boring after you’ve had a few spoonfuls. I recommend ordering a biscuit on the side for texture contrast and to offset the savoriness.
OYSTER PO BOY: Simple and executed just right.
WATERMELON TEA: $ 6 — refreshing, not too sweet, and a quart was definitely enough for 2!
If you’re craving Brenda’s, be sure to remember that there’s this location as well!

You got me sayin’ my, my, my, my, my, my, my, you sure look good tonight (insert Johnny Gill song). I know it may not go with the theme of foods, but that’s how I feel about Brenda’s Meat & Three.
Even on a Monday night, this location was packed, and you write your name on a clipboard instead of a chalkboard. I was ready to wait in the cold, peaking my head through the window periodically to show the patrons how hangry I was, so they’d leave. No such luck, totally ignored my hangry butt, and continued with their meals and conversations lol. When we finally got a table, I wanted to order everything. I had the fried chicken with three sides, cornmeal-​fried catfish, and homemade pie. Hubby ordered the shrimp and grits. I was ecstatic to get my soul food fix in NOPA, much different menu than the TL location.
I’d still like to recommend straight up sweet tea, not watermelon flavored. No beignets at this location, and may I also suggest pecan pie served warm in the near future =)

Un système de plat + 3 accompagnements vraiment super !
Ce petit restaurant né promet rien et pourtant il surprend pas la qualité des produits. Une excellente cuisine southern American.
Un rapport qualité prix excellent. On adore. Notre cantine depuis notre appartement que Golden Gate Av !