Krivaar Cafe & Catering

Krivaar was my go to lunch spot for many many years and am very sad to see that it has closed. Great wowwee plates, sandwiches, salads… and their fruit/​veggies outside. It has been so reliable for so long, it’s sad to see it closed.
I’d pick up a wowwee plate and a bag of ripe tomatoes for less than $ 9.
Everything on their menu was great but my fave was hummus and babaganoush.
If anybody hears of their new restaurant/​deli, pls report back!

I was quite sad to see this gem go. I walked past by and it was gone without a warning… poof…
Hopefully we will meet again Koko along with your wonderful gyro plate, hummus and bountiful hospitality…
Just don’t wait too long… FIDI needs some good, genuine and affordable eats where the gyro is not microwaved putty as in other places…

Closed. RIP
This was a wonderful place for many many years. Casual with excellent food. The people that worked at Krivaar were always nice and helpful.
I can recall several conversations with different people behind the counter here more than a few really wonderful lunches here besides all of the take out I’ve had here.

OH SADNESS! Krivaar is closing tomorrow. The owner, however, is looking for a new establishment… So keep on googling them in the coming months.
What a loss!

I think we’re all in agreement when I say most places now serve their gyros in lavash bread instead of pita bread. I do like the use of lavash bread since it provides a bigger portion of food. However, I’m not a big fan of this burrito-​looking object mushing and wilting the meat and vegetable.
Then one day, Miss Karen Y and I decided to venture to Krivaar Café and both opted for the lamb gyro. As we watched them make our food, our jaws dropped. Instead of piling everything on the lavash bread, the lady stuffed a layer of food inside the bread. Then proceeded to pile on the rest of the ingredients and finish with some tahini sauce. Rolled it up and the result was a gyro bigger than the size of our forearm.
It was beautiful. Loosely wrapped so the ingredients are visible. Lady-​like, Karen worked her gyro with a fork and knife while I picked it up and ate it like a drumstick. Really enjoyed being able to taste the crispness of the vegetables. The lamb was baked into a meatloaf then sliced into pieces. Soft and fluffy! Yum! Very filling too! We both couldn’t finish it.
Best of all, $ 5.50 before tax! =)

They made a GREAT decision and switched they compostable paperish to go box to an earth friendly recyclable to go box! Now I no longer have to worry about all the wonderful goodness leaking through the box, through the paper bag, and onto my clothing! YES!
As always, I got the gyros platter (why not? so cheap and so good), and this time the food was even better than last! The gyros was very nicely browned on the outside and all the other stuff was very fresh! Mmmm…
I love this place! And it’s such a great excuse for me to ride a fun cable car back to my work.

This is more of a quick take out lunch place than anything else although they do have a few tables in the back.
Krivaar is one of a multitude of Greek/​Mediterranean options in a 2 block radius. What is doesn’t have in quality, it has in quantity — they like to pile on the food. You won’t be hungry after you finish their portions.
Note that Krivaar does not accept credit cards so bring cash.

Edible greek food is a rarity here in SF.
My sister took me here in 1996 and I could never remember the name and assumed it closed long ago.
Today my date took me here which is near her work and I had a rush of culinary memories from 16 years ago.
It’s the real deal, cheap too.

Gyro plate for under $ 8.00?! *w00t!*
Gyro plate = lamb, bean salad, babaganoush, potato salad, yogurt sauce, etc. Oh, pita! And I did not finish it… it’s enough for two people! Great flavors. And healthy. *drool* I’m eyeballing the leftovers…
Very friendly service! I love the guy, and I’m willing to spend a few more lunch meals here. lol Cash only!
I’ll be back. :D

Came for: gyro to go
Will come back for: gyro, krivaar sandwiches, and random farmers market offerings
As other reviewers indicate, this is a mom and pop café with the homey feel. Ok, not much frill to their dishes and the interior seems like things haven’t been touched in a while. Yet, there is clearly a strong following, including yours truly who comes back at least once a week, especially when I’ve been tied up on calls and need a fill.
The jolly owner makes me smile with his ear-​to-​ear grin and his personable questions about my line of work. And yes, I agree that the other folks who prepare the food lack seem to lack the smile muscle. But, in my experience, their attentiveness to my request for «no onions but extra cucumbers» and in providing generous portions indicate that they are not apathetic as some reviews suggest.
I’ve been very happy with their warm lamb-​filled gyro to try any of their other dishes, but perhaps one of these days I will.

I always get the lamb gyro here and even though the pita does indeed fall apart, it’s still so good! I end up eating the last third in fragments, getting yogurt sauce all over my fingers, but I don’t care! It’s so good! There are generous portions of savory lamb, along with vegetables that make me feel healthy. What’s really good is if you add jalapenos and carrots to it, which gives it a nice kick.
What stands out to me about this place is that it’s always empty when I go, and I go during the lunch hour! I hope the business is doing well though, because I’d hate to lost it as a lunch spot.
Another cool thing about this spot is that the owner is very warm and friendly! Sort of in contrast to the dude at Baladie, who seems to just want to get people in and out. He’s not really a man of pleasantries.

My mgr raves about Krivaar’s falafel so had to give it a try. Outcome? This place is A-​OK
Falafel was a bit dry but tasty; Tahini sauce was mild & I prefer a spicier Tahini but it was flavorful. I still think California Golden Cookie’s falafel ranks as my #1but this is a good alternative
What I really enjoyed was their Cheese Triangle — feta baked up in a good old phyllo — it was a good size pastry & they use lots of feta which always scores points w/​me
Prices are phenomenally decent & this makes me an instant fan — add that to the super-​nice staff & I’ll be a repeat customer for sure
Next time, I’ll definitely be sure to try the Pita & Hummus plate since lots of raves about the hummus

Well, more than the food, the atmosphere of Krivaar is top notch. I like the food OK. It’s not something I would ever seek out, though I really do love falafel. However, the atmosphere of Krivaar can’t be beat. Maybe it’s just that I am a sucker for family owned businesses? Maybe I just like places that sell the most random knick knacks around. Or it’s just that places that make you feel like home-​where the owner knows exactly what you want when you walk in and even starts making it before you have a chance to order. Maybe that’s all I want in a place.
Anyway, Krivaar has all of that. And the food isn’t bad either. It’s not the best in my opinion, but it’ll do. Especially seeing how it’s located in an area with the most bland and tasteless offerings around (at least for the price). Beats Subway or Specialty’s or whatever else is around, that’s for sure.

I have nothing funny to write about Krivaar. This is not a laughing matter.
Today at lunch, I paid 8 bucks for a Gyro plate and received in exchange enough food for two people, probably. All of it was excellent.
The lamb was tender and seasoned well, and they’re generous with the tzatziki.
The Babaghanouj and hummus were both excellent. I don’t think I can eat trader joes hummus anymore.
I don’t like tabouleh but I like their tabouleh.
The vegetable wrap thing and even the strange yellow beans that came on the side were good.
My only complaint was that putting the pita bread underneath the hummus and babaghanouj made it get soggy pretty quickly. The fact that they give you and extra piece of pita bread after the plate is assembled suggests that they’ve anticipated the problem and have a good reason for doing it this way.
I’m not joking around here. Go to Krivaar and get a gyro plate. This is serious.

This place is great! It’s got such a great family feeling and its perfect to eat in or take out! I had the gyro, which was so good, the meat was perfectly cooked and the yogurt was such a great compliment to it!!! I like how they are selling all these random things in the store. They have a nice variety of beverages but will gladly give you a cup of water. Every one who came in and employees knew each other by name, that makes me think ever higher of them because you know they care about their customers.
Ill be back, so many other things to try!!!

I used to get takeout from Krivaar frequently until I jumped on the Baladie ship a few years ago and kind of forgot about it. Then Ryan D mentioned it in a talk thread earlier this week and I realized I was long overdue for a visit to the flirty man who runs the place.
Unfortunately, Mr. Flirty Owner Guy wasn’t there today. I found consolation in an insanely huge gyro plate. When I popped open my takeout container, I immediately knew why I had heard 2 other people order it in rapid succession in the few minutes I was there. We’re talking: blackeyed pea/​zucchini/​carrot salad, potato salad, lavash sandwich, babaganouj, hummus, tabbouleh, a big dollop of rich sour cream, a decent amount of gyro meat and a pita and a half for $ 8.
Ahh, the hummus… the hummus was so, so good. Definitely worth buying by the pint if you like it smooth-​style.
Sidenotes: My lunch companion pointed out that the non-​divided takeout container caused the various components to collide, and we agreed that the gyro meat was not quite as good as Ayola’s and Baladie’s around the corner.
I was amused by the mini-​garage sale arranged against one wall. A mish-​mash of used blenders, peppermills, cookbooks and kitchen gadgets, plus bottles of wine and olive oil. A homey touch.
I’ll be back soon for a pint or two of hummus and some of those tasty-​looking dolmas.

I like happy people. I like fake smiles from unhappy people. I like feta cheese. These are the things that hold me together in life. I didn’t get any of these things.
This place was decent, I really wasn’t sold on how awesome it was from the other reviews. I probably wouldn’t walk the distance to get to this place again in the near future.
The lady making the food didn’t seem to be very happy with me since I can’t eat yogurt. She had to make another gyro platter for me (again thank you).
The gyro meat wasn’t very fresh, it felt like it had been heating since the night before.
I didn’t get any olives with platter either, just a lot of potatoes and what looked like fava beans (
).

Cheap, big portions, good. Delicious hummus.
JONASAPPROVED!

I love this place! I’ve been going to Krivaar for twentysomething years. The folks are delightful, especially the owner, who is warm and wacky. The food isn’t fancy, but it’s dependable and reasonably-​priced. The hummus is the best in the City, as far as I’m concerned. –Besides, the old guy who’s always there (the owner’s dad, I’m presuming) usually has crap outside with a big sign reading «Bag of Anything for $ 1.»
This place gladdens my heart.

I really liked their Chief’s Special sandwich — hot pastrami in pita with hummus, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and peppers ($ 4.99).
I love pastrami. And I love hummus. Especially the super tasty and creamy hummus at Krivarr. So I was in a happy daze while munching on this sandwich in my office.
Go for the hummus. Seriously.
(See accompanying photo.)