Original US Restaurant

Best gnocchi I’ve had ever! Very soft and moist. I’ve had the gorgonzola and the pistachio gnocchi and recommend both of them. It’s kind of pricy ($ 18-​$ 20). It looks like a small serving but the right amount is given and does fill me up with no leftovers.

Their meatballs are a solid go-​to. Otherwise try a chef’s special. Don’t be intimidated by the curt staff. it’s part of the «show».

This was a terrible experience. Ordered through Seamless. They forgot to give a pizza as part of a delivery of 3 items!?! After waiting 20 minutes they said that it’s their policy not to redeliver the pizza. Sorry. So I pay the delivery service and tip but don’t get my meal. On top of it the fries were undercooked and cold and they provided no ketchup nor napkins. Never again will I order from here and I recommend nobody does. Customer service is not part of their vocabulary. Thanks for nothing

Celebrated a family members birthday here. Delish authentic plates. Enjoyed the festive atmosphere, the wait staff were very personable, friendly and attentive. The meals were enjoyed by all in our group. Antipasto platter was ample and variety of items served were true to my Italian heritage. The De la casa salad was tasty and filled with goodies. I had the sole dore. Two nice sized fillets, mashed potatoes and fresh veggies. So good! The bolognese sauce was enjoyed by the table on pasta and lasagna! Will definitely return to this North Beach staple. With all the older style restaurants slowly disappearing due to high rents… it is a joy to be able to visit a true SF gem. Bravo!

Hands down the BEST ITALIAN FOOD (SICILIAN) in San Francisco. The food is so authentic — I’m trust me… I’m married to an Italian Chef lol!
Get the Rigatoni alla Norma, Chicken Parm, Eggplant Parm & Manicotti Ricotta.
HOUSE RED WINE is flipping delicious and it’s very fairly priced. Don’t be a fool and get a glass… Get the bottle dude!
Love this place. Been here a bunch of times, and the food and service has always been consistent. Thanks for re-​opening!
Note: The best waitress is RENE ! She is fast, knowledgable, honest, super nice, accommodating and super friendly ;)

I was raised in an Italian family in Belgium and I was glad I found this place in North Beach! The Carbonara that I took were amazing! I highly recommend this place! And it is not as crazy expensive as the other places in North Beach

Casually elegant, but lacking charm. Good but impersonal service. Adequate yet uninspiring food. I wanted to love it, but didn’t.

Liked it very much. Since I went to the real original many many times, starting in the 60’s, I was happy to see the incarnation of the place. They have lots of great photos of the old place and staff on the walls. Pleasant setting, scored a window seat overlooking all the action on Columbus. Service was excellent and professional. The three of us all enjoyed our food. We all got the US Salad, a bit overpriced at $ 9, but very good. We were served bread with a white bean dip, also very good. We got an outstanding house red for only $ 25 a bottle, an outstanding Italian wine. Very good experience and we will be back.

I would call it every day italian food. Good quantity, not too fancy and clean.
I dislike noisy restaurants so this stands out as a place where you can have a nice dinner with friends.
I would definitely go back.
Original US restaurant is kid friendly.

Was recently here for a First Communion luncheon and I promise I’m not being biased just because I know the person who works here and who also happened to be the one who hosted it but everything was amazing! We had the beautiful outside patio section for the party which was setup very nicely. The restaurant itself is nice, with a few tables right outside in the front where you can people watch while eating.
We had a set menu with Panelle (garbanzo fritters), Antipasto Plate, Antipasti di Mare, Rigatoni Bolognese, Fusili Trapanese and I chose the Halibut Picatta for my entrée. I truly enjoyed every single dish and the service was great. Definitely felt like I was in Italy for a minute. Plan on coming back here in the near future.

Solid food especially pastas. Pizza is only ok, so better to order smoothing else. Arancini was good, two large ones with tangy tomato sauce.
The after the appetizers arrived it took nearly 45 minutes for the entrees to arrive. Other tables waited lengthy amount of time for their food too.
Won’t be adding this place to our regular spot.

I loved this place. Small, nice, quaint and holds a little history (you guys can do the research). Authentic Italian cuisine, all the ingredients seemed fresh. The staff was very attentive and helpful. Would definitely recommend.

Clam chowder soup, Fried calamari, side of meatballs and then cap it with their creamy tiramisu. Renee will make your dining experience top notch. Great new location, large airy resto with high ceilings, clean bathrooms and a charming back patio that will soon be available for dining.

Just went to the new location. we love it! Gaspare and the same staff are there. It’s been a while since we have seen him and he remembered us. Very warm and welcoming. Menu is still delicious. Sicilian style. Now they have outside seating, plus a backyard patio. So happy they are back on buisness :)

March 15^th is a holiday for some of us tax accountants because it’s a due date for most of our corporate income tax return extensions. It’s not like September 15^th but it’s still a big breath of relief with all the audits completed and a little bit of a compliance work completed.
Typically we go to a bar and stake out a couple of tables or an area to ourselves and drink beers and eat some junk food to go along with it. This time around though one of the partners planned this nice meal for us at Original US restaurant.
We started with some delicious red wine (I mean it was pretty good for the house red) and bread with DIY olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Then the appetizers started. Garbanzo bean fritters were probably my favorite. They were really good. Most of my friends thought they tasted like potatoes and one even thought it reminded her of chicken nuggets. We also got a plate of meat and calamari. The calamari was lightly fried and definitely a great part of the dinner.
We got two courses of pasta: rigatoni alla norma which has eggplant and ricotta and the spaghetti pesto trapanese with some almonds. I’m not a big fan on the eggplant but I did enjoy the pastas. We definitely got big plates of them and they were a great dish.
I ended up getting the sole with vegetables and scalloped potatoes as my main dish. It was pretty good. I definitely could have used less cheese in my potatoes but the fish was delicious. Highly suggest.
We ended with a cannoli. I was so full by the end of it that I only had a part of it.
Protip: get those garbanzo fritters and calamari.

I ate here last night, when I come to SF, I always eat Italian in North Beach. The restaurant that used to be in this spot was my favorite, but I’m happy to say this restaurant is now my new favorite!
The service was fast, server was great. The restaurant had a real family restaurant feel with elegance.
I had chicken parm with a side of pasta, it was excellent! The breading they use is light, tasty, and is cooked to perfection. I also tried my friends gnocchi which was really good.
The bread they serve is so-​so. I would’ve liked better quality bread, perhaps warmed.
Don’t let the name draw you away from this
place. The «U.S.» stands for Unione Sportiva NOT United States. I learned that’s because of their role in the late 19^th century of feeding and hosting Italian American athletic clubs. Cool history!

The Original US Restaurant is a TRUE SICILIAN TREASURE!!! The food is superb and the service is terrific. The lunch menu has a nice variety of salads, sandwiches, pastas, pizzas and even egg dishes like a great frittata. The Rigatoni Siciliana (homemade tomato sauce with eggplant) was outstanding. The dinner menu is HUGE. The choices are amazing. The prices are very reasonable. The antipasti and salads are special. There are chicken, veal, fish and over 25 different pasta dishes!!! You owe it to yourself to go to this NORTH BEACH TREASURE OF CULINARY DELIGHTS!!!
!
CHEERS

Food was pretty good. Service was bad. My husband ordered a special. 20 minutes later found out they now longer had any.

Sometimes you feel like an old-​timey Italian dinner in North Beach, probably when the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie. The old location was an institution I never patronized even though I had heard it was one of Robin Williams’ hang-​outs when he was a struggling stand-​up. If I wanted something with a red sauce when I was younger, I’d have gone to Gold Spike or Capp’s Corner for spaghetti and meatballs and minestrone, but those places have bit the dust. It was with some unintended expectation that the newly renovated Original US Restauant would bring back some of that old-​timey feeling courtesy of an Alioto, Mario this time. It did but not necessarily in a memorable way for me and Jamie W.
We came early on a Saturday night, around 6PM when there was only a family of four eating next to the window. There was certainly plenty of staff getting ready for the dinner rush which did start to trickle in as soon as we sat down. I looked at the vintage photo on the wall of what looked to be a swimming club (photo:
), and it turned out to be part of «Unione Sportiva», a league of local Italian-​American athletic clubs over a century ago. That’s where the «U.S.» in the name came from, which was news to me since I thought it was a patriotic moniker. We started with the $ 12 U.S. Caprese, which seemed overpriced for four thin slices of not quite ripe tomatoes with not quite fresh mozzarella slices on top (photo:
).
This classic salad was accompanied by the hard-​crust Italian bread that came with cannellini beans, the most interesting touch of the evening as the beans made for an effective spread (photo:
). Jamie ordered the $ 19 Spaghetti alla Puttanesca, which made mention of a tomato sauce but appeared devoid of it. The pasta was accounted for as were the capers and olives. The anchovies were more than present as they lent an unwelcome fishy flavor to the dish that no amount of grated Parmesan cheese could hide (photo:
). I went for one of their daily specials on a Saturday evening, the $ 21 Osso Bucco with Risotto (photo:
).
It just missed the mark as the veal shanks were hefty but not quite tender enough with the risotto somewhat overcooked as it was on the mushy side versus al dente. We decided to share a specialty dessert since we were, after all, in the heart of North Beach, the $ 8 slice of Cassata Siciliana. I didn’t know what it would be, but the name sounded like an opera. It came out as a slice of sponge cake moistened with some kind of liqueur and layered with a slightly frozen ricotta cheese. It had a very sweet vanilla filling, and it was encased in marzipan and decorated with the type of candied fruit you would expect in a fruitcake (photo:
). Should have went for the spumoni.
FOOD — 3 stars… old-​timey Italian with no frills but not so satisfying
AMBIANCE — 3.5 stars… a big place by North Beach standards
SERVICE — 3 stars… nice enough but a little bit on automatic pilot as they wait for the big parties to come in
TOTAL — 3 stars… a middling return for a North Beach institution… maybe that was the expectation?

Enjoyed a recent dinner here w/​friends. Highly recommend the «Salami» di Polipo (marinated octopus) as a starter — you won’t believe how good it tastes & how appealing they make it look. The Mozzarella cheese sticks & Bruschetta were also good. Ravioli Bolognese, Ravioli Porcini, & Veal Piccata were all excellent main dishes. Extensive menu with choices for every taste (seafood, chicken, meat, pasta) with a wide selection of Italian wines (try the Rosso Piceno for a great glass of red). Nice ambiance, but service was slow & spotty through-​out. It was early on a Sat night, before the big dinner crowds. Water refills came just at the end of the meals, one of the side dishes was wrong, the waiter didn’t check on us once the food came, and we had to really flag him down to get our bill. The food was good, the real thing, & the place is worth checking out. Service was disappointing though & we’ll probably stick to our other favorites in North Beach when we go back.

One of my favorite Italian restaurant is back! Great new feel, awesome service and food.

Third time’s a charm. After 2 previous locations in North Beach, U.S. Restaurant has finally found, what I believe to be, the best location of all.
The U.S. in the name Original U.S. Restaurant stands for Unione Sportiva, because of its affiliation w the first 3 main Italian American Athletic Clubs in SF back in the day. Those 3 clubs were combined into one in 1936… the SF Italian Athletic Club that we know today (and located a couple of blocks away on Stockton).
For me, it’s all about the meatballs or the chicken parmesan. These are the meatballs that are served at AT&T Park! I know the veal piccata is a standout, as well as the ossobuco, & the linguini w clams. And no matter what, my man always orders the ravioli bolognese as his side dish.
This is a true «Italian Family Dinner» restaurant. Lots of food, surrounded by your peeps. Kids? Not a problem. The more, the merrier.
Request the server, Renee, to wait on you. You’ll be getting one of the best servers in the neighborhood.
4 stars.

I was so glad to hear U.S. Restaurant opened back up! I’ve come here several times and have never been disappointed. Food is incredible and the waiters are very attentive.
Appetizers-​I love the panelle! My boyfriend really likes the arancine. You can’t go wrong with either though, they both taste amazing.
Main courses-I’ve tried the chicken parmigiana, the lasagna, and the spaghetti alla carbonara. All of them are delicious!
Dessert-​All I’ve tried here is the cannoli. I honestly haven’t had a cannoli anywhere else so I have nothing to compare it to, but I though it was pretty great.
Overall definitely a must try if you’re out in the city with a craving for some damn good Italian food.

A friend and I visited this restaurant Saturday 1÷16÷16 — we were in the mood for an appetizer & a beer so we decided to try this restaurant out. We go inside and sit at the bar anticipating a good experience with good food and good service. However what we received was none of that! We sat there for a good 10 minutes and NO ONE acknowledged us! Waiters walked by us, there was a bold guy with glasses behind the bar who didn’t offer us a glass of water, a menu or even a hello. At that point my friend & I grab our things and walked out! We will Never go to this restaurant again! Shame on you!

I was very happy with the new US Restaurant tonight! My friend had the soup which he really liked. Then we split the seafood antipasti. It was fabulous! Definitely enough for a meal itself.
For dinner my friend had the spaghetti and meatballs and I had the gnocchi with gorgonzola sauce. It was delicious.
We shared the spumoni for dessert. It was more of a spumoni pie. Very good but not home made.
All in all we really enjoyed our dinner and would go back again!

Very mediocre Italian food. Nothing is particularly bad, but nothing is particularly good either. Don’t waste your time if you’re expecting to get great Italian food. This is coming from someone who’s had great Italian food in the U.S. and in Italy. There only good part are the antipasti. Everything beyond that is mediocre at best.

Dinner was great. Very authentic. Prices were excellent and wine pours were great. Very friendly service. Highly recommend a visit.

Had a great time here last night with some good friends. The new US Restaurant is really pretty but still has that neighborhood charm. Food was awesome. We all ended up sharing each others food. Calamari, Chicken Picatta, Spaghetti, Sole and gorgonzola gnocchi. Staff was super friendly. All in all, really enjoyed this place and it is my new go-​to place in North Beach!

Yep, they’re back! My wife and I were sorry that this restaurant closed months ago but are now happy that it has reopened at a new location. This was and is our favorite Italian restaurant in North Beach.
On our recent visit we were greeted by one of the owners, Gaspare, like long lost friends even though we only get there a couple of times a year. Gaspare and the rest of the staff made us feel right at home.
About the food. My wife had one of the Sicilian pasta dishes she described as heavenly. Perfect pasta, of course, and just enough sauce to make it really interesting… not smothered in sauce the way some places do it. She added the made-​in-​house Italian sausage that was a real treat. Two long, thin links tasted great and really added that special something to the meal. A bottle of house red wine was plenty good and only 25 bucks.
We finished the meal with an outstanding espresso. The real deal.
So, yes, we have smile on our faces now that our fave is back.

I went here for lunch… a simple omelet, fries and a glass of wine. The omelet was overcooked, the fries were undercooked, flabby and greasy. The only good thing about the meal was the dish of canellini beans. The service was slow. I had to constantly wave my arms to get the waiter’s attention. I’m Italian and also grew up in San Francisco. Lunch was a huge disappointment. I don’t think I’ll go back.

I went to the US Restaurant the other night for the first time since it reopened. As an Italian-​American from San Francisco who grew up in North Beach, I can honestly say that the food was excellent. I ate what I always ordered at the US — breaded veal cutlet. Perfect! I had a cup of pastina — also perfect. Salad excellent — fresh, delicious. The waiter brings this nice little dish of Ceci beans and I think chopped onion — wow that was fabulous. I was going to ask for olive oil but I stuck with the Ceci. The house wine was perfect — $ 24 I believe, and it was nice. Now for dessert, I had this ricotta cake. I do not remember the name, but I love cannoli and this beats cannoli a for sure. Of course I will always miss the original location but my experience was wonderful and it is very nostalgic. I will be a frequent diner. It’s worth it!

Time: 6:37pm/57°F cloudy
Purpose: Got a notice on friday was soft opening just couldn’t make it. Weekend would suit me better. Figure why not saturday night before heading out to union square?
Ambiance: US replaces Colosseo with minimal changes. As far as furnishings goes, its the same. Structure wise no change. However, gone are the bronze roman gladiator statute and mural of Colosseo. Any drawing on the wall going downwards before faux stone brick has been replace. In place are frame pictures of Original US Restaurant history from the very beginning. Original founder pictures hung proudly along with their respective immediate family are show throughout the place. Bar counter also remains the same with a ten seater and corner television. What’s kept is the original ceiling from the bakery days of over ninety plus years. Just look above you when you take a sip.
Staff: Mostly a male crew some call back to work from the old location. Warm and friendly from the moment I walk in. Every waiter was busy buzzing around on this night, but manage to stop and chat up with a few old time customers. Water and menu brought to table promptly. Checking back with me when ever they drop off order for surrounding table. As the night progress, it was imminent that a large party is about to show up. They handle it like no big deal rearrange table/​chair configuration.
Cleanliness: Grade A, white table cloth with utensils set up on table are spotless. Complimentary bread basket brought to table covered up not expose to any elements. Utensils on table spic and span. Restroom well kept.
Eats/​Drinks: Napoletana pizza $ 13, Alberto’s caponata $ 10, veal piccatta $ 21, glass of Stella Artoise and Peroni $ 6 ea. Pizza came piping hot with cheese showing bubbles. Waiter ask if I wanted parmesan cheese? Certainly! He toss in a heaping spoonful. Pizza had all the look of a good pizza, but bottom didn’t bare the crunch. Then moment of truth. It was more like eating compress bread. A tad disappointed at that, but went ahead and did the best to enjoy it. Cheese was stringy and stretchy so at least that didn’t disappoint. All of a sudden I like it, center did bare a slight crunch, but my dentures couldn’t feel it. Just kidding! No dentures lol… Caponata was tasty. It’s more of a Sicilian vegetable stew dish eaten as cold appetizers. Enjoy it so much, I even use bread to pile them on making a caponata sando. Fun part was looking for pine nuts love them too. Veal piccatta was delicious. Each piece was tender not chewy or line with fatty tissue. Can taste stock, lemon juice, parsley and capers. Sauce hinted with some wine use barely noticeable. Angel hair pasta was al dente not over or under cook dine perfectly. My top teeth cuts through with no problem. Washing it down with glass each of peroni and stella artois.
Main Features: Gnocchi gorgonzola, ravioli bolognese, linguine porticello, salmone alla griglia, veal piccata, Alberto’s caponata, pizza-​napolentana, bottle (red)-brunello di montalcino.
Products/​Services: Refer to full menu of wines along with restaurant specials posted on picture.
Punch Lines: Better than average, close-​together table, pleasing flavors, modest cost, drool-​worthy, easy night out, well-​prepared, hip bar, imaginable toppings, personable staff, devotees, calm vibe, lively atmosphere, business lunch, can’t go wrong, casual and delicious, worth the wait, take out of town guests, after work drinks and appetizers, crowd pleasing, kept its standards, unpretentious, satisfaction.
Tradeoffs: No multi course or dessert offerings. Not even tiramisu, cannoli, gelato, or pignoli amaretti (my favorite) these are the most basic essential in Italian restaurant. Later, I learn why. Sorry classified info and I’ve to keep my word.
Final Thoughts: I’ve been dining at their old location long before Unilocal even came in the seen. Wish I can recall all those experiences and took pictures. Anyways if you’re looking for a causal restaurant own by real Italian in NB area without reservation, this could be your best bet. It’s a festive casual place away from the more younger crowd. Now, I must warn you, this place is not your average kind of place. It goes beyond that as offerings will contest to that.

We heard the Original US Restaurant was reopening and wanted to give it a try. What a pleasant surprise. The food was excellent, the menu had a wide selection, the prices were reasonable, and it had a nice family atmosphere. We tried the calamari and mussels as appetizers. They were some of the best mussels I have had in years. For entrees the Chicken Parmigiana and the Seafood Pasta were excellent. We highly recommend the Original US Restaurant, we definitely will go back.

Apparently they just opened last week. We enjoyed it a lot, food was good, house wine was a winner. Husband had a pesto pizza en I had a burger steak. Both excellent :).