Pinecrest Diner

Best diner in Frisco, foods great, prices are fair, and the people working there are the friendliest you’ll meet they were kind and helped me figure out what a good meal for my first time here would be and they made suggestions on how rare I should have the meet and it was absolutely delicious this diner is heaven!!!

Had breakfast here and it was served fast, they were friendly and breakfast was good. Not too pricey. Had Denver omelet and just two eggs over easy With hash browns and toast. We couldn’t finish it.

I think we’ve all seen the painting of Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, and Bogart huddled together late at night in a corner diner. Pinecrest may have been the inspiration for that painting.
Despite having a burger three hours earlier but burned it off by walking at least five miles through the Streets of San Francisco (Chinatown, Financial district, Pier, and then back to Union Square area, I found myself famished at 9:30 PM. A decent Unilocal review and a huge menu lured me in.
I was with a favorite colleague and we found a great two seat window table so we could watch the interesting night life go by. We weren’t disappointed, either by the scenery or the food.
I ordered the hot Italian omelet smothered in chili. A bit of a risk since I had to do a 5K run the next morning as part of the conference I was attending but had no ill effects. The omelet was huge and excellent. It came your choice of bread and hash brown. The ‘browns were of the typical diner variety but cooked perfectly.
Elvis et, al might not have been in the building but the cook made up for it. Thanks for a great meal and show.
3.25 Stars, worth trying.

Stella on tap. Chilled glasses. Nice open face chili burger cooked to order. Just a block off Union Square in the wrong direction. I’ve also been here several times for breakfast. Much bigger crowds in early AM. Lots of searing for lunch.

The only place we could find that opened at 1030pm, it was a old fashioned place but food was amazing. I had the grilled chicken pesto and it was good, the serving size was big too, couldn’t finish half of it. My friends ordered bacon mac and cheese, and it was one of the best mac n cheese I ever had. The other one ordered spaghetti and she said it was good too. The cashier lady wasn’t the greatest. Just double check your ticket and how much she charged you for. Overall, food was great though.

The coffee is amazing. Had three cups and wanted more. Had a spinach, tomato, avocado and cheese omelet and it was delicious. I didn’t really see what the big hype was on the hash browns — they seemed pretty average to me. Overall, I highly recommend!

Rude waiters — only seating at a bar with Zero elbow room if you are single. A ridiculous place to eat if you want to be treated with respect and dignity.

*CAUTION* worst diner I have ever been to in my life. Service was extremely slow, food was not fully cooked and tasted terrible. On top of that they overcharged my bill. Manager was extremely rude when correcting the bill and did not correct it l, giving me lip while she did it. Would not recommend to anyone. Loris is right across the street and beats pinecrest’s terrible food and service any day. Beware if u go there of getting ripped off. Also reported to the better business bureau of SF! Hope this was helpful!

Excellent breakfast! The scrabbled eggs were amazing! A friend had pancakes, which I tried, and they were top notch!
Service was good, coffee was good and we left feeling very satisfied :)

I am excited to be back in the Bay Area. My wife and I arrived yesterday late and we’re looking forward to waking up to a great breakfast before we started our journey. The pine crest diner was recommended by the the concierge at our hotel, the westin.
We took them up on there recommendation and found the ambience very appealing. Unfortunately, everything went downhill from there. The service was atrocious to say the least. I am a restauranteur, 37 years, and I will tip at least 10% for the basic service. I couldn’t even get myself to do that. Karla took our order (memory) and missed on a few requests. We had to remind her after requesting things twice. She was never apologetic and shall we say didn’t bring a personality to work. The food was good and prompt.
I strongly recommend you evaluate her if you care about delivering best in class. Let’s hope she was just having a bad day because she would be a detriment to any restaurant .
I can be reached for further comment .
Thank you for your time.

I ate here begrudgingly as unfortunately I was the only one in the group willing to wait 2 hours for a table at Brenda’s. Regardless, I tried to embrace the diner concept and accept the fact that the place smelled identical to McDonald’s.
On a brighter note, the menu did at least offer me a chance to fit in a healthy meal. I went for a bowl of greek yogurt with fruit and was pleasantly surprised that the yogurt was the real unsweetened stuff. And the portion of both the yogurt and fruit was almost too much. Respect.
The rest of my dining mates ordered more traditional breakfast options and seemed pleased enough. While I wouldn’t classify Pinecrest as a destination diner when in a city so rich with breakfast food options, it is open ²⁴⁄₇ and will do the trick when you’re not like me and don’t want to wait in a huge a** line for higher quality food.

Place gets slammed — appropriate for a Tenderloin meets Union Square locale. Good coffee. Better than average pancakes. Outstanding omelettes. The Spanish one has avocado and they make the salsa. Spicy goodness.
No substitutes so extras are a la Carte. Boo.
But staff stay upbeat despite moving at light speed.
I eat here once a mo the when España calls.

union square, but bordering tenderloin… corner 24-​hour diner… weekday lunch hours and busy, but tables or counter seating available with no wait… open kitchen with cooks working… standard american diner menu. service is bit slow, so expect an hour lunch… taking a reuben $ 12.95 and diet pepsi $ 2.50…reuben was quite generous with the thick-​cut pastrami slices… cheese melting over meat… light on the thousand island dressing… toasted griddled brown and tasty… standard fries to the side… a good sandwich meal for $ 20 after tax and tip…

Four of us stopped in around midnight and had a great breakfast. Fast service excellent food. French toast was awesome.

Service very attentive good teamwork. Fast delivery, yummy food and value for money. We had the onion rings mozz sticks and chicken tenders. Crunchy yet fresh delicious inside. The clam chowder is also delicious and satisfying. a bit heavy on the cream so very filling. The beef mac is exactly what it should be and the bill was surprisingly low. We will return.

Old style short order. What’s not to like? No pretending or imitating here, this is the real thing. I love that it’s open 24/​7, and serves any meal at any time. Opened in 1969, this truly authentic blast from the past could just as easily be from the 40s or 50s. Fast service, generous portions, and good olé’ food. Older and wiser cousins of roadside Waffle Houses, diners like this are from an era of vastly under appreciated American cuisine. There is something deeply nostalgic to see men lined up on stools, chowing down at the counter (although the clientele is often much younger!).

Awful. I never leave bad reviews. Total and complete garbage. See photos for my meal and a side of «cheese».

After moving to San Francisco, we had some breakfast at this place. This place gets packed really fast, so be prepared to wait. We got lucky and didn’t have to. I had the spanish omlette and my gf had the cornbeef and hash. I’d say mine was good, but very typical for a diner. It’s nothing special and you will definitely know what you’ll be getting. So I guess it’s good for those who aren’t as adventurous and don’t want surprises! The cornbeef hash was OK, it wasn’t crispy which is how she prefers it. The service is excellent though, they are fast and really are there for you. The food is just very typical! It’s much better than Lori’s Diner in my opinion.

When it comes to ²⁴⁄₇ dining pinecrest definitely does the job. Good portions, good food and fast service especially when you are around late at night. Nothing beats a plate of hot food whenever you want it.

Diner food with a mix of local and tourist diners. Nothing really stood out. I’d eat here again, but there are probably better options nearby that I’d try first.

Pinecrest Diner is has a nice setting and clean tables. We had good customer service, and our food was fresh and warm. We ordered a belgian waffle, (which is enough for one person) and a bacon avocado cheeseburger with side fries that I highly recommend if you’re feeling hungry.
I would come back for more

Our family of four had a great dining experience at this little diner before heading over to the ACT theatre to watch Satchmo. The place is a gem of an old time dive with wooden booths and counter seating. Get the Greek salad so good and fresh our teenagers dug into it while having their fantastic burgers and fries. The kitchen staff and the waitress are lovely hard working people very friendly and caring.
The Pinecrest is an authentic diner that deserves more business.

My favourite diner in SF! And not just because it’s near the hotel I stay at while I’m in town. Pinecrest beats out some other nearby diners like Café Mason and Lori’s because it gives a good diner experience without the grease.
I’ve eaten some sandwiches, appy’s and fried chicken (surprisingly delicious!), but my go-​to meal is breakfast. I love the Pinecrest omelette which gives you a bit of everything thrown in, comes with side hashbrowns and your choice of toast. I love that the hashbrowns are the ones I like best — shredded, not cubed — and are always nice and crispy. I’m also a fan of their pancakes (beware: they’re huge!). To round it all out, the service is friendly and very efficient.
Pro-​tip: go at night when it’s less busy and you can still eat breakfast!

My husband and I both enjoy coming to eat here, just a few blocks away and breakfast all day! It’s an old diner with a big menu, and it’s usually always packed with a very small space by the entrance to wait for a table, but the staff is really good about clearing a table for the next guest, so we have never had to wait more than 10 minutes.
It’s also a good place to sober up, and the food comes out delicious every time! Of course, it’s not gourmet and the food presentation seems a bit outdated, but I love getting their chicken fried steak and eggs. We’ve only tried a few other dishes but so far everything has been to our satisfaction.
However if you get a booth by the window (which is a 50% chance of happening every time) I’ve experienced some creepy guys always knocking on the window and just. staring. And they’ve always just done it at our table for some reason, whether they’re drunk or just. creepy. Both times the diner has been too busy for us to say anything to the wait staff, but I’m not sure if I even should bother since they’re usually gone if you ignore them. *sigh* is this the TL people warn me about? Whatever it is, It’s not going to stop me from eating here! :)

First off, I’ve only eaten here very late at night — it’s near my favorite hotel Clift — but I’ve never found the food of particular note. At 2AM, I’m not picky.
However, this last visit was astoundingly awful. There is no excuse for chicken tenders to be raw inside. I will NEVER return.

So we really enjoyed our dinner here, but… we didn’t enjoy what happened after…
We ordered the regular cheese and jalapeño nachos, which were delicious. Plentiful great-​tasting cheese and jalapenos, and the tortilla chips were thick and perfect, just like festival nachos. I mostly made my meal on those, and barely touched my hot link and eggs meal, however the hot links were really good tasting in that too. The over easy eggs were also cooked perfect with the runny yolk I like.
But, the nachos were most likely our downfall later.
About a half hour to an hour after, we both had the worst bathroom problems we’ve had in a long time. And this was NYE, mind you, so it really put a damper to the beginning of our night. We guess it was the nachos as that’s the only plate we shared. Could it be old cheese? I don’t know. It tasted great, but there’s definitely something wrong with that dish. About 3 hours later we recovered and had a great rest of the night. But man, that sucked.
It’s unfortunate because we really liked the food there, and they’re open 24 hours. And bonus, they’re near Ruby Skye! Oh well, I guess we’ll have to find something else in the area for late night grub.

I had a feeling before coming here that we would be unhappy with our choice, but given that it was Christmas day and that everything was closed, we had very limited options when it came time for brunch.
The line up was big, and it took some time to be seated. Once we were, we were placed right next to the door which was constantly being opened. It was therefore very cold and very uncomfortable to be seated there, and so we asked to be moved if possible. Our server basically told us that we could leave because he wouldn’t seat us elsewhere, however, the manager caught him and quickly had us relocated as soon as a table freed up which we appreciated.
However, not only was the food sub-​par at best, but the service was very very slow, and our server was pretty rude (same guy as above) which made our experience at Pinecrest bad. We had ordered the mac and cheese, 2 types of omelettes, and the pork chop dishes all of which were either lacking in flavor or of bad quality.
Despite being in a great (touristic) location, I would not return unfortunately. San Francisco is full of excellent food so don’t worry about finding an awesome alternative in the area!

So unbelievably disappointed. I was prepared all night to give the Pinecrest Diner at 401 Geary st a 5 star rating — the food was great (I love greasy diners), the staff EXTREMELY friendly and hospitable, the service punctual, informative and professional. So what’s the one star for? Well, I’m a first-​time visitor here in San Francisco. I just got off a 2 thousand mile Greyhound journey delayed by Texas blizzards and tornadoes (and I therefore probably do look a bit pasty). I had already spent a night at a hotel and I didn’t want to spend more money on another night — so I thought I would kill two birds, checking out a 24 hr diner in town, while also working on a little writing and reading until my City bus tour at 11am. (And yes, I had a red gym bag with my belongings inside it — but I explicitly asked the host, before I sat down, whether this was welcome — and he told me it was OK!)
But because I’m not some bum who squats in businesses, I ordered about 30 $ worth of food and drink throughout the night and tipped something like 22% (but maybe that’s a low tip here in SF? Where I’m from that’s considered mildly generous — I would have tipped more had I realized). And I was at pains to tell my waiter (who, from overhearing their conversation, I later found out is a rookie) and his co-​workers several times throughout the night that, since I was alone, if they ever needed that table for a bigger party (there is limited space here — a fact about which I was conscious and considerate) they need only say so, and I would move back to the counter; that I was willing to order more food (and I said this in response to whispered comments I had overheard between the waiter and his superior about my not having already ordered more food — BUT THAT WAS ONLY BECAUSE I WAS ASSURED BY THE PRECEDING SHIFT THAT THIS WAS UNNECESSARY — AND THEN I WAS ASSURED *ONCE AGAIN* BY MY WAITER, AFTER I OFFERED TO ORDER MORE FOOD AND SHOWED HIM MY MASTERCARD, THAT IT WAS UNNECESSARY TO ORDER MORE FOOD **AND THAT I WAS WELCOME TO STAY**) or even leave, if there was a problem with my hanging out like that. And I deliberately chose what is probably their worst table so I would not be a nuisance. (And I saw a homeless man practically bathing himself at a better-​placed table by the window around 3am — he wasn’t given so much as an awkward glance, let alone the treatment I eventually received.)
Everything was FINE until the shift-​change came (and if it is their policy that overnight guests must leave before the shift-​change then WHY THE FUCK was I not told beforehand?) and some balding, pink-​shirted *ASSHOLE* — avoid this man at all costs if you do not want your Pinecrest experience spoiled; I was not the only person he was needlessly rude to (but I repeat: he was the exception not the rule) — abruptly walks up to me (I had already been planning to leave soon after ordering a coffee and breakfast to go) and says, you need to leave now because you’re not ordering food. Then I say, but I did order food — and I was about to say that I’m perfectly willing to order more food, or even offer another tip to the waiters for being so great throughout the night — but before I could speak he cut me off and said, well that was 5 hours ago (NOT true — I had ordered a 15 $ meal right before breakfast around 5 or 6am) and I want you out of here right now. He said this loudly, and rudely, in front of the ENTIRE diner. NEVER so embarrassed in my life. I was COMPLETELY stunned. It was NOT my fault, if overnight guests are not appreciated, that I was misinformed by some pasty-​haired rookie and ignoramus. I’m so angry right now I cannot keep my hands from shaking. I am now, and have been for about an hour, sitting across the street at Jack in the Box where no one has even looked at me funny for not ordering anything yet (though I will be ordering coffee and a Danish before I leave — BECAUSE I’M NOT A BUM) wishing I had come to this cheesy franchise instead of trying out what had been a very cool diner.
If someone from this business happens to come across this review and would like to offer an apology or at least a f****** explanation for this extraordinary treatment today then I will duly reconsider this review and my rating — but unless and until that happens I will NEVER AGAIN come within a mile of this dump and I will warn off anyone who will listen.
(And yes, I understand they have to be wary of homeless people. But considering how I payed, and the fact that I had a highly priced smartphone — which they AGREED to charge for me — and a few relatively expensive articles of clothing — NOT trying to boast — I cannot fathom how I could possibly have been mistaken for a down-​and-​out. But anyway, WHY WASN’T I ASKED? I could very easily have shown that I am a tourist with spending money — which was one of the reasons I needed my phone charged. So that I could reload my MasterCard. AFTER I had already payed off the original bill. Assholes.)

After our friend’s fashion show at Ruby Skye, we headed over here for some late night grub to catch up. We were deciding on nearby restaurants, didn’t want Lori’s Diner or Jack in the Box ya feel me? I was sad for a brief moment when I realized Max’s Café was no longer at the corner (fond memories). We moved onto Pinecrest Diner.
We were greeted immediately, and our server was super friendly. I ordered the chicken pesto sandwich, my friend had the steak, and the other friend ordered fish & chips. The fries are scrumptious, and my sandwich was on point. I tasted my friend’s steak, and it was juicy. The atmosphere is warm and cozy. They serve wines, beers, and mimosas.
This diner reminds me of Zim’s for those who remember, and this is as close as it gets. Those good ‘olé days of SF are gone. Glad to know I can still find a decent sit-​down meal in SF after 11pm besides the usual Mel’s Drive-​In.

Well, actually we wanted to go to Dottie’s True Blue Café since they have a 4,5 stars average rating but guess what: they’re closed on Tuesday and Wednesday (that’s awkward!) Anyhow, we ended up at the Pinecrest Diner. This is like what you expect from that typical American diner that you see in the movies all the time with «garçon, coffee please» situations, huh huh!
So we sit down and make our orders with that nice Hispanic servant. We get an order of mozzarella sticks to start with some nice tomato dip. Yummy, not great but good.
I get a stack of pancakes with some strawberries and maple syrup for 12 bucks. The mozzarella sticks (10 pieces I think) came at 8 bucks. For 4 dishes and drink plus 1 starter we pay 115 $ with tip. Again not cheap but the food was good and the service nice. Plus we got the experience of eating at a real American diner! Nice! Go there and check it out!

Solid four stars. Great diner feel and perfect for some grease to cure a hangover. Breakfast omelets are delicious as well as the tuna melt for lunch. Love sitting at the counter top and watching all the action. The wait line moves quickly so don’t let that intimidate you. It’s worth the wait. One of our favorite breakfast spots in San Fran. Two omelets and two coffees was $ 40 a bit pricey in my opinion but it’s worth it. Meals are big enough to share if you want to prevent that overstuffed feeling. We will be back.

Came here around 10pm with a friend and wanted really to just get out of the cold. We saw this was open and decided to give it a shot.
I ordered the corned beef hash with eggs and hash browns. I really liked the corned beef! It wasn’t too salty like some other places make it. Everything was cooked great. My friend got the spicy chicken sandwhich and said it was REALLY spicy. He had to drink a lot of water during it.
Overall, staff was very polite and helpful. The manager. Owner. Working there took his time to pour hot sauce I wanted into a cup and helped many other people while I was there.
Will go there again in the future.

Correct, sans plus! Nous avons testé hier soir 2 salades, les portions sont gigantesques mais les tarifs aussi malheureusement.
Côté ambiance: cela fait très snack américain, avec banquette en cuir, et condiments en bout de table
Côté service: je crois que notre serveur était malade (nez qui coule)

Jetlagged out of my mind, I had breakfast at Pinecrest Diner recently on a Monday morning around 5AM. Interior wise, it is a pretty standard diner. I sat at the counter and started with coffee. I had a hankering for biscuits and gravy — not on the menu and the server said no dice, so instead I opted for chicken fried steak and eggs with gravy.
The highlight of the meal was the hash browns — tasty and well prepared. They do not offer poached eggs? Had over easy instead — good, but eggs are (or should be, at least) pretty much automatic at breakfast places. The gravy was average at best.
All in all, it was a pretty middle of the road breakfast diner experience. It filled an acute need for me in the wee hours of the morning, but did not make a lasting impression.

Typisches American Diner. Draußen steht «America’s Best Breakfast». Den Anspruch kann es allerdings nicht ganz halten. Spanish Omelette war sehr lecker, mit Salsa und Avokado, Kaffee dagegen lausig. Die Pancakes gut, fluffig und mit leckerem Sirup. Die Logistik ist schlechter als im Lori’s gegenüber: Die Bedienungen wirken gehetzt und die Wartezeiten sind lang. Ich mag’s entspannter und das Lori’s zeigt, dass es geht.

Le meilleur breakfast du quartier !
Ouvert ²⁴⁄₇ Pinecrest Diner est vraiment à visiter si vous passez à SF. Le restaurant est petit et à plus de 6 cela peut etre compliqué.
Je suis fan des breakfast «bacon-​scramble eggs & hash brown» avec pain blanc et café. Tout est préparé devant vous si vous êtes au bar. Le hash brown est trop trop bon ! Évidement, toutes les combinaisons d’oeufs-bacon sont possibles mais il y a plus encore: avocat, haricots, omelettes, frites, pan cake, oignons, fraise, banane, fruits divers… Bref, de quoi bien se remplir le ventre avant une journée business ou visite à SF !
Concernant les tarifs et les formule, je né paye jamais la même chose, même si je commande la même chose ! En tout cas, les prix sont raisonnables.
N’essayez pas les autres breakfast du coin, vous serez déçus !

Après un premier test de diner un peu décevant, on en cherche un autre dans les environs, et cette fois ce sera la bonne !
Testé une première fois pour un petit déjeuner tardif, on opte pour une omelette, et quand l’assiette arrive on se rend compte que les portions américaines c’est vraiment autre chose !!!
Depuis le temps j’ai oublié ce qu’il y avait dans l’omelette mais je me souviens qu’elle était fameuse, et le hash brown qui l’accompagnait était tout aussi savoureux !
Avec ça un grand verre de jus d’oranges (pressées apparemment), et ce sera tout pour cette fois.
Comptez un peu moins de 40 $ pour 2 omelettes gigantesques et 3 grands jus d’orange.
Une 2e fois on a pris un burger bacon/​avocat qui était très bon, une salade de fruits frais avec cottage cheese, les fruits étaient top et en quantité, le cottage cheese on né connaissait pas… et on a pas vraiment aimé (mais c’est peut-​être le goût normal donc dans le doute…)
Et cette fois un sundae en dessert, rien à voir avec ceux qu’on voit le plus souvent en France, ici c’est du costaud !

J’ai beaucoup aimé manger dans ce restaurant qui n’était pas très éloigné de mon hôtel…
Le service et correct sans plus, mais les plats sont généreux et très bons. Par contre la carte des desserts est un peu courte, ce qui est bien dommage.
Le «foot long hot Dog» est une valeur sûre. Et les petits déjeuners également.