Ann’s Doughnut Sandwich Shop

I’ve come out of Unilocal retirement for this review. Let’s set the scene:
9:30am. I’m coming into the City from South Bay, and I’ve been fighting traffic for an hour. There’s 30 minutes to find something simple and tasty before I meet with a class of students at a nearby high school. Google Maps.
Bar. Bar. Fast food. Bar. Supermarket. Convenience Store. Ann’s Doughnut Coffee Shop. Pizza. Thai… wait Doughnut Coffee Shop? My interest is piqued. 3 minute drive. Perfect.
I roll down a few steep blocks and find parking in front of an assisted living facility. After the two block trek along Mission, I’m greeted by a mostly empty diner. A woman turns hashbrowns on a flat top while the pancakes rise to a golden brown. A man at the counter sips his coffee while scrolling through Instagram at eye-​level.
Grab a menu, find a clean comfy seat at the counter. Almost without asking, a fresh cup of coffee is in front of me. Silverware set. A portly tin pot with lid hides the whole milk. Now, doughnuts, doughnuts. Looking for some doughnuts. No doughnuts. Oh the humanity.
Ann, if that is your real name, my how you’ve tricked me at 10:00am. My mind was set on the sweet, sharp warmth of diner coffee mixing with and dissolving the crumbly satisfaction of a potentially stale-​but-​better-​than-​nothing doughnut. Critical miss.
Regroup. Get your marbles together. What looks good? One hot cake for $ 2.40. That’s a steal. «I’ll have one hot cake.» «That’s it?» «Yes, ma’am.»
The woman turns her back to me and pours a measured ladle of batter onto the flat top. The lightest sound of sizzle fades into the shuffling silence that’s occassionally broken with the clang of cups and dishwasher water. A minute passes and the hot cake has grown taller with light bubbles. Looks good. She flips it. Golden brown.
Another minute, she flips it again and slides it onto a plate. Next to the flat top sits a half hotel pan with a hefty load of margarine. She slops on a knife full, and it slides across the hot cake leaving a smooth, velvety residue. I dig in.
I wanted to know what the pancake tasted like. A real diner pancake with salted margarine and a cup of coffee. Satisfying. She refills my cup without asking. Thank you. But, I wish she would have offered the syrup. Maybe it was for the best that she didn’t. Maybe she knew something.
«How much do I owe you?» «$ 5.00.» She was milking me for an extra buck. She deserved it. «Let’s call it $ 7.» She asks me if there’s anything else. I thank her and leave feeling like that was the best experience I could have had, doughnuts or not.

Great little restaurant. Food is good and service is great. Definitely coming back. #greatfood #sf

The service at Ann’s is very friendly and nice, but man are the prices way too high. The place is definitely outdated and kinda dusty looking. The food is pretty good but not great. I ordered something and my mom went to pick it up and she ended up being a few dollars short and had to come back because she didn’t anticipate that it would be so expensive. As another poster mentioned, it’s really too bad that Excelsior is lacking a good breakfast spot.

Yuck. Appears to be very low quality food/​ingredients. I got breakfast and my husband got a burger. Neither were good. The eggs were super oily (vegetable oil?) and my husband’s burger looked like one of those cheap frozen patties at Safeway — ick. His burger came with, not fries, but a bag of chips likely from those snack-​size variety packs at the grocery store/​Target (like Doritos). Would go to any Denny’s-type chain before coming back here. And, frankly, for the price, the customer should get better food.

The one plus is that they give you lots of bacon. Otherwise, the food quality is very low and the prices are steep. Everything is old and dirty. Clearly the owners spare every expense. They don’t even serve french fries though they have hamburgers.
Why can’t we get a good diner in Excelsior… like Art’s in Inner Sunset?

Love how old and dingy it is. Every time I’ve gone, I’m promptly handed a cup of coffee and a newspaper. The food is perfect for hangovers. If you’re into greasy diner food on the cheap, this is your only option in the Excelsior District as far as I know.

My family’s breakfast place for over 30 years. Great service!

Always great experience the best place to enjoy breakfast everythinhgc is good and fresh Ana and Victor are so kiind helpful and friendly great service thanks!!!

Good basic breakfast. Diner style.
Owners have been at it for years and are friendly.
Glad they’re making hotcakes on a well seasoned grilled. That and bacon is all I need some weekend mornings.

It all starts when you look at the sign outside… What an experience, seriously, take a seat and enjoy the ride. Pork chops are greasy as f&$k, hoodies are velvet and gold lamme, and f$&@s haven’t been given since 1982. Plus the art. The f&$king art. And Shirley is on point behind the counter. Remember: The chicken fried steak is beef. This place is seriously amazing. Everything soaking in grease just waiting for your taste buds and hungover belly to enjoy. (Not kidding.) Enjoy just as much as I did and will be doing for the rest of my life. Eat here or you haven’t lived.

I have lived in Central America for a few years, so I feel comfortable saying I know the third world/​developing nation vibe. This place is that exactly. The full on immigrant experience. That being said they make a decent breakfast. You are not going to get anything fancy, or better than ok, but after all this is the excelsior and there really isn’t anything great here to begin with.
This place is a diner run by a sweet couple that seemingly know what they are doing regardless of the fact they seemingly don’t realize they are doing it in spoiled San Francisco. The idea of ambiance (playing music, having pictures/​art on the walls, a coat of paint) is non existent, just like most third world environments. But it’s the only breakfast spot in the area so it will do.

we have been going here for over 20 years ! & much of that time we lived in Australia. this was a must stop for breakfast. Love their pancakes and the hash browns which are always nice & crispy.
Now we live in the US we stop by whenever we’re down in the Bay area, its the best tasting and best value for money breakfast we’ve ever found anywhere in the US. we have taken visitors from all over the world and the quality of the food blows people away. we discovered it via my wife’s father who was a great, famous chef and he discovered it and it became one of his favourite places in SF to have breakfast.
its basic and not glamorous, but just truly a great place with great fresh food.

I went here for the first time today. I kept passing this place by since It’s called a Doughnut and Sandwich shop. They should really put breakfast on their sign, since that is what they specialize in.
The couple that run the joint are really nice and friendly. I’ve heard that they have been running the place for over twenty-​five years.
I had the #5 which is two eggs (any style), four strips of bacon or four breakfast sausages, hash browns and toast (with coffee). It is a lot of food, but I was expecting to pay less than $ 7.50 since it’s such a hole-​in-​the-​wall. Over easy eggs were ok (kind of greasy), the bacon seemed kind of fake (I’m not positive if it’s soy), the sourdough toast was fine, but I’m not a fan of margarine. The coffee is regular diner fare.
I may come back, because there are no other breakfast spots in the Excelsior that I know of.
The couple is so nice that I want to give Ann’s a good rating. I want to spend my money at this mom and pop shop, but the place is in desperate need of a makeover. Updating the menu would help too. It’s not a place I’d recommend to my roommate who happens to be very picky.

Went here for breakfast for the fist time today, only because my boyfriend and I were hungry and we were in the neighborhood and he said he used to go here all the time… it’s definitely a hole in the wall
there’s a couple of tables lined against the wall, and also the counter top diner alongside the kitchen. everything on the menu was cheap, simple, but a lot of options. i personally like diners like this because you can see them cook your food right infront of you.
I had the chicken steak plate that came with 2 eggs, hash browns, and toast which was actually quite delightful. a little oily towards the end =/​
He had the corned beef hash only because he orders that for breakfast at every breakfast spot we go to, just to compare… I had a little taste and thought it was just okay. it did need a little salt and pepper…
the only thing I would complain about is the service… my bf asked for sourdough bread with no butter. but when our food came out, the server put the bread on it. my bf mentioned that he said no butter, and the server kinda disregarded it and said, «well, i didn’t hear you» and kind of walked away. but then came back and asked if he really wanted to change it, but at that point we just didn’t want to bother with it anymore… i ended up eating the bread anyway! and it was awesome!

You ever used to watch Maury Povich makeover shows?
You know where Maury took a frumpy looking woman that wears sweat pants and had hair that hasn’t seen a brush/​comb in years. That’s what Ann’s needs. A makeover.
I recently went to Jamba Juice and they recognized the need to revamp the menu and improve. When I worked at Frito-​Lay they recognized in order for continued growth it required trying new things.
I started going to Ann’s at the age of 14, and after going today I realized not one thing has changed in 20 years! All except the prices being raised. The food isn’t up to standard. Here’s what we ordered:
Denver Omelette: the reason I ordered this is because there are only about three omelettes to choose from. It was ok at best.
Pancakes: dense and no fluff. Nothing I want my pancake to taste like.
The couple that owns this place is a wonderful older couple. Hard working, salt of the earth type folks that I want to support in their business. They have been at it for 27 years, raising two boys at the same time. I have all the respect in the world for them.
Great location, good service, and always very friendly.
But to be honest, it’s time for a makeover. A little creativity with the menu, quality assessment, and makeover of this diner would go a long way.

The basic dinner experience is nearly dead due to high rents and a desire to attract «the hipster» clientele. The one exists in harmony with one of my favorite SF ‘hoods. A gentle Chinese couple own and operate this down to earth eatery. Nothing fancy. Can’t rave about anything I’ve eaten and the coffee is mediocre BUT I will be back when I need a breakfast/​lunch on the GO.

Great dive diner who’s been around and consistant for over a decade… what else do I need to say? Bring cash ;) and tip well. They deserve it. Thanks guys!

My friend just showed me this place recently and dang I’ll definitely be going back.
I had the Italian Sausage breakfast, served with fresh hashbrowns, eggs, and toast, talk about a homestyle cooked meal. I had my warm cup of joe on the side and I was set.
Service was friendly and we were choppin it up with the owners before we left, they were very welcoming people. The food is made right then and there and the portions are hearty! I’m getting hungry thinking about it right now. Next time I’m looking for breakfast I’ll know what to hit up.

I love going to this place. Hash browns are excellent, the place is clean, and best of all: zero hipsters.
Regular Excelsior folk eat here, and 1 Bernal guy too!
Yeah, the service is not Commander’s Palace, but you must kidding yourself if you want to be waited upon hand-​n-​foot.
I eat here regularly!

Very bare bones — not a neuron of brain power has been spent on décor, amenities, upgrading, style, nada. Not an ounce of irony in the xeroxed menus or gritty bathroom. This place just is.
Mom and Pop will be working — and no one else.
Your food will be greasy.
You will probably eat breakfast, old school breakfast.
You will hear at least 3 languages other than English.
You will leave with a full stomach.
I go back to Ann’s a few times a year when I want just that experience.