Eureka Restaurant & Lounge

I love this place. home cooking and friendly staff. I went with four long time friends that I hadn’t see for awhile and we stayed till almost closing. the waiter was like one of the group by the end of the night. taking pictures for us and never tried to rush us out. Sitting upstairs feels very homey.

I generally prefer the upstairs section of Eureka. Nice environment, great service, and it’s own bar. Have eaten here twice and the food has been solid both times, though have only gotten small plates and appetizers (eg fried okra, baked cheese plate).

Spoiler alert: TERRIBLE FOR VEGETARIANS.
Spoiler alert: OWNER JOHN CANNOT GRACIOUSLY TAKE YOUR FEEDBACK.
I am a vegetarian. The menu is light on vegetarian options. I fashioned myself a meal by ordering two sides — black-​eyed peas, collard greens — and corn bread. Actually, I was in heaven; these are some of my favorite foods.
Fast forward through most of the greens when I find a chunk of meat buried in there. I’m not allergic to meat, so I’m not going to get sick, I just don’t prefer it. I’m surprised that the menu didn’t mention that the greens had meat in them. I politely mentioned in to our waiter, after first saying how delicious everything was. Instead of apologizing, he shrugged and said «Well the beans aren’t vegetarian either.» Due to his lack of tact, I asked to speak with the chef.
The owner, John, visited our table. I told him how delicious everything was, but that since I ordered the vegetarian options, I was surprised to learn that two of the dishes contained meat. Instead of apologizing, John admonished me, saying, «It didn’t say anywhere they were vegetarian.» On what planet would you expect COLLARD GREENS and BLACK EYED PEAS to contain meat if the menu didn’t say so?
With my most polite smile, I explained to John that I was just telling him about my experience, and there was no need to be defensive. He defended himself: «I’m not being defensive. Most vegetarians would tell us they’re vegetarian, and you didn’t do that.» Of course, I should have known. It was all my fault. Thanks John!
Summary: Delicious food, but doesn’t specify when vegetables are hiding meat inside; therefore TERRIBLE FOR VEGETARIANS. And I repeat, OWNER JOHN CANNOT GRACIOUSLY TAKE YOUR FEEDBACK. IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT, CUSTOMER.

Loved this small place in the Castro. The service and greeters were lovely and the cushy chairs were welcome after a day biking steep hills.
I have never eaten in NoLa … but thought the gumbo was delicious and savory and much better than my attempts to make it at home. I also loved the po boys and eggs. My SO reports his fried chicken was «ok» and was less enamored. But overall do recommend. :)

Friendly service, perfectly fine food. I had the fried chicken — ok, but not out of this world and too expensive for what it is.
This restaurant is probably an example of the problem with mid-​level food in SF: there is nothing wrong with being mid-​level, but there doesn’t seem to be a way to do it at mid-​level prices considering rents.
For the price I’d much rather go somewhere else. If this place was much lower priced it’d be a great staple location.

This place is easy to miss on the outside, but don’t let its humble outer appearance fool you — this is phenomenal food in the Castro.
The chefs here do a marvelous job in delicately balancing the layers of flavor so that it absolutely satisfies without weighing heavily on your stomach!
The wine was excellent (I had the Petit Syrah) and the white chocolate martinis are to die for.
The service was super warm and inviting.
If you’re coming to eat in the Castro Eureka should be in your top 3 choices.

HOW DARE YOU?
So I go to this restaurant with my boyfriend, craving for some nice dessert after we had nice pizza somewhere else. The waiter is friendly and suggesting his favorite dessert, and we go for it. Few mins later he comes and throws this at the table saying «here is your little dessert» in a very swifty motion and disappears. I looked at it then I look at my BF and tell him this must be a complementary dessert, specially for the fact that we told him that we are going to share it. Eventually I realized that this is our dessert.
The funny thing is you can see in the pic how small it is relative to the spoon and the hand. $ 10 bucks for that super tiny one-​bite dessert.
What a joke.

Friends and I were looking to try a place we hadn’t been to before in the Castro. We were looking at the menu outside trying hard to find something to inspire us to walk in when Chef Gaines Douglas Dobbins (looked him up… same ugly mug) happened to be outside as well. Conversation…
Chef: what are you guys looking for?
Me: just looking at your menu. do you swear by your Jambal…(i get cut off by him)
Chef: i’ve been a chef for 36 years and if you are questioning my food, then maybe you should look elsewhere.
He then walks back into the restaurant. We were blindsided. It was like «did that really just happen?» It was like a slap to the face. So we obviously went elsewhere where we dropped $ 300.
What a way to bring in new clientele, SCHMUCK! Next time try something like…” well, come on in and let me make believers out of you.

The restaurant was really lively and had an interesting set up. You have to walk through the kitchen to get to the back patio. The outdoor patio is beautiful!
We ordered the Chicken, mash potatoes and collared greens with a side of fried okra and Mac and cheese. The Mac and cheese was delicious! The fried okra was a good snack to hold us over until the food came out. The chicken was perfectly fried and juicy but it was lacking in flavor for me. I had the caparenia cocktail which was really tasty. They added just the right amount of sugar/​syrup that it wasn’t overbearingly sweet, which can happen often with this drink.
Our waiter was great! Very attentive and friendly. He came around often to ask if we were doing alright. Those tiny acts really make a difference to me.

4.5 stars
Too many mouthwatering Southern options, short on time & stomach space. Eureka’s fried appetizers — okra & green tomatoes — will have to wait, though not for long, as plans for a return visit are already in the works.
Foods:
— Excellent deviled eggs — tang & texture from relish running throughout, crunchy bacon, pickled onions for yet more intriguing flavor.
— Refreshing watermelon salad; ample serving of cold, sweet squares topped with pepper & salty parm.
– Smokey bacon mac & cheese had al dente corkscrew pasta & crunchy breadcrumb topping
– Rave reviews for his fork-​tender pot roast
We passed up dining in the outdoor patio & opted for their romantic second floor set up, its atmosphere that of an elegant dinner party.

We ordered the Southern Nachos for $ 12 listed as Pimento cheese, pickled onions and bacon and I kid you not there were exactly 6 chips. That’s $ 2 a chip! The burger and fries are $ 15! Come on guys, don’t insult your customers. Those are cheap ingredients. You can at least give us 12 chips. Everything was still tasty and service was good, but a warning about the pretentious nachos would have been nice.

The Castro has never been known for its restaurant scene, and for good reason. There hasn’t been much to talk about. The restaurants are for the most part fast food nightmares to serve an ever-​increasing number of drunken tourists. Eureka Restaurant and Lounge is one of the exceptions.
The food is an interesting and flavorful blend of Southern Soul and Mississippi Delta cuisine. You can tell that everything is made with passion and love. The fried okra was some of the best this little doggy has ever eaten. Crusted with corn meal (the way it should be in the south), it was crunchy and perfectly seasoned. The aioli served on the side tasted like an odd and not so interesting version of tartar sauce. The black-​eyed peas were smoky and full of flavor.
For my entrée I ordered the roasted pork tenderloin with yams and braised collard greens all in a bourbon molasses glaze. Let me tell you here and now, that my tail was wagging something fierce. The pork was melt in your mouth tender. The smokiness of the glaze covering the warm tender yams would make your grandmother’s Thanksgiving yams taste like leather. The dish was simply outstanding.
There were a few bumps along the way. The waiter had a terrible attitude and acted throughout the entire evening that I was a complete inconvenience to him. I’m a pretty laid back kind of dog. It takes a lot to get my fur ruffled. He was close to seeing my bite.
The other issue I had during my meal was the inability of the kitchen to make any adjustments. Their menu clearly states that all food is prepared to order. I had originally ordered the Cajun meatloaf as it simply said served with mashed potatoes. Other menu items mentioned garlic mashed potatoes. I inquired about the meatloaf and was told in a very snarky tone, yes all our mashed have garlic. I asked if I could get it without garlic. I was told no. So much for preparing their food to order.
Despite the problems I encountered this place is a must visit for anyone in the Castro who wants a bit of calm and peace among the hordes of loud and sometimes obnoxious tourists crowding the streets of the Castro.
Food: 5 Paws
Service: 2 Paws
Overall Score: 3.5
With love from my dog bowl to yours… Happy eating.

WOW. We loved everything. From the greeting to the dessert.
Service is really friendly.
The patio!!! I loved this little small garden! Great place for a nice dinner.
Everything we ordered was delicious. Chicken liver, mushroom ravioli and bananna bread.
I’m sure I’ll be back soon.

This restaurant has a pretty neat environment; bar upstairs and a quiet or romantic setting downstairs. Our waiter was friendly too which is a major plus. They also have a good selection of cocktails and wine.
I always have okra but never had it fried. It’s a really great snack if you’re drinking. Of course I’ll try the deviled eggs. It’s really rich and creamy. We also had the ribs with their homemade fries and spicy slaw. The ribs are amazing! Once you bite into the meat, it falls right off the bone. The fries are really flavorful and crunchy which I love. The spicy slaw is not spicy, maybe a hint of spicy. It’s a little sweet since they used a lot of red bell peppers. The last entrée we had was the gumbo with shrimp and I love it. You have to add the shrimp to the gumbo. Last but not least, we had the bread pudding with bourbon sauce as our dessert. It’s really different from the bread puddings I normally have. This is more solid and is not too sweet for those who’s not a sweet tooth. The bourbon sauce is excellent. It’s mixed in with hints of caramel.
It was a great dinner and I will definitely come back to this restaurant and recommend it to friends.

«I have found it!» Only native Californians probably know that’s what Eureka means (it’s the state motto). Indeed we have found a nice, comfortable, treś gay restaurant in the heart of The Castro, where everyone seemed to be having a good time.
At Eureka, one could choose to dine in a boisterous bistro bar setting on the upper floor, or in a quiet and intimate setting on the ground floor.
At dinner we were seated in the rear room next the patio. It was drafty but the waiter let us switch tables and even set up a heater. With only one other table occupied it was like a semi-​private dining room, excellent for conversation!
While our Mac & Cheese appetizer was a bit too soupy, we were blown away with the Dungeness Crab Avocado special. It was fresh and delicious! Several of us ordered the Fried Chicken entreé and were impressed. This Southern dish had garlic mashed potatoes and braised collard greens. Gravy on the side was nice and presented better than slathered on top. It’s a winner. Chef Gaines Dobbins is doing nice work here.
Eureka has an eclectic selection of affordable California wines. I’ve had Acacia Carneros Chardonnay 2012 before and a bottle of this went well with our dinner.
We’ll be sure to reserve a table the next time we roll through San Francisco.

Head-​to-​toe #meatsweats.
Unsure why, but they happened. Suddenly.
Made me the hottest man in the Castro.
Literally. #holla #jk #nobromo
(^_​^) Chicken Livers. flaky fry coating
(^_​^) Fried Chicken. proper but breast was dry
(^_​^) Gravy. dip the chicken in it
(^_​^) Iced Tea. bottomless
(^_​^) Collard Greens. pretty much
(^_​^) Music. Jackson 5, Al Green, etc.
(^_​^) Silverware. perpendicular knife
(-_​^) Plates. dig the rhombuses
(-_​-​) Fried Okra. much crust little okra
(-_​-​) Black Eyed Peas. teeth optional
(?_​?) Mashed Potatoes. barely ate bc carbs
Dope window seat. Cool paintings. Rad lesbian (s).
I’d bring my Southern family & friends here.
I’d also bring my lesbian friends.

Eureka Restaurant and Lounge at The Castro was our restaurant of choice to cap our week long stay in San Francisco. Eureka offers a Southern inspired menu whilst the restaurant elaborate motif screams grandiosely. I was impressed!
For a party of four we ordered a few appetizers to share such as Mac and Cheese and Tuna Tartare with sliced Avocado. It was delicious together with a bottle of Chardonnay from Napa Valley.
My main entrée was the Spicy Jambalaya, with Cajun Mirepoix, Basmati Rice, Creole Sausage, Smoked Chicken, Gulf Shrimps and House made Tasso (Ham specialty of South Louisiana). it was flavourful but a bit dry on my palate.
All in all, the whole dining experience was amazing. A perfect place to end a wonderful and memorable vacation. Our server was within reach whenever we needed anything. I will definitely come back here again next time I visit San Francisco

Nice quiet bar with a lounge ambiance upstairs. Easy to get a tables or bar seating after 10pm. Tasty cocktails but kind of pricey, our bill was $ 50 including tip for 4 drinks. I recommend the cachaca-​based cocktail with lime, very refreshing.

This is an interesting Southern inspired restaurant tucked away in the Castro neighborhood of SF.
Cornbread — ⁴⁄₅
Mushrooms appetizer — 4.5÷5
Drinks: ⁴⁄₅
Mushroom ravioli: 3.5÷5
Macaroni & cheese: ⁴⁄₅
Most of the plates are pretty small, so you have to order a nice variety and quantity to leave satisfied. The food was overall quite good, but it’s definitely not a ‘value’ restaurant. Our bill plus tip came out to be around $ 60 per person. Price aside, the service was great and if you can get a window spot upstairs (in the lounge near the bar area), you’re rewarded to a nice view of 18^th st.

You never know what you’re going to get when using a Groupon and lately from my experience it’s been a hit or miss. This review is long overdue as I’ve visited Eureka a total of 3 times since learning about this place from Groupon. Eureka has a nice and cozy atmosphere. One of my most favorite dishes to order is the pot roast and the mac and cheese. The pot roast is very tender with the meat done just right separating itself very easily. Mac and cheese is very creamy as it should be. This place is always an option whenever I’m around the Castro.