Fable

You know when you’re waiting for your food and everyone around your party is being served? Couples come in after you, they order, then eat and leave, while you are still waiting?
When this happens, all you want is some acknowledgement from the waiter that things are amiss. You want to hear a simple apology for the delay, and maybe have him bring that water you had asked for twice. Our waiter was indifferent at best. He was hostile at worst (it was difficult to tell for sure). He mostly ignored us.
After an hour wait, the food came. My friend’s french toast looked good, but the salad I had was pretty bad. None of the food justified the prices.

Great outdoor seating area. The French toast was delectable and the breakfast potatoes are reason enough to go. Definitely recommend as a fun brunch spot with friends.

Meh. Dry chicken and mediocre service at above average prices. Atmosphere = zero. Loud kitchen noise everywhere. But, server was nice when handing us the check.

Delicious, unpretentious and friendly.
We had two salad as, one citrus and one the salad special and both delicious with unique dressings. For the entrée we both had the vegan option (although we are carnivores) and really enjoyed it. Flavorful, which is not a given for meat-​free entrees. For dessert we shared the bread pudding = excellent! We also shared a bottle of tasty Riesling recommended by the attentive-​but-​not-​intrusive waiter.
We just walked by and are glad we tried this cozy gem. Will def be back!

Food. Takes. Center Stage.
This San Francisco Castro district restaurant earns its place among a handful of notable and memorable restaurants in the district that deserves recognition.
From the moment the reservation was made, throughout the dining experience, and upon exiting this restaurant, this establishment assembled a well-​run core of hosts, servers, kitchen staff, and of course the head chef that delivers exceptional service and thoughtful food.
Each guest was made to feel important in the choice of entrée selected. Servers anticipated and communicated any challenges guests encountered and acted promptly. Very few neighborhood restaurants deliver, Fable did.
This will certainly be a return trip with friends and family visiting from out of town as I like to feel proud that San Francisco rivals other cities for diners seeking an appetite for classical and well prepared entrees. Well done!

We came for brunch. I likely will not return. The bread appetizer is good. The omelette was delicious! The potatoes were cooked well but not seasoned at all.
The eggs benedict was average.
There are no lattes, they only have drip coffee and whole milk. No reduced fat milk, no almond milk. This is a deal breaker for a brunch spot.
The service was not great. The server seemed uninterested and was far from friendly.
The food was pricey for what it was.

We were lucky enough that our visit coincided with the chef making cioppino. I ordered it, and it was, frankly, the best cioppino I’ve ever eaten. Every piece of shellfish was perfectly cooked. The broth was just a little spicy — not too much or little — and very flavorful. Outstanding effort.
We ate out on the patio. It was a lovely ambiance, and it was well supplied with infrared heaters, but it was still chilly. I’d recommend waiting until Spring.
The staff is friendly. There is an online menu, but it’s not always perfectly up-​to-​date. And in any event, the cioppino was a special.

I love this place! I have had dinner here and brunch. Service is great. Their patio in the back is amazing, loved sitting there for brunch. I highly recommend this place!

This place is just stunning!
I did not get an appetizer nor desert.
The entrée I had was Lamb, I had the La Honda red wine to accompany my meal. Very few times have I had food that has been so detailed. I JUST knew it from the first bite, there was someone in the kitchen who made this food with soul and purpose. I tasted art, it wasn’t just food. The flavors, textures, and aromas was beyond my expectations. It is a place to go for a intimate meal with a loved one.
The night felt perfect, between my date and my meal, my heart almost burst.
I will come to this place often for such occasions.

I can’t believe it has taken me so long to finally come to Fable. Nina Y invited me here for her birthday brunch. It was a stormy San Francisco day/​week so around 11AM there was no one else on the back outdoor patio where 12 of us were eating. My only critique about Fable is that they tried stuffing so many of us at so few tables and got upset when we added one more table to the end. I understand wanting to make more money with more customers, but make sure your current ones are comfortable!
Anyways, I ordered the Eggs Benedict, and my boyfriend got the Dungeness Crab Omelette. Both were so freaking delicious! Would recommend both. Fable is of my favorite SF brunches of all-​time, I would say. The potatoes were especially well-​done. Perfectly crispy and not too battered. The mimosas were served in carafes instead of having a bottomless option, which I personally like because I promised myself never to do bottomless mimosas again.
Overall it was a good experience for me. I love love love their back outdoor patio area (feels kinda tropical) as well as their food. Conveniently located near my home, I will definitely be back here again.

Very weird place. It was hard to get a table even though we had a reservation, then it was impossible to leave because no one would bring the check.
Host was strict and unfriendly, sat us at a communal table with a toddler after making us wait for 30 minutes past the reservation time. Food was pretty meh, same goes for the bloody marys.
Pretty much the perfect example of why I hate getting brunch in the city: long wait for a sub-​par meal.
P. S. The server was super sweet, so the stars are really just for him.

Nice relaxed atmosphere. I had an amazing stuffed squash dish that was a nice treat for this vegetarian. I get tired of having boring options when dining out. Nice wine pairings.
Everyone was friendly. We will be back for more.

I wanted to go to Dante’s table since I heard great things about it. So I went up the street to Fable and decided to walk in and try some of their foods.
For dinner, I ordered the pork cheeks and the duck breast. The pork cheeks came with some kale, apple, and crispy shallots. It was delicious. The cheeks were nice and tender on the inside, but the counter point of the kale and apple was great. Something I truly enjoyed. I ordered the duck breast special. It was a duck breast with farro, fava beans, and some raspberry sauce. The sauce and raspberries was interesting, but not the most complementary thing you could have with it.
But then after a few months, after getting stood up by a first date (brunch date) by a guy who «doesn’t feel our chemistry» via text (commence the eyerolling now), I decided I needed a treat and came to Fable and try out their patio and brunch. Instead, I sat in the patio and decided to order a pomegranate mimosa and the omlette. The mimosa was nice and the omelette was delicious. It was filled with chorizo which definitely made me choose it. There were some other people getting drunk nearby, but it’s not too bad. Not too many loud drunks.
Overall, I really had a great time and the food is good. Service was great as well.
Protip: sit in the patio!

Pros:
I enjoyed the Tuna Nicoise appetizer and the Salmon dinner. Wine selections are decent. Plating presentation was nice. Nice décor inside and the outdoor patio was nice especially with having a garden. We will come back again to try Brunch.
Cons:
I have to agree with other Unilocal users that the Fable needs to update the menu online frequently as needed. The online menu did not match with the printed out menus when we arrived.
We did not like that the waiter crammed everyone on the same row on the outdoor patio in the back when there is a lot of open seats inside and outside. I personally think it is better to spread everyone out so they won’t feel so awkward.
Bathroom was dirty.

Amazingly good short ribs and peach cobbler with Blackberry ice cream. This little restaurant is a pleasant surprise in this neighborhood with a wonderful outdoor patio in back of the restaurant.
Reservations are recommended, but they can accommodate walk ins.

Fable is one of the few Sunday brunch places in San Francisco that takes reservations, so that already makes them a winner in my book. I recommend asking for a table out on the back patio. It’s a bit small, almost as though this used to be someone’s house, but there is a darling garden in the back with butterflies fluttering around.
I got the Southern Style Fried Chicken Sandwich with Spicy Jalapeño-​Lime Cabbage ($ 14) which came with fries (actual fries, not that silly home fries stuff). It was very filling and a great blend of flavors. The jalapeño-​lime cabbage added a kick but didn’t have me chugging water or sweating bullets.
Service was great. Our waitress was very attentive and helpful to the indecisive bunch in picking a great dish to eat.

We had a lovely Sunday brunch on Fable’s gorgeous outdoor patio!
I was able to get a reservation for a party of 4 the morning of our brunch, which was fantastic.
The food was pretty good! My husband and I shared the Acme French toast and fried chicken sandwich — both were quite flavorful without being too rich. Our group shared a carafe of the tangerine blood orange mimosas, which were also delicious.
The service was excellent, and we found our waiter quite friendly, attentive, and prompt.
The outdoor patio, which is covered, was the perfect place to eat on a sunny, warm afternoon.
Fable was great, and we intend to be back!

A 5-​minute walk from the Castro Street Muni stop and you’re at the Fable Restaurant. Pay close attention, as like us, you may walk right past it. Once inside a subdued-​lit, eclectic, intimate interior welcomes you to the friendly staff who greet and seat you.
During our visit there was immediate seating without reservation, but truth be told, this was a Wednesday night and not the weekend where I’m sure it’s a different story. They have a dining patio that looked very inviting for warm summer evenings (though I’m not quite sure when San Francisco would actually see those). Many members of staff checked on us through the evening (in a good way; not over crowding) and they were very willing to accommodate slight modifications to the menu when dietary concerns were raised.
The food is VERY delicious, though in my humble opinion was a little pricy for what you get. (yup I live in the Midwest where plates are big and so is what’s on them). Fresh and flavorful is the name of the game here. Now I understand why they left a spoon by my plate for the salmon dish… I made sure to scrape up every last drop of the sauce as best as I could.
This is a great spot to come for an intimate celebration or a dinner-​for-​two. Best of all it’s casual dining (yes I hate dressing up just to eat… what’s the point?).
Definitely check out this spot.

Totes adorbs. Loved it. Threw caution to the wind and kicked things off with a blood orange mimosa (recommended by waiter). I’m on vacation, dammit! Oh yeah, it was delish. For brekky (brunchy?), was leaning toward something sweet and the waiter recommended the French toast. It was like, oh yeah, great. The modest (a good thing) portion of two slices of bacon was perfect; moderate thickness and deliciously crisp, not greasy at all. Oh, and did I mention not only is the outdoor patio GORGEOUS on a sunny spring day, but the interior is outstandingly well-​decorated also? Well played, Fable. Well played.
P. S. I totally want the photo of the regal-​looking leopard avec eye patch and bow tie!

Our first time dining here, our meal was EPIC. 5 stars. I had the melon salad with chili vinaigrette. My brain exploded. I. Have. Never.
I then had the four cheese mac and the corn with shishito peppers, tomatoes, and butter. I wanted to eat forever.
We finished things off with the coconut cream cake and berries. Lemme tell you, when we renew our vows, I’m having this cake made for us. It is heaven, in the Castro, and it seriously lit my heart on fire.
Our second time here, everything fell flat. Maybe it was a different chef? Please find the guy that created our first meal here! Please, find him and pay him a large sum of money to teach all the other chefs how to elevate their game. Gotta give ‘em 4 stars for lagging the second time:/

Best dinner in town! Ou comment résumer en 4 mots le repas d’hier soir :-)
Tout nous a séduit dans ce lieu! L’emplacement dans Castro street, donc à moins de 10 min à pied de notre logement à SF. Cool, on est un peu fatigué par notre journée, et on a pas envie d’aller trop loin :-)
Dés notre arrivé, le serveur est charmant et nous installe à une table au bar. (30 min d’attente pour une table en salle), mais le bar est sympa. Donc ça nous conviens :-)
L’ambiance: une atmosphère cosy, avec des couleurs chaudes, une cuisine ouverte, un beau gâteau qui trôné sur le bar, bien à la vue des clients et qui me donne envie de prendre un dessert avant même de voir le menu!
Arrive une charmante serveuse, très souriante, qui nous verse immédiatement un verre d’eau et nous laisse la carafe. Puis elle nous apporte du pain (baguette à la française)n avec du beurre saupoudré de cristaux de sel rose. J’adore !
Viens le moment de commander. Je prend une entrée à base de viande de porc avec en accompagnement un plat de macaroni au fromage, chéwi d’amour prend le canard confit.
Le repas: c’est simple, de mémoiré, je n’ai jamais mangé une viande de porc aussi succulente. Et pourtant j’en ai mangé du porc ! C’est simple, ma chère maman né cuisine que ça. lol
Le nom de mon plat, le «Dijon Crusted Pork Cheeks w/​Lacinato Kale & Granny Smith Apples». La viande était fondante, recouverte d’une fine couche croustillante de moutarde, l’accompagnement divin et surprenant. Je né suis pas fan habituellement des plats avec de la pomme mais la je dois dire que j’ai été bluffé ! Les mac & cheese, extra ! Pas trop riche, pas trop lourd, un bon gout de fromage.
J’ai gouté le canard, il étais également très très bon, mais j’ai préféré mon plat. :-)
Pour le dessert, j’ai pris des fraises au basilic avec son shortbread cake et sa crème chantilly. Une tuerie !!! Le gâteau était tiède, les fraises s’accommodaient à merveille avec le basilic et la chantilly était juste parfaite.
Mon chéwi a pris la mousse au chocolat avec une chantilly au caramel salé. Il n’a pas trouvé la mousse extraordinaire, perso j’ai craqué pour la chantilly au caramel salé. Excellente.
Ce restaurant de castro est assez récent, et nous sommes ravie d’y être allé car pour une fois, c’est nous qui donneront un «tip» à notre hôte ! Le seul point négatif de la soirée, c’est les vêtements qui sentent un peu le graillon ce matin. Mais on né s’en plaindra pas, être assis au bar et voir les cuisinier à l’oeuvre était un super spectacle !