Maverick

Brunch was very good.
Small, cozy place. Yummy. Good service.
I’d go again!

How To Support Our Neighbor Maverick:

Bar none, the best burger I’ve ever had. Granted, it was marinated in butter overnight, but no one else has done it, so they get the credit. When the waitress asked if I wanted a fried egg on top, I couldn’t turn that down. It arrived medium rare, as I requested, with the fried egg oozing out, and the chips on the side tasted freshly cut from a whole potato.
It was a perfect marriage at $ 14 and the mimosa on the side was also tasty. My friend got a cream puff order on the side and seemed satisfied.
Not only was this the juiciest burger, but the bathroom towels were phenomenal; they felt almost like bath towels! The place started getting very crowded as we left, so our reservation was timed perfectly.
The décor was also very nice, and I saw quite a few pieces that I would definitrly display in my future living room.

Couple friends and I had Saturday brunch here. The brunch menu is simple and limited in selection, and seem to offer more «gourmet» brunch dishes.
Trusting other fellow Unilocalers, we ordered the Braised Duck Hash, Lobster Bread Pudding Benedict and the House Cured Salmon. We all agreed that the Lobster Benedict was a unique spin on the traditional benedict and tasted quite flavorful, esp. the hollandaise. The Braised Duck Hash was too sodium-​heavy and hearty for the first meal of the day. And the House Cured Salmon consists of small open-​faced sandwiches you would eat at someone’s bridal shower.
Overall, food is decent, but note that Maverick does not serve your typical brunch foods, such as waffles/​pancakes and eggs dishes.

Whenever my parents are in town, brunch happens. And being that I talk a lot about food up here, I always find ways to impress them with SF’s abundant food options, especially for brunch. After hearing about Maverick on Eater SF, I bookmarked it as a place to try. We had a reservation for 6 people at 12:30pm on Sunday, and in true San Francisco fashion in October, waiting out in front of the restaurant was HOT. We ended up waiting about 15 minutes, which felt like an eternity in the sun. We were finally seated in the back corner of the restaurant, and it was sweltering. They had all the fans on, but I felt like I was in the South somewhere. After getting seated and being greeted by our over-​enthusiastic waiter, we put in our orders. Greg and I decided to split The Lumberjack and the Fried Chicken Sandwich, while other dishes that were ordered included the Bacon Butter Burger and the House Smoked Salmon.
Between the two dishes, I definitely liked the Lumberjack best. The pancakes were an immediate cure for my hangover, and is generally one of my favorite indulgences for breakfast foods. The sandwich was HUGE and came layered with some slaw, cheese, mayo, and of course, FRIED CHICKEN. The homemade potato chips and sandwich bun were outstanding, and I was so happy that we were splitting this… eating it by myself would have been unbelievably challenging. I had a quick bite of the egg salad that came with my dad’s salmon dish, and thought the cucumbers that came garnished with it were really tasty! My future in-​laws ordered the burger and asked for it to be cooked medium well, except that when they got to the end of the burger, the meat was definitely medium super rare. They were OK with it, and didn’t make a big deal about it, but if it were me, I would have probably mentioned it.
Overall, I think Maverick’s brunch options are delicious, especially that Lumberjack dish. The pancakes. THE PANCAKES. Definitely make reservations if you’re coming out for brunch, it’s not a huge place, and it fills up quickly. I still think that Prospect has the best brunch in SF, especially when it comes to upscale brunch. That being said, I thought that everything about our meal tasted great, and I know my parents and future in-​laws really enjoyed as well.

This is one of those places that’s been around long enough but just off the beaten path (just a little) enough where I forget about it. Having not seen a friend in a while we decided to do a dinner here since the menu was highly agreeable to both of us. Many dolled up comfort items and definitely the SF ethos to the cooking.
–Veal Sweetbreads And Nettles
wrapped in brik pastry, pickled chanterelle mushrooms, verjus, kale tea
–Dungeness Crab Salad
pickled sunchoke, red endive, satsuma orange, ginger, watercress sauce
–Slow Cooked Beef Short Rib
pinenut and butternut squash «risotto,» roasted squash, butternut «bark,“maitake mushroom, arugula pesto
–Southern Fried Chicken
«gumbo» gravy, andouille, buttermilk biscuit, roasted escarole, pickled green beans
Asides from the salad, we opted for the stick to your ribs selections and they were definitely tasty and highly filling. Even though they’ve been lightened in their interpretation, you’ll still get your fair share of serving. Service is solid and the space is very intimate. A great place to catch up with a friend. Now someone had told me they do some sort of butter burger here which sounds just crazy enough for me to come back and get.

Finally got to try the brunch here! A hidden little spot off Mission and 17^th, you really wouldn’t notice it walking by. The interior’s small but has a modern/​cozy vibe. Warm neutral colors, an abstract map of the US made up of different state maps in different shapes, a communal table and seats right at the kitchen.
Total cost was $ 75 (incl. tax & a generous tip) for 3 brunch entrees, 1 mimosa, and 2 coffees. Not bad.
Brunch menu:
* Peach & Lemon Thyme Mimosa — 4 stars
A nice and different mimosa, quite flavorful, according to my bf. I tried a sip and the champagne’s flavor was the most prominent, but I’m not usually the biggest mimosa fan so I’ll defer to his opinion.
* Bacon Butter Burger — 4.5 stars
pic:
cross-​section:
(Cabot cheddar, butter lettuce, house french onion dip, acme round bun, house chips. $ 13.50, add egg for $ 2)
I have been wanting to come here for their burger for months and months, and what do I do? I order the duck hash. Which was delicious. But I gave up the burger in order to have more variety at the table. And my friend loved the burger so much he wouldn’t even let me try a bite! But I trust his judgement in burgers and said this was in his top 5 of his lifetime. The patty is apparently 80% grass-​fed organic beef (which is very lean, hence the supplementary butter in the patty), and the rest is bacon and butter. I’ll have to go back to get to try the burger myself. Sad face.
* Lobster bread pudding «benedict» — 3.5 stars
pic:
An interesting twist on eggs benedict. The lobster is actually part of the bread, which is very moist and loose, which i guess is what makes it a bread pudding. I actually didn’t know where the lobster was as I was trying this, but I felt like the lobster flavor was just ingrained in everything — in a good way, of course! The corn was good — added that bit of sweetness randomly. And the sauce and runny yolk in the eggs were wonderful. My only complaint is the home friends were pretty terrible — they were dry, tasteless lumps that had zero crisp. I will qualify that statement, however, by saying that my bf did really like the potatoes.
* Braised duck hash — 4 stars
pic:
(Duck sugo, pepperoncini, potato, tomato, clove, greens, two sunny side up eggs. $ 15)
Really tasty, a wonderful savory dish. The duck is tender and the meat completely falls apart under your fork. The potatoes — now THIS is what potatoes should taste like. They were moist and had these great crisped parts. There was also a layer of spinach in there that added a slight bitterness that countered the savory flavors well. The eggs were like a cherry on top, allowing you to let the yolk flow onto all this and congeal it into a tasty mess.

Came here for a dinner date, and liked it a lot.
Started off with a glass of white wine that I picked out on my own. Waiter came over and was nice enough to offer us a taste of a similar /​better option. We respectfully declined, but that was pretty cool that they did that.
Started off with the veal sweetbread and burrata. The veal was tender and cooked very well. The burrata wasn’t very great, but I didn’t mind it. For entrees we got the lamb and short rib. The short rib plate was by far my favorite part of the meal. The meat fell off the bone perfectly, the pork belly had the perfect crispness, and the sausage had a good depth of flavor. I wasn’t blown away by the lamb, which was a bit upsetting since lamb is my favorite — I think it was just cooked a little longer than I would have preferred.
For dessert we got the peach tart. This was my second favorite dish. The crust on the tart was freaking amazing. I died with every bite. I’m not the hugest fan of peaches, but I loved how they were perfectly caramelized on top of the tart.
In all, I will def. plan on coming back here. It’s an intimate setting, and I liked that it was fairly quiet.

We came here for a Sunday brunch at around 10:45 a.m. and were able to be seated right away. The host was very nice and accommodating and squeezed us in without reservations, which was appreciated.
Among the three of us, we tried the lumberjack, the fried chicken sandwich, and the lobster bread pudding «benedict.» All three dishes were successful. The highlight was definitely the peach pancakes in the lumberjack, which was totally unexpected. It was very sweet and a fun surprise in the pancake. The lobster benedict was good as well (can one go wrong with lobster?). I loved the fried chicken sandwich I had: the chicken was moist and perfectly fried and the coleslaw was fantastic. The pickle went well with all the richness but I wish it wasn’t fried. It’s definitely a heavy sandwich and I think I only ate around half.
This is a great spot for brunch and the restaurant was packed by the time we left, so make reservations!

*Sigh*
I had such great expectations for this place. The menu looked amazing and the food from the pictures looked very good.
My boyfriend and I wanted some brunch on Sunday and I told him all the good brunch places were in Sf. We are from the peninsula so we decided to bart into the city for brunch. We decided on Maverick because of the awesome reviews and were able to make a reservation on opentable for 12:15.
Once we were seated, I immediately got a bit annoyed because our table was right next to the open windows and there was no awning so the sun was beaming down on my back and was burning it. It was a very hot day and I was very uncomfortable the whole time. I’m petty sure I got a sunburn on my neck because I was sitting there for so long. I couldn’t ask to move because all the tables were taken up.
Once I got over that (kind of), I noticed that the menu didn’t have that many options on it, but the lobster brioche benedict popped out at me so I decided to get that, and my boyfriend got the breakfast sandwich.
Bread comes out first which is nice. The bread was very good crispy and fresh, but the best part of it was the butter that came with the bread. I don’t know what it is but it was delicious. I guiltily had two pieces.
The food comes out fairly quickly which is always nice.
Lobster brioche benedict: This dish disappointed me to no end. The first stack I cut into, the egg was runny but not as runny as I expect benedicts to be, but the lobster brioche and the toppings on top of brioche were so delicious. I devoured it with no care to the crappy poached egg. The 2^nd stack I cut into was completely hard inside. It was not runny at all. I threw the egg to the side and just at the lobster brioche. I was super disappointed. The homefries that came with the dish were nothing special and I thought it was odd that they tasted a lot like french fries. The lobster brioche was amazing but the eggs killed it for me.
breakfast sandwich: My boyfriends breakfast sandwich was pretty good. It came with an egg, bacon, salad, and heirloom tomato on a burger bun. I took a couple bites of his sandwich and I thought it was pretty good. He thought it was good but not too impressive. Nothing worth driving to SF for.
This place let me down so much. The dishes were ok, but were missing something. Maybe I’ll have to try this place for dinner another time b/​c their chicken looks good, but for now, I have a very poor impression of Maverick. 2 ½ stars

An unexpected, last-​minute dinner find in San Francisco. I’m surprised no one has recommended Maverick to me before! Seriously people, why were there tables open on a Friday night?
Was able to book a party of 3 at 7:30 pm with no problems at all. Two of us made it on time, while our third was running about 20 minutes behind. Thought for sure that they wouldn’t seat us until everyone had arrived, but nbd, they made it work. Very nice and appreciated.
While we waited to order food, wine was ordered and we had the chance to hang with the FOH manager, who was very funny. Usually those in charge of seating tables and dealing with the random restaurant requests seem stressed out or downright serious, this guy was all smiles and didn’t seem to be haggard in the slightest. A great way to start a meal.
First course:
Heirloom Tomato Salad: Almost too pretty to eat. Almost. The puffed quinoa was a welcome surprise, adding some texture to the dish. Edible flowers are always a nice touch, too!
Burrata & Veal Sweetbread: When sweetbreads are done just right, they’re heaven. This dish was perfectly prepared and though plates are on the smaller side, three of us were able to share and each get a decent bite. And who doesn’t love burrata cheese?
Second course:
Fried Chicken: Pure perfection. Again, plenty for three people to share. Just enough to taste that succulent bird. Just saw on their website that you can take this chicken to-​go on Monday and Wednesday nights — DO IT!
Lamb Special: From what I recall this was a lamb shoulder dish. Never really been a lamb lover, this was my least favorite of the night. Granted, I didn’t order it and didn’t have much so it didn’t affect my dining experience ;)
Dessert:
Peach Tart: This mini pie (yes, it was that big and luscious) was amaze. Had they dropped a few extra on the floor, would’ve gladly scooped them up and avoided the garbage. Could’ve done without the sweet tea ice cream, but I don’t like any form of sweet tea so props to the chef for being creative and making something innovative. Not his fault that I grew up in the Midwest and avoid that flavor like the plague.
Though that wasn’t a TON of food for three people, we were allowed to hang at the table for about two and a half hours, with extra servings of vino and some wonderful conversation. No one rushed us out the door, which is kinda nice at a small-​ish SF restaurant on a Friday night. Again, I’m surprised that they weren’t busier, but hey, it just means that we got to be there longer. Might even come back soon for a bucket of gourmet chicken! Dare I?

This is by far my favorite place for fried chicken in the city!
The restaurant may be small (highly recommend making reservations) but their food is packed with big, bold flavors.
Their southern fried chicken is served with potato pave, swiss chard and an incredible red eye gravy. Portions are generous. The best part is the fried chicken tastes just as good for leftovers the next day.
SAVE THE DATE: July 6 is National Fried Chicken Day
WHUDDUP!

This review is for brunch only.
You have seriously got to love the Mission for its culinary supremacy and Maverick certainly doesn’t help fade that notion.
The restaurant itself is quaint, cozy and tucked right into the heart of the Mission within about a block of the 16^th St BART station. The food is a bit off-​beat and has a Cajun-​Southern flare to traditional brunch entrees.
I highly recommend the Lobster Bread Pudding Benedict which had the perfect flaky-​soft texture and the right amount of runny-​egg yolk. The lobster was basically stuffed into the muffin, hence the «bread pudding» title. This dish not only wins for the taste but it also wins for sheer uniqueness.
Also, the Butter Bacon Burger is to die for! It’s basically a traditional perfectly cooked beef burger with butter and chunks of bacon stuffed inside the actual patty. I’m not going to describe how incredible the dish is because it’s pretty self-​explanatory.
But the real highlight of the meal was in the FRIED CHICKEN. Mmmmm mmm mm. Instead of ordering the fried chicken sandwich, we asked our waiter if we could try the dinner order of the Fried Chicken instead. It’s not on the brunch menu but he spoke to the chef for us and made it happen. Bonus points! The chicken was tender, juicy and oozing with uniquely-​Maverick spices.
The mimosas here are not what you’d typically expect — I couldn’t find the OJ in mine but it tasted incredible. It’s more of a sweeter prosecco with orange flavoring. Normally, I’m one to request for freshly squeezed OJ but I didn’t feel the need to do so over here.
So if you’re in the neighborhood during brunch hours, definitely give Maverick a chance. It won’t disappoint!
P. S. The great news is that Maverick accepts reservations for brunch. Hallelujah! Finally, a great brunch spot that I don’t have to wait for an hour to try!

I’ve had brunch at Maverick twice. My experiences here have not been good enough to put Maverick on my brunch rotation. I can’t speak to the dinner menu at all.
The first time I ate at Maverick, I was not happy with the food. My omelette was unevenly salted. The second time I had brunch at Maverick, I ordered the Italian breakfast ($ 13), which consisted of soft polenta, crispy soft eggs, porcini mushroom sauce, herbs. The dish was good, although the porcini mushroom sauce was a bit high on cream and low on mushrooms.
The Bloody Maverick ($ 9), a Bloody Mary spinoff with sake, bacon, peppers, and black sea salt, had a strong peppery kick to it but insufficient tomato flavor. Not high on my list of Bloody Marys.

Solid brunch. I wouldn’t say to someone «OMG YOU HAVE TO EAT AT MAVERICK OR ELSE I WILL FREAK THE DIZZLE OUT NOW!» but if you’re looking for a place, Maverick’s takes reservations! Hallelujah! I even made a 11:30am reservation only a little over an hour before. I didn’t want to take my chances waiting in a long line because you know them SF peeps love their brunch. When we got there, there were only 2 people waiting anyway.
There’s a rule in Shannon’s foodbook (no, this doesn’t really exist): If there is fried chicken on a menu, order it no matter what. I was really torn because the lobster bread pudding benedict sounded pretty irresistible but the lobster just pushes up the price and I already splurged $ 9 on a small flute of smoked blood orange mimosa. Were these bottomless? Can someone tell me?
Anyhow, the server took a point to mention to me that the mimosa is quite «smokey» which I didn’t taste at all. It was pretty darn good but I think I would’ve been satisfied with the $ 2 cheaper brethren: the regular mimosa.
Back to the fried chicken… when this dish comes out, you’ll think «Holy crap I just got jipped because this American restaurant actually gave me the correct portion size for my body type.» I was a little upset at the thought of not being stuffed until I wanted to barf but finishing my meal with just enough food in my belly was so satisfying. I could walk around and even get some Philz without feeling tons of regret.
The fried chicken was not as crispy as I tend to like it but I’m thinking the buttermilk ranch softened it up a little. The flavors were all on point though and the proportion of fried chicken to pickled onions to Acme round bun was perfect. This is so important because I feel like I’m always peeling excess bread off burgers/​sandwiches and throwing them back at my server’s face. I did not do that this time. The house chips are a nice compliment too and I felt pretty guilt-​free eating these even though I could see the grease on the chip which later transferred to my face.
All in all, this is a tiny but hip place for brunch that isn’t over crowded or stuffy. Well how frou frou can you get in the Mission anyway? Ghetto.

Need some comfort foodgo to Maverick’s and have some fried chicken. The appetizers were okay but the fried chicken was wonderful. Super crispy and juicy chicken over some rich gumbo gravy was a perfect way to start the weekend of gluttony. Not sure what the other entrees are likebut the fried chicken is worth a visit.
MAVERICK SALAD Apples, almonds, mint, banyuls vinaigrette
Gnocchi
SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN Gumbo gravy, Andouille, biscuit, roasted escarole, pickled green beans

Small space in the Mission serving up New American (I’m still trying to figure out what that means)
We enjoyed:
— Cured Spanish Anchovies ($ 4, Levain toast, tomato marmalade
) Lightly flavored, not salty anchovies reminded us of some of the tapas we had in Spain.
— Chips & Dip ($ 4, Steelhead caviar, everything bagel spices, smoked crème fraîche, dill. In pic with Anchovies) Chips were like shrimp chips. Almost unnoticeable «everything bagel spices», but very tasty crème fraîche and salmon roe dip.
— Dungeness Crab Salad ($ 15, Pickled sunchoke, red endive, satsuma orange, ginger, watercress sauce
) Excellent sweet crab flavor shined through. Not over dressed. The ginger and watercress sauce added a nice tanginess to balance the sweet crab meat.
— Southern Fried Chicken ($ 24, «Gumbo» gravy, andouille, buttermilk biscuit, roasted escarole, pickled green beans
) «Airline» chicken breast (boneless breast + bone-​in wing drumette) and bone-​in thigh. Slightly fatty skin, nicely seasoned breading, and super juicy flesh, even the breast meat. All the sides were good as well.
— Autumn Vegetables & Crispy Soft Egg ($ 20, Delicata squash, maitake mushrooms, glazed chestnuts, garlic soubie [sic], spinach
) Amazing crispy (deep fried) soft boiled egg. Great crispy, tempura style fried mushrooms. Didn’t notice any soubise. Still, a dish any vegetarian would love.

Definitely worth a visit.
An unassuming eaterie from the outside in a neighborhood surrounded by personality in the Mission. Make a reservation.
The gentleman and I started with a bottle of wine recommended for the orders we were about to partake in. A Paolo Cali Manene that was DELICIOUS. Super smooth and fruity with very little tanins. SO easy to drink. Service was excellent and my wine glass was never empty (which might explain why it wasn’t a good idea for me to drive us back afterwards).
Our appetizer was the calamari. Very refreshing for a calamari. Stuffed with cheese, garnished with greens and pesto. Lots of flavor in every bite.
My choice was the perfect fried chicken (as all the previous reviewers acknowledge as a notable signature entrée). 2 huge pieces of chicken on a plate half-​covered in gravy, a smattering of butter-​caramelized brussels sprouts, and some fancy cranberry corn bread stuffing (I LOVE stuffing! It’s like a preview to Thanksgiving!). Likely soaked in buttermilk since it had that salty savory flavor, outside was perfectly lightly crisp and not oily.
The gentleman had the new-​on-​the-​menu short ribs that came with maitake mushrooms, pine nuts, and a plethora of random garnishes that accented the delicate flavor of the melt-​in-​your-​mouth fatty meat. Was very very different from the chicken, and actually heavier than the chicken. I don’t think I could have finished his plate, but he did so… yay! Good choices all around.
Dinner was interrupted briefly and abruptly only because some high schooler hooligans in hoodies ripped the Maverick flag off the flagpost outside the restaurant and ran off with it right in front of my eyes. Apparently that flag had been there for 7 years since the opening, and I actually had taken a photo of it from inside the restaurant just minutes before. Sadness.
A memorable evening dinner. I would love to come back. Parking is a bitch as it always can be on a Saturday evening in the city, but a short walk back to the car after a fine meal isn’t so bad.

Went here with my brother and sister for dinner a little while back. We were able to snag a table for 3 on Open Table and thank god we did because when we got there people were outside waiting without a reservation.
Whenever I go out with these two we always order a bunch of stuff so we can try a little bit of everything
Here is what we got
Snacks
Cheddar Gougeres w/​Chive Cream ($ 3)
Chips & Dip w/​steelhead caviar, everything bagel spices, smoked crème fraîche, dill ($ 4)
Duck Rilette Croquette w/​strawberry motsarda and radish ($ 5)
Baltimore Crab Rolls w/​old bay aioli, celery and pepper relish ($ 4 per roll)
Starters
Creamy Morels & Grits w/​smoked soft poached egg, pearl onion, snap peas ($ 12.5)
Tasso Cured Duck «Proscuitto» w/​heirloom melon and cucumbers, lime, anise hysso ($ 14)
Massachusetts Dayboat Sea Scallops w/​watermelon, padron pepper, lipstick pimento sauce, pineapple mint, anho chili & pumpkin seed pesto ($ 11)
Main Course
Flat Iron «Carpetbagger» Steak w/​potato shallot cake, creamed spinach, rhubarb A1, oyster and arugula pesto ($ 26)
Southern Fried Chicken w/​blackened patty –pan squash, succotash, pickled watermelon rind, cornbread croutons, ham hock and mustard gravy ($ 24)
Lobster Bread Pudding & Smoked Cod ($ 26)
Thoughts
Gourgeres: the puff pastry was rich in buttery goodness but sadly came out cold. The chive cream was spot on
Chips & Dip: ration of chip to dip was ²⁰⁄₈₀. Definitely needed more chips! I liked the salty pop the caviar added to the dish and thought it played well with the chip
Duck Rilette: liked how the strawberry played off the duck
Crab Roll: too simple and slightly bland
Morels & Grits: the poached egg broke beautifully and helped to create a rich and velvety sauce for the dish
Duck Proscuitto: was tough to cut but melted well in the mouth, paired nicely with the sweetness of the melon
Sea Scallops: cooked well, interesting combination of flavors
Flatiron Steak: sat around too long but the meat was tender and liked the sharpness the pesto brought to the dish
Fried Chicken: fried well, seasoned adequately, and the meat was moist. All the other components brought the dish together especially the cornbread croutons
Lobster Pudding: rich in buttery goodness, maybe a little too much, but in a small amount it was good. Be warned, this dish is heavy
Service + Portions were good
Overall Thoughts
A quaint lively atmosphere serving unique twist on classic comforts for a reasonable price

Brunching.
A weekend activity that’s almost exclusively, the reason why I look forward to weekends. But the thing is, I HATE waking up early on Saturdays!
But Maverick has been on my bookmark list for awhile so I decided today is the day to knock one off the list!
My love for mushrooms will take me far — so far that I didn’t even think twice about ordering the mushroom omelette. I’m glad I did: black trumpets, hedgehogs and yellow foot with feta cheese folded in. Adorned with frisee and garnished with smoked croutons. I took bites of my friend’s duck confit hash which was richly flavored but the fried egg was overdone. We shared a side order of yummy andouille sausage.
I’m not sure what coffee they serve. I had a blood orange lemonade which was a refreshing citrus drink that made me pucker up!
Justin was quick to serve us and good with follow ups. He was such a sweetie for comping our drinks! I guess it’s worth waking up early for brunch after all!