Few things inspire stronger feelings in San Franciscans than brunch. Some love nothing more than spending a lazy weekend morning facedown in a plate of eggs Benedict. Others would rather kiss a sea lion than wait an hour in line for overpriced mimosas while battling a hangover from the night before.
Typically, I belong to the second camp. Just give me a to-go breakfast sandwich and spare me the booze-soaked chaos. But one particular brunch restaurant is so ingrained in San Francisco’s DNA that brunch person or not, you have to try it at least once.
That place is Mama’s on Washington Square. For more than 50 years, locals and tourists alike have been lining up under the yellow awning in North Beach for French toast, omelets and Benedicts.
An old menu hangs on the wall inside the interior of Mama's On Washington Square in San Francisco, Calif. on March 25, 2023.
Adam Pardee/Special to SFGATEIn the early 1950s, Frances and Michael Sanchez opened a popular ice cream parlor called Herbert Sherbet Shop on Stockton Street. In 1969, they transformed the space into a breakfast and lunch restaurant. Michael named it Mama’s after Frances, the mother of their eight children.
Mama’s became a quick success, with people lining the block for one of the intimate restaurant’s 15 tables. It built a reputation for its fresh, homemade ingredients at a time when this wasn’t yet the norm. Even James Beard and Julia Child counted themselves as Mama’s fans.
The Sanchezes went on to open several spin-off restaurants, including one in the basement of Macy’s at Union Square. Both Frances and Michael have since died, and only the original Mama’s remains, but it’s still run by the Sanchez family today.
As I passed a group practicing tai chi in Washington Square Park on a sunny Saturday morning, I steeled myself for the line. At 10:45 a.m., it was already 20 parties deep.
Customers wait in line and order at the front door for Mama's On Washington Square in San Francisco, Calif. on March 25, 2023.
Adam Pardee/Special to SFGATEFortunately, I was mentally prepared for this (and physically — I ate a snack to prevent getting hangry). If you hit up Mama’s on a late weekend morning, you’re going to wait at least 30 minutes.
Behind me, a group of fratty Marina bro types fist-bumped over their nasty hangovers. Tourists in town for that week’s gaming conference pondered the handwritten white board menu. An older couple gawked at the line.
I passed the time peering inside the snug country-style restaurant, slices of carrot cake placed tantalizingly in the window.
After about 45 minutes, we finally reached the front door, where we efficiently ordered, paid and took a number. It’s a seat-yourself operation — a pandemic era change that Mama’s has stuck with. Luckily, there were plenty of free tables both outside and inside, and we were able to nab a sun-dappled corner table with cushy green booth seating.
Diners eat while kitchen staff prepare food inside of Mama's on Washington Square in San Francisco on March 25, 2023.
Adam Pardee/Special to SFGATEI was immediately struck by how cute and cheery Mama’s was inside. With lemon-patterned tablecloths, yellow walls and an antique cabinet decorated with rooster figurines, it felt like stepping into a kindly grandmother’s kitchen.
Mama’s also celebrates its lengthy history through its decor: Menus circa 1964 line the walls, harking back to a time when you could get a cup of coffee for 15 cents.
Forty-five minutes in line is nothing to scoff at, but once we sat down, our food and drinks arrived swiftly from a very friendly server. One of my brunch companions ordered a banana berry smoothie, which he deemed great; the other two of us got diner mugs of coffee (very average but with unlimited refills, which redeemed them).
Mama's Sampler of French Toast from Mama's On Washington Square in San Francisco, Calif. on March 25, 2023.
Adam Pardee/Special to SFGATE
Mama's Sampler of French Toast from Mama's On Washington Square in San Francisco, Calif. on March 25, 2023.
Adam Pardee/Special to SFGATEWe shared the French toast sampler, a pro move I’d recommend: It allows you to try three different types of the breakfast staple ($17.95). On the day we went, those three were banana nut, cinnamon brioche and cranberry orange walnut, all topped with a bounty of fresh berries and bananas and a ramekin of maple syrup.
To my surprise, the banana nut French toast was made from an actual slab of dense Mama’s banana bread — a bit too sweet for my liking, but still delicious. The cinnamon brioche was perfectly pillowy, but my favorite was the cranberry orange walnut, which had just enough tartness to balance all the sugar.
It’s now my mission to come back and try all of Mama’s French toast flavors: kugelhupf (brioche with golden raisins, cinnamon, dates and almonds), chocolate cinnamon and apple pan dore (sourdough baguette with apples in lemon butter sauce).
Dungeness Crab Benedict with Spinach from Mama's On Washington Square in San Francisco, Calif. on March 25, 2023.
Adam Pardee/Special to SFGATE
Mama's Cristo from Mama's On Washington Square in San Francisco, Calif. on March 25, 2023.
Adam Pardee/Special to SFGATEMy entree, however, wasn’t as impressive. Out of dedication to San Francisco’s Dungeness crab season as well as the dish’s popularity, I ordered the Dungeness crab Benedict with baby spinach. Mama’s also offers a Dungeness crab cake Benedict, but I opted for the former on recommendation from a server.
Eager for an oozy egg photo opp, I poked my fork into the poached eggs. Unfortunately, I got more ooze than I bargained for. The eggs were quite undercooked, with gooey, gelatinous whites where I only wanted runny yolk.
While the egg fiasco definitely put me off the dish a bit, the Dungeness crab meat was sweet and fresh-tasting. However, I found the hollandaise sauce a bit underwhelmingly seasoned, and the potatoes soggy. I doused the dish with Tapatio to give it a bit more spunk, which helped — but as the most expensive item on the menu at $31.95, I was disappointed.
My friend, on the other hand, loved his “famous Monte Cristo,” a sweet-and-savory sandwich with roasted turkey breast, honey baked ham, cheddar and gruyere cheese battered in egg, grilled like French toast and served with a side of housemade jam ($19.50). I’m pescatarian, so I can’t vouch for it, but my friend called it “decadent and crisp.”
Diners eat inside of Mama's On Washington Square in San Francisco, Calif. on March 25, 2023.
Adam Pardee/Special to SFGATE
A specials board featuring a selection of breakfast items is shown while customers wait in line for Mama's On Washington Square in San Francisco, Calif. on March 25, 2023.
Adam Pardee/Special to SFGATE
Mama's Cristo from Mama's On Washington Square in San Francisco, Calif. on March 25, 2023.
Adam Pardee/Special to SFGATEI may have my complaints about the crab Benedict, but would I write Mama’s off altogether? Absolutely not. The food from this neighborhood institution isn’t anything innovative, but there’s some charm in its rusticity. And while the Benedict was a miss, the cranberry French toast was a hit.
As a brunch-hater who is allergic to lines, I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to wait in that 45-minute queue again. Still, Mama’s is worth visiting at least once for its history and homey ambience alone.
Just don’t go hungover.
Mama’s on Washington Square, 1701 Stockton St., San Francisco. Open Tuesday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Saturday to Sunday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.