Mama's - Oh Mama!

We wanted to take the kids to the Exploratorium today, so everyone got up bright and early. Unfortunately, not all's well that ends well, since the construction around highway 1, we couldn't get off the exit that my GPS suggested. We ended up making huge circles, by the time we parked the car, it was already 2 hours later. Imagine my frustration! On top of that, it turned out it was free day at the Exploratorium, you'd think that’s a good thing, think again, the line was all the way round the corner, the wait would be over 2 hours. After 15 minutes in the chilly wind, we gave up. At that point, I just wanted to find a nice and warm place, sit down and make sure the kiddies are fed. We thought of Mama's on Washington Square. Hubby and I got married at Saints Peter and Paul. I remember every time we went to church, there was a long line at Mama's. We never had a chance to see for ourselves what the hype was until today. However, as always, there was a line! So by the time we sat down, with all the driving, parking, walking and waiting, it had already been 4 hours since we left the house. I was grumpy and hard to please.

Hubby got a Classic Club with grilled chicken breast, avocado, bacon, tomato, and lettuce on toasted wheat bread for $9.75. The sandwich was HUGE! Hubby and the kids loved everything. For $11.50, I went with the shrimp, avocado and grilled tomatoes Benedict. The hollandaise sauce was lemony, creamy but not heavy at all, with a touch of cayenne pepper. It was the best I’ve ever had! As soon as I tasted that, I could no longer frown. Both orders came with grilled red potatoes. Then all of us shared the Chocolate Cinnamon French toast with fresh seasonal berries and bananas (unfortunately for D, he could only have the fruit sans the chocolate sauce). For $8.95, it was rich and chocolatey, soft but not soggy. Probably too sweet for breakfast, but perfect for dessert.

So yes, Mama's is worth the wait. (Though I still wish we accomplished more in the 5+ hours than just one meal.) One more note, it's a cash only place, so make sure you bring plenty that you have the option to try their various delicious-looking baked goods - bread, muffins, etc.

Mama's on Washington Square
1701 Stockton St, San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 362-6421