De Young Cafe

We had a wonderful time visiting the museum, and then we stopped to eat at the cafe. I really love their food. I had the mushroom flatbread with arugula, mushroom, mozzarella, and roasted tomatoes. It had a balsamic drizzle that took the taste to a new level. My mother had the pulled pork sandwich, and she felt it was adequate. The garlic fries were good, but they could have been hotter. I do believe they make your order fresh. You order and pay when you enter the cafe. They do have a refrigerated area where you grab your drinks from. You can also grab pre-made sandwiches and wraps, as well as pasta salad if you don't want to order off the menu. The stars of the show were the strawberry shortcake and the hibiscus tea. Yummy!!!! I highly suggest eating here when you visit the museum. Our bill was about $71.00. It's a bit pricey, but it's part of the experience.

Very nice museum restaurant with a menu that regularly changes. The food is consistently good and offers a variety of salads, hot sandwiches, pastas, stews, specialty entrees and desserts. You can also select fancy prepackaged items. Wide selection of beverages including alcohol. You order at the counter, they give you a number, you find a table, and the food is brought to you. Can get very crowded and I've heard people in line complaining about the prices, but I think it's worth it. Beautiful views of the park.

Nice atmosphere. The menu options seemed plentiful. I attended during a field trip with a sizable crowd which made waiting times a bit excessive. Fortunately, I was pulled from line and serviced at another register. Thanks to the staff for THAT. I placed an order for braised coconut short rib. It was delicious 😋. I'd return for lunch definitely. Perfect date spot. Didn't realize until our departure but the Lobster Roll truck was parked on the outskirts of the parking lot. Not so great reviews but just an alternative option

An update, 9/30/22, to the review posted 3 months ago: Today we had a chicken-potato salad and a wonderful chocolate chip cookie, and strong tasty iced teas. Everything was delicious. *** Previous review: We've had some nice meals at the de Young and the Legion of Honor, but our latest was so disappointing. We ordered a salmon dinner and a bowl of corn chowder. Both dishes were bland and featureless. Sad, because we normally consider a meal and a glass or two of wine a lovely part of the museum experience. We'll try again and hopefully have a better experience next time.