If you're up for a trip down Memory Lane, not your memory, but your grandmother's, Al's will help to transport you there. Shockingly familiar, even after my 20 year absence, I finally remembered why I used to come to this funky diner in the hinterlands of Mission Street. It wasn't because the waitress was charming, she's always been gruff, but in a very amusing and unselfconscious way. Unlike the actresses whose ageing photos line the walls, she doesn't play, but truly is an iconic character one would have seen during the heyday of Hollywood musical comedies. Thelma Ritter would have played her in the 1940's, Joan Blondell in the 1950's. But I digress, I came for the pancakes.
In this particular case, I ordered the Pancake Sandwich that came with a poached egg and bacon sides, but the stars of the show were the pancakes. Tender, light, and fluffy describe the texture, but the taste description remains elusive to me. You just have to try them. The batter sits in a large pitcher next to the grill, so it's handy for pouring the next order, but that's all I know about it. I want to think it is a longtime family recipe shared by the the 2 octogenarians who own the cafe. One sister is always behind the counter, so she acts as chef, and the other is the front man, so to speak, the waitress I could never forget, the source of historical information about Al's, which we always referred to as Jim Al's. Now I know why. Al, the "girls'" father opened the cafe, Jim the son-in-law devoted his life's work to it and when his father-in-law died, he encouraged the sisters to keep the cafe, thereby earning himself a place in the name. Maybe that's confusing, at any rate, the "girls" changed it back to Al's sometime during the last 2 decades, so it's officially Al's once more.
Al's excels at making a big, hearty breakfast. This plate of eggs over corned beef hash should attest to that. The potatoes were definitely a generous portion and I could easily be satisfied with those alone, or perhaps with pancakes (a bad combination I developed a craving for in my early teens; I still hope to outgrow it one of these days). The coffee is ever flowing at Al's but a connoisseur would wince at the taste. Then again, what would a coffee snob be doing in the outer Mission?
Lunch and dinner are also served, so I suspect they make a mean patty melt if one is actually on the menu and I'll bet this is the place to come for comfort food like meatloaf and mashed potatoes with gravy. I hear their burgers are also a throw back to a bygone era. I'm hoping to try one soon. I wonder if they come with pancakes?
Al's serves it's Bernal Height's neighborhood well and faithfully, providing service 7 days a week including dinner on week nights. I dred the day the "girls" decide to retire, but I suspect their family of regular customers is what keeps them motivated to stay.
San Francisco, CA 94110-5007
(415) 641-8445
Open Weekdays 7am-10pm; Weekends 7am-4pm
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