Hello dear
At "Friends With Benedict's Pop Up Brunch," we embrace the vibrant spirit of brunch culture in a unique setting at the Elks Lodge in San Francisco. Our pop-up concept focuses on delivering delightful culinary experiences that redefine breakfast and brunch favorites. With a menu featuring creative dishes like our signature "Shrimply The Best" Eggs Benedict and the crowd-pleasing Tofu Wu! Scramble, we cater to a variety of tastes, including vegan options. Our casual yet trendy atmosphere, enhanced by friendly interactions with our passionate chef and lively décor, invites guests to enjoy hearty portions and memorable meals, perfect for celebrations or casual gatherings.
About
Welcome to Friends With Benedict's Pop Up Brunch, a delightful culinary experience located at the Elks Lodge on the bustling Post Street in San Francisco. This pop-up brunch spot embraces the lively essence of breakfast and brunch, offering a unique dining atmosphere that melds a festive vibe with the warmth of great food.
The brunch scene here is nothing short of spectacular. Guests are treated to a menu filled with enticing breakfast plates and specials that cater to both classic and adventurous palates. Standouts include:
The ambiance matches the vibrant cuisine; the eclectic decor evokes a delightful juxtaposition that feels distinctly San Franciscan. As noted by patrons, the atmosphere is both lively and inviting, making it suitable for gatherings from casual meetups to celebrations like bachelorette parties and birthdays.
Reviewers rave about the freshness of the food, particularly the oysters on the half shell sourced daily from Bodega Bay and the creative twists on classic dishes, such as the unique Shrimply The Best Benedict — a stunning union of shrimp, bacon, jalapeños, and saffron perfectly cradled by perfectly poached eggs.
Another highlight is the engaging staff, including the passionate chef who makes it a point to connect with diners, enhancing the overall experience. The warmth of the service, combined with delicious food, forms a memorable brunch that compels return visits.
While some aspects like the choice of utensils and seating arrangements may need improvement, they don’t overshadow the primary focus: the food. Friends With Benedict's Pop Up Brunch offers a refreshing departure from typical brunch spots, inviting you to indulge in hearty portions, inventive dishes, and a sprinkling of fun.
If you find yourself exploring Lower Nob Hill and seeking a brunch spot that dances on the edge of the unconventional while still delivering exceptional flavors, Friends With Benedict's Pop Up Brunch is your destination. Come hungry and ready for an experience that’s sure to delight all your senses!
“ Amazing!!! Fun atmosphere, went for a bachelorette party (they're from Minnesota, I'm from Sac) morning and it does not disappoint. I am very picky when it comes to my Benny's and would go here again when in sf. ”
“ Had a fantastic birthday brunch! Oysters on the half shell were fresh and tasty - sourced from Bodega Bay. Went with the special Benedict - Shrimply The Best - which was amazing! Shrimp, bacon, jalapeños & saffron - the perfect additions to an already delicious eggs Benedict. Loved the idea of the pop-up. Unique and fun change of pace. ”
“ So hubby and I met the family for Easter brunch yesterday. Found this listed on Yelp and decided to give it a try. Now, I realize as a "pop up", they are trying to establish a new business, and I'm keeping that in mind as I give this restaurant a rating. The morning started off really nice with the chef stopping by our table to introduce us and share some specials available to us, which included some of the freshest oysters that the chef picked up in Bodega Bay that morning. So first the opportunities, which is a short list; lose the plastics utensils, paper plates and cups. I realize it relates back to the "pop up" nature and logistics of transporting, washing etc...but it takes away from the great food. The location, which may be a bit beyond their control, but cleanliness - nothing gross, but some of us were seated on "benches" which were sticky to the touch - so figure out how to clean those. I told you it was a short list. Now the best part - the food! As I mentioned already, the oysters were amazing and should stay on the menus. My hubby had the other "special" which was shrimp, fried jalapeño, bacon benedict. He love it! I had the "Above Average Joe", which was actually a bit average. Everyone else tried different selections, all looked great, and the feedback was that the food was GREAT. Nephew had the chicken and waffles which looked amazing. All in all, we would definitely go back and give it another try. The chef really set us up for a great meal and you can feel his commitment to make a go of it, so give it a try. ”
“ Time to change your SF brunch spot paradigm! This isn't your usual cutesy, bright, Instagrammable lunch destination, think more underground vampire-esque ballroom meets avocados and French toast. The jarring juxtaposition of the dark wood furniture and all-black bar (and the sun rays fighting their way onto tables through the upper windows) with the absolutely joyful splashes of color on each disposable plate was honestly special -- it felt befitting of the quirkiness of Lower Nob Hill. Worth a visit if you're exploring the area! Special mention to Jerry (Mr Magic) who swooped by our table from the bar to entertain with couple of interactive card tricks, it was unexpected and delightful! We tried a few dishes among our party of 5. I would ultimately recommend the benedicts (the Florentina looked and tasted really great). They also do a great job with their potato sides. Personally ordered the tofu scramble and it was plated really wonderfully but I felt it was too heavy on the quinoa and didn't really have a lot of tofu. Overall though, portion sizes were hearty. Reserved ahead of time for a noon-ish brunch on the weekend, but didn't end up requiring it as there were plenty of tables. ”
“ Loved the festive vibe, high ceilings, and bar smell. It's unique that this popup is located in a venue that is a bar at night because it feels lively. There's a good variety of seats and it's perfect for couples as well as groups. My favorite dish here was the breakfast burrito because it had delicious filling and tortilla. The filling had tasty sauce, beans, eggs, and meat, while the wrap was nicely crisply on one side. It was so delicious that it didn't feel too filling like breakfast burritos usually feel. I also liked the potatoes on the side. Price and portion sizes were reasonable, and I really liked how friendly the chef was. He came to our table to greet us and thanked us when we left. I'm looking forward to returning on another weekend! ”
“ Made an 8-person reservation here for Sunday at 11:30am with no issues! The pop-up/restaurant is super spacious and can definitely accommodate large parties. The staff members were super friendly! After we all sat down, one of the chefs greeted us at the beginning and told us a joke, then another staff member did a magic trick for our table! This pop-up definitely has the vibe of a bar (which isn't a bad thing!) - open floor plan, disco balls, fun music, dim lighting, etc! Now for the food: Our table started with a dozen oysters, since the chef had strongly recommended them - they were great & our table loved them, though they were a bit small! I ordered the Bennie with Seoul, which had tempura chicken and gochujang hollandaise - it was flavorful! I think the potatoes could have had more seasoning though. Some members of our table got the Shrimply Great Bennie (chef's special), which they really enjoyed! The food was served with paper plates and utensils, which I guess is the vibe of the pop-up. The service was a bit slow, but I feel like the friendly staff and good food made up for it! Overall, I would definitely recommend this brunch spot (especially for larger parties)! ”
“ Made reservations for Saturday morning at 11am and were seated promptly inside. Chef gave a little intro when we were seated which was a nice touch. There also was a magician that showed us a card trick to start the brunch which was so fun. Drinks: Ordered a bottle of bubbly that came with orange juice, grapefruit juice, cranberry juice and pineapple juice for a make your own mimosa experience. Staff also made rounds and topped us off throughout service which was awesome. Food: Green Tea French Toast - four half slices of French toast topped with mixed berries, whipped cream and a dusting of green tea powder. Overall fine french toast but didn't really pick up any green tea so a bit disappointing. Florentina Eggs Benedict- interesting take on the classic with a beet hollandaise sauce, eggs were poached well with nice runny yolks. Flavor was a bit on the earthy side and could have used a little more salt. The potatoes were crispy and delicious. Overall great service and awesome spot to split a bottle of champagne with friends. Love that you can make a reservation for brunch as well. Would be open to going back and trying other dishes on the menu. ”
“ My friends and I have been curious about this pop up for a while and decided to come here for a casual Sunday brunch. We were seated pretty quickly and greeted by the chef who was really nice and gave us the rundown + specials since we'd never been there before. Since it's a pop-up, the address is at Mayes on Polk so the interior was a dark wood, fire in chimney bar-like type of scene with a temporary table setup. There were also plenty of seating outdoors which was a nice option! The Benedicts were cooked beautifully, down the the runny egg inside. Delicious. Loved the mushrooms - I usually get meat dishes but decided to try something different with the Florentina and there were no regrets. The potatoes were also lovely and great to dip into the runny egg + sauce. Also came with a slice of orange. Perfect portion for breakfast. They offer standard coffee. Good pricing overall! Would love to see them at a permanent location :) ”
“ Finally visited their pop up location and they were able to accommodate our large party of 12 for reservations. I ordered the Cajun fried chicken French toast and it almost convinced me that chicken+french toast is better than chicken&waffles. Maybe it is...their honey paprika glaze is delicious and the chicken was fried perfectly. I think the butter on top was some sort of hazelnut flavored butter or something but it was really good and added a nice flavor. ”