When two friends expressed interest in going on a diner date, I quickly started researching where we might go. If you Google “best diners San Francisco” one diner tends to appear on every list: Pork Store Cafe.
I’d ignored this option as “Pork Store” does not exactly sound vegetarian-friendly.
However, when it was surfaced again during our brainstorming, I decided to look up the menu just to be sure I wasn't able to visit. It turns out, this pink pork-named diner has a lot of vegetarian options!
Waiting at the Pork Store Cafe
The Pork Store Cafe is located in upper Haight, just down the street from Hobson’s Choice (a dive I frequented as a San Francisco newbie over a decade ago).
I rarely come to Upper Haight these days. Its grime-y charm has become lost on me after so many years in the city. However, returning on this rainy morning brought back memories of exploring vintage shops, grabbing sandwiches from the Peruvian restaurant (before I was a vegetarian), dancing at Milk Bar, and heading up the street to Cole Valley for some ice cream at the Ice Cream Bar.
Today, we exited our Uber in front of a baby pink building featuring an awning sporting a as a pig waiter and the name of the cafe in stylized block letters.
There was a group of three people huddled in the small doorway. Apparently, they were half of a group of six and were weathering the rain as they waited for the rest of their group to arrive. We joined them under the awning and soon a waitress popped her head out to check on us. We let her know that we were a group of three, then continued to huddle beneath the awning while looking over the menu posted in the window.
I’m hungover.
The previous night was a friend’s holiday party and I had the audacity to think that I could go to an after party once that was over.
So on this following day, diner food was needed.
Which is why I was thrilled when we were called inside first (the group of six was still not complete) and were seated at the counter.
Pork Store Cafe’s Interiors
I was instantly charmed by the interiors of this diner. Bold black-and-white tile immediately gave it that classic retro feel while chrome and vinyl seating bring made me feel as though I was on the set of a movie. Pink accents and an eclectic mix of artwork finished the space's aesthetic and I was happy to observe that the counters had a couple of varieties of hot sauces and traditional diner syrup pourers.
Plastic tumblers that you’d expect at a joint like this were placed in front of us and filled with water and we were served coffee in shiny white ceramic mugs.
We ordered vegan biscuits and gravy for the table (to be honest, they were a bit strange and very green), then placed our individual orders. Once that was settled, it was time to get down to the interview.
Hot takes and hot cakes
First, we had to cover my two dates’ relationships with diners up until this point. This was one of my favorite interviews thus far because both had such unique Americana-filled experiences with this type of restaurant (very different from what I experienced growing up in Hawaii).
Hao - Diners are a 10/10 for him. He moved to a small town in Kansas from China in his teenage years, so diners are reminiscent of his first experiences in the United States. He remembers clearly the burgers served in those classic red baskets.
“That’s when I learned that a cheeseburger was, like, so good!”
Kevin - Born and raised in the Midwest, diners and this type of hearty dining were a go-to. He loves ‘em, remembering pancakes loaded with M&Ms (if you haven’t had an M&M pancake, he highly recommends you give one a try).
“I was basically a menace, turning pancakes into soup with syrup at iHop. I love me a very Amerciana diner, they’re just unpretentious. The opposite of ‘scene-y’.”
How do they take their coffees:
Hao’s not a coffee drinker so he does not take coffee any which way.
Kevin likes a diner coffee but knows it for what it is. It’s comforting but usually very burnt. He points out the coffee pots that have been roasting on a hot plate in front of us since our arrival.
I feel the same. There’s something comforting about coffee that’s a little burnt but is quick to be refilled and doesn’t require any thought to what type of milk foaming you need.
Potato preferences:
Hao prefers home fries. They’re thick and there’s a specific place in North Beach that makes them super crispy. He drowns them in ketchup.
Kevin prefers a crispy hash brown.
Condiment of choice:
Hao’s choice is ketchup. He remembers when he first saw ketchup on scrambled eggs. He thought it was gross, but then over time grew to love it. Tangy and sweet. So good!
Kevin also likes ketchup but Tabasco is a close second on hash browns and eggs.
Pancake preferences:
Hao can appreciate a pancake. He remembers pancake breakfasts after basketball, but his preference is to order something savory.
Kevin, on the other hand, seems to be a pretty big fan of pancakes overall. He remembers a time when he did an all-you-can-eat pancake and champagne breakfast… he doesn’t think he could do that again. However, the huge M&M pancake at a place in Illinois called Rooster Cafe was his favorite. Since moving away, they changed the menu and removed that particular pancake, but the last time he went back, he asked for it, and they still made it for him.
It’s that kind of vibe that makes cafes and diners so special.
Go-To diner meals:
Hao tends to go for an omelet or a scramble because it provides both protein and veggies.
Kevin likes a good ol’ hearty corned beef hash.
Overall Pork Store Ratings: 8/10
Coffee: 8/10
Atmosphere: 10/10
Food: 6/10
Promoter Points:
Excellent coffee refills: +1
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