Maybe it’s because of Karl the fog. Or perhaps it’s because it’s always sweater weather in San Francisco. Whatever the reason, the list of epic brunch spots in the Bay Area is long. Over at Diane’s Bloody Mary in the Marina you can get a bacon wrapped date popped in your adult V8 juice. At Kitchen Story in the Castro you can chow down on millionaire’s bacon. (Yes, it’s a real thing and it’s spectacular.)

 

A stack of black t-shirts on display at Brenda's Meat & Three says, "No Grits, No Glory." Brenda's Meat & Three is a trendy breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner restaurant in San Francisco, California.
No Grits, No Glory – Brenda’s Meat & Three is a Trendy Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch and Dinner Spot in San Francisco, California

 

If you’re hankering for the best fried green tomato in town, there’s only one place to head in Silicon Valley and that’s Brenda’s Meat & Three in the North of the Panhandle neighborhood of San Francisco. The best seat in the house hands down has to be the counter where you’ll over hear first time patrons asking each other, “What did you order?” In addition to making fast new friends, you’ll also kind of want to just eat one of everything that’s on its way to the surrounding tables.

 

A breakfast dish of fried green tomato eggs Benedict with bacon and potato hash at Brenda's Meat & Three brunch restaurant in San Francisco, California.
Baconfidence – Fried Green Tomato Eggs Benedict With Bacon and Potato Hash at Brenda’s Meat & Three in San Francisco, California

 

Brenda’s Meat & Three is located a stone’s throw away from the city by the bay’s famed painted ladies, sandwiched between McAllister Street and Golden Gate Avenue.

 

A stunning Victorian painted home on McAllister Street in San Francisco, California. This one features stained glass windows and gorgeous hues of blue, teal, red, burgundy, black, navy, pink, yellow and gold.
The Other Painted Lady – Another Picture Perfect Victorian on McAllister Street in San Francisco, California

 

Chef Brenda Buenviaje (formerly head chef of Café Claude near Union Square and a consulting chef to Snooze in Denver which we also adore) hails from a small town called Harvey, Louisiana about fifteen minutes south of New Orleans.

 

A glass of watermelon sweet tea filled with watermelon slices at Brenda's Meat & Three breakfast and brunch restaurant in San Francisco, California.
Autumn Time, Summer Mind – Watermelon Sweet Tea at Brenda’s Meat & Three in San Francisco, California

 

In 2007, Buenviaje opened her namesake restaurant Brenda’s French Soul Food over on Polk Street in the Civic Center / Hayes Valley / Van Ness neighborhood.

 

A giant Magnolia Hams sign inside Brenda's Meat & Three restaurant in San Francisco, California. The sign inside this hip breakfast and brunch spot says, "Bon Voyage Shipping Company, San Francisco, California."
BAE – Bacon and Eggs – The Inside of Brenda’s Meat & Three in San Francisco, California

 

Brenda’s Meat & Three came along seven years later in 2014.

 

Clearly we’re big breakfast fans. Curious about some of the other crazy brekkies we’ve taste tested around the globe? Here are some of our favorite brunch places in the world.

 

Andrew Bloom (of Foreign Cinema fame) serves as the restaurant’s general manager.

 

A breakfast / brunch plate consisting of eggs Benedict Creole hollandaise and pulled pork with cheese grits at Brenda's Meat & Three restaurant in San Francisco, California.
I Love You, Pig Time – The Eggs Benedict with Creole Hollandaise, Pulled Pork and a Side of Cheese Grits at Brenda’s Meat & Three in San Francisco, California

 

Buenviaje’s menu consists of everything from a fried bologna sandwich on a toasted bun to overflowing po’boys and an astonishing list of as many as 20 different kinds of sides (like potato hash and creole fried chicken cutlets) that you can pick from.

 

A shelf at Brenda's Meat & Three restaurant is crammed full of jams, pickles and sauces in San Francisco, California. There are jars of hot pepper jelly, pickled okra, spiced strawberry jam and peach cobbler jam that you can buy at this hip breakfast / brunch spot.
That’s My Jam – Brenda’s Meat & Three Also Sells Its Jams, Pickle and Sauces

 

Vegetarian items (like cheese grits and cream biscuits) and vegan selections (like corn succotash and an okra and tomato maque choux) are also on the menu.

 

A glass of grandma's molasses black walnut iced coffee and whipped cream sits beside a metal pig statue that says, "Please Wait to be Seated," at Brenda's Meat & Three breakfast and brunch restaurant in San Francisco, California.
Southern Grit – Grandma’s Molasses Black Walnut Iced Coffee and Whipped Cream at Brenda’s Meat & Three in San Francisco, California

 

One of our favorite dishes that we tasted at Brenda’s Meat & Three is the beignet flight.

 

In addition to Brenda’s Meat & Three, here’s a list of other neat little local spots we love across the San Francisco Bay Area.

 

Brenda’s Meat & Three has four different kinds of beignets on its menu. You can opt for three each of the plain, chocolate filled, granny smith apple or the crawfish. We went for the flight which is a total of four beignets (one in each flavor).

 

The beignet flight at Brenda's Meat & Three breakfast and brunch restaurant in San Francisco, California. From left to right are the plain, the chocolate filled, the granny smith apple and the crawfish beignet all topped with powdered sugar.
Taking Over the World One Giant Beignet at a Time – A Beignet Flight at Brenda’s Meat & Three in San Francisco, California

We weren’t exactly sure what to expect out of the crawfish beignet since we’ve never tried a savory beignet before, but it was delicious. If you go with the flight, we highly recommend eating the crawfish one first while it’s still warm. The granny smith apple is a bit like taking a bite out of fall. All of the beignets were yummy, but the apple one may have been our favorite. We’d probably still opt to go with the flight over three of the apple flavored beignets because getting a mix lets you really savor each of the flavors.

 

Clear plastic jars of spiced strawberry jam can be found at every seating area in Brenda's Meat & Three breakfast / brunch restaurant in San Francisco, California.
Berry Nice to Meet You – Spiced Strawberry Jam at Brenda’s Meat & Three in San Francisco, California

 

The flight is also the best option because the plain beignet makes the perfect vessel for you to slather Brenda’s Meat & Three’s delicious spiced strawberry jam on. There’s a little clear plastic jar of the jam at every seating area in the restaurant and you do not want to miss trying that gooey deliciousness. We have a savvy waiter to thank for that tip. (Thank you awesome man with the bear tattoo for cluing us in! 🙂 It’s worth noting that these beignets are no joke. Each beignet is about the size of your palm. That didn’t stop us from ordering the two amazing kinds of eggs Benedict you see up above in the post, but we figured we ought to at least give you a heads up that they are not wimpy little donut hole sized beignets.

 

A small glass of a mini strawberry mimosa at Brenda's Meat & Three's trendy breakfast and brunch restaurant in San Francisco, California.
Let’s Get Fizzical – A Mini Strawberry Mimosa at Brenda’s Meat & Three in San Francisco, California

 

Oh, and did we mention the mimosas? In addition to your regular run of the mill mimosa which is partnered with orange juice, Brenda’s Meat & Three also offers seasonal flavors like strawberry and peach. You can go with a small size or a larger portion (think full pint glass size). Whether you’re looking for comfort food or just want to stuff your soul with a tasty meal that will keep your stomach satiated well past dinner time, Brenda’s Meat & Three will keep you full and warm even during a chilly San Francisco summer.

 

An exterior street view photo of the outside front of Brenda's Meat & Three restaurant in San Francisco, California.
Brenda’s Meat & Three in San Francisco, California

 

Brenda’s Meat & Three
Address: 919 Divisadero Street
San Francisco, California 94115
Hours: Wednesday Through Monday 10:00am to 8:00pm *Closed on Tuesdays.
Phone: (415) 926-8657
Pricing (All in USD): Beignets $6.00 to $12.00, Gumbo $3.00 to $13.50, Eggs and Things $9.75 to $17.00, Griddle Items $10.75, Chicken Fried Steak $22.00, Fried Catfish $19.75, Fried Chicken $14.75, Sides $3.00 to $10.00, Creole Bloody Mary $8.00, Mimosas $7.00 to $15.00