1. Dottie's True Blue Café

super super super - cannot fault this one. always consistent and one of SF's little gems.

I stayed at the Central YMCA and managed to navigate around the Tenderloin in the early morning [...] to find my way to Dottie's True Blue Cafe, only a few blocks northwest of the YMCA hotel. Even only half an hour after opening I was waiting in a queue of half a dozen parties. The cafe is small, with perhaps up to 40 covers. The cafe is sunny, cheerful, clean, and with loads of relishes and condiments situated on each table. The waitresses were a blur of motion and efficiency, and it takes a lot to impress this former waitress! The menu is limited but includes all the breakfast basics and more. I didn't pay as much attention to the lunch menu as I found myself overwhelmed with deciding which massive breakfast to choose. I chose one of their all-inclusive specials. The food that arrived – fresh muffins, fluffly eggs, pancakes, hashbrowns, crispy bacon – was enough to feed at least two people. And at $12.95, although not expensive, wasn't dirt cheap. However it was good value for money, and a great way to start a long day sightseeing. The only reason why I didn't rate the experience and value as excellent was because of the wait (maybe expand for example?), and perhaps the cost could be less if the portions were less. Considering that the Central YMCA serves comparable and human-portioned breakfasts at less than $5, I chose to eat at the hotel. Still, Dottie's is not to be missed..