Plow

Cuisine American (New), Brunch
Price $$ (16-30)
Rating 8/10
Last Visit Dec. 27, 2024
Location SFBA: San Francisco: South

General Notes

The best brunch restaurant that I've been to. The food is fantastic -- simple, timeless, but executed so well. They serve up modern takes on traditional brunch items, but they also have some unique seasonal offerings that I'd definitely recommend trying, such as their porchetta sandwich, roast lamb sandwich, and summer succotash. I will definitely return to try their other offerings; in fact I'd love to try every single item on their menu.


Positives

> Great ambiance, excellent outdoor seating for when the weather's nice, and nice quaint neighborhood to explore around in (Potrero Hill)


Negatives

> This place can get very, very busy. Expect a long wait during peak hours on the weekends. It's not as busy on the weekdays, but there may be a line even on weekdays (I came here on a Wednesday both times), especially if the weather is nice.


Dishes Tasted

  • ★★☆☆ Boudin Noir -- blood sausage, two eggs, toast, Plow potatoes. Wanted to try something new, the blood sausage was just okay though, not particularly noteworthy. Toast is meh, eggs are excellent, potatoes are perfect as always.
  • ★★★★ Buttermilk Biscuit -- with honey butter. Warm, crispy on the outside, soft and buttery on the inside, the honey butter pairs with it INCREDIBLY. It's important to eat this quickly though, don't let this one cool.
  • ★★★☆ Fried Egg Sandwich -- two eggs fried soft, sharp cheddar, aioli, frisee, brioche bun, plow potatoes. The brioche bun was the highlight, honestly. It was soft and fluffy while being appropriately toasted to have that textural contrast. I also added avocado for $5.
  • ★★★☆ Hong Kong style toast -- lightly burnt brioche, coffee condensed milk, sea salt. This tastes excellent; I will be trying this at home sometime
  • ★★★★ Meatball Sandwich -- essentially a meatball sub, elevated. Their sandwiches never fail to disappoint and this was delicious.
  • ★★★★ Hot Beef Sandwich -- aioli, braised chuck, gruyere, giardineiera, arugula, deli roll. This sandwich is DELICIOUS. The beef is so tender, juicy, and flavorful. I love how they put the extra juices on top. All the other components pair together nicely, and of course the potatoes are amazing.
  • ★★★★ Prosciutto + Gruyere Toast -- frisee + parsley salad, garlic-chili fried egg, toasted brioche, plow potatoes. This is a delightful combination. I love how their prosciutto is not overly salty and leans more on the fatty side. Great dish!
  • ★★★☆ The Plow -- two eggs, two lemon ricotta pancakes, plow potatoes, with your choice of house made pork sausage, bacon, or chicken apple sausage. Your standard breakfast fare; not particularly noteworthy but executed pretty well. Surprisingly, the one component I didn't like too much was the sausage, which I found had a strange chewy texture. Note that the pancakes are half-sized, compared to the regular order of ricotta pancakes.
  • ★★★★ Custard French Toast (v2) -- brown sugar caramelized apples, vanilla mascarpone cream, 1oz pure maple syrup. Like the first one, this is SO incredibly good.
  • ★★★★ Lemon Ricotta Pancakes -- blueberry compote, house made ricotta, butter, 1 oz pure maple syrup. These pancakes have a delightfully light and fluffy consistency. They're more custardy than typical pancakes, likely owing to the ricotta. The overall flavor is well-balanced, with just the right amount of lemon to bring everything together.
  • ★★★★ Porchetta Sandwich -- aioli, onion jam, arugula, Acme ciabatta, plow potatoes. Possibly the best sandwich I've ever had. The porchetta is juicy, tender, and super flavorful (I saw them add some of the drippings into the sandwich!). The porchetta is seared / roasted briefly before serving, which gives it a wonderful flavor. The onion jam goes SO WELL with this, and balances everything perfectly. The touch of arugula is a nice touch, and the potatoes are excellent as always.
  • ★★★★ Roast Lamb Sandwich -- Salsa verde, aioli, arugula, Acme ciabatta. This sandwich is absolutely delightful. The flavors are really well balanced and the lamb is cooked well. Served with potatoes, which are perfectly crispy.
  • ★★★☆ Custard French Toast -- Poached pears, vanilla mascarpone cream, 1oz pure maple syrup. I love that each individual component is the perfect level of sweet. I only wish that there were a touch more acidity in the dish to balance everything out, but otherwise a delightful dish!
Boudin Noir
Buttermilk Biscuit
Meatball Sandwich
Hot Beef Sandwich
The Plow
Custard French Toast
Porchetta Sandwich (x-section)
Prosciutto + Gruyere Toast
Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
Porchetta Sandwich
Roast Lamb Sandwich
Custard French Toast