Atmosphere: 4/5  ♦  Service: 4/5  ♦  Food Quality: 4/5  ♦  Value: 3/5
Times Visited: One  ♦ Will I Return?: Sure

Greens is a staple of bay area vegetarian cuisine located in Fort Mason in SF. It’s been there since the 70s and (per their website) has been an influence in the national prevalence of vegetarian cuisine for the last 30 years. Sweet.

The place is a converted warehouse in the Fort: high ceilings, giant steel trusses (yes, I look at the framing), and huge windows that face the marina and the GG Bridge. From the front it doesn’t look like much (in fact, we almost missed it), but inside it’s a great space.

The menu changes seasonally and is always vegetarian. It’s not vegan, however; they put cheese on nearly everything, which made me happy. I think they’re vegan-flexible, however, and can change things up to suit dietary needs. They use fresh, local produce from a farm in Marin, and though their recipes are simple enough, they are made with culinary expertise that can’t help but show through. Put simply, food is good.

But you get what you pay for (some argue that at Greens you pay for more than you get) and the place ain’t cheap. We ordered an appetizer and meal each (for two of us) and a coffee after and ended up paying $93, including tax and tip. Meals are around $20, so just be prepared for an “upscale” bill when you’re through.

I thought the food was really good. The appetizers weren’t phenomenal, but were yummy, and my “risotto” (it had no cheese, mind you) was really good. And, aside from the large amount of olive oil used, seemed very healthy. Boyfriend’s veggie gratin was good (I liked it better than he did). His complaint was that it was “just a pile of vegetables” — indeed he was correct. But it was covered in cheese and came with yummy potatoes and fresh beans and, while not artery cloggin’-good, was still tasty and healthful.

Plus, you can’t beat the view:

Share this post: on Twitter on Facebook on Google+