Universal Cafe

• Cuisine(s): American, Brunch, California, New American
  Hours: Wed-Thu 11:30am-9:30pm, Sun 9am-9:30pm, Fri 11:30am-10:30pm, Sat 9am-10:30pm, Tue 5:30pm-9:30pm, Tue 11:30am-2:30pm
  Price: $$$, $$$$
  Payment Types: MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Diners Club, cash
• Attire: casual
  Features: Patio/Sidewalk Dining, Takeout, Private Party, Wheelchair Accessible
  Serving: Breakfast, Brunch, Dinner, Lunch
  Alcohol: Beer/Wine
• Reservations: Accepted
  Parking: Street

Description

There's something very clean about Universal Cafe, located in the part of the Mission where Potrero exerts a gravitational pull. Despite the industrial accents and workmanlike open kitchen, it's a warm clean, a Shaker clean, full of light and space and tradition. Its seasonal, carefully cooked fare is pure California - dishes like grilled flatbreads with bacon and arugula pesto, hand-cut pasta with leeks and ricotta, and grilled hanger steak with Meyer lemon butter. Brunch is even more buzzy than dinner, a long meal starting with coffee and housemade doughnuts (whatever they are, you should probably get them) and segueing into sandwiches and chorizo hash.