Brenda's French Soul Food

Kitty and Ducky
Brenda's French Soul Food
652 Polk Street
San Francisco, CA 94102

(415)345-8100
Brenda's @ The Civic/Tenderloin SF

Best advice when eating here for weekend brunch: COME EARLY (or bring something that will occupy you for about an hour). The line is just out the door with this place and even after its renovations. Ducky and I didn't mind the wait and once we got ourselves seated we wasted no time ordering the most famous thing that drew us here in the first place: the beignets. Of course there were other things that caught our eyes too.

Watermelon Sweet Tea

[$2.75]

To my pleasant surprise this was not too sweet, and I could really taste the essence of watermelon! None of that artificial jolly rancher flavor, but actual watermelon. Plus there are unlimited refills, so it's definitely worth the money! -Kitty [4/5]

Crawfish Beignets

[$8]

Word of caution: They are hot little suckers that just came out of the kitchen and watch out not to inhale the cayenne pepper that's sprinkled on top or else you'll end up with a coughing fit. Cutting open this morsel revealed ooey gooey goodness, packed plentiful of crawfish and cheddar cheese. Despite its small size it's a very dense appetizer, so savory and so filling. This is an absolute must on the order list! -Kitty [4.5/5] 

Banana Foster French Toast

[~$12]

I thought it was a hefty price for french toast but then again I got six delicious slabs of incredible diabetes. The butter cream that came with it was light and heavenly especially when spread on the toast with the syrup and caramelized bananas. I was really satisfied and utterly defeated, only denting it by 3 slices. But even as leftovers these toasts kept their excellent flavor the next morning. -Kitty [3.5/5]

Croque Monsieur

[$9]

Croque Monsieur is exactly what it looks like.  Fried cheese ontop of a ham sandwich with some pickled apple and french fries.  The cheese was gruyere and slightly salty, but not too strong in odor.  The first couple of bites were good, but the cheese is quite heavy and will eventually overpower the rest of the dish.  I would not get it again, but it is worth getting at least once.  Just do not order as much as we did or you will have to take half of it home.  -Ducky [3/5]

Overall Score: [4/5]  Good place for brunch and southern style foods.  They even have fried chicken!