Francesco's, Oakland, California, American Restaurant Details

Food:

AWFUL! Seriously, Go to Denny's! Within walking distance, so I decided to disregard the poor reviews in favor of convenience. Don't make that same mistake!! Worst Italian (or any meal, honestly) I've ever had, at twice the asking price, to boot! From the bread & salad to the pasta and service... not a single bright spot.

Food:

First time I went there was in 1974 to a California trucking associations meeting. It was great food then and great food now.

Food:

The only good thing about our meal was the sourdough baguette.

The ravioli was grey (Seriously. Grey!), slimy, overcooked, bland, and disintegrated upon contact with the fork. The meat sauce that topped it was decent, but couldn't stick to the pasta. The spaghetti and meatballs was disappointing. The tortellini in cream sauce was awful. The tortellini was cooked like the ravioli, and the cream sauce was canned. Alfredo sauce is so easy to make, why not do something so simple and make it from scratch rather than use jarred sauce.

None of the pasta that we had was done right. The water it was cooked in was not salted and it makes a world of difference, if you do that one simple thing.

The eggplant parmigiana ($17!) was so utterly disappointing, I could hardly choke it down. They cut a thick slice of eggplant and under-boiled it (again, in unsalted water) before topping it with a cheese crust that they cooked on the griddle before smothering it with overly salty tomatoes. The waitress offered to top my meal with cheese; it was powdered Kraft cheese. That is not eggplant parmigiana. It's supposed to be thinly sliced, breaded with seasoned breadcrumbs, fried, topped with gooey cheese, and broiled before being topped with marinara. It's supposed to be buttery (the eggplant), soft, crunchy, gooey, and tasty; not crunchy (the eggplant), bland, tasteless, slimy, and wet.

My boys had the grilled cheese. $9 per plate, for what: a mini salad that was made from cheap iceberg lettuce (you know those pre-mixed bags that cost $3 for a pillow-sized bag at Costco), $0.99 bread, and Kraft Singles "cheese", and, again, unsalted fries. The fries would have been fine if they'd salted them after they got out of the fryer. For $9, I expect much higher quality products. Maybe a couple thick slices of sourdough with real cheese and a spring mix for a salad might have justified the cost.

I liked the Christmas decor and the 4' singing/dancing Santa entertained my boys while we waited way too long for our table. When my waitress refilled my water, she unsanitarily grabbed my glass from the top rim, where I put my mouth, rather than coming in from the side. Ew! I did not drink anything after that.

I've never had a meal that was simultaneously so bland and so salty at the same time. We spent over $100 (there were 7 of us eating) and it was awful, awful, AWFUL! For the price you pay, I expected the quality and taste of food to be worth it. I wish we'd gone to Denny's or Carrow's (both just down the street) where at least you know what to expect and the prices are way more reasonable.

I honestly don't know why this place is in business. It is gross and WAY overpriced.

Food:

They have the best pot roast in the Bay Area. You can ask for a side of ravioli, spaghetti, salad, or vegetables. It's usually too much for me so I share it. The service is very good. They'll give you great sour dough bread and butter while you wait. Beer, wine, and spirits are also available.

Food:

A very charming, old school Italian restaurant. Seriously, this place would be totally at home as the set for a mobster movie. The service was quick and a little no-nonsense if not friendly. Then again, I did sit in the lounge. I had the ravioli, which I could tell had been made in house. It was really fantastic. A little spendy, but hey, you are in the bay. I will definitely be back here. As a rather old school guy myself, I consider this place prime material for a first date dinner.