Fine Dining Buffet Experience You Must Have In San Francisco

Got an appetite for steak? Lots of it? Got money? Go to Espetus!

If you have the funds and feel famished, you must try Espetus in San Francisco's Hayes Valley. It's a fine dining buffet experience that I've never had before. My wife and I celebrated our anniversary here one year and Espetus is one of the best places we've eaten and it has ambiance, great food, great service, and it's all you can eat! Granted we don't get to eat at expensive restaurants often so saying that doesn't carry too much weight. Nevertheless, I think it's still a wonderful place to go. Did I mention it's all you can eat buffet?

In front of Espetus San Francisco

My lovely wife and I walk in around 8PM on a Saturday night we are greeted by the typical but always a good thing, friendly, smiling hostess. We have a reservation so we don't have to wait very long before we are told our table is ready. This place looks exciting. Nice ambiance, nicely designed and definitely a higher end place to eat. There's another couple who arrive with no reservation. Fearful that the hostess would have to turn them away because the dining area looks full, I am relieved to find they don't have to wait too long, maybe 30 minutes or so, so I feel pretty good about going there on short notice if I ever wanted to return on a future date night with my lady.

Table's ready!

Just behind the hostess podium were a few tables and beyond that was the salad bar. I notice that to the right beyond the bar is an opening that leads to another large dining room. The salad bar, well decorated and with a wide selection of pre-meal appetizers, you can bet that if you're not particular, you can easily fill up with its offerings well before the main eating begins.

So we are led through the first dining area, through the doorway and we get seated at our table and are promptly greeted by our server for the night who is pleasant and polite. A quick survey of the dining area I see waiters walking around with skewers of meat stopping at tables as patrons select what they want to eat and pass on others. This is different and a little exciting.

 

Espetus appetizers

On our table sits a little Espetus version of Bubba Gump's Run Forrest Run, Stop Forrest Stop sign. I get it, green for stop by my table with your goodies, red for I'm eating, don't bother me. Cool. In Bubba Gumps you use the sign to catch the attention of servers for service type needs, here at Espetus, in addition to service, you use the sign to get them to bring food to you.

A little wine, salad, appetizers
See the little Stop-Go sign?

Steaks - All you can eat!

I won't go into all the foods I try but the steaks are very good. All with the exception of the flap steak. It's the bottom part of the sirloin area of the cow and it should stay there. It definitely has a taste I don't care for. Other steaks, however, are excellent. Sirloin steak, Top Sirloin. Both are very tasty. Beef ribs have always been a favorite piece of cow, and Espetus does it well. Being a buffet and all, I make good use of the stop-go sign to keep trying and getting food. 

Meat! Juicy and Delicious

Different Foods

Oooh! What's that? Grilled pineapple on a skewer! Spin the sign to get the waiter to stop at our table NOW! The server cuts me a slice and leaves and it's gone in two bites. Hey! Where'd he go! Come back! There he is coming by again. Thank you! The grilled pineapple is a must have if you come the Espetus.

Grilled Pineapple at Espetus SF

On the stranger side is the chicken hearts. "Why not", I say. Might as well try it once. I try it and my taste buds scream, "Because, they taste nasty!" At least I can say I tried it.

For dessert, a well prepared Petit Gateau (pe-TEE gah-TOO as our server pronounces it) makes its way to our table. It's a chocolate cake with ice cream but with the flash and flare of a fancy restaurant. Yummy!

Dessert - Patit Gateau
Yummy!

Is it worth it?

You bet!

Dessert at Vallejo's The Original Red Onion

Finally did it. I tried one of Karl's homemade desserts at The Original Red Onion in Vallejo. If you haven't been there, it's off of interstate 80 in Vallejo on Springs Road. Vallejo is a bedroom town about 30 minutes outside San Francisco north and east from the City between Benicia/Crockett and American Canyon/Fairfield. I wrote another post about this cool place to eat here.

I had mentioned that I hadn't tried some of the owner's, Karl's, desserts that are made fresh daily I heard. I was finally able to give one a try. Actually I tried two desserts. The Red Velvet Cake and the Dark Henny. Didn't know which to try so ordered two to share with some friends.

Now I've gotta tell you, they were delicious. The cake in the red velvet was smooth and subtle and moist. The cream was mmm scrum-diddly-umptious. The chocolate in the Dark Henny was Wow! I don't know if the Henny is short for something but it doesn't matter.

The Original Red Onion in Vallejo | Dessert Selection

Of the two, the Dark Henny was the winner but I'd still eat the Red Velvet Cake any day of the week. Both are rich in flavor and after a full meal, I can't finish either one, so it works out like getting two desserts for the price of one. One for that moment and one for later on. Although there seems to be a lack of later on because my wife often eats the leftover dessert!

The Original Red Onion in Vallejo | Dark Henny

My wife tried the Dark Henny and after that, I couldn't get the cake away from her. So if you're ever in the Vallejo, Benicia, American Canyon areas in Solano County, and are hungry for some good food and desserts, go to The Original Red Onion. Man they've got some good food!