Dottie's True Blue Cafe

I don't think I've ever had a better breakfast...EVER, even with a 1/2 hour wait on a Thursday morning at 9:30am.

I had the True Blue plate for $9.95 - 2 eggs over easy (the hens must've just laid them), mild Italian Sausage (Italian?

I'm a breakfast lover. I could probably eat breakfast foods all three meals, every day. But this? This tops all I've ever eaten. Totally worth the wait.

Black plum crumb cake. Whole wheat pancake, cinnamon and Ginger. Chorizo scramble,

Like a healthy helping of grease in your morning diner cuisine? You've lucked out. Follow the line of people waiting around the corner to the bold blue awning. Should you find the luck gods on your side, walk right in, and you'll be

Pros: The most delicious specials menu known to man

Cons: Wait is usually over an hour, no matter what day or time

I saw this place on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and when it was time to go to SF on vacation, this place was a must. We did wait about an hour and the place is very small but it was worth every minute. I think it was the best breakfast I

Pros: Amazing breakfast

Cons: Not many tables

The food is not as great as many reviews out there claimed. But the restaurant is worth a try, if you don't have to wait more than 20 minutes. If you have to wait an hour or two to get in, it's really not worth your time & money, because

Pros: cozy, clean, & friendly service

Cons: always a line, even before restaurant opens

The food is here is worth waiting for. The service is kinda slow because of the many people eating there. Overall it is a good restaurant.

My husband and I went here this morning and we arrived at 731 and there was already a 30 min wait. There was only about 10 tables for 2-4 people each. I had french toast that was good. My husband had the blue plate special. He was not

Thought we'd lucked out as we approached and saw no line, but alas, the Food Network and star Guy Fiery were there to film an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. We were promised we would be let in at 11:30 but needed to eat breakfast

Had to stand in line for about 30 minutes. But the wait was well worth it!! Got a chance to sit at the bar and interact with the cook?all the staff were extremely helpful, attentive and offered their own personal suggestions from the

Pros: Great food great service

Cons: The wait in line

Worth the 50 min line up- it was a Saturday morning. Very busy. Once you get in there the service is fast- like super fast. The staff are super friendly and work so well in such a tight space. I recommend eating at the bar- watch the cook

Pros: food, service, staff, decore, music

Cons: line up- but it's worth it.

We arrived around 9:00 am on a Thursday and waited about 30 minutes for seats at the counter--a table would have been another 20 minutes or so. We picked up a couple sections of newspaper by the front door before we sat down, which helped

Pros: The food!

Cons: No backs on the counter stools

Dottie's was one of our favorite food stops in NorCal. We had a 45 minute wait on a Tuessday morning, and the food was totally worth the wait. When we first got in, it was not what we expected. It was very small, and the printed menu

Pros: Fabulously unique recipes, high quality food, fun experience

Cons: Location, ambience, long wait

We were so impressed by this place! Although the line was around the block, we got through it relatively quickly, thanks to the speedy service. The food was excellent (try the blueberry cornmeal pancakes, cranberry oatmeal scone, any of

Pros: YUMMY food, great service - worth the wait!

Cons: A little bit of a wait, but they're very efficient at getting everyone in.

Simply put, this was hands-down the best breakfast I've had in years. A combination of sitting at the counter, actually watching the chef put together the whiskey-fennel sausage, mushroom and baby spinach scramble while unflappingly

Pros: Fabulous food, friendly clientele and staff, great ambiance.

Cons: None but the wait, if you can really count that as a con.

I've eaten here twice, and while my only crib with the great food is the lack of a gravy to serve with their biscuits, there's lots to annoy one. The place is tiny, yet they waste two seats by giving couples four-seat tables. The servers

Pros: Tasty food, esp the meats and scones

Cons: The line, the service, the setup

Dottie's serves the best breakfast ever. Everything was fresh. The fruit was just perfectly ripe and sweet. The italian sausage was the best i've ever had in my life. The french toast was amazing. The pancakes and biscuits -- perfect!

Pros: food, service

Cons: line

Screen sirens of the past meet you when you walk in the front doorof this Tenderloin cafe, if you can squeeze in that is. A constant crowd fills the entry way waiting for one of the 9 tables or 4 counter seats to open up. But no worries

Pros: Great food, quirky decor & fast service (once your seated)

Cons: long wait, cramped

Dottie's True Blue is located in the Tenderloin area of San Fran. The number of street people and police presence in the 'loin may give some tourists an uneasy feeling. We were tourists and I actually felt the need to move our car to a

Pros: the food

Cons: the location & the wait

It's overpriced and overhyped. A 10oz OJ for $3.50 and it's not even freshly squeezed even though the menu says it is. Not bad overall but not worth the wait. Why the long lines? Cuz the busboys and waitresses work too slowly.\r

DELICIOUS!!! That sums it up! From the awesome omelettes to the fresh bread, the food here is just what the doctor ordered when you need that "morning after" breakfast to recover from the night before! The only drawback is the wait. If

Pros: Delicious, fresh food, numerous options

Cons: long lines

I don't know why everyone is so ga ga about this place and so willing to wait in line for nearly an hour just to be stared at by the new line-waiters drooling over your every mouth full. Honestly, it's just a small regular american

Pros: decent ingredients

Cons: line too ling, food under-cooked, priced too high

This breakfast/brunch/lunch nook is a hidden gem on the outskirts of the San Francisco Tenderloin neighborhood, just a few blocks from Union Square. The menu is diverse and substantial, and should have something for just about everyone.

Pros: Diverse menu, daily specials, homemade breads

Cons: The wait

I was visiting from Denver and my CA friends insisted we go to Dotties for breakfast. There was a fairly long wait, during which I was able to witness a van driving SF cop giving wake up calls to a line of a d d i c t s. Anyway, the

Pros: awesome food

Cons: long wait time

DOTTIE'S never fails to win over the crowds. I have been going to watch Kurt cook and eat his fabulous eats for years. I'm a counter girl - the show is great. Watching Kurt (the owner) cook is like a beautifully choreographed scene -

Pros: GREAT FOOD, FUNKY FUN, PRICE IS RIGHT

Cons: TIRED FEET

My husband and I consider ourselves breakfast connoisseurs, and we both agree - Dottie's is the best breakfast place we have ever been to! The cafe was small and cozy, the people who worked there very friendly, the prices reasonable

Pros: food, prices, service

Cons: long wait on weekend

If you are looking for a cozy place with great service to begin your day in SF, this is the place to be. Being a first time visitor, I relied on CitySearch's recommendation and walked to this spot. I was there around 9 and was promptly

Pros: atmosphere, service, price

Cons: may be long wait

I passed by Dotties on a Sunday morning and saw the lines wrap around the block, so I had to try it out (on a wednesday morning of course.) The food lived up to the hype, their french toast was amazing, and their pancakes were good. The

Pros: Pancakes, French toast, sausage

Cons: Long Wait, Price

Great place with character, great service and delicious food. Get there early and enjoy!! (I had an omelette which was amazing)!

Pros: breakfast

Cons: wait

We went there twice on our recent trip to San Francisco. We were treated to attentive service, quality food and a fun experience. We waited one hour on one visit but soon forgot the wait when we sunk our teath into the scrumptous

Pros: Excellent value, baked goods, good service

Cons: Long lines, tight space

Visited while my parents were visiting and staying just off Union Square. We ate there twice for breakfast, each time leaving very satisfied. I had both a special, chocolate-chip & coconut french toast with pecans, and a pancake (one is

Pros: Excellent Food, Great Specials

Cons: Small Place, Limited Kitchen Size

I lived in SF 30 years ago 5 blocks away. Dottie's is hands down the best breakfast on the west coast. In the midst of the Saturday morning rush, Louise served us as if we were the only couple she had. Yes, it's a hole in the wall.

Pros: price, pastry, menu

We stood in line breathing stink for about a good 45 minutes. But in the end, it was worth the wait because the food was very worth it. Don't forget to start off with one of their great homemade pastries - their scones are GREAT! The food

Pros: Food specials, Ambience

Cons: Smelly neighborhood, Long line: 45 min avg

Amazing..everything. You can't say that about most breakfast/brunch places. There is a line, but it is well worth the wait.

Highly recommend eating a bite of the daily cinnamon roll (coffee cake was out by the time we arrived) and the

Pros: value, quality

After a much anticipated wait, I found the service to be absolutely horrible. They burned the pancakes, then told us that's how they're "supposed" to be (even though the table next to us had a nice stack of the same type of pancakes). We

Pros: Inexpensive

Cons: bad service, over crowded, inconsistent food

I absolutely love Dottie's. Great atmosphere, yummy food, and the best coffee around. With all that said however, I just can't justify spending an hour of my Sunday waiting in line for breakfast. If you can wait until brunch, go there

NO TRIP TO SAN FRANCISCO IS COMPLETE UNTIL YOU FINISH YOUR STAY WITH BREAKFAST AT DOTTIES. THANKS

This joint is typically packed but I was able to slip in today at 1:30pm with no line. Sat at the counter and grabbed a chipotle chicken omelette with spinach and tomato, huge and delicious! Coffee was excellent as was the homemade

Pros: Solid Breakfast, Homemade baked goods

Cons: , Typically a long line

My true blue favorite! Can't go wrong with this place...never disappoints. True, the wait can be long, cramped space.....but the excellent food and pleasant service more than makes up for the cons. Highly recommend.

Pros: da food, da service, da specials

Cons: , cramped space inside

Dottie's is one of the very best straight-ahead breakfast joints in San Francisco. If you like your eggs, waffles, cornbread (highly reommended), pancakes, etc., this is more than a few steps above the standard fare. Not fancy or

Pros: Delicious, Comfortable

Cons: , Long wait, Neighborhood issues

Dottie's has amazing food. If you can withstand the hour long wait, outside, in the cold, in the heart of the tenderloin; a fabulous breakfast complete with home baked breads and fresh squeezed juices will surely await you. However, so

Pros: great food

Cons: , long wait, no parking

Get there early or you will have to wait. It is well worth the wait but by being there by 8:45 on a Sunday morning, our wait was only 20mins. The food was simply the best we have ever had. We both had egg dishes off the specials board.

Pros: fabulous food, charming, very well priced