Prism Online

Have No Fear, cheap food is here.

by Robert Capps

It's always rough to slide out of bed on an especially harsh Saturday morning; you need food, you need it now, and you need it cheap. A waitress is a must, a wide variety of good ol' American soul food is without question, but if the whole meal including coffee comes to more than $5, you're doomed.

But fear not, there are some establishments in San Francisco that will save your skullÑeven if your Saturday morning is 4 o'clock Tuesday afternoon.

The Tennessee Grill

The Tennessee Grill satisfies the most important restaurant rule with style: it's cheap. They have a breakfast special with three strips of bacon, two hot cakes, and an egg for $2.50, and a burger and fries lunch special for $2.80. If you stick to these you can add a drink and tip, all without going over $5. As a bonus, the food is actually worth eating and they give you plenty. Attractive on the menu, but a slight disappointment, is the 50 cent cup of coffee. Sure it's cheap as hell, but that's what it tastes like-HELL. And it isn't delivered at the high speed rate required by most true caffeine junkies. On a special note, they have the largest and cheapest shake around for $1.50. While the Tennessee lacks atmosphere, the idea of filling up for less as opposed to fixing the exact same food in your kitchen is hard to resist. The Tennessee Grill is located on Taraval between 22nd and 23rd streets, and is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m..

New Taraval Cafe

Located on the corner of 22nd and Taraval, the New Taraval Cafe offers that one Saturday morning necessity that The Tennessee Grill lacks-ambiance. Settling in with a hot cup of significantly better coffee in a sun-drenched window is much easier on the psyche. And if you travel with the early morning fetish restaurant jet-set, well... you're set. Before 11 a.m. they will give you two eggs, two hot cakes, and two bacon or sausage for $1.99. Personally, I don't appreciate the taunt at my alternative lifestyle. The New Taraval Special, offered all day, is two eggs, home fries, sausage, bacon or ham, and a cup of coffee for $3.95. It's all there folks. For lunch, they offer a wide variety of treats such as a $2.25 burger or a $2.50 BLT. Fries for any of these dishes run only 50 cents. One final point of satisfaction from New Taraval is the fact that you can watch them cook the meal and still want to eat it!! Can't beat that. Hours are from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. weekdays and 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekends.

Without Reservations

Without Reservations received so much hype that I thought it would be the pinnacle factor in my reviews-wrong. True, it is open late (7:30 a.m.-2:30 a.m.), but about the only affordable dish is the two eggs, home fries and toast for $3.25. So unless you're a member of the bourgeois suppressors of society and can pay for $6 and $7 meals, you're stuck. And to top it off, the atmosphere is overly clean, unnaturally lit and completely not conducive to a throbbing noggin. So if you're walking on Castro between Market and 18th, just pass it by.

Eddies Cafe

Eddies will help. It's the kind of place where you're referred to by name and "the usual" the second time you go in. Eddies has some nice breakfast specials for around $3.35, but their strong suit is lunch. Hamburgers are $2.40, and almost no lunch special runs over $4.00. There are many places with menus like Eddies, but the ambiance is amazing. A vintage jukebox blasts everything from early Michael Jackson to Frank Sinatra. All coffee mugs are individual, and each is refilled enough times to give even the most experienced drinkers a steady twitch. Eddies is on the corner of Fulton and Divisadero.

Family Restaurant

Unfortunately for Eddie, just up Divisadero past McAllister is the best deal-Family Restaurant. As far as price for quantity, Family is the undisputed king. A full chicken fried steak dinner, complete with soup, rice or mashed potatoes, bread, and hot vegetables is $3.75. Sure I've had better tasting food, but MY GOD MAN! The only thing on the entire menu that is over $5 is a New York cut steak for $5.50. One special of the day was a roast duck for $3.75. Ok, there is no heat, and I wouldn't advise touching the walls in the bathroom, but a hamburger with fries is $1.75. A little small, but you can get two for less than $5. So if you have a strong stomach and you want it filled, I just don't see how you can beat the Family Restaurant. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and they are closed on Sunday.

Denny's-Japan Town

Sinister. Thoroughly abusing the Denny's title, this restaurant has nothing but appetizers that are affordable. I don't care how late it is, the service, ambiance, food, and karma of the place should be listed in The Book of Revelations as the Eighth Sign.

New Dawn

This place is so nurturing to the ailing mind it should be in the New England Journal of Medicine. The super deal here is a monster bowl of oatmeal and a biscuit for $2. Want a fresh cup of coffee? Just head over to the Jesus statue sporting pom-poms and fill yourself a mug. An early bird breakfast special of two eggs, two pancakes, sausage and home fries is $3.75-all day! Breakfast is the only meal that really fits in the price range, but the general feel of the place is overwhelming. It's jammed full of Playskool toys, statuettes, crayon murals, and oddities from around the globe. One of the best features is that you can choose a seat in front near the windows or to the shadowy back. This lets you choose the lighting level that best fits your condition. It also has a complete affordable veggie menu, and mystery specials such as "chicken shit." It is open from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and is located on 16th St. between Guerrero and Valencia.

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