Eating at Mama’s on Washington Square (with Bonus Focaccia)

The last time we were in San Francisco we decided to visit Mama’s on Washington Square – a restaurant known for their breakfasts. It was a rainy January day and yet there was a line to get in. We ended up waiting for 1.5 hours in the rain…and it was totally worth it. Mama’s was delicious!

Flash forward to our current trip and we decide to go to Mama’s again. We resolve to get up early to beat the crowds but…we’re on vacation! So we sleep in. By the time we get to Mama’s the line is huge and this time we wait for two hours. In the sun. And yet again…it’s totally worth it.

Now at Mama’s you order at the counter. So once you’ve waited outside for an eternity you’re allowed in so you can wait in line inside (although for a much short period of time). While in line you are tempted by these treats.

But two hours makes one extra hungry so it’s best to resist and order off the menu. On this trip my sister went for sweet while I went for savory. Her dish was Swedish Cinnamon French Toast.

I had this on our last trip and I can attest that it is scrumptious! I went for the Northern Italian Omelet – filled with pancetta, basil, tomatoes, mushrooms and garlic cheese.

So, so good. I know you may think I’m crazy but it’s totally worth the wait. Plus, if we hadn’t waited so long we would have missed this gem.

The Liguria Bakery is across the street from Mama’s. While we were in line we noticed a ton of people exiting with mysterious white packages. I decided to investigate and found this.

A bare bones shop with one menu item – focaccia. I figured if they had this much business it must be good so I grabbed a couple of flavors – pizza and roasted garlic and rosemary. When I brought them back to the line my sister was so intrigued she had to go herself…and came back with a loaf of plain…which we demolished while waiting in line. It was incredible! I don’t normally care for focaccia bread but this was out of this world! And I’m just taking about the plain.

The pizza was topped with a delicious homemade red sauce and the roasted garlic and rosemary. Wowwowwow! Just look at it!