Cafe Que Tal
Categories: Coffee & Tea, Bagels [Edit]
Neighborhood: Mission1005 Guerrero Street
(between 22nd St & Alvarado St)
San Francisco, CA 94110 (415) 282-8855
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: No
- Parking: Street
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Wi-Fi: Free
227 reviews
Neighborhood: Cole Valley
"Sorry, Gil, but I love this place. It's got your San Francisco-crepery essentials: chalkboard menus, savory and sweet crepes, woodsy…" read more »
66 Reviews for Cafe Que Tal
Cafe Que Tal is where you go to write your thesis .. or the great American novel ... or just use the wireless to yelp more or update your blog.
I write in my journal here on a near-daily basis. Yea, you gotta find the table that doesn't wobble - a perk for getting there early. And the seats by the window rule. But this is community.
The food is really good, too - especially the soups. They don't disappoint.
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This has become my go to spot for breakfast on my way to class at the Mission Campus. Iced coffee with a toasted bagel with cream cheese.
The coffee is slightly strong and very flavorful. Great for iced coffee.
The bagels are hit or miss. They don't make them in-house. On Monday's I see a big brown sack full of bagels. They transfer them from the brown bag to the glass jars on the shelf. So on Monday's, they are soft and great. Later in the week they can be a little tough and stale.
The place is simple and cute. And free wifi. and the rest of their pretty large menu looks goooooood. Must go back for more than just iced coffee and bagels one day.
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Cozy, comfy, laid back = yay!
Yummy , big, not needing of sugar b/c so good, decaf capuccino = yay!
Reasons to come to Que Tal include its better-than-average offerings of food options, including what's almost always delicious homemade soup. If you're working it sure beats most cafes' selections of second-rate muffins. Also the chai is better than most and from a small local supplier.
BUT you cannot count on staff to boot out the space-hogging laptop folk on the weekends, so when locals come in for a sweet morning coffee there is no place to sit. Also I have seen the owner handle food with her bare hands without washing them first more times than I can count. She'll pull up in her car and load in a bunch of food, like pastries and bagels. So how many things has she touched, including the inner and outer surfaces of her car, before putting the bagels in a glass jar? Eww.
There is a consistency issue with the music. Just as soon as you've decided it's a mellow place to get work done without music blaring you're proven wrong. I like the variety Que Tal offers--the selection is all over the map--but often it's entirely too loud, like the bluegrass the last time I was there. Another eww.
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I promised myself to write more Yelp reviews.
Que Tal is not a lousy place. Based on below recommendations I had the Veggie Melt which was quickly made and absolutely delicious. Their coffe, unfortunately, is weak. I had both the Mexican Mocha and a cup of the house I was still not buzzing. The staff is extremely friendly, but the place also closes at 7:00 pm. Not totally ideal for my habits.
Though I've been in the mission for awhile, I recently moved to a house where I'm more or less equidistant from both Ritual and Cafe Que Tal. Was working from home today for once and really didn't feel like doing the Ritual...scene. Que Tal didn't disappoint.
Tasty veggie melt as other yelpers have noted, lots of tea and coffee options and one of my favorite things ever: excellent natural light. A bit early for the five starts perhaps but I was enjoying the free wifi so much I had to yelp a little.
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Great neighborhood cafe with a very comfortable atmosphere. Good menu, I usually get the tuna melt, the fruit salad with granola & yogurt, or a Mexican Mocha.
The woman that owns the place is super nice. She always brings in an abundance of fresh flowers into the cafe and she promotes local artists by placing their work there. Go show her some LUV!
So I up'ed one star because I fell in love with their veggie melt!
Their soups are awesome too!
...
still dreaming of the veggie melt!
Veggie melt... Drool... slurp!
btw... I've given up coffee.
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1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/03/2007
I wasn't "wow-ed".
Que-tal is not in my neighborhood and I don't drink coffee very often.
When I did… Read more »
Que Tal is a great local spot to work, read the paper, and have a bomb-diggity Mexican Hot Chocolate. Blended hot and smooth for your tasting pleasure, these concoctions made me gain about 10 pounds when I first moved to the area because I was having one per day. Oops!
Now that things are a little under control, I enjoy many things that Que Tal offers - the high speed internet access, the sandwich melts, and the ambiance.
I do wish that there was more light, the food was a little cheaper, and they took credit card...
Cozy and inviting.
I stopped by to kill some time before having a pedi next door.
I like the neighborhood feel of this place. Service was friendly and I was able to unwind a bit with my book and a small pot of jasmine green tea. I didn't try any of the menu offerings, but the sandwiches and bagels being served look yummy. A few people were hanging out with their laptops and others were coming in after a morning run at nearby Dolores Park. Lots of space and a warm atmosphere. . .
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A few reasons to love Que Tal:
1. Free wireless (yes, pathetic how rare this commodity is in SF)
2. At any given time there are at least 50% less people than at Ritual
3. They still believe in service with a smile
4. Good, hearty, simple cafe food
5. NY Times and SF Chronicle
And one not to:
CASH ONLY
This is easily my favorite coffee in the city. I consider myself a coffee connoisseur, I am not easily impressed by coffee and, obviously, I boycott starbucks. I walk eight blocks out of my way to go to Que Tal for coffee.
While I will not compliment their speed, I am not sure I approve of the entire world being in a perpetual hurry either so I don't mind waiting the extra few minutes. In addition to their coffee, their wheat bagels with hummus are spectacular.
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I love Que Tal because they have great breakfast and lunch food, it's light and sunny, there's free wireless, friendly staff (Andy is my favorite), and good vibes all around. They have delicious vegan soups of the day most of the time and their veggie sandwich is delish. Great place to sit with your computer for an afternoon.
Two words:
Mexican Mocha.
One word:
Yum.
Nuf said.
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I came here to sit down with a test prep guide, but found that I couldn't really concentrate. Though several people were working on their laptops, the music was a little too "bumpy" for me to get intense studying done.
The prices are also a little steep for what you get. I ordered a 8 fl oz. iced tea, plain tea bag with ice, and it was $2.25. Nevertheless, Que Tal would be PERFECT for dates. Clean tables, nice art (I loved the painted parrot on the ceiling!), and friendly servicers are what would make me return for a special occasion. I stayed for an hour, and no one minded enough to kick me out. Great cafe; though I wouldn't return for a study session, I'm sure others would find Que Tal perfect.
I was pleasantly surprised at this cafe. Despite there usually being a moderate amount of people, I haven't noticed it get too loud, as most people seemed entrenched in reading, working, or studying. I have also noticed a few families in there, a sure sign that the Cafe is patronized by a wide range of people - which is always good.
So far the drinks have been good and the food has been really tasty. I have enjoyed their bagels and my dining companion always likes their coffee cake. I like their semi-large selection of food and drink, which I truly look forward to trying in depth in the near future.
We have also used their Wi-Fi, which is very convenient. My only real complaint is that there doesn't seem to be enough outlets to plug in to.
The staff have always been really friendly to us, which is always a plus considering there are other cafes in the neighborhood which are known for their snooty employees AND customers. Que Tal is more relaxed and easy going.
Don't forget to take a peek at the rotating local art that adorns the walls.
Check out: the coffee, coffee cake, friendly staff, free wi-fi.
Make sure to: have the battery fully charged on your laptop!
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The coffee, I'm told, is decent if not spectacular. Good foam on the steamed milk. Middling tea selection. It's never terribly crowded on the weekend and near my house. Very relaxing compared to the mob scene at a particular Mission coffeehouse. Love the bagels in the a.m. Good quiet place to meet a potential date. It's conveniently located next to Blush for those last minute pedicures.
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When I try to remember what the coffee here tastes like, I can't think of it. It must be because every time I feel like going to Que Tal, I'm in a tea mood. I think it's because there's a certain zen quality to the sunlight that permeates the space during most hours of the day. It's the anti-thesis of Ritual and less cave-like than Mission Creek, though equally tranquil. If they're not playing New Age yoga music, then it's something equally laid back, like Miles or Coltrane. I'm into it. Namaste.
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Came by here today to do some work and use the internet. The place was cute and seemed really friendly. I had an Italian soda and it was great, refreshing, albeit a little small. The service was a little iffy though, I stood around a good couple minutes before anyone addressed me to take my order.
A very nice place to work and chill out. Good tea selection (although tea snobs will be disappointed by the reliance on bagged teas, rather than loose leaves). The soup I had was great - veggie puree. I'm salivating, just thinking about it.
Free wi-fi, nice vibe... what's not to like?
Had a breakfast meeting here this morning. It's a cute neighbourhood coffee house that serves light breakfst and lunch items and has free wifi. Had the coffee---nice and strong---just how i like it, and the small granola , fruit and yoghurt ($5.50). It was a good sized and filling portion, can't imagine what the large looks like. We hung out there for a couple hours working and they are defiently cool with that...great place to have some great coffee, a light snack and surf the net.
Que Tal is the anti-Ritual. It's a relaxing, friendly place, in contrast to the crowds and unrelenting hipsterism of its Valencia street competitor. These days I find myself there much more often despite the fact that is so obviously not "du jour". But sometimes you really want the mellow hippie cafe of San Francisco's past - rather than the anxious edginess of San Francisco's today.
They have good coffee, smiley service, and relaxing (yet stimulating) music to get all caffeinated to. Usually it's a steady, rhythmic jazz or classical - but sometimes it's country, sometimes it's "world", and sometimes even rock and roll.
The food is pretty good too - the bagels are superb (with generous amounts of cream cheese!) and I've also had good luck with the salads and the granola/yogurt bowl.
When all the skinny, damaged kids at Ritual grow up and slow down, they'll start hanging out in places like Que Tal. Perfect for the aging hipster!
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Weakest Chai I've ever had. You know it must've been bad if I have to rate the strength of a TEA DRINK. Also, that artwork is terrible. I can paint better than that & I have the fine motor skills of an 8 year old.
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Clean, happy, neighborhood cafe with lots of plants, pastels, and room to sit for a while on the laptop. Yeah for free wifi.
Coffee is OK (not bad, not great), scones, bagel sandwiches good.
They have lots of plants and flowers (i LOVE greenery), tranquil water fountains and soothing jazz playing in the background. Seems to fit with all the yoga studios around.
Outdoor seating is a bench on the sidewalk.
3/5 coffee
5/5 atmosphere
4/5 service
3/5 food
4/5 value
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Nothing amazing, nothing distracting -- that's why I like it.
I have a little study-group that I get together with several times a week, and we take it to many different places, but Que Tal is the default. It has the perfect atmosphere for studying -- good light, not too noisy, o.k. coffee, o.k. tea, comfortable seats, and free wifi.
This is the comfortable-sweater of cafes.
Que Tal is great! I live closer to Ritual but I totally prefer Que Tal's mellow, welcoming, warm vibe first thing in the morning. I haven't been here in a while and since I skipped swimming this morning I had the opportunity to just roll out of bed and wander over for my sunday cuppa joe. I used to spend a lot more time here before my neighbor kindly started sharing their wifi =)
Today I was reminded of all of the good things I've been missing out on. Que Tal has a great mix of people including young, old, hip, not-so-hip, single, couples, and families. But as Vikram A. mentioned the seating here fills up quick with single laptop goers taking up two person tables. I've been this person so I'm not complaining - just acknowledging that it's a popular place and you can't always get a table. However, if you do and you're hungry, then try some of my favorites:
- Bagels (mmm...cream cheese and lox)
- Mexican Mocha (very rich - it's a nice treat and it's my sister Dominique's favorite and she's visiting soon, yay!)
- Breakfast sandwich bagel if you're sharing, hung over, or have an appetite!
- Soup - they make some very good vegan soups!
- Coffee - eh, not as great as ritual's coffee of course, but it's still a nice cup of coffee.
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Que tal? It's goin fine, thanks. Except the bread is just too peppery, takes away from tasting the turkey melt inside. Great stop for a coffee or italian soda after getting a fabulous haircut at Hair Candy Salon around the corner.
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I like that this place is seldom busy, making it a great alternative for when Ritual is packed up. My main problem is that they don't have much seating available. They have a lot of small two person tables, and there's often that unspoken rule that even if only a single person is at the table, then the table is filled up.
As for the offerings there, their yogurt parfait is pretty good.
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bright and sunny. good breakfast bagel sandwiches. The lady in the back does something mystical to the scrambled eggs which go into said breakfast bagels. Service unpredictable. Sometimes normal speed, sometimes slow, sometimes super duper slow. Always friendly. Coffee beans are standard-issue Mr. Espresso. But they never mess my shit up and I never get those pesky grounds in the bottom of my cup, which drive me NUTS. Also I recently tried a salad here and it was pretty good.
I love coming here during the weekend morning for a tea, bagel and people watching.
They have a big menu filled with deliciousness - the Que Tal bagel with egg and ham, yogurt with fruit is super fresh and I love that they have a zillion selection of tea, many of them organic.
The atmosphere is casual and friendly. You'll find families with little ones especially during the mornings. It feels very international and tropical with the interior painted with palm trees and pictures from south america. There are a bunch of tables for 2 and a lot of people come here solo with their laptops or books as well.
Good food selection, decent prices and friendly service. I can't wait to come back next weekend.
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Que Tal is my neighborhood spot for coffee, bagels, and occasionally lunch. The people who work there are incredibly kind. Coffee is good and the food is appetizing in terms of coffee shop basics, some decent salads, and a few sandwich choices. They offer free WiFi and don't seem to mind if you hang for a few hours freeloading. If you're in the neighborhood, stop by. Stop by Que Tal, that is, not my place. You're not welcome at my place, freeloader.
I dropped into Que Tal today on my way to the park for lunch and was very pleased by the menu and presentation of food for this casual cafe. There were around 35-50 varieties of tea, organic homemade soup (DELICIOUS!), fresh bread & wonderful fresh salads. The prices are also very reasonable--only $3 for a cup of soup & bread and $4 / bowl of soup & bread. YUM!
Frequently overcrowded and has limited, uncomfortable seating. The food is below average. The bagels are small and usually not fresh. I can't speak for their coffee, but the tea is, well, just tea. The only problem is that you will literally pay ten times the price for it that you otherwise would in the supermarket. Everything at Que Tal is disgustingly overpriced, and this from a former New Yorker.
The worst part about this place, however, is the service. It is super slow - the slowest I have seen since moving to San Francisco. Maybe this is a natural bi-product of the hipster "I don't care, I will do things on my own terms and at my own pace" attitude. Maybe it's just an unfortunate coincidence. Either way, I will never eat here again.
I really get it. I get what this place is trying to be. A coffee shop with sandwiches and salads and pastries with art on the walls and internet access. But after frequenting many coffee shops in my lifetime, this one is one of the shabbier ones that skimps on the quality to save a buck.
My half caff was lukewarm when I got it because the barista counter woman left it sitting on the counter for a good 5 minutes until she decided to call it out to me. The tuna melt with salad I ordered was the skimpiest spread of tuna I have ever encountered. Tuna is not really that expensive when it comes to an almost $7 sandwich, close to $9 with the salad. The seeded bread was the highlight of the meal, toasted, nutty, good bread. Not bad greens, though the dressing lacked a lot of flavor and was unbalanced bearing too much oil and not enough of other seasonings.
I probably won't go back, even though this is the cheapest place out of at least 3 other restaurants on that corner, trust me, splurge on somewhere else.
I learn many U-F-C things from Lonely Planet's Spanish phrasebook. Such as:
"No debes venir mucho por aqui porque me habria fijado en ti antes."
(You mustn't come here much, because I would have noticed you sooner.)
"Oye rico, por que no te vas a tomar por el culo."
(Listen, why don't you go and get f*cked.)
When I saw "Que Tal," I immediately thought (Awesome coffee shop stumbling distance from my apartment with great vibe, good coffee, large selection of teas, and DSL). But as it turns out, it means "How are you?"
Which is perfect actually since "Cafe How Are You" is all neighborhood-y and friendly like. Like Cafe Que Tal.
"Que Guay!" (How cool!)
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Que tal!
How to make the best turkey melt in the world:
-one multi-seed roll (toasted, and make sure it has fennel seeds on it, oh yeah)
- a tad of mayo
-provolone (melted)
-mixed greens
-marinated red pepper
-tomato
-tasty turkey
wrap it in white deli paper, throw it in a bag (with napkin), and yer good to go
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Que tal is my favorite Mission cafe. You don't have the showy pretention of Ritual, and the coffee is 100% reliable. Plus, the staff is really warm and friendly and the bagels are delish. Where do they get those bagels, by the way?
Oh, and the soup? SO GOOD and good value, and made fresh in-house always. Yum.
I like this place - a good selection of teas and some basic food offerings (fruit, granola & yogurt; bagels w/ hummus, etc.) along w/ above-average coffee (which is always SCALDING hot). As other Yelpers have pointed out, tho, there does seem to be a lack of seating (small tables stay occupied by laptop folks and book-readers), but I guess if the place is popular that's a good sign.
Close to Delores Park, so if there's nowhere to sit, you can take it to go.
How can I have missed Que Tal? Damn dude.
Ok, so here is the deal... When I was a teenager I was a suburban punk kid right? Well, right at the height of my punk days was when Starbucks first location was moving into my hometown of Stockton, CA.
So I would roll by in my Mom's mini-van and scream at the patrons of the Starbucks that they were contributing to the corporate ownership of EVERYTHING and then speeding away.
So needless to say there is still a big piece of me that loves the small indie coffee house. I like that the same people are here every day and that one of them is the owner. I like that people seem to enjoy working here and being here and that it isn't just a filling station for caffeine junkies. In general this is the perfect neighborhood hang out spot. Just grab a paper and lounge around this place for an hour on a Sunday.... it is perfect.
Only reason that I am docking a star is that it takes forever to get a bagel toasted with cream cheese, I know that efficiency isn't the end all be all goal for this joint but... holy jebus! it seems like those bagels take 40 minutes to toast or something.
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Great place. I've been in there a couple of times and always had good experience. I even did an interview in here and taped it with my digital recorder and still got good recording with all the noise from the kitchen and coffee gadgetry whirring! Great selection of herbal teas! They have Yogi Teas for those that are into that, like myself.
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