Scott and I were urged to try this eatery by a fellow teammate that swears by this place! He says he eats there almost everyday and now we know why. Last year we would drive past wondering why it had a line out there door, but never actually went to investigate. This year we are all about adventuring out and trying new places in San Fran because this  could very well be our last year here, which makes me sad.

Today we finally found the motivation to go and try out HRD Coffee Shop which is not a coffee shop at all but a mexi-asian fusion eatery that just so happened to be featured on the Food Network show “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.” We didn’t know that beforehand, until we got there and saw the giant autographed picture of Guy Fieri on the wall.

This quaint restaurant has a community table in the center with diner-type bar stools, it also has seating along the front window and a tiny spot in the back of the restaurant with a couple small tables.  The kitchen is an open concept where you are able to watch the cook make everything to order while you wait in line. The systems works like so; you order and pay at the register, pick your seat to set up shop, and they call your name and deliver the food when ready. Forks, knives and condiments are available in a basket in the center of the tables or along the window along with napkins.

The food is a super cool fusion of Mexican and Asian. The menu boasts items such as Kimchee Burritos, Curry platters, Rice bowls, Po boys, and tacos just to name a few. Scott and I ordered a few things because we didn’t want to miss out on anything. I opted for the Bulgogi Beef rice bowl that is served with brown rice, kimchee, daikon, sprouts, cucumbers, and a wasabi apple coleslaw. This was UH-MAY-ZING!!!! Scott ordered the Spicy Pork Kimchee Burrito the size of a small baby stuffed with spicy rice, kiwi, sprouts, cucumbers and sour cream. He annihilated that thing like it never existed, but he did give me a bite to try for myself. He also ordered the Mongolian Beef cheesesteak that he had taken only a bite out of because he didn’t want to sacrifice the burrito, so I can’t really comment on the cheesesteak. We also shared a basket of fries served with a side of the kimchee aioli that I wanted to smother all over everything! The fusions were perfectly layered in flavors. You got the Mexican concept as a vessel married with the bold flavors of Asia. The Bulgogi Beef was so tender and flavorful, almost reminding me of Korean BBQ. Scott’s spicy pork kimchee burrito had the perfect amount of heat that was immediately cooled by the cucumber and sour cream. Scott was convinced that the fries were fried in duck fat because the flavor was so light and decadent, similar to the ones we had at Michael Mina’s Bourbon Steak. Those fries did not stand a chance. Although I am hesitant to even suggest this, I would have loved to chop up the beef in my bowl and then put everything from my rice bowl on top of the french fries and drizzle the kimchee aioli and a fried egg on top of everything! That would have been my dream dish!! Either way everything is good or I obviously wouldn’t have talked about it! DUH!

His teammate had suggested the po’ boys but all I had singing in my head was “get anything with kimchee!” All suggestions weren’t even on our radar until we sat down and waited for our food as we discussed how all the food coming out looked so good. The smells were intoxicating and just making my mouth water and stomach growl even more. Knowing we were walking home gave me the green light to eat everything in sight just to play for the tie.

Service is quick too! We may have come at the perfect time though. As soon as we walked in we went straight to the register with no line at all and our name was called minutes later and delivered to the window seat Scott had chosen. The second we got our food the line was already out the door and we were in and out and already back home in less than an hour (this place is less than a 15 minute walk from our house).

It is open Monday through Saturday for lunch at 10am and dinner ends at 8:30pm, but does close from 4 to 5 pm in between services.

The staff is super friendly and if you need a box to go (if you even have leftovers), there is a community table with condiments and boxes available for you.

If you are ever in the San Francisco area this is a must try for lunch! Its quick and easy and I recommend grabbing the food to go and bring it a couple blocks over to the Embarcadero and eating it along the water under the Bay Bridge while you people watch.

Located at 521A 3rd Street, San Francisco, CA 94107

Mabuhay!