Sauce: GoughFavorite NookI stumbled upon Sauce a couple of years ago because it was advertising since it was a new restaurant. If it hadn't been putting itself out there, I would have totally missed it. It's a definite hole in the wall restaurant in Hayes Valley with "home-cooked" meals with a flare. It's fantastic. The baked Mac and cheese makes my mouth water just thinking about it. Everyone should experience Sauce at some point.6/9/2013 12:00:00 AMA Good ExperienceWent during "Dining Around Town" for Sunday dinner after Symphony matinee. DAT menu was designed to show their best, and unusual food combinations. Appetizers were excellent, especially mushroom frites with deviled egg accompaniment. Presentation of dishes showed much imagination. Butterfish main course was also excellent, although ravioli was steeped in too much sauce and veggies. Desserts were unusual. The small sugar/cinnamon doughnut holes with vanilla dipping sauce and whipped cream/blueberries was delicious. The oatmeal raisin cookie dough with vanilla ice cream was not a success, but rated points for effort. Service was attentive, but a bit too swift. It would have been excellent if attending one of the nearby venues afterward.6/2/2013 12:00:00 AMI throughly enjoyed diningI throughly enjoyed dining at Sauce. Great meal, excellent service and it was quiet enough to have a conversation. I will return.5/31/2013 12:00:00 AMYummy food, all-round good placeWe all enjoyed our dishes and the service and ambience were good. We were rather rushed because we had to be somewhere early, so would like to go back and enjoy the food again. Definitely will go back. The gin and tonics are also great!5/23/2013 12:00:00 AMConvenient & yummy too!We enjoyed walking from the Civic Center Parking Garage to the restaurant. The location is convenient to the public parking, Davies Symphony Hall and SFJazz Center and the food was very good. We had the best clam chowder ever and the entrees included delicious vegetables. We will visit this restaurant again the next time we are in SF.5/23/2013 12:00:00 AMConsistently excellentWe were a group of 9 for early dinner before a performance at Davies. Wait staff was responsive to our needs and timing, food offerings were creative and excellent, wine list was much appreciated. Great destination for dinner.5/23/2013 12:00:00 AMIt always satisfiesLove the redecoration! Quiet, comfortable and good food -- relax before the symphony5/22/2013 12:00:00 AMa full plateAmple size servings provide lunch the following day. Quite noisy5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMAlways reliable and a good timeI love this neighborhood gem. A good time is always had here with great food and drinks. I loved my fried chicken dinner. So homey yet modern.
My dining companions felt the sauce accompanying the pork chop was a bit aggressive in flavoring. In short, a little bit went a long way. If the seasoning and portion were cut in half, this would be a slam dunk meal.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMSurprising findSauce is in a tired-looking building on a rather dumpy block but the food and service are outstanding, and it's going to benefit from being close to the Hayes Valley cultural stops (SF Jazz, Davies, Nourse). Go without trepidation. The menu is terrific and we came away delighted by our find. I should add I only found this place through Open Table. Would never have wandered in on my own!5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMSauce: Gough is wonderous!I so love a restaurant that is found by accident, one that is so good it keeps you coming back. A place that has a menu that makes it hard to decide what to eat. One that makes you proud to be a little greedy and order (almost) everything you want! And as important, one that is run by a team who is warm, welcoming and charming (please bring back the ham & cheese 'tater tots!). That restaurant, for me, is Sauce: Gough. Try it and enjoy a fabulous dinner!5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMThe clam chowder is so richThe clam chowder is so rich and complex it could, with a salad, almost be a meal in itself.5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMAmazing food & great ambiance!I was surprised that each dish was tastier than the last! Very rarely do I find a restaurant where the seasoning and spice mixture is perfectly combined! We were there with a larger birthday party and not only were they able to accomodate us with great customer service, but our waitress (P) did an amazing job of meeting our ridiculous demands. The mood was beautiful and we all had a great time! I'd definitely go back there in a heartbeat!5/8/2013 12:00:00 AMThe menu is interesting -The menu is interesting - not just the usual dishes one sees everywhere. We particularly enjoyed the Brussels sprout salad, the Portobello mushroom fries and the ravioli. Do share the donut hole dessert.5/6/2013 12:00:00 AMOur only complaint was thatOur only complaint was that it was so hot in the dining area it was almost suffocating and wait staff should have opened the emergency door -- which they finally did after most diners left for the ballet.5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat little bar with specialtyGreat little bar with specialty drinks AND the classics, fab wine list. The waitress advised we were ordering too much food when she could have easily tried to up sell us. She was right, but we loved the leftovers! The vegetable strudel and butterfish are amazing.4/26/2013 12:00:00 AMWent here with my sister whoWent here with my sister who was visiting from Indiana. I live directly next door so it takes me 30 seconds to get there! I enjoy the oysters and carpaccio especially. She liked the salmon tremendously. Good service, comfortable setting.4/21/2013 12:00:00 AMConvenient for after matineeConvenient for after matinee concert at Opera House. Interesting food, nice presentation. Honored request to turn down music. Fried chicken, short ribs, and ravioli were all enjoyed by our group. Salads are substantial in size, which is very nice for easy sharing. Pleasant comfortable restaurant. Would go again.4/21/2013 12:00:00 AMEntree's were great (VegetarianEntree's were great (Vegetarian Strudel, Seared Safe Harbor Certified Salmon, Hawaiian Butterfish).
Deserts were good but not remarkable (s'mores were hard, not chewy, pear cobbler light on the crust, but tasty)4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMEnjoyed a lovely meal beforeEnjoyed a lovely meal before a San Francisco Symphony performance on a Saturday night. Our entree choices were great, including a special Pork Tenderloin Entree that my husband had. I ordered the Vegetarian Strudel and it was delicious and very filling. Dessert choices were very good and portions most ample. We felt the noise level due to the piped in music was a bit loud, but the noise from diners wasn't. The bar adjoining the dining room has openings that would be better if they were closed or glassed in so the diners wouldn't experience the noise from the bar crowd. That is really our only negative.....everthing else, including the service, was excellent.4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMtasty neighborhood spot!While the tables are a little close for intimate conversation, the food was flavorful and unique. Hawiian butterfish was excellent, wedge salad tasty too. We would go back. Friendly staff, nice bar area too.4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMThis was our 3rd time at SAUCEThis was our 3rd time at SAUCE and we love it.
Lovely food and warm hospitality.4/14/2013 12:00:00 AMFood was outstanding. WhenFood was outstanding. When we arrived music that was playing was much too loud but we aske them to turn it down and they did. Waitress who served us was very efficient and polite. Ovewrall very good experience but a bit too far from Opera House, Davies and Herbst4/9/2013 12:00:00 AMWe know its dependable withWe know its dependable with great food and good service and full bar.4/7/2013 12:00:00 AMMy wife and I have been toMy wife and I have been to Sauce several times and have always enjoyed sharing the "social plates".4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent spot for groups.We were a large group and our server was great. Always attentive. Food and drinks were really good and a great value for how much we ate and drank. Will be back.4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMSauce has come up a coupleSauce has come up a couple of notches since our last visit. The presentation and flavors exceeded our expectations, and the service was friendly, knowledgable, and quick to respond to special requests. We'll definitely be back.4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat appetizers. We neverGreat appetizers. We never got to the entrees because we got full on the portobello fries, sliders of the day, etc.!4/1/2013 12:00:00 AMWe went for an early dinnerWe went for an early dinner after an afternoon performance at Davies. Our server was kind enough to ask if we were on a deadline or not so she could be sure to get us on our way if need be. The service was great and the restaurant was very quiet, probably due to the early hour. Nevertheless, it was really pleasant. We like Sauce because we can be guarenteed a great meal in a very pleasant atmosphere.3/24/2013 12:00:00 AMWonderful Pre-Theater DinnerEverything we had was delicious, service was friendly and efficient. A perfect dinner before the theater. I will definitely be back next season!3/23/2013 12:00:00 AMThis place was really niceThis place was really nice and within 1/2 mile of our theater show. The service was excellent and so was the food, with something for everyone (wide variety). The server did forget tea for someone in our party so I did not rate service with the highest rating, but that was minor. Our server was very good and on top of everything else.3/23/2013 12:00:00 AMWe had tkts for SF Jazz.We had tkts for SF Jazz. This is quite close by. First time was certainly a charm. Small but appetizing menu. The vegetable in phyllo dough was fantastic. We will definitely be back.3/23/2013 12:00:00 AMMy wife and I brought herMy wife and I brought her brother and his family here to thank them for their help at our wedding.
For a party of six we ordered 4 social plates, 2 entrees, 1 soup, 1 salad and the sauce sampler. It was more than enough portion wise and the taste was excellent. I don't pretend to understand all the nuances of cooking but I do know that everyone was happy at the end of the night.
The staff was very nice and quite patient as we tried narrow down our choices. All of it sounded so good.3/22/2013 12:00:00 AMNice, intimate neighborhoodNice, intimate neighborhood place. The server was friendly and enthusiastic, and courses were presented and removed in a very timely and professional manner. The special grouper, with crab-flecked mashed potatoes was delicious, as was the chowder. We were split on the portobello mushroom fries, which came highly recommended. My husband thought they were great; I thought they were soggy. The wine list looked great and the wines by the glass were thoughtfully chosen: a good selection encouraging you to try a a less known label, not the "usual suspects."3/22/2013 12:00:00 AMThe menu is eclectic and everyThe menu is eclectic and every dish we had for dinner was excellent,as was the service. We came back in late to the bar after our event and were surprised by the size of the crowd. We now will highly recommend Sauce.3/22/2013 12:00:00 AMReally an excellent meal!Really an excellent meal! The dream mixture of comfort food recipes and high quality ingredients! Thanks - we'll be back!3/16/2013 12:00:00 AMOverall, a very good experience.Overall, a very good experience. The menu is a bit of a collage of different items, but the quality of preparation and overall presentation is very good. Small plates are ample sized portions, some of which could be dinner. Excellent take on the iceberg lettuce plate, fish was tender and well prepared. Overall, solid.3/9/2013 12:00:00 AMGood food and, esp., goodGood food and, esp., good service. My friend and I thought we'd ordered a starter to share, but the waitress thought we'd ordered one each; so when the two orders came and we called it to her attention, she took one off the tab. VERY nice. This is a great place, very busy. A bar scene in one section, a food one in the other. It works. Great place to go before a symphony or opera.3/8/2013 12:00:00 AMThe braised short ribs wereThe braised short ribs were great; the salmon was good/nothing special. The portobello mushroom fritters were good! The crab wontons, not so good. Good pinot noir! Very good service! Not too noisy either, but we went @ 6:00.2/22/2013 12:00:00 AMgreat service & foodDined with big family group. Patient and gracious staff, delicious food, everyone loved it. Thank you so much for a great evening!2/14/2013 12:00:00 AMThe fried chicken was outThe fried chicken was out of this world. Great menu lately.1/19/2013 12:00:00 AMComfort Food for a Cold NightSauce's menu has a playful note--tasty dishes that are familiar and sometimes with a twist. We enjoyed shrimp topped with fresh horseradish to start followed by some delicious fried chicken accompanied by perfectly cooked green beans with mushroom slices and a mound of light, fluffy mashed potatoes in a pool of satisfying warm gravy. A generous serving to stave off the cold.
We declined dessert, but our zippy waitress brought us a dollop of whipped cream with sugar and a pair of plump strawberries to share. Nice touch.
A convenient place for pre-theatre that seemed even better than previous visits!1/10/2013 12:00:00 AM