San Francisco Brunch Spot: Outerlands

It was a new year’s resolution to venture out of the neighborhood and try new restaurants. So far so good as we have already made it to Rich Table, Dosa, and finally Outerlands. Over the last two years it seems like everyone and their mom has asked us if we had been to the hot San Francisco brunch spot, Outerlands. I am not sure what took us so long, considering they have a dog-friendly heated and covered patio. Yes, we are those people. I often joke and say, I don’t know what the interiors of our favorite restaurants look like, but it is not a joke, I really don’t! Anyway, while the rain briefly dissipated, we ventured out to Ocean Beach for a highly anticipated meal.

 

If you do not like waiting in line, Outerlands is not for you. We have become accustom to waiting as we often indulge outside on a patio with our dog. Our initial thought was, “could it be any longer than a regular weekend wait at Delarosa?” Turns out it can! It took us a while to mosey on over there finally arriving at noon, but we did not sit down at the table until 1:30. This definitely sounds worse than it is so allow me to explain! For whatever reason it is parklet galore over on Judah and 45th. Everyone was seated comfortably waiting for a table with a coffee in hand. So while we sat and sipped we enjoyed conversations with other patrons and GG even made a few friends.

 

 

Now let’s get to the nitty gritty and talk food! One of the reasons I liked this place right off the bat was because the menu was small. There is a difference between small and limited. Outerlands definitely has something for everyone without being overwhelming. How many times have you brunched and ordered way too much food just because you could not decide what dish to order?! Yeah, me too, not going to happen here. From fresh pastries, quiche, porridge, pancakes, to “eggs-in-jail,” it’s offered.

 

 

We started off with coffee cake, although our first choice was a glazed doughnut followed by a sticky bun. Lesson learned. If you show up late, your favorite pastries will be sold out. The coffee cake was fine, we really just needed something in our stomachs. My hubby ordered the refried black beans and eggs, with a side of breakfast potatoes – those were buttery and crisp at the same time. Mmmm…I ordered the eggs-in-jail, although the squash and feta open faced sandwich was very tempting. You are probably wondering what the heck kind of food that is, but it is actually a very clever name for such a concoction. Imagine a pillowy piece of toast that has been hollowed out. Now drop a runny egg in there and garnish it with cabbage, balsamic vinaigrette, aioli, and bacon and your eggs are officially in “jail.” I added avocado on mine, and GG swiped the bacon, but over all it was delicious. I often eat avocado toast with a sunny side up egg, so this was like a souped up version. I did not think I would like the cabbage but it added a nice crunch and sort of tasted like a fresh salad thanks to the vinaigrette. Enough about prisoner eggs, you cannot dine at Outerlands without indulging in the famous pancake. Imagine your favorite puffy pancake baked in a cast iron pan…yep, that’s how they do things around here. Whether you like your pancakes savory or sweet, there is an option for you. We topped ours with sweet apple and house made ricotta, with a side of syrup for dipping. It was very decadent and a traditional breakfast item in a form I have never seen before.

 

Will we return to this San Francisco brunch spot? OF COURSE. At 12:00 noon? HELL NO. I happily await my next visit and already plan to try the feta and egg dish, and hopefully get my hands on a doughnut. My apologies for the lack of photos but we were too hungry to take any more pics…and when I’m hungry I’m HANGRY. Forgive me! Until next time Outerlands…at 9:00 am sharp.