Dining Out

Bugaloo's
3296 22nd St
San Francisco
(415) 824-4088
8 am to 3 pm every day

Do you want to see emaciated San Francisco hipsters getting aggressive in their search for filling hangover breakfast food? You'll know this place by the clumpy line of bleary-eyed kids in leg warmers and lederhosen of whatever it is that's popular among people who are cooler than me these days.

We were there they day after Halloween, so some of the outfits were particularly good, and many of the eyes particularly bleary. There was also a slow drizzle, so people were trying to edge each other out from under the awning to stay dry. Luckily, like a few other of the more popular breakfast spots in the City, this one will serve you coffee in line-and their coffee is darn good, if you like the dark and bitter (which I do). Even better, we were a twosome and willing to sit anywhere, so we were seated ahead of large parties of pouting scene-sters.

I've been coming here a long time, and I confess, I always order the same thing: Bugaloo's signature dish, the vegetarian biscuit and gravy. It's available as a side ($3.50), or part of the Bugaloo breakfast (2 eggs any style, homefries and a biscuit smothered in vegetarian herb-cream gravy, topped with green onions–$7.50). Usually I'll just get the side along with a fruit plate (always very fresh with blueberries, strawberries, etc., two sizes–$2.75 or $3.50). This time I was feeling hungry, so I went with the full-on breakfast-which is essentially two meals.

As a reformed Southerner, the biscuit is one of the few I've found in this state that lives up to the word-flaky, buttery, the consistency of plutonium. Despite being veggie, I doubt the gravy is low-fat, but it's so darn good, all mixed up with peppery spices.

My friend had the Desayuno Tipico (two eggs, grilled plantain cake topped with tamarind sour cream, served with black beans and corn tortillas–$7). The consistency of the plantain cake is kind of weird to me, but it's pretty popular. Other popular favorites include the Polenta-n-eggs (grilled polenta and salsa ranchero served with 2 eggs any style, black beans, sour cream and cabbage salad–$7.50) and Harvey's ‘Soy Beef' Hash (two eggs in a pile of ‘soy beef' hash (seitan and soy protein) with green onions and corn tortillas-$7.50).

In case you were wondering (and you probably weren't), I'm pretty sure this place is named for the popular early 1970s children's TV series and pop band of the same name-think The Wiggles meets The Beatles Yellow Submarine. The art on the walls here is always interesting as well, and constantly changes. Not that you'll be able to see it through all the people.