The Farmer in the 'Loin
UPDATED 8/4/08
I'm generally suspicious when soul food is called "neo" or otherwise gussied up. It's usually an excuse to charge more for something that tastes better in its plain and simple form.
So, it was with some nervousness that I approached Farmer Brown. That and the fact that the neighborhood sucks.
The results were mixed.
I was torn between the jambalaya and the short ribs. When I asked the waitress for advice, she replied "short ribs," immediately and with conviction. Short ribs ($19.50) it was.
They were excellent. Very meaty, surprisingly little fat. The lack of lipids meant that the meat wasn't fall-off-the-bone tender. I'll take that trade off because it precluded wading through a pound of fat and bone to find an ounce of meat, as is often the case with short ribs.
The ribs were served on a bed of mashed sweet potatoes and topped with a couple of onion rings. Some brown broth at the bottom of the shallow bowl completed the dish. The onion rings were above average but would have been better if they had been warmer. The mashers were good, not spectacular. The broth was a nice addition, a bit salty and providing some nice moisture to accompany the rib meat.
The mini corn muffins with honey butter, served in lieu of bread, were also a hit.
Mackie went for the fried chicken ($16.50 normally but price decreases to $12.00 for late night — not sure what time serves as the cut over). It was less successful.
The chicken was OK but nowhere close to as good as the City's gold standard, the fried chicken from the Hard Knox Café. The mac and Tillamook cheddar cheese was bland. Adding a saltier cheese to the mix would be a big improvement. I don't really care for collard greens but the Farmer's were bad, even for greens. If collards are going to taste remotely good, they need to have some fat added in the form of butter or lard. Not healthy, I know, but it's required for taste. I'm sure the collards were pretty fatless but it left them flavorless.
Mackie also ordered a side of candied yams ($5.00) which were pretty good. They were cut into half-inch cubes and cooked with a sweet syrup.
Surprisingly for a soul food joint, the iced tea ($2.00) — both the sweetened and unsweetened varieties — was terrible. Harsh taste, not a good tea flavor.
Service was also a mixed bag. On the good side, we were told that the wait would be 20 minutes and were seated in about five. However, it took at least five minutes for someone to acknowledge our presence when we arrived and he initially directed us to non-existent seats at the bar, telling us we could eat there.
Our order was taken and items delivered by a revolving cast of characters. We didn't feel as if we had anyone's undivided attention and weren't sure where to look when we wanted something.
My biggest gripe about the service was that "no substitutions" was stamped on the menu about 10 times and they really meant it. Crap attitude, crap customer service. I get it if you're packed to the gills but when you're half-empty being inflexible is simply treating your customers with utter distain. Get over yourselves, not everyone is going to like your menu pairings and you shouldn't make your diners suffer.
There's no sugarcoating the location — it's in the bad part of the Tenderloin. (Where's the good part of the TL, you ask? The TL has no good parts but some are worse than others.) Fortunately, we had wonderful parking karma and found a spot right in front. If your luck's not as good or you drive nice wheels, I'd recommend parking in the pay lot adjoining the restaurant. At $20 it's pricey but worth it for the peace of mind.
The restaurant itself looks like it's closed even when it's open. I gather that the peculiar way in which the windows are covered is intended to provide the patrons some relief from the motley crew that lurks on the street outside but I suspect that this caused Mackie and me to incorrectly assume that the Farmer was closed on a previous attempt to visit.
Inside, it's nice but dimly lit. A DJ was in the booth while we dined. We could have done without the Steely Dan but the music was otherwise fine.
Food is served until midnight seven nights a week. That's a big plus in this way too early closing City.
I'd go back to the Farmer to try the jambalaya or to have the short ribs again. But I doubt that I could convince Mackie to accompany me.
Farmer Brown
25 Mason Street
at Turk Street and Market Street (it's a weird intersection)
San Francisco, CA 94102
415-409-FARM
Map
Web site
Food inspection score: 90
Symbol of Excellence: Yes
-Friendly: Fun Date
this place left a bitter sour note after we were told by the hostess/owner to wait outside the restaurant when we walked in 5 minutes before 5pm. the door was not locked when we walked in and saw there were 2 female drinking at the bar. how would we know that they were the guests of the bartender.
the food was not up to our expectation.
the soup was runny and i agreed the fried chicken was not better than Popeyes or KFC.
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The distain that the service industry shows its customers on many occasions is simply astounding. You can't sit at the bar for five minutes until the place opens? They wanted you to wait outside in that neighborhood??? There's just no excuse for this kind of treatment and diners should punish the joint by withholding their business.
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