Wise Sons Jewish Delicatessen

I recently visited a lovely deli located at the corner of my neighborhood, just a short 15-minute drive from downtown. In a hurry, I asked for their most classic sandwich and was recommended The Reuben's OG. I chose to go with Pastrami, which was delicious with the Russian dressing, Swiss cheese, and sauerkraut. The sandwich was simple, but absolutely delicious. The pastrami was perfectly seasoned and grilled, and the sauerkraut added a nice touch of sourness and freshness to complement the bread and meat. Overall, everything was spot on and I thoroughly enjoyed my meal.

I went to wise sons four years ago at this location and ordered the liver toast and mimosa. It was excellent. I then ordered takeout for my family, including the latkas with lox, French toast, and pastrami sandwich. All incredible and very very fresh. All very authentic to Jewish cooking as well. I had not returned to Wise Sons until now, after the pandemic, and things have changed. The latkas are now mashed potato griddle cakes that were almost deep fried, instead of shaved potato latkas, which is the traditional way of making them. They are therefore overfried and lacking in flavor or heft. This was the most disappointing change. The liver toast plate came on wilted greens and looked thrown together. It wasn’t as delicious as I recall prepandemic. The matza ball soup was fine, if unremarkable. The burger was good, but this isn’t really Jewish food- just tasty American food. Overall, the food had lost some of its authenticity and flavor. Jewish food is flavorful, filling, and very very tasty, with lots of robust seasoning from onion and garlic. I hope Wise Sons will review its recipes, and go back to the traditional way of making latkas. Those were spectacular.

I have passed by this restaurant many times and finally decided to give it a try today. The interior is interesting and the staff is friendly and helpful. They helped me choose the Reuben sandwich with pastrami, which was a bit pricey at $17. However, when I got home and took my first bite, I realized it was worth every penny. The sandwich was delicious, with a generous amount of pastrami, cheese, and other tasty ingredients. I savored every bite and now understand why this place is always busy. This sandwich was truly yum!

A stand out restaurant unique in the Mission District, admirable because of their handcrafted foods made from scratch using traditional recipes. Fresh bagels, house made pastrami and more.

During my visit to San Francisco, I stopped by a restaurant just a block away from my friend's house to pick up breakfast for both of us. The staff was incredibly friendly and provided excellent recommendations, suggesting the club sandwich. They were efficient in preparing our order and the sandwich was delicious. If I lived in San Francisco, I would definitely be a frequent customer at this restaurant.