There is a special place in my heart for soul food. Thinking of the crunch of buttermilk fried chicken, melt in your mouth texture of braised ox tails, and succulent barbecue ribs makes my mouth water. There aren't very many places in the San Francisco Bay Area that do an outstanding job at preparing soul food, but Hard Knox Cafe in San Francisco is definitely one of the best.

Hard Knox Cafe is located in the Dogpatch historic district of San Francisco near the corner of 3rd and 22nd streets. Like many of San Francisco's restaurants, the front door (which is barred) is actually kind of easy to miss unless you're looking for it.

Inside, the cafe features walls lined with corrugated steel, a bar that seats about seven or eight people, and several four person booths with vinyl seats that are cracked or ripped due to age and use. When you spot an empty table, make a beeline for it and sit down. If you don't, there's a high probability that someone else coming in after you will move in and take the table. Don't wait to be seated, just go for it.

Sandwiches and burgers can be had for about $6 to $8, but the real deals are the entrees that range from $8 to $13. All entrees come with two sides and a pair of corn muffins. After ordering, the first things that arrive are your corn muffins which are served piping hot. The crust nice and crunchy and the insides moist and flavorful. Sinking your teeth into these corn muffins makes you wish you could start every meal with them.

BBQ Spare Ribs with Corn and Rice with Gravy

My favorite sides to have are the corn and the rice with gravy.

Ox Tails with Chard and Sweet Potatoes

Fried Chicken with Corn and Mashed Potatoes & Gravy

After tasting their fried chicken, Tina exclaimed that theirs was the best fried chicken she has ever had in her life. When she asked if I thought the same, I said, "Why do you think I brought you here?"

Country Fried Steak with Two Eggs Over Medium and Home Fried Potatoes

Last time I showed up at Hard Knox, a little past noon on a Saturday, they had a breakfast menu that was available that I hadn't seen before. This allowed me to marry two of my favorite classes of foods - soul food and breakfast food. I ended up with a delicious country fried steak served with an incredible gravy (they refused to tell me what was in it except that it starts with homemade stock) that I paired with two eggs over medium and home fried potatoes. Although the eggs and potatoes were good, it's not in the same league as their classic entrees.

The food served at Hard Knox Cafe is so good that I don't really know what to say. If you get a chance to visit, I recommend ordering the fried chicken or the ox tails. One thing to note is that the green vegetables will be cooked Southern style (way overcooked).

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Hard Knox Cafe (Google Maps)
2526 3rd Street
San Francisco, CA 94107
(415) 648-3770