Lumberjack cake
Medjool date and coconut cake with buttermilk ice cream is the dessert to plan around. Gazetteer SF's Olivia Peluso devoted a 2026 recommendation to the cake; the ice cream has since changed from her visit.
THE CASTRO · CALIFORNIAN
What to order at
Frances.
A neighborhood dinner in the Castro with bacon beignets, seasonal pasta, and lumberjack cake. Save space for dessert before filling the table with savory dishes.
À la carte
YOUR ORDER, SORTED
The dishes worth considering.
S: Start here. A: Strong picks. B: Consider if it suits your taste. Save the dishes you want in your order.
SStart here
$12
AStrong picks
Hobb's bacon beignets
Bacon-filled bites with early girl tomato ranch. Chronicle critic MacKenzie Chung Fegan featured the beignets among her favorite bites in 2025, when they had a different accompaniment.
Semolina casarecce
Caramelized leeks, apple, chanterelle, and aged gouda make the seasonal pasta an option when you want something more substantial after the small plates. The preparation changes with the season.
BConsider if
Panisse frites
Chickpea fries appear among Frances' longstanding dishes in ABC7's 2019 coverage. Served with confit egg-yolk and garlic aioli plus chili crisp.
Consider if You want another savory small plate before pasta or a main.
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