When two of my roommates moved out of the house and took the internet with them, I was despaired. In a day and age where we are constantly connecting to everyone and everything through the internet, I made it a priority to find a place close by where I could receive my internet fix.
And that, my friends, is how I found Rolling Out, a little café located at 1722 Taraval St. between 27th and 28th Ave. It’s a cozy little café that’s always quiet, has reasonably priced food, and good customer service.
When you first walk in, you see a display of different types of cakes. Unfortunately, there are usually very little in the case. The wall to your right is decorated with cutouts of geometric shapes and aprons of different colors. The aprons all have a different sayings, but my favorite is “That’s how we ROLL,” with the ‘O’ drawn in the shape of a cinnamon bun.
On the opposite wall are paintings and drawings done by all skill levels, and the ages of the artists range from about 7-18. My favorite is called “Starry Night,” done by a 10-year-old in acrylic on canvas, which features a beautiful dark purple sky, and stars and a moon done in a whitish silver.
But let us go back to the food. There are two smaller cases side by side filled with so many pastry goodies. My favorite is the sweet potato cinnamon roll, which costs $3.25. They have a bottle filled with icing, and they let you distribute the icing onto the roll yourself.
The roll does taste a little like a sweet potato, but it’s not so strong that people who dislike eating baked sweet potatoes (like me) would be turned off by it. It’s soft, not over baked and is not overly sweet, like cinnamon rolls can be.
If you want to be decadent, try the chocolate and caramel croissant. The rich chocolate and gooey caramel melt in your, and go perfect with the buttery taste and flaky texture of the croissant.
Also, a good pairing would be the hot chocolate–$3 for medium–with a coconut macaroon. The hot chocolate isn’t too sweet, and doesn’t compete with the sweet and chewy texture of the macaroons that are sometimes baked in the shape of a heart, which not only makes them tasty but also super cute.
For a more filling meal, try their sandwiches. They are very good, and big enough that you can eat one half, and take the other home.
My favorite is the Breakfast Sandwich, $4.75 for 2 items and $5.75 for 3 items. The choices are cheese, egg, bacon, and tomatoes and greens. The eggs on the sandwich are thick and fluffy, and their bread is freshly baked. The meal will keep you going until lunch without wanting to snack.
Many of the sandwiches are perfect to share, but I recommend splitting the Herb Mac & Cheese, $6, which takes about 20 minutes to bake once you order. The cheesy macaroni comes at the perfect warm temperate to eat right away, but is very rich and filling, and is better eaten within the first 10-15 minutes of being served.
Another great warm and healthier option is their Tomato Soup, $4.25. It’s not creamy, it tastes like it’s very healthy, and there are chunks of vegetables in the soup. I love avocado, and for $1 you can add avocado on the side. It also comes with a small piece of garlic bread, which tastes good and comes warm as well.
Overall, I highly recommend this café. Though the food for me is the star of the show, the young men who work behind the counter and who are all in college are amiable and good at conversing with you.
The owner, Bruno Tse, is very sweet. He is good at remembering faces, and if you tell him about an upcoming test you have or a job you just got, he remembers to ask you how it went the next times he sees you. A relaxing, quiet atmosphere with good employees and good food make this an excellent café.
To get there from SFSU: Take the 28 inbound to 19th and Taraval; then take the L going towards the SF Zoo to 28th Ave. Walk half a block, and it will be on your right.
Hours open: