Macys San Francisco – The Food #UKdoesMacys
If I was to tell you I was spending four days in a department store I would probably get a few raised eyebrows questioning what on earth I would be doing for that amount of time. Surely there’s only so much time you can shop? Well, yes there is of course but this is one of the great things about Macys San Francisco Union Square – and something that makes it stand apart from the New York Flagship – is the food. New York does of course have multiple dining/refreshment options… but for me The Burger Bar and Cheesecake Factory get a major thumbs up. Yep, shopping and food all in one place. I’m a happy girl. But where a lot of department stores have the odd coffee shop or maybe an over priced restaurant – I found that the food on offer in Macy’s San Francisco is actually very much a destination in itself. With a range of everything from a full food court in the lower ground, to The Cheesecake Factory on the roof. There’s something for all appetites.. just make sure you bring yours because you know what they say about those American portions…
Tout Sweet (2nd Floor) - A specialist pastry and dessert cafe where you can go for anything from a box of scrummy macaroons to a full Fifth Element (more on this in a moment). Or just go for a quick caffeine refresh in a lovely calm and fresh feeling environment.
This is also THE place to head if you’re an early morning shopper. They do some delicious breakfast options too. I had the hard-boiled egg with bacon option and it perfectly set me up for a day exploring the store. There is of course a Starbucks in store – but it is very busy and Tout Sweet is a bit more unique and calm place to refuel before you shop.
The Burger Bar (6th Floor) - If you like a good burger, then you NEED to visit this place. It’s quite honestly burger heaven. Another one where elasticated pants are recommended as the portions are not on the small side. Oh the irony of ordering a tower of juicy burger with a side of skinny fries…
I ate here on my first day with Macy’s and went all out. I had an amazing kobe beef burger, a sour dough bun (San Francisco is famous for it’s sourdough), topped with peppered cheese, peppercorn sauce and peppered bacon. What can I say, I really like pepper… In my defence the pepper sauce was on the side in a pot so I mostly used that to dip the skinny fries. The last thing I felt post meal was skinny…but boy was it worth it. Great meal and lovely atmosphere – The Burger Bar overlooks Union Square and feels just like you’re in a great restaurant and far away from the buzz of the shop floor. Oh, and their very popular Moscow Mule is a perfect little match with your burger selection.
The Cheesecake Factory (8th Floor) – I’m not exaggerating when I say that this was the first thing I put on my list of things I wanted to make sure I did in San Francisco. Of course there were the obvious ones that pretty much went without saying (see the Golden Gate Bridge, ride the cable cars etc) but this was the one eating wise that I knew I wanted to tick off. Ok, so it is a chain – so perhaps not quite as unique as some other options. But it is pretty famous and for good reason. Not just for the cheesecake either. So I skipped breakfast and headed there for an early lunch – as it is so popular there can be a long wait to be seated.
I decided to go the whole hog and go for a full three courses. I did order a lunch portion of the main (about 2/3 of a main size) and would 100% do this every time as it’s still basically the equivalent of a UK standard dinner portion. I went for stuffed mushrooms, a prawn pasta disk and finished it all off with a slice of the peanut butter cup/chocolate cake layered cheesecake. No, not the diet option by any means and this one meal alone (which I didn’t even finish everything of) kept me full up until lunchtime the following day. No exaggeration. I didn’t eat a meal until the next day. Boy was it good. The appetizer was actually the highlight for me – as I am generally a more savoury person than sweet – the stuffed mushrooms ticked all the boxes. The main was tasty but I was starting to get full by then (yes, before I even reached desert…)
Then the cheesecake… oh boy. The cheesecake. It was HUGE and delicious. It really was a combo of cheesecake and chocolate cake. My favourite bit was the combination of chunky chocolate pieces from the end plus the peanut butter creamy topping. Even just thinking about it now makes me want another little taste. My advice – go hungry and try to avoid peak eating times if you don’t want a bit of a wait. It’s very popular!
Boudins (Lower Ground) - I didn’t actually eat at this branch, but Boudins is a bit of a San Francisco institution and they’re dotted around a few locations so I ate their famous dish when exploring Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39. Their signature – a sourdough bread bowl filled with clam chowder. It’s really good and lovely if you catch the city on a slightly grey/foggy day as it just feels like a big hug of food.
Can you believe that selection is just a sample of some of the places to get food in the Macy’s San Francisco Store? That’s just in the main store too! Crazy times. If I had to pick a favourite or top recommendation from the ones I tried? It would be a tough call between probably The Burger Bar and Tout Sweet – both unique in their own right but there really is something for everyone, whatever you fancy. Always good to know as I am certainly not a girl who can function (shop) when hungry.
Don’t forget if you’re heading to the US and will be visiting Macy’s to check out the Macy’s Tourism site – and don’t forget the 10% discount you can make the most of too! Can get some serious bargains…more on that in my next #UKdoesmacys post !
Post in collaboration with Macy’s Tourism.
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