Avery Restaurant

Reviews

• Bo M.

  star star star star star 9 June 2026

  Avery is arguably my favourite tasting menu in San Francisco. My girlfriend and I have been here five times. Literally every single time one of us has felt a little off or even ill coming in, and have been miraculously cured with one sip of the magical broth that they serve as a starter course; by the end of the dinner, we're full and happy and have forgotten whatever crappy feeling we had on the way in. Chef Rodney puts together consistently delicious menus, playing with variations on some classic menu items like the tortellini con brodo while cycling in a couple of new items each time.
  
  Avery feels different from most other tasting menus in the city, less like going to a fancy restaurant and more like visiting someone's fancy house and having them prepare you a crazy meal. Chef Rodney is often out on the front lines serving customers which adds to the homey feel. It's a refreshing change from some of the snootier experiences around town, and definitely one that will keep me coming back.

• Roger L.

  star star star star star_border 31 May 2026

  I booked this restaurant for a birthday dinner for my girlfriend. We made our reservation for the evening of Wednesday.
  
  First impressions: When we walked in, I will admit, it was a little confusing where we were suppose to be greeted - the booth? Upstairs? It wasn't long before Chef Rodney himself came out to greet us, confirm the reservation, and promptly seated us. Once we were settled in, Chef Rodney confirmed any allergy or food preferences, then the meal service started.
  
  The broth (toasted rice with onion butter), small bites (lightly grilled oysters + shiso), and appetizers were all fantastic. Hearty, fresh, and good incorporation of various food types (vegetables, protein, starch). I do remember the flavors being bright, probably from the use of citrus and herbs, which helped make the openers feel less heavy. My favorite was their version of a tortellini. Each tortellini was packed with a delicious broth - rich, buttery. It reminded me of a XLB, but no frills, just the delicious soupy parts.
  
  The main course was a 3 prong approach to lamb. One heartier cut, seared, a belly cut, and mince mixed with rice wrapped in grape leaves, like a Dolmathakia. To be honest, this was just ok. It tasted great, cooked very well, but was a little anit-climatic as the main course of the meal.
  
  The post lamb dessert / sweets were fantastic. My favorite was a small fruit tart, and a layer of melted cheese. The cheese added a texture profile that was familiar, but unfamiliar in a dessert context. I got a kick out of it, really enjoyed that one.
  
  All in all, a fantastic meal and experience. Staff was attentive, food was brought out on a timely manner. Almost everything was phenomenal. Great ambiance for a date or special night out. Would definitely recommend checking out.

• Jeff A.

  star star_border star_border star_border star_border 26 May 2026

  First, let me give some context that I've been fortunate to have eaten at other high-end, prix fixe restaurants in SF: Saison, Omakase, Kusakabe, Michael Mina, Atelier Crenn, Robin, etc.  I enjoy food and dining and don't mind spending money for an awesome experience.  Unfortunately, this was anything but, and I CANNOT RECOMMEND AVERY TO ANYONE.
  
  I like the neighborhood (State Bird and the Progress are right across the street) and knew I wasn't going downtown, but the space itself is dark and odd feeling.  More than anything it feels really unfinished (and not purposefully so). We sat upstairs which is "cozy", but the lighting is super strange and uneven even across a single table. If I had to sit downstairs it feels like an empty-ish garage/studio space. There's also only a single restroom for the staff and guests.  Both myself and others in my party were waiting for staff to come out of the bathroom during the meal.  Never been to high end a restaurant like that before...
  
  The service was super spotty.  Part of my party was seated before me and when we arrived (right on time for our reservation), it took nearly 15 minutes for someone to come over and offer us any more than water.  It's a small restaurant with a large number of staff and a handful of tables so this seemed unnecessary.  throughout the evening I had to constantly flag someone down when I wanted a refill and they never came by to offer more wine on their own.  It's almost like the staff disappeared between courses.  Our dinner also lasted nearly 2.5 hours, which while not necessarily unusual for a tasting menu was very annoying as I let them know I needed to leave within 2:00 to make a concert.  They said no problem, but then proceed to bring out the courses at a somewhat glacial pace.
  
  Once we sat down and were offered drinks, the server didn't explain how the menu worked - somewhat odd considering there are only three options for a glass of wine ($18 / $24 / $55) with no details about what type, etc.  I asked "What type of wine is available?"  He said, "What do you like?", to which I responded, "a crisp white".  We agreed on a dry riesling, but he didn't tell me the price and for subsequent glasses, every time I asked it was like pulling teeth.  Look, if you're going to have an unconventional wine menu, more power to you!  But, you gotta explain that to your guests - especially when the cheapest glass is $18!  I understand that many of your guests may be less price sensitive than me when it comes to wine, but come on, not telling people what a $55 glass is --- that's not cool.
  
  And then there's the food itself.  I like tasting menus and I like fusion cuisine.  Unfortunately, with the exception of two dishes, most of the food here was quite poorly executed and average at best.  I think the chef needs to do some serious work in looking at the menu because compared to the other options at the same price point, it was bad.
  Lastly (and recognizing this is something that won't likely apply to most people, but I want to mention anyway), one of our party had to leave early as he was sick.  He wasn't eating any of the food in the first two courses and the servers asked him "is everything OK?"  He said he was feeling sick and that he wasn't going to eat anymore and was going to leave; this was about 45 minutes into our 2:30 minute meal.  Not only did they not care in the slightest, but they charged him for the entire meal.  I get you're running a business, but come on, if someone has to leave his partner in the middle of an small, prix fixe dinner, give him a break. 
  
  I really wanted to like Avery, but it was honestly the worst dining experience I've had in SF in the last five years - and by far the worst out of any high end restaurant in the city. 
  
  Stick with one of the other options - your stomach and wallet will thank you!

• Lisa I.

  star star star star star_border 18 May 2026

  I stopped in to Avery back in March, and walked away feeling like this was a solid dinner, albeit maybe slightly more expensive than I would have liked to have paid. Some really great things that I enjoyed was the presentation of some of the dishes - I loved the monkey holding the aebelskiver was very fun and whimsical! I also really loved the lamb dish, as well as the butter pecan ice cream at the end. The restaurant itself is small, and the dining area upstairs makes for a nice intimate area. For the first 45 minutes, my husband and I were the only ones eating, and that felt a bit odd. As people started to file in, it finally felt like more of a restaurant, and less like an empty restaurant. With SBP and The Progress across the street, it's hard to pass an opportunity to eat there before Avery. But assuming you're looking for something new, Avery is a great option for a special occasion.

• Karen S.

  star star star star_border star_border 14 May 2026

  My experience here can be best summed up with WTF. There's no signage outside so I walked past the door a couple times before realizing. There was nobody at the host stand to greet me so I walked upstairs and found my friend C at our table. A server quickly walked toward us with food until someone else said to him "no no no" as the food was meant for another table. C and I chuckled at that with no idea what terrible service was to come.
  
  The food was mostly hits, but the few misses were so bad I don't think I'll be returning. I loved the caviar and the lobster version of takoyaki. The lamb dish was quite a highlight for me, but C took a bite and couldn't continue because he hates lamb and it was too gamey for him. He also said the fried green garnish tasted like a swimming pool (presumably chlorine). When our server asked if he was done, given that the plate was 95% untouched, he admitted he really didn't like the dish. We got no apology nor even a mere acknowledgment in response. Ok I get that they maybe didn't have the capacity to make something else for him, but at least respond with SOMETHING instead of just walking away in silence?
  
  The desserts were super weak which was disappointing because I had quite enjoyed my meal up until that point. One of them was blackberries with a rose jelly that's one of my least fave things I've ever eaten in my entire life. It tasted like a mix between a poorly made cocktail and cough syrup, except I'd rather have cough syrup instead. It was so atrocious it felt like an assault on my taste buds. How could they think this ok to serve? Otw back from the restroom our server asked if I enjoyed everything and I told him honestly that the desserts were bad. He just cleared our plates and didn't respond to my feedback in any way. SUPER WEIRD to just leave me hanging after asking for my thoughts.
  
  Then he dropped off a small cake in a box for us to take home. Except we don't live in the same home. I was confused why there was only one, and said C and I aren't together so was this meant for the two of us to share from separate homes? We are not a couple and I don't appreciate assumptions being made about me. It's 2019, y'all. I can't help but wonder if this would've happened if I'd dined with a group - would they still just give one box per pair?  Even after mentioning this, he didn't offer to bring us another one, so C graciously said I could have it (you da best- I doubt you missed out on anything good though). Even if we did live in the same house, we paid like $250 pp for this meal, and they shouldn't be too stingy to give one little cake per person. It's just not a good look. They could even make the cakes bite sized if needed but it's overall a better experience if everyone gets one.
  
  I'm not surprised they didn't earn a Michelin star. Some of the food was fantastic but not all that memorable. If you wanna play with the big kids in the competitive fine dining sandbox, you can't be inconsistent. Their waitstaff needs to be trained on how to ask for and receive feedback because I was pretty irritated when I left.