The Ramp
855 China Basin Street
415-621-2378
| posthoc's Late Night Restaurant Guide |
What more could a fog bound San Franciscan ask for on one of those rare, sunny days than a large concrete patio, lots of attractive casually clad people of all ages and types sharing the basic desire to have a good time with some straightforward food looking the Bay? Well, the Ramp has been providing exactly that for SF’ers in the know for over 30 years. Even on gray, cold, windy days this place gets crowded on weekends for brunch and lunch, and the food, funk and festivities go on and on like a battery bunny.
This place is "au natural" and the result of evolution rather than the calculation of bankers, brokers or loan sharks, and offers generous drinks and good food served by a friendly wait-staff along with good local music performed on a small stage on the patio weekend days and some nights.
The menu at the Ramp is somewhat limited but each item I've tried or shared with others I enjoy partying with at this place is good--a hearty portion and reasonably priced.
Part of the brunch menu service stops at 10:30 a.m. when respectable people are just rolling groggily out of bed nursing the Irish flu after last night's debauchery. I really don't understand why they do that, it seems almost uncivilized, but hey, I don't own or operate the joint, thank God. Brunch features a very good eggs benedict at $8.75, corned beef hash and poached eggs at $7.95, a bunch of good, solid omelets at $7.50, basic eggs with bacon, Italian sausage and 'Sam's Scram' which is lox, eggs & green onions at $7.50. French toast, silver dollar pancakes and fruit pancakes also appear on the menu at $4.75 - 5.75. All the above are served with good, basic home fries and a choice of bagel, English muffin or freshly baked muffin.
Flip over the day menu and you've got lunch, which is a safe and traditional presentation starting with clam chowder at $2.50 the cup and $3.95 the bowl. Salads are almost inspired in their generosity and freshness at the Ramp. My favorite is the avocado and shrimp Louis at 9.95, a very large glass bowl filled with ice cold, crisp greens topped with sliced egg, avocado, beans, cucumber, onion and at least a quarter pound of the freshest firm large shrimp I've ever seen outside the windows of Swan Oyster Depot where the finest shellfish live after death. The tonno salad which is tuna marinated in olive oil with tomatoes and capers at $8.95 finish off this section of the page.
Sandwiches are limited to a so-so grilled chicken breast at $8.50, a fried fish offering at $6.95, a garden sandwich made up of avocado, cucumber, jack cheese, lettuce and tomato at $6.75 and a great hot dog served split and grilled at $4.50. Burgers are large, the patties made to order and are served with your choice house cut fries or salad. The basic burger is $7.50.
There's a full bar, and the drinks are generous and well prepped with good booze and mixers. Alcohol is served in glassware, all other beverages are served in plastic, go figure.
Live music is offered Friday, Saturday and Sunday starting at around 4:00 and running to around 7:30 p.m. This is a daytime place open seven days a week for lunch not serving dinner but is available for private parties most nights and lends itself handily to a really fun and funky special event.
It's hard to beat The Ramp for a good lunch or brunch on those days when you just have to be outside and want to nurse a few good bloody Mary's and some really good eggs benedict while you read the Sunday paper or just want to listen to some decent jazz with a fine draft beer overlooking a working harbor. I enjoy and am grateful for The Ramp and heartily recommend it.
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