A high-end American restaurant with roots on New York's Madison Avenue has opened its doors in Union Square. Freds is located at 77 O'Farrell St., inside the Barneys New York store.
Founded in 1996 by chef Mark Strausman, the original location of Freds at the Barneys store on Madison Avenue is known for its posh lunch service and celebrity clientele. It's since expanded to downtown New York, Beverly Hills, Chicago and now, San Francisco. (For more on its history and the famous faces who've dined there, check out this New York Times retrospective from this spring.)
In addition to the main dining room, visitors to the San Francisco location of Freds can expect a lounge and bar that seats around a dozen people.
On the menu, expect to see popular dishes like the chopped chicken salad, Estelle's chicken soup and pizza margherita, as well as some new San Francisco-specific items that have yet to be disclosed.
For libations, look for wine by the glass and a selection of craft cocktails.
With a 3.5-star rating out of 11 reviews on Yelp so far, the fresh arrival has gotten solid feedback.
Helen M., who was among the first Yelpers to review the new spot on October 1, wrote, "Wow! Service and food are exceptional. Beautiful space, attention to detail in all regards. I've enjoyed the burger three times in two weeks."
Yelper Sammi L. added, "I must say that I was impressed from the whole dining experience. The staff were very nice and well-trained. The food was not bad for it being only opened for a couple of days.”
Intrigued? Stop in to try it for yourself. Freds is open from 11 a.m.–4 p.m. from Monday-Saturday and noon–5 p.m. on Sunday.
