Want to check out the freshest new spots near Civic Center? From poke bowls to power yoga, Burmese salads to brownie sundaes, read on for the four newest businesses to debut in this area of San Francisco.
Urban Bowls
340 Grove St.
Urban Bowls is a Hawaiian and Japanese spot, offering poke bowls, bubble tea and more.
Similar to most poke eateries, Urban Bowls features a build-your-own-bowl concept, where you first start by selecting a base of white, brown or cauliflower rice, mixed greens or kale. Then, you can add in your preferred proteins and mix-ins, like spicy salmon, tuna and miso tofu; and veggies and unlimited toppings, such as seaweed salad or pickled ginger.
There are signature bowls on offer, too, along with "Urban Snacks" like deep-fried spam musubi, "island tacos" and gyoza. To drink, Urban Bowls offers a full selection of bubble tea drinks, as well as some packaged Japanese drinks like green tea and Calpico. (Check out the full lineup here.)
Yelp users are excited about Urban Bowls, which currently holds 4.5 stars out of eight reviews on the site.
Yelper Mary H., who reviewed Urban Bowls on January 1, wrote, "I was looking for a place to grab a quick bite after work and found that this place was open. They serve poke bowls, snacks, hot bowls with either rice or udon and boba."
Urban Bowls is open from 11 a.m.–9 p.m. daily.
CorePower Yoga
150 Van Ness Ave., Suite 100
Van Ness is the latest San Francisco outpost for rapidly expanding national chain CorePower Yoga, which offers a variety of heated and un-heated yoga classes like its signature C2 yoga class and a yoga sculpting class, which includes weights.
At all locations, would-be practitioners needn't reserve a class to attend, but attendees are advised to arrive 15 minutes early to secure a spot.
With a 3.5-star Yelp rating out of five reviews on Yelp, CorePower Yoga is still finding its way, but it's early days.
Yelper Leanna P., who reviewed CorePower Yoga on January 1, wrote, "I finally made it to the new Van Ness studio today and was thoroughly impressed with the studio."
Yelper Yasmin A. wrote, "I really love this location. A lot of room in the classes. Just make sure to get there at least 10 minutes early, because these classes do get packed (which is pretty standard)."
Beyond Burma
154 McAllister St.
Beyond Burma is a new Burmese pop-up restaurant featuring a variety of traditional dishes, with plenty of veggie options and a few modern twists.
For instance, the fermented tea leaf salad can be ordered with the traditional dried shrimp or with an all-veggie combination of beans, peas, sesame seeds and other vegetables. There's also a Burmese take on ramen, with a base of coconut milk and chicken broth. (You can check out the full menu here.)
Beyond Burma currently holds 4.5 stars out of 39 reviews on Yelp, indicating good reviews.
Yelper Coko J., who reviewed Beyond Burma on December 12, wrote, "A cute pop-up restaurant. First time having Burmese food in my life and it was delicious! Had tea leaf salad and eggplant dish with coconut rice."
Yelper Lucy Z. was less enthusiastic, writing, "While the service at this pop-up restaurant is excellent, the food is not up to par. We ordered the salt and pepper chicken, pork and pumpkin stew, and the garlic noodles."
Beyond Burma is open from 5:30 p.m.–9:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and 11 a.m.–2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.–9:30 p.m. on Saturday. (It's closed on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Sunday.)
Bi-Rite Cafe
52 Grove St., Civic Center Plaza
The new Bi-Rite Cafe at Civic Center Plaza is the long-awaited result of a collaboration between the popular local grocer and creamery, the Helen Diller Family Foundation, and a list of local government organizations, as we recently reported.
The al fresco café serves up coffee and drinks from local roasters Sightglass and Samovar, as well as kid-targeted organic milk and apple juice. For the youngsters, there are simple items like a cheese quesadilla; adult palates will enjoy more elaborate fare like a bacon grilled cheese sandwich with balsamic onions or a quinoa bowl with ginger-garlic kale and avocado.
There are also Bi-Rite Creamery ice-cream treats to appeal to all ages, like a soft-serve brownie sundae with fudge, caramel sauce and sprinkles. (You can check out the full menu here.)
Yelp users are still warming up to Bi-Rite Cafe, which currently holds 3.5 stars out of 24 reviews on the site.
Yelper Andrew T., who reviewed the cafe on January 1, wrote, "Cute little spot right outside of the Civic Center and Bill Graham auditorium. We got brunch here and were pleasantly surprised by the large portion size and cute wooden utensils."
Alex B. noted, "The addition of Bi-Rite Cafe is very positive for the overall area and attractiveness to locals and tourists alike."
Bi-Rite Cafe at Civic Center Plaza is open from 7 a.m.–7 p.m. on weekdays, 9 a.m.–7 p.m. on Saturday, and 9 a.m.–5 p.m. on Sunday.
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