Boxed Foods Company
Category: Sandwiches [Edit]
Neighborhood: Financial District245 Kearny St
(between Hardie Pl & Sutter St)
San Francisco, CA 94108 (415) 981-9376
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. - Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Lunch
- Alcohol: None
307 reviews
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
"There are latkes in the house! Potato latkes in the house. Now there's latkes on my plate. Get those latkes in my mouth! There are balls…" read more »
207 Reviews for Boxed Foods Company
Today's sandwich was one of the best I have had in a while...
I ordered the Honey-Lime Chicken Sandwich with grilled chicken breast, red onions, haas avocados, tomatoes and a garlic-citrus aioli. It had the perfect combination of honey and lime. It was a perfect balance of sweet and tart.
The other sandwiches on the menu look just as awesome, so I will be back here very soon until I try them all! Then I'll be back again!
I shouldn't have gone in this place. It was a very very bad idea. HOW can I try to save for the trip to Portugal I want when I know there is Kombucha (2 brands!!), tempeh salad and Dagoba mocha choco coffee drink a block from my work?? AND I think I have a crush on the guy working there (just kidding Cowboy). THANKS A LOT jerks. I should have just stayed at the gym for another 10 minutes, I'd be hungry and rich!
As one person said already, more vegan (well he said vegetarian, i say quit being a pussy and go vegan) options would be nice. But, honestly I'm happy they have any at all. God, just don't let them ever have vegan cookies.
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Got the Tempeh sandwich today & thought, meh.
Hunk of Tempeh w/ Sun-Dried Tomato Tampenade & Asiago (hold the onions!)
Overall, the sandwich was dry & left me wanting - tempeh tends to be on the dry side anyway & needs saucing up - would have been better if the tampenade was spread on both sides of the bread
The asiago was shredded - like you can buy in the Sargento's packages at the grocery store......bad news that it fell all over my white shirt....mixed in w/ the sun-dried tomatoes.....yeah, that'll be coming out
When you have a dry sandwich & try to mix it w/ shredded cheese, there's a disaster a comin'......please consider slices!
Overall the sandwich was not bad but just okay which is why it gets 3 stars - A-OK
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Dear Boxed Foods Company,
Despite your prices, I've been a fan of your Boxed Chicken Salad, Boxed Chicken Sandwich and Pear and Brie Press Sandwich for a while now. Used to be, you stood for quality and oh-so delicious food.
Today I had a Pear & Brie Sandwich which left me embarrassed for you.
Really? One sad strip of Brie on each half? Sheesh, I never even got the usual orange wedge garnish.
::Sigh::
I hope you can turn things around before I dedicate my life to Best O' Burger.
A concerned fan,
Tanya
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Great sandwiches, great salads, great food.
A liiiiitle pricey, but worth your dollar.
Now serving Blue Bottle coffee...my life just got a little better.
Well... after roughly 30 months and 600 sandwiches in the SOMA/FiDi area since I first visited and reviewed Boxed Foods, I can confirm that the Turkey Artichoke Panini remains my favorite sandwich in San Francisco.
They've played around with the bread in that time and are currently working with sliced sourdough - the panini's best match yet.
Insider tip: the back patio is terrific on a sunny day and is rarely crowded.
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1 Previous Review:
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12/07/2005
The Turkey & Artichoke panini I just ate was the best sandwich I've had in over a year.
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this place is pretty good. i got the "boxed chicken sandwich;" it had granny smith apples, pesto, and some oil, and came with a small salad.
might consider it a little pricey at $9 but then again there aren't very many cheap options around the area.
i wish vegetarians would quit bitching that places don't cater to them.
Boxed Foods Company is a great stand-by for fresh sandwiches and salads. Portions are generous enough and the quality is very good.
My only gripe is the selection of vegetarian options. The Tofu Salad is a bit too meager, and it's the only vegan option. The Tempeh Sandwich has gotten worse since they started using patties, and the sundried tomato tapenade is too greasy. I haven't tried the brie press, but the sound of it is so unsubstantial that I haven't even wanted to.
Lettus in the Marina makes a bunch of incredible sandwiches with lots of vegetarian and strict vegetarian options. Down the street, Sellers Markets is now offering an "ALT" - avocado instead of bacon with hummus to add a bit of substance. Even the roasted veggie sandwich at Briazz is decent - not strict veg, but okay and without the wait.
NOTE TO MANAGEMENT: what's the problem with satisfying those who want to be a little greener and healthier by abstaining from meat, dairy, and eggs? Will you try out the sandwiches at Lettus to see what's possible? Even better, how about giving us some great new options that we haven't seen before in San Francisco? Here are some ideas:
VLT: Veggie bacon, veganaise, lettuce, tomato
Seitan sandwich
Jive Turkey Salad
Portobello/caramelized onion sandwich
Baked thai tofu sandwich
Let's see it!!
Boxed Foods has some solid lunch options that I truly enjoy, especially the grilled tempeh salad (4 star worthy). However, since BFC started brewing Blue Bottle (blue balls) coffee, I've been largely disappointed by their lack of consistency. I've purchased drip coffee on many occasions and half the time it is watery. My hypothesis --- they are STINGY with the coffee grinds or the water is not hot enough. Needless to say... I'll be back and take my chances, but I don't like my odds for a satisfying cup of coffee. Sadness.
Boxed lunch is in my regular rotation of lunch restaruants. I work nearby so it's convenient. I like the panini sandwiches, I usually just get the grilled chicken, but the honey lime is nice when I want something different. Their sandwiches come with a little salad and piece of fruit which I like.
Their baked goods aren't great. I've gotten cookies and brownies but have never been wowed by them.
The biggest problem here is the line, and the waiting area. I don't like standing around in cramped quarters while waiting.
I'm a fan because they have Blue Bottle, not because their food wows me.
The salads aren't mixed and the dressing is always served on the side. What about this seems a bit...overpriced? I mean...I could create that damn salad at a salad bar and save myself a few bucks.
The croissant I had there was...horrible. It failed to impress me in any way.
The Blue Bottle by-the-cup, though? Genius. Absolutely genius. I can avoid long-lines and pretentiousness and get my fix during the work week a mere two blocks away from my office.
And for that, they earn the two stars I gave them.
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I hate to do this to Boxed Foods but for their prices they need bigger portions. Also recently the food arrived cold and yucky. I think they deliver to our work due to their close proximity, so they are still in rotation for ordering (I'm at Montgomery and Pine). That confuses me because people say they don't deliver, but they do. Decent food but not worth the price based on quantity and quality.
I really wanted to give this place as 2.5 star rating, but as i can't give half star ratings and they do serve blue bottle coffee I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt. but then halfway through i writing this i remembered that they did not have coffee today. way to go Boxed Foods!! you lose that star.
Ok, so first things first, they (supposedly) serve blue bottle coffee. YES! (obviously i like BBC a lot) I was totally amped on getting some BBC in me today but when we went to get lunch, they were not serving any coffee at all, total drag. My next experience involved meeting the hostess/order placer. wow, could you smile, or is your job to give nothing but total attitude to people coming to buy food from your store, thus keeping you employed. Her "energy" was so negative that it may have tainted my sandwich. I went with the the boxed chicken sandwich. a shredded chicken sando with bacon, apples, and a garlic basil pesto spread. sounds delicious, no? well no is indeed correct, it really did not wow me at all. had all the materials to make a great sandwich, even came on focaccia, but it was nothing special .
I don't think I'd go back besides to get blue bottle coffee (is there anywhere closer to my office that serves it). The service and food quality were just not great at all. this area is a very up-and-coming spot as far as food is concerned. I'd rather go try something new and hope for a win then settle for boring, generic food with no smile.
I put everyone within breathing distance of my cubicle on noxious gas alert. Their pulled-pork sandwich is no joke. If your digestive system is anything like mine, don't eat this sandwich without a case of Beeno nearby. My arse let off nuclear explosions every 10 minutes from lunch time to bedtime.
Not a bad tasting sandwich though...
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Everyone in my office is in agreement that Boxed Foods has gone WAY downhill. It was a popular option at work since we are steps away from the place. If you're just going there for the first time, you have nothing to compare to, but the quality of the food used to be so much better. I loved the boxed chicken salad but it's changed for the worse and even when work is picking up the tab, it's a total disappointment (the last 3 times I've ordered it). Walk another couple of blocks to Mixt Greens where the quality of the food is still solid. Not horrible... but also not worth it.
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I used to come here all the time 2 years ago, than I started going to Mixt Greens. I got the Chicken Lime sandwich on whole wheat bread and it was AWESOME!
Good because...
1. Cost me under $10.
2. The whole wheat bread tasty and I could tell that it was costing me a lot of calories. It's hard to find a low cal sandwich b/c the contents are usually but on a ciabatta (s/p) or Panini slab.... I was actually full for once!
3. Came w/ a side salad that had a yummy vinegrette dressing (on the side, but I dumpted it all on b/c it was so good)
Paying $15 for a salad is getting old when they have the same menu, Boxed is my new lunch place!
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I had a bit of an embarrassing experience here today. I went to fill up my water bottle with the free water provided but I ended up spilling water from the water jug all over the floor. I could not make it stop! One of the staff had to take it to the sink and let it drain out. I was really embarrassed!
The food was pretty good, the service was nice. You get a salad with your sandwich which is sweet. The prices are a bit high for a lunch joint, but the food is good so it is worth it.
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Finally got a chance to try this place out today and ended up getting the chicken panini sandwich. After reading so many great reviews I was expecting a lot more than what I ended up getting. It's not that it was bad, it's just that it was.....average. The panini itself was really small and after eating it outside the BofA building on Kearny I came back to the office and immediately grabbed some munchies.
I'll probably give this place another shot but it's definitely not going to jump to the top of my lunch destinations list.
The line can be really slow moving too so I'd recommend getting there on the earlier side of lunch time.
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LOVE the blue bottle coffee even though it takes a long time to prepare. I gave this place two stars because of the very rude girl manning the register this morning. How am I supposed to know that there's a five dollar minimum for cards? I didn't see an obvious sign saying so. And, in my world, shaking your head is a) rude to customers and b) doesn't translate as "We don't accept credit cards for purchases under $5, sorry about that. Would you like to buy a cookie as well so you can use your card?" I haven't worked in any sort of customer service for years, but any idiot knows that's NOT how you handle your patrons if you want them to come back. I haven't tried the food, but given the other reviews here, the prices I saw, and rude-girl, I probably won't.
I started to go to this place as soon as it opened, as our group in my office liked to pick up food and take it back. Plus, it was on the same block as our office, so BONUS!
I like how you get a tasty and fresh salad with your sandwich. Loved the foccacia bread too. Food quality is excellent with a lot of flavor. Really gourmet, so a little more pricey than other lunch places in the area. But well worth it.
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Great boxed chicken salad. Cost $8.50 + tax. Greens were fresh, liked the herb pulled chicken (and it wasn't too dry) and the cut apples were great. Barely any bacon, which I liked, cuz I don't like bacon. Enough stuff there for a meal. There is some seating inside.
Also, good selection of healthy organic juices and sodas.
Make sure you order before 11:30 or 12:00, other wise all the goo stuff is gone. This place closes at 3:00pm. Not only because they only do lunch but because all their ingredients are fresh and they run out of things by then.
Be ready to spend at least $10. the steak salad is a favorite around my work place. I'd go for a salad here. the boxed chicken is my fav. The sandwiches are over priced for what you get and not that great.
The staff here is real laid back and nice, so they make it hard to get mad at them when they mess up or run out of your favorite thing.
Plus this is the only place downtown to get a Kombucha! (that I know of)
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I always forget about this place cuz it's so damn small and hidden, but the food is pretty good.
Today I went and they didn't have any salads available, none at all. Which make me think they ran out of lettuce which is pretty much the one universal ingredient in their salads.
So imagine my surprise when my sandwich came with a friggin' side salad! With lettuce! WTF?
Either way it was pretty good. I think they put a whole chicken on my sandwich; I had to get a fork to finish it. Not bad for $8.
Legitimate legitness. This is the only place in the Financial District where I spend 9 bucks and don't feel sorry for myself the rest of the day because I got pwned by an expensive but crappy sandwich. That nine bucks went the hell right into the chicken and the fresh veggies!
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We called in our order then walked for about 15 minutes until we got there...
We paid and waited about 5 minutes until they were done with our order...
We literally ran back to the office to eat our lunch...
We all LOVED our food!!!
The portions looked really small, but turned out to be the perfect size. Everything went really well together and the ingredients were REALLY fresh.
I can't wait to go back and try more things!
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I am addicted to Blue Bottle Coffee. They serve it one cup at a time in the morning, there's never a line, and the guy behind the counter is super friendly. Salads are a little overpriced, but come on, they're all made from produce that comes from Happy Boy Farms. Happy Boy. How can you say no to that?
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I have eaten at this place for the third time and every time, they do not disappoint me. Even though the walk is a pretty good walk from where I work the freshness of the food keeps me coming back. The food has so much flavor and the quality of the vegetables are crisp, that spending $10 for lunch does not phase me. It's worth every dime and to top it, majority of the food is organic!!!! I would definitely keep coming back and would definitely spread the word about this place. Psst....try the turkey and avocado panini, the $8 you'll spend will be worth it.
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I just got back from Boxed Foods and purposely waited to write this review because I have eaten there before, but it's been a few months. The food should receive a solid 5 stars and the only reason I give it a 4 is because it is generally really packed at lunch time and there really isn't anywhere to sit (a few 2 person tables amongst the traffic). If you took all the food there and served it on a sunny patio they would be G2G. It's the financial district though, so they do what they can.
So, the tempeh lettuce wrap is my all time favorite item on the menu, but their salads and sandos are great too (all very organic and fresh). They even go the extra mile and put orange slices and mint leaves in the water - classy. Also, the staff there is super friendly. The guy who made my food and handed it to me was ALL smiles. I felt like giving him a hug.
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Whenever I'm in the Union Square area I make it a point to do two things. The first is to visit Teuscher chocolates and indulge in some champagne truffles. The friendly folks there revealed their favorite lunchtime spot, which takes me to number two, visit Boxed Foods Company.
BFC is a small galley-style restaurant where creative sandwiches and bustling financial district folks meet to eat. My favorite sammy is the turkey with artichoke pesto spread on crispy panini with parmesan cheese. I tried the pulled pork sammy today, which was delicious in a different way, a little lighter, with a light and tangy dressing and pickled ginger on a sweet soft bun.
For some reason this place makes lunch feel special - the mini salad included, the nice presentation in the box. Not super pricey either.
4.5 * stars
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Yeah.....I found one of my new favorite lunch spots. I have been here a couple of times with my boyfriend. We each order different sandwiches and then swaped halves in order to experience the different types. YUM!!! I love the turkey and artichoke panini as well as the chicken pesto panini! He is hooked on the chicken salad sandwich. The quality of the food here is great and I am so happy we discovered this little spot close to his workplace.
Pretty durn good. Yummy salad and interested flavors, BUT undercooked chicken has to bring down a place's star rating. I had what appeared to be a lovely chicken salad -- lovely except for the one large piece of nearly raw chicken in the middle... i like many of my meats rare, but chicken is not one of them.
Also, why not plump up the salads with more greens? they are probably the least expensive ingredient in the salad and adding a little more would make a big difference (would help me feel better about buying a $9 salad)
the staff is very smiley and helpful though
The food is always fresh and flavorful. There is always a line at lunchtime, because the food is so good. The kitchen has gotten a bit slow lately and the wait can be up to 15 or 20 minutes for a sandwich or salad.
The have 2 fresh water pitchers, one with orange slices and one with mint that you can enjoy while you wait. They have a decent magazine selection.
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I can't believe I hadn't written a review of this spot. While it's not the cheapest they definitely don't skimp on portion sizes here for their salads and the ingredients taste really fresh. It's super cramped inside but I'm usually eating by myself when I do eat here and it's nice to zone out reading while enjoying one of my favorite salads in the city!
One of my favorite lunch places in the fidi. Its quick, fresh, and their honey-lime chicken sandwich is to DIE for. Sweet yet sour, and it is accompanied by a side of salad which goes great with your pallet with the sandwich. One thing I do hate about this place is that it's $10 for lunch, which, I guess is reasonable in the fidi.
Well of the handful of panini+salad places I've been to, this is by far my favorite. I left the place a bit hungry (but that could just be my giant belly) but my panini was perfectly grilled. They make their panini on SLICED bread instead of rolls, so I thought that was a great change.
Also, if you care, they serve Blue Bottle Coffee!
Seating: For a downtown destination, they had plenty of seating. About 20 ppl can sit (on small tables) inside and another 15 or so outside on the pretty alley (Claud Lane). They bring the food to you, how civilized is that.
Another plus for compostable forks.
I've gone here a few times since its around the corner from work but the food isn't really impressive. Why I give 3 stars? They actually play really cool music and serve Blue Bottle coffee now!
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I love good healthy food alternatives as much as the next guy, but do we really have to accept $10 bucks for a friggin' sandwich as the norm in the financial district? Really? Look, I understand that you get what you pay for, but in the end the price is what we really care about. Plus, if the food really was that much better than your average lunch spot, I wouldn't mind paying extra. The fact is, the food just isn't THAT great. Good? Yes, but not $10 bucks good.
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The grilled tempeh salad was excellent. Fresh ingredients and great flavored dressing. Wish I could afford to eat here daily..
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I walked past here a million times without noticing it, which for me, gets point for not bein' all in yo face.
simple but varying menu of fresh ingredients all chalkboard style. there was a line but it went quick and food came out fast, we even got a seat (one of three tables i think).
i had a really tough time deciding but got the turkey artichoke panini, very yummy. my companion got the brie apple panini, which she really liked except they are a little stingy on the brie.
a little too expensive for an everyday meal but a nice treat when you want something fresh and delicious for lunch in the FiDi
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Yummy steak salad. Very fresh ingredients. I gave myself a pat on the back for making it past the chinese buffet to try out Boxed Foods Co. There is a bit of a wait, I'd recommend calling in your order. But, they do have stacks of magazines to flip through while you wait. One more thing....BLUE BOTTLE.... :)
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