Tricolore Caffe & Catering
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 6:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. - Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: Yes
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
118 reviews
Neighborhood: Mission
"Best pie I've had since Lombardi's in Little Italy NYC! I got the Vegetarian & added sausage. Taking Chantilly B's advice about the…" read more »
39 Reviews for Tricolore Caffe & Catering
This little place has some great selections and pretty good deals for lunch. I had the vegetariano panini with the insalata penne pasta salad. I think this is the first vegetarian sandwich I've ever had and I have to say "who needs meat?" lol. I was a bit if-fy about trying it, but zucchini and mushrooms just sounded so yummy to me (i've been eating a lot of vegetables lately).
The foccacia bread is so soft and lite that it doesn't overpower the sandwich. Equal amounts of everything made it a nice lite lunch treat. For half a sandwich and salad, it was $9, a little steep, but really filling for my tummy. A few bites of half the sandwich and salad already satisfied my hunger. I'll have enough for lunch even tomorrow!
I've been here a lot, and still have a hard time comprehending that you can order something off the menu even if it is not in the big glass case. The pizzas here are very decent. They have fresh squeezed OJ and take credit cards. They have some interesting lunch combos - I am used to only seeing soup/salad and soup/sandwich as a combo. Here, you can have soup/pizza, pizza/sandwich, pizza/salad, salad/sandwich etc. All for around $6. Also, the interior of the restaurant is cute.
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mediocre salad and pasta, tasty pizza, but i think i'll stick with orgasmica in the embarcadero center
...Very average. Located directly across the street, it's a haven for Transamerica Building folks looking to fulfill their lunchtime munchies. From the outside, I always thought it was a full-scale restaurant, table service and all. But it's rather small, with a walk-up counter; the layout is more conducive to take-out orders.
Prices are on par with other Italian eateries around the FiDi, so you can easily stuff yourself for under $10. Though not a bad choice for lunch, I'm sure you can find better quality further up in North Beach.
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For a quick, convenient lunch downtown, I have found nothing that beats Tricolore. A REALLY good slice of pizza and a salad (or a slice and half a panini) is only $6.50. I can't get over how excellent their pizza is. One of these days I'm going to order an entire pizza....
Truth be told, the only thing I've ever eaten here is the pizza. But again, it really is excellent, especially in comparison to any other slice you're going to be able to get in the financial district at lunchtime. The interior is charming, the staff friendly -- a great place for a quick, cheap lunch.
When my office moved approximately 1 1/2 blocks (in the real world) and straight from funk to celene dion (in my world), my saving grace was:"Maybe this will force me to find new lunch spots/ sneaky cocktail joints". So far I've got double vodka martinis from Alfred's (Huzzah!), and snarling, poo under the nose attitude at Palio Paniyucky (Boo!). Luckily, we are still in spitting distance from Bocadillo (lamb burger)and Tricolore. Here is what I do @ TC: order two salads: tuna pasta and mediteranneo, which is cukes. tomato and feta, in one container to go. It's like $6.50. Mix the lot w/ the vinagrette. Eat. I know it seems obvious, but a girls gotta eat, so I've heard.
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They don't offer many pasta dishes on their menu, if that's what you're in the mood for. Rather, they have a good variety of pizza, panini sandwiches, and salad. Today, I was craving fetticini, but it seems that they mainly use penne, linguine, and gnocchi. Also, their bread is really delicious.
Absolutely yummy option if you work in the transamerica building. Its right across the street and has tasty pizza, pannini, cold pasta salad, hot pasta, homemade soup, and gelato options to choose from. The lunch combos are decent for the price and everything is fresh and flavorful. I usually walk out with the half sando and small Cesar salad for 7 bucks. Its not bad considering the other options around town will make your ass the size of a small planet and cost way more. The staff is nice and its efficient. Walk in - order - pay - and sit or take it back to the cube. It never takes more than 5 mins to get what I want and beat it.
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I used to work kitty corner from this place in what I affectionately refer to as the "Tommy Toy Building" (655 Montgomery).
Tricolore has great pizza, great salads (the Mediterranean is my personal favorite) and great sandwiches. Even when it is busy, getting in and out of here is pretty fast.
The only thing I haven't tried that needs to be tried is the gelato. Judging by how they do everything else here, it's going to be GREAT.
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*3.5 stars*
First visit in AGES (first visit was pre-Yelp)...
... went with a craving for pizza. The slice w/ pepperoni (but upon tasting, was more like linguica-YUM!) w/ mushrooms and garlic caught my eye... they warmed it up (wow! just for me?!) and I was on my merry way to scarf it all up in record time back in the lunch room.
Tasty tasty! Good crust, good amount of garlic, sausage was also good and so were the sauteed mushrooms.
I'm looking forward to going back and trying their panini, salads and soups...
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Tricolore is one of the three places I can order-in lunch via my office's you' re-not-leaving-your-desk-until-this-crap-g ets-done lunch menu service. I've probably eaten just about everything on the menu several times over. Two observations stand out from the countless meals eaten at my desk:
One, I love their soups (for a take out lunch place). Tomato white bean and pure of butternut squash are both healthy and veg/vegan friendly (not that I'd ever say no to a cheese or dairy). They have a weekly rotation of soups and there is always something good and healthy.
Two, this is the only Italian restaurant in which I've been served bad focaccia. I just hate their homemade bread, which is saying a lot as I'm a total bread / carb whore. Seriously, I could live off of a bizzaro-Atkins diet should on be invented (patent pending). Yet I won't eat the bread at Tricolore because it is bland, sort of woody, and lacking in the classic focaccia flavor or texture. This is important to know because all sandwiches are made with it too, so I avoid them like cold brussel sprouts served in the morning by Grandma because you refused to eat them the night before.... Um, ignore that last bit, I think I'm over sharing.
Long story short: Solid lunch place, just stick to the soup and pizza. Other non-sandwich options are nice too. Very solid place.
I had an internal meeting so I was asked by my boss to order lunch for 15 today (and no I am not a secretary). The guy on the phone said I should order 4 XL pies - I ordered 3 and we had leftovers.
The pizza is edible but why for the love of God can't anyone make a decent pizza in SF? So tasteless and bland - I mean come on I LOVE cheese how can pizza with cheese be boring?
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A quick, delicious, and not too expensive lunch. I had a salad and the greens were very fresh and crisp. None of that pale white/green lettuce garbage in this salad. It's all dark green lettuce - the nutritious stuff.
JONASAPPROVED!
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We catered a lunch from these guys today, it was average and for the price a little disappointing. The pasta salad and fruit salad (fresh fruit, yum) were really good, so that saved them a star. But, the pizza was cold when it got here, yuck! The antipasto platter was average but the focaccia bread that came with it was the biggest hit! Unfortunately I would probably not order catering from them again, the prices were just too high for the quality of the food.
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YUMMY! Cute, cozy Italian cafe with all sorts of goodies. My friend took me here while searching for lunch and I instantly found a lot of options. Prices are reasonable and the portions are generous. I love the atmosphere too, it's homey and comfortable.
There's a big menu for the little restaurant - pizza, pasta entrees, panini, calzone, soup and a variety of salads. I also like how they list prices for combinations so you don't have to wonder if it's going to cost you a fortune.
I can't wait to come back and try the paninis and pizzas - the ingredients all look very tasty and I can't get enough of prosciutto! They also have breakfast and a full coffee bar with espresso drinks made from organic coffee beans.
I went with the pasta bolognese and a cup of vegan minestrone soup. The portions were generous and elegant presentation for a to-go order. It was so good and I love how it wasn't too greasy or salty. I'm definitely coming back for more! It's my new favorite lunch spot!
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This is one of the few places downtown where you can get pasta for relatively cheap. It helps that you order at the counter and don't have to pay a tip. They also have a selection of salads and soups and pizza. I remember it as good, but not good enough to rush to go back. In fact in working downtown for 6 years I only went here once.
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A great quick and inexpensive lunch. I like the soup and salad combo or the soup and sandwich combo or the salad and 1/2 sandwich combo. I have not tried the pizza, but it looks and smells pretty good. The minestrone isn't the greatest (it's not bad, just not the greatest), but it is vegan. I'm always happy to find a place that makes vegetarian soup. The white bean soup is really good, though. I'm partial to the house salad, which is greens, cherry tomatoes, and goat cheese with a balsamic vinaigrette. My friend/co-worker prefers the feta salad. Our biggest complaint at Tricolore is that they provide too much bread. It's not that the bread is bad; quite the contrary. The problem is that we feel obligated to eat it, and just don't need those extra calories. You can see the dilemma here, right?
The staff is friendly and the order line moves quickly.
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YUM! First time visit was a winner! Great cafe, smells delicious when you walk in - service is so fast it was hard to believe, and salad was delisH!
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I absolutely LOVE Tri Colore. I used to work across the street at the pyramid and ate there 3-4 times a week, but now that I'm down on California St., I only make it over there like once a week. I make the walk because the food is sooooooooooooo good!
I usually get a half of a sandwich (the Tacchino), and ask for it hot. They put it in the oven so that the cheese melts into perfect yumminess. I also get a small mediterranean salad which has thick slices of cucumber, tomato, olives and cheese. Oh it's so tasty!
The staff is so friendly and always smiling. They will not only remember the faces of their regulars, but also their names. I am greeted personally each time I go in and even engage in some quick chit chat. This place is not your average get in, get your food, and get out sort of joint. It's an absolute gem.
Say hello to my new go-to lunch time pasta joint. In the hood I've tried Gio's and Mangia Tutti. Gio's is ok as a sit-down/table service spot, but nothing special. Mangia Tutti is wonderful but only if the boss is paying. Tricolore, on the other (third?) hand, just served up a plate of awesome penne con pollo in a tasty, garlic-y tomato sauce, plus a can of coke, for $9. The pizzas and sandwiches looked pretty damn good, too, and the service is super fast. It's pretty much the perfect counter service Italian joint.
My co-worker introduced me to her favorite secret Italian lunch spot. Good selection of pizza, pasta salad and sandwiches. We decided to go healthy and both ordered the soup and salad combo for $5. I tried the minestrone and she had the white bean. I think the white bean soup looked better. I enjoyed the cherry tomatoes in our salad - really sweet and juicy!
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LOVE their pizzas
pastas are good could be better if the portion was a little bigger
pricey but worth it
Tricolore is not the best Italian food . The lasagna needs work, for starters. But it is really good for a pizza & soup fix. Yes, I like pizza and soup together. I like how their pizza slice comes out of the oven slightly crispy. Also, the pasta is yummy when you ask for the white and red sauces mixed together. Unless you are looking for something altogether gourmet, this is a spot that will do just fine for a lunch break.
The inside provides a nice atmosphere giving it a nice mom & pop sort of atmosphere, and in a way reminded me of Florence.
The selection of pasta, pizza, and other Italian foods all looked great from what I saw, and there's a daily special to keep you coming back looking for something new.
The service is speedy, the staff is friendly, and most importantly the food is quite delectable. The pasta that I had all the right ingredients that made it just right and very flavorful. Will come back to this place at a later date.
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I really shouldn't write reviews because I get so sentimental about the places I go for lunch. I guess working in the same block of SF for so long, that's bound to happen. In any case, one of the places I am really attached to is TriColore. The food isn't always the most amazing- I'd like to see at least one more ingridient in the salata della casa- maybe red onion? And the pasta salads need a sprinkle of salt and pepper on occassion, but the pizza is delicious- the simpler the toppings, the better. And the soups are fantastic! I am in love with their split pea and their butternut squash soups.
Plus, the guys here are nice, remember your face, and go the extra mile. Once when their credit card swiping machine was broken and I didn't have cash, they wrote my first name on my receipt and taped it to the wall and just told me to come back some time and pay it when I had cash or the machine was fixed- which I did the next week just because they were so great about it. They could have lost that seven bucks and I could have walked away with a free meal, but finding that kind of hometown friendliness in the middle of the financial district made my day.
You can tell the food is homemade. Just like your momma's cooking- not always five stars, but always authentic and made by a real person, with fresh ingridients. A step up from a hole in the wall, but small enough to feel like you've escaped the chain sandwich stores, TriColore rocks- especially early or later than the typical lunch crowd, when the place is all yours. Did I mention they have gelato and great chocolate-dipped shortbread cookies. yeah.
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One of my go-to places for lunch in the area. Easy, because it's just across the street from the office. Typically go there when the clock hits 2:00 and I realize I have yet to each lunch. Or even once, when it was 3:50 and I still hadn't eaten. But sometimes, I go there because I have a random craving for the salmon focaccia sandwich, and that was pretty much all I ate. That is, until I discovered their pasta salads. The tuna pasta salad is great. The pasta with the tomato and mozzarella is also good. And I haven't had any trouble asking for extra tomatoes or whatever. Even in the tuna salad which doesn't come with tomatoes. And they always smile like they recognize me, which is nice.
Oh anyway, that time I ran over there for lunch at 3:50, by that time, all I had to choose from was pizza or a turkey pesto sandwich. I went with the sandwich, even though I don't like pesto. Or at least I thought I didn't. How fortuitous! Turns out I find pesto rather tasty. Thank you to TriColore for expanding my palate.
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Everyone always raves about North beach and their Italian cuisine supremacy here in San Francisco. Tricolore Cafe & Pizzeria serves as ample proof that you do not have to venture into the want-to-be areas of NB in order ot get first rate italian fare. If the wonderful aroma does not get you, their excellent variety of sandwiches, salads, pastas and divine pizza certainly will. The staff treats you like family, and I like that feeling. I have eaten lunch here on several occasions and each time was put into a trance by the flavors. At last, a cafe that believes in an overabundance of garlic and fresh herbs. Bucca de Beppo and Olive Garden fans, stay in North Beach. The ones in the know come to Tricolore to eat real Italian food.
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Great food - lots of variety, pizza, panini, salads, soup, pastas, and daily/weekly specials. Not a lot of space for dining - there are some tabels inside and outside. But it's got a good vibe and is a great lunch spot. Last week I had a great greek salad and a slice of chicken pizza. Very tasty - filled me up well. And the lines moves really fast which is key for us "take lunch back to the office" people.
One of the few places that is open past 3pm in the financial district, which is great when yuo can't quite get to lunch on time. Their foccacia sandwiches are decent, I like the chicken one because of the carmelized onions in it, but the chicken is kinda dry... the guys that work there are great. Super friendly and good at remembering repeat customers. Salads are fresh too, the goat cheese in the mixed greens is REALLY good, but I dont really like their dressing, lacks flavor. The pizza is not bad, not golden boys, but still good :)
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SO GOOD! For five bucks, the authetic Italians will serve you salads, lasagana, pizzas, soups, pastas or any combination thereof. Genuine, like mama used to make!
Textured walls contribute to the homey ambiance. The staff is sweet and constant.
The food is good and you can avoid the lunch crowd by swinging in before 12:30 or after 1:15.
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I have had lunch here a few times, and the pizza just hits the spot. I wasn't a big fan of the sandwiches though.
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the only thing i don't like about this place is when they don't make or run out of vegan pizza slices, the latter normally happens when i decide lunch should occur at 2pm or later. damn you work for making me work! hey they have vegan soups which are tasty and the pizza crusts are thin, crisp and fak'n great! i'm down! woo-hoo!
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It's a good lunch place for italian fare- pizza, pasta, focaccia sandwiches, salads, soups..... I like their grilled prosciutto sandwiches and the tuna pasta salad isn't bad either. The cucumber salad though is a bit bland and the dressing lacks flavor and has way too much dry herbs going on in it.
I work just around the corner and I liked it there. They have lots of COMBO, soup+salad, piza+salad, piza+soup, etc... I had peparoni * mushroom piza and lentil soup, were pretty good. Overall, average lunch place.
I eat Tricolore at least once a week and it doesn't disappoint. The sandwiches are placed on warm Focaccia bread and come with greens, thinly sliced ham, olive oil, and other fresh ingredients.
I tend to order a half sandwich(they are large) and a side creaser for lunch but I have ventured into the pizzas and pastas. The pasta here is always great but i found the pizza to be too hard and salty for my taste.
Overall a nice, inexpensive place to get lunch that is on the healthy and fresh side.
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Luv this little deli. Delicious panini's, the best caesar salad, and yummy pizza...
I gave it four stars because sometimes they charge you incorrectly if your not careful, and because it can be a bit pricey- half a panini and half a salad with a drink is around $9... but the food is delicious and the only decent place nearby...
this is my favorite secret lunch spot. healthy, fresh and sooo good.
it's fast and cheap too.
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One of my weekly pit stops for lunch although I always order the same thing. The soup and 1/2 panini combo is a great deal and I have no compliants thus far. The chicken panini, my choice du -every-jour rocks. Outside of that, I have no idea what the rest of the food is like. My buddy thought the pizza's were weak so maybe not everything is a hit at this place.
Just had lunch at Tricolore today and hadn't eaten there in over a year. I had a great tomato and white bean soup with caesar salad with chicken for under $7. The soup was great because it's hard to find tomator soup without cream, but this had no cream in it. I will definitely visit more frequently than yearly.
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