The Lucky Penny – sometimes it’s not about the food but the memories……..

Not to say the food is bad, it IS diner food, and some of it is delicious. This place was my staple for 4 years when I lived down the street at Turk and Masonic in the Pan handle/Western Addition/Upper Haight/NOPA, whatever it is referred to these days. Here are a few key things I like about the Lucky Penny:

It’s cheap - Well it is a diner, I usually get the gool ole grilled cheese, some fries and drink and it’s under $6 bucks. The one to try is the Rail Splitter, thinly sliced hot roast beef grilled with american cheese on Sourdough bread. Oh yes!! It’s open 24 hours – You’ve drank your body weight in gin, wine and/or shots, shots, shots and your cupboards are bare. But you don’t want to wake up with your head feeling like it’s been stomped on by a herd of elephants. Tell the taxi driver or the responsible driver to head to the Lucky Penny. It’s not pretentious - Yes it’s fun to hang out at a trendy wine bar or have a nice 5 Course Meal. If you want grilled beef cheeks, buttered buffalo lips or something highfalutin or fancy, this is NOT the place to go. But you can get breakfast 24 hours a day, usually with a smile and sometimes with a joke and it will most likely cost you under $10 bucks, not bad by San Francisco standards.

The one thing I love is they have a no cell phone policy. I admit I am glued to my phone but it’s nice to have reason to take a break, don’t want to make management mad. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RX_pZTlERaI. The clientele might be in the geriatric range, the carpets are a little dirty– I don’t even want to think how many times it’s been barfed on since it is frequently the stop before home for some drunkards but it doesn’t stink and the bathrooms are clean, not the case for a lot of diners in the area. AND you can buy a lotto ticket when you are there – Good luck(y)!! So if you are in dire need of greasy sustenance after a long night of drinking, you have insomnia and want a milkshake or want to hide from the ‘In’ crowd, step into the Lucky Penny, but make sure you put your cellphone on silent. Address: 2670 Geary Blvd (at Masonic Ave) San Francisco, CA Neighborhood: Laurel Heights (415) 921-0836