The service was ok. The lady that served us wasn't friendly looking, didn't smile. But the man I guess was the cook was very friendly. He greeted us with a big smile. There was no ambiance at this cafe. It was at the back of the concierge desk that kinda looked sketchy. The food though was very tasty. Overall, it was ok.

Solid downtown lunch spot - love the array of healthy options and the customer service is always top notch. I appreciate how the server gets to know their frequent customers. I haven't gotten to try any of their desserts yet (since their lunch portions leave me stuffed, with plenty left over for dinner), but I have heard good things :)

This salad was fresh, chopped on the spot, and gigantic. Excellent food and great price for a hole in the wall in downtown SF. Highly recommend making this place a spot for your weekly in office lunches. Very nice chef too!

Food smells so good. Tiny place inside the lobby 601 montgomery. Behind the security guard is a tiny place to order hot foods. Once i got close, i can smell home cooking, as the sign said. Everything was delicious in my box. I got "Too Good to Go" box. I would never have gone there if not for this program and also out for appointment. Smell and taste good. That is the ideal. Polenta was creamy. Cabbage was crunchy. Chicken was seasoned well. Rice was good. Beans was good.

I happened to be in the neighborhood and used the TooGoodToGo App for this pickup of random food item during this weekday lunch time pickup. This cafe is pretty much a hidden spot that only tenants in this big building complex will know about. It is basically a takeout location where you order food from I think it was only one lady working there. I felt kind of bad waiting in line with other workers in this building and seeing one lady worker take my order and also fries up my food all at the same time. A line of 5 people including myself. I had no idea what she was making and still don't know what I ate. I think made everything on the spot with polenta, beans, chicken and shrimp dish that she threw together into take out paper container. Surprisingly It was heavy and lots of food in there! I was pretty impressed because if you hungry, you can easily get two or 3 meals out of it. It doesn't look pretty, but it's better and more healthier than those evil fast food places out there! People working here will never starve with this tiny place here that gives good portion side. I call it the "Mashed up box"where they seemed to mix everything together in a box and tastes pretty natural. Like many others mentioned earlier, it is a hole in a wall like other reviewers have mentioned. Even I walked passed this building and walked in circles before I went inside cautiously and walked around in another circle to find this place on the corner literally (a hole on the corner wall). My tummy was pleased with no issues and had feeling of being healthy with polenta because i normally don't eat that stuff.

Hidden gem! I picked up a Too Good To Go surprise order and I was very pleasantly surprised both by the quantity and quality of the meal. The food was hot, fresh, and delicious and as I was walking away I started doing the mental math about how many meals I would likely get from this generous haul. The surprise order included rice, beans, chicken, vegetables, polenta, and a delicious garlicy green sauce. Yum. I also watched the team prepare an order for the gentleman ahead of me in line and the portions were enormous. No wonder the line grew to five additional people behind me within a matter of a minute. This is a place where you not only get your money's worth but you get something worth your money. Will definitely be back!

I have been to this place numerous times and have always been very happy with quality and especially quantity of food. The breakfast burritos are hefty and will tide you over until dinner time. Mine came with both sausage and bacon, potatoes, roasted veggies all rolled into a delicious bundle. Pico and homemade chips on the side. Great value for $13 bucks. This place is a gem. While it may be tucked inside a nondescript building in a lobby - people in the know...know. They have out of this world roasted salmon, chicken, rice, veggies, pasta, baked goods and homemade sauces like chimichurri and salsas. So many in house seasonal items cooked fresh. That's pretty hard to come by in the FiDi unless you are in a sit down restaurant. The guy behind the counter is proud of his offerings and super generous. Most meals are enough for 2 meals unless you are a huge eater so $14-$15 bucks is way better spent here than on a measly salad. Though they have salads here too. I was introduced to this place via Too Good to Go but i now pay full price to get more protein but I will say the TGTG is a good deal too. Big Thumbs Up! Keep small businesses alive!

This is a review from a TooGoodToGo order so it's not a normal menu item but rather a great sampling of several items. First the location is a little hidden. I must have walked by a few times until I realized the cafe was inside the lobby of 601 Montgomery. Go through the spinning doors and walk past the security guard. You can actually see the beverage fridge from the street. The guy working the counter was super friendly. He seems to know all the regulars. He also made sure to make me a fresh order. Sometimes TooGoodToGo orders are prepared before you arrive. Not here. He portioned everything up right in front of me. This was definitely a great value!! 7bucks for tortellini, a massive sausage patty, perfectly cooked eggs, some potatoes, and really good rice. The curry sauce wasn't spicy but had lots of flavor. If I'm in the area again I'd definitely consider trying a regular menu item.

I discovered this through Too Good To Go which offers a surorise discounted product. While what we got was mostly mashed potatoes and rice interspersed with vegetables, everything had a nice taste. A piece of cabbage was crunchy. And while I HATE lima beans, I actually ate mine. Plenty of food for hubby and me to split for dinner. I was not displeased. This place is definitely a hole in the wall of a bank building and definitely carry out, a one man operation in a very small space with a steam table. There are few selections but everything smells delicious. Definitely home cooking. The person in front of us was getting lunch and it was clear that he was a regular. Viva Cafe knew what he wanted down to the special bottled drink. As a matter of fact, the owner told his customer that he ordered a case of his favorite drink. How nice is that. Talk about customer service!I did not see a menu for what is likely to be served on certain days but there were enough selections on that small steam table that you should find something. For those of you taking MUNI, bus 1 stops catty corner to it at Clay and Montgomery.

Viva is well hidden, but they had an enticing deal on the app TooGoodToGo (preventing food waste), so I figured I'd try it out. It turned out to be a box full of delicious grits, cabbage salad, beans, french toast and some of the best rice I've had. Other hot food on the counter also looked sumptuous, brisket, roasted chicken, potatoes, tamales, vegetables etc