by King Bacik on Full disclosure: since the menu has changed quite considerably over here at Bruno's, I was treated to a nice bounty at little more than the cost of a tip for our outstanding server, Kaitlin. We all know Bruno's as a fun place to shake a tail feather and grab some bottle service after 10:00pm on the weekends, but they now have a revamped food menu courtesy of Broken Record and Quince alums, Ryan Ostler and Katharine Zacher, and their new focus is down home, American comfort food. While the genre of eats does, in fact, fall into that comfort food category with options like cheesy grits, collard greens and whoopie pies... I prefer to call it Urban BBQ. Their pulled pork sandwich and BBQ pork ribs are fantastic, but they have a certain upscale flair that isn't consistent with the Southern BBQ you're likely to find in Texas, Memphis or the Carolinas Sure, the methods of preparation are the same, but it's a far cry from paper plates, insect repellent and fly swatters on the Gulf. Don't take that the wrong way, though, as Bruno's has a good thing cooking. They have an interesting approach to tackling an age-old style of eating. Heck, our nation's forefathers were grillin' up brisket and pulled pork as far back as the 16th century, so it's nice to see a fresh take on a movement that was around in a time when wooden teeth and missionary-style were still social norms. Their menu has everything you could ever ask for when completely throwing caution to the wind when it comes to abandoning your diet. Fried green tomatoes, po'boy sandwiches, hushpuppies and pesto mac 'n' cheese are just a few of the high-caloric gems that dot their menu. I personally had an opportunity to indulge in their pulled pork sandwich, pork ribs, cheesy/spicy grits and collard greens with bacon. The ribs were huge and glazed perfectly with a sweet, yet savory BBQ sauce. While the animal proteins itself weren't completely fall-off-the-bone, it didn't take much effort to strip those bones of everything but the marrow that lives inside. The pulled pork was marinated in a sweet BBQ sauce, but was also dusted with a nice amount of spicy aioli that gave it a lingering kick. The sides were fantastic as well, with the collard greens being a standout. The flavor of brown sugar and hickory-smoked bacon that seeps into those leafy greens really makes the dish. The vibe at Bruno's also really aligns itself well with this kind of eatery. It's dark with warm colors, cool music and a friendly assortment of folks ranging from employees, bar flys and casual eaters. The hodgepodge of personalities makes the hang just about as comfortable as the food itself. The prices are just right, with most items hovering in the $9-$12 range, with the most expensive offering being the plate of pork ribs at $16. In a city chalk full of overpriced restaurants, you really can't argue with the affordability. Of course, once 10:00pm hits, this place completely transforms. Expect hip-hop, top 40 jams and bottles of Grey Goose on ice. Don't fret, though... as the staff are really good about alerting patrons about the flood of party animals at 22-hundred hours. It's actually not a bad way to start the evening if you're planning on shaking yer rumppppp-ah, because you can grab some BBQ'ed goodness before dumping booze all over your bloodstream. Then, after eating and dancing all night with your boo, you can explain to him or her that a bear ate all of your clothes, except for a sexy assortment of boner jams and a pile of condoms. Or, not.... (sorry, bad Bruno joke).
by Ethan Boser on I think this place is the perfect place to come if you don't want to be hassled at the front entrance about how you look or if you have enough girls. We ended up here after going to a few other bars. There was no line and a 10 dollar cover, although he made me take off my hat. After entering the immediate vibe was that this was the place for people to go just to get wasted. The ground was super sticky around the main bar, I felt like "Marv" from Home Alone climbing up the stairs of tar that Kevin set out before stepping on that nail. We hung out around the main bar most of the time where the pool tables and flat screens are, but once we entered the main dance floor I finally realized how exactly RAUNCHY this place was. Most of the girls were very drunk with guys trying to grind on them. They had an MC on stage that was bringing up random people to sing to random music. It definitely felt like a circus. But if you want an easy drink, this is your place.
by Ella B. on DISCLOSURE - 4 Stars for the food... 3 overall if you include service. Friday night, running late, passed by, looked cute, walked in. PoiBoi and friends joined us. He's right, it's dark in here, small and you sit really close to other parties... but it's SF and eh, get used to it. We were seated quickly and our server came up to take our orders. She's pretty, but for some reason she has that "i'm pissed off" look etched into her face! She'd be prettier if she smiled... or at least fake it so i can enjoy our dinner... geez. We ordered two appetizers, first it was hummus with salad - but before PoiBoi and friend come we nearly eat all of it! Luckily PB orders the shrimp, OMG it was sooo good. (or am i already buzzed??) I ordered the Flamboyant - a vodka with some sorta tangy stuff. it was at first too tangy, but after a drink, two or three it's my now new friend for the night. My second drink too a little while to come, we were nearly ready to go by the time it showed it. Dinner - Chicken Kabobs with rice. Very good, i'm very full after one kabob. Tasty for sure. My friend ordered the coconut shrimp, wow, that IS so good. Even the lamb is good and i'm not a lamb fan at all. While we were finishing up it looked like they were transitioning to a club?? strange. felt slightly rushed since people were sitting around the side of the "dancefloor" like it was spectator eating or something. Bill overall was about $150 for 5 people including 5 drinks, 2 beers, 2 appetizers. Average SF dinner price. I bet this place on a weekend lunch would be fabulous... but on a weekend night, you gotta get there early for food or later for dancing or whatever they put on.
