SFist Eats: HRD's Mongolian Beef Cheesesteak Sandwich
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When your editor is in a rank mood, we forgo our daily lunch of lemon wedges and a Correctol, and instead head to Little Skillet for a chicken and waffle box. That is, until today. After reading Meowmix's gushing review of HRD's Mongolian Beef Cheesesteak, we had to give it a shot.
And, boy, thank God we did.
For those of you who don't know about the place, HRD is a seemingly innocuous Chinese-ish food joint on Third Street at Bryant in SOMA, ancient menu signs, faded Coca-Cola signage, marvelous middle bar (usually frequented by hungry police officers), and wood paneling. What HND lacks in interior polish, it makes up for with the food.
Since HRD's menu is vast, we want to focus your attention to the sandwich in question: the Mongolian Beef Cheesesteak. For starters, the mongolian beef is near perfect on its own: tender curtains of beef, cooked yet still crunchy green bell peppers and onions, just the right dusting of chili flakes to render it spicy and sweet. But then, in a brilliant move, a tidal wave of the mogolian beef is crammed into a toasted roll with mozzarella and -- get this -- mayonnaise. Now, we loathe the taste and texture of mayonnaise/aioli -- our mother would refer to it as "a jar of pus," barring it from the kitchen -- but in this sandwich it somehow works. It "mixes with the mongolian beef juices to make a creamy, yummy sauce," Meowmix points out.
Pair it with a side of fries and a price that made us flinch with glee (less than $5!), you should stop by if you're ever in South Park or heading to a ballgame. But during lunch is when the expert and friendly (and we don't use that term carelessly) shines best, so be sure to give it a shot. Sure, it's not as aesthetically pleasing as the nearby Blue Bottle and Little Skillet windows on Ritch Street, but it will put the same smile on your stomach, only at half the cost.
HRD Coffee Shop
521 Third Street (at Bryant)
San Francisco