YAY Cafe

A tiny café in the lobby of a non-descript business building that serves the best food at value prices of any to-go café (and many restaurants). Owned by a husband and wife, the food is consistently of high quality, is served quickly and the cooked items are piping hot. They serve equally great breakfast items. The bonus is they are friendly, remember repeat customers name's and serve the food with a warm smile.

This place is the definition of a hole-in-the-wall. Everything here is soooo good and such a hidden gem! I always come here during lunch and it's located conveniently in a corporate building. The meals are super affordable, filling, and delicious. They come up with new lunch specials weekly and upload their menu on Facebook. I recommend using their online website where you can pre-pay to pick up.

Perhaps, I should Yelp my generous friends who have given me opportunities to try foods that I'd normally not try. This one was totally unexpected as I was meeting a friend at his workplace to exchange some items. When I pulled into the parking lot, he was waiting in front of his building which is next to this location. As we exchanged bags, he handed me an extra bag, telling me that, due to our 1 pm meeting time, I didn't have lunch. Having run a morning errand in Chinatown, I actually had my meal in my office waiting; I know, what a considerate friend.When I returned to work about twenty minutes later, I took a picture of the meal and placed it in the refrigerator, knowing I'd enjoy this later in the week. He got me a patty melt with french fries (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=xBKgHRzzYBs2tXc6B5FCNQ&userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q), something I haven't eaten since the Lucky Penny on Masonic closed since that's where I ate my last one. With my new education in restoring leftovers, I reheated the patty melt (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=_ptNwOBcmHV8zCRK9hoRgQ&userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q) and fries (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=8pdx8l_b7kkmAe83tGeW6w&userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q). They were still delicious two days later and my meal was filling. I especially loved that they gave several packets of Hunt's ketchup (my childhood favorite) which paired perfectly with the fries.Thanks to my thoughtful and generous friend, I had the pleasure of enjoying this throwback meal. He mentioned their prices being reasonable and that their spaghetti was pretty good. Guess I better keep my eyes open for their weekly menu.

I was confused since the outside has a window cover that says bayside cafe but walked inside and found a window with a sign for YAY cafe. So glad I went in! The food was fast, and totally delicious. Def a little home in the wall but that's one of my fave type of places!

I miss working right next door to Yay Café. I'd walk there every single day for breakfast and coffee or lunch. I did this for 3 years and you're probably thinking, what a loser why didn't she pack a lunch?Well tbh I'd rather eat their food everyday than whatever lame lunch I would've packed for myself. Marlo and Christine are such a dynamic duo husband and wife team. They work so well together, I swear Christine knows everyone's name -- she really does. She's so sharp, friendly, moves fast. Their food is restaurant grade type of food. Delicious spaghetti, garlic noodles, fish plates, rice plates, a spin on California rolls in a salad bowl form, burgers, sandwiches. It doesn't really have a genre per say, but if I had to pick one, I'd say it's Asian inspired/fusion? It's in a food category of its own :) They make theeee best freaking mango coconut tapioca pudding ever, but it makes a seasonal appearance. They have a Facebook page where they post their menu for the week. You can pre order it and then pick it up! Pre-pandemic, the menu would be posted in the cafe and the lunch line would go out the building to Airport Blvd. They kept track of the plates they sold and knew when they'd run out, so they'd tell you and you'd just have to get a sandwich or a salad, but those were good too!Now it's more like a pick up and go type of place with limited seating outside in the lobby area of the building. I should've honestly written this review 6 years ago, but even tho I don't go there daily, I still get food from there when on my days off and it's still delicious!

We were traveling to San Francisco and looking for lunch. We found Yay Cafe by chance and went in. We were very surprised that such a small place had such amazing food and service. The food here was very fresh and the people who worked there were very courteous/respectful. I wish we were staying longer in Burlingame so we could have more of there food. If you are ever outside San Francisco stop here to have the Salmon with Rice or the Fried Honey Chicken with Rice and a side salad or their Lumpia. You won't be disappointed

I work in the area and heard from one of our regular Amazon drivers that this place was a really good spot for lunch. If you don't know it's there you won't find it lol, it's a very unassuming entrance. I tried the salmon and rice and it was pretty good. The fish was soft and easy to eat and the rice was nicely cooked.

Working nearby this is my place to go for lunch. There is something for everyone to enjoy, from vegetarian to pescatarian. Daily specials can be everything from Sweet Chili Fried Chicken with rice and salad to Grilled Salmon. Or Pasta Bolognese or Basil Tofu. No matter what your pleasure Christine and Marlo will take great care of you. They know when I place my order, if the special comes with rice and salad, it's less rice and more salad for me, or no salt on my fries if I order them. A few sandwiches are available every day. My favorite is a chicken chipotle wrap with grilled chicken, onion, tomato, lettuce, and chipotle mayo wrapped in a flour tortilla.Serving the few people that are essential workers and others that need to be in their jobs, they are an essential business. Menu is limited during the Covid outbreak. No more salads or breakfast, sadly. During these times, you can order online and pick up in about 15 minutes. Of course you can still show up and pay with cash or card. Social distancing and masks rules are enforced.

Not sure why they are marked as closed. I have eaten there twice in the last two weeks and confirmed they are open for breakfast

We were staying at the Hilton San Francisco Airport and needed a place to get a quick lunch. There wasn't much around there but we were surprised when we found YAY Cafe on Yelp with it's very positive reviews. It was a 5 minute walk from the hotel, hidden in the first floor of a nearby office building. It was tiny but the people were nice and the food was outstanding. There was a specials list on the wall and regular items posted. We chose the lemongrass chicken and the mushroom tacos. Everything was tasty, fresh, and cooked to order. Sitting is minimal but most of their business appears to be grab and go. We would recommend this to everyone looking for great food at a great price.