It's appropriate that this garlic-themed
restaurant is located in
North Beach, the
Little Italy of
San Francisco, at 325
Columbus Avenue. The Stinking Rose: A
Garlic Restaurant operates a lucrative merchandise shop along with its food business, thoroughly distinguishing itself as a
gimmicky
tourist trap. The menu is an assortment of standard
American surf and turf, all seasoned with overpowering quantities of garlic. As an example, the
chicken breast entree contains 40 cloves by itself. Where
Thai restaurants keep a jar of oily
sambal chili paste at every table, this place offers potent jars of fresh garlic
pesto for spreading on the house bread. Even the
ice cream contains garlic. People either love this restaurant, or they don't. Garlic aside, the food is otherwise average, with the service somewhat below average, especially on busy nights.
However, not every dinner out needs to be a
transcendental experience, so people who enjoy the taste of garlic will probably have a great time visiting this establishment, especially if they can handle being largely left alone for the next few days while garlic seeps out of their every pore. This was the reason the housemates on the San Francisco season of
MTV's
The Real World decided to have their
Valentine's Day lonely hearts dinner there.