The Club, SFO

Update Review, December 2025 Visit

I was only able to spend about 10 minutes in The Club because the line was SOOOO long when I first arrived at SFO (11:30am), it was SOOOO long when I checked back about 45 minutes later, and they no longer seem to do a waitlist?  So I gave up, went to the Alaska lounge, walked around the terminal, and then noticed there was shockingly no line right before my boarding time.  I still went in just to check it out, and use the bathroom at least.

Not much seemed to have changed since my last visit, although it was entirely full (literally I couldn't find a seat even if I wanted one), and the buffet had a long line.  I peeked and saw the same standard lineup of salads, pickled stuff, and Chinese main dish.  Spinach and artichoke dip with chips seemed to be an addition.  Same snack mixes near the water station as previous visits.  The bar no longer stocks additional (better) ones.

I grabbed a dessert, used the bathroom, and left.  Oh, and yes, the coffee maker was still out of service.  At least the elevator worked.

Pumpkin Spice Carrot Cake.

I was interested to see the dessert offering of the day, carrot cake, but, pumpkin spiced, and topped with seemingly both cream cheese frosting AND whipped cream.  Not that I'm one to say no to doubling up on creamy toppings, and often do ice cream and whipped cream, or frosting and ice cream, but it sorta looked like they took their default "put whipped cream on top" move and didn't really think about what they were doing.  It also was just kinda a mess, each little bowl had a different blob, different size mounds, differing amount of frosting.  And each one was about two bites at most.  It looked really quite haphazard and a mess.

As for how it was?  Well, better than their previous desserts, actually.  Relatively moist, had some stuff in it like bits of nuts.  Decent carrot flavor, and I was happy to not taste any pumpkin spice flavor (as I don't care for nutmeg in particular).  Very mild spicing if any really.  The cream cheese frosting was thick and fine, the little bit of whipped cream I guess a bonus.

So, not remarkable, but not bad, and I was happy to take several, as one was really truly just two bites.  Higher 3/5.

Update Review, June 2025 Visit

Another pass through SFO, another visit to The Club (after of course lining up to get on the waitlist, and waiting 20 or so minutes to get in).  I again utilized the private workout studio as it was entirely free during my time there, and that was such a fantastic break from the airport (see my initial review below).  The food was pretty meh, but I was happy enough with the wine and snacks, and really, just to use the space.

Chalk Hill Red Blend.

"Juicy and full-bodied, aromas of red fruits and baking spices."

There were 3 red wines available: a blend, a Pinot, or a cab.  I assumed the blend was my best bet.

It was a decent wine, not memorable, but not bad.  I didn't take notes at the time, but I recall thinking it was fine, and better than most US lounge wines.  ***.

Fermentation Station.

The seasonal fermentation area had four different pickled things.  I had them all.  They were fine but not great.  Good crunch, mediocre flavor. ***.

Golden Ponzu Chicken and Roasted Cauliflower.

"Crispy chicken, roasted cauliflower, carrots, red cabbage, cilantro in a ponzu-teriyaki sauce."

The Asian hot dish this time was another battered fried chicken, this time with some cauliflower too.  It all sounded like things I'd like, but the flavor was really just odd and not good.  I didn't enjoy this.  *+.

Spicy Buffalo Snack Mix.

I discovered a secret!  Out in the buffet area, near the drink station, there is just a mediocre dried fruit/nut snack mix, but behind the bar, the bartenders have not one, not two, but three different snack mixes!!!  A spicy version, a cajun version, and a sweet version.  I went for the spicy buffalo, although I'd love to do a trio tasting sometime :)

I believe this is the "Buffalo Stampede" mix from Truly Good Foods (as they supply all their snack mixes).  

Buffalo Stampede

"The smoky and spicy snack mix you’ve been searching for."

It was a perfectly good snack mix.  Slightly spicy.  Not too stale.  Good mix of textures.  My portion was dominated by the everything sticks, but I did find one of the buffalo nuts (coated spiced peanuts) and a few of the very tasty and unexpected butter toasted peanuts.  There were also a few average smoked almonds, and some fascinating looking green sticks that turned out to be ... guacamole bites.  Doh.  I'm allergic to avocado.  And yes, this did actually have avocado in it, because my lips started puffing up, and I was confused what I possibly ate to cause that ... until I sat down to write this review and looked up the snack mix.

Anyway, nice mix of mostly slightly spicy and interesting flavors and textures, but it won't be a repeat for me because of the guac obviously.  ***.  I'm so happy to have discovered that they have snack mixes behind the bar though!

Golden Vanilla Chai Custard.

"Chai spice infused custard, topped with cookie crumble, and blueberries."

I was excited to see what looked like a homemade dessert, rather than the pretty horrible clearly frozen food service bars that previously were on offer.

However, this was only marginally more edible.  The custard was thick and gloopy, just a strange consistency.  It was warm, as in, room temperature, and not very pleasant.  It did have aggressive chai spices (which, I didn't really care for).  The "cookie crumble" seemed like bits of Nature Valley Oats N Honey granola bars, definitely not cookie.  The blueberries were soft and soggy.  It had promise, but, alas. *.

Chocolate White Chip Cookie.

The lady next to me was *really* into these cookies.  She loved how soft they were, and was packing up multiple ziplock bags full of them, blatantly.  No one seemed to stop her, but, wow, I think she honestly took at least a dozen.  She really liked them, enough to inspire me to try.

They were ... pretty average generic cookies.  Yes, fairly soft, and well baked, and yes, they had big white chocolate chips in them, but the flavor wasn't particularly compelling for me, just a kinda one note deep cocoa.  Low ***.

Update Review, January 2025 Visit

This was my second visit to The Club, my previous was in August right after they opened (see below).  My feelings on the place are largely the same: nice space (although the tables are very close together), annoying wait list (and wait to get on the wait list, and then wait to get in once you get called back, etc), mediocre food.  At least the elevator was finally working, and I did check out some of the amenity spaces this time, and they really are nice.

Amenities

I knew the Club had a few reservable amenities, such as showers, private meeting rooms, and a yoga studio, but I did not investigate them last time.  This time, I scanned the QR code on my table, and saw the yoga studio reservations were wide open, so I figured it might be novel to check out.  It really was a nice escape, and I'd gladly do it again.

Lululemon Studio

Bookings are for 30 minute slots.  You check in with an "escort" who brings you to the room, and hands you a tablet with the app on it.  The app has a variety of workouts to pick from - the expected yoga, but also strength training classes and many that require equipment ... that they don't have.  So that was a bit odd.  The app is connected to the special mirror, which is where the class actually plays (you don't just watch it on the tablet).

Open Space.

The space is actually fairly large, and reasonably nicely decorated.  There are two separate Lululemon mirrors, but I'm not sure if they do multiple bookings at a time.  I was in there solo and really appreciated having such privacy.  Not that SFO is a busy hectic airport in general, its quite easy to find private space, but this was another level of my own tranquil space.

The Mirror.

I selected a barre workout, and got started.  The mirror showed the workout, the sound played from there, it also showed my class progress, and estimated calorie burn, while also being an actual mirror to watch my own alignment.  Kinda cool.

Water, Mats, Etc.

The room had only a few props available - yoga mats and yoga blocks, along with towels and spa water.  No weights or other equipment that many of the classes required.

Food & Drink - Mid-Day

The food lineup was largely the same as my visit back in August, even though it had been nearly 6 months.  They clearly don't rotate the menu much.  It was all pretty average lounge food, not really as nice as the space implied it might be.

No Coffee.

There are two coffee machines.  Both were broken.  The bar does not have an additional machine.  There was carafes of drip coffee, regular only, available instead.  At 2pm, I really wanted decaf, but it was not an option.  Not even instant.

Breads.

The breads are not labelled.  I read a review from someone else who tried the middle bread, thinking it was like the others (e.g. sandwich/toast sliced bread, because this area was labelled "local breads with toppings", and the toaster was next to this display), but was very surprised to find it was ... pound cake.  Like, sweet dessert style cake.  Not really bread.

And so, curious about it myself, I tried it.  Indeed.  It was pound cake.  Thin sliced like for toast though, so it looked like regular bread, but, definitely was not.  It tasted kinda stale and just very processed.  I did not enjoy it.  I don't think jam or cream cheese (the available less savory spreads) would have helped. *+. 

Pickled Stuff & Spreads.

I gave the pickled stuff another try, and tried a pickled carrot.  It was nicely al dente, but otherwise not interesting.

Salads.

The same two salads as my previous again, now with an additional chicken noodle salad.

I didn't try the California Cabernet salad it as looked soggy, overdressed, and loaded with feta, so not likely to be a success for me.  I tried the others.

The black rice and kale salad was also over dressed, and too sweet, and no longer had the peas I enjoyed last time.  I tried a bit of the cabbage and noodles but avoided the chicken, it was mediocre too. Basically, pretty generic lounge quality here.  **.

Coconut Curry.

The same vegetarian coconut curry was there from my previous visit, now with bulk rice, which seemed to work much better than last time when they had the rice pre-plated in small individual bowls.

Fruit & Wrap.

I didn't try the vegetarian wrap that had hummus as I don't care for it, and couldn't have any fruit because I'm allergic to melons.

Beef & Broccoli Teriyaki

The one major change from my previous visit was the hot protein dish changed from orange chicken with broccoli to beef teriyaki with broccoli.  And again the improvement with large format rice rather than individual bowls.

I did try the broccoli, and it was well cooked, not too mushy, but the sauce was really quite greasy.  **.

Dessert.

The dessert lineup still had the same brownies as my previous visit, but the awful strawberry mound was replaced with lemon squares.

I tried both.  The brownie was dense, chocolatey, pretty generic.  Fine, but nothing special.  

The lemon square had a tasty enough shortbread crust (and I intentionally took a corner piece with extra!).  I don't actually really like lemon desserts, so the fact that the layer above the thick crust didn't have much flavor was a win for me, but it certainly wasn't very lemon-y, and that layer was kinda just soft mush that was quasi-sweet.  I really did like the crust though. *** crust, * rest, ** overall.

Snack Mix: Healthy Trails.

2 of the same snack mix jars were there from my previous visit, one with dried fruit/nuts, and one with gummy bears, but a new one was also added, dubbed "healthy trails".  However, I believe this label was wrong, as that is the indeed the name of a Truly Good Snacks mix (and the brand The Club locations use nationwide) but ... the items in this really didn't match.

Healthy trails is described as "A classic trail mix blend of raisins, roasted almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds.nuts. It is all natural and only roasted, not salted."  But this was clearly granola, and it had some goodies hiding within, like clearly glazed walnuts and ...

Snack Mix.

Yogurt pretzels!  There were just a few lurking within the jar, but, I was happy to discover those.  They were standard, average yogurt pretzels, but I really do enjoy them.

The glazed nuts were less glazed tasting than they looked.  They were fairly bitter.  Granola was granola.  Mild spicing.

Overall, not a mix I found myself wanting to munch on as finger food (besides the pretzels) but made a decent granola.  Low ***.

Original Review, August 2024

It finally opened.  The Club, at San Francisco International Airport, in the newer section of Terminal 1.  for Priority Pass members, at long last, a club we could use.  Or, theoretically at least.

Setting

The Club is located close to the entrance to the main wing of the terminal.  If you visit at what seems to be most times of day, it won't be hard to spot: just look for the line.  Access issues aside, it is a relatively large lounge.  In addition to the dining spaces I focus my review on, they did have a kid's play area, and some private work areas, along with a wellness area that was locked.

The Line!

Well, all the early reviews were right.  Expect wait times.  This ... was the line to get in the front door midday during the week.  Once through the door, you got in another line.  That line was just to put your name on a waitlist (!).  You then get a text when your spot is ready, and it is held for 10 minutes.

I waited in line for 20 minutes to put my name on a list.  I was quoted 30 mins wait at that point, but got my text within 20 minutes.  But yes, expect a line.

Fire Pit.

Inside, right at the top of the stairs when you enter, is a lovely fire pit.  It was the only area in the lounge not heavily used.  It looks great, but lacks tables or electricity, so sadly underutilized.

Seating.

The rest of the space is basically one huge room, with assorted styles of table seating, or arm chairs with side tables.

Yes, the ceiling is cool.

Bar.

I didn't visit the bar, but it was an attractive looking space.

Live Action Station.

It wasn't available during the daytime, only in the morning, but there was a live action station that serves breakfast sandwiches in the morning.

Food & Drink

The food and drink offering were pretty standard for a US domestic lounge.  Interestingly, no salad bar (just pre-made salads) and only one soup.  I've always thought that basic salad offerings and 2 soups was kinda standard fare.  There were two hot entrees.  No sandwiches, although signs indicated that there should be.  Two desserts.  Two snack mixes.  All fairly low end average quality.

Coffee / Tea.

No barista station (that I saw) in this lounge, but brewed coffee and tea bags were available self-serve.

Water Tap.

No water bottles or flavored water infusions are available, but there is a water tap with still, sparkling, or hot water.

There was also a soda dispenser with basic soft drinks.

Snacks.

No classic snack mix, but instead California Mix with assorted nuts and dried fruit, and gummy bears.

Breads.

Several types of bread, with a toaster on the side.  Basic spreads were located further down.

Soup.

There was a single soup of the day, along with some garnishes.

Fermented Station.

I eagerly tried a few of the pickled things.  The carrots were mushy and way too soft (and didn't taste pickled ...).  The radish wasn't quite as soft, but it certainly lacked any snap or crispness.  Cornichons were standard.

California Cabernet Chopped Salad.

"California kale chopped salad with cauliflower florets, sunflower seeds, tomatoes, and ricotta tossed in a Cabernet vinaigrette."

I really liked the idea of this salad, as I love curly kale as a base, I enjoy cooked cauliflower in salads, and of course, yay for tomatoes in season in summer, and ricotta for creaminess and sunflower seeds for crunch.  But it wasn't as good in practice as it seemed it would be.  It was heavily dressed, and I think had been made quite a while before, as it was pretty soggy.  The cooked cauliflower was rather soft, not roasted or lightly charred as I had hoped.  The tomatoes were tiny tiny bits, entirely lost in the rest of the mix.  It was ok, but just not great, and really suffered from the dressing (I also probably liked it even less as I don't care for vinaigrettes in general).  

Low *** for being well thought out at least.

Peas and Black Rice Salad.

"Black rice served with sheared English peas, fresh radish, and tossed in tarragon dressing."

Next up was another composed salad, also with a kale base.  This one was also over dressed, but less soggy, and everything else in it was great.  The radishes were crisp and sharp, the peas lightly sweet and not too soft, and the rice added nice texture.

I really enjoyed this one.  ****.

This area was also supposed to have a vegetarian wrap, but I never saw any during my 45 minute stay.

Curry.

There were two hot entrees, the first was a vegetarian coconut based curry.  I didn't try it.

Rice.

People waited a long time for rice, needed for the curry or the other hot entree.  It was entirely out the first few times I went by the buffet.  They definitely are having issues keeping the buffet full.  (I suspect switching to large format self-serve rice would make things better?  Curious why the entrees themselves are large format, but the rice isn't?).

Orange Chicken with Broccoli.

I'd been craving Panda Express when I visited the lounge, so I was pretty excited when a batch of the orange chicken was brought out about 30 minutes into my visit (it was missing previously).  The chicken looked, um ... suspect let's just say, as it looked more like gnocchi?  As one who doesn't actually like chicken anyway, I wasn't too upset by this.

The broccoli was large hunks, reasonably well cooked.  The chicken balls actually did have real chicken in them, just, lots of breading, and an unusual appearance.  The sauce coated everything well.  But ... the sauce was also very sweet and one-note.  This just wasn't all that good, and made me crave Panda Express even more.  **.

Fruit.

Fresh fruit on offer, even in the middle of summer was ... melons.  Not even very ripe looking ones at that.  I skipped due to allergy anyway.

Desserts.

I was happy to see a US domestic lounge that had a dessert offering other than just cookies or brownies.  Yes, they *did* have little brownies, but also an item dubbed "strawberry shortcake". 

Strawberry Shortcake: 

"With whipped vanilla cream and fresh strawberries."

When I think of strawberry shortcake, I think of a sweet biscuit, topped with macerated berries, and whipped cream.  I know some people believe angel food cake is also an acceptable base (I am not one of those people).  But I certainly think of some kind of base sweet carb topped with fresh albeit sweetened berries.  This dessert was clearly not that.  But still, I tried.

It was really quite odd.  Balls that seemed like they had been scooped with an ice cream scoop of mushed cake and some cream.  Drizzled with a cloying sweet very fake berry sauce.  No actual strawberries, despite what the menu card said.  It tasted highly artificial, and the fake flavor that strawberry sauce was impossible to get past.  Hard pass. *.

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Slicehaus Pizzeria

Does New York City need more pizza?  Um, obviously not.  But do we still get excited when there is a hot new pizza place opening up?  Yep!

"Slicehaus Pizzeria brings authentic New York attitude to every slice. It’s bold, creative, and made for people who love real food and real energy. Come for the good vibes, stay for the crunch, and feel what the city’s all about."

Slicehaus caught my eye as soon as it opened this fall (2025), partially due to all the comparisons to L’Industrie, which I tried for the first time this summer, and found their burrata slice just as exceptional, flawless really, as everyone says it is. 

"Every slice at Slicehaus carries a story — slow-fermented dough, crisped to perfection, and layered with care. It’s not just food, it’s a vibe: fresh, fearless, and made with the kind of passion that keeps you coming back for more. Think street-style cool meets handmade heart."

Slicehaus is a similar style (New York style, but with Italian basis) and is the product of L'Industrie alums, so it is no surprise people compare the two.  The dough is the focus, with 48 hour fermentation.  They offer some basic pies (pepperoni, margherita, meatball & ricotta, etc, but also some nicely curated ones like sausage & shishito or porcini & truffle).  One size only (large, 20"), the most expensive of which is $57.50.  You can also just get slices at the shop.

Slicehaus, at least this early on in its life, is far more accessible than L'Industrie: no crazy lines AND they are available for delivery.  However, I cannot say I recommend the delivery experience, and have quite a side tale to tell here ...

===

I ordered 7 pizzas for delivery on DoorDash for a group work event.  My order was quickly confirmed, and although I was given a far out delivery slot, I knew to expect this, and planned my summit schedule around it.  I was pleased when I saw that our order was ready quite quickly, despite the long time estimate given, although had to slightly scramble to wind down the formal content of our event.  I got everything set up for our pizza party.  Ended the sessions.  Folks were waiting.

A Dasher got assigned quickly.  Things were looking great.  But .. after they arrived at the shop, suddenly, I had no Dasher.  Huh.  Another got assigned. They went to the shop.  And then they vanished.  A third.  At this point, Slicehaus actually called me to say that bike Dashers kept showing up and refusing the delivery as 7 large pizzas couldn't fit on their bikes.  They suggested I contact Doordash.

So I did.  Or, I tried. Got an AI chatbot.  Kept escalating.  Got a human who ran through a generic playbook, "Don't worry, we're still working on finding a Dasher for you!", etc, etc.  Another Dasher assigned.  Another reject.  Time kept on ticking.  I *finally* got a real human on Doordash support, and explained the issue.  I asked them to send a car Dasher, not a bike Dasher.  They assured me they had assigned me, manually, a car Dasher.  They said it would take longer, as the nearest one was further away, but rest assured, a car Dasher was on their way to the store.

That Dasher arrived, and ... refused the order.  Back into the queue I went.  Another bike Dasher I got (you can see the type of Dasher by their icon on the map).  Sigh.  I tried to get back in touch with support, and this time, was never able to get a useful human.  5 more Dashers assigned, showed up, refused, left.

I called the restaurant back.  They said even the "car" turned out to be a bike.  No bike could take the order.  I asked if maybe they could at least send half the order?  They said I really needed to get in touch with Doordash.  I tried again to contact support.  Finally got a human who told me Doordash cannot split the order.  But I could cancel and order 2 orders if I wanted.  I said sure, thinking I could call the restaurant to tell them what was up.  But ... Doordash also said they couldn't actually refund my order if I cancelled, since the restaurant had already made the pizzas (!).  The best they could do is refund my service fee (!!).  

This situation went on for 2 hours.  Nearly 20 different Dashers assigned.  Pizza obviously cold and old.  My group of 25 people getting quite restless.

So what did I do?  I finally called the restaurant, and told them I was putting someone in an Uber to come pick up the pizzas.  So that is what we did.  2.5 hours after ordering, we ate our pizza.  This was a complete failure of Doordash's platform and large orders, absolutely not the fault of the restaurant in any way.  I also learned that you can order from their website directly, as they have a car service they use instead.  For next time.  Sigh.

===

The pizza came many hours after ordering, so I cannot give this a fair evaluation (and also failed to get photos of the 5 other kinds we had).  What I can say is that the crust was perfectly cooked, crisp but not too crispy, just the right level of flop, no charred bits.  The toppings were evenly applied and well distributed, the sauce and cheese to the edges as you'd want.  Really well made pizza, but, alas, I had it cold much later.

Porcini & Tartufu (half with shisitos). $55.20.

"Savory pie with porcini mushrooms, truffle, fresh basil, and melted cheese."

I quite liked the juicy, meaty mushrooms on this one, although I didn't really taste any truffle.  I added shisitos to one half since many people in the group indicated liking some spice.

Sausage & Shishito. $48.30.

"Savory sausage and shishito peppers atop a classic New York-style pizza, garnished with fresh basil leaves and a rich tomato sauce."

I also snagged a slice of the top most requested pizza for my group: sausage & shishito.  A very well made pizza, sauce right up to the edges, fully covered in cheese, good amount of both, nothing dominating.  I really quite liked the flavorful sausage.

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Christopher Elbow Chocolates

Every day of my life, I start the day with chocolate.  Ok, with a nicely balanced breakfast, a cup of coffee, and chocolate.  To me, a piece of chocolate alongside my morning coffee is just ... essential?  Often times it isn't fancy, just a decent quality piece of dark of milk chocolate, depending on my mood, but there are certainly days that a truffle or chocolate covered nut or toffee feel more appropriate (or, uh, necessary).  Anyway, I eat a lot of different chocolate, which I often don't review.

Christopher Elbow is a chocolatier that launched his own product line in 2003, after starting his career as a line cook at a country club, and eventually working at one of Emeril’s flagship restaurants.  But chocolate was his passion, and thus, a chocolate brand, in his own name, was born.  The brand is based in Kansas City, but has exactly two stores, one there, and oddly, one in San Francisco, which is where I was able to find it.  I only tried three items, but I'd gladly try more.

Confections

"From chocolate-covered nuts and our fan-favorite pecan caramels to rich buttery toffee and small-batch malt balls, these classic confections have been deliciously re-imagined with the highest quality gourmet chocolate and best ingredients from around the world."

While Christopher Elbow does make chocolate bars, it is the confections that I zeroed in on. 

Candied Hazelnuts. $15.

"Oregon hazelnuts that have been freshly roasted and coated with a buttery toffee, then covered in our gourmet milk and dark chocolate blend and dusted with powdered sugar."

The first item I tried was candied hazelnuts.

These.  Are.  Amazing.

The center is a roasted hazelnut, super crunchy, coated in amazingly sweet and crunchy toffee.  Then it is coated in a chocolate shell that is thick enough for the high quality chocolate to come through, but it doesn't overwhelm the nut.  The powdered sugar on the outside mirrors the sweet toffee inside, pulling it all together.

I loved these.  Sweet but balanced by the quality chocolate and nut, crunchy, addicting.  Clearly high quality components.

At $15 for a small bag makes them a splurge, but, a worthy one.  4/5.

Peppermint Bark.

Next up, a seasonal offering, peppermint bark.

It was a bit of a boring, particularly compared to the glory of those candied hazelnuts.

It was fine, a thick layer of white chocolate, a thin layer of darker chocolate, peppermint crunch on top.  Basically, fairly standard peppermint bark.  Some slight peppermint flavor.  It seemed no different to me than the stuff from Williams-Sonoma, or anywhere else slinging it during the holidays.

The high quality of the chocolate wasn't allowed to shine here.

3.5/5.

Fleur de Sel Caramel.

"Far and away our most popular artisan chocolate bonbon, in a box of its own! A deep and rich caramel accented with Sel Gris, unrefined sea salt from the Brittany region of France’s Atlantic coast, and enclosed in our gourmet dark chocolate shell. The perfect balance of salty and sweet, these bonbons make a wonderful gift or indulgent treat."

This had a great snappy dark chocolate shell.  The filling was a nice consistency, sweet caramel.  I wasn't in the mood for caramel, but it was good. 4/5 shell, 3/5 overall for me though

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Krolik Flips

Update Review, December 2025

I reviewed Flips, a snack food from Poland, a few months ago, and really enjoyed the strawberry flavor snacks I had then.  I thought that is all the Flips I had stocked up on when I was there, but then I found more bags, in different flavor, in my pantry!  Woo hoo.  I was happy to try more.

Toffi (Toffee).

The toffee version was the same base product of corn grits base, large girth, light and airy.  They seemed softer / less crunchy than my memory of the other flavor, or at least, compared to other brands.  I was worried they might be too sweet, cloying, like most American toffee flavored items are, but really the sweetness level was kinda perfect.  Certainly sweet, and recognizable as toffee, but just in a pleasant way.  

A less unique flavor than the strawberry, but still enjoyable, and somehow, just like the strawberry bag, this multi serving bag turned into a one sitting occasion for me.  Oops.  I don't think I'd get this flavor again though, as the strawberry was just so much more fun.  High 3.5/5, borderline 4/5.

Czekolady (Chocolate).

Next up, the chocolate version.  Same form factor, and again, they struck me as fairly soft, particularly compared to other brands of similar products.

The chocolate flavor was fairly muted, but did have a bit of a cocoa taste on the finish.  My least favorite of the flavors I tried, as they were just too mild to really be the sort of addicting snack I was looking for.  Low 3/5.

Original Review, June 2025

As a lover of snacks, particularly ones I've never tried before, I always grab a few items from convenience or grocery stores when I travel.  This interest lead me to Krolik Flips, a line of snack foods in Poland.

"Indulge in a snacking experience like never before with Flips Corn Puffs. Bursting with flavor, light on the waistline, and made with love, these delightful puffs will surely become your new favorite snack companion. So, why wait? Grab a bag today and savor the sheer joy of crunching into Flips Corn Puffs! Your taste buds will thank you!" 

The form factor of Flips is large airy corn puffs, made with corn grits.  I was curious if they would indeed be very similar to other corn puff products on the market from countries like Japan or Korea, or just entirely different, which seemed quite possible, given the different cultures.

Flips seem to come in a few flavors, including caramel or chocolate.  I tried the strawberry version.

Truskawki (Strawberry).

I was pretty happy to see the contents of the bag.  They were a similar looking concept to other corn puff snacks I enjoy, although considerably, more girth.  This definitely isn't just a Polish style, as the peanut corn puffs I had from Lorenz were probably 1/3 the size of these.  They make the Japanese Tohato corn snacks look like they are made for ants in comparison!

These were a nice level of lightly crunch and airy at the same time.  Definitely a satisfying form to eat a snack in.  The flavor was sweet but not cloying, and lightly berry flavored.  I tasted a milky component, and maybe even white chocolate.  

These were very good, and really reminded me of of the special strawberry caramel corn that was part of a Sanrio and Tohato special edition (review of those coming soon!), just, mega sized.  I devoured the entire bag except those final 4 so I could snap a photo in one sitting, so, yeah, they were very addicting!  4/5.

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Alaska Airlines Lounge, SFO

Update Review, December 2025

My first visit to the SFO Alaska Lounge in about 1.5 years.  It was much the same as previous visits - a fairly nice space, very calm and empty, a sharp contrast to The Club next door (that yes, still has an epic line to get in).  I appreciate the ease of entry and tranquil experience, but there is nothing about the lounge that really wows me.

The food lineup was not very interesting (to me): 2 kinds of soup (French onion, chicken tortilla on this visit), a very meager salad bar, and rotating hot foods (Mexican this month).  And of course the pancake machine.  They used to have Ghirardelli chocolate squares in candy jars along the coffee bar, a nod to SF, but the jars were absent this visit (just the Jelly Belly and fortune cookies remained).

Salad Bar.

The salad bar had the basics, and not much else, besides an item labelled "Mexican slaw" that seemed to just be unseasoned, undressed, cole slaw mix, in the theme of the hot items.

Rice.

I did not have the rice, nor the tortillas on the side.  I believe you were supposed to use these as a base for a Mexican bowl or wrap.

Pork?

The protein option was shredded pork.  I did not have it.

Mixed Veggies / Elote.

The diced mixed veggies looked far too uniform to be interesting, but I did try the elote.  It was lukewarm slightly creamy corn.  Eh.  

And that was all the savory food.  Tiny salad bar, rice/tortillas/pork/veg.  Meh.

Desserts.

The dessert station near the barista had the same chocolate chip cookies and dry brownies as previous visits, but also ... woah, tiramisu?!  It was amazing that even in a fairly empty lounge, every time a new tray of these was set out, they vanished in seconds.  And for good reason.  I immediately recognized them as a Sara Lee foodservice item I quite enjoy.  I gleefully snagged one.

The side of the bar also had the expected Jelly Belly jelly beans and colorful fortune cookies, but alas, no Ghirardelli chocolates, even though the sign still said they were there.

Snack Time!  Snack mix, tiramisu, decaf coffee.

I've praised the Alaska lounge for the quality decaf (from the barista) in the past, but this time I can't say the same.  It was really remarkably sour and just not very good.  I've also praised it for the Coke Freestyle machine with all the fun drink options, but this time I can't say the same.  It ... wasn't carbonating anything, so all that came out was flat syrupy water.  Extremely not good.

But the rest of my little snack platter was fine: generic snack mix (Chex mix style, not stale, fine but not amazing), and, swoon, I love those tiramisu.  They were served super chilled, almost semi-frozen, but I didn't mind.   I've reviewed them separately in a Sara Lee post, so I won't cover in detail again here, but, they are sweet, fluffy, flavorful, and really delicious.  Kudos to them for catering these.

Update Review, August 2024

In late July 2024, Alaska Airlines moved into Terminal 1 at SFO, and with that, opened up a new lounge.  I got to visit just a week or so after it opened.

Overall, it was a nice place to spend some time (which, for me, was abundant given flight delays), but besides the coffee, and the candy, the food and drink offerings weren't particularly compelling.

Setting 

The space felt fairly large, given how few people were there.  It really was quite tranquil.

Light filled high table.

It was very bright, with tons of windows and views over the tarmac.

There were a variety of styles of seating, but I appreciated the high counters along the window the most, so I could choose to sit or stand.  Every single seat had power, but regular and USB.

Seating.

Other seating types were these booths for two.  There were also large 4 person diner-style booths.

Bar.

I didn't visit the bar, but it too was an nice space.  I think they feature some local beers as well.

Bathrooms.

The bathrooms were really quite attractive, and had nice quality soap and lotion.

Food & Drink

Food and drink are mostly all self-serve, the exceptions being espresso drinks from a barista, or alcoholic drinks from the bar.

Coke Freestyle Machine.

I was happy to see the Coke Freestyle machine, with a slew of choices.  I tried 3-4 different drinks when I was there, and enjoyed them all.  Flavored diet Sprite!  Cream soda!  So happy to have this.  ****.

Coffee / Tea.

Self-serve robot machine coffee drinks and bags of tea were available, in addition to a staffed barista station.  They even had nice touches like flavored syrups, mocha sauce, and more.  I didn't try any.

Snacks.

Two kinds of snacks were available: simple pretzel twists, or a Chex-ish mix with assorted seasoned Chex-like cereal, pretzels, little breadsticks, bagel chips, and darker rye? chips.  I always love a snack mix, so this made me happy, although this wasn't a particularly remarkable mix.  ***.

Pancake Machine.

The signature pancake machine was of course available, two of them in fact, no matter what time of day.

Soup.

One soup and one vegetable broth were available.

Fried Rice.

The lounge wasn't crowded.  It was prime lunch time (12:08pm).  And ... there was no fried rice.  It took quite a while for it to be refilled.  I didn't try it anyway.

Maple Sausage.

I understand the pancakes all day, but the breakfast style sausage was a bit odd to see. I checked back even at 1:30pm to see if it was swapped out, but, nope.  Sausage all day.  It too was running low.

The sausage was ok-ish.  Not very flavorful sausage itself, but the maple glaze was decent.  **+.

"Grilled Vegetables".

I had to laugh at the veggies.  They were labelled as grilled.  They were very much not grilled.  They were warmed steamed vegetables, that were too soft, and basically like frozen grocery store mixed veg.  Not very good at all.  **.

Mystery ... Chicken?

Later in the day, around 2pm, another entree was available.  It wasn't labelled.  I think it was something like General Tso's chicken maybe?  I found it interesting that both this lounge, and the nearby also newly opened The Club, both had similar Asian chicken dishes.  I didn't try this, as I had the one in the other lounge already.

Salad / Noodle Bar.

The main buffet was a salad / noodle station.  Meager offerings for both.  Base of greens or ramen noodles (chilled), then chicken, tofu, tomatoes, mushrooms, beets, and a few other things.  All cold.  There was a quinoa salad and some dressings as well.

I had a little salad, but it wasn't particularly fresh.  Meh.  **.

Candy.

More signature Alaska lounge offerings: local chocolate (Ghirardelli, squares, both dark or mint filled), Jelly Belly beans (blue and light green, not sure the flavors), and colorful fortune cookies.

I did quite appreciate all of this. ****.

Bread & Spreads.

Later in the afternoon, two unlabeled spreads were put out next to the bread.  One looked probably avocado based, and the other spinach dip maybe?  I didn't try either.  I assume the bread was SF sourdough.

Original Review, August 2023

This was my first experience of any Alaska Airlines lounge.  I've only flown with Alaska Airlines once before, when I flew SFO-SEA, which you can read about here, and didn't qualify for lounge access then.  This time, I was flying long haul, to New York, and thus, a chance to check out the lounge.

The lounge in SF is known to be one of the nicer ones in their network, having opened only last year, and pretty restrictive about who is allowed in (no more priority pass, no domestic First Class unless flying 2100+ miles in a single flight, etc).  There were only a handful of passengers there when I visited, even though it was what I'd expect to be a fairly peak time, 12:15pm on a Tuesday.

I wouldn't say the lounge is worth going out of your way for, but it seemed much nicer than most domestic lounges, certainly many notches above the United Club or American Airlines Admiral's Club.

The Space

Fireplace, Open Seating.

The lounge is pretty impressive when you walk in.  Large, spacious, well lit with large windows overlooking the planes outside.  Firepit in the center, and wing chairs all around.  A quite inviting space.

Dining Area & Bar.

There are also ample dining tables, and a bar with seating.  Again, very spacious, and sparkly populated.

Food & Drink

Candy Bar.

I was excited for one unique feature of this lounge: the candy bar!  Located right when you enter, with little bags provided to encourage you to take some sugar for the road.

Much of this was just a display however, with only the bottom row actually accessible.  The candy was mostly local: Ghirardelli chocolate squares, Jelly Belly beans, and the Oakland Fortune Cookie Factory fortune cookies.  And M&Ms.  I was slightly annoyed that the only color/flavor Jelly Beans were yellow (lemon?).  Still, this was a nice offering, better than most US domestic lounges.  ***+.

Bar Snacks.

Located up at the bar was two jars of snacks, one was just lightly salted peanuts, the other a mix, with some things I liked (rice crackers!), and lots of things I wasn't too into (cheddar goldfish-like things, pretzels, almonds), and some I was impartial to (bagel chips).  As an avid snack lover though, I was happy to see these.  ***.

Toast Cart.

Right near the front of the lounge is the other signature experience ... the toast cart.  Like the candy bar, it too features a local product, Acme Bread.  Sadly for me, it only had sourdough, and I don't care for sourdough.  Still, Acme bread is quite good bread, and this is a very unique offering.

To go with the bread was two spreads, sundried tomato hummus and lemon basil cream cheese, along with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  When it launched, they had burrata and avocado, clearly both higher end and more trendy, but alas, down to kinda meh spreads for my visit.  I did try both, and they were about as expected, nothing special.  ***.

Cold Cuts, Cheese, Salads.

The main buffet has some not very interesting cold cuts and cheese, plus more hummus, waldorf salad (that at first glance looked like potato salad and I was excited), and grapes and strawberries.  And ketchup, mustard, and mayo, that made me really wish there were hot dogs around.  Sliced bread was available to make a sandwich.

The strawberries weren't particularly flavorful, but were a surprise to see.  The waldorf salad was fine, with apples, bits of dried cranberry, creamy dressing that was not over dressed.  I didn't try anything else.  **+.

Salad Toppings.

The other side was makings for salads, although fairly meager.  Walnuts, chicken, grape tomatoes, egg, onions, cheese, and more strawberries (this time sliced), and some dressings.  The sign encouraged us to make our own "summer salad".

Salad Base.

The salad base was romaine and spinach, relatively fresh.  It looked a bit odd on a platter.  Croutons on the side.

Hot Items.

Next came the two hot items, which I thought would be soup, but actually were more exciting than that: vegetarian chili and mac and cheese.  No cheese, sour cream, or anything interesting to garnish the chili, besides the crackers on the side.  Still, better than your standard lounge soups.

Macaroni & Cheese.

The child in me went right for that mac and cheese.  It wasn't that bad, really.  Quite creamy, quite cheesy.  Not very fresh, but, pretty comforting, and far better than average domestic lounge grub.

***+.

Desserts.

The dessert lineup was your standard lounge offerings: cookies and brownies.  Two kinds of cookies, chocolate chip and oatmeal.  They looked hard and not interesting.  I tried the brownie because it had two kinds of chocolate, big chunks and disks, which was fine.  ***.

Biscoff packaged cookies were hiding up by the barista station as well.

Breakfast Leftovers.

It was afternoon when I visited, but they had breakfast leftovers on the side, with a couple banana nut muffins, a sole bagel (with cream cheese packed with it), and english muffins (with butter), along with a toaster, Smucker's jam, and Peanut Butter & Co peanut butter.  Peanut Butter & Co still makes my favorite peanut butter (the White Chocolate Wonderful flavor, which I've reviewed before), so I was happy to see that, rather than more common brands (although it was just the Smooth Operator variety).

Pancake Machine.

And of course, the pancake machine, which is operational at all times of day.  Syrup was available to go with.

Brewed coffee (regular and decaf), along with hot water and tea completed this station.  At the bar, you could also order made to order espresso drinks, which I did.  The decaf Americano was shockingly good.  

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