Restaurant Review: Jack in the Box (Mission St.) In San Francisco, CA

Jack In The Box
808 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA
# 415-543-3801

Until I see evidence to the contrary, I remain convinced that this is the worst Jack In The Box in the universe.

It's on Mission Street near the intersection with Fourth, catty-corner from the Metreon. Obviously it this attracts huge crowds at nearly all times of day, and it is open 24 hours every day. The Mel's across the street and the Denny's next door seem to siphon off all the well-heeled diners, however, leaving only the dregs and the dross to feast on Jumbo Jacks and 99 cent eggrolls here.

First off, there is perpetually some bum at the door rushing to hold it for you (without your request) in the hopes of guilting you into dropping some spange into his soda cup. This qualifies as aggressive panhandling in my book, and they could do something about it, but they never seem to.

The interior is always grimy and littered with trash. I've never seen it either clean, or in the process of being cleaned. Don't go into the bathroom. They have the obligatory "Out of Order" sign on it, but they'll let you in apparently anyway, but seriously, don't go. No toilet paper to be found, shattered dispensers indicating there never *will* be any toilet paper in there, cracked mirror, graffitti, feces and other mystery fluids (and solids) smeared in gravity-defying places, floor that looks like it hasn't been mopped properly in a decade, and other sights best left to the imagination.

I can't say the service and prices are really any better or worse than any other Jack in the Box, but they always manage to have run out of *something* fundamental when I come in. They've run out of chicken. Twice. I mean totally out of chicken, like "We gots no more chickens sir". How does a fast food place run out of chicken? Lord knows.