Before bringing Automat to the former Green Chile Space, Kirk was the sous chef at Lazy Bear, the Michelin-starred restaurant in the Mission. Automat initially launched as a pop-up in 2016 and snagged the former Green Chile Kitchen space to secure a permanent home just before the pandemic hit in 2020.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23053575/Automat_interior.jpg "A dining room with concrete floors and tall ceilings filled with black-and-white banquets and modern wooden tables.")
Kirk hopes Automat will be a family-friendly restaurant that serves ambitious food and a smart beverage menu. “I think in the city there’s a hole, or not a lot of places you can go to get good food that you’re able to bring your kids to, so that’s where we’re hoping to be,” Kirk said earlier this year.
The restaurant accepts reservations for dinner on Resy, but also holds a handful of tables for walk-in guests, all in an effort to make sure the neighborhood doesn’t get left out.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23053565/Automat_sandwich.jpg "A sandwich wrapped in paper on a blue plate sits on a wooden table.")
Selection of sweet baked delights
Bread lovers can expect a a variety of breads including: sandwich-shaped Wondermat loaf ($10) along with a Baker Street Sourdough ($12); Everything Bagel Sourdough ($12), Honey-Tahini Whole-Wheat Sourdough ($14) — and Garlic Pretzel Focaccia ($12).
About a half dozen pastries and several sandwiches round out the rest of the options. Pastries lean mostly sweet: There’s a breakfast cookie scattered with cinnamon berry crunch, white chocolate blondies infused with miso, and plump doughnuts crowned with icing and pieces of crumbled cookie. Dialing back on the sucrose, look for a spicy pork hand pie and a quartet of sandwiches, including two egg-topped options for breakfast and a hot chicken sandwich served on an airy milk bun. There’s drip coffee or espresso drinks to wash it all down, plus beer and wine if you’re in the mood.
