The One Who Keeps the Book San Francisco
How to Get Into Jules
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San Francisco has always been a good pizza city with places like Gialina, Del Popolo, Rose Pizzeria and on. Lucky for us, the scene keeps getting better and better.
The latest to add their crispy cheesy sourdough spin to things? Jules.
Chef Max Blachman-Gentile grew up in the Bay and has cooked all over, including New York’s Mission Chinese Food and Roberta’s, where he cut his pizza teeth. He also was the former culinary director at Tartine, hence his slightly sour (but not too sour!) pies.
Ever since opening in May, reservations at Jules have been hard to come by. But that’s why we’re here. In this installment of The One Who Keeps The Books, we’ve got all the answers to the most important questions about how to snag a table — and what to order once you’ve scored one.
Resy: How many seats are there at Jules?
Max Blachman-Gentile: We have 42 seats and are hoping to add a few more outside for walk-ins soon.
When do reservations drop?
At midnight, 30 days out on a rolling basis.
How quickly do seats get booked out?
They are typically fully booked the day they become available at the moment, but we release more as the date gets closer, so it’s worth checking back or putting yourself on the Notify list.
Are any of the seats in the restaurant held for walk-ins?
Yes, we hold our bar seats and communal table seats for walk-ins.
What time would you recommend stopping by to snag one of the walk-in seats?
Right now people tend to start lining up between 4:30 and 5 p.m. for walk-ins, but if you come between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. and are willing to get a drink somewhere in the neighborhood first, we can generally get you in.
During peak time, what is the typical wait time for a walk-in?
Unfortunately if you’re not one of the first group to get seated, the wait can be about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, if not longer.
When are your busiest nights?
Friday and Saturday, because we stay open an hour later, but most nights are about the same right now since we just opened.
Can guests have a drink while they wait for their table? Any nearby bars you’d recommend?
Yes definitely! We are happy to pour people a glass of wine while they wait, or I’d also recommend Bar Jabroni, Stoa, Otra, Toronado, or Molotov’s for drinks nearby.
If someone were to set a Notify for Jules, is there a certain day or time they’d be most likely to get a reservation?
The best times would definitely be the earlier seating (5 p.m.) or later (8:30-9 p.m.)
The Notify list really does work though, since there are always cancellations.— Max Blachman-Gentile, Jules
Are there any other tips or tricks you have for getting a table?
Putting a name in at 5 p.m. if you want to eat around 6:30-7 p.m. is a really good move, since that’s sort of prime dinner time anyway. So if someone is available to do that and then get a drink nearby, that seems to be a really good move right now. Otherwise I’d say checking Resy early the morning that new reservations open up is the best bet right now.
The Notify list really does work though, since there are always cancellations, so it’s worth putting a name on there, too. Just know we can’t promise anything, unfortunately, since we tend to have about 600 to 800 people on the Notify list every day we’re open right now.
For someone going to Jules for the first time, what should they order?
Obviously we’re known for pizza, so people should definitely try a couple of pies! The Marone is always one of my favorites since I love a good, classic cheese pizza the most, but the Spicy Ronny is our best seller and a huge fan favorite. Our seasonal summer pizzas are great right now too though. The Field Dream is our corn and sungold tomato pizza, and it’s a favorite every summer. With all that said, the crudo, meatballs, cabbage, and chicken have all been super popular so far — and you should save room for some ice cream or sorbet for dessert.
Omar Mamoon is a San Francisco-based freelance writer and cookie dough professional. Follow him on Instagram.
