Leann's Cafe: 24-Hour Asian Diner in Burlingame, California

One chilly late September night in 2016, we headed to the San Francisco International Airport to pick our sister up. But when we got there, we were almost two hours too early. Add to that, our sister's United Airlines flight from Los Angeles was delayed for half an hour due to aircraft maintenance issues. We didn't want to pay the prohibitive cost of parking and doing nothing. So instead of just waiting at the airport for two hours, we decided to explore the area.

It was late night too, just a little past ten o'clock in the evening. Searching Google Maps, we found a 24-hour joint some three miles away from SFO. Turns out that this could be among the better restaurants near San Francisco airport.

Leann's Cafe

With little choice anyway, we headed to Leann's Cafe. The cafe is an Asian diner that is open 24 hours and attached to the Red Roof Inn in Burlingame, California 94010. According to literature found on their menu, Leann was a hardworking girl who worked for her parents' diner as she pursued her college degree. When she obtained her business degree, her parents sold their diner. Leann always wanted to own a restaurant, so she established Leann's Cafe.

Our Dinner Plates

Mongolian Beef

One of my brothers ordered the Mongolian Beef from the wok plates section from the dinner menu. This one was pretty good. The Mongolian sauce had the right blend of sweet and spicy. To be honest, we wanted more rice if not for the fact that we are trying to lose some extra poundage.

Mongolian beef

Khmer Curry

I also ordered a wok plate, the Khmer Curry with beef. Other choices were vegetarian, chicken, or shrimp. Choice of shrimp meant an additional $2 price. This was a good, heavy meal that came with a cup of rice and a generous serving of curry sauce. I probably finished just two-thirds of the serving.

Khmer curry

Bacon Cheeseburger

My other brother ordered the bacon cheeseburger from the lunch menu. How surprised he was when the order came. The portion came much bigger than expected. And they used real potatoes for their fries too.

Other Dishes

If I ever come back to Leann's Cafe, I'd probably be having their Japanese dishes such as chicken teriyaki, yoshi, and ramen. Other dishes that got me curious were country fried steak and the omelets.

Great Prices

I dare say, Leann's Cafe is one of the better restaurants near San Francisco airport that offer the best value for your buck. All the dishes we ordered were under $11 per order. That is amazing for a restaurant very close to the airport and surrounded by hotels.