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It's Sunday night. The fog rolled in early, the store I run closed late, and I know I didn't take anything out of the freezer for dinner. As a result of many previous occasions much like this one, the car practically steers itself towards comfort food and friendly faces – it's a Tommy's Joynt night.

Tommy's Joynt offers a variety of dinner plates, sandwiches, and daily specials, all available for enjoying in-house or for take-out. While the selection for vegetarians is limited, the carnivores out there, myself included, will struggle with the decision between main courses. While everything I've tried at Tommy's has been excellent, and enough food for two full meals, the old standby has always been the Meatballs and Spaghetti. Comfort food at its finest, this dinner delivers hearty meatballs, buttery pasta, and crusty dinner rolls for only $6.25. If you're looking for a little more variety on your plate, try a dinner platter with freshly roasted meats carved right when you order, dressed up with two large side dishes, for $7.95.

The first time you go to Tommy's, it's a good idea to be armed with a few key bits of information. First, it's cafeteria style dining, complete with checkered tablecloths, and the line starts right inside the door. If you want a chance to check things out before it's time to order, make your way past the line and observe from the dining area. The old-fashioned signs behind the cooks feature the menu's offerings, but no, those aren't outdated prices – you really are getting a full plate of home cooked goodness for well under ten bucks. Which brings me to the second point: Tommy's is a cash-only establishment, so make sure you hit an ATM before dinner or are prepared to use the one they have in the restaurant.

Next, while Tommy's isn't full-service wait staff, you will need to either flag down a server or head to the bar for any beverage with your meal besides water, which they keep full and ice cold, with cups alongside the pitchers at the end of the food line. Finally, the folks at Tommy's have been doing this for a lot of years – 60, to be exact – and they've got this down to a science. So unless you're sitting at the bar, prepare to be whisked through the process at breakneck speed. Unlike standard fast food, however, you'll receive a smile and a genuine greeting from every person you encounter, from the hostess to the line cooks; this family business is one that makes you feel like one of their own.

In addition to the home style cooking, Tommy's Joynt boasts a bar with an amazing array of beers from around the world – one patron says that "If they don't have the beer at Tommy's, good luck finding it in San Francisco at all," – as well as an unmatched list of specialty coffee beverages. Head over to http://www.tommysjoynt.com where you can check out photos of the restaurant, bar, and cooks' line, browse the food and drink menus, and learn a little about Tommy's Joynt's history. Then the next time "What's for dinner?" has you stumped, make your way to Geary and Van Ness for food, people, and an atmosphere that will make it seem as though there's only one answer that makes sense – Tommy's Joynt, of course!