All of My Favorite Places to Eat in San Francisco
Even though I didn’t technically grow up in San Francisco, I grew up right across the Golden Gate Bridge in Marin County. Growing up, my family went to the city at least once a week for a meal and every time I go back to visit, we spend a lot of time (mostly eating) in SF. Here is my list of all my favorite San Francisco spots!
Yank Sing: This is probably my favorite Dim Sum in all of SF, and I may or may not have hosted my Bat Mitzvah party there. Yank Sing is a San Francisco institution serving up traditional push-cart Dim Sum in a contemporary setting. They now have several locations, but I would recommend the one in the Rincon Center. It is always busy, so either make a reservation or be prepared to wait. What to order: Har gow (shrimp dumpling), Peking duck, char siu bao (BBQ pork bun), shu mai (pork and shrimp dumpling), lo mai gai (sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaf), xiao long bao (soup dumpling), snow pea shoot dumpling, and finish with a plate of the fresh orange jello for dessert. (Obviously order more than that, but that is a good place to start).
Pizzeria Delfina: PIzzeria Delfina is one of my favorite pizza spots in the city. I believe the original location (and the only one I have been to) is by Mission Dolores, but now there are a few locations around SF. Delfina is a great place to grab a salad, pizza and a nice glass of wine. My favorite pizzas there are the broccoli rabe, carbonara, clam pie and the salsiccia.
Original Joe’s: Stepping into Marin Joe’s feels like you are stepping into a time machine to SF’s past. Original Joe’s is a San Francisco establishment and has been around since 1937. Located in the heart of North Beach, Original Joe’s serves up some serious Italian American cuisine. Grab a seat at the bar and watch a Giants game or sit in the main dining rooms in one of the red leather booths. My favorite items on the menu are the chicken Parmesan, lasagna or ask if they will make you a pasta Frutti di Mare (seafood pasta) with whatever is fresh.
Hog Island Oyster Co.: Hog Island is one of my favorite places to go in SF for lunch. Oysters and clam chowder with a view of the Bay? What could be better?! Hog Island is located in the iconic Embarcadero Ferry building and offers the best oysters from the West Coast, and possibly the best clam chowder I have ever had.
Hong Kong Lounge: Hong Kong Lounge is another one of my favorite Dim Sum places in SF. It is definitely less elegant than Yank Sing, but the quality and authenticity is unmatched. Expect to see a line and a wait on weekends, but don’t let it discourage you from visiting. In the mean time, visit the Russian super markets in the neighborhood until your table is ready. This is the place to get get all your Dim Sum staples and try some thing you have never had before (pan fried noodles, turnip cakes, etc).
House of Prime Rib: House of Prime Rib is another SF classic and is filled with the classic feel of a English steakhouse. HOPR has been around since 1906 and very little has changed. They serve a relatively set menu with the price varying with what cut of prime rib you order. All the meat is brought by the tables in these massive stainless steal, blimp-like cooking stations. Each slice of meat comes with salad, pop-overs, your choice of cream of corn or spinach and your choice of mashed or a roast potato with the fixin’s. HOPR is such a treat and I would highly recommend it for a celebratory meal.
Limon Rotisserie: Limon serves up Peruvian cuisine and started as a food truck. Their first location after moving out of the truck, was opened in 2002 in the Mission neighborhood. Limon is one of my favorite places to go for a massive glass of sangria, some amazing Peruvian chicken, yukka fries and all the fixings. I love Limon because it is in a great neighborhood, has a great vibe and the food is out of this world. (Definitely try to sit upstairs, if you can!)
R&G Lounge: R&G Is one of my favorite spots for Cantonese food in SF. Located in Chinatown, this banquet hall restaurant serves up some amazing dishes with fresh ingredients. If you go, definitely order a crab dish (their famous live crab with salt and pepper or their fried crab with garlic and hot peppers, which is my favorite) and the special beef, but really anything is amazing!
Kabuto Sushi: Kabuto has to be my favorite spot in SF for sushi, and is often my first stop when I land at SFO. Kabuto open in the Richmond District in 1982. It is a tiny spot with a few tables and a counter, so I would definitely make a reservation. If you only like Americanized sushi rolls, this isn’t the place for you. They have incredibly fresh sashami and nigiri and innovative and traditional Japanese specials. I love getting a variety of sashimi and nigiri (toro, sake, hamachi, kanpachi, shima aji, ebi, uni, inari, ), some of their creative sushis (aburi toto, sun rise, wagyu A5 sushi, toro caviar truffle sushi) and some dishes from the kitchen (kama-hamachi, wakame, gomaae, nasu dengaku, veggie and shrimp tempura, grilled sea bass). You can also order omakase style, where the chef will make you your meal.
Tony’s Pizza Napoletana: If you are in SF and craving some down and dirty pizza, Tony’s is your place. It is located in North Beach (Little Italy), right across the street from Original Joe’s and serves up some serious Napoli style pizza. While they serve other things on the menu, I would go for a beer (Peroni), salad (Caesar) and some classic pizzas (classic pepperoni, Cal Italia and La Regina).
Lazy Bear: Lazy Bear is a culinary experience, to say the least. This isn’t they type of place you just pop into. You get on wait lists to make reservations for months in advance, but let me tell you, it is worth it. At Lazy Bear, you are seated at a communal table, interacting with the people around you and the chefs that are preparing your good. Think of it as a dinner party with strangers and the most outrageous food you have ever eaten. All the chefs prepare a dish for the meal and before it gets passed out, they tell you about how it was prepared and what the inspiration was behind it. The atmosphere is like a hipster lumberjack’s living room with a lot of plaid, and an open kitchen.
BiRite Creamery: BiRite is my favorite ice cream in SF. They serve up small batched ice cream with stunning flavors and I am pretty sure they got salted caramel on the map. If you are in the Dolores Park/ Mission area, make sure to stop in for an after dinner or afternoon ice cream. My favorite flavors (besides salted caramel) are Ricaneles, Ritual Coffee Toffee, Birthday Cake, and Malted Vanilla.
Swan Oyster Depot: Swan Oyster Depot is another SF institution, and one of the late Anthony Bourdain’s favorite spots. If you like fresh seafood, Swan is your spot. There is nothing fancy about this spot on Polk Street. There is often a line and the only seating is on the counter. Order some champagne and seafood, and you will be so very happy. You can order crab, oysters, clam chowder, or literally anything you see in their window display. Just have the guys behind the counter pick your preparation. The one thing you definitely cannot miss is the scallop crudo, Italian style (with olive oil, capers, and red onions).
China Live: China Live is like your dream high-end cafeteria meats a culinary market place. In the restaurant, there are a bunch of “stations” that specialize in various dishes, such as Peking duck, noodles or dumplings. When you sit down, you are able to order from any of the stations. It is contemporary and traditional Chinese food in a sleek food-court setting. After your meal, stop by the market place and pick up some chili oil!
Citrus Club: If you happen to find yourself on Haight Street for a day of shopping, my favorite place to stop for lunch is Citrus Club. It is a tiny hole in the wall of a restaurant, that serves up large bowl of Asian noodles and soups. There is nothing fancy about Citrus Club, but the food is damn good. I always order the coconut noodle soup with shrimp won tons. It is one of my favorite soups of all times!
Mister Jiu’s: Mister Jiu’s serves high-end Chinese cuisine in SF’s historic Chinatown. Chef and owner, Brandon Jew, and his team renovated an old banquet hall on Waverly Place and turned it into a stylish joint serving amazing food and drinks. I am a huge Chinese food fan, and when I went to Mister Jiu’s I was entirely blown away because there were still some of my favorites on the menu, with a contemporary twist. If you go, make sure you order basically all of the small bites (Dutch crunch BBQ pork buns, sourdough scallion pancakes, crispy scarlet turnip cakes), some of the veggies (pea tendrils, moo shu mushrooms), any or all of the dumplings, noodles and rice (shui jiao, wontons, steak fried rice), and of course, one of the large format dishes (we had the roast duck and it was out of this world.)
The Buena Vista: Is a San Francisco institution. It is located right by the water and Ghiradelli Square and serves pub food, and the most amazing Irish Coffees you have ever had in your entire life. While I don’t usually go for the food, the Buena Vista is an essential afternoon stop for a spiked coffee, or four, when you are visiting.
