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It’s impossible to narrow the very best San Francisco restaurants into a concise list of must-visit spots. There are simply too many outstanding choices. Instead, I’ve curated a collection of iconic places we San Franciscans can’t live without. Spanning a variety of beloved cuisines and price points, these are the restaurants that deliver — literally, through DoorDash, and figuratively, through best-in-class cooking and value. Consider it your guide to tasting your way through the flavors of San Francisco, or your directory for when you’re ready to order an epic feast. From the homey go-to's us locals rely on to special occasion destinations, these are restaurants that help keep San Francisco at the top of the food chain.
Sasa Japanese Restaurant
Top-dollar sushi elements — quality fish from Tokyo, pro-rice-making skills, and elegant preparations — are all here. And the relatively reasonable prices at this sleek, Japantown sister to omakase-destination Hinata Sushi make this one of the best sushi deals in town. Take your pick from the extensive list of nigiri or rolls (the white-miso-accented creamy scallop roll with snow crab is obsession-worthy), or let the chefs strut their stuff with the well-priced two-person omakase dinner or artful “mystery” chirashi don rice bowl, loaded up with the day’s freshest fish and pickled vegetables.
Beit Rima
Practically all “best of” SF lists include chef Samir Mogannam’s casual Arabic comfort food served in quaint, counter-service settings in Cole Valley and Castro. The mezze sampler — a pretty palette of velvety hummus, creamy labneh, slightly smoky muhammara, acid-kissed baba ganoush, crunchy-crusted falafel, pita, and pickles — is reason enough for the adoration. But the flaky whole-fried branzino and chicken kabobs further solidify the fandom.
Little Star Pizza
The “best San Francisco pizza” debate is neverending, but one place most pie lovers can agree on is Divisadero’s Little Star. Offering thin crust and Detroit deep dish ’za, it’s easy to go both ways, whether you build your own or snag a house specialty, perhaps resplendent with meatball medallions and blobs of ricotta. Up-leveled sides include finger-lickin’ spice-rubbed wings, a fully loaded Greek salad, a classic wedge with blue cheese and standard fixin’s, and garlic-kissed roasted broccolini. There’s a Mission location, too.
Tartine
There’s nothing like a tartine from Tartine. The world-famous bakery’s toasted rustic bread topped, perhaps, with whipped cream cheese, smoked salmon, and a flourish of palate-perking garnishes is wholesome comfort dining at its best. Meanwhile, their daily vegan soup and ultra-fresh salads deserve their own namesake storefronts. Whether you order from their Sunset outpost, the OG Mission District spot, or SoMa Tartine Manufactory (which offers pizza at night), extend your elbow rubbing with the baking upper crust by ordering a freshly baked loaf and some breakfast pastries or desserts; resistance to their fudgy brownie or moist and tangy lemon poppy seed tea cake is futile.
Mandalay
One of San Francisco’s oldest Burmese restaurants lost its low-key status when it received the 2024 James Beard Foundation “America’s Classics Award.” But the accolade hasn’t affected the quality of cooking at the Inner Richmond’s stalwart. Traditional preparations and flavors still turn taste buds up to 11 with every bite of sweet ’n’ spicy mango chicken, crispy-flaky balada flatbread with curry dip, and tea leaf salad made the old-fashioned way.
Marufuku Ramen
If you want a next-level Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen experience, turn to the Japantown location of the national Marufuku chain. Soup bowl divinity can be found in their Hakata Tonkotsu; its creamy-rich flavor-bomb pork broth is paired with a tangle of thin noodles, a slab of melt-in-your-mouth pork belly, a jammy-centered soft-boiled egg, and palate-perking, textural garnishes. Veggie and chicken options are available, as are rice bowls and small bites, including chewy-crisp gyoza and simple fried shishito peppers.
El Buen Comer
Chef-owner Isabel Caudillo’s Mexico City upbringing inspired her Mission Street haunt. Handmade organic corn tortillas partner well with all her homey, long-simmered stews and braises — including chunky slow-cooked pork in herby green mole. The Tinga taco — featuring those trademark tortillas — is a palate fiesta of chicken stewed in chipotle-tomato sauce.
Dumpling Home
“Home” is where the xiao long bao-loving heart is. (That’s XLB to those of us in the know; you can also call them soup dumplings!) With deliciously thin skins bursting with elegantly flavored broth and ground meat, the six flavors of soup dumplings at this Hayes Valley spot are standard setters. Go all XLB dumplings all day — include the Sichuan-inspired numbing pork version — or embellish with crunchy-soft dry-cooked green beans. It’s all a proverbial home run.
RT Rotisserie
When you want a California-kissed family-style meal that satisfies all, this fast-casual sister to chefs Evan and Sarah Rich’s award-winning Rich Table is the call. A homey feast is easily built around their juicy, 18-hour-buttermilk-brined whole or half rotisserie chicken. Just add sumptuous sides, like whole-head roasted cauliflower, umami-rich porcini powder-dusted fries, or Caesar-salad-dressed roasted brussels sprouts. Bonus: Their cocktails for two are a steal.
Farmhouse Kitchen
Farmhouse Kitchen’s goal is to make sure people get enough spice. Mission accomplished. Thailand native Kasem “Pop” Saengsawang’s colorful cuisine has a contemporary bent while still honoring tradition. The pad thai is excellent, but be sure to try some of Pop’s picks, like the Basil Bomb, a Thai street-food specialty of seafood with crispy pork belly.
Daeho Kalbijjim & Beef Soup
The Korean slow-braised short rib dish, kalbijjim, was historically a special-occasion centerpiece enjoyed by royals. But Japantown’s mini-chain gives mere mortals the opportunity to feast on the fall-off-the-bone prime-grade beef. Family-size portions mean your only decisions are your desired spice level, rice type (purple or white), and which extras to pile on (slippery noodles and gooey cheese, perhaps). Beef soups — also made with prime cuts plus glass noodles and egg — are soul-satisfying.
Brenda’s Meat & Three
Southern comfort is at the ready at NOLA native Brenda Buenviajé’s NoPa place. A double-armed hug on a plate could begin with the fried chicken lunch: crispy, real-deal fried chicken plus your choice of fluffy mashed potatoes, cheesy-rich mac ’n’ cheese, homestyle collard greens, textbook cream biscuits, and more. It’s one of the best lunch deals in town. Still, brunch options beckon. Where else can you find French toast with butter-pecan syrup or fried catfish eggs Benedict?
Poc-Chuc Restaurant
This festive family-run Mission District mainstay is famous for its Yucatecan and Mayan cuisine, especially its namesake poc chuc, a smoky, citrus-marinated example of grilled pork perfection. Get it, then add on other soulful sensations, such as the ink-black and soupy turkey mole or a panucho, a Yucatán comfort comprised of puréed black beans, lightly fried and folded into handmade tortillas, piled high with shredded turkey, lemony cabbage, pickled red onions, and avocado.
Z & Y Restaurant
This longstanding Michelin Bib Gourmand recipient has hosted the world’s top political elites and food luminaries. But the real celebrity at chef-owner Lijun Han’s Chinatown superstar spot continues to be the Sichuan cuisine. A variable encyclopedia of mouth-numbing options makes decisions a challenge, but you can always rely on favorites like fiery mapo tofu with pork or perfectly lacquered tea-smoked Peking duck, the latter of which spawned its own nearby shrine, Z & Y Peking Duck.
La Vaca Birria
This popular spot takes its tortilla-wrapped treasures as seriously as San Franciscans do. Reach for the beef birria super burrito, featuring USDA choice-grade chuck braised in red sauce to succulent, richly flavored perfection, or the mesquite-grilled ribeye steak. Fully loaded with rice, beans, guacamole, cheese, crema, onion, and cilantro, it’s the San Francisco staple at its best.
Pizzeria Delfina
People love the everyday sister to award-winning Delfina trattoria for its thin, char-crusted Neapolitan-style pizzas. But families have also raised their kids — and themselves — on chef Craig Stoll’s simply divine spaghetti pomodoro. An impressive selection of antipasti (creamy burrata, warm olives, crispy mozzarella-filled risotto fritters), wheat-free alternatives like roasted chicken, and seasonal specials like matzo ball soup and latkes make this multi-location a beloved city standby.
Wildseed
The menu at Union Street’s 100-percent plant-based darling trots the globe, allowing meat-free diners to relish lentil-walnut “neatballs” and grains blanketed in creamy coconut masala, surprisingly cheesy spicy “sausage” pizza, respectable veggie burgers, and salads like the Andalusia, which partners fresh leafy lettuces with coconut bacon and black-ash cashew cheese.
Om Indian Cuisine
At this incognito Upper Haight restaurant, superb Indian-spiced flavors, excellent prices, and a diversity of options — meat, fish, vegetarian, and gluten-free — make a luscious Indian meal possible for everyone at the table. Regardless of your predilections, start with crispy vegetable or chicken pakora and include the headily spiced baigan bharta. Choose the spice level carefully; they mean business. Also, tell your gluten-free friends about the GF naan. It’s a game-changer.
Mama Ji’s
Li "Lily" Ji and husband Marv Wolpa continually lure diners and food critics to the Castro for their dim sum and home-style Sichuan selections made from modernized family recipes and local ingredients. Embellish the textbook har gow, snappy-chewy shumai, and delicate shrimp and pea shoot dumplings with flavorful chow mein and fluffy fried rice.
Pho Huynh Hiep - Kevin's Noodle House
This family-run Bay Area institution began serving pho fanatics more than 30 years ago at its still-standing Oakland location. But its Sunset District outpost supplies equally slurptastic, richly seasoned soups featuring chicken, beef, or beef combos. Do yourself right and also order the bún thịt nướng chả giò so you can dig your chopsticks into crunchy-flaky fried egg rolls over vermicelli seasoned with requisite sweet and tangy sauce.
Fiorella
We love the wood-fired, chewy-blistery Neapolitan-style pizzas and lusty pastas at this Richmond District favorite and its Russian Hill and Sunset offshoots. Get a pizza, of course, but save room for the Rigatoncini Al Bolognese Classico. The zesty housemade pork and beef meat sauce coating fat al dente pasta tubes inside and out may just make you declare, “Bellissimo!”
Jane on Fillmore
The comforting wholesomeness of Jane’s baked goods makes you feel like you’re taking care of yourself with every bite of their tuna melt on freshly baked rustic bread, fully loaded Peruvian Chicken Rice Bowl, and other fresh breakfast and lunch offerings. Good thing, because this provides ample justification to order a collection of cookies, including the chewy-good chocolate chip toffee variety. You can also order from sister spot, Jane on Larkin, or go for a fresh-baked bonanza of breads and desserts — including gluten-free options — at nearby Jane The Bakery.
Nopalito
There’s no inferiority complex for Nopa restaurant’s younger sibling. Chef Gonzalo Guzmán’s Mexican food — made from sustainable, blue-ribbon ingredients — has a Michelin Bib nod and endless fans who can’t get enough of the California-kissed traditional recipes. Guzmán’s carnitas is a local food-lovers’ rite of passage, but so are the soulful soups, and pork belly quesadillas — made with fresh housemade corn tortillas, of course.
Burma Love
San Francisco loves its Burmese food, and this sister to famed Burma Superstar loves us back by doling out new and old favorite dishes in its large, festive Mission District dining room. Any meal should start with the palate-parading tea leaf salad, of course. But whether you follow with crispy-soft blocks of fried housemade tofu with sweet-hot-tangy chili sauce, homey ginger-scented pumpkin-pork stew, garlic-jalapeño-spiced minced chicken, or any of the dozens of other Southeast Asian delicacies is a delicious and worthy debate.
Spruce
Some diners may come for the fancy price-fixed meal served in-house, but everyone knows this award-winning Laurel Heights destination’s bar and lounge is home to one of the town’s best burgers. Thick, ultra juicy, and bolstered by a fluffy English muffin, it’s served with equally crave-worthy fries. Do it right: embellish one of life’s greatest dining pleasures with a standard-setting Caesar salad and a giant crispy-soft chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin cookie.
Little Original Joe's
Opened in 1937, North Beach’s Original Joe’s Italian restaurant — and its younger Westlake sibling — is about as San Francisco as dining gets. This, their West Portal outpost, expands the allure, focusing on deliciously chewy, crispy-crust pizzas and fat, double-handed sandwiches — think meatball or chicken parmesan submarine sandwiches and grill-pressed, melty-cheese-and-meat-filled panini. Bonus: even when dinner demands one of their crispy-skilled whole rotisserie chickens, perhaps with a bountiful chopped salad, you can avoid FOMO by ordering a pizza slice.
Flour + Water Pizza Shop
The Mission’s Flour + Water restaurant built its stellar reputation on epic housemade pasta and three-day-leavened and charred pizzas. Their North Beach offshoot Flour + Water Pizzeria and its corresponding shop celebrate the latter, with top-notch red and white pies regaled with organic, artisanal ingredients. Unless you’re ordering more than one pie, you’ll need to decide between the likes of a gooey-peppery white Cacio or a mozzarella-blob-dotted pepperoni pie. But a side of crispy mozzarella sticks is a no-brainer. Craving F+W’s fresh housemade pasta at home? They’ve got a shop for that too.
Souvla
If “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” was written today, the lyricist Douglass Cross would probably mention Souvla’s chicken salad with fennel, orange sections, pickled red onion, pea shoots, mizithra cheese, and herby “granch” dressing along with our famed cable cars and fog. It’s just one of the many winners at this Greek, multi-location, fast-casual spot by French Laundry alum Charles Bililies. Also worth serenading are the sandwiches, Greek-seasoned fries, and famed Greek froyo — topped with olive oil and sea salt or other drool-inducing finishes — all of which are made from carefully sourced ingredients.
The Grove
This local chain always seems to know exactly what’ll hit the spot, whether it’s luxe eggs Bennie with avocado and bacon; a nourishing and seemingly bottomless Berkeley Bowl salad featuring organic baby lettuces, avocado, tomato, radish slices, shredded beets, chickpeas, and sunflower seeds crowned with a creamy Green Goddess dressing; or a hefty cheeseburger or fried chicken sandwich. Generous portions and value prices continually secure the woodsy restaurant’s rep as a trusted comfort-food staple.
Delarosa
Delarosa offers Roman-style fare right here in the Bay Area. This is food meant to be leisurely shared, from small bites, pasta, and salads to crispy thin-crust pizzas, all of which pair perfectly with cocktails. The beet salad is a stunner with farro, avocado, and goat cheese. Chase it and other antipasti with pizza. Our pick is the bartender’s special spicy marinara pie.
