Bring the party home with whole Dungeness crab, sushi, and more.We’ve all been there. It’s someone’s birthday, a noteworthy anniversary, a big promotion, a long-awaited graduation — and there’s nary an open table in sight to celebrate the milestone event. Ah, the roses and thorns of living in the great restaurant city that is San Francisco!
Thankfully, many of these restaurants can come to you via DoorDash, so the hottest table in town is now your own. All you need to do is set the table or spread out a blanket in front of the TV. Go black tie or in your PJs. Along with everything else for the evening, the choice is yours.
Hong Kong Lounge
The xiao long bao are so good at this Richmond District dim sum house that a whole evening could be designed around slurping down the Shanghainese dumplings bursting with brothy liquid and meaty filling. The same goes for the restaurant’s other dumplings — shrimp-filled ha gao, pan-fried chive dumplings — which are best paired with tangy hot-and-sour soup and soy sauce–lacquered beef chow fun for a very full spread.
Lily
No menu description can do justice to the contemporary Vietnamese artistry on display at this Inner Richmond hot spot. So go with your gut when ordering. Try the Shaking Filet of Beef Salad with its Oscars-like list of local farm ingredients, or the turmeric market fish brightened with dill, onions, and a fermented shrimp-pineapple sauce, served alongside rice noodles.
Noosh
Two words: kebab party! Enjoy this Lower Pacific Heights haunt’s skewers on a platter brimming with crispy smashed potatoes, pickles, and the flavor bomb that is Brussels sprouts buried in pistachio, Urfa biber, mint, and preserved lemon. Or eat your fill of spicy chicken or grass-fed beef and lamb alongside mujadara (seasoned lentils and rice), charred onion, and sumac-sprinkled veggies.
Wildseed
Union Street’s plant-based darling makes the impossible possible with delicious vegan renditions of global classics. Marvel at the Mexican corn cakes enriched with coconut queso, the ensalada Andalusia topped with coconut bacon and black-ash cashew cheese, the orecchiette alla Pugliese crowned with coconut Parmesan, and the meatless satisfaction of “neatball” masala (the secret is in the grain, lentil, and walnut mix!).
EPIC Steak
You know what you’re here for: fat cuts of sustainably sourced USDA prime beef. At this Embarcadero restaurant, chef Parke Ulrich builds a decadent menu around succulent rib eye, tender filet, and tartare. Pair the goods with the house Caesar salad studded with croutons made with Acme bread and “Julia Child’s potatoes,” a burnished brick of thinly sliced potatoes and gooey Gruyère cheese.
Farmhouse Kitchen San Francisco
Behold, the Panang Neua: a slow-braised short rib drizzled in a bright-red panang-style curry and framed by grilled Broccolini and blue jasmine rice. Or the Basil Bomb, a melange of seafood, crispy pork belly, and minced pork finished with a fried egg and prik nam pla. For an extra-fancy touch, order the Tsunami Lobster, with prawns, scallops, and mussels in yellow curry.
Harris' Restaurant
A special-occasion destination for nearly 40 years, Nob Hill's white tablecloth steakhouse dry-ages and sears gorgeous hunks of Midwestern Angus beef fresh from their in-house butcher shop. Round out your meal with the classics: a crisp wedge salad crowned with a cascade of blue cheese dressing and the quintessential creamed spinach.
Burma Superstar
More than 30 years after it opened, there’s still a wait to get into this Burmese landmark in Richmond District. And there’s a reason: It’s unwaveringly delicious. Indulge in the legendary tea-leaf salad (and kits for future salads!), tangy breaded and fried sesame chicken, dry-fried string beans, creamy pumpkin pork stew, and more for a family-style feast for two — or 20.
Canela Bistro & Wine Bar
When you can’t fly to Spain for a congratulatory tapas crawl, just order in from this Spanish spot in Upper Market. It regularly imports ingredients from Europe to offer versions of the greatest hits: thick slices of Spanish tortilla de patata, crispy croquetas de jamón, aioli-topped patatas bravas, and lemony seared shrimp with garlic. Pro tip: Add a bottle of cava or sherry to get the party started.
Chapeau!
The website for Clement Street’s long-loved French bistro explains that without an exclamation point, “chapeau” simply means “hat,” while with the punctuation it means “Wow!” Chef Philippe Gardelle conjures the wow factor with garlicky escargot, hearty cassoulet, and filet mignon with a velvety red wine–and-truffle sauce. If you want to put an exclamation point on date night, make sure you order their perfect crème brûlée.
Che Fico Alimentari
This NoPa restaurant isn’t just a salumeria and wine bar but also ground zero for all the makings of a luxurious night in. Plates are sizable and designed to be shared, so don’t hold back with your order. Go all in on the loaded chopped salad, juicy roasted half-chicken, textbook spinach lasagna, and irresistible tiramisu. They’re the perfect accompaniments to your special evening.
Burma Love
When the night calls for the best, call in the tea-leaf salad from this iconic Burmese restaurant in the Mission. Sunset magazine deemed the textural masterpiece of fermented tea leaves, nuts, beans, and garlic the “best of the West.” Round it out with traditional curries, luscious garlic noodles, flaky samusas, and chicken wings doused in sweet chili glaze. And if you feel like you’ve had Burma Love before, that may be because it’s the sister restaurant of Burma Superstar.
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.
Domo
Given the small dining room and no-reservations policy of this popular Hayes Valley stalwart, the easiest way to enjoy its ultra-fresh sushi is by ordering in. A robust menu of nigiri, maki, and sashimi — including vegetarian options — ensures that every craving is easily satisfied, and the special rolls (like the shrimp tempura–stuffed Red Dragon roll) are celebrations in themselves.
Dragon Beaux
This perpetually packed Outer Richmond spot is a choose-your-own-adventure, courtesy of dim sum legend (and Koi Palace founder) Willy Ng and partner Jenny Huang. Will you start with a dim sum course of jumbo scallop shumai, finished with abalone and chicken sticky rice in lotus leaf? Or are you going straight for mains like ginger-scallion Dungeness crab, sautéed Chilean sea bass with black truffle sauce, or Peking duck with golden buns? There’s no wrong choice here.
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.
One Market Restaurant
You may want to save your big night in for a Friday or Saturday, so you can get chef/owner Mark Dommen’s legendary prime rib. Imagine dipping slices of spit-roasted standing rib roast into savory jus and horseradish cream, then soaking up residual juices with airy popovers. Velvety mashed potatoes and creamed spinach are part of the epic dinner package from the Financial District restaurant.
PPQ Dungeness Island
Cracking and devouring whole roasted crab is the messy but fun business of this 20-year-old Vietnamese institution in Richmond District. A Set Dinner for two to 10 people is a full-blown banquet featuring buttery, garlicky whole crabs and an astounding array of sides (imperial rolls, chicken-laced cabbage salad, house garlic noodles). Not a crab fan? Go with their equally elaborate (and tasty) lobster dinner.
Palette Tea House
Charge your phone before ordering the inventive dim sum from the team behind the revered Koi Palace and Dragon Beaux. The universally applauded Ghirardelli Square restaurant’s modern take on Cantonese seafood and dumplings couldn’t be more Instagrammable. Fill up with a painter’s palette of vibrantly hued soup dumplings and Wagyu beef potstickers.
Wayfare Tavern
If anyone can turn a fried chicken dinner into a special occasion, it’s Food Network chef Tyler Florence. At his Financial District spot, the buttermilk-brined, double-battered, generously seasoned fried chicken pieces (Food & Wine crowned them America’s Best) are flaky-crisp and clucking flavorful. Team them up with burrata-whipped potatoes and a bottle of sparkling rosé.
Omakase
Go big with high-roller Edomae-style sushi, courtesy of chef Jackson Yu. He flies in primo fish three times a week from top vendors at Tokyo’s Sakasyu fish market, and with his expert knife work and rice-making skills, transforms them into stunning nigiri boxes. Expect toro, Wagyu, caviar, and sushi nirvana.
R&G Lounge
Join the debate: Is the draw of this Chinatown destination the iconic battered and fried salt-and-pepper Dungeness crab or the slightly sweet, crazy-tender stir-fried R&G Special Beef? Nearly 40 years in, there’s still no consensus. Order both, with a side of fried rice, and see if anyone can pause eating to actually weigh in.
Roka Akor
Nothing says “chic” like a table filled with Family Meal from Jackson Square’s premier modern Japanese restaurant. Your order may be a collection of crunchy spicy tuna rolls; fried chicken scribbled with chili aioli; buttery magnolia-leaf-wrapped, yuzu-miso-marinated black cod; butter-and-soy-brushed sweet corn; and steamed rice dotted with black sesame. Finish strong with the warm Valrhona chocolate cake alongside a caramel-almond ganache.
The Cavalier
Bacon-pickle deviled eggs, a grilled rib eye, and crisp beef-fat fries equal a party, and SoMa’s swanky brasserie delivers all three — and then some. The menu from executive chef Jennifer Puccio (of ever-popular Leo's Oyster Bar and Marlowe) offers additional inspiration for your festivities. Partner thick, brown-butter-kissed seared salmon with garlicky Broccolini or go all in on a hunky herbed pork chop with maple-laced butternut squash. Don’t skip the sticky toffee bread pudding.
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.
Z & Y Restaurant
Some like it hot, and if that’s you and your crew, look no further than Chinatown’s Michelin Bib Gourmand–recognized Sichuan landmark. Topping the hit list is the aptly named Chicken with Explosive Chili Pepper, a hearty mound of bite-size fried chicken pieces buried in dried peppers. It’s fire in more ways than one. On the cooler side, frozen pork-and-cabbage dumplings and soup dumplings mean you can throw a milder party at your leisure.
Sushi Shio
What do you get when you combine uni, truffle, and salmon roe on a toasted sourdough square? The perfect start to a memorable night in (but also the Japanese Bruschetta). Given that this Mission District omakase destination is part of the local sushi monopoly known as the Mins Group (behind Sushi Ondo, Sushi Hon, and Sushi Hakko), there’s no limit to the quality seafood they fly in regularly from Japan, and their artful sensibility is on point with their sashimi and sushi tastings and chirashi bowls.
Lers Ros
Whether you’re in Mission Dolores, Hayes Valley, or Little Saigon, you’re always in reach of incredible Thai food that will send eyes joyfully rolling into the backs of heads. Start with the pork belly, the pinnacle of salty, fatty, crispy, melty texture, then get the pad see ew and fried whole black bass with perky sweet chili sauce. Be sure to save room for a side of garlic frog because, just trust us.
Fiorella
If you don’t have an Italian grandmother to cook for you, this family of restaurants — with locations in Sunset, Russian Hill, and Outer Richmond — is your trusted stand-in. A meal as comforting as a sure-armed hug means wood-fired thin-crust Neapolitan-style pizza; hearty Nonna’s Meatballs wading in tangy marinara; and housemade pastas like the rigatoncini al Bolognese and chitarra cacio e pepe. You might find yourself humming “That’s Amore” as you sop up all the sauces.
Izzy's Steaks & Chops San Francisco
Pull out that special bottle of red for an old-school steakhouse experience brought to you by this decades-old, family-owned Marina restaurant. You know the drill: Select your favorite cut, style (grilled, au poivre, or blackened), and temperature, then choose the requisite sides (hello, brown butter fries and creamed spinach!). Not feeling carnivorous? Izzy’s also offers lemony sole piccata and seared salmon with mango salsa.
Marlowe
Chef Jennifer Puccio’s burgers are built with party vibes in mind. Out of her New American bistro in SoMa, she mixes ground beef with lamb, cooks the patties to order, and crowns them with cheddar cheese, bacon, caramelized onions, and peppery horseradish aioli. Add in the golden-skinned poulet vert, a deconstructed herb-marinated half-chicken, and enough fries to go around. It’s a white-tablecloth-worthy meal.
Ryoko's
This ever-crowded, decades-old Union Square dining den continues to deliver for big occasions, literally and figuratively. The menu traverses the familiar — edamame, classic nigiri, chicken teriyaki — and the unexpected: Do shrimp tempura and peanut butter go together? The popular Volcano Roll proves heck, yes! The thread that ties these adventurous dishes is prime ingredients: fresh, organic produce and natural premium meats. And did we mention you can order sake?
Photo credit: Che Fico Alimentari by Audrey Kuhn
