San Francisco is a food lover’s paradise. You’ll find everything from the best burritos in America to Michelin-rated restaurants as seen on Netflix’s Chef’s Table.
With so many options to choose from, it may be overwhelming to figure out what to eat in San Francisco. Instead of offering a long list of great places, I’ve narrowed it down to my top favorite, must-eat places I highly recommend to all my family and friends who visit San Francisco.
A Mission Burrito
Growing up in Hawaii, there wasn’t a whole lot of Mexican food. Since moving to San Francisco, I feel lucky to live in a place with so much diversity and culture. Mexican food is one of the top things I recommend eating in SF and the Mission district is where you can find the best of the best Mexican food. When it comes to burritos, La Taqueria is famous for its burritos and is consistently ranked one of the top if not best burritos in America. What I like about their burritos are the high-quality ingredients you can taste – their pico de gallo is fresh, their meat isn’t greasy, and their salsa verde (or I like to call it their green sauce) is absolutely phenomenal. I’ve tried many other burritos, but this is hands down my favorite burrito I compare all other burritos to.
Sourdough bread is synonymous with San Francisco. One can’t go to San Francisco and not try a bread that is created from the local bacteria, “lactobacillus San Francisco” (I’m totally serious). Who knew the secret to San Francisco’s sourdough bread was in the air itself.
Boudin Bakery is a San Francisco institution and the original creator of the San Francisco sourdough french bread. It all started back in 1849, when a French immigrant named Isidore Boudin used a traditional European technique to capture natural yeast found in the air for his “mother dough”. To this day, that same mother dough is used in every single bread made by this company for the last 160 years. How cool is that!
No matter how long I’ve lived here, the clam chowder in their famous sourdough bread bowl will always be one of my favorite things to eat in San Francisco. They have several locations throughout the Bay Area, but I highly recommend visiting their flagship location at Fisherman’s wharf where you can see them making bread through their 30 foot observation window.
Boudin Location: 160 Jefferson St. Bistro Boudin, SF, CA 94133 Hours: 12 – 9pm daily Best for: $, casual lunch, many sit-down tables inside and the line moves pretty quick Tips: They have several locations throughout San Francisco and the Bay Area Visit: boudinbakery.com | Yelp
I couldn’t help myself and ate some before taking this photo 😛
Seafood at Fisherman’s Wharf
Fisherman’s Wharf if one of the places you can’t miss when visiting San Francisco. Locals usually don’t venture out to this area, but I enjoy it for their fresh seafood, the local sea lions, and to be able to pretend I’m on staycation.
Carry on tip: Along with sourdough bread, Dungeness crab is also synonymous with San Francisco. It’s the best place to eat freshly caught Dungeness crab. Crab season traditionally runs from early November through late June, although the prime season is during the winter months.
One of my favorite places to eat crab is at Crab House on Pier 39. They have great food, a beautiful view of the bay, a modern clean ambiance, and great service. I can always get reservations quickly and they always give me a seat with a great view.
Crab House at Pier 39 Location: 203 C Pier 39, SF, CA 94133 Hours: Mon-Sun: 11:30am-10pm Visit: crabhouse39.com | Yelp
Indian Food
The Bay Area has a large Indian population, and with that, I’ve got to try my share of delicious Indian food.
Pakwan is a Pakistani Indian restaurant that is an institution in the Mission district of San Francisco. Their mouth-watering curries, biryanis, and other Pakistani Indian dishes are must-eats when visiting San Francisco. Don’t let the exterior dissuade you, as it’s a no-frills kind of a place. It’s absolutely worth venturing out to or they’re also on several food delivery apps if eating at your hotel is an option.
Another good restaurant is Amber India. They have a restaurant near Union Square, which is easier to access if the location is an issue. Plus, this is a nice sit-down restaurant suitable for families with kids. They also have a lunch buffet that lets you try many dishes you normally might not know of or try.
Pakwan Located: 3182 16th St, San Francisco, CA 94103 (Mission location) Hours: Open daily 11am – 11pm , Sat & Sun open till 11:30pm Best for: $, Casual dinners Tips: They are BYOB if you eat at the restaurant Visit: pakwanrestaurant.com
Thanh Long
If you love to eat crab, this is THE place to go. Thanh Long is a Vietnamese restaurant known for its roasted crab and garlic noodles. Helene An, the founder of Thanh Long, invented the world-famous garlic noodles in the 1970s and is one of the founders of Asian fusion cuisine. The An family owns many restaurants in Northern and Southern California, but the original restaurant that started it all was Thanh Long.
If I had to pick one thing to eat in San Francisco (and didn’t live in California), I would definitely pick Thanh Long’s garlic roasted crab and their garlic noodles. There are other restaurants that offer similar options, but there is no comparison to the An family’s restaurants.
Thanh Long Location: 4101 Judah St, San Francisco, CA 94122 (Outer Sunset) Hours: Wednesday to Sunday 4:30 to 7:30/8:30 pm, closed Monday and Tuesday Best for: $$$, Special occasions (casual attire is fine) Tips: They have a sister restaurant (Crustaceans) in Nob Hill, which will be closer to downtown SF or to Union Square Visit: thanhlongsf.com | Yelp
Hog Island Oyster Company
San Francisco is one of the best places to not only eat fresh seafood but the freshest oysters. I never used to like oysters until I tried them at Hog Island Oyster Company. They are the freshest, juiciest oysters I’ve ever had and together with their Hogwash mignonette sauce, it’s just the most amazing thing ever. They even have their own oyster farm in Tomales Bay where you can shuck your own oysters and have a picnic. It’s seriously one of the best day trips from San Francisco.
Hog Island Oyster Company Location: Ferry Building Hours: Open daily from 11am to 8pm (check holidays) Best for: $$, casual lunch and dinner Visit: hogislandoysters.com | Yelp
Ghiradelli Chocolate
Ghirardelli has been around for over 160 years and is the oldest continuously operating chocolate maker in America. When visiting Fisherman’s Wharf, stop by the Original Ghirardelli Ice Cream & Chocolate Shop at Ghirardelli Square and try their famous hot fudge sundae.
Ghiradelli Location: 900 North Point, San Francisco, California 94109 Hours: Daily from 11am to 10pm
