• HOME
  • ABOUT
  • ABROAD
    • Destinations
    • Itineraries
    • City Guides
    • Resources
  • AT HOME
    • San Francisco
    • Freelance Life
  • CONTACT
  • SHOP

Part-Time Traveler

Find your balance of travel and home.

Home » At Home » San Francisco » My San Francisco Food List

My San Francisco Food List

March 13, 2014 At Home, San Francisco

If I told you that food wasn’t one of the primary reasons I wanted to move to San Francisco, that would be a big, fat LIE.

Ever since I knew I would be calling the city my full-time home, I’ve been collecting food and drink tips from anyone and everyone.  I’m not really sure where half these recommendations originated, but I know that my list is solid — and still growing.

I wanted to share the list with you here, half un-selfishly and half selfishly (full disclosure.)

First, I hope it will serve as a San Francisco food resource — for those of you traveling to the city, and even for some of you who live here.  I am only going to continue to update and add to it.  You have my commitment that I will be feverishly testing out these fine establishments, in the interest of serving my readers.  (I love my job.)

Second, I hope that you will help me continue to discover the pockets of culinary amazingness and everything else this grand city has to offer.  (That’s my plea for your suggestions.)
I have compiled the list on Foursquare.  (Beware, the list just topped 125 places.) Here’s the link:

>> The Part-Time Traveler San Francisco Food List

Foodie spots on this list range from street food and food trucks to fine dining.  San Francisco is as rich in one as it is in the other.
Each spot has been recommended by at least two different sources that I trust.  So while I have only just begun to work my own way through the list, I am confident in its value.  I can’t wait for you to help me make it even better!

bahn mi san francisco

Bahn mi! Bahn mi!

San Francisco Food Roundup, So Far (as of March 2014:)

  • Saigon Sandwich: Bahn mi. YES. Best one I’ve had outside of Vietnam….
  • Blue Bottle Coffee: The stuff of legends, lives up to its reputation. I always begin with a simple, classic coffee, so there’s much left to sample here.
  • Katana-Ya: The first of what is bound to be many ramen stops, many claim this to be the best. I enjoyed.
  • Ferry Building: A foodie hub, not to be missed.  I’ve only taken in the sights and aromas, coupled with a Cowgirl Creamery grilled cheese so far.  I can’t wait to visit again.  Plus, there’s the whole farmers market thing.
  • Jane: A well-reviewed cafe in my neighborhood — I sampled their coffee and a savory scone complete with crispy cheese on the edge.  Will be back.
  • Tony’s Pizza Napoletana: I’m always on the lookout for pizza that even attempts to tiptoe up to the real Italian deal, and this spot in North Beach is definitely aiming for that.  I have to start with the Margherita of course, but once again the journey into this menu has only just begun.  I’ll report back once we’ve become better acquainted.

Places I’m Most Excited To Try:

  • Swan Oyster Depot: Raved about, right by my house, seafood.  YES.
  • Dosa: …because I’m obsessed with dosas.  And I need some Indian food in my life…yesterday.
  • Burma Superstar: What?  I can actually find Burmese food in America?  And it’s one of everyone’s favorite restaurants?
  • Brenda’s French Soul Food: You had me at French.  No you had me at soul.  Ok, you had me at food.
  • Yank Sing: Oh yes, I’m also obsessed with dim sum.  Ten points to whomever can find me the best xiao long bao in the city.
  • Taqueria El Farolito: Let’s be honest, the one thing I’ll miss most about Southern California is my taco joints. Plus, this place claims to have the best burrito in America.  That puts it right at the top of the list.

Special thanks to the PTT Facebook community for their help in compiling this initial list!

Help me! I want the good, bad, and the tasty of your food experiences in San Francisco.  Tweet me!

Leave a Comment

SHARE
« I Saved the World Today
Paris in Black and White »

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

  • Afternoon Light in San Francisco
  • Wrecking Ball CoffeeBest Coffee Shops to Work Remotely from in San Francisco
  • san francisco restaurantsThe Side of San Francisco Most Tourists Don’t See
  • One Fine Read: Best Bookstores in San Francisco

Want to travel more while still keeping a home base?

Sign up for exclusive content:

 

Winner of Gold and Silver 2019 Solas Awards for Best Travel Writing.

About Anne

Anne Lowrey is an award-winning travel writer based in San Francisco.

After spending a year in the world, she insisted on building a life at home she loved as much as she loves travel. The result was a move to SF, which she affectionately calls her “soul city.” She believes in the balance of and connection between time spent at home and abroad.

Comments

  1. Rika | Cubicle Throwdown says

    March 13, 2014 at 4:41 pm

    Oh man, I went to San Francisco for a weekend trip once – basically just for food. The name escapes me, but there’s a great Puerto Rican restaurant right near the corner at Haight & Ashbury… down one of the streets a bit. I had an incredible pork dish and washed it down with watermelon beer – amazing!

    Reply
    • Anne says

      March 14, 2014 at 9:47 am

      That sounds tasty! I will let you know if I find this Puerto Rican place! It’s quite a foodie city, isn’t it? 🙂

      Reply
  2. Angela says

    March 13, 2014 at 6:51 pm

    Love the list!
    Some of my favorites are the chilaquiles (or really anything) from Primavera at the Ferry Building, but only on Saturdays, happy hour wine flights and cheese boards at Amelie on Polk Street, handmade pasta at SPQR, salted caramels at Hooker’s Sweet Treats (or Sightglass), and Miette’s chocolate sables. And, my favorite taqueria so far is Taqueria Cancun in the Mission. Carnitas!
    I’d be lying too if I didn’t admit that food was one of the reasons I moved here too!

    Reply
    • Anne says

      March 14, 2014 at 9:46 am

      Thanks for adding to the list, Angela! I LOVE chilaquiles. Amelie was one of the first places I ever went in the city! Can’t wait to try the rest. Cheers!

      Reply
  3. Srikant Nayak says

    March 17, 2014 at 11:25 pm

    Hi Anne,
    Sahil Gupta told me about your blog, and especially this post. I must say you have compiled a great list here. I was in SF for four weeks in Dec-Jan, and here’s where I went:
    Palace Family Steak House
    Mission Chinese Food
    Jeepney Guy Pop-Up/ Dear Mom
    YoYo Sushi
    Bocadillos
    Chowder’s
    Hong Kong Lounge
    Broken Record
    Giordano Bros. Sandwiches
    Arinell Pizza
    Lefty O’Douls
    Mission Noodle House
    Ferry Building
    Kate O’Briens
    Cafe Enchante
    Molinari Delicatessen
    Irish Times
    Tosca Cafe
    House of Shields
    Tacos San Buena
    Pa’ina Lounge & Restaurant
    Mifune Restaurant
    Sai’s Vietnamese Restaurant
    Cigar Bar & Grill
    Brioche Bakery & Cafe
    Little Joe’s Pizza
    Taqueria Guadalajara
    Golden Boy Pizza
    Zeitgeist
    Tony’s Coal-Fired Pizza & Slice House
    Nihon Whisky Lounge
    Pier 23 Cafe
    Vesuvio Cafe
    Comstock Saloon
    Buster’s
    Restaurant Ducroix
    Mo’s Grill

    Reply
    • Anne says

      March 18, 2014 at 10:39 am

      Hey Srikant! Thanks so much for adding so much to the list. I assume you enjoyed your food adventures in SF…looks like you did it right here! Will report back once I’ve had to chance to try some of these!

      Reply
      • Srikant Nayak says

        March 19, 2014 at 3:00 am

        Sure! Looking forward to hearing about your adventures. Cheers!

        Reply
  4. Shaily Shah says

    March 26, 2014 at 8:15 pm

    Bite Sandwiches
    Sanraku (Japanese cuisine)
    Chutney (Pakistani cuisine)
    Focaccia (Salads and Sandwiches)
    Plouf (French Seafood)
    galette 88
    Sweet Woodruff (gourmet american)
    Pearl’s Deluxe Burgers
    Burma Superstar
    Thai Idea Vegetarian
    Dosa (I’d dissuade you from going here. Try the one mentioned below instead!!)
    Udipi Palace
    The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen
    tlaloc (mexican cuisine)
    Pizza Orgasmica
    Poc-Chuc (mexican, latin-american, mayan)
    Umami burger (yes, it’s everywhere. But it’s still pretty good :D)
    Mamacita (south american fusion-ish :P)
    Tacolicious
    Bun Mee (Vietnamese sandwich eatery)
    [All credit to my foodie boyfriend for this list!!] 😀
    Bon Appetit!~<3
    Shaily

    Reply
    • Anne says

      March 31, 2014 at 2:50 pm

      Hi Shaily – thank you for this awesome list [thanks to your foodie boyfriend, as well!] I had Bun Mee last week, got the pork belly…SO good. Can’t wait to try the others!
      Happy food adventures! Cheers!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. The New SF Restaurants I'm Craving Most - Part Time Traveler says:
    January 23, 2015 at 7:46 am

    […] when you think you’re getting somewhere with your SF restaurant list (and don’t even get me started on all the additional food pilgrimages that need to take place […]

    Reply
  2. You Ultimate Guide To San Francisco Beyond The Guidebook says:
    February 25, 2015 at 5:14 am

    […] My San Francisco Food List […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I’m Anne! I spend part of my time traveling the world and the other part living in my soul city, San Francisco.

I have a love for all things travel. I also have a love for nesting. I do NOT believe the two have to be mutually exclusive. If you seek that balance…you’ve come to the right place.

LOOKING FOR SOMETHING?

Where Am I?

Last: We honeymooned in Greece (Santorini, Milos, Crete) and babymooned in Northern Italy (Piemonte, Lombardia, and Emilia Romagna.)

Next: ???

Now: At home in San Francisco, doubling down on nesting with our newborn baby  ♡

POPULAR POSTS

30 Life Lessons I Learned From Travel (And How They’re Making Me Happier At Home)

Nan: The Quieter Version of Thailand

san francisco restaurants

The Side of San Francisco Most Tourists Don’t See

“If travel is like love, it is mostly because it’s a heightened state of awareness, in which we are mindful, receptive, undimmed by familiarity and ready to be transformed. That is why the best trips, like the best love affairs, never really end.” – Pico Iyer

Plan a Trip

PLAN A TRIP

 

I’ve got…

PLAN A TRIP

  • One Day
  • One Week
  • Two+ Weeks

JOIN THE LIST

Find your balance between home and travel.

Not Como but…Iseo! Looking to return to the lake Not Como but…Iseo!
Looking to return to the lakes of North Italy, we considered Como, Garda, Maggiore, Orta…and in the end we chose Lake Iseo, the one least known (to me.)

It was a beautifully uncrowded atmosphere that only added to our relaxation. Aside from enjoying the lakefront hotel and restaurants, we took a day to visit Monte Isola, the island in the middle of the lake, and another to drive around the perimeter, stopping at villages nestled by the lake’s edge or up into the mountains as needed (cappuccino, gelato, aperitivo, etc.) 

If you’re looking for a smaller, calmer Italian lake experience, add this one to your list! 
—
#parttimetraveler #lagodiseo #italianlakes #italianbeauty
I’ve mostly traveled Italy by train (still my fa I’ve mostly traveled Italy by train (still my favorite way!) but for this trip we decided to rent a 🚗 so that we had a little more freedom to explore and discover smaller villages and countryside. 

If you haven’t yet thought to do this outside of Tuscany, I highly recommend! It’s great to be able to see and support smaller spots and businesses that don’t get much as much tourist traffic. 
—
#parttimetraveler #piemonte #italytraveltips #slowtravel
Bella Italia 🇮🇹🤍 looking forward to shari Bella Italia 🇮🇹🤍 looking forward to sharing more photos this week from my recent journey in Northern Italy!
I’ve also got some news to share…
—
#parttimetraveler #northernitaly #bellaitalia #traveldeeper
Como calls ✨ I’m actually visiting a smaller, Como calls ✨ I’m actually visiting a smaller, much lesser known Italian lake this time. Can’t wait to share more! 🇮🇹
#northernitaly #italianlakes #lagodicomo
Hi friends, it’s been awhile. I’ve got an inte Hi friends, it’s been awhile. I’ve got an international trip planned that starts next week 🧳 😭 Can you guess where? #parttimetraveler #ontheroadagain
Feeling grateful today for another trip taken arou Feeling grateful today for another trip taken around the sun ☀️ and for being able to do so with many favorite people (and in some of my favorite places!)

It can be difficult to celebrate big days or little happy moments amongst the current heaviness of the world. But we must 🌴🌴
—
#bigisland #smallbirthday #alohasunday
9.3.21 :: by far the best day of 2021 and the star 9.3.21 :: by far the best day of 2021 and the start of what makes me most excited for the years to come. ✨
📷 @amandaweiphoto

#sanfranciscowedding #tiburonreception #sfcityhall #2021bride #grateful
Note to self: take more walks just after sunrise 🌁 
#alwaysSF #iphoneonly
Mentally, I’m here right now. 🇬🇷 #milosg Mentally, I’m here right now. 🇬🇷 

#milosgreece #honeymoondestination #parttimetraveler
CONNECT ON INSTAGRAM

© 2022 PART-TIME TRAVELER         Privacy Policy + Terms of Use          Subscribe

THEME BY ECLAIR DESIGNS