3 Thrifty, Top Quality Lunch Spots In Cow Hollow/Marina, San Francisco

3 Thrifty, Top Quality Lunch Spots In Cow Hollow/Marina, San Francisco
Mary
Mary 
Published
| 3 min read

The perfect lunch is made from the freshest ingredients, deliciously prepared, served with a smile in attractive surroundings and, is easy on your wallet. Not too hard to find in San Francisco, except for that last part. A perfect lunch can be a real budget breaker.

San Francisco’s Cow Hollow/Marina District has scores of lunch eateries that offer the ‘perfect lunch’. Here are three that are ideal for that much-needed break while shopping and sightseeing. All have budget friendly options.

1. Tacko - a favorite neighborhood spot

Fresh fish taco at Tackos
Source: Mary Charlebois

Clean, sleek, industrial furnishings. Nautical themed art. Tacos and lobster rolls. Really some unusual combinations. Tacko is a small eatery serving tacos, burritos and lobster rolls. The food is fresh, clean and perfectly prepared. The fish tacos will transport you to the beach in Baja. The best part, they are under 5 USD.

‘Slow food, fast.’ That’s Tacko’s motto. The ingredients are the finest, service is friendly and efficient. The bright, clean restaurant is a favorite spot for locals.

After placing your orders at the counter, take a seat and your meal will be brought to your table. Draft, bottled and canned beer are served. Wines, including a red wine sangria, are available by glass or bottle. Soft drinks include aqua fresca, colas and jarritos.

Located at 3115 Fillmore Street in Cow Hollow, Tacko is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. This thrifty lunch spot will become a favorite thrifty dinner spot. The food and service are excellent. Check its website for menu, days and hours.

2. La Panotiq Bakery Café

Pastrie and coffee at La Panotiq
Source: Mary Charlebois

Strolling down Chestnut in Marina district, San Francisco, you will smell La Panotiq before you see it. The aroma of baking bread, brewing coffee and tempting pastries wafts up and down the street, drawing you into this charming eatery.

La Panotiq is a family owned French bakery and café. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. The lunch selections include house-made soups, sandwiches and salads, plus tempting pastries and desserts. The lunch menu offers several combinations under 10 USD.

La Panotiq’s food is French. Made with care and served with thoughtfulness, it is fantastic. They pledge food that is ‘a flavorful, satisfying meal or snack free of GMO’s (genetically modified organisms), pesticides, hormones and nitrates’.

La Panotiq is a small café with a bakery counter. Outside and inside table seating are available. All food can be packaged to go. The staff are very welcoming and accommodating.

Located at 2234 Chestnut Street, San Francisco, this Marina neighborhood spot is a local’s favorite. It is a perfect lunch spot after a morning of sightseeing and photography at near-by Palace of Fine Arts. Check its website for menu, days and hours.

3. Patxi’s Pizza

Cheese bord at Patxi's
Source: Mary Charlebois

Light and crisp or thick and thin, no matter how you like your pizza, Patxi’s (pronounced “Pah-Cheese”) has a crust and toppings to please you. Specializing in that deeply satisfying Chicago style, regular and whole wheat doughs are available. Chicago style pizza is known for the thick bread-like crust and plenty of rich red sauce.

Patxi’s is a warm, family friendly, neighborhood restaurant. They are just off Lombard on Fillmore in San Francisco’s Marina District. They have an under-10 USD lunch special that includes a slice of pizza, salad and drink. All its food is made to order from the freshest, quality ingredients. It has a full-service bar that serves beer, wine and spirits.

You may choose from outside table seating or inside table and bar seating. The restaurant is bright, fresh and appealing. The staff here are especially friendly and knowledgeable about the menu.

Located at 3318 Fillmore Street in San Francisco in Marina District, they are open for lunch and dinner seven days a week.

Stop in for lunch after a walk along nearby Marina Green on San Francisco Bay. Check its website for menu, days and hours.

Other Cow Hollow/Marina activities

lower market in Cow Hollow
Source: Mary Charlebois

Union and Chestnut Streets have some of San Francisco’s best boutiques, shops and designer studios without the bustling crowds.

Bistros, pubs, cafes and fine dining spots are ubiquitous on Chestnut, Union and Fillmore Streets.

Marina Green is on the San Francisco Bay. It is perfect for walking, photography and sightseeing.

The Wave Organ is an acoustic sculpture. It plays music made by the Pacific. It’s located on San Francisco Bay at the end of Yacht Road, past the Golden Gate Yacht Club.

The Palace of Fine Arts is a San Francisco landmark built in 1915 for the Panama Pacific International Exposition. It provides excellent photo ops.

Fort Mason is a former military base, now home to museums and historic buildings. It provides excellent hiking and unique photo ops.

Great wallet-friendly lunches in Cow Hollow/Marina

Enjoy a thrifty lunch that tastes like a budget buster in pleasing surroundings with friendly service. Cow Hollow/Marina neighborhoods have many places that have a ‘perfect lunch’.

Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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Mary Charlebois is a Northern California Freelance writer, photographer and videographer. Her career in publishing technology fulfilled a lifelong dream, traveling the globe. Now retired,...Read more

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