San Francisco Eats: Brunch, Pasta and Food Trucks

places to eat in san francisco
Lucy
Lucy 
Updated
| 5 min read

San Francisco is a city in Northern California, known for its countless hills, foggy weather, cable cars and the stunning Golden Gate Bridge. While these are all great reasons to visit this popular destination, it is also a haven for foodies of all kinds. Packed into the 7x7 square mile city, San Francisco has the most restaurants per capita of any other city in the US. It is one of the best places to eat in America as there is an option for every craving: food truck aficionados, trendy eateries, and gastronomical creations. Local chefs are inspired by the abundance of fresh, local produce and the fast moving creativity of the city. Come hungry and ready to try innovative new dishes with the following restaurants that won’t lead you astray.

1. Foreign Cinema

Posted by Foreign Cinema on Wednesday, 20 November 2013

Started in 1999, Foreign Cinema is a local favorite located in the Mission District and has been rated a top 100 restaurant by SFChronicle sixteen years in a row. Making a reservation at this refurbished retro theater is key. For brunch, enjoy fresh oysters, their famous sticky buns and homemade pop tarts. During dinner, indulge in their California fresh menu and watch an old movie screening in their outdoor covered dining area. Each table comes equipped with speakers that you can turn up or down. This is a great spot for a romantic dinner or a weekend brunch extravaganza with your friends.

Foreign Cinema

Address: 2534 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110

Price: from 31 USD

Opening Hours: 5:30 - 10pm. Weekend Brunch 11am to 2:30pm

Contact: 415-648-7600

Website: Foreign Cinema

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2. Tipsy Pig

Posted by The Tipsy Pig on Monday, 2 April 2012

Brunch is an iconic staple in San Francisco and continuing to grow in popularity. Tipsy Pig is located in the Marina District near the Golden Gate Bridge. Start your day walking around the Marina District and talking pictures by the water and then head over to Tipsy Pig at 11am when it opens to enjoy their tasty weekend brunch. Duck confit hash and ricotta lemon prosciutto scramble are a few favorites of mine, and you can’t leave Tipsy Pig without trying their Strawberry Fields drink or my personal favorite cocktail, Morning Tea. Enjoy your brunch outside in their back patio to get the full experience.

Tipsy Pig

Address: 2231 Chestnut St, San Francisco, CA 94123

Price: from 11 USD

Opening Hours: 5pm - 2am. Weekend brunch starts at 11am

Contact: (415) 292-2300

Website: Tipsy Pig

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3. Chubby Noodle

Rise & Shine! It's bottomless #brunch time! ☀️🍶🍜🍴

Posted by Chubby Noodle Marina on Saturday, 19 September 2015

If you’re looking for a less traditional brunch experience, head to Chubby Noodle in North Beach or the Marina District. Both of these locations offer an all you can eat and drink Asian focused menu that lasts 90 minutes and costs 37 USD + taxes and tip. Fill up on dumplings, chow mein, spicy green beans and shrimp fried rice paired with your choice of mimosa, sangria or Sapporo beer. If you’re with a larger group, make reservations ahead and try the North Beach location first as it has more dining space available.

Chubby Noodle

Address: North Beach Location: 1310 Grant Avenue San Francisco, CA 94133

Price: from 37 USD

Opening Hours: Weekend Brunch 10am - 2:30pm

Contact: (415) 296-9600

Website: Chubby Noodle

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4. Rhea’s Deli & Market

Posted by Rhea's Deli & Market on Thursday, 8 December 2016

If you’re looking for a grab and go style sandwich, hit up Rhea’s Deli & Market in the Mission District and take it to Dolores Park, only a few blocks away. It’s a great place to people watch and soak up the sun as you enjoy your sandwich. Rhea’s is a convenience store with a sandwich counter, but don’t be swayed by its outdoor appearance as their sandwiches have been top ranked in the city. Their claim to fame is a Korean Steak Sandwich for just under 10 USD, but they have an assortment of sandwiches all named after local San Francisco history.

Rhea's Deli & Market

Address: 800 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94110

Price: under 10 USD

Opening Hours: 11:30am - 4pm. Closed on public holidays.

Contact: (415) 282-5255

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5. Suppenküche


If you’re in the mood for some scrumptious German fare, you can’t go wrong at Suppenküche in the Hayes Valley area. This hofbrauhaus offers schnitzels, pretzels, steins or boots of German beer and more. If you’ve saved room after your decadent meal, head to the outdoor Biergarten only a block away. Order from a counter created out of old shipping containers and grab a communal spot in the picnic tables out front.

Suppenküche

Address: 525 Laguna St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Price: from 11 USD

Opening Hours: 5pm - 11pm. Closed on public holidays.

Contact: (415) 252-9289

Website: Suppenküche

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6. Liholiho Yacht Club

We love Mondays because all our industry friends come eat our homemade spam - 1/3 for walk-ins all night every night! #GetJag

Posted by Liholiho Yacht Club on Monday, 29 February 2016

To check out a new trendy SF restaurant, I’d recommend Liholiho Yacht Club, which offers what they call “heritage driven food”. Flavors of Hawaii, Indian and Chinese create an amazing combination that has people coming back for more. Grab a reservation beforehand or head there at opening to snag a walk-in table or try to get lucky with a seat at the bar. The beef tongue, kimchi, cucumber and poppy seed steam bun is a must try for the adventurous or try their off-menu homemade spam. Manila clams with coconut curry and naan is another favorite as is the tuna poke. For the main course, the cornish game hen and pork steak are both delicious. Come hungry for this restaurant - oh and leave room for their Baked Hawaiian dessert!

Liholiho Yacht Club

Address: 871 Sutter St, San Francisco, CA 94109

Price: from 31 USD

Opening Hours: 5pm - 10:30pm. Closed on public holidays.

Contact: (415) 440-5446

Website: Liholiho Yacht Club

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7. Wayfare Tavern

To all who love Wayfare Tavern's fried chicken - Happy National Fried Chicken Day!

Posted by Wayfare Tavern on Saturday, 6 July 2013

Located in the financial district, Wayfare Tavern is a local lunch and dinner spot for business people during the week. It has a quintessentially old American vibe decorated in dark wood with taxidermy on the walls. They are known for their fried chicken with buttermilk brine, roasted garlic, crisp woody herbs, and lemon.

Wayfare Tavern

Address: 558 Sacramento St, San Francisco, CA 94111

Price: from 31 USD

Opening Hours: 11am - 10:30pm. Closed on public holidays.

Contact: (415) 772-9060

Website: Wayfare Tavern

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8. El Techo

Posted by El Techo on Thursday, 10 March 2016

One of the few rooftop restaurants in San Francisco, El Techo is the sister restaurant to its main Argentinean restaurant below, Lolinda. Get a reservation or prepare to stand in line on a nice, sunny weekend as this place tends to get crowded quickly. A great place to grab brunch or a quick margarita, chips and guacamole as you take in the cityscape.

El Techo de Lolinda

Address: 2516 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110

Price: from 11 USD

Opening Hours: 9am - 6pm. Closed on public holidays.

Contact: (415) 550-6970

Website: El Techo

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9. Octavia


For a romantic dinner out, Octavia is worth the splurge. Featuring fresh American cuisine, this Michelin Star restaurant is tucked away in a classy neighborhood setting and run by award-winning Executive Chef Melissa Perello. Their menu changes frequently with creative dishes in beautiful presentation brought out on ceramic plates. From its housemade bread, chilled squid ink noodles to confit Sonoma duck leg, I would order anything on this menu. You’ll need to make a reservation for this spot far in advance.

Octavia

Address: 1701 Octavia St, San Francisco, CA 94109

Price: from 31 USD

Opening Hours: 5pm - 10pm. Closed on public holidays.

Contact: (415) 408-7507

Website: Octavia

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10. Flour + Water

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account


If pasta is on your mind, don’t pass up Flour + Water’s prix fixe pasta menu. They have a full menu, as well, filled with great Italian fare and wood-fired pizza, but they are known for their perfectly cooked pasta and creative combinations. This is another great date night spot for the carb-lover in your life. Be sure to make a reservation ahead of time.

Flour + Water

Address: 2401 Harrison St, San Francisco, CA 94110

Price: from 31 USD

Opening Hours: 5:30pm - 11pm. Closed on public holidays.

Contact: (415) 826-7000

Website: Flour + Water

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11. Al’s Place

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account


If you’re looking for a vegetarian-friendly date night spot, head to Al’s Place. This Mission District restaurant focuses on fresh produce as the main highlight with sides of meat and seafood. They also have a 65 USD “family style” prix fixe menu that you can choose as well as a 45 USD wine pairing if you want to leave your dinner in the hands of the chef.

Al's Place

Address: 1499 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94110

Price: from 31 USD

Opening Hours: 5:30pm - 10pm. Closed on public holidays.

Contact: (415) 416-6136

Website: Al’s Place

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Indulge in the many delicious restaurants of San Francisco!

Waffle

If you’re looking for endless options, fresh and delicious cuisine, San Francisco is hard to beat. Many of the chefs will actually go to local farmers markets in San Francisco, most notably, The Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, to decide their upcoming menu. It also wouldn’t be a complete list without mentioning our many food trucks-if you’re looking for a fun, tasty Friday night activity, check out Off the Grid in the Marina for a slew of food trucks, live music and drinks.

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Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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Lucy is a Pacific Northwest native, currently finding adventure in San Francisco and daydreaming of the next trip around the globe. When she is not hunting down the best ramen spots or sailing on...Read more

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