San Francisco is a pretty amazing food city, if not one of the best in all of North America. We took it upon ourselves to eat our way through as many spots as possible on our most recent visit to the city. Some places sounded too incredible to pass up, so we often found ourselves eating more than three meals a day (in true American form), sometimes when we weren’t even hungry, just to give some of these places a try.
After eating at nearly fifteen restaurants and cafes all over the city in just four short days, we reflected on everything we consumed into this round up of five truly unique eats, with a handful of honourable mentions to round things out at the end.
We highly recommend giving these places a try if you’re a Bay native or just visiting.
Crispy Tacos at La Taqueria, 2889 Mission St, Mission
Hands down the best and most authentic tacos we’ve ever had (also the most affordable). This super casual spot was recommended to us walking along Valencia by a trendy shop owner. It’s nothing special to look at but there’s always a line, but the friendly owners manage the chaos with a number system. We’ve never had crispy tacos like this before; the lightly fried shell was super stuffed with juicy meat, beans, fresh salsa, guacamole, and a heavy squirt of sour cream on top. Make this spot a must on your next visit to the Mission.
The Rebel Within at Craftsman & Wolves, 746 Valencia St, Mission
Trendy Mission bakery cafe Craftsman & Wolves makes these savoury breakfast treats daily. A Rebel Within is basically breakfast in bite sized form, though you’ll want to eat this treat on a plate, since the yolk inside is always runny. Broken down, it’s basically a soft cooked egg enrobed in a savoury muffin with asiago cheese, sausage, and green onion, and boy is it ever amazing! While many have tried to crack Craftsman & Wolves recipe, it’s still a mystery as to how they come out perfectly runny every time. Go early, (they open at 7am) because they tend to sell out.
Tender Pork Belly Steamed Bao at The Chairman, 670 Larkin St, Tenderloin
While The Chairman’s food truck still rolls around the Bay, we hit up their first bricks and mortar lunch spot in Tenderloin for one of our first meals in the city. We tried all their steamed baos, but it was their classic pork belly bun with electric turmeric pickled daikon and green shiso that kept us coming back for more. While they don’t have a liquor license yet, their artisanal sodas like black currant with charred cinnamon and fresh apricot and cilantro paired perfectly with a few helpings of steamed bao.
Chocolate Cherry Cruffin at Mr. Holmes Bakehouse, 1042 Larkin St, Polk Gulch
Part croissant, part muffin, part donut, and 100% delicious. Mr. Holmes Bakehouse created these hybrid treats after the cronut craze in 2013 and to this day, there’s always a line, and they sell out within hours of hitting the counter. Last week the flavour of the day was chocolate cherry which combined cherry chunks folded into chocolate pastry cream topped with a fresh cherry and chocolate pearls. Plan your visit and bring your friends because you’re only aloud to purchase two cruffins each and they usually sell out half an hour after they come out of the oven at 9AM.
Filetti Pizza at Una Pizzeria Napolitana, 210 11th Street, South Of Market
Simple, fresh, and ultra delicious till the dough runs out, Una Pizzeria Napolitana is a must eat choice for any Margarita pizza lover (and a lesson for those who should love this simplistic yet complex menu option more). Simply put, this is some of the best Margarita pizza we have ever tasted. Chef Anthony Mangieri has perfected his classic and uncomplicated menu consisting of just five pizza options, (one of which they only serve on Saturdays) no substitutions or additions. You’d think with such limited options it would be easy to order, but any true Margarita pizza lover will have trouble, because not all thin crust cheese pizzas are created equal.
We opted for one we had yet to see on any menu before, the Filetti, with fresh heirloom cherry tomatoes, garlic, buffalo mozzarella extra-virginolive oil, sea salt, and fresh basil carefully strewn across the top.
Honourable Mentions:
Moo Shu Pork Tacos at Trick Dog, 3010 20th St, Mission
Marlowe Burger at Marlowe, 500 Brannan Street, South Of Market
Cochinita Sope Taco at Tacorgasmico, 2337 Market St, Castro
Lemon Cream Tart at Tartine, 600 Guerrero St, Mission
Tea Smoked Eel Rolls at Mission Chinese, 2234 Mission St, Mission