Summer 2021 Restaurant Update
It’s been a minute since the ol’ Bay Area Restaurant Map got an update and for good reason. The last round of additions was added at the end of December 2019, when we were blissfully unaware that 2020 would wreck all our plans and trap us in our homes away from one another. COVID threw dining for a loop, forcing thousands of restaurants to close their doors forever while many raced to reinvent their operating models. And while plenty of us took to our kitchens like we never had before, the bucks gotta stop somewhere– food cooked by someone else beckoned. Takeout experienced a renaissance and even fine dining got in on off-premise offerings. Kaiju Eats and Hard Knox Cafe were particularly beloved new finds in our apartment. Parklets (like those at True Laurel and Causwells) popped up on every block when al fresco was the only (relatively) safe way to experience “normal” service. Plus, pandemic-predating patios were in demand on even the chilly days, like those at Bar Bocce, Fish, and Pomella. The great outdoors were waiting when city-based entertainment dried up and we found new favorites meals en route at Pelican Inn, Eleven Bolinas, Fish, Bar Bocce, and Hookfish. And when optimism waned, comfort food was there. Breakfast burritos (like those at Breakfast Little, Cielito Lindo, and San Jalisco Restaurant), fried chicken (spicy wings at Foghorn Taproom and southern-style at Hard Knox Cafe), and burgers (Causwells and True Laurel) made their way into the regular rotation.
But the Summer 2021 update includes plenty beyond social distancing-induced dining adjustments. There are SF classics I’m embarrassed it took me seven years to get around to (Plow, Taqueria Cancun, Causwells). I’ve, of course, delved deeper into the Richmond District food scene, adding Foghorn Taproom, Hard Knox Cafe, Breck’s, Mamahuhu, Lung Fung, Lily, Kaiju Eats, and Cielito Lindo to the list. The Mission District gets decent representation with Taqueria Cancun, True Laurel, San Jalisco Restaurant, and Breakfast Little joining the fray. And we even made it to the East Bay, falling for Pomella and Nick’s Crispy Pizza.
If there’s one takeaway here, it’s that nothing can stop the Bay from becoming more and more delicious by the bite. Restaurants are resilient and we are hungry!
1. Bar Bocce
Cuisine: American
Hood: Sausalito
Dining Style: Table Service
Price: $$$
Occasion: Post SUP sips
Don’t Miss The: Crispy Artichokes
A Sausalito stalwart, Bar Bocce is only a short drive from the city but transports you to a far away land of warmth and beach vibes. Sit outside on the covered patio facing the bay or bring a picnic blanket and camp out on the beach. Either way, you're enjoying cold wine and surprisingly impressive flatbreads and apps. Here, it's hard to have a bad time. It's the perfect place to gather for a celebration (even if you're just celebrating Sunday) or recline after nearby SUPing or hiking.
https://www.barbocce.com/ | 1250 Bridgeway, Sausalito, CA 94965
2. Breakfast Little
Cuisine: American
Hood: Mission
Dining Style: Counter Service
Price: $
Occasion: Weekend morning fuel
Don’t Miss The: The OG Breakfast Burrito
Normalize Tater Tots In Breakfast Burritos! Breakfast Little has a good thing going. The burrito is personal size (read: not going to ruin your whole day with its girth) and is one of the best examples of balancing texture in a breakfast burrito I've found. Tater tots and crispy bacon are the vehicle for crunch, eggs and avocado are smooth and creamy, melty cheese holds it all together and garlic aioli adds a craveable X-factor. Put simply, the thing hits the spot.
https://www.instagram.com/breakfastlittle/ | 3224 1/2 22nd St, San Francisco, CA 94110
3. Breck's
Cuisine: Wine Bar / Cafe
Hood: Inner Richmond
Dining Style: Counter Service
Price: $
Occasion: Happy hour, WFCafe
Don’t Miss The: Ham & Cheese Panini
What was once an overlooked corner store has transformed into a bustling cafe and wine shop, making Arguello & Clement not only a destination for Arsicault croissants but also for enjoying wines by the glass on the sidewalk. I love coming here for a casual glass of wine with a friend or hunkering down solo at an outdoor table to get some work done.
https://www.yelp.com/biz/brecks-san-francisco | 2 Clement St, San Francisco, CA 94118
4. Causwells
Cuisine: New American
Hood: Marina
Dining Style: Table Service
Price: $$
Occasion: Casual, but not too casual dinner
Don’t Miss The: Americana Burger
Causwells does more than fulfill the Marina prophecy of "New American small plates" though that is what's on the menu for the most part. Yes, the housemade ricotta with honey and crackers exceeds expectations. Yes, the wine list has a few natty surprises. Yes, the parklet is a cozy, well-constructed addition to the moody, sexy interior. But the reason you're probably going to Causwells is that their burger alleges to be one of the Bay's best. It's a smashburger situation with crispy, craggy, caramelized edges coated in melty cheese, doused in house sauce and finished off with shrettuce and pickles. The nostalgic flavor combo and expert construction exceed expectations – it's a burger worth braving the yoga pant masses and schlepping to the Marina for!
https://www.causwells.com/ | 2346 Chestnut St, San Francisco, CA 94123
5. Cielito Lindo
Cuisine: Mexican
Hood: Outer Richmond
Dining Style: Counter Service
Price: $
Occasion: Casual breakfast
Don’t Miss The: Quesabirria
The Outer Richmond is just about as far as you can get from the Mexican food capital of SF - The Mission. But don't be fooled...Cielito Lindo is legit. The vibe is no thrills with a sterile white dining room and the food is simple-on-the-surface but packed with the smokey, peppery flavors of Mexican roasted meat. I come here for their quesabirria - a taco layered with cheese and slowly stewed meat and serve alongside consumme for dipping. It's like a Mexican French Dip! The breakfast burritos are solid too.
https://www.clover.com/online-ordering/cielito-lindo-restaurant-san-francisco | 3440 Balboa St, San Francisco, CA 94121
6. Eleven Bolinas
Cuisine: Pizza
Hood: Bolinas
Dining Style: Fast Casual
Price: $$
Occasion: Post surf Instagram moment
Don’t Miss The: Everything on the menu
So discrete you might miss it, Eleven Bolinas is a restaurant/cafe/wine shop/vintage shop on the main drag in Bolinas. The whole operation takes place in a house that has been transformed into a stunning restaurant space. The menu changes nightly but always involves pizza and is hand painted in water color. The people are warm and earnest in their dedication to their space and its hospitality. Hours are limited so you'll be lucky to catch a meal in their garden or for takeout!
https://www.11wharfroad.com/ | 11 Wharf Rd, Bolinas, CA 94924
7. Fish.
Cuisine: Seafood
Hood: Sausalito
Dining Style: Fast Casual
Price: $$$
Occasion: Staycation getaway
Don’t Miss The: Catch of the Day
Cool without trying to be, Fish is a place for regulars to gather on the patio and share simply prepared seafood plucked from the nearby waters. Order from the chalkboard menu inside and then grab a wooden picnic table on the water-adjacent patio. Facing away from SF, you'd hardly notice that you're only a short drive from the hustle and bustle. At Fish, life slows down.
https://www.331fish.com/ | 350 Harbor Dr, Sausalito, CA 94965
8. Foghorn Taproom
Cuisine: Wings
Hood: Inner Richmond
Dining Style: Fast Casual
Price: $$
Occasion: Watch the game if that's a thing you do
Don’t Miss The: Lemon Pepper Wings
Wings and beer: a tale as old as time. Foghorn Taproom nails both. Crispy deep fried wings get smothered with sticky glazes, dunked in spicy stuff or sprinkled with dry seasonings that span in style from Nashville to Korean to Mexican. With a plate of wings and a pint of craft beer, there really is nothing to complain about. I will also add that while I forbid you from coming here and not eating wings, the rotisserie chicken is super solid and has that requisite crispy skin and tender meat we've come to love s'much.
https://www.foghorntaproom.com/ | 450 Balboa St, San Francisco, CA 94118
9. Hard Knox Cafe
Cuisine: Southern American
Hood: Outer Richmond
Dining Style: Table Service
Price: $$
Occasion: Casual meal out
Don’t Miss The: Fried Chicken
We've been on a fried chicken kick and Hard Knox tops the charts. This no frills institution operates at the nexus of sports bar and Southern food kitchen. The chicken is juicy with a thin but utterly crispy crust and the sides bring it home. Collard greens, oozy mac n cheese, cornbread muffins and all the other favorites. I would argue that this place is as good for dine-in as it is for take out.
https://www.hardknoxcafe.com/ | 2448 Clement St, San Francisco, CA 94121
10. Hookfish
Cuisine: Seafood
Hood: Mill Valley
Dining Style: Table Service
Price: $$
Occasion: Post-hike snack
Don’t Miss The: Poke & Chips
It turns out that this Outer Sunset fish destination has a magical location in Mill Valley. It's right there when you cross the Golden Gate Bridge and are about to make your ascent of Mount Tam. This location is much larger with a big dreamy outdoor patio and plenty of seating. The menu is the same - unbelievably fresh and bright poke with oil-slick chips, light and crispy fish & chips and plenty of other locally sourced seafood transformed into simple but craveable preparations. This is a place I would cross the bridge for just as soon as I'd stop by for a post-hike snack.
https://www.hookfishco.com/ | 254 Shoreline Hwy, Mill Valley, CA 94941
11. Kaiju Eats
Cuisine: Japanese
Hood: Inner Richmond
Dining Style: Table Service
Price: $$
Occasion: Takeout
Don’t Miss The: Miso Ramen
Kaiju got us through (part one of) the pandemic. It's an izakaya-style menu primed for takeout and priced to sell. We keep coming back for the miso ramen, with its salty broth, chewy noodles and tender pork and the delightfully simple rolls and nigiri.
https://etapthru.com/restaurant.php?id=7759 | 3409 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94118
12. Lily
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Hood: Inner Richmond
Dining Style: Table Service
Price: $$$
Occasion: Special occasion
Don’t Miss The: Garlic Noodles
Inner Richmond newcomer, Lily, is here to challenge our expectations of Vietnamese food. The space itself is stunning, with dark wood, a long bar, dim lighting and cultural accents - the place practically beckons you inside with its mysterious allure. The menu is inventive and shines a light on traditional Vietnamese ingredients and techniques served in an upscale style and presentation. Bright flavors meet funky ones and crunchy textures play with tender ones. Let Lily embrace you like a luxurious hug.
https://www.lilyonclement.com/ | 225 Clement St, San Francisco, CA 94118
13. Lung Fung
Cuisine: Chinese (Dim Sum)
Hood: Outer Richmond
Dining Style: Counter Service
Price: $
Occasion: Dim sum craving
Don’t Miss The: Egg Tart
A very affordable, cash only Chinese bakery in the Richmond. Come for the egg tarts with their buttery flaky crust and sweet custard filling and stay for the BBQ pork buns which strike the ideal balance of savory and sweet. There's lots to explore and discover here, so be ready to try something new each time!
https://www.yelp.com/biz/lung-fung-bakery-san-francisco | 1823 Clement St, San Francisco, CA 94121
14. Mamahuhu
Cuisine: Chinese American
Hood: Inner Richmond
Dining Style: Fast Casual
Price: $$
Occasion: Quick bite
Don’t Miss The: Sweet & Sour Chicken
Brandon Jew put himself on the map with Mister Jiu's, a fussy-in-a-good-way modern Chinese restaurant. Here at Mamahuhu, he goes in the opposite direction. The menu has all the Chinese take out classics from your requisite sweet and sour chicken down to the crispy egg rolls, all made with a focus on high quality ingredients and traditional Chinese American recipes. It's ballsy to open a spot like this in the Inner Richmond which has no dearth of excellent Chinese American take out spots with decades-long regulars, but Jew is always up for a challenge and happens to compete rather masterfully with the stalwarts on the block.
https://www.eatmamahuhu.com/ | 517 Clement St, San Francisco, CA 94118
15. Mission Rock Resort
Cuisine: Seafood
Hood: Mission Bay
Dining Style: Counter Service
Price: $$
Occasion: Work happy hour
Don’t Miss The: Oysters
Right on the water and a little ways away from the hustle and bustle, Mission Rock Resort is a hidden treasure. You're coming here for oysters (they've got so many options) and fried seafood plus beer and margaritas. As Mission Bay is strangely many degrees warmer than the rest of San Francisco, you may actually believe you've washed up on a salty resort. You won't be mad about it!
https://www.missionrockresort.com/ | 817 Terry A Francois Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94158
16. New Belgium Brewing Taproom & Restaurant
Cuisine: American
Hood: Mission Bay
Dining Style: Table Service
Price: $$
Occasion: Pre-game pregame
Don’t Miss The: Wild Mushroom Tartine
As the new kid on the block, New Belgium is understandably buzzy with the pre-Giants game crowd. Skip the Fat Tire and opt for one of the breweries more experimental beers and pair it with wings, tartines and other bar snacks before heading over to AT&T park! It's a slightly elevated, definitely hip hang and a welcome addition to the Mission Bay ranks.
https://www.newbelgium.com/visit/san-francisco/ | 1000a 3rd St, San Francisco, CA 94158
17. Nick's Pizza
Cuisine: Pizza
Hood: Oakland
Dining Style: Counter Service
Price: $$
Occasion: Park hangs
Don’t Miss The: Sourdough Slice
An Oakland favorite for good reason, Nick's slings sourdough pizzas, bright salads and bangin' cinnamon rolls among other things. They've got a sweet parking lot-turned-patio for outdoor dining but it all travels well for takeout or nearby park hangs.
http://oaklandstylepizza.com/ | 6400 Shattuck Ave, Oakland, CA 94609
18. Over The Moon
Cuisine: Ice Cream
Hood: Marina
Dining Style: Counter Service
Price: $$
Occasion: Ice cream needs no ocassion
Don’t Miss The: Pistachio Ice Cream
They call it ice cream, but the texture of this stuff is pure gelato - creamy and almost taffy-like in its stickiness. I can't believe this place isn't more popular and hate to do Salt & Straw like this, but think Over The Moon may be my favorite scoop in the city. Pistachio all the way!
https://www.overthemoonsf.com/ | 2144 Chestnut St, San Francisco, CA 94109
19. Pelican Inn
Cuisine: English
Hood: Muir Beach
Dining Style: Table Service
Price: $$
Occasion: Post hike/beach meal
Don’t Miss The: Fish & Chips
Tucked into Mount Tamalpais near Muir Beach, Pelican Inn is a moody English B&B that draws travelers looking for shelter and passersby fueling up on mushy peas. The creaky dining room is the epitome of charm, and with a stein of brown beer in one hand, a piece of battered fried fish in the other and the fog blanketing the premises, you'll be hard put to believe that you're anywhere other than the English countryside. Come by on your way further north, or after a nearby hike, or even for a longer overnight stay!
https://www.pelicaninn.com/ | 10 Pacific Way, Muir Beach, CA 94965
20. Plow
Cuisine: California
Hood: Potrero Hill
Dining Style: Table Service
Price: $$
Occasion: Fulfilling a Bay Area obligation (and loving it)
Don’t Miss The: Prosciutto + Gruyere Toast
Admittedly, hubris has kept me from Plow all these years. How many hours of waiting could a plate of eggs and potatoes be worth? I still think that the answer to that question is "less than one normally has to wait to eat at Plow" but did have the opportunity to catch them @ opening and snag one of their first tables on a recent weekend morning. I will tell you this - it really is just eggs and potatoes plus some other yummy breakfast things. But what makes Plow special isn't so much the technique or trendiness. It's its timeless California appeal of serving simple food treated with respect in a minimal but beautiful space. In the same way that Nopa's pork chop isn't rocket science, Plow's ricotta pancakes are not witchcraft. But what they share is a reverence for the place we call home that is palpable on the plate and in the air and it's darn lovely.
https://www.eatatplow.com/ | 1299 18th St, San Francisco, CA 94107
21. Pomella
Cuisine: Israeli
Hood: Oakland
Dining Style: Fast Casual
Price: $$
Occasion: Lunch with friends
Don’t Miss The: Cauliflower
Pomella calls themselves Israeli-California, but in reality our climates are so similar that this food ends up actually being pretty purely Israeli while the California tag gives them free reign to color outside the lines. This is a place I would cross the bridge for! Starting with the basics: the hummus is creamy and decadent, the bright spiciness of their schug kicks everything into gear, and the just-plucked-from-the-hearth pita is warm and fluffy. Beyond foundations, the cauliflower dressed with sumac and tahini was addictive and the pomegranate eggplant with yogurt sauce was a smoky sensation I won't forget anytime soon. Order at the counter and snag a spot in their alfresco above-ground dining room and enjoy!
https://www.pomellaoakland.com/ | 3770 Piedmont Ave Unit B, Oakland, CA 94611
22. San Jalisco Restaurant
Cuisine: Mexican
Hood: Mission
Dining Style: Table Service
Price: $$
Occasion: Hangover brunch
Don’t Miss The: Birria
With colorful Lotteria-printed tables, an upbeat staff and an expansive menu of Mexican classics, San Jalisco can best be a described as A Great Time. We dined here spontaneously after stumbling upon it one morning when the breakfast burrito craving hit and were honestly shocked when a cylinder the size of my thigh arrived at our table. As we tucked into the thing (which hit all the breakfast burrito marks of salty, cheesy, fatty with a balance of crispness and softness) we watched the crowd roll in and fill up the tables. Away from the hustle and bustle of Valencia and Mission Streets, San Jalisco is brimming with energy.
http://sanjaliscorestaurant.com/ | 901 S Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94110
23. Taqueria Cancun
Cuisine: Mexican
Hood: Mission
Dining Style: Counter Service
Price: $
Occasion: Late night
Don’t Miss The: Al Pastor Burrito
Embarrassed to admit that after nearly a decade of living in San Francisco, I only just tried Taqueria Cancun. While I remain a La Taqueria gal at heart, I'll admit that TC's al pastor did hit the spot. Am I past the point in life where I will be in the Mission at 2AM and interested in consuming a burrito? Perhaps! But life is full of surprises, and should this be one of them, you will find me at Taqueria Cancun.
http://taqueria-cancun.cafes-world.com/ | 2288 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110
24. Terzo
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Hood: Marina
Dining Style: Table Service
Price: $$$
Occasion: Business dinner
Don’t Miss The: Hummus & Za'atar Pita
An elegant and upscale Mediterranean restaurant in the Marina that draws a more mature (but not totally geriatric) crowd and does pack a punch in its menu - from hummus with za'atar and oil basted pita to seasonal spins on classic dishes. Come as much for the food as you do for the ambiance and beautiful people watching that come with the territory.
http://terzosf.com/ | 3011 Steiner St, San Francisco, CA 94123
25. True Laurel
Cuisine: New American
Hood: Mission
Dining Style: Table Service
Price: $$$
Occasion: A spendy date night
Don’t Miss The: Patty Melt & Martini
It's the distinct combo of patty melt + fouffy cocktails + funky minimalist decor that makes True Laurel hard to put in a box. That patty melt is made with hand ground beef on bread fried in beef tallow. It's small but mighty and by mighty I mean rich af. The cocktails are involved and surprising – also small but pack a big punch. This isn't a place to go on a budget - both food and drink are on the pricier side especially considering the seconds/thirds that will be in order thanks to portion and curiosity. But if you can muster it, you're in for a sensory adventure unlike anywhere else in town.
https://www.truelaurelsf.com/ | 753 Alabama St, San Francisco, CA 94110
