Food · San Francisco · United States
What to eat in San Francisco
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define San Francisco, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
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Quick answer
Start with Mission burrito, Sourdough bread and Clam chowder in a bread bowl. Browse the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market on a Saturday morning, then pick up oysters, cheese and bread inside the Ferry Building for a waterfront picnic. Many restaurants add a surcharge of a few percent for staff healthcare or wages; it is listed on the menu and is separate from the tip.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Mission burrito
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 5
- Tipping
- Tipping is expected: about 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, a dollar or two per drink at…
- Food experiences
- 4
10 foods to try
Street food
1.Mission burrito
An oversized flour tortilla steamed soft and stuffed with rice, beans, meat, salsa and often cheese, sour cream and guacamole, then wrapped in foil. The style was developed in Mission District taquerias in the 1960s.
Where: Taquerias along Mission Street and 24th Street in the Mission District.
Bakery · Vegetarian
2.Sourdough bread
San Francisco's tangy sourdough dates back to the Gold Rush; Boudin Bakery, founded in 1849, still bakes from a mother dough it has kept alive for generations.
Where: Boudin at Fisherman's Wharf, plus artisan bakeries in the Mission and at the Ferry Building.
Dish
3.Clam chowder in a bread bowl
Creamy New England-style clam chowder served in a hollowed-out sourdough loaf is the classic Fisherman's Wharf lunch on a cold, foggy day.
Where: Stalls and restaurants along Fisherman's Wharf.
Dish
4.Dungeness crab
The sweet local crab is served cracked and cold with butter or sauce, or roasted with garlic, often alongside the buttery garlic noodles of the city's Vietnamese restaurants. The commercial season usually opens in late autumn or winter.
Where: Crab stands on Fisherman's Wharf, seafood restaurants and Vietnamese restaurants in the Outer Sunset.
Dish
5.Cioppino
A tomato-and-wine seafood stew of crab, clams, mussels, prawns and fish, created by Italian fishermen in North Beach in the late 19th century.
Where: Italian restaurants in North Beach and seafood restaurants near the Wharf.
Dish
6.Dim sum
Tea houses serve dumplings, rice-noodle rolls, barbecue pork buns and egg tarts, sometimes from trolleys, as a mid-morning meal shared at round tables.
Where: Chinatown and Clement Street in the Inner Richmond.
Drink · Vegetarian
7.Irish coffee
Hot coffee, Irish whiskey and sugar topped with lightly whipped cream. The Buena Vista Cafe near the Hyde Street cable-car turnaround is credited with popularising it in the United States in 1952.
Where: The Buena Vista Cafe at Hyde and Beach Streets.
Dessert · Vegetarian
8.It's-It
An ice-cream sandwich of vanilla ice cream between two oatmeal cookies, dipped in chocolate, created in 1928 at the city's long-gone Playland-at-the-Beach amusement park.
Where: Corner shops and supermarkets across the Bay Area.
Dessert · Vegetarian
9.Hot fudge sundae at Ghirardelli Square
Ghirardelli, founded in San Francisco in 1852, gave its name to the former chocolate factory at Ghirardelli Square, where the soda fountain serves hot fudge sundaes.
Where: Ghirardelli Square, near the end of the Powell-Hyde cable car line.
Snack · Vegetarian
10.Fortune cookies
Fortune cookies are thought to have been popularised in California by Japanese American bakers; in Chinatown you can watch them being folded by hand while still warm.
Where: The Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory in Ross Alley, Chinatown.
Food experiences
Ferry Building and farmers market
Browse the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market on a Saturday morning, then pick up oysters, cheese and bread inside the Ferry Building for a waterfront picnic.
Mission burrito showdown
Locals argue endlessly over the best taqueria; compare two or three on Mission and 24th Streets, then eat on the grass in Dolores Park.
North Beach cafés
Order a cappuccino at one of North Beach's old Italian cafés, then browse City Lights Bookstore across Columbus Avenue.
Weekend dim sum
Go mid-morning on a weekend, when dim sum halls in Chinatown and the Richmond are at their liveliest, and order a mix of steamed and fried dishes to share.
Quick bites and street food
- Mission burrito — Taquerias along Mission Street and 24th Street in the Mission District.
- Sourdough bread — Boudin at Fisherman's Wharf, plus artisan bakeries in the Mission and at the Ferry Building.
- Fortune cookies — The Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory in Ross Alley, Chinatown.
Vegetarian options
Of the 10 foods in this guide, 5 are usually vegetarian: Sourdough bread, Irish coffee, It's-It, Hot fudge sundae at Ghirardelli Square and Fortune cookies. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Many restaurants add a surcharge of a few percent for staff healthcare or wages; it is listed on the menu and is separate from the tip.
- Book popular restaurants well ahead through reservation apps, especially from Thursday to Saturday.
- Kitchens outside the Mission and SoMa tend to stop serving fairly early, often around 10pm.
- Dress in layers even for dinner; outdoor tables in street parklets get cold once the fog rolls in.
- Tap water is free and good; ask for it if it is not brought automatically.
Tipping
Tipping is expected: about 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, a dollar or two per drink at bars, 15–20% for taxis and rideshares, and a few dollars per bag for porters. Surcharges for staff healthcare are separate and not a tip.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| The city | San Francisco, as locals call it |
| Muni | The city's buses, streetcars and cable cars |
| BART | Regional rail to the airport and East Bay |
| Karl the Fog | Local nickname for the summer fog |
| Hella | Very (Bay Area slang) |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is San Francisco famous for?
Mission burrito, Sourdough bread, Clam chowder in a bread bowl and Dungeness crab. An oversized flour tortilla steamed soft and stuffed with rice, beans, meat, salsa and often cheese, sour cream and guacamole, then wrapped in foil.
+Is San Francisco good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Sourdough bread, Irish coffee and It's-It.
+Do you tip in restaurants in San Francisco?
Tipping is expected: about 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, a dollar or two per drink at bars, 15–20% for taxis and rideshares, and a few dollars per bag for porters. Surcharges for staff healthcare are separate and not a tip.