The year may be ending, but things are just starting to heat up on the Bay Area Restaurant Map. 16 spots joined the list, now 268 restaurants strong! Notably, I started working in SoMa and have become a regular at a few nearby lunch spots (SOMA Eats, Native Co., Wise Sons @ The Jewish Museum). But the Richmond District is still home and there’s plenty more to discover (Carbon Grill, Aziza, Dumpling Alley). Meanwhile, the Outer Sunset tosses in some steep best-food-hood competition (Chueng Hing, Boavida). Neighborhoods aside, this is a meat heavy update from all-you-can-eat BBQ to crispy pork to juicy burgers (Carbon Grill, Chueng Hing, Lou’s Cafe, Dad’s Luncheonette) and there are even a few sandwiches (SOMA Eats, Wise Sons, Lou’s Cafe). On top of it all, there’s a little Portugal nostalgia (Boavida), Arabic comfort food (Beit Rima) and even some fine dining (Bix, Aziza). Somehow Burma Superstar flew under the radar all this time, but that’s been taken care of now. All in all, it’s been a wild year of eating and exploring. Hope you find something that makes you hungry on this latest round up!
Bonus: “Don’t Miss The…” has been added for every restaurant where I’m particularly passionate about my order. There are 184 of my favorite bites waiting for you over on the map/spreadsheet! From pate en croute to soba noodles and beyond!
1. Aziza
Cuisine: Moroccan
Hood: Outer Richmond
Vibe: Fancy
Dining Style: Table Service
Price: $$$
Occasion: Romantic special occasion
Don’t Miss The: Spreads
The much-anticipated recent return of Chef Mourad Lahlou's Outer Richmond outpost has exceeded expectations. The sparse, formal dining room lets the colors and flavors of the Morrocco-meets-California menu take center stage.
2. Beit Rima
Cuisine: Arabic
Hood: Cole Valley (and The Castro)
Vibe: Hip
Dining Style: Fast Casual
Price: $$
Occasion: Quick bite with your buds
Don’t Miss The: Mezze Sampler
Nestled in a sweet little space in cozy-as-ever Cole Valley, Beit Rima serves up comforting and colorful Arabic food that’s alive with flavor. From the charred chicken skewers drizzled with garlicky tahini to the fluffy dips bedazzled with toasted nuts and bright spices, each bite is a revelation. With a homey ambiance and friendly staff, you'll want to stay awhile.
3. Bix
Cuisine: American
Hood: North Beach
Vibe: Fancy
Dining Style: Fine Dining
Price: $$$$
Occasion: Rich, boozy aunt is in town
Don’t Miss The: Gin Martini
Around a corner and down an alley, Bix is a hidden gem and a bit of a time capsule. Inside the dimly-lit windowless space you'll be transported to the 1930’s as you’re whisked to a regal booth while live Jazz hums through the dining room. Soon, the martini cart will arrive tableside. For food, you're enjoying upscale American with a French bent. If you own fur, now’s the time to whip it out.
4. Boavida
Cuisine: Portuguese
Hood: Outer Sunset
Vibe: Hip
Dining Style: Counter Service
Price: $$
Occasion: Afternoon spent journaling
Don’t Miss The: Pastel de Nata
A buzzy but cozy corner cafe and shop in the Outer Sunset serving up Portuguese treats, tall smoothies and CBD-infused lattes. Grab a bottle of unfiltered Portuguese wine and a tin fish to-go or hang around for a meal or snack. The pastel de nata is fluffy and crispy in all the right places.
5. Burma Superstar
Cuisine: Burmese
Hood: Inner Richmond (and Alameda & Oakland)
Vibe: Crowded
Dining Style: Table Service
Price: $$$
Occasion: Showing off to out of town guests
Don’t Miss The: Tea Leaf Salad
The legend that arguably took Burmese food mainstream in SF! Come with layers for the foggy wait outside, but also with a big appetite - the warm curries, vibrant noodles and crunchy salads will add new meaning to your life. If you've never tried this cuisine before, this is a great place to start.
6. Carbon Grill
Cuisine: Asian
Hood: Inner Richmond
Vibe: Crowded
Dining Style: Table Service
Price: $$
Occasion: Rowdy dinner with friends
Don’t Miss The: Boneless Marinated Short Ribs
Pan Asian gets the DIY grilling treatment at this bustling all-you-can-eat Richmond hang. For $30, you’ll get 90 minutes to plow through as much lemongrass chicken, marinated short rib, pork belly and shellfish as you can handle. Be ready for a wait, but don't let that scare you away. The quality, variety and flavors (not to mention value) here are unbeatable.
7. Cheung Hing
Cuisine: Chinese (Cantonese)
Hood: Outer Sunset
Vibe: Casual
Dining Style: Counter Service
Price: $
Occasion: Lowkey meat feast
Don’t Miss The: Roast Pork
With dozens of shiny red ducks hanging in the window and a butcher’s block that gets constant use, Cheung Hing is truly a destination for Cantonese barbecue and comfort food. Snag a seat at one of the few tables or order to-go, but don't skip the roasted duck with its thin crispy skin and juicy dark meat or the roasted pork with its impossibly cracklin’-like crust.
8. Dad's Luncheonette
Cuisine: American
Hood: Half Moon Bay
Vibe: Casual
Dining Style: Counter Service
Price: $$
Occasion: Coastal weekend warrior-ing
Don’t Miss The: Hamburger Sandwich
Stepping inside Dad’s Luncheonette is like stumbling into Narnia, only this time it's a tiny California-fied American food mecca inside a vintage train caboose instead of a winter wonderland in a wardrobe. The small menu features a couple sandwiches, a salad, mac & cheese and homemade potato chips. The smashburger on sliced bread is a juicy situation you won't want to miss. Consider ordering the “Happy Meal” which is literally one of everything. Definitely worth a trip down to Half Moon Bay for this spot!
9. Dumpling Alley
Cuisine: Chinese
Hood: Outer Richmond
Vibe: Casual
Dining Style: Table Service
Price: $$
Occasion: Dumplings on the brain
Don’t Miss The: Shrimp & Chives Potstickers
Juicy dumplings, fluffy buns and crispy potstickers are firing on all cylinders at this no-nonsense Outer Richmond sleeper hit. Each dumpling is hand-folded and prepared to-order and each bite is both delicate and deeply satisfying. Purists will have plenty of dumplings to choose from, but the wok-tossed noodles are an excellent addition to your feast!
10. Hinodeya
Cuisine: Japanese (Ramen)
Hood: Japantown
Vibe: Hip
Dining Style: Table Service
Price: $$
Occasion: Chilly night noodle craving
Don’t Miss The: House Ramen
Ramen has certainly made itself known in the Bay Area, but Hinodeya stands out for its unique dashi-based broth, which is much lighter than the creamy tonkotsu you're probably used to. Order the classic House Ramen and the refreshing soup filled with chewy, squiggly noodles will pleasantly surprise you.
11. Little Gem
Cuisine: California
Hood: Marina (and Hayes Valley)
Vibe: Trendy
Dining Style: Table Service
Price: $$
Occasion: Quick post-yoga bite
Almost too-cool Little Gem feels like the Equinox of fine casual dining. The menu is filled with Instagram-worthy grain bowls, toasts and small plates that highlight gluten-free preparations, fermented vegetables and locally sourced produce. It’s quintessential Bay Area and will leave you feeling nourished and satisfied.
13. Lou's Cafe
Cuisine: Sandwiches
Hood: Outer Richmond
Vibe: Casual
Dining Style: Counter Service
Price: $
Occasion: Hung over brunch
A neighborhood, no-frills sandwich shop that makes killer subs piled high with paper thin slices of meat and slathered with their eponymous Lou Special Sauce, a creamy spread that packs a spicy punch. Breakfast time yields fluffy egg and crispy bacon sandos while lunchtime brings a bounty of Dutch Crunch to the hoards of hung over locals in search of a cure.
14. Native Co.
Cuisine: California
Hood: SoMa
Vibe: Trendy
Dining Style: Fast Casual
Price: $$
Occasion: Health kick
Don’t Miss The: Avocado Toast with Burrata Add-On
In an area overrun by national fast casual chains, where burrito bowls and tiny overpriced salads reign supreme, Native Co. stands out as a high quality, affordable, healthy destination for a pre-work breakfast or mid-day lunch. And while “avocado toast” is becoming a bad word in this town, Native’s is actually phenomenal with its crusty bread topped with fresh, ripe slices and garnished with grassy olive oil. You’d be a fool not to add burrata. Just saying.
15. SOMA Eats
Cuisine: California
Hood: SoMa
Vibe: Crowded
Dining Style: Counter Service
Price: $$
Occasion: Lunch “meeting”
Don’t Miss The: Baked Salmon Green Goddess Salad
A chameleon of a restaurant, SoMa Eats is perfect for a breakfast meeting, lunch on the go, or after-work drinks. It’s one of the busiest spots during the lunch rush for a reason – their salads and sandwiches are generous, flavorful and skew healthy(ish). The killer beer list and trendy but cozy décor makes staying a while dangerously tempting.
16. Wise Sons @ The Jewish Museum
Cuisine: Deli
Hood: SoMa
Vibe: Casual
Dining Style: Counter Service
Price: $$
Occasion: Weekday lunch
Don’t Miss The: Downtown Special (1/2 Salad & Matzo Ball Soup)
What's more fitting for the Jewish Museum's cafe than Wise Sons?? From the mensches that brought you bagels on Fillmore and pastrami in the Mission, this place has all the classics for a comforting weekday lunch or post museum nosh-fest.