Walkable SF Restaurants, Bars, Venues

How to find bars / restaurants

Google Maps and the Yelp app (which is utilized pretty frequently by Bay Area residents) both have location/map-based interfaces for finding nearby places to your current location (with reviews). San Francisco can be a little competitive when it comes to availability of tables, so trying to do a walk-in with a party of 14 might be difficult - it’s probably best to break into smaller groups. For dinner especially, pre-plan and try to reserve! Reservations are often handled through OpenTable, Yelp, and Resy (or Tock for fine dining restaurants). For pre-ordering lunch for carry out, some restaurants use apps such as DoorDash.

Lunch

With the short turn-around, you might want to consider lunch options that let you pre-order food for take out (for example MIXT salads below). The easiest non-pre-order option is likely to go across the street to the Ferry Building

  • The Ferry Building has a bunch of little take-out shops (might get busy because it’s touristy. It depends on the day)
    • El Porteño empanadas (argentinian, pre-order available)
    • Gott’s Roadside (burgers, pre-order available)
    • Cholita Linda (mexican/venezuelan)
    • Señor Sisig (Filipino-Mexican fusion, pre-order available)
    • There might be other options available from stalls inside
  • Plates at One Market Food Court: Food court located inside of One Market Plaza with options like Matko Korean, Unamas, Coast Poke Counter, Osha Express, Ladle & Leaf and more
  • MIXT Salads (pre-order available, good for salads, bowls, etc.)
  • Oasis Grill: middle eastern food (pre-order available)
  • Teranga: Senegalese food (pre-order available). 
  • Super Duper Burgers
  • Osha: Thai (pre-order available)
  • Yank Sing: Dim Sum / Chinese (pre-order available), Reserve for Dine-in
  • Proper Food: Salads, bowls, sandwiches (pre-order oriented, order & grab and go)
  • Cafe Elena: Mediterranean, wrap,s etc (pre-order available)

After Hours:

Wine Bars

  • Press Club
  • San Francisco Wine Society
  • District Wine Bar

Breweries / Brewpubs

  • 21st Amendment Brewery
  • Black Hammer Brewing Company
  • Fort Point Ferry Building (outdoor, only open until 7 or 8 pm)

Bars

  • Pagan Idol (Tiki Bar)
  • 83 Proof (Whisk(e)y, Cocktail)
  • Local Edition (Cocktail, Live Jazz)
  • Novella (Cocktail)
  • Rickhouse
  • The Lark Bar
  • House of Shields
  • Hi-Dive

Some Restaurants (where you might be able to get in with last-minute or no reservations)

  • La Mar (Peruvian). Great place, very large so might have some availability during the week. Try to reserve.
  • Tropisueno (Mexican). Solid Mexican, try to reserve.
  • Tadich Grill (San Francisco/Italian). Takes no reservations, best to show up with a party of exactly 4. Parties of 4 tend to get seated more quickly than parties of 2.
  • Coqueta (Tapas). Likely no chance of a walk in but worth looking up for online reservations as it is very close to the hotel.
  • Oren’s Hummus (Israeli). Very possible you’ll be able to walk in here, even with a larger party - more of a casual place.
  • Barcha (Mediterranean - Lebanese). Try to reserve
  • Ippudo (Ramen). Reservations don’t hurt
  • Hinodeya Ramen Union Square (Ramen, open late night)
  • Wayfare Tavern (American): Reservations likely needed
  • General areas w/many restaurants that are walkable:
    • Chinatown: Many chinese restaurants, some well known ones are R&G Lounge, Z&Y Restaurant
    • Little Italy: Many italian restaurants and some excellent pizza (Tony’s, Il Casaro, Golden Boy) 
    • Belden Place (B44 Catalan Bistro, Cafe Tiramisu, Cafe Bastille) - a small alleyway. These aren’t the best restaurants, but with 3 in a small alley, one of the three will probably be able to accommodate even a larger walk-in group. Note there is a small Latin/Peruvian restaurant on this corner called La Fusion which is excellent. Always worth trying first.

For general restaurant recommendations across the city, from burritos to fine-dining, also feel free to DM Andreas Ehmann (or find him in person!) on Slack.

Live Music Venues / Clubs

  • The Saloon (Blues, every night)
  • Biscuits and Blues (Blues because Biscuits isn’t a music genre (yet))
  • Dawn Club (Jazz)
  • Keys Jazz Bistro (Jazz)
  • Black Cat (Jazz)
  • Local Edition (Jazz)

Nightclubs / EDM (probably mostly Thursday on)

For general info for all of the bay area of what’s going on in EDM: https://19hz.info/eventlisting_BayArea.php  

Andreas’s pick: (Thursday night) Lusine + Arms and Sleepers + Yppah - Earth To Moon Tour @ Gray Area (Near 24th St. BART Station) 
 

  • DNA Lounge / Halcyon / Audio : Three Nightclubs on the same block. Cab/Lyft/Uber recommended as trying to walk there will take you through some not-great areas
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