Must-try restaurants while visiting?

[justmeinca]

Originally Posted by klusps

I'll be visiting from out of town on Memorial Day weekend. What are some restaurants I must try while I'm in the area? I'm not a picky eater and love trying out new foods. Based on looking around on the internet, I started creating a list.

Swan Oyster Depot
House of Prime Rib
Ike's Place
In-N-Out Burger (just because we don't get these on the east coast...)
The Codmother Fish and Chips
El Farolito

But I have room to put down two more places and I need some ideas!

R&G Lounge - Chinese - San Francisco, CA - Yelp

Try their Salt and Pepper Crab.

Expect to wait at least 40 mins.

[ServoMiff]

Sutro's @ Cliff House is one I've heard is good.

Zazie is right down the road from my place, and it's amazing.

[04kL4nD]

State Bird Provisions and Gary Danko are pretty spectacular.

[beb0p]

One can easily comes up with over 200 must-try restaurants in SF. Maybe even over 500! You get the idea.

I think the following links will give you some idea:

The Big Eat 2015: 100 Things to Eat in SF Before You Die | 7x7

The Bay Area Heatmap: Where To Eat NOW, February 2015 - Eater SF

Top 100 Restaurants - San Francisco Chronicle

.

[marcopolo666]

Originally Posted by klusps

I realize this is a broad question, but I'll try to narrow it down. I will be staying near the Castro, so preferably restaurants not too far from there. Although if a really good place does turn up, I'll consider making the extra travel. I don't really have a specific type of cuisine in mind...I guess something I can get in San Francisco that I can't get anywhere else. I'd also like these last two restaurants to be more on a budget, let's say below $30.

Well, there's not much you can get in SF that you can't get anywhere else. Fresh Dungeness crab, a west-coast delicacy, can be had in other cities (even on the east coast). But it *is* a 'local' delicacy, and I'd recommend eating some while you're here. Dungeness crab season runs though the end of July in 'the North' (N of SF - Mendocino and further N, actually) and through the end of June for most of the rest of the state. You can get it 'asian style', 'italian style', 'french style', 'cajun style', etc. (depends on the recipe/restaurant, basically).

You don't mention where you are from, and that's important as it would let us guess what cuisines YOU don't have access to easily. For example, if you live in NYC, you can already get everything you could get here, just a day less fresh, maybe. So you wouldn't be looking for particular foods or cuisines, but rather just good restaurants (although saying what types of cuisine you like would get you more useful answers).

If you're from Chicago and like the food there, I wouldn't buys Brats or deep dish pizza in SF. I hope that you're seeing my point - why spend your time eating something you can easily get back home?

San Francisco has a fairly large Asian population (of many nationalities) and you can get GREAT Asain food here : Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Burmese, Vietnamese, Indian, Indonesian, ..... And you can find the *real* cuisine (just like you would get in the country itself, not the 'Americanized' version). If you don't have good Asian food where you live, go Asian in SF. The Chinese-style steamed whole Dungeness crab, steamed with Chinese spices, is *delicious* (and is also probably big enough for two). Walk down Clement street, between 2nd and (oh, say,) 15th and you will possibly see more Asian restaurants than in any other city (not on the W coast) of less than 800,000 *just on that one street*. Between 2nd and 10th, you find cheap sandwich options (banh mi and others), noodle joints, Dim Sum, Asian markets, Vietnamese Pho, higher-end sit-down restaurants, dumpling houses, ... (There are quite a few on Geary Blvd, one block south, as well.)

San Francisco is also right next to the Pacific Ocean (duh) and you can great seafood - if you like seafood. Also available in many different cuisines.

SF also has a historical Italian population (and neighborhood, but a lot of it now is just too touristy for my taste). So if you don't have great Italian food, definitely eat some Italian.

There's also 'California cuisine' (which is basically French-inspired recipes with fresh, local ingredients).

There are also some great French restaurants. I like Chapeau!, 126 Clement near 2nd ave. Reasonably priced (for SF and French cuisine) - about 40-60$ for a prix fixe menu. Chapeau! A French Bistro.

So let us know what you like and where you are from and you'll probably get more suggestions better meeting *your* criteria.

[klusps]

Originally Posted by marcopolo666

Well, there's not much you can get in SF that you can't get anywhere else. Fresh Dungeness crab, a west-coast delicacy, can be had in other cities (even on the east coast). But it *is* a 'local' delicacy, and I'd recommend eating some while you're here. Dungeness crab season runs though the end of July in 'the North' (N of SF - Mendocino and further N, actually) and through the end of June for most of the rest of the state. You can get it 'asian style', 'italian style', 'french style', 'cajun style', etc. (depends on the recipe/restaurant, basically).

You don't mention where you are from, and that's important as it would let us guess what cuisines YOU don't have access to easily. For example, if you live in NYC, you can already get everything you could get here, just a day less fresh, maybe. So you wouldn't be looking for particular foods or cuisines, but rather just good restaurants (although saying what types of cuisine you like would get you more useful answers).

If you're from Chicago and like the food there, I wouldn't buys Brats or deep dish pizza in SF. I hope that you're seeing my point - why spend your time eating something you can easily get back home?

San Francisco has a fairly large Asian population (of many nationalities) and you can get GREAT Asain food here : Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Burmese, Vietnamese, Indian, Indonesian, ..... And you can find the *real* cuisine (just like you would get in the country itself, not the 'Americanized' version). If you don't have good Asian food where you live, go Asian in SF. The Chinese-style steamed whole Dungeness crab, steamed with Chinese spices, is *delicious* (and is also probably big enough for two). Walk down Clement street, between 2nd and (oh, say,) 15th and you will possibly see more Asian restaurants than in any other city (not on the W coast) of less than 800,000 *just on that one street*. Between 2nd and 10th, you find cheap sandwich options (banh mi and others), noodle joints, Dim Sum, Asian markets, Vietnamese Pho, higher-end sit-down restaurants, dumpling houses, ... (There are quite a few on Geary Blvd, one block south, as well.)

San Francisco is also right next to the Pacific Ocean (duh) and you can great seafood - if you like seafood. Also available in many different cuisines.

SF also has a historical Italian population (and neighborhood, but a lot of it now is just too touristy for my taste). So if you don't have great Italian food, definitely eat some Italian.

There's also 'California cuisine' (which is basically French-inspired recipes with fresh, local ingredients).

There are also some great French restaurants. I like Chapeau!, 126 Clement near 2nd ave. Reasonably priced (for SF and French cuisine) - about 40-60$ for a prix fixe menu. Chapeau! A French Bistro.

So let us know what you like and where you are from and you'll probably get more suggestions better meeting *your* criteria.

Ah ok, fair point. I'm from DC so I reckon I can find most of the different kinds of cuisine in SF back at home.

I love seafood and I've never had dungeness crab before. That option looks appealing. What are some good places to get dungeness crab? Someone mentioned R&G Lounge earlier in the thread..

I also love Asian food. I am Chinese myself. That being said, I'm curious to know how Asian food in SF compares back home. After all, chances are I could get something just as good back in DC or in my parent's kitchen! The one Asian cuisine that sticks out to me is Burmese. I've never had Burmese food and I saw mention of Burma Superstar earlier.

Aside from the two items above, I've had food from all the other places you listed. So like what you alluded to earlier, looks like I'm mostly looking for good restaurants instead of a particular type of food or cuisine to try. Hope that gives a clearer background of where I'm coming from. Thanks everyone for all the suggestions so far!