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10 Top Spots For Fried Food in San Francisco

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Batter Up in Mission Terrace. [Photo: Street Art SF]

Most restaurants have a deep-fryer in their toolkit, but as with so many things in life, being a fried-food destination takes commitment. As part of our ongoing Greasy Spoons Week, Eater set out to identify ten of SF's most fearless fryers, the places that not only fry up one great dish (hello, Coco500), but regularly commit to a passionate relationship with fried-ness, serving up weird and wonderful fried concoctions in addition to the standard offerings. They traverse cultures, cuisines, and price points, but each has a passion: crisp, crunchy deliciousness. Here now, in no particular order, our deep-fried guide to SF.


We're sure we've missed favorite places, so do share your favorite restaurant for all things fried in the comments.

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Koreans know their drunk food, and this hidden converted garage is a temple of fried goodness: Korean fried chicken, chicken or pork katsu, croquettes, fried mussels, kimchi fried rice, fried calamari, and garlic cheese fries, washed down with cheap beer and flavored yogurt soju.

Q Restaurant

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This Richmond bistro and wine bar caught our eye for their foray into deep-fried French toast at brunch, but they'll gladly fry plenty of other things, too: catfish, chicken, calamari, tater tots, fish tacos, wings, and polenta.

The Codmother

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The fish and chips here are excellent (and in an SF twist, available with garlic fries), but the true talent of a UK-style chip shop is its willingness to fry dessert, and the Codmother's got the goods: fried Oreos, fried Twinkies, and fried Snickers bars.

As can be expected from a place devoted to "carnival food," Straw fries it all, from chicken and fish for dinner to an assortment of candy bars for dessert.

No one would consider this self-proclaimed "white-trash" bar tasteful, but when it comes to super-sweet drinks and battered tastes of youth, they've got the goods: standards like tater tots, mozzarella sticks, jalapeno poppers, and chicken nuggets, and exotic items like fried mac and cheese, graham-cracker-crusted fried Twinkies, and deep-fried PB&Js.

Southpaw BBQ

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Luscious smoked meat isn't the only caloric glory to be had at Southpaw, which offers fried sweetbreads, fried green tomatoes with burrata, pan-fried quail, fried catfish and fried oyster sandwiches, and fried pickles with smoked aioli.

Andalu calls its mac and cheese "crispy," but we know that's just code for fried. It's topped with tomato-herb vinaigrette. Other things Andalu enjoys frying: polenta sticks, calamari, and mini donuts for dessert.

El Nuevo Frutilandia

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For a Latin flavor of fried, head to this colorful Puerto Rican spot for fried yucca, mofongo (smashed fried plaintains with pork), alcapurria (a plantain and yucca fritter filled with ground beef, capers, and raisins), and vaca frita (shredded fried flank steak).

Superstar Restaurant

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Hong Kong-style fried pork chops, fried chicken, and heaping helpings of garlic fried rice topped with a fried egg are all on the menu at this Filipino diner in the Excelsior, which is known for its rock-bottom prices.

Batter Up

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Many have had corndogs, but few have gloried in a freshly battered and fried version made with a variety of really good sausage (including chicken, turkey, and tofu sausage), the specialty of this walk-up window. They also fry up a flotilla of candy and cookies, from the standard Oreos and Snickers to the more inventive Reese's cups and Hershey's Cookies & Cream.

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Toyose

Koreans know their drunk food, and this hidden converted garage is a temple of fried goodness: Korean fried chicken, chicken or pork katsu, croquettes, fried mussels, kimchi fried rice, fried calamari, and garlic cheese fries, washed down with cheap beer and flavored yogurt soju.

Q Restaurant

This Richmond bistro and wine bar caught our eye for their foray into deep-fried French toast at brunch, but they'll gladly fry plenty of other things, too: catfish, chicken, calamari, tater tots, fish tacos, wings, and polenta.

The Codmother

The fish and chips here are excellent (and in an SF twist, available with garlic fries), but the true talent of a UK-style chip shop is its willingness to fry dessert, and the Codmother's got the goods: fried Oreos, fried Twinkies, and fried Snickers bars.

Straw

As can be expected from a place devoted to "carnival food," Straw fries it all, from chicken and fish for dinner to an assortment of candy bars for dessert.

Butter

No one would consider this self-proclaimed "white-trash" bar tasteful, but when it comes to super-sweet drinks and battered tastes of youth, they've got the goods: standards like tater tots, mozzarella sticks, jalapeno poppers, and chicken nuggets, and exotic items like fried mac and cheese, graham-cracker-crusted fried Twinkies, and deep-fried PB&Js.

Southpaw BBQ

Luscious smoked meat isn't the only caloric glory to be had at Southpaw, which offers fried sweetbreads, fried green tomatoes with burrata, pan-fried quail, fried catfish and fried oyster sandwiches, and fried pickles with smoked aioli.

Andalu

Andalu calls its mac and cheese "crispy," but we know that's just code for fried. It's topped with tomato-herb vinaigrette. Other things Andalu enjoys frying: polenta sticks, calamari, and mini donuts for dessert.

El Nuevo Frutilandia

For a Latin flavor of fried, head to this colorful Puerto Rican spot for fried yucca, mofongo (smashed fried plaintains with pork), alcapurria (a plantain and yucca fritter filled with ground beef, capers, and raisins), and vaca frita (shredded fried flank steak).

Superstar Restaurant

Hong Kong-style fried pork chops, fried chicken, and heaping helpings of garlic fried rice topped with a fried egg are all on the menu at this Filipino diner in the Excelsior, which is known for its rock-bottom prices.

Batter Up

Many have had corndogs, but few have gloried in a freshly battered and fried version made with a variety of really good sausage (including chicken, turkey, and tofu sausage), the specialty of this walk-up window. They also fry up a flotilla of candy and cookies, from the standard Oreos and Snickers to the more inventive Reese's cups and Hershey's Cookies & Cream.

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