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A bowl of pelmeni in broth from Cinderella Russian Bakery in the Richmond
A bowl of pelmeni in broth from Cinderella Russian Bakery
Cinderella Russian Bakery & Cafe

15 San Francisco Restaurants Dishing Out Comfort Food for Takeout and Delivery

Where to order takeout when you’re craving hearty pastas, old-school rice plates, and soul-warming soups

by Luke Tsai
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A bowl of pelmeni in broth from Cinderella Russian Bakery
| Cinderella Russian Bakery & Cafe
by Luke Tsai

During times of anxiety and stress, we want to eat something familiar and comforting — the lasagna or curry rice that mom or dad used to make for us when we were little, or a bowl of soup that warms us up from the inside. The very notion of “comfort food” is, of course, in the eye (and taste buds) of the beholder, so it’s good that San Francisco is home to a whole host of culturally specific comfort food restaurants — many of them still open for takeout and delivery.

Here, then, are 15 great comfort food spots that are spread across the city, serving big slabs of lasagna, hearty bowls of Russian pelmini, and Cantonese roast duck over rice.

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Dumpling Specialist

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Compared to some of the other Chinese restaurants around town, Dumpling Specialist has a relatively concise menu of dishes — all available for takeout — but every item falls squarely in the comfort food category: dumplings (soup-filled or not), pan-fried buns, soupy noodles, and Northern Chinese breakfast specialties like the restaurant’s excellent xian dou jiang (salty soy milk). Call in to order.

1123 Taraval St, San Francisco, CA 94116
(415) 640-1403
(415) 640-1403
Salty soy milk with Chinese doughnuts at Dumpling Specialist Luke Tsai

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Cinderella Bakery & Cafe

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The Richmond District’s longstanding Russian bakery and cafe is open daily for pickup from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Call in or order via the delivery apps for Cinderella’s full slate of Russian comfort food offerings — its pelmeni (meat-filled dumplings), piroshki, and assorted pastries and sweets. The restaurant is also selling multi-course family meals, meant to feed three to four people — say, a meal of chicken noodle soup, stuffed cabbage, and Napoleon cake

436 Balboa St, San Francisco, CA 94118
(415) 751-9690
(415) 751-9690
A bowl of pelmeni in broth from Cinderella Russian Bakery in the Richmond Cinderella Russian Bakery & Cafe

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Pakwan Restaurant

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SF’s king of no-nonsense late-night Pakistani serves better-than-solid versions of standards like saag paneer and chicken tikka masala. The lamb biriyani is pure, fat-glistened comfort, and the garlic naan might be the most satisfying version in the city. Pakwan’s Mission and Tenderloin locations are also open — call the location nearest you, or order delivery via DoorDash or Uber Eats.

1140 Ocean Ave, San Francisco, CA 94112
(415) 841-8400
(415) 841-8400
Chicken tikka masala at Pakwan angela n./Flickr

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Daeho Kalbijjim & Beef Soup

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After closing for the first few weeks of the shelter in place, Japantown’s kalbijjim hot spot recently launched a new takeout and delivery menu, available via many of the apps, including DoorDash, Postmates, and Uber Eats. If you’re going to order one thing, get the kalbijjim — the slow-braised, spicy-sweet beef short rib stew, which at $58+ is a bit of a splurge for a takeout item, but is hearty enough to feed the whole family, especially if you get it with rice cakes, noodles, and rice. Daeho has a second location in Milpitas, which is also open for takeout.

1620 Post St, San Francisco, CA 94115
(415) 563-1388
(415) 563-1388
Braised short rib stew at Daeho Luke Tsai

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Emmy's Spaghetti Shack

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The Bernal Heights standby is open for takeout for anyone craving their big heaping plates of meatballs and red-sauce spaghetti. Call in at 415-250-9701, order online, or get delivery via Caviar.

3230 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 206-2086
(415) 206-2086
Spaghetti and meatballs at Emmy’s Spaghetti Shack Luke Tsai

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Turtle Tower Restaurant

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Known for its chicken pho and northern-style beef pho, Turtle Tower is open for takeout to satisfy your cravings for a big bowl of soul-warming noodle soup. Call in to order from any of the restaurant’s three locations — in SoMa and the Outer Richmond, in addition to its Tenderloin flagship — or order online for app-based delivery.

645 Larkin St, San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 409-3333
(415) 409-3333

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Tacos El Patron

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San Francisco’s most popular quesabirria spot is still slinging its cheese-laden birria tacos and other offerings for takeout, and it’s even offering free in-house delivery to customers within a three-mile radius of its Mission location. Wash down each bite of your birria taco with a sip of the rich, flavorful consomé that comes on the side.

1500 S Van Ness Ave #100, San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 829-7315
(415) 829-7315

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Eko Kitchen

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San Francisco’s only Nigerian restaurant offers an a la carte menu of dishes like chicken suya and smoked goat meat for delivery (through Uber Eats) Thursday through Sunday, as well as complete meals that can be preordered for pickup on Sundays. It’s also selling mix-and-match meal prep kits for customers who want to stock up on jollof rice, efo riro (a spinach stew), and other dishes they can reheat over the course of the week.

167 11th St, San Francisco, CA 94103
(410) 344-3362
(410) 344-3362

Mộng Thu Cafe

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This cute and cozy cafe in the Tenderloin is home to some of the city’s finest and most soul-satisfying Vietnamese noodle soups: funky, fermented-fish-spiked bun mam, say, or the umami bomb of a bowl of bun rieu with its juicy meatballs and crab-infused broth. The restaurant is selling both noodle dishes and banh mi for takeout during the shelter in place, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day except Monday. Call ahead to order.

248 Hyde St, San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 928-6724
(415) 928-6724

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Kusina Ni Tess

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Perhaps the friendliest and most delicious of the city’s Filipino steam table spots, Kusina Ni Tess recently reopened for takeout Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. It’s got a daily-changing menu that you should check if you’re craving something specific — say, chicken adobo (every day except Monday) or the oxtail peanut stew known as kare-kare (Wednesdays only). Traditional breakfast silog plates are available all day, every day. Call in or order delivery via Postmates.

237 Ellis St, San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 351-1169
(415) 351-1169
Kusina Ni Tess storefront Kusina Ni Tess/Facebook

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Hing Lung Company

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This Cantonese barbecue shop’s crackly-skinned roast pig and succulent, honey-brushed char siu make for some of most luxurious bites in the whole city. For most of Hing Lung’s existence, delivery was never an option, but to add another revenue stream, co-owner Eric Cheung finally signed onto Uber Eats under the moniker “Go Duck Yourself.” Old school Cantonese comfort food is the name of the game here: superlative roast duck and other barbecue meats, served either on their own or as part of a rice plate.

1261 Stockton St, San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 397-5521
(415) 397-5521

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Family Cafe

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This tiny Japanese cafe in North Beach always had a streamlined menu, and that hasn’t changed now that it’s adapted to a takeout-only model. The main attraction here is the Japanese curry — available in vegan and non-vegan versions, with or without panko-fried chicken thigh. In addition, there’s a highly popular katsu sandwich, cold udon, coffee drinks, and bulk pantry items available for purchase. Order online for pickup Tuesday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m.

362 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 872-9449
(415) 872-9449
A blue-tiled bar counter at the North Beach cafe Family Family Cafe

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Bini's Kitchen

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The top spot in the city for Nepalese momos is open for takeout and delivery Monday through Friday, 11 a.m.–3 p.m.. It’s offering hot meals — $10 for eight turkey or veggie momos, or $45 for a family meal that feeds four — as well as big packs of frozen momos for you to stash away in your freezer. Call in or text your order to 415-361-6911, or email order@biniskitchen.com, and arrange for curbside pickup.

1001 Howard St, San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 361-6911
(415) 361-6911
Momos at Bini’s Kitchen Patricia Chang

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Old Skool Cafe

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The jazz-themed, youth-run supper club in Bayview/Hunter’s Point is taking pre-orders for curbside pickup Thursday through Saturday, 4–7 p.m. Order online and choose from an appealing lineup of soul food favorites: fried chicken, gumbo, mac and cheese, and more.

1429 Mendell St, San Francisco, CA 94124
(415) 822-8531
(415) 822-8531
Old Skool Cafe’s mac and cheese Old Skool Cafe

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Marcella's Lasagneria

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The Dogpatch lasagna specialist recently reopened for to-go orders — it’s taking phone orders for pickup Monday through Saturday, from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Snag one of the restaurant’s seven varieties of lasagna or choose from its selection of other filled and fresh pasta dishes.

1099 Tennessee St, San Francisco, CA 94107
(415) 920-2225
(415) 920-2225
Marcella’s Lasagneria Marcella’s Lasagneria/Facebook

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Dumpling Specialist

1123 Taraval St, San Francisco, CA 94116

Compared to some of the other Chinese restaurants around town, Dumpling Specialist has a relatively concise menu of dishes — all available for takeout — but every item falls squarely in the comfort food category: dumplings (soup-filled or not), pan-fried buns, soupy noodles, and Northern Chinese breakfast specialties like the restaurant’s excellent xian dou jiang (salty soy milk). Call in to order.

1123 Taraval St, San Francisco, CA 94116
(415) 640-1403
(415) 640-1403
Salty soy milk with Chinese doughnuts at Dumpling Specialist Luke Tsai

Cinderella Bakery & Cafe

436 Balboa St, San Francisco, CA 94118

The Richmond District’s longstanding Russian bakery and cafe is open daily for pickup from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Call in or order via the delivery apps for Cinderella’s full slate of Russian comfort food offerings — its pelmeni (meat-filled dumplings), piroshki, and assorted pastries and sweets. The restaurant is also selling multi-course family meals, meant to feed three to four people — say, a meal of chicken noodle soup, stuffed cabbage, and Napoleon cake

436 Balboa St, San Francisco, CA 94118
(415) 751-9690
(415) 751-9690
A bowl of pelmeni in broth from Cinderella Russian Bakery in the Richmond Cinderella Russian Bakery & Cafe

Pakwan Restaurant

1140 Ocean Ave, San Francisco, CA 94112

SF’s king of no-nonsense late-night Pakistani serves better-than-solid versions of standards like saag paneer and chicken tikka masala. The lamb biriyani is pure, fat-glistened comfort, and the garlic naan might be the most satisfying version in the city. Pakwan’s Mission and Tenderloin locations are also open — call the location nearest you, or order delivery via DoorDash or Uber Eats.

1140 Ocean Ave, San Francisco, CA 94112
(415) 841-8400
(415) 841-8400
Chicken tikka masala at Pakwan angela n./Flickr

Daeho Kalbijjim & Beef Soup

1620 Post St, San Francisco, CA 94115

After closing for the first few weeks of the shelter in place, Japantown’s kalbijjim hot spot recently launched a new takeout and delivery menu, available via many of the apps, including DoorDash, Postmates, and Uber Eats. If you’re going to order one thing, get the kalbijjim — the slow-braised, spicy-sweet beef short rib stew, which at $58+ is a bit of a splurge for a takeout item, but is hearty enough to feed the whole family, especially if you get it with rice cakes, noodles, and rice. Daeho has a second location in Milpitas, which is also open for takeout.

1620 Post St, San Francisco, CA 94115
(415) 563-1388
(415) 563-1388
Braised short rib stew at Daeho Luke Tsai

Emmy's Spaghetti Shack

3230 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110

The Bernal Heights standby is open for takeout for anyone craving their big heaping plates of meatballs and red-sauce spaghetti. Call in at 415-250-9701, order online, or get delivery via Caviar.

3230 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 206-2086
(415) 206-2086
Spaghetti and meatballs at Emmy’s Spaghetti Shack Luke Tsai

Turtle Tower Restaurant

645 Larkin St, San Francisco, CA 94109

Known for its chicken pho and northern-style beef pho, Turtle Tower is open for takeout to satisfy your cravings for a big bowl of soul-warming noodle soup. Call in to order from any of the restaurant’s three locations — in SoMa and the Outer Richmond, in addition to its Tenderloin flagship — or order online for app-based delivery.

645 Larkin St, San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 409-3333
(415) 409-3333

Tacos El Patron

1500 S Van Ness Ave #100, San Francisco, CA 94110

San Francisco’s most popular quesabirria spot is still slinging its cheese-laden birria tacos and other offerings for takeout, and it’s even offering free in-house delivery to customers within a three-mile radius of its Mission location. Wash down each bite of your birria taco with a sip of the rich, flavorful consomé that comes on the side.

1500 S Van Ness Ave #100, San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 829-7315
(415) 829-7315

Eko Kitchen

167 11th St, San Francisco, CA 94103

San Francisco’s only Nigerian restaurant offers an a la carte menu of dishes like chicken suya and smoked goat meat for delivery (through Uber Eats) Thursday through Sunday, as well as complete meals that can be preordered for pickup on Sundays. It’s also selling mix-and-match meal prep kits for customers who want to stock up on jollof rice, efo riro (a spinach stew), and other dishes they can reheat over the course of the week.

167 11th St, San Francisco, CA 94103
(410) 344-3362
(410) 344-3362

Mộng Thu Cafe

248 Hyde St, San Francisco, CA 94102

This cute and cozy cafe in the Tenderloin is home to some of the city’s finest and most soul-satisfying Vietnamese noodle soups: funky, fermented-fish-spiked bun mam, say, or the umami bomb of a bowl of bun rieu with its juicy meatballs and crab-infused broth. The restaurant is selling both noodle dishes and banh mi for takeout during the shelter in place, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day except Monday. Call ahead to order.

248 Hyde St, San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 928-6724
(415) 928-6724

Kusina Ni Tess

237 Ellis St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Perhaps the friendliest and most delicious of the city’s Filipino steam table spots, Kusina Ni Tess recently reopened for takeout Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. It’s got a daily-changing menu that you should check if you’re craving something specific — say, chicken adobo (every day except Monday) or the oxtail peanut stew known as kare-kare (Wednesdays only). Traditional breakfast silog plates are available all day, every day. Call in or order delivery via Postmates.

237 Ellis St, San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 351-1169
(415) 351-1169
Kusina Ni Tess storefront Kusina Ni Tess/Facebook

Hing Lung Company

1261 Stockton St, San Francisco, CA 94133

This Cantonese barbecue shop’s crackly-skinned roast pig and succulent, honey-brushed char siu make for some of most luxurious bites in the whole city. For most of Hing Lung’s existence, delivery was never an option, but to add another revenue stream, co-owner Eric Cheung finally signed onto Uber Eats under the moniker “Go Duck Yourself.” Old school Cantonese comfort food is the name of the game here: superlative roast duck and other barbecue meats, served either on their own or as part of a rice plate.

1261 Stockton St, San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 397-5521
(415) 397-5521

Family Cafe

362 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133

This tiny Japanese cafe in North Beach always had a streamlined menu, and that hasn’t changed now that it’s adapted to a takeout-only model. The main attraction here is the Japanese curry — available in vegan and non-vegan versions, with or without panko-fried chicken thigh. In addition, there’s a highly popular katsu sandwich, cold udon, coffee drinks, and bulk pantry items available for purchase. Order online for pickup Tuesday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m.

362 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 872-9449
(415) 872-9449
A blue-tiled bar counter at the North Beach cafe Family Family Cafe

Bini's Kitchen

1001 Howard St, San Francisco, CA 94103

The top spot in the city for Nepalese momos is open for takeout and delivery Monday through Friday, 11 a.m.–3 p.m.. It’s offering hot meals — $10 for eight turkey or veggie momos, or $45 for a family meal that feeds four — as well as big packs of frozen momos for you to stash away in your freezer. Call in or text your order to 415-361-6911, or email order@biniskitchen.com, and arrange for curbside pickup.

1001 Howard St, San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 361-6911
(415) 361-6911
Momos at Bini’s Kitchen Patricia Chang

Old Skool Cafe

1429 Mendell St, San Francisco, CA 94124

The jazz-themed, youth-run supper club in Bayview/Hunter’s Point is taking pre-orders for curbside pickup Thursday through Saturday, 4–7 p.m. Order online and choose from an appealing lineup of soul food favorites: fried chicken, gumbo, mac and cheese, and more.

1429 Mendell St, San Francisco, CA 94124
(415) 822-8531
(415) 822-8531
Old Skool Cafe’s mac and cheese Old Skool Cafe

Marcella's Lasagneria

1099 Tennessee St, San Francisco, CA 94107

The Dogpatch lasagna specialist recently reopened for to-go orders — it’s taking phone orders for pickup Monday through Saturday, from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Snag one of the restaurant’s seven varieties of lasagna or choose from its selection of other filled and fresh pasta dishes.

1099 Tennessee St, San Francisco, CA 94107
(415) 920-2225
(415) 920-2225
Marcella’s Lasagneria Marcella’s Lasagneria/Facebook

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