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Old Mandarin’s peppercorn-laden food is for the spice heads out there.
Patricia Chang

Turn Up the Heat With These Hot and Spicy San Francisco Dishes

A baker’s dozen of devilishly spicy dishes in the city by the Bay

by Paolo Bicchieri
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Old Mandarin’s peppercorn-laden food is for the spice heads out there.
| Patricia Chang
by Paolo Bicchieri

“Spicy” means lots of things to lots of people these days. Sure, it’s a term for hot takes and cancellable moves online, but it’s also a way of eating that adds a bit more pep to your meals. One can trot around the globe, dipping their toes into everything from capsicum to peppercorn to jalapeño to ajilo, but in San Francisco, there are a ton of ways to try out all these various iterations of spice, as this list caters more toward that which is traditionally described as “hot.” So, yes, explore the booming hot chicken sandwich businesses in the Bay. But then hit these spots to try dishes that put San Francisco on the radar for any Scoville savants out there.

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Viva Goa Indian Cuisine

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Lombard Street is more than the world’s most crookedest street. It’s also home to this Indian restaurant highlighting Goa, a coastal state in India once colonized by the Portuguese. The ambot tik, which translates to “sour hot,” is a tangy, spicy curry that should please any Scoville-seekers.

2420 Lombard St, San Francisco, CA 94123
(415) 440-2600
(415) 440-2600

Also featured in:

Z & Y Restaurant

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This staple Northern Chinese restaurant in Chinatown can do damage to any uninitiated person’s tastebuds. That’s due to the heavy inclusion of Sichuan peppers in almost every dish, especially in the fish filet with flaming chile oil. The aptly named “flaming chile oil” is indeed powerful, so make sure you feel prepared before ordering this entree. 

655 Jackson St, San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 981-8988
(415) 981-8988
A photo of food. Paolo Bicchieri

Also featured in:

Hot Sauce and Panko

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This simply named hot sauce shop doubles as a spicy chicken dealer — hence the “panko” part of its name. Five wings cost just under $8 and, for those in search of spice, come double-smothered in hot buffalo sauce. That condiment relies on a bedrock of brown sugar and vinegar to give it the rich taste it's so well known for.

1468 Hyde St, San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 359-1908
(415) 359-1908

Also featured in:

Nari

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A veritable Post Street institution, Nari offers a spicy curry with rotating dry-rubbed meats and seasonal flavors. Currently, the restaurant is offering a Southern Thai-style Dungeness crab rendition with betel leaf and garlic noodles. The betel leaf itself is a flowering member of the pepper family Piperaceae, native to Southeast Asia.

1625 Post St, San Francisco, CA 94115
(415) 868-6274
(415) 868-6274

Also featured in:

Yemen Kitchen

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The Tenderloin is home to numerous Vietnamese and Yemeni restaurants. But this Jones Street go-to might be the finest example of what the neighborhood can provide in the way of spice. For just $10 a diner can try salteh, considered to be Yemen’s national dish. Sahawiq, a salsa-like blend of spices that goes by many names depending on the region, provides a hot backbone to this meal.

219 Jones St, San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 214-3575
(415) 214-3575

Also featured in:

The Bird

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The fried chicken sandwich at this Hayes Valley and downtown restaurant is what put the Bird on the map. The spicy version of the sandwich comes with celery, slaw, and plenty of mouth-watering heat. There are also other ways to have your spicy bird, including a version served on a buttermilk biscuit, served with a side of tater tots.

406 Hayes St, San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 940-2770
(415) 940-2770
Aubrie Pick

Also featured in:

Liliana

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Liliana’s sister restaurant, Osito, is on the heels of winning its first Michelin star on the other side of the kitchen. But the Mission District bar brings heat to this Dungeness crab dish with a bold preparation, originally from the “Game Birds 2: Forest & Festivities” menu at Osito. Chile oil, one of the major inspirations for this dish, is a standard accompaniment in dim sum parlors and Chinese restaurants the world over, and gives this item its heat.

2875 18th St, San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 817-1585
(415) 817-1585
A photo of food. Paolo Bicchieri

Also featured in:

Prubechu

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On a table laden with dishes offering vinegary and salty notes, Prubechu’s fried egg and gisu tamale delivers an eyebrow-raising layer of heat. The dish offers a pleasant combination of textures, relying on the familiar softness of any proper tamal, but don’t sleep on that red smear of achiote on top. The annatto seed is a classic in Yucatán Mexican cooking, providing a deep, peppery flavor.

2224 Mission St #A, San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 853-0671
(415) 853-0671
A photo of food. Paolo Bicchieri

Also featured in:

Farmhouse Kitchen Thai Cuisine

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Though the Little Lao takeout boxes may be gone, this Florida Street Thai restaurant still dishes up Instagram-worthy volcano noodles. Drenched in peppercorn and krachai, and coming in just shy of $40, this meal is not for the faint of heart. Owner Kasem “Pop” Saengsawang says his goal is to make sure people get enough spice.

710 Florida St, San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 814-2920
(415) 814-2920

Also featured in:

Shuggie’s Trash Pie + Natural Wine

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The stems, leaves & buds dish is hot thanks to the inclusion of aji amarillo paste, and Shuggie’s rendition is a bit nuttier thanks to a walnut base. It’s not mouth-scalding or going to have you reaching for a glass of milk, but, alongside a trash pie or an order of swordfish belly, it’s an ideal complement for any spice lovers. Aji amarillo, the Peruvian yellow pepper, can range anywhere from four to 20 times hotter than the jalapeño.

3349 23rd St, San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 655-3051
(415) 655-3051
A photo of food. Paolo Bicchieri

Also featured in:

Toyose

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This late-night Korean restaurant on Noriega Street is a destination for plenty of reasons. But, relevantly, the wings, kimchi soup, and cold buckwheat noodles all notch on the Scoville scale in a major way. Gochugaru is the Korean name for red pepper flakes, and it’s one of the most common heat-inducing spices that braces so much of the country’s cuisine (as well as the dishes at Toyose).

3814 Noriega St, San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 731-0232
(415) 731-0232

Also featured in:

Old Mandarin Islamic Restaurant

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For decades, the Outer Sunset has relied on Old Mandarin as a go-to for Sichuan pepper-laden noodles and beef pancakes. Plus, the whole menu is halal-friendly, making it a perfect spot to break Ramadan fast. Famous for its mouth-numbing properties, this peppercorn is actually one of five in the also-famous Chinese five-spice blends.

3132 Vicente St, San Francisco, CA 94116
(415) 564-3481
(415) 564-3481
A photo of food. Patricia Chang

Also featured in:

La Corneta Taqueria

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Most Mexican restaurants in San Francisco would make the cut if it were just a question of adding a ramekin or two of salsa. But La Corneta keeps the heat coming all day long with its spicy chicken, prawns, and enchilada combination plate ($18) and spicy prawns plate ($15).

2834 Diamond St, San Francisco, CA 94131
(415) 469-8757
(415) 469-8757

Also featured in:

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Viva Goa Indian Cuisine

2420 Lombard St, San Francisco, CA 94123

Lombard Street is more than the world’s most crookedest street. It’s also home to this Indian restaurant highlighting Goa, a coastal state in India once colonized by the Portuguese. The ambot tik, which translates to “sour hot,” is a tangy, spicy curry that should please any Scoville-seekers.

2420 Lombard St, San Francisco, CA 94123
(415) 440-2600
(415) 440-2600

Z & Y Restaurant

655 Jackson St, San Francisco, CA 94133

This staple Northern Chinese restaurant in Chinatown can do damage to any uninitiated person’s tastebuds. That’s due to the heavy inclusion of Sichuan peppers in almost every dish, especially in the fish filet with flaming chile oil. The aptly named “flaming chile oil” is indeed powerful, so make sure you feel prepared before ordering this entree. 

655 Jackson St, San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 981-8988
(415) 981-8988
A photo of food. Paolo Bicchieri

Hot Sauce and Panko

1468 Hyde St, San Francisco, CA 94109

This simply named hot sauce shop doubles as a spicy chicken dealer — hence the “panko” part of its name. Five wings cost just under $8 and, for those in search of spice, come double-smothered in hot buffalo sauce. That condiment relies on a bedrock of brown sugar and vinegar to give it the rich taste it's so well known for.

1468 Hyde St, San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 359-1908
(415) 359-1908

Nari

1625 Post St, San Francisco, CA 94115

A veritable Post Street institution, Nari offers a spicy curry with rotating dry-rubbed meats and seasonal flavors. Currently, the restaurant is offering a Southern Thai-style Dungeness crab rendition with betel leaf and garlic noodles. The betel leaf itself is a flowering member of the pepper family Piperaceae, native to Southeast Asia.

1625 Post St, San Francisco, CA 94115
(415) 868-6274
(415) 868-6274

Yemen Kitchen

219 Jones St, San Francisco, CA 94102

The Tenderloin is home to numerous Vietnamese and Yemeni restaurants. But this Jones Street go-to might be the finest example of what the neighborhood can provide in the way of spice. For just $10 a diner can try salteh, considered to be Yemen’s national dish. Sahawiq, a salsa-like blend of spices that goes by many names depending on the region, provides a hot backbone to this meal.

219 Jones St, San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 214-3575
(415) 214-3575

The Bird

406 Hayes St, San Francisco, CA 94102

The fried chicken sandwich at this Hayes Valley and downtown restaurant is what put the Bird on the map. The spicy version of the sandwich comes with celery, slaw, and plenty of mouth-watering heat. There are also other ways to have your spicy bird, including a version served on a buttermilk biscuit, served with a side of tater tots.

406 Hayes St, San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 940-2770
(415) 940-2770
Aubrie Pick

Liliana

2875 18th St, San Francisco, CA 94110

Liliana’s sister restaurant, Osito, is on the heels of winning its first Michelin star on the other side of the kitchen. But the Mission District bar brings heat to this Dungeness crab dish with a bold preparation, originally from the “Game Birds 2: Forest & Festivities” menu at Osito. Chile oil, one of the major inspirations for this dish, is a standard accompaniment in dim sum parlors and Chinese restaurants the world over, and gives this item its heat.

2875 18th St, San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 817-1585
(415) 817-1585
A photo of food. Paolo Bicchieri

Prubechu

2224 Mission St #A, San Francisco, CA 94110

On a table laden with dishes offering vinegary and salty notes, Prubechu’s fried egg and gisu tamale delivers an eyebrow-raising layer of heat. The dish offers a pleasant combination of textures, relying on the familiar softness of any proper tamal, but don’t sleep on that red smear of achiote on top. The annatto seed is a classic in Yucatán Mexican cooking, providing a deep, peppery flavor.

2224 Mission St #A, San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 853-0671
(415) 853-0671
A photo of food. Paolo Bicchieri

Farmhouse Kitchen Thai Cuisine

710 Florida St, San Francisco, CA 94110

Though the Little Lao takeout boxes may be gone, this Florida Street Thai restaurant still dishes up Instagram-worthy volcano noodles. Drenched in peppercorn and krachai, and coming in just shy of $40, this meal is not for the faint of heart. Owner Kasem “Pop” Saengsawang says his goal is to make sure people get enough spice.

710 Florida St, San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 814-2920
(415) 814-2920

Shuggie’s Trash Pie + Natural Wine

3349 23rd St, San Francisco, CA 94110

The stems, leaves & buds dish is hot thanks to the inclusion of aji amarillo paste, and Shuggie’s rendition is a bit nuttier thanks to a walnut base. It’s not mouth-scalding or going to have you reaching for a glass of milk, but, alongside a trash pie or an order of swordfish belly, it’s an ideal complement for any spice lovers. Aji amarillo, the Peruvian yellow pepper, can range anywhere from four to 20 times hotter than the jalapeño.

3349 23rd St, San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 655-3051
(415) 655-3051
A photo of food. Paolo Bicchieri

Toyose

3814 Noriega St, San Francisco, CA 94122

This late-night Korean restaurant on Noriega Street is a destination for plenty of reasons. But, relevantly, the wings, kimchi soup, and cold buckwheat noodles all notch on the Scoville scale in a major way. Gochugaru is the Korean name for red pepper flakes, and it’s one of the most common heat-inducing spices that braces so much of the country’s cuisine (as well as the dishes at Toyose).

3814 Noriega St, San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 731-0232
(415) 731-0232

Old Mandarin Islamic Restaurant

3132 Vicente St, San Francisco, CA 94116

For decades, the Outer Sunset has relied on Old Mandarin as a go-to for Sichuan pepper-laden noodles and beef pancakes. Plus, the whole menu is halal-friendly, making it a perfect spot to break Ramadan fast. Famous for its mouth-numbing properties, this peppercorn is actually one of five in the also-famous Chinese five-spice blends.

3132 Vicente St, San Francisco, CA 94116
(415) 564-3481
(415) 564-3481
A photo of food. Patricia Chang

La Corneta Taqueria

2834 Diamond St, San Francisco, CA 94131

Most Mexican restaurants in San Francisco would make the cut if it were just a question of adding a ramekin or two of salsa. But La Corneta keeps the heat coming all day long with its spicy chicken, prawns, and enchilada combination plate ($18) and spicy prawns plate ($15).

2834 Diamond St, San Francisco, CA 94131
(415) 469-8757
(415) 469-8757

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