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Recently renovated bar at Boulevard
The bar at Boulevard on the Embarcadero in San Francisco.
Patricia Chang

18 Classic Restaurants Every San Franciscan Must Try

The most colorful old-school dining establishments in San Francisco

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The bar at Boulevard on the Embarcadero in San Francisco.
| Patricia Chang

San Francisco is moving through the worst impacts of the pandemic with the style and grace of a herd of turtles. After all, few markets were hit as hard as the restaurant and service industry in those first few years of the pandemic. While some local chefs are teaming up to reinvigorate San Francisco’s dining world, plenty of historic restaurants and cafes survived and are happy to invite diners in again in full force.

The classics on this list are all 30 years old or older, including Boulevard which just rang in its 30th year. Then there are unsung heroes like the Grubstake Diner, a powerhouse since 1927. Now that the future of San Francisco looks brighter and brighter all the time, there’s no better time to try a few restaurant icons.

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Scoma's Restaurant

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Whether it’s your first visit to Fisherman’s Wharf or your first this week, there’s no better bayside dining experience to be found in the infamously tourist-clogged destination than Scoma’s. The long dining rooms are bedecked in warm woods and leather, with low slung ceilings making it feel like you’re deep in the belly of a boat. On the menu expect San Francisco classics including cioppino, local King salmon, and notoriously strong Manhattans. 

A plate of Dungeness crab Scoma’s

The landmark vegetarian restaurant opened in 1979 as part of the SF Zen Center. Not only is Greens a California classic, it’s a big and beautiful space, with views of the bay and Golden Gate Bridge. Since the beginning the restaurant’s had a long history of women leaders including founding chef Deborah Madison, Annie Somerville, and current executive chef Katie Reicher, who continues the legacy of showcasing seasonal vegetables grown on nearby farms.

The dining room at Greens Greens

The Buena Vista

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Though mostly (and justly) known for its Irish coffees, the Buena Vista Cafe also has a decent breakfast and lunch offering, with views of the Bay. It’s right off the Powell/Hyde cable car’s last stop, making it a tourist destination for many. Locals, however, still flock there regularly for a boozy, caffeinated pick-me-up, clam chowder in bread bowls, and old-school fare purveyed by white-jacketed bartenders. (It opened in 1916, though its famous beverage didn’t come along until 1952, according to the restaurant.)

Ellen Fort

Balboa Cafe

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There’s no denying Balboa Cafe’s place in San Francisco history: in its more than 100 years in business this Cow Hollow restaurant and bar has been the venue for countless first dates, celebrations, and, most recently, rowdy nights out for youthful Marina residents. So, if you don’t mind that these days it’s owned by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s PlumpJack Group, then Balboa Cafe is indeed a venerable place to grab an excellent burger or belly up to the well-worn wooden bar to chat with a bartender over a nitro espresso martini

Balboa Cafe

Kokkari Estiatorio

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Since 1998, this FiDi staple has been spinning roasted meats over open flames. The atmosphere is ski-cabin-meets-San-Francisco-chic, and you’ll know the restaurant by the smell of fresh lemon and spiced lamb wafting through the room. For either a power lunch or a romantic night out (make sure to sidle up to the fireplace for the full effect), pair Greek classics like dolmathes and moussaka with a glass of crisp white wine. 

Kokkari Estiatorio

House of Prime Rib

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No San Francisco carnivore has truly lived before eating a juicy slice of prime rib off the cart in this '50s throwback, where the cocktails come with their own shakers, the salad is spun tableside, and the baked potatoes are always at least 50 percent sour cream. Open since 1949, the House of Prime Rib stretches across five rooms and 148 seats, and serves more than 500 diners a night.

A thick slice of prime rib on a plate with creamed spinach, a baked potato, and a martini. Lauren Saria

Boulevard

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This longtime mainstay along the city’s waterfront just turned 30 in September 2023. Boulevard went dark in the early COVID days but reopened in September 2021 with a major facelift courtesy of design majordomo Ken Fulk. The colorful and vivacious interior design now matches the warm and vibrant service, paralleled, thankfully, by creative and decadent dishes including crab and lobster ravioli, hamachi crudo, and lovely vegetarian dishes.

Dining room and chef’s counter at Boulevard Patricia Chang

Grubstake Diner

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Polk Gulch was the home to San Francisco’s first Pride parade, which strutted along Polk Street to Aquatic Park. Fueling up and cooling down took place at Grubstake Diner, an important relic and present-day diner destination. Yes, Guy Fieri checked this place out and said it was unlike any other restaurant he’d seen. But Fieri fans and newcomers alike can get behind classic burgers and salads, and Grubstake’s singular bife a Portuguesa, or Portuguese-style steak.

Patricia Chang

Red's Java House

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There's nothing quite like a burger and a beer at this outdoor spot on the Embarcadero (since 1955), preferably consumed before heading over to the ballpark for a Giants game. Red’s Java House is not to be confused with the similar, equally historic Java House, which is also worth a visit.

Tommy's Joynt

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The California hofbrau may soon be a lost tradition but for now, Tommy’s Joynt carries the torch on the corner of Van Ness and Geary. It’d be hard to miss the restaurant’s vibrant and sprawling signage, which advertises everything from “world famous” sandwiches to satellite TV to cheap beers. Open since 1947, Tommy’s continues to be a destination for meaty meals like carved-to-order hot pastrami sandwiches, an impressive selection of imported beers, and a lively late-night dining scene. 

Tommy Joynt, at Van Ness and Geary, on Route 101, San Francisco, California Photo by Carol M. Highsmith/Buyenlarge/Getty Images

Mandalay Restaurant

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San Francisco is home to an impressive number of Burmese restaurants but the first and, therefore, oldest is Mandalay, the Richmond District institution that opened in 1984. It changed owners (within the same family) but continues to offer Southeast Asian specialties including mango chicken, Burmese curry beef, and fish chowder. The must-order item at the no-frills, yellow-walled restaurant is the tea leaf salad, a textural delight made with fermented tea leaves, fried garlic, dried shrimp, sesame seeds, lemon, green pepper, and roasted peanuts.  

Lahpet thoke at Mandalay Omar Mamoon

Tommy's Mexican Restaurant

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Since 1965, Tommy’s Mexican Restaurant has been owned by the Bermejo family, who are always quick with a warm welcome. It’s home to the Tommy’s margarita and the city’s best tequila selection, but this Richmond District favorite also puts out solid Yucatecan fare.

Exterior neon sign of Tommy’s Mexican Restaurant in the Richmond neighborhood

Khan Toke Thai House

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Open since 1976, Khan Toke says that it’s one of San Francisco’s first Thai restaurants. It’s also one of the city’s fanciest, as diners are required to remove their shoes before they’re led to low, hand-carved tables. The menu’s got over 100 items, so savvy diners ask the white-jacketed waiters “what’s good tonight?” to make sure they get the kitchen’s best and brightest.

Zuni Cafe

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Zuni Cafe began in 1979 as a Southwestern-themed restaurant, but became a Cal-cuisine icon under the leadership of the late Judy Rodgers, who entered its kitchen in 1987. She built Zuni’s reputation with her burgers, Caesar salad, bloody Marys, and of course, the famous roast chicken for two with bread salad. It's still one of the city's most beautiful and delightful rooms to while away an afternoon.

Taqueria Cancun

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Everyone has their favorite place for a super-sized Mission burrito, whether that be late-night destination Taqueria El Farolito or the local institution that is La Taq. But don’t overlook Taqueria Cancun. Started by two El Farolito alumni back in 1991, the restaurant has since expanded to three locations including the Market Street original, one in Bernal Heights, and the Mission District outpost on Mission Street. Order the epic pollo asado burrito and make sure to get it “super.”

The red-and-yellow exterior of Taqueria Cancún with two benches out front. Omar Mamoon

Thanh Long Restaurant

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Since 1971, this family-run Vietnamese restaurant has served some of the city’s most well-loved garlic noodles, a regional staple prized for its luxurious buttery texture. While it may be impossible to know for certain who pioneered the dish, Thanh Long Restaurant lays claim to being one of the city’s first Vietnamese restaurants and is widely accepted as being at the root of the dish’s history. The move is to order them along with a whole Dungeness crab, which will be roasted in the restaurant’s famous garlic sauce. 

Donna Harrison (left) from Atlanta being served dungeness crab roasted in garlic sauce with her friends at Thanh Long restaurant in San Francisco, Calif., Tuesday, February 14, 2011. Photo By Liz Hafalia/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images

The Old Clam House

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San Franciscans nearly lost this more-a-century-old institution during the pandemic, but now the Old Clam House is back and serving boatloads of fresh seafood on Bayshore Drive. The restaurant, which was founded in 1861, has now fallen into the same hands that own North Beach’s Mona Lisa restaurant and they’ve smartly left the classic alone, for the most part, keeping all of the familiar favorites on the menu. You’ll never go wrong with a bowl of clam chowder and a fishwich.  

Old Mandarin Islamic Restaurant

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Head to the foggy outer avenues to find this family-run Chinese restaurant, which has been serving both the neighborhood and the Bay Area’s Chinese Muslim community for more than three decades. Owner Shuai Yang, whose parents opened the restaurant in 2001, says the restaurant set out to serve the kind of Northern Chinese food his parents grew up eating in the Xinjiang province of China. To this day, the restaurant serves an entirely halal menu of Chinese dishes including regional specialties such as cumin lamb and crispy beef pancakes. 

An overhead photo of food. Patricia Chang

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Scoma's Restaurant

Whether it’s your first visit to Fisherman’s Wharf or your first this week, there’s no better bayside dining experience to be found in the infamously tourist-clogged destination than Scoma’s. The long dining rooms are bedecked in warm woods and leather, with low slung ceilings making it feel like you’re deep in the belly of a boat. On the menu expect San Francisco classics including cioppino, local King salmon, and notoriously strong Manhattans. 

A plate of Dungeness crab Scoma’s

Greens

The landmark vegetarian restaurant opened in 1979 as part of the SF Zen Center. Not only is Greens a California classic, it’s a big and beautiful space, with views of the bay and Golden Gate Bridge. Since the beginning the restaurant’s had a long history of women leaders including founding chef Deborah Madison, Annie Somerville, and current executive chef Katie Reicher, who continues the legacy of showcasing seasonal vegetables grown on nearby farms.

The dining room at Greens Greens

The Buena Vista

Though mostly (and justly) known for its Irish coffees, the Buena Vista Cafe also has a decent breakfast and lunch offering, with views of the Bay. It’s right off the Powell/Hyde cable car’s last stop, making it a tourist destination for many. Locals, however, still flock there regularly for a boozy, caffeinated pick-me-up, clam chowder in bread bowls, and old-school fare purveyed by white-jacketed bartenders. (It opened in 1916, though its famous beverage didn’t come along until 1952, according to the restaurant.)

Ellen Fort

Balboa Cafe

There’s no denying Balboa Cafe’s place in San Francisco history: in its more than 100 years in business this Cow Hollow restaurant and bar has been the venue for countless first dates, celebrations, and, most recently, rowdy nights out for youthful Marina residents. So, if you don’t mind that these days it’s owned by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s PlumpJack Group, then Balboa Cafe is indeed a venerable place to grab an excellent burger or belly up to the well-worn wooden bar to chat with a bartender over a nitro espresso martini

Balboa Cafe

Kokkari Estiatorio

Since 1998, this FiDi staple has been spinning roasted meats over open flames. The atmosphere is ski-cabin-meets-San-Francisco-chic, and you’ll know the restaurant by the smell of fresh lemon and spiced lamb wafting through the room. For either a power lunch or a romantic night out (make sure to sidle up to the fireplace for the full effect), pair Greek classics like dolmathes and moussaka with a glass of crisp white wine. 

Kokkari Estiatorio

House of Prime Rib

No San Francisco carnivore has truly lived before eating a juicy slice of prime rib off the cart in this '50s throwback, where the cocktails come with their own shakers, the salad is spun tableside, and the baked potatoes are always at least 50 percent sour cream. Open since 1949, the House of Prime Rib stretches across five rooms and 148 seats, and serves more than 500 diners a night.

A thick slice of prime rib on a plate with creamed spinach, a baked potato, and a martini. Lauren Saria

Boulevard

This longtime mainstay along the city’s waterfront just turned 30 in September 2023. Boulevard went dark in the early COVID days but reopened in September 2021 with a major facelift courtesy of design majordomo Ken Fulk. The colorful and vivacious interior design now matches the warm and vibrant service, paralleled, thankfully, by creative and decadent dishes including crab and lobster ravioli, hamachi crudo, and lovely vegetarian dishes.

Dining room and chef’s counter at Boulevard Patricia Chang

Grubstake Diner

Polk Gulch was the home to San Francisco’s first Pride parade, which strutted along Polk Street to Aquatic Park. Fueling up and cooling down took place at Grubstake Diner, an important relic and present-day diner destination. Yes, Guy Fieri checked this place out and said it was unlike any other restaurant he’d seen. But Fieri fans and newcomers alike can get behind classic burgers and salads, and Grubstake’s singular bife a Portuguesa, or Portuguese-style steak.

Patricia Chang

Red's Java House

There's nothing quite like a burger and a beer at this outdoor spot on the Embarcadero (since 1955), preferably consumed before heading over to the ballpark for a Giants game. Red’s Java House is not to be confused with the similar, equally historic Java House, which is also worth a visit.

Tommy's Joynt

The California hofbrau may soon be a lost tradition but for now, Tommy’s Joynt carries the torch on the corner of Van Ness and Geary. It’d be hard to miss the restaurant’s vibrant and sprawling signage, which advertises everything from “world famous” sandwiches to satellite TV to cheap beers. Open since 1947, Tommy’s continues to be a destination for meaty meals like carved-to-order hot pastrami sandwiches, an impressive selection of imported beers, and a lively late-night dining scene. 

Tommy Joynt, at Van Ness and Geary, on Route 101, San Francisco, California Photo by Carol M. Highsmith/Buyenlarge/Getty Images

Mandalay Restaurant

San Francisco is home to an impressive number of Burmese restaurants but the first and, therefore, oldest is Mandalay, the Richmond District institution that opened in 1984. It changed owners (within the same family) but continues to offer Southeast Asian specialties including mango chicken, Burmese curry beef, and fish chowder. The must-order item at the no-frills, yellow-walled restaurant is the tea leaf salad, a textural delight made with fermented tea leaves, fried garlic, dried shrimp, sesame seeds, lemon, green pepper, and roasted peanuts.  

Lahpet thoke at Mandalay Omar Mamoon

Tommy's Mexican Restaurant

Since 1965, Tommy’s Mexican Restaurant has been owned by the Bermejo family, who are always quick with a warm welcome. It’s home to the Tommy’s margarita and the city’s best tequila selection, but this Richmond District favorite also puts out solid Yucatecan fare.

Exterior neon sign of Tommy’s Mexican Restaurant in the Richmond neighborhood

Khan Toke Thai House

Open since 1976, Khan Toke says that it’s one of San Francisco’s first Thai restaurants. It’s also one of the city’s fanciest, as diners are required to remove their shoes before they’re led to low, hand-carved tables. The menu’s got over 100 items, so savvy diners ask the white-jacketed waiters “what’s good tonight?” to make sure they get the kitchen’s best and brightest.

Zuni Cafe

Zuni Cafe began in 1979 as a Southwestern-themed restaurant, but became a Cal-cuisine icon under the leadership of the late Judy Rodgers, who entered its kitchen in 1987. She built Zuni’s reputation with her burgers, Caesar salad, bloody Marys, and of course, the famous roast chicken for two with bread salad. It's still one of the city's most beautiful and delightful rooms to while away an afternoon.

Taqueria Cancun

Everyone has their favorite place for a super-sized Mission burrito, whether that be late-night destination Taqueria El Farolito or the local institution that is La Taq. But don’t overlook Taqueria Cancun. Started by two El Farolito alumni back in 1991, the restaurant has since expanded to three locations including the Market Street original, one in Bernal Heights, and the Mission District outpost on Mission Street. Order the epic pollo asado burrito and make sure to get it “super.”

The red-and-yellow exterior of Taqueria Cancún with two benches out front. Omar Mamoon

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Thanh Long Restaurant

Since 1971, this family-run Vietnamese restaurant has served some of the city’s most well-loved garlic noodles, a regional staple prized for its luxurious buttery texture. While it may be impossible to know for certain who pioneered the dish, Thanh Long Restaurant lays claim to being one of the city’s first Vietnamese restaurants and is widely accepted as being at the root of the dish’s history. The move is to order them along with a whole Dungeness crab, which will be roasted in the restaurant’s famous garlic sauce. 

Donna Harrison (left) from Atlanta being served dungeness crab roasted in garlic sauce with her friends at Thanh Long restaurant in San Francisco, Calif., Tuesday, February 14, 2011. Photo By Liz Hafalia/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images

The Old Clam House

San Franciscans nearly lost this more-a-century-old institution during the pandemic, but now the Old Clam House is back and serving boatloads of fresh seafood on Bayshore Drive. The restaurant, which was founded in 1861, has now fallen into the same hands that own North Beach’s Mona Lisa restaurant and they’ve smartly left the classic alone, for the most part, keeping all of the familiar favorites on the menu. You’ll never go wrong with a bowl of clam chowder and a fishwich.  

Old Mandarin Islamic Restaurant

Head to the foggy outer avenues to find this family-run Chinese restaurant, which has been serving both the neighborhood and the Bay Area’s Chinese Muslim community for more than three decades. Owner Shuai Yang, whose parents opened the restaurant in 2001, says the restaurant set out to serve the kind of Northern Chinese food his parents grew up eating in the Xinjiang province of China. To this day, the restaurant serves an entirely halal menu of Chinese dishes including regional specialties such as cumin lamb and crispy beef pancakes. 

An overhead photo of food. Patricia Chang

Related Maps