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

18 Classic Restaurants Every San Franciscan Must Try

The most colorful old-school dining establishments in San Francisco

by Paolo Bicchieri and Lauren Saria Updated Sep 12, 2023, 11:48am PDT

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The bar at Boulevard on the Embarcadero in San Francisco.

| Patricia Chang

by Paolo Bicchieri and Lauren Saria Updated Sep 12, 2023, 11:48am PDT

1 comment / new

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

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.

1965 Al Scoma Way, San Francisco, CA 94133

Visit Website

A plate of Dungeness crab

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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.

Open in Google Maps

Fort Mason Center, Landmark Building A, 2 Marina Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94123

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The dining room at Greens

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17 San Francisco Restaurants With Spectacular Views

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.)

2765 Hyde St, San Francisco, CA 94109

Visit Website

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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.

3199 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94123

Visit Website

Balboa Cafe

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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.

200 Jackson St, San Francisco, CA 94111

Visit Website

Also featured in:

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.

Open in Google Maps

1906 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94109

Visit Website

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

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.

1 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94105

Visit Website

Dining room and chef’s counter at Boulevard

Also featured in:

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.

1525 Pine St, San Francisco, CA 94109

Visit Website

Also featured in:

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.

551 The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94105

Visit Website

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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.

1101 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94109

Visit Website

Tommy Joynt, at Van Ness and Geary, on Route 101, San Francisco, California

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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.

4348 California St, San Francisco, CA 94118

Visit Website

Lahpet thoke at Mandalay

Also featured in:

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.

5929 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94121

Visit Website

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

Also featured in:

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.

Open in Google Maps

5937 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94121

Visit Website

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.

1658 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Visit Website

Also featured in:

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.”

2288 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110

Visit Website

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

Also featured in:

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.

Open in Google Maps

4101 Judah St, San Francisco, CA 94122

Visit Website

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.

Also featured in:

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.

299 Bayshore Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94124

Visit Website

Also featured in:

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.

3132 Vicente St, San Francisco, CA 94116

Visit Website

An overhead photo of food.

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Scoma's Restaurant

1965 Al Scoma Way, San Francisco, CA 94133

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.

1965 Al Scoma Way, San Francisco, CA 94133

Visit Website

A plate of Dungeness crab

Greens

Fort Mason Center, Landmark Building A, 2 Marina Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94123

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.

Open in Google Maps

Fort Mason Center, Landmark Building A, 2 Marina Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94123

Visit Website

The dining room at Greens

The Buena Vista

2765 Hyde St, San Francisco, CA 94109

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.)

2765 Hyde St, San Francisco, CA 94109

Visit Website

Balboa Cafe

3199 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94123

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.

3199 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94123

Visit Website

Balboa Cafe

Kokkari Estiatorio

200 Jackson St, San Francisco, CA 94111

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.

200 Jackson St, San Francisco, CA 94111

Visit Website

House of Prime Rib

1906 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94109

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.

Open in Google Maps

1906 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94109

Visit Website

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

Boulevard

1 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94105

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.

1 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94105

Visit Website

Dining room and chef’s counter at Boulevard

Grubstake Diner

1525 Pine St, San Francisco, CA 94109

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.

1525 Pine St, San Francisco, CA 94109

Visit Website

Red's Java House

551 The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94105

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.

551 The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94105

Visit Website

Tommy's Joynt

1101 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94109

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.

1101 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94109

Visit Website

Tommy Joynt, at Van Ness and Geary, on Route 101, San Francisco, California

Mandalay Restaurant

4348 California St, San Francisco, CA 94118

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.

4348 California St, San Francisco, CA 94118

Visit Website

Lahpet thoke at Mandalay

Tommy's Mexican Restaurant

5929 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94121

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.

5929 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94121

Visit Website

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

Khan Toke Thai House

5937 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94121

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.

Open in Google Maps

5937 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94121

Visit Website

Zuni Cafe

1658 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94102

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.

1658 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Visit Website

Taqueria Cancun

2288 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110

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.”

2288 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110

Visit Website

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

Related Maps

Thanh Long Restaurant

4101 Judah St, San Francisco, CA 94122

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.

Open in Google Maps

4101 Judah St, San Francisco, CA 94122

Visit Website

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.

The Old Clam House

299 Bayshore Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94124

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.

299 Bayshore Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94124

Visit Website

Old Mandarin Islamic Restaurant

3132 Vicente St, San Francisco, CA 94116

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.

3132 Vicente St, San Francisco, CA 94116

Visit Website

An overhead photo of food.

Related Maps