clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Nine Overrated Bay Area Restaurants

View as Map

Seventy-seven comments later (and counting), the people have spoken. For every great restaurant in the Bay Area, there is one that draws crowds, but just doesn't live up to the hype. Despite bustling dining rooms and difficult reservations, diners may notice the food isn't that amazing, or the service is lacking. Why are these restaurants so busy?

In compiling this map, we read through reader comments and emails, compared online reviews and ratings, and made some critical calls. Restaurants that were not already very busy were left off. Make no mistake: just because a restaurant is overrated doesn't mean the food is horrible. In fact, some people live for hype alone. To show respect where it is due, we have also called out the redeeming qualities at each of the spots on this list.

Read More
Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process. If you buy something or book a reservation from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy.

The Stinking Rose

Copy Link

Nothing is safe from a whole roasted garlic clove at The Stinking Rose—not bread, not beef, not the window display, not even dessert. A true dining mystery, it remains a regular on the tourist and 21st birthday party circuits.

Boogaloos

Copy Link

Is it the vegetarian herb-cream gravy? The wrap-around patio? The "hip urban" crowd? Whatever it is, nothing can keep the long lines from finding Boogaloo's, even though they've been shuttered for vermin infestation, and even though they serve vegetarian herb-cream gravy.

Incanto

Copy Link

Food industry mega-star Chris Cosentino is the draw at Incanto, the overrated restaurant inductee receiving the most votes among Eater readers.

Beretta

Copy Link

In 2008, a stellar Bauer review kicked off Beretta's insane buzz. Consistently great cocktails have kept it going. But many Eater readers feel the "smug" service doesn't warrant the super long lines.

Chez Panisse

Copy Link

There's no question that Alice Waters has achieved miracles for the farm-to-table movement, but Chez Panisse has become more of a tourist mecca than anything else in recent years.

Ton Kiang

Copy Link

One reader summed up the sentiment of many, calling Ton Kiang dim sum "white people-y." Also: the lines seem to be growing in inverse proportion to the quality of the food.

Gary Danko

Copy Link

Widely beloved and sought out by tourists, conventioneers and expense-accounters, Gary Danko charges prices that follow suit. You'll eat delicious things here, but the California seasonal style of food—things like striped bass with gnocchi or herb-crusted lamb with polenta—can be had for fewer dollar signs at other San Francisco hotspots.

Burma Superstar Restaurant

Copy Link

Originally made popular by the Yelp community, Burma Superstar gets attention for its hard-to-find-in-SF dishes like tea leaf salad and samusa soup, but in most instances the quality of food doesn't live up to the enormous lines and waits on a nightly basis.

The Slanted Door

Copy Link

Although Erik Adkins' cocktails are among some of the most underrated in the city, many of the dishes on Charles Phan's menu here can be found for a third of the price at other Vietnamese restaurants around town. Still, Charles Phan's mothership is always, always packed. A reader adds: "It was so much better when it was a hole in the wall on Valencia."

Loading comments...

The Stinking Rose

Nothing is safe from a whole roasted garlic clove at The Stinking Rose—not bread, not beef, not the window display, not even dessert. A true dining mystery, it remains a regular on the tourist and 21st birthday party circuits.

Boogaloos

Is it the vegetarian herb-cream gravy? The wrap-around patio? The "hip urban" crowd? Whatever it is, nothing can keep the long lines from finding Boogaloo's, even though they've been shuttered for vermin infestation, and even though they serve vegetarian herb-cream gravy.

Incanto

Food industry mega-star Chris Cosentino is the draw at Incanto, the overrated restaurant inductee receiving the most votes among Eater readers.

Beretta

In 2008, a stellar Bauer review kicked off Beretta's insane buzz. Consistently great cocktails have kept it going. But many Eater readers feel the "smug" service doesn't warrant the super long lines.

Chez Panisse

There's no question that Alice Waters has achieved miracles for the farm-to-table movement, but Chez Panisse has become more of a tourist mecca than anything else in recent years.

Ton Kiang

One reader summed up the sentiment of many, calling Ton Kiang dim sum "white people-y." Also: the lines seem to be growing in inverse proportion to the quality of the food.

Gary Danko

Widely beloved and sought out by tourists, conventioneers and expense-accounters, Gary Danko charges prices that follow suit. You'll eat delicious things here, but the California seasonal style of food—things like striped bass with gnocchi or herb-crusted lamb with polenta—can be had for fewer dollar signs at other San Francisco hotspots.

Burma Superstar Restaurant

Originally made popular by the Yelp community, Burma Superstar gets attention for its hard-to-find-in-SF dishes like tea leaf salad and samusa soup, but in most instances the quality of food doesn't live up to the enormous lines and waits on a nightly basis.

The Slanted Door

Although Erik Adkins' cocktails are among some of the most underrated in the city, many of the dishes on Charles Phan's menu here can be found for a third of the price at other Vietnamese restaurants around town. Still, Charles Phan's mothership is always, always packed. A reader adds: "It was so much better when it was a hole in the wall on Valencia."

Related Maps