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The well-stocked shelves at Tahona Mercado. Tahona Mercado

11 Destination-Worthy San Francisco Markets

These shops are for those who loved hitting the store and enjoying at home during the pandemic

by Paolo Bicchieri Updated
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by Paolo Bicchieri Updated
1 comment / new
Tahona Mercado

As March 2020 slogged into April of the same terrible year, restaurants looked to alternate revenue streams to make a bit of coin as the months unfolded. Boxes of perishable produce, jars of in-house sauces and spreads, and even run-of-the-mill grocery staples all became available from favorite San Francisco restaurants including Nopa and Mister Jiu’s.

By now, many of those businesses have pivoted back to their main service, especially as the city’s mask mandates are set to lift on March 11, but there are still plenty of businesses that specialize in providing unique and sometimes vital pantry items to customers. Here are 10 businesses who’ve held on to their grocery stock from those early COVID days or are purveyors of upscale at-home pantry items many have come to appreciate in a whole new way.

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Little Vine

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On the hill above the Grace Cathedral and below Coit Tower on Grant Avenue sits a tiny shop with daily rotating sandwich offerings and fancy wines. Little Vine has been holding down the block down since 201 and makes walking through the back streets of North Beach total joy with its rare treats. 

1541 Grant Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 738-2221
(415) 738-2221

Also featured in:

China Live

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This Broadway Avenue megastore (and restaurant and bar) cannot be missed. It’s a Chinatown hero, and while the $250 tasting menus may not fit the grab-and-go bill, the food emporium has plenty of items including condiments like ginger-infused vinegar and snacks like popcorn fried in duck fat to enjoy at the apartment.

644 Broadway, San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 788-8188
(415) 788-8188
Inside China Live Patricia Chang

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Little Jane on Grant

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Below stalwart terracotta soldiers is the adorable new outpost from Jane the Baker. Pre-packaged vegan and gluten-free cookies, pineapple kouign amann, and bags of coffee are all on the menu of this micro outlet of the San Francisco mini-chain.

752 Grant Ave, San Francisco, CA 94108

Tahona Mercado

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Steven Sadri and Emily Thompson are the husband-and-wife duo behind San Francisco’s only shop dedicated to the complexities of mezcal and tequila. Not only do they want you to drink a fine bottle of agave, but they want you to do so with a pairing that is just right for you, often with one of the many Bay Area producers they highlight in their shop.  

1168 Leavenworth St, San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 775-9812
(415) 775-9812

Also featured in:

La Cocina Municipal Marketplace

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The Tenderloin’s newest food hall is a breath of fresh air on Golden Gate Avenue. Every day customers can take home pupusas, Senegalese wellness drinks, seasoned peanuts, and even Vietnamese corn nuts. If one has the time, sitting down for a drink at La Paloma or grabbing a coffee from Fluid Cooperative is the move.

101 Hyde St, San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 570-2595
(415) 570-2595

Also featured in:

Che Fico Alimentari

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This swanky Divisadero Street shop was always designed with a to-go effort in mind. Wine, salumi, bread, and other housemade provisions are all on the menu for this Western Addition outgrowth of sister restaurant, and upstairs neighbor, Che Fico. 

834 Divisadero St, San Francisco, CA 94117
(415) 416-6980
(415) 416-6980
Interior of Che Fico Alimentari Che Fico Alimentari

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Queens

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The former educators and founders of Queens, Eddo Kim and Clara Lee, decided San Franciscans could use with an update to the tired idea of what it means to be a Korean bodega. Their Sunset shop is one of the only in the country to carry many of the specialty goods they sell, sourcing them directly from makers in Korea. The coffee options, Fritz Coffee and Momos Coffee, are worth a buy.

1235 9th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 702-9382
(415) 702-9382

Also featured in:

Alimentari Aurora

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Alimentari Aurora is a former Ruby Wine pop-up and now neighboring Potrero Hill shop. Dario Barbone, owner and operator, specializes in selling whatever it is that he finds particularly interesting — anything from Korean chips and tins of fish to focaccia, lasagna, and liver pate.

1415 18th St, San Francisco, CA 94107

George's Zoo

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For more than 30 years this sandwich shop and corner store has kept Outer Sunset and zoo-goers fed and happy. The sandwiches are all under $9, and coffee is $1.75 a cup – grab a quick lunch while you load up on those household staples, running the gamut from Dorito’s to Tylenol.

2560 Sloat Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94116
(415) 664-3215
(415) 664-3215

Also featured in:

Gratta Wines and Market

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Since 2015, the women behind Gratta Wines have managed a tiny shop in the Bayview in addition to their line of Women's International Wine Competition-winning wines. They carry J Street Chocolate, Bloomstock Coffee, and loads of fruits and veggies.

2022 Lane ST, 5299 3rd St, San Francisco, CA 94124
(415) 872-9791
(415) 872-9791

Cherry Blossom Bakery

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Alright, maybe this Hong Kong-style bakery isn't the best place to load up on fruits and veggies for the week. But no kitchen is complete without buns and cakes, and this Ocean Avenue shop has you well covered in that department. Cash-only, and make sure to bring enough for all the tantalizing goodies.

1552 Ocean Ave, San Francisco, CA 94112
(415) 333-9088
(415) 333-9088

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Little Vine

1541 Grant Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133

On the hill above the Grace Cathedral and below Coit Tower on Grant Avenue sits a tiny shop with daily rotating sandwich offerings and fancy wines. Little Vine has been holding down the block down since 201 and makes walking through the back streets of North Beach total joy with its rare treats. 

1541 Grant Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 738-2221
(415) 738-2221

China Live

644 Broadway, San Francisco, CA 94133

This Broadway Avenue megastore (and restaurant and bar) cannot be missed. It’s a Chinatown hero, and while the $250 tasting menus may not fit the grab-and-go bill, the food emporium has plenty of items including condiments like ginger-infused vinegar and snacks like popcorn fried in duck fat to enjoy at the apartment.

644 Broadway, San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 788-8188
(415) 788-8188
Inside China Live Patricia Chang

Little Jane on Grant

752 Grant Ave, San Francisco, CA 94108

Below stalwart terracotta soldiers is the adorable new outpost from Jane the Baker. Pre-packaged vegan and gluten-free cookies, pineapple kouign amann, and bags of coffee are all on the menu of this micro outlet of the San Francisco mini-chain.

752 Grant Ave, San Francisco, CA 94108

Tahona Mercado

1168 Leavenworth St, San Francisco, CA 94109

Steven Sadri and Emily Thompson are the husband-and-wife duo behind San Francisco’s only shop dedicated to the complexities of mezcal and tequila. Not only do they want you to drink a fine bottle of agave, but they want you to do so with a pairing that is just right for you, often with one of the many Bay Area producers they highlight in their shop.  

1168 Leavenworth St, San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 775-9812
(415) 775-9812

La Cocina Municipal Marketplace

101 Hyde St, San Francisco, CA 94102

The Tenderloin’s newest food hall is a breath of fresh air on Golden Gate Avenue. Every day customers can take home pupusas, Senegalese wellness drinks, seasoned peanuts, and even Vietnamese corn nuts. If one has the time, sitting down for a drink at La Paloma or grabbing a coffee from Fluid Cooperative is the move.

101 Hyde St, San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 570-2595
(415) 570-2595

Che Fico Alimentari

834 Divisadero St, San Francisco, CA 94117

This swanky Divisadero Street shop was always designed with a to-go effort in mind. Wine, salumi, bread, and other housemade provisions are all on the menu for this Western Addition outgrowth of sister restaurant, and upstairs neighbor, Che Fico. 

834 Divisadero St, San Francisco, CA 94117
(415) 416-6980
(415) 416-6980
Interior of Che Fico Alimentari Che Fico Alimentari

Queens

1235 9th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122

The former educators and founders of Queens, Eddo Kim and Clara Lee, decided San Franciscans could use with an update to the tired idea of what it means to be a Korean bodega. Their Sunset shop is one of the only in the country to carry many of the specialty goods they sell, sourcing them directly from makers in Korea. The coffee options, Fritz Coffee and Momos Coffee, are worth a buy.

1235 9th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 702-9382
(415) 702-9382

Alimentari Aurora

1415 18th St, San Francisco, CA 94107

Alimentari Aurora is a former Ruby Wine pop-up and now neighboring Potrero Hill shop. Dario Barbone, owner and operator, specializes in selling whatever it is that he finds particularly interesting — anything from Korean chips and tins of fish to focaccia, lasagna, and liver pate.

1415 18th St, San Francisco, CA 94107

George's Zoo

2560 Sloat Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94116

For more than 30 years this sandwich shop and corner store has kept Outer Sunset and zoo-goers fed and happy. The sandwiches are all under $9, and coffee is $1.75 a cup – grab a quick lunch while you load up on those household staples, running the gamut from Dorito’s to Tylenol.

2560 Sloat Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94116
(415) 664-3215
(415) 664-3215

Gratta Wines and Market

2022 Lane ST, 5299 3rd St, San Francisco, CA 94124

Since 2015, the women behind Gratta Wines have managed a tiny shop in the Bayview in addition to their line of Women's International Wine Competition-winning wines. They carry J Street Chocolate, Bloomstock Coffee, and loads of fruits and veggies.

2022 Lane ST, 5299 3rd St, San Francisco, CA 94124
(415) 872-9791
(415) 872-9791

Cherry Blossom Bakery

1552 Ocean Ave, San Francisco, CA 94112

Alright, maybe this Hong Kong-style bakery isn't the best place to load up on fruits and veggies for the week. But no kitchen is complete without buns and cakes, and this Ocean Avenue shop has you well covered in that department. Cash-only, and make sure to bring enough for all the tantalizing goodies.

1552 Ocean Ave, San Francisco, CA 94112
(415) 333-9088
(415) 333-9088

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