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Patricia Chang

Where to Eat in the Sunset and Parkside

A vetted guide to dining and drinking in the neighborhood

by Paolo Bicchieri and Eve Batey Updated
View as Map
by Paolo Bicchieri and Eve Batey Updated
Patricia Chang

Telling many San Franciscans that a loved one has moved to the Sunset District can feel like telling them they’ve wrapped their car around a telephone pole. They might say that the huge neighborhood (about 4.5 square miles and home to more than 88,000 people – about 10 percent of the city’s population) is just too far away from the rest of the city, or that there’s nothing to do in those massive stretches of houses and avenues. It’s a sign, they’ll say, that this loved one is now boring.

These well-intentioned people, only looking out for one’s ability to get good food and have a tasty drink, are wrong. The former expanse of dunes became a community of Irish and Asian American families, a final destination for surfers around the world, and, slowly, a veritable buried treasure of places to eat and drink. These 22 businesses will prove to any misguided eaters and drinkers that the fantastic and unsung shops in San Francisco lie on the west side of the city like so many diamonds in the sand.

Health experts consider dining out to be a high-risk activity for the unvaccinated; it may pose a risk for the vaccinated, especially in areas with substantial COVID transmission.

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um.ma

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Um.ma’s modern Korean menu has standard dishes like kimchi pancakes, as well as wilder options like a rainbow-colored bowl of rice and roe. Takeout is available online, and its sleek back patio is open for sit-down dining, with reservations (call 415-566-5777) strongly recommended.

1220 9th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 566-5777
(415) 566-5777

Also featured in:

Queens

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The Ninth Avenue corridor has many of the Inner Sunset’s buzziest businesses, and can be many newcomers’ first-and-last entry to the neighborhood. Eddo Kim and Clara Lee, co-founders of Queens and husband-and-wife partners, provide a wholly unique part of the 9th Avenue network of businesses: their shop is both a riff on the Korean bodega and a worthwhile dining outfit. It’s worth staying tuned to their Instagram as some items are prepared for sit-down dining only and subject to change, though 2:45 p.m. is the last call for hot food.

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

Also featured in:

Fiorella Sunset

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The Ninth Avenue outpost of this Richmond District restaurant is its newest and finest yet. The pizza is as decadent as longtime fans will remember, but the Sunset shop features unique offerings like the Calzone, an $18 pie of smoked mozzarella and peperonata, plus a rare covered rooftop deck out in the avenues.

1240 9th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 404-6997
(415) 404-6997
Fiorella’s Sunset location.
Fiorella’s Sunset location
Fiorella

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San Tung Chinese Restaurant

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The sticky-spicy ultra-shellacked dry-fried chicken wings live up to the hype. That's the first thing to know about San Tung, the wildly popular Chinese spot on Irving. The second is that the menu has other treats in store, from the pot stickers to black bean sauce noodles to garlicky string beans. And the third? While prior to the pandemic, waits for a seat could be hours long, takeout orders only need about 30 minutes to prepare. Just call 415-242-0828 to order.

1031 Irving St, San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 242-0828
(415) 242-0828

Also featured in:

Tpumps

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Bay Area youth know what’s good when it comes to boba. Those who came up in the area seem to flock to one company in particular, and that’s Tpumps. On Tuesdays, the local shop will upgrade an order by one size for free, and long lines of teens stretch outside the Sunset location every week.

1916 Irving St, San Francisco, CA 94122
(510) 398-8499
(510) 398-8499

Also featured in:

Arizmendi Bakery

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The worker-owned bakery collective is a long-cherished institution in the Bay Area, and this Ninth Avenue spot comes out of that tradition. Arizmendi Bakery, named after a Basque labor organizer, was founded by some members of the original bakery collective, the Cheeseboard in Berkeley, and has been keeping the Sunset full of baguettes, sourdough croissants, and pizza slices since 2000. Its daily changing pizza is always vegetarian and based on the Cheeseboard model: crust-focused, with a film of cheese and toppings.

1331 9th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 556-3117
(415) 556-3117
Rye and fig bread from Arizmeni Bakery.
Rye and fig bread from Arizmeni Bakery
Arizmendi Bakery

Also featured in:

Yummy Dumpling

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This grab-and-go location, just across the street from noteworthy restaurant King of Noodles, has xiao long bao that will make you wonder if you stumbled into Chinatown. A hefty bag of 12 dumplings to make at home costs all of $6.50. Pull off of Highway 1 to nab an order or three.

1639 Irving St, San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 753-9308
(415) 753-9308

Also featured in:

Happy Bakery

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The fried taro dumpling, which costs $1.20 in cash, is perhaps as indulgent a treat as one can eat on Irving Street. Cars double-park up and down the blocks running from 20th to 25th Avenue to let a passenger out for a mad dash to the tiny outlet. For less than $10, Happy Bakery provides a feast.

2253 Irving St, San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 661-1386
(415) 661-1386

Marnee Thai Restaurant

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This shotgun-style restaurant is at once familiar and at the same time singular. The pad Thai could be the same as from any other Thai restaurant, except the fresh ingredients and delicate use of oils and spices elevates this version to a league of its own. The family who run the restaurant and Marnee Thai II, its sister restaurant further down Irving Street, are reliable and could teach a Master Class in professional kindness. The eggplant curry with sticky rice is excellent.

2225 Irving St, San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 665-9500
(415) 665-9500

Also featured in:

Hook Fish Co

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This teeny-tiny sustainably-caught fish market and restaurant has always been best suited to takeout or outside dining, so things haven’t changed much for them during the coronavirus crisis. Check the board for the origins of the fish on offer today, and don’t sleep on the delicately-flavored fish-and-chips, which take the traditional pub version to school.

4542 Irving St, San Francisco, CA 94122

Also featured in:

Palm City

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Quietly adventurous, the Outer Sunset’s Palm City claims to be the “premier westernmost hoagie destination in the country.” A third generation Sunset resident and a Philly transplant combined, with the help of their pup, to bring sandwiches and natural wine to the avenues.

4055 Irving St, San Francisco, CA 94122
Hoagie from Palm City Patricia Chang

Also featured in:

Golden Gate Indian Cuisine & Pizza

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The tikka masala pizza at this Outer Sunset shop, tucked into a corner next door to a laundromat, is best enjoyed on the hood of the car in the 7-Eleven parking lot. It’s a once in a lifetime, Bay Area kind of dining experience to eat a piping hot Indian pie in the chilly fog of the Pacific.

4038 Judah St, San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 564-5514
(415) 564-5514

Also featured in:

Beach'N SF

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Michael Petite has the Outer Sunset vegan market cornered. He runs Judahlicious, known for acai bowls and waffles, and just opened Beach’n a block from the ocean. Burritos, scrambles, and craft coffee are all incredible and fairly priced.

4300 Judah St, San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 682-4961
(415) 682-4961

Also featured in:

Trouble Coffee

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Giulietta Carrelli has been written up for her rebellious beachside coffee shop time and time again — and always for good reason. Her business is a proper and significant part of the Outer Sunset band of artists and surfers who make the neighborhood what it is. Trouble’s cheap, dark coffee will get you wired for that plunge into the Pacific.

4033 Judah St, San Francisco, CA 94122

Also featured in:

Celia's by the Beach

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This 60-year-old Mexican restaurant is an interesting fish, a family-run business (Celia Lopez-Rodriguez opened the spot in 1960, today her grandkids run the joint) that marries standard California/Mexican platter-style dining with more recent innovations like a vegan menu of Impossible-meat offerings and wild to-go drinks like their cevichelada, a to-go cup layered with fish, chips, and a michelada sloshing at the bottom.

4019 Judah St, San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 759-8741
(415) 759-8741

Also featured in:

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Thanh Long Restaurant

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The Vietnamese spice blend, difficult to pin down and definitely a secret (other than the garlic), makes the crab served at this restaurant totally unlike any other served along the water in San Francisco. The crispy rice paper rolls, a $7.50 starter of button mushrooms and a blend of chicken and pork, will get you started in the right direction.

4101 Judah St, San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 665-1146
(415) 665-1146

Also featured in:

Andytown Coffee Roasters

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Every morning, and doubly so on the weekends, the original Outer Sunset craft coffee shop has a long line of sleepy shoppers. Irish pastries like soda bread are a mainstay, and the Snowy Plover, an espresso drink with a dollop of house-made whipped cream, is a genius and delicious way to start the day.

3655 Lawton St, San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 753-9775
(415) 753-9775
Andytown Coffee Andytown/Instagram

Also featured in:

Polly Ann Ice Cream

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This old-fashioned ice cream shop is infamous for its wheel of fortune, which employees spin for customers who can’t make a decision between the spot’s huge number of flavors. Those who prefer not to shiver in the Sunset fog as they wait in line can place an online order here.

3138 Noriega St, San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 664-2472
(415) 664-2472

Devil's Teeth Baking Company

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In the cold sun, this popular bakery warms folks up with a cup of Sunset Roasters coffee and pastries like vegan breakfast cookies, carrot cake, and cinnamon rolls. Beyond the lighter fare, the breakfast sandwiches bring surfers and stroller-rollers from all over Sunset, Parkside, and, frankly, all across the city, too.

3876 Noriega St, San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 683-5533
(415) 683-5533

Toyose

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This Korean spot in a converted garage near the beach has been a favorite late-night stop for many, and the long waits for its super-crisp chicken wings, spicy noodles with succulent baby octopus, and kimchi fried rice with beef and egg on top prove it.

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

Old Mandarin Islamic Restaurant 老北京

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Locals and travelers line up for Old Mandarin’s halal menu with items like cumin lamb, beef pancake, and clay pot specials. Online ordering for takeout is available here.

3132 Vicente St, San Francisco, CA 94116
(415) 564-3481
(415) 564-3481
Old Mandarin Islamic Restaurant

Java Beach At The Zoo

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Before heading to pay respects to Maki the ring-tailed lemur, and beneath the bizarre enormous Doggie Diner remains, it’s customary to stop in for a cup of Lady Falcon coffee and a sub sandwich from Java Beach. Breakfast burritos are served until noon.

2650 Sloat Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94116
(415) 731-2965
(415) 731-2965

Also featured in:

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um.ma

1220 9th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122

Um.ma’s modern Korean menu has standard dishes like kimchi pancakes, as well as wilder options like a rainbow-colored bowl of rice and roe. Takeout is available online, and its sleek back patio is open for sit-down dining, with reservations (call 415-566-5777) strongly recommended.

1220 9th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 566-5777
(415) 566-5777

Queens

1235 9th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122

The Ninth Avenue corridor has many of the Inner Sunset’s buzziest businesses, and can be many newcomers’ first-and-last entry to the neighborhood. Eddo Kim and Clara Lee, co-founders of Queens and husband-and-wife partners, provide a wholly unique part of the 9th Avenue network of businesses: their shop is both a riff on the Korean bodega and a worthwhile dining outfit. It’s worth staying tuned to their Instagram as some items are prepared for sit-down dining only and subject to change, though 2:45 p.m. is the last call for hot food.

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

Fiorella Sunset

1240 9th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122

The Ninth Avenue outpost of this Richmond District restaurant is its newest and finest yet. The pizza is as decadent as longtime fans will remember, but the Sunset shop features unique offerings like the Calzone, an $18 pie of smoked mozzarella and peperonata, plus a rare covered rooftop deck out in the avenues.

1240 9th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 404-6997
(415) 404-6997
Fiorella’s Sunset location.
Fiorella’s Sunset location
Fiorella

San Tung Chinese Restaurant

1031 Irving St, San Francisco, CA 94122

The sticky-spicy ultra-shellacked dry-fried chicken wings live up to the hype. That's the first thing to know about San Tung, the wildly popular Chinese spot on Irving. The second is that the menu has other treats in store, from the pot stickers to black bean sauce noodles to garlicky string beans. And the third? While prior to the pandemic, waits for a seat could be hours long, takeout orders only need about 30 minutes to prepare. Just call 415-242-0828 to order.

1031 Irving St, San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 242-0828
(415) 242-0828

Tpumps

1916 Irving St, San Francisco, CA 94122

Bay Area youth know what’s good when it comes to boba. Those who came up in the area seem to flock to one company in particular, and that’s Tpumps. On Tuesdays, the local shop will upgrade an order by one size for free, and long lines of teens stretch outside the Sunset location every week.

1916 Irving St, San Francisco, CA 94122
(510) 398-8499
(510) 398-8499

Arizmendi Bakery

1331 9th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122

The worker-owned bakery collective is a long-cherished institution in the Bay Area, and this Ninth Avenue spot comes out of that tradition. Arizmendi Bakery, named after a Basque labor organizer, was founded by some members of the original bakery collective, the Cheeseboard in Berkeley, and has been keeping the Sunset full of baguettes, sourdough croissants, and pizza slices since 2000. Its daily changing pizza is always vegetarian and based on the Cheeseboard model: crust-focused, with a film of cheese and toppings.

1331 9th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 556-3117
(415) 556-3117
Rye and fig bread from Arizmeni Bakery.
Rye and fig bread from Arizmeni Bakery
Arizmendi Bakery

Yummy Dumpling

1639 Irving St, San Francisco, CA 94122

This grab-and-go location, just across the street from noteworthy restaurant King of Noodles, has xiao long bao that will make you wonder if you stumbled into Chinatown. A hefty bag of 12 dumplings to make at home costs all of $6.50. Pull off of Highway 1 to nab an order or three.

1639 Irving St, San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 753-9308
(415) 753-9308

Happy Bakery

2253 Irving St, San Francisco, CA 94122

The fried taro dumpling, which costs $1.20 in cash, is perhaps as indulgent a treat as one can eat on Irving Street. Cars double-park up and down the blocks running from 20th to 25th Avenue to let a passenger out for a mad dash to the tiny outlet. For less than $10, Happy Bakery provides a feast.

2253 Irving St, San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 661-1386
(415) 661-1386

Marnee Thai Restaurant

2225 Irving St, San Francisco, CA 94122

This shotgun-style restaurant is at once familiar and at the same time singular. The pad Thai could be the same as from any other Thai restaurant, except the fresh ingredients and delicate use of oils and spices elevates this version to a league of its own. The family who run the restaurant and Marnee Thai II, its sister restaurant further down Irving Street, are reliable and could teach a Master Class in professional kindness. The eggplant curry with sticky rice is excellent.

2225 Irving St, San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 665-9500
(415) 665-9500

Hook Fish Co

4542 Irving St, San Francisco, CA 94122

This teeny-tiny sustainably-caught fish market and restaurant has always been best suited to takeout or outside dining, so things haven’t changed much for them during the coronavirus crisis. Check the board for the origins of the fish on offer today, and don’t sleep on the delicately-flavored fish-and-chips, which take the traditional pub version to school.

4542 Irving St, San Francisco, CA 94122

Palm City

4055 Irving St, San Francisco, CA 94122

Quietly adventurous, the Outer Sunset’s Palm City claims to be the “premier westernmost hoagie destination in the country.” A third generation Sunset resident and a Philly transplant combined, with the help of their pup, to bring sandwiches and natural wine to the avenues.

4055 Irving St, San Francisco, CA 94122
Hoagie from Palm City Patricia Chang

Golden Gate Indian Cuisine & Pizza

4038 Judah St, San Francisco, CA 94122

The tikka masala pizza at this Outer Sunset shop, tucked into a corner next door to a laundromat, is best enjoyed on the hood of the car in the 7-Eleven parking lot. It’s a once in a lifetime, Bay Area kind of dining experience to eat a piping hot Indian pie in the chilly fog of the Pacific.

4038 Judah St, San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 564-5514
(415) 564-5514

Beach'N SF

4300 Judah St, San Francisco, CA 94122

Michael Petite has the Outer Sunset vegan market cornered. He runs Judahlicious, known for acai bowls and waffles, and just opened Beach’n a block from the ocean. Burritos, scrambles, and craft coffee are all incredible and fairly priced.

4300 Judah St, San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 682-4961
(415) 682-4961

Trouble Coffee

4033 Judah St, San Francisco, CA 94122

Giulietta Carrelli has been written up for her rebellious beachside coffee shop time and time again — and always for good reason. Her business is a proper and significant part of the Outer Sunset band of artists and surfers who make the neighborhood what it is. Trouble’s cheap, dark coffee will get you wired for that plunge into the Pacific.

4033 Judah St, San Francisco, CA 94122

Celia's by the Beach

4019 Judah St, San Francisco, CA 94122

This 60-year-old Mexican restaurant is an interesting fish, a family-run business (Celia Lopez-Rodriguez opened the spot in 1960, today her grandkids run the joint) that marries standard California/Mexican platter-style dining with more recent innovations like a vegan menu of Impossible-meat offerings and wild to-go drinks like their cevichelada, a to-go cup layered with fish, chips, and a michelada sloshing at the bottom.

4019 Judah St, San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 759-8741
(415) 759-8741

Related Maps

Thanh Long Restaurant

4101 Judah St, San Francisco, CA 94122

The Vietnamese spice blend, difficult to pin down and definitely a secret (other than the garlic), makes the crab served at this restaurant totally unlike any other served along the water in San Francisco. The crispy rice paper rolls, a $7.50 starter of button mushrooms and a blend of chicken and pork, will get you started in the right direction.

4101 Judah St, San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 665-1146
(415) 665-1146

Andytown Coffee Roasters

3655 Lawton St, San Francisco, CA 94122

Every morning, and doubly so on the weekends, the original Outer Sunset craft coffee shop has a long line of sleepy shoppers. Irish pastries like soda bread are a mainstay, and the Snowy Plover, an espresso drink with a dollop of house-made whipped cream, is a genius and delicious way to start the day.

3655 Lawton St, San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 753-9775
(415) 753-9775
Andytown Coffee Andytown/Instagram

Polly Ann Ice Cream

3138 Noriega St, San Francisco, CA 94122

This old-fashioned ice cream shop is infamous for its wheel of fortune, which employees spin for customers who can’t make a decision between the spot’s huge number of flavors. Those who prefer not to shiver in the Sunset fog as they wait in line can place an online order here.

3138 Noriega St, San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 664-2472
(415) 664-2472

Devil's Teeth Baking Company

3876 Noriega St, San Francisco, CA 94122

In the cold sun, this popular bakery warms folks up with a cup of Sunset Roasters coffee and pastries like vegan breakfast cookies, carrot cake, and cinnamon rolls. Beyond the lighter fare, the breakfast sandwiches bring surfers and stroller-rollers from all over Sunset, Parkside, and, frankly, all across the city, too.

3876 Noriega St, San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 683-5533
(415) 683-5533

Toyose

3814 Noriega St, San Francisco, CA 94122

This Korean spot in a converted garage near the beach has been a favorite late-night stop for many, and the long waits for its super-crisp chicken wings, spicy noodles with succulent baby octopus, and kimchi fried rice with beef and egg on top prove it.

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

Old Mandarin Islamic Restaurant 老北京

3132 Vicente St, San Francisco, CA 94116

Locals and travelers line up for Old Mandarin’s halal menu with items like cumin lamb, beef pancake, and clay pot specials. Online ordering for takeout is available here.

3132 Vicente St, San Francisco, CA 94116
(415) 564-3481
(415) 564-3481
Old Mandarin Islamic Restaurant

Java Beach At The Zoo

2650 Sloat Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94116

Before heading to pay respects to Maki the ring-tailed lemur, and beneath the bizarre enormous Doggie Diner remains, it’s customary to stop in for a cup of Lady Falcon coffee and a sub sandwich from Java Beach. Breakfast burritos are served until noon.

2650 Sloat Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94116
(415) 731-2965
(415) 731-2965

Related Maps