San Francisco is a dream city for food lovers. With its unique blend of cultural influences, fresh coastal ingredients, and innovative culinary scene, it offers an unforgettable gastronomic adventure.
Whether you’re a local or a visitor, this list includes 20 must-try dishes and spots—from iconic classics to neighborhood favorites—that every foodie should savor.
1. Clam Chowder In A Sourdough Bread Bowl – Boudin Bakery
Thick, creamy chowder brimming with tender clams and soft potatoes gets ladled straight into a crusty, tangy sourdough round. The bread soaks just enough to melt into the soup, while the top stays chewable and perfect for tearing.
Boudin’s been baking sourdough since 1849, and it shows. Few things taste more “San Francisco.”
2. Mission-Style Burrito – La Taqueria
Tightly wrapped and heavy in the hand, this legendary burrito skips rice and goes big on juicy meat, creamy beans, and salsa that sings. The grilled tortilla adds a golden crunch that sets it apart.
This is not a light lunch—it’s a full-body experience. The Mission District wouldn’t be the same without it.
3. Xiao Long Bao – Dumpling Time
Delicate soup dumplings arrive steaming, their thin skins stretching over hot broth and juicy pork. A gentle lift with chopsticks reveals their fragility, while the first bite bursts with warmth and depth.
They’re tiny parcels of savory joy. Watch the chefs fold them behind glass as you wait—it’s part of the magic.
4. Secret Breakfast Ice Cream – Humphry Slocombe
This grown-up scoop swirls cornflake crunch into a bourbon-laced custard base. It’s creamy, boozy, and just the right amount of weird.
People line up for it, and they should. No other ice cream tastes like cartoons and cocktails at the same time.
5. Dungeness Crab At Swan Oyster Depot
Served cold with lemon and Louie sauce or cracked fresh at the counter, Dungeness crab here is clean, sweet, and impossibly fresh. The shop’s been doing it the same way since 1912.
Sit on a stool, grab a beer, and chat with the shuckers. It’s seafood without pretense, just how it should be.
6. Pork Chop Over Rice – Sam Wo
Thin, crispy pork chops lay across a plate of saucy rice with green onions and soy—a Chinatown favorite for over a century. The meat is juicy with edges that crunch like dreams.
Open late and full of stories, Sam Wo is comfort with character. You’ll taste history in every bite.
7. Morning Bun – Tartine Bakery
Buttery layers spiral into a caramelized crust, dusted with cinnamon sugar and often glowing with a citrus glaze. The aroma alone can pull you down Guerrero Street.
It’s a croissant’s cheeky cousin, sticky and golden. Get there early—these disappear fast.
8. Cioppino – Sotto Mare
A rich tomato broth cradles shrimp, clams, crab, and fish, bubbling in a bowl that smells like the wharf at sunset. It’s messy, aromatic, and entirely soul-warming.
Born from Italian fishermen in North Beach, this seafood stew is a love letter to the bay. Bring napkins.
9. Dutch Crunch Sandwich – Ike’s Love & Sandwiches
Crunchy, crackled bread hugs layers of meat, sauce, and wild flavor combos like mozzarella sticks or jalapeño poppers. Every sandwich gets a name and a little sass.
Dutch Crunch is a local bread obsession, and Ike’s makes it shine. No two visits taste the same.
10. Dim Sum – City View Restaurant
Trolleys roll by with baskets of siu mai, shrimp dumplings, and buns so soft they feel like clouds. The vibe is lively, the tea is endless, and the bites are addictive.
Tucked in the heart of downtown, it’s tradition without stiffness. Just dim sum done right.
11. Vegan Mushroom Carnitas Taco – Gracias Madre
Oyster mushrooms sizzle on the griddle until they crisp and curl, layered into a warm tortilla with guac and salsa. It’s smoky, meaty, and completely plant-based.
This Mission spot brings flair to vegan Mexican food. Even meat-lovers get hooked.
12. Korean Fried Chicken – Bonchon (SF Location)
Double-fried and lacquered in sticky soy garlic or spicy glaze, the wings shatter with every bite. The inside stays hot and tender, as if by magic.
Bonchon may be a chain, but the SF crowd treats it like a local secret. These wings don’t mess around.
13. Burmese Tea Leaf Salad – Burma Superstar
Pickled tea leaves mingle with cabbage, crispy garlic, roasted nuts, and split peas in a riot of texture and tang. One toss and the plate comes alive.
It’s briny, crunchy, and impossible to stop eating. Burmese flavors don’t whisper—they sing.
14. Garlic Noodles – Thanh Long
Twisted strands glisten with butter and roasted garlic, rich enough to eat alone yet perfect next to roasted crab. The aroma hits before the plate lands.
This secret family recipe built a legacy. One bite, and you’ll understand why.
15. Pizza Slice – Golden Boy Pizza
Thick, square, and dripping with tomato sauce, these slices are built for grabbing and going. The sourdough crust crunches on the bottom and stays chewy inside.
It’s late-night fuel in the heart of North Beach. Don’t skip the clam and garlic.
16. Ube Soft Serve – Powder
Violet-hued swirls of creamy ube glide into a charcoal cone, both dreamy and dramatic. The flavor is subtly sweet, nutty, and endlessly photogenic.
This dessert is part art, part indulgence. Soft serve, but make it cool.
17. Banh Mi – Saigon Sandwich
Crunchy baguette stuffed with grilled pork, pickled carrots, cilantro, and jalapeños—every texture lands in harmony. It’s bold, fast, and famously cheap.
This Tenderloin hole-in-the-wall draws a loyal crowd. There’s nothing “basic” about this sandwich.
18. Japanese Soufflé Pancakes – Gram Cafe
Stacks of airy pancakes jiggle as they arrive, tall and golden with a custardy wobble. Lightly sweet with a hint of egg, they melt into nothingness on the tongue.
It’s breakfast meets dessert with a whisper of springtime. Worth the wait, every time.
19. Bi-Rite Creamery Salted Caramel Ice Cream
Velvety, golden caramel kissed with sea salt creates a salty-sweet dance on the tongue. It’s rich, slow-churned, and ridiculously smooth.
Lines stretch down the block for a reason. This is scoopable luxury.
20. Fresh Spring Rolls – The Slanted Door
Translucent rice paper wraps crisp vegetables, herbs, and shrimp into perfect little packages. A tangy peanut-hoisin dip brings it all together.
It’s freshness wrapped in flavor. A quiet bite in a buzzing city.