Good BAY AREA Reasonably-Priced Eats
Good BAY AREA Reasonably-Priced Eats
#1Good BAY AREA Reasonably-Priced Eats
Posted: 11/13/08 at 4:43am
I will be making my annual trip to the great city by the bay this Friday and I need recommendations on good local eating spots.
I'm planning on:
Thai House Express - was really good the last time I went
Japantown noodles
In-N-Out (I'm a New Yorker)
Considering:
Tartine
Pacific Catch
Murasaki - my friend raves about this place
Need recommendations on:
Sushi
Dim Sum
Good Sandwiches (Not Boudin)
Anything else! Thank you!
#2re: Good BAY AREA Reasonably-Priced Eats
Posted: 11/13/08 at 5:08am
Yelp have a lot of input but here are some of my recommendations from the church/market area just off the muni underground stop.
Cathay Express
Red Jade
Burgermeister
And a bunch of other taquerias, vietnamese, japanese, filipino, italian, brazillian, american and dessert places.
For sandwiches, there are always 5 dolla footlongs at subway or for some treat,
I go to Lee's Vietnamese Sandwiches near City Hall.
Stop by the Visitor's center at the powell st. Underground and grab a copy of 7x7 restaurant guide :)
#2re: Good BAY AREA Reasonably-Priced Eats
Posted: 11/13/08 at 5:09am
'wichcraft is good for sandwiches. They may have a few in NYC, but I'm not sure.
Harvey's is always a fun place to have brunch. I've never had a bad meal there. They also have great Bloody Marys. It's at 18th and Castro.
Pomodoro or Fuzios is a good place too. Pomodoro is on Market between Noe and Castro, and Fuzio is in the Castro. Fuzio has an awesome firecracker pork pasta dish. If you like spice, check it out. It has an open kitchen and bar. Great for cold nights!
Pomodoro is a moderately priced italian place. They have great lunch specials. Last week, they had a 5 Pasta Dishes for 5 bucks. Awesome!
I've never had a bad dish at Scala's, inside the Sir Francis Drake. They make their own pasta, and it's supposed to be the best in the city.
Kasa is a cafteria style Indian eatery. Down 18th, on the way to Dolores Park. Great, cheap food, and fun staff. Open kitchen.
You're just in time for the L'Occitane Friends and Family benefit! Come to the Castro store and receive 25% off the entire purchase. We've got some great offers on our travel sizes.
Hope that helps.
Red Jade is much better than Cathay Express. Burgermeister is okay, but not my favorite. If I want a burger, I go to Sliders. Or Johnny Rockets, on Van Ness. Chow has some good sandwiches, but I think its too overpriced for what it is.
I also don't like Orphan Andy's. Way too overpriced for a 24 hour diner. Plus, the servers (all young, attractive men) are too bitchy.
-JG2
#3re: Good BAY AREA Reasonably-Priced Eats
Posted: 11/13/08 at 8:09am
Ahhh...
A LITTLE family-owned Sandwich Place is Mae's
on 14th Street off Market
Down across from Safeway
MMMMmmmm......
There's a whole System in place
Type of Filling, Type of Bread, Step Up
Served with an Almond Cookie
#4re: Good BAY AREA Reasonably-Priced Eats
Posted: 11/13/08 at 11:52am
For an absolutely unbelievable dinner, check out 2223 on Market Street. Their chicken dish is the best I've ever had in my life. Garlic mashed potatoes, green beans, with Maui Onion Rings. The Maui onions are sweeter in taste and to die for. Check out their site...
http://www.2223restaurant.com
Fantastic food all the way around!
#5re: Good BAY AREA Reasonably-Priced Eats
Posted: 11/13/08 at 12:07pm
I've had brunch and dinner there many times and the food is excelllent. It is not inexpensive, however.
Their Bloody Mary will put hair on your chest!
Updated On: 11/13/08 at 12:07 PM
Unknown User
Joined: 12/31/69
#6re: Good BAY AREA Reasonably-Priced Eats
Posted: 11/13/08 at 12:11pmHome Plate! 2274 Lombard Breakfast
#7re: Good BAY AREA Reasonably-Priced Eats
Posted: 11/13/08 at 12:34pm
Yes, I guess everyone has a different defination about what is expensive and what is not. To me, 2223 is very reasonable considering what you're getting - a fantastic meal, in a fantastic part of town and good conversation with your friends. After your meal, you can walk up Market to the Castro and window shop in all the shops and stores. It all makes for a very enjoyable evening.
I'll be in SF next weekend to see Dame Edna, and I'll be dining there on Saturday night.......can't wait!
Updated On: 11/13/08 at 12:34 PM
#8re: Good BAY AREA Reasonably-Priced Eats
Posted: 11/13/08 at 12:50pm
Reasonably priced dim sum?! 
Great Eastern in Chinatown is your best bet.
mll85
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/18/06
#9re: Good BAY AREA Reasonably-Priced Eats
Posted: 11/13/08 at 3:27pm
If you want Japanese noodles, try Katana-Ya on Geary between Mason and Taylor. It's a small Japanese restaurant but their known for their Ramen. It's some of the best Ramen I've had and reasonabley priced. Depending on what kind you order, price ranges between $6-12.
Definately go to Tartine. It's always crowded when I go there but usually I'll just pick up something and walk down to dolores park and enjoy it there. If you can, try their morning buns, but they always end up running out.
Another bakery you might want to try it La Boulange. It's a french bakery and they have a few reatail/cafes throught the city.
Also try Delfina, a great little modern Italian restaurant. They only do dinner, but their pizzeria is open all day and right next door to the restaurant and they openend a new location off of Filmore in the Pacific Heights neighborhood. They do thin crust Neapolitan pizzas. http://www.delfinasf.com/
I also reccomend Front Porch for dinner. It's a Caribbean soul food. Me and some friends were walking around the neighborhood and decided to try this place and really enjoyed it. Luckily we went right when they opened because it got real busy, real fast.
http://www.thefrontporchsf.com
I don't know if you want to travel out of the city, but for a great sandwich shop I reccomend Little Lucca. It's a really small place in South San Francisco on El Camino. The sandwiches are around $5-6 and are huge.
If you don't want to go out of the city, try Tommy's Joint on Geary and Van Ness, although it's really more of a hofbrau then a sandwich shop. But it's still good and inexpensive.
There's also Chow. Nice classic American restaurant. I usually order their pork chops or their roast chicken when I go there.
http://www.chowfoodbar.com/
I have more reccomendations but that's what I could think of right now.
Updated On: 11/13/08 at 03:27 PM
#10re: Good BAY AREA Reasonably-Priced Eats
Posted: 11/13/08 at 3:43pmChow is great (although I've only been to the one in Lafayette). So is Home, which is nearby. It's a bit overpriced, but the food is excellent.
#11re: Good BAY AREA Reasonably-Priced Eats
Posted: 11/13/08 at 5:55pmNirvana on Castro is Fantastic Asian-Fusion cuisine, moderately priced
#12re: Good BAY AREA Reasonably-Priced Eats
Posted: 11/13/08 at 9:48pm
Fuzios is fantastic
Pomodoro and Harveys are trendy little places that frankly just don't have good food. (and the staffs attitude at Pomodoro is frankly ridiculous)Do not waste the money.....might as well eat at Denny's....the young-ins go to to Harvey's to be seen.....
2223 is good, never had a bad meal there.
Ma Tante Sumi is fantastic, we always celebrated our anniversary there
http://www.ktvu.com/restaurants/1893916/detail.html
Blue...is fun, comfort food, friendly staff
http://www.ktvu.com/restaurants/1893399/detail.html
and frankly I never had bad Dim Sum when I lived in SF, and we'd go to Chinatown and pick a place.......the hole in the wall places were always good.....
#13re: Good BAY AREA Reasonably-Priced Eats
Posted: 11/14/08 at 2:09am
Thank you everyone for your wonderful suggestions. Looks like I'm going on an eating trip.
LizzieCurry, I went to Ton Kiang with my brother a couple of years ago, and we spent almost 40 bucks each for brunch. Here in New York, I'd go to this good dim sum restaurant in Queens with my folks, and it'd run us less than 15 bucks each. I might just skip the dim sum there.
mll85, La Boulange / Bay Bread is my absolute favorite patisserie ever. I go there every time I go to SF and I buy a lot of stuff back to New York.
#14re: Good BAY AREA Reasonably-Priced Eats
Posted: 11/14/08 at 11:53am
I've never had a bad meal at Pasta Pomodoro or Harvey's. And honey, I never go anywhere to "be seen". I usually sit at the corner booth with my back to the window at Harvey's. With a Bloody Mary Martin. Or two.
Steve, my usual server at Pasta P, is a huge sweetheart with no attitude.
Home is way overpriced for what it is, but the food is just so damn good. Great meatloaf.
Blue has great mac-n-cheese.
A great sandwich shop is Specialties. There's one at Post St, at Market (Montgomery stop).
-JG2
#15re: Good BAY AREA Reasonably-Priced Eats
Posted: 11/14/08 at 4:39pm
There are several Specialty's all over downtown SF. Their soups are quite good, too.
I ate at Harvey's once and it was pretty good. I don't remember being amazed, but I was happy.
Also, try the Honey Honey cafe & Crepery near the Curran Theatre. Good stuff, nice staff!
http://www.yelp.com/biz/honey-honey-cafe-and-crepery-san-francisco
#17re: Good BAY AREA Reasonably-Priced Eats
Posted: 11/22/08 at 4:17am
A little update on my 2008 trip to San Francisco (with ratings!). Again, I appreciate everyone's suggestions. I did not get to everyone's suggestions but I will keep them in mind for my next trip to the BAY.
Where I ate in SF:
Sai Jai Thai - decent, somewhat authentic Thai food. They deliver to my friend's apartment in SOMA, which was great. They also use compositable food containers, which was even better. I ordered from there twice. (7/10)
Pacific Catch (Marina, Chestnut St.) - had lunch there after the Protest on Saturday. I had the Wasabi Ahi sandwich which I thought was really good. Great, friendly service. Those sweet potato fries are good! (8/10)
Murasaki (Richmond, Clement St.) - FANTASTIC sushi. Insanely good and CHEAP considering the quality. 10/10 for sushi but 7/10 from the kitchen. Good service. An NYC equivalent to this place would be $80, compared to the $32 I paid. (9/10)
Love at First Bite (Berkeley) - Cupcakes. Way too sweet and I'm not a big cupcake person, but the place was cute. My friend and I had to go out of our way to get them..don't know if it was worth it. The cupcakes were almost $3 each and I thought Magnolia Bakery was pricey at 1.75. (6/10)
Katana-Ya (Geary) - First of all, thanks to mll85 for the recommendation to this place. I went there with my local friends who hadn't been there before. We all really liked the ramen there. Really good stuff. (8.5/10)
In-N-Out (Fisherman's Wharf) - I used to think In-N-Out was good but this last time the burger was just way too greasy. Kinda overrated. (5/10)
Minh's Garden Vietnamese Cuisine (Richmond, Clement St.) - Pretty good local Vietnamese place. I question the cleanliness of this place though. (7/10)
L'Osteria Del Forno (North Beach - Columbus Ave) - I had to wait half an hour for a table for 2 with my friend on a Monday night. Wonderful prices and really good service. Great Italian food + thin-crust pizza. I loved it. (9/10)
The House (North Beach - Grant Ave) - The pièce de résistance of my trip. Everything perfectly cooked. Menu selection was PERFECT - not too much, not too little. Meal was incredible and service was very good. Price compared to quality was a steal. Loved this place. Never had food that great at that price here in New York. (10/10)
Tartine (Mission) - Got up early for breakfast the day I had to leave SF. I had the bread pudding which was good but kinda made me sick so early in the morning. Croissant was a little burnt but it was an insanely good croissaint - crispy on the outside, super soft and chewy on the inside. (9/10)
La Boulange (Pine and Fillmore St.) - I go here every time I leave San Francisco. One of the best patisseries I've ever been to, even though it's on the pricey side. I just finished the canneles and macarons I brought back. New York doesn't have anything equivalent to the quality and taste of this place..at least I haven't found it yet. (10/10)
Again, I didn't get a chance to visit all the places you guys recommended even though I wanted to. I was there for less than 5 days. I didn't even get to see all my friends who live down there. mll85, I made reservations at Delfina (my "foodie" New Yorker friend RAVED about that place), but I never made it. My other friend who I was supposed to go with couldn't make the reserved time, but it's definitely on my list for my next trip.
#18re: Good BAY AREA Reasonably-Priced Eats
Posted: 11/22/08 at 9:20amwell fiction, maybe both of those restaurants have changed since we moved
#19re: Good BAY AREA Reasonably-Priced Eats
Posted: 11/22/08 at 11:13am
Since you mentioned only the "young-ins" go to Harvey's, I looked around the last few times I've been.
Mostly older people. Two older women sat next to us, and two guys in their 40s sat to the other side.
So, yeah, looks like a lot has changed.
-JG2
mll85
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/18/06
#20re: Good BAY AREA Reasonably-Priced Eats
Posted: 11/22/08 at 6:24pm
verynewyorkcurious, glad you enjoyed some of my recommendations. Definitely try to get to Delfina next time you're in SF. When I go there, I always have a great experience. And the quality is consistent. But it's expected when the executive chef/owner is a James Beard Award winner.
I think I might try some of the places you went to that I haven't been to before.
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