Dishes You Must Eat In San Francisco

Whether you’re visiting San Francisco for the first time or you’ve lived here all your life, you’ll always need a bite to eat while you wander the steep streets. Whatever type of food you’re craving, you should never have to settle for something mediocre. Check out our suggestions for the best dishes in San Francisco and the best places to get them.

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Clam Chowder at Boudin Bakery

You saw this one coming: the clam chowder bread bowl. No visit to San Francisco is complete without this quintessential dish from the seafood-rich Fisherman’s Wharf. Head over to Boudin Bakery, the sourdough bread capital of the city, for the best bread bowl experience possible. The bakery has seven locations around the city, most of them conveniently located downtown. Try the Fisherman’s Wharf location to get the full San Francisco clam chowder experience.

One of the most mythical foods in the Bay Area is Dungeness crab, with a slim season for serving it and a tumultuous history of shortages. As a crab that doesn’t inhabit many places in the world, half of California’s Dungeness crab comes straight from San Francisco itself. Head over to Crab House at Pier 39 for a taste of the best Dungeness crab in the city, roasted in the restaurant’s secret garlic sauce. The best times to go are during fishing season, from November to June.

Burrito at Taqueria Cancun

If you’ve ever walked through the Mission district, you’ve surely passed by dozens of taquerias, all claiming to have the best burritos in the city. The mission is known for having the best Mexican food in the city, and the Mission-style burrito is famously amazing. One of the most popular spots to grab a burrito is Taqueria Cancun at the corner of 19th and Mission. Super burritos, grilled burritos, vegetarian burritos, and Mission burritos are all on the menu here.

Pizza at Golden Boy Pizza

If you ask any San Franciscan where to get Italian food in the city, they will point you toward the North Beach neighborhood, San Francisco’s Little Italy. While there are dozens of pizzerias dotted around the neighborhood, only one draws crowds around the corner. Golden Boy Pizza is famous for its squarely-shaped pizza slices, making it the place ‘where it’s hip to be square.’ The restaurant has a tiny menu, proving that even without a lot of options, its quality is high enough to bring in customers regardless.

Irish Coffee at Buena Vista Cafe

Although Irish coffee doesn’t sound like a drink that would have a rich history in the United States, San Francisco was actually the city that brought it to America. Having tried the concoction at the airport in Shannon, Ireland, a San Francisco Chronicle writer named Stanton Delaplane became determined to bring the drink to America. Working together with Jack Koeppler, owner of the Buena Vista Cafe, she was able to recreate the drink. Visit the cafe to try the original American version of Irish coffee.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.