The best new street food in San Francisco
What people in the Bay Area are eating.
The 47 square miles of San Francisco contain a myriad of worlds, ethnic as well as financial and cultural. If there is one thing that ties the inhabitants of these worlds together, it’s the love of food. San Franciscans tend to have local classics that they swear by, and might even keep close to their chest, in fear of “blowing up the spot”, as the saying goes. But they are also eternally curious, and always looking for the next big thing in gastronomy. Right now, this is what San Francisco likes to eat.
Korean corn dog
STIX
The Korean version of the humble carnival classic, the corn dog, puts its American forefather in the corner with a dunce cap. This beautiful abomination comes covered in things like french fries, ramen, or hot cheetos, and has an outer core of gooey mozzarella cheese surrounding a delicious sausage. It’s sprinkled with sugar (!) and comes with dipping sauces to boot. At STIX in the Sunset District, the house made wasabi mayo brings it all together. Enjoy it in one of the nearby parks, or take Taraval all the way down to Ocean Beach for seaside views.
The trendiest pizza
Square Pie Guys
San Francisco does not really have the same kind of regionally distinct pizza as cities like Chicago or New York, so what dominates the local pizza scene is largely dependent on trends. Right now that trend points towards square pizza from Detroit, a deep-dish style rectangular pie with burnt cheesy edges and a soft and spongy bottom, not unlike a focaccia. Square Pie Guys in the SoMa area has options like vodka sauce, charred pineapple and garlic confit, but the Regular Square with red sauce, mozzarella, topped with grana really lets the burnt cheesiness take center stage.
All things chicken
The Bird
When fast food chain Popeye’s created their own version of a chicken sandwich (in an attempt to compete with rival fast food chain Chick-fil-A), it became an instant success. At its peak, the sandwich was so popular it would sell out, leading to chaotic scenes in stores around the U.S. Since then, any self respecting chain has their own version. The Bird in Hayes Valley is run by local gourmet burger chain Super Duper Burger, and focuses on all things chicken. You can’t miss with the chicken biscuit, a fall-apart flaky bun with a piece of fried chicken slathered in hot sauce. Comes with crispy tater tots too.
Mighty muffuletta
Sandy’s
Muffuletta is a round bread, soft on the inside and crispy and covered in sesame seed on the outside, originally from Sicily. But muffuletta is also a sandwich, created by Sicilian immigrants in New Orleans, and now a feature at several San Francisco restaurants and sandwich shops. The muffuletta consists of a salad of chopped olives and other vegetables, various deli meats like mortadella and salami, and provolone cheese. Pick it up at the cradle of flower-power culture, Haight-Ashbury, at Sandy’s (an ⅛ is plenty for one person!), and walk over to the Panhandle of the Golden Gate Park and enjoy it in the shade of a eucalyptus tree.
Latin meets Asian
Cantoo
Late night San Francisco eats can be hard to find, and during the pandemic some of the city's nocturnal classics closed their doors for good. Hidden gem and local favorite Cantoo in the Tenderloin, bucks the trend with its 11PM closing time. A fusion of Asian and Venezuelan flavors, this rotisserie is humble yet exquisite. Cantoo’s signature rotisserie chicken is juicy, with golden skin, and is as humble as it is excellent. Served in the Combo Valenciano with fried rice, aioli, cole slaw and sweet and sour sauce. Delicious. And don’t leave before trying the empanadas, some of the best in the city!
A taco phenomenon
El Patrón
From Tijuana via Southern California, landing in San Francisco in 2019 – quesabirria is a taco phenomenon that remains as popular as ever, and with good reason! Quesa, from the melted cheese on the tortilla, and birria from a rich mexican stew or soup made from adobo marinated meat, spices and broth, the quesabirria is a taco with stewed meat that you dunk in a broth on the side. Still primarily a foodtruck item, but popular taqueria El Patrón in the Mission has a version that could rival any hipster pop-up outfit.
Text by Tomas Hemstad