DK Travel : San Francisco : Places to eat

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Barney's Gourmet Hamburgers

A fantastic place to take kids who are ready for some familiar food. Barney's may be named after its burgers, but they're famous for their spicy curly fries.

This isn't health food, but you can always hike to the Golden Gate Bridge and back after lunch.

Barney's is located in the busy, buzzy Marina district (internationally famous for its buildings which sank into the landfill on which it's built in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake). Don't worry, everything's been retrofitted now...
Caffe Verona

A relaxing hangout for people to read, converse and work on their laptops over cappuccino.
Chestnut Street

Set in a really nice neighbourhood on the bay side of town, Chestnut street is a nice place to shop, hang out and people watch. Along side the usual shopping chains, you get some nice boutiques and the odd toy and comic shop (which pleases me!).
Fillmore Street

Fillmore Street is where the real San Frans hang out. The coolest shops, bars, cafes and restaurants can be found here - plus some very hip people. Everyone has posing pooches and the cafes seem to cater for them, as metal water bowls litter the pavement. There's a cool cinema, and when I was there, I was pleased to see it was showing a film by my favourite French Director - see photo. We spent most evenings hanging out here.
Joanie's Cafe

Homestyle breakfasts and lunches are the speciality of this comfortable neighborhood restaurant.
luna park

Amazing romantic restaurant near the mission with the best mojitos in the city and gourmet but reasonably priced food.
Mama's Girl

This is probably San Francisco's most popular breakfast spot, and with good reason. The food is divine, the portions are big, and the location (on Washington Square in North Beach) is appealing.

They serve breakfast from 8-3, and lunch for about half that time.

Now the bad news: they don't take credit cards or reservations. Mama's is popular with locals, and it's not unusual to wait an hour and a half for a table!

One parent can stand in line while the other takes the kids across the street to the park to watch people doing Tai Chi. Or next door to Sts. Peter and Paul Church (where Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe were married).

Stay in close contact by cell phone though, you'd hate to lose your table after all the trouble you took to get it.
Mike's Cafe, Etc.

Unpretentious neighborhood restaurant hidden behind a hardware store. Excellent fresh salads, pastas and simple meat dishes are the order of the day.
Neiman Marcus Cafe

This is not the Rotunda Cafe-- this is a small cafe with an entrance on Geary or through the 1st floor of the store. It has simple service, simply great sandwiches, salads, and soups-- all reasonably priced. A perfect lunch spot when shopping near Union Square. There can be a line, so be prepared to wait.
New Asia

Although they don't have the best dim sum in town, New Asia is an unbeatable scene. It's absolutely huge (there used to be a sign on the wall that read, "Maximum Occupancy 1,000") and totally frenetic.

If you've never had dim sum, you're in for a fun time. You choose whatever looks good from the carts speeding past. The servers (whose English is limited) explain their offerings, mark your check, and total it up at the end. It's a great way to eat.

If your kids are picky eaters, ask to see the menu and order some plain rice or noodles. BBQ pork buns are another good choice for the short set.

I'd avoid the bathroom here unless it's an absolute emergency---it's a little too authentic, even for me.