These Iconic San Francisco Dishes Are Seriously Worth Traveling For
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Whether you moved to San Francisco for a job at Facebook, the vibrant LGBTQ community or the breezy bay, there’s no denying the beauty of this city. You have the Golden Gate Bridge as a backdrop, Victorian houses that remind you of “Full House,” Silicon Valley, Fisherman’s Wharf and constantly comfortable weather all year long (minus the fog). And we haven’t even gotten to the food yet. This bay city has some iconic dishes that are seriously worth traveling for.
Egg Custard Tarts — Golden Gate Bakery
The Golden Gate Bakery is known for its custard egg tarts that are the perfect combination of light, creamy, buttery and flaky.
Strawberry Maju — Benkyodo
Manju is a type of Chinese-style steamed bun that has sweet fillings inside. Benkyodo makes a strawberry manju that’s a local favorite. It has a smooth white lima bean exterior and fresh strawberries inside.
Caldo Verde — Grubstake
If you live near Grubstake in San Fran, you’ve probably taken a walk for the Portuguese soup caldo verde. This soup is made with potatoes, kale and smoke-cured sausage and seasoned with garlic and paprika.
Carnitas Burrito — La Taqueria
Named America’s Best Burrito, La Taqueria is a James Beard award winner — and rightfully so. This San Fran must-have is prepared assembly line-style. The guac is added by the spoonful with pico de gallo, sour cream gets in there via squeeze bottle and the liquid ratio of beans to salsa is close to perfect. The carnitas, along with the rest of the ingredients, remain juicy throughout and are served in a warm tortilla (with no rice).
Apple Fritter — Bob’s Donut And Pastry Shop
No trip to San Fran is complete without an apple fritter from Bob’s Donut and Pastry Shop. The legendary apple fritter is big and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It’s filled with apples and cinnamon and it’ll pretty much satisfy any and all of your sweet carb cravings.
Cruffin — Mr. Holmes Bakehouse
Mr. Holmes Bakehouse makes a ton of weird carb creations, but one of their most successful inventions is the Cruffin. The croissant and muffin hybrid is flaky, buttery, filled with cream (flavors will vary) and coated in sugar.
Hangtown Fry — Tadich Grill
San Fran’s Tadich Grill is known for its Hangtown Fry, which is basically a rich fried oyster, green onion and bacon omelet that’s served with a side of sliced tomatoes.
Chicken With Explosive Chili Pepper — Z & Y
Z & Y is your basic Chinese restaurant serving Sichuan and Northern Chinese dishes. One dish that seems to draw a lot of attention is the Chicken with Explosive Chili Peppers. The diced chicken thighs are fried, juicy and tender, and they come surrounded by a giant mount of dried chili peppers.
Roast Chicken And Bread Salad — Zuni Cafe
The roasted chicken and bread salad at Zuni Cafe is a religion for people in the San Francisco area. The chicken is dry-brined to be extra juicy and roasted to golden-brown crackling bliss. The brick oven-roasted chicken comes with a Tuscan-style bread salad made of crispy bread, arugula and currants that are coated in the juice from the chicken. It’s salty, juicy, crunchy and addicting all at the same time.
Clam Chowder In A Bread Bowl — Boudin Bakery
Because you might want something touristy while you’re in San Fransisco, go for the bread bowl with clam chowder at Boudin Bakery right on Fisherman’s Wharf. The chowder comes in Boudin Bakery’s famous sourdough bread bowl.
Prime Rib — House of Prime Rib
This San Fran steakhouse, House of Prime Rib, is known for — you guessed it — the prime rib. The juicy steak is served with salad, baked or mashed potato, creamed spinach and Yorkshire pudding. You don’t really ask questions here — you just get the prime rib.
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