5 Places To Grub In San Francisco This Weekend

It’s no secret that San Francisco is the mecca for food and culture. It’s a foodies heaven and there are so many good restaurants, its hard to choose which one to go to. My husband and I love to dine out! Before we had kids we used to go out to eat more times in the week than we would stay home. It was pretty much what bonded us in the beginning when we first started dating. haha!

Now that we have kids, we don’t get to go to fancy restaurants or cool and hip bars anymore but we still try and be adventurous with food as much as we can and we bring the kids along.

We’ll often drive to San Francisco for the day (it’s about an hour drive from San Jose) and literally feast from the moment we arrive until the time we leave.

I thought I’d share with you 5 of our favorite places to grub while in the city.

Blue Bottle Coffee at the Ferry Building

Not technically food, but the coffee here is THE BEST! Before you head out for a day of sight seeing, make sure to grab a coffee at Blue Bottle at the Ferry Building. Make sure to scope out which one has the shortest line. There are currently 3 places where you can order from, two located inside the ferry building and one located outside. We recommend the iced coffee, especially on a warm day or their lattes.

Tartine Bakery

Morning buns, morning buns, morning buns!!!! Make sure you arrive here early because the morning buns sell out really quickly! One time my husband lined up at 7:30 am and they were already running low on them. Crazy right? Well if you’re not an early riser and miss out on it, all their pastries are just as good. I especially love their ham & cheese croissant, chocolate croissant and lattes.

Mr. Holmes Bakehouse

They are famous for their cruffin, which is a cross between a croissant and a muffin. Genius right?! Unfortunately, I have not been able to try their cruffins yet because I never make it early enough. But I have gotten their cream filled donuts which are also very popular and they are sinfully good! I swear I have to stop myself from eating more than one because they are so light and airy that it feels like you’re not ingesting any calories. ha, I wish!

When you are here, make sure to get a box of pastries because their boxes are so pretty! You just have to order at least 6 pastries to get the box. And don’t forget to take a picture of the floor and the infamous “I got baked in San Francisco” sign.

The Codmother’s Fish and Chips 

We came across this place during a chance encounter and it was one of the best encounters during one of our foodie adventures. We parked our car and was walking towards Fisherman’s Warf with intentions to eat at a (super touristy) restaurant by the water when we walked passed this small mobile food trailer that was located in what looked like a parking lot area. We walked passed it but something kept calling us to go back. We would look then keep walking, then walk back. Finally, we decided to ditch our fancy over priced dinner at a over rated restaurant and opted to eat at this food truck. BEST DECISION EVER!

We highly recommend their fish and chips. It is so good and by far the best we’ve had at Fisherman’s Warf. The two big pieces of fish are light and the batter is not too thick and the fish is very fresh. The portions are large enough to share if you’re not too hungry or if you’re just there for a snack. Oh and don’t forget to ask for the baja sauce. The owners are super friendly and gracious and absolutely love what they do. I love supporting local small businesses that take pride in what they do.

Hog Island Oyster

Mmmm oysters! We really like dining here, every time we go. Even during the times where its super crowded and busy, it’s still great service and the quality of the oysters are always on point. We recommend getting a table outside even if you have to wait a little because a view of the Bay Bridge (especially during sunset) is worth the wait. You’ll also get to enjoy watching the boats come and go and people watch as they walk by.

As far as oysters, our favorite is the Kumamoto because of its sweet buttery taste. We also ask our server what the specials are for the day and usually go with what they recommend. Pair it with glass of rosé or some cold beer and you’ve got a perfect afternoon siesta.

If you’re looking to do some site seeing as well, check out the 12 things to do in San Francisco for free.