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Had to book a few weeks in advance, but it was well worth it. Food was great, and not extremely pricey by SF standards. Some people have complained about the service, but the service was excellent when I was there. They were even able to accommodate a last minute addition of a dozen oysters on the half shell because we enjoyed them so much as appetizers. Highly recommend.
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MYTH
Cuisine: French Californian
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Downtown |
8/16/2006
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Very generic, average food. They specialize in sandwiches and salads. Portions are huge though. Search for another place is you have the time.
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Max's Opera Cafe
Cuisine: Deli Dessert
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Civic Center |
3/31/2005
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Fat Slice is cheap, but probably the worst pizza you can get in SF. I even prefer pizzas from big chains like Round Table over the pizza here.
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Fat Slice Pizza
Cuisine: Pizza
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Haight-Ashbury/Cole Valley |
3/31/2005
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Great ice cream, but the wait can be extremely long. You definitely have to be mentally prepared for the wait (sometimes 30 minutes or longer). Worth it if you're an ice cream fan.
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Mitchells Ice Cream
Cuisine: Ice Cream Dessert
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Mission |
3/31/2005
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Great Cantonese food. It's also very cheap. Make sure to get the fried chicken wings and a Chinese drink. There's also a ton of desserts/pastries in front.
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Washington Bakery & Restaurant
Cuisine: Bakeries Chinese
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Chinatown |
3/31/2005
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Beautiful dining room and great, romantic atmosphere. A great place to bring a date for a romantic dinner. Foie gras and wine selection was excellent. The environment was quiet and subdued so it might not be the best place to bring a group of friends for a exciting evening.
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Fleur De Lys
Cuisine: French (New)
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Nob Hill |
3/31/2005
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Nice traditional French restaurant at good prices. A great place to go since there isn't too many traditional French restaurants in SF. I enjoyed their lamb and escargot a lot.
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La Bergerie Restaurant
Cuisine: French
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Inner Richmond |
3/31/2005
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Excellent vegetarian Chinese food. They make the greatest "monk's food," which are dishes that taste like meat, but are made purely from vegetables. The atmosphere isn't great, but you can get take-out if you're in a hurry.
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Lucky Creation
Cuisine: Vegetarian Vegan Chinese
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Chinatown |
3/31/2005
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The atmosphere was very good, food was decent, but there's a lot better choices in SF for French.
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Jardiniere Restaurant
Cuisine: Californian
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Hayes Valley |
3/31/2005
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Decent food for a decent price. Nothing too special, but it's a good place to grab a quick bite of noodles.
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Tampopo
Cuisine: Japanese
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Japantown |
3/31/2005
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There's always tons of people waiting an extremely long time just to eat mediocre sushi. The wait isn't worth it just to save a few bucks.
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Kitaro Restaurant
Cuisine: sushi japanese
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Outer Richmond |
3/31/2005
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This place has probably one of the best decors in SF. The food can't compete with other restaurants in the same price range, but you should go there at least once just to check out the cool ocean-themed decor.
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Farallon
Cuisine: Seafood
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Downtown |
3/31/2005
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Not too impressed with the steaks here, but they are a chain afterall. Go to House of Prime Rib or Harris' for a place that's a little more unique.
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Ruth's Chris Steak House
Cuisine: Steakhouses
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Polk St./Van Ness |
3/31/2005
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Steaks are very good here, but they are quite expensive (I paid $30 for mine). The waits can be very long, but I think it's worth it overall because there's not too many non-chain restaurants that specialize in steaks anymore.
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Harris' Restaurant
Cuisine: Steakhouses
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Polk St./Van Ness |
3/31/2005
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The prime rib is pretty good, and it's a great place to bring large parties to dine. Not too many restaurants left in SF with an old school feel like House of Prime Rib.
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House of Prime Rib
Cuisine: Steakhouses
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Polk St./Van Ness |
3/31/2005
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Good food in general, but not a place to find authentic Vietnamese food. I agree with others that it's very trendy and pricey. If you want to try it, go during lunch time since there's less of a wait and prices are a little more affordable.
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Slanted Door, The
Cuisine: Vietnamese
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Embarcadero |
3/31/2005
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Garlic fries and beer are awesome. Their burgers are alright. Everytime I've tried anything else on their menu, however, it was disappointing. Go there around game time if you want to hang out with fellow fans.
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Gordon Biersch
Cuisine: Pub Food
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Pacific Bell Park/South Beach |
3/31/2005
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The place is kinda dim and dirty, but you will forgive them for that once you see the prices and taste their authentic Chinese food. Not open as late as the place next door on the corner, but it has better food in my opinion.
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Hing Lung
Cuisine: Chinese Seafood
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Chinatown |
3/31/2005
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Classic ice cream parlor. A great place to go, even though there's tons of annoying tourists loitering around. Definitely one of the places that define SF.
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Ghirardelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop
Cuisine: Ice Cream
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Fishermans Wharf |
3/31/2005
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Doesn't really live up to the hype because there's nothing special about the food. The food was good, but there's much better food out there for the same price range. I think I could've even made the same caliber food at home, even though I'm not a good cook. Service was pretty good though.
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Town Hall
Cuisine: American (New)
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SoMa |
3/31/2005
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Portions are ridiculously huge, but the food isn't really that great. There's much better Italian food in North Beach. A lot of people come here for birthday dinners since it's a more laid-back environment. I wouldn't go here to impress a date, however.
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Buca di Beppo
Cuisine: Italian
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SoMa |
3/31/2005
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I went to this place a few years ago and thought it was excellent. I heard that the chef changed since then, however. Some friends are telling me that the food has gone downhill, and reading others' reviews just confirm their thoughts.
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Fifth Floor Restaurant
Cuisine: French (New)
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SoMa |
3/31/2005
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I absolutely love garlic so this place was heaven for me. I went a little too crazy last time and ordered their appetizer that's just a bunch of cloves of garlic. I ate practically the whole thing by myself, and didn't feel to great afterwards. Good food, but don't go overboard.
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Stinking Rose
Cuisine: Italian Californian
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North Beach |
3/31/2005
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I went in not expecting too much, but it turned out to be a plesant experience. Both the food and service was pretty good. The prices could have been better for Italian food, but overall a decent deal.
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Scala's Bistro
Cuisine: French Italian
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Downtown |
3/31/2005
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The place is very loud, and you'll most likely be crammed into a tiny little spot next to a bunch of other patrons, but the food is quite decent. The atmosphere is also very lively so it's a fun place to get a quick dinner.
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Michelangelo Restaurant Caffe
Cuisine: Italian
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North Beach |
3/31/2005
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Please do yourself a favor, and look for an authentic Italian restaurant in North Beach. It's such a waste to live next to a great Little Italy and then eating at Pasta Pomodoro.
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Pasta Pomodoro
Cuisine: Italian
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North Beach |
3/31/2005
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The crab isn't that great, and it's kinda expensive for what you get (I guess everything is around the Fisherman's Wharf area), but the atmosphere is pretty lively and funny. The waiters and waitresses dance every now and then to music and they embarrass people on their birthdays by making them do stupid things. Looks like a fun place to bring kids to.
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Joe's Crab Shack
Cuisine: Seafood American (Traditional) Fajitas
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Fishermans Wharf |
3/31/2005
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Yuk, this is definitely not authentic Mexican food by any standard, but it seems like a great place to have birthday parties because the waiters sing and give the birthday person a free hat. Margaritas also help to spice things up.
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Chevy's Fresh Mex
Cuisine: Tex-mex Mexican
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Embarcadero |
3/31/2005
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Great location on Broadway/Columbus so you can stop by to get dessert after some late night drinking around the area. It's your standard Asian dessert shop, but the one big plus is that it's open later than most places.
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Yoogo Gelato
Cuisine: Dessert Gelato Crepes
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Chinatown |
3/31/2005
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Read tons of positive reviews about this place so I had to try it, but I didn't find it to be that great. I've had better burritos and tacos from taco trucks in the East Bay and San Jose. This place might be the best you can get in SF though.
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La Taqueria
Cuisine: Mexican
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Mission |
3/31/2005
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Very good, upscale restaurant in Downtown that specializes in seafood. All their dishes were excellent, but just like everyone said, it's going to break your wallet. I would rather go to Gary Danko for better food at about the same price.
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AQUA
Cuisine: Californian French Basque Seafood
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Downtown |
3/31/2005
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Yuk, this is the most unauthentic Asian food you could possibly get. The noodle quality is terrible, and the seasoning is even worse. Like wjboring said, go to Chinatown.
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Long Life Noodle Company and Jook Joint
Cuisine: Asian Noodle
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SoMa |
3/31/2005
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Good place to get a quick bite of Indian food. I've had better Indian food at other places, but the food is alright for the price you pay. It has the atmosphere of a fast food place, so it's not a place to sit down and have a nice dinner.
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Naan n' Curry
Cuisine: Pakistani Indian
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Tenderloin |
3/31/2005
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The Thai Chicken pizza and Kung Pao spaghetti is pretty good here, but you can definitely get better food for the same price if you just search for it.
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California Pizza Kitchen
Cuisine: Californian Pizza
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Civic Center |
3/31/2005
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Pretty decent noodle shop for SF. SF lacks restaurants that have really good Udon so you have to settle and go to places like Mifune.
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Mifune
Cuisine: Japanese Noodle Shops
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Japantown |
3/31/2005
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You can find Boudin's all over the Bay Area so it's not all that unique. Their clam chowder and sandwiches are ok, but there's so many places with better chowder and sandwiches. I would try to find a non-chain restaurant if you're searching specifically for clam chowder.
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Boudin Sourdough Bakery
Cuisine: Bakeries American Bistro
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Fishermans Wharf |
3/31/2005
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A little expensive for what you get, but it's a pretty decent place overall. I liked the atmosphere since it was away from the really crowded parts of Union Square, but I agree with Jadegyrlee in that Sanraku is a much better bang for your buck.
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Hana Zen
Cuisine: Japanese Sushi
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Downtown |
3/31/2005
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This is one of the few authentic Hong Kong style dessert places in SF. It's a good place to go for a late night dessert snack. During lunch time, there's pretty good deals on sandwiches and drinks. Best of all, it's very affordable.
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Golden Island Cafe
Cuisine: Dessert (Chinese)
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Outer Sunset |
3/31/2005
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Tastes like the crepes they make in Japan. I usually get their dessert crepes, and you can watch them make it in front of your eyes. Price isn't too bad either.
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Sophie's Crepes
Cuisine: Crepes Dessert
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Japantown |
3/31/2005
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Food's not that great, but it's always busy at night because of its great location next to the bars/clubs on Columbus & Broadway. Good place to get a late night snack.
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New Sun Hong Kong Restaurant
Cuisine: Chinese Seafood
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Chinatown |
3/31/2005
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Glas Kat is one of those restaurants during the evening, club during the night places. Avoid the restaurant unless you want to get free cover to the club.
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Glas Kat
Cuisine: Fusion Tapas Pan Asian
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Embarcadero |
3/31/2005
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Great Thai food. Atmosphere isn't that great, but it's pretty decent for being in the Tenderloin. Parking can definitely be difficult. I also like the fact that it's open past midnight.
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Osha Thai Noodle Cafe
Cuisine: Thai Noodle Shops
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Tenderloin |
3/31/2005
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Great place to get a quick bite. You can order dishes in two portions. There's half-orders and full-orders, which is pretty convenient if you're getting lunch with friends and you aren't that hungry. My favorite dish is their Ahi skewers.
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Asqew Grill
Cuisine: Californian
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Haight-Ashbury/Cole Valley |
3/31/2005
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I usually eat the do-it-yourself BBQ when I go here, and it's generally very good. The filet mignon with miso is probably the best meat choice on the menu. It's very tender and tasty. The prices wouldn't be bad if their portions were bigger, but unfortunately, their portions are relatively small so in order to get full, the bill will end up being higher than you would expect.
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Juban
Cuisine: Japanese
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Japantown |
3/31/2005
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Great, authentic Cantonese food in Chinatown. Not one of those tourist traps. Seafood such as their lobster and crab are excellent. Parking isn't too bad since there's a parking lot just one block away.
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R & G Lounge
Cuisine: Chinese
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Chinatown |
3/31/2005
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Atmosphere is fun because there's always a crowd, but the food is just ok. The sangria is good and you can get it by the pitcher for the whole table.
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Cha Cha Cha
Cuisine: Caribbean Tapas
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Mission |
3/31/2005
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Good burgers at good prices. Definitely better than McDonald's and Burger King. Place can be really packed on the weekends so be prepared to fight crowds and wait a few minutes for your burger to come up.
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In-n-out
Cuisine: Hamburgers
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Fishermans Wharf |
3/31/2005
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Big time tourist joint, but it's fun if you go once just to check out the over-the-top rainforest decorations. The food isn't really up to par so don't expect too much. Kids love it because of the fake rainstorm effects and aquariums they have in the lobby.
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Rainforest Cafe
Cuisine: American
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Fishermans Wharf |
3/31/2005
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Their sandwiches are not bad, and I enjoyed their large assortment of olives. It's a chain, but it's a good place to get a quick bite of food.
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A. G. Ferrari Foods
Cuisine: Italian Deli
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SoMa |
3/31/2005
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Great place to get a quick bite to eat in Chinatown. Get their chicken wings, and try out one of their Chinese drinks on the menu.
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Capital Restaurant
Cuisine: Chinese
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Chinatown |
3/31/2005
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The dim sum is really cheap here. It could be better, but I definitely can't complain since the price is so good. Can be crowded during dim sum time (around noon) so be prepared for a wait on the weekends.
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Lichee Garden Restaurant
Cuisine: Cantonese Chinese Dim Sum
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North Beach |
3/31/2005
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Very good food at affordable prices. Their gyros and chicken pie are excellent. I've also heard that their eggplant salad is really good, but I haven't tried it since I'm not a big eggplant fan. The place is small, and parking is difficult to find in the area though.
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Gyro King
Cuisine: Mediterranean
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Civic Center |
3/31/2005
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Caters to people who want to grab a quick bowl of soup for take out. Very good soup and a pretty decent variety of them. I tried their corn chowder and really liked it, but it is pretty pricey for what you get. I paid about $7, and I didn't really get full. I think I'll get their largest size next time.
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San Francisco Soup Company
Cuisine: Soups
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Downtown |
3/31/2005
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Probably the best ice cream you can get in SF. They have a lot of unique flavors such as Green Tea and Butterscotch. They have about 50 flavors on any given day, and their flavors always change so you never get bored.
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Polly Ann Ice Cream
Cuisine: Dessert
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Outer Sunset |
3/31/2005
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I went on a Friday night, and the place was packed so make sure you make reservations. The atmosphere was pretty lively with both locals and tourists enjoying themselves in SF. I was most impressed with the Ahi Tuna Salad. The other items we ordered such as the Hawaiian steak were pretty average. The portions were huge though so you don't have to really order too much to get full. Service was very good. Definitely a place to consider if you're around the Embarcadero area.
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Houston's Restaurant
Cuisine: American
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Embarcadero |
3/30/2005
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Pretty decent NY style thin-crust pizza. Their potato, pesto, and garlic pizza was original. The place is kind of a dump, but what do you expect since it's on Haight.
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Escape From NY Pizza
Cuisine: Pizza
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Haight-Ashbury/Cole Valley |
3/30/2005
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Waits here can be painfully long (over 1 hour) because a lot of tourists seem to like it. Food isn't really that great, but the portions are at least big. The cheesecake is pretty good though. The view can be really nice outside if the weather is sunny. Otherwise sit inside so you won't have to freeze your butt off.
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Cheesecake Factory, The
Cuisine: American (Traditional) Dessert
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Downtown |
3/30/2005
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A typical diner like Mel's with big hamburgers and milkshakes. Not really a place you look for quality food, but more for a quick bite to eat.
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Lori's Diner
Cuisine: American (Traditional) Coffee Shops/Diners
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Downtown |
3/30/2005
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More of a place to enjoy playing pool and watching a Monday night football game than to eat. The food that I ate there was decent, but you can get a lot better for the same price elsewhere.
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Jillian's
Cuisine: American
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Downtown |
3/30/2005
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This place is tucked away in a corner in the Sony Metreon so I was kind of skeptical about it when I first went there, but I was pleasantly surprised to find good food and even better prices. The lunches are the best deal, but dinner is also very affordable. The food is authentic and fresh. I would recommend ordering an entree and fresh sushi.
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Sanraku Four Seasons
Cuisine: Japanese
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Downtown |
3/30/2005
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I would have to say this is the best restaurant in SF. The food is consistently amazing, the wine selection is outstanding, and the service is great. Prices will hurt the wallet, but for what you get, it's worth it.
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GARY DANKO
Cuisine: American (New)
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Fishermans Wharf |
3/30/2005
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One of the best restaurants in SF. I've been here a few times, and both the food and service is consistently good. As for the atmosphere, it is usually louder than most high-end restaurants in SF so if you want a more romantic atmosphere, I would probably go to another place.
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BOULEVARD
Cuisine: American (New)
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Embarcadero |
3/30/2005
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I went to Ebisu initially because I read some good reviews about the place on the Internet and weeklies. I was fairly disappointed though since the sushi wasn't up to par (the rice was especially bad) and the service could have been a lot better. For better sushi in the city, go to Kabuto's.
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Ebisu
Cuisine: Japanese Sushi
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Inner Sunset |
3/30/2005
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For such a large city, SF doesn't really have good sushi. This place is one of the exceptions. It used to be in a larger space across the street so it's now even more difficult to get a seat. Be prepared to wait 30 minutes or longer. The wait is worth it, however, since the sushi is fresh and authentic. Make sure to get the toro and ama ebi.
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Kabuto Sushi
Cuisine: Sushi Japanese
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Outer Richmond |
3/30/2005
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