The Most Delectable Comfort Food in San Francisco

La Fusión

★★★★☆ 4.4 • $$

"One of San Francisco's true hidden gems. I think people often over use that term but in the case of La Fusion it's really appropriate - I've been coming here for over ten years and despite the food always being amazing it's never too difficult to get a seat at this place on any given night.It won't seem like much on entry. It's cozy and unassuming - a large bar dominates the space despite them mostly serving wine and sangria. The interior really doesn't really set you up for what you're about to experience.The food itself is an absolutely knock out. I don't think I've ever had anything at this place that I didn't love. The ceviche will be your first good sign: all of them are fresh and packed with flavor, particularly the seared tuna. The lomo saltado with its beef and fries is just a perfect comfort food combination. All of the soups they rotate through are some of the best I've ever had (particularly the mushroom-based one). But as I'm sure everyone else has pointed out, the real star of the show is the rotisserie chicken with the bread salad; obviously the chicken is juicy and falavorful but the rather unassuming sounding "bread salad" sits below the chicken soaking up all the juices and oh-my-god is it amazing. That chicken is easily one of the best meals you can have in San Francisco.Service is really nice and attentive, and the owner/chef clearly is usually working with a big smiling beam on his face suggesting that he knows he's bringing joy to everyone who visits his restaurant.This place is a MUST VISIT."

Comalito

★★★★★ 4.8 (53)

"Came for dinner and were super happy we did! Party of 3. We had revueltas and calabazas pupusas, yucca fries, and 1 ensalada. The ensalada was packed with fruit and was amazing. The pupusas were loaded up and delicious, and the yucca fries were great. The server was super kind and attentive. Can't wait to come back and try more."

Vanida Thai Kitchen

★★★★☆ 3.7 (551) • $$

"Came here today for lunch - first time trying out Vanida. Had my eyes on the beef noodle soup but was pleasantly surprised they offered lunch specials. 2 item combo was like $15! What a deal. Tried the garlic pork and green curry. Delicious! Pork was flavorful and the cilantro lime sauce that came with it knocked it up a notch. Green curry had a small nice spice kick to it as well. I will def be back!"

Ollei

★★★★★ 4.6 (267) • $$

"San Francisco, Polk Gulch. January 2025.Polk is a very walkable and interesting street and a new place to eat there is often worthwhile checking out. The Ollei is near Lord Stanley, just north of Broadway, on the edge of Russian Hill. They're across the street from a Bi-Rite Market. I wasn't expecting much but I found the place to be welcoming and the food familiar Korean comfort food. The difference is the simple modern vibe with K-Pop videos projected on one wall.Meals come with a quartet of simple quick banchan. The danmugi, aka takuan, is sweet pickled yellow strips of daikon radish. The oi muchim is a quick simple sweet and vinegary pickle of sliced cucumber rounds. The beachu kimchi is also slightly sweet. The eomuk, ribbons of Korean style fishcake, is painfully bland. They're only there as flavor changes of pace.I tried the beef dolsot bibimbap. It comes in one of those modern style bowls that will not properly put a charred crust on the rice, so don't get your hopes up. The bulgogi marinated beef is sweet and fulfills its role among the soy bean sprouts, horenso spinach, simmered daikon, julienned carrots, slice mushrooms. The biggest appeal to me was the availability of proper modern Korean soju made with rice - allowing me to skip the green bottle stuff. Good sool will always make a difference to me among Korean dining choices. Won Soju, a label produced by AOMG CEO Jay Park, was the best bottle I saw, and the price point was very good.This is Korean comfort food that will appeal to western tastes. Satisfying, filling, with not too much depth of heat or flavors."

AltoVino

★★★★★ 4.7 (246) • $$$

"AltoVino had a very nice ambiance and amazing service from the bartenders, host, and servers. We ordered the paparadelle, spuma di funghi, and la fiorentina.Spuma di funghi was hands down my favorite!!! It was such a delightful appetizer! I would probably come back just to have this again. I loved how flavorful the mousse wasLa fiorentina: unfortunately it came out last and when I was full so it was no longer appealing to me. However, the leftovers I brought to lunch the next day was such a treat. If you order this, maybe ask if they can bring the food all together rather than one by one. Paparadelle: I didn't care too much for this. It was okay, but I wouldn't order it again.Other than that, this was a pretty good restaurant. Would definitely come again!"

Zhangliang Malatang

★★★★☆ 4.4 (239) • $$

"I was slower to the malatang excitement because I was nervous that mala meant only spicy but there are plenty of other non spicy soup options. Concept is: you grab a bowl, choose your raw foods, and a soup base and the workers will heat up your personalized bowl. From Zhangliang specifically, my trustworthy food friend recommended the tomato soup and it's a mix of broth and creamy tomato soup which was flavorful and refreshing. As for the add in options, each malatang place is a little different but classic things to try and what I always get would be any meat you like, fish balls, tofu, fun leafy vegetables, different mushrooms, and thick clear noodle if you like chewy noodles. Zhangliang Malatang had many fresh add in options, yummy soup options, and I'm excited to visit again."

Curry Hyuga

★★★★★ 4.6 (159) • $$

"Curry Hyuga is now one of our go-to's for Japanese Curry in the city as the food has always been solid every time we've been. For the past couple times we've been here we just did walk-in and we were able to get seating very easily with no wait. The interior is clean and modern, with ample tables for groups to sit in. I've gotten the Pork Katsu curry along with the Corn Potage soup, which both are great dishes! The katsu here is really crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, while the curry has a lot of flavor in it. They also have an interesting spice rack with various levels of spiciness so you can customize your own dish if you want it to have more of a kick. If you're looking for Japanese Curry in SF, this is another great spot to check out!"

Cuisine Cø

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (4)

"This review is based on my two experiences ordering with Cuisine Co. I first found them through DoorDash. I was craving some breakfast at around 8pm and found they had a large menu of all sorts of foods - basically, whatever you're craving. Sweet or savory.The first time, my fiancé ordered their Salmon Atlantic and I had the Eggs Benedict and Strawberry Banana smoothie. The taste far exceeded our expectations. It was delicious and fresh. I don't think I've had an Eggs Benedict that good before! The smoothie was refreshing and they added some chunks of fresh fruit in there. Since our experience was good the first time, I decided to order from them directly the second time. This time we ordered the Eggs Benedict again (how could we not) and their chocolate chip pancakes. The pancakes were delicious and fluffy and could satisfy any sweet tooth. What I also liked is that they use safety stickers on the drinks and the bag to prevent any tampering with it. I recommend ordering from them for some delicious meals as I will be soon again."

Minnie Bells

★★★★☆ 4.1 (28)

"Best soul food in the Bay Area! I literally eat here at least twice a week and I live 30 minutes away"

Swing Shift

★★★★★ 4.7 (66)

"Very creative restaurant serving a variety of cuisines! American, Chinese, Indian, Irish, Mexican and more! It's all fused in this restaurant cafe. I wanted to order more than I did just to taste everything. All items in my order were made with good quality ingredients and care. Very delicious! I ordered the Siu Mai dumplings, Tandoori Chicken Wings and the 5-spice Pork Belly Fried Rice. All were flavorful according to the entree's cuisine.The Siu Mai dumplings are generous accompanied with soy dipping sauce and lots of scallions, this is a hearty treat. The Tandoori Chicken Wings were char grilled and juicy, bigger than average wings, cooked perfectly. The rice is really good and the 5-spice Pork Belly chunks I loved. The egg on top is cooked beautifully, lovely presentation. Cute cafe in San Mateo. Definitely will return to try some other entrees. The burgers look really good and juicy, too!Give them a try! Unique menu with cuisine for all tastes!"

Wilder

★★★★☆ 3.9 (251) • $$

"Incredible food and amazing service. We loved the food and vibe so much we had our wedding reception in their Private Den for our micro wedding of 24 people! It was so fun and the perfect place. It was our perfect vibe and so aesthetically pleasing! I loved the moody vibes and it perfectly complimented our wedding ideas. Our group was small enough at 24 people so we were able to do a seated dinner with a four course meal. Food was so good and 100% better than a typical catered wedding. My MOH was able to go in before opening and decorated quickly so it was even more beautiful than usual. The team was able to set up for the dinner and helped us take it down once food and cake were done. We were able to dance the night away and have some delicious drinks! They were so attentive and the staff was constantly coming in to check on us and quickly get us drinks or help us with lighting, switching our Spotify playlist, etc. Stellar team and I know this was the perfect place for us. It's was an unforgettable night, even after I had one too many drinks celebrating!I spent weeks looking for an affordable place for after our San Francisco City Hall wedding. All blogs, socials, and reviews told me of dozens of restaurants that for me were ok for a dinner, maybe some dancing. None were perfect or that cost-effective. Wilder was so beautiful and the staff was so friendly. The owner himself showed me the private den and talked to us while we ate dinner there for our first tasting. He went above and beyond that day and our actual reception. He was the one serving the bar and helping me switch my Spotify playlist. You can tell he cares about the client experience and he is helping us even in the tiny details like that! Coming here even for dinner you can tell they cultivate a culture of quality experience and food. Having my actual wedding reception here showed me they will pull all the stops for you to have a memorable experience. I will forever remember our night and keep coming back to relive it!"

Diner Japonica

★★★★☆ 4.4 (343) • $$

"Diner Japonica transitioned to take out only and really focuses on bento boxes, donburi and Japanese curries. Their simple and affordable menu while not fancy is exactly what it's advertised to be--Japanese comfort food.I love their salmon teriyaki, shrimp katsu and sashimi bento. It comes with a small side salad, rice and Japanese potato salad. It was pouring rain today and I called in the order which only took 15 minutes to prepare and was totally satisfied.Again, don't expect it to be fancy but it delivers that simple Japanese comfort food I often crave."

Balompie Cafe

★★★★☆ 4 (765) • $$

"This place is great. They're probably one of the best pupusa restaurants in San Francisco. I always order from them on uber eats--I get 3 cheese pupusas. The wait time isn't too long, they're pretty quick with the food. And my food has never been delivered cold! You should go in person too, which I've done before as well. Parking might be a little hard to find so unless you live close by I'd recommend uber or lyft. It kind of reminds me of your classic neighborhood sports bar as they have a giant TV in the corner that normally plays soccer. The staff is really great too!"

Bergerac

★★★★☆ 3.8 (334) • $$

"What a pleasant little surprise. We just happened to be walking by and noticed the happy hour menu on the sidewalk. It sounded good so we went in. The service, the drinks and the food we all delicious. I loved my old fashion and the Brussels sprouts were divine! They have seating indoors and out and both are equally enjoyable. See you again soon!"

Foodie Spot

★★★★★ 5 (1)

"Good quality bento box, I like the garlic bbq chicken and spicy tuna. Reasonable price."

Blue Plate

★★★★☆ 4.2 • $$$

"The patio in back with a glass of wine and warm focaccia bread out of the oven with trout deviled eggs was my SF sanctuary"

The Grove Yerba Buena

★★★★☆ 3.8 • $$

"Came here for a team building lunch. We arrived around 11am for an early lunch to avoid the crowd. We were greeted by the owner who wore Santa costume. The interior of the restaurant was full of Christmas decoration.Food:Portions are huge. Veggies are fresh.Services:Very nice and personal. Santa dropped by a few times to make sure that we had the chance to take photos with him.Ambiance:Relaxing and festive. People came early to grab tables upstairs which is semi-private.We will come again."

Seoul Bunsik

★★★★☆ 4.2 (26) • $$

"Seoul Bunsik moved out of the International Food Court along with Katsuya and moved into 132 Bush St. The tteokbokki is as good as ever as a rainy day lunch downtown."

Mr. Digby’s

★★★★☆ 4.2 (185) • $$

"Arrive at 11:15am for bunch on a Saturday. Service was great, everyone was friendly and helpful. The menu has changed from 2 weeks ago / from what I read online but it didn't matter because there were many options especially if you share. The little gem salad was delicious, fresh, and the presentation was so bright and colorful. I tried a bit me of the fried chicken, it was superb. The French toast and waffle were great as well. Iced matchas with foam topped it all off. I will for sure be back!"

Curry Hyuga

★★★★★ 4.6 (977) • $$

"I had some time to spare before my NOC shift and I wanted to grab some grub so here I am.I ordered the signature katsu curry w/chicken cutlet. The curry has very delicious and complex flavors. It paired really well the chicken cutlet. The portion sizes are also pretty huge and it comes at a reasonable price. I've never tried Japanese curry before, but I can definitely say after today that I'm a fan.The service here was decent. The food arrived pretty quickly and my waiter came back often to refill my water. The restaurant is kinda small inside but at the time I came there was only one other person eating. For parking there are a lot of paid meter parking nearby. Try it out if you like. :)"

Sumac

★★★★★ 4.7 (296) • $$

"Can't speak to the experience at the location itself as I ordered delivery, but I was left feeling very impressed.Albeit a little pricey to have this delivered to me, it was enough food to feed me for 2 meals and was one of the best lunches I've had at work in a while. I got the half½ chicken bowl that came with choice of side (I got roasted veggies), and choice of sauce, along with pickled beets and red cabbage. I got the sumac lebneh hot sauce on the side, but truthfully, I was enjoying the food so much on its own that I forgot to use it until later in the meal. This bowl was HUGE, I should have read the website prior as it was 48oz of food and lasted me through lunch and dinner that day. Everything tasted fresh and I felt good eating it. I will absolutely order from here again!"

Garcia's Salvadorean Kitchen

★★★★☆ 4.3 (4)

"Hard working kind guy working the food truck. Service is great, everything is clean and nice. Unfortunately the mixed pupusas (revueltas) weren't good. They were fresh and hand made but the flavor just wasn't there and there wasn't much meat either. The food truck is convenient if you're hanging out at the park but I drove there thinking these might be amazing, but I was let down. The horchata wasn't great either. Nothing is bad... everything is just okay."

BAOZ

★★★★☆ 4.4 (110)

"I should have left a review many moons ago, but this is one of my favorite places in sf! The food is amazing, beautiful to look out, tastes scrumptious, AND the take out has the cutest markings...I've yet to go to the physical location. It's one of my favorite treats to get for a cuddled night in. The food is warm and flavorful. A few of my favorite sweets are the nutella and the banana cream baos. The chicken bowl is my go to lunch/dinner."

Andina

★★★★★ 4.8 (51)

"Recently walked past the SF Jazz center on my way to another place, and noticed Andina. Inquired within and realized they had been here a year already. Even though I work nearby, I felt like there are plenty of places I haven't been yet.Andina serves Venezuelan comfort food, but on that day, I did not want to eat arepas. Instead, I opted for the Pollo Bowl and added an egg thinking it wasn't enough food. Wrong! I honestly didn't even need the egg because it came with a really nice portion of chicken, rice, beans, slaw, and plantains. Wow. And it was delicious. I also got a glass of Jamaica after they told me they make it with Stevia instead of sugar, which is perfect for those of us trying to cut down on sugar. Definitely will come back and try other things.Although their official address is on Franklin inside SF Jazz, its door is really located on Fell St."

Zhangliang Malatang

★★★★☆ 4.2 (327) • $$

"Quality of ingredients and freshness is excellent. The broths are amazing. A must visit for any Asian food fan."

O2 valley

★★★★☆ 4.1 (112) • $$

"We were in Palo Alto visiting our daughter at work. During her 3pm lunch break, we happened to pass by this Taiwanese restaurant as we were strolling along University Avenue. This was the ideal spot for us as we were planning for a quick bite at a counter service place with snackable items.Simply furnished, this eatery has posters of their featured menu items and a curios or "timely" ChatGPT generated art that AI might perceive of O2 Valley. I failed to take a photo of said framed image. For drinks, we got the Taro Milk Tea, Oolong and my Lemon Green Tea. I chose 25% sweetness, no ice with aloe mixed in. It was a weird & bitter tasting refreshment as I thought the tea to lemon ratio was out of whack. I finished it anyway. It was an acquired taste kind of drink, I guess. For eats, we shared the Garlic Popcorn Chicken, Hundred Layer Tofu and Crispy Tofu. The latter being unseasoned definitely needed the sauce that came with it. I spiced up this same sauce with the excess garlic bits that came with the chicken. We also happened to see our fellow Yelp Elite from Sacramento, Belinda. She was in town also to visit family. That's one happenstance we wouldn't have thought to happen this Saturday afternoon. We would've tried the generously portioned bento boxes if we were that hungry. A reason to return."

Deccan House

★★★★☆ 3.8 (751) • $$

"3.5 STARSSeveral weeks ago, I made the mistake of NOT combing through the reviews of a South Indian restaurant in Sunnyvale. I ordered spicy and it legit felt like I was eating lava. This is coming from someone who usually requests spicy and extra spicy, and it's not spicy enough.What's that saying, "IF it hurts going in..."?So, yea...I'm surprised I could walk straight the next day.This time, I wasn't going to make the same mistake and made sure I combed through the reviews for Deccan House. Some of the reviews state that "mild" = "very spicy", "so spicy", etc. so I went with mild. Mild was plenty spicy for me so thank you, yelpers!Deccan House is open for takeout, delivery, and indoor dining. I ordered delivery so not sure if they still have outdoor dining.M E N USouth Indian cuisine with a touch of Indo-Chinese: Soups, apps, tandoor, idli/vada (savory snacks), dosas, uttapam (thick dosa w/ toppings), curries, dum biryani, breads, and desserts. No upcharge for 3rd party delivery apps BUT steep pricing...prices are 20-35%+ higher than competitors in the area. Ex: Curries start at $16.95 and it costs extra to add protein...$5 to add tofu?!Spice levels: Normal (not sure what that means), mild, and spicy.I ordered lunch delivery via Uber Eats. Was quoted 20-40 minutes and it was delivered in 40 minutes. Food was hot and securely packed. F O O D* Chettinadu: Spicy curry w/ salan, onion, special tamilnadu spices, coconut oil ($16.95): https://tinyurl.com/mrym4ja7*** Add chicken (+$2)*** Requested mildThe chettinadu was robustly spiced and spicy with a few pieces of tender white and dark chicken meat. The gravy ran on the salty side, and "mild" packed enough heat to make my nose run. I tempered the leftover gravy with coconut milk to make coconut noodle soup. * Hyderabadi Dum Biryani: Indian basmati rice, aromatic spices, Mughlai-style ($15.95)*** Add goat ($4)*** Requested mildThe biryani was fluffy, fragrant, and medium spicy with a handful of tender, bone-in goat pieces. Some of the basmati wasn't separated and a bit clumpy. The accompanying shorba (coconut gravy) and raita (yogurt sauce) added a layer of cooling spice. It's my understanding that mughlai-style biryani is supposed to have veggies but this one didn't. Overall, Deccan House serves pretty good South Indian fare, however, it's overpriced. I will pay for higher quality food but I didn't feel the taste, nor the quality was any different than local competitors charging a fraction of the cost. 3.5 stars rounded up for a small local business."

The Dark Horse Inn

★★★★★ 4.5 (375) • $$

"I'll be generous with the rating, it was edible but I'd pass on a repeat visit as a ToGoodToGo customer. Parking was tight but I found a place to park on Mission, and the clients sitting down seemed happy so it's worth checking out as a regular customer. As for my order it was ready when I entered, and consisted of a desert that resembled Bread Pudding, with Pork Belly over a Slaw. The Desert was okay but I'd suggest serving it warm. As for the Pork it was okay just not my favorite preparation though the Slaw was very good. In the end it was acceptable, but I'd suggest checking out the regular menu. The Dark Horse has a steady following and that only happens when you are doing something correct."

Cooking Papa

★★★★☆ 4.2 (15)

"3 entrees, rice, AND soup for just $37?! Yes, please! Fresh, flavorful, and easy on the wallet--perfect for feeding the fam or treating yourself without the guilt.Here's what I got:Stir-fried Pork Belly w/ String Beans (so savory)Curry Fish Fillet (my absolute fave--tons of tender fish and that curry flavor was bomb!)Seasonal Veggies (fresh and perfectly cooked)Tofu & Dried Seaweed w/ Pork Soup & white rice. Pro Tip: Check their daily set menu--it changes every day, so there's always something new to try!Bonus points for plenty of parking right outside.Cheers to delicious meals that don't break the bank!"

Victory Hall & Parlor

★★★★☆ 3.7 (223) • $$

"I like Victory Hall for a few key things. One, service, really solid bartenders. Two, ambiance, have to say the space/music/decoration combo gives off positive vibes. Three, food, diverse menu regardless of what you might be in the mood for.Lastly, the Happy Hour (see photo attached). Runs all night Monday and from 2-pm, Tues-Friday. If you're looking for a good spot to pre/post game after watching the Giants, come on in!"

The Sarap Shop

★★★★★ 4.5 (13)

"I came here with a friend one day for lunch (we had been looking forward to coming to Sarap Shop for a while and were finally able to align our schedules for a weekday, since the hours here are somewhat limited). I ordered the lechon carbonara since all of the dishes here with lechon appeared to be a popular choice online and this seemed like interesting take on dishes that were familiar to me, a fusion of Italian carbonara and Filipino lechon. To be honest, the dish was a tad too oily and salty for my preferences, but also so tasty! I ended up finishing most of it and bringing the rest home since it was a generous portion and a good balance of toppings/mix-ins and noodles. I'd look forward to ordering it again in the future.The location was a bit... uncertain at first. Sarap Shop is located down a side street off of 4th St which is convenient if you're heading down to a game or concert. I went there from 3rd St and was a bit confused since it just looked like a residential area, but there it was! The red garage door (see other people's pics) was open so the business was indeed open, but my friend and I were confused at first since there was no one inside and it took a moment to realize we needed to order by QR code online. That was all fine, just a bit unexpected. (Other customers and delivery drivers that came in after us looked similarly confused by all the closed doors and closed serving windows inside, so perhaps they just need better signage for these cases?)Overall a good experience and I look forward to another visit here and the chance to try something new :)"

The Mochi Donut Shop

★★★★☆ 3.8 (130) • $$

"I love that this Mochi Donut Shop has soo many food options. They have mochi donuts, Korean corn dogs (one even covered in hot cheetos!), filipino rice plates, filipino banh mis, and more! I also love their flavored tots. Their mochi donuts and corn dogs never disappoint and the staff is always friendly!"

Tamari Authentic Georgian Cuisine

★★★★☆ 3.9 (224)

"Came here for Valentines Day brunch with another couple. Had this bookmarked for years and came across it when my friend called, and we decided to meet half way. It was quiet when we walked in a 1230. One other couple arrived for lunch. Perhaps it is more of a dinner place. We had the two quails, combo appetizer (they made everything in heart shape), traditional cheese, both beef and lamb dumplings. Everything was delicious ! I would definitely come back."

YAYOI

★★★★☆ 3.6 (771) • $$

"Came during lunch on a weekday and was seated right away. We were given a tablet as soon as we were seated and I love this concept. We can peruse the menu (with pictures) and ordered at our own leisure. Gone are the days when you had to flag down a server or wait forever to put your order in. We ordered the Omaze Don, Wagyu Yakiniku and Salmon Carpaccio. Everything we ate was so delicious and flavorful. The Omaze Don was similar to a Korean Bibimbap, a lot of various toppings mixed together with rice. It was very tasty and filling. The Wagyu Yakiniku was so flavorful but a bit greasy for my liking. It didn't stop me from finishing my plate though!The salmon carpaccio tasted sooo fresh and very well seasoned - would definitely order a plate for myself! When you're ready to checkout, you check out on the tablet and pay at the front! The whole process from start to finish was so seamless and made for a pleasant experience!"