The Best Food Stands in San Francisco

Mateos

★★★★☆ 4 (7)

"The sweet lady who cooks pupusas, burritos, and more out of a little red truck in the parking lot across from the Hall of Justice is awesome. Pupusas are $2.50 each and come with coleslaw. Burritos are fresh and delicious. That's all there is to it. Bring cash."

GIM Belly BBQ

★★★★★ 4.5 (17)

"Got to finally try GIM Belly BBQ at Foodielandsac! YAY!!! Even though my wife found it last Saturday at EGDistrict 56 she just was recovering from food poisoning so nothing sounded delicious at the time & she just wanted to head home. She loved the name get in my belly right? Like it was so catchy & so inviting that she searched them online. Come to find out they were located in the Bay. She followed them on IG & they messaged her to let her know they would return to Sacramento for the Foodieland event.Aw bc of the nasty heat & Foodieland is outdoors we went super early on Saturday but it didn't begin until 1 PM. We were first in line & received our food right away. The olden days we used to just follow foodie trucks in the bay but even to see them at the Alameda Antique Fair you still have to pay to get in. So then my wife MADE time for them on this past busy Mother's Day weekend. My wife ordered combination St Louis Ribs & garlic shrimp with their Java rice & pickled veggies which were mouthwatering delicious! Even the ribs were FALL OF THE BONE! OMGOSH! Wowee!!'The pork belly & Bbq chicken were tasty with the garlic noodles! Whoa we were very happy to finally try them in person! Thank you very much!!! Can't wait until you return to Sactown again!!! Thank goodness Karen my wife follows them on IG!!!Support this small family business!!! They are truly kind & humble... I hope to see you all soon to fill my belly with your delicious grub!!! Woohoo!!! Can't wait!"

Hot Dog Bills

★★★★☆ 3.8 (13) • $

"Love Hot Dog Bills. You have to let go of preconceived notions and ideas about a burger and go with it. What a treat! The best time to eat here is after the par 3, or before, and I think you can grab one on the turn when playing the Ocean, though I don't remember the exact logistics. Be sure and pair with a cold beer in a cup. Hope to return one day."

El Ranchito Taco Truck

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (10) • $

"carne asada super burritos are definitely a go to. the wait is long, but the service is pretty quick once you've ordered. good lunch spot."

Baby Bull Carved Tri Tip Sandwich

★★★★★ 4.7 (6) • $$

"All you need is Carved Tri Tip here and some Gilroy Garlic Fries. Both are must haves in my opinion. I'm a Dodgers fan and I was pleased that the Tri tip was on point. The edges were nice and crispy while the meat was easy to devour l. The bread also provided a nice taste. I hated the crab sandwich (I thought it would be delightful) and this made up for my disappointment. It's worth the price too - $12 I believe. Next time I come travel back to the bay I'll get it again. Loved it."

Shampa's Pies

★★★★★ 4.9 (31) • $$

"Stumbled across Shampa's my first time at the Sunset Farmers Market and so happy I did! All the pies looked good so I nearly grabbed one of everything. We tried the apple-blueberry, sweet potato, pecan, lemon-strawberry, pumpkin, and chocolate cream pies. Super flaky, buttery crusts but my favorites were apple-blueberry and pecan. Will definitely get pies from Shampa's again."

Nafisa's Table

★★★★★ 4.8 (5)

"What a treat to have a tent dedicated to Uzbek cuisine. It seems like there's multiple permutations of filling stuffed in dough that's either baked or fried or steamed. Everything I tried was delish!Cheese & Dill Chebureki: Unlike anything I've had before and I've had a lot of savory filled dough things! The cheese is stretchy and salty and delicious. The fresh dill is a perfect herbal contrast to all that richness. The dough is light and airy and crispy, just fried to order. Also nice with that red sauce that comes on the sidePotato & Onion Piroshki: Another deep fried dough pastry. More dough and more filling than the chebureki. Kinda felt like Italian fried dough. Though the filling was definitely not Italian, with subtle smooth potatoes and caramelized onions. Surprisingly light for deep fried.Lamb Samsa: A flaky baked dough with dense bits of lamb inside. The dough on the bottom was particularly dense and hard. Wasn't crazy about the texture, but the taste was solid.Lamb Pigodi: Essentially a giant steamed dumpling, cut open and stuffed with shredded carrot salad. It was difficult to eat with the plastic spork provided. That aside, it had nicely spiced minced lamb filling and lots of thick dough outside.Shashlik Wrap: Fluffy pita bread made by them, not from a plastic bag. Lots of fresh veggies and herbs. The onions and carrot slaw give a nice tang. Plus skewers of lamb for that nice pita combination. The lamb came on skewers, so you had to pull it off. Didn't seem grilled to order, but was probably grilled a tad earlier in the day."

Cocina Milonga

★★★★★ 4.8 (136) • $

"Huge props to the young lady holding the front counter. Very friendly and professional. She was eager to answer any questions that I had about the menu and happily walked me through the unlabeled treats in the display case upon request.She also informed me of unlisted empanada flavor specials and I ended up getting some of those. The BBQ pulled pork empanada was amazing; succulent pork chunks! The tomato and basil empanada was a little lacking on flavor but had a satisfying mozzarella cheese pull. Unfortunately not a fan of the Mexican chorizo empanada as the chorizo was a bit salty and dry.Also got some items from the display case. The guava tart was slightly overly sweet but the buttery and crispy shortbread crust encouraged me to continue eating the tart in just small bites over time. The filling of the pineapple and coconut empanada was quite gloopy when it was hot (wished the pineapple component was more like a jam instead of being of juicy pineapple pieces); this empanada was much better to eat once the filling consistency thickened at room temp.Overall 4 stars for the food and added a star for the stellar service."

Da Poke Man

★★★★☆ 4.1 (13)

"Da Poke Man is one of the new food choices at AT&T Park. It's really hard to find, tucked away underneath the Virgin America escalator going up to the Club Level. You have choices of regular and spicy over greens or over rice. $15 . Just basic tuna poke. Portions are decent considering it's at the ball park. No lines since very few people know about it."

Eltacotento

★★★★☆ 4.3 (9)

"Amazing Tacos and best pazole ive ever had. Try the Cecina and Al pastor . Generous portions and great service. Staff is always in a good mood and helpful."

Tacos el charro

★★★★★ 4.6 (20)

"On a cold, rainy winter night (12/22) I walked down Mission street in my trendy gen z wide pants*, soaking up SF street rain water and god knows what else, for these tacos. Was it worth it? Abso-fucking-lutely. I'm still thinking about the Carne Asada taco. The Al pastor with fresh pineapple is a must. That salsa habanero tastes like it was made with the flames fresh from Hell--hot and spicy full of flavor. THE TORTILLAS THO. I'm definitely coming back, hopefully in less wet weather. *this is why skinny jeans are forever."

Grand Opening Bakery

★★★★★ 4.6 (56)

"Such a cute pop-up style bakery -- everything is grab&go! It's located in Chinatown & there's definitely a good variety of pastries to choose from. I'd try to go a bit earlier in the day to be able to choose from all the options as the pastries can sell out quickly. Me & my friends tried a lot of different ones:- Guava/Passionfruit sponge cake: light/refreshing/melts in your mouth- burnt honey pie: doesn't look like it'd be your favorite but is SOOOOO good- assortment of cookies: i think the passionfruit cashew is super unique & i loved the chocolate peanut toffee :) Overall, it can get pricey but the quality and deliciousness of the pastries is worth at least one visit."

Crazy Crab'z

★★★★☆ 4.2 (292) • $$

"Before the season starts, the press food critics always do their critique of the food at Oracle Park. The Crazy Crab'z sandwich is always rated as one of the best food choice at Oracle. Over the years, I never tried the sandwich and to get it out of my curiosity, I decided to get one during my last trip to the Park.I was at the Crazy Crab's stand at Section 142 an hour before game time and there was a line about 15 deep. While waiting in line, I could see the delicious looking sandwiches being made on the griddle. After getting my sandwich, I ate it at one of the tables in front of the stand. The sandwich is made on a grilled buttered sourdough bread with a good portion of Dungeness crab in a mayo dressing with slices of tomato. The crab mixture did not have much if not any fillers like onions or celery. So it was a delicious and decadent sandwich, as good as the critics have said. But be prepared to pay the $22.95 for it."

Bini's Kitchen

★★★★☆ 4.2 (40) • $

"I wish there was an option to give 100 stars. I was here yesterday to enjoy the weather, scenery, and people-watching at The Ferry Building when I stumbled upon this place. The weather was hot. I was sweaty and I felt uncomfortable but melting away as I was enjoying my lunch was definitely worth it. Lines were long but it moved pretty fast. Accepts cards which is awesome. I still can't understand "cash only" policies at some other places. I wanted to order everything but decided to go w/ their combo plate ($13.99) to have a taste of their rice, chicken, and dumplings (momo's). A very heavy meal but nothing existed in my mind when I was eating this other than if I should order a plate of this to-go. The dumplings were juicy, flavorful. The rice was fluffy and super fragrant. The chicken was tender. I simply loved this plate so much that I wouldn't mind marrying it. I'm going back up there in 2 weeks for this. If you are at The Ferry Building on Saturday, check this place out!!! I am hoping I will be strong enough to eat half and bring the other half home for the following day."

Fisherman's Wharf Chowder and Crab Sidewalk Stands

★★★★☆ 3.7 (413) • $$

"Great options to have.Walking around the Fisherman's Wharf area, you can't miss these chowder and crab stands. Your seafood cravings will be satisfied here. Prices are a bit high since you are in a touristy area, plus fresh seafood is pricey in general. Some of the stands have seating but it can get packed in this area, depending on what time you come. There are plenty of benches near the water, so you can enjoy your food with a beautiful view."

Taqueria El Chacho

★★★★☆ 4.1 (37)

"Saw this place when I was about to enter highway 92. Street tacos like I've never seen in San Mateo with a decent line. Immediately made a U-turn because I had to try. $4 pastor Tacos with pineapple on top and a Steak Quesadilla. They have a good system going for getting your food fresh and tasty. They have all the classic meats and items you would expect, so order your heart's content. "omg this is delicious" were the words out of my brother's mouth when I brought home the quesadilla... And that after it was sitting for like an hour, imagine what its like fresh.They have lots of condiments and salsas to choose from, lovee their pickled peppers/carrots/etc. FINALLY Tent Tacos in San Mateo -- SF is all burritos and SM street tacos are mainly trucks. Will be returning here definitely.If they ever move away from directly off the highway, someone please let me know so I can still find them."

Box Kitchen

★★★★☆ 4.3 (852) • $$

"We are huge fans of fried chicken sandwiches, and I have to say Box's chicken sandwich is a solid win. Nicely sauced, good crunch, and a solid amount of chicken. It's also pretty nice that the area across the street is a community park, and a nice place to sit down and enjoy food. A nice place for a late night snack (which is rare to find in SF!)"

Bini's Kitchen

★★★★☆ 4.3 (249) • $

"For a person taking the long trek up to Everest Base Camp, in freezing temperatures, air getting thinner with each step, and feeling a headache due to the altitude, there's nothing more comforting than some hot, freshly cooked Momo's. Actually anytime a person can get their hands on good momos whether on the mountain, Kathmandu, or the Ferry Building Farmer's Market on the weekend in San Francisco, it's a great thing. Bini's Kitchen fulfills all the momo and Nepalese cravings. I order the eight piece half lamb, half chicken momos and they were delicious. The best part is definitely the sauce they put on it which is slightly spicy and savory. The chicken momos are also better than the lamb if I had to choose one. Comforting and tasty dumplings. I would order it again and maybe next time the combo so I can get their sauce on the rice as well."

Rize Up Bakery

★★★★★ 4.6 (91)

"Such amazing quality and super creative flavors. The K Pop sourdough is so extremely delicious and multifaceted. The texture is ideal - nice and airy but a good chew and satisfying crust. Their products are all so fresh. I bought an Ube Coconut Cookie freshly baked on a Saturday and didn't get around to trying it until Tuesday night and it was still amazing. The family behind this bakery seems so nice and so extremely proud of what they do. Love supporting a small, local business!"

Estrellita’s Snacks

★★★★★ 4.7 (15)

"Since the shelter orders took place, I haven't been able to visit farmer's market at UN Plaza on Wednesdays. So I was ecstatic to find out that they're available 5 days a week!They're located at the new La Cocina Municipal Marketplace. This food hall is only taking take-out orders. So you can order online for pick up. I was surprised that the prices are similar, if not the same, as their stand at farmer's market. But there are plates available. I got the plato de pupusas, which comes with 2 pupusas of your choice, rice/beans, plantains, crema, salsa, and curtido. At farmer's market, you have the option of getting a spicier salsa, but not at this location. Also, the amount of curtido you get is smaller than the farmer's market location. I think it's the perfect amount for me, but I know some curtido lovers out there that would need the small bag they give out at farmers market. For $18 total (including tip), it was a big meal for me. I powered through the 2 pupusas, but I couldn't finish the rice and plantains. They're gonna be a good snack later. The quality of food is the same as their stand, which is unsurprising because after years of getting pupusas from them, not one has disappointed me. I got the mushroom and cheese (my favorite) and the revuelta (pork and cheese). Both were delicious. I've never had the rice before, and it was good too. I love plantains, so it was like a nice dessert. SF Restaurant Week starts tomorrow (April 9, 2021), and they are participating. So if you haven't had their pupusas, then this would be a good time to check them out. I'm definitely coming back here again!"

India Gourmet

★★★★☆ 3.8 (8) • $

"Be impressed by their outdoor tandoori oven. You can watch them shape the naan, throw it in the oven and pull it out fresh and hot. The naan is slipped into the tent with a hook into a pile - you can't get any fresher than that. While you're waiting in line, they have free samples. You can get rice bowls or wraps ($7), samosas, drinks, or tubs of various curries and sauces for $5 each. * Lamb wrap ($7): the curry is deep, rich and flavorful, it tastes like it's been cooked for hours, the chunks of lamb are nice and tender, the hot, soft, puffy naan is wonderful, but some of the rice was undercooked/hard. Also it would be better with some mint chutney or other sauces. It's much saucier than a burrito.Find them on Sundays at the Stonestown Farmers Market.Cash only."

Soul Skillet

★★★★★ 4.6 (7)

"You expecting poutine, bij?French fries w a scoop of food on it?Nah nza this some creational new edition can you stand the rain other type shzz.It's SKRIMP & GRIZZITS sticked up.Like I grew up w except different. Tha remix.Crunchy greasay Sat'day mornin eats."

Tacos El Ranchito Truck

★★★★☆ 3.6 (50) • $

"Tried this taco truck because my regular taco truck was blow'd up. I went with 5 spicy al pastor tacos and it was a good choice. The tacos had a decent amount of heat to them, but not so hot where I felt like I had a charcoal briquette. For these types of tacos I want simplicity: a slight crispiness to the tortilla, spicy meat, onions and cilantro. Then, a squeeze of lime and a pinch of salt. This truck does the job well and I will be back."

Bawarchi Express

★★★★★ 4.7 (9)

"This is the Indian food take out San Mateo has been missing! It's finally here and I love it! We've tried their palak paneer, biryani, andhra chicken curry to name a few. My spice tolerance is pretty low so I choose between mild and medium and the food is so delish. It's a ghost kitchen, the place is nice and clean. We met the owner on one of our trips and he's a really nice guy who really wants to serve the best to his customers. He recommended we try the chettinad curries next which is exactly what I'll be getting next time."

The Lumpia Company

★★★★★ 5 (2)

"Great people who are working hard. It's not very streamlined but they're dong their best. The lumpia is damn tasty and highly recommended. It's become a stop I frequent on the regular. Pretty much right behind home plate. The ballpark ambiance is game day awesomeness. I'll be back soon."

An The Go

★★★☆☆ 2.9 (363) • $$

"For lunch at the BR1 food truck mafia, I got some noodles to go from An the Go. Its a food truck that specializes in garlic noodles with protein on the side. The owners are the same folks from Thanh Long and Crustacean - both upscale Vietnamese restaurants in SF that specialize in roasted crab. I haven't tried their garlic noodles in a long time, so seeing the truck brought back some fond memories of my carefree grad student days at Berkeley.I ordered the garlic noodles with a side of lemongrass chicken. Chicken was very flavorful and juicy. It had an odd texture at first and I thought it was ground chicken at first. In the end, I liked the chicken. Noodles were chewy, garlicky, and surprisingly very filling! I was almost tempted to get another item from Koja Kitchen, but thankfully I did not."