Description:
Day after day slaving over our traveltrons whipping up fresh hot NileGuide for you every day means lots and lots of lunches right here in sleepy north Potrero Hill (Showplace Square to you interior decorators). When we need more fuel for awesomeness, here's where we get it.
This list is walking distance only; if you've got wheels, you can go anywhere up the hill or in the Mission or SoMA and that's more than one mere list can hold. Similarly, happy hour is a matter for another list.
P.S.: Pay attention to the ratings. They're not all great.
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View Iternary mapSan Francisco
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Liba Falafel
Contact:
- 415-806-LIBA
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Location:
- De Haro at Alameda
- San Francisco,CA94301
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Description:
This is not your average falafel truck. It's falafel plus magical pixie dust that would make you shout "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE?" if your mouth weren't full of falafel. $8 buys a basic sandwich (not bad on its own, with tahini and chimichurri) and your turn at a smorgasbord of homemade additions and condiments -- roasted eggplant, beet salad, spiced carrot curls, olive relish, and on and on -- any one of which you'd be happy to order as your entire meal for the same money. A selection of your favorites packed into that pita makes for an endlessly-varied meal and the best thing that'll happen to you all week. It'd be longer, but you'll be back next Friday.
The Liba Falafel truck comes to this location on Friday's only, but check out the Liba Web site for other weekly locations around the Bay Area.
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Dos Pinas
Contact:
- (415) 252-8220
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Location:
- 251 Rhode Island Street
- San Francisco,CA94103
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Description:
When wraps became trendy, many places went out of their way to come up with combinations that were novel but not necessarily tasty (tortellini in a flour wrapper was an idea whose time was never going to come), but this quick and casual eatery never fell into that trap. The fillings are classic Mexican favorites such as beef, chicken and fish, combined with salsa, guacamole and other toppings and seasonings that are hearty and delicious. The setting is not memorable, but it is tidy and the service is quick and friendly for the locals short on time but looking for a great meal. You can enjoy Corona Night every friday from 4p-8p.
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Grand Pu Bah
Contact:
- 4152558188
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Location:
- 88 Division St
- San Francisco,CA94103
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Description:
Modern, classy decor with a large bar and inventive lighting sets the mood for this classy but fairly affordable Thai restaurant. Serving self-defined "modern Thai cuisine" means that all of the dishes aren't traditional, and some aren't Thai at all, but everything is tasty. The lunch and dinner menus are large and include salads, soups, Thai street food, curries, and meat and seafood entrees. Start with the oyster shooter, then follow it with pineapple fried rice and roasted duck with red curry. Finish your meal with some mango sticky rice, and remember to check out their lengthy wine and spirits list.
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Axis Cafe & Gallery
Contact:
- 4154372947
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Location:
- 1201 8th Street
- San Francisco,CA94107
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Description:
Axis Cafe is a relaxing cafe where you can relax by the fireplace or enjoy their outdoor patio. You can enjoy healthy and delicious food, including a Marinated Portabella Sandwich, Hama Hama Washington Oysters and much more. For dessert, try the Lavender Creme Brulee. For further information on events and other details, please see the website.
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Horatius
Contact:
- 415-252-3500x24
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Location:
- 350 Kansas Street
- San Francisco,CA94103
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Description:
Horatius is a truly one-of-a-kind location offering fresh and authentic Portuguese-Mediterranean fare in a unique environment. Housed in a beautifully refurbished warehouse, Horatius features films at our "Barn Cinema" while enjoying dishes as diverse as *Caldo Verde*, Beef Ribs braised in Portuguese Dark Beer and *Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá*. Wines are carefully selected to complement the menu which features a selection primarily from Portugal and the U.S., as well as rare Porto and Madeira dessert wines.
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Jade Cafe
Contact:
- (415) 861-1688
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Location:
- 1688 Bryant Street
- San Francisco,CA94103
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Description:
This is a great choice for affordable delicious delivery or a quick lunch. Clean and contemporary with unassuming Asian-style decor, it is usually full of downtown professionals. The menu carries all the basics, including noodle and won ton soups, and Hong Kong-style pan-fried noodles. House specialties include Rainbow Chicken, Spicy Pork with Garlic Sauce, General's Chicken Wings, Lemon Chicken, Orange Beef and Orange Chicken. Additional Jade Cafes are located at 2401 Polk St and 1069 Folsom St.
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What's Up Dog
Contact:
- (415) 864-3707
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Location:
- 300 De Haro Street
- San Francisco,CA94103
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Description:
Native Chicagoans and New Yorkers often bemoan the Bay Area's lack of legitimate hot dogs. "The onions, the relish, the peppers...where are they?" they cry. But the tears have stopped, thanks to What's Up Dog. This chain of frankfurter carts and restaurants serves up the best hot dogs by the bay, as well as perennial favorites like corn dogs, chili cheese nachos and fries. For the more discerning palate, try one of ten gourmet sausages, from the top sausage markets in the US.
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So
Contact:
- (415) 552-7676
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Location:
- 1010 Bryant Street
- San Francisco,CA94103
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Description:
SO is nearly impossible to find, tucked away on a nondescript block and bearing the old, faded sign of its predecessor ("Fanny's Restaurant"). But it's worth the hunt! The handmade noodles are among the best in the city. The SO Black Bean is the signature dish, but you can't go wrong with any of the sauce noodles. Portions are huge and cheap. Excellent beer selection too, including Sapporo on tap.
© Walter Lee -
Il Pirata
Contact:
- (415) 626 2626
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Location:
- 2007 16th St
- San Francisco,CA94103
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Description:
Next to the Italian eatery is a bar to either watch the day's sports games on two big-screen tvs or dance your cares away.
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Sally's
Contact:
- (415) 626-6006
Location:
- 300 De Haro St.
- San Francisco,CA94103
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Description:
Sally's distinguishes itself by its location in a modish metal shed with a train out back and a remarkable wooden mural that recalls Louise Nevelson. Unfortunately, while the food is generally serviceable, not every dish recalls exactly what you ordered. For genuine blue-collar charm head down the street to Wolfe's. If the NileGuide team ever substantiates rumors of the pop-up dinnertime restaurant Sally's After Dark it will change the whole equation.
© Dave -
Live Sushi Bar
Contact:
- (415) 861-8610
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Location:
- 2001 17th Street
- San Francisco,CA94103
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Description:
A casual dining room with a long sushi bar and comfortable tables. Service is designed to give our customers the best and friendliest dining experience. In addition, our professional sushi chefs make sushi bar seating an experience to remember.
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Pastel Brazil
Contact:
Location:
- 290 De Haro
- San Francisco,CA94103
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Description:
This little cafe shares space with World Gym. In its previous incarnation it wasn't a bad place to get sandwiches (tending to the conspicuously healthy, not surprisingly given its location) or a quick breakfast as well as an array of tropical smoothies. It closed and reopened recently, so stay tuned.
© Dave -
Wolfe's Lunch
Contact:
- (415) 621-3684
Location:
- 1220 16th Street
- San Francisco,CA94107
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Description:
A long-lived American diner run by a Korean family, Wolfe's offers a long list of short-order specials, a selection of familiar Japanese dishes like udon and chicken or pork katsu, and, best of all, bi bim bap with only a little more brown gravy than you'd get in Korea. Discerning locals make this their first choice for a regular lunch stop.
© Dave -
Pizza Nostra
Contact:
- 415 558 9493
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Location:
- 300 De Haro
- San Francisco,CA94107
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Description:
Along the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, jewel of the French Riviera, it's astoundingly easy to fall in love -- with pizza! To eat that love, hit Pizzanostra. The Frenchman who brought you Chez Papa Resto always wanted to open a pizza joint called Pizzanostra, but just hadn't met the right chef -- then he tasted Giovanni Aginolfi's Neapolitan 'za in Nice, felt a girlish blush wash over his face, and nervously asked him and his pizza oven to elope back to the States. The lust-worthy thin crust (which finished 6th in the World Pizza Championship, for real) comes adorned with everything from a mozzarella/prosciutto di parma/arugula Caprese, to a lamb merguez sausage & egg Pied-Noir, to a Mediterranee w/ clams, prawns, and persillade, which is fancy for chopped garlic and parsley (f*cking French). It all goes down in a Potrero warehouse, with room for 30 or so in jumbo dark wood booths, at candle-lit two-tops, and on comfy barstools that mouth-wateringly overlook the open kitchen; there's also seating for another 45 in a handsome sidewalk terrace that mouth-wateringly overlooks the other side of the street. Not content to just dish pizza, other grub includes a sweet salumi selection, eight... read more
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Calabria Bros.
Contact:
- (415) 863-1213
Location:
- 2249 17th Street
- San Francisco,CA94107
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Map
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Description:
This just-opened Italian deli is startlingly spare and clean, but the sandwiches, particularly the signature Hot Calabrese, stand up to an old-school deli's. The Calabria Brothers also sell excellent focaccia and a small but no doubt increasing array of Italian deli products. In a few years there'll be cobwebs on some of the odder bottles and cans on the top shelves and this place will look the part it's already playing just fine.
© Dave -
Saffron 685
Contact:
- (415) 863-2285
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Location:
- 685 Townsend Street
- San Francisco,CA94103
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Description:
Just a touch pricy and just a touch pretentiously decorated, Saffron 685 puts on the same airs as so many other recent additions to what they must think is the swank Showplace Square lunch scene. Nonetheless, if you want a shwarma for lunch in this area, this is the place to get it.
© Dave -
Cafe Veloce
Contact:
- (415) 861-1152
Location:
- 200 Kansas Street
- San Francisco,CA94107
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Description:
Hidden inside one of Showplace Square's hives of to-the-trade interior decoration businesses, this workaday lunch spot offers big sandwiches and generous portions of hot dishes. Who knew interior decorators worked up such an appetite? Stick with the basics; expeditions to more exotic cuisines aren't always successful.
© Dave -
Caffe Pazzo
Contact:
- (415) 487-1509
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Location:
- 2 Henry Adams Street
- San Francisco,CA94103
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Description:
A decent lunch spot right off the traffic circle run by Mission Bay Foods, whose talent runs much more towards the cheerful American food served here than it does to their nearby attempts at more exotic cuisines. Get here before noon for the sunny outside seating.
© Dave -
Chow's Kitchen
Contact:
- (415) 255-1245
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Location:
- 101 Utah Street
- San Francisco,CA94103
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Description:
Not many outside a few-block radius know of Chow's Kitchen, hidden in an old brick warehouse in Potrero Hill's design district. But it offers the ideal deal for the nearby lunch crowd: cleanly cooked Chinese-American standards at pleasantly low prices.
© Dave -
Holy Grill
Contact:
- (415) 431-4659
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Location:
- 659 Townsend Street
- San Francisco,CA94103
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Description:
This tiny but clean and bright burger joint is always full of happy lunchers by noon. Although there's a long menu of cheeky variations like the Pagan (with bacon), there's really only one item: a decent burger. Everyone gets fries, so they don't count, and if anyone feels the need to look past the hamburger selections they're probably in the wrong place.
© Dave -
JB's Place
Contact:
- (415) 626-7973
Location:
- 1435 17th Street
- San Francisco,CA94107
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Map
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Description:
You can't fault the enormous, fresh, tasty sandwiches with which this busy deli seems to feed half of Potrero Hill. Complaining about the long lines and jostling would be gauche. There are hot specials and burgers, too, probably best enjoyed at an off hour when you can eat in and sit at your table without being climbed over by other eager lunchers.
© Dave -
Rustico
Contact:
- (415) 252-0180
Location:
- 1111 8th Street
- San Francisco,CA94107
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Description:
Surprise #1: The cafe inside the California College of Arts' building A2 is open to the public. Surprise #2: It's one of the best places for lunch in north Potrero Hill. A long list of modestly sized but delicious sandwiches is complemented by homemade soups and salads. The Southeast Asian proprietors even stock fresh young coconuts, perfect for a hot afternoon next to the student art often displayed in building A2's patio.
© Dave -
Skool
Contact:
- 4152558800x
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Location:
- 1725 Alameda Street
- San Francisco,CA94107
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Description:
Skool restaurant is a fish-focused restaurant with Japanese flair. We are committed to serving the freshest dishes with special attention to local, sustainable and seasonal ingredients. Skool in located in sunny Potrero Hill and has a warm and welcoming large private patio. Skool's full bar serves up great artisan and seasonal cocktails in addition to beer, wine, sake and much more.
Skool serves lunch, dinner and brunch. Skool also has 'Detention Hall' our version of Happy Hour at our bar and patio. Come be a part of our Skool at the corner of Alameda and De Haro in the Design District of Potrero Hill. -
Perry's - Design Center
Contact:
- 4155525697
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Location:
- 101 Henry Adams Street
- San Francisco,CA94107
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Perry's at the Design Center brings a taste of the San Francisco institution to Potrero Hill. Perry's has become a local classic, on Union Street for over 40 years and also on the Embarcadero. Perry's is known for its classic American food, its warm personable service and fun, bustling bar. Perry's SFDC serves lunch Monday through Friday, offering such signature dishes as French Onion Soup, the Traditional Cobb Salad, Petrale Sole Meuniere, and of course, the renowned Hamburger. Perry's at the Design Center also offers Blue Bottle Organic Coffee in the morning and continental breakfast from 8:00-10:00am.
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John Campbell's Irish Bakery
Contact:
Location:
- 300 De Haro Street
- San Francisco,CA94103
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Map
- user rating
Description:
This is John Campbell's third San Francisco location. It offers bread, pastries, and even a variety of meat pies, making it an option for a quick lunch.
© Dave -
Chairman Bao
Contact:
- visit website
Location:
- Irwin @ 7th Street
- San Francisco,CA94103
Description:
It's been one year since Chairman Bao entered San Francisco's food trucks wars. Bao serves large and small steamed buns with a range of meaty fillings -- pulled pork, pork belly, duck and so on - and huge Asian-style fruit drinks with chopped jelly, whipped cream and other delights. Its location changes daily so check out their Facebook page or Twitter feed to find out more information.
- Destination(s): San Francisco
- Type: Business,Cool and Hip,Off the Beaten Path
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