Essential San Francisco Food Crawl Destinations

A food crawl is when you do a tour of a city’s best local food destinations. The focus of a food crawl is on the local cuisine rather than big famous chain restaurants and the highlighted food is the local food tastes of that particular city. For instance in New Orleans a food crawl would focus on places that serve authentic versions of the local dishes including gumbo and fried catfish. You can do a foodie crawl in any city but in the cities where food is a central item like San Francisco, it can be really special.

Typically when you do a food crawl, you will need to get to different parts of town to get the complete food experience and San Francisco will require you to move some distanced to different parts of the city. And since it’s always better to break bread in the company of other, you might consider making it a group food crawl, and booking a San Francisco tour bus or minibus rental to shuttle everyone from one location to another —allowing them to relax and enjoy the scenery between destinations.

Here are some great restaurants to include in your San Francisco food crawl:

Gourmet Ghetto

The area known as Gourmet Ghetto is located in San Francisco’s North Berkeley neighborhood and it is a food lover’s paradise. It also has a storied history going back more than 50 years as a locals known for its amazing food. Started with only a local coffee shop called Peet’s Coffee on the corner of Walnut and Vine, it is now world renown.  Here are some of the restaurants you have to visit in Gourmet Ghetto on your food crawl.

Gregoire

A perfect breakfast burrito, their amazing potato puffs that are served with a perfect aioli sauce, or any of their other breakfast, lunch or dinner delicacies, this French sidewalk cafe is a true gem. The place is quite small so expect to wait for a seat, but you won’t be disappointed.

Juice Bar Collective

Although the foundation of tis eatery is their delicious and healthy juices, you can also order great salads, sandwiches, pizza, and entrees at this small food shop. The juices run the gamut from ultra-healthy choices like black bean polenta and banana and all are tasty. This is one of te places that made Ghetto Gourmet famous.

The Cheese Board Collective

Perhaps the most famous restaurant in the Gourmet Ghetto is the Cheese Board Collective Don’t be intimidated by the long lines because things move quickly here and the food is worth the wait. They specialize in vegetable offerings so there is no meat on the menu, but anything you order will show that you can have great food with no meat involved.

Mission District

The Mission District is San Francisco’s oldest neighborhood with structures dating back to 1791. The neighborhood has the largest amount of building murals owing to its distinction as an art hub and it has developed into a go-to area of the city for good food and cool eating places. Here are some places where you can experience some of the best food in the Mission District.

Farmhouse Kitchen

From the colorful interior, to the lovely and lively staff, you will have a great time at the Farmhouse Kitchen. The food here is down home and delicious and the portions are generous. Come to have a casual experience where homemade music vidoes play on monitors while you eat. Have a good meal and also there deserts are also special.

Taqueria El Farolito

With such a large Mexican population you know that we would send you to our favorite burrito place and Taqueria El Farolito is that place. You can also order tacos, quesadillas, carnitas, and nachos that will make you a believer. The best thing is that the prices for this great food is cheap with most meals between $5 and $10. Bring cash though because cards are not accepted.

Tartine Manufactory

Step into this gorgeously designed home of delicious baked goods and you might never want to leave. You can have your pick of any type of breads you want to eat in or take home and indulge in their meals that utilize the breads they bake. The people behind the Tartine Manufactory are the same as the Tartine Bakery that has a long history of being the top bakery in the area.

San Francisco is a great city with tons of cultural attractions and some of the best food anywhere. It is the perfect destination for a food crawl.