In the Bay Area, we may be more attached to gadgets than people, but we love our locally sourced amazing food more than anything. When you visit the Bay Area one of your top priorities should be chowing down on local favorites and all the foods that made the city famous. Here’s our guide to some amazing eats you need to try next time you’re in the bay.
Here’s our guide to some amazing eats you need to try next time you’re in the bay.
1. It’s-It Ice Cream Sandwich
Photo courtesy of babycenter.com
The It’s It Ice Cream sandwich is a legend in San Francisco. Created in 1928, it is almost as delicious as it was when it hit the streets almost over 100 years ago. George Whitney put a scoop of ice cream between two oatmeal cookies, then dipped it in chocolate, and that was history.
2. Wright’s Pink Popcorn
Photo courtesy of sfgate.com
Sense 1940 Wright’s has been selling San Francisco caramel corn, roasted peanuts, and their unique pink popcorn.
3. Burmese food
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Even though there are many places across the country to get Burmese food, San Francisco has the some of the most authentic and delicious Burmese food.
4. Cruffin
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What’s a Cruffin? A cruffin is an amazing pastry invention. It is the combination of a french pastry and a muffin, and you can get some of the best in SF.
5. A scoop from Bi-Rite
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There’s nothing like a scoop of ice cream on a foggy day in SF. Bi-Rite has homemade organic ice cream to solve even your sweetest sweet tooth.
6. Baked goods in Dolores Park
Photo courtesy of sf.funcheap.com
These may be a little more special than your typical brownie. Consume at your own risk.
7. Irish coffee from Buena Vista
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It’s the best around — always make sure you grab a cup when you’re in town.
8. Fernet Branca
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More than 70 percent of fernet is consumed in the Bay Area. Why does the Bay Area love it so much? Two years after fernet was manufactured, the village port of Yerba Buena, Alta California, was renamed San Francisco. The glamour of this drink is tied deep into the Frisco drinking culture.
9. Pho
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Pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup that consists of linguine rice noodles called bánh phở, meat, herbs, and broth. It is also a known hangover cure.
10. Farmers Market free samples
Photo courtesy of hotcfarmersmarket.org
Nothing is better than spending a Saturday morning going through your city’s farmers market. Also, the free samples and bucket tamales make it worth it.
11. Mission Burritos
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Chipotle and Boloco are great, but nothing beats Bay Area burritos. Fact: The best burritos in California come from the Mission.
12. Ike’s Place
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For all your next-level sandwich needs, there’s Ike’s. Get after it.
13. Sourdough
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According to the Boudin family, they struck culinary gold when they started baking in San Francisco. The unique in San Fran created a unique tang to their traditional french bread.
14. Fortune cookies
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Even though this may be more of a tourist thing, San Francisco is the best place in the U.S. to get fortune cookies. In my experience, avoid the factory tour and find the little place in Chinatown for the most authentic fortune cookies.
15. Garlic fries
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Completely iconic. Is it even a baseball game if you don’t have some type of junk food?
16. Pisco Punch
Photo courtesy of piscotrail.com
This is an alcoholic punch that was invented by Duncan Nicol at a bar named Bank Exchange in San Francisco.
17. Food Trucks
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With over one hundred food trucks in the Bay Area, you can’t go wrong. There’s everything from authentic Mexican food to chocolate covered bacon.
18. Martini at Aub Zam Zam
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The Bay Area loves their food, but we also love our drinks. A trip home is not complete without a trip to Zam Zam for a martini.
19. Açai Bowls
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Fact: Almost everything in San Francisco is fresh AF. Nothing can beat the Açai Bowls — sorry, LA.
20. Dank Chinese food
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Out of all of the china towns I have been to over the country, this one is one of the best. Not only do they have great food, but it is also a great cheap eat.
21. S.F. Street Food Festival
Photo courtesy of sfgate.com
We love our farmers markets and food festivals, but nothing is better than the Street Food Festival.
22. Dark Chocolate & Marshmallow Candy Bar Bite at Boulevard
Photo courtesy of seriouseats.com
If you’re looking for a place to eat that will make your jaw drop, this is the place to go.
23. Gary Danko
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Gary Danko is one of the best chefs in San Francisco. When you come for a visit, make sure you bribe your parents to take you here.
24. Chicken at Zuni
Photo courtesy of smittenkitchen.com
Zuni is famous for their baked chicken and their other wood-fired eats.
25. Frog Hollow Farm
Photo courtesy of foodspotting.com
The Bay Area loves natural and organic food more than they love trees. When you want a break from the commercialized food you eat at school, you have to go here.
26. In-N-Out
Photo courtesy of foodbeast.com
It’s a Bay Area staple.
27. Oysters at Swan Oyster Depot
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They’re fresh AF, delicious, and trendy. What’s not to love?
28. Tacos
Photo courtesy of tacolicious.com
When people think of great authentic tacos, they go to SoCal But, you know that the best authentic tacos come from the food trucks in the Bay Area.
29. Avocado
Photo courtesy of yelp.com
You haven’t had a true avocado experience if you’ve never eaten a California avocado. Grab a California burger, some avocado toast, and some guac while you’re in town.
30. Sol Food
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Sol Food in San Rafael is the best place in the Bay Area to get Puerto Rican food ever.
31. Focaccia at Liguria Bakery
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Arguably the best bread Little Italy has to offer, and you need to get yourself some.
32. Barney’s Burgers
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The Bay Area has some of the best burger chains in the country. Their burgers are all made from locally sourced organic ingredients and the truffle fries can’t be beat. Don’t forget a blackberry chocolate milkshake at the end.
33. Dried Porcini doughnuts
Photo courtesy of flickr.com
If I could, I would munch on these doughnuts every day of my life.