Best Breakfast in San Francisco
In my 12 years living here in San Francisco, I can confidently say that locals here are completely obsessed with good breakfast and brunch spots!
As a result, I’ve scoured and tried out every breakfast spot, far and wide, that San Francisco has to offer. They vary from basic comfort food to fancy pants splurge worthy - but they all have something in common - they are all freaking delicious!
Here are my best picks for best breakfast in San Francisco:
Table of Contents
Le Marais Bakery
Created by a French expat who missed the boulangeries back home, they only use quality ingredients like locally sourced Strauss Milk and butter from Normandy, France.
For breakfast try the Croque Madame, almond croissants, or even the salted chocolate cookies! Add on a perfectly made latte or espresso from a local roasters like Wrecking Ball or Stumptown.
It’s one of my favorite places to start the day because of the lovely ambiance inside and the super friendly family that owns the bakery!
After breakfast, you should consider renting of the fun yellow Go Carts to explore San Francisco!
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The Mill
Bread fanatics rejoice - The Mill has one of best bakeries in town (Josey Baker) located right inside!
For breakfast they are famous for their Avocado on Country Bread and Cinnamon Sugar Toast but make sure to see what seasonal specials they have on offer. Sometimes they have a seasonal jam or butter that is super delicious!
They make their coffee from Four Barrel Beans, a local San Francisco roaster.
I usually love the bread and pastries so much I end up getting an Everything Whole Grain Loaf and an Everything Croissant to go!
After breakfast, you can work off the calories by hiking up to Battery Spencer for one of the best views of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco!
Son and Garden
Run by the same family as who runs Thai Farmhouse - Son & Garden is a fun take on Thai-American World fusion cuisine.
What I really appreciate about them is that they make their food taste amazing and look good! Sometimes it’s hard to find a restaurant that pulls off both!
There are so many good choices on their breakfast menu, but here are my favorites:
Matcha Mochi Pancake - Beautifully decorated, if you haven’t had a mochi pancake before, it has a nice chewy texture to it. Add in magical matcha and you have an unforgettable breakfast.
Deep Fried French Toast - If you’re tired of the typical French Toast, this one kicks it up a notch with a crispy crust and custardy center.
Ricotta Pancake - Another perfectly made pancake - it’s super moist and delicious!
Fried Chicken Benedict - Let me tell you, they know how to make juicy, crispy fried chicken… so if you like that combined with a waffle and syrup…
Also, check out best places to get cheap, delicious food in San Francisco:
Devils Teeth Baking Company
A local favorite known for their amazing baked goods - the star of the show for breakfast is their Special Breakfast Sandwich.
It’s full of soft scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, mushy avocado, cheese, and a delicious lemon garlic aioli between two buttermilk biscuit halves.
The buttermilk biscuits are just sturdy enough so when you bite into this magical melty goodness, it doesn’t fall apart.
Some other favorites here are the cinnamon roll and the donut muffin. They also have great coffee sourced from a local roaster!
Padrecito
Ever since I had chilaquiles in Mexico City for breakfast, I’ve been hooked on this delicious, comforting Mexican breakfast staple.
Luckily, San Francisco has a wealth of great Mexican restaurants with Padrecito serving up my favorite, if slightly upscale, version of chilaquiles.
They are made with seasonal vegetables, smoked bacon, salsa amarilla, Monterey Jack cheese, eggs, and homemade tortilla chips. So good!
In fact, their whole menu is pretty spectacular! I also recommend their rock cod tacos, grilled skirt steak tacos, and the beautiful pancakes.
Tartine Bakery
Tartine is one of the most famous bakeries in town and for good reason as they have some amazing bakery and pastry items.
Not everything here is worth the high price though but I can recommend two things for sure:
Plain Croissant - at $5, these better be the best croissants in town! Hint: they are. With beautiful air pockets inside and being incredibly light n fluffy - they also have the perfect slightly sweet and buttery taste. I’m not sure if I had a better croissant, even in Paris.
Morning Bun - sticky, sweet, and gooey, the Morning Bun is a favorite of locals for a comforting start to the day.
Don’t know when to visit? Here’s a breakdown of what to expect each month of the year so you can figure out the best time to visit San Francisco:
Cassava
Run by a Filipino American who worked under 3 Star Michelin Chef Dominique Crenn and honed his skills in many famous restaurants around the world, Cassava is his brainchild restaurant focusing on California inspired cuisine.
It’s one of the few places in San Francisco offering a full on Japanese Breakfast and let me tell you - it’s amazing!
What’s in a Japanese Breakfast?
Miso soup with Kombu
Poached egg in dashi broth
Koshihikari Rice
Broiled rock cod
Picked daikon radish
Kimchi
Natto
It took me back to my trip to Japan a couple years ago when I went to see the Cherry Blossoms and the Art Islands.
Nopa
One of San Francisco’s most celebrated restaurants, they have a legendary brunch menu offered on the weekends. It’s recommended to make a reservation but they offer a community table for walk-ins.
The most talked about dish for brunch here has to be the Custard French Toast. The way they make it is different from most French Toasts you’ve ever had. The middle is super custardy and full of flavor. It’s hard to describe but is totally one of my favorite French Toasts of all time.
I also highly recommend the Oven Baked Egg and the Grilled Caraway Cherry Levain. They both sound like simple dishes but they are so complex and delicious!
Brendas French Soul Food
A San Francisco institution for Cajun food - they serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner here with some big hitters on the menu. I’ll be covering the breakfast items, which have some really delicious crowd pleasers.
The best overall breakfast choice here has to be the Crawfish Beignets. They are loaded with gooey cheesy, crawfish, and have a nice comforting taste to them.
They also serve something called the BFC (Best Fried Chicken) which are extremely juicy, crispy, and flavorful.
Five Happiness
Being a Taiwanese American, I always love it when I find a place serving an authentic Taiwanese breakfast. Five Happiness is a favorite amongst those in the know who love delicious Chinese food. I’ve gone there many times for their amazing Peking duck and other authentic dishes.
But when I found they also serve an authentic Taiwanese breakfast, I had to check it out. Turns out they know what they’re doing! I absolutely loved the Taiwanese doughnuts, hot soy milk, green onion pancakes, and the rice rolls with pork floss! So good!!
Taqueria Los Coyotes
One of my favorite super breakfast burritos in the city, which I’ve eaten at all hours including past midnight, is at Taqueria Los Coyotes in the Mission District of San Francisco.
Fully packed with eggs, rice, refried beans, sour cream, guacamole, lettuce, salsa, and your choice of meat ( I love carne asada), it’s big enough to share with another person!
A big bonus to this taqueria is that they have the best Pico de Gallo in the city! It full of large diced tomatoes and full of flavor. Most other taquerias have a watery pico with barely any diced tomatoes. They also give you a free bag of tortilla chips with your order!
Derm
When you think of Thai food, the first thought isn’t perhaps breakfast, but let me tell you they do a mean breakfast menu here!
On the weekends they have an authentic Kao Tom Thai Rice Porridge that will sweep you back to lazy mornings in Thailand.
If it’s not the weekend, definitely check out the Fluffy Pancakes. You can choose between a Berry Soufflé or a Banana Walnut Soufflé Pancake. These fluffy pancakes are super popular in Asia for a good reason!
Plow
If you can deal with the long lines at this crazy popular breakfast spot, the two things to get are the Lemon Ricotta pancakes and the Chinese Breakfast.
The Lemon Ricotta pancakes are moist, fluffy, and delicious with the right amount of lemon.
The Chinese Breakfast is a deliciously marinated pork shoulder over rice, with two eggs and jasmine rice. Super comforting and delicious!