Best Brunch - San Francisco
San Francisco is a brunch obsessed city where locals and tourists alike gossip about which brunch place is the best in town, all while braving the long lines to be seated.
There are places that focus on California inspired bites while other spots offer more exotic, international dishes. On top of it all, there are plenty of restaurants that have over-the-top decor and oh so Instagrammable and colorful culinary creations!
As San Francisco locals, we’ve done lots of brunch research and are glad to share our best brunch spots in San Francisco:
Brendas French Soul Food
Southern Creole food has always been a winner when it comes to brunch, and Brenda’s has been doing it for a long time here in San Francisco.
Brenda’s is one of the most popular brunch spots in town, so be sure to get here early to avoid the long lines!
What to order?
Any of their beignets are crowd pleasers but the clear winners are the Crawfish Beignets (pillowy and full of a cheesy crawfish center) and the Apple Beignet (a cross between apple pie and a donut).
For a true taste of New Orleans, the Po Boy Sandwich is full of crunchy shrimp, on top of a bed of lettuce and creamy remoulade sauce.
Bananas Foster was invented in New Orleans, so the French Toast version is a great option.
Oh and don’t forget to try the Watermelon Iced Tea - it’s a definite Southern classic drink!
Palette Tea House
Located inside the historic red brick walls of Ghirardelli Square, Palette Tea House is a joint venture from dim sum experts Koi Palace and Dragon Beaux.
Dragon Beaux is famous for its ultra colorful dumplings while Koi Palace is known for its large dim sum menu. Together, they’ve created one of the best upscale, dim sum brunch spots in San Francisco.
Forget tired and worn-out decor - this place is full of beautiful decor, tiled murals, and excellent service.
About the food, almost everything is excellent but make sure to get some of the Xiao Long Bao, Yuzu Honey Walnut Prawns, Lobster shumai, soft shell typhoon crab, and a Drunken Boba!
Mamas on Washington Square
Open for over 50 years and always attracting crowds in North Beach, Mama’s is one of those legendary brunch spots that you simply have to try (if you don’t mind braving the long line to get in).
If Dungeness crab is in season, definitely go for anything with it such as the Dungeness Crab Benedict. Otherwise, the French Toast or the Monte Cristo Sandwich are solid choices for Brunch.
Zazie
A classic breakfast and brunch spot, Zazie has been serving up all the French American breakfast favorites for many years and is incredibly popular for its consistency.
People usually get the French Toast, Croque Madame, Eggs Benedict, French Onion Soup, or the Miracle Pancakes.
Another great reason to support Zazie is that they provide a living wage to all their employees so you aren’t expected to tip on the bill!
Son & Garden
One of the most beautiful restaurants in San Francisco - this is the perfect place for a visual feast for brunch!
Being that the owners are from Thai Farmhouse (one of the best Thai restaurants in town), the food is incredibly delicious with a Thai Fusion twist to it.
For brunch, one of the most popular drinks is the Cloud 9 - which is topped with a cotton candy cloud that is swirled into your drink.
The Ricotta Pancakes are especially delicious and quite the crowd-pleaser.
The Fried Chicken Benedict was one of my favorite things as it was incredibly juicy and crispy.
Kitchen Story
One of the most popular brunch spots in San Francisco, Kitchen Story usually has a bit of a wait on the weekends due to its lovely outdoor seating area and delicious California Asian inspired menu.
They are also the inventors of Millionaire’s Bacon, which has been copied by many other restaurants now. Imagine thick slabs of bacon baked in brown sugar, cayenne, and red & black pepper.. yum!
They also take French Toast to another level by stuffing it with mascarpone cheese and then deep frying all of it!
Another favorite is the Ribeye Omurice - which puts a spin on the Japanese dish with ground ribeye steak.
We also love the Belly Rancheros - think Huevos Rancheros but with Asian flavors like Kimchi and braised Kurobuta Pork Belly.
Dorian
Located in the Marina - The Dorian is an exceptionally beautiful restaurant with a younger, fashionable crowd.
Brunch on the weekends is usually quite busy, especially if the weather is nice. It might be ok though since this place is great for people watching while you wait!
What we loved:
Burrata - paired with castelvetrano olive & nettle pesto, pistachio - lemon gremolata, rose & cardamom marinated cherries, griddled bread
Billionaire’s Breakfast Burrito - diced billionaire’s bacon, black beans, scrambled eggs, pico, guacamole, housemade sour cream, ranchero salsa, home fries
Tumeric Hummus - made with Garam Masala and coconut, served with seeded flatbread
Wilde Burger - 24k gold bun Burger with Wagyu beef patty (this is served at lunch and has limited availability)
Foreign Cinema
Originally opened as a movie theater serving bistro food, Foreign Cinema is now an open concept restaurant with old films playing on the wall via 35mm film projector.
Since there is an open courtyard in part of the restaurant, there is plenty of natural light flooding in, adding to the pleasant vibe.
The kitchen has won many awards for its food. Some of our brunch favorites include the Croque Madame, Hawaiian Tuna Ceviche, and their excellent choice of oysters.
Tartine Manufactory
Tartine Bakery is one of the most famous bread makers in the country - so when they opened a restaurant, most of San Francisco went wild for it.
They serve food all day, but if you’re here for brunch there are several excellent options.
Any of their Tartine bread slices with assorted toppings are always great since the bread is made in-house.
Similarly, you can’t go wrong with the Breakfast Sandwich here.
Cacio e Pepe Pizza is a nice standout as is the Roasted Beet Hummus.
They have an excellent coffee menu as well - try a filter coffee or a Flat White.
Starbelly
When I lived in the Mission District, Starbelly was one of my favorite places to grab a meal with friends, whether it was for dinner or brunch.
The service here is warm and friendly with a nice intimate atmosphere.
Some standouts include house-made chicken liver pate with onion marmalade and buttered bread, chilaquiles with house-made chorizo, and fried chicken and waffles.
Make sure to also try the house-made ginger lemon soda or lavender lemonade!
Plow
A couple of things are true in San Francisco - locals don’t mind waiting in line for brunch and especially for the lemon ricotta pancakes at Plow.
It wasn’t unheard of to see a line forming at 7 am due to the immense popularity and small size of the restaurant.
If you want to get a good representation of what Plow is about, get The Plow which includes the lemon ricotta pancakes, the amazing crispy potatoes, and other breakfast items.
The Fried Egg sandwich is also an excellent, satisfying choice as is the Custard French Toast.
Sometimes they have seasonal items, such as the Chinese Breakfast. If you see that, definitely get it!!
Presidio Social Club Exchange
A bit of a secret local spot, this wonderful restaurant is right on the outskirts of the sprawling Presidio Park. It has a friendly ambiance and an excellent sunny outdoor patio for those sunny California days.
The Presidio Social Club Exchange is open for lunch and dinner, but brunch is served on the weekends.
The menu has a bit of everything - I’d call it California Fusion with elements of Asian, French, American, and Persian food.
The Sunshine Deviled Eggs & Caviar have Japanese kewpie mayo and furikake seasoning, which is a winner in my book.
The Brunch Scramble is comfort food at its best with soft scrambled eggs, goat cheese, herbs served on Acme bread.
If they have the Avocado Toast with lobster, definitely go for it.
Afterward, go for a walk in the Presidio or along the Marina.
Cassava
If you’re looking for something more exotic, Cassava specializes in Japanese Fusion food and does a spectacular Japanese brunch.
The Japanese Breakfast specifically is what they’re famous for and includes miso marinated salmon, simmered shiitake mushrooms with kombu, pickled cucumbers, Mendocino kombu dashi miso soup, house furikake, soft poached egg, and koshihikari rice.
They also make a wonderful Beef and Chicken Curry full of short ribs, autumn squash, feta cheese, and herbs.
Causwells
A brunch hotspot with long lines and crowded tables, apparently this is the place to be on the weekends in the Marina!
Causwells is also famous for having one of the best burgers in San Francisco - and who’s to say you can’t have a burger for brunch? You can have it the normal way (Americana Burger), which is a double patty smash burger, or the breakfast way (Brunch Burger) which is with one patty and a fried egg. I’m partial to the double smash burger, but you do you!
Some other things I love here are the Smoked Salmon & Pretzel with mustard Creme fraiche and the Buttered Seared Banana Bread.
El Techo
San Francisco doesn’t have too many rooftop restaurants, so that makes El Techo even more special on one of those sunny San Francisco days.
They are actually pretty famous for their happy hour/sunset and nighttime bar scene but don’t miss out on brunch at El Techo!
The food here is Latin American inspired with highlights being the house-made crispy Chicharrones, the light & airy Fish Tacos, and the Elote Grilled Corn.
They also have a good drink menu with our favorites being the Hummingbird (chamomile infused pisco, lime juice, ginger syrup, seltzer water, angostura bitter) and the Ponche de Leche (clarified milk, chamomile infused pisco, lemon juice, demerara syrup, fino sherry, lemon)