50 Best American Restaurants in San Francisco

“We had dinner there and the food was delicious…. The fried quail was the star. The starters were excellent. Very recommended restaurant“

“We walked in on NYE without a reservation and they graciously found us a spot in the bar area. Service was on point and staff were festively dressed! I love a crafty cocktail but most are too sweet. I had the Smokey mezcal cocktail 🍹. Perfection. Appetizers were delish as well. Perfect way to start our NYE celebrations.“

“Great food and ambience here!“

“An absolute SF classic that lives up to the hype! The English cut prime rib was perfectly aged, tender, and juicy, spun tableside from the silver dome cart—pure theater. Loved the Yorkshire pudding, creamed spinach, and that massive baked potato. Cocktails are strong and old-school. The retro vibe with white tablecloths feels like stepping back in time. Reservations essential, but it's worth it for a special occasion meat-lover's feast.“

“My friend, Mike, who lives nearby with his wife, raved about it so much that my BF and I decided to come after a short trip to Marin. It was everything that he described and more. It was fantastic! Excellent food and atmosphere. Will definitely add to my list of favorites and will recommend to my Palo Alto friends!“

“Affordable price, great taste“

“just lovely! vegan friendly but the fried chicken was tops!“

“Holy moly, this place was great! The food is tasty & beautifully served. The service was great & Hannah made terrific suggestions. Really well done!“

“A great way to experience a four course meal at an affordable price, with delicious food. We will definitely be back.“

“Amazing dining experience. Worth the price“

“Great breakfast and fast service Thank you ♥️♥️“

“味道很不错值得尝试一下！😁😁😁“

“I cannot say enough good things about this restaurant. I am a business owner a few doors down and I wandered in with a friend after work one night about a month ago. We were met with such incredible warmth from the staff and the environment itself, even without a reservation. We sat at the bar and were greeted by Josh, only to find out later that he is the owner. He made excellent recommendations on everything from our drinks to dessert. The bar didn’t feel isolated from the rest of the restaurant and guests, but rather was lively hub frequented by kitchen and serving staff and warmed by a smoldering wood fire. The coziest. We swooned for the poke appetizer, complete with house-made toasted, but not crisp, blue corn tortillas. The pork shoulder tacos—also to die for. I have to say though, that the star on the sidelines was the beans. I honestly didn’t know I could feel this way about beans…but I digress. Josh bounced around from table to table all night, never letting a single ball drop, making every guest feel like *his* guest. A pot de crème sealed the evening in perfect bliss. I’m back a month later with the same friend, eating different and somehow even more incredible entrees: ribeye, halibut and a rhubarb crisp for dessert. I scarcely ever take the time to write a review as I prefer to vote with my $ and my feet, but I simply couldn’t eat here again without taking the time to sing it’s praises. Eat here.“

“The food in this restaurant is delicious, I hope you have time to try it.“

“Really nice place. Highly recommended“

“Just had a delicious burger here and am very appreciative of Gloria’s service. She took such good care of me while dining here, and I really appreciated her warm and thoughtful service. Burger was delicious, cooked correctly, and very quick to come out. Would come back.“

“First time at this restaurant- we have been to RH Rooftop Marin before. We had a reservation for 2 people and showed up a few min early. The hostess who helped us (there were 2 other hosts walking back and forth) was neutral, not warm or friendly. She asked us to wait in the waiting area for our table (empty except for a couple having drinks there from the bar). We waited for about 10 min, and noticed a party of 2 walked up and were seated right away. When another party of 2 did the same, my husband went up to ask how long our wait would be, and she said she could seat us. She brought us to a table immediately behind the hostess podium (which had been empty since we got there). I asked if there was another table available (I wanted to feel more like I was inside the restaurant) and her body language clearly showed that she was annoyed- shoulders slumped, sighed - and she brought us to another table. The restaurant was much louder than I expected, which made it seem less elegant than the photos showed when I booked. Our waiter was professional and nice, and we appreciated that. The food was mostly excellent- especially the Hamachi caviar carpaccio- amazing! My husband's Chilean sea bass was overcooked and rubbery. The Delice de Bourgogne board was fantastic (we've had this in the Marin restaurant). I don't know that I would come here again for a special dinner- I might come just for a casual meal. I did feel overdressed, as I tried following the dress code, but saw people in tennis shoes and athleisure clothes. There were a few people dressed up (large table for a birthday, etc) but if we go there again, I will definitely dress down. Overall, the food and service at our table were great, but the ambiance and service at the host stand were not. I really wanted to love this restaurant, but in my experience it did not live up to the beautiful photos online.“

“Amazing food and service. Love this place!“

“Get there early if you want a seat. Their Whiskey Sour is absolutely perfect And they have actual food if you like that kind of stuff🍸🍹“

“What an amazing culinary experience! We had a three course meal. The waiter was very helpful, friendly and had great recommendations! I highly recommend this place if you're in San Francisco!“

“Absolutely delicious. The staff was awesome. Consuelo couldn't have been more friendly! Great experience. Highly recommend 😋😋“

“Cheeseburger on a toasted sesame seed bun. Some mayo. Some lettuce and tomato. Side of fries. That’s a burger. It’s not The Melt, or McDonald’s. Not In-n-Out. It’s not a burger at STK. It’s not even the best burger in SF. It’s just a classic flavor that hits the spot. You don’t have to fly out here to try this, but if you’re in the neighborhood you can’t go wrong eating here.“

“Last Saturday we ordered a lot of food from the melt. The whole crew was working overtime and we all ordered multiple items and the crew absolutely killed it. Lady working the cashier was absolutely amazing. Sweetest lady ever. The cooks were amazing and they have a very good crew working. The only names I received were Mar, Janeka, Dom and Tone but everyone was incredible and we definitely will be back.“

“Another brilliant visit to Sorrel and Alex Hong continues to reign as my current favorite Chef! 🤘🏼If you haven’t been to Sorrel, go. Total genius.“

“Read atmosphere increases wonderful, outdoor patio“

“Great entertainment and hosts!!!“

“I love the afternoon tea service here! The setting, food and service are all wonderful. Some hotel afternoon tea services in the city are overpriced for the quality but this restaurant offer the perfectly balanced service. I recommend you try the tea called “Nuit à Versailles.” I live 6 blocks away from this restaurant and I will be back soon again.“

“Good food, excellent service“

“Holy Schnike!!! The food is incredibly delicious, the non-seafood versions I am getting are the most amazing tastes. The Wines paired with the dishes are inspired and spot on.“

“The best restaurant you’ve never been to in SF. Every time i have friends in town I take them here. Service is wonderful, food is delicious and well priced, atmosphere is cozy and vibey. Great selection of wine and vermouth. Probably my current favorite in the city. Cheers!“

“Fab bar with a great range of booze and really friendly and helpful staff. Took the time to discuss UK vs USA measures and jiggers with me - fascinating!“

“I was on vacation in San Francisco & my cousin recommended Kates Kitchen. We had breakfast there & the food was very tasty. I highly recommend stopping by Kate's for a bite to eat if you are in the area.“

“Had read when researching SF Pat's was popular and didn't disappoint. Friendly staff and oh my tasty food and large portions 🤦my burrito 🌯 was huge.Did my best. 😀 recommend highly“

“The burger was really good. Got the HWC burger with waffle fries, the burger was really flavorful and juicy. Taste wise I had zero complaints.

Overall the meal was sort ok for the price in SF I guess. The burger itself was almost the size of a whopper jr but with more meat. The quality of the burger is great but the size is a bit disappointing. Waffle fries were standard, nothing super amazing nor bad.

If I could just buy 2 burgers for the price of the burger & fries I'd be more than happy. That said, even with the but of criticism I'd go back again no hesitation.“

“First time at this restaurant- we have been to RH Rooftop Marin before. We had a reservation for 2 people and showed up a few min early. The hostess who helped us (there were 2 other hosts walking back and forth) was neutral, not warm or friendly. She asked us to wait in the waiting area for our table (empty except for a couple having drinks there from the bar). We waited for about 10 min, and noticed a party of 2 walked up and were seated right away. When another party of 2 did the same, my husband went up to ask how long our wait would be, and she said she could seat us. She brought us to a table immediately behind the hostess podium (which had been empty since we got there). I asked if there was another table available (I wanted to feel more like I was inside the restaurant) and her body language clearly showed that she was annoyed- shoulders slumped, sighed - and she brought us to another table. The restaurant was much louder than I expected, which made it seem less elegant than the photos showed when I booked. Our waiter was professional and nice, and we appreciated that. The food was mostly excellent- especially the Hamachi caviar carpaccio- amazing! My husband's Chilean sea bass was overcooked and rubbery. The Delice de Bourgogne board was fantastic (we've had this in the Marin restaurant). I don't know that I would come here again for a special dinner- I might come just for a casual meal. I did feel overdressed, as I tried following the dress code, but saw people in tennis shoes and athleisure clothes. There were a few people dressed up (large table for a birthday, etc) but if we go there again, I will definitely dress down. Overall, the food and service at our table were great, but the ambiance and service at the host stand were not. I really wanted to love this restaurant, but in my experience it did not live up to the beautiful photos online.“

“Loved loved the atmosphere and food“

“Lovely meal, beautiful in the plate and palate and attentive, but not intrusive, staff. The star left off for ambience is for the cold breeze that hit us every time the door opened and the (ahem) nonfunctioning toilet (which staff was alerted to and prepared to address).“

“Eat here once and you’re coming back. Eat here twice and you’re family. Best atmosphere in SF, incredible interesting wine list, service that is knowledgeable AND fun/grounded/ entertaining and the food, my god the food! This place just celebrated 23 years in business, they deserve At least 23 more!!!!“

“posole crispy tacos tres leches guacamole chips“

“great food and cocktails, bread to die for“

“My favorite food is everything on the menu“

“Good service and good food😋“

“Never disappointed when you go to Heritage… Tonight I tried the New York steak absolutely delicious… Carrot soup absolutely delicious… And of course too and with chocolate chip cookies warm from the oven and coffewith a dollop of Cardamom whipping cream …Yum! Oh and great Manhattans with Basil Hayden bourbon 🥂🎄🙏🏼❤️😘“

“Excellent dining experience. Food and service were superb!“

“If you are near the ballpark before 2 PM stop in for a great breakfast or brunch. I ordered the Huevos Rancheros and the dish just popped with flavor. The Salsa was excellent as was the Pico and the ham I substituted for the pork chorizo. My wife had a scramble with hash browns, which I can testify were awesome as were the eggs. It's been awhile since we had been there but it won't be long before we go back. Excellent breakfast spot.“

“What a great place, and why I have discovered it only now. John is the most gracious host who made us feel extremely welcome and comfortable. The whole place is very cozy. It's like a private dining. We were able to enjoy our food and talk as if we were the only people in the restaurant. The food was also great. I don't really like butternut squash soup, but I loved John's. Halibut was very delicious that melted in your mouth. The other dishes were also great and wonderfully presented. Even the dinner rolls which they bake in the house, were also delicious. I actually begged John, and he gave me some to take home. I think the local patrons should chip in and buy this place a great espresso machine :). That was the only thing missing for me in this dinner.“

“Good drinks, great atmosphere, best food!!“

“El mejor servicio de 🌉. La comida deliciosa 😋. El lugar perfecto para comer 😉👍🌠🌠🌠🌠🌠“

“10/10 in my book! And I hate to admit that I'm a picky girl. I'm a foodie. Servers are super friendly, vibes are nice with pleasant music in the background that's not too loud. And the food was delicious!

We got:
Mango Habanero wings (one of their specials of the day)
The wings were juicy and the sauce was amazing! Pretty sure they blended actual mango because the mango taste was there. I like spice, so I would say the sauce wasn't spicy at all, and the mango was the more dominant flavor. But it was really good :)

4 piece chicken meal with Mac and cheese and potato salad as our sides. The Mac and cheese was nice and cheesy. It gave classic Mac and cheese. I also think they broil the Mac and cheese with a layer of cheese on the top and then mix it into the Mac and cheese after, because I was getting bits of broiled cheese even on the deeper layers of the cup. Which was great. The potato salad had perfect seasoning and was also just really yummy. The chicken pieces were decently sized and I could taste the hint of rosemary on them. Very crunchy.

We also ordered a side of hot honey sauce, which we added to the chicken and the cornbread (as recommend by our server) and I did enjoy it! I did think it paired better with the cornbread. The cornbread was also yummy and crumbly. I personally like my cornbread a bit more moist, but the flavor was really nice, and the hot honey helped give it some of that moisture!

Overall, I would 100% come here again! Thinking of bringing some friends to try this place :)“

“The view is comfortable and the dishes are exquisite. It is highly recommended.“