50 Best American Restaurants in San Francisco

“Last time I went to Liholiho was pre covid and the food and atmosphere is of the same caliber! Exceptional food and service. Loved the playlist it truly added to the ambiance because. Overall great experience.

Parking: Parking lot right across the street

Kid-friendliness: We had our 5 yo and she enjoyed dinner.“

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

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

“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!“

“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.“

“We stopped in here while in the area and were pleasantly surprised we had never made the stop before! I'm a dog person so anything with a Dog theme and I'm in, but this place didn't stop there. They have an impressive drink menu with a few things I'd never seen, and they also have these delicious NA waters (?) that I wish I could remember the name of.

They also have a great food menu and the service was very good. I'll be back and you should stop by too!“

“Great environment, lively, and tasty food!“

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

“Best dining experience I’ve had since I moved here. Great food, great service, great atmosphere. My new favorite restaurant 💚💚💚“

“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.“

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

“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🍸🍹“

“I must say i had high hopes but the meal was tasteless but my friends had too much salt. I wanted to like it. Wont return, wont recommend. ☹“

“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!“

“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.“

“great awesome foods! All of their staffs are very friendly and very good place.“

“The pork chops are above world-class!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️ I'll be back.“

“Very good, but not perfect. Maybe the recent Michelin star and the hype skewed some of my expectations, but while some dishes were outstanding, others fell a bit flat.

The beginning of the meal started out stronger, with a simple, but satisfying bread and butter and flavorful first course, for which I received a vegetarian variation to accommodate my finned fish allergy.

The 2nd course with the poached egg was definitely the best part of the whole meal - very rich, but silky and complex with flavor and texture.

The 3rd course pastas were both amazing for the same reasons as the 2nd and a close favorite.

The 4th courses were where things disappoint a bit: Though the lobster 3 ways sounds great, the stew was a little too overpowering in flavor and hiding the lobster's flavor (though there was a decent amount of lobster meat in there). The sauce that accompanied the tail was delicious, but the tail was uneven in doneness, with the narrow part a bit overdone while the thicker part was just right. The tempura claw was perfect and the best part of the main course.
For my husband's main course- the wagyu bavette. It was delicious.

The 5th course - dessert - was also a mix. I found the chocolate pear too one-note and overpowering with pear (expecting other flavors to come out of the chocolate, cake, or almond shortbread). My husband's sundae was much better with all the right flavors and balance coming through.

Overall, this was a great meal, but not perfect.“

“Rich dishes, very delicious“

“Just around the corner from The Morris, right on Hampshire lives Greenly Pickingoater and his little stab CocoRey the ex-sword swallower for the Ringling Brothers side show.
He called me and said get here lickity split cuss we've got a pork roast from The Morris being delivered in 1 hour.
Well, I couldn't get there fast enough! And let me tell you something...That Pork Roast and everything else from The Morris was Bombtasticly Porkalisous and every bit of 5 stars!
☆☆☆☆☆“

“True Laurel has earned its spot as one of SF’s best cocktail bars. It’s a cozy and modern spot in the Mission area that’s near a bunch of other top spots so it’s easy to make a night out if visiting this spot.

The menu has a wide selection of items for everyone. If there’s no seating inside they also serve their drinks onto a parklet space in front of the building for those summer nights.“

“Amazing dining experience. Worth the price“

“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.“

“Consistent, delicious, and beautiful experience. My neighborhood gem! Had my best friend from Arizona up for weekend, who was looking forward to returning to what he considers one of the best restaurants in SF, as do I....we sat at the Counter which is great as you really get to see the culinary team creating the dishes. It's so easy to write so positively about Che Fico . Given the challenges facing the restaurant business in San Francisco, even the spirit of the room defies that. The staff from arrival to departure is super friendly and attentive, and reliably cares about what they are doing: the evening runs like a well oiled machine, and we were graced with our server Brian who is just great at who he is and what he does. The food is just beautiful: to look at, and to eat. We had a spectacular Cicoria Cesare, a robust take on a Caesar salad with chicories and anchovies galore, a cold carrot dish with citrus buttermilk and pistachios, and perhaps my current favorite Carne Cruda, which is a raw sirloin with aioli and black truffle and Parmesan that you stuff into delicious small rolls. Simple and spectacular...finished with delicious seasonal asparagus and a delicate gnocchi with an asparagus pesto....Eat at Che Fico now and forever, Amen!“

“Great food and ambience here!“

“Fantastic artisan pizzas. We always stop by when we’re in the neighborhood!“

“Amazing food and service. Love this place!“

“awesome wine experience. Chris and his team are really dedicated sommeliers and love sharing their knowledge with you. i highly recomend this place. welcome to the world of wines.“

“Great restaurant in a beautiful spotless building with very helpful and courteous staff.
Our group had Chinese chicken salad, Caesar salad, and hamburger. Portion sizes were ok, and the cost of each dish was around $26 each. the beer choices were limited but good.

The building has its own parking lot with reasonable fees, e.g. $12 for 4 hours.

When you visit, it is worth it to go up to the terrace and see the fantastic outdoor seating with a great view.

Dietary restrictions: The waiter asked if we had any dietary restrictions“

“awesome food , great service definitely recommended“

“Such a fun, iconic spot! I loved the atmosphere and it was really easy to find parking. The food was fantastic also, and I'd recommend in particular the bouillabaisse and the shrimp scampi.

The service, however, was lackadaisical. It took nearly an hour to get our food, and the server didn’t bring the appetizer first (in fact it didn't even arrive with the main meal). He seemed unconcerned about our experience.“

“Good service and good food😋“

“This is the perfect neighborhood restaurant, but also so much more than a neighborhood restaurant. The vibe is incredible - perfectly lit for a cozy, romantic evening. The food is incredible and the wine list is unmatched in SF. Not to be missed!“

“Celebrated my husband’s birthday at the Chocolate Factory Dinner. Really fun, interactive, very tasty and sooo inventive. Loved the food and wine pairing. We will be back!“

“Food was good! Atmosphere was fun!“

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

“We stopped here for breakfast last week. It was absolutely delicious. I had the veggie omelette with hash browns and my partner had the hot dogs with eggs and home fries. We both shared the biscuits and gravy and fresh squeezed orange juice. Highly recommend this place as it's one of the only brunch spots on this side of the city.“

“It was late night order and I’ve never had a burger dog before but wanted to try since frisco fried out them on the scene back in the day. Ordered my door dash and couldn’t wait. As soon as they arrive I could smell the goodness so I take my pics and dive in.Burger Dog: Hefty on the meat, felt like it was more beef than an actual burger and I wanna say easier to eat. Only change I would add bacon and that’s my bad. Very good burger dog!Bacon Hot Dog: Butterflied Beef Dog with crispy bacon! Another hit.Very simple menu options but they hit it out the park. Would definitely double back to this spot to try them fresh.

Parking: It’s on 20th street so not impossible but keep your eyes open spots get taken fast

Kid-friendliness: Burgers, Hot Dogs, Fries I think so….

Wheelchair accessibility: It’s in San Francisco it has to be accessible“

“We had the 5 course tasting menu, with wine pairing. I was not particularly impressed with any of the items except for the fish and the desserts. Ravioli was lacking flavour, and risotto was excessively cheesy. We added a few extras to the prix fixe but the restaurant forgot to serve them, leading to a 30-minute gap between appetizer and entree where we were absolutely starving. Wine pairing was ok, we loved the dessert wine but did not like the white. A bit overrated but a good neighborhood restaurant.“

“Fantastic food and a great menu with something for every foodie“

“食材道地、新鮮美味、服務熱情、CP值極高！強力推薦！ #酸奶麵包 #墨西哥辣椒火腿可頌 #檸檬香塔 #酪梨水果三明治“

“My favorite food is everything on the menu“

“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 🥂🎄🙏🏼❤️😘“

“Came here for my birthday and it was absolutely amazing. The food was yummy and the service was perfect. I was a bit drunk when I came in but they were absolutely nonjudgmental and the service was top notch. I would like to come back (sober) and bring company next time!“

“My friend and I decided to try to be on the go for lunch since we’ve had B patisserie before. We shared a sandwich and ordered a soup. The tomato soup was super salty to the point. It was uncomfortable to swallow so I asked the cashier if we could have another bowl but he said no the salt is pre-mixed already he offered to refund us for the soup, which I thought was very kind of him. We had the pork sandwich and it was so good not only was the meat good but the bread was soft soft and warm. Although though I was disappointed, I didn’t have my soup. I’m sure it’s pretty good except it was just overly salted. Will be back for more food next time.“

“Incredible food and amazing service. We loved the food and vibe so much we had our wedding reception in their Private Den for our micro wedding of 24 people! It was so fun and the perfect place. It was our perfect vibe and so aesthetically pleasing! I loved the moody vibes and it perfectly complimented our wedding ideas. Our group was small enough at 24 people so we were able to do a seated dinner with a four course meal. Food was so good and 100% better than a typical catered wedding.
My MOH was able to go in before opening and decorated quickly so it was even more beautiful than usual. The team was able to set up for the dinner and helped us take it down once food and cake were done. We were able to dance the night away and have some delicious drinks! They were so attentive and the staff was constantly coming in to check on us and quickly get us drinks or help us with lighting, switching our Spotify playlist, etc. Stellar team and I know this was the perfect place for us. It’s was an unforgettable night, even after I had one too many drinks celebrating!

I spent weeks looking for an affordable place for after our San Francisco City Hall wedding. All blogs, socials, and reviews told me of dozens of restaurants that for me were ok for a dinner, maybe some dancing. None were perfect or that cost-effective.
Wilder was so beautiful and the staff was so friendly. The owner himself showed me the private den and talked to us while we ate dinner there for our first tasting. He went above and beyond that day and our actual reception. He was the one serving the bar and helping me switch my Spotify playlist. You can tell he cares about the client experience and he is helping us even in the tiny details like that!
Coming here even for dinner you can tell they cultivate a culture of quality experience and food. Having my actual wedding reception here showed me they will pull all the stops for you to have a memorable experience. I will forever remember our night and keep coming back to relive it!

Parking: Lots of street parking even on weekends but there’s a paid parking garage about a block away if it gets hard to find a spot

Kid-friendliness: My kid loved it, had 3 kids under 7 for our Private Den event and they were kept busy the whole night with the game in there and then the dancing. Couch there for when they got sleepy.“

“Loved the decor and the vibe，great place to hang out with friends.The food was absolutely delicious! The flavors were spot on.If you're in the area, this place is a must-try!“

“Loved everything about this place. The servers were so well organized and knowledgeable. They knew everything about the food and the wines they were serving. Me and my husband really enjoyed our last meal in San Francisco. Its high end top quality food with amazing unique dishes that serves all your senses.“

“This was my first time on the new covered patio. It's as wonderful as I thought it was going to be. I'm now looking forward to being there during different kinds of weather to enjoy all of the things that can be done with it. When you add the great food and perfect view you just can't go wrong. Right now they have fried green tomatoes back on the menu and they're better than ever. I already look forward to my next visit.“

“Excellent quality and excellent service. The food was well above what I expected. A definite must try in SF!!!👍🏼👍🏼“