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.“

“It was our first time and we were definitely pleased. Everything was delicious!“

“Great food and ambience here!“

“Great breakfast and fast service Thank you ♥️♥️“

“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!“

“Affordable price, great taste“

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

“Leurs salades Le service Le PATIO a l’arrière 👍👍“

“Amazing dining experience. Worth the price“

“味道很不错值得尝试一下！😁😁😁“

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

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

“Really nice place. Highly recommended“

“It was a nice spot to just eat and chill for a bit. Me and my brother just came off a roller coaster of flight and emotions. So we were pretty hungry. Wanted breakfast so this was our only good looking option. It did not disappoint with the food being delicious and our server Gloria was the best. She made sure we had our condiments before our food came out and made sure everything was good for us. She was very attentive towards us and was such a sweet lady. Would recommend if you’re at the airport.“

“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.“

“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🍸🍹“

“Dear the Perry’s Crew at SFO,

I am writing this from the bottom of my heart to thank you for your incredible assistance during my medical emergency at your restaurant last week.

In a moment that was incredibly frightening for me, your team’s fast response and professionalism quite literally saved my life. I truly believe that without your quick thinking, I wouldn't be here today to write this note.

I also want to extend a special thank you to the Manager on duty. Taking the time to speak with my wife on the phone and provide her with updates while the medical team assisted me meant the world to her during a very difficult hour.

You are all heroes in my book. And for what it's worth—from what I remember before things went sideways—the food was fantastic and highly recommended!

With deepest gratitude,

Jorge Rosales“

“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!“

“Had afternoon tea here twice; the first time for 2 persons, the second time for 3. Tea selection and the atmosphere was outstanding, service was ok.
During my first visit, the food for 2 was nicely presented on a tiered platter, beautiful and appetizing.
However on my second visit, I was very disappointed with the food presentation; a 2-person tiered platter was used to hold food for a party of 3. As a result, the food was literally piled on to the platter on each tier. This must be a presentation mistake which compromised our dining experience. The visual appeal was lost and somehow the food did not taste as good as the first time…😟“

“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 😋😋“

“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.“

“This place should have a line out the door every day. Incredible value. Excellent service. Delicious food. Warm and friendly staff. They greeted all their regulars by name like old friends. I can't wait to become a regular myself. I can't recommend enough. Coming back as often as I can.“

“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.“

“Absolutely loved dinner at Heirloom Cafe in the Mission. One of those rare San Francisco spots that still feels deeply personal, warm, and genuinely neighborhood-driven. The atmosphere is intimate and understated, but the food and wine program are world class.

The burger is still one of the best in SF. Rich, perfectly cooked, layered with incredible flavor, and somehow even better paired with a bold red from their beautifully curated wine list. The staff clearly knows wine and actually cares about helping you find the right pairing instead of just pushing expensive bottles. We ended up with an amazing Hungarian recommendation that elevated the entire meal. The desert wine and champagne even slap.

Huge credit to Wisconsin born Josh DeClercq and the team in the kitchen for keeping the food simple, seasonal, and dialed. You can feel the consistency and attention to detail in every dish. The whole place has that timeless California French bistro energy that’s getting harder and harder to find in San Francisco.

If you want a real SF dinner experience with exceptional wine, incredible hospitality, and food that feels thoughtful without trying too hard, this place is special. Perfect date night spot. We’ll absolutely be back.“

“My friends and I came here yesterday for cookies after a walk on the beach, and despite looking quite casual for such a nice restaurant we had such a great experience with the staff! Two staff were new (the lady was so competent for a new employee, you go girl!) and extremely nice, and the woman whipping up the desserts behind was the sweetest and gave us a few extra beignets to share :)

The best part (aside from the delicious food) was when the man at the register called my friend sir, a rare moment he was correctly gendered. We were all so happy! The desserts were also fabulous, cookies were GIANT and yummy, we particularly enjoyed the snickerdoodle and oatmeal raisin, the beignets were truly to die for, and the passionfruit lemon cake was such a good deal with real lilikoi flavor (Hawaiian approved)!“

“Food was good! Atmosphere was fun!“

“A great burger. From my first year in the bay area there was something special about Nation's Giant Burgers, scattered around the East Bay. A juicy patty, cheese, with the fixings a nice clump of lettuce, onions and tomato, thick slab of cheese and pickles. Great thick fries, and pies.. seriously the best pie I ever had was at a Nation's. Their Strawberry Tart only offered when in season, is just large strawberries, a tasty almost shortbread crust and whipped cream. The one I had in 2001, days after 9/11, the strawberries were bursting with juice, almost like a jam, the skin barely holding, and. not too sweet, not too tart... In Plant City, Florida they have amazing strawberries.. previously the best I had ever tasted, but these, from a California Farm is what they said, are always going to be the best. �Other than their Strawberry Tart, I like their Banana Split, Banana Cream, Chocolate Cream, Pecan, Blueberry... well.. all of them. Never a bad choice. How I like my burger. Cheese, no dressing, grilled onions, light lettuce. Then I get hash browns and ham on the side (sometimes one egg also) and add them to the burger. Anyway. yes. 👍 more, again.“

“Good service and good food😋“

“Great entertainment and hosts!!!“

“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.“

“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.“

“The food was great, the service was amazing and staff very kind! Clean restrooms are a plus too! Thank you for the great food and great service!“

“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.“

“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 🥂🎄🙏🏼❤️😘“

“posole crispy tacos tres leches guacamole chips“

“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!!!!“

“great food and cocktails, bread to die for“

“My favorite food is everything on the menu“

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

“Small intimate spot. Very friendly staff fast service and ordering wasn't an issue an as soon as you place your order it goes in so foods coming out very very timely manner! S/O to ochoCinco we came because of his mention on nightcap! Great recommendation it was very very good! The gentleman with the Dreeds lightskin brother was fantastic a the Spanish server as well everyone solid! I'll be back!“

“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.“

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

“I was so happy that my dinner reservations (for one) were accepted the same day! I was at the Golden Gate Bridge all day and walked over to the neighborhood location; what a great decision.

My mind was blown at how John was doing it all - getting the fresh fish from the market, prepping the food, cooking AND serving!

The food was impeccable. I have a small stomach, but I was gobbling and stuffing myself silly, because I just couldn't stop eating. My favorite was a Petrale Sole dish, with the aforementioned fresh fish! Soooo delicious and with such wonderful textures.

I also felt so blessed to get more than the dishes listed on the menu... there was also soup, mouth-watering bread, and a bonus dessert! That said, I would also say that either Google or the website didn't have the right price listed. However, WELL WORTH the price for the culinary experience!

There's some quirky decor, which amused me. Check out the apron displayed in the bathroom! It was the chef/owner's when he was a little boy! What fun.

All in all, I would definitely recommend that you consider giving this place a try!“