You may have heard the news today that Mark Zuckerberg bought a place in the Mission, which is just reason number 952 why the neighborhood has gone from merely gentrified hip-kid hangout to full-blown, shark-jumped tourist mecca. Okay, perhaps that is taking it too far. But how about the next time your friends ask where you should all go out to eat on a Friday, you say, “How about somewhere not in the Mission,” and name one of the following equally hot spots that Zuck maybe hasn’t heard about yet.
And sure, you could always angle for a bar seat at Rich Table or one of the few walk-in seats at super-hot State Bird Provisions, but these five are actually a little easier to get into.
Earlier: Where to Dine Al Fresco During Our Annual Heatwave
Secrets to Snagging a Seat at San Francisco’s Most Hard-to-Get-Into Spots
Five Places to Eat in the Mission That You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of
There’s often a wait for a table, and the bar doesn’t afford a ton of standing room, but this remains one of our favorite places in the city, and not just our favorite in the Upper Haight. We love the cocktails, the vibe, the whiskey selection, and the concise but always interesting food menu, especially the pickled quail eggs, the jerk-spiced duck hearts, the bone marrow, and anything that chef Ted Fleury does with lamb.
See the listing.
This residency by
Don Pisto’s owner Pete Mrabe at a bar in North Beach (Amante, 570 Green Street at Stockton) features five-spice fried chicken, a daily changing ceviche, ramen, Korean tacos, and other often changing stuff. It’s below-the-radar but well known to the neighborhood at this point, and the Guardian’s Virginia Miller calls it “better than good.”
See the listing.
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: Outerlands is a gem. It’s way, way out there by the ocean, and thus it feels like you’ve journeyed well outside the city to get there. But it’s worth the trek into the fog to dine in this cozy, driftwood-paneled dining room (soon to grow bigger as they
expand next door) where chef Brett Cooper continues to make some excellent, flavorful, and on-trend cuisine. It’s as Mission as the Outer Sunset gets.
See the listing.
This hip hangout for the creative types and work-from-home techies of Dogpatch just got a tad hipper the past couple months with the residency of
guest chef Ravi Kapur. He just finished his stint on Sunday, cooking stuff like ricotta and kale gnudi with hen of the woods mushrooms and parmesan; and beef cheeks with red lentil, soffritto green olives, celery, and horseradish. Now, though the food is likely to stay solid, you’ll have to wait for the next pop-up appearance of his
LihoLiho Yacht Club to find Ravi in action.
See the listing.
Intimate space that reminds one of Brooklyn? Check. Sophisticated cocktail list that includes a gin drink with beer in it and an Old Fashioned with chamomile-infused bourbon? Check.
A list of snacks and simple but spot-on bistro dishes to warm the heart and stomach all fall and winter? Yep. Two Sisters Bar & Books, given how tiny it is, remains a hot ticket in Hayes Valley, and you should probably figure out why if you haven’t already.
See the listing.
