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Local’s Guide to the Best Food & Drinks in SF’s Sunset Neighborhood

A Local’s Guide to the Best Food & Drinks in SF’s Sunset Neighborhood

the Sunset Neighborhood

This food and drink guide focuses on SF’s largest district, the Sunset. It’s divided by the imaginary line of 19th Ave. To the west lies outer sunset, and to the east the inner sunset.  Both sides of the neighborhood are stacked with quality eating and drinking opportunities.  Check out our absolute favorites below.

An odd neighborhood, but why we love it

Back then The Sunset was nothing more than sand dunes. Today, The Sunset is home to majority of San Francisco’s occupants, and brings suburbia to the bustling city. With its iconic homes that were mass produced post WWII, they bare resemblance to Ed Rucha’s Every Home on the Sunset Strip. Deadpan, mysterious, but once the fog clears away the neighborhood becomes bright with color with ocean in plain site.

Judah Street and 9th Avenue have long been the food meccas for the Sunset. But Taraval Street has been revamped with new shops, eateries, and bars. Slowly but surely the Sunset changes at its own pace. A reflection of of its residents who go about freely as a Californian beach town disconnected to the city it resides in.

Coffee

Hollow coffee shop

hollow

 1435 Irving St
Coffee Shop [  ]

In the Inner Sunset, you will find a quaint little cafe serving up Ritual Coffee. This hole-in-wall embodies slow experience coffee. Everything from homemade pastries, a menu balanced for those coffee connoisseurs, and those who love a little sugar and flavor options. Pair all of that with an upbeat staff, and you have yourself a place you can sit down for a few hours to enjoy some coffee.

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Andytown

andytown

 3655 Lawton St
Coffee Shop [  ]

When you ask folks in the Bay Area about coffee in the Outer Sunset, a good chance they will say Andytown. This Irish influenced cafe roasts their own coffee, and bakes all the pastries in-house. A cup of coffee and a some soda farl with butter and jam, and you can start your day with Ocean Beach in view. Oh yeah, did I mention that there’s wifi?

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Avenues

avenues

 3606 Taraval St
Coffee Shop [  ]

Another cafe residing in the Outer Sunset also houses a surf shop. This Verve Coffee serving cafe is a couple blocks walk to the ocean, and has avocado toast if you are into that.

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Trouble

trouble coffee

 4033 Judah St
Coffee Shop [  ]

Staying in the Outer Sunset, this cafe is the OG. Trouble has been a staple of the Sunset for many years. This punk cafe serves up some killer cappuccinos and makes a pretty mean cinnamon sugar toast. Coffee or die.

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Snowbird

snowbird

 1352 9th Ave
Coffee Shop [  ]

Tucked away near the busy 9th & Irving lies Snowbird. They roast their own coffee and brought good coffee to Inner Sunset.  A classic selection of coffee and a simple case of pastries invites all to stay and enjoy a conversation, or read a book.

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Home

home

 1222 Noriega St
cafE [  ]

Birthday cake and cookie monster lattes. Have we piqued your interest? Home brings the rainbow lattes of your Instagram feeds to life. The staff makes everyone feel welcome, and will happily explain all the sweet treats on the menu. But for you coffee connoisseurs out there, they have the classics as well. 

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Breakfast

Arts

Art’s Cafe

 747 Irving St
SF-STYLE Diner [  ]

Your new favorite diner. This family-run establishment serves classic American dishes and a few Korean classics. But if it’s your first time, be sure to get the hash brown sandwich. Think of it more like an omelette, but the hash browns replaces the eggs.

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Devilsteethbakingcompany

Devil’s Teeth Baking Company

 3876 Noriega St
Bakery [  ]

Unless you come on an off day, expect a line out the door for a breakfast sandwich that is sold by the hundreds. Bacon, scrambled eggs, avocado, cheese, and homemade biscuits are tied together with an aioli. Because aioli makes everything special, right?

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Streamline

Streamline

 3560 Taraval St
Café [  ]

Finding places that serve good coffee, a simple breakfast, and all without giving up an arm and a leg is hard to come by in San Francisco. Streamline does all that and serves draft beer and wines if coffee’s not cutting it.

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Howards

Howard’s Cafe

 1309 9th Ave
SF-STYLE Diner [  ]

Inner Sunset is a goldmine when it comes to diners. Howard’s is literally around the corner from Art’s and brings that old school charm with old school prices. Classic American breakfast, bottomless coffee, and a decor that’s stuck a few decades back, you couldn’t ask more from a diner.

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Seabreeze

Sea Breeze Cafe

 3940 Judah St
Café [  ]

No frills is what you get at Sea Breeze. Along Judah in the Outer Sunset, this breakfast spot makes a great stop before or after a walk to the beach. The tofu scramble is pretty darn good.

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LUNCH

Hook fish

Hook Fish Co

 4542 Irving St
Seafood [  ]

San Francisco lacks when it comes to seafood eateries. Thankfully the owners Hook Fish Co came along to bring locally sourced seafood to the neighborhood. They sell and serve the catch of the day so come on in and try the poke burrito or the dungeness crab burger since it’s crab season!  

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Clanceys

Clancey’s Market & Deli

 3960 Irving St
sandwiches [  ]

Sandwiches can be overdressed and overpriced. Simple and cheap is easily overlooked. Clancey’s market located a block from the 41st Ave Golden Gate Park entrance is the perfect stop for bite if you’re getting hungry after navigating your way through the park. They have a lot of classic options, or you can build your own. Since it’s also a market, grab a drink and a bag of chips to go with that sandwich.

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Ppq

PPQ Beef Noodle House

 1816 Irving St
Vietnamese [  ]

For most of the year the weather is cloudy and foggy in the Sunset. That means soup season is here to stay for the better part of the year. Go with the five spice chicken pho, or the five spice chicken with garlic noodles. You won’t be disappointed. 

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Judahlicious

Judahlicious

 3906 Judah St
Vegan Cafe [  ]

Eating healthy doesn’t mean it has to be boring. Judalicious offers a wide mix of vegan entrees, smoothies, snacks, and juices to mix it up for lunch. It’s getting colder so come on in for those chili days.

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Guerra

Guerra Quality Meats

490 Taraval St
Deli [  ]

If you want a good Italian sandwich and wanted to pick up some ribeye for dinner, Guerra Quality Meats has you covered. Everything from crabs, pre-marinated meats, and a small market make this spot worth the stop.

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Dinner

Outerlands

Outerlands

 4001 Judah St
AMERICAN [  ]

Hard to not put Outerlands for every category, but dinner seems best fit for this New American establishment. Fresh, seasonal, and thoughtful preparation define the food that comes out of the kitchen. And the drink menu is no slouch either.

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Santung

San Tung

 1031 Irving St
Chinese [  ]

The best chicken wings. Sweet, spicy, and down right crunchy. A definite must order, but be sure to try the rest of the menu, it’s just as good. 

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Toyose late night korean

Toyose

 3814 Noriega St
Korean [  ]

Good food and drink past 10PM? Toyose has you covered. This Korean street food hole-in-the-wall is open until 1AM all days of the week. Night owls come get your beef kimchi fried rice fix.

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Loving hut

Loving Hut

 524 Irving St
Vegan Asian [  ]

Miss orange chicken? Meet orange bites, Loving Hut’s equivalent. Whatever Asian dish you thought you might never eat again, you can find its vegan counterpart here at Loving Hut.

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Dumpling

Kingdom of Dumpling

 1713 Taraval St
dumpling [  ]

This establishment is the definition of hole-in-the-wall. They serve all the classics like pork and cabbage fillings to lighter options like our personal favorite, chicken and corn. 

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Pizza place

The Pizza Place on Noriega

 3901 Noriega St
pizza [  ]

Good pizza is hard to come by in San Francisco. The Pizza Place on Noriega serves up monster sized pies with a crust full of flavor. But you can opt for a slice and a pint if you don’t want leftovers. 

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DRinks

Woods

Woods outbound

 4045 Judah St
Craft Brewery [  ]

Woods has arrived yet again. The train car style space is reminiscent of the old Outer Sunset when streetcars and cablecars were reused in the act of affordable housing. Woods provides craft beers for a modest price, and they have wine as well if you’re trying to stay classy. Oh, did I mention there’s empanada’s?

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Whitecap

White cap

 3608 Taraval St
Cocktail Bar [  ]

White Cap provides the Outer Sunset a more cocktail forward bar on the up and coming developments on Taraval St. With their specialty menu derivative of names of superstitions, they also sling the classics. And hey, they open at 2PM everyday. So get that night started early.

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Riptide

the riptide

 3639 Taraval St
 Bar [  ]

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Seven stills

seven stills and hard frescos

 3645 Lawton St
Natural Wine Bar [  ]

You would have to really be looking if you know about Seven Stills and Hard Frescos. But it lies right next to Andytown on Lawton St, so it’s hard not to miss. They serve house beers, boozy agua frescas, and comfort Mexican bites.

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Durty nellys

durty nelly’s

 2328 Irving St
Irish Pub [  ]

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Pittsburgh

pittsburgh’s pub

 4207 Judah St
Natural Wine Bar [  ]

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A curated insider’s guide to our favorite places to eat, drink, and explore in the city

About Nick Hormuth

Nick is the owner and main tour guide of Dandyhorse Bike Tours. A lifelong San Francisco enthusiast and resident of the Mission District, Nick nerds out on food, bikes, history, and crafting unique adventures.

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