Last Call SF: The 2011 Ultimate Late-Night Dining Guide
Photo by Eric Wolfinger
A San Franciscan's lament is often that there's no late-night dining in this town. But there is—and it reaches far beyond Nopa and greasy spoons. In fact, today it's standard for restaurants to (try to) stay open late.
Following is an impressively diverse list of restaurants that serve food—good food—until midnight, at least a couple nights a week, and often beyond.
Craving a late night snack of dumplings, pizza, meatballs, deviled eggs, kimchi ramen, pupusas, sushi … ? The city is your oyster. Come and get it.
* Signifies restaurants serving food past midnight at least a couple nights a week.
Absinthe Brasserie & Bar (Civic Center)
Eats: Beef tartare, California Lam Shoulder Confit, Coq Au Vin
Last call for food: midnight, Tues–Sat (Mon closed)
Betelnut (Marina)
Eats: lettuce cups, pork confit with scallion pancakes, Happy Buddha dumplings
Last call for food: 11 pm, Sun–Thurs; midnight, Fri and Sat
Beretta (Mission) *
Eats: pizza, eggplant caponatina, meatballs
Last call for food: 1 am, daily
Bix (Jackson Square)
Eats: hand-cut steak tartare, deviled eggs, black-truffle cheese burger
Last call for food: 9:30 pm, Sun–Wed; 10:30 pm, Thurs–Sat; bar menu until midnight, Thurs–Sat
Boxing Room (Hayes Valley)
Eats: fried seafood po’boy, Southern-fried chicken, crawfish etouffée
Last call for food: 12:30 am, Thurs-Sat; 11:30 pm, Sun–Wed
Brazen Head (Marina) *
Eats: oysters on the half shell, crab cakes, pepper steak
Last call for food: 1 am, daily
Chambers (Tenderloin)*
Eats: marble potatoes, summer bean salad, burger
Last call for food: 1 am, daily
Cotogna (Jackson Square)
Eats: sformato, roasted meats, handmade pastas
Last call for food: Mon–Thurs, 11 pm; Fri and Sat, midnight
Criolla Kitchen (Castro)
Eats: chicken and waffles, gumbo, sweet potato tater tots
Last call for food: midnight, Friday & Saturday; 11 pm, Sun–Thurs
Delarosa (Marina) *
Eats: proscuitto and argula pizza, carpaccio of beets, gnocchi with rock shrimp
Last call for food: 12:50 am, daily
District (SOMA)
Eats: cambazola cheese fondue, pear and endive salad, lamb meatballs in charmoula
Last call for food: late-night menu until midnight, Thurs–Sat
Don Pistos (North Beach)
Eats: tortilla soup, lamb ribs, tacos al pastor
Last call for food: Tues–Sun, 12:30 am
El Farolito (Mission) *
Eats: three-ton burritos
Last call for food: 3 am, Sun–Thurs; 4 am, Fri and Sat
El Zocalo (Bernal Heights) *
Eats: pupusas, plantains and beans
Last call for food: 3 am, daily
Flour + Water (Mission)
Eats: housemade pastas, pizzas, pretty salads, roasted meats
Last call for food: sun–thurs, 11 pm; fri and sat, midnight
Gaspare (Outer Richmond)
Eats: old-school thin-crust pizzas; old-school antipasto misto
Last call for food: 11 pm, Sun–Thurs; midnight, Fri and Sat
Genki Ramen (Richmond) *
Eats: kimchi ramen, shrimp tempura, seaweed salad
Last call for food: 11 pm, Sun–Thurs; 1 am, Fri and Sat
Globe (Jackson Square) *
Eats: tuna tartare, salad lardon, rib-eye with potato gratin
Last call for food: 1 am, Mon–Sat; midnight, Sun
Gitane (Union Square)
Eats: bacon bonbons, Pacific wild swordfish, French lentils
Last call for food: 11 pm, Tues–Wed; midnight, Thurs–Sat
Golden Boy Pizza (North Beach) *
Eats: pesto pizza, clam pizza
Last call for food: 12:30 pm, Sun–Thurs; 2:30 am, Fri and Sat
Great Eastern (Chinatown)
Eats: Peking duck, clams with black bean sauce, frog
Last call for food: daily, midnight
Grubstake (TenderNob) *
Eats: linguisa with eggs, French dip sandwich
Last call for food: 4 am, daily
Heaven’s Dog (SOMA) *
Eats: soup dumplings, kung pao tofu, chicken curry claypot
Last call for food: 1 am, Mon–Sat
Hecho (Union Square)
Eats: seared sashimi with cucumber and chili paste, yakimono of all sorts, shishito peppers
Last call for food: 11:30 pm (sushi bar), Sun–Thurs; 11:30 pm (kitchen) and 12:30 am (sushi bar), Fri and Sat
Hog and Rocks (Mission) *
Eats: lamb belly potato skins, fish and chips, big piggy sandwich
Last call for food: Sun–Thurs, midnight; Fri and Sat, 1 am
Katana-Ya (Tenderloin) *
Eats: kimchee fried rice, chasu ramen, sushi
Last call for food: 1 am, daily
King of Thai Noodle (Union Square)*
* several locations
Eats: wonton noodle soup with greens, yellow chicken curry
Last call for food: 1 am, daily
Liverpool Lil's (Cow Hollow)
Eats: french onion soup, paella, beer-battered fish and chips
Last call for food: 11 pm Sun and Mon; 12 am, Tues and Wed; 1 am, Thurs–Sat
Locanda (Mission)
Eats: handmade pastas, roasted meats, pizza bianca
Last call for food: daily until midnight
Lucky Dogs (Cow Hollow) *
Eats: chicken apple sausage, Louisiana hot link, bacon-wrapped dog, Reuben dog
Last call for food: 2:30 am, Fri and Sat
Magnolia Pub + Brewery (Upper Haight)
Eats: burgers, maple-laquered pork chop
Last call for food: midnight, daily
The Monk’s Kettle (Mission) *
Eats: house-made veggie burger, giant pretzel, chicken paillard
Last call for food: 1 am, daily
Namu (Inner Richmond) *
Eats: cold soba noodles, shiitake dumplings, crispy vegetable tempura
Last call for food: 10:30 pm, Sun–Tues; 12 am, Wed–Sat
Nombe (Mission) *
Eats: ramen, chicken wings with honey and chili, blood orange salad
Last call for food: 10 pm, Wed, Thurs, Sun; 11:30 pm, Fri and Sat
Nopa (NOPA) *
Eats: warm chicory salad, Moroccan vegetable tangine, hamburger
Last call for food: 1 am, daily
Osha Thai Noodle Café (TenderNob) *
Eats: fried squid balls, greem papaya salad with salty crab, pad khee mao
Last call for food: 1 am, Sun–Thurs; 3 am, Fri and Sat
Panchitas #2 (Mission) *
Eats: pupusas!
Last call for food: 2:30 am, daily
Ryoko’s (Nob Hill) *
Eats: sushi, sushi, sushi
Last call for food: 1:30 am, daily
Starbelly (Castro)
Eats: chicken liver terrine, porchetta
Last call for food: 11 pm, Sun–Thurs; midnight, Fri and Sat
Tacolicious (Marina)
Eats: carnitas tacos, tuna tostada, Marina Girl salad
Last call for food: 11 pm, Sun–Wed; midnight, Thurs–Sat
Txoko (North Beach) *
Eats: wild mushroom empanada, boquerones, rib-eye for two
Last call for food: Tues–Sat, 1:30 am
Yuet Lee (North Beach) *
Eats: clams in black bean sauce, salt-and-pepper squid
Last call for food: midnight, Sun–Thurs; 3 am, Fri and Sat; closed Tues
Zuni Café (Hayes Valley)
Eats: roasted chicken and bread salad, ricotta gnocchi, shoestring potatoes
Last call for food: 11 pm, Sun, Tues–Thur; midnight, Fri and Sat; closed Mon
Where do you like to get your late-night grub? Tell us in the comments!
flour and water!!! duh...
Hog & Rocks?!
You forgot OOla!!! Yummy and open late...Drinks are awesome, ribs and burgers rock. They also have an apple walnut salad with lots of blue...YUMMY!
Txoko in north beach, open till 2am for food- pintxos, small plates, entrees
Have to give another nod to Oola in Soma, definitely my favorite late night Soma spot...great ribs, as well as really good mac & cheese (the regular mac & cheese, not the one w/pancetta, trust me the original version is better & creamier)...
Oola Restaurant and Bar...Sunday,Monday til midnight, Tuesday-Saturday til 1am...
Place to go in SoMa!
Great list, thanks for compiling it!
Toyose in Outer Sunset!!!!!!
What about Oola on Folsom??? Great place and open to midnight every night. Guess they didn't write you the check ehhh?? PffffffT!
Love that you guys made this list, we work nights and keep different hours - but love good food, and are always on the search for late-night restaurants! This list is awesome, many thanks!!
Much needed list! Thank you!
Cotogna!
The Pub at Ghirardelli Square, late night dining until 1:30am EVERYDAY!
what abou oola in soma
Locanda?
THANK YOU!!
As a former New Yorker I am always pressed to find decent eats after 10PM. I will bookmark this list until I commit it to memory!
Chabaa in the Outer Sunset - open every night until 1am!
You forgot Sauce!!
Once again Russian hill gets the shaft
Bullit
La folie lounge
Also The Pub for good BBQ until 1AM
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