It's that time of year again: 7x7’s Big Eat 2026 is served.
We’ve drawn this year’s 100 must-try dishes in San Francisco from a wide range of classic joints, trending restaurants, comforting neighborhood spots, and hole-in-the-wall favorites from Bayview-Hunters Point to North Beach, and Potrero Hill to the Outer Richmond.
A handful of these dishes have long graced the Big Eat (think Mandalay Bay’s tea leaf salad, Zuni’s chicken, or King Henry VIII cut at House of Prime Rib). Others, like Rich Table’s dried porcini donuts, sisig fried rice at Abacá, and chicken wings at Good Good Culture Club, are more recent must-eats. We’ve even got a few dishes from newcomers like Arquet and Wolfsbane that are quickly making a name for themselves.
The list is, in other words, pretty diverse—but it is also far from comprehensive. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of restaurants, bakeries, and delis that are no less deserving of a spot than those we chose. With just 100 slots to fill, we had to narrow things down somehow. (If there’s something we missed that is just plain egregious, let us know.)
And remember, restaurant menus rotate regularly. While we tried to focus on staple dishes, they may not always be available. DIshes marked with a (V) are vegetarian.
Here they are, in no particular order, 100 things to eat in 2026.
7. Dungeness crab cakes at Scoma's(Courtesy of @scomassf)
1. Agnolotti dal plin with beef, pork, sugo d’arrosto, and Parmigiano Reggiano at Penny Roma, 3000 20th St. (Mission), pennyroma.com
2. Fried huevo taco with fried egg, mayocoba beans, salsa macha, queso cotija, pickled onion, and cilantro (V) at Tacos Oscar, 530 Haight St. (Lower Haight), tacososcar.com
3. Warm housemade mini donuts dusted in nutmeg and cinnamon sugar (V) at Grand Lake Kitchen, 1199 Church St. (Noe Valley), grandlakekitchen.com
4. Drunken Sailor Pizza with white wine tomato sauce, garlic, oregano, capers, and anchovy (V) at Jules Pizza, 237 Fillmore St. (Lower Haight), julespizza.co
5. Bánh mì thịt (roast pork sandwich) at Saigon Sandwich, 560 Larkin St. (Tenderloin), saigonsandwich.com
6. Blueberry ricotta pancakes with housemade ricotta, blueberry syrup, and almond crunch (V) at Early to Rise, 1801 McAllister St (NoPa), earlytorisesf.com
7. Dungeness crab cakes at Scoma's, 1965 Al Scoma Way (Fisherman's Wharf), scomas.com
8. Ouefs mayonnaise with classic French hard-boiled eggs, Dungeness crab, shrimp, caviar, and pimiento oil at Bon Délire, Pier 3, Suite 102 (Embarcadero), bondeliresf.com
9. Black label tavern burger with 8oz brisket truffle butter, mushroom ragout, demi-glace, and white American cheddar, at Hamburguesa Bar, 78 2nd St. (SoMa), hamburguesabar.com
10. An’s famous garlic noodles at Thanh Long, 4101 Judah St (Outer Sunset), thanhlongsf.com
11. Heaven and Earth Bonsai Tree at Nisei(Courtesy of Nisei)
11. "Heaven and Earth" Bonsai Tree with seasonal Japanese soufflé cheesecake, cheese foam, frozen matcha, crumbs, herbs, flowers, and red bean (V) at Nisei, 2316 Polk St. (Russian Hill), restaurantnisei.com
12. Old Faithful Pizza with fennel pork sausage, spicy goat horn peppers, red onion, mozzarella, tomato sauce, parmesan and Sicilian oregano at Rose Pizzeria, 1 Clement St. (Inner Richmond), rosepizzeria.com
13. Charred cabbage with Calabrian chiles and miso butter (V) at 7 Adams, 1963 Sutter St. (Fillmore), 7adamsrestaurant.com
14. Mac & cheese (V) at Old Skool Cafe, 1429 Mendell St. (Bayview-Hunters Point), oldskoolcafe.org
15. Varuval seabass collar with varuval crust, caravelle curry, snow pea poriyal, and basmati rice at Copra, 1700 Fillmore St. (Pac Heights), coprarestaurant.com
16. Chicken and sausage gumbo with holy trinity, okra, herbs and spices at Gumbo Social, 5176 3rd St. (Bayview-Hunters Point), gumbosocial.com
17. Tea leaf salad with Burmese tea leaves, lentils, ground dried shrimp, fried garlic, green pepper, sesame seeds, peanuts, and dressing, at Mandalay, 4348 California St. (Inner Richmond), mandalaysf.com
18. Maine lobster pot pie with wild mushrooms, market vegetables, fingerling potatoes, black truffles, and brandied lobster cream at Bourbon Steak, 335 Powell St. (Union Square), bourbonsteak.com
19. Poppyseed hamantashen (V) at Cinderella Bakery, 436 Balboa St. (Inner Richmond) or 2937 24th St. (Mission), cinderellabakery.com
20. Wagyu dog with egg, pork floss, scallion-ginger, Kewpie mayo, unagi sauce, Sriracha, and furikake at Gigi’s, 299 Divisadero St. (Lower Haight), meetatgigis.com
21. Potrero torta with 10hr braised beef lengua at Merkado(Molly DeCoudreaux)
21. Potrero torta with 10hr braised beef lengua, queso Oaxaca, red cabbage, jalapeño pickled carrots, and garlic aioli at Merkado, 130 Townsend St. (SoMa), merkadosf.com
22. Sformato with sweet Brentwood corn, Parmigiano Reggiano, and gypsy pepper (V) at Via Aurelia, 300 Toni Stone Crossing (Mission Bay), viaaureliasf.com
23. RT Bistro Burger with dill pickled onion, California cheddar bistro sauce, and triple cooked fries at RT Bistro, 205 Oak St. (Hayes Valley), rt-bistro.com
24. Dutch pancake topped with seasonal fruit and nuts (V) at Outerlands, 4001 Judah St. (Outer Sunset), outerlandssf.com
25. Ceviche Peruano with Half Moon Bay halibut, chili rocoto leche de tigre, choclo, and sweet potato chips at Casa Sofia, 710 2nd St. (South Beach), casasofiasf.com
26. Lemon spaghetti with yellow tomato confit butter, parmesan, and basil (V) at Bosco, 888 Brannan St. (SOMA), boscosf.com
27. Breakfast burrito with flour tortilla, chorizo, tots potatoes, scrambled eggs, jack cheese, and sriracha mayo at Al Carajo, 3224 1/2 22nd St. (Mission), alcarajosf.com
28. Mapo tofu chips n’ dip with fried lotus root, won ton chips, and mapo pork over creamy tofu at Pang, 1309 9th Ave. (Inner Sunset), pangsf.com
29. Schooner bar with dark chocolate, peanut butter mousse, and candy bar ice cream (V) at Waterbar, 399 The Embarcadero (Embarcadero), waterbarsf.com
30. Braised pork belly with preserved vegetables at Dumpling Kitchen, 1935 Taraval St. (Parkside), dumplingkitchenca.com
31. Pani puri with passion fruit at Tiya(Neetu Laddha)
31. Pani puri with passion fruit, mango, avocado, and flower (V) at Tiya, 3213 Scott St. (Marina), tiyasf.com
32. BBQ pork handroll rice noodle rolls at Sam Wo, 713 Clay St. (Chinatown), samworestaurant.com
33. Seafood chowder with fish, shrimp, mussels, squid, potatoes, bacon, and cream at Bar Crudo, 655 Divisadero St. (NoPa), barcrudo.com
34. Muhammara dip with roasted pepper, feta, pomegranate seed, molasses, spiced walnut, Bazlama, and housemade bread (V) at Alora, Pier 3 (Embarcadero), visitalora.com
35. Pancakes without boundaries with whipped buttermilk, grilled strawberry maple, and butter pat (V) at Hilda and Jesse, 710 Union St. (North Beach), hildaandjessesf.com
36. Nanking sesame chicken at House of Nanking, 919 Kearny St. (Chinatown), houseofnankingsf.com
37. Dac biet burger with white American cheese, onion, jalapeño, cilantro, Thai basil, lime, alfalfa sprouts, and pho aioli at Smish Smash, 945 Market St. (Downtown), smish-smash.com
38. The “best damn crab cioppino” with seafood at Sotto Mare, 552 Green St. (North Beach), sottomaresf.com
39. Sutlac, a creamy, oven-baked rice pudding with a caramelized top at Okava, 945 Market St. (Downtown), oklavacafe.com
40. Meski yetsom platter with gomen collard green, key sir alicha, plantain salsa, habichuela misir wat, pickled red onion, and injera at Meski, 1000 Larkin St. (Lower Nob Hill), meskisf.com
41. Sea urchin tamalito de maiz at Maria Isabel(Isabel Baer)
41. Sea urchin tamalito de maiz with Santa Barbara sea urchin, sweet corn tamal, corn crema, Mexican vanilla oil, and fermented habanero sauce at Maria Isabel, 500 Presidio Ave. (Presidio Heights), mariaisabelsf.com
42. Paccheri all'Amalfitana with HMB petrale sole and San Marzano tomato at Delfina, 3621 18th St. (Mission), delfinasf.com
43. French Dip with sliced tri-tip, provolone, au jus, and sourdough baguette at Maggie & Mac’s, 1326 9th Ave. (Inner Sunset), maggieandmacs.com
44. Grand Marnier chocolate mousse with chocolate sable, crispy citrus, and chocolate ganache (V) at Miller & Lux, 700 Terry A Francois Blvd. (Mission Bay), millerandluxrestaurant.com
45. Onigiri, a grilled rice ball with shio konbu, sesame, and mentaiko at Bar Iris, 2310 Polk St. (Russian Hill), bar-iris.com
46. Grilled pork belly skewers with miso glaze and pickled mustard seeds at Rise Over Run, 33 Turk St. (Tenderloin), hilton.com
47. Fried plantain and black bean burrito with jack cheese, roasted bell peppers, sour cream, pico de gallo, cilantro, onion, and smoky chile salsa (V) at Little Chihuahua, 292 Divisadero St. (Lower Haight), thelittlechihuahua.com
48. Dried porcini doughnuts with raclette (V) at Rich Table, 199 Gough St. (Hayes Valley), richtablesf.com
49. Smoked trout toast with Mt. Lassen trout, bier reduction, dijon, cream cheese, bier mustard, and dill at Radhaus, 2 Marina Blvd., Bldg. A (Marina), radhaussf.com
50. Tunisian deviled eggs with machwiya mix and roasted shrimp at Gola, 819 Valencia St. (Mission), golarestaurantsf.com
51. Hen en croute at Wolfsbane(Albert Law)
51. Hen en croute, an heirloom hen baked in a sourdough loaf with black truffle, bread sauce, crispy thigh, and hen consommé at Wolfsbane, 2495 3rd St. (Dogpatch), wolfsbanesf.com
52. Hải sản spinach with shrimp, calamari, egg drop gravy, and tobiko at Le Soleil, 3251 20th Ave.,Ste. #221 (Park Merced), lesoleilsf.com
53. Prime rib sliders with horseradish cream, cornichon and arugula at Left Door, 1905 Union St. (Cow Hollow), leftdoor.com
54. Seabream sashimi with virgin sauce at Caché, 1235 9th Ave. (Inner Sunset), cache-sf.com
55. Seasonal kouign amann (V) at B. Patisserie, 2821 California St. (Pac Heights), bpatisserie.com
56. Baja fish tacos with pickled onions on blue corn tortillas at Chicano Nuevo, 3355 Mission St. (Bernal Heights), chicanonuevo.com
57. Chicken for two roasted in the wood-fired brick oven with warm bread salad at Zuni Café, 1658 Market St. (Hayes Valley), zunicafe.com
58. Pav bhaji with scallion bread, spiced vegetables, and amul butter (V) at Besharam, 1275 Minnesota St. (Dogpatch), besharamrestaurant.com
59. Clam and garlic pizza at Golden Boy Pizza, 542 Green St. (North Beach) and other locations, goldenboypizza.com
60. Famous Monte Cristo with roasted turkey breast, honey-baked ham, sharp cheddar, and gruyere cheese at Mama's on Washington Square, 1701 Stockton St. (North Beach), mamas-sf.com
61. Whole roasted branzino with brown butter at Equal Parts(Courtesy of Equal Parts)
61. Whole roasted branzino with brown butter, blood orange, and basil at Equal Parts, 478 Green St. (North Beach), equalpartssf.com
62. Bread pudding French toast with bananas, banana cream, and butterscotch (V) at Goldenette, 1601 Polk St. (Lower Nob Hill), goldenettediner.com
63. Smashburger with house beef patty, potato bun, American cheese, house sauce, onions, pickles, and lettuce at Final Final, 2990 Baker St. (Cow Hollow), finalfinalbar.com
64. Pan fried pork soup bao at Fusion Dumpling, 650 Jackson St. (Chinatown), fusiondumplingca.com
65. Everything bagel with plain shmear (V) at Wise Sons, multiple locations including 537 Octavia St. (Hayes Valley), wisesonsdeli.com
66. Two piece chicken combo with cornbread and a side at Minnie Bell’s Soul Movement, 1375 Fillmore St. (Fillmore), minniebellssoul.com
67. Risotto alla Milanese with saffron and grana padano at The Tailor’s Son, 2049 Fillmore St. (Pac Heights), thetailorssonsf.com
68. Avgolemono soup at La Méditerranée, 2207 Fillmore St. (Pac Heights) or 288 Noe St. (Duboce Triangle), cafelamedfillmore.com
69. Welsh rarebit with Jasper Hill No.5 cheddar at Dingles Public House, 333 Fulton St. (Hayes Valley), dinglespublichouse.com
70. Scallion fry bread with buffalo ricotta, Skyhill honeycomb, grilled figs, and salsa macha at Arquet, Ferry Building, 1, #5 (Embarcadero), arquetrestaurant.com
71. Crudo in herb oil at Bosque(Courtesy of Bosque)
71. Crudo in herb oil with kanpachi, trout, and lemon at Bosque, 609 Hayes St. (Hayes Valley), bosquewinebar.com
72. Uni and grits panna cotta with yellow corn, holy trinity, sea urchin, and tomato raisins at Lazy Bear, 3416 19th St. (Mission), lazybearsf.com
73. Beef rice bowl with brisket, tobiko, radicchio, arugula, perilla leaves, and parmesan at Buoy, 22 Franklin St. (Hayes Valley), thebuoysf.com
74. Tajarin with hand-cut thin tagliatelle, five-hour pork, veal and fresh sausage sugo, marsala, tomato sauce, and warm spices at Perbacco, 230 California St. (Downtown), perbaccosf.com
75. Chisai 13-course omakase menu at Chisai Sushi Club, 3369 Mission St. (Bernal Heights), chisaisushiclub.com
76. Beignet flight with crawfish, apple, chocolate, and plain varieties at Brenda’s French Soul Food, 652 Polk St. (Tenderloin), frenchsoulfood.com
77. Pescado a lo macho with seafood bouillabaisse, pan roasted fresh salmon, chupe sauce, and coconut rice at Mochica, 1469 18th St. (Potrero Hill), mochicasf.com
78. Shrimp dumpling at Good Mong Kok Bakery, 1039 Stockton St. (Chinatown), goodmongkokbakery.com
79. Pit beef sandwich with charred rare steak, raw onion, horseradish, mayo, and black pepper at Breadwinner at The Mess Hall, 201 Halleck St. (Presidio), messhallpresidio.com
80. Sisig fried rice with koshihikari rice, pork chicharron, poached egg, and pickled onion at Abacá, 2700 Jones St. (Fisherman's Wharf), restaurantabaca.com
81. Peking duck at Happy Crane(Jeremy Chiu)
81. Peking duck with house made pancakes, house-made tian mian jiang sauce, fresh accompaniments, and seasonal fruit at The Happy Crane, 451 Gough St (Hayes Valley), thehappycranesf.com
82. Creekstone Farms skirt steak carne asada fajitas with sauteed peppers and onions, rice, refried pinto beans, salsa, sour cream, and flour or corn tortillas at Elena’s, 255 W. Portal Ave. (West Portal), elenasmexican.com
83. Salmon tikka tandoor with pommery mustard, tobiko, and carom seeds at Bombay Brasserie, 340 Stockton St. (Union Square), bombaybrasseriesf.com
84. Local anchovy ‘frites’ with pepperoncini mayo at The Anchovy Bar, 1740 O’Farrell St. (Fillmore), theanchovybar.com
85. Braised pork belly with preserved vegetables at Dumpling Kitchen, 1935 Taraval St. (Parkside), dumplingkitchenca.com
86. King Henry VIII cut with accompaniments at House of Prime Rib, 1906 Van Ness Ave. (Nob Hill), houseofprimerib.net
87. Crustacean omelet with Dungeness, bay shrimp, lobster, sauce Americaine, and toasted brioche at JouJou, 65 Division St. (Design District), joujousf.com
88. Bigoli freschi with Liberty duck ragu, orange, and clove at Bar Sprezzatura, 300 Clay St., Suite 100 (Downtown), barsprezzatura.com
89. The Manong, a crispy mochiko chicken filet with BBQ glazed pork belly, Izzy Sauce, banana ketchup, grilled onions, elote slaw, sweet pickled bitter melon, and pickled Fresno chili at Izzy & Wooks, 945 Market St. (Downtown), izzyandwooks.com
91. Costoletta alla Milanese at Clementina
91. Costoletta alla Milanese with crispy pork chop cutlet, blistered cherry tomato, and wild arugula at Clementina, 343 Clement St. (Inner Richmond), clementinasf.com
92. Mentai cream sauce udon with seasoned cod roe, parmesan cheese, green onions, kaiware sprouts, tempura bits, and nori at Udon Mugizo, 1581 Webster St. #217, 2nd Fl. (Japantown), mugizo-us.com
93. Tamal of the day with pickled cabbage, onions, salsa, crema, plus mole at Donaji, 3161 24th St. (Mission), donajisf.com
94. Chicken wings with jaew som at Good Good Culture Club, 3560 18th St. (Mission), goodgoodcultureclub.com
95. Les moules mariniére with garlic, shallots, white wine, lemon juice, and parsley at Chez Maman West, 401 Gough St. (Hayes Valley), chezmamanrestos.com
96. Carnitas, braised pork with orange, bay leaf, milk, and cinnamon served with cabbage salad, curtidos, salsa cruda, and tortillas at Nopalito, 306 Broderick St. (NoPa), nopalitosf.com
97. Kimchi fried rice with soft-poached egg, scallions, and sesame seeds over purple rice (V) at Um.Ma, 1220 9th Ave. (Inner Sunset), ummasf.com
98. Sweet & sour chicken at Mamahuhu, 517 Clement St. (Inner Richmond), eatmamahuhu.com
99. Cinnamon roll (V) at Devil’s Teeth Baking Company, multiple locations including 3619 Balboa St. (Outer Sunset), devilsteethbakingcompany.com
100. Tagliatelle with Marsala mushrooms and truffled pecorino cheese (V) at Mattina, 2232 Bush St. (Pac Heights), mattinasf.com
