50 Best American Restaurants in San Francisco

“We absolutely loved our dinner at Liholiho Yacht Club — everything from the vibe to the flavors was on point. We started with a couple of appetizers that set the tone right away: bold, fresh, and packed with unique flavor combinations. The pork ribs were a total standout — perfectly tender with just the right balance of sweet and savory, and the fried rice that came with them was rich, flavorful, and satisfying on its own.
But the real star of the night was dessert — the Baked Hawaii. Not only was it beautifully presented, but it was also hands down one of the best desserts we’ve ever had. A creative twist on a classic, and the perfect ending to a fantastic meal.
Service was friendly and attentive, and the whole experience felt fun, vibrant, and effortlessly cool. We’ll absolutely be coming back next time we’re in SF! Highly recommend this spot — a true gem.“

“We had dinner there and the food was delicious…. The fried quail was the star. The starters were excellent. Very recommended restaurant“

“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!“

“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🍸🍹“

“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.“

“We stopped in here while in the area and were pleasantly surprised we had never made the stop before! I'm a dog person so anything with a Dog theme and I'm in, but this place didn't stop there. They have an impressive drink menu with a few things I'd never seen, and they also have these delicious NA waters (?) that I wish I could remember the name of.

They also have a great food menu and the service was very good. I'll be back and you should stop by too!“

“Great environment, lively, and tasty food!“

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

“Best dining experience I’ve had since I moved here. Great food, great service, great atmosphere. My new favorite restaurant 💚💚💚“

“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.“

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

“I must say i had high hopes but the meal was tasteless but my friends had too much salt. I wanted to like it. Wont return, wont recommend. ☹“

“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!“

“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.“

“great awesome foods! All of their staffs are very friendly and very good place.“

“The pork chops are above world-class!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️ I'll be back.“

“Very good, but not perfect. Maybe the recent Michelin star and the hype skewed some of my expectations, but while some dishes were outstanding, others fell a bit flat.

The beginning of the meal started out stronger, with a simple, but satisfying bread and butter and flavorful first course, for which I received a vegetarian variation to accommodate my finned fish allergy.

The 2nd course with the poached egg was definitely the best part of the whole meal - very rich, but silky and complex with flavor and texture.

The 3rd course pastas were both amazing for the same reasons as the 2nd and a close favorite.

The 4th courses were where things disappoint a bit: Though the lobster 3 ways sounds great, the stew was a little too overpowering in flavor and hiding the lobster's flavor (though there was a decent amount of lobster meat in there). The sauce that accompanied the tail was delicious, but the tail was uneven in doneness, with the narrow part a bit overdone while the thicker part was just right. The tempura claw was perfect and the best part of the main course.
For my husband's main course- the wagyu bavette. It was delicious.

The 5th course - dessert - was also a mix. I found the chocolate pear too one-note and overpowering with pear (expecting other flavors to come out of the chocolate, cake, or almond shortbread). My husband's sundae was much better with all the right flavors and balance coming through.

Overall, this was a great meal, but not perfect.“

“The Morris , let me try to capture all the good things that are going on here. So we gave this place a try on a Thursday evening and it's certainly surprising how busy this little place is. The place is rather narrow and the ceiling is rather low. Congratulations to the decorator for making the place feel inviting and warm. I love the open kitchen at the entrance, it gives you a good glance at the various dishes and your nostrils will be on high alert absorbing the various smells.
The staff is super attentive friendly and has a fantastic memory as they remember which guest ordered which wine and brought the correct bottle for refill without having to ask.

The food. we really enjoyed the appetizers. The pork cracklings were yummy and rather light great for sharing and best with a cocktail.
For me the best dish was the brocolini with squid. The combo of the charred, the lime juice ...out of this world.

For the main we tried 1/2 of the smoked duck. Now let me tell you it's good but.. it's so rich in smoked flavor that after a few bites I was completely with the flavors and we had a hard time finishing the serving. My recommendation 1/2 a duck for 4 would be the right serving size otherwise your taste buds will go on strike

Great experience overall definitely worth a follow up visit.“

“Rich dishes, very delicious“

“Had the best time at True Laurel!! We went because of them being ranked one of the Top 50 bars in the US, and after my time spent here I can completely understand why.

When we arrived a little less than an hour after they opened, they already had a packed house. We sat at the bar and were greeted by Jason. He exceeded all expectations with his knowledge of every cocktail, spirit, and origins of the drinks as a whole. Giving us a whole story behind every question we asked made us feel like we weren’t at a bar, but a class on the drinks they were serving.

I was a bit car sick when we got out of the Uber, so I wasn’t in a rush to drink and asked for a soda. Their version of a soda that they made in house was a phenomenal combination of flavors which tastes like a tart, less carbonated kombucha.

Besides that, the drinks were of course amazing. I am forgetting what everyone else had, but I had their Pea-casso. Such an interesting drink, and I say that with all the good things in mind. It tasted like a pickle-back cocktail, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

The star of the show were the mushrooms. I have been craving them ever since. They were perfectly deep fried, had the most amazing sauce, and were seasoned so beautifully.

Accidentally made this review longer than I thought, so long story short this is a MUST go. Thank you Jason for all of your hard work and dedication to serving us. We can’t wait to be back.“

“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.“

“Amazing dining experience. Worth the price“

“Great food and ambience here!“

“Amazing food and service. Love this place!“

“awesome wine experience. Chris and his team are really dedicated sommeliers and love sharing their knowledge with you. i highly recomend this place. welcome to the world of wines.“

“Fantastic artisan pizzas. We always stop by when we’re in the neighborhood!“

“As usual, the place was hopping as there was a conference in the city this week. But I was able to pull away and have a table for two in the back of a room or a business meeting with a CEO of a company. It went well. The service was great. The food was even better. The wine silver oak was fantastic Perfect pairing the waitress and staff did an excellent job from appetizers to dessert. I will be back.“

“Everything that we ordered did not disappoint. You can tell that everything here is very intentional. From the wallpaper, the plants, the cocktails, the napkins, the dishes…all of it connected so well. Very quirky wallpaper in the bathrooms too. The salad itself was all I really needed. And the chefs behind the chef’s counter were so focused on all the details. Whoever was in charge of the music did not disappoint either. Good job Che Fico!“

“awesome food , great service definitely recommended“

“Good service and good food😋“

“Such a fun, iconic spot! I loved the atmosphere and it was really easy to find parking. The food was fantastic also, and I'd recommend in particular the bouillabaisse and the shrimp scampi.

The service, however, was lackadaisical. It took nearly an hour to get our food, and the server didn’t bring the appetizer first (in fact it didn't even arrive with the main meal). He seemed unconcerned about our experience.“

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

“Celebrated my husband’s birthday at the Chocolate Factory Dinner. Really fun, interactive, very tasty and sooo inventive. Loved the food and wine pairing. We will be back!“

“Food was good! Atmosphere was fun!“

“This is the perfect neighborhood restaurant, but also so much more than a neighborhood restaurant. The vibe is incredible - perfectly lit for a cozy, romantic evening. The food is incredible and the wine list is unmatched in SF. Not to be missed!“

“We stopped here for breakfast last week. It was absolutely delicious. I had the veggie omelette with hash browns and my partner had the hot dogs with eggs and home fries. We both shared the biscuits and gravy and fresh squeezed orange juice. Highly recommend this place as it's one of the only brunch spots on this side of the city.“

“It was late night order and I’ve never had a burger dog before but wanted to try since frisco fried out them on the scene back in the day. Ordered my door dash and couldn’t wait. As soon as they arrive I could smell the goodness so I take my pics and dive in.Burger Dog: Hefty on the meat, felt like it was more beef than an actual burger and I wanna say easier to eat. Only change I would add bacon and that’s my bad. Very good burger dog!Bacon Hot Dog: Butterflied Beef Dog with crispy bacon! Another hit.Very simple menu options but they hit it out the park. Would definitely double back to this spot to try them fresh.

Parking: It’s on 20th street so not impossible but keep your eyes open spots get taken fast

Kid-friendliness: Burgers, Hot Dogs, Fries I think so….

Wheelchair accessibility: It’s in San Francisco it has to be accessible“

“Fantastic food and a great menu with something for every foodie“

“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 🥂🎄🙏🏼❤️😘“

“食材道地、新鮮美味、服務熱情、CP值極高！強力推薦！ #酸奶麵包 #墨西哥辣椒火腿可頌 #檸檬香塔 #酪梨水果三明治“

“I came here to celebrate a special occasion with my wife and friends. The staff were all super friendly and welcoming.

The food was delicious! We did the 5 course set menu. I would recommend the wagyu, the ravioli and the chocolate pot dcreme for choices on the set menu. For extras, definitely get the uni creme brulee. It was super tasty.“

“My favorite food is everything on the menu“

“Came here for my birthday and it was absolutely amazing. The food was yummy and the service was perfect. I was a bit drunk when I came in but they were absolutely nonjudgmental and the service was top notch. I would like to come back (sober) and bring company next time!“

“My friend and I decided to try to be on the go for lunch since we’ve had B patisserie before. We shared a sandwich and ordered a soup. The tomato soup was super salty to the point. It was uncomfortable to swallow so I asked the cashier if we could have another bowl but he said no the salt is pre-mixed already he offered to refund us for the soup, which I thought was very kind of him. We had the pork sandwich and it was so good not only was the meat good but the bread was soft soft and warm. Although though I was disappointed, I didn’t have my soup. I’m sure it’s pretty good except it was just overly salted. Will be back for more food next time.“

“Incredible food and amazing service. We loved the food and vibe so much we had our wedding reception in their Private Den for our micro wedding of 24 people! It was so fun and the perfect place. It was our perfect vibe and so aesthetically pleasing! I loved the moody vibes and it perfectly complimented our wedding ideas. Our group was small enough at 24 people so we were able to do a seated dinner with a four course meal. Food was so good and 100% better than a typical catered wedding.
My MOH was able to go in before opening and decorated quickly so it was even more beautiful than usual. The team was able to set up for the dinner and helped us take it down once food and cake were done. We were able to dance the night away and have some delicious drinks! They were so attentive and the staff was constantly coming in to check on us and quickly get us drinks or help us with lighting, switching our Spotify playlist, etc. Stellar team and I know this was the perfect place for us. It’s was an unforgettable night, even after I had one too many drinks celebrating!

I spent weeks looking for an affordable place for after our San Francisco City Hall wedding. All blogs, socials, and reviews told me of dozens of restaurants that for me were ok for a dinner, maybe some dancing. None were perfect or that cost-effective.
Wilder was so beautiful and the staff was so friendly. The owner himself showed me the private den and talked to us while we ate dinner there for our first tasting. He went above and beyond that day and our actual reception. He was the one serving the bar and helping me switch my Spotify playlist. You can tell he cares about the client experience and he is helping us even in the tiny details like that!
Coming here even for dinner you can tell they cultivate a culture of quality experience and food. Having my actual wedding reception here showed me they will pull all the stops for you to have a memorable experience. I will forever remember our night and keep coming back to relive it!

Parking: Lots of street parking even on weekends but there’s a paid parking garage about a block away if it gets hard to find a spot

Kid-friendliness: My kid loved it, had 3 kids under 7 for our Private Den event and they were kept busy the whole night with the game in there and then the dancing. Couch there for when they got sleepy.“

“Sean was a wonderful bartender. He clearly cares so much about Spruce and the establisnmemt. It was wonderful to see someone that cares about their job.
We will always come back to Spruce. The bartenders are amazing and so skilled, talented and friendly!
We love Spruce!!“

“Loved the decor and the vibe，great place to hang out with friends.The food was absolutely delicious! The flavors were spot on.If you're in the area, this place is a must-try!“

“This was my first time on the new covered patio. It's as wonderful as I thought it was going to be. I'm now looking forward to being there during different kinds of weather to enjoy all of the things that can be done with it. When you add the great food and perfect view you just can't go wrong. Right now they have fried green tomatoes back on the menu and they're better than ever. I already look forward to my next visit.“

“Excellent quality and excellent service. The food was well above what I expected. A definite must try in SF!!!👍🏼👍🏼“