Guidebook for San Francisco

James
Guidebook for San Francisco

Food Scene

It’s a small bakery, with not very much seating at all. They have a big counter, and they're always kind of filling it up with fresh goodies of all kinds—and their breakfast sandwiches are pretty well known as the best post-surf meal in the neighborhood. Get there early, it’s not uncommon to see an hour-long wait for a breakfast sandwich. The line is horrendous by 10:00am.
170 ντόπιοι το προτείνουν
Devil's Teeth Baking Company
3876 Noriega St
170 ντόπιοι το προτείνουν
It’s a small bakery, with not very much seating at all. They have a big counter, and they're always kind of filling it up with fresh goodies of all kinds—and their breakfast sandwiches are pretty well known as the best post-surf meal in the neighborhood. Get there early, it’s not uncommon to see an hour-long wait for a breakfast sandwich. The line is horrendous by 10:00am.
It’s a cafe with phenomenal house-roasted coffee and creative drinks. It’s really clean-looking: white walls, white cups, a cool minimalist look. The name comes from the town in Northern Ireland where one of the owners grew up, but it has a distinct San Francisco feel to it. Get the Snowy Plover, the best coffee drink you will ever have. It’s a bubbly iced coffee made with espresso, Pellegrino, coconut milk, and whipped cream, and it’s absolutely amazing. Grabbing one after surfing is always nice.
109 ντόπιοι το προτείνουν
Andytown Coffee Roasters
3655 Lawton St
109 ντόπιοι το προτείνουν
It’s a cafe with phenomenal house-roasted coffee and creative drinks. It’s really clean-looking: white walls, white cups, a cool minimalist look. The name comes from the town in Northern Ireland where one of the owners grew up, but it has a distinct San Francisco feel to it. Get the Snowy Plover, the best coffee drink you will ever have. It’s a bubbly iced coffee made with espresso, Pellegrino, coconut milk, and whipped cream, and it’s absolutely amazing. Grabbing one after surfing is always nice.
Outerlands has a great seasonal menu; I love their fresh baked bread and house-made butter. Their craft cocktails are top notch, and they have the coolest staff in the neighborhood. If you surf, tip your waiter or bartender well, because you'll probably see them out in the lineup the next morning.
259 ντόπιοι το προτείνουν
Outerlands
4001 Judah St
259 ντόπιοι το προτείνουν
Outerlands has a great seasonal menu; I love their fresh baked bread and house-made butter. Their craft cocktails are top notch, and they have the coolest staff in the neighborhood. If you surf, tip your waiter or bartender well, because you'll probably see them out in the lineup the next morning.
Mexican food with a San Francisco flair. The duck tacos, goat barbacoa tacos, mango crudo, and cheese empanadas are some of my favorites. Their cocktails are mezcal-focused, and as unique and creative as the food. The Piñata is the best drink on the menu, but there is an even better drink off the menu: Ask the bartender for a mezcal Old Fashioned. It will blow your hair back — and blow your mind.
115 ντόπιοι το προτείνουν
Padrecito
901 Cole St
115 ντόπιοι το προτείνουν
Mexican food with a San Francisco flair. The duck tacos, goat barbacoa tacos, mango crudo, and cheese empanadas are some of my favorites. Their cocktails are mezcal-focused, and as unique and creative as the food. The Piñata is the best drink on the menu, but there is an even better drink off the menu: Ask the bartender for a mezcal Old Fashioned. It will blow your hair back — and blow your mind.
Awesome ocean-view dining, so you can watch the surf while you enjoy a burger or fresh grilled salmon. They also have an in-house brewery with great beer for all tastes. The downstairs portion of the restaurant has floor-to-ceiling windows and overlooks Golden Gate Park. My wife and I had our wedding reception here. A great idea after a visit to the beach. On sunny days, it’s great to bring the kids and let them play in the park while you sit on the lawn and enjoy a snack and a drink.
236 ντόπιοι το προτείνουν
Beach Chalet Brewery and Restaurant
1000 Great Hwy
236 ντόπιοι το προτείνουν
Awesome ocean-view dining, so you can watch the surf while you enjoy a burger or fresh grilled salmon. They also have an in-house brewery with great beer for all tastes. The downstairs portion of the restaurant has floor-to-ceiling windows and overlooks Golden Gate Park. My wife and I had our wedding reception here. A great idea after a visit to the beach. On sunny days, it’s great to bring the kids and let them play in the park while you sit on the lawn and enjoy a snack and a drink.

Drinks & Nightlife

One step above a dive bar, but maybe just half a step. They have a lot of craft beers on tap. The place is nothing fancy, kind of a gritty, salty, local surfer vibe, with a lot of San Francisco State University students as well. It’s a fun mix. Wet Wednesdays, which is a charity thing for the local chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, is a big draw. They show surf videos, have a DJ, and great drink specials.
73 ντόπιοι το προτείνουν
The Riptide
3639 Taraval St
73 ντόπιοι το προτείνουν
One step above a dive bar, but maybe just half a step. They have a lot of craft beers on tap. The place is nothing fancy, kind of a gritty, salty, local surfer vibe, with a lot of San Francisco State University students as well. It’s a fun mix. Wet Wednesdays, which is a charity thing for the local chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, is a big draw. They show surf videos, have a DJ, and great drink specials.

Parks & Nature

You have spectacular views of the ocean as well as the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Marin Headlands directly across. I go with my nephew. He loves to watch all the big tankers coming in, and the tugboats going out to meet them. Fresh air and fun for all ages. Start at the Land’s End visitor’s center and take the trail heading north towards the Golden Gate Bridge. If you go down toward the ruins of the Sutro baths, there is a rad tunnel on the north end of the beach you can walk through that opens up to waves crashing onto a rocky shoreline.
694 ντόπιοι το προτείνουν
Lands End Trail
Lands End Trail
694 ντόπιοι το προτείνουν
You have spectacular views of the ocean as well as the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Marin Headlands directly across. I go with my nephew. He loves to watch all the big tankers coming in, and the tugboats going out to meet them. Fresh air and fun for all ages. Start at the Land’s End visitor’s center and take the trail heading north towards the Golden Gate Bridge. If you go down toward the ruins of the Sutro baths, there is a rad tunnel on the north end of the beach you can walk through that opens up to waves crashing onto a rocky shoreline.
Just down from Land’s End, there are the ruins from the old Adolph Sutro house, which are fun for kids to play on and generally a beautiful park to enjoy. It kind of looks like a castle, so that’s always cool. You get sort of a bird’s eye view of the western side of the city. It’s a great place to watch a sunset. Bring a blanket, snacks, and enjoy it with your honey.
34 ντόπιοι το προτείνουν
Sutro Heights Park
846 Point Lobos Ave
34 ντόπιοι το προτείνουν
Just down from Land’s End, there are the ruins from the old Adolph Sutro house, which are fun for kids to play on and generally a beautiful park to enjoy. It kind of looks like a castle, so that’s always cool. You get sort of a bird’s eye view of the western side of the city. It’s a great place to watch a sunset. Bring a blanket, snacks, and enjoy it with your honey.
In a lot of ways, the ocean is almost like a member of the community here, particularly to surfers. Ocean Beach is a fickle spot, but when it turns on it can be a world class beach break. It can hold any size wave from 2 feet to 20 feet, and can be fun on all types of boards. It depends on the time of year, but generally speaking, the surf tends to be better in the mornings. It’s always biggest in the middle of the beach between Noriega and Rivera. The north and south ends of the beach are generally a few feet smaller. It’s a powerful wave, and it's never a bad bet to ride a little bigger board than usual.
553 ντόπιοι το προτείνουν
Παραλία Ocean
La Playa St
553 ντόπιοι το προτείνουν
In a lot of ways, the ocean is almost like a member of the community here, particularly to surfers. Ocean Beach is a fickle spot, but when it turns on it can be a world class beach break. It can hold any size wave from 2 feet to 20 feet, and can be fun on all types of boards. It depends on the time of year, but generally speaking, the surf tends to be better in the mornings. It’s always biggest in the middle of the beach between Noriega and Rivera. The north and south ends of the beach are generally a few feet smaller. It’s a powerful wave, and it's never a bad bet to ride a little bigger board than usual.

Shopping

It’s a real surf shop. We don't have sandals or branded t-shirts. We just carry the necessities to go surfing in San Francisco. The surf here is pretty different than places like Southern California, so people may find their equipment doesn’t work quite as well here. Our gear is a little more Ocean Beach-specific. We do retail sales, but making custom surfboards is definitely the core of our business. We also do private one-on-one lessons, where you can learn to make your own board. And there's a big window into the shaping room from the retail part of the store, so you can just come and watch what's going on.
Sunset Shapers
3896 Noriega St
It’s a real surf shop. We don't have sandals or branded t-shirts. We just carry the necessities to go surfing in San Francisco. The surf here is pretty different than places like Southern California, so people may find their equipment doesn’t work quite as well here. Our gear is a little more Ocean Beach-specific. We do retail sales, but making custom surfboards is definitely the core of our business. We also do private one-on-one lessons, where you can learn to make your own board. And there's a big window into the shaping room from the retail part of the store, so you can just come and watch what's going on.