Despite the fact that San Francisco’s streets are sometimes flanked by bars and various nightclubs are sprinkled around the Mission and Soma, the City by the Bay is really a morning town. If you need any evidence, the gourmet, artisanal toast phenomenon started in the city’s Outer Sunset neighborhood.
San Francisco is loaded with weekend brunch spots. But less celebrated are the weekday or every-day-of-the-week breakfast spots, places that excel at putting various egg dishes or a fresh stack of pancakes in front of you and where there’s always a server ready to “warm up” that coffee for you.
Best restaurants for breakfast in San Francisco
Sweet Maple
Wedged between Lower Pacific Heights and Japantown, Sweet Maple has one of the largest and consistently delicious breakfast menus in the Bay Area. The fluffy egg souffle skillets are worth the journey here. There are a large handful of other egg dishes, offered in every known style and then some. And don’t neglect an order of the “Millionaire’s Bacon,” flavor-popping thick-cut bacon dipped in brown sugar and cayenne pepper; If you’re especially in the mood for bacon, get the sample platter.
Brenda’s Meat + Three
If you’ve never been to the South, particularly Tennessee, the name might not make much sense but it’s simple: you get one order of meat and you can then choose three sides. Brenda’s is a great ambassador of Southern cuisine in San Francisco. The concept at this Nopa spot mostly applies to lunch and dinner. At breakfast the menu is loaded with hearty morning goodness: start off with an order of beignets (a la New Orleans) before moving on to some Lowcountry gumbo or shrimp-and-bacon-loaded johnny cakes.
Tartine Manufactory
Located between the Mission and Potrero Hill, Tartine Manufactory is part of the company that brought us the perpetually popular (and legendary) bakery Tartine. At this large high-ceilinged outpost, you can indulge in memorable morning meals like brisket-loaded hash, a cheddar-bacon-egg sandwich, and toast with coddled eggs, za’atar, and trout roe.
Farm : Table
The name doesn’t lie. This Tenderloin favorite morning spot only serves up breakfast ingredients that started out at a farm and went straight to the restaurant. No middle men. Farm : Table serves a memorable croque royal—sliced turkey, bechamel, and Swiss and jack cheese all pressed into bread, as if Paris and San Francisco collided to delicious effect. You can also get fluffy pancakes and variations on the theme of avocado toast.
Mông Thu Cafe
Set in the Tenderloin, Mông Thu opens every morning (except Monday) at 7am ready to serve breakfast. And what is a Vietnamese breakfast? You’ve likely had it before without realizing it: pho. In Vietnam, the national noodle soup, known as pho, is frequently eaten either very late at night or in the morning for breakfast. It’s refreshing that Mông Thu Cafe serves pho when it is meant to be served: in the morning. And it’s a bonus that whatever they make here—morning or afternoon—happens to be excellent.
Plow
Even if you don’t live atop Potrero Hill, it’s worth making the trek to Plow to fill up on tasty and hearty breakfast fare. You can take the health-conscious route and spoon some chia-seed pudding onto your palate. Or even the house-made granola. But once you scan the menu and see custard-laden French toast with caramelized apples, shirred eggs with tomato sauce and Gruyere, and a tall juicy porchetta sandwich, you may very well throw caution to the San Francisco wind and dig right in.
The delicious dishes at Plow are the perfect way to start your day. Photo credit: Foodie Factor
Pork Store Cafe
Any place with “pork” in name is going to have a hearty breakfast. Located near the historic intersection of Haight and Ashbury Streets, the Pork Store Cafe is a beloved neighborhood institution and a breakfast staple among locals since 1916 when a Czech couple first opened the place as a butcher shop. Here you can dig into a tall stack of fluffy pancakes, a spicy sausage omelet, a plus-sized breakfast burrito, or the Pork Store special: two pork chops, two eggs, hash browns, and toast.
San Jalisco
This Mission District taqueria is one of a small handful of Mexican spots in the neighborhood that is open for breakfast. And San Jalisco is one of the best. You can chomp into a plus-sized egg-laden breakfast burrito here. The restaurant also offers various omelets stuffed with Mexican ingredients, including chorizo, nopales, and guacamole.
Newkirk’s
Located where 22nd Street and Potrero Avenue meet, Newkirk’s lures people from all over the city for one main reason: hearty and dreamy breakfast sandwiches. East Coasters are especially present here as the place puts an emphasis on bodega-style bacon, egg, and cheese on a roll (or BEC) sandwiches, most common in New York City. You can get a classic BEC here, of course, or go a bit crazy and get it with unctuous, flavorful pastrami. For a taste of the South, try the fried mortadella sandwich.
Mama’s on Washington Square
Regulars have been lining up outside of Mama’s on Washington Square since 1951 for excellent breakfast fare here. The North Beach restaurant has a breakfast menu that is worth salivating over. There are a handful of omelets—or as they’re called here “M’omelets”—on the menu including with pancetta and/or smoked bacon. From the griddle, the chocolate cinnamon pancakes are legendary.
Mama’s serves breakfast all day, so you can get French toast, buttermilk pancakes, or bacon ‘n eggs any time. Photo credit: Roman Odintsov
Counting down the days to your trip to San Francisco so you can start devouring all the delicious food in sight? We feel you—that’s how we travel, too.
Let’s hang out while you’re in town, preferably on our Ultimate San Francisco Food Tour! Let us feed your curiosity and show you our San Francisco.
David Farley is a West Village-based food and travel writer whose work appears regularly in the New York Times, National Geographic, BBC, and Food & Wine, among other publications. He’s the author of three books, including “An Irreverent Curiosity: In Search of the Church’s Strangest Relic in Italy’s Oddest Town,” which was made into a documentary by the National Geographic Channel. You can find Farley’s online homes here and here.