Any good cheap places to eat at in San Francisco that aren't fast food?

Question

Preferrably in the Yerba Buena, South of Market, Union Square, Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf areas.

Answer 1

All under $10

Cordon Bleu Vietnamese Restaurant - California St. at Polk
My favorite San Francisco cheap meal can be found at this wondrous Vietnamese hole-in-the-wall. For a mere $7 and some change you too can enjoy the magic of a number 5 which consists of 1/4 of a their famous 5 Spice Chicken, grilled barbecue pork, an imperial roll, some rice with sauce, and "country salad". The whole combo is delicious, ultra-filling (I've never finished the whole thing) and did I mention cheap?

Tú Lan - 6th Street, Tenderloin
(I almost feel lame for including Tu Lan on this list, it's so cliche. Nonetheless...) This famous, no-frills Vietnamese dive has great pho (noodle soup), great ginger fish, decent spring rolls, and super apathetic service, but is definitely worth it. Part of the dining experience at Tú Lan is walking through the neighborhood past residential hotels, porn shops, and spotting drug deals. You'll probably have to wait for a table, but that's why Tú Lan is a San Francisco cliche. (Do sit at the counter by the cooks inside.)

Pakwan - 16th at Guererro, the Mission
While not the best place to go for Indian/Pakistani food, Pakwan fits the bill for cheap and decent tandoori meats, curries, and naans, complete with biryanis, samosas, and tangy tamarind and cool mint sauces. (No, you can't get all that for under $10) What you can get is a skewer of savory chicken tikka masala and a scoop of briyani, some naan, maybe a little garbanzo bean dahl for around $7. You'll have to listen for your order called and serve yourself as there is no waitstaff here.

Yokoso Nippon - Church Street, the Castro
While there are literally tons of great sushi places in San Francisco, my favorite cheap sushi joint is Yokoso Nippon (despite the fact they don't have a liquor license.) They serve fresh sushi and sashimi in jumbo (as in sushi-jumbo) portions; everything's doubled. You get twelve pieces when you order makis, and receive four-piece nigiri orders. You can also bring your own booze in from the liquor store.

The interesting thing about Yokoso Nippon is its name. There's no sign in front and it's supposedly not listed in the phone book so its developed a nickname - "No-Name Sushi." (Cash only.)

The Pork Store Cafe - Haight
Cheap, filling, and scrumdilly-umptious pancackes, fancy omlettes, and breakfast staples in this loud and lively packed restaurant. You can fill up on an artery-clogging Pork Store Special (for a mere $6.95), you get not one, but two pork chops, not one, but two eggs, not one, but two biscuits and a pile killer hash browns. See ya later, hangover.

Chow - Church Street
Chow (and Park Chow) are amazing; amazing food at amazing prices, and unlike the name hints, not Chinese. Their menu is "bistro diverse", sure to please everyone in your hungry party with its appetizers, sandwhiches, meat dishes (things like roasted Sonoma chicken for $9 or braised beef brisket), seafood (lemon and butter mussels - $6.50), fancy pizza, pasta and heavenly salads with pears, gorgonzola and nuts. You can even scarf up a fat grilled salmon sandwich with arugula, tomatoes and olives for around $8.00 or try my favorite lunch, the Goat Cheese and Mushrooms on Toast (ooh la la - so francais) for a mere $6.

La Tacqueria - the Mission
Most tacquerias in the city are pretty good and my favorite is La Tacqueria. The cheapest, tastiest, and best way to spend you money is investing in a Super Burrito - tender and crispy flavorful carnitas, rice, beans, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, lettuce, tomato, and salsa wrapped up in a tender tortilla to make a burrito the size of your head. It's so huge you save the other half for dinner.

Tamale Pushers
If you're lucky, you can score on some of the best tamales you've ever tasted from women who carry these addictive corn husk wrapped puppies around in baskets or strollers. Some are better than others, which is why every time I go to the Kilowatt I always pack Tupperware with me because I might run into Norma - who has the best pork tamales in a tangy and spicy tomatillo.

U-Lee Hyde at Jackson
Again, U-Lee is not the best Chinese restaurant in the city, but it serves up good and cheap food. With a grimey mile-long menu you'll find mainstream staples like chow mien, fried rice, wonton soup, the ubiquitous chicken dishes (lemon, cahshew or General Tso's) and some interesting combinations using wingbeans, blackbeans, bitter melon or cherries. The one item that puts U-Lee on this list are the cuo tie - jumbo succulent pot stickers (and I'm talkin' jumbo... bigger-than-my-fist size.) My ideal cheap U-Lee meal would be pot stickers and rice.

Ti Couz and La Fenetre - Mission and Hayes Valley, respectively
For the first year or so when crepes were really trendy, I'd only get Nutella and bananas. Recently I went to Ti Couz and sampled a savory mushroom and guyere/brie cheese crepe and almost flipped over in my chair in ecstacy. Since then I've been coming back to this place for savory crepe fixes, cheese and almond slivers, tomato with basil and olives, and my latest is the clams and shallots in a white wine reduction.

I've also recently discovered La Fenetre (by accident) for crepes. It's a little divey (you place your order at a window) and is a little out of the way, but tastes so darn good, I dig this place... I'm sure it feels more authentic because the owner is French.

North Beach Pizza Grant and Union
I haven't been into pizza that much lately, probably due to the fact that I ate so much of it in college. Once in a while, I like to indulge in the Pie. My favorite cheap 'za is North Beach Pizza. You can get a small pie with one topping for under $10, and there's a massive list of toppings to choose from. (check out northbeachpizza.com)

Brothers-in-Law Bar-B-Que Divisadero
You really have to read Mr. Eyore's eep on this at in this section because I could never do this place justice like he done did. (http://www.epinions.com/content_2072420484) Here you'll find finger-lickin' barbecued brisket, short ribs, links, and chicken - and sides of potato salad, spaghetti, BBQ baked beans, corn muffins - and of course, peach cobbler. All half-orders are under $10. (I personally like Memphis Minnie's a little better but that place would bust the $10 rule.)

Answer 2

Chai Yo Thai, 1335 Polk, 771-2562.

Totally wonderful. I got a shrimp/scallop dish full of seafood and asparagus done in a mild curry. Enough for two meals and under $10.00. I try and go there whenever I visit my brother. They also have a "Sweets and Treats" place next door (same owners) with wonderful gelato and probably the best bubble tea in the city.

Lots of good, cheap restaurants all along this row. Really good Greek place a few doors down.

Also, Thai Stick, 698 Post, 928-7730.

Answer 3

Try Tu Lan - it's at 6th and Market (right side if your facing mission) it's cheap, the food's good (I usually get the shrimp fried rice, and an imperial roll on the side), it's a hole in the wall but it is tasty, has a line out the door a lot of days esp. weekday lunches. Julia Child's used to like the place. I go there every few weeks with my friend on Saturdays. Closed Sunday.

In the Haight - Blue Front Cafe, reasonable, big meals, and everything is tasty.

China town - delicious dim sum at Grant and Jackson, another cheap hole in the wall with good food, esp. har gow (shrimp dumplings)

Answer 4

Try Tommy's Joynt ; famous for cheap good eats. Also Deja Vu pizza near the market street BART station is awesome pizza for <$5 per person.

Answer 5

Any of the local delis or Chinese places will have great food at reasonable prices. Try going off the beaten path and you may find a treasure that's not packed with people.

I've never had bad food in SF and I visit all the time.

Answer 6

Cheap San Francisco is an oxymoron. You'll need to drive to Oakland

Answer 7

lots of cheap sea food stands by the warf, in china town you can buy a chicken or duck for pretty cheap (the ones that are hanging from the celing).

Answer 8

TGI Fridays

Answer 9

Jail.

Answer 10

If you go and visit Haight, there is a really good bbq place there called Memphis Minis.....REALLY good and REALLY inexpensive!