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Tourists typically visit San Francisco for iconic landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman’s Wharf, and Alcatraz Island, not to mention its lively arts and culture venues. Sightseeing, gallery and theater showings, and exciting events aside, the City by the Bay is also home to a widely diverse dining scene, spanning both Michelin-starred establishments and accessible holes-in-the-wall, and covering typical Californian specialties as well as an extensive range of international cuisines. Still, even with all these different restaurant choices, many in-demand tables have proven to be notoriously difficult to book, whether in person, over the phone, or via platforms like OpenTable, Resy, Tock, or Yelp. That is especially true during weekends and holidays and for primetime slots (i.e., between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.).
Since we’ve already given you an overview of some of the hardest restaurants to get into in Boston and the most elusive tables in New York City, here’s a similar compilation pertaining to San Fran that covers various cuisines, concepts, and budgets. Being prepared is key. General tips for successfully grabbing a reservation include periodically checking booking platforms or joining the notification list for those last-minute cancellations; aiming for less popular slots, like opening time or 10 p.m.; or simply walking in and sitting at the bar. Alternatively, when all hope is lost, you could just try a sister restaurant, which would likely not disappoint you, or opt for takeout if the option is offered.
House of Prime Rib
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Established in 1949, House of Prime Rib is an English-style steakhouse and cocktail lounge that offers prime beef ribs and carving service. Open only for dinner, it’s considered a San Francisco institution, which makes it a destination in and of itself. Unfortunately, this also means that this elegant establishment is perpetually busy, even on weekdays and as early as 5 p.m. Table reservations are possible via OpenTable or telephone, but you may have to book several months — or even a year! — in advance. Luckily, walk-ins are always welcome at the bar, if you don’t mind the long wait, that is.
So, what makes House of Prime Rib so popular? Because it’s aged for 21 days, the meat, for one, is famously tender and juicy. Expect the finest marbled rib dinners, which include sides like a salad bowl, mashed potatoes, and Yorkshire pudding; roast beef prepared in coarse rock salt, pushed in on stainless steel carts and carved at your table; an extensive wine list; and timeless cocktails like an apple martini, a Manhattan, and a Cosmopolitan.
(415) 885-4605
1906 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94109
Lazy Bear
Nestled in the Mission District, Lazy Bear is a Michelin-starred New American dining and event venue. It offers an exquisite rotating tasting menu, prepared from ingredients that are seasonally sourced from the Bay Area. You might get to try a seafood tower with the Dungeness crab dip, a dry-aged beef tartare, a pork chop with quince and apple, and a decadent honey cake in one sitting. We even ranked it among the best restaurants in San Francisco.
Reservations for parties of one to seven are only possible through prepaid dinner tickets, though, and the latter are released on Tock on the first of every month at 10 a.m. Bear in mind that, in case of an emergency, they can’t be canceled and refunded, but rather transferred to other guests. Considered one of the finest tables in North America, Lazy Bear is so coveted that plenty have tried to score a reservation for a whole year or two. This could be why some customers have complained on review platforms that they constantly felt rushed by the staff in anticipation of the next party, which put a damper on their (very pricey) dining experience.
(415) 874-9921
3416 19th St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Elena’s Mexican Restaurant
Owned by the Duggans, the same family who runs the Original Joe’s restaurants, Elena’s is a contemporary Mexican-American establishment. It’s a popular place for brunch, lunch, or dinner located in West Portal, a relaxed neighborhood with easy access to the downtown area and Silicon Valley. Reservations are extremely hard to snag, especially on weekends. Once you’re in, though, you’ll get to enjoy elegantly presented classics like chicken enchiladas, Baja-style fish tacos, chile relleno, and margarita pitchers, but also house specialties like shrimp with guajillo-chile-infused butter and corn rice, pollo asado, and churros with chocolate sauce made entirely from scratch.
Bookings for up to eight guests are possible via OpenTable, or, if unsuccessful, by telephone, while walk-ins will be added to the waitlist. Don’t make the mistake of arriving late, though: All parties must be present to be seated, and the staff will only hold your table for 10 minutes.
A tip: You’ll have more luck vying for less-coveted slots like 3:15 p.m. Some customers have also elected to show up around 1:15 p.m. on a weekday or find a place at the bar at opening time.
(415) 622-4440
255 W Portal Ave, San Francisco, CA 94127
Four Kings
Located on Commercial Street in Chinatown, Four Kings is a casual, Cantonese-owned joint offering flavorful Hong Kong specialties. This is the place to be in the area for hot mustard jellyfish salad, egg taro puffs, Mongolian beef noodles, yam leaves with fermented tofu, and claypot rice with Chinese-style sausage.
Still, since Four Kings only operates Thursday through Sunday from 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m., it often books up weeks in advance. Not to mention that people start lining up at least half an hour before opening time, which will probably discourage other aspiring diners.
You can book your seats via OpenTable, keeping in mind that the slots are released every three weeks at noon and only parties of up to six people are accepted. Plus, you can’t reserve via telephone or email, order takeout, or even buy gift cards. Basically, you’ll have better luck with the few seats at the bar that are set aside for walk-ins. Here are a couple of tips that might work in your favor, though: Sign up for premium access through Visa Signature on OpenTable, or try aiming for a late-night slot.
(415) 688-1500
710 Commercial St, San Francisco, CA 94108
SHOWA Le Gourmet Tonkatsu
If you think the above-mentioned San Francisco restaurants are tough to get into, then you’ll face even more challenges with SHOWA, an elegant establishment that only offers one seating per night. Indeed, spots are extremely limited in this traditional Japanese home setting that houses exquisite antiques and fixtures imported from Japan. Requiring a $50 deposit per person, reservations for this highly coveted, 12-course tasting menu are only possible for parties of two to 10 through Tock. The spots are released 30 days in advance at 12 p.m. and sell out almost immediately. So, keep your eyes peeled, or better yet, set a notify alert for a last-minute cancellation.
Meticulously prepared by a chef hailing from Japan’s Shizuoka Prefecture, a region renowned for its wasabi and green tea production, the courses are served for a duration of about 2.5 hours. Expect unique delicacies, such as longtail red snapper from Kagoshima, Threeline Grunt fish from Nagasaki, and yuzu mousse cake, paired with wines from Napa Valley.
(415) 470-1107
1550 Howard St, San Francisco, CA 94103
Noodle in a Haystack
Located in the Bay Area, on Geary Boulevard, the elusive Noodle in a Haystack is operated by a passionate, self-taught married couple. What started as a living-room pop-up venue has evolved into a 12-seat communal bar, officially recognized by the Michelin Guide. It only opens twice a week, and, at the time of writing, the website has announced that availability is extremely limited due to several corporate buyouts. Indeed, seats book out one to two months in advance, and the slots are released every month through Tock at 7 a.m. Also, note that children under 10 aren’t welcome.
This exceptional seasonal tasting menu is offered over a period of 2.5 hours, but your dietary restrictions can’t be accommodated. Paired with sake or wine, the items you can indulge in could include Golden Osetra caviar served with smoked shoyu cream, a Maine lobster and Hokkaido sea urchin sando, Wagyu miso ramen, and burnt Japanese cheesecake drizzled with strawberry preserve. So yes, Noodle in a Haystack may very well be worth the time and effort.
4601 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94118
Side A
Blending retro music, filling dishes, and rotating draft beers, Side A is a modern American bistro and coffee shop with a live vinyl DJ. Don’t be fooled by the laidback décor and limited menu, though, as this trendy place is perpetually busy and reservations are very difficult to snag, not to mention that customers have to adhere to a strict cancellation deadline of two days. Walk-ins are only led to bar and sidewalk seats, whereas indoor tables should be booked on Resy, where slots are released every 14 days at midnight.
So, what can you order at this joint that is equally suitable for solo meals, casual dates, and lively gatherings? The so-called Garbage Salad, which includes pork belly confit, dilly beans, and a red wine vinaigrette, is a popular option to start your meal. Entrees like the gnocchi with short rib and the cheeseburger with red onion jam are also popular choices.
(415) 231-4969
2814 19th St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Jules Pizza
Located on Fillmore Street, Jules is a trendy American pizza place that serves sourdough pies, seasonal ingredients, an eclectic wine selection, and desserts. It sounds simple enough, except that the place can only seat 42 guests and is usually packed every evening.
Table reservations are via Resy and drop every 30 days at midnight. In case you’re just dining solo, you’ll be shown to the communal table, where a few seats are typically set aside for walk-ins. As for the latter, they usually start lining up long before opening time. And, when you finally get your name on that list, the wait time may be two hours, if not more. Don’t be discouraged, though. You can always place yourself on the Notify list for the earlier and later seatings, i.e., 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. There is still a minor hiccup to keep in mind: You could be competing with 600 to 800 names daily, according to the Resy blog.
If all these attempts fail, you’ll have to settle for takeout to dig into the Hot Drunken Sailor pizza, made with a charred tomato arrabbiata sauce and anchovies; the San Francisco halibut crudo; or the burnt date and black sesame ice cream.
237 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94117
The Happy Crane
The Happy Crane is a polished and stylish Chinese restaurant proposing traditional Hong Kong and Beijing fare with a bold, modern, Californian twist. Think hawthorn berry oyster; ginger scallion scallop; shiitake, summer squash, and pea dumpling; house-pulled noodles with roasted maitake mushrooms; and quail with Sichuan salt and pickled turnip.
Since this place only opens from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and closes on Sunday and Monday, snagging that coveted table may not be that easy, not to mention that walk-ins may be difficult to accommodate. Moreover, private dining and large-party bookings aren’t possible.
You can reserve your seats on OpenTable, where slots drop 30 days in advance at noon. It might be a good idea to sign up for the alert list and opt for earlier or later seatings, i.e., in the first and last hour. Visa cardholders, though, may get quicker access to those elusive primetime seats.
(415) 610-1823
451 Gough St, San Francisco, CA 94102
Flour + Water
Flour + Water is an Italian restaurant with a Northern Californian twist that is renowned for its handmade pastas and fresh, seasonal ingredients. The dinner, pasta tasting, dessert, and wine menus are all tempting and include intriguing items like the sea urchin rigatoni, the rabbit tortellini with Genovese basil sauce, and the duck breast with peach and summer squash.
Mind you, this small venue, open daily from 5:00 to 9:30 p.m., consists of 11 tables, a communal space, and a bar; so, it can only seat about 50 guests. Takeout and valet services aren’t offered at this time, and table reservations, available on Resy, are released 28 days in advance at midnight. Free cancellations are allowed up to two days prior to your reservation; otherwise, a $35 fee per person will be incurred. Since there are only about 60 names on the Notify list to compete with every night (we say “only” compared to the other venues listed here), it may be a good idea to give this option a try. As for walk-ins, they’re welcome at the bar or the communal table: The only hiccup is that the wait time during peak hours on Friday and Saturdays can stretch up to three hours.
According to an interview with Director of Operations Amanda Flores on the Resy blog, “If you’re looking to eat right when you arrive, 5:30 is your best bet. If you’re flexible and you stop by before 7, you can put your name on the waitlist and you can grab a drink at our sister bar Trick Dog and come dine in later.”
(415) 826-7000
2401 Harrison St, San Francisco, CA 94110