{"id":140120,"date":"2026-01-19T14:50:16","date_gmt":"2026-01-19T14:50:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/140120\/"},"modified":"2026-01-19T14:50:16","modified_gmt":"2026-01-19T14:50:16","slug":"sfs-best-cheap-eats-according-to-a-panel-of-restaurant-pros","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/140120\/","title":{"rendered":"SF\u2019s best cheap eats, according to a panel of restaurant pros"},"content":{"rendered":"

In San Francisco, it can feel like it\u2019s easier to find a restaurant serving a $200 tasting menu than a deli counter selling a sandwich for less than $20. After all, this city is consistently ranked as one of the world\u2019s most expensive for living and dining. It\u2019s home to coffee shops slinging $10 matcha lattes, $264 happy hours for two<\/a>, and restaurants plating $310 \u201cmonster\u201d porterhouses<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But there are places offering high-quality, affordable eats \u2014 if you know where to look. There are mom-and-pop shops serving fresh banh mi in the Inner Richmond, Mission institutions assembling massive burritos and hearty pupusas, and Haight Street newcomers making mind-blowing muffulettas.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

To find some of the best meals that won\u2019t break the bank, we asked 12 restaurant industry pros to point us to their go-to spots for cheap eats in San Francisco.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Oscar Michel, co-owner, Tacos Oscar\"A\"A<\/p>\n

Favorite spot: La Palma Mexicatessen, 2884 24th St., Mission\u00a0
Every Thursday, Michel makes the trek from Oakland to this market, where he picks up the famous Sonoran-style flour tortillas for his taco shop\u2019s weekend brunch. While he\u2019s there, he also orders a regular burrito ($12.95) with all the fixings: meat, rice, beans, and two kinds of salsa. He recommends that if you\u2019re sharing with a friend \u2014 Michel usually splits one with his business partner \u2014 fork up the extra $4 to swap the chile verde for a chile relleno. Plus, the order comes with a side of house-made salsa and chips, which is arguably the real reason he loves coming here. \u201cI could gorge on just that salsa extra picante and chips that you get with your burrito.\u201d<\/p>\n

Spencer Horovitz, owner and chef, Hadeem\"SeveralSandy\u2019s on Haight Street. | Source: Kelsey McClellan for The Standard<\/p>\n

Favorite spot: Sandy\u2019s, 1457 Haight St., Upper Haight
At the top of Horovitz\u2019s long and well-researched list of cheap eats in San Francisco is Sandy\u2019s, a charming shop that serves his favorite sandwich in the city, a roasted mushroom muffuletta ($15). \u201cI\u2019ve eaten more of these cold out of my fridge than I\u2019m proud to admit.\u201d It\u2019s easy to understand his obsession after one bite into the soft, Italian sesame bread layered with roasted cremini mushrooms, scallions, Duke\u2019s mayo, provolone, and spicy olive salad. \u201cI keep bugging the owner to collab on a Hadeem version called the \u2018Jewfuletta,\u2019 with lox, whitefish dip, and smoked sablefish,\u201d he says. \u201cBut until then, I\u2019ll have to keep coming back for the OG.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Nite Yun, owner and chef, Lunette\"FourSource: Courtesy Carly Hackbarth\/Ferry Building<\/p>\n

Favorite spot: Peaches Patties, 1 Ferry Building, Financial District
Yun often visits this popular spot, just a few steps from her restaurant in the Ferry Building, to get her Jamaican food fix. Her go-to order is the beef patty, a flaky, buttery pastry shell stuffed with what she calls \u201cthe most deliciously seasoned beef.\u201d Yun says it\u2019s an incredible deal at just $7.75 because they never skimp on the filling. If you like an extra kick, she recommends the hot sauce \u2014 but with how well everything is seasoned, she doubts you\u2019ll need it.<\/p>\n

Cat Ho, bar director, Arcana<\/p>\n

Favorite spot: Bender\u2019s Bar and Grill, 806 S. Van Ness Ave., Mission\u00a0
On nights when she\u2019s able to leave Arcana before 11 p.m., Ho pops over to this 33-year-old dive. She says all the items are hits but gives special shoutouts to what the menu calls the \u201cclassic schnitzz\u201d ($13), a take on a fried chicken sandwich, and the \u201cbent totzz\u201d ($12), which sees tater tots smothered with bacon, shredded cheddar, lettuce, house sauce, and a mountain of pickled jalape\u00f1os. But the draw for Ho is the \u201cdin din noodzz\u201d ($8), a plate of spicy yakisoba noodles stir-fried in a peanut sauce and sprinkled with herbs, bell peppers, and seasoned peanuts, to which she adds a piece of fried chicken ($9). \u201cAfter a long shift or night out, that\u2019s pretty much all I\u2019m craving.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Brenda Landa, head chef, Outerlands\"\"Chef Brenda Landa.<\/p>\n

Favorite spot: Pho Huong Viet, 5733 Geary Blvd., Richmond
Since moving to the Outer Richmond four years ago, Landa has been coming to this Vietnamese restaurant at least twice a month. That\u2019s often enough that they know her usual order: Hanoi beef stew ($17.75). \u201cIt\u2019s Vietnam meets France,\u201d she says, raving about the French-style braised beef and slurpable rice noodles swimming in a piping hot Vietnamese broth that\u2019s made daily. \u201cIt all makes for an ultra-comforting meal that\u2019s oh-so-perfect for the chilly west side of the city.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Joe Poz, co-owner, Bar April Jean<\/p>\n

Favorite spot: Il Pollaio, 555 Columbus Ave., North Beach\u00a0
Poz has been a regular at this family-run Italian restaurant with a 50-year history since 2023. His favorite dish is a protein lover\u2019s dream: a half chicken, braised, marinated, and finished on the grill with a side of chimichurri ($15). If he\u2019s in the mood for sides, he\u2019ll add Italian sausage, marinated eggplant, anchovies, or a caprese salad. \u201cIt\u2019s one of my favorite restaurants and feels like a home away from home.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Kate Campecino-Wong, co-owner and chef, Breadbelly<\/p>\n

Favorite spot: Ilana Coffee, 2314 Clement St., Richmond
\u201cJust as Asian people often compliment a dessert by saying, \u2018It\u2019s not too sweet,\u2019 I find myself complimenting this banh mi by saying, \u2018It\u2019s not too salty,\u2019\u201d Campecino-Wong says. When she\u2019s on the way to drop off her toddler at school (and doesn\u2019t have to rush off to her bakery\u2019s second location in the Dogpatch<\/a>), she calls and preorders a steamed pork and pate banh mi with extra veggies, topped with cilantro and a couple of slices of jalape\u00f1o ($9.62). \u201cThe bread is crisp and yielding, the pork is tender, and the pickled daikon and carrots have the perfect balance of sweetness and vinegar,\u201d she says. \u201c\u2018Refreshing\u2019 might be a weird word to describe a sandwich, but this banh mi is actually that.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Nick Cobarruvias, owner, Otra<\/p>\n

Favorite spot: Palmyra, 700 Haight St., Lower Haight
After giving a special shoutout to Banh Viet \u2014 \u201ca legit good banh mi that\u2019s not just made for Karens\u201d \u2014 Cobarruvias discussed his love for this neighborhood staple that serves Syrian fare. At $15, the Syrian-style wrap, a massive pita packed with chicken shawarma, pickles, fries, tahini, and garlic sauce is on the pricier side of a \u201ccheap eat.\u201d But just trust him: \u201cIt\u2019s a fucking meal.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

George Dingle, co-owner and chef, Dingles Public House\"AChef and co-owner George Dingle at Dingles Public House. | Source: Carolyn Fong for The Standard<\/p>\n

Favorite spot: Hayes Valley Bakeworks, 550 Gough St., Hayes Valley
While building out his restaurant last year, Dingle never had enough time to make breakfast before the contractors arrived. Luckily, he discovered Hayes Valley Bakeworks, less than a block from Dingles Public House. He almost always orders the same thing: a warm, buttery jalape\u00f1o cornmeal biscuit breakfast sandwich ($6.75) with ham, provolone, and a jiggly egg. \u201cI was living off of them,\u201d he says.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Anthony Salguero, owner and chef, Popoca<\/p>\n

Favorite spot: Panchitas #2 Pupuseria & Restaurant, 3091 16th St., Mission
When he\u2019s not chowing on tacos dorados with carne asada from La Taqueria, Salguero likes to snag a seat at this Salvadoran institution, which has been slinging some of the city\u2019s favorite pupusas for nearly 40 years. He\u2019s been coming here with his dad since he was growing up in San Francisco\u2019s Chinatown. Back then, he would top his loroco pupusas ($4.75) with the curtido and salsa that sat in tubs and squirt bottles on the tables. These days, Salguero, who owns and operates his own acclaimed Salvadoran restaurant in Oakland, doesn\u2019t make it across the bridge as often. But when friends or family are visiting from out of town, \u201cPanchitas is always part of the agenda.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Marisa Williams, owner and pastry chef, Sol Bakery<\/p>\n

Favorite spot: Eddie\u2019s Cafe, 800 Divisadero St., NoPa
Growing up near Divisadero Street, Williams often went to Eddie\u2019s Cafe, an old-school neighborhood diner. She still comes by on midweek mornings \u2014 there\u2019s usually a line out the door on weekends \u2014 and, in front of the legendary wall of bobbleheads the restaurant has amassed over its 52-year run, orders her standard breakfast. That means two eggs, bacon, toast, and a cup of coffee, for about $15. \u201cEddie\u2019s will forever carry the real Western Addition vibe, and I love that I always get a different coffee mug on each visit,\u201d she says, referring to the restaurant\u2019s eclectic selection. \u201cThis place holds a real soft spot in my heart.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Seth Stowaway, owner and chef, Chicken Fried Palace\"\"Source: Amanda Andrade-Rhoades\/The Standard<\/p>\n

Favorite spot: El Gallo Giro taco truck, 986-998 Treat Ave., Mission
\u201cLiterally insane tacos,\u201d is how Stowaway describes the offerings at this truck. El Gallo Giro has been a neighborhood staple, parked at the corner of 23rd Street and Treat Avenue, for 24 years. He has been a fan for 15, walking up to the family-run business to order two carnitas tacos crisped on the plancha, two al pastor tacos, and, sometimes, a cabeza taco for good measure ($3.50 each) \u2014 all with \u201ceverything\u201d on top: cilantro, onion, and salsa roja.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In San Francisco, it can feel like it\u2019s easier to find a restaurant serving a $200 tasting menu…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":140121,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[414,35067,2499,412,101,103,102,104,106,105],"class_list":["post-140120","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-francisco","tag-chefs","tag-eat-here","tag-pro-tips","tag-restaurants","tag-san-francisco","tag-san-francisco-headlines","tag-san-francisco-news","tag-sf","tag-sf-headlines","tag-sf-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/140120","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=140120"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/140120\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/140121"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=140120"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=140120"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=140120"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}