As any San Francisco food lover knows, the Mission holds a vast array of accessible food, in taste, price, creativity and ethnic range. Narrowing down options becomes the harder task. Outer Mission, south of Cesar Chavez, primarily focused on Mission Street itself, offers a surprising range of cheap, authentic spots.
When I head to Outer Mission (a short jaunt from my Noe apartment),
I am most often getting my Mitchell’s ice cream fix. But having lived a short walk from here in my previous home, I’ve
found many other delights over the years: |
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• Diner: Al’s Café Good
Food, 3286 Mission St (between 29th
St & Valencia St), 415-641-8445 – A more
authentic (read: greasy) diner yet with usual San Francisco “step
above” in freshness and taste; I sit at the counter for a
bowl of chili or a shake |
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• Upscale Comfort
Food: The Blue
Plate, www.blueplatesf.com – Impeccable,
higher-priced American comfort food: meatloaf, chicken, pork chops… like
an All-American meal from childhood only gourmet, fresh and satisfying |
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• Pupusas: El Zocalo, 3230
Mission Street (between 29th St & Valencia St), 415-282-2572 – If
you haven’t had Savadoran pupusas before (thick, hand-made
corn tortillas stuffed with cheese, beans or meat), you might find
them rather bland – but for those who love them or who have
grown to, these are cheap and gratifying |
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• Southern Spread: The Front Porch, www.thefrontporchsf.com – Creative
Southern food means hearty fried chicken, grits, seafood, all with
a California touch; large entrée portions at an average $11
make it an affordable, ideal neighborhood restaurant, though the
crowds and noise volume make it very hard to hear anyone I am with! |
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• Mediterranean Rotisserie Chicken: Good Frikin' Chicken (GFC), www.gfcsf.com – One of Tender rotisserie chicken with addictive garlic butter, perfect olive oil pita bread, one of my favorite hummus recipes ever, Mediterranean/Middle Eastern dishes and cheap prices make this one of my very favorite take-out spots in the city |
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•Chinese Take-Out/Delivery: Jasmine
Tea House, www.jasmineteahouse.com – They
deliver to your home AND serve tasty Chinese standards |
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• Best Burger: Joe’s Cable Car, www.joescablecar.com – Yes,
it’s definitely overpriced for burgers with a $10 minimum per person, but
the owner’s affable personality, friendly service, charming digs,
parking lot (!), fresh meat grinding, not to mention the tastiest burgers
in SF, make it a classic |
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• Best Ice Cream: Mitchell’s, www.mitchellsicecream.com – One
of SF’s great treasures: an ‘old school’ ice cream
shop making homemade flavors for over 50 years; the wait for a cone
is ridiculous (make sure you take a number the moment you arrive!),
but always worth it - I buy by the half gallon to savor perfect,
creamy flavors like Mexican Chocolate or seasonal masterpieces such
as Cinnamon Snap (cinnamon ice cream with ginger snaps), Egg Nog
or Peppermint (the latter two better than any other versions of the
same) |
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• Taqueria: Taqueria Can Cun, 3211
Mission St (near Valencia St), 415-550-1414 – Not
the best taqueria in town, and certainly a greasy one; nonetheless,
when craving a late night burrito or heaping pile of nachos in
the area, this is the spot |
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• Sushi: Yo’s
Sushi Club, 3369
Mission St (between 30th St & Godeus St), 415-824-1215 Far
from the best sushi in town, Yo’s wouldn’t be worth
going to with nearby spots like Moki Sushi significantly better,
yet this unassuming spot does make the surprisingly large and scrumptious
Yo’s Special Roll - you could almost happily order a few
of those, even as the sashimi and nigiri is mediocre |
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