Despite the proliferation of existing "you should eat here" lists for SF (great ones include the Eater Essential 38 and Thrillist's The Best Restaurants in San Francisco Right Now), I am frequently asked, "Where should I go to eat?"

The standard (snarky) response one gets from me when this question is asked: it depends.  Price point, occasion, food preferences, location restraints, party size, how far in advance you want to dine -- all of these factors influence where you should (and realistically will be able to) eat.

Instead of continuing to maintain this list in a spreadsheet* that I have to find each time someone asks me, I'm unleashing a list here for all to use/love/hate.  

With all of that said, here are Hayes in the Fog's favorite San Francisco restaurants, listed alphabetically:

1. A16

2. Al's Place

3. Cockscomb

4. Cotogna

5. Del Popolo

6. Flour + Water

7. Foreign Cinema

8. Golden Star Vietnamese Restaurant (no website; cash only)

9. Kin Khao

10. Liholiho Yacht Club

11. Little Star Pizza

12. Marlowe

13. Media Noche

14. Nopa

15. Octavia

16. Park Tavern

17. Pizzeria Delfina

18. Plow

19. Primavera (at the Ferry Building Farmers Market) (cash only)

20. Radio Africa Kitchen

21. Roam Burger

22. Shanghai Dumpling King

23. Souvla

24. SPQR

25. Taqueria Cancun (no website; cash only)

26. The House

27. Tony's / Slice House

28. Yamo (no website; cash only)

29. Yank Sing

30. Zazie

Other lists to check out:

Hayes in the Fog's favorite San Francisco places for desserts, sweets, and baked goods

Hayes in the Fog's favorite San Francisco breakfast spots

COMING SOON Hayes in the Fog's SF restaurant pipeline (where I want to eat)

Why does this list only include SF? 

While I live in Oakland now, I spent my first six years in the Bay living in SF, and I still work in the city.  I know it better and have been to these places enough to properly vet them.  When I reach that point for Oakland spots, another list will magically appear.

Why don't you have [x] on the list? It's THE. BEST. PLACE. EVER.

Feel free to comment below if you have suggestions or recommendations; generally speaking, it's not on the list because a) I haven't been there before (see my pipeline for SF places I've yet to visit), b) I haven't been there enough to properly vet it, or c) I don't like [x] as much as you do. :)

*Yes, up until now, I've maintained an "Operation: never go hungry" spreadsheet to track all of this.