View Full Version : affordable SF area dining
so as to not hijack the other SF dining thread too much, what you guys got? this subject may be too lowbrow for ElD, JAS, Haakee and the others who seem to only eat freshly cured bacon off of the bellies of virgins, but some of us like good old rib sticking food.
I contribute:
M's Cafe on 9th and Irving in SF for the cheapest, biggest, best (corned beef hash that's fried thin so more surface area is crunchy) breakfast you can get for pocket change
Le Metro Cafe on Divisadero for rock bottom pricing on good french food (not the heavy sauce type, but actual food). we called in one day to see what the specials were and were told that the chef wasn't back from the market, so they didn't know yet. that pretty much sold us on the quality/freshness.
Millbrae Pancake House on El Camino in Millbrae for anything (but breakfasts are killer!!).
sam h
10-05-2005, 07:32 PM
Charanga on Mission btw 19th and 20th for great Caribbean accented tapas and a laid-back atmosphere.
Can anybody recommend a good Korean BBQ joint?
The Garden City in San Jose has poker and a pretty good dinner house.
polltard
haakee
10-06-2005, 05:55 AM
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Millbrae Pancake House on El Camino in Millbrae
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Believe it or not I have been there. Not bad... but there are better breakfast places.
Ulysses
10-06-2005, 06:00 AM
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Can anybody recommend a good Korean BBQ joint?
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Brother's BBQ is the standard answer, and it's quite good. I, however, prefer King Charcoal. All the good Korean BBQ joints in SF are pretty much in the same place on Geary in the Avenues.
Ulysses
10-06-2005, 06:10 AM
FU.
Tommy's Joynt - American/Irish. BBQ brisket sandwich or plate is the best. Many other standard meat and potatoes type dishes. Great corned beef & cabbage.
Verona - Cheap Greek place, awesome.
Primo Patio - awesome cheap Carribean food. Everything is great. Bouli-bouli (sp) is great too, some kind of beer/lime juice concoction.
Brother-in-Law's BBQ/Big Nate's BBQ - best BBQ/best ribs, respectively (in SF).
The Java House (Pier 40) - (not to be confused with Red's Java Hut down the street) - great pancakes, eggs, and other breakfast fare, also good burgers and dogs.
Saigon Sandwiches - for $2 to $2.50, AWESOME vietnamese sandwiches. Probably my favorite lunch in SF.
R&G Lounge on the Financial District/Chinatown border. It's a Chinese restaurant (the name is misleading, I know) whose specialty is salt & pepper crab.
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FU.
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Generally, I think the dozens of good pho joints are the best consistent bargain in SF.
haakee
10-06-2005, 01:15 PM
South Bay pho better than SF pho from my experience. Tu Lan @ 6th and Market is quite a bargain though, with better than avg pho for SF.
J.A.Sucker
10-06-2005, 01:30 PM
Better Korean in Santa Clara/Sunnyvale. Better still, go to LA. Brother's is better than King Charcoal, IMO, and according to all of my Korean labmates.
J.A.Sucker
10-06-2005, 01:32 PM
Java House is good stuff. You still haven't taken me to Tommy's Joynt - only that damned steakhouse by the ballpark. FU.
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Better Korean in Santa Clara/Sunnyvale. Better still, go to LA. Brother's is better than King Charcoal, IMO, and according to all of my Korean labmates.
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Your labmates will be biased depending on where in Korea they are from. But Communists like me go to Brother's and park illegally at Cala Foods.
J.A.Sucker
10-06-2005, 01:33 PM
That tapas place in the Mission is good (16th & Valencia). Diablo knows the name - I forgot.
J.A.Sucker
10-06-2005, 01:36 PM
They're from all over Korea. My one buddy has this great story from when he was a kid. He's from the country, right, and the elders wanted to have BBQ dog. The dog apparently looks like an Eskimo Spitz, but bigger - a huge, white dog. The best part is to kill the dog & tenderize the meat, they hang the doggie from a tree and whack at it with sticks - like a pinata. You don't stop until the dog's tongue flops out of it's mouth, signalling that it's dead. He said he's still traumatized by that.
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South Bay pho better than SF pho from my experience. Tu Lan @ 6th and Market is quite a bargain though, with better than avg pho for SF.
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San Jose and Oakland Chinatown are the best in the area that I've tried, but the SJ places I've only tried at around 2 AM with massive amounts of beer in me, so I'm not sure if it was actually good.
In SF I like PPQ, but I always end up getting a rice plate there, so I can't really comment on the soup.
Ulysses
10-06-2005, 04:21 PM
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That tapas place in the Mission is good (16th & Valencia). Diablo knows the name - I forgot.
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Picaro. Yes, that and a number of other Mission tapas places are great bargains.
La Taqueria, El Farolito, and scores of other Mexican joints are of course also great bargain dining.
Oh, Shalimar and Pakwan, excellent cheap Indian/Pak food.
http://viking.necrolounge.com/archives/050328_burger_hmed_12p.jpg
J.A.Sucker
10-07-2005, 02:00 AM
Indian food gives me the turds.
JaBlue
10-07-2005, 02:28 AM
Since you said Millbrae Pancake House, i'll assume you're pretty close to there. A good place to eat in San Bruno on El Camino is Don Pico's. Great mexican and very reasonable 10-15$ most meals, of course you can order something nicer for 20-25$
haakee
10-07-2005, 04:34 AM
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Brother-in-Law's BBQ/Big Nate's BBQ - best BBQ/best ribs, respectively (in SF).
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FWIW, Big Nate's is the best I've had in SF, but still isn't anything special.
Ulysses
10-07-2005, 04:35 AM
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Brother-in-Law's BBQ/Big Nate's BBQ - best BBQ/best ribs, respectively (in SF).
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FWIW, Big Nate's is the best I've had in SF, but still isn't anything special.
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Correct on both counts.
"Better Korean in Santa Clara/Sunnyvale."
I agree. I like Korea House in Santa Clara.
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They're from all over Korea. My one buddy has this great story from when he was a kid. He's from the country, right, and the elders wanted to have BBQ dog. The dog apparently looks like an Eskimo Spitz, but bigger - a huge, white dog. The best part is to kill the dog & tenderize the meat, they hang the doggie from a tree and whack at it with sticks - like a pinata. You don't stop until the dog's tongue flops out of it's mouth, signalling that it's dead. He said he's still traumatized by that.
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But he still ate it, right?
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I agree. I like Korea House in Santa Clara.
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is that the one on El Camino with the parking lot in the back and the separate dining area in the back for large parties? if so, that place rocks.
Boris
10-07-2005, 01:45 PM
Dude! The chinese at artichokes can be pretty good. and it's definitely cheap.
J.A.Sucker
10-07-2005, 01:50 PM
Yes, and that's the best Korean in the Bay Area.
J.A.Sucker
10-07-2005, 01:51 PM
Nope. He's still horrified by that story. Apparently grandpa loved it, though.
J.A.Sucker
10-07-2005, 01:54 PM
25 bucks for mexican is crazy. What the hell are you eating? Go down to "Tacos" on the EPA/Menlo Park border and get yourself an Al Pastor burrito, or better yet, that Steak Ranchero plate. You can get either the flour or corn tortillas, but as some scary dude told his buddy, "I just get up in that shiat wit' my bare hands. It's the truth." Truer words have never been spoken.
Ray Zee
10-07-2005, 10:32 PM
the answer for breakfast is bugaloos's on valencia and around 21th. best breakfast around california. fun place to eat at as well and not some stuffy place with cloth napkins and a bunch of diablos sitting around.
next time i am in town i will take any 2+2 twoers that want to hang out there.
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next time i am in town i will take any 2+2 twoers that want to hang out there.
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when you coming to town?
Ray Zee
10-11-2005, 02:12 AM
sometime after the new year i should get into the bay area. i look forward as usual to seeing any players. especially you and of course sucker and diablo as i can get free meals and drinks from them for just telling a bunch of old poker stories. boris always pops up around my games and takes away some of my earn.
Ulysses
10-11-2005, 02:15 AM
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sometime after the new year i should get into the bay area. i look forward as usual to seeing any players. especially you and of course sucker and diablo as i can get free meals and drinks from them for just telling a bunch of old poker stories. boris always pops up around my games and takes away some of my earn.
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Zee, I am working on some things right now. I think I can bring a long a couple of these poker youngsters and get them to pay for your expensive meals and wine, then I'll take you out for something cheap like an awesome burrito or some fantastic corned beef and cabbage. Maybe an Anchor Steam or Sierra Nevada to go with it.
JaBlue
10-11-2005, 02:27 AM
its not mexican mexican, I don't know how to describe it. Its not burritos, etc. You can get the standard mexican meals for 10-15 there anyway. This place is really good. Check it out.
I don't know how to describe this place so here is the first review I found via google
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Don Pico’s Original Mexican Bistro
461 El Camino Real, San Bruno
(650) 589-1163
The deliciously spicy aroma that assaults your senses when you enter Don Pico’s Original Mexican Bistro is enough to make you forget all about the traffic on El Camino. The atmosphere is casual and lively. The friendly staff is most likely part of the family that keeps this venerable San Bruno restaurant hopping.
What began 29 years ago as a traditional Mexican restaurant has come of age under the influence of chef/owner/son of founder Isaac Mejia. He incorporates flavors and techniques from his worldly travels and has fully embraced the theme of utilizing fresh, local ingredients. In addition, everything is made from scratch. The house-made stock reductions form the basis of the sauces. Guacamole is made fresh twice daily—once for lunch and once for dinner. Chicken is gently cooked and hand-pulled. Refried beans are made fresh daily using three types of beans instead of just the basic pinto. The veteran kitchen staff at Don Pico’s (they’ve all been there more than 20 years) aren’t daunted by this labor-intensive style of cooking, and wouldn’t have it any other way. “It’s a labor of love,” says Isaac.
Love is what you will feel when you take your first bite of enchiladas rancheras or a rare sirloin steak with pommes frites-style fries, beans, and pico de gallo. You might also choose one of the five or six fresh seafood dishes offered daily. Whatever you order, you will appreciate the freshness, flavor, and individuality of each dish. It is the attention to detail in all aspects of food preparation that makes the dining experience at Don Pico’s unique, satisfying, and memorable.
Reviewed by Susan Odell.
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shant
10-11-2005, 02:45 AM
I like Sliders for burgers on Sutter near Van Ness.
haakee
10-11-2005, 02:57 AM
It's on the corner of 22nd and Valencia. And you're right.
J.A.Sucker
10-11-2005, 02:32 PM
Anchor steam tastes like burnt molasses. Drink a man's beer. Zee and I tried to convince you of this before, but I guess guys like you never learn. Sierra is OK.
You're buying the next bottle of wine.
J.A.Sucker
10-11-2005, 02:33 PM
I'll check it out. Sooner rather than later. I'm not so sure about the "hand-pulled chicken" - people aren't supposed to do that in the kitchen, because it's bad for sanitation.
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I like Sliders for burgers on Sutter near Van Ness.
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Polk, actually. One on Castro too, although I think only the Sutter/Polk one is Korean owned. Keepin' it real.
phage
10-11-2005, 04:42 PM
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the answer for breakfast is bugaloos's on valencia and around 21th. best breakfast around california. fun place to eat at as well and not some stuffy place with cloth napkins and a bunch of diablos sitting around.
next time i am in town i will take any 2+2 twoers that want to hang out there.
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I really love the Pork Store for breakfast. I get the feeling most people are loyal to their neighborhood breakfast place...
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Anchor steam tastes like burnt molasses
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I disagree. But that's a matter of taste.
Sierra Nevada is very good.
I'm coming up again, I need to play against Ray in at least one NL hand. He chickened out last time and folded when I called after some limpers, I urged him to call, he even had the button - but no - he folded his Kings.
Plus, I would like see how everyone else is doing.
-Zeno
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sometime after the new year i should get into the bay area.
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I'll be there again, if I can swing it and I think I can. I'm bring my binoculars so I can do some bird watching. And also some cigars. If I drive, I am packing my entire arsenal - of fishing rods - and firearms. /images/graemlins/smirk.gif
-Zeno
PS. And a small wad of cash.
Ulysses
10-12-2005, 03:11 AM
I look forward to buying you drinks, Zeno. I'll pay for them with the money I save making the young kids pay for Ray.
shant
10-12-2005, 03:36 AM
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I like Sliders for burgers on Sutter near Van Ness.
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Polk, actually. One on Castro too, although I think only the Sutter/Polk one is Korean owned. Keepin' it real.
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Polk, yes, couldn't remember at the time. That's funny because I wasn't a fan of the Castro one when I ate it one time. Now I know, they didn't have the Korean skill with grilling meat.
Ray Zee
10-12-2005, 08:49 AM
lets leave the young kids out. i never understand what the helle they are talking about. unless you are willing to interpet.
DrNo888
10-12-2005, 08:47 PM
This is the place with buffet during lunch hours?
Been trying to go there for awhile now.
poincaraux
10-18-2005, 03:04 PM
Sausages from Rosamunde and beer from toronado (http://www.toronado.com/). I was there with a friend this weekend. I had the Merguez (spicy lamb) and duck sausages and he had the Merguez and wild boar. As usual, we let the Rosamunde folks pick the toppings. Beer-wise, we had De Koninck, Maredsous and a couple of Kwaks.
I used to live a block from this place, but somehow I let grad school sucker me into moving to the midwest. Oops.
We also went to Korea House .. it was good, but it sounds like other folks in this thread have recommended better Korean places.
phage
10-18-2005, 03:21 PM
Toronado is great...and the sausages @ Rosamunde are a perfect match with the beverages. Have you ever been there during the Barley wine festival?
JihadOnTheRiver
10-18-2005, 03:23 PM
Denny's is always good.
poincaraux
10-18-2005, 03:36 PM
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Toronado is great...and the sausages @ Rosamunde are a perfect match with the beverages. Have you ever been there during the Barley wine festival?
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The first year I lived in SF, I caught the end of barley wine month. They had one good one, 3 so-so ones, and not much else. The second year, I showed up at the start and tried a lot of tasty barley wines. Overall, I like their regular beer selection better, but barley wine month was fun.
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