11 Excellent Restaurants for Weekday Lunch in San Francisco

If all-you-can-eat tacos aren’t the definition of heaven, we don’t know what is. For $29, you can get your fill of smoky carne asada or local beer battered rock cod tacos. Or, you can just go traditional with the à la carte tacos; there are standout burritos and chipotle smash burgers too, if that’s more your speed.

Get singular Guamanian fare from The Shawns. Grab a Chamorro barbecue lunch plate, snag a picnic table in the patio, maybe grab a glass of natty wine, soak in the vibes and go to town. Best in class service and hospitality right here.

Lunch at Ungrafted is so much fun: You have the option of a three-course menu with two options for each course, such as hanger steak sandwich or potato pavé and pork belly. Go with a friend and get both. They also have a $50 by the bottle special that’s … pretty special indeed. Trust us: Work will be so much better after a lunch here.

Many of yesteryear’s downtown lunch spots have faded, but the beloved Schroeder’s remains strong and primed for a new era. The beers are still draw, complemented by German fare, from pretzels and tots to burgers and brats — it’s all perfect for a lunch (or afternoon) escape.

The shiny new Little Shucker on Fillmore is serving up lobster rolls – cold or hot – oysters, crispy-skinned whole fish, and a whole lotta vibes. Sit out on the patio if it’s nice out.

Friday lunch is the best. The move is the lunch special at the modern Vietnamese Lily, which comes with a beverage, appetizer, and entrée all for just $32 — a steal in this day and age. Duck confit spring rolls, chicken pho, roast beef pho dip sandwich; the options are almost endlessly creative at this Richmond gem, and always delicious.

Start with some savory crawfish beignets, grab some gumbo to warm you up if it’s a foggy San Francisco day, or go the sandwich route. You can’t go wrong with fried bologna sandwiches or seafood po’boys. Finish with more beignets. The sweet ones with powdered sugar to be precise.

Vegetables to start, followed by pasta and maybe a fun funghi pizza, and some warm polenta cake to finish for your dolce. What a beautiful restaurant Piccino is, in every way. Take a long lingering lunch and enjoy.

Get a taste of old school San Francisco in a modern setting at Popi’s, where chef Melissa Perfit turns out an impressive weekday lunch menu — seafood cocktails, Louie salad, chowder, and oysters.

We could learn a thing or two from the Spanish — take a long lunch and linger over some albondigas, crispy patata bravas, garlicky gambas, and so much more. Grab some wine, or a cocktail, or both. Siesta after? Your call. Red Window is the place for this.

North Beach’s newest blockbuster excels in crispy, cheesy pizzas in inventive flavors like the instant classic cacio e pepe. Beyond the pies, there’s an array of fresh market-driven sides and salads, as well as boozy slushies in case you want to go that route (we won’t tell your boss).