The Ultimate Guide to San Francisco Brunch — Without the Lines

Brunch in San Francisco

Don’t look now, but brunch in San Francisco has never been better.

There are still plenty of places to get perfect eggs and hash, but many of the city’s top chefs are fully embracing weekend daytime service to showcase their cooking. Take recent Marina District addition Super Mensch, the Jewish deli complement to chef Adam Rosenblum’s popular Causwells. Or find plant-based dining in the heart of The Castro at Aíso, or go all-out with creative Asian American fare and boba cocktails at The Rabbit Hole.

Whether your brunch vibe is long and leisurely or more lively, check out this guide to find your perfect spot with tables now bookable on Resy and Tock.

Brenda's French Soul Food

Causwells SF

Super Mensch

Aíso

The Rabbit Hole

Outerlands

Sisterita

Prubechu

Piccino Dogpatch

Ungrafted

Colibri Mexican Bistro

11 venues

Best of Brunch in San Francisco

The holy grail of New Orleans food, if not brunch overall, in San Francisco is Brenda’s. It remains one of the best restaurants in the city, period. We love how chef-owner Brenda Buenviaje is pushing forward her own style. Pro tip: The move is to make a reservation and skip the lines.

This Marina District standby has been a favorite for quality cocktails and comfort food for over a decade, and has now expanded to Menlo Park. At both, chef Adam Rosenblum’s brunch menu balances fresh shareables like housemade ricotta and lavash crackers or seared banana bread with hearty mains from chilaquiles to chicken sandwiches.

If your brunch vibe is Jewish classics, look no further. Chef Adam Rosenblum’s newest venture zeroes in on housemade pastrami in various forms. Complete the experience with matzo ball soup and latkes, then nap it off at the Presidio Movie Theater next door.

This cozy bar and restaurant brings plant-based dining to the heart of The Castro. Brunch is always buzzing, centering around specialty cocktails and a concise wine list, with daytime exclusive bites like roasted potatoes with chipotle cashew crema and loaded tofu scramble breakfast burritos.

Expert in youtiao — golden, deep-fried Taiwanese doughnuts — this spot goes all-out on brunch with an array of creative Asian American dishes. You might want a few friends with you to work your way through fried chicken and mochi waffles, loco moco, and bulgogi steak and eggs. Don’t forget the beverages — with options like the TRH Bloody Mary with wasabi and tamari, plus boozy boba and coffee cocktails.

Though they don’t take reservations during the day, we highly encourage walking in for brunch here. The pancake has something of a cult following, but you can’t go wrong with any of the salads and sandwiches. Pro tip: Outerlands bakes bread daily, so be sure to take one home if you can.

Brunch is the only offering here, so you know it’s gotta be good — and as a bonus, it’s served seven days a week. The menu is generous, covering all of the egg-centric classics, but signature dishes like the French toast with housemade brioche mousseline will really make your visit memorable.

Quite possibly the finest daytime patio in the city lies at Prubechu. Here, you’ll find impeccably good vibes and precise cooking like nowhere else. It’s more lunch than brunch proper, but it’s the kind of menu where you want to order everything. And truth is, you probably should try.

The move at the Presidio’s Mexican restaurant, set in the former Officers’ Club, is to get a seat on the beautiful patio, and enjoy the cooking of owners Eduardo and Sylvia Rallo’s central Mexican heritage. A perfect afternoon in the Presidio.