Shot by Atticus Culver-Rease & David Pond.

Edited by David Pond.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of people attend conferences and trade shows at The Moscone Center in San Francisco.  This episode is for you!  The SF Food Dude offers up the best places to eat that are close to Moscone Center, places that won’t leave you feeling ripped off or treated like a tourist.

NOTE:  Everything around Moscone Center is over-priced, including these recommendations.  But, at least these places aren’t AS MUCH OF A RIP-OFF as some of the other joints.  This is about grabbing a bite to eat for lunch, and heading back to your conference.  If you want recommendations for the best CHEAP EATS in SF, check out the other videos on this site. 

FINDING IT:

The folks who run the Food Court must be trying to hide something, because they do NOTHING to promote themselves.  No signage, nothing to indicate that there is a whole WORLD OF GOURMET FOOD waiting for you.  Ah well, luckily they have ME to do their promoting for them.

Officially, the entrance is on Market Street, but for anyone coming from Moscone Centre, that would mean walking an extra block. So, use the address below if you need to plug something into your phone, or tell your friends where to meet you, but IF YOU ARE WALKING FROM MOSCONE CENTER, your best bet is to enter from Mission Street, between 4^th Street and 5^th Street, at the Bloomingdale’s entrance, just like we show you in the video.

My favorite part of any Korean meal - the "banchan" or side dishes. Pickled vegetables, seaweed, spicy treats, and more. We got this at Sorabol, our top pick at The Food Court

One of the many salads you can choose from.

Yum! Grilled Panini with mozzarella, basil, and tomato.

The Food Court at

San Francisco Centre

Concourse Level

865 Market Street

San Francisco CA  94103

(415) 512-6776

Shot by Matt Davis & David Pond.  Edited by David Pond

Hands down the Best Jewish Style Deli in SF.  Meaning, it blows doors on Moishe’s Pippic in Hayes Valley, and the less said about David’s on Geary Street, the better.  (It is NOT Kosher, so if you need Kosher, you’re out of luck.)

Not only do they get the food right, but they get the ATTITUDE right, especially during the lunch rush. Plenty of banter between the guys behind the counter and the customers, the way it should be.

VERY GENEROUS PORTIONS for the price.  Your money goes a long way at Miller’s. Huge sandwiches that would easily cost fifteen – sixteen bucks in NYC are only $11 at Miller’s.

If you’ve never been, GO, and if the last time you went was back in 2006, GO BACK and try it again.  They made some management and personnel changes in 2007, and the food has improved dramatically.  I’ll admit, the first time I went there, in 2004, I was not impressed.  But things have changed and now I love it.

Things we didn’t get to show in the video: They have a nice assortment of Deli Style Fish – Lox, Whitefish Salad, Sturgeon, Pickled Herring, etc.  Unfortunately, it does not photograph very well.  But if you’re looking for some quality nautical nosh to top your bagel, they’ve got a nice selection at their deli counter.

Rumor has it they do a good Fried Chicken here as well.  But, I’ve never ordered it, I’m always having too good a time with the deli sandwiches.  If anyone can confirm that the Fried Chicken is good, send me an email.  Thanks!

Shot by Matt Davis. Edited by David Pond.

Trying to pick the best Burrito in The Mission is challenging. There are SO MANY CHOICES, each with subtle differences from the next, and the majority of them are pretty amazing. So, we’ll save that particular discussion for another day. What we are highlighting here is the AMAZING BREAKFAST DEAL at El Castillito. Honestly, I don’t think there is any place you can get this much food, this fresh, for under $7.

Things that I like about this place:
– they bring your food to you. I know, they are not the only ones who do that, but a lot taquerias don’t do it, and it’s a nice touch.
– they have a salsa bar. Again, this isn’t their idea exclusively, but not everyone is doing this, and I really like being able to get more salsa on my own, without having to ask the folks behind the counter.

We can argue about the merits of grilled tortillas vs. steamed tortillas, and whose Burrito is the biggest or best forever. (They grill their tortillas here, which is BETTER OF COURSE THAN STEAMED!) For now, let’s just say that for breakfast – desayuno – no one can touch the deal at El Castillito. They will serve it up any time of day or night, which is great for late sleepers like me, or brunch on the weekend.

Just in case you forget what you were coming here for.

If it’s good enough for The Virgin Mary, it’s good enough for you.

Help yourself, just don’t be greedy.

El Castillito is located at
2092 Mission St
(near corner of 17th St)
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 621-6971

Shot by Matt Davis. Edited by Atticus Culver-Rease.

This represents everything that I hope to accomplish with Food Dude, namely bringing attention to great places you might overlooked. Juan and his crew really CARE about the food they are serving you. THAT is the difference between an okay place and a GREAT PLACE TO EAT.

They know about good, quality ingredients. Don’t let the low class location fool you.

From the outside, you would think it’s all Costco Brand salad dressings and condiments, but in reality it’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil, BALSAMIC Vinegar, DIJON Mustard. This is definitely a don’t judge a book by its cover kind of place. Very high quality food, prepared with love and care, at very reasonable prices.

TIP: Stick with the specials, the deluxe sandwiches. They are absolutely worth the price. Any sandwich with a crazy name, like “Al Pacino” or “Godzilla”, etc., is a hit. The regular sandwiches are just that – regular. Go with DELUXE, you won’t regret it.

Things we didn’t get to show in the video: They do REALLY GOOD SALADS, at very reasonable prices. If you are into the whole Atkins/no carb thing, you can get a very nice assortment of greens, tomatoes, avocado, etc., AND ADD real roast turkey, or steak, or chicken to it. And it’s under $8! Seriously! When I was working in the area I used to order that all the time.

The only downside: Hey, you can’t rush greatness. It’s good, it’s cheap, but good food takes time. If you’re in a hurry, you can always go next door to McDonalds. But if you want good food made with good ingredients, AT AFFORDABLE PRICES, this is the spot.

Fine Dining Al Fresco!

CLICK ON IMAGES to be able to read menu items.
Just one of the many DELUXE sandwiches. Check the ingredients.

Many great VEGETARIAN OPTIONS. Seriously, this is one sandwich shop that doesn’t short-change you Veggie types. It’s not just a “normal” sandwich minus the meat. They create unique, delicious sandwiches just for you. (And don’t forget, salads are available, too.)

Breakfast sandwiches, hot and delicious. Beef Chorizo? Oh yeah! Say it with me now: “Beef Chorizo!” Feels good, don’t it?

The Sandwich Place is located at
2029 Mission St (betw. 16th and 17th Street)
San Francisco, CA 94110-1217
(415) 431-3811

This was the first Food Dude, shot on a drizzly SF afternoon. Matt was cameraman, Atticus did the editing. I love this place, so it was an easy one to start with.

Some things we didn’t get to show in the video include the amazing “BUN” bowls (example Bun Cha.) Start with a base of cold vermicelli (thin rice noodle.) Add some salad greens, sliced carrot and cucumber, grilled pork (or any other meat or tofu) herbs and bean sprouts. Throw in a few pieces of crispy, sliced imperial roll. Top it off with roasted peanuts, and serve with fish sauce on the side. Really delicious, light, and refreshing.

This restaurant is a definite TOP RECOMMENDATION for good food at reasonable prices. Free Hot Tea, which is always a nice touch. Stick to the Vietnamese dishes, avoid the Chinese ones. The folks who run this place are really nice, so tip large, and tell ‘em you heard about it on Food Dude.

THEM KY is located at
717 Ellis St near Larkin St
San Francisco, CA 94109-7908
(415) 441-8525