Ask the hotel concierge-that is what they are there for

Buena Vista Cafe, Joanie's 50s diner, Beach Street Grille, Cheesecake Factory @ Macy's....

On yelp.com you can put in the address of your hotel, bring up the restaurants nearby, then filter down to within 1 mile or within 4 blocks, etc. With reviews of each restaurant.

Scala in the Sir Francis Drake hotel which is near your hotel - not necessarily reasonable but right in Union sq area, Puccini and Penetta (sp?) for pizza not too far from union square, Lori's diner - breakfast lunch and dinner, In/Out Burgers but that is on the Wharf closer to Ghiradelli sq.if you are heading down that way. I don't consider Cheesecake Factory reasonable and Buena Vista Cafe is not necessarily for teenagers and it is very crowded. there are lots of reasonable Chinese restaurants in Chinatown. Ferry Building on the Embarcadero has a burger type place. A great deli is Molinari's in North Beach if you are touring around.

Shar,

Agree on Molinari's. Great salumi.

Pick up a Zagat Survey at your local bookstore. If not available, get one at the airport.

thank you all. I do have a tour book, but love personal recommendations.

With teenagers, I think that as long as the food is reasonably good they're happy. What most teens really love is a good "scene."

I went to the Frank Lloyd Wright building (the Xanadu gallery) on Maiden Lane a few years ago. Maiden Lane is closed off to traffic and there were some casual little bistro type places with tables in the street. It was very chique. Thought to myself at the time, I really ought to bring the kids here when they're a little older. Hasn't happened yet so I can't give you details. But it's on my list and is right by Union Square.

For teens iin Union Sq - Uncle Vitos Pizza Deli - it;s not a deli, it's a family Italian resto w/ good pizza and pasts, very reasonable, right on Bush and Powell. It's popular and small so there might be a bit of a wait but never too long.

The food court in the basement of the BLoomingdales/Westfield Center on Market has several outlets ofrregular restaurants - Buckhorn Grill, Andale Mexican, Bistro Burger - it can be noisy, and it's a food court, but goodvaluyue if oyu're trying to feed hungery teenagers AND there's now a Ghirardelli outlet there for your chocolate fix.

The Mona Lisa (Italian)

Capp's Corner in North Beach. There used to be lots of places like this, but it is one of the few restaurants serving family style Italian meals remaining in the neighborhood. Reasonably priced, crowded and lively, great for teens.

http://www.cappscorner.com/docs/CappsDinnerMenu_10.pdf

Agree with the Chinese restaurants, especially those in Chinatown. The teens might enjoy dim sum, in particular. If they're picky eaters, maybe take them to the restaurant first before touring the markets.

And touristy as it is, Fisherman's Wharf for seafood. We go to Scoma's which is sort of hidden in the back away from the crowds.

Is Sears Fine Foods still on Union Square? It's good for breakfast.

Actually a lot depends on the individual teenager. Some are very picky, and others are foodies in utero. (My son ate sushi when he was 8. The downside is foodie teenage boys are more expensive to feed.)

Note the Mona Lisa resto is NOT cheap and i would not take a pack of hungry teenagers there.

Another vote for Sears in Union Square - not super cheap but good food and huge portions!

mztery,
The Mona Lisa's entrees are all less than $20 and many of them less than $15. My teenager thoroughly enjoyed it. I just looked at the menu-of the 100 or so Items I only saw 4 that were above$20.

I assume that the OP meant a family of 2 or 3 teens, not a "pack" or busload as you suggest. It is nice enough, but certainly not an over the top kind of experience.

It's fine if you don't like my suggestion, but you suggested somewhere in the exact same pricing category, IMOP.

And I suspect a very similar atmosphere(I haven't eaten there.

@spirobulldog - I have no idea what you are talking about. The only places I recommended are

UncleVitos - top enter is $11.75.And it's nothing like Mona Lisa - more like a diner atmosphere

Sears - good for breakfast/lunch as portions are huge.

Food Court in Westfield Center - inexpensive ranges, nothing over $10 anywhere.

Mona Lisa is NOT inexpensive. I stand by my comment.

Sears and Mona Lisa yelp gives them both $$

This is moderate to lower priced. It is inexpensive. Cheap, no. Inexpensive, yes. The OP asked for inexpensive.

Why criticize a place that I suggested(specifically you mentioned price nothing about atmosphere, food, service, etc)then you suggest Sears which is the same price range.

That was my point.

Tripadvisor

Sears--$20-$30
Mona Lisa $1-$25

http://sanfrancisco.menupages.com/restaurants/ristorante-mona-lisa/

http://sanfrancisco.menupages.com/restaurants/sears-fine-food/

again-same price range and read the reviews. both places get mixed reviews. I'm not disputing that Sears is good/bad/great whatever. My point is that it is about the same price range wise and appears to have similar reviews. So, don't criticize my post when your post is nearly the exact same.

$20-$30 at Sears - for what, gold-plated pancakes? If Sears is $20-$30 per person, stay away, itmisn't worth it at all!

Not sure what your teens would want. Is it guys who are giant eaters and don't care what it is as long as the portions are humungous? Or is it teems looking for the trendy - and wanting to see someone famous.

What cuisines do they like dislike (hope it's not kids that eat only pizza and chicken fingers) and what is your budget? (Not too expensive can mean a lot of different things.)

I'm not about to get in a contest with spiro - well yes I am. Reading on TRIPADVISOR has nothing to do with actual prices!

THE top price at Sears is a dinner entree of Filet Mignon at 29.95. LUNCH and BREAKFAST prices are 5.95-12.95 and the portions are huge. If you read my posts and others we recommend for HUNGRY TEENS for BREAKFAST OR LUNCH.

From Mona lisa's OWN MENU -= pasta starts at 12.95 for spaghetti with olive oil; most pasta in the $17-20 range; pizzas in the 16 range. mains are $20- $35. It IS pricier whether you like it or not.

http://www.searsfinefood.com/March_1_2012_Sears_Dinner_Menus.pdf

http://www.monalisasf.com/



There are links both menus Very similarly priced. Neither one do I find pricey. I guess both do have some higher priced items, but 90% of both menus are under $20 and most are under $15. This is a pretty average price

The OP said "not too expensive", it didn't say cheap. I guess, Tripadvisor, Yelp, San Francisco/menu, Urbanspoon are all incorrect and you are correct mztery.

Sorry to ruin your post mstaunton. You had a legitimate question and I gave my opinion. You definition may or may not be the same as mine as to what "too expensive" is. In my mind anything less than $20 for dinner isn't that expensive.

Sears serves dinner? News to me. Not on my radar.

I'm another believer in Sears Fine Food. It's on Powell, just up the street from Union Square. Unless they've changed recently, cash only. Started in 1938 by a retired circus clown and his wife.

Two places to try in North Beach, Liguria for scrumptous focaccia, and Victoria Pastry for really great desserts.

Go to Liguria fairly early, as when they run out, they close.
Cheap, delicious focaccia. I've been going there forever. Eat in Washington Square for your lunch and stroll down to Victoria for great Italian dessers. Cheap lunch.

when the new owners took over Sears a few years ago they instituted dinner as well ad Bfast and lunch

Personally, I won't recommend the restaurants in Chinatown and, unless you know what to order, dim sum isn't the best choice either. If you must go to Chinatown for dim sum, try the New Asia on Pacific. Try to get there no later than 11am.

I second Lori's Diner, there are several and one is near Union Square.

Also second the downstairs Food Court in the Westfield Center on Market Street (If you walk down Powell to Market, the Westfield Center is just across the street). Really good and inexpensive food. This would be the place to sample Asian food that teens may actually eat. Try the Korean stall, the Sorabol, goodly portions and very tasty Korean food which the kids will enjoy.

Sears is good for breakfast.

For healthy hamburgers, I second In-n-Out Burgers.

Thank you all. I really appreciate it! I hope to visit most of the places you have all recommended.

Capp's in North Beach is a great vintage place for families, and I don't think you can beat those prices.

We did not like Sears' breakfast, but this was a few years ago. It was jam-packed, service was horrible, food was typical. We did not return.

Everybody has a different opinion! I agree with PeaceOut about Sears - ordinary (although it has been a couple of years). I think the food at Lori's Diner is downright awful, but kids seem to like the ambiance. Agree that the food court at the Westfield Mall is one of the best you'll find anywhere.

easy, what about R&G Lounge for Chinese in Chinatown (I thought I remembered you recommending it in the past).

I haven't eaten dim sum in San Francisco lately but isn't there an acceptable dim sum restaurant in Chinatown with carts coming around? That's part of the fun, looking at the carts and trying things out. As opposed to ordering from a menu, especially one in Chinese.

Here in Seattle this spring we had my husband's cousin from Paris and her 20-year-old son visiting. They loved going to an authentic Chinese dim sum restaurant. The boy ate a lot and it was a cheap meal considering.

Yes, places like Chinatown and Fishermen's Wharf are touristy, not the locations for the best cuisine. But the OP and her family are tourists, and these places are where tourists go.

To the OP, make the kids try out chopsticks if they don't know how to use them.

having only eaten dim sum once, we enjoyed City View

sf7307: The R&G Lounge has good Cantonese seafood dishes, with several different ways of preparing Dungeness crab (ultimately a finger food dish). It's really just for dinner, for the seafood. I've not been to lunch there for several years, so can't remember what their lunches are like.

I was thinking of all those awful touristy restaurants on Grant Ave and slightly off Grant. R&G is on Kearney and not a likely destination for tourists unless they know to look for it.

Mimar: there are some good places in SF Chinatown but New Asia is the only one that I know of that has decent dim sum. They have a large enough back kitchen for the battalion of little old ladies who descend on the restaurant at 3/4am to start making the dim sum. By the time the dim sum is served, these old ladies have gone home to bed. Dim sum has to be made fresh that day and cooked just before being brought to the table. Freshness is maximumly important. Many of the restaurants with smaller facilities make their dim sum during the day and then put the dim sum in the refrigerator (is one allowed to say "blaaaagh" on Fodors? )

mstaunton: there's a whole ritual, in a way, to eating dim sum. At New Asia, if you arrive around 11:15am you'll likely be given a number. I can't remember if they call out the numbers only in Chinese or not; if so, you have to go up to the counter periodically to check and see if your number has come up. Don't be shy.

When your number is announced, the waiter will escort you to your table and he'll ask you what you want - that is, which tea to bring. If you say "jasmine" in English, he'll understand. Otherwise, you can order a more potent dim sum tea "kok bo". Now is also the time for the kids to order coke, Seven-Up, or some other soft drink. You would be the one to tell you kids to order their soft drinks now (Your kids are going to be mightily impressed with your ability to negotiate around chinese restaurants!) Now is also the time to ask for FORKS. Trust me, you'll need the forks and possibly extra paper napkins. The waiter is the one to take care of your drinks, additional utensils, etc. He will also be the one you flag down at the end to total up your bill and bring you your bill. He's not there to serve food, unless it's a special dish.

New Asia has a very good lobster noodle dish for about $17. This has to be special ordered, so you can also say to the waiter at this time "lobster noodle".

Once settled at your table, there will be ladies pushing carts of food around. These are small dishes. Again, don't be shy. You can point to a stack of steaming small containers and ask to see what inside. The server will lift up the top cover and show the contents of the first container to you, if you like what you see, just nod your head. If you don't like what you see, just shake your head, and point to another stack. Each cart has several stacks and each stack is a different kind of dim sum.

Every time you like a container, the cart lady will put that container on your table and make a mark on your card. At the end, all the marks are totalled up and you are presented with your final bill. You can order as many as you want from any one stack, depending on the size of your group.

The most frequently asked for dim sum small plates are "har gow" (pronounced like "hardie har har!" and "ow!" with a "g" in front), this is a shrimp dumpling. "siu mai" (pronounced like "see you my") which is an open pork dumpling with something orange on top (the orange used to be crab roe, but I don't know what restaurants use today). "cha siu bow" (pronounced like "cha cha cha" ..."see you"..."bow" as in "bowwow") which is a barbecue pork bun. The cha siu bow comes in two varieties, one is steamed (white in color) and the other is baked (brown and yellow in color). The baked variety usually has slightly sweeter dough.

If you run out of tea during the course of the meal, just lift up the cover of the teapot and leave the teapot uncovered (some teapots you can set the lid at an angle on top). Someone will come (the waiter or the busboy) with additional hot water or will take your teapot away to fill it with new tea leaves and additional hot water; you do not have to say anything.

When you are done, you have to flag down a waiter, any waiter. These waiters are not hovering helicopters who will come over periodically to ask you how you like your food. They'll not come to your table unless you summon them.

Get your bill, pay your bill, get up from the table - and burp. It's polite to burp, as it's an indication that the food was good. (Just kidding! Just kidding!)

Hope this helps a bit and makes your visit to a dim sum restaurant, if you do decide to go, a more enjoyable experience.

Best dim sum in the City is Yank Sing.

Try also Ton Kiang and (honestly, this is the name) Good Luck Dim Sum.

I'll also put a vote in for Capp's Corner. It's been there forever. If they have fresh fish, it will be great.

http://cappscorner.com/

Good place to go to nearby is Beach Blanket Babylon. http://www.beachblanketbabylon.com/

Hopefully your teenagers are more open about food than my two nephews who were just visiting. I ended up at all kinds of chain restaurants that I would not normally set food in i.e. the Cheesecake Factory, Joe's Crab Shack, Rain Forest Cafe. They were not interested in anything that was outside of their "normal". Their poor foodie SF aunt almost had a heart attack when they said they wanted to go to Red Lobster!!! Fortunately I had no idea where one was and we ended up at Scoma's. I did get them to Capp's Corner--which they liked because it had "normal" Italian food.

Poor SAB! LOL! I've always looked to your SF restaurant recommendations - do they now include the Cheesecake Factory?

As for the other Chinese dim sum recommendations:
Yank Sing is expensive and their "Deem sum" (who spells "dim sum" an awkward "deem sum"???) is just a tad above average. When you open their website, the first thing these days is some souped up picture on "The Art of Eating Shanghai Dumplings". Ah, OK, for a Cantonese restaurant to advertise Shanghai dumplings is really a compliment to that dish, but shouldn't "the art" of eating it be explained by a Shanghai restaurant? Anyhoos, it's just my HO, but Yank Sing is directed at those who want clean tablecloths and want to be catered to. They do a superb job of advertising. However, I wouldn't send a Mom with hungry teenagers and who's looking for "not too expensive" restaurants to Yank Sing.

BTW, the best Shanghai dumplings in the City are to be found at the Shanghai House on Balboa - this is according to Shanghainese, who should know.

Ton Kiang is a Hakka restaurant. A different kind of food. They don't have carts and the quality of their dim sum fluctuates wildly.

I really think that if your kids aren't used to eating other than "standard" American food like SAB's nephews that you're better off with the Westfield Shopping Centre food court. If they really don't want to try Asian food, then there are plenty of other choices and the food quality is quite good. The kids can dine on hamburger while Mom can dine on raw oysters.

Wherever you decide ultimately to dine - enjoy!

Thanks ET, I was warned in advance. And it served as a good lesson, not to assume that what I like will necessarily be liked by others. Also it was more important that they enjoy themselves than learn to eat what I thought they should!!!

BTW have you tried the Boxing Room (in the old Citizen Cake space) or Locanda on Valencia brought to you by the Delfina people? Worth a visit.

SAB: thanks for the recommendation. We used to go to Citizen Cake once in awhile if we arrived early for either opera or a concert and it was sad to see it close. Will seek out the Boxing Room - opera season starting in September!

Some people just like the tried and true, it's not just young boys. I had to semi-escort around several Asia countries a VP in one of the companies that I worked for. He insisted on having Burger King hamburgers - not even McD's would do!

I'm surprised no one has recommended In-N-Out yet. Their burgers are delicious, the shakes are thick, and the fries are crisp. It's also a lot cheaper than most restaurants, and a lot faster. I'm sure your teenagers would love it too! The secret menu is also fun to look at. My recombination from the secret menu (and favorite part of any In-N-Out meal) would be the animal style fries. They add their dressing, cheese, and grilled onion to their fries. So delicious!

Well, I didn't mention In n Out because I think their burgers are just okay and their fries taste like cardboard

Actually almost any restaurant in San Francisco could be suitable for teenagers. We're not talking about toddlers, after all. Cost can of course be an issue, but that can be an issue for adults too, not just teenagers.

In my experience teenaged diners vary as much in their food sophistication and preferences as adults do. Since we live in the Bay Area, my kids grew up eating Afghan, Thai, Ethiopian, Italian, Chinese, Spanish, etc. food and loved it all, even as very young children. But tastes certainly do vary - my daughter did a university year abroad in Paris so was active in her university's international student program. When French students came here to study in San Francisco, the place they all LOVED was the Cheesecake Factory, which she found somewhat incomprehensible!

mstaunton - What are you and your kids' current food preferences? Any types of cuisine you especially like or want to try or want to avoid? Do you want to stick to your own beaten paths or try new things? Do you and they care more about the ambience (or "scene") or the food? A little more info would help us tailor our recs.

P.S. - easytraveler - Actually Ton Kiang does have dim sum carts. I agree the quality of their dim sum has varied over the years. They seemed to go through a bad patch for a while, but just recently seem to have gotten better again.