BART from SF Airport
 

We'll have @ 5 hr layover at SF airport. Thought we'd take BART into SF for a quick dinner, etc. Taking into consideration that we will land in SF at 7pm (Thursday) and our international flight leaves SF @ midnight, what area should we consider? Fisherman's Wharf? Chinatown? Will we have time to take BART and return by 10pm? Or should we just have dinner at one of the hotels closer to the airport? Thanks for any/all input.

If this is possible (which I doubt), it would not be enjoyable.

Thanks for your very quick reply! Okay, we'll investigate possibilities around the airport area. Don't want to be frazzled before a long international flight (any more than we'll already be!) Thanks again.

Sure you have time...why do you need to be back by 10pm? You'll already be checked in.

If you land on time you'll be in downtown SF by about 8 pm and you can have a nice 2 hour dinner in the Union Square area before heading back out at about 10 pm getting back to SFO around 10:30 - 10:45. BART is right at the international terminal.

Choose a restaurant and make sure to have a reseravtion.

Sure it will be quick but if you want to do it go for it.

I live two freeway exits away from the airport. Skip the airport hotel restaurants -- tell me what kind of food you want and a price range, and I'll give you some local recommendations!

It's SFO airport, right?

BART doesn't go to Fishermen's. Chinatown, yes, within walking distance from Montgomery or Embarcadero...

Check out Union Square area and Ferry building. Slanted Door gets rave reviews on Fodor's.

IF you can get a reservation at Slanted Door (hard to do), it is excellent, and is right across the street from the BART station, which would make it easily doable in the time you have, plus you'd have the added advantage of seeing the Ferry Bldg., which is now a wonderfully-redesigned (inside) food market.

Will you already be checked in for your Int'l flight? If not, I doubt you have enough time to get to downtown and return in time to clear security. There are some nice restaurant's near the airport; try a search of "Peninsula" restaurants on opentable.com. Other options, there are restaurants both outside security and in the terminals that are open until 10pm.

To: dmlove
Thanks. Well, we love all food, but since we live in a land-locked state, fresh seafood would be great. Around $20/person would also be great. We could take a taxi from the airport if the BART doesn't work. Thanks in advance for your suggestions!!!

I recommend Tadich Grill, famous (at least locally) for seafood. Try the charcoal grilled petrale! Also, it has EXCELLENT SF sourdough bread! It is one block from the Embarcadero BART station. No reservations permitted, but, if necessary, you can eat at the bar. One hour SFO-Tadich and one hour return. Leaves 1.5 hours for eating/waiting and 1.5 hours of leeway. In the alternative, get off at 16th Street Mission and try one of the many excellent cheap Mexican places. This may not be the best choice if you have a queasy stomach. Good luck!

You're going to have some trouble finding a decent place to eat (that takes reservations) for $20 per person (I assume that includes tip & taxi but no drinks). Seafood entrees tend to be on the upper end of the scale, compared to chicken, pork, pasta, etc.

BART for two downtown is about $10, a taxi downtown might be $30-40 or so, and a taxi to a closer non-airport restaurant is around $20. There are plenty of much less expensive places in the Mission - but again, seafood will probably cost more than $20. If you're on a tight budget, I'm not sure a trip into the City for dinner would be a good investment of time for the quality of dinner you'll get for $20 per person.

I also live two freeway exits from SFO.

Stu Dudley

A five hour layover isn't as much as it used to be

We just got back from our SF trip. We flew out of Oakland. If the lines at that airport (checkin and security) are any indication how they would be at SF airport...i would be cautious about heading out. I wouldn't be able to enjoy myself knowing I had to be back at a certain time...

That being said, we had a wonderful dinner in North Beach at a place called "Fior d'Italia". Yum!! I would highly recommend.

I'm in the business district of S.F. right now. If I was meeting a friend or business contact who was on your timeframe,here's what I'd do. I'd call the following restaurants around the Embarcadero BART station. I'd up the dollar amount because $20.00 is not realistic for dinner in downtown S.F. and I'd really, really start ignoring all suggestions for North Beach or other neighborhoods - save it for your next trip.

One Market
Good food and wine, attention to seasonal produce from the adjacent Embarcadero farmers' market.

Boulevard
Pricey but worth it. Don't go in jeans and flip flops though.

Ozumo
Sushi and other Japanese food - a cut above most sushi bars.

Chaya
A mixed Japanese and French menu. Not a real "fusion" restaurant (thank god!)

Americano
Good eclectic menu, nothing bizarre, meats and fish and pizza, etc.

I'd suggest Hog Island Oyster Co. for its location in the Ferry Building and the excellent seafood, but I think they are only open till 8 most week nights.

All in all I'd probably choose One Market for the location right next to the BART entrance and maybe leave a little time to walk on the waterfront and admire the view.

For addresses, phone numbers and websites, check out www.yelp.com

dovima's listed a bunch of good restaurants (there's only one on his/her list that I don't care for at all, and one about which I'm not quite as enthusiastic), but they are not in the same universe as $20.00 per person. You might be able to eat a main course only at Boulevard that'll come to <i>only</i> $70 a couple.

Correction....with tax and tip, 2 main courses at Boulevard will be more like $85.00. And that's drinking tap water.

I think Stu's answer was the definitive one.

I hope you don't put yourself under the stress of trying to get to San Francisco and back in the few hours you have.

I suggest that instead you consider the suggestions at the following web site about ways to kill time at the airport: http://www.ehow.com/how_9247_kill-time-san.html

(We made the trip on BART earlier this year. We expected to see the outlying neighborhoods, but, to our surprise, most of the trip was underground. We also became a little frantic tying to figure out how to buy tickets from the machine at the airport. Let's just say that the steps involved are not &quot;intuitive.&quot;)

I would not encourage it within your timeframe either.

We took Bart to our hotel near Union Square and while it was not difficult, we spent close to a half hour from leaving our gate (carry ons), to finding the exit to Bart to figuring out the tickets to waiting for the train and boarding. I would suspect the trains come a little less frequently later in the evening?

Anyway, I wouldn't enjoy it but that's me.

It has been said - but definitely, 5 hrs and a $20 budget both make this a REALLY difficult exercise.

Stay at SFO - but even there you will likely spend more than $20pp.

Why not try a Chinese seafood restaurant in Millbrae, or something in Burlingame? Much closer to the airport &amp; you can just take a taxi. I'm not a regular visitor but perhaps one of the locals can recommend one, or try chow.com.