25 Best Restaurants in The Bay Area, California

Talk about a career pivot—after years of cooking at San Francisco fine-dining standouts Saison and Benu, chef-owner Scott Clark traded in formal kitchens for a revamped caboose along the Half Moon Bay coast. Here, he opens for limited hours and serves a concise menu of outstanding hamburgers and mushroom sandwiches that are a perfect example of wholesome comfort food done with the careful technique and ingredient sourcing of a chef from a gastronomic background. There is no seating inside the caboose, so diners either sit at one of the few outdoor tables or hustle their burgers to the beach for a particularly special picnic.

Along with a stunning state beach, the tiny, adorable, largely agricultural community of Pescadero is known for this coastal dining legend. Dating back to the late 1800s, no other coastal restaurant comes close to the celebrity status of Duarte’s. If it’s lunchtime, a significant number of tables in its series of intimate wood-paneled rooms will surely be enjoying the Dungeness crab melt and perhaps a Bloody Mary. Later in the day, the “tavern” portion of the restaurant kicks into gear as locals come to the bar area for stiff cocktails or a few beers. At any time of day, guests enjoy the signature green chile and artichoke soups, with the latter being a classic preparation for one of the most unheralded local produce specialties. 

Beloved by the Bay since opening in 1922 (the creamery itself dates back to 1894) and featured in the Pixar film Up, this is the leading diner name locally for ice cream sundaes and good old-fashioned soda fountain fare. Kids of all ages adore the signature black-and-tan sundae with toasted almond and vanilla ice creams layered with caramel and chocolate sauces. Of course, there’s a cherry on top.

Though this place is popular for its 1950s beachfront snack bar, the adjoining café, coffee bar, marketplace, and bakery shouldn't be missed either. The full menu serves up fresh ingredients, local seafood, Niman Ranch beef burgers, and much more. Creeping vines on the sunny patio shelter diners from the wind, and heat lamps offer extra warmth on colder days; for a cozier ambience, eat by the fire in the dining room.

Open since 1920, this beloved dockside restaurant is the town's most famous eatery and it still feels relevant and hardly stale, now including more modern touches like floor-to-ceiling sliding-glass doors and an 80-foot heated bench for deck views on cool days. Remnants of Sam's history are evident in some vintage decor, but there's no doubt it's much more polished than it likely was a century ago. Most people flock to the dog-friendly deck for beers, views, sunsets, and usually quite delicious seafood. Ask about the old trapdoor used to haul in whiskey during Prohibition.  No deck reservations means you can expect a wait for outside tables.

Rotisserie meats and veggies sourced from local farms steal the show at this former mid-20th-century truck stop and diner. It's a go-to for tri-tip and pork belly sandwiches or hearty heirloom bean cassoulet with bratwurst, best eaten with a host of sides, sips, and sweets, like crispy Parmesan brussels sprouts, New Orleans–style cold brew coffee, and butterscotch pudding. Colorful Isis Hockenos mural art adorns the café, which has countertop dining indoors and a welcoming patio and picnic table seating outdoors. For visitors in town on select weekday mornings, this is the best place to go for breakfast.

Hip and urban, with an unpretentious vibe, Luka's is a real taste of Uptown with its Belgian-inspired California comfort food and plentiful selection of Trappist ales, local drafts, and international bottles of beer. The late-night menu is a favorite of bar-hoppers, and DJs in the adjacent lounge keep the scene going well past last call.

At the prominent intersection of Skyline Boulevard and Highway 84, this indoor-outdoor restaurant is a landmark for weekend breakfast and lunch. Alice's is surrounded by redwood trees, so sitting outside at the picnic benches is beautiful but almost always on the chilly side. The inside is like a cozy alpine diner situated in a wooden cabin.

One of the Peninsula’s best-known restaurants is this funky, family-friendly brunch specialist in the heart of tiny downtown Woodside. The restaurant is a gathering spot for the tech company executives and venture capitalists who live nearby, but it’s ultimately a blend of a saloon and a diner, where many hungry locals come looking for omelets and tuna melts. You can also get decent beer and wine. It has an outrageously eclectic design full of knickknacks and odd curiosities, like license plates on the bar, planes and bikes hanging from the ceiling, old maps and artifacts of Bay Area history, taxidermy, and about a hundred other bizarre pieces of memorabilia that would never be brought together anywhere else but here.

House-smoked meats, wood-grilled steaks, classic salads, and decadent desserts bring locals and visitors back again and again to this 1937 lodge–style roadhouse. Enjoy a Roadhouse martini at the cozy bar or sip local wine beside the river-rock fireplace. Outdoor dining now extends to a heated garden patio. The Buckeye Joe coffee kiosk offers drive-by java and pastries on weekday mornings.

An organic oasis, this deli, restaurant, and taproom offers a true taste of the Point Reyes foodshed. Classic sandwiches, breakfast bites, burritos, grilled Niman Ranch beef, wild-caught salmon, and vegan burgers are all prepared with fresh local ingredients. Rotating specials abound throughout the week, including weekend fish and chips. IP Market is committed to conserving the area's energy and limited water resources, as shown by the solar tube lighting, the fully compostable tableware used in the taproom, and the no-flush toilets.

Sausalito's popular beer hall and rotisserie offers ample, open, airy indoor seating at long tables and expanded outdoor deck dining with exceptional views of the bay. It's a relaxing spot to enjoy burgers, sandwiches, guacamole with housemade tortilla chips, and salads along with a selection of local brews on tap. With free parking nearby and easy access for cyclists and kayakers, it's easy to see why this is a local favorite.

Every "best patio" article in the Bay Area features this oceanfront restaurant (and former speakeasy) with a beautiful view, whether it's sunny or foggy. The menu is always fresh and fun with a general emphasis on fish and seafood. In reality, it's just as well known for the many dogs who adore the patio. The drinks menu is uninspired, but any beverage will taste better with a sunset vantage point like this restaurant has.

Dungeness crab, the Bay Area’s favorite local seafood, is showcased in a consistently fantastic sandwich on grilled sourdough bread at this timeless Pacifica restaurant and lounge. It’s an all-day restaurant attached to a motel right by the beach, with a vintage Americana atmosphere that looks like a blend of a coastal diner with maritime decor and a throwback martini bar with dim lighting, wood paneling, and tufted leather banquettes.

On sunny weekend afternoons, the enormous tree-covered, creekside beer garden of this countryside dining icon feels like the epicenter of Silicon Valley. It’s a popular destination for professors and graduate students to enjoy brews and sandwiches, located just beyond campus in the pastoral town of Portola Valley. And over a century ago, it was a saloon that lasted through California's rapid growth in the late 1800s and then Prohibition. Nowadays, it's a gathering spot for local families, out-of-towners looking to eat in a quintessential Northern California setting, and the many cyclists who go on rides around the nearby rolling hills.

Bright and welcoming, this American bistro on Ark Row is known for its standout seafood starters (BBQ oysters, crab stacks, grilled salmon tostadas) and salads as well as shareable dishes and burgers, grilled steaks, and ribs. The cheerful, bistro-like setting makes it easy to linger in the evening and then consider returning for a breakfast of Dungeness crab and avocado Benedict or ricotta pancakes.

Hard to miss along the tiny stretch of Main Street, this café is an easy destination for a pre-beach sandwich or post-surf bar bites and cocktails on the heated patio in the afternoon. Beach-cottage hardwood floors and a wood stove add to the warmth of the rustic seaside interior, while a mountain view and firepit enhance the deck.

Exposed brick walls, maps of Louisiana, ceiling fans, and New Orleans music create a festive atmosphere at Angeline's. Specialties include Voo Doo Shrimp, crawfish étouffée, and buttermilk fried chicken.

Nothing elevates wood-fired food more than beachside tables and a blazing fire pit ... except maybe a game of bocce. Modern Californian cuisine, local beer, and signature sangria are served inside the snazzy bar and out on the patio, which opens to Richardson Bay.

The walls and tables are made of reclaimed wood at this small, stylish roadside gathering space whose knowing, tattooed bartenders serve potent cocktails. A great neighborhood joint for every meal of the day (including brunch), Chop Bar implements a farm-to-table concept and serves upmarket gastropub grub. On sunny days when the glass garage door is raised you'll feel like an insider who's stumbled upon an industrial neighborhood's cool secret.

Decked out in a nautical theme with surfboards and buoys, the Coast serves weekend brunch and dependably good American lunch and dinner fare, including local fresh fish, grass-fed steaks, and wonderfully fresh vegetarian and vegan dishes. Find patio seating in the front and back and live music during dinner on Thursday and Sunday.

Though it periodically catches the attention of the national press, this 19th-century family-run roadhouse—say DOO-arts—continues to serve simple American fare with a modest, hometown attitude. The restaurant's bar is a great place to sip a whiskey, but it's also the town's liquor store, which means some locals take their orders to go. The no-frills dining room offers a solid menu based on locally grown vegetables and fresh fish.

Haute comfort food and childhood favorites are the focus at this charming dining nook across from the Claremont hotel. Mac and cheese and free-range chicken potpie play second fiddle to brunches of cornmeal pancakes and gingerbread waffles, which are best enjoyed on the outdoor patio.

A renovated hay barn off the main drag houses this collection of upscale food shops, which showcase local organic fruits and vegetables, premium packaged foods, and an international selection of exquisite cheeses. Cowgirl Creamery cheese is made on-site. Grab some before you head to Cowgirl Cantina for creative sandwiches, salads, and soups you can enjoy inside the café or in the outdoor picnic area.

Expect a warm welcome and a lively atmosphere at this longtime Rockridge favorite. A neighborhood gem in the truest sense, Wood Tavern serves contemporary American brasserie food with quality wine, well-crafted drinks, and refined service.