It might not be much to look at from the outside, but this neighborhood gem serves legit lunchtime fare between two pieces of bread.
Marina Deli & Liquor, 2299 Chestnut Street, at Scott Street (415-346-7800 or marinadelisf.com).
Scrounge up a crew to take down by-the-pound barbecue (smoked on-site with white oak) like Texas beef brisket, Carolina pulled pork, and Memphis baby back ribs.
Cedar Hill Kitchen + Smokehouse, 3242 Scott Street, between Lombard and Chestnut Streets (415-834-5403 or cedarhillsf.com).
Dennis Leary’s long-awaited follow-up to The Sentinel is finally in lunchtime swing. Dig into the barbecued short rib sandwich, a massive pile of tender meat, caramelized onions, and mayo on a seeded bun.
The Golden West, 8 Trinity Place, at Sutter Street (415-216-6443 or theauwest.com).
This A+ take on the new-school pastrami sandwich is loaded with Swiss cheese, mayo, mixed greens, tomato, and “geek” sauce (garlicky aioli) on your choice of six breads.
Lunch Geek, 1475 Market Street, at 11th Street (415-552-4449 or lunchgeeksf.com).
Nosh on Beauty’s Bagels sandwiches and challah French toast for breakfast. Go for Chinese chicken salad, pastrami burgers, or smoked (on-site) turkey clubs for lunch.
Wise Sons Jewish Delicatessen, 3150 24th Street, at Shotwell Street (415-787-3354 or wisesonsdeli.com).
Grilled cheese (five types) in under two minutes, seasonal soups made from farm-fresh ingredients, and off-the-menu specials.
The Melt, 115 New Montgomery Street, between Mission and Minna Streets (themelt.com).
Suppenküche’s alfresco restaurant concept serves rotating beers on tap and famous German fare. Say guten Tag to pretzel knot sandwiches, potato or beet salad, and beer-poached bratwurst.
Biergarten, 424 Octavia Street, between Linden and Fell Streets (biergartensf.com).
Mary’s Chickens (air-chilled, free-range) are spit-roasted in full view from the open kitchen, then served with standard and seasonal sides. Chopped salads and sandwiches are primed for lunch.
Roostertail, 1963 Sutter Street, between Fillmore and Webster Streets (415-776-6783 or roostertailsf.com).
Call it the little grocer that will: This 300-square-foot artisan market is stocked with the best local produce, meat, cheese, and pantry items. Grab-and-go sandwiches hit the spot in a hurry.
Little Vine, 1541 Grant Avenue, between Union and Filbert Streets (415-272-7567 or shoplittlevine.com).
This casual Vietnamese resto takes it to the streets with a variety of Vietnamese variations on classic sammies (steak, lime-pepper aioli, pickled veggies, jalapenos) and unconventional subs (Sloppy Bun with curry ground beef, shaved onion, Thai basil).
Bun Mee, 2015 Fillmore Street, at Pine Street (415-800-7696 or bunmee.co).
The Italian cafe serves espresso drinks alongside lunchtime sandwiches (BLT with black pepper mayo) and pressed panini (Nutella, peanut butter, banana).
Bravado Coffee Bar and Lounge, 170 King Street, between 2nd and 3rd Streets (415-957-1100 or bravadosf.com).
Much as we love the Kraft-on-white combo, it doesn’t stand a chance against the grilled cheese sandwiches at this eco-chic, quick-service restaurant.
The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen, 1 South Park Avenue, at 2nd Street (415-243-0107 or theamericansf.com).
Plump shrimp, lightly dusted with cornmeal, are paired with Cajun remoulade and bread-and-butter pickles on a lunch-only shrimp po’boy served with Kennebec fries.
Farmerbrown’s Little Skillet, 360 Ritch Street, at Townsend Street (415-777-2777 or littleskilletsf.com).
Chef Tim Luym (Poleng Lounge) goes ultra casual with his downtown soup, sandwich, salad, and noodles joint. Expect some of the fresh Southeast Asian flavors he’s known for.
Urban Picnic, 125 Kearny Street, between Post and Sutter Streets (415-433-1233 or urbanpicnicsf.com).
Located in the Ferry Building, this Southern Italian spot specializes in rotisserie meats, sandwiches, and antipasti sourced from local purveyors.
Il Cane Rosso, 1 Ferry Building, The Embarcadero, at Market Street (415-391-7599 or canerossosf.com).
In a historic bilevel loft (still Chronicle Books), cheesesteaks with paper-thin roast beef, Muenster, and beer-cooked onions sustain lunching 9-to-5ers.
Ironside, 680a 2nd Street, at Townsend Street (415-896-1127 or ironsidesf.com).
Chef Ian Begg and partner Ryan Maxey serve tasty cups of sweet corn soup and sandwiches like foie gras and duck prosciutto topped with heirloom tomatoes, butter lettuce, and black truffle salt.
Naked Lunch, 504 Broadway, at Kearny Street (415-577-4951 or nakedlunchsf.com).
The cafe offers seasonal sandwiches Monday through Friday. In its version of stracciatella with melon and micro basil, the creamy Italian cheese comes on a house-made roll.
Goody Goodie Cream & Sugar, 1830 Harrison Street, between 14th and 15th Streets (415-864-6370 or goodygoodie.com).
The secret here is homemade sauce baked directly into the bread (genius!) and then added to every sandwich.
Ike’s Place, 3489 16th Street, between Dehon and Sanchez Streets (415-553-6888 or ilikeikesplace.com).
Head to this Financial District eco lunch spot (built with sustainable and recycled materials) for organic sandwiches and salads.
Mixt Greens, 120 Sansome Street, between Pine and Bush Streets (415-296-8009 or mixtgreens.com).
Sometimes you really can have everything you want. Right now that means fried chicken sandwiched between two waffles.
Soul Groove (415-734-7598 or chickenandwafflesandwich.com).
Organic food with catchy names. Order the Dogpatch Millionaire — fried chicken, spicy cabbage, garam masala honey, aioli, jalapeno, and cilantro.
Kitchenette, 958 Illinois Street, between 20th and 21st Streets (415-522-6628 or kitchenettesf.com).
Looking for a full package deal? It’s all in the sandwich — the fries, the coleslaw, the meat. Try the hot Italian sausage All-in-One.
Giordano Bros., 3108 16th Street, at Valencia (415-437-2767 or giordanobros.com).
Bold combinations (meat plus eggs plus cheese) change daily. Order from the deli counter and create your idea of the perfect sammie.
Deli Board, 1058 Folsom Street, between Russ and Sherman Streets (415-552-7687 or deliboardsf.com).
Enter the red door on Balboa for beautiful breakfast plates, panini, fresh pastries, and bimonthly pop-up New American-inspired dinners from chef Kristoffer Toliao.
Cassava Bakery + Cafe, 3519 Balboa Street, between 36th and 37th Streets (415-640-8990 or cassavasf.com).
At Sarah Dvorak’s charmingly rustic, cozy cafe, build your own tasting plate around artisanal American cheese, and double up on traditional raclette, mac ’n’ cheese, and pressed sandwiches.
Mission Cheese, 736 Valencia Street, between 18th and 19th Streets (415-484-6553 or missioncheese.net).
A carnival-themed restaurant, complete with Tilt-o-Whirl booth and Coney Island pics, serves the Bearded Lady (pulled pork, blackberry coulis, chipotle barbecue sauce) and Ring Master burger (between two glazed doughnuts).
Straw, 203 Octavia Street, at Page Street (415-431-3663 or strawsf.com).
The full-service deli puts the sandwich on a pedestal. The My Cousin Vinny is meatballs, provolone, onion, and peppers — and it’s delicious.
The Sandwich Spot, 3213 Pierce Street, between Lombard Street and U.S. Highway 101 (415-829-2587 or sandwichspotsf.com).
This spot is seasonally minded, with a generous (and healthy) emphasis on California wines. Head to brunch for the Biestwich (bacon, avocado, and greens on ciabatta).
Scala’s Bistro, 432 Powell Street, between Post and Sutter Streets (415-395-8555 or scalasbistro.com).
It’s one thing to top a burger with crispy strips of bacon. But it’s another very delicious thing altogether to grind them into the patty to create the bacon burger from heaven.
The Broken Record, 1166 Geneva Avenue, between Edinburgh and Naples Streets (415-963-1713 or brokenrecordsanfrancisco.com).
Don’t play with fire. Unless, of course, it’s for smoking pork. Pile it high on bread with mustard slaw.
Cathead’s BBQ, 1665 Folsom Street, between Central Freeway and 12th Street (415-861-4242 or catheadsbbq.com).
The lunch menu features an indulgent fish ’n’ chips served open-face on grilled levain: beer-battered California rock cod, fries, malt vinegar aioli, and mixed baby lettuces.
Citizen’s Band, 1198 Folsom Street, at 8th Street (415-556-4901 or citizensbandsf.com).
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