Dandelion Chocolate

"This Mission District chocolate company has always been clever at interlacing its cacao with a slew of drink options. The Ecuador cold brew – basically cold brew but a bit more chocolatey – might not get a mention if it wasn’t such a strong drink (in a good way). The iced chocolate chai and nibby horchata, while sans coffee, get shout outs, too." - Paolo Bicchieri

"The only thing more surprising than a fully functioning chocolate factory smack dab in the middle of San Francisco is the fact that it's one of the few in the world that actually makes chocolate from scratch. They're kind of chocolate purists in that they don't do fancy flavors but rather rely on really good bean varieties and just a smidge of sugar (every bar has 70% chocolate to 30% sugar). Buy all sorts of fresh-baked, chocolate-spiked pastries and sample all the house varieties at the on-site café. Call ahead to request a guided tour of the factory. "

"While Coracao is bringing sweeter chocolates into its lineup - it offered 80 percent or darker for most of its products historically - he notes that Dandelion Chocolate's most popular bars have always been plant-based by default." - Paolo Bicchieri

"Dandelion Chocolate’s successful union drive, amid claims of racism and outrageous working conditions, had chocolate lovers reconsidering their allegiances." - Paolo Bicchieri

"San Francisco’s modern chocolate factory doesn’t just craft single-origin bars, it also chops them up into sweet treats. In the cookie category, an excellent chocolate chip was obviously expected, but the brownie bite flight is a transcendent experience. Not to mention the s’mores with house-made graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate, torched to order. The big factory location on 16th Street is still closed, but the original Valencia location and Ferry Building kiosk are open and covering hot chocolate and cookie cravings." - Becky Duffett