Zuni Café

"This Civic Center institution is a palace of wood-fired comfort dishes. Just look to their iconic roast chicken atop a well-spiced warm bread salad, or the burger on grilled rosemary focaccia. Next time you have a midday “appointment,” take a long lunch here in the company of oysters and lots of wine. If you’re lucky, you’ll be seated next to the pile of logs so big you could use them to build a somewhat large sailboat. They’re on deck to fuel the wood-fired oven, which is a centerpiece of the dining room and emits enough heat to basically count as a fireplace." - julia chen 1, lani conway

"Much like sourdough, the Truffle Man, and Buster Posey’s right arm, Zuni Cafe is a beloved SF treasure. The Civic Center spot has been holding down the roast chicken game since the ‘70s, and it's where we go when we want to pretend we’re retired in a Pacific Heights mansion and eat oysters every day for lunch. The roast chicken plated over a warm bread salad should absolutely be on your table, as should the textbook caesar salad and mountain of shoestring fries. Enjoy it all while sitting against the huge windows along Market Street and doing some people watching." - julia chen 1, patrick wong, lani conway

"Yes, the chicken is famous but don’t overlook the burger at this Market Street icon that’s been open for more than four decades. The recipe starts with grass-fed beef that’s well-salted and then grilled over coals before being draped in your choice of cheddar or bleu cheese (or none if that’s your preference) and layered with house-made pickles and aioli. Instead of a traditional bun, Zuni uses house-made rosemary focaccia. Shoestring potatoes (read: fries) on the side seal the deal." - Dianne de Guzman, Eater Staff

"Besides “the” chicken, Zuni's burger, Caesar salad, and bloody mary have all been called the best in the city at various points in the restaurant’s illustrious, 40-plus-year career. Sitting on the edge of Hayes Valley, it’s the utility belt of San Francisco restaurants: good for brunch, for late-night dining, for oysters and a cocktail at the bar, or for a lovely sit-down meal with a date. The chicken, meanwhile, deserves every last bit of praise.  During the pandemic, Zuni started serving takeout for the first time in its storied history — and became the first restaurant in the city to switch over to all reusable takeout containers." - Dianne de Guzman, Eater Staff

"Besides "the" chicken, Zuni's burger, Caesar salad, and bloody Mary have all been called the best in the city. The two-storied, triangular space is enchanting any time of day: good for brunch, for late-night dining, for oysters and a cocktail at the bar, or for a lovely sit-down meal with a date. And did we mention that chicken?" - Dianne de Guzman, Eater Staff