Zuni Café

"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

"A MICHELIN-recommended restaurant where Chef Anne Quatrano trained, inspiring her to bring farm-to-table fine dining to Atlanta." - Michael He

"It’s time to rip the tags off of that silky black cowl-neck dress you bought in February of 2020—you’re headed to Zuni Cafe. To avoid a wait, make a reservation for their dining room (white tablecloths are very sexy), but they’ll accept walk-ins too. Either way, you’ll be making your way through their iconic, massive pile of shoestring fries in no time. It doesn’t get much better than this." - julia chen 1

"Zuni is a classic SF spot that never goes out of style. The Civic Center restaurant has been a San Francisco landmark since it opened in the late ’70s. You’re probably here for the famous roasted chicken, which is fired to a toasty golden brown in the blazing wood oven and served atop a warm bread salad. It’s as good as a roast chicken can get, but don’t skip the Jenga-esque mountain of shoestring fries or the close-to-perfect caesar salad, either. It all makes for the ideal fancy dinner before a show at the Orpheum or Davies Symphony Hall nearby. " - julia chen 1, lani conway, ricky rodriguez