Zuni Café

"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

"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

"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

"Your Order: Zuni Caesar Salad The roast chicken and mountain of shoestring fries from Zuni Cafe get all of the attention. But don’t overlook their caesar, which is just as much of an icon. It’s a stunning pile of lettuce in its absolute prime, croutons that marinate in the anchovy-filled dressing, and a snowfall of shaved parmesan over the top. Coming in for this salad—and that previously mentioned fry pile (a very balanced meal)—is the power move." - julia chen 1, lani conway, ricky rodriguez

"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