Plan-B Brunch Spots
By Patrick Heig, San Francisco editor
You wouldn't think you'd need a backup plan for an outing as jaunty as brunch, but when paper-perusing table-hogs make waits interminable, you'll want another option--and it better be close. Here are four of the city's best brunch spots, each coupled with a nearby alternative where the food is stellar and you'll get a table in short order.
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Zazie
941 Cole St, San Francisco, CA
This perennial brunch favorite's got outstanding food, but you'll spend half your time there standing outside. If your stomach starts growling (or your date starts bitching), duck into Bambino's next door for an Italian--and underrated--brunch option. -
Bambino's Ristorante
945 Cole St, San Francisco, CA
Cole Valley's go-to spot for upscale Italian is also an oft-overlooked--and wait-less--brunch option. They've also got a unique option for those too tired/hungover to leave the house at all: brunch delivery!
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Q
225 Clement St, San Francisco, CA
With funky decor and a menu of down-home favorites, this Inner Richmond hangout is as comfy as an old shoe, but you may wear yours out waiting for a brunch table. Try B Star a few blocks down Clement for a shorter wait and a truly original brunch menu. -
B Star Bar
127 Clement St, San Francisco, CA
This Burma Superstar spin-off is just blocks from its older sibling, but a unique menu has it standing proudly on its own--especially for brunch. Exotic-yet-familiar dishes are served on the patio, and--at least for now--there's often no wait for a table.
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Foreign Cinema
2534 Mission St, San Francisco, CA
The open-air courtyard, not to mention the Champagne omelette with creme fraiche and fontina cheese, make Foreign Cinema a bruncher's paradise, but the wait can be downright sadistic. -
Maverick
3316 17th St, San Francisco, CA
Just a few short blocks away, Maverick's brunch has a much shorter wait, and dishes like duck confit hash and house made cinamon donut holes.
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Suppenkuche
601 Hayes St, San Francisco, CA
Generous portions of traditional German cuisine and brews draw the crowds to this popular Hayes Valley restaurant for brunch, but if the wait's too long, give it das boot and head one door up to Bar Jules. -
Bar Jules
609 Hayes St, San Francisco, CA
The weekend brunches at this little gem reflect the bounty of the city's farmer's markets, and might even better than Suppenkuche--with half the wait.
