Fall in San Francisco is alway busy with restaurant openings. From wine bars to doughnut shops, the Bay Area is rampant with brand-new food offerings. So where should you start? We rounded up our top newcomers for the month and—yay!—they're all affordable.
Top Round Roast Beef (Mission)
Top Round Roast Beef feels like an unlikely hit in San Francisco. An L.A. transplant from chef Steven Fretz the fast-food restaurant even comes with franchising opportunities. But the old-school sandwich spot, in the former Discolandia Records space, is a welcome and affordable addition to the neighborhood. Besides delicious roast beef sandwiches on classic onion buns, they serve a tasty fried chicken sandwich, hot dogs, curly fries and frozen custard. There are horseradish or Roquefort blue cheese-laden versions of the signature sandwich, but the classic beef and cheese is perfect with a house cheese wiz and round sauce.
Photograph: Yelp/Raymond V.
Chisme Cantina (TenderNob)
Chisme Cantina, from Chicago transplant Ray Shlimon, is a change of pace from the city's typical Mexican food scene. You have to choose the same two tacos per order (at $8.25-$10), which can be frustrating, but the servings are quite a bit larger than traditional Mexican tacos. In the sunny, order-at-the-counter space, vegetarian tacos dominate—try the meat-like jackfruit tacos packed with crispy nori, red cabbage and a lively mint verde—but meat options, such as the peanut mole meat tacos, are also great.
Photograph: Courtesy Tilak
Tilak (Bernal Heights)
Former Dropbox Tuck Shop chef Tilak Gurung, a Nepal native who ran an Indian restaurant in Korea before coming to the States, brings a tasty new Indian spot to Bernal Heights. The curry menu is top notch, whether you opt for the vibrant fish tikka masala or the smoky Masala benghan bharta. Other options include chaat (street snacks) and a range of pakoras and tandoor-grilled dishes. This is your new go-to takeout spot.