San Francisco (Bay Area) Restaurants Reviewed by Top Restaurant Influencers

San Francisco, with its iconic Golden Gate Bridge, historic cable cars, and vibrant neighborhoods, is a city that captivates the senses. Beyond its breathtaking sights, the city’s culinary scene stands out as a major attraction. Known for its innovative chefs and diverse food culture, San Francisco offers a delectable array of dining experiences that reflect its rich multicultural heritage.

At eatlect, our mission is to provide a map guide to restaurants reviewed by top food influencers. For San Francisco, we have already compiled 70+ and counting such restaurants reviewed by influencers including Keith Lee, Guy Fieri, and Mark Wiens, as well as the New York Times. Navigate our interactive map, where the restaurants are accompanied by the influencers’ review videos/articles. Below we handpick a fraction of these culinary gems to whet your appetite and inspire your next dining adventure.

Chef Green (Reviewed by Keith Lee)

Chef Green is a quesabirria and cobbler street cart located in Oakland. Keith Lee spent $27 to try the chicken and steak tacos.

He awarded the chicken taco 7.9/10 for good cheese and meat proportions, knocking off points for greasiness. The steak taco received an 8/10 rating, with Lee praising the seasoning as “almost to perfection” on both tacos. Lee commended Chef Green for accommodating his shellfish allergy by cleaning the grill, and for operating out of just a tent.

@keith_lee125
Chef Green taste test 💕 would you try it ? 💕 #foodcritic
♬ original sound - Keith Lee

Crab House at Pier 39 (Reviewed by Mark Wiens)

Crab House at Pier 39 is a popular seafood restaurant located right on Pier 39 in San Francisco. It specializes in serving fresh Dungeness crab dishes like crab skillets roasted in a secret garlic sauce, as well as other seafood items like sizzling shrimp and mussel platters.

Nari (Reviewed by New York Times)

Nari is a contemporary Thai restaurant located in San Francisco’s Japantown district. It made NYT’s 50 Restaurant List of 2021. Nari serves modern Thai cuisine that infuses heritage recipes with a California sensibility. The restaurant is a tribute by chef/owner Pim Techamuanvivit to the generations of Thai women who laid the foundation for Thai cuisine.

“Dinner at Nari is family-style, so a meal there feels more like a merry feast than a dainty tasting menu. And if you still think of fine dining as a bunch of small courses, served one at a time, Pim Techamuanvivit’s Thai restaurant is a mind-bending revelation, with freshly pounded nam priks and brilliantly nuanced curries inspired by traditional haute Thai food, as well as an exciting cocktail and wine list that focuses almost entirely on women producers.” — New York Times

Tommy’s Joynt (Reviewed by Guy Fieri)

With its hand-carved turkey sandwiches, platters, specialties like the turkey leg, and a legacy celebrating turkey as the star, Tommy’s Joynt has cemented itself as an iconic destination for turkey lovers in San Francisco.