Underdog's Sports Bar & Grill

Underdog's Sports Bar & Grill

1824 Irving Street

San Francisco, CA 94122

Grub-O-Meter: 4 out of 5 Bellies-Up

Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $$ out of $$$$

Checked this bar down the street with a friend last night, been wanting to try this place for a while since opening. From the owner of Nick's Crispy Tacos and Underdog hotdogs fame, its great to have this joint right near my house since the Sunset is in dire need of a mexican grubhub.  Not sure how authentic the food is but the tacos "Nicks Way" is the best. Nicks way is served with a crispy shell and also loaded with guacomole and other sauces. I tried the sampler platter which included all the meats, pork, chicken, and steak. Also ordered the quesadilla and the salsa/guacomole with chips. Overall pretty grubbing bar food. Despite being quite packed the service is really good and the energy in the place is quite loud and hectic but everyone their is just out to have a good time. Will definitely return to get my taco on.

La Mar Cebicheria Peruana

La Mar Cebicheria Peruana

Pier 1 1/2

San Francisco, CA. 94111

Grub-O-Meter: 3 out of 5 Bellies-Up

Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $$$$ out of $$$$

La Mar on the waterfront is a new peruvian restaurant that has been filled packed every night since its opening. The crowds are the young professionals, 20-30 somethings that are out to socialize and to get some peruvian food and drink. For our company party we all ended up here to cheer in holidays and I must say that the interior is quite impressive and nice and it looks alot bigger inside then it looks on the outside. The interior has a nice bar and open kitchen where you can see the cooks preparing your meal. So we all sat down to a pre-fix meal which was quite a deal because we got to sample 6-7 dishes of some of their signature dishes. When I ate here I was debating if I should put this in the blog since it is more upscale then most of the restaurants in the blog, but it's nice to have a range to compare. So with the 6-7 dishes we had lots of fish, beef, and rice dishes, cebiches, and much more. The seafood is quite fresh and the sauces are really tasty, lots of use of lime. There is nothing wrong with the food and I can appreciate it for what it is and when the occasion strikes places like these are appropriate, but for my tastes I think I would prefer a taco truck burrito over this, just a taste in preference. So overall for what it is nice environment, decent food, but a little bit out of the budget for me.

Toyose

Toyose

3814 Noriega Street

(between 45th and 46 Ave)

San Francisco, CA. 94122

Grub-O-Meter: 4.5 out of 5 Bellies-Up

Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $$ out of $$$$

Toyose in the Sunset right near the beach is a crazy hole in the wall Korean joint that I never knew about until my co-worker told me about it. What's funny i'm not sure if this place is legally set up since it's sort of in a large garage. But popular to the twenty somethings this place is a great late night place which opens at 6pm but closeses at 2am. Great for after drinking or after night on the town Toyose has really great dishes to share with larger groups of people. Upon entering it was a lot nicer then I thought, with about 8-10 tables and wooden benches and wooden beams on the ceiling. A funny addition was the doorbell you can use at your table to call for service kind of like the Bubba Gumps Restaurant sign. This place has great tasting dishes, the kimchi fried rice, spicy chicken wings, seafood pancakes, potato croquets and so much more that I wanted to try. They had some other dishes you don't typically see at korean restaurants such as hot pots and casseroles. Also a great addition is the soju, not as strong as I have experienced from before but a great social activity for lots of people. Overall a hidden gem and great food.

Anna's Teriyaki

Anna's Teriyaki 

83 9th Street

(between Jesse and Larkin)

San Francisco, CA. 94103

Grub-O-Meter: 4 out of 5 Bellies-Up

Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $ out of $$$$

Anna's Teriyaki is owned by a this cute Korean couple who's English is not the best but they are really nice. They have really decent lunch specials, bugogi, chicken, bento boxes, burgers, breakfast etc.. Usually the lunch specials are 5-7 bucks and you get a plate load of food. This place reminds me of alot of places I used to eat at when growing up, has a friendly comfortable atmosphere. What is also cool about the place is all the pictures of people who have come in to eat and it's interesting to see that this is pretty much San Francisco, all different types of people coming in for some good simple food.

Indian Clay Oven

Indian Clay Oven

2436 Clement Street

(between 25th and 26 Ave)

San Francisco, CA. 94121

Grub-O-Meter: 4 out of 5 Bellies-Up

Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $$ out of $$$$

Indian Clay Oven in the Richmond district in SF is one of the better deals around for Indian Buffet. For only $8.95 for lunch you can get an all-you-can-eat meal for a bargain. The buffet has curries, appetizers, tandori chicken, naan, and desserts. This place is also quite nice with table cloth and good service. One of my staples for Indian in the city for sure.

Out the Door

Out the Door

865 Market Street

(Inside the Downtown Shopping Center Food Court)

San Francisco, CA. 94103

Grub-O-Meter: 4 out of 5 Bellies-Up

Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $$ out of $$$$

Coming to Out the Door I was a little reserved about this place because of the whole Asian Fusion thing with a stuffy crowd, but was pleasantly surprised on how well the dishes that we tried tasted. Not sure how authentic this is but who cares I suppose as long as it tastes good.

Located in the downtown shopping center's food court out the door is a great alternative to eating fast and well in the mall. Everything in the mall is around the same price 8-20 bucks for dishes so why not go to a sit down restaurant and pay the same prices for better food. I have never had duck porridge quite like this, the duck was all grinded up like bacon bits which tasted to me like beef jerky (which i dont have a problem with) and the base tasted pretty decent as well. The noodle dishes are pretty tasty as well,  although supposed to be a vietnamese noodle dish, tasted to me like pad thai, but maybe that was the chefs intention? Not sure but everything tasted good and would like to go back to try more dishes.

Sapporo-Ya Japanese Restaurant

Sapporo-Ya Japanese Restaurant

1581 Webster Street #201

San Francisco, CA. 94115

Grub-O-Meter: 3 out of 5 Bellies-Up

Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $$ out of $$$$

Sapporo-Ya in Japantown is a ramen joint that is a decent place to grab a bowl of noodles on the run. Never that crowded its a quick and easy meal, the noodles are hand made and served piping hot. The soup is a little on the salty, msgeezy side but can be tolerated if you dont mind

it a little salty. Tried the miso ramen and the vegtable ramen tasted pretty good on a cold day. Not the best place i have tried but when around Japantown not a bad  alternative.

Flipper's, A Gourmet Hamburger Place

Flipper's, A Gourmet Hamburger Place

482 Hayes Street

San Francisco, CA. 94102

Grub-O-Meter: 4 out of 5 Bellies-Up

Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $$ out of $$$$

Flipper's is a hamburger joint right down the street from my work that offers some pretty delicious options. My favorite is the Taste of Russia- grilled onions, sauteed mushrooms, and swiss cheese. The portions are huge and it comes with your choice of curly fries or steak fries along with a vinigertte salad.  You also have your choices of meat to put in your burger- ground chuck, chicken breast, ground turkey, garden patty, or tofu. The environment is relaxing with outdoor seating on a nice day or regular seats inside. When i'm in Hayes Valley Flipper's is a nice choice for some grub.

Peasant Pies

Peasant Pies

1039 Irving Street

(between 11th and 12th Ave)

San Francisco, CA. 94122

Grub-O-Meter: 4 out of 5 Bellies-Up

Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $ out of $$$$

Peasant Pies is a bargain of a deal and a pretty great idea. With everyone so busy these days a pie or pies to go from Peasant pies is a delicious and healthy option then the usual fare. The owners of Peasant Pies get up at the crack of dawn to open their doors to serve fresh delicious pies. Man I admire their dedication to wake up everyday so early to prepare fresh food, kind of like a doughnut maker. They have a wide selection of pies, I tried the Ham Cheese and Egg, Spicy Eggplant, Zucchini Mushroom and Cheese, Moroccan Lentil, BlueBerry Pear, and Vanilla Flan Pies. All were very delicious but there is still so much more I would like to try, the only problem is they sell out towards the afternoon. Another plus is the pies are really cheap, they are all around under 3 bucks each so this is definitley a tasty bargain.

Kukje Super Market

Kukje Super Market

2350 Junipero Serra Blvd.

Daly City, CA. 94015

Grub-O-Meter: 4 out of 5 Bellies-Up

Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $$ out of $$$$

Kukje Super Market is a great place to pick up some korean groceries if you are in the mood.  A couple of blocks away from the krispy kreme and in and out burger Kukje has all your cooking needs met. Most noticeably is the Korean bar full of goodies(sides) that you can pick up charged by weight. I have never seen a place where its a huge bar of korean sides like these. My favorites are the kim-chi, cucumbers, bean sprouts, and fishcake, some typical stuff you see in korean restaurants. There was a lot of stuff I still want to try. Also some kim-bap (korean sushi) is made fresh daily along with some other pasteries and breads. I also picked up a korean pancake mix along with a bag of frozen seafood, my fiancee ended up putting that together and it was quite good. Basically it is like a pizza but with a twist. Definitley recommend this place if you want to take a stab at korean cooking.

San Tung Chinese Restaurant

San Tung Chinese Restaurant

1031 Irving Street

San Francisco, CA. 94122

Grub-O-Meter: 5 out of 5 Bellies-Up

Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $$ out of $$$$

The big crowd outside any restaurant is a good indicator that its probably good. I have been coming to San Tung as long as I can remember because its a regular favorite of mine, whenever I want dumplings or noodles i come during non-rush hour times when I can like  between 2-5pm. San Tung is known for their chicken wings, but my advice would be to get the diced chicken (dry) basically the same but without the mess. Also their shrimp and leek dumplings, potstickers, and their hand-made noodle dishes (scissors are recommended to cut) are all really good. A tasty meal but as always would recommend going during off peak hours.

A La Turca Restaurant

A La Turca Restaurant

869 Geary Street

San Francisco, CA. 94109

Grub-O-Meter: 4 out of 5 Bellies-Up

Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $ out of $$$$

A La Turca Restaurant located in the Tenderloin area of SF is a gem of a restaurant  that has been around for a many years. I have always wanted to try this place since I used to take the bus home and whenever it rolled by I always wondered what Turkish food was about. Kind of a sketchy area but well worth it and was pleasantly surprised. They are known for there pides, kind of a like a calzone, and platters. Not an expert at Turkish food but this was really good, I ordered the Chicken and Mushroom Pide and the taste of the Pide reminds me of pizza in a way. I like pizza so I like the pide. And another thing that was good is the price, under 10 bucks and you get a pie and a salad. A great find when not expecting it.

Hong Kong East Ocean Seafood Restaurant

Hong Kong East Ocean Seafood Restaurant

3199 Powell Street

Emeryville, CA. 94608

Grub-O-Meter: 4 out of 5 Bellies-Up

Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $$$ out of $$$$

East Ocean is one of my families regular spots on Sunday to get together and catch up on what's happening in life. Located in Emeryville right across SF, East Ocean is one of the better dim sum places in the East Bay. Always busy and fast paced, the quality of the food is great and the view across the bay is awesome. One thing that kinda is a bumme is how much it costs, not too cheap but I guess you pay for that view. Living in SF you can get the same stuff at half the price, but its good to sit down and talk and have some atmosphere. All the regular stuff like ha-gow, sui-mai, dumplings etc.. are all good, the desserts are especially good ( the mango pudding) If you come here get there early or you will be waiting.

Bakesale Betty's

Bakesale Betty's

5098 Telegraph Avenue

(On the corner of 51st Avenue)

Oakland, CA. 94609

Grub-O-Meter: 5 out of 5 Bellies-Up

Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $$ out of $$$$

Bakesale Betty's in the heart of Oakland's Temescal neighborhood is known for its fried chicken and cole slaw sandwiches, strawberry shortcakes, chocolate chip cookies, chicken pot pies, and of course its owner the blue haired owner betty. Right away upon arriving you notice the ironing boards outside used as tables for its customers to eat on. The line was not too bad because it was only 11 o clock but a lot of people were there eating already. We ordered the strawberry shortcake and the chicken sandwiches and sat down on one of the ironing boards. Wow the first bite is truly delicious and the chicken is fried but not oily, crispy, and the cole slaw goes well with the texture of the chicken. Probably one of the best chicken sandwiches I have ever eaten. The strawberry shortcake for dessert was killer as well, it's what you expect a good strawberry shortcake to be, kinda chewy and sweet of course. Overall a great bay area find, another reason why the bay area is the greatest place to live.

Doobu

Doobu

Japantown (Between Post and Sutter)

1723 Buchanan Street

San Francisco, CA. 94115

Grub-O-Meter: 4 out of 5 Belllies-Up

Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $$ out of $$$$

Doobu is one of the regular joints my fiancee and I go to for our Korean food fix. Right in the heart of Japantown, Doobu is a straight forward, tasty, and quality restaurant. Of everything I have tried here I would say the best deal from this restaurant is the lunch box. For $7.95 you get a bento box with your choice of meat, tofu soup, salad, and sides.  What a deal, always leaves me satisfied and full and tastes great.

Mission Street Food

Mission Street Food

Corner of 21st and Mission

San Francisco, CA. 94110

Thursday nights only, 8pm-2am

Grub-O-Meter: If I could give more than 5 Bellies-Up then I would

Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $ out of $$$$

Mission Street Food is the definition of what the Bay Area Grubhub is about. Tasty, cheap, quality, and of course grubbin. On a food tip from a co-worker my fiancee and a couple of friends went out to the Mission to see what this cart was all about since it is only 3 weeks old and there were rave reviews. The whole story with this place is a line chef from Bar Tartine decided to rent a food truck to start his own thing only on thursdays nights of every week from 8pm-2am or until they run out of food. The success of this idea is amazing because word spread like wildfire and now there are hundreds of people lining up to catch a taste. So we arrived around 7:45 expecting a line and as soon as we arrived in front of the truck as the first customers a line began  to form behind us. We chatted with some of the people running the truck and they were really friendly and were making a movie about the whole starting of the truck. We got interviewed and asked us about how we heard of it etc... So we finally got a chance to order after a short delay, and we tried everything on the menu since there are only 5 things to order: PB & J (Pork Belly and Jicama w/ jalapenos and cilantros, on homemade flatbread) , King trumpet ( mushroom, triple fried potatoes, sour cream, garlic confit), Mission Melt ( Roasted pasilla jalapeno peppers, avocado, melted cheese on homemade flatbread), Asian Pear Slaw ( Julienned Asian pear, lettuce, edamame, in horseradish dressing), and Filth Rich Brownies with brie and hazelnuts).  Wow, all of them were sooooo good except in my opinion for the Asian Pear Slaw which was a little wet and something you might find at any restaurant. But all the dishes were great- but my favorite was definitely the Pork Belly because it was like a flavor explosion in your mouth, it was like eating bacon but on a much grander scale. Anyways one of the better Grub Hub restaurants for sure but if you go get there early!

Cafe Cacao

Cafe Cacao (In the Sharffen Berger Chocolate Factory)
914 Heinz Avenue
(between 7th St & 8th St)
Berkeley, CA 94710

Grub-O-Meter: 3 out of 5 Bellies-Up
Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $$ out of $$$$

Cafe Cacao in the Sharffen Berger Chocolate Factory in Berkeley is the place to go if you want

to fill your chocolate fix. Pictured above is the fresh banana and chocolate pancakes, drizzled in chocolate along with a serving of regular syrup, sweeeettttt. The pancakes are actually quite good, a bit crunchy and fluffy at the same time. Along with these treats they serve brunch and lunch and have a menu with regular stuff including omelets, sandwiches, and pastries which all are pretty decent. The restaurant is inside the Chocolate factory and smells delicious, also the store sells a variety of sweet treats to give you cavities.

Pho Phu Quoc or PPQ Restaurant

Pho Phu Quoc or PPQ Restaurant
1816 Irving Street
(between 19th Ave & 20th Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94122

Grub-O-Meter: 4 out of 5 Bellies-Up
Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $ out of $$$$

A neighborhood favorite of mine in the Sunset District, PPQ has the best 5 Spice Chicken dishes around. They specialize in the chicken and use it in a variety of dishes including rice, pho, or vermicilli bowls. My favorite dish is the the vermicilli bowl with egg rolls along with the 5 spice chicken (pictured above). They give generous portions and hits the spot when I get the craving. The other dishes on the menu including the pho are ok but for sure this dish is the star.

Ali Baba's Cave

Ali Baba's Cave

531 Haight Street

(between Filmore and Steiner Street)

San Francisco, CA 94117

Grub-O-Meter: 5 out of 5 Bellies-Up

Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $ out of $$$$

Man Ali Baba's is the best falafal in the city by far. I have been to many joints around but always come back to this place because of the taste, the value, and the quantity. Introduced by a roomate a couple of years ago I have been a fan of Ali Babas since I could remember. The lamb and turkey shawarmas are also quite delicious and another deal of the day is bringing your own plastic container to be filled with hummus for only 2 bucks or so. To give you an idea of the scale take a look at my co-workers Pauline's head compared to the falafal above. Da Bomb!

All Star Tamales

All Star Tamales

The City Farmers Market

United Nations Plaza

San Francisco, CA 94102

Grub-O-Meter: 3 out of 5 Bellies-Up

Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $ out of $$$$

All Star Tamales comes to town every Wednesday for the farmers market right near the civic center downtown. All Star Tamales has several location around including Alemany, Walnut Creek, and Oakland. There is always a long line of people waiting to eat here so I decided to give it a go. I tried the green chicken tamales and they were to me a little on the bland side but with the hot sauce that comes with it makes it alot better. They use simple ingredient including potatoes, chicken, corn, and chiles. As far as Tamales go not too bad and would give this place another shot.

Cha Cha Cha

Cha Cha Cha
1801 Haight St
(between Shrader St & Stanyan St)
San Francisco, CA 94117

Grub-O-Meter: 4 out of 5 Bellies-Up

Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $$ out of $$$$

Cha Cha Cha is a restaurant in upper haight right near the park. Along the way you will see a lot of characters which gives the neighborhood its flavor along with lots of  unique shops and history. Usually packed like crazy during dinner we actually got lucky for a table for 3 and ordered  5 dishes along with a pitcher of Sangria. All the dishes here are so tasty and grubbin, and being that it is tapas its nice to sample everything. We ordered the fried calamari, black mussels, chicken pillard, cajun shrimp, and the special ahi tuna tacos.  Overall no complaints about the food and the atmosphere has a lot of energy and excitement, and is a great restaurant to take friends for a fun and loud dinner.

Skates on the Bay

Skates on the Bay
100 Seawall Dr
(between Fishing Pier & University Ave)
Berkeley, CA 94710

Grub-O-Meter: 4 out of 5 Bellies-Up

Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $$$ out of $$$$

Skates on the Bay in Berkeley is by all means not for penny-pinchers but it is a pretty nice restaurant for having a Sunday brunch with the family or taking a date. The breakfast is actually quite good, they have everything from omelttes to steak to clam chowder. I tried the avocado and shrimp quesadilla which was really good, the blt was great because of the honey-dipped bacon, and the omelettes are not bad as well. The view is also awesome because its opposite SF so you can see the whole SF skyline and the Golden Gate Bridge. Also if your there request the free pastries, fresh blueberry muffins and cinnamon sticks. Overall a very nice restaurant for a sunny afternoon.

Five Happiness

Five Happiness
4142 Geary Blvd
(between 5th Ave & 6th Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94118

Grub-O-Meter: 3 out of 5 Bellies-Up

Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $$ out of $$$$

Recommended from a friend, decided to try this restaurant in the richmond district of SF. It's funny because I have lived on 5th avenue for 2 years back in the days, but I have never thought to give this place a try because the outside of the restaurant looks ghetto. But reading about this place the shanghainese breakfast supposed to be pretty good. So upon entering it wasn't as bad inside but a little dark. We ordered the green onion pancakes, soy milk, sticky rice, shanghainese noodles, dumplings, and pan-fried meat buns. Everything was average except the green onion pancakes and the sticky rice. Those were actually above average but everything was super fried to the max and a little oily. Overall not too bad and if you have a shanghainese breakfast craving then this would do the job.

Tong Kee

Tong Kee
2191 Irving Street
(on the corner of 23rd Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94122

Grub-O-Meter: 4 out of 5 Bellies-Up

Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $ out of $$$$

Tong Kee is one of those restaurants that I have to visit every other week at least to get one of my favorite dishes, scrambled eggs shrimp over rice. I have tried this dish everywhere but I always come back to this joint because they do it the best. The eggs are runny not scrambled all the way, and the hot sauce they make is to die for. The scrambled eggs beef over rice is just as good but I always end up eating the shrimp. All the other dishes in the restaurant are so-so, barbeque is ok, but the main attraction for me is this dish for sure!

Daimo Chinese Restaurant

Daimo Chinese Restaurant
3288 Pierce St
Richmond, CA 94804

Grub-O-Meter: 4 out of 5 Bellies-Up

Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $$ out of $$$$

Whenever I visit my parents in the east bay, Daimo is one of our favorite restaurants to go to. Located in the Pacific East center in Richmond Daimo is a pretty good restaurants for family or if your flying solo or to get to-go orders. Their bbq chausui is the best I've ever had. I have eaten a lot of bbq pork but daaanngg this is the bomb digitiy! They always serve it up fresh and straight off the pig so its extra succulent. I would say their strong suit is  the bbq, noodles, and some other dishes such as ostrich are also great. 

Yum Yum Fish

Yum Yum Fish
Neighborhood: Outer Sunset
2181 Irving Street
(between 22nd Ave & 23rd Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94122

Grub-O-Meter: 4 out of 5 Bellies-Up

Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $$ out of $$$$

Mmmm... this is one right around the corner from my hood, which delivers fresh sushi whenever it strikes the mood. Yum Yum Fish is a fish market right on the busy Irving Street which makes fresh sushi daily for its customers. There are maybe 2-3 tables but generally everyone gets their sushi to go. One thing for sure is it is fresh and they get fresh fish daily which makes it fresh which equals good.  My favorites here are the tuna and salmon kamikaze rolls, spicy scallop roll, and the sake roll (smoked salmon). Overall a great find for quality and fresh sushi, a staple if your in the sunset area.

Suzu Noodle House

Suzu Noodle House
1825 Post St
(between Fillmore St & Webster St)
San Francisco, CA 94115

Grub-O-Meter: 2 out of 5 Bellies-Up

Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $$ out of $$$$

Suzu Noodle House is located in JapanTown right underneath the Kinokuniya Bookstore. I was curious about this place because I passed by and saw bunches of people waiting to get inside, I checked it out and decided to give it a go. Suzu is known for the their noodles especially their ramen. So I tried it out, I ordered the Tokyo Ramen and my fiancee had the miso ramen. The presentation looks great, the noodles are not too bad since they are known for hand-making their noodles. But overall was really really salty and definitely msg alert. I think I would not go back here, there are other ramen joints in the city far better and less crowded.

Enjoy Vegetarian

Enjoy Vegetarian
754 Kirkham St
(between 11th Ave & 12th Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94122

Grub-O-Meter: 4 out of 5 Bellies-Up

Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $$ out of $$$$

Right up the street from where I live, Enjoy Vegetarian lies right in the middle of a neighborhood with no surrounding businesses around. I'm not particularly a vegetarian but once in a while like to eat some veggies to clean out the system. Basically this is chinese food without the meat. Tastes great, no msg, a large variety of dishes and choices. A lot of hardcore vegetarians come here including some practicing monks and buddhists from around the area.

Tried the fake chicken which actually was really good and did taste like meat which was surprising. Also the tofu balls, noodles, and straight veggie dishes were quite good. Would recommend this if your in the mood for asian but just a little bit more healthier flavor.