We have the ultimate city guide to San Francisco, the home of the West Region NCAA tournament games
I was born and raised in the Bay Area, living in SF proper for over 7 years now. By now, I have more food recs and takes than I have brain cells. I’ve been to many, many places that constantly show up on social media or review sites, and here’s my list of places that are actually worth it.
I structured this list with a focus on the immediate area around Chase Center, but truthfully, those surrounding neighborhoods are still coming together in terms of food/entertainment options. I included some recs in the Mission District, which is the nearest “buzzy” neighborhood filled with some of the city’s best spots, along with some other places worth checking out in other parts of the city.
Note on getting around: Ubers tend to be cheaper during the afternoon/evening, while Waymos tend to be cheaper late at night and in the morning. Either way, you need to take a self-driving car when visiting San Francisco… it’s part of the experience!
Best place to eat before a game:
Quick bite:
- Two of the city’s best bakeries are in the vicinity of Chase Center: Arsicault in Thrive City and Neighbor Bakehouse in the Dogpatch. Worth the line.
- Around lunchtime, Marcella’s Lasagneria in the Dogpatch is sensational.
- Reveille Coffee in Mission Bay is the best coffee shop in the neighborhood.
- Deli Board sandwiches in SoMa are worth it if you have time to go pick them up. Otherwise, Ike’s and Souvla are beloved regional chains for something convenient nearby.
If you’re doing delivery:
- Public Izakaya has amazing deals on fresh sushi.
- SOMA Grill for wings.
- Loveburn Chicken for the Bay Area’s best and spiciest chicken sandwich.
Best place to celebrate a victory:
Sports bars:
- Near Chase Center: Splash, Local Tap.
- Mission: Teeth, Casements, Shotwell’s, Connecticut Yankee.
- Elsewhere: Boardroom and Tupelo in North Beach, Wreck Room in Nob Hill, San Francisco Athletic Club in Pacific Heights, Bus Stop in the Marina, Final Final in the Presidio.
- Fancy dinner that’s worth the money:
- Near Chase Center: Miller and Lux is a classic American steakhouse with spectacular desserts.
Mission District:
- Itria in the Mission for high-quality bougie Italian pasta and wine.
- Mijote in the Mission for classy French-Japanese fusion.
- San Ho Won In the Mission for an upscale take on Korean BBQ.
Elsewhere:
- Empress by Boon in Chinatown for a fancy Chinese experience in a historic banquet hall.
- Seven Hills, Italian in Russian Hill, is famously Gregg Poppovich’s favorite restaurant and beloved by NBA players/coaches.
- Copra and Nari for bougie yet mindblowing Indian and Thai food in Pacific Heights.
Best place to bounce back after a loss:
Early game:
If it’s nice out, the whole urban coastline from Crane Cove Park (a little bit south of Chase Center, within walking distance) through Fisherman’s Wharf and Fort Mason, ending at Chrissy Field, is spectacular for a mind-clearing e-bike or scooter ride. The Embarcadero has secure bike lanes that take you along the water for 7 miles up until the Golden Gate Bridge.
Late game:
In the Mission District:
- La Vaca Birria or Tacos El Patron for a big cheesy beefy quesabirria burrito, El Farolito (an SF staple) if it’s late night.
- Crafty Fox for the best beers and bar food (fries, wings, etc) in the city.
- BiRite Creamery for ice cream, BaklavaStory for Mediterranean desserts.
- El Buen Comer for a comforting bowl of red chicken mole with margaritas. If you go up the hill a couple (steep) blocks, you’ll stumble into Holy Water in Bernal Heights for some of the best drinks around.
If you’re willing to venture further, some other comfort meals in other SF neighborhoods are Dumpling Home in Hayes Valley (followed by Salt and Straw for ice cream), Minnie Bell’s Soul Food in the Fillmore, the Tony’s Pizza + Lush Gelato combo in North Beach.
Best place to visit outside the arena:
Attractions:
- Salesforce Park is a cool urban park in the middle of the skyscrapers not far from Chase Center, trippy and futuristic.
- COIT Tower (take a Waymo up or go through the Filbert St steps) and the curving Lombard St offer stunning views of the city… it’s a classic for a reason.
- Fisherman’s Wharf is overly touristy, but the SkyStar Ferris Wheel is admittedly really cool.
- You can kill an entire day in Golden Gate Park and not get bored. All the museums and attractions in the park are worth checking out, but my favorite walking route starts at Flywheel Coffee, goes through the top of Strawberry Hill, stops at the Bison Paddock, and then ends at the beach (pre-order some fish and chips at Hook Fish if you really want to be an SF local).
- Chrissy Field Beach is the best sunset spot in the city, but it will get chilly so bring layers.
Where the true SF sports fan hang out for fun:
- Bar-wise, it doesn’t get more SF than Kezar Pub, near Golden Gate Park and part of San Francisco 49ers history.
- But if a game isn’t on, then you’ll find SF locals spending their weekend day drinking/hanging outside at all the parks. Mission Dolores, Alamo Square, and Fort Mason will get more packed on a sunny afternoon than most bars.
- If you’re renting a car, then the day trips up north to Marin County and Point Reyes are incredibly worth it… quintessential Bay Area experience.
