Castro restaurant for Halloween?

[epicureangirl]

I'll be in SF during Halloween and would like to have dinner somewhere close to the festivities (Castro & Market). Can anyone recommend something good (all ethnic okay too) that would have entrees under $20, and that I wouldn't feel out of place NOT in costume for Halloween night?

Thanks!

[Pssst]

I would not recommend coming to the Castro at all. The official festivities are at Civic Center Plaza.

Due to the violence last year, many residents are demanding that the police crack down on any crowds on the street that form in the Castro - that is, encouraging people to enter businesses, not loiter outside; keeping people moving and on the sidewalk.

Also, note that you will feel out of place if you are not in costume.

Restaurant recommendations - Home or Chow at Market & Church.

[nja]

"Also, note that you will feel out of place if you are not in costume. "

or not naked.

I'm not sure what the details are for this year, but there's apparently going to be more police and fewer freedoms. But if you come, I recommend to not drive if at all possible. Carfuls of partygoers start driving up and down my street lookin for parking starting at about 3pm... and I live over the hill in Noe!

I loathe extremely crowded restaurants--and they will ALL be crowded in the Castro that night--so if I were in your shoes I'd eat elsewhere before arriving. You may have okay luck with someplace in Noe, but even the good ones there get packed on that night. If you're willing to eat some place mediocre (gasp), you'll have plenty of options.

[epicureangirl]

Thanks everyone for posting. I was hoping to see a 'fun' event some great costumes and good atmosphere. I had no idea there had been problems in the past. I've been to SF a few times but have not been through all the neighbourhoods. Is Halloween a bad time for dinner reservations in the rest of the city?

[Gouda]

First, I have been to the Castro Halloween each year. And while it is wild, I certainly recommend seeing it if you're an adult, don't mind crowds and if you stay relatively sober. Come earlier rather than later because people do drink too much and there have been fights and injuries (not nearly as many as New Orleans's Mardis Gras, though).

As for restaurants, if you are willing to eat early, I recommend La Mooné on 18th street very close to Castro street. They have some interesting and tasty dishes there.

As was also recommended, the Mission has some solid places to eat within a short walk of the festivities. Try Plátanos, Delfina (hard to get into so plan accordingly), or Timo's. The link below can be searched for each of these restaurants.

Enjoy!

Link: http://sanfrancisco.citysearch.com

[Kathleen Mikulis]

I had a pleasant meal at Fuzio one year on Halloween. It's a chain, yes, but with good pasta and located on Castro (entrees $9). We did have a wait, and I remember feeling really cramped with our table for 5.

I agree - eat elsewhere first. Might I suggest Eric's (with reservation) or Alice's in nearby Noe Valley for Chinese?

[Bay Gelldawg]

First of all, there is no official (or unofficial) Halloween event at Civic Center. That ended a few years ago.

As someone who lives in the Castro and has eaten at nearly every restaurant in the area, there are no great restaurants in the Castro even on a good night. There are some that are OK, but nothing is worth the crowds you will have to deal with on Halloween. It will be worse, restaurant-wise, than Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, and New Year's Eve combined. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the better restaurants are just plain closed to protect their property.

Halloween last year was terrifying. Mobs of people out of control, several stabbings, etc. This year the City claims it is going to crack down, but Halloween is on a Friday this year, so the crowd will probably be much bigger and stay there much later. Once it reaches a certain size, there really isn't anything the police can do. They couldn't even reach the location of the stabbings last year, let alone make arrests.

Contrary to an earlier poster, the police are *not* going to disperse any crowds that gather. Rather, as always, they are planning on closing the street. The only question will be how early they close it and when they reopen it.

Expect total chaos and crowds too thick to walk through. They are adding entertainment this year in the hope that giving the crowds something to do will keep people from turning against each other. So expect lots of noise.

The real Castro Halloween celebration traditionally occurs in a very low key fashion the night before Halloween, when people who live in the neighborhood show off their costumes in the local restaurants, gyms, and bars. This event is actually lots of fun and has a warm community feeling to it. Since Halloween is on a Friday this year, there may be something similar the day or night after Halloween as well.

I would not recommend that anyone go anywhere near that neighborhood on Halloween as it will probably be sheer bloody hell. But if you must go, eat dinner in the Mission and then walk up 18th Street to the Castro. If you plan to meet your friends in the Castro you will spend the entire night trying to find them.

And don't even think about driving. Don't count on public transit, which will be overwhelmed. Don't try to take a cab, either, unless you are ready to fight for it.

Personally, I am praying for rain that night.

[Pssst]

"Contrary to an earlier poster, the police are *not* going to disperse any crowds that gather."

Actually, if you check my post, I stated that many residents were demanding it, not that the police had promised to deliver it. (Maybe someday, sigh.)

The problem is that since the official event moved from the Castro to Civic Center what happens in the Castro is a completely uncontrolled mob.

We usually go out of town to get away from it.

[Patrick]

I will second Bay Gelldawg's advice, and make an even stronger point: Please DON'T come to the Castro for Halloween. As a 15 year resident of the neighborhood, I simply want the madness to stop. If you'll be in the city for the weekend, have dinner on Saturday instead. There are no good restaurants, but several acceptable ones. The one exception to my "no good" proclamation is Osaka sushi; I still think it's among the best in the city. Aside from that, Nirvana is acceptable in my book, but not fabulous.