Good Chow in Dogpatch/Mission Bay

[Shane Greenwood]

Now that there are a lot more people working and living in this part of the city, the chow scene has picked up. The area south of MIssion Creek and down 3rd Street into the 20s has some good options these days. I've only tried places for lunch, seems to be more of a lunch crowd type of area anyway, but if you have insight into dinners, please share those too. Enjoy!

Kitchenette SF
Some of the best sandwiches and salads in the city. They offer one sandwich, one salad, a cookie and a drink each day. The menu changes every day or two for most items. They operate out of a loading dock behind the building at Illinois and 20th, so you grab and go, although they have a few benches in their parking space. Lunch only. $8-11. Check the website or twitter for menus: kitchenettesf.com @kitchenettesf

Just For You
Great New Orleans inspired diner fare. Big thumbs up on the beignets, hangtown fry, and burgers. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. www.justforyoucafe.com

Piccino Cafe
Kitty corner from Just For You. Piccino has a coffee bar serving Blue Bottle and they specialize in thin crust pizza. Really enjoyed the mushroom and white pizzas. www.piccinocafe.com

The New Spot
Salvadorian and Mexican. Decent burritos and pupusas. Haven't tried the other items but have been happy with what I've had. Straight forward flavors, friendly people. A limited amount of table seating.

Hard Knox
Fairly well known soul food restaurant in the area. Excellent fried chicken, biscuits, and smothered chicken. Sides are good but won't blow you away. They have a nice beer selection (if you need one of those kinds of lunches). Limited seating and packed at lunch, but you can eat at the bar/counter and that's usually faster. www.hardknoxcafe.com

UCSF Genentech Hall -- Cafe 24
Go into the building and check in with the guard. There is a cafe on the second floor with lots of outdoor seating and some indoor seating too. They have a good selection of sandwiches, salads, and daily specials. It's a medical school so they seem to care about healthy choices. Lots of fresh ingredients here. Go for the mediterranean plate, chicken pesto sandwich, and the agua fresca. It's good cafe fare for lunch. http://www.parking.ucsf.edu/vendors/dining/cafe_24.php

UCSF Bakar Center -- The Pub
In the big red building, the pub offers good grub and a few beer & wine selections. They have a lot of seating and TVs to tune into games. "Pub" is a bit of a misnomer because it's bright, airy and modern with indoor and outdoor seating. Food is made to order and they usually try some more elaborate entrees (had braised lamb once). Have enjoyed the sandwiches and burgers, but found their attempts at higher cuisine to fall a little short in execution. But it's a good option in the area if you don't want Subway. http://www.parking.ucsf.edu/vendors/dining/pub.php

Mission Bay Farmer's Market
At UCSF on Wednesdays from 11am-3pm. This is starting on 4/22 and going until November.

The Ramp
An oldie but a goodie (most of the time). I like their burgers, the rest of the food is average and a buck or two pricier than it tastes like it should cost. But the deck is great on a nice day. www.ramprestaurant.com

Kelly's Mission Rock
Have only been here for work related events, but the food was okay. Have heard it's a little expensive for an everyday lunch, so maybe more of a business lunch in the area type of place. They have a deck overlooking the water, which is a nice space. www.missionrockcafe.com

Phillz Coffee
Best coffee in the area. They are right across the 4th street bridge next to the Mission Bay Library. If you are not familiar, their concept is that they grind and brew your coffee to order so it's super fresh. They also have dozens of varieties to chose from. www.philzcoffee.com

[ML8000]

Nice round up. The Ramp...that makes me feel old. Anyone been to Jelly's recently...not for the club but lunch/breakfast. Nice little patio.

[Shane Greenwood]

Here are some of the links:

[sarahlefton]

We have started coming out here regularly for sushi at Moshi Moshi. It started because we live in Bernal and wanted some more Japanese options, and it's continued because we love the fish, we love the owner, we LOVE the creative cocktails and we love the chill vibe.

I came here last week with my sister and her toddler and baby. This was an early evening (6) dinner due to the kid brigade. It was amazing to see the place packed with children and parents, a child-sized teriyaki plate and very accommodating service. Nice! So, very kid-friendly. Bonus.

[Calvinist]

I like Moshi Moshi too. Have you been to Sushi Raw? That's another alternative from Bernal, esp. if you're on the south side of the hill.

[ML8000]

I have to politely disagree about Moshi Moshi. I've been twice over the years and both times the basic cooked dishes were just bad. The sushi might be good but the cooked dishes weren't. Things could have changed but it seems the same owners (nice people as described) are there.

[sfbing]

I find the sushi at Moshi Moshi scary. On the other hand, I kind of like their lunch bentos when I'm desperate for Japanese food. If you ask you can get the fish done shio-yaki instead of with the teriyaki sauce.

[Shane Greenwood]

There is also Yield Wine bar in the area. Have only been once and found them to have a nice selection of wines. They feature organic or biodynamically farmed wines. They also have a few snack foods like nuts, olives, cheese, and dips.
www.yieldsf.com

[SFDude]

Serpentine in DogPatch is quite nice, a bit more upscale than some of the other things you mention but the lunches really are quite good. I wasn't as impressed with dinner but I have only eaten dinner there once. The food is very fresh california cuisine.

[Shane Greenwood]

Oh great, I have been wondering about that place. What did you have there that was good? The Prather Ranch burger caught my eye.

[SteveG]

I used to really enjoy Serpentine, but it's been a while since I've been, and the sister restaurant Slow Club disappointed pretty badly on a recent brunch. As I wrote this post I checked who the chef is, and there's been turnover: the old chef responsible for menu design at both restaurants, Chris Kronner, appears to have been let go last December. Our brunch was in April, so that's plenty of time for the new chef at Slow Club to get on top of things.

Previously, Chris cooked almost full time at Serpentine and helped design the menu at Slow Club, so it's quite possible the new Serpentine chef is independent of Slow Club and will keep standards high. Let us know.

[SarahKC]

Would you characterize any of these as cheap eats? Looking for dinner tomorrow night in the area.

[Windy]

Hard Knox and New Spot are the cheapest on this list. New Spot has exceptional pupusas.

I'm not sure a chef at Slow Club would have much to do with an uneven brunch. The menu there for brunch hasn't changed much in 10+ years.

[margieco]

Just for you is now open for dinner (check to see which nights) and definitely also qualifies as cheap eats.

[SarahKC]

Just for you's dinner: Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

[Shane Greenwood]

This area is now being served by some food trucks on a fairly regular basis. Kung Fu Taco Truck, Sam's Chowder Truck, and Kara's Cupcakes have been stopping at the parking lot next to the yacht club on Terry Francois Blvd. Check their twitter feeds to see when they are coming.