San Francisco/Tenderloin
Many guidebooks will tell you to avoid a large part of downtown San Francisco, roughly bounded by Geary, Polk, Taylor and Market--the Tenderloin. It's true that this "bad neighborhood" is rife with panhandlers and massage parlors, but it's also full of good, cheap ethnic restaurants and colorful dive bars. The area is lively and safe until about 2 AM (when the bars close); after that, it does get sketchy, and is best avoided by travelers walking alone.
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Understand
A number of cities in the U.S. have "tenderloin" districts. Legend has it that these rough-and-ready neighborhoods got their nicknames from the police who patrolled them; these cops received hazard pay (or bigger bribes -- stories vary), and were therefore able to regularly dine on steak.
Get in
Street parking in the Tenderloin is extremely difficult to find, but parking garages are plentiful. The neighborhood is also well-served by public transit; both the Powell and Civic Center BART stations will put you well within walking distance of any Tenderloin attraction.
Eat
Vietnamese, Thai, and Indian restaurants are well represented in the Tenderloin. One of the best options for a cheap lunch is picking up a "Vietnamese sandwich" from any of a number of corner delis in the area (they're packed especially thick along Larkin). For about $2.50 you can expect to get a generous helping of your choice of meat and shredded vegetables sandwiched into a quarter of a baguette and dressed with a thin, tangy sweet and sour sauce. Be sure to bring cash, as these places don't take any credit cards.
- Dottie's True Blue Cafe, 522 Jones, 885-2767. Thursday-Monday 7:30 AM-3 PM. There's almost always a line stretching out of Dottie's and down the sidewalk, and that's because this cozy little breakfast nook is unparalleled in the neighborhood, and maybe in the city. From the thick marvelous toast to the fluffy omelettes to the savory chicken apple sausage, from the strong coffee to the strong mimosas to the extensive juice selection, everything is impeccable...once you shoulder your way inside. $4.50-9.95 (all the hot food is on the high end of the price range).
- Golden Era Vegetarian Restaurant, 572 O'Farrell, 673-3136. Wednesday-Monday 11 AM-9 PM (closed Tuesday). This pleasant, quiet restaurant specializes in the sort of seitan-based, faux-meat concoctions that will make a hardcore carnivore happy, and may make a lifelong vegetarian feel a bit squeamish. Nonetheless, the vegetarian "lamb" claypot is something to try. Everything can be served vegan upon request. $5.50-9.25. http://www.goldeneravegetarian.com
- Mela Tandoori Kitchen, 417 O'Farrell, 447-4041 (melakaraja@hotmail.com). Monday-Friday 10 AM-11 PM, Saturday 11 AM-9:00 PM. The jewel-like atmosphere, complete with marble floors and a tiled fountain, is the real draw at this inexpensive Indian restaurant. Candles, drapes, wall sconces and ululating music make for a charming setting. The food itself isn't quite as scintillating, but you do get your money's worth. $5.95-11.95. http://www.melatandoori.com/
- New Mission Cafe, 280 Golden Gate, 931-3928. Daily 6 AM-3 PM. Travelers on a budget would do well to mark this shabby, yet reasonably clean, establishment, because you won't find cheaper. Two eggs, coffee, toast and hash browns go for exactly $2.53. The daily lunch specials are always $3.90. Everything is dished up out of a steam table, but it tastes good and will fill you up. If you're there on a Wednesday, you're in luck; that's meatloaf day. $2.53-5.96.
- Original Joe's, 144 Taylor, 775-4877. Daily 10:30AM-1:30AM. Joe's is a local institution, a Rat Pack dream of an Italian restaurant. The after-hours haunt of the theatrical and musical set in the 1950s and 1960s, Joe's fortunes fell with those of the surrounding neighborhood, and it's considerably frayed at the cuffs now. But the owner and staff maintain dignity through adversity -- all the waiters wear tuxedos and are delightfully polite and thoughtful -- and the tasty food in generous portions is probably the best meal you can find after midnight in SF, bar none. Reasonable prices, great service, oh-so-cool atmosphere -- don't miss Joe's if you can. $10-$15 ($4 well drinks).
- Vietnam II, 701 Larkin, 885-1274. Daily 9 AM-11 PM. At any number of eateries around the 'Loin, you can order pho, the Vietnamese beef and noodle soop that's correctly written with some curly bits over the "o," and correctly pronounced somewhere between "phuh" and "phah." It will always cost about five dollars; it will always come with your choice of meat (slices of rare beef, well-done brisket, tripe, tendon, and meatballs are the most common) simmering in a clear, pungent broth along with a tangle of thin rice noodles; it will always be accompanied by a heap of mung bean sprouts, leafy basil and mint stalks, lemon wedges, and slices of chili pepper; and it will always be served in bowls ranging from merely large to mind-bogglingly enormous. But only at Vietnam II will you enjoy your pho while gazing upon an indoor koi pond, and browsing through a vast menu of other delicacies. Everything from deep fried quail to pig intestine porridge is available to the adventurous, along with Chinese standards like lo mein and fried rice. $4.95 (pho)-16.95 (fresh lobster).
Drink
- Edinburgh Castle, 950 Geary, 885-4074. Daily 5 PM-2 AM. Expatriates from the British Isles are often to be found at this Scottish pub. The interior is warm and shadowy, a comfortable place of dark wood and golden lantern light, and the beer selection is good; you can get pints of Belhaven or Newcastle as well as the ubiquitous Guinness, and it's all available by the pitcher. The Edinburgh Castle also has a relationship with a local fish and chips fryery, so you can order from their menu and have it delivered to you at the pub. The jukebox is well stocked with punk rock, Irish folk/rock, and American roots music, and live bands also play regularly (which can unfortunately make it impossible to carry on a conversation). A trivia contest is held on Thursday nights. And on Burns Night (January 25th), the Edinburgh Castle is the place to be, with ribald poetry readings, music, and a public haggis.
- The Gangway, 841 Larkin. Daily 6 AM-2 PM. This nautically-themed dive bar is home to a group of chatty regulars, mostly gay middle-aged men, who are friendly to newcomers of any age, gender, or sexual orientation. Many of them have lived in San Francisco for decades, and they have great stories. $2.50 domestic beer, $3.50 well drinks
- Hanaro, 939 Geary St, 928-4066. Just across from the Edinburgh Castle is a shadowy hole-in-the-wall festooned with Korean lettering: Hanaro. Though the bar is wallpapered with "No Smoking" signs (as California law demands), you need only loiter outside the bar for a few minutes with a cigarette before you are beckoned inside and offered an ashtray. In fact, Hanaro's great charm is it that it's accomodating in every respect; stay for a bit and you will be offered various bar snacks, and there is usually a hostess on hand whose only job is to chat with the patrons. This is done, however, with taste and tact; if you wish to drink in silence, you won't be disturbed. The jukebox is stocked with Asian pop singles.
- Julip
- Lush Lounge, 1092 Post, 771-2022. Daily 4 PM-2 AM. This brightly appointed, fashionable cocktail lounge is adorned with witty quotations from the likes of Dorothy Parker, and sometimes features live piano music courtesy of Spencer Day. The clientele is diverse, but skews towards young, hip gay men; the specials of the day are usually cheap, sweet, and highly alcoholic. http://www.thelushlounge.com/
- Olive
- Arrow Bar, 10 6TH St, 255-7920. Friday night brings out the darker side of the hipster crowd where local DJs spin a mix of trendy 80s, hip-hop, house, and anything else that gets your body moving music at this relatively small and dark lounge. Expect crazy hair styles, black clothes, and some fun people.
Entertainment:
- Hollywood Billiards
- Great American Music Hall
- Mitchell Brothers Theatre
