Restaurants in San Francisco: Key Takeaways
- San Francisco has approximately 4,232 restaurants across multiple neighborhoods and districts.
- Full-service restaurants are the predominant type, totaling about 2,500 venues.
- Mexican and Chinese cuisines are popular, with over 230 and 180 restaurants respectively.
San Francisco boasts an impressive dining scene with 4,232 restaurants. This article provides a detailed breakdown by area, category, and cuisine, highlighting why exact restaurant counts can vary.
Explore the distribution of eateries in San Francisco’s neighborhoods and examine various types like full-service, fast food, alongside prominent cuisines such as Mexican and Italian. For a look at trends citywide, see this analysis of Bay Area restaurant trends in 2025.
Restaurants in San Francisco: Key Takeaways- Breakdown of Restaurants in San Francisco by Area
- Breakdown of Restaurants in San Francisco by Category
- Breakdown of Restaurants in San Francisco by Cuisine
- Official San Francisco Records and Registered Restaurant Businesses
- Restaurants in San Francisco Listed on Google and Other Online Platforms
- Why Restaurant Counts in San Francisco Vary and Conclusion
Breakdown of Restaurants in San Francisco by Area
Here is an overview of restaurant numbers across key San Francisco neighborhoods and districts.
| Area | Number of Restaurants |
|---|---|
| Downtown | 800 |
| Mission District | 600 |
| Chinatown | 400 |
| North Beach | 350 |
| Sunset | 300 |
| Richmond | 300 |
| Castro | 250 |
| Haight Ashbury | 200 |
| SoMa | 150 |
| Tenderloin | 100 |
| Other | 532 |
Downtown stands as the bustling core with about 800 restaurants. The Mission District and Chinatown are vital culinary hubs with 600 and 400 establishments, illustrating the city's rich diversity.
Neighborhoods like North Beach, Sunset, and Richmond provide substantial dining options between 300 to 350 venues, reflecting San Francisco’s varied and vibrant food culture.
Discover more about restaurants across the San Francisco Bay Area for insights into neighboring culinary scenes.
Breakdown of Restaurants in San Francisco by Category
This table categorizes San Francisco's restaurant types to show their relative prevalence.
| Category | Approximate Count |
|---|---|
| Full-Service Restaurants | 2500 |
| Fast Food and Quick-Service Restaurants | 1400 |
| Cafés and Coffee Shops | 600 |
| Bars and Pubs | 442 |
| Food Trucks and Street Food Vendors | 250 |
| Pop-up Restaurants | 50 |
| Ghost Kitchens and Virtual Restaurants | 70 |
Full-service restaurants lead with approximately 2,500 venues, offering classic dining experiences. Fast food and quick-service options are also significant, with about 1,400 establishments.
The city embraces diversity with cafés, bars, food trucks, and emerging concepts like ghost kitchens, capturing the dynamic nature of San Francisco’s food scene. If you operate a fast-casual spot, familiarizing yourself with the fast food worker job description can help streamline hiring and training.
Breakdown of Restaurants in San Francisco by Cuisine
The culinary landscape of San Francisco includes various cuisines, represented below by restaurant counts.
| Cuisine | Approximate Number |
|---|---|
| Mexican | 238 |
| Chinese | 189 |
| Italian | 102 |
| Japanese | 95 |
| American | 86 |
| Korean | 46 |
| Other | 3476 |
Mexican cuisine is widely favored with about 238 restaurants, closely followed by Chinese dining at 189 venues. Italian and Japanese cuisines enrich the city's offerings with nearly 100 establishments each.
American and Korean food also contribute to the diverse palate of San Francisco, while the substantial “Other” category reflects the city's broad and eclectic culinary scene.
San Francisco also features world-renowned restaurants. Read more in the Michelin-starred restaurants coverage to see how the city compares to other culinary capitals.
Official San Francisco Records and Registered Restaurant Businesses
The City of San Francisco maintains official records through health departments and business licensing for all registered food establishments. These precise records ensure venues meet safety and regulatory standards.
Such official data forms the authoritative count of operational and licensed restaurants within San Francisco’s jurisdiction, serving as a baseline for restaurant population statistics.
For those hiring and managing teams, see proven strategies for finding restaurant staff in competitive markets like San Francisco.
Restaurants in San Francisco Listed on Google and Other Online Platforms
Online platforms like Google Maps compile publicly listed and actively operating restaurants. These counts can differ from official records due to reliance on user-submitted updates and online presence.
Consequently, these platforms mainly reflect venues with an active online footprint, and might exclude newly opened, temporarily closed, or unlisted restaurants, resulting in number variations.
For owners and managers focused on hiring, our guide on writing effective job descriptions is a useful resource to attract top talent for your restaurant.
Why Restaurant Counts in San Francisco Vary and Conclusion
Restaurant numbers in San Francisco vary due to diverse data collection methods, definitions, and inclusion criteria. Some records count only officially registered venues, while others incorporate informal food businesses and transient eateries.
Ultimately, San Francisco’s dining landscape remains a vibrant and evolving sector with over 4,200 restaurants, showcasing its cultural diversity and dynamic culinary innovation.
If you’re recruiting front-of-house team members, learn more about the waitress job description to refine your hiring process.
Additionally, managers can benefit from our recommendations on strategies to retain restaurant staff and reduce turnover in a competitive hospitality environment.
