Best of SF: 6 Yummy Takeout Options near Noe Valley

by Cynthia Cummins

Cynthia is owner and founder of Kindred SF Homes and a top San Francisco Realtor. Check out RealEstateTherapy.org for refreshing reflections on the meaning of home and for more “best real estate advice” (since 2013).

Reading time: 1 minute and 32 seconds

You can think about food all day long in San Francisco, and you can organize all your movements about town with your next meal in mind. (We do!) If your travels take you near Noe Valley, you may want to check out these 6 always-dependable eateries. (Or just call on your favorite delivery site to bring the proverbial bacon to you.)

1. Hi-way Burger  In our humble opinion, Hiway Burger gets the best-all-around-burger award for the city. That sesame bun! The onion options! Those fries! Friendly service! And the no-frills, one-step-above-a-swimming-pool-snack-bar ambiance makes it pretty much perfect.
2. Firefly  We’ve been frequenting Firefly for a quarter century already. (Dating ourselves, yet again.) It’s the place that feels a little bit like home, except the food is better and, unlike most noisy restaurants, you can have a dinner conversation without shouting. For special occasions or for last-minute weeknight repasts, it was our go to. Now it’s our “to go” instead.
3. The Little Chihuahua  It’s a fun coincidence that the name’s abbreviation is TLC. For the comfort of Mexican comfort food, there’s no place like TLC. Fried plantains and black beans anyone?
4. Hamano Sushi  Once a bit on the exquisitely ordinary side, Hamano has only improved with age. The Japanese cuisine is wonderful, with Tokyo-trained chef-owner Jiro Lin in the kitchen.
5. Lovejoy’s Tearoom Curbside crumpets? Queen’s tea for quarantine? Sausage rolls to roll? We never thought we’d see those combinations of words. But that’s okay! “No matter where you are in the world, you are at home when tea is served,” as Earlene Grey AKA Susan Patterson said.
6. Ardiana  No, we didn’t forget about pizza. (Though this almost-secret gem offers salads and pastas, too.) From chef Sharon Ardiana who also brought us Gialina in Glen Park and Ragazza in lower Pacific Heights.

Photo Credit: Jesson Mata