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Late Night Eats
#1
One of the enduring shames of San Francisco is that it has a nearly non-existent Late-Night Dining scene. For me, "Late-Night" starts at 10 p.m., when most restaurants around town are closing. It is also when I get done with work Monday through Thursday evenings. If you are ever visiting the Barbary Coast past the parochial closing time of most of the eateries and in need of a gnosh, here are some places to try. Please bear in mind that beggars are not at any time allowed to be choosers. If you want to be a "chooser", look for food before 10 p.m..

North Beach: Cavalli Caffe (Stockton at Columbus, next to the BofA). Italian food run by a strident Italian guy named Santo. Makes the food there from scratch and serves Danesi coffee from Rome. Good eats and great coffee. Serving until 1 a.m..

Calzone's: Columbus Ave near Vallejo. Owned by same company that owns the Stinking Rose restaurants. Generic Italian, serving until Midnight, sidewalk dining.

Yuet Lee, Broadway at Stockton. Chinese. Don't look at your food too closely, just eat.

Mission District: Pancho Villa, 16th Street between Mission and Valencia. Serving until midnight-ish. Very, very good and fresh mexican food.

El Farolito Mission and 24th Street. Burritos until 2 a.m.. Enough said.

Sparky's Diner. Church Street near Market (border of Mission and Castro). Open 24 hours and the crowd only gets more interesting as the night goes on. Play the "is that a dude or a chick?" game and have some fries.

Tenderloin: Bob's Donuts, Polk St. near Washington. Best damn hand-made donuts and always fresh late at night - that's when they start making them for morning deliveries.

Richmond District: King of Thai Noodle House. Three locations on Clement and Geary (near 4th and 6th streets).

24-hour Big Heart Video Cafe, Geary Blvd. Like Sparky's, but they always have action movies playing on the many large-screen TV's scattered around the place. Late night crowd is a mix of USF students, Triad guys and young Russian Mafia dudes.


Please add what you know to this list, either in Frisco or in your town.
In the Tudor Period, Fencing Masters were classified in the Vagrancy Laws along with Actors, Gypsys, Vagabonds, Sturdy Rogues, and the owners of performing bears.
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#2
The Taco Bell is open late. There's a Denny's. It sucks more than most Denny's. I think you can warm stuff up in the microwave at 7/11. :oops:
Shadow boxing the apocalypse
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#3
So a dear friend of mine from Germany drops in at the last minute for a quick, 24-hours-on-the-ground visit a few weeks back. She hasn't been to The States for a few years and it has been oh, 15 years since she lived here. Were staying in North Beach, a good food neighborhood in a great food town. Where does she want to have dinner? Taco Bell.

All I can say about TB is that your money goes a long way and that it was not as heinous as burger fast-food.
In the Tudor Period, Fencing Masters were classified in the Vagrancy Laws along with Actors, Gypsys, Vagabonds, Sturdy Rogues, and the owners of performing bears.
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#4
it's all about the nacho sauce.
Shadow boxing the apocalypse
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#5
Schmidt's Deli (Folsom & 20th St. Mission District, Sam Francisco) open from 11am to 11pm. No vegetarians need apply (except for the salads and herbed spaetzel and deserts). Designed to be more of a "sausage/cured meat and beer" place, it will satisfy your meaty needs. Limited dinner menu, seasonal greens, great beer, sly Teutonic waitresses (waitressi?). Good food, good time.

I had the "Slaughter Plate" (of course) which was head-cheese and blood & toungue coldcuts served with breads, pickles, two types of mustard. The blood & toungue was a surprise with the hint of cinnamon and no saltiness. My friends had the leberkaase (German "spam" made with veal and pork) served with a fried egg and caramelized onions on top. "Leberkaase" means "liver-cheese" but is neither "liver" nor "cheese". Go figure. My other friend had the Schinken Teller ("ham plate") which had several different cured meats and was very, very tasty.

Beers? Oh, yes.
In the Tudor Period, Fencing Masters were classified in the Vagrancy Laws along with Actors, Gypsys, Vagabonds, Sturdy Rogues, and the owners of performing bears.
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#6
TTT 4 2022 & the Cruz.

On Ocean there’s a Denny’s that I’ve never ever been in. There’s also Santa Cruz diner just a few blocks away and that rocks. The do a fab salmon salad, and great pho, plus plenty of traditional diner fare -   burgers, breakfast, sammies - the downside is the late night menu is limited so when I’m there after hours, it’s grilled cheese usually. I’d hit it coming home after shows occasionally and was getting into that ritual until the pandemic. Haven’t been there since.

TTT inspired by Midnight Diner on Netflix.
Shadow boxing the apocalypse
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#7
I haven't been to SC Diner in forever, but I recall the pho was served in a kitchen sink-sized bowl. 

--tv
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#8
Here in Fog City we have been saved by the Koreans and their late-night drinking culture. Several Korean places are serving until midnight. My co-coaches & I just went to Toyose on Noriega St by the ocean. It looks like they built the restaurant inside someone’s house. The only downside is Korean beer, which is very boring.

That list I wrote from 2009, the original post, is a love-note to a city that no longer exists. Of that list, most are gone or switched to normal hours. Bob’s still rocks.
In the Tudor Period, Fencing Masters were classified in the Vagrancy Laws along with Actors, Gypsys, Vagabonds, Sturdy Rogues, and the owners of performing bears.
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#9
Full confession - I’ve never had SC diner pho. I’m not that into pho. I just know. I know about the pho.
Shadow boxing the apocalypse
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#10
I want to go to Sparky's.

Never mind. Just looked for it online....
As a matter of fact, my anger does keep me warm

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#11
Sadness. Long gone. "Best late-night-in SF" dining. Drag Queen waiters, turkey dinner all year round and chili-cheese fries. Milk shakes were great, too.
In the Tudor Period, Fencing Masters were classified in the Vagrancy Laws along with Actors, Gypsys, Vagabonds, Sturdy Rogues, and the owners of performing bears.
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#12
This brings back fond memories of going to Hamburger Mary's back in the 80s. That's the long gone SF.

I need to go to Bob's - I want one of their coffee cups.
the hands that guide me are invisible
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#13
Hamburger Mary’s! Another great memory. Better chilicheese fries than Sparky’s. We (the late-nite fencing crew) moved from Sparky’s to H. Mary’s when Sparky’s got bought and new management reduced the menu and the drag queen waitstaff all moved on.

Sparky’s, Hamburger Mary’s, New Dawn Cafe, Orphan Andy’s were all very much of the drag queen sensibility and they were wonderful. They built community and had a great time doing it.
In the Tudor Period, Fencing Masters were classified in the Vagrancy Laws along with Actors, Gypsys, Vagabonds, Sturdy Rogues, and the owners of performing bears.
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#14
I did enjoy being called "Sweetie" by a gravelly voiced guy with a beard.
the hands that guide me are invisible
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