SFO In Airport or Handy Dining

[Holly Moore]

Depending on US AIR's promptness from Phialdelphia to SFO, I will have between two and six hours layover before a midnight flight to Hong Kong.

Any recommends for either an in-airport or an easy BART-ride light dinner?

[VenerableBede]

wander on over towards the international terminal food court where you can get ebisu sushi (it's outside of security). otherwise, you can take bart one stop south to millbrae. there is an in-n-out burger across the street from the stop.

[PamelaF]

SFO has a wide range of food options. There are all the usual chains, plus some outposts of Bay Area Restaurants.

Here's some info on the airport.

If you take the BART to the Millbrae station, in addition to the In n Out, the very upscale Cantonese restaurant Hong Kong FLower Lounge is also at that same intersection.

The town of Burlingame is a few miles further south (a short cab ride from the airport) it also has a lot of restaurant options.

Have great trip!

[ludja]

Does anyone have comments on Pisces in Burlingame?

I don't know if there is any connection still, but at one time it was a sister restaurant of Aqua in SF. (I've enjoyed meals at Aqua but have never been to Pisces.)

[eje]

Does anyone have comments on Pisces in Burlingame? 

I don't know if there is any connection still, but at one time it was a sister restaurant of Aqua in SF.  (I've enjoyed meals at Aqua but have never been to Pisces.)

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Pisces got pretty mixed reviews on Check Please! Bay Area this year.

Check Please: Pisces Reviews

Here's a good quote:

The dishes at Pisces were at best, passable and at worst, laughable. Pisces may get by in Burlingame, but it would not last a week in the city. Any true Bay Area foodie will be disappointed with the food, amused by the service, and outraged when the bill arrives.

[ludja]

Thanks for the updated review. It fits in what I've heard through the grapevine and friends. I heard the quality was much better when the restaurant initially opened and that maybe continued for a few years before a decline in quality set in.

[jrichman]

I'll be in terminal 1 this afternoon - what should I get - I want some local cuisine!

[ludja]

I'll be in terminal 1 this afternoon - what should I get - I want some local cuisine!

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Not sure which places are in terminal one--but some liquid refreshments to possible check out are Peet's Coffee (can buy some beans to take home as well) and either Gordon Biersch (garlic fries are tasty) or Anchor Steam Brewery.

Other resaurants that have local equivalents are Boudin Bakery (probably pretty good), Ebisu (sushi), Perry's (original "fern bar" with burgers, etc) and Il Fornaio (northern Italian). I have *no* idea how their airport versions of the restaurants are though...

Not food for lunch, but you may enjoy stopping in at See's Candy. It's an old fashioned chocolate shop which started in LA but which has been in the Bay area for decades as well.

Let us know what you try out and how it is! I fly out of SFO less frequently but appreciate having some tips from people that have tried some places. Happy flying.

[Holly Moore]

The Burger Joint in the International Terminal looks promising as long as they are willing to cook their burgers rare/med rare. Any info on their burgers and especially their fresh cut fries?

[Margaret Pilgrim]

Go local with a burrito at Andale. While not what you'd get on Mission Street, they are huge and pretty good.

Six hours is a long time. I have to ask if you have reciprocal entree to a Red Carpet or Alliance Club. It's worth a try.

Bon Voyage.

[eje]

The Burger Joint in the International Terminal looks promising as long as they are willing to cook their burgers rare/med rare.  Any info on their burgers and especially their fresh cut fries?

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I haven't been to the Burger Joint in the Airport; but, I have been to the one on Valencia Street. Very good Burgers, fries, and (real!) lemonade. Easily in my top 10 list of mid-price burgers in SF. Unfortunately, for some reason, they don't have a liquor license, so you can't enjoy a beer with your burger. Also, in my opinion, the shakes are only OK. They don't make malteds.

[Txacoli]

It is 20 minutes elapsed time to Zuni Café on Market Street from SFO. We often check in the required two hours early, dump the bags and drive or cab to Zuni.....or anywhere else in SF.

Trust me...all the food at SFO is awful. I once destroyed the aura of a gastronomic trip to Spain with an ill-advised food court Asian food plate while waiting for the Airporter.

Take a cab.....or do a little research on BART. One of the best food cities in the world is 20 minutes away......forget the micro-waved, deep-fried dreck at the airport.

Same applies to Paris, by the way. On one three hour layover at CDG we had a bottle of champagne and a steak frites, climbed the Notre Dame, had a street crepe, had a Calvados and café au lait on the Left Bank, and listened to the ubiquitous Peruvian street musicians for a while.

Get outa the airport!

[eje]

It is 20 minutes elapsed time to Zuni Café on Market Street from SFO.  We often check in the required two hours early, dump the bags and drive or cab to Zuni.....or anywhere else in SF.

Trust me...all the food at SFO is awful.  I once destroyed the aura of a gastronomic trip to Spain with an ill-advised food court Asian food plate while waiting for the Airporter.

[...]

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I agree with the former sentiment; but, not so much the latter.

The food at SFO has greatly improved in the last couple years.

Sure, it's still possible to get a very bad overpriced meal there.

However, there are actually decent restaurants in the food court in the International Terminal.

The United terminal also has its share of fairly passable restaurants.

Anchor Brewing even have a little bar.

While they are not Zuni or Boulevard, I don't think any aura destruction will result if you decide not to leave the terminal.

[hzrt8w]

And one doesn't necessarily need to go to SF to have good food. There are a few excellent Chinese restaurants just across on the other side of freeway 101 - along El Camino Real in Millbrae. 1 mile away. Fook Yuen and Zen Peninsula are two that I really like - for dim sum and dinner. I would not recommend Hong Kong Flower Lounge though.

[JAZ]

I think the 20 minutes to Zuni is overoptimistic -- 20 minutes actual travel time, maybe (with little traffic), but that's not counting the time to get a cab, much less rent a car. BART's convenient, but depending on the schedule, I'd say it's at least 45 minutes to the city.

That being said, I think if I had six hours, I'd leave the airport, but for only two hours, I'd stay. As Erik said, it's not all bad. The Anchor bar has great beer, but the food is not that great. However, Perry's is very good for pub food -- good sandwiches and burgers with (I think) housemade potato chips. Good Bloody Marys too -- made from scratch instead of a mix.

[Holly Moore]

Thanks for the info. Alas, US AIR was a couple of hours late and I'm battling time zones. Despite all this great advice, I headed to Singapore Air's Silver Kris lounge and made a dinner of dumplings and smoked salmon.