Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated Southern restaurants in San Francisco using data from Yelp.
Highest-rated Southern restaurants in San Francisco by diners
Updated
When you travel below the Mason-Dixon Line, you’ll find some of the most mouthwatering, comforting cuisine in the U.S.: Southern food.
Southern dishes are a vital part of American cuisine, from hush puppies to ham hocks and beignets to barbecue. It’s impossible to define a classic Southern meal, but a solid one starts with the sharp savory flavor of pimento cheese dip, followed by the delicious crunchiness of fried chicken or a spicy Louisiana étouffée, culminating with a sugary slice of chess pie that’s best washed down with a tall glass of sweet tea.
What’s unique about Southern fare is that multiple ethnic and cultural groups have influenced it. Spanish staples, such as potatoes and cocoa, are in many Southern dishes; the Acadians, who traveled to Louisiana from Nova Scotia and later became Louisiana Creoles, contributed their seafood to many Southern meals; African ingredients—okra, sorghum (an ancient grain), and black-eyed peas—became a part of the cuisine through the forced labor of enslaved people; French cooking methods, like braising and sautéing, are used for many Southern recipes; and Native Americans introduced corn to Southern recipes, yielding dishes like succotash and grits.
The Southern culinary scene is an explosion of cultures. To find out where you can sample some Southern offerings, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated Southern restaurants in San Francisco using data from Yelp. Data is as of June 11, 2024. Businesses were selected using Yelp’s ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself. Only restaurants with at least 10 reviews were considered. In an effort to highlight independent restaurants and local chains, restaurants with more than five locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included.
Read on to find the perfect spot to get a taste of the South near you.
Note: The photos in this article are stock images and do not necessarily depict the specific restaurants listed or the dishes they serve.
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#12. Tupelo
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– Rating: 3.5/5 (306 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 1337 Grant Ave. San Francisco, California
– Categories: southern, bars, music venues
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#11. Queen’s Louisiana Po-Boy Cafe
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– Rating: 3.7/5 (735 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 33 The Embarcadero Ste 100 San Francisco, California
– Categories: cajun/creole, southern, seafood
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#10. Biscuits & Blues
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– Rating: 3.8/5 (498 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 401 Mason St. San Francisco, California
– Categories: jazz & blues, southern, lounges
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#9. Hard Knox Cafe
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– Rating: 3.8/5 (1947 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 2448 Clement St. San Francisco, California
– Categories: soul food, breakfast & brunch, southern
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#7. Hard Knox Cafe
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– Rating: 4.0/5 (2422 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 2526 3rd St. San Francisco, California
– Categories: soul food, southern, sandwiches
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#6. Brenda’s Meat & Three
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– Rating: 4.2/5 (1542 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 919 Divisadero St. San Francisco, California
– Categories: breakfast & brunch, southern, cajun/creole
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#5. Brenda’s French Soul Food
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– Rating: 4.2/5 (12272 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 652 Polk St. San Francisco, California
– Categories: breakfast & brunch, southern, cajun/creole
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#4. Gentilly
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– Rating: 4.3/5 (294 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 4826 Mission St. San Francisco, California
– Categories: southern, new american, cajun/creole
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#2. PoBoys Kitchen
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– Rating: 4.6/5 (257 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 317 Connecticut St. San Francisco, California
– Categories: southern, american, cajun/creole
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#1. Minnie Bells Soul Movement
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– Rating: 4.8/5 (26 reviews)
– Address: 1375 Fillmore St. San Francisco, California
– Categories: soul food, chicken wings, southern
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Rasha Aly, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 143 metros.
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Originally published on stacker.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.
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