lunchtime spot in SOMA?

October 12, 2007 10:55 AM

Where to take a take-out lunch in San Francisco's SOMA neighborhood..

I've lived in San Francisco before, but just moved back and started a new job, working in [sometimes gritty] South of Market neighborhood (9th and Mission).

Does anyone know a pleasant (indoor or outdoor) area to take a lunch from home/take-out, where I wouldn't have to buy anything to sit and eat in peace? My building has no proper lunch room, and it would be a treat to get out of the office at lunchtime..

thanks for any ideas!

posted by ethel to Grab Bag (21 answers total)

Outdoor: it's far from 9th and Mission, but South Park is my favorite SOMA outdoor spot for lunch, hands down. Yerba Buena (by the Metreon) is also good (between 3rd and 4th on Mission).

You might want to walk over to City Hall for lunch. They sometimes have a farmer's market type setup there, and there's lots of open space.
posted by zippy at 11:00 AM on October 12, 2007

Seconding South Park.

Also, if you head down fourth street, all the way to the end, and hang a right at the water, there's a peaceful cobblestone walk with benches and ducks and stuff.
posted by iamkimiam at 11:05 AM on October 12, 2007

yeah that's a tough location for pleasant hang-out spots. South Park is a little far to go on a lunch break. The farmers market is on United Nations Plaza which is usually a pretty grim spot to hang out. Civic Center Plaza can be a little nicer though there still will be some unpleasantries. I don't think you can eat in the main library proper but that's a thought.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 11:05 AM on October 12, 2007

Thirding South Park if possible.
posted by miss lynnster at 11:11 AM on October 12, 2007

Yerba Buena
posted by gnutron at 11:12 AM on October 12, 2007

I'd spend some time on Larkin up past the Civic Center. For bahn mi you've got Saigon Sandwich & Baguette express. Turtle Tower for Pho, Bodega Bistro for sit down Vietnamese food. A little closer is the Larkin Express Deli where you'll find surprisingly good Burmese food.

For something sweet Beard Papa across from the Metreon has great cream puffs.
posted by foodgeek at 11:16 AM on October 12, 2007

Folks, why are you recommending South Park!?

He's at 9th and Mission. South Park is 2 miles away.
The Octavia Green is closer to him than South Park.
posted by vacapinta at 11:16 AM on October 12, 2007

Sheesh people, South Park, while nice, is a mile and a half away. Once it's open, the Mint Plaza should be very nice (5th and Mission). I think opening weekend in November 2.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 11:18 AM on October 12, 2007

From Ninth and Mission? Nowhere. Unless you want your sandwich with a side of crack vials and shit. Civic Center is your closest park-like space. It leans more towards hookers than shit but could be pleasant on a nice day.

(Sometimes an honest answer is more helpful than a polite one.)
posted by Nelson at 11:18 AM on October 12, 2007

You can head up 9th into Hayes valley. Around Hayes, and Octavia there's a park and some lunch spots thats pretty nice.

(Stay inside though today its nasty out there ;-)
posted by bitdamaged at 11:30 AM on October 12, 2007

Here you go: Directions to Octavia Green.

A nice half-mile walk.

For future reference: The Neighborhoods Park Council.
posted by vacapinta at 11:31 AM on October 12, 2007

The State Employees Compensation Fund building is *exactly* what you want! It's on the corner of 8th and Market (1275 Market), and it's a big brownish-purpleish building. The main parts of the building aren't open to the public, but they have a cafeteria on the 2nd floor that's open and has both indoor and outdoor seating. Lots of people go there with their own food, and it's fine - you can enter into either the main seating area or go through the cafeteria part. If you don't have your own food, I think their cafeteria food is pretty good too!

You go in on Market Street, and veer slightly to the left, going around the area with the ID turnstiles and head for the special elevator, which will only take you to the second floor. There's always a security guard type person standing near it. If you get lost just ask where the Cafe is - I think it's called the Terrace Cafe.

Hey, we should do a metafilter lunch meetup there!
posted by jasper411 at 11:45 AM on October 12, 2007 [1 favorite]

Victoria Manalo Draves Park on Folsom between 6th & 7th is a nice big new park and it's only 4 1/2 blocks from 9th & Mission.
posted by muta at 11:50 AM on October 12, 2007 [1 favorite]

I used to work at 7th and Folsom. They cleared a lot and made a little park there about a year ago. Lots of fences and gates, but we used to eat lunch over there on nice days. It's only a few blocks away.

Also, the new Federal Building at 7th and Mission has some outdoor seating, and the building itself is open to the public.

South Park isn't too far if you have a bicycle.
posted by Jeff Howard at 11:55 AM on October 12, 2007 [1 favorite]

Tough area for outdoor eating, especially on a day like today.

The new Federal Building has a sky garden in it that's supposedly open to the public.

Civic Center Plaza is nice, but not UN Plaza.

If you had a bike, there would be a lot of awesome places around 2nd, 3rd, and 4th open to you - South Park, Yerba Buena Gardens, etc.
posted by migurski at 12:01 PM on October 12, 2007

Brainwash isn't too far away.
posted by aubilenon at 2:35 PM on October 12, 2007

If you have a Fast Pass, maybe take BART down to Embarcadero and then eat at Justin Herman Plaza or Pier 7. Probably just as fast as anywhere worth walking to. Me, I loved Pier 7 when I was working down in that area.
posted by donpedro at 2:46 PM on October 12, 2007

There's a little garden at Howard and Langton (near 7th) that I believe is open to the public. Directly behind Brainwash Cafe. Here.
posted by bendy at 7:44 PM on October 12, 2007 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: wow, thanks everyone, I kind of thought this was an impossible question!

I'm going to go check them out soon, when the weather clears up..

thanks again!!
posted by ethel at 8:25 PM on October 12, 2007

I work in the same neighborhood. Slim pickings. As you know, the neighborhood sucks. Here are my recommendations.

1. Wednesdays there's a farmers market at the civic center. You can actually buy your lunch there and eat outside. Pick a spot to sit inside the market area. If you sit too far on the fringe you end up getting pestered by "the element".

2. The new federal building cited above looks promising. They have an open space between the buildings with a lot of seating. I haven't tried this yet but it's a public space.

3. A new park opened up this year on Folsom Street between 6th and 7th. This is the absolute closest thing you're going to find to a public park. The next option being Yerba Buena. On the occasions I have visited it has been surprising free of crackheads.

4. In the near future they are opening up a European-style street (cafes, shops, etc.) next to the old US Mint. It's still under heavy construction; located just south of 5th and Market.

Some warnings:

The people upthread telling you to go to South Park are high. It's too far away to be practical. You might as well go to North Beach for lunch.

That little garden behind Brainwash cited above is not a public garden. It's a neighborhood vegetable garden. If you go there you will find a locked gate and some guy sitting outside wanting to sell you crack.

The rules for walking to these places are
- wear sunglasses
- iPod on
- ignore everyone
- take care not to step in feces

Have fun!
posted by quadog at 11:36 PM on October 12, 2007

In case you pass again through these musty old corridors, you might find some solutions in this article. Don't miss this map of sites.
posted by donpedro at 10:19 AM on March 23, 2008