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- Where to Catch Up With Old Friends
Life moves fast and gets busy. It can be hard to see all the people you’d like to as much as you’d want to. So when you have some catching up to do, reliability is the name of the game.
You’re going to want something uncomplicated with a hakuna matata vibe where the only pauses in conversation are to stuff your face with comfort food. Just be warned that these places can get packed, so you might want to save that catch up for a weeknight. Dig in:
🍢 Moku Yakitori-Ya / mokuyakitori.com
Mostly everything listed below // image credit: me
Few restaurants will put you at ease like Moku. It’s a tiny, open kitchen outpost where you’re perfumed with smoke and meat and a playlist that makes you wish you never had to leave.
Beyond ordering everything on a stick, the specials are actually special and the small plates pull their weight. The restaurant exudes warm Japanese hospitality that will have you planning your trip back before you’ve wrapped up dinner.
Order This ⬇️
Chicken karaage
Momo
Harami
Buta bara
Kurobuta
Bacon enoki
Lobster tail
Ebi
Nasu
Eryngii
NOTE: everything comes out pretty quickly so you’ll want to space out your ordering so things don’t get cold sitting on the table
🍝 Jackson Fillmore / jacksonfillmoresf.com
Bombolotti // image credit: Kyle on Google Maps
What Jackson Fillmore lacks in flair is made up multiple times over by consistently good, amply portioned trattoria fare and a true neighborhood vibe that’s hard to capture if you’re thinking too hard about a cocktail list.
Having operated for over 30 years, the restaurant joined other favorites House of Bagels, Sai’s Vietnamese, and Buena Vista as a San Francisco Legacy Business, so pull up a couple seats at the sushi bar or try to grab the big table in the back and enjoy a moment in pre-Tik Tok SF.
Order This ⬇️
Mozzarella fritti
Spaghetti alla carbonara
Bombolotti
Zabaglione
Eat Here 🔗 Reservations | Takeout | Map
🍔 Louie’s Bar / www.pourguys.com/louies-bar
The burger // image credit: Rilanda on Google Maps
You’ll be forgiven if you work in FiDi and haven’t been to Louie’s, which along with Automat and The Snug, rounds out the top burgers in SF. The bar is tucked away in an alley that only gives it more low-key cred (if not a lot of foot traffic).
With a kitchen that stays open until midnight, it isn’t a half bad place to find yourself deep in conversation and french fries with someone you haven’t seen in a while.
Order This ⬇️
Sweet Lou’s Bangkok chicken nuggets
The burger
Korean fried chicken sandwich
Sweet potato fries
Eat Here 🔗 Reservations: N/A | Delivery & Takeout: N/A | Map