Looking for the best restaurants in Bernal Heights, San Francisco? We’re here to help. Bernal Heights is a popular San Francisco community with a small-town, tucked-away vibe yet still conveniently close to many vibrant neighborhoods and downtown. Along with the eponymous Bernal Hill, Bernal Heights has great community amenities, parks and many restaurants, cafes and salons lining its main thoroughfare on Cortland Avenue. Keep reading to see our top picks of where to eat at restaurants in Bernal Heights!
Best Breakfast & Brunch in Bernal Heights
About Mix Traditions: A New American brunch spot that opened in 2019, Mix Traditions is already a Bernal Heights favorite. The menu offers both traditional and innovative takes on breakfast classics like burritos and omelets (try the “Cortland” with hot links sausage, tomatoes, onions, arugula and cheese), mouth-watering chilaquiles, huevos rancheros and chorizo. Like many of the following Bernal Heights restaurants, Mix Traditions is not just a one-trick-breakfast-pony. It has a full (and fabulous) lunch and dinner menu too!
About Moonlight Cafe: A local favorite for over 30 years, Moonlight Cafe is a casual breakfast and lunch spot with great food at reasonable prices. The menu has all of your American breakfast classics like pancakes, eggs and bacon as well as some more unique items like the “Moonlight Special” (a spinach, mushroom and feta cheese omelet) or the “Cobb Club” (a club sandwich with turkey, avocado, bacon, hard-boiled egg and blue cheese). For lunch, they have sandwiches, burgers and salads – all of which can be made vegetarian or vegan upon request.
About Four Chairs: Another great New American restaurant in Bernal Heights, Four Chairs is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The menu changes seasonally, but some of their most popular dishes include the “Eggs in a Hole” (toasted sourdough bread with two eggs cooked your way and served with roasted potatoes), the “Smoked Salmon Benedict” (two poached eggs, smoked salmon, dill hollandaise sauce and breakfast potatoes) and the “Four Chairs Burger” (a grass-fed beef burger with cheddar cheese, bacon, avocado, tomato and crispy onions on a brioche bun).
About Café St. Jorge: A neighborhood staple since 2004, Café St. Jorge is a great place for breakfast, brunch or lunch. The menu features both American and Brazilian favorites like pancakes, eggs, omelets, sandwiches, salads and burgers as well as some more unique items like the “Pao de Queijo” (a Brazilian cheese bread).
About Universal Bakery: Universal Bakery is an artisanal Guatemalan bakery and café. This is a super popular spot for its Pan Con Todo breakfast sandwiches, tamales, chile rellenos and more. If you are in the mood for a Latin-American-inspired breakfast, this little shop on the west side of Bernal Heights is a top choice!
Best Lunch & Dinner in Bernal Heights
About 3rd Cousin: A farm-to-table restaurant that sources most of its ingredients from local farms and purveyors, the menu at this classy Bernal Heights eatery changes seasonally. Some fan favorites include the “Roasted Brussels Sprouts” (with bacon, Parmesan cheese and lemon), the “Grilled Cheese Sandwich” (with roasted tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and pesto on sourdough bread) and the “Ricotta Gnocchi” (with wild mushrooms, kale and Parmesan cheese).
About The Front Porch: A neighborhood favorite since 2002, The Front Porch is a great place for lunch or dinner. The menu embodies Southern home cooking, featuring American comfort food classics like burgers, sandwiches, salads and pizzas. Try the “Fried Chicken Sandwich” (with bacon, avocado, tomato, lettuce and chipotle mayo on a brioche bun) or the “Porch Burger” (a grass-fed beef burger with cheddar cheese, bacon, avocado, tomato and crispy onions on a brioche bun).
About Nute’s: For ramen lovers, Nute’s Noodle Night is a Bernal Heights institution. In addition to top-notch ramen selections, Nute’s purveys an impressively wide assortment of Japanese craft beer and sake. If ramen ain’t your thing, try the yakisoba, drunken noodles or Thai khao soi (rich coconut broth with noodles).
About Piqueo’s: A Peruvian restaurant, Piqueo’s is a great place for lunch or dinner. The menu features classic Peruvian dishes like ceviche, lomo saltado and arroz con pollo as well as some more unique items like the “Aji de Gallina” (chicken stew with potatoes, bread and cheese) and the “Papa a la Huancaína” (boiled potatoes with cheese sauce).
About Vega: A pizzeria with a wood-fired oven, Vega Pizzeria is one of the best places for pizza in Bernal Heights. The menu features both classic and unique pies like the “Margherita” (with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and basil), the “Funghi” (with mushroom, truffle oil and Parmesan cheese), and the “Diavola” (with spicy salami, tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese).
About Blue Plate: A California-inspired diner, Blue Plate serves American fare with a Mediterranean twist, using the best Northern California produce and local farms. Start with a black truffle gnocchi or toasted farro and slow egg, then continue to a main course of Blue Plate meatloaf with mashed potatoes, blue lake green beans, or a pan roasted salmon with italian butter beans, escarole and taggiascha olive tartar. Yum!
About United Dumplings: A dumpling house that specializes in soup dumplings (a.k.a xiao long bao), United Dumplings is a must-try for any dim sum enthusiast. The menu features both traditional and unique flavors like the “Pork & Crab” soup dumpling, the “Chicken & Mushroom” soup dumpling and the “Lamb & Fennel” soup dumpling. But it’s not all dumplings! With a full menu of cold appetizers, hot dishes, hand-pulled noodles, pot stickers and more—including a hefty assortment of adult beverages—United Dumplings might be your new go-to spot.
Best Coffee & Treats in Bernal Heights
About Progressive Grounds: A neighborhood favorite, Progressive Grounds is a great place for coffee, breakfast and a whole lot more. The corner location on Cortland Ave welcomes you with the cozy trappings of a community cafe, plus a patio for your outdoor dining and sipping pleasure.
About Pinhole Coffee: Pinhole aims to be more than a cafe. Their mission is to stimulate the senses through coffee, art and community—and it’s clear as soon as you enter that this is what they’ve achieved! Pinhole sources most of its coffee from local roasters
Linea. They also serve
Blue Willow Tea, organic matcha and tasty pastries, all surrounded by the inspiring decor of featured art from local artists.
About Cafeto Coffee Shop: A hidden gem, rustic and delightful, Cafeto serves up easy-going vibes along with great fresh coffee and sandwiches. It’s a bit south from the main Cortland Ave drag of Bernal Heights, but many patrons are happy to go a bit out of their way for the inviting ambience and quality fare here at Cafeto. This is the definition of a cozy neighborhood cafe!
About Little Bee Baking: Little Bee is an organic bakery in Bernal Heights focused on local and seasonal ingredients. Located smack-dab on the Cortland Corridor, Little Bee offers a selection of fruit tarts, cakes, cookies, and other treats for folks just walking by or looking to custom-order for an event. They also offer a cool range of Take & Bake cookie, pizza and pie doughs, plus ready-to-buy homemade preserves, Irving’s Challah Bread, Bernal Bakery Loaves, Chef Steph granola and Bernal Bears honey.
About Black Jet Baking Co: Have you ever wanted a neighborhood bakery that does sweet AND savory? Black Jet Baking has that in spades, with both an amazing assortment of pies, cakes, cupcakes, breads and cookies, and the most incredible chicken or mushroom pot pies, meatballs and sandwiches. They even do pizza on Saturdays (and dang is it good)! Black Jet is a Bernal Heights mainstay for good reason.
About Mitchell’s Ice Cream: Mitchell’s isn’t just one of the most popular spots in Bernal Heights; it’s one of the best-reviewed, most popular businesses in the whole city of San Francisco! This family-owned ice cream shop serves classic and creative flavors which they make in small batches right here on-site. Going on nearly 70 years in business, Mitchell’s Ice Cream is still serving up award-winning ice cream to locals and lucky visitors who happen to stop by.
The Best of Bernal Heights: Restaurants, Businesses, Real Estate & More
This is just a small sampling of some of the best restaurants in Bernal Heights. If you’re ever in the neighborhood, be sure to check out some of these local favorites! If you have any suggestions of your own, or if you have a
Bernal Heights Real Estate question for our team of
top Bernal Heights Realtors®, please don’t hesitate to
contact us. Talk soon, and bon appetit!
