San Francisco has a reputation as a forty-dollar-entrée city, and it has earned it. It is also a city where four people can eat extremely well for thirty dollars total, if you know where to stand in line. These are the places we take our own kids.
Burritos and Taquerias
La Taqueria
The Mission institution and a James Beard America’s Classic. No rice in the burrito, which locals argue about endlessly. Ask for it dorado, pan-fried crisp on the outside.
2889 Mission St · About $12–15 a person
El Farolito
The late-night standard, with several locations in the Mission and Excelsior. The super quesadilla suiza feeds two smaller kids on its own.
2779 Mission St and 2950 24th St · About $10–14 a person
Taqueria Cancún
The other side of the Mission burrito debate, with a famous vegetarian version and a carne asada that regulars swear by.
2288 Mission St and 3211 Mission St · About $10–13 a person
Chinatown and Dim Sum
Good Mong Kok Bakery
A takeout counter with a line out the door, selling cha siu bao, siu mai and rice noodle rolls by the piece. Cash only, no seating. Take it to Portsmouth Square or St. Mary’s Square.
1039 Stockton St · About $5–8 a person · Cash only
Golden Gate Bakery
The egg custard tarts people line up around the block for. Famously unpredictable hours, cash only, and worth checking before a special trip.
1029 Grant Ave · A couple of dollars a tart · Cash only
Hon’s Wun-Tun House
Wonton noodle soup in a bowl bigger than a toddler’s head, in Chinatown and out on Irving Street. A sit-down option with actual chairs.
648 Kearny St, 733 Washington St, 1830 Irving St · About $10–14 a person
Good Luck Dim Sum
The Clement Street counter, another Beard America’s Classic, selling baked bao and dumplings by the piece for pocket change. Takeout only.
736 Clement St · About $8–10 a person
Pizza, Noodles and Sandwiches
Golden Boy Pizza
Square Sicilian slices in North Beach, best eaten standing up. The clam and garlic slice is the one, but kids will want the cheese.
542 Green St, also 1447 Taraval St · About $5–6 a slice
Arizmendi Bakery
A worker-owned co-op in the Inner Sunset with one rotating pizza a day and very good morning buns. Closed Mondays.
1331 9th Ave · About $5 a slice · Tue–Sun 7:30am–6pm
Saigon Sandwich
Banh mi in the Tenderloin for the price of a coffee, and one of the best value lunches in the city. Small, busy, and typically cash only, so bring bills.
Larkin St, Tenderloin · About $5–6 a sandwich
King of Thai Noodle
Open late, generous portions, and easy with kids. Pad see ew is the crowd-pleaser.
184 O’Farrell St · Sun–Thu until 11:30pm, Fri–Sat until 12:30am
Suzu Noodle House
Ramen and udon in the Japan Center mall, with the bookstore and the paper shop next door for after. Counter service, quick, kid-tolerant.
1825 Post St, Japantown · About $12–15 a person
Neighborhood Classics
Bill’s Place
A Clement Street diner doing burgers and milkshakes with a back patio, and one of the few places on this list with room for a stroller and a real table.
2315 Clement St · About $12–16 a person · Daily from 10am
Marnee Thai
A family-run Sunset standby on Irving, good for a proper sit-down dinner that will not wreck the week’s budget.
2225 Irving St
El Porteño Empanadas, Ferry Building
The Ferry Building is expensive, but the empanada counter is not. Two each plus a shared pastry gets a family fed with a view of the bay.
1 Ferry Building · A few dollars an empanada
Food Truck Markets
Off the Grid runs food-truck markets around the city, including at Fort Mason, where admission is free and most items run eight to fifteen dollars. Schedules change seasonally, so check before you drive over.
Where Can a Family Eat for Under Fifteen Dollars a Head?
The cheapest food in San Francisco is usually a counter with no chairs. Plan where you will sit, and bring cash.
| Place | Neighborhood | Per person | Cash only? | Seating? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saigon Sandwich | Tenderloin | About $5–6 | Usually | No |
| Good Mong Kok | Chinatown | About $5–8 | Yes | No |
| Golden Boy Pizza | North Beach | About $5–6 a slice | No | Standing |
| Good Luck Dim Sum | Inner Richmond | About $8–10 | Check | No |
| La Taqueria | Mission | About $12–15 | Often | Yes |
| Hon’s Wun-Tun House | Chinatown | About $10–14 | No | Yes |
| Bill’s Place | Inner Richmond | About $12–16 | No | Yes, with a patio |
Prices and hours were checked in September 2026 and can change, so confirm before you go.
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Read the guide →Questions People Ask About Cheap Family Eats in San Francisco
Where can you eat cheaply in San Francisco with kids?
The Mission for burritos, Chinatown and Clement Street for dim sum by the piece, North Beach and the Inner Sunset for pizza slices, and the Tenderloin for banh mi. Most of these are counters rather than restaurants, so pick up food and eat it in Dolores Park, Washington Square or Portsmouth Square.
Which San Francisco restaurants are cash only?
Several of the best cheap ones. Good Mong Kok Bakery and Golden Gate Bakery in Chinatown are cash only, Saigon Sandwich is typically cash only, and La Taqueria is widely reported as cash only. Bring bills if these are on your list.
Is a Mission burrito worth the hype?
Yes, and the argument is part of the fun. La Taqueria makes its without rice and pan-fries the tortilla if you ask for it dorado; El Farolito is the late-night standard; Taqueria Cancún is the other side of the debate. All three land between ten and fifteen dollars a head.
Where can a family with a stroller actually sit down cheaply?
Bill’s Place on Clement Street has tables and a back patio, Hon’s Wun-Tun House has chairs and enormous bowls of noodle soup, and Arizmendi in the Inner Sunset has counter seating and a daily pizza. Most of the cheapest places on our list are takeout counters with no seats at all.
More to Explore
Happening Soon
- Treasures of the Pharaohs Sat, Aug 1, 2026 – Jan 31, 2027 · de Young Museum
- Ferry Plaza Farmers Market Sat, Sep 12 – Dec 31 · Ferry Building Plaza
- Heart of the City Farmers Market Sun, Sep 13 – Dec 31 · Fulton Plaza, Civic Center
- Civic Center Soundtrack: Free Lunchtime Concerts (Tue & Thu, through October) Thu, Oct 1–29 · Fulton Plaza
Places to Check Out
- Alta Plaza Park Parks & Playgrounds
- Andytown Coffee Roasters (Lawton St) Coffee Shops
- Aquarium of the Bay Attractions
- Asian Art Museum Museums
Cite this page: Project SF, “Cheap Family Eats in San Francisco”, projectsf.com/guides/cheap-family-eats-san-francisco/ (updated ).