12 must-visit Bernal Heights restaurants for every craving

Nestled in the heart of San Francisco, nearby equally sweet and low-key Noe Valley, Bernal Heights is a charming and vibrant neighborhood that offers a community vibe with its tree-lined streets, colorful houses and a lively commercial strip on Cortland Avenue. This laid back, family-friendly neighborhood exudes a relaxed and bohemian ambiance, attracting residents and visitors alike with its diverse array of quaint shops, cozy cafes and a variety of culinary offerings.

From innovative fine dining to hole-in-the-wall joints, here’s where you should be eating and drinking in and around Bernal Heights.

If you’re looking for a cozy restaurant (with a parklet) where you can fill up on flavor-packed, wholesome food, this is it. Using family recipes, the owners of United Dumplings have put together a menu that features traditional boiled, steamed and pan-fried dumplings and Chinese dishes with a Californian twist. The restaurant, which also has outposts in the Marina and Oakland’s Rockridge neighborhood, features items you’re not likely to find at typical dumpling spots, including the Mission chicken pot stickers with sweet corn and mozzarella, chicken mushroom truffle dumplings, and the jumbo soup XLB dumpling that’s as big as your head.

Find it: United Dumplings, 525 Cortland Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94110; 415-658-7363

This is a hole-in-the-wall spot that is 100% worth stopping by when you’re craving the bold flavors of Nepal and free wine refills (yes, they are that generous!). This cozy, welcoming restaurant offers classic Himalayan momos or steamed dumplings with a house-made sesame, chili and chutney sauce, a variety of fragrant curries with lamb, chicken or seafood, and more, all with optional spice levels. Be sure to round out your meal with buttery naan or rice.

Find it: Cuisine of Nepal, 3486 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94110; 415-647-2222

Find it: 3rd Cousin, 919 Cortland Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94110; 415-814-3709

This little spot offers a menu of authentic Vietnamese cuisine that hails from the country’s southern Bac Lieu province. Homestyle dishes range from Vietnamese crepes (banh xeo) and bac lieu noodle soup (bun mam) to loaded rice and vermicelli combo platters. Savory bowls of generously portioned meat-filled pho and steamy, rich bun bo hue make it a go-to for lovers of Vietnamese food. This is a simple, no-frills restaurant that delivers on flavor.

This is the place to go for Detroit-style pizza in Bernal Heights, and a great spot when you’re craving that classic brews and pizza combo. They’ve got a selection of beers on tap, as well as wines and sangria, all of which are perfect to pair with an array of pizzas that include both classics and innovative pies like the Oh Shishito with spicy salametto and the Umaminous Decision with shimeji mushrooms. The spot also offers shared plates that include tempura veggies, house pickles and Caesar salad.

This neighborhood favorite for comforting Southern food offers a menu full of hearty dishes like their famous fried chicken and spicy shrimp and grits alongside indulgent sides like the ham hock collards, mashed potatoes and gravy and biscuits. Want to start the weekend off right? Check out their brunch menu, which features an all-star selection including (of course) fried chicken and waffles, beignets with chocolate sauce, eggs Benedict and more. Expect to leave very full, and very happy. 

Find it:The Front Porch, 65 29th Street (at Tiffany Avenue), San Francisco, CA 94110; 415-695-7800

If you’re in the mood for beer, games and a fun, buzzy atmosphere, this is the place to go. Barebottle was founded by three friends and beer enthusiasts, who after years of entering and judging beer competitions decided that it was time to start a brewery themselves. Barebottle crafts inventive beers that draw inspiration from the San Francisco Bay Area, utilizing local ingredients as much as possible. They also collaborate with local homebrewing groups to create novel brews that push the boundaries of flavor and craftsmanship. This warehouse-like brewery offers shuffleboard, pinball and one of just a few Killer Queen consoles in the city, alongside a rotating roster of food trucks, coffee and wine.

Located right on the outskirts of Bernal Heights is Mitchell’s Ice Cream, arguably the best ice cream in San Francisco. Since 1953, this family-run parlor has been scooping a selection of flavors ranging from classics like grasshopper pie and cookies and cream to more exotic tropical flavors made with imported tropical fruits from the Philippines. In fact, they credit themselves with bringing mango ice cream to the Bay Area back in the early 1960s. On any given evening there’s a line out the door, especially if the weather is nice. Be patient, it’s worth the wait! Don’t miss out on their sundaes, splits or milkshakes, or try Halo Halo, an ice cream flavor based on a traditional Filipino dessert. 

Opened in 2014, this cute coffee shop offers both coffee and tea; its main roaster is San Francisco-based Linea Caffe. Pinhole is a colorful little spot that features a rainbow wall and a mural, along with local artists’ work. When it comes to pastries, Pinhole works with a mix of small bakeries in the Bay Area and serves classic and mochi treats, as well as vegan and gluten baked goods. The sparkling iced Americano and sparkling iced matcha are personal favorites, where the quality of the base ingredients really shine. Each is effervescent and always hits the spot, depending if I’m in the mood for coffee or tea.

Find it: Pinhole Coffee, 231 Cortland Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94110; 415-364-8257

Dolly Parton portraits, rainbow disco lights and kitschy decor make Emmy’s Spaghetti Shack stand out, but it’s the classic Italian-American cuisine that keeps the patrons coming. Get ready for generous portions of spaghetti and meatballs, orecchiette asiago with pancetta, fettuccine chicken alfredo and more at this neighborhood favorite. A big plus: On Tuesdays from 5-7 p.m., kids 12 and under eat free!

If you can’t choose between your favorite Thai and Japanese dishes, don’t. At Nute’s, you can enjoy a flavorful, rich khao soi gai bowl and a piping hot, spicy miso ramen — all you have to do is bring your appetite. Featuring a selection of both Thai and Japanese noodle dishes, this intimate restaurant also offers daily specials and sharable small plates like deep fried squid legs, karaage and gyoza. Though you’ll likely have to wait for a seat, it’s well worth it.

Find it: Nute’s, 903 Cortland Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94110; 415-260-0192

For a night out complete with dancing, disco lights and a fun, lively ambiance, Mothership, which sits in between the Mission and Bernal Heights, should be your new go-to. Formerly Virgil’s Sea Room, this hip bar offers patio garden space for those rare warm city nights and refreshing cocktails, including the Knee Deep with mezcal, chile ancho and a Sichuan salt rim, and the Twin Palms with gin, montenegro, grapefruit, honey and lemon.

Find it: Mothership, 3152 Mission St., San Francisco, CA 94110

This story was edited by Hearst Newspapers Associate Editor Clint Davis; you can contact him at clint.davis@hearst.com.