Rooster & Rice in San Francisco is the Thai khao man gai counter, with poached chicken on rice cooked in chicken fat, for thirteen dollars across four sites.
Tip: Order the steamed and fried combo; you get both proteins for a couple of dollars more.
Address: 2211 Filbert St, San Francisco, CA 94123
Souvla in San Francisco is the Hayes Valley Greek spit-roast sandwich counter, with a lamb sandwich, a frozen Greek yogurt and a take-away built for a fast lunch.
Try: Lamb sandwich
Tip: Order ahead via the app and skip the 12:30 line; the frozen yogurt is the closer.
The Sentinel in San Francisco is Dennis Leary's South of Market lunch window, serving a corned beef and Russian dressing sandwich to a long FiDi office line.
Try: Corned beef sandwich
Tip: Order ahead via the website by 11:00; the window is a six-deep line from 12:15 to 13:30.
Bob's Donuts in San Francisco is the 24-hour Polk Street doughnut counter since 1960, with an apple fritter and a five-pound monster doughnut challenge.
Try: Apple fritter or buttermilk bar
Tip: Cash and card after 02:00; the buttermilk bar is the locals' order over the fritter.
Marufuku Ramen in San Francisco is the Japantown Hakata-style tonkotsu counter, with a 36-hour pork bone broth and a long queue that turns over fast.
Try: Hakata tonkotsu ramen
Tip: Get the digital waitlist before you head over; it cuts forty minutes off the wait.
El Toro Taqueria in San Francisco is the Mission Valencia and 17th corner counter, with a four-dollar al pastor taco and a quick burrito line at lunch.
Try: Al pastor taco
Tip: Taco al pastor with onion and coriander is the simplest, fastest order under five dollars.
La Taqueria in San Francisco is the Mission burrito and taco counter where a twelve-dollar lunch is the city's most-cited cheap eat, since 1973 with no concessions.
Try: Carne asada burrito or doubled-corn tacos
Tip: Get the dorado-style burrito; the kitchen sears it on the plancha for a crisp edge that costs nothing extra.
