House of Nanking in San Francisco is the Kearny Street Sichuan-Cantonese hybrid since 1988, with a sesame chicken set by an opinionated counter.
Must order: Whatever the owner brings; tell him you trust the kitchen and let him pick three plates.
Tip: Skip the menu; ask the owner to feed you. Cash and card; the wait is shorter for lone diners at the counter.
Address: 919 Kearny St, San Francisco, CA 94133
Yuet Lee in San Francisco is the Chinatown all-night Cantonese counter at Stockton and Broadway, open to 03:00 with salt and pepper squid the late shift orders.
Try: Salt and pepper squid
Order: Salt and pepper squid plus a steamed live fish from the tank.
Tip: Cash only after midnight; the kitchen window seats fill the fastest at 23:30.
El Farolito in San Francisco is the Mission's all-night taqueria on 24th and Mission, with the super burrito al pastor the city eats at 01:00 every weekend.
Try: Super burrito al pastor
Order: Super burrito al pastor with everything, plus a Mexican Coke.
Tip: The 23:00 to 01:00 window has the fastest line of the night; arrive at 01:30 and the line stretches outside.
Bob's Donuts in San Francisco is the 24-hour Polk Street doughnut counter since 1960, with an apple fritter, a monster doughnut challenge and a 04:00 crowd.
Try: Apple fritter
Order: Buttermilk bar and an apple fritter, with a black coffee.
Tip: The buttermilk bar is the locals' order over the fritter; the back room takes overflow at 02:00.
Sam Wo in San Francisco is the Chinatown late-night Cantonese counter since 1912, with rice jook (congee), roast pork chow mein and three narrow floors of dining.
Try: Jook and roast pork chow mein
Order: Jook with thousand-year egg and pork, plus a side of roast pork chow mein.
Tip: The third-floor kitchen seats are the fastest service after midnight; ask for a window stool.
Marufuku Ramen in San Francisco is the Japantown Hakata tonkotsu counter, with a 36-hour pork bone broth and a late-night line that turns inside thirty minutes.
Try: Hakata tonkotsu ramen
Order: Hakata classic tonkotsu with extra garlic chips, plus the karaage on the side.
Tip: Digital waitlist before you head over; the late seating cuts the wait to twenty minutes.
Delarosa in San Francisco is the Marina pizza-and-cocktail counter, open to 01:00 on weekends, with a Brussels sprouts pizza and a tight aperitivo bar list.
Try: Brussels sprouts pizza
Order: Brussels sprouts pizza and a Negroni at the bar.
Tip: The 22:30 to midnight slot is the easiest walk-in window; the bar runs the full pizza menu after 23:00.
