Street food$Fridays 17:00-22:00, April to October
Off the Grid Friday Night at Fort Mason in San Francisco is the city's largest food-truck gathering, with 30-plus operators and a bay-view picnic lawn.
Try: Rotating food trucks (Friday night market)
Tip: Arrive at 17:00 sharp for the shortest lines; bring cash for the trucks that still take cards slowly.
Street food$Mon to Fri 07:30-14:30, closed weekends
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 12:15-13:30.
Street food$Daily 10:00-22:00
El Toro Taqueria in San Francisco is the Valencia and 17th corner counter, a 1995-opened Mission taqueria with a strong al pastor and a quick burrito line.
Try: Mission taqueria counter
Tip: The taco al pastor with onion and coriander is the simplest, fastest order under five dollars.
Street food$Daily 10:00-21:00
Super Duper Burgers on 721 Market is the downtown counter of the Bay Area chain founded in the Castro in 2010, with Brandt Beef patties ground daily.
Try: Mini Burger and garlic fries
Tip: Mini Burger plus garlic fries with six-month aged cheddar is the under-fifteen-dollar order; add a Straus soft-serve shake if the line is short.
Street food$MissionDaily lunch through late evening
Panchita's on 16th Street in the Mission has been serving Salvadorian pupusas since 1989. Open daily lunch through late evening. At 3091 16th Street.
Try: El Salvadorian pupusas with cheese, beans, loroco
Street food$Daily 11:00-21:00
La Taqueria in San Francisco is Miguel Jara's Mission counter and a James Beard America's Classic, with the modern Mission burrito and a doubled-corn taco.
Try: Carnitas burrito and tacos
Tip: Ask for the dorado-style burrito; the kitchen sears it on the plancha for a crisp edge.