Atypical “Mall” Food in San Francisco

Leave it to San Francisco to have a gourmet food court.

A few years ago, the famous Emporium building, which houses a beautiful dome (that may or may not have survived the 1906 quake), was reopened as the Westfield, anchored by San Francisco’s first Bloomingdale’s. It also houses the most extensive number of food options I’ve ever seen at a mall this size.

The main court is found at the bottom of the mall, and is called “The Emporium.” There, you can find Out the Door, the to-go option for the lauded Slanted Door restaurant (Vietnamese). Straight ahead of that, you’ll see Beard Papa, which serves popular cream puffs. Continue down the line and you’ll find all sorts of cuisine: Thai, gelato, pasta, Mexican, a steakhouse, an outlet of the local Bistro Burger, and Askew Grill, another local favorite. Right outside of Bloomies is ‘Wichcraft, the San Francisco location of the famous Bryant Park sandwich shop. There is also a Bristol Farms supermarket, which has a wide variety of freshly prepared food, including sandwiches, soups, a salad bar, sushi…you get the picture.

What won’t you see? In the Emporium, you won’t find the typical chain stores you see in many food courts (i.e. Hot Dog on a Stick, Sbarro). If you can’t live without these, the basement of the old section of the mall, right next door, has Panda Express, Rubio’s, and a Wetzel’s Pretzels.

If you’re craving something a little more upscale, head to the top floor, where you’ll find several sit-down restaurants. Again, these are not what you usually find in malls…All of the restaurants on the top floor are those you would visit to start your date night, or nice night out on the town.

Westfield is located on Market Street and Powell, across the street from the Cable Car turnaround.