From rich gumbo to spicy jambalaya and indulgent beignets, when you want a flavorful taste of some comforting soul food in the SF Bay Area, these absolutely delightful Creole and New Orleans-style restaurants will truly make you feel right at home in the south.
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652 Polk St / (415) 345-8100 / Website
Brenda's is the soul food staple in San Francisco. Since 2007, this cozy landmark has been dishing up all of the southern, Creole, and French classics to their constant lines of adoring patrons.
With also Brenda's Meat and Three on Divisadero, you can expect a homestyle ambience, rich cuisine with the finest quality of meat and produce, and of course, their famously indulgent and fluffy beignet flights! We recommend pairing it all with their Grandma's Molasses-Black Walnut Iced Coffee.
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535 Ramona St, Palo Alto / (650) 328-2722 / Website
With a name like NOLA, you know you're in for an immersive treat! With the spacious restaurant's architecture designed like a building from the French Quarter, NOLA immediately transports you out of downtown Palo Alto and into a breezy, multi-level southern villa filled with vivid eclectic art, hanging beads, and food specials with absolutely generous portions. With plenty of TV screens as well, this is the perfect casual hangout to watch games while feasting upon their divine gumbo, crawfish etoufee, or Firecracker Cajun Pasta with their endless creative cocktails.
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900 Stanyan St / (415) 260-3143 / Website
CreoLA is a delightfully rustic bistro that feels like it was perfectly placed into Cole Valley directly from the Big Easy. With its idyllic proximity to Golden Gate Park, this sunny homestyle venue makes for the perfect brunch or dinner spot, especially with their Cornmeal Catfish Po'Boy sandwiches, Shrimp & Grits, and irresistable Creole Pecan Pie with a layer of cheesecake!
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2261 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley / (510) 548-6900 / Website
A quick trip to Downtown Berkeley is the perfect foodie getaway, especially if you visit Angeline's! From the rustic exposed brick, to the high ceilings and vintage decor, this community favorite is the perfect mix of southern hospitality with modern cooking. The must-orders here are the Red Beans and Rice with smoked ham hock and sage, the signature BBQ Voo Doo Shrimp with Blue Lake green beans and parmesan, or their precisely toasted Baked Mac and Cheese. Save room for their Angeline’s Bananas Foster Bread Pudding too! Though you can walk it all off around downtown Berkeley's many small businesses afterwards.
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With Chef Dontaye cooking your gumbo, you know you're in very talented and caring hands. Gumbo Social is a pop-up restaurant that truly provides comfort to the local community, making kind appearances at all of the biggest farmer's markets, such as the Ferry Plaza Market's and in the Outer Sunset. His incredible Chicken Sausage Gumbo feels like the warmest hug, while the bright Black-Eyed Pea Salad and Roasted Crab are also impressive winners.
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65 29th St / (415) 695-7800 / Website
Over in Bernal Heights, The Front Porch invites you into an intimate lounge that boasts a warm ambience within its comfy, homestyle interior. By tucking into this long-standing oasis and sampling their generous Blue Crab Etouffe, Spicy Shrimp & Grits, Fried Chicken Po' Boy, or Bourbon Pecan Pie, you can take a slow, southern-style break from all of the hustle and bustle of the city.
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1429 Mendell St / (415) 822-8531 / Website
Old Skool Cafe features a vintage-chic, 1940's jazz speakeasy theme that is all skillfully run by at-risk youth. This is a tremendously brilliant faith-based, violence prevention program founded by Teresa Goines that thoughtfully provides youth skills for employment, for breaking cycles of violence and recidivism, and for a successful life beyond their time at Old Skool. Dining and spending quality time here is truly heartwarming, and not to mention delicious!
As they say in the Big Easy, Laissez les bons temps rouler!
See also: The Most Diverse San Francisco Spots to Satisfy All Fried Chicken Cravings
Photography by: Courtesy of Lara Hata/Getty Images
