Emmy's Spaghetti Shack

"From big bowls of spaghetti and meatballs to eggplant parmesan, the menu at Emmy’s Spaghetti Shack is full of Italian American dishes. In addition to mountainous portions of red sauce, this Bernal Heights restaurant is one of the funkiest places in the city. Inside you’ll find a fantasy horse mural, a Dolly Parton pinball machine, and hand-drawn menus with sketches that look like the pages of a middle schooler’s notebook." - julia chen 1, lani conway

"A night at Emmy’s Spaghetti Shack is always a lot of fun, which is just what you need after you get slapped with a fare evasion ticket. Grab some friends who will make you feel better about having to fork over $100 to the authorities, dig into a mound of spaghetti and meatballs, and commemorate the night with margaritas, parmesan blizzards, and a turn through the photo booth." - julia chen 1, patrick wong

"Red sauce, red sauce, and more red sauce. That’s what a night at Emmy’s is all about—this Bernal Heights spot serves up spaghetti with a heaping side of nostalgia. It’s been a neighborhood gathering spot for decades. You can trace back the memories to 2001 thanks to the endless photo booth strips of regulars on the walls, and the high scores on pinball machines in the back. And the friendly staff remains happy to take Fireball shots with birthday celebrants. Get the spaghetti and meatballs, wipe up the leftover sauce with cheesy garlic bread, and wash it all down with a margarita in a boot-shaped glass." - julia chen 1, patrick wong

"Emmy’s is a Bernal Heights red sauce joint that was genetically engineered for birthdays. The space can easily fit whatever mishmash of friend groups you’ve assembled for the night, and celebratory Fireball shots are at the ready—and once you’ve eaten your fill of spaghetti and meatballs, there’s a spacious photo booth in the back." - julia chen 1, patrick wong, ricky rodriguez

"Red sauce, red sauce, and more red sauce. That’s what a night at Emmy’s is all about—this Bernal Heights spot doles out spaghetti with a heavy dose of nostalgia. The walls are covered in endless photo strips of all-ages regulars (from the booth in the back), and the staff will gladly subject themselves to Fireball shots to celebrate birthdays. Besides the infinite supply of tomato sauce, it’s easy to see why this place has been a neighborhood gathering place since 2001. photo credit: Erin Ng photo credit: Erin Ng photo credit: Erin Ng Clearly, this isn’t an Italian place where you'll get a crudo topped with edible flowers or perfectly al dente, seasonal, Cal-Ital strozzapreti. Instead, you’re ordering a good old-fashioned mountain of spaghetti, marinara, and meatballs. Ask for a parm blizzard (a.k.a. a generous tableside grate), order a margarita in a boot-shaped glass, and settle in and brace for the noise—it’s louder than a helicopter landing pad most nights. But when you need an undeniably fun place to get a group together over cheesy garlic bread and wine, there’s no better place. Food Rundown photo credit: Erin Ng Spaghetti & Meatballs This pile of marinara-drenched spaghetti and meatballs is the reason you’re here (besides to have fun, obviously). This is the classic, comforting stuff you want to devour at a place like Emmy’s—so roll up your sleeves, ready the napkins, and twirl away. photo credit: Erin Ng Garlic Bread Order this, and always add cheese. You’ll want something to wipe up the leftover marinara sauce with. video credit: Taylor Gomez Parm Blizzard For $2, you too can say you survived the latest tableside cheese storm. It’s actually more like a parm drizzle, but the spectacle of the massive parmesan block is still fun—and necessary. photo credit: Erin Ng Rigatoni + Bianci Bolo When you’re red sauced out, this white bolognese is the way to go. It’s creamy, light, and heavy on the pork sausage." - Julia Chen