Merkado

"Longtime Tres employee Fabien Santos flipped the Townsend Street tequila lounge into Merkado, a Mexican restaurant with ample outdoor seating less than a five-minute walk from Oracle Park. Beverages focus on agave spirits, mainly either smoky mezcal or tequila, while the food menu offers tacos, tortas, enchiladas, and tamales. Happy hour specials run Monday through Friday from 3-6 p.m. and first to last pitch during Giants’ home games." - Lauren Saria, Paolo Bicchieri

"The only Nigerian restaurant in San Francisco has since closed and pivoted entirely to catering and cooking classes. For Thanksgiving, you can get your hands on trays of their jollof rice, grilled turkey wings, puff puffs, and more. Pre-order online - pick-up is on November 24th." - julia chen 1

"This Sunday, November 14, year-old mission-based Mexican restaurant Merkado will transform into an indoor-outdoor “makers market” featuring more than 20 artists from around the Bay Area. Called Makers & Margs, the event marks the first community event from Fabien Santos, who rebranded Merkado as a pay-it-forward pop-up space in mid-March 2020." - Clair Lorell

"Eko Kitchen is a Nigerian restaurant that's currently operating out of Merkado’s space in SoMa. The specials change occasionally, but you should get the dinner combo, which comes with things like smoky jollof rice, chicken with roasted red pepper sauce, plantains, sweet potato and plantain chips, and puff puffs - all of which are excellent. And be sure to add on an order of their spicy, honey glazed suya wings on the side, too." - Julia Chen

"Fabien Santos bought Tres, a tequila lounge in SoMa, and renamed it Merkado, meaning 'market' in Tagalog. The restaurant aims to diversify its offerings while retaining Tres favorites. Merkado collaborates with chef Simileoluwa Adebajo of Eko Kitchen, whose previous venue was lost in a fire, to prepare meals for frontline workers. Merkado also hosts the Lumpia Company, a Filipino food pop-up, and plans to add more vendors over time." - Eve Batey