The Laundromat SF
Restaurant · Outer Richmond ·
Bagels, pizza, smashburgers, natural wine, and coffee served
Bagels, pizza, smashburgers, natural wine, and coffee served
"Somewhere in the last three years, this Balboa Street pizza-and-bagel hotspot became San Francisco’s most popular restaurant—judging by the ongoing attention and lines down the block. In the morning the menu shrinks to Grand Coffee and bagels; made in-house, these rip-and-dip baddies go for $3 a pop in varieties including sea salt and cinnamon raisin. By night at the Laundromat I join mustachioed, camo hat–wearing financial analysts and tooth gem–adorned aspiring DJs for the pizza: get the $2 ramekin of hot honey with the pepperoni, and also get the broccoli pie, a parade of broccoli rabe and Calabrian chile with sinus-smacking fennel and big zags of orange sauce; one must remember the Brussels, where a heavy helping of goat cheese and a sweet apple cider reduction shoves the crispy standard into 2025, then beyond. Scene-wise, this is the sceney-est of scenes: fog rolls through the sidewalk where impatient customers throng—a proper madding crowd—but inside the bar and a smattering of tables make the wait worth it, with huge paintings, handsome wood, and a thrumming tenor of activity from start to finish. I’d honestly recommend arriving right when the restaurant opens at 5 p.m.; for a 6:30 p.m. meal I got there at 5:30 and put my name down, and for a three-top that did the trick—there are no reservations. Eating outside is also a great time. Wear layers." - Paolo Bicchieri
"Where To Wait: Rampant Bottle & Bar Getting a prime-time dinner table at The Laundromat—especially on their Wednesday smashburger nights—requires a level of patience that should be familiar to anyone who’s had to renew their passport in person. After putting your phone number down, swing by Rampant Bottle & Bar, a natural wine bar a few blocks down with shelves full of bottles, great by-the-glass options, and small plates like olives or pita and hummus. Plus, they’re dog-friendly." - julia chen 1
"Running into someone you know mid-rant Kale salad, classic pepperoni, smashburger (Wednesdays only)" - julia chen 1
"The team at this Outer Richmond spot know their way around an oven. Not only are their bagels the stuff of legend, the Sicilian-style pies have thick cheesy crusts and enough sauce to fill one of their many Elmer Fudd-themed water glasses. Join the families and dates that crowd the bar and the lantern and vinyl-strewn dining room nightly for pizzas topped with broccoli rabe, curled-up pepperoni, or mushrooms. There’s also gluten-free crust for the no-wheat crowd, plus vegan mozzarella and plenty of vegetarian options." - julia chen 1, lani conway
"The Laundromat in the Outer Richmond wears many hats—the all-day-ish spot does pizza and wine at night, and serves the best bagels in SF in the morning. So get here during the day to be hit with the smell of malt and everything seasoning radiating from the towering bagel carts filled with their plump stunners. Loose bagels and tubs of cream cheese are on deck (no sandwiches or toasters here), so take a dozen everythings and scallion cream cheese to go and assemble it at home or nearby Golden Gate Park." - julia chen 1
