Yemen Kitchen
Yemeni restaurant · Tenderloin
219 Jones St, San Francisco, CA 94102
Highlights
Authentic Yemeni cuisine, tender lamb, flavorful stews, and fresh bread
Authentic Yemeni cuisine, tender lamb, flavorful stews, and fresh bread
"Yemeni food is a bit different from the cuisine of its neighbors — expect spicy stews and hearty lamb and fava bean dishes, all eaten with flatbread. The chalkboard menu is in Arabic, and it’s mostly Yemeni expats who dine here." - Dianne de Guzman
"Huge portions and rich, deeply seasoned meats are hallmarks of this Jones Street restaurant. Affordability is a big selling point here, too: for an order of roasted lamb, $22 isn’t a bad price tag, and a falafel sandwich runs just $10. The masoob, a dessert of banana, dates, and honey, is a thick and sweet treat to wrap any Yemeni Kitchen feast." - Paolo Bicchieri
"Don’t let the unstaffed, blank dining room at Yemen Kitchen deter you. Wait a few moments and someone will emerge from the kitchen with a menu of the best Yemeni food in SF. You'll want lamb in any form, but prioritize the kabsha. When asked if you want it spicy, the answer is yes. A massive platter arrives with aromatic rice topped with slow-cooked and cardamom-seasoned meat that falls off the bone with just a look. You’ll likely find us here at least a few times per month for dinner." - julia chen 1, patrick wong, ricky rodriguez
"The Tenderloin is home to numerous Vietnamese and Yemeni restaurants. But this Jones Street go-to might be the finest example of what the neighborhood can provide in the way of spice. For just $10 a diner can try salteh, considered to be Yemen’s national dish. Sahawiq, a salsa-like blend of spices that goes by many names depending on the region, provides a hot backbone to this meal." - Paolo Bicchieri
"In the heart of the Tenderloin you’ll find Yemen Kitchen, a snug, warm spot owned by Abdul Al-Rammah. Bring a group and try everything on the menu, but for your spicy fix go for the saltah, one of the national dishes of Yemen. It’s a meat stew served bubbling hot with a float of frothy fenugreek sauce (better than any modernist foam), served with a flatbread called tawah. For some extra heat, ask for an extra bowl of sahawiq (also known as zhug or s’hoog), a hot sauce made from red or green chilies, garlic, coriander, and spices." - Sam Chapple-Sokol
