California might seem like a sunny-weather state, but a city like San Francisco more than earns its Fog City nickname. With SF’s famous fog comes chilly temperatures. In winter, the thermostat can fall to the mid-40s, and even the summer evenings can see lows in the lower 50s. Of course, once the temp starts dropping, gourmands look to their favorite winter food in San Francisco to warm tummies and spirits.
Here are 6 scrumptious eats available from Eagle Cafe if you’re looking for food to warm you up in the winter months.
1. French Toast
Welcome a new day with a sugary breakfast classic. Eagle Cafe’s take on this comfort food uses sourdough from San Francisco’s famous Boudin Bakery dipped in a vanilla and cinnamon egg batter. Although delicious on its own, you’ll get a generous helping of whipped maple butter. You can have it served as is in the classic style, or go all out and have it topped with caramelized bananas and pecans.
This might not be your typical winter food in San Francisco, but enjoy a hit of warmth by eating it as soon as it’s served, as it’ll be fresh from the griddle. Add two eggs and two sausages or slices of bacon for a champion-worthy breakfast.
2. Breakfast Burrito
Here’s more breakfast food to warm you up! Eagle Cafe offers two kinds of burritos to start your day with a kick, both on their menu of classics. The beloved Breakfast Burrito comes with two eggs, jack and cheddar cheese, roasted salsa, and sour cream.
Meanwhile, the Chorizo & Egg Burrito features two eggs scrambled with chorizo sausage, jack and cheddar cheese, and potatoes. All of this is rolled in a tortilla and topped with a red chile sauce, queso fresco, and sour cream.
The comforting flavors of this dish serve as the perfect winter food to show San Francisco’s love of Mexican cuisine.
3. Pancakes
Admit it: this comfort food is able to lift your spirits as much as it warms you up during a dreary San Francisco winter day. Good old-fashioned pancakes are thick, fluffy, and joy-inducing, reminding you of childhood breakfasts with your family.
Eagle Cafe offers exceptional flapjacks packed with nostalgic goodness in the form of their buttermilk, chocolate chip, and banana pecan pancakes. Each dish is served fresh from the griddle with whipped maple butter. You also have the option to add two eggs and two bacon or sausage.
4. Huevos Rancheros
Like the breakfast burrito, this hearty breakfast takes us to the heart of Mexico. The dish is classic rural fare bringing comfort in every bite. The hit of heat, not just because it comes off the griddle but also thanks to the dash of spice, makes it a great winter food option for San Francisco’s often chilly mornings.
At Eagle Cafe, get your Huevos Rancheros with two eggs over easy on corn tortillas, with black beans, jack and cheddar cheese, red chile sauce, queso fresco, roasted salsa, and sour cream. You can add chorizo to pile on the protein and umami goodness.
5. Crispy Spicy Shrimp
Once again, turn the heat up with this Crispy Spicy Shrimp dish. It makes for a yummy winter food choice in San Francisco because the heat from the creamy sweet-and-spicy sauce coating the shrimp will warm you up without setting your mouth on fire.
With shrimp sourced locally, ethically, and sustainably, you’ll be able to enjoy this dish guilt-free. Also, among the many other health benefits, shrimp contains astaxanthin- an antioxidant that a 2018 study in Nutrients found may improve skin health, which can’t hurt in cold, skin-drying weather.
6. Clam Chowder in a Sourdough Bread Bowl
And for the ultimate choice of winter food in San Francisco, there’s the much-loved New England–style clam chowder. Of course, if you’re going to put a signature San Francisco twist on this dish, it’s got to be served in a sourdough bread bowl. After all, this pairing has been a historic clam chowder tradition tracing back to the California gold rush in the 1800s.
There’s no better food to warm you up—heart, soul, and belly—than a hot bowl of soup, and clam chowder is a San Francisco must-have. Eagle Cafe’s version is served in a sourdough bread bowl from the historic Boudin Bakery, and the chowder is made with clams harvested right from the Bay, so San Franciscans will get a taste of home with every bite.
Whether you’re looking for spring, summer, fall, or winter food in San Francisco, as long as you’re game to fill your belly with flavor-packed eats while enjoying a gorgeous view of the Bay, let Eagle Cafe be your go-to breakfast and lunch spot at PIER 39.
Eagle Cafe has served some of the best coffee, breakfasts, and lunches for nearly a century. Their family-friendly restaurant, delicious food, and colorful history make the restaurant an iconic San Francisco landmark.