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Any budget tips on places to eat in San Francisco?

San Francisco is suffering this interesting evolution in food/resturants. The prices are going up, but so are the portions. Some stuff is still "height-of-dot-com" expensive and a lot of stuff is "dot-bomb" collapsing.

If you go to Chinatown (Stockton or Grant Sts in the North Beach area) you can find traditional Chinese food and reasonable prices. Walk up and down the streets and read the menus posted outside the various establishments.

EVERYTHING at Fisherman's Wharf/Pier 39 is over-priced, heavily-tourist-oriented. Walk along the Bay towards Ghiradelli Square and grab something with crab from the little stands outside on the piers. Chances are it's only been out of the water for a few hours.

All around Union Square is a mix of moderate to high price, due to the proximity to the Financial Dist, the shopping center and the large number of tourists.

If you have a specific ethnic food you like, or if you are headed to a certain part of town, I can narrow it down for you a bit more.

- Rae

Well, I'm going to be heading to SF in March. Staying at the Andrews Hotel, near Union Square. We like almost all types of ethnic food. Any really good Greek or Middle Eastern places you would recommend (not necessarily by Union Square).

There's a chain restaurant in SF called Truly Med. It is a must try. Cheap and good.

If you like Vietnamese, try Tu Lan on 6th St. and Market. If you do meat, try the Imperial rolls w/a crispy noodle dish. Don't let the ambience fool you, the food is usually amazing. Also, if you're a shellfish fan, crab season will be in full bloom for a month, and you can get good deals at the kiosks down at Fisherman's Wharf (about $10 for 1/2 a crab). Do you like Ethiopian? There are some great Ethiopian restaurants in SF and the food is so filling (an has many vegetarian selections) you can usually eat for about $20 for two. There's a great one in the lower Haight. Let me know if you're interested - I have many more suggestions...