Tempest Bar & Box Kitchen — Restaurant in San Francisco

A true hidden gem in SF. Laid-back vibes, incredible food, and dog-friendly to boot.

Came here during a work trip and once again Tempest Bar & Box Kitchen proved why it’s one of my favorite SF spots. I visited last year to catch a Stanley Cup Final game and made a point to come back this year. It didn’t disappoint.

The setup is unique and works perfectly: food is ordered from Box Kitchen just outside the bar, but it’s all part of the same experience. I showed up on a Thursday night and had no trouble grabbing a table, then snagged two seats at the bar after about a 45-minute wait (worth it). Super dog-friendly. My buddy brought his pup, and there were at least two others hanging out. Dogs, beer, and hockey? Yes please.

The atmosphere is casual and cool, with music playing and plenty of regulars chatting up the bartenders. You can tell it’s a neighborhood joint. Friendly staff, people actually talk to each other, and the bartenders were cracking jokes and making everyone feel welcome.

Now the food? Ridiculous. I don’t usually wax poetic about tomato soup, but theirs deserves a TED Talk. I had it last year and literally came back for it. Big portion, perfectly toasted bread on the side, and chunks of cheese floating in that rich tomato goodness. It’s comfort food that punches above its weight. Also, get the mac & cheese eggrolls. You won’t regret it. The whole Box Kitchen crew was friendly and made ordering a breeze.

If you want a local spot with personality, legit food, and a come-as-you-are vibe, this place is it. Already looking forward to next year’s trip so I can...

Box Kitchen is two things: It's the way you get food to eat at the attached Tempest Bar, but also a takeout dinner & late night snack purveyor. It is literally a hole in the wall on Natoma next to Tempest. Pro tips: Look for the crowd of people, which is easier to spot than the actual place, and ask who's waiting to order...otherwise you might stand around forever. I've been to the bar but my review here is just for Box Kitchen - since I live down the street, I use this place like a walk-through fast food window. Typical wait times are 7-12 minutes for dinner for 2 when I've been there. (I'm sure this varies with the length of the line, but I've never waited very long.)

Despite the low-key surroundings (and intentionally dive-y feel to the attached bar), don't expect a conventionally "dive" food menu or pricing: A Beyond Burger, super fresh Mexican corn salad, and one homemade mole tamale set me back just over $30. The mole tamale was great (and yes, I've been to Oaxaca, and Sante Fe) - enough heat and a ton of flavor. You don't always know what you'll find on the limited menu - the corn salad was new to me this time, and was amazing, but there's a good chance you'll go there and it will have disappeared. Regular and veggie burgers and fries seem to be stables, as does some breakfast-y stuff like chicken and waffles, but much of the rest of it seems to change around. They do sell out of things, so if you're heading here for a late night snack, keep that in mind.

Location caveats: Box Kitchen is located on a street frequented by...

After a 7 hour drive to San Fran we wanted something delicious to eat. We wanted to eat good food and anything else besides fast food. We found Box Kitchen on Yelp and decided to try it out..

The area the restaurant is in does look a little sketchy but we didn't feel unsafe. There were other customers as well so we decided to stick around and order.

There is no seating area after three, so you walk up to the window and order. You can take it to go, or eat on the sidewalk as I saw other people doing. We decided to take it to go as we saw that there were huge rats roaming the streets not to far from here.

We ordered two orders of the box burger, an order of the chicken and waffles, and an order of French fries! The employee working was friendly, took our orders, and told us it would be a bit. We waited about 20 minutes and finally we called to the window!

We get back to the hotel and indulge in this great food!! The burgers were juicy, big, and so full of flavor!! Maybe the best burger I've had in a long time!! The chicken and waffles was to die for. The chicken had such great flavor and wasn't dry at all. Th waffles I believe are battered with beer because you can definitely taste it!! The food was delicious and so now I see why it has such great reviews!

It's...