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As the longest street in San Francisco at 7.29 miles, Mission Street straddles the line into Daly City, introducing visitors to San Mateo County.
Known as Daly City’s “Top of the Hill” neighborhood, Mission Street connects to El Camino Real in Colma on the south end. As a busy commuter thoroughfare, Mission Street may not appear to be the most walkable or easily accessible neighborhood to visit on the Peninsula. But the area offers an urban community feel with diverse, locally owned businesses, eateries and fringe spots worth exploring. If you’re crossing into the Peninsula from Mission Street, refer to our guide below for places to check out.
Nature and history
Daly City History Museum: The museum is located in the old John Daly Library Building, which served as the city’s only library for 41 years. The vintage building is the only historic structure owned by the city, and it’s managed and preserved by the Daly City History Guild & Museum Archive. Open on the first four Saturdays of every month, the goal of this volunteer-led museum is to preserve, display and share the history of Daly City. The museum’s collection dates back to the 1880s and includes hundreds of vintage photos, original documents, news clippings and maps. Admission is free with a small gift shop on-site.
Daly City History Museum, 6351 Mission St., 650-757-7177. Open on the first four Saturdays of the month from noon to 3 p.m.
Crocker Gate Trailhead: One mile from Mission Street is Crocker Gate Trailhead, where visitors can access San Bruno Mountain State & County Park. From this trailhead, hikers can go onto the Old Guadalupe Trail, a paved and flat route surrounded by eucalyptus trees and open to equestrians as well. For further exploration, the park features 12 miles of trails, many with sweeping vistas and views of the Bay Area.
Crocker Gate Trailhead, Old Guadalupe Trail. Opens daily at 8 a.m., closing times vary by time of year.
Lincoln Park: Sitting two blocks from Mission Street, Lincoln Park is a public park offering picnic tables, playgrounds, basketball courts and a community center for residents. The park is also dog-friendly, with grassy areas for four-legged friends to roam and play.
Lincoln Park, 901 Brunswick St.
Coffee, tea and baked goods
Fog City Cafe: Family-owned Fog City Cafe is one of the few coffee shops in the neighborhood. In addition to classic espresso beverages, Fog City Cafe offers a compact menu of breakfast items. A unique find on their menu is a baleada, a Honduran dish in which a warm folded tortilla is stuffed with beans, cheese and eggs.
Fog City Cafe, 6185 Mission St.; 415-349-4380, Instagram: @fogcity.cafe. Open daily from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Rosi’s Alfajores: This cash-only spot in a modest storefront bakes up Peruvian-style alfajores, a Latin American cookie filled with dulce de leche and topped with powdered sugar. In addition to classic dulce de leche alfajores, Rosi’s sells Nutella and chocolate fudge/peanut butter varieties of the cookie. For a savory bite, grab one of their warm empanadas plus a side of hot sauce, with vegetarian and meat options available. The bakery also sells entree lunches on Saturdays, including lomo saltado and Peruvian-style shrimp paella.
Rosi’s Alfajores, 301 Miriam St., 650-834-4255. Open Tuesday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2-6:30 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Yeti Tea &: Nepalese tea leaves take center stage at Yeti Tea. Started by first-generation immigrants and partners Nikesh Luitel and Anisha Thapa, Yeti Tea & highlights the flavors of Nepalese tea paired with natural ingredients. The menu of drinks includes masala chiya, mango lassi, and tea leaves combined with fresh fruits, sugar cane juice, milk and boba. Yeti Tea & also sells their bags of chai and plans to incorporate other Nepalese flavors into the menu, including steamed momo dumplings.
Yeti Tea &, 6178 Mission St., Instagram: @drinkyetitea. Open daily from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
The Bread Basket Bakery: This neighborhood fixture has been selling Filipino pan de sal bread rolls since 1977. The Bread Basket Bakery sells a variety of baked goods and breads in store and takes special orders of Filipino desserts such as buko pie, leche flan, cassava cake and more. Grab-and-go options include ube croissants, mini pecan pie, banana chocolate bread and mamon (Filipino sponge cake), among many more offerings.
The Bread Basket Bakery, 7099 Mission St.; 650-994-7741, Instagram: @breadbasketdalycity. Open Monday to Saturday from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Eats and libations
Mama Tran’s Kitchen: Mama Tran’s Kitchen opened in 2022 and serves up Vietnamese classics such as pho, banh mi, grilled pork chops and spring rolls. Diners highlight their shareable portions of rice plates and pho, and name banh chuoi (banana cake) as a go-to dessert option.
Mama Tran’s Kitchen, 5999 Mission St., 650-389-2289. Open Wednesday to Monday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; closed Tuesday.
Tselogs: Opened by Chel Gilla in 2008, Tselogs is an eatery with a vision of sharing Filipino comfort food one egg at a time. This late night spot specializes in silog breakfast, which comes with garlic rice, a fried egg and your choice of protein. The restaurant currently offers 13 varieties of silog, including embutido (Filipino-style pork meatloaf) plus appetizers, daily entree specials and desserts to round out their menu.
Tselogs, 6860 Mission St.; 415-769-5200, Instagram: @tselogs_bayarea. Open Tuesday to Thursday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. to midnight; closed Sunday.
Spicy House: Spicy House serves up flavorful Sichuan cuisine right along Mission Street. Diners rave about the generous portions of dan dan noodles, spicy garlic sauce eggplant, and mapo tofu. The restaurant also offers lunch specials with your choice of entree, plus soup of the day and rice.
Spicy House, 6811 Mission St., 650-991-1188. Open daily from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Lisa’s Mexican Restaurant: Come for the food but stay for the decor. Paintings, portraits and artwork adorn the walls of Lisa’s Mexican Restaurant, which has been a mainstay along Mission Street for over two decades. The restaurant serves a full menu of Mexican favorites, including tacos, burritos, quesadillas, fajita platters and more.
Lisa’s Mexican Restaurant, 6582 Mission St., 650-756-6289. Open Tuesday to Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.; closed Sunday and Monday.
Nick & Nora Bar: Named for the Nick & Nora glass best suited for stirred drinks, this local watering hole offers a bevy of libations for those in the neighborhood. In addition to beer and wine, their cocktail menu features seasonal specials as well as classic drinks like margaritas, espresso martinis and Negronis.
Nick & Nora Bar, 6582 Mission St., 415-349-4451. Open Monday to Thursday from 5 p.m. to midnight, Friday from 4 p.m. to midnight and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 2 a.m.
Shopping
Locker SF: A sneaker consignment shop selling urban clothing and footwear from today’s popular brands, models and colorways. Shoppers can stop in to buy, sell and trade their goods.
Locker SF, 6714 Mission St.; 650-992-2425, Instagram: @locker.sf. Open Monday to Saturday from 1-6 p.m., closed Sunday.
13 Gallons: 13 Gallons is a Mission Street-based screen printing shop specializing in traditional hand-pulled screen printing. While 13 Gallons works with businesses and brands, they also produce their own merchandise from their online shop for in-store pickup. One sweater currently on sale proudly adorns the phrase “Daly City: Where the sun doesn’t shine.”
13 Gallons, 6261 Mission St.; 650-420-3269, Instagram: @13gallons. Open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Around the corner
Bad Axe Throwing: Located a few blocks from Mission Street, Bad Axe Throwing is a chain of urban ax-throwing clubs introducing the Canadian pastime to the masses. Take a swing at ax-throwing on a walk-in basis or book a lane for you and your group.
Bad Axe Throwing, 30A Hill St., 844-818-0999. Open daily from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Town & Country Billiards: This longtime neighborhood pool hall is located off Mission Street at San Pedro Road. The narrow, triangular shape of the building is reminiscent of a pool rack and sets the business apart among neighboring buildings. Visitors can play for an hourly rate of table time, from solo players up to groups of five.
Town & Country Billiards, 1 San Pedro Road, 650-992-7900. Open daily from 3 p.m. to midnight.
The Mochi Donut Shop: For a sweet treat, head to a bright blue storefront on San Pedro Road called The Mochi Donut Shop. This local chain also serves Orbit Coffee’s cold brew and Vietnamese iced coffee to pair with your doughnut. Want a quick meal instead? Try one of their Korean corn dogs, banh mi infused with Filipino flavors, or snack items like wings, french fries and tater tots.
The Mochi Donut Shop, 7 San Pedro Road; 415-347-7113, Instagram: @themochidonutshop_dalycity. Open Monday to Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., closed Tuesday.
Fil Am Cuisine: Diners line up for freshly grilled Filipino barbecue skewers at Fil Am Cuisine. Prepared in marinade consisting of soy sauce, calamansi and banana ketchup, Filipino-style barbecue is a melange of tangy, sweet and savory flavors. Located just off Mission at School Street, this neighborhood institution also sells pancit, lumpia and other Filipino entrees in combo platters.
Fil Am Cuisine, 66 School St., 650-992-6191. Open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Bart Grocery: Located just off the hilly slope of John Daly Boulevard toward Daly City BART is a reliable neighborhood spot for affordable Korean food. Aptly named Bart Grocery, this establishment is a local favorite for their spicy pork bulgogi, beef bulgogi, and kimchi fried rice. Also operating as a convenience store, shoppers will hear the grill sizzling as Bart Grocery serves up Korean barbecue plates to hungry diners on the go.
Bart Grocery, 108 Los Olivos Ave., 650-993-8782. Open Monday to Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 3:30-8 p.m.; closed Sunday.
Halal Good Subs Market: This family-owned market and deli sells halal sandwiches, with creations like The Buff Portillo (hot pastrami, pepper jack cheese and garlic spread on Dutch crunch) as well as the Titan’s Tuna Melt (tuna, veggies and Swiss cheese on sourdough). Also on offer are Yemeni-style pistachio baklava and Adeni tea, made with a combination of cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.
Halal Good Subs Market, 7622 El Camino Real, Daly City, 415-859-9506. Open Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.