The Ultimate Barbecue Guide

Updated: May 19, 2008

From beachside bonfires to backyard BBQs, we've got your ultimate guide to grilling this summer.

On this page:Shop for all the Fresh Fixings, Get a Great Grill, Stake Out Your Spot, In Case of Rain (or Charred Chicken).

Shop for all the Fresh Fixings

  1. 1 4.5 Star Rating: Recommended Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market
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    Market St and The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94105 (map)

    Hit the Ferry Building early on Tuesday or Saturday and you'll find a one-stop shop for your organic meat, artisanal cheese, fresh-baked bread, locally produced veggie fixings, sustainable snacks and more eco-conscious goodies than you could possibly dream up.

  2. 2 4 Star Rating: Recommended Bryan's Grocery
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    3445 California St, San Francisco, CA 94118 (map)

    Don't skimp on the main event--get the best of the best meats, including your ground beef, sausage and chicken-breast basics, at this gourmet butcher.

  3. 3 Boudin Sourdough Bakery & Cafe
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    399 10th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94118 (map)

    A San Francisco barbecue wouldn't be complete without some delicious, freshly baked sourdough rolls to top with your saucy, smoky grilled meats.

  4. 4 5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended Lucca Ravioli Co
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    1100 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94110 (map)

    Prepared pasta salads, gigantic pickles, bagged snack foods and pretty much any other last-minute side dishes you could need can be found at this old-fashioned Italian deli and market.

  5. 5 4 Star Rating: Recommended Jug Shop
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    1567 Pacific Ave, San Francisco, CA 94109 (map)

    If meat is the most important element of a successful barbecue, beer is a close second. Get cases or kegs delivered from this Russian Hill shop with a stellar selection of local and international brews.

  6. 6 3.5 Star Rating: Average Courtney Produce
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    101 Castro St, San Francisco, CA 94114 (map)

    The next best thing to having a lettuce-and-tomato garden in your own backyard is living near this sweet little produce market in the Castro, where produce (and flowers--a nice decorative touch or host gift) are not only impeccably fresh but also reasonably priced.

Get a Great Grill

  1. 7 Purcell Murray Co Inc
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    185 Park Ln, Brisbane, CA 94005 (map)

    This Brisbane shop is one of the few places in Northern California where you can get the international holy grail of outdoor grills: The Fuego 01, a streamlined, stainless steel beauty that received the Gold IDEA award for industrial-design excellence from "Business Week" in 2007.

  2. 8 5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended Barbeques Galore
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    620 Francisco Blvd W, San Rafael, CA 94901 (map)

    This national chain of all things barbecue, from charcoal and gas grills to fryers, smokers and accessories, has several Bay Area locations outside the city.

  3. 9 4.5 Star Rating: Recommended Cole Hardware
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    956 Cole St, San Francisco, CA 94117 (map)

    One of the city's most loved local businesses, this Cole Valley hardware store has exceptionally knowledgeable staff that'll give as much attention to your $20 mini kettle grill purchase as they will to a $1000 Weber Summit Gold gas-grilling wonder.

  4. 10 5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended Standard 5 & 10 Ace
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    3645 California St. (Laurel Village), San Francisco, CA 94118 (map)

    This family-owned variety and hardware store has a great selection of Webers and other outdoor grilling necessities.

  5. 11 Abbey Party Rents
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    411 Allan St, Daly City, CA 94014 (map)

    Not yet ready to commit to a future as a grilling guru? Try your hand helming a rented BBQ from this party-supply rental outfit that can set you up with a standard but entirely acceptable grill for about $50/day.

Stake Out Your Spot

  1. 12 4.5 Star Rating: Recommended Golden Gate Park
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    Fulton at 36th Ave / Lincoln at 41st Ave, San Francisco, CA 94102 (map)

    Designated picnic areas with built-in BBQ setups make it easy to fuel up on grilled grub before hitting the archery fields, museums and paddle-boat ponds in this sprawling urban oasis.

  2. 13 4 Star Rating: Recommended China Beach
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    Sea Cliff Ave, San Francisco, CA 94121 (map)

    This small, secluded beach oasis--and the only one in San Francisco that's safe for swimming--is also an ideal barbecue site with its several built-in grills and picnic tables.

  3. 14 Kirby Cove
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    Conzelman Rd, Sausalito, CA 94965 (map)

    Tucked away at the base of the Marin Headlands on the southwest side of the Golden Gate Bridge lies this tiny hidden beach with views of the bridge and city skyline--and several BBQ pits to boot.

In Case of Rain (or Charred Chicken)

  1. 15 3.5 Star Rating: Average Da Pitt
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    705 Divisadero St, San Francisco, CA 94117 (map)

  2. 16 3.5 Star Rating: Average Big Nate's Barbeque
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    1665 Folsom St, San Francisco, CA 94103 (map)

  3. 17 4 Star Rating: Recommended Memphis Minnie's BBQ
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    576 Haight St, San Francisco, CA 94117 (map)

  4. 18 3 Star Rating: Average Epic Roasthouse
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    369 The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94105 (map)

    Go for an upscale cookout at this fancy-pants addition to the Kuleto empire, where the expansive patio with magnified Bay Bridge views has a huge outdoor BBQ pit worth bragging about.

  5. 19 3.5 Star Rating: Average Hahn's Hibachi
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    1305 Castro St, San Francisco, CA 94114 (map)

  6. 20 4 Star Rating: Recommended Zeitgeist
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    199 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94103 (map)

    Too tired to fire up your own grill? Get to this Mission biker-bar staple early on warm nights, when they host an eclectic (to say the least) crowd for backyard barbecues.

  7. 21 4.5 Star Rating: Recommended Roadside BBQ
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    3751 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94118 (map)