I’m a real fiend for any charcoal grilled meats and I’m a regular at a couple spots but I’m always scouting for more…I’m based in the city but happy to travel anywhere in the bay. Where are your favorites?
Keys being casual, affordable (under $40pp) and charcoal. I know Cotogna has a woodfire grill but I’m not going there more than once a year. MUST BE CONFIRMED SOLID FUEL COOKING!
I’ll take low and slow bbq here but not exactly what I’m looking for.
I’m with you on casual meaning no stuffy atmosphere or tasting menu but if someone asked me for a casual restaurant recommendation I don’t think I’d suggest any Michelin star restaurants like San Ho Won where their prix fixe menu is $118…I even mentioned Cotogna in my original post as an example of a restaurant with woodfire but not a place I would go regularly. Maybe it’s a tax bracket semantics thing.
I think we might be using “casual” in different ways. On one hand, it can describe the atmosphere and vibe; on the other, it’s also a specific dining segment defined mostly by price e.g., fast food, fast casual, casual dining, premium casual, then fine dining. San Ho Won can absolutely describe themselves as casual in terms of atmosphere or service style, but that doesn’t put them in the “casual dining” category. That distinction should be clear from the favorites I listed but I could have been more specific.
“Casual dining” is an industry term for chains that have table service, as opposed to “fast casual,” which don’t. I don’t think those terms are known to or used by the general public.
Is $40/pp with tax/tips and something to drink (and no appetizer etc) ? - If yes, that might get quite difficult in many places in the bay area - even for a place like Mazra that’s getting close, e.g. double kebab plate ($27)
Yeah that’s what I’m thinking. It’s a big ask I know, but they’re out there! A burrito at La Parilla Loca is still $16 and its pretty hefty with generous meat portion. What a Chicken in Petaluma has a whole chicken plus 2 sides for about $35, enough for 2 so pp is ~$20.
There’s this pollo asado al carbon stand I started going to recently in Hayward that’s selling a half chicken, half a Bar S hot dog, 3 tortillas, 2 fl oz pico for….$10!
After cocktail drinking in the late night we tend to get tacos either in the Mission or some places in San Jose - some of these places, I think, are using charcoal grills and are affordable
The only place I know that is confirmed using charcoal in the Mission is La Vaca Birria and they are not open late. You can see the Santa Maria style grill they have in the back from the dining room. The couple times I’ve been there the experience has been pretty lackluster but the asada does have that smokey mesquite flavor.
Have you ever been to Espetus? I know that’s out of the price range but they say on their website they grill over charcoal…but I would like to confirm before I shell out the $80 for dinner.
There are late night taco stands like Tacos El Charro (Mission & 18th) were they use fire for your midnight taco. There are a few other taco stands closeby
