Pakwan

The casual institution has been around since before Bluetooth was invented (1999)—probably because the curries, biryanis, and other Pakistani Indian dishes are as consistent as they are excellent. They also have a big section of vegetarian curries that shouldn’t be overlooked, like the melt-in-your-mouth benghan bartha (sop it up with an order or two of puffy garlic naan). Pakwan is always packed with groups passing around plates heaped with biryani and tikka masala, and people waiting in line to order at the counter, but it’s always easy to walk in and secure a table. And that's why we come here for spontaneous Monday night dinners, catch-ups with friends, and to dig into some samosas after the worst week ever. Pakwan also has locations in the Tenderloin and Ingleside, plus a couple of East Bay outposts.