San Francisco Brunch Spots Raise Prices, Tighten Reservations This Summer

Brunch tabs in San Francisco averaged $42 per person in June 2026 according to local restaurant data, up from $36 two years earlier.

The increase stems from higher egg and produce costs plus staffing shortages that hit kitchens after the 2025 minimum wage hike to $18.75 an hour. Visitors and residents planning weekend meals now weigh reservations against walk-up lines that can stretch 45 minutes at peak hours.

Neighborhood booking patterns

Tartine Bakery on Guerrero Street in the Mission District opens at 8 a.m. on weekends yet fills its 40-seat indoor space by 9:30 most Saturdays. Zazie on Cole Street in Cole Valley accepts reservations only through Resy and releases tables 14 days ahead, with prime 10 a.m. slots gone within hours of posting. Both locations require street parking on adjacent blocks where meters run $3.50 an hour until 6 p.m.

Price and timing details

A 2025 San Francisco Chronicle survey of 1,200 diners showed 62 percent spent more than $40 per person including coffee and tip. At Tartine, the ham and cheese croissant runs $9 while a full egg dish reaches $19. Zazie lists its French toast at $17.50. Walk-up visitors without reservations often wait longest between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturdays; arriving before 9 a.m. or after 2 p.m. cuts the line at both addresses. Credit cards are accepted everywhere, though some counter-service windows add a 3 percent service fee on totals under $20.

Check Resy or the venue website the night before for same-day cancellations, and confirm parking rules on 18th Street or Cole Street signs to avoid tickets that start at $76. Bring cash for any outdoor farmers-market add-ons near the Mission location if the line moves inside faster than expected.