Best Southern American Restaurants in Civic Center / Hayes Valley / Van Ness

Prelude is such a gem that we are lucky to have in the Bay Area. In an era where tasting menus can often leave you underwhelmed and needing a slice of pizza at the end, Prelude did the exact opposite. While I did opt for the caviar supplement and added on the sweetbreads dish from the ala carte menu, even without the extras I still would have left full to the brim. Some can’t miss dishes are the stuffed chicken wing, the catfish dumplings, the aforementioned sweetbreads, and the pork chop. The service was warm, friendly, and attentive, and I found the by the glass wine options superb- I was particularly fond of a pour of a very special 1996 Chenin Blanc with dessert. I look forward to returning to Prelude again and again.

First time at Hard Knox Cafe. We chose it because of the reviews and its proximity to the Legion of Honor. We met my niece and nephew and the staff was very accomodating of guest arriving at different times. The food arrived quickly and was very hot which was terrific. The portions are very generous and we had dinner the next night on the leftovers. The food was flavorful without being spicy. We ordered fried chicken dinner with yam fries and salad; ribs with corn and coleslaw; spicy fried chicken with collard greens and another vegetable; and a pulled pork sandwich with fries. We all enjoyed our food and will definitely be returning.

Nice blues club (really a night club) that serves southern styled food. Go for the music

Excellent food! Highly recommended. Looking forward to going back.