Diabetic
Zadin Castro
Zadin Castro
This is a great Vietnamese restaurant located in the Castro. It’s not your typical Pho based Vietnamese spot, but they have a great Pho on the menu. This restaurant also has Gluten free options, which is not common in the Castro. They have some great wine options as well as beer. The staff is very friendly.
I am also Diabetic and I find most of the dishes here are lower in sugar. Be sure to ask about the sauces in each dish you order, they may be able to use less sugar since most of what they make is not pre-made and relatively easy for them to accommodate you.
On the weekends and busy days or just simply great weather it can be packed. I would recommend using open table to make a reservation.
Zadin is next door to Moby Dick’s at 4039 18th St.
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The Castro
The Castro
The Castro is well noted as the Gay hot spot of the world. The Castro is filled with some good shopping, great food and bars and clubs. I do not suggest trying to stay in the Castro as hotel choices are limited, there are some bed and breakfast options. The best hotels are in Union Square and its a 10 minute cab ride to the Castro or about 15 minutes via the MUNI, specifically the underground rail system in San Francisco.
Gay Friendly Hotels:
When planning on staying in San Francisco and your destination is the Castro plan on staying in Union Square or SOMA “South of Market Area” The Castro only has one hotel. My Favorite hotels in San Francisco are:
St. Regis - Ultra luxurious hotel in SOMA.
Within the Castro Beck’s motor lodge is your only choice.
GAY GYMS
Gold’s Gym – It’s a very popular gay gym, very cruizy. It has underground parking.
24 Hour Fitness – Small very busy, not very cruisy if that is what you want.
The Gym SF Castro - Small gym, haven’t tried them yet, but would love to hear from anyone who uses them.
There is only one paid parking garage in the Castro and it’s pretty well hidden, entry is on Noe St. just north of Market. Be aware this garage closes at Midnight. If you are looking for this place on any map program the address is on Market St. so it may be confusing to find.
Meters are STRICTLY enforced! The Castro is the single most enforced part of the city, there are more meter maids than any other part of the city. Watch your meter carefully and READ the signs very carefully. Some of the commercial spots are only for commercial vehicles until 4pm and may or may not be commercial on Saturday. Meters are free on Sunday, even commercial spots. Commercial spots are Yellow. Watch carefully for red meters, these are 30 minute meters. If you have a disabled placard, do NOT park in commercial spots when they are commercial, you will get a ticket. In California commercial plates are identified by having a single letter in them. For example 1×12345 is commercial, 1xyz1234 is not. These meter’s can be very expensive and most of the people I know have far less than $10 in quarters in their pocket, they sell cards that you can use for the meters around the city at a convenience store called Rossi’s Deli.
Look for temporary signs posted on the meters for events or construction, they will enforce these strictly. Look for chalk on your tires, if you keep feeding your meter past the allocated time you may get a ticket. The easy way to check is for a chalk mark on your tires that are street facing. Be aware that parking fines have increased by about 100% in 2010. I just looked at the SF MTA web site today and meter violations can be up to $100 and are very difficult to fight. Be very careful, fighting these tickets are very difficult. They have metal detectors at the MTA office with bullet proof glass, so just fill in the blanks about your chances of getting out of a ticket.
I do not know this for sure, but I have been told that a private contracted company takes care of the parking tickets. Once a ticket has been issued, there is no way for them to cancel it, don’t fight with them or you can wind up in jail. No kidding, if they feel threatened they can get you thrown behind bars! Many of these meter maids are very short tempered and do not put up with anything. It is in your best interest not to push them. You can attempt to fight a parking ticket, in my experience this is nearly an impossible thing to win. It’s worse than fighting a speeding ticket, but do what ever you want.
Be aware that the Castro Theater has 4 or 5 spots in front that at any time, at their discretion can become no parking, loading only zones. They will put out signs, again don’t try it, its really not worth it.
FYI, additional metered parking is available behind the Castro Theater, Naia, Sliders are right in front. Access to this lot is to the right of Naia. There is a second lot just off 18th st. behind Walgreen’s between Magnet, the STD testing facility.
The meters are expensive, $.25 will not get you but a few minutes at some locations. You can purchase a parking card in advance from the MTA website, the Montgomery MUNI station sells them during regular business hours.
You can buy parking cards at both Rossi’s Deli, they are at 426 Castro St near the Diesel store at Market and Castro St. The other place I have bought the cards at is the Chevron, also at the corner of Market and Castro. They
only have the $20 cards.
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION:
If you are looking for alternatives to get to the Castro, you are in luck. San Francisco has a great public transportation system, so you have plenty of options. During street fairs such as Gay Pride and the Castro Street Fair it may be easy to get a cab in, but getting one out is a mess. Forget about parking, you will have a very hard time finding parking. Many of the streets are temporarily shut down or are setup for no parking.
There is an above street cable car called the F line, these street trains go from Fisherman’s Wharf to the Castro. Typically this service ends around 11 or midnight. You can catch this service from Union Square, where most of the major shopping and large hotels are located. This is the slowest possible way to travel in San Francisco, other than walking. These cars are antiques and are very slow!
If you are coming from Union Square, the fastest way to the Castro is via the Muni train service which is located underground. To alleviate confusion, from Union Square you can enter at the Montgomery Station, Powell Street, or Civic Center. These stations are the closest to Union Square, Powell Street is the most central to Union Square. There is also a cable car stop and BART stop at Powell.
At the platform there are two directions, In Bound and Outbound. In Bound trains are heading towards the Embarcadero or heading West toward the bay. Outbound is heading East or towards the Castro for this example. Do not use the J, which heads to the Church St, it get’s close but is not the best choice. The N line heads to the Sunset district which goes all the way to the beach. It’s not even close to where you want to be, it does stop at the Church station, so you can walk from there. Both the J and N lines go out and above ground.
The Outbound lines that will take you to the Castro station are K, L and M. During weekday rush hour, there is an S or Castro Express line that skips many stops and is very quick. Don’t wait for it, at times between trains can be lengthy and I have waited for the S at Powell st to find it so full that no one could get on.
Do not lean on the door’s, I have heard stories of the doors suddenly flying open while these trains are moving at full speed. I am sure it will not be fun if you fly out. Do not attempt to ride the train without a valid pass, do not throw your pass out after you go through the gate. These trains have police that check tickets. They will give you a fairly nasty fine. I also would not touch anything on the train, some people who ride the trains are very un-hygienic!
Some evenings they shut the trains down early and switch to street buses, they will have the same letters as the trains. During the weeken
ds there are buses that run all night long down Market st. They don’t run that often, but its an alternative if you do not have cab money.
NIGHTLIFE AND GAY BARS:
The Castro has a nice long list of gay bars, you may think there would be more to choose from, however there is a strict limit on liquor licenses within the Castro so it’s nearly impossible to open more.
The Blackbird is a newer bar to the Castro, they tend to have a younger mixed crowd. It’s a bit of a walk from Market and Castro, but worth the effort. It’s the closest bar we have that’s lounge like and has a pool table.
Blush – A personal favorite is a very laid back, sophisticated wine bar, located in the heart of the Castro, near 18th and Castro St.
22-23 is both a bar and restaurant, so you can have brunch and get trashed all in one sitting. Good food!
The Cafe is a large bar and gay dance club located in the center of the Castro, lot’s of events each night.
Twin Peaks is a good sized bar for the Castro, it caters to an older crowd. Is also known as the Glass Coffin, so you can read between the lines.
440 Castro is a decently sized bar that tends to cater towards the leather crowd, they also have a few nights that are for younger guys and a very popular beer bust.
Bar on Church formally known as Bar on Castro, but after loosing its lease moved. The new place is really nice, the crowd is a mix but on the younger side in general. Just steps away from Gayway, or Safeway.
Trigger is a bar for the gay yuppie crowd, drinks are typically twice as much as anywhere else. I used to like it myself, but they have let it fall apart in my opinion. I even paid for their black card the first year, will never do that again.
Martuni’s is a gay piano bar, located on the out skirts of the Castro. They have very strong drinks and different events most nights, it’s a nice spot.
The Mix is another average sized gay bar with a nice outside deck off the back, they have some fun events and a pool table. It attracts a wide range of age groups, but I have met some very nice guys here before.
Moby Dick’s is a fun small bar with a pool table and a nice big fish tank in the back ground. A popular spot for the gay sports teams to meet after a game.
Harvey’s is a popular iconic restaurant and gay bar located in the heart of the castro right off 18th and Castro, a must see for visitors.
The Edge is a bear’s bar, I have never been here but it’s usually crowded.
Toad Hall is a popular gay bar with a large outside patio, a mixed crowd with lots of youngsters to choose from. I call it Toad Vomit, but that’s my view.
Badlands is the most popular gay bar in the Castro, very young crowd with LCD screens all over. This is the main tourist trap to visit, very reasonable drink prices and a happy hour geared to kill people with alcohol poisoning.
The Mint, technically is outside the Castro but it is close to Martuni’s so worth a mention. This is your Karaoke spot of choice.
SHOPPING
Best in Show – A boutique dog toy store for your loved one, a well run store.
HOMELESS:
San Francisco is the homeless capital of North America. Tourists are the prime targets. I know you will feel sorry for them and they will tell you all sorts of crazy stories about their problems. If you give them money they will keep asking, once one see’s you give to one, the others will chase you down. As cold as this sounds, don’t make eye contact and just say no thank you and keep walking. If you give them a cigarette it opens you up for them to ask for money. The city provides them money, food and housing. They also have dozens of options for education, help getting a job and medical aid. They either have mental issues or choose the route of driving hard working people crazy.
RESTAURANTS:
The Castro has a great selection of restaurants to choose, all pretty easy to walk to. On the higher end you have Catch, a seafood restaurant which is really good, It’s located on Market St. Just at Castro. As well as Eureka, which is located on 18th, 3/4 of a block heading towards Delores Park from Castro St. One of the best new additions is Starbelly, at the corner 16th and Market. Both Catch and Eureka you can make reservations on Open Table. Starbelly, unless you have a really big group is first come first serve, expect a wait.
French
Bisou – This by far is my favorite French restaurant in San Francisco, hands down! Must try!
American – Gay Drunk Food
Harvey’s – This is a must try, for American fair the food is well done, they have a great bar and very friendly staff.
Home Restaurant – This is a great brunch spot, make sure to get a reservation and try their home made breads.
Cafe Flore – An indoor outdoor cafe, with a full bar and restaurant, nice on sunny days.
Orphan Andy’s – Classic American dinner affair, open 24 hours, they also have a very large low cal and carb section for the conscience drunks.
Chinese
Brandy Ho’s – One of my personal favorites as well, it’s Hunan style so can be spicy.
Nirvana – This is more of Asian Fusion – Noodles, very good worth trying. Great cocktails!
Sushi
Osaka Sushi Good food, great location, usually some pretty good fish options.
Indian
Kasa – Kasa is a great small unique Indian Restaurant, I have eaten here dozens of times and always loved it.
Mexican – Latin
Mediterranean
Cafe Mystique – A newer choice in the Castro and a nice change from the typical choices.
La Mediterranee – Haven’t tried it, but this is an option.
Italian – Pizza
Nizarios – Pizza sold by the slice and always good.
The Sausage Factory – One of my favorite Italian restaurants in San Francisco, a must try.
Escape From New York Pizza – A good place for a slice or if you need delivery.
Marcello’s Castro – Pizza by the slice..
Seafood
Anchor Oyster Bar – A great option for the Oyster Lover!
Catch – Fine dining, but one of my favorite spots.
Southern – Soul Food
Criolla Kitchen- A new addition to the Castro, this is a great restaurant with an excellent menu. Criolla Kitchen has taken over Bagdad Cafe.
Thai Food
Vietnamese
Zadin – A great Vietnamese restaurant, with a Gluten free menu as well.
Deserts – Coffee Shops
Castro Tarts A great small coffee shop, its a little hard to find so you may want to hunt this one out.
Hot Cookie – A small bakery that makes a few cookies that look awfully similar to the human reproductive system, but tasty, none the less.
The Cove Cafe – A small coffee shop with deserts.