Brag all you want about your expert navigational skills or your exhaustive knowledge of San Francisco history, but there are things about San Francisco that even locals would be surprised to learn. Here are some of them, from hidden gems to clandestine menu items.
1. Ike’s secret menu
Many restaurants have secret menu items, but Ike's Place has an entire secret menu with 50 different sandwiches on it. Ike's has several locations in the Bay Area. For more information, go here.
Photo via Yelp.
2. San Francisco Sundials
The Ingleside Terraces Sundial is truly a San Francisco secret, mainly because it’s tagged under “Local Flavor” on Yelp. It’s the largest of three mega sundials in SF and can tell time like nobody’s business. For more information, go here.
3. Secret public parks on rooftops
Rooftop parks > non-rooftop parks. There are several POPOS (Publicly Open Privately Owned Spaces) in downtown SF, including some courtyards and plazas for pedestrians to kick back and relax. Here are some address for a rooftop scavenger hunt: 50 Post St., 343 Sansome St.; 555 California St., 303 2nd St.; and 835 Market St.
4. Casting pools
Want to look fly next time you fly fish? Head over to the Golden Gate Angling and Casting Club to hone your skills in peace and quiet. The club is at 1232 John F. Kennedy Dr. For more information, go here.
5. Presidio Pet Cemetery
The pet cemetery is the final resting spot for the furry companions owned by families and soldiers once stationed at the Presidio. For more information, go here.
Photo via Yelp.
6. Bernal Slides
Everyone has heard of the Seward Street slides. In Bernal Heights Park, there are two more slides, which are deceptively steep and guaranteed to ruin your outfit. Awesome. For more information, go here.
Photo via Yelp.
7. The Spire
Artist Andy Goldsworthy is responsible for the 100-foot-tall art installation on Bay Ridge Trail. It is made from 38 cypress trunks fastened together. For more information, go here.
Photo via Yelp.
8. The Cake Gallery
Google “adult cakes” and you’ll find The Cake Gallery, which makes a signature boob cake, among other erotic sweet loafs. That sounded dirty. The artists also make cool, family-friendly cakes. Just let their hotline bling. The Cake Gallery is at 290 9th St.
Photo via The Cake Gallery.
9. Cayuga Park
Tyler MacNiven, the co-founder of SF Secrets, insists that Cayuga Park, with its woodland-inspired sculptures, is “one of San Francisco’s most precious secrets.” The park is at 301 Naglee Ave. For more information, go here.
Photo via sfrecpark.org.
10. Wave Organ
The wave organ, located on a jetty in San Francisco Bay, might not look like much, but it’s actually a series of pipes that echo the music of the ocean. For more information, go here.
