Hard Knox Cafe, San Francisco

Sample Menu

• Entree: chicken ‘n’ waffles, which can be made regular or spicy
• Side: classic collard greens
• Drink: Hard Knox pale ale

Meet the Chef: It might surprise some to learn that Hard Knox’s chef and owner is Vietnamese, but Tony Hua knows soul food. He grew up in Texas, where he learned authentic recipes from his godmother and a handful of area chefs. In fact, he’s so confident in his menu that he insists that if you don’t like the food, you don’t have to pay for it or order seconds.

Awards and Accolades

• “But it does have that mom-is-cooking authenticity. Everything tastes good. And the portions are big. You will not leave hungry.” — San Francisco Bay Guardian
• Ranked fifth in the Top 10 Best Places for Fried Chicken in San Francisco by SF Weekly
• Deemed one of the 10 Best Places for Fried Chicken in SF by Zagat

If You Can’t Make It, Try This: The Front Porch (65a 29th Street) also serves up Southern favorites such as chicken and waffles and shrimp and grits.