Chicken and waffles at Little Skillet, 360 Ritch St.

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W San Francisco

Psst…I can hook you up with a fix at a good price. Primo stuff, too, bro. This way. Come on. Come on. Down this alley.

In San Francisco, if someone beckons you down an alley like that, don’t be afraid. They’re just leading the way to Little Skillet, a lunchtime walk-up window serving tasty Southern-style fried chicken and waffles, as well as BBQ pork sandwiches, Cobb salads, and red velvet cupcakes. Located at 360 Ritch St. (at Townsend between 3rd and 4th streets, and a short drive from the W San Francisco), this offshoot of Farmer Brown restaurant is open Monday through Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

If you’re lucky, you can take your cardboard box of goodness to enjoy at the lone bench on the sidewalk in front of the window. Or do what most people do — grab a foam cushion from a stack nicely provided at the condiment stand and take a seat on a loading dock across the street to chow down on your grub. Packages of wet ones also are conveniently available to clean your hands afterward. You’ll need them — this is definitely food to dig into with your fingers.

For $8, I bought two very crisp, well-seasoned pieces of chicken and a Belgian-style waffle dusted with powdered sugar and served with a side of high-quality syrup.

If you need a pick-me-up after your meal, walk two steps next-door to Cento, a coffee window that serves fabled Blue Bottle Coffee, which the entire coffee-swilling Bay Area has gone nutso about. For good reason. Get it dripped to order for $2.50, and enjoy a rich, balanced, full-bodied cup of joe.

It’s amazing what culinary delights a humble alleyway has to offer.

— Carolyn Jung of FoodGal

[Photo Credit: Carolyn Jung]