Daredevil Dining: Offal, Embryos and Amphibians

by Patrick Heig - Citysearch Editor - 191 Reviews - 64 Lists

Updated: November 02, 2009

Think you're an adventurous eater for trying escargot? Snails are down right pedestrian compared to the bizarre creatures, body parts (think the part that zombies love) and other strange foods you can find at these restaurants. We're talking durian milkshakes, cod sperm sushi, and second trimester fermented duck embryos, all delicacies somewhere in the world, and all triple-dog-dare-fare for our delicate palettes. Read on for a guide to the best spots to try eyeballs, amphibians, "nuts" and more--if you dare.

Freaky Foods

  1. 1 4.5 Star Rating: Recommended Turo Turo Restaurant
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    984 Geneva Ave, San Francisco, CA 94112 (map)

    This Filipino restaurant in the Excelsior serves Balut--a duck egg incubated for about 17 days (the duckling's features are recognizable)--a la carte. It's a Filipino favorite, but those unaccustomed to it have a hard time with the texture.

  2. 2 5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended El Farolito Bar
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    2779 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110 (map)

    El Farolito's not the only taqueria (or even the only one in the Mission) to stuff brains, head and tongue inside a burrito, but it is open the latest, giving you plenty of time to hit the bars hard enough to want to try something like this.

  3. 3 5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended Sakae Restaurant
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    240 Park Rd, Burlingame, CA 94010 (map)

    This Burlingame sushi bar offers shirako, the offal of the sea. Also known as cod milt or cod sperm, this reproductive delicacy is hailed for its subtle flavor and silky texture.

  4. 4 4 Star Rating: Recommended Incanto Restaurant & Wine Bar
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    1550 Church St, San Francisco, CA 94131 (map)

    A daily changing menu accents exotic meats with more appealing, Cal-Italian flavors. Standout options include cockscombs (the fleshy red morsel found atop roosters and turkeys) and cured tuna heart.

  5. 5 5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended Santi
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    21047 Geyserville Ave, Geyserville, CA 95441 (map)

    House-made tripe is the signature antipasti at this Sonoma North Italian restaurant. The tripe (made from the lining of a cow's third stomach) is braised with tomato, pecorino and a fried egg.

  6. 6 4.5 Star Rating: Recommended Old Mandarin Restaurant
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    3132 Vicente St, San Francisco, CA 94116 (map)

    All the usual suspects can be found at this Outer Sunset favorite: stomach, tripe, kidneys, you name it. The Beijing-style Islamic restaurant doesn't serve pork, but they do offer lamb "eggs" (we're going to go with testicles on this one), because pigs are too disgusting.

  7. 7 4 Star Rating: Recommended Great Eastern Restaurant
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    649 Jackson St, San Francisco, CA 94133 (map)

    This Chinatown classic specializes in seafood, but the real gastronomic gems are found in the "clay pot specials." Whole fresh frog arrives sizzling hot, straight from the many aquariums that line the dining room.

  8. 8 4.5 Star Rating: Recommended La Folie
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    2316 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94109 (map)

    French fare reigns at this Russian Hill mainstay with classics like frog's legs and foie gras lollipops. If fattened duck liver is simply too tame for you, try the terrine made of trotters and sweetbreads (a.k.a. pigs feet and thyroid glands).

  9. 9 Polarica Usa Inc
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    105 Quint St, San Francisco, CA 94124 (map)

    Sure, you could stick to the goat cheese and lingonberries, but what fun would that be? Instead, hit this Bayview "grocery" store for whole suckling pigs, reindeer steaks, alligator sausages and pretty much every other animal that's legal to eat.

  10. 10 5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended Splash Cafe & Restaurant
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    750 Ellis St, San Francisco, CA 94109 (map)

    Order the deep fried frogs, pickled pigs' ears or durian milkshakes at this super late-night Vietnamese eatery in the TL for authentic (if unusual) snacks. The cafe is also a popular lunch spot for it's super cheap $5 specials.

  11. 11 3 Star Rating: Average Epic Roasthouse
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    369 The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94105 (map)

    Eschewing the boundaries of your standard steakhouse, this Embarcadero hot spot dishes up what the others discard. Brave palates can opt for the hog headcheese (a gelatinous loaf made from pigs' heads, cheeks and jowls) with a side order of blood sausage and bone marrow.

  12. 12 El Cachanilla
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    2948 21st St, San Francisco, CA 94110 (map)

    Many taquerias serve up brain and tongue meat, but this is the only one we know of where you get an eyeball burrito. What may sound like a "Fear Factor" challenge or haunted house experiment is actually just some real-deal Mexican eating, whole animal-style, at this Mission taco joint.

  13. 13 4.5 Star Rating: Recommended La Mar Cebicheria Peruana
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    Pier 1.5, San Francisco, CA 94111 (map)

    Ceviche may be the house specialty at this Waterfront power-lunching spot, but it's the guinea pig--more a staple than a delicacy in Peru--that you won't find anywhere else: marinated for days, cooked confit-style in duck fat and served shredded like carnitas. If you have any moral qualms about eating these cute little suckers, don't worry--they're organic.