San Francisco's Nonstaurant Trend, Where to Find One Near You

Mission Street Food (back when it was in a truck) by Tom P./Yelp

Lessley Anderson (senior editor at CHOW and our former colleague back in the day) sent us this map denoting the sports where you can find the current "nonstaurant" trend in the Bay Area. It's pretty damn handy for those of you who prefer to get your gastronomic fix from a taco truck.

What's a nonstaurant? Well, according to CHOW, they are "food ventures operating out of trucks, carts, other people's restaurants, shops, etc." These include but are not limited to pop-up restaurants, nouveau street food, and takeout windows in places you wouldn't expect."

SFist asked Anederson how, exactly, did this nonstaurant trend come about? She explains, "I think Nonstaurants are so big now because people want to feel they're getting a unique and adventurous experience for their money, and not just dining at the same Zuni-Chez-Blahblah restaurant everybody else is. The carts, in particular, give people good value, which is important because everybody's poor now. And they also give people a sense of community, as they are able to talk to each other while waiting in line, and eat outside near their bicycles."

Anderson's current favorite? Pal's Takeaway at 2751 24th Street . "I love that it is in such an anonymous liquor corner grocery store, the food is incredible, prices are decent, and the guys have good taste in music. They get to program the iPOD that plays in the store, too, apparently, and there was some obscure Louvin Brothers stuff on there," she tells us.

Be sure to check out the nonstaurant nearest you. (And feel free to go batshit about the term "nonstaurant" in the comments, because we know you're just dying to.)