Ferry Plaza Farmers Market

Best. Farmer’s. Market. Period.
.
With Farmer’s Markets poppin’ up everywhere, the reason this market is the best is simple: Location and selection.
Situated outside the iconic Ferry Building with views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Bay Bridge, and Alcatraz, no other Farmer’s Market can compete with this view.
In addition to its awesome location, this market is humongous. Rain or shine (preferably shine), the best day to go is Saturday when the market is bustling with DSLR-​armed tourists, San Franciscans, and local chefs!
That’s right, you will see local chefs pushing around chef’s carts as they go around selecting fresh produce for the day’s menu. I personally like to peep at their carts and see what the chef’s are getting since they have the cheatcodes for what’s fresh. I call this strategy Cliff’s Notes for the Farmer’s Market. LOL.
But really, the array of produce is incredibly varied! Everything from two-​toned zephyr squash to French radishes, garlic scapes to romanesco, Buddha’s hand citronella to fresh local strawberries, edible flowers to every-​fucking-​colored carrot/​bell pepper imaginable, you may even see a Vegan or two collapse from optical sensory overload and/​or a Canon/​Nikon-​wielding tourist run out of memory card space because there are so many options and unique offerings!
On top of all that, the Farmer’s Market, which is operated by the Center of Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture (CUESA), validates for parking on Saturday if you park at the nearby Golden Gateway Parking garage on Clay Street
. Just bring your parking ticket and get it stamped at the CUESA booth and you will only pay a flatrate of $ 3! You can thank me later!
My only gripe is that aside from the Roli Roti guys with their long ass line and the Hog Island booth where you can get $ 3 freshly shucked oysters, the prepared food at the Farmer’s Market is not that great or it’s overpriced. Then again, pretty much every Farmer’s Market in history has disappointing food.
Also, the Farmer’s Market is not dog-​friendly. However, some dickbutt locals just don’t give a shit and break the rules making honest dog owners like THIS GUY look bad. Maybe CUESA should invest in a dog-​sitting pen? When the wife and I go with the furry child I end up hanging out with the day campers at the Sue Bierman Park/​Justin Herman Plaza across the street while she goes shopping.
At the end of the day, if you are going to go to the Ferry Building anyway because you are a tourist or you are a local showing out-​of-​towners around, head on over between 8 AM and 2 PM on Saturday. You know, two birds one stone yadda yadda yadda.
* For all the nOoBs and tourists, the bulk of the vendor’s are located BEHIND the Ferry Building.
** Bet you didn’t know that Justin Herman Plaza used to be a skateboarding mecca in the 1980s and 1990s until security cracked down and added those metal bolt thingeys to the cement waves to prevent skaters. Shoutout to Aaron L. for pointing that out. Source:

The best of both worlds time the eat & shop and if you are not in the mood for shopping it is a great place to walk around. I got a rabbit sausage sandwich with mustard greens & a garlic aioli. It was to die for the sausage was savory with just the right amount of spice. And the portion size was enough that you would be satisfied with out feeling overly full.

Simply the best farmers market. This thing is huuuuuggeeee. I was a fool and only walked around the front of the Ferry building for a solid 15 minutes feeling a bit underwhelmed as I had read so many amazing reviews. Then I walked through the ferry building and went outside and BAM!!! Soooo many more stalls of food, produce, flowers (there was a lavender stall!!!), pastas, cookies, whatever you can think of there’s a stall for it.
Super overwhelming with so many options but I decided on some Korean street food and a lavender lemonade (which was spectacular).
Such a beautiful setting and such good vibes. It’s really crowded on Saturdays but so worth it. Definitely do not miss coming out to this if you’re in SF: D

Not your typical fruit and veggies only famers market! The Ferry Building Famers Market literally surrounds the entire Ferry Building (on Saturday’s, Tuesday/​Thursday market takes place out front of the Ferry Building) and is comprised of dozens of vendors with products of all shapes, sizes and flavors.
Current visiting hours:
Tuesday: 10am-​2pm
Thursday: 10 am — 2pm **features an array of artisan street food
Saturday: 8am-​2pm
What you’ll find: everything from fresh seafood to jams, bread, cheeses, FLOWERS, olive oils, hot sauces, eegs, meats and you can’t forget all the in-​season fruits and vegetables of the most bright and vivid colors. Plan your trip to the Ferry Building around one of their three weekly Farmers Markets!

Between the Ferry building itself and the farmers market on tues/​thurs/​sat, this is a combo that is hard to beat. I went to the market on a Saturday morning to explore while in town visiting, hoping to find some good local eats and perhaps a few hardy fruits or vegetables to travel back with me. I managed to find a bunch of vendors making liquid heavens: shrub (for cocktail mavens), kombucha, and cold press juices which I definitely indulged in. I did also find some great fruits and veggies to take back with me, and also free-​sampled to my heart’s content! I really enjoyed the cheeses and milks that were available, as well as the hummus, yogurts, and spreads. Farmer’s markets are truly my element, and if I could have traveled back with more items, I would have had 2 arm loads. I did find some vendors that sell online, which I am looking forward to investigating more.
The only negative is that no dogs are allowed in the market, which is understandable but is bummer for dog owners that want to make it an adventure. I have been to other cities that also ban dogs from the market, but luckily the one I have in my town allows them.
Overall a tourist and local scene that you have to check out when in town. Entirely recommended!

I’ve been eyeing the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market for months but chickened out every weekend because I didn’t want to wake up early on Saturday lol Finally, I decided to drag myself (and the bf) up last Saturday and I have no regrets (not sure about him: P).
We arrived around 9 a.m., and there were no long lines yet at the food booths — yay! I didn’t realize that the info booth had a map, so we just walked around looking for the booths I 100% had to get food from. BIG PARKING TIP — Park at Golden Gateway Garage on Clay and get your ticket validated at the info booth for $ 3 all day parking! This information, along with other parking info, is on the farmers market’s website. So helpful~
First stop was Craftsman & Wolves for The Rebel Within! After seeing it all over Instagram ad reading about it, I had to try it. Nabbed on as well as a vial of Tabasco salt (?) and enjoyed it at home where. I heated it up just a tad so that it was warm, and it was good! I didn’t care much for the egg, but the bread itself was very tasty — loved the bits of sausage! For $ 7.25 or so, it wasn’t THAT worth it. I’m glad I tried it, but I don’t think I’ll get it again.
After that, we hit up 4505 for the brisket plate ($ 12.50 + tax) because I read in some reviews that it can run out later in the day. The brisket was SO tender and literally melted in your mouth. However the crust on the brisket was quite salty =/​The brisket plates comes with two sides, so we got the spicy fries (YUM) and coleslaw (MEH). You definitely get a lot of food though! We had to hunt down some water after eating this *sweat drop emoji*
At San Francisco Lox Sandwich we got the Albacore Tuna Lox ($ 10 for two pieces) and it was SO good! The beets, walnuts and pickled onions paired really well and complemented the albacore wonderfully. The cream cheese was like the middleman, bringing everything together.
On the way out, the lavender lemonade at Girl Friday caught my eye. We also ended up grabbing half a dozen of the zeppole (think really fluffy donut holes) with the vanilla bean sauce. SO good! The lavender lemonade was sweet and lemony without being so tart your lips puckered. The zeppole was just the best way to end our trip — they made them fresh so they were nice, hot and fluffy 8Q_​_​_​_​
Most food places accept card, but I’d carry cash just in case. I felt that the prices were pretty reasonable and less jaw-​drop inducing than Off The Grid food truck prices haha There are picnic tables around where you can sit and eat, but a lot of people just stand or sit on the ledge of those plant box things (sorry for the terrible description…) Primavera, which does the chilaquiles, had a LONG line by the time we left around 10 – 10:30 a.m. Everywhere had 5ish people in line while Primavera had a good 15 or more. My last note is watch out for the seagulls; they’re everywhere!
I hope to drag myself (and the bf) back to the farmers market soon (:

has a higher range than normal for your weekly farmer’s market.
but there are things here that are hard to find, and u will pay for that price.
i am a fan of 1 vendor who sells the kleen kanteen stainless steel tumblers.
i bought 1 last yr and on my return visit this yr, i bought 2 more.
they do keep liquids cold for up to 6 hrs as stated ($ 30 for 20 oz tumbler)

I love Farmers Markets. Not only do they bring fresh produce, but they also bring a sense of community! I definitely love the rotisserie chicken (although literally 2x the price of Safeway’s), the dried lavenders, and the fresh leafy greens. I feel like the produce is a bit pricy, compared to other farmer’s markets, though.

Had a trip in San Fran for 3 days and this was my favorite day! We went on Saturday morning and it was so lively. Full of nice people– farmers or shoppers– with a mix of smells ranging from the fresh lavender on my right and the rolling rotisserie meats from «Roli Roti» food truck (the porchetta and potatoes were to die for!) We stopped by the Hog Island oyster co. for some sweet water oysters and I’d have to say, they were the best I’ve ever had! I would have bought all the beautiful cherry blossom flowers and tulips if I lived there! Such a gre

Enjoyable Experience Wandering the Market on a Saturday Morning — Great Selection of Local, Fresh and Organic Produce!
My mother and I visited the Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market on August 1^st, a Saturday morning.
We took the BART train from the Mission District to the Embarcadero and walked down Market Street a short way to the market. We arrived shortly after they opened at 8 am and the market was very busy and crowded, but despite that, it was very enjoyable experience.
The farmer’s market was huge! The food vendors and stalls were located outside, on both sides of the Ferry Plaza Building and behind the building as well. The market was filled with vibrant colours and delicious smells.
We wandered around the beautiful outdoor market, stopping at various stalls and vendors along the way. I enjoyed sampling a variety of jams, cheese, chocolate, fruit and more, which many of the vendors were offering. There were also stalls selling fresh breads (which unfortunately I could not eat as a Celiac) and small eateries/​food trucks selling freshly prepared food to purchase.
There were so many local, fresh and organic fruits and vegetables as well as jams, cheeses, breads, flowers, herbs, sauerkraut and much more. The selection and variety was fantastic! I loved that each vendor had a sign that indicated how many miles their farm was located from San Francisco and other interesting tidbits of information about the growers, their farm and their products. I enjoyed learning about the farmers by reading these signs.
After browsing the market, we explored inside the Ferry Plaza Building, where there were more little market-​style shops, restaurants, and cafes. I browsed through a shop selling lots of fruits and vegetables and another shop that sold beans.
We then purchased a small bucket of fresh, sweet and super delicious local strawberries from the market outside and ate them while sitting on a bench at the pier behind the Ferry Plaza Building. I enjoyed admiring the fantastic views of the Bay Bridge and the Bay waters from the pier while savouring the taste of my strawberries.
As we were leaving the market, we stopped to listen to some street performers playing on the sidewalk in front of the Ferry Plaza Building. They were called the College Fund Street Band and were comprised of young siblings. They were absolutely amazing and I enjoyed listening to them!
The market is a perfect place to spend a Saturday morning and there were lots of places where you could eat breakfast/​brunch there. I loved wandering around there, browsing the vendors and checking out unique products and foods to buy. Visiting local markets is one of my favourite things to do when I travel somewhere new.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market and will definitely return when I am San Francisco again someday. It was a great experience!

Love this place. Saturday is the day. The farmers market is the best place to try the local cuisine and it’s all so fresh — made with the best local ingredients.
I love that try are so giving with their samples. You and walk around and try as much as you would like. The only issue is that it is all so good, you can get sucked in to buying everything.
They also have some food vendors. There is this one tent (I think it was Mexican) and I don’t remember the name of it. But delicious! Ask for the Chilaquiles. It was these chips with green chilies, eggs and refried beans. It was so damn good. It was great sitting out on the pier, watching the water, listening to music and enjoying out brunch.
The ferry building is everything that pier 39 isn’t: local, reasonably priced, and fun.

The Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market is set in a lovely location, with the Ferry Building in the background and the bay just behind it.
Fruit and produce here are relatively expensive; there are cheaper options elsewhere in the city. It’s not very large, but it complements the shops and restaurants in the Ferry Building very well. Like a previous reviewer said, it’s not as quaint as the farmers markets that one would find in a smaller city or a town, but the ambience is nevertheless pleasant, especially on a sunny day.
Most people seem to come here for the cooked food. Hoards of people from all over the Financial District come at around noon to line up for food to go. There is plenty of seating in the Ferry Building, as well as benches outside if you want to enjoy the weather.

Gosh, I wish I lived here after this walk through this amazing Farmer’s Market. Everything from fresh mushrooms to «tasty salted pig parts» and California wines. Freshly grilled, freshly cooked, freshly picked and freshly displayed. Even in the rain!
But I don’t like here and so I could only sniff the smells and drool. A lot.
And for the woman who offered me a taste of crack… I mean dark chocolate sea salt almond brittle, you’re an evil, evil person. I don’t know how I managed to only buy one dose of your great sweet salty good stuff.

I arrived with cash and returned broke, but what a cashe of treasures, chocolate, soaps, kimchee, and essential oils, salts, not to mention, used books from The Book Passage. We don’t have much of a kitchen at our place otherwise I’d pick up organic humanely raised rabbit, and make a stew. Love the no dogs signs posted everywhere, but it NEEDS to be enforced.

The BEST farmer’s market ever! The Ferry Building market itself is spectacular (if not a little precious and pricey). I wish I could have tried all of the purveyors inside the building. But arriving on a Saturday morning, the number of tents and the sheer volume of produce, fresh food, and food products is mind blowing! We tried some fresh oysters from the hog island stand, tasted some smoked fish, sampled the permsimons, it was truly a magical morning. Tons of dogs and babies, so beware haha. I wish we werent on our way to brunch, otherwise i would have eaten more. There’s always next time!

Not as quaint as some smaller town markets, it is still a very visually pleasing market set against the backdrop of the Ferry Building.
Frankly, the items inside the market proper seemed very pricey. The artists set up across the street were of more interest

The farmers market with food vendors are great! We settled in the Asian fusion tent which has Japanese/​Hawaiian/​Korean food. The okonomiyaki and the loco moco are both good.

Visiting a farmers market is always fun, you get to see/​buy fresh veggies, fruits, flowers, drinks, etc., etc. Even if you don’t buy anything, it is fun to walk around the farmers market (to me). At this farmer’s market, they had many fresh veggies, flowers, food, and of course, beautiful scenery.
We went there for lunch and sweets. They have many food vendors to choose from, which is always great. We started off with more of a breakfast option first, a donut muffin from Downtown Bakery & Creamery. It was really nice, but I think it sounded better than tasted. Then, we moved on to more lunch items, Omurice from Namu Street Food, and then Fennel Sausage, Avocado & Sauerkraut sandwich from The Farmer’s Wife, finished off with macarons from Marla Bakery. The sandwich from The Farmer’s Wife was THE best, it was the star of the day. Read my full review on the food on my food blog at foodlovergirl.

5 stars solely for the food options. MMMM FOOD.
A great variety of produce stalls, market booths, and restaurants. Roli Roti had probably the best porchetta sandwich ($ 9.50) I’ve had in a long time. The best part was of course watching the meats turn in the open oven, with their juices dripping down to the potatoes. ¼ chicken with potatoes ($ 7.50) was another popular option. $ 17 for a 2-​people lunch was not bad at all.
Saint Benoit had a great strawberry milk that tasted exactly how you would want strawberry milk to taste. Very happy Saturday morning!
Parking problems? Look up Golden Gateway Parking Garage.

Heyy totally had a fun time going up and down the different farmers market booths (my favorite part = free samples: P). I found that there was quite a lot of booths, but not as much variety as the ones I’ve experienced back in San Diego.
We originally went to the Ferry Building to pick up some Blue Bottle Coffee before we start our farmers market journey. After noticing the massive line for coffee. we totally opted out and went to different stores and stands for coffee (Peets which you could never go wrong with, and Slightglass which was. meh. I think their vanilla cold brew coffee was really strong and I was uncomfortably wired after that)
What I found most appealing were the artisan cheese booths. There were so many of them! It was really hard not to hoard it all– they were very generous with the samples too, so it was hard to say no.
There were quite a few unique items that you normally don’t see at other famers markets as well. For example, the lavender juice stand. Imagine walking through the farmers market, minding your own biz, and BAM the strong scent of lavender slapping you in the face. The lavender juice stand had bundles of lavender around it, just begging you to notice the scent. And it totally worked. We caved and decided to try the juice– which was amazing. $ 4 for a glass bottle of it, and if you return the bottle, they’ll give you a dollar back. We just chugged it on the spot.
The most exciting part about farmers markets in general is that you end up discovering cool products and food that you end up not wanting to live without. Yes, we’ll be back for the lavender juice. and to hoard the cheeses.

Let me tell you, if you are a tourist (or a local!) and you like farmers markets — you should go to this one! It has plenty of things to buy to snack on for the day or to bring home and enjoy at home.
Do NOT eat breakfast before coming here, there are many fresh samples and items to purchase. The fruit in San Francisco is to die for — so make sure you sample the oranges and apples.
I would also make sure you bring adequate amount of cash and a credit card because there are plenty of items for sale that are only a few dollars.
I really love this little dairy booth that sells yogurt and milk — buy the lemon yogurt or the strawberry milk!

I was in San Francisco for business. The day I was heading home I had all morning to get out and explore. It was recommend to me to go check out the farmers market. Sure! That is right up my alley. Made plans with a coworker and we were up early and hit the sidewalk to find this place.
The sight walking up to it is so inviting. You can feel the energized Saturday morning energy! We grabbed a cup of coffee and started our morning off gazing at everything like tourists.
Donuts. Vinegar. Fresh produce. Chocolates. Flowers. Life was so so good. We were able to sample lots of the amazing fruits as we cruised through. Everyone had their happy Saturday smile on. :)
This place really has some fun things. Lots of variety and unique items if you’re looking to take something home as a souvenir. You can come hungry as there are plenty of baked goods to drool over and Sightglass coffee stand is brewing up fresh drinks.
Come hungry. Find cool stuff. Eat good treats. Leave happy.

On saturdays:
So many outdoor vendors for hot and cold drinks, cooked food and small farm raised every vegi you can think of.
Make your way through the moderate to heavy crowds of shoppers to find the tasty items.
Seems like street side is mostly raw vegi and the back of the pier is cooked foods and raw meats.
Inside the market place is another vast array of vegetables, restaurants and specialty foods too many to explain.
Check this place out… its exciting.

I LOVE this farmers market! I never get sick of it because there is always something new to discover. I’ve brought many people to this and all of them enjoyed it. I appreciate the samples and the kind local farmers and chefs who take the time to explain their products to any/​all customers; it’s obvious the vendors here are passionate about their craft (s). Hit up hog island here too if you have time and are still hungry afterwards :)

So good. Such a San Francisco treasure… There is no better way to spend a Saturday morning than cruising the aisles of food and produce vendors that surround the Ferry Building. Everything you want from the delicious Roli Roti truck and their famous porchetta sandwiches, Frog Hollow fruit preserves, Hog Island even has a canopy out there selling their wares, Downtown Bakery & Creamery with all their great baked goods, Namu Street Food & their fusion offerings, 4505 Burgers & BBQ and so many others that specialize in everything from almond brittle and 100% fresh juices to vegetables of every type.
Its just a nice time spent walking around and seeing what every one has to offer. We saw Chef Chris Cosentino shopping for ingredients in the Farmer’s Market. It’s good to see a Chef of that stature who not only owns Boccalone inside the Ferry building but also Cockscomb restaurant in the city get his ingredients from local growers. And it seems that every vendor knew him so you know that’s a regular routine for him. I thought seeing that was pretty cool.
Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market. Make sure you set aside a good 2 – 3 hours to spend looking around and eating at this must see destination in the city. Enjoy…

Amazing! Just absolutely amazing!
Came on a Saturday and grabbed food from multiple spots. Absolutely get the chilaquiles & the 4505 burger. I also loved the falafels and eggplant & garlic dip. Grab a table (they’re hard to come by & hard to save seats) and enjoy the beautiful SF weather and view.

Just behind the weather and the public transportation system, this farmer’s market is super high of my list of «reasons I’m jealous of people who live in San Francisco.»
Not only are there a huge numbers of booths and vendors, the variety is fantastic. Fresh fruits and veggies, pastries, prepared food, jewelry, my visit included all of that and more. I managed to grab a few goodies (some cheese and olives in particular) to smuggle home in my suitcase but it was hard to resist the pull of the produce and fresh cut flowers.
Even if you’re just traveling through and can’t really purchase much, it’s worth a stop just to check out the gorgeous colors and munch on a few goodies.

Review #800 is going to the Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market. The Ferry Building Marketplace is one thing (See my 500^th review here
), but to get the true foodie experience, you have to be there when the Farmers’ Market is around which happens every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. The Saturday market is their flagship which has the most vendors and most foot traffic.
I don’t know any other farmers market that can easily sucker me in to buying food even if it something as simple as a hot dog The food is always great here. It’s so diverse: Korean Tacos, Porchetta Sandwiches, Chilaquiles and Tamales, Best Damn Cheeseburgers, Pastrami Sandwiches, BBQ Chicken Grits, Rebel Withins, Blue Bottle and Sightglass Coffee. Because there’s always a whole variety of choices, which changes seasonally, it’s always been a stop featured on my birthday food crawls.
It’s also a great spot to see your favorite local celebrity chefs. I’ve seen Chris Cosentino shop here every Saturday morning for his restaurant. If I lived in the area, I’d probably get produce here as well. Almost all the vendors provide free samples!
I can’t say enough great things about both the Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market and the Ferry Building Marketplace. Those two combined definitely makes this THE destination in SF that foodies from all over flock to.