State Bird Provisions, San Francisco

Reviewer: Foodnut.com State Bird Provisions 1529 Fillmore St (between Ofarrell St & Geary Blvd) San Francisco, CA 94115 (415) 795-1272 State Bird Provisions Website

Did you know the California state bird is a quail?

Why did we dine here? – State Bird Provisions has generated lots of positive buzz from reviewers to fellow food bloggers, with its excellent food and unique dim sum cart like serving system. 4.5 stars on Yelp, One Michelin star starting in 2014, James Beard award winning, you get it.  Their sister restaurant next door is also fabulous, The Progress, which is more cutting edge and vegetable forward.

Our last visit was in Spring 2026.

They describe their cuisine as “An adventurous, inventive, delicious, thoughtful contemporary American restaurant [CA native].” We’d put it as New American Tapas.

Stuart Brioza & Nicole Krasinski (Rubicon) are the chef owners and have created a hit. The restaurant is down the block from The Fillmore. Stroll over to Japantown afterwords to burn off those calories. Or get some zen at the Kabuki Spa.

Insider Tip – Get there early and line up without a reservation.  You would have to arrive an hour and half early to walk in. Often times you line up and are then giving a later time to come back. Reservations are tough as hackers are gaming the system with bots. We used Opentable Notify. Sit as close to the front of the room as possible, food comes to those folks first.

Cuisine – New American Tapas, Small plates
Location – Fillmore, Japantown
Opened – 2011

Service – State Bird Provisions had good service with servers roaming through every couple minutes. They also provided helpful guidance for any dietary needs. In 2026 the service was a bit disjointed than in the past. Carts just whiz past.

Verdict – State Bird Provisions is an innovative restaurant with excellent new American food served in a fun manner. They exceeded our expectations with top notch combinations and ingredient quality. Having been here multiple times, the fun wears a little thin, but the ever-changing menu keeps it interesting. One can’t see returning more than once every year or two. A great place for tourists and to bring visitors.

We recommend you order some items off the menu, then explore all the wonderful food that comes by. The alcove tables are a great way to sample almost everything on the menu.

State bird adds 6% Healthy SF Charge.

State Bird Provisions Signature Dishes – State Bird Quail, trout dip.

State Bird Provisions’s Menu features about a dozen starters and 7 larger plates. Some items need to be ordered, while others circulate around the dining room on carts or trays. If you are on a budget, focus on these small plates and skip the big ones. Menu changes frequently although some favorites stay. The items (ten plus) that circulate through out the room. Sometimes they pass by without stopping. They have some offerings for a vegetarian and vegan and gluten-free folks. If you have an allergy or dietary restriction, they can markup the menu with compatible options.

Website State Bird Provisions Menu

State Bird Provisions Food Picks:

hog island oysters ($5 each) kohlrabi krout & sesame are a fun quick starter. Don’t get more than one per person as so many more interesting options are coming. 8/10

heirloom tomates ($6) black sesame za’atar had 4 compact tomatoes on top of the herb blend. 7.5/10

blistered padron peppers ($6) pepita crema had lots of green peppers that had a slight kick.  Good for pepper fans. 8/10

smoked trout-avocado ‘chip & dip’ ($15) is another classic dish here. The trout appears to be the same one used later.  A fun dish with some crunchy, saltly interplay. 9/10 – Hot tip – use this as ‘tartar sauce’ on the Trout entree.

Pork belly salad ($18) with plots & Fish sauce vinaigrette. The pork belly was flash deep fried giving it a nice crust. Fatty and well worth the extra time on the treadmill the next day. Four big chunks. The heat kicks in if you devour a jalapeño. 8/10

Apricots and roasted fennel ($14) almond ricotta and golden balsamic what is a good starter and perfect for vegans. Really refreshing very fresh ingredients. 8/10

apricots and roasted fennel ($14) almond ricotta and golden balsamic what is a good starter and perfect for vegans. Really refreshing very fresh ingredients. 8/10

bay shrimp hand roll ($16) nori & Sesame is like a make your own sushi dish, not what we expected.  Fun but not great. 7.5/10 – You can get it eggless without aioli.

Spring peas and beets ($16) cashew, wasabi lime vinaigrette was a little modern and would satisfy cutting edge vegans and vegetarians. 7.5/10

hass avocado with seafood ‘salsa’ ($8) came to our table from the cart. Fresh shrimp in a red sauce mixed well with the guacamole. Tortilla chips on the side.

heirloom tomato cabot cheddar whole-grain pancake ($4/piece) were interesting finger food hors d’oeuvres. A nice fresh chunk of tomato on a chewy pancake.

cucumber with kinako ( roasted soybean flour) & black sesame ($5) made for a crunchy – tangy combination, not particularly special. Good for vegetarians.

duck liver mousse with almond financiers ($10) is a must get. Smooth, rich mousse with cool tiny biscuits. Amazing they only use 1 egg for each quart of mousse. 9/10

‘garlic bread’ with burrata ($13) was very good. Large Crisp fresh roll with lots of soft cheese poured on top. Peppercorn infused oil. 8.5/10

sourdough, sauerkraut, pecorino & ricotta pancake ($3/piece) came with some sauerkraut salt sprinkle on the side. An item we would normally not order.. This was fantastic. The alcove tables help expand your palette.

chanterelle, ham & fregola summer salad ($8) is a fun dish with pasta, cubes of ham, and crispy bits on top. A refreshing combination, one that we would order again.

fresh hawaiian heart of palm salad with tahini-chili oil ($15) was another interesting modern salad. An inventive combination of ingredients. A bit too much sour flavor.

‘soft poached egg’, parmesan-katsuobushi crumbs ($8) had a perfectly cooked egg with slightly overly robust flavors. Crunchy topping.

Snap peas ($8) black sesame & yuzu looks good and have a nice sauce. Vegetarian fare. 8.5/10

tuna tartare with toasted quinoa ($6) was excellent. Crispy quinoa on top of chunks of fresh fish.

Raw oysters ($3) are spiked with house-make kohlrabi kraut. They come on the cart, so you can sample one without guilt. Remember there are lots of different dishes to be had.

Chinese-style dumplings are filled with guinea hen ($2 each) with a citrus-spiked broth that explodes in your mouth, sort of like a Xiao Long Bao. Nice!

carrot mochi ($22) with pistachio and mint was a very modern savory take on mochi. A Japanese dish with fresh local ingredients. Not for everybody. Vegan. 8/10

mortadella ‘sando’ ($22 for 2) bacon onion jam & pistachio was an interesting warm mini sandwich with 2 slices.  Very filling unlike some of the other dishes. Okay but not great. 7.5/10

CA state bird with provisions ($24 for one  whole quail) is their signature dish and a must order. Excellent deep fried buttermilk breading with tender meat inside. Wow! We were ready to order another one! It was worth standing in line an hour for this ONE dish. Interesting bed of pickled onions. 10/10

red trout ($34) toasted hazelnut & mandarin-gorum vinaigrette was slightly over cooked and had a great skin. In 2025 this dish was excellent, it faded in 2026. 7/10

mushroom-royal alubia bean donobe ($32) hodo soy tofu & green garlic fried rice was slightly spicy and bitter with some greens. Nice Rice. A fusion dish without focus. 7/10

hand cut noodles ($30) nori, salsa macha, sunflower seed crema & duck egg was a nicel done noodle dish with lots of Asian influence. 8.5/10

yuba all’amatriciana ($34) jowl bacon & chantrelles also hit the spot as a noodle dish. Quite different than the hand cut noodles but great texture and flavor profile. 8.5/10

1/2 dozen cast iron quail eggs with cucumbers ‘à la grecque’ & goat milk queso fresco ($14) came on a sizzling platter.  A soft, yet rich fusiony dish that made for interesting combinations.

Smoked trout ‘creamed’ beets ($9) circulated around and looked good.  Nice chunks of quality fish in an unusual combination with beets.

Homemade Potato Chips with horseradish creme fraiche and trout roe ($8) Another weird combo that works. Liberal amount of slightly fishy eggs along with awesome chips.

cumin lamb with scallions, date & agretti ($10) did not overwhelm us with cumin flavor or gaminess. Tender chopped up lamb and lots of veggies.

don watson’s lamb with cumin, squid, padrons & dates ($20) had a whiff of cumin smell but not too much to be spicy. Good quality lamb with some bean curd.

beef cheek salad, radishes & bone marrow ($18) was excellent, with its melt in your mouth meat and interesting wild greens.

Duck salad ($8) with celery root was a very good combination. Chewy duck with some crispy vegetables and candied almonds.

Ginger Mint Panna Cotta corn cookie, raspberry jam & cointreau was not a big dessert but smooth and sweet when using the jam. 8.5/10

lilikoi-raspberry sorbet ($15) elderflower tapioca & candied ginger had a really nice tapioca bed and some solid sorbet on top. 8.5/10

nectarine cherry sorbet ($12) yogurt cream, huckleberry caramel, hazelnuts was a nice fruity way to finish the meal. This was good but not spectacular. 7.5/10

cafe de olla ice cream sandwich ($15) cocoa macaron, pear carmel & walnuts was sliced up, perfect for multiple people. 8.5/10

milk chocolate sesame crunch, clementine-cocoa jam ($5) was nice and low cost, with a crisp cookie like component.

chocolate-coconut ‘ice cream’ sandwich, crispy pecan streusel ($5) looked great and was the nicer of our 2 desserts. Good portion size, high quality cookie and ice cream.

oolong ‘ice cream’ sandwich, cocoa macaron, hazelnut caramel ($9) had a subtle oolong tea flavor.  The crunchy hazelnut confection was pretty dominant.

meyer lemon pudding cake, super vanilla bean cream, asian pear, dates ($9) has a light, airy, fluffy dessert with a strong lemon flavor. Good for those that normally do not eat dessert.

Cocktail grapefruit granita, yogurt tapioca, honey-coriander syrup ($8) is a nice fruity ending with a strong bitter note. Toned down a bit by the sweet syrup and neutral yogurt.

Coffee toffee ‘ice cream’ sandwich, dates, ginger fudge ($8) is a must get.  Pretty generous sliced up high quality sandwich. Reminds us of Bi-rite coffee toffee.

rose meyer lemon soda ($2) and cacao soda ($2) were homemade and possessed subtle flavors.

OK: (Order if you like this dish)
glazed pork ribs with spigarello & togarashi ($16 for 4) were average, smoky, not stellar. Order other stuff instead. 6/10

Pans: (We would not reorder these dishes)
kimchi & maitake ‘fried rice’ a la plancha with smoked egg bottarga ($16) makes State Bird more Asian. This fried rice was full of different vegetables and eggs. A bit too much on the sour side.

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