Fog Hill Market

I must have gotten the wrong guy because the cashier did not respond to my «hey there,» or my «how’s it going» or even my «thanks a lot you have a good one now!» What the heck? Not even a grunt or a smile? Only reason I dropped in was to pick up a 6-​pack of Not Your Father’s Root Beer, for $ 16. Maybe next time I’ll get the guy everyone is raving about.

This is the best market in all of San Francisco. You can find literally anything you need here. And– if you’re not sure what you’re looking for– Hanna will help you find what suits you!

I love Hannah and his home made food! He is always nice, smiling, and super funny!

This is what you need in a market: the staples and booze. Five stars because it’s also a mini deli! The sandwiches are SO SOLID. $ 6 for a textbook turkey sandwich with everything, served heated, any bread. Nothing fancy because it’s just good the way it is. Awesomely reliable.

I really want to like this place since it’s just down the block from where we live. But $ 4 for a half-​pint of heavy cream? That’s about 6x what Safeway charges for the exact same thing. And no prices on the items so you don’t know what your in for until you get to the register.
I’m completely okay with paying for convenience, but really, not 6 times more.

Agree with others – this places gets 5 stars because Hanna knows how to run a true neighborhood market. While you won’t find organic food or high end specialty items (go to Little Vine on Grant for those), Hanna stocks a crazy variety of items, makes tasty homemade dishes (try the chicken salad!), signs for packages when you’re not home, and is always happy to chit chat with the local residents. He has surprised me time and time again by having items in stock that I didn’t think he would – a single sweet potato, C batteries, capers, fresh dill, double sided tape, brown rice, powdered sugar, the list goes on! My favorite story to tell: we were getting into our car, parked next to Fog Hill while telling our friend how that store has everything. Car didn’t start, and Hanna walks out w/​a car jump starter and starts our car for us. So yes, he does have everything. :) So glad to have this place in the neighborhood.

This store is a true neighborhood store. Not only can you find items you need, you can also just sit on the outside bench or visit with Hanna. Small dogs visit. People play guitar in the summer. I’ve lived in the neighborhood for years and when I was really sick, Hanna brought me things I needed. He and his wife are kind, dedicated people who are part of the fabric that makes north beach a great place to live.

i really miss this place. i lived at 350 union for 2 years and would stop by fog hill market almost every day. hana and jeff are awesome and extremely friendly. if there is something you want and hana doesn’t have it, he will order it for you and keep it in stock. i loved the fresh fruit that was chopped up and sold in individual portions during the summer. everything you need is there. if you are new to telegraph hill stop reading this and go check it out right now!

At first glance this looks like any other corner liquor store. I nearly tripped over the people sitting in the front enjoying a sandwich on a sunny day. Inside however, the store is packed full with almost anything you could want. The diversity is amazing. My guess is that you would have to be a local to really appreciate it, but on a warm day, its a great place to stop in and grab a snack.

I am not sure I understand all of the 5-​star reviews this place gets. Maybe I have just not been in the neighborhood long enough. There does seems to be a great variety of products in an extremely small space. I tend to make my meal plans walking around the store… so can’t say they didn’t have anything that I really needed.
The store has a good selection of wine… although there are both cheaper and fancier wine shops within a few block radius.
The staff is nice enough… they seem to become friendlier the more times that I have been in.

Been coming here for years. friendly service and a family oriented store. I would give this place 5 stars if not for the owner always taking up two parking spaces in front of the store. he has a personal parking spot but chooses to take up BOTH spots because its hard to find a spot in the area (if you know North Beach).

$ 1 fee to use a credit card here on an $ 8 purchase. Outrageous.

My favorite place in the universe. Hanna is the nicest man in the world and I’ve had some best north beach days of my life chewing the fat out front with the regs. God, I miss this neighborhood, but I’ll be back someday.

It’s open until 11pm. I just bought eggs, fresh vegetables and fruit from there. The owner is friendly. Prices are good.

This place has everything I’ve ever needed! Very impressed with their fantastic selection and quality! The guys in there are also a lot of fun — very friendly and engaging.

There are some days that I swear you would not even be able to haul me in a shopping cart (kickin’ and screamin’) to the grocery store.
I’ve finally come up with a way to avoid walking the aisles of my local supermarket. It’s not by going to farmers’ markets, although I do love those! Lately, I’ve been living on the edge of dinner time. Come five-​ish, I meander down to Fog Hill with whatever random idea that happens to pop up out of my laptop or cookbook. 9 out of 10 times I score all my items there. Big touchdown for me and my laziness!
When the back seat of the family station wagon (otherwise known as my oh-​so-​stylish college car) was MY domain… mom would yell out over the din of our daily squabbles, «I gotta stop at The Little Market before we go home!» I swear the Little Market Phenomenon is universal no matter the decade or location. Somehow, Fog Hill has come up with the quintessential inventory that fits into a space no larger than my apartment living room. This place really is whatever you need it to be.
Drugstore: Tweezers, razor, meds
Bakery: Bread, buns, muffins, donuts, & tortillas
Liquor Store: The hard stuff, cold beer, and an aisle of wine.
Magazines /​Cards /​Newspaper Stand: 48 mags, 3 papers, and a dozen cards.
Deli: Pre-​packaged sausages and deli meat. Fresh falafel, Buffalo or Honey wings, pumpkin pie, and whatever else they happened to have cooked up!
Grocery Store: Fresh produce, pre-​cut fruit, dairy, juice, eggs, wood, canned (even cat food!), frozen or boxed goods and baking supplies.
I’m a little bit older, a little bit wiser, and twice the miser! I always feel good about their prices, plus who doesn’t like rooting for the little guy? The only thing that I don’t recommend unless you live nearby, is carrying a box of firewood UP the hill. We had a wonderful fire, the BF got a good workout and I heard a lot of «never again»! Oops and thank you?
One-​stop shopping. No cart needed (except for firewood!)

Hanna needs to teach seminars on how to run a Corner Store.
Somehow Hanna manages to have the ingredient that I forgot at the grocery store. Amazing. Capers? Check. Anchovies? Sure! Ponzu Sauce? Got it.
His prices are very fair, as well. He has featured wines and beers on sale for the same prices as BevMo’s sales. There are usually several varieties of cereal at $ 2.50 a box, too.

This place repeatedly surprises me with their eclectic and yet totally helpful assortment of stuff. It can’t be bigger than a small convenience store but every time I have been in need of a last minute item, I have found it here. Once I needed lighter fluid for a BBQ and they had some. Another time I needed to make change for the laundromat and I bought some eggs. Most recently, I walked to at least 4 other markets around Northbeach and Chinatown hunting for chocolate chips to make some cookies with. I really didn’t want to trek all the way to Safeway or Trader Joe’s. Of course, my last stop and the one closest to my house (Fog Hill) is the one that has them! And they even had 3 or 4 varieties to pick from. Sure the prices are a bit high but as someone without a car, I truly appreciate the convenience. It makes it all worthwhile.
I wouldn’t say the workers/​owners have been particularly friendly or helpful too me. They just sort of mind their own business. I have never experienced rude service either so I’d like to believe that other people’s reports are more accurate.

I swear this store is like some magical building, sort of like the carpet bag in the Mary Poppins movie. .. it doesn’t seem like it holds much, but it constantly amazes you by having just the right thing tucked in some corner! There are tons of things I find here that are lacking from my local Walgreens or even from Safeway: sour skittles, green apple rings (the supermarkets only have the peach ones these days), Snapple asian pear white iced tea (the only good flavour), a plethora of beer varieties, shin ramen (in bowl and package form!), pound cake, mini hot dogs. .. the list goes on and on! it never ceases to amaze.
Also, let it be known that Fog Hill Market recently rescued this little piggy from near-​certain starvation (hey, when you’re this little, every meal counts)! You see, some horrific, unfeeling individual had stolen this little piggy’s handbag on Saturday, leaving her with no ATM card, no credit cards, no cash, no ID, no apartment keys and no cell phone. Lovely.
By Monday piggy’s poorly stocked apartment is officially out of food and she doesn’t eat all day. Finally by evening she is so hungry she bundles up and ventures out in the pouring rain to Fog Hill, where the generous and charitable proprietor tells her to pick up whatever she needs and she can just pay whenever she sorts things out with the bank.
THANK YOU!!!
this is why i love frequenting owner-​operated local businesses. gradually over time they get to know you, a relationship forms, and you’re no longer just a random customer among thousands.
Can you imagine me walking into Safeway and asking if I could just take some items and come back to pay in 2 days?!?

This is one of the main things I miss from living in North Beach. :(
I use to live right across the street. Hanna who is the owner of the store is one of the nicest guys. I would always go here if I had run out of cat food, needed TP or paper towels after my room mates decided to throw a house party on a Monday night. Prices aren’t exactly cheap but they have 50c toilet paper. Hanna even makes home cooked food. He has the best vegetable and meatball stew. When I was broke and needed food he would always feed me. Sometimes I go back just to say hi to Hanna.