Wood paneling and lamp-warmed roast beef welcome you to Lefty's, a dimly lit family spot that seems largely unchanged since the 1950s. It's campy, crowded with tourists and at the lower rung of San Francisco's culinary ladder, but for old world atmosphere and a shot-and-a-beer break from the swish department stores of Union Square, it's hard to beat.

Join the crusty old timers in a toast to Francis Joseph 'Lefty' O'Doul, the former San Francisco Seal for whom the joint is named.