Just for fun, I'd like to give you a little restaurant tour of San Francisco from the viewpoint of the pens they offer for signing receipts. Spoiler: most of these restaurants use ballpoint pens, and they get the job done.
I’ve been taking pictures of restaurant pens for years now (totally normal for a stationery-lover to do, right?), but not consistently. So there may be awesome restaurants that I’ve been to but not mentioned here because I forgot to take a picture. For the older photos, some of the restaurants are no longer in business, and of course the pen choices for the ones that are still operating may have changed since I visited. Just a disclaimer in case you’re deciding where to dine based solely on the pen. 😆
Pizzeria Delfina
(pictured at the top)
Retractable ballpoint pen
There are a lot of popular pizza places in SF, but this is my favorite. Mr. Three Staples and I always get the Insalata Tricolore and whatever the special pizza of the day is. Their “Cherry Pie” (a pizza topped with cherry tomatoes) is highly recommended in the summer when tomatoes are in season.
Yuzuki
BIC Round Stic ballpoint pen, medium point
A great Japanese restaurant at an unassuming, former diner space. Not your typical Americanized Japanese menu. Friendly owner. Too bad they don’t do lunch anymore.
Padrecito
BIC Round Stic ballpoint pen, medium point
A decent, casual place to hang out with friends. I think the food was pretty good. It’s been awhile.
Tacolicious
BIC Round Stic ballpoint pen, medium point
Sort of an upscale taco place with decent food. I’m not a connoisseur of Mexican food, so I wouldn’t know how to judge, but I like their fish taco. A dependable, neighborhood spot. And I don’t know if it was intentional, but I like how they put a piece of paper between the clipboard and the receipt, making the writing surface not too slick.
Al’s Place
BIC BU3 Retractable Ball Pen, 1.0 mm
One of our favorite among the newer restaurants. We like that they seem to put more focus on seafood and vegetables than on meat dishes.
Hinodeya
Retractable gel pen, 0.5 mm
Oh, a rare gel pen sighting! 😄 There are a lot of ramen restaurants in SF that people line up for, but my favorite so far is Hinodeya. A lot of places do heavy tonkotsu soup, but this place focuses on lighter fish-based soup (hence “I ❤️ dashi”). Love their noodles, too. Their Zen Ramen is clearly not an afterthought, either, with an amazing, complex vegetarian broth.
Ichi Kakiya (closed)
BIC Soft Feel Retractable Medium Point Pen
It’s been a long time, but I remember it was kinda loud. Food was just okay.
Lord Stanley
Zebra Z-Grip Retractable Ballpoint Pen
Another place I went to a long time ago, but I think it was good. I had an entrée that had the most phenomenally cooked potatoes in it. That’s the only detail I remember.
M.Y. China
Retractable ballpoint pen
A decent place to dine at a popular shopping mall. Great decor and ambiance. But what a random pen. Points off!
Oro (closed)
Branded retractable pen
A short-lived restaurant. Very posh space but forgettable food. But no one would accuse them of not trying. I mean, look at that fancy pen!
Prubechu
Branded BIC retractable ballpoint pen
I don’t think I’ve ever had Guamanian food before. Loved it! Portions were big, and I especially enjoyed the Caramelized Potato Soup. Next time, I’d want to go with a bigger group so I can try more dishes. The ventilation in their kitchen could use some upgrade though; our clothes smelled strongly of cooking oil by the end of the night. But their Bank of Guam pen more than made up for it. 😂
Frances
Branded BIC Clic ballpoint pen
Saved the best for last! An awesome, awesome restaurant that has become our go-to place for special dates. Every dish, every meal has been satisfying to both of us, and that is no small feat. Start with a Market Shot to drink and finish with the Lumberjack Cake for dessert. Do not skip the Applewood Smoked Bacon Beignets. Also, I wouldn’t want to keep any of these restaurant pens mentioned here, but with this one, I went “Ooh~!” What a handsome pen.
I hope you enjoyed this tour. Looks like Bic ballpoint pens are a clear winner among restaurants! Only one gel pen! If you owned a restaurant, what pens would you have your customers use for check signing?