Give us your tired, your weary... we'll have them feeling right again with a sweet that's arguably even more American than apple pie. That's right, the chocolate chip cookie in all of its buttery, brown-sugar laced, chocolate-studded form. Everyone has a cookie platonic ideal (likely, based on a formative childhood experience), but we're equal opportunity eaters; we do have a proclivity for cookies that manage to balance crispy and chewy, salty and sweet, and have just the right amount of chocolate. Here are our top 9 picks in the city, ranked:
This long-time Mission staple is sort of famous for their stupidly-good cookies and cream cookie, but their standard chocolate chip variety is tops, too. They're on the small side, which we appreciate, since you can eat a whole lot of them before going into a sugar coma. // 1417 Valencia St., anthonyscookies.com
8. Hey, Cookie!
Speaking of cookies you can keep on eating, Christa Hill's chocolate chip goodies are delicately thin (but still have plenty salty-sweet goodness). We appreciate her heavy hand with the chocolate chips, too. // heycookiesf.com
Photo: Jason Henry. Hey, Cookie! cookies.
7. Devil's Teeth Baking Company
If you're not stuffed to the gills with their amazing breakfast sandwich, plate-sized cinnamon roll, or Sunday special beignets, Devil's Teeth rich, chewy chocolate chip cookies are 100% worth the calories. Better yet? Indulge in all of the above, and take those cookies home with you. // 876 Noriega St., devilsteethbakingcompany.com
6. Marla Bakery
Is there anything coming out of the Marla kitchen that isn't delicious? We don't think so, and their chocolate chip cookies are no exception. They nail the texture and the salt balance, and are on the smaller side (similar to Anthony's) allowing you to indulge in their other delicious items. Or, just eat more cookies. // 613 York St., marlabakery.com
5. DOUGH & Co.
We're not fans of subbing out key cookie ingredients, but Omar Mamoon of DOUGH & Co. has managed to create egg-free cookie dough that's just as flavorful, and decadent, as any cookie out there (he subs ground white chia seeds for the egg). We appreciate that the raw dough is safe to eat, but really can't get enough of the baked versions, studded with hefty pieces of Guittard chocolate and topped with flakes of Maldon sea salt—good luck sticking with one. You can find them all around the city, but pairing a cookie with a shot at Bender's may be our favorite combo. Who needs milk when you have bourbon? // 806 S Van Ness Ave., doughand.co
Many of the delicacies at Craftsman & Wolves look almost too pretty to eat. Thankfully, we have no such qualms, particularly when chocolate chip cookies are involved — the cookie is thick, with a caramelized-crisp exterior, and ample amounts of Valrhona dark chocolate. // 746 Valencia St., craftsman-wolves.com
The forearm-sized sandwiches at Merigan are reason enough to lunch there on the regular; add their magificent cookies to a reason to stop back two, three times a day. They're made with Guittard 72 percent dark chocolate, topped with Maldon sea salt, and, if you buy 5, you save $.50 on each. A no-brainer! // 636 2nd St., merigansubshop.com
Considering the utter, amazing decadence of the buttery kouign amann at B. Patisserie, it should come as no surprise that their chocolate chip cookies are equally rich, well-executed, and delicious. Much as we like eating lots of small cookies, we greatly appreciate the saucer-sized gems here—they're just crunch enough, soft in the middle, and packed with rich dark chocolate. // 2821 California St., bpatisserie.com
Jane's Chocolate Chip Cookie.
1. Jane (on Fillmore and Larkin)
What makes this chocolate chip cookie the king of them all? For one, it nails the basics—it's not too thin, it's appropriately chewy with crisp-baked edges, and has plenty of dark chocolate. It's the thoughtfulness that goes into the remaining ingredients that sets this cookie apart: dark brown sugar adds depth (helped out by the butter, of course) even further amplified by subtle bits of toffee. And while this doesn't play into the cookie's deliciousness, the fact that you can get them at two locations is certainly an added bonus. // 925 Larkin St.; 2123 Fillmore St., itsjane.com
