We're San Franciscans through and through, so we hate to say anything against Bay to Breakers, but the snacks at Footstock are not the tastiest morsels to treat yourself to after running or walking seven miles. (You thought we were gonna rant on the saggy naked people, didn't you? Nope, we've got priorities.) So whether you're in the race or just watching it, here are some things you might want to eat and drink along the route, beginning down in SoMa at the starting line:

• You'll need coffee at 8am, and there's a Peet's Coffee at the corner of Howard and Fremont right on the route. If you want to be a die-hard about it, walk a block and a half north on Fifth Street to Blue Bottle Cafe on Mint Plaza.

• Over on the Hayes Street stretch, take a one-block detour north to Citizen Cake Patisserie on the corner of Grove and Gough. They tell us they'll be serving iced coffees and "bobsled mimosas" (housemade sorbet and Champagne). You've gotta love this city.

• Hayes itself is, of course, loaded with options, but for fast, fun food try either Patxi's deep-dish near Octavia, or Fritz Fries, now at 581 Hayes near Laguna (next door to its previous location).

• Before entering the park on Fell Street, another slight detour one block south on Broderick brings you to DeLessio on the corner of Oak, where the selection of quick but healthy (and mercifully cool!) sandwiches, salads and gourmet deli items is nearly endless.


Pizza Place on Noriega's Brooklyn-style pie.
Photo by Jen Siska.

• Finally, once the race is over and you've circled back around to the Polo Field, you might feel like you've earned a real meal. For this you need to head either north or south of the park. Exiting the Polo Field on 37th Avenue, you've got two fine options to the south: Pizza Place on Noriega, at Noriega and 46th, which not only serves some of our favorite pizza in the entire city but also $9 pitchers of PBR (holla!); or Thanh Long on the corner of Judah and 46th, whose garlic noodles with prawns will set you right.


Thanh Long's garlic noodles with shrimp.
Photo by Stefanie Michejda.

• Exiting north on 36th instead, we recommend Shangai Dumpling King on the corner of Balboa and 34th, whose excellent soup dumplings and sinful fried dough will be just the carb load your aching body needs on its way to either an athletic or alcohol-based hangover.