by Stephen Listisen
Since dining (and drinking) out is one of my favorite hobbies, I follow the San Francisco food scene closely and make a concerted effort to support local businesses, especially new ones. Recently, while mindlessly scrolling social media after a long work week, I learned of Equal Parts, a new North Beach bar and restaurant located in the Old Spaghetti Factory building, which opened December 17, 2025. A few friends and I were in luck when we, while attempting to avoid the hordes of people braving the uncharacteristically cold weather for SantaCon, stumbled into Equal Parts during its soft opening.
Upon arriving, my group was greeted by two very friendly hosts who led us through an entryway with decor that I can only describe as boho-chic. When we got into the dining room, we were immediately taken by how beautiful the space is. The interior of the restaurant exudes a vibe that feels much more NYC or LA than the vast majority in our neighborhood and San Francisco as a whole. I immediately thought that this is definitely the kind of place where I could see myself celebrating a large group birthday dinner, a friend’s job promotion, or a going-away event (which is becoming far too common as of recent in my social circle).
Another notable feature of Equal Parts is that its kitchen is open until midnight on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. I was very excited to learn this because the late-night food scene is pretty sparse in North Beach, although actively expanding thanks in large part to Nick Floulis and the team at Petite Lil’s/Lillie Coit’s. And my group learned from a staff member that Equal Parts intends to start serving brunch on its outdoor patio in late winter or early spring. In my opinion, outdoor dining areas are currently heavily underutilized—or non-existent—throughout San Francisco.
Now for the main event: the food and drink. Equal Parts serves Californian cuisine, mainly focused on seafood and meat options, including beef bone marrow, roasted lamb ribs, and braised pork shank. Since writing these articles is essentially my personal market research for the San Francisco dining scene, my friends and I decided to split three entrees, supplemented by two orders of french fries for the table. We chose the green (yes, green) cioppino, braised pork shank, and fried chicken for our mains.
To me, the green cioppino—consisting of tomatillo, garlic, basil parsley oil, serrano chiles, mussels, shrimp, clams, squid, all served with garlic tomato toast—was the star of the meal. As someone who isn’t typically a fan of traditional cioppino (one of the main tells that I’m a Bay Area transplant) or soup in general, Equal Parts’s take on this classic San Francisco dish both piqued my interest and delighted me. The broth was packed with multiple unique flavor profiles, the fish was incredibly fresh, and the garlic tomato toast was a perfect vessel for dipping.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t also highlight the braised pork shank. The meat was so tender that it basically fell off the bone, and the pork shank was served atop a delicious bed of butter bean puree, the perfect complement. My group also enjoyed drinking through most of the cocktail menu, with favorites including the Miso Spicy (an actually spicy cocktail), the What Da Fig, and the Coco & Marco, a refreshing take on the ubiquitous espresso martini.
My experience at Equal Parts left me impressed with a bar and restaurant with such great service, food, and vibes during its soft opening. I’m hopeful for the future of the North Beach dining scene, as the neighborhood itself has increasingly gained attention for its nightlife offerings. I’m excited to return to Equal Parts and work my way through the rest of its food and drink menus—and try brunch on their outdoor patio once it’s available!
EQUAL PARTS
478 Green Street
Open Tuesday and Wednesday 4 – 11 p.m., Thursday 4 p.m. – midnight, Friday and Saturday 2 p.m. – 2 a.m., and Sunday 2 p.m. – midnight.
(415) 875-9600
Reservations available via OpenTable.
