Heart of the City Farmers' Market - San Francisco, California

Jesper Rasmussen

Cozy market with lots of stalls with good vegetables and fruit. However, it would be great if there were more organic options. You may have doubts about what is organic and what is not. Beware of pickpockets when there are many people.

Jeff Cheng

I have been meaning to visit this market for a very long time, and I finally managed to have done it this past Wednesday.

It is a little difficult to find, so if I were you, I would put the San Francisco Main Library as the destination, rather than the actual market, since they are pretty close to each other.

I was in a rush on my way to volunteer that day in the Tenderloin so I forgot to take more photos after I finished my shopping, but it would appear that the market primarily caters to those with lower income rather than, say, the Ferry Building Farmer's Market, which I visit about 2-3 times a week (that market opens on even days of the week).

Because the targeted demographic is different, you would expect to find fewer vendors which are certified organic or even just organic (those who practice organic farming but whose certifications have expired or those who don't want to spend a few thousand dollars getting the certification), and that in general lower prices across the board, although they were some exceptions. There are some interesting stalls, such as one which sells live seafood (they only had live crab that day, but I was told that they sell fish too), and another that sells the highest-priced garlic I have ever seen: $20 a pound. (I ended up buying a bit over a pound, just to try :-p).

I think it's an interesting place to visit if you live near the Civic Center, or you don't mind the limited selection of organic produce they offer, since prices appear to be more reasonable than other farmer's markets which I visit. Personally, I have been visiting the Ferry Building Farmer's Market on Tuesdays, some Thursdays, and Saturdays, not because the prices are good (they are not :-p), or because the fruits and veggies are always better (although definitely more certified organic/organic produce available), but because I am used to some of the vendors there.

But I think while the Ferry Building Farmer's Market is more of a tourist destination, the Heart of the City Farmer's Market has its charms as well, so definitely worth a visit to check it out!

Ling Lin

I live across the street but didn’t go to this market often due to the lack of organic produce, but the price of this market is more economical. However, I found 2 stands that I fell in love with:

1) The organic strawberries (pictured below); they have 3 varietals and are very generous with the amount of strawberries they give you, even topping me off and adding some more to my basket when I was shopping at 1pm (so not just at the end of the day). They take credit cards and cash. They say they come on Wednesdays too so I’m going to pop by and check out the quality of produce then.

2) There is a stand in the middle that sells white / beige mulberries and they are sweeter than the purple ones from the Ferry Building. If you know what a mulberry tastes like, and you read that there is a white varietal that is sweeter and creamier, you will drop your phone now and run over. You have to go before 12noon on a Sunday or else they sell out. I didn’t like the purple mulberries here though since they tasted more tart. I don’t know if this stand is organic, but I have a hard time finding mulberries anywhere, let alone white mulberries, so I was okay with however they farmed here. The lady who sells mulberries only takes cash.

ChefMike DeBerry

BEST Priced produce & vegetables ? EVER.

I Usually stock up Sunday & Wednesday for the week.

Conveniently open 7am - 4pm or 5pm both days

Best Variety early in the morning near opening

The Best Deals in the afternoon when the vendors are ready to go ?

As a Private Chef for over 12+ yrs now (International Pastries & Cuisine for 33+ yrs) my BEST CREATIONS are CONCEIVED at local Organic Farmers Markets. ?❣?

Thuy Ngan Le

The vendors are very nice. I bought lot of fruits there. They’re so fresh, yummy and juicy. The prices are good enough for me. Will definitely come back

Jia Zhe Chai

Conveniently located in the city center right next to Civic Center Bart Station, Heart of the City Farmers Market is a great place to buy fruits and vegetables from. The prices here are reasonable.

The quality of the produce found here varies quite a bit, some shops sell pretty mediocre or fruits.

There is also a fish stall that sets up pretty late, so if you're looking to buy some fish, do not go too early.

Dana S

Heart of the City has been serving this community for DECADES with affordable produce, it's fantastic and SF is so lucky to have this place! Wednesday markets tend to be bigger and have more prepared foods and lunch vendors. Sunday is mostly produce focused.

This market is a good place to load up on fresh fruit and veggies. Herbs and roots. Mushrooms. Nuts. Even cut flowers and plants.

You'll be shopping with neighborhood residents and some of your favorite restaurants. Farmers here are great and have introduced me to a lot of new foods and varieties.

If affordability is a concern, this market is among the most generous when it comes to matching EBT or other food benefits. You can also try coming by at the end of the day to get some deals as folks are heading home.

Easy to grab a bus or BART home as it's right at the Civic Center stop.

P.S. There are great tomatoes here in summer!

LoVe Wind Walker

The ONLY one I shop Weekly...either Wednesday or Sunday is perfect for me any given week YEAR ROUND thank you Bay Area weather in the City! The flowers are just one of my favorite surprises for a mere $5 and with my EBT card I get DOUBLE the FUN! Thank you to Steve and Gov. Gavin!! Saving the Market saves us all - LoVe M resident