Quick answer
Start with El Pollo Loco
Order the Mexican Cobb Fresca Salad — high protein (61g!) with chicken, egg, avocado, and bacon bits on greens. Ask for dressing on the side.
500 cal · 61g protein · 24g fat
Best High-Protein Restaurant Picks in San Francisco
Start here when you want the most dependable high-protein restaurant picks in San Francisco.
Current coverage: 11 restaurants and 41 matching orders in the city pool.
Fast path
El Pollo Loco
If the first pick does not fit, use the restaurant lens for the next-best swaps.
Verified
Nutrition can change over time. Use the official nutrition source link to verify before ordering.
Best orders in San Francisco
El Pollo Loco
Mexican Cobb Fresca Salad
500 cal · 61g protein · 24g fat
Order the Mexican Cobb Fresca Salad — high protein (61g!) with chicken, egg, avocado, and bacon bits on greens. Ask for dressing on the side.
El Pollo Loco
Double Chicken Street Corn Pollo Fit Bowl
450 cal · 54g protein · 19g fat
Order the Double Chicken Street Corn Pollo Fit Bowl — double chicken with street corn, no rice. The lower-carb bowl option.
El Pollo Loco
Citrus Avocado Fresca Salad
350 cal · 52g protein · 12g fat
Order the Citrus Avocado Fresca Salad — double chicken on a bed of greens with avocado. Ask for dressing on the side.
El Pollo Loco
Double Chicken Avocado Salad
350 cal · 51g protein · 12g fat
Order the Double Chicken Avocado Salad — fire-grilled double chicken with fresh avocado on mixed greens. Dressing on the side.
El Pollo Loco
Fire-Grilled Chicken Breast + Pinto Beans
340 cal · 43g protein · 8.5g fat
Order the fire-grilled chicken breast with a side of pinto beans for fiber and protein.
Carl's Jr.
5-Piece Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders
440 cal · 41g protein · 21g fat
Order the 5-piece hand-breaded chicken tenders. 41g protein at 440 calories is an excellent ratio. Skip sides to keep it GLP-1 friendly.
Corner Bakery Cafe
Ham on Pretzel w/ Apples & Hot Honey (horseradish dijonnaise)
690 cal · 40g protein · 25g fat
Order the Ham on Pretzel w/ Apples & Hot Honey (horseradish dijonnaise) from Corner Bakery's official nutrition PDF for a published sandwich with exact macros.
CAVA
Chicken + Rice Bowl
700 cal · 40g protein · 42g fat
Choose the official Chicken + Rice Bowl row from CAVA's nutrition PDF.
El Pollo Loco
2 Tacos al Carbon + Pinto Beans
480 cal · 39g protein · 10.5g fat
Order two Tacos al Carbon with a side of pinto beans. Great protein-to-calorie ratio with fiber from the beans.
Sweetgreen
Chicken Pesto Parm
510 cal · 38g protein · 24g fat
Order the Chicken Pesto Parm from the current Sweetgreen menu.
Best restaurants for high protein in San Francisco
El Pollo Loco
13 matching orders in the current city pool
Carl's Jr.
8 matching orders in the current city pool
CAVA
3 matching orders in the current city pool
Church's Texas Chicken
3 matching orders in the current city pool
Mendocino Farms
3 matching orders in the current city pool
Capriotti's Sandwich Shop
2 matching orders in the current city pool
Chopt Creative Salad Co.
2 matching orders in the current city pool
Del Taco
2 matching orders in the current city pool
San Francisco topic FAQs
Where should I start in San Francisco?
Start with the first few restaurant picks on this page. They are the strongest current matches for high-protein picks.
Is there a broader high-protein picks guide?
Yes. The main topic guide still holds the broader set of restaurant paths and the more general starting points.
How were these restaurant picks chosen?
They come from the current city pool and the same topic-match rules used across the site.