San Francisco offers as many great dining options as any American city. With some planning, you can find the experiences that are both memorable and affordable.

It's easy to find a seafood restaurant on Fisherman's Wharf that will serve you the catch-of-the-day and then bring you a hefty bill. As in most tourist destinations, often it pays to steer clear of places that cater mostly to the uninitiated out-of-towner and look for places favored by locals. It doesn't take a lot of effort to do so. Perform your searches on the highly useful sfgate.com directory.

Here's one of many places to enjoy seafood and vegan food entries without spending a small fortune.