Cheese Shop Near Me on Polk Street SF: Cheese Plus

Locals typing cheese shop near me along the border of Russian Hill, Pacific Heights, and Nob Hill head straight to the sunny corner of Polk Street and Pacific Avenue, where Cheese Plus has anchored 2001 Polk Street since 2005. Founded by veteran specialty food buyer Ray Bair after serving as Director of Cheese, Wine, and Specialty Foods for Whole Foods Market, this bustling neighborhood grocer and sidewalk sandwich café celebrated its twenty-first anniversary in 2026. Between the flower buckets on the corner sidewalk, the aroma of griddled brioche, and a cheese case overflowing with Northern California and European wheels, it is a quintessential San Francisco food landmark.

Ray Bair designed the cheese counter at Cheese Plus to spotlight small-batch producers who rarely get shelf space in conventional grocery chains. Expert mongers wrap every wedge to order in breathable cheese paper, rotate seasonal releases from Marin, Sonoma, and Mendocino creameries, and run a popular monthly Cheese of the Month Club. Whether you ask for a nutty alpine slice to melt over potatoes or a funky washed-rind centerpiece for a dinner party, the staff cuts fresh samples to guide your choice.

Inside the dairy case, start with Northern California icons like Nicasio Valley Cheese Company Foggy Morning or San Geronimo from Marin County, priced around $24 to $28 per pound, alongside Bellwether Farms Carmody and San Andreas sheep's milk cheese from Sonoma at $26 to $30 per pound. European highlights include French Comté, aged Dutch Gouda, and creamy Italian Gorgonzola Dolce ranging from $25 to $34 per pound. Pair your wedges with house-marinated olives, local wildflower honey, and rustic crisps stacked atop the counter.

What makes Cheese Plus a daily ritual for Russian Hill neighbors is its outdoor Sidewalk Sandwich and Coffee Café, where hot and cold sandwiches are named after San Francisco neighborhoods and local characters. A morning and midday showstopper is the Stuffed Toast Plus for $15.00, layering Niman Ranch smoked ham, rich double-crème brie, and imported purple fig confit between thick slices of buttered, griddled brioche. Another top seller is Zoe's Mediterranean Chicken at $17.25, piling grilled chicken breast, truffle aioli, creamy brie, crisp bacon, crispy onions, and tomato onto a toasted ciabatta roll.

The neighborhood-themed sandwich board offers even more hearty combinations around $15.00 to $17.50. Order the Potrero Hill for hot smoked pastrami with melted cheddar, house-pickled red onions, pickles, tomato, and spicy chipotle aioli, or choose the Crissy Field with oven-roasted turkey, bacon, provolone, arugula, and roasted tomato aioli. Cold Italian deli fans swear by the North Beach on fresh focaccia with Italian meats, Dijon, and mayo, while the Cheese Plus Grilled Cheese blends multiple house cheeses with fresh tomato and a touch of Dijon on sourdough.

Hosting a gathering in the city is simple with the shop's catering platters and gourmet grocery aisles. Custom cheese and charcuterie boards featuring local California wheels or Iberian and Italian spreads generally run $90 to $140 depending on guest count. Inside the store, shelves hold small-lot California wines, craft beers, artisan chocolates, olive oils, and fresh baguettes delivered throughout the day.

The main market at 2001 Polk Street is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 AM to 7:30 PM, Saturday from 9:00 AM to 7:30 PM, and Sunday from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM, while the Sidewalk Sandwich and Coffee Café opens daily at 9:00 AM. Weekday mornings between 10:00 AM and 11:30 AM are ideal for unhurried cheese tastings inside, whereas sunny weekend lunch hours between noon and 2:00 PM bring a lively crowd to the outdoor sandwich window.

No reservations are needed for either the indoor cheese counter or the sidewalk café window. Order your sandwich at the exterior counter along Pacific Avenue, grab a coffee, and browse the indoor cheese case while your ciabatta or brioche presses on the griddle. Several sidewalk tables and benches along the sunny Pacific Avenue wall let you eat right on the corner.

The atmosphere inside 2001 Polk Street blends old-world European market density with bright California energy. Colorful hand-lettered chalkboards, stacked wooden wine boxes, and floor-to-ceiling gourmet shelves surround the central glass counter, while big corner windows frame passing cyclists and classic Russian Hill bay-window apartments.

Over more than two decades on Polk Street, Ray Bair and his team have turned Cheese Plus into a community hub, hosting seasonal sidewalk artisan food festivals where local cheesemakers, charcutiers, and winemakers pour samples for the neighborhood. That personal connection to producers shows in the freshness of every wheel in the case.

Once you finish your Stuffed Toast Plus or pack up your cheese wedges, take a walk through the surrounding Russian Hill and Pacific Heights blocks. Stroll cuatro blocks west along Pacific Avenue to Lafayette Park at Washington and Gough Streets, where grassy hilltops and picnic tables overlook the bay and Twin Peaks. Or walk east up the Vallejo Street steps for dramatic views toward downtown and Coit Tower.

Keep these practical details handy before you visit. Cheese Plus at 2001 Polk Street in San Francisco opens its sidewalk café at 9:00 AM daily and its main cheese market at 10:00 AM on weekdays and Sunday, or 9:00 AM on Saturday, closing at 7:30 PM Monday through Saturday and 7:00 PM on Sunday. Credit cards, debit cards, Apple Pay, and cash are accepted, and the corner entry is step-free. Open Karpo APP to map out nearby Russian Hill viewpoints, Polk Street cocktail bars, or afternoon coffee stops.

Cheese Plus is tailor-made for sandwich lovers craving melted brie and fig confit on brioche, Lafayette Park picnickers, and home hosts seeking expert wine-and-cheese matches. Stop by for a $15 sidewalk lunch or build a $50 California farmstead flight to take home.