Zuni Café and its wood‑fired roast chicken

Zuni Café opened in 1979 and is widely known for its wood‑fired brick oven roast chicken cooked for two. Chef Judy Rodgers, who became head chef in 1987, popularized the restaurant’s roast‑chicken method and included the recipe in The Zuni Cafe Cookbook (2002), which helped spread the technique beyond San Francisco. The restaurant’s oven and roast chicken are often cited in discussions of San Francisco’s modern restaurant and farm‑to‑table movements.