10 Unique, Fun, & Tasty Things to Do in Daly City

1. Watch Paragliders Launch Over the San Andreas Fault at Mussel Rock Park

Mussell Rock Park is only 5-10 minutes away, but it feels like another world: a wildly beautiful and peaceful spot that showcases the unmatched beauty of the California coast.

While most maps treat the San Andreas Fault as an abstract line, Mussel Rock is literally where it meets the ocean. You can see this directly in the landscape, where two tectonic plates have created a cliffside mash-up of shifting rocks. If you look out into the surf, you can also the namesake Mussel Rock, marking the exact spot where the fault line leaves the California mainland and heads towards the Pacific.

When ocean winds hit these cliffs and shoot straight up, it creates a smooth elevator of air called "laminar flow." It’s a world-famous spot for paragliders. On any given afternoon, you can watch them hover effortlessly over the water. If you hike down the steep, rugged trails to the shore at low tide, the beach is great for tidepooling and hunting for sea glass. Because the park faces dead west, it's also a incredibly scenic spot to catch the sunset.

2. Walk the "Lost Highway" at Thornton Beach State Park

Just a few minutes up the coast from Mussel Rock sits Thornton Beach, known both for its panoramic ocean views and unusual history. Decades ago, these high cliffs carried the original coastal route of California State Route 1. After a major earthquake in 1957 and ongoing landslides tore up the terrain, the state completely abandoned the section. Today, you can hike down the surviving, paved remnants of the old road until it abruptly ends at a cliff's edge. It's a fascinating reminder of how quickly nature can reclaim asphalt.

Locals love it here, from dog walkers and trail runners to sunset seekers. Because Thornton is harder to access than standard beaches (the direct road down was destroyed, so it's a steep, rugged hike back up from the sand), it naturally filters out the crowds.

3. Stand Between the Markers at the Broderick-Terry Duel Site

A interesting, 10-minute stop for history nerds, this California Historical Landmark marks the spot where a U.S. Senator and a California Supreme Court Chief Justice had a fatal shootout. In September 1859, David C. Broderick and David S. Terry came here to settle a bitter political feud over slavery on the eve of the Civil War. Because dueling was illegal in San Francisco, they slipped just across the county line to duke it out.

A short dirt trail leads you from a residential neighborhood into a wooded area where two granite pillars mark exactly where each of the men stood. They were only ten paces apart when Terry fired the fatal shot.

4. Take an Architectural "Little Boxes" Drive Through Westlake

The Westlake neighborhood is the direct inspiration behind Malvina Reynolds’ 1962 folk song "Little Boxes" (also the theme song for the TV show Weeds). Developed by Henry Doelger in the late 1940s and 50s, it's one of the earliest examples of suburban tract housing in the US. Painted in iconic shades of pastel, an undulating grid of mid-century homes follows the contours of Daly City's steep hills.

While early critics dismissed the neighborhood as bland conformity, architecture buffs and design historians now appreciate Westlake for its clever engineering and structural footprint.

Doelger figured out how to mass-produce affordable housing using standardized parts without making the streets look entirely flat. He built the homes with high-quality local redwood frames and utilized split-level floor plans to maximize living space on compact 2,500-square-foot lots. To break up the visual monotony, he also systematically swapped out exterior accents from house to house, alternating between flat, gabled, and space-age "butterfly" rooflines, changing window shapes, and switching garage placements.

5. Dine at Original Joe’s Westlake

Opened in 1956 as Joe’s of Westlake, this legendary restaurant was originally built as the commercial anchor for Henry Doelger’s master-planned neighborhood. Following a major restoration in 2016, the space stands as a beautifully preserved, mid-century architectural landmark.

The interior retains its original 1950s supper club aesthetic, complete with dark wood paneling, tuxedo-clad waitstaff, and low-slung leather booths. The crown jewel of the restaurant is the lounge, which centers around a giant, freestanding horseshoe bar underneath a floating circular ceiling soffit. Grab a stool here right next to the original 1950s stone fireplace—distinguished by its dramatic, cone-shaped black hood—to watch the bartenders at work.

For the main meal, you can slide into a booth and watch chefs at work in the open exhibition kitchen. The menu specializes in old-school Italian-American comfort food, like their house-made ravioli or "Joe’s Special"—a classic Bay Area scramble of ground beef, spinach, onions, and eggs. Visit at 11 Glenwood Ave.

6. Hunt Down a Cast-Iron Plate of Sizzling Sisig

Daly City has the highest concentration of Filipino-Americans of any major U.S. city: Eater has a nice round up here of some favorite spots to check out.

If you try only one dish while you're in town, make it sizzling sisig. This classic comfort food features finely chopped pork seasoned with citrus, onions, and chili peppers, served on a blistering hot cast-iron platter so the meat continues to crisp at the table.

For a classic, family-style feast, locals favor Chibog. Their signature pork sisig is served as a large, shareable à la carte platter meant to be paired with massive traditional sides like crispy pata or oxtail kare-kare. Another great option is Tselogs, which specializes in sisig silog. Unlike the traditional pork version, their bestseller features finely minced, citrus-marinated chicken served on a mini sizzling skillet with garlic rice and fried eggs.

• Chibog - Offers classic, family-style feasts. Their signature pork sisig is served as a large, shareable à la carte platter meant to be paired with massive traditional sides like crispy pata or oxtail kare-kare. Visit at: 2055 Gellert Blvd, Daly City.
• Tselogs - Known for their sisig silog. Unlike the traditional pork version, their bestseller features finely minced, citrus-marinated chicken served on a mini sizzling skillet with garlic rice and fried eggs. Visit at 6181 Mission St, Daly City.

7. Sample An Authentic Ube Dessert

Daly City is one of the best places in the US to experience real ube—a vibrant purple yam native to the Philippines known for its naturally sweet, earthy flavor that hints at vanilla and pistachio. Local bakers use real ube halaya (sweetened purple yam jam) rather than just purple food coloring to create deeply rich, velvety treats. Options include:

• Cafe 86 - With an Instagram handle of @UbeNerdsOfDalyCity, Cafe 86 draws crowds for its modern fusion treats like ube truffles and cracker-crust cheesecakes. Note: this popular spot can have longer wait times. Visit at 11 St. Francis Square.
• The Bread Basket - This family-owned neighborhood bakery has operated since 1977, serving scratch-made Filipino breads like ube pandesal and señorita rolls. Visit at 7099 Mission St.
• Red Ribbon Bakeshop - This global Filipino franchise is a fast, convenient choice for pre-made, feather-light, ube-infused chiffon cakes. Visit at 6877 Mission St.

8. Try the Famous Dim Sum at Koi Palace

Opened in 1996 by brothers Willy and Ronny Ng, Koi Palace transformed the Bay Area's Chinese dining landscape by introducing high-end, Hong Kong-style seafood banquets and dim sum to a suburban Daly City strip mall.

The cavernous, 400-seat space—which is currently preparing a massive expansion to a near-800-seat flagship at Serramonte Center—sets a theatrical tone with walls of live seafood tanks and a high-energy symphony of clattering carts. While some worry if the service has grown too commercialized or rushed over its decades of growth, the kitchen has earned it multiple James Beard Award nominations for Outstanding Restaurant.

Weekend crowds can entail two-hour wait times (even with a priority reservation). To avoid a longer wait, make a weekday reservation online, or arrive at least fifteen minutes before the doors open on Saturdays and Sundays. Visit in Serramonte Plaza at 365 Gellert Blvd.

9. Bowl a Few Frames at Classic Bowl

Formally known as the Classic Bowling Center, Classic Bowl is one of the largest remaining bowling complexes in the Bay Area. This 60-lane Westborough hub directly nods to the local community by anchoring its calendar with major Asian-American and Pacific Islander cultural festivals, live Filipino R&B bands, and community fundraisers. The space draws massive weekend crowds for its DJ-fueled glow bowling, large arcade lounge, and an attached sports bar featuring a hardwood dance floor. Between frames, bowlers trade standard alley food for local flavor, sharing snack-counter trays of crispy lumpia, seasoned sisig fries, and pitchers of beer. Visit at 900 King Dr.

10. Catch a Show at The Cow Palace

Opened in 1941 to house the Grand National Rodeo, the Cow Palace is historic, 60-acre arena on the San Francisco border. It's hosted an amazing range of acts and public figures: The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Prince, Nirvana, and many more. Stuntman Evel Knievel famously packed the house to jump 15 cars on his motorcycle inside the arena, and the venue was a long-term West Coast hub for classic professional wrestling cards throughout the 60s and 70s.

Today, the massive venue still functions as a major entertainment hub, pulling in regional crowds for heavy electronic dance music (EDM) concerts, touring circuses, and its original, action-packed October rodeo tradition. Depending on the weekend, the schedule ranges from heavy metal festivals and warehouse rave tours to large-scale cultural exhibitions and local home shows. Visit at 2600 Geneva Ave.