The hum of generators, spitting barbecue grills and animated voices carry across the car park. Small children bop along to the slow-paced music of a local band playing under a small garden gazebo. Tempting aromas fill the air: roasted spices, the unmistakable scent of barbecued pork and the partnering smell of a spilt beer. As I devour two pork satay skewers, the sun begins to dip behind the Golden Gate Bridge.

This is Off the Grid, a roving collection of Asian and Latin street food vendors in San Francisco. Organiser Matt Cohen, inspired by the late night food markets of Japan, set up the market in June last year.

"I was having a hard time arranging permits for a ramen truck and had started working with other vendors to get theirs," explains Matt. "The San Francisco Police Department doesn't allow late-night mobile food sellers, so we tried to create a space to operate from."

In little under a year, Off the Grid has grown extensively and there are now eight street food markets a week, at lunchtimes and evenings, spanning several locations across the city. Social media has played a vital role in Off the Grid's success. Vendors use Twitter and Facebook to inform followers of daily specials and locations. "It's the primary way we build and maintain a relationship with our customers," explains Cohen. "People don't need to go out and seek information about our markets, it comes to them automatically."

The biggest of them is held every Friday night at the Fort Mason Center car park, a five-minute walk from the touristy hub of Fisherman's Wharf, where the most popular dish is the seafood chowder, served in giant, hollowed out bread rolls.

At the market, I join the queue for Chairman Bao. The line is long, but I have a cup of Magnolia IPA to take the edge off of the wait. After half an hour, I am tucking into my Chinese Bao buns filled with sticky barbecue pork belly, pickled daikon and shredded carrot.

I meander through the crowd, stepping over spilt noodles as I go. The sun is now buried beneath the Pacific and the market lit with small lamps, and the long queues show little sign of receding. I'm full, but decide I can squeeze one more snack in: a spicy Indonesian taco topped with fresh chillies and a creamy coriander sauce from Señor Sisig.

Then it's time to call it a night, and I wander into Russian Hill and wait for a bus home. There were countless food stalls I missed, but fortunately they'll be back again next week. Same time, same place.

The Rib Whip

With a smoker onboard their stylish food truck, The Rib Whip brings midwestern barbecue to the west coast, turning out beautiful pork sandwiches and the most amazing ribs ($8 for a third of a slab) this side of Kansas. And be sure to order a side of baked beans with burnt ends ($3).

Twitter: @TheRibWhip

Curry Up Now

Paratha flatbreads, aloo, paneer and tikka masala burritos ... the flavours and spices of India are delivered from this hugely popular mobile food truck. Don't miss the aloo kathi roll – an egg-washed paratha stuffed with pickled onions, chutney and spicy potato.

Twitter: @CurryUpNow

Chairman Bao

Notorious for its long, winding queue that zig-zags across the market, Chairman Bao loads up steamed and baked buns with red sesame chicken, crispy garlic tofu and tender pork belly ($6).

Twitter: @chairmantruck

Crème Brûlée Cart

Flavours vary from week to week and change with the seasons on this dessert cart. Keep your eye out for the strawberry and Nutella crème brûlée ($4), topped with caramelised sugar.

Twitter: @cremebruleecart

Senor Sisig

Filipino inspired tacos loaded with chilli and trademark coriander sauce for $3. Whatever your order, don't forget to silog it, which translates as adding a fried egg on top.

Twitter: @senorsisig

Swan Oyster Depot

Always a line. Limited hours. Quintessential San Francisco seafood. Keep it simple and go for a bowl of clam chowder and a couple of oysters. And enjoy some of the best San Francisco sourdough you can get – for free. (Can get pricey if you start downing oysters by the dozen).

• 1517 Polk Street (+1 415 673 1101)

Bakesale Betty

Both locations are in Oakland, but the fried chicken sandwich is so good I'd track it down to Nebraska. There will always be a line. Cash only. Eat outside on a table made of decommissioned ironing boards. Extra points for getting the strawberry shortcake to share with your group – if they have it.

• 5098 Telegraph Avenue and 2228 Broadway, both in Oakland (+1 510 985 1213, bakesalebetty.com)

Art's Cafe

An absolute hole in the wall in The Sunset, a part of the city that most tourists never make it to. This breakfast place – owned by a Korean couple with an American-Korean menu – has an unmissable hash brown sandwich (it's cheap too).

• 747 Irving Street, between 8th and 9th Ave (+1 415 6657440, artscafesf.com)

El Farolito

Neon lights. Grimy exterior. The best late-night super burrito (with sour creme and avocado) in the city. The carnitas super quesadilla (burrito sans rice) is as good as it gets this far north of Mexico City.

• Various locations – see elfarolitoinc.com for details

Saigon Sandwich

The name says it all. Crazy, cheap amazing bánh mì – Vietnamese sandwich made with a wheat and rice flour baguette. SS will make anyone from a broke backpacker to a millionaire financier smile on a cold summer's day. Extra points for having the willpower to resist eating it until you make it to Golden Gate park to picnic among the trees.

• 560 Larkin Street (+1 415 474 5698)