Cuisine type: fresh seafood
Atmosphere: cafe style seating (street-side terrace)
Meal: dinner
Price range: ~$25-$50 / entree
Overall grade: 8.6
One of the legendary restaurants in the famous Fisherman's Wharf, we came in with high expectations. It's very pleasant to sit outside and absorb the high activity in a beautiful area of the city, and there seemed to be a large variety of patrons, from foreign tourists to young townies. I loved all of the food that was placed in front of me - I ordered a fresh, locally caught full dungeness crab, which came with a creamy crab chowder served first. The crab came cleaned and chopped, requiring minimal shell-cracking. I actually would have preferred to have received the full crab, rather than being pre-chopped, but I believe this could have been requested. The crab was light, flavorful, and hearty.The fresh bread was also fantastic. The beer menu was somewhat limited, featuring mostly well known national and international beers (I wish they had included a few local microbrews). Not surprisingly, the wine menu was much more extensive, with a good selection of fine and local wines. The food was great, but the only consideration to be made is whether to eat at this nice sit-down restaurant, or experience the more lively (and lower cost) adjacent fish markets. These markets go straight to the point: fresh caught crab and other seafood served over the counter on rolls, with a large crowd of people standing around, shuffling back and forth over a wooden counter, shells being cracked over paper plates.
Food: 9
Drinks: 8
Atmosphere: 9
Service: 8
Value: 8
Nina
This restaurant attracted us with the large neon signs on top advertising 75 years of history on the Fishermen's Wharf. If they've been around for that long, they must have something going for them, right?
We went for the obvious - fresh caught seafood, though they also offer an array of chicken and beef centered dishes. Their chowders are somewhat overpriced, though they deliver in taste. There are two options - Boston Clam Chowder (which is cream based), and Coney Island Clam Chowder (which is tomato based) so of course we ordered both and shared. The distinction between tomato based and cream based is somewhat misleading, since I am pretty sure the red chowder was also loaded on cream, but that's what makes it a chowder, after all. The fresh bread (sourdough, I believe) that they brought out with our drinks was freshly baked, with a delicious - but not too crunchy - crust which made it impossible to refuse seconds.
My entree choice was one of the daily specials, a combination seafood linguine. I've had many of these before, and at different restaurants, but none as rich in flavor and meat as this one. It consisted of an abundance of shrimp, clams, mussels and tender calamari bits, tossed in al dente pasta with a handful of perfectly cooked mushroom slices and a delicious, creamy tomato sauce - served, of course, with freshly grated parmesan in a side dish.
This place is great for a relaxed, somewhat fancy dinner in the heart of the San Francisco Pier 39 - Fishermen's Wharf area. We chose the outdoor seating option, where we had a small and cozy table with a view of the hustle and bustle of the wharf. If you prefer less people watching and more of a quiet dinner with a view of the pier with boats moored and, if you're lucky, the Golden Gate Bridge, then you can request a window table inside on the other end of the restaurant.
If you prefer a more casual, not as quiet and peaceful dinner or you are not eager to spend a lot on food, there are many seafood market shops right next to this restaurant in the same building. They feature the most basic crab and chowder selections in a very hands-on, standing serving style - the counter that the food comes out on doubles as eating surface, with silverware rare and in plastic form when present. The crab, however, the star of the show this time of year, is just as fresh and juicy in either case.
Food 9
Drinks 9
Atmosphere 8
Service 9
Value 8
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