Chowder's is a solid place to grab a quick seafood meal while exploring Pier 39. Given its location…read morein one of the busiest and most touristy parts of San Francisco, the prices are actually pretty reasonable. You could easily spend a lot more at nearby restaurants without getting a noticeably better meal. The food itself is pretty good, though I wouldn't call it exceptional. The clam chowder is creamy, filling, and especially good served in the sourdough bread bowl. The bread soaks up the chowder nicely while still staying chewy around the edges. The seafood tastes fresh enough, portions are decent, and everything comes out fairly quickly. This is definitely more of a casual tourist stop than a destination restaurant, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. It works well when you're walking around Fisherman's Wharf and want something warm and satisfying without sitting down for a long meal or spending a fortune. Overall, Chowder's delivers what you'd expect: good seafood, reasonable portions, and surprisingly fair prices for Pier 39. It probably won't be the most memorable meal you have in San Francisco, but it's convenient, tasty, and worth stopping at if you're already in the area.

Every time I'm in San Francisco, I end up at Fisherman's Wharf, and every time I'm there, I stop…read morehere. It's touristy, I know, but some traditions are worth keeping. The white clam chowder in the bread bowl is what they're known for, and for good reason. Thick, creamy, loaded with clams, and served in a sourdough bread bowl that you'll probably end up eating more of than you planned. But definitely get the red chowder too. It's tomato based, has a completely different flavor, and is even better with a generous amount of Tabasco. There are plenty of less touristy places to eat in San Francisco, but this is one of those spots I keep coming back to. Sometimes you just have to embrace the tourist trap and get the bread bowl.

Food- excellent crab chowder. Warm, creamy and full of bold flavors. Perfect for a chilly San…read moreFrancisco day. Service- fast and accommodating

Perfect location. The Hispanic guy working taking orders was a bit rude. This is a tourist hotspot…read moreand you don't want the workers to seem like they don't want to be there. Food was fairly price for fish and chips but it was very underwhelming. My stomach started messing up in the middle of eating my food to the point I had to get up and take it to go. The fish seemed like it was mostly oil and the fries were very few. I wouldn't come back to any place I have to get up in the middle of my food because my stomach is hurting from eating something that's suppose to be fresh. There are a lot of other good options to choose from in the area.

STOP. DROP. EAT…read more This place is an absolute gem. Food: We started with the clams and mussels, and they were phenomenal. Do yourself a favor and soak every last bit of that broth up with the bread--you won't regret it. Don also surprised us with complimentary scallops, and wow... next-level fresh. Some of the best seafood I've had. Drinks: Hands down the best margaritas I've had in California so far. I also watched Don make a Bloody Mary, and it was like watching someone craft a work of art. Every ingredient was intentional, and you could tell it was made with genuine care. Service: This deserves to be at the top because it's what made the experience unforgettable. Halfway through our meal, I realized my incredible bartender was actually the owner. Don is one of the most humble, genuine, and welcoming people you'll ever meet. His sons and daughter all work in the restaurant, and there's even a photo on the wall of his great-grandfather smoking a cigar while cooking crabs. This isn't just a restaurant--it's generations of family, tradition, and passion served on every plate. You can feel the heart behind this place the moment you walk in. Thank you, Don, for the outstanding hospitality, the amazing conversation, and a meal we'll be talking about for a long time. We'll definitely be back.

(3/5) I've been coming to this restaurant for many years,…read moreand this was the first visit that left me disappointed. Overall, the food was good, and the service was okay. However, the clam chowder tasted much more like potato chowder than clam chowder, with very little clam flavor. The bread was served warm, but it quickly became chewy, which made it seem like it had been heated in a microwave rather than baked fresh. What stood out the most was the condition of the restaurant. It looked run-down, dated, and, unfortunately, not very clean. After many years of enjoying this place, this was the first time I noticed how much it seems to have declined. I hope management takes the time to refresh the restaurant and improve the overall cleanliness because it has always been one of my go-to spots, and I'd like to see it return to the quality it once had.

This place has been a staple in our family every time we visit fisherman's wharf. Personally don't…read morethink it's ever lost its touch !

Times have changed. There was a-lot of trash and Nicks lighthouse has changed owners and the clam…read morechowder i once loved so much is gone forever. The fishing excursions were highly prices and the ferris wheel was also to highly priced. I always forget about all the locks that are on the fence and its like a first time to me. As always the bread store was an awesome Experience this time i bought a bread teddy bread that was pretty cool. Some places had very nice employees. The joggers can be a little too much lol.

The service was phenomenal! Azriel was a wonderful waiter! The view was so beautiful!…read more The crab enchiladas were like a fusion dish of both Italian and Mexican with their signature cioppino sauce and cheese. It had a bit of kick to it but not too spicy. The crab Louis salad was ok. The crab was excellent but seemed to be lacking certain ingredients such as tomatoes, cucumber & asparagus. It had crab, avocado, black olives and tons of lettuce. The disappointing dish was the crab melt sandwich. It was almost all hard bread and very little crab And avocado. The seasoned French fries were yummy though.

A solid 3.8 stars!…read more This place has cool original decor from the 1950s with framed B/W photos of celebrity dinners from different decades. It has a nice view of the bay with windows all around. We started with the clam chowder in a bread bowl which was on par as expected in this part of SF. I really don't like clam chowder but it was great! The shrimp cocktail, however, was very disappointing. It's served it an outdated container with a slew of lettuce as the cocktail sauce hides in the middle. The shrimp weren't bad but the whole thing felt dated and overpriced. The platter is great but it's not what you may think for a seafood spot. It's like eating a straightforward seafood boil lol. Gloves, butter, container for your shells included. Overall, would I come back? Yes, but to pig out not for a fancy seafood dinner. Would I recommend it to a friend? Sure!

It's Good Friday and I have been doing some test runs on which fish sandwich I should eat since…read moremeat was not on my bingo card and menu for my Good Friday meal. I was supposed to go to McDonald's and have the Filet -O-Fish but the filet I received this week has shrunk along with the buns and now it has half the cheese it used to have on it. So I decided to drop the fast food fishwich route and heads towards Fisherman's Wharf. I went to the place I had one of the best fishwiches in SF. It's literally located less than 100 feet from the drop of the Pacific Ocean in US waters and above is the Franciscan restaurant. On a Spring Tourist Trap stroll in San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf USA , I landed at Frankie's Crab Stand located below the Franciscan restaurant. Inside they sell crabs, clam chowder , shrimp, and fish and chips ( even the British tourist would enjoy). I got the World Famous Fishwich. The bun was so soft and the fish was so fresh but a bit flakey like some in SF but it was tasty and crispy plus the coleslaw made it crunchy. The sauce of the fishwich was savory which packed a punch ( not punch the viral monkey). The fishwich came with some very crunchy garlic fries which put Oracle Park sometimes soggy garlic fries to shame. Overall a consistently great Fishwich sandwich which can be enjoyed during all four seasons at the tourist trap in SF. Franciscan restaurant is a legacy San Francisco seafood restaurant "brand" went to the place below associated with the Franciscan and got a Fishwich with flavor not like some in SF that are very"bland" you can eat it and hold the buns with your "hand" it's called the World Famous Fishwich at "Frankie's Crab Stand " Fisherman's Wharf in SF is called a Tourist Trap because of visiting Tourist it will "draw" to drop some money to eat seafood like shrimp, crab ,cioppinno and "red lobster claw"and in some establishments in SF you can watch live Dungeness crab "crawl"on Good Friday grab a fishwich which has soft buns with a tasty crispy fish fillet topped with crunchy "coleslaw"

Nice soft shell crab sandwich with garlic fries for reasonable tourist prices…read more Clean bathroom Back faces the bay with incredible relaxing views. Albeit music blasting takes away the ambience of the bay.

Beautiful spot to enjoy a delicious breakfast and coffee on the water. Jefferson and employees were…read moreall fantastic. will be back

Fish tacos were delicious and one of the best Bloody Mary's I've ever had. Iray was superb and very…read moreattentive at the bar.

Luke's Lobster Date: September 25, 2026…read more It's finally here--Happy National Lobster Day! National Lobster Day is September 25, and today was the last day to get the $20 quarter-pound lobster roll, served with chips and a pickle. This is my second year celebrating National Lobster Day at Luke's Lobster and getting the $20 lobster roll. The lobster was good, and I really enjoyed it. The quarter-pound lobster roll has about 4 oz of lobster. The regular price is $31, so you can't beat getting it for $20 during this special promotion. The complimentary Cape Cod Sea Salt & Vinegar chips were also a nice combination with the lobster roll. Overall, I enjoyed the lobster roll, especially for the $20 price. It's a good way to celebrate National Lobster Day!

Had my eye on this place for my Boston itinerary and to my surprise it was right by my hotel on an…read moreSF work trip! I love lobster rolls and it was amazing here! It was tasty and they stack it with a lot of butter. It is a bit pricey but it's a lobster, got the medium for around $40 which is standard pricing for a lobster roll, but this place packs it with A LOT of lobster! Their clam chowder was very good as well and came with a good amount of crackers. Service was really nice and personable here, they had a two person crew that got the job done and was so friendly to me and my wife. The restaurant is really nicely decorated too and overall we had a great time here! Definitely recommend this spot in SOMA!