If you’re looking to get a taste of San Francisco, look no further than PIER 39 restaurants. This is where you will find the best San Francisco seafood and signature dishes. Let’s dive in to the best foods you can’t miss while visiting PIER 39.
Visit Pier Market Seafood Restaurant and try classic San Francisco seafood dishes. Located in the middle of PIER 39 with amazing Bay views in the dining room and a heated outdoor patio perfect for people watching. View our menu here, and make your reservation here. Walk-ins are always welcome!
PIER 39 restaurants are unique in that all Simmons Family restaurants exclusively source sustainable seafood. We make sure our fish selection is delivered daily for the freshest taste.
San Francisco Seafood at PIER 39
Whether you’ve been living in San Francisco your whole life or are visiting for a short stay, PIER 39 is the best place to try the city’s seafood delicacies. Here are the top 3 SF dishes to try and where you can find them.
1. Cioppino
Cioppino was invented in San Francisco and is the city’s most famous dish. It is one of the best seafood delicacies!
Traditionally, Cioppino was a stew made from whatever seafood was caught that day at Fisherman’s Wharf. Today, the classic recipe includes a tomato-based broth, crab, clams, shrimp, scallops, and mussels.
You can find Cioppino all over PIER 39, but here are the spots locals love:
- Pier Market Seafood Restaurant. From the menu: Cioppino – “A tomato-based seafood stew with fresh fish, mussels, clams, shrimp and crab served over pasta.”
- Fog Harbor Fish House. From the menu: Cioppino – “Crab, fresh fish, shrimp, scallops, clams and mussels stewed in a seafood tomato broth.”
- Crab House. From the menu: Seafood Cioppino – “Shrimp, mussels, fish and crab simmered in our cioppino sauce.”
2. Clam Chowder in a Sourdough Bread Bowl
Did you know that clam chowder didn’t always have clams? We are certainly glad it does today, because Clam Chowder in a Sourdough Bread Bowl is a seafood delicacy in San Francisco!
This creamy New England style stew contains clams, bacon, sweet onions, potatoes, celery and milk or cream. But, San Francisco’s unique twist is to serve clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl.
If you’re wondering where to try it, start at Fisherman’s Wharf. These are our favorites:
- Pier Market Seafood Restaurant. Try it in a cup, bowl, or famous sourdough bread bowl. Voted the best on Fisherman’s Wharf! You can also get it on the go from our to go window!
- Fog Harbor Fish House. Try it in their fresh house based sourdough bread bowl, or in a cup or bowl. Moreover, their award winning clam chowder is considered the best in the city.
3. Dungeness Crab
Did you know that Dungeness crab was known as a pest that damaged fishing nets? In fact, fishermen would throw them back into the sea! Today, Dungeness crab is the prize of the San Francisco Bay.
Dungeness crab tastes sweet, slightly nutty, and has a delicate flavor. Certainly, this large crab is one of the best crabs to eat! Its tender and juicy meat is great steamed, boiled, grilled, roasted, or turned into dishes like crab cakes, salads, and more.
Did you know that San Francisco is famously the city that invented the Crab Louie? As a result, it is one of the most ordered salads. Crab Louie, also known as the King of Salads, features fresh crab meat, hard-boiled eggs, tomato, iceberg lettuce, and a Thousand Island-style dressing.
Here are our recommendations for the best crab restaurants in San Francisco:
- Pier Market Seafood Restaurant. Here you’ll find it steamed or oven roasted with garlic, herbs, and spices, in a Cioppino, and in the house specialty Crab Cakes.
- Crab House at PIER 39. If you’re looking for a crab dining experience, this is the place to go. 2+ lb Dungeness crab is roasted in a secret garlic sauce and served on a sizzling iron skillet. In addition, you can pair it with shrimp, mussels, crab fried rice, and garlic noodles for a perfect meal.
- Fog Harbor Fish House. This restaurant has a special menu full of crab dishes every Dungeness crab season! Enjoy crab in every form you could imagine.
Pier Market Seafood Restaurant
At Pier Market Seafood Restaurant, we pride ourselves on exclusively serving 100% sustainable seafood. We closely follow sustainability guidelines to ensure that our oceans stay thriving for as long as possible. We also serve the freshest seafood in the city, guaranteeing the best flavors.
Pier Market is owned and operated by the Simmons family – the same family that founded and developed PIER 39. That is to say that this is a restaurant you can trust for its quality and commitment to creating great dining experiences for San Franciscans and tourists alike.
Our restaurant is unique for its mesquite grill which you can see from a window. Watch our grill masters perfectly sear proteins and vegetables, infusing them with mesquite flavors. Dining is never boring when you can look out our floor to ceiling windows overlooking the bay, or people watch from the heated outdoor patio.
Make a Reservation (Walk-ins always welcome!)