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Mon-Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sat. 12:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 4:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
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Oh my yumminess.
What a fabulous little neighborhood joint...my mouth is still watering over the selection of fresh oysters, steamed clams and chowder. A little slice of Cape Cod in the Castro.
I'm not a big fan of oysters, but I went there with my seafood lover friends. even though I am not the biggest fan of seafood, I still liked the place.
REALY fresh oyster, wonderful wonderful service, friendly and cozy place, the chain outside for waiting people is just so thoughtful and nice....just loved it, who knows, maybe even I become an oyster fan :)
If you are a seafood lover, you should definitely check this place out I think.
Yay, it's true what they say! There's only one place worth eating at on Castro Street, and it's Anchor Oyster Bar!
First, to start out, they gave out free clam chowder to those of us waiting outside, even though the wait wasn't that long. It wasn't the bgest clam chowder - I like mine a little thicker - but I'm not going to complain about free things.
The seafood sampler was delicious - great selection of oysters - so fresh, of course - as were the mussels in that amazing broth. As a previous reviewer noted, these are delicious crab cakes, the flavor really shows through.
And the bread is absolutely delicious! If they just let me dip their bread in mussel broth all night long, I'd be happy too.
Delicious garlic bread too.
Fairly decent seafood, but it was not nearly as awesome as some of the reviewers here make it out to be. We split a bowl of clam chowder and the Anchor Special (dozen oysters on the half shell, steamed clams, and shrimp cocktail).
Clam chowder was tasty, though not the best that I've had and a little on the thinner side. Got 4 different kinds of oysters. 2 I remember liking very much. The other 2 kinds were nothing special. Clams and shrimp were good, but not great.
Considering that this place is a bit more expensive than other seafood places I frequent (total came to a bit over $40 for the above), I'm not sure I have much reason to come back. Maybe if I'm in the area again, but I wouldn't go out of my way.
A lot of folks hang on to small glitches in the food and service of this wonderful, yummy and sweet little Castro Cafe with outstanding seafood and shellfish. I think this place has the best garlic bread in San Francisco and a meal of their clam chowder, crab, shrimp or prawn salad and that hot, sensual garlic bread is heaven.
Lot's of things on their menu are top notch and worthy of consideration. Fish and chips here rock, all salads are great, sandwiches stand out and their specials are fantastic. This place has the best service of the triple crown of three tiny fish joints so many residents and tourists love, Swan Oyster Depot, Woodhouse Fish Company and Anchor, and there's something almost too Cape Cod about it, but it is a great seafood experience and worth every penny. I truly recommend this wonderful gem.
Being of Portuguese decent, I pride myself on fantastic seafood cuisine. I took my parents here for the first time earlier this year (living around the corner after four-years, I finally had a reason to take someone there)...and we all fell in love with this place immediately. It was a busy night, so we kept getting served free garlic bread you'll never want to turn down...its probably the most amazing carbohydrate one's palette will ever come across. I had the opportunity to dip my garlic bread in the broth from my mothers mixed-shellfish plate, and it was to DIE. My kale/yam stuffed ravioli topped with crab was seriously the best thing on a menu found in the Castro. You can tell it was freshly made that day and the sauce was as equally as divine as the broth from my mother's Cippiono-style dish. I seriously could have drank it like it water, its just THAT good. This truly is a gem that surprisingly finds itself situated in the Castro, where most food establishments are less than mediocre. But once you put any food in your mouth, it's no wonder they've been around for decades. Their specials vary daily, so I truly enjoy a place who can mix up their fare on the daily (you know they pride themselves on their food), and you'll always be stuck on which one you should order. Don't worry, either choice will leave you thinking you made the best decision.
The most amazing part about this restaurant is that it also doubles as a fish market! Yes, you can buy their daily fresh catches and take them home to prepare yourself a meal. Isn't that grand or what!? If you find yourself wandering in the Castro one night, thinking seafood is the way you want to go come here to enjoy. But try to come early as the wait can get a bit long for dinner (the place is tiny, yet the nautical atmosphere is what keeps you in here). Its definitely worthwhile! The service is efficient, one waiter, yet backed up with individuals cleaning and bringing you items. That truly makes a place shine in my eyes.
I read the reviews and checked this place out with my wife during our visit over Labor Day Weekend and I guess to me the place did not live up to the hype.
The food was tasty - the service was good ... but that's it.
Nothing special in my book.
I had the half Anchor Special and my wife had a prawn & pasta dish that wasn't on the menu. We both enjoyed our meals and the food was good but this place isn't anywhere near 5 stars.
We waited about 30 - 40 minutes for a table for two on a Sunday.
This place never fails to disappoint. Because it's small, you should expect a wait at popular times even then they served us a lovely shrimp cocktaiil
The server, Mike, is helpful and the service was attentive. I had the special seafood gazpacho which was amazing! The crab and shrimp meat was so fresh and delicious -- the shrimp was meticulously cleaned and dry (i hate wet shrimp) which made it so special. I also ordered the scallops which were nice, but too heavy for me -- i would get the tuna (my friend ordered) next time
i can't wait to come back - it was about 5 years before my last visit and remember why I love the place so much.
I've been prowling around this place for years, always thinking that there wasn't room for me in there. I wondered what it was like to be inside rather than on the outside peering in, rubbing my empty stomach and hoping someone would throw a half-eaten crab leg my way. Oh who am I kidding? I just don't like crowds. But last Monday, I saw my opening. I was in a good mood because I bought a nice Briggs & Riley bag at Michael Bruno and entered the place with my head held high.
Man, it's small in there. Tables are not an option for singularly-minded diners. I went straight for the counter where I saw three stools empty. I naturally sat in the middle hoping another couple would not come in. I don't mind voluntarily sliding to the next stool if I see it would accommodate a happy couple. I just hate it when they automatically say - "Well, if Fatso would move, we could all be happy." That's a true story that happened in a New York luncheonette. But no such invectives came my way this evening, and the serving staff was nice as can be in accommodating my first-time visit there.
I took a quick look at the menu and a much longer one at the handwritten menu overhead. It took me a while to read not because I am dyslexic but because the penmanship was marginal. They need Mr. Chalkboard Guy or whoever does the perfectly lined Squat & Gobble-Crepevine-SoMa Inn chalkboard menus. I went for a $4.25 cup of Clam Chowder, a house specialty (see my photo). Probably because I'm the type who would think nothing of putting heavy cream into a saucepan of Progresso's New England-Style Clam Chowder, I just thought it was on the watery side. True, the clams were fresh, but the consistency brought out my tendency to splash the soup onto my shirt.
Better was the $22.95 San Pedro California Striped Bass - pan-seared and served with a risotto mixed with some toasted pinenuts and thyme (see my photo). They served grilled asparagus, a perfect complement to a well-done, hearty slab of fish - though I still think there was a tad too much cornstarch in the risotto (you could almost stand a fork in it). The meal was quite satisfying, just not quite the wowee-wow I was led to believe it would be. And I never did have to move my seat. I'd come back since the mystery is gone, as I really want to try the cioppino next time. Maybe I can even sit at a table, too.
FOOD - 4 stars...good fish, watery chowder, all fresh
AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...very white and very compact...kinda like Dakota Fanning
SERVICE - 4.5 stars...yes, stellar...both the young guy with the nice smile and the guy who's been there for centuries
TOTAL - 4 stars...neither up to the hype or down with the bottom-feeders...even if the Castro is the land of the bottom-feeders (ba-bump-bump)
Be warned that normal conversation is difficult when this place is full. It gets loud and you may leave with a headache or ringing in the ears. Like too many SF restaurants, they haven't done anything to try to keep the noise down - and they play music on top of all of it. I can't imagine the long term effect on the hearing of the people who work here.
Having said that, this is an excellent restaurant. It is amazing what they produce out of that tiny and immaculate kitchen.
Get there early to avoid the line and be willing to sit at the counter. There is only one waiter for the whole place. On a recent visit we were seated for half an hour before the waiter took our order. It didn't bother us, but not the place to go if you are on your way to a movie or otherwise have a deadline.
They don't serve dessert (small place has to turn over tables quickly).
Well worth the wait for some fresh delish oysters.
They had 4 types of oysters to choose from and we had the platter with all 4 types. They were definitely oceany fresh. Yum!
Watch out for the oyster shooters......spicy beyond belief! After that I felt a little sick. Good thing dinner came fast.
For my "main" course, I had the penne with Salmon which was just ok. A little lacking in flavor. To make up for the lack of flavor, I cracked the heck out of their awesome pepper mill. That was the best pepper mill I have ever used. Big huge chunks of pepper, awesome! If I would of had a bigger purse, I would of had to put it in my bag! ;)
Service at this place is a little lacking. The dude there was a little abrasive, he seemed stressed as well. Then the girl that also waited on us forgot about the second glass of wine we ordered. When I reminded her, 10 minutes later she was cool about it and said it was on the house. Nice!
Cute nautical feel here. I'll be back to slurp some more oysters down in the future.
We waited outside for about an hour on a cold SF sunday night, but it was well worth the trouble!
I got the dungeness crab special that night, which was whole steamed crab in a GREAT white wine, garlic sauce with herbs. the special included a cup of their clam chowder for only $27.99! that's a great deal for a whole crab and a cup of chowder that's $4 by itself. The crab was steamed perfectly and the sauce really made the dish.
The others who went w/ me got the Anchor Special - 4 different types of oysters, shrimp, and steamed clams. I tried one of each from their meal and everything was fresh and tasty.
For how fresh and quality the seafood was, this place is worth the price and wait. 5 stars!
I have been here a few times before and just had dinner here again last night. I stopped in by myself and sat at the bar. For a Tuesday night, the place was fairly busy and unfortunately very slow service was a result.
I had half a dozen oysters on the half shell to start. They were fresh and briny, but aren't most oysters in the Bay area. I also had the Asian style ahi tuna special. It was very good as well and cooked to a perfect rare. The tuna was also a very high quality. One might initially feel that the prices are a bit high for the small 'oyster bar' atmosphere. But once you compare the price to the quality of food, it is definitely in line.
Even though the food is fresh and flavorful, I really with they could speed up the service a bit.. But even with the slow service I experienced last night, I will most likely be back for more fresh seafood and the cute, cozy atmosphere.
I have been here 3 times over the past 2 months. I'm going to keep this as simple as the food and surroundings of this restaurant.
Pros:
- Service has been all over the place from outstanding to nearly perfect. OK. It has been perfect each time I've gone. The entire staff is attentive and smooth.
- The crab cakes are light and do nothing to mask the flavor - the light breading, lemon wedge and dill dressing on the side enhance the sweet but firm pieces of crab meat. Do not threaten the crab cakes with physical violence like I did on Sunday.
- The bread is not for everyone - don't order it unless you're a fan of all things having to do with garlic, butter and (just a touch of) melted cheese.
- The clam chowder is delicate while but holding together - many clam chowders tend to break up as you eat them. Not here. The last bite was as good as he first. The clams melted in my mouth.
- Caesar salad - not a meek salad. Strong hints of citrus and crisp romaine are balanced with fresh home made croutons.
- Crab/ Shrimp cocktails - Both were simple and outstanding - although the crab meat has been a notch above the shrimp.
- Black and green mussels - if you have ordered anything else above besides the bread, don't even try it. These dishes managed to have a huge taste of butter, wine and garlic going perfectly hand in hand with the tender and flavorful mussels. It seemed like the bowl was filled with more mussels than seemed appropriate. These dishes paired with the garlic bread will keep True Bleeders and Twilighters away. Ordered together, the bread and mussels inspired awe and self loathing when I realized that it was difficult to finish and more difficult to send back the unfinished portion.
- Oh yeah - the oysters. We have had oysters there for desert. Simply perfect.
Cons:
- The Anchor Stem has malfunctioned every time we've gone - I had to find something that wasn't completely perfect.
- There are too many people who like this place. Wait- is that even a con? Maybe everyone can come here during the week and leave it to us for the weekends? Any takers?
I recommend you stay away. On the weekends. Or if you see my GF and I walking in, would you at least hurry up and get on out as quickly as possible? We are there for a beautiful meal, thanks.
This is a gem of a place on the quieter end of Castro. My wife and I stopped in for lunch last weekend and were shocked by the joy this meal brought us.
I had a crab burger that was completely amazing. Beautiful taste! Perfect portion as well. My wife had a bowl of their clam chowder. She was simply shocked at how good it was. All of this for a very reasonable price.
The house wine was great too.
Seriously, this was a total gem.
It's a very small place, I can see it filling up for dinner. Otherwise, if you're in Castro and looking for some fish this is the spot.
3.75 stars so I'm rounding up because the staff was very nice.
First learned of this place from watching Check Please! and I have bookmarked it. From the show, I thought the place was bigger. Anyway, when we walked by while looking for a place to eat - I remembered and knew we had to go inside. More importantly, it was near empty! We had our choice of seats at the counter or table - how can we turn that down?
The place is quite small - about 8 stools at the counter and probably 6 tables of 4? That will explain the long waits. Actually, we got in at the right time (about 3ish-4pm) because the crowds grew and there was a wait by the time we left.
We weren't super hungry and we still want to save our stomach to snack at other places. So we ordered a cup of chowder ($4.95) and one of the day's special - fish stew ($18.95).
The cup of chowder was tasty and not very thick. The bags of oyster crackers they have were great, not salty like others. You can eat them alone - we did! The fish stew was very generous with 2 prawns, clams, mussels and many pieces of cod. The sauce was a mixture of tomato sauce w/ chicken broth - tasty but a little on the salty side. It came with 2 large thick pieces of garlic bread - it was so good that I stuffed myself with it even though I was full.
They still wash their dishes, pots, pans...etc. the old fashioned way - by hands! If you sit at the counter, you'll see the busy man cleaning away.
If in the area, we will definitely visit this joint again.
3.0 STARS FLAT
I don't understand by this place is rated so high on yelp. i find this place very mediocre.
I had the ANCHOR SPECIAL which is 1 dozen oysters, 4 chilled shrimp, and steamed clams.
The oysters are good...but not $2.50 EACH good. I've had better oysters with cheaper price in the city before...so yeah, wasn't too impressed. The shrimp..well, it's shrimp...not as fresh as i had hoped. The clams were very mediocre...actually, they were kind of overcooked. The steamed clam's soup was ok...not impressive.
I also had the NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER. Well, I lived in new england for a number of years, so yeah..it's not even close to being as good as boston's clam chowder. But for the west coast, it's not bad at all. Could be creamier/thicker and sweeter though.
So for the Anchor Special and 2 cups of clam chowder, the bill came out to be $56.00 including tip. A little overpriced for what I was expecting...but at least I came out full.
Tiny little restaurant tucked on Castro away from the crowd. I came here on a Monday and guess got lucky because we didn't really need to wait. And parking right in front of the place, score!
I tried the clam chowder and mixed shellfish dish with mussels, clams, and shrimp. The food was great and the service was outstanding.
They are so nice here. Just what I need after a long day at work along with good fresh seafood and, of course, a glass of wine. I've eaten in and also taken out.
I usually order the half crab Caesar; it's huge and comes with large softer croutons. It's a meal in itself. Tip: If you do not like a lot of dressing, ask for half dressing since they're pretty generous with it. I also get a cup of clam chowder which is rich but not too creamy that it fills you up.
Don't forget to check out the specials that are on the white board above the bar.
Wow!!! Finally an oyster bar I can sit at without my knees jammed up against the counter! (sorry Swan's)
Unlike Swan's, Anchor's clam chowder is the real deal with nice chunks of clam and hearty pieces of potato. Nothing like water and milk mixed together with the nonexistent staples of a "Real" Clam Chowder!!! (sorry once again Swan's)
The daily specials are always fresh. I had the seared ahi tuna with saffron rice and covina beans topped with a chimichurri type salsa. UNBELIEVABLE! Angela had a crab Caesar salad with probably a half pound of crab on it. It was amazing.
The oysters are always fresh as well and regardless of what type of oyster you order they are all $2.50. They have great beers on tap and a great wine selection. The only drawback is the service is a little slow and if the place is packed you may wait awhile for a table but if you like seafood this is the place to be.
Been here several times in the past 10 months..Still superb oysters, usually four different kinds..they still taste like the sea..fresh and briney..
Consistent food, great staff!
I've been going to the Anchor Oyster Bar for the past 20 years and it has always remained consistent… Read more »
Food AND entertainment!!!
If you don't mind waiting up to an hour (we waited for 30 minutes but got lucky, 6 other couples put their name down after us) and oogling naked men as you wait, you must try this place!! Here's a breakdown of everything i loved here:
The food: 5 stars!! The oysters were perfect, big selection, buttery, and FRESH. i would have liked a vinaigrette with them but the tomato/horseradish sauce was nice too. Our Cesar salad was the best we've ever had-seriously. We ordered mussels that were good but we are going back for the gazpacho...crossing our fingers that it will still be a special in the next week or two. It looked absolutely divine!
The Service: 5 stars!! Our server was efficient with a smile! He brought us more bread as we had to dip something into our mussels sauce. There were also some people trying to cheat and move their names up ahead of others and the other (there are 2) waiter was on it! Re-wrote everyones name in the right order and went back into the bustling restaurant to bring out food to patrons. I was fairly impressed as it's often hard for me to speak on the phone and tie my shoes at the same time.
The only drawback was the wait and the fact that there are no reservations accepted for this place. Slightly inconvenient if you're starving, but the nice part is that it's in a neighborhood full of good food so if you can't wait, you can walk to the next yummy location!
Definitely recommended for smaller groups! will definitely go back!
Haven't visited for about 10 years so I was happy to see they still have great seafood. The clam chowder is wonderful, and the array of oysters was very good. A bit pricey, but worth it if you're fussy about your bivalves. The only criticism with the place is they don't keep enough oysters on hand. We arrived at 7pm, and they were already sold out of the big ones!! Drat. Nice choice of a French Sancerre wine to accompany was very tasty, but a bit pricey too at $40.
The Anchor Oyster Bar has been doin' it for "30 Shucking Years" (and my new snazzy t-shirt likes to tell you so!).
My bf's parents saw this restaurant on "Check Please" and wanted to give it a try. The wait was about 30 minutes but we checked out the wine store across the street and chatted while we waited.
The super-nice waiters were very apologetic about the wait but the wait was worth it. The menu was short and the white board showed five specials, two of which were sold out when we got in at 8 PM. The food we had was 4-stars. The clam chowder was very flavorful and not too creamy. The salads were good but not amazing. The two fish specials we ordered were very good and the crab cake meal was yummy too. Even the table bread and table oyster crackers were yummy!
Best of all though, the service was amazing (5 stars for sure!), the house red wine was very drinkable, and the restaurant was nautical and cute.
Until I dine here again, I will be sporting my shucking shirt!
Five stars earned based on customer service alone.
I came here as a party of three on a Saturday night at 8 PM. They don't take reservations and there were quite a few parties ahead of us. It was a beautiful night and we lingered outside patiently. Every 20 minutes or so, the wait staff would come outside with complimentary white wine. How wonderful to drink outside on Castro Street on a gorgeous, unseasonably warm night!
My dinner pal pointed out Harvey Milk's former storefront and apartment, which were located next to the restaurant. This made my night and I snapped a few photos while we waited.
We were seated about 1.5 hours later, and our waitress brought us a complimentary order of crispy garlic bread as a thank you for waiting. We ordered a seafood sampler appetizer (the oysters were divine), crab cakes and chowder. Everything was delicious and I loved that the crab cakes were substantial and meaty.
It was my understanding that this restaurant has been open for many years, and I can see why. Customer service can take you a long way in this industry.
My favorite thing here? The old wait people, who've been here forever. Entertaining to watch them in action
Clam chowder, very good, if I get dragged here again, I'll order it again, but I like Swan's on Polk better.
Crab cakes - awful, among the worst I've had, and I eat them where ever I see them on a menu. So bad, I picked at one, gave the other to a homeless guy.
Oysters - a fine choice here
Daily pasta w/seafood - ho hum
Steamed clams - a bit over cooked. The sauce had red pepper which made it too spicy, they should do a lot of garlic, butter & white wine instead.
The bread - they charge for it, and it's not fab
The Cesar salad - 2 stars
I think that a serious problem here is that there is a new chef. I was watching him and he didn't seem that into it. Maybe its the cramped kitchen? If that's the case, they might offer less so they can do a few things perfectly.
I am a fan, but I would choose other places in SF to get my fresh seafood fix. I thought the menu was a little thin, and it was a bit expensive. Overall the quality was good and tasty, and the service attentive.
We had oysters to start, then clam chowder, shrimp cocktail, and split a crab cake entree. The crab cakes were by far the star, the best I have had.
Overall a great experience, just not a value for the price.
5 Star Food, less-than-dateworthy ambiance. And, I ate my own bodyweight in seafood.
Mixed app oysters: must order.
Shrimp: so good you don't need cocktail sauce.
Clams with garlic butter, lemon & parsley: yum.
Italian Seafood Stew: swimming with seafood (not alive.)
Seared Tuna w/Myer Lemon & Caper Vinegrette, Wax Beans, & Roast Potatoes: you could eat shoelaces in the vinegrette it's so good. I don't even like potatoes, and the potatoes were awesome.
Even the horseradish was good.
Just don't sit by the door.
One of the reason why my co-workers hate eating dinner with me is, I tend to find the restaurants as far away from the hotel we're staying at.
Any hew, so yes, staying downtown, I made my co-workers get on the Muni, and walk their way to this small, yet fun place for dinner.
Sitting at the bar, eating fresh seafood, downing chowder and taking in the local scene is such a wonderful way to enjoy this simple restaurant. The employees here are great, and it certainly won't break the bank.
Place is small, so be ready and willing to wait.
Anchor Oyster Bar wasn't bad but not very good neither.
My date and I arrived at 7:30 on a Thursday evening and there was a little waiting line outside the door. Don't forget to sign up on the white board. I learned that from the waiting patrons, a very nice crowd.
Then we were seated and I ordered a glass of sauvignon blanc. To my surprise, the waiter brought me a taste sample. I don't remember when was the last time I'd get a tasting sample without ordering a full bottle. Nice!
Here comes the food...
- Clam chowder: watery and lack of any sweetness of clams
- Oysters: 4 kinds, 2 were excellent, 1 good, and the last was just ordinary
- Steam clams: nice touching taste of rosemary when having the clam itself, but over powering and salty when dipping with bread. My own fault?
- Jumbo prawn: love that cocktail sauce with hot mustard
All in all, I think the service was great but the food was just on par. Oh, about that glass of wine that I had. I have no idea on what kind of sauvignon blanc they're severing. I was pretty buzzed just after one glass of it.
I still so love this place- every special occasion splurge of a meal will be spent here. The staff are so great, the food incredible, the atmosphere charming, the prices high. Anchor, please don't ever leave our neighborhood...and please add a rose to your by the glass wine list!
Love it! Tiny, awesome neighborhood seafood spot with a fantastic staff. Main courses are huge- so… Read more »
Soooo...I went here with my mom. Based on funness, it would be a solid 18 stars. But, after the 1 hour (they don't take reservations) wait, the garlic bread (3 stars), clam chowder (solid 5 stars), oysters (4.5 stars), halibut (2 stars), crab (3 stars...could have been 4.5 if they offered butter)...
I just ended up thinking that it wasn't exactly worth all the hype.
This place has been my secret love since I moved to the Castro five months ago. In an entire neighborhood full of passable, uncreative food with steep prices and not a lot in the ambiance department, Anchor is a homey place with spectacular food and somewhat less steep prices.
I CRAVE the clam chowder at least once per week, and since I'm self employed, I keep finding myself drawn to the place for a cream-based, high calorie lunch, with a side of carbs because you can't not get bread & butter to dip. I've strayed a bit, tried other things there, but the chowder, oh the chowder.
In fact, it's a cold day, and I'm headed there now: to sit at the bar, read through my RSS feed, and to max out my calories. Who needs abs, anyhow?
We went at 3pm on New Years Day and there was no crowd and no line - Yay!
Clam chowder is the best I've ever had in SF. Very creamy and clammy, but not too heavy. Tastes supper yummy with the endless supply of oyster crackers.
The special was a cheese open face sandwich with shrimp and crab in it. It was a bit heavy and I think they could have done a better job of describing it on the menu. It just said "seafood cheese sandwich" so we expecting something like a grilled cheese which it definitely was not!
I may be tempted to come back for the cioppino.
It was a cold and windy night when three friends and I were determined to eat at Anchor Oyster Bar. We waited outside for upward of 40 min. in biting wind for a table, and we were rewarded greatly.
Awesome waiter move no. 1 - We all got small servings of the clam chowder (on the house!) served to us outside to help keep us warm.
Awesome waiter move no. 2 - Once we were seated, he placed an order of their terrific (and warm) garlic bread on the table to help us warm up (again on the house!)
We agreed to share the Caesar salad and each ordered an entree from the daily specials (unfortunately my companions were not oyster fans - poor planning on my part.) The Caesar was excellent and the dressing was obviously made on site. We all noted a taste of horseradish which really livened up the salad.
We shared entrees and they were all fantastic. I had the breaded scallops, with vegetables, potatoes and homemade tartar sauce. Cooked perfectly, the scallops were tasty and the home made tartar sauce pushed them over the top.
Service was top notch.
Food was amazing.
Will I go here again? Absolutely.
I've been here twice now. The first time, the food (Anchor Special for a cozen oysters, 4 large shrimp, and some steamed clams; and clam chowder) was 5 star amazingness. Everything was incredibly fresh, and the sauce for the clams was perfectly seasoned with a spicy zing to it. This past time, the oysters and shrimp were still great. However, the clam chowder was significantly runnier and contained fewer actual clams. And the sauce for the steamed clams was far too salty - I can handle salty better than most, but this was gag-- gulpdownwater-- tryagaintoseeifitwasreallythatsalty-- gulpdownwine-- donotdipbreadinit salty. But service was great, and the crab cakes were good ... so I'll review it mostly based on my first experience (minus a star for the most recent visit's mishap), and give them one more chance to prove me wrong.
Great service. Great food. Even good classic jazz music. My new favorite!
I'd often walked by this place after hours and wondered about it, but I was finally convinced to go here by Check Please Bay Area!
I got here early evening on a weekday by myself so I was seated at the bar right away which is a beautiful slab (or two?) of cool marble. The menu is small and didn't have any one thing that sounded perfect so it took a long time to decide because everything sounded delicious. Then it hit me - a little bit of everything..
I ordered the recommended half a dozen mixed West Coast oysters (after being told that while listed on the outside menu, they did not have Kumamotos this evening), a cup of clam chowder, and the crab cake app as my entree. The oysters arrived artfully arranged on a bed of ice with cocktail sauce and fresh horseradish. Even the garnish of seaweed was beautiful. The horseradish raised the cocktail sauce to new heights. I prefer it to the vinegar stuff served at other oyster places. The oysters were sweet and delicate. The clam chowder was good and wasn't that thick gloppy stuff. Oyster crackers were readily available. The crab cakes were chock full of crab - not too much bread crumbs. All that and a glass of white wine was the perfect amount. The server was friendly and professional all evening.
A definite mix of patrons - families, seafood lovers, singles, couples. My only complaint was that in this tiny place, my entertainment was watching a dishwasher while seated at the counter.
A sliver of a place just beyond the most people dense part of the Castro. I snag a seat at the end of the bar from where I can watch the chef at work. The kitchen is remarkably small. The oven and stove might come with a barbie doll set: teeny. But what comes out of the kitchen isn't kid stuff. My server was spot on and helpful, suggesting that if I was going to get the cioppino, then half an order of the caesar salad would be adequate. He knew whereof he spoke.
The half caesar salad was generous and perfectly prepared. Fresh romaine, slightly warmed croutons, and an anchovy dressing. A refreshing way to begin.
Cioppino was a bountiful serving of mussels, clams, sea bass, and crab in a spicy tomato broth accompanied by garlic bread. The remarkable thing about the dish is that despite the assertive sauce each component of the plate was sea breeze fresh and retained its taste and character.
Great place. Great service. Great food. Great price. Great value.
Well put together.... Staff, look, food. Small cozy neighborhood feel. More expensive than I thought it should be for the amount of food or time you can allow yourself to stay (there are usually others waiting and I feel I should get in and get out). Quality is up there though!
Memories of Anchor Oyster Bar From One Visit:
1.) Delicious Food!
2.) Extremely Nice Customers and Staff!
3.) Many laughs about starting a bowling team.
4.) Great Prices in terms of Quality and Quantity.
5.) Guy next to me getting kicked out for being drunk and not waiting after telling me about his cocaine use.....
I loved Anchor and Hope. The garlic bread is the best I have ever had, sorry mom, and the oysters were among the best in the city, in terms of selection and freshness. I also enjoyed the shrimp that I tried, the potatoes, and the $13.00 small bottle of champagne, everywhere else it is at least $16.00.....
This place is super small and well known. There can be a wait, so I suggest either having a soup while you wait or going to Swirls across the street for a glass of wine and avoiding the cold and wind. It is worth the wait. I have never waited this long for seats in my life, but would I do it again, you bet!
In my opinion, this is by far the best restaurant on Castro Street!
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
Category: Seafood
Neighborhood: Embarcadero
Category: Seafood
Neighborhood: Castro
Category: Seafood
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
Category: Seafood
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
Category: Seafood
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