On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Category: Seafood
Neighborhood: Fisherman's Wharf"Perfection....and I am not even a seafood person! We brought my sister here for a seafood feast, essentially her wet dream. When we got…" read more »
Loading...
Parents visiting from Hawaii picked to eat here for Thanksgiving dinner. They offered a very reasonable turkey meal for $18.95 which included stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, veggies, and sides for an additional $5-8. Although I did not personally order this, I did get to taste my boyfriend's who did. Nothing special. Lame that you have to pay extra for mashed potatoes or some kind of starch. We didn't realize til after we left, but they forgot to give the cranberry sauce.
We had crab cakes, a spicy tuna roll, and an ahi sashimi appetizer which all were only okay- definitely not worth their prices.
I ordered the dungenous crab bleu cheese pasta for my main meal. Waiter said bleu cheese strongness of flavor is a 6/10, however, it was about a 8-9/10 even for me, who has a pretty strong pallet.
I would've gave only two stars, however I did have an order of their mac & cheese side dish, which was very delish. Lots of flavor & the bread topping made it have a good crisp consistency.
I recently went here for a nice dinner with my parents because this restaurant, although in the heart of tourist central, always had the freshest seafood cooked to perfection and with stunning views over Aquatic Park and the San Francisco Bay. The wait staff is always professional and attentive and working hard to make your evening enjoyable.
Now for the review: On this night both my dad and I had the same meal. We had the Jumbo Shrimp Scampi Sauteed with white wine, garlic, roma tomatoes, lemon served or linguini. My dad and I agreed the shrimp was prepared perfectly and the linguini was good but this is a seafood restaurant serving pasta. I give this dish four stars and will try something else next time.
My mom had the Hangtown Fry. This is Bacon and deep fried oysters over an omelet. After trying the meal and telling the waiter that she was not happy with her selection he removed it form the bill.
Ok, I'd figure i'd jot a few things down.
I went here on Veterans Day with a group of Vets, now McKormick and Kuleto's has a special deal for those that have served with a complimentary entree menu, pretty kickass deal. But, they dont do it on Veterans day, its the sunday prior, that in itself kinda sucks as those of us that serve usually have to work that day, but after a quick conversation with the GM they decided to give us the special menu anyways. kickass!
They have an extensive wine menu which i perused but i decided on cocktails, so no vino for me. I'd heard about the bloodies but didnt get a chance to try one, maybe if i came with a smaller group i might have.
So while the special menu is not full it seemed to have a decent selection, being as i'm a bit adverse to seafood, (not being able to breathe after taking a bite of shellfish will do that to someone) I opted for the Top Sirloin that was on the Vets menu. I can't really complain as this place is mainly a seafood joint but i've definatly had better cuts of beef, but it was good nonetheless. While my fellow companions all had the seafood, they really liked it.
The wait staff was great and the GM came by a few times to see how we were doing, all in all it was a good experience.
I gave them 3 stars, since the steak wasnt superb, and we were kind of shoved off into the back of the place away from the other patrons. Also we werent informed that the sides had to be ordered seperate so that caused a bit of confusion.
this place is very nice for fishermans wharf. We made reservations (as always) so we didnt have to wait. I ordered a sailors meal (a cup of clam chowder and fish and chips). To drink i ordered the raspberry italian soda. the italian soda was pretty good. the chowder was excellent!! the fish was good, but the fries were AWESOME!!! For desert i ordered the pear sorbet. BEST SORBET EVER!!!! they even served it in a crepe bowl! so if you are a tourist and you are stuck in fishermans wharf because you can't find any place thats "nice", go here!
So I don't know about the rest of their food, but I came for the Happy Hour Food. Why, cuz it's cheap as shit!!!! It's really quite good too! The wings were really good! Nachos, well nachos can only get so good...but were good. Sweet P Fries, never go wrong there! A tad on the greasy side, but worth it, since they were like $1.95 or something......Oh AND a 1/2 pound cheeseburger with fries for $2.95!!! Oh and you can't substitute the fries for sweet p fries, oh well. still a great deal!!!!! Our server was really nice as well! You do have to buy $3.00 drink. So a soda works, or one of their happy hour drink specials (those kinda suck) work as well. Either way, it's cheap and good, I'll be back!
Not that I venture out to Ghiradelli Square all that often or anything, but I am still surprised that I have never been or seem to remember seeing McCormick & Kuleto's here. To start, it has a fantastic view. yes, there are some construction going on outside, but it is still a wonderful place to see the sunset, facilitated by the large windows facing the Bay.
The food is fairly standard for an upscale seafood restaurant. We shared a bunch of appetizers. Calamari was a hit, while the crab tower was a bit indescribably strange. Crab cakes were pretty delicious and the starter salad comes in very large quantities.
I had the ciopinno for entree, thinking it might resemble the awesome ciopinno I had at Bobby Flay's Mesa in Vegas. I must say that it has all the right components: a tons of fresh seafood such as prawns, scallop, mussels, clams, even a crab leg. But the flavor was really lacking. It wasn't as rich and complex as I had hoped. And the toasted bread was way too oily.
It's hard to say if this is a restaurant to take visitors to. On one hand, it has a gorgeous view which is very San Franciscan. On the other hand, there isn't much local personality to the restaurant at all. If I only looked inside, I could have been anywhere at a $$ seafood restaurant, which makes it kinda boring.
I had the pleasure of enjoying happy hour here with another yelper who's a very SWEET man. He's very NICE and SWEET. Have I mentioned he's SWEET?
Ok, now that I've gotten that out of the way... I had a blueberry lemondrop which was decently priced (6.50) and we split a bunch of appetizers that ranged from 1.95 to 4.95. Note: when you request an order of chicken skewers and they say "Just one?" remember they mean that literally. They give you *just* one chicken skewer. For 5 bucks. That one was kind of a ripoff. I recommend the half pound cheeseburger and fries for $3. We also split a spicy shrimp quesadilla that wasn't too bad either.
I realized later that we'd spent over 3 hours taking up valuable booth space just talking away, but the waiter never rushed us out or gave us any kind of attitude. The restaurant didn't appear to be too crowded when we finally left around 6:30 on a Friday.
I'd probably go here again to eat in the restaurant and have a nice view of the bay. My only real complaint... $30 for parking WITH validation. Seriously? SERIOUSLY? I could have hired a limo for us and probably still come out ahead.
Ok,
This is truly a tourist place, but I had family in town staying at the new Fairmont and we dropped in for a quick breakfast in the bar and I was pretty surprised.
The crab cakes are so of the best in the city, though expensive for the serving size (tourist thing again).
The bloodies were big, spicy and solid.
The bartender rocked!
Overall, I gotta say that you can do a lot worse in Fisherman's Wharf on a Sunday morning.
I enjoyed my visit here, I liked it.
Came here on fourth of July for a late lunch early dinner. They had a promotion on their lobster $20 but the lobster was a bit dry and barely had any meat. But my boyfriend didn't mind because it was $20 (where the heck can you get lobeter for 20 bucks?!). I had the filet mignon which I enjoyed and the veggies they used were tasty.
The restaurant itself was really nice, surrounded by windows so no matter where you sat you had the view of the ocean. =)
Since it was the fourth, they only had reserved seating after 6pm (we got there at 5:45) but the front desk manager was kind enough to sit us at a table and told us to not get caught sitting at a reserved table. I don't think it was a big deal for us to sit since it was pretty dead in the restaurant. (However, it could be because they were waiting on the guests who were reserved). But it was nice that they still sat us and were kind about it.
Best part ? Their samples for wine tasting. Three full glasses (not samples) came in this cool looking tree that sat in the middle of the table and it only cost $12!
I'd definitely come back to dine again!
I've been in a few times on break or taking some food to go after my shifts.
However I haven't been in for happy hour... 6-8$ Martini's and mixed drinks not bad considering the area. But since I'm a totally fatty I will be talking about the amazing happy hour food selection...
Cheeseburger and fries.. $2.39 WTF. That was such a steal! Half pound burger with delicious fries. That alone will get me coming back.
The quesadilla was so so.
When I haven't come to happy hour I usually get a cesar salad with chicken (sooo good!) or some type of sandwich.
Overall I have never had a bad experience here. I love the food. A bit pricey but it's to be expected.
all and all, in the words or larry david- preetaaay preetaaaay pretty good.
Not a place I would typically go to, but we had family in town and they decided to check this place out.
Overall it was good... not great. The food was good, I had the Mahi Mahi in a Thai Curry sauce, all the apps we had were good; calamari, fried feta & crab cakes. Everything was a little over priced (you pay for the view/location i guess), and the restaurant kinda had a "cheesecake factory" vibe to it, touristy for sure.
The views are great, service is legit, but there are definitely better places in The City to spend $20-30+ a plate.
BAD BAD BAD!!!! I knew what I was getting into going to a chain, but Is it possible to give this place absolutely NO stars?!? Our poor waitress tried to be something that she's not (the kind that can remember everything without writing it down). To start, panko fried oysters with an awfully unsalted slaw to accompany it. Bad. Oysters. how do you fuck up on oysters? I got the wrong ones. I didn't order this certain type. Yes, some people eat oysters on a regular basis and we know our oysters. Got a beet and hericot vert salad. no dresing, no salt, not all the accompaniments that come with it. Lastly, Halibut cheeks, I didn't eat it. Drier than an over cook pork chop. Conclusion, I was with a party of 5. Total happy? None!
Like many other reviews, the real highlight, in my opinion, is the happy hour. You can't beat plates priced between $1.95 to $4.95, great view, 90 minute complimentary parking @ the Ghiradelli parking lot, and cold cold beer.
The black mussels and clams were the dishes that stood out. The mussels are saltier, while the clams are cooked in a creamy-ish, sweeter tasting sauce. The cheeseburger will fill you up; it is a standard serving.
I wasn't too happy about the tuna sushi roll; 3 pieces of sushi that falls apart when you try to pick it up, and the salad was well, just a tablespoon size. Other than that, everything was great!
Friendly staff and bartender.
3.5 stars -- 3 for food, bonus 0.5 for the atmosphere and gorgeous views of the bay.
I loved the atmosphere here -- great grown-up type place to have a nice meal, lovely with a lovely clinking of glasses and flurry of conversations going on. I also enjoyed the seating -- tiny old-style, lamp-on-table booths that angle diners' eyes toward the floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing the bay.
The food was cruising for an almost-4-star rating early on; the sweet potato fries were good, as was my house salad (the greens were quite fresh). But my entree was disappointing -- the broth on the grilled scallops too salty, the texture of the scallops a tiny bit rubbery. Not inedible, but I did leave one full scallop behind, which is most unlike me.
Stopped at the Ghirardelli soda shop afterward for an ice cream cone -- perfect ending to a rich meal.
Good service, presentation, location and food. Wife and I enjoyed the seabass and hallibut cheeks.
This review is only for the Happy Hour at the bar.
We had heard about the happy hour and the bargains at the bar. I believe the happy hour is from 4-6 only during the weekdays. We arrived on a Wednesday in mid-July right in the midst of tourist season. It wasn't that busy in the bar area, but the cocktail waitress did not have any busboys to clear tables. We think her name was Victoria and she kept cool and was very cordial while she scurried around clearing and setting tables and taking orders. We ordered a couple of cheese burgers for $2.95 apiece and a side of mussels for about $2.50. These are full size meals and not miniatures. Of course there is a minimum of one drink required per patron. We felt the food was very good for the price and the service was excellent.
Normally I wouldn't have gone to this place since it looks like a tourist trap and is very expensive. But someone else was paying so they got to make the choice.
The place was half empty when we got there but service took an age. While our waitress was very nice (one star) the food was very disappointing. The soup came out first, with a skin on it, and was not what one would call hot. It's cooking 101 that you serve soup last because of the skin problem.
The ahi tuna was middling at best and the price was far too high. Charging $30 for a 6oz steak takes shameless profiteering to new levels.
Add in that the bar closed at 11pm , although we could still buy wine by the bottle and you had a very unsatisfactory experience. The extra star comes for the view, which is great, but I'd have liked to have given this place 1 1/2 stars.
Overhyped, overpriced, lackluster service, in a tourist area makes this place pretty dam pretentious. Had the sturgeon which cost a whopping $31 for a portion that isn't that generous and to greasy. Forget eating here might as well throw your money, go eat at the wharf instead at least the food taste better in the tourist area.
I dined here on a nice corporate dime so I can say that I quite enjoyed my meal and the 10 different dishes I was able to try. Something I certainly would not have with my own pocket money.
My favorite was actually my main dish. Halibut Cheeks. I'm a sucker when it comes to cheeks. I see it on a menu. Whether it's braised veal cheeks. Or beef cheeks. I have to have it.
The view's great and the service was great as well. The meal was great (Yes, I can keep saying great over and over disregarding proper writing etiquette).
That said, this place is pretty pricey (outside of the awesome HH prices). You are certainly paying a premium for the location.
Went back for their happy hour special again recently. The appetizers, especially their hamburger is still a great deal during happy hour, but yow...their drinks are definitely at downtown/wharf pricing. $9.50 for a Stoli screwdriver and $10.00 for an Absolut Citron Soda (same as Ketel One). I was planning to drink a lot more, but that turned me off. I don't mind paying those kind of prices in upscale places downtown, but that's not what I come here for. Just as well since I was going to a wine class and tasting at Cellar 360 afterwards anyway.
If you're looking for a bargain happy hour, their wines by the glass are more reasonably priced. Funny, I thought it was the opposite last time I was there...maybe they have more reasonable wine choices now.
Also, their calamari appetizer (regular menu item) didn't blow me away, but wasn't bad and was very reasonably priced at $6.95. Because of their killer happy hour burger and the calamari pricing, I will keep it at four stars despite the steep cost of cocktails.
This review is for their current happy hour that runs weekdays from 3 to 6PM. After hearing about… Read more »
Fabby Views, GR8 happy hour, Good service.
Talk about specials?!?!? You HAVE to have their AWESOME (and I am so not a burger person) hamburger and hand-cut wide French fries $2.50 !!!! (I think it is like $14 on regular menu price). That ALONE is worth the visit! Had a funky cucumber tini, was very different. Was such a great place to end up at after a full day of walking around for 6 hours!!
An obvious tourist destination, nevertheless, don't be put off by this. You will eat some of the freshest seafood you will find in our city and you will drink some of the tastiest bloody mary's. You will be seated with large parties of families celebrating this and that. You will be sitting next to people in shorts and sweatshirts who will speak with Midwestern accent, but will be very friendly and eager for your advice on what to do and where to go. You will be served by some of the most old-fashioned waiters and waitresses in town. But, I guarantee you that you will enjoy your crab and shrimp louie, you will enjoy your grilled salmon, you will enjoy your fries and mashed potatoes and pastas with seafood. And, most of all, you will enjoy an incredible view and that will make your day absolutely special for you.
I would rate this as the worst service I have ever gotten in a restaurant. There was a whole row of tables that seemed to be in "no man's land" when it came to service. Have worked in restaurants before and couldn't make sense of their waiter assignments. Had several tables wait 10 minutes before having to flag down a waiter just to get drinks. Service was slow, waiters kept claiming that they didn't know someone was at the table. Had to wait 10 minutes to get check after chasing down waiter. They were out of bread. Chowder was good, but rest of food was just good. Beautiful view and restaurant interior was nice, but service spoiled the experience.
if you are local, plz DONT go!! For the service, i will give "D-"; for the food, i will give "C"; for the extra charges, i definitely will give "F"!!! there is "liquor tax" on top of the food tax; there is "SF Health" charge which i had never been paying that item on a dinner check.
I usually go for the happy hour. The food is good and the price has slowly gone up and they are cutting good choices off the menu. I'm guessing it has gotten popular. The service is hit or miss, they only have one server for the whole bar area. what is all those waiters doing in the dining area? Sometimes, its easier to just order at the bar. The cheeseburger gets 2.5stars!
So one day i decided to splurge and get half dungeness crab. It was very fresh and delicious and a good size. However to my horror, they cleaned out the shell. I mean, it was scraped clean, that was the only part worth looking forward toward, and it was gone. I'm not big on the gooey brain, but i would of at least liked to had a taste. horrible, ruined the whole experience.
I use to go here when I lived and worked in the area. They have OK food, nothing 'great'. Very touristy, and no loyalty towards the locals that you may find at the other restaurants in the neighborhood. Great views though. But I'd rather not have to pay for the view and enjoy it outside.
HAPPY HOUR 3-6, 9 on
Vincent K. always beats me to the punch on these Happy Hour reviews so I will concede to his ranking and review. Yes, the venue is nice but keep in mind that if you're going there for happy hour you will be seated in the front bar area with, alas, no beautiful view of the bay. The food items are incredibly priced but with the low price comes a major lack of food quality.
Standouts:
-Fried clams: on the more expensive side of the Happy Hour menu but my favorite. I'm using the term very loosely.
-Wings: Best thing on the menu with a delicious tangy sauce
-Burger: Definitely the most bang for your buck quantity-wise. Quality-wise - skip.
-Nachos: Oh hell no. You will find better ones at AT&T park or your nearest movie theater.
-Quesadilla: Another skip - Cheese between a tortilla. To make it yourself: 50 cents.
Even after ordering a ton of things between our group of seven I was completely unsatisfied and managed to convince the group to go to Fisherman's Wharf for some real seafood in the form of clam chowder. Not impressed and as the two-star rating clearly indicates: "Meh. I've experienced better."
Happy Hour Review (3-6pm)
It's a difficult star rating between 2 and 3 foodwise, but for the venue, its between a 3 and a 4 so that's why 3 is the final review. The venue is certainly nice and fancy with the ocean and all, but the construction site out in front just doesn't quite make it all that appealing.
My usual happy hour crew, (including Christina L) were off to it again, but this time we were drawn in by the $2-4 items. Not a bad place to spend for happy hour in these economic times, but you do get what you pay for.
- ($2) Sweet Potato fries: despite Christina's dislike, these are indeed good.
- ($3) Burger and fries: even though it looks great, the burger is quite tasteless and dry. I liked the fries on it though.
- ($5) Battered clams - probably the hottest plate on the menu, these turned out alright
- ($4) Special Drafts - not bad
- ($3?) Asian wings - another hot item on the plates
- $(2) Cheese nachos - i don't know what cheese they use, but they should stop, it isn't creamy enough and it just turns all hard after 1 minute out.
For $2-4 happy hour, I'd prefer Phoenix's
I was here for a private banquet so I can only speak for that experience. The entrees were not bad. Hors d'oeuvres were VERY good! The restaurant was very cozy with such a nice view of Alcatraz. It was a lovely dinner party.
I attended a group lunch here today. We were in a "side room" which was separated from the main dining area by harmonica type doors.
The fixed meal consisted of mixed greens, salmon in a strange tasting fruity sauce, mashed potatoes and tasteless beans and carrots. For dessert there was a flourless chocolate cake.
My main complaint, however, was the incredibly slow and disorganized service. It took forever to bring out the main course despite the fact that all the salads had been pre-set at all seats. And I didn't get my dessert until the majority of my table had already finished there.
I give them two rather than one start since it was a "group lunch" and the view from the main room is great.
4 stars for the Mon-Fri, 3pm-6pm happy hour menu in the bar. Items range in price from $1.95 to $4.95.
Let us just say they have an AWESOME Half Pound Cheeseburger (with cheddar! and fries!) for $2.95 during happy hour. It is so much food that the other night I couldn't even finish the fries and the fries and burger were DELICIOUS.
Minus a stars as most drinks are still pricey, tho they'll usually have a draft special at $3.50....right now it's Sam Adams Summer Ale or Boston Lager. And they'll have some specialty cocktail at $6.50 or so.
The food is ok, a bit expensive for what you get, the view is great.
Boy does the facility need a…
Read more »
This is a review of their happy hour. Monday Thru Friday - 3 to 6.
McCormick & Kuleto's is my favorite eatery in San Francisco. In fact it's my favorite in the Bay Area. I've been frequenting this haunt for several years and it was a daily event in gourmet dining while I worked in Ghirardelli Square.
I found out recently that they offer a weekday happy hour menu on a continuous basis with delights that range in price from $1.95 to $4.95. Yes, that is not a typo. The items start at $1.95.
I met a friend there around 5:00 pm for an early dinner. We began with the cheeseburger which is charbroiled and served with all the fixings including a healthy portion of fries. These were not slider minis. It was a regular sized delicious cheeseburger.
For $1.95 each plate, we also ordered the beer battered mushrooms which were heavenly, tandoori chicken that was grilled to perfection, teriyaki spiced chicken, and some type of sushi plate. All these dishes were $1.95 and full plates. These were not appetizer plates.
We could not believe all this food was less than two bucks per plate. I'm seriously thinking about not buying groceries anymore and having dinner there every night.
The happy hour is from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm. If you are a tourist and visiting with children, this is THE PLACE to go. Just look at all the money you would save. It's actually cheaper than your fast food joints and you are getting gourmet food. Of course McCormick's also offers gourmet fine dining in their dining room with exceptional views and prices that much. I will be reviewing the restaurant itself at a later date.
Of course you have to buy your drinks which are regular price though they did not charge me for a diet coke. I don't know if they simply forgot or just don't charge for sodas. Also the menus do slightly change week to week but the staple, such as the cheeseburger remain on every menu. One other thing, you are not able to order food to go. You have to experience your happy hour in the restaurant which is no problem since it's located at Ghirardelli Square.
The menu below is the one which appears on their website. It changes regularly though the prices remain the same.
$1.95
Classic Cheeseburger
with Fries
Hummus
Cucumbers and Grilled Pita
Shrimp Ceviche
In Citrus Marinade
Blackened Chicken Sandwich
Cheddar Cheese and French Fries
Tomato Bruschetta
Balsamic Glaze and Basil
$3.95
Fried Cod Sandwich
Cheddar, Cole Slaw and Fries
Ahi Tuna Roll
Shoyu Dipping Sauce
Salmon Cakes
Lemon Butter, Apples and Leeks
Calamari
Trio of Dipping Sauces
Potato Skins
Cheddar, Sour Cream and Crispy Bacon
$4.95
Jambalaya
Cajun Red Hot Sausage and Rice
Fish Tacos
Salsa Fresca and Sour Cream
Kobe Beef Sliders
Cheddar and Caramelized Onions
Fried Shrimp
Cocktail Sauce and French Fries
Chicken & Sausage Etouffe
Simmered in Nut Brown Sauce with Rice
Peel 'n Eat Shrimp
Butter & Old Bay
This is probably one of my absolute favorite restaurants in the City. When I worked in Ghirardelli… Read more »
WHAT A MAJOR DISAPPOINTMENT!!!
Ten years ago, this was one of my favorite places for seafood in SF because of the elegant atmosphere, competent service, expansive bay views and lots of fresh seafood to choose from.
Today I took mom for a birthday lunch and things just went from mediocre to "oh well, I know I won't ever be coming back here again".
1. On arrival, we were greeted by a Danny Bonaduce look alike and equally obnoxious "Hey guys, come on down".
2. The unfriendly, unhappy, unsmiling little hostess robotically led us to our table and unconvincingly told us to "enjoy your meal" without ever making eye contact.
3. We started with some KJ Chardonnay (always a winner) and the broiled green mussels appetizer. Nice presentation but wasted on our palates. I've eaten better mussels at a hot dog stand.
4. Mama had the Atlantic salmon which was good but served with new potatoes. Who the hell still serves new potatoes except in prisons or cheap wedding receptions at the local Motel 6?! Slap that piece of fish on a bed of sauteed spinach with some garlic mashed underneath, period!!
5. I had the Alaskan halibut which for $27.00 should melt in my mouth!! I cook better fish than this insipid piece of Gortons styrofoam on my plate and I'm not good at cooking fish. Oh and it also came with some scalloped new potatoes, some spinach and balsamic reduction. Who the hell told this chef to put balsamic reduction on a piece of fish? And why the hard on with these friggin' potatoes?
6. During our meal, we had the pleasure of overhearing Danny Bonaduce's twin tell one of the staff that he was going to do an In and Out burger run. Not a bad idea. I'll give you $20 bucks to go fetch me a double double with fries and you can keep the change to buy yourself a new shirt without any armpit stains.
7. At this point, we decided to forego any dessert or espresso and just enjoy our conversation and company instead.
8. The service was the only positive about the restaurant. Competent and capable, the guy reminded me of Rollie Fingers (Google it to find out why) and he did his job well.
Anyway, for now I'll just keep enjoying my gf's sea bass steamed with white wine, butter and lemon or head over to Capannina per un buon pesce!!
I just thought of one more thing as I write this; last year we dined at Kuleto's on Powell with some friends from Paris (France y'all, not Texas) and it sucked as well. Not even the service merited a pat on the back. I'm thinking that SF is somewhat overrated about the whole food scene. It reminds me of a recent episode of Top Chef where this cocky young kid from SF with apparently "extensive family history in the restaurant business" totally choked when trying to make chicken piccata.
Native San Franciscans are taught from a young age to forgo touristy spots such as McCormick & Kuleto's, which is why I've seen it my whole life & never thought to have dinner here until last night. Touristy restaurants along Fisherman's Wharf are usually pricey, a little stuffy & filled with tourists & that is definitely the case for this seafood restaurant.
The bf & I came here for their lobster special: $19.95 for a 1 lb. Maine lobster & vegetables. I had the crabcakes (not lump crab meat, which was very disappointing, but it was still pretty good, had a mild flavor & was sitting in a smooth white sauce) & the hearts of palm salad (vinaigrette dressing was strong & over powering but the ingredients of almonds & ham & greens went well together very nicely.)
We also shared a bowl of baked potato soup which was thick, rich & very flavorful. All in all, we paid $65 (not including tip.)
We were seated side by side in a table across from their huge windows overlooking the water on one end & the busy streets on the other. We had a pretty spectacular view. The restaurant is very airy with the tall ceilings & lots of seating.
Service was a little slow, but our waitress was friendly. Good place for a romantic date, but I don't think I will be returning for dinner anytime soon.
"Plus the atmosphere is more cracking there." Really, Jons W.? You came to McCormick and Kuleto's looking for a "cracking atmosphere?!" What the hell does that even mean? Do you also go to McDonald's for a romantic atmosphere?
The food here is amazing - this is my favorite seafood place in the city, but there is a first place tie with Aqua... For now, anyways. I had the Mahi Mahi and it had the best chimichurri sauce that was honestly a PERFECT compliment. Mashed taters were great, too. I had some friends in town and they, too, were VERY pleased with their meals. Couldn't tell you what they had, I don't think I even looked up from my plate until I was finished. I had a piece of swordfish on my plate at some point and that, too was great.
The atmosphere indeed was NOT cracking. But had it been, I would have left. Its quiet, it's romantic (at night), cozy, sophisticated. It gets crowded at dinner, but we went for lunch and it was about half full. I have always had great service. Prompt and attentive, I'd be surprised if that wasn't the case for every patron. The views of the Bay are fantastic, too, and if you have guests from outta town, save room for desert in Ghirardelli Square.
Couple quick hits on M&K: menu changes daily, make reservations for dinner, try the chowder, countless options for oysters and such, but I will defer to my slime eating friends for guidance on that! YUCK!
First time I came here, I order pork chops with potatoes and vegetables on the side.. Nothing special. No "WOW". My fault though.. Stupid of me to order pork chops at a restaurant that specializes in seafood... I probably could've made it better at home. The service was great though, I was talking to my friends about how much I was craving clam chowder, and the waiter overheard me and brought one out for me! ON the house! When we've all almost finished eating, I was talking to my friend how I was craving chocolate cake. UNEXPECTEDLY, he brought out a slice of chocolate cake on the house AGAIN. He was toooo nice. Once we've all shared and finish the cake, he asked if we could taste-test a new cheese dish they were going to put on the menu for the season... It was a dish with 5 different kind of cheeses? A bit vague in my memory, sorry =/. But the service was defiitely 5 stars!!!
I came here a 2nd time. Different waiter, he acted very snobby and wasn't pleased to give out separate checks. I ordered crab cakes(15 bucks) and chill prawns(18 bucks) as appetizers (i have a big appetite!!) Crab cakes were DELICIOUS. prawns were PERFECT, sweet and yummy. LOVED IT. My main dish was the stuff salmon with dungeness crab and shrimp, mash potatoes and string beans on the side. I believe that night I found love... My favorite seafood dish EVER. I dont think im gonna try anything new for a while, because I've fallen in love with this dish. It's that good!!
I forgot to add, decoration was very nice and elegant. Beautiful large windows that show the ocean front views. Bring your date here, and it'll be a great night =).
You can't beat the view and well the view. The food was pretty sub par. Pretty much everything I had was not impressive. The waiter was very friendly, but now they are doing some preferred member program with discounts and some birthday free entree. I really don't want to be sold a membership when I am grabbing dinner. I guess it is a recession gimmick they are offering. Who knows.
I would likely come back if the folks are in town and we need a quick bite to eat, but will remind myself to keep it to a few starters and a beer and wait to eat a full meal somewhere else.
My company had our Christmas holiday party here in 2008. The party started with servings of hors d'oeuvres - new zealand rack of lamb (turned out to be the best), grilled vegetable lavash, baked scallops, deep fried chicken fingers, and veggie fresh baked pizzas. All were mediocre except the lamb as it was the highlight of the party.
For our main course, my wife had the filet mignon and lobster thermador stuffed with crab meat and I had the rib-eye steak with garlic prawns (or it could be the other way around, but we shared).
The steaks were awful, both the filet and rib-eye had a fowl smell to it, like it was going bad or something. Taste-wise, both weren't that much better either, but I think the rib-eye was at least bearable. I couldn't even eat the filet - it was that bad...and I love steak!
Lobster thermador was decent, but the grilled prawns was a joke. They're really just shrimp, the medium to large kind, and it definitely tasted more like it was steamed than grilled, kind bland too.
Dessert was a joke as well as they brought out a sampler of biscotti, chocolate truffle with raspberry sauce and fruit tart, all in one dish so everyone had to share. But because there were only 2 of each, some didn't really get to taste all different samplers. Not sure why they did it like that. What they expect us to do, split those tiny truffles into 4 pieces?
Well, at least we had a decent guy working behind the bar and basically all the alcohol you can withstand. I'm not much of a drinker, but it's cool to try some of the drinks that I normally would not order in a bar.
At the end of the night, the only positive thing was the rack of lamb. I had 3 pieces and it was really good. The rest were either mediocre or extremely bad. I doubt my company will come back again as most of us agree that the steaks reek.
Happy Hour - Monday through Friday from 3 - 6 is probably the only reason why I would come to this tourist trap.
While the Happy Hour selection is quite limited and there's a $2.50 requirement for drinks per a person, the food is good, NOT great. But really what can you expect from food that's all under $5? I was probably most impressed with the $1.95 burger and garlic sweet potato fries. The spicy ahi tuna roll tasted old. The mussel and clams were as big as my thumb nail. And if you're looking for good service, you're not going to find it here. At least not from my waitress.
BTW, I've been here for dinner before, besides the view, it's nothing special.
Good friggin' food. I love a good seafood dish and by Jove, I got one here. Cedar plank salmon with raspberry dipping sauce. Holy friggin' Jesus. I thought I was gonna have a Meg Ryan moment at the table. Pair it with a crisp chardonnay and some roasted potatoes, and I'm writhing on the floor in front of my almost-mother-in-law and boyfriend (at that time anyway).
However, the wait time was a bit ridiculous. The waiter took his sweet ass time taking our order and returning with drinks and food in a timely fashion. Granted, we didn't have anywhere to be, but I was starving, man. Couldn't he see that glazed look in my eye?
M.I.L & Boyfriend shared a whole bass and some fried calamari (which was some of the tastiest I've had).
Dessert was tiramisu, one of my favorites. If a restaurant has it, I tend to go for it because it's consistent and ends my experience on a positive note.
Another note: they accept people in their casual attire despite the restaurant's dressy atmosphere. Makes taking your guy out even easier, unless yours likes to get all fancy. None of the guys I date every seem to.
Either way, this place was a nice way to experience San Francisco.
Special Truffle Menu & Prix…
Neighborhood: Marina/Cow Hollow
Happy Hour
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
Neighborhood: Fisherman's Wharf
Category: Seafood
Neighborhood: Fisherman's Wharf
Category: Seafood
Neighborhood: Fisherman's Wharf
Category: Seafood
Neighborhood: Fisherman's Wharf
Category: Shopping Centers
Neighborhood: Russian Hill
Category: Seafood
These are places where you have to mind your…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
Places to go if you are dining with 6 or more…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
