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Categories: Seafood, Dive Bars, Music Venues [Edit]
Neighborhood: EmbarcaderoMon-Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Mon-Fri. 3:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sat. 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Sat. 3:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Sun. 3:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
"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 »
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Went with a group from work a few weeks ago. The service was attentive, and the food was generally* pretty good. It was great place to go with a group - we had a fun lunch.
*The calamari was cooked pretty poorly. The burger was good.
This is a definite go to place strictly for drinks with a bayside view and party-like happy hour setting.
Food: 1/5 stars
Don't expect seafood just because your by the water. Everything is frozen & then fried.
Service: 3/5 stars
Even on a nice busy day they still seem to do a good job with over staffing and tentative service.
Atmosphere: 2/5 stars
The inside bar area smells, & bathrooms look like they need a good pressure washing with bleach. The outside patio area is probably the only reason why people love this place.
Overall Pier 23 is fun on a sunny SF afternoon or a happy hour meet-up. Expect cool down-to-earth peps and more often than not, some sexy biker boys. I also hear they play reggae on weeknights or have live bands.
This place is great, Especially if the weather is nice! I sat outside on the patio and enjoyed a great family brunch. Expect hearty, simple, but well cooked foods here. Local fare, classics (burgers) and good beers.
I had the corned beef hash with poached eggs, DELISH! My Dad tried the Steak and eggs. After badgering him for a bite he finally let me dig in - I think I liked that even more than my own dish!
It's a pretty casual atmosphere and the corned beef hash was quite possibly the best I've ever had. The portions were great and it was very tasty. I think what actually stood out the most though was the service. Our server was incredibly friendly. I was most impressed when she asked if I wanted a separate chair to rest my purse on. OF COURSE! (did you know that the bottom of a woman's purse is one of the dirtiest things around? ICK! I avoid putting mine on the ground at all times.)
I'd say overall the experience here was good. I'd go back again!
A decent divey spot for drinks by the bay. The crowd is a mix of different types, which is cool.
The food is hit-or-miss and pricey for what you get.
When it's crowded you have to be aggressive and assertive if you want table service - there can be a ton of people and not enough staff to help out everyone.
Oh, Pier 23...Back in the day (last time: last month), this place was (continues to be) my post-Endup Endup on Sunny days. Nothing beats a night of underground parties followed by a morning at the Endup followed by nonstop drinking on the sunny and less frenetic patio over at Pier 23. If you've made it that far alive, you'll be so out of it you won't notice the d-bags and their douchettes, the marina-ites, and crusty drunks. You will notice, however, slightly weak cocktails, overpriced food (who says you'll be able to eat?), and a view that that makes the whole big mess worth it.
On the other hand, if you're of the civilized persuasion (and yes, I CAN BE), this is a great place to start a Sex and The City style girls night out (Pier 23 is like the SF version of Staten Island) in order to enjoy the warm night's air, get some popped-collar to buy you a couple of those overpriced cocktails, and get your dancing queen on to live music. Just get there before 9. After that, there's an overpriced cover charge, too.
Nice that you are over the water and protected by the adjacent pier buildings from the wind. Outside of that, the food is nothing to recommend. Went for lunch and had Prawn and Crab Cocktail and a Shrimp/Crab Cocktail, both of which were seved Louis style and were just nothing to write home about. Perfunctory preparation, at least the fish was fresh. Also had some calamari that was overly breaded and fried too long in oil that was too hot...hence it was way too heavy and the calamari taste was overwhelmed by the breading.
If you go here, go to drink and enjoy the music at night....avoid the dishes we had.
Sitting right on the water, looking at the East Bay: a sea of twinkling lights, heart thumping reggae beats pounding with my tapping feet. I am at pier 23 and it is the place to be.
The only thing this place has going for it is the location and, from what I could tell, a fairly friendly staff.
Other than that, the drinks are expensive for what you get (two margaritas with *maybe* one ounce of tequila between them for $8.25 each) and the food is stupid expensive for what it is - namely, greasy bar grub.
Also, the vinyl like tablecloths on the outside patio are gross. Seriously.
Pass, pass, pass.
I think this is one of the best spot in San Francisco to spend a sunny afternoon. I personally love the food and the atmosphere at this restaurant. I would say that it caters to everyones favorite in some way or another. They have a full bar, imports, drafts and my favorite beer Blue Moon on tap. They also have live bands at night that change weekly. Not to mention the cover on the weekend is only about ten dollars which is a great price. I would recommend the Fish & Chips at this restaurant, they are probably the best that I have had in the city.
So if you want a great place to spend a Sunday afternoon; or a great night spot on a pier to look at the beautiful moon on a clear night in the city with live music, check out Pier 23!
The reasons I love Pier 23 cafe are the large patio on the water, chill atmosphere, and live music. They also have a large menu (which is a tad overpriced, but it's on the water, so that's what I'd expect), but the food isn't all that great. 5 stars if the food were better. There are many other places I'd rather go if I'm looking for a great meal, but when I go here, I'm looking to chill out on the patio, catch up with friends, and soak up the gorgeous view.
If it's sunny in SF, you should run here to hang out.
I think the food is a little expensive for the dive bar atmosphere, but it's worth the fact that if you are here, you are outside and in the sun.
I know, me and my outdoor hangouts.
This place gets the four stars for me for being outdoors, with…
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Pier 23 is, indeed, an awesome location. We went there for lunch yesterday on a glorious, sunny day.
That said, we have some criticisms. The food is terribly overpriced. $17 for a 6-ounce flat iron steak sandwich. $16 for two prawn tacos. Lunch with one beer and two iced teas was over $40. We also found the food not very tasty, not as good as some of the other Embarcadero food/drink shacks, like Hi Dive or Red Java.
The chairs are plastic and not very comfortable.
However, the service was very good. The busboy kept coming over and collecting my empty Splenda envelopes!
I hate writing bad reviews, but this restaurant definitely warranted it and I was crafting what I'd be yelping while the food was still in my mouth.
Let's start with the bad stuff. We were seated in the patio which was beautiful. We sat there for about 15 minutes before anybody came to take our drink order. I had to flag down a couple of waterboys before our server came by. She was really nice. Took our orders breezily and wandered off. Came back 20 minutes later and said (verbatim), "ummm so I totally forgot what you ordered. Can you repeat it again?"
I'm like wtf. Who the hell does that? And she didn't seem the least apologetic. Maybe if I wasn't so hungry, I'd be less of a raging bitch. Although at that point, I had to try my hardest to be super polite just because I didn't want my food spat on.
The food came and was total crap. My friend ordered fish and chips and I had the eggs 23. It probably wasn't THAT bad in perspective, but I was fuming from the wretched service.
Now onto the good stuff - they did keep refilling my water and coffee. And the sun was gorgeous that day, so can't complain. But I'd stay far, far away.
Surprisingly great bar given the location, I don't know why tourists don't stumble in here, but I guess that is what make this a surprise.
Food is OK - passable, but the drinks and staff are solid. Great place to get a heat on in the afternoon and hang out by the water.
Dive bar with an outdoor patio right on the water. Beautiful views of Berkeley buildings reflecting the sunset. Good for after work with friends and colleagues, and you can get buckets of beer. Don't make the mistake of getting food unless you're in the mood for grease that isn't that tasty. I ordered the pork carnitas, and got a plate full of undercooked fat. Destroyed my appetite.
So nice on a sunny day. Very considerate straw hat loaning service. Cesar salad with prawn was delicious. Perfectly grilled, never overcooked.
Great location, so so food, very expensive drinks and waitress will order you a premium drink eventhough you didn't ask for it. We ordered large margaritas our first round. We closed the bill since we wanted to move to a different table. It was for $14 each. Our second bill we ordered 2 more this time it's $16.50 each. WTF... I asked her why it's $2.50 more she said she ordered us the premium Cabo Wabo tequilla. We didn't ask for it. Make sure you tell your server exactly what you want.
PRO: Fun scene, outdoor patio on the bay, great live music
CON: Not that much
***If ya want the full VinDivine review & more reviews , check our profile...
First if you've never been here: P23 is a very laid-back spot. Not quite a dive, but getting close. Kinda kitschy place, perfect for its spot on the Embarcadero. We need more places like this! Come here for food or drinks it's all good enough. Not like it's gonna rock a big 'ol Zagat rating but the food does the trick, the drinks are good and the scene is all about kickin' it with friends. So if you're into that stuff, great. If not, WTF are you reading VdV for?!
Top reasons to love Pier 23:
* Especially on a sunny day it's hard to beat
* Great outdoor patio on the Bay
* Awesome live music scene. We saw Eric Lindell here, a band outta New Orleans and they definitely kicked it up a notch
* Seems like you always run into someone you know (and actually like)
* Fun, pretty eclectic...OK very eclectic crowd. Bikers to suits to just regular folks.
* Low d-bag, and d-hag (yes, the term we are coining for female d-bags. You heard it here first!) quotient. Woo hoo!
* Killer Mahi Mahi Fish & Chips ($14.25), the fish is great, the fries are a little too match-sticky for me for this dish, but the Mahi makes up for it
* Great House Salad with Bleu Cheese ($7.25) Nope, not kidding, it has this awesome dressing with soy in it.
* Pretty strong drinks!
***If ya want the full VinDivine review & more reviews, check our profile...
Best excuse for you and co-workers to sneak out of work early on a sunny day?
The outdoor tables at Pier 23.
Honestly, with the bay as your backdrop, nothing beats the feeling of having a cocktail in your hands, and the stresses of work floating away on the waves.
Unfortunately, most of the executive douchebags tend to have the same idea, so you often have the feeling of throwing them into the bay, along side your work stress.
On a less-sunny day, Pier 23 isn't much more than a dive bar. The inside is small and, in all honesty, hardly worth visiting. I'd much rather save it for a sunny day.
Like this place a lot. Always had a good time when ive been here. Sat is reggae night and they have live bands and theyre AWESOME. Its right by the water and the outside area is a dock over the water. great atmosphere, pretty good food, great music and drinks. There is a cover after 9 I think. Line for the one ladies room was always hella long, that kinda sucked but the music made up for it. Good mix of people and drama free. parking could suck because its right on embarcadero but we didnt have a problem. Ive only been here at night but i would def go during the a nice afternoon for food and drinks.
Tiny but mighty!
4th Saturday of the month, gotta give it up to Native Element making the crowd feel IRiE!! Nothing like live music on a Saturday night.
Love the outdoor patio scene on the dock of the bay.
" It's the bar with the three B's: beers, boats, and buds. Doesn't that sound great?"
"Are you having a stroke?"
huge fan, how could i not be, i met my wife here!
Enjoy the sunny deck and bay views, and keep an eye out for an occasional hidden gem of a live performance. food is good, although a bit pricey.
A San Francisco Classic
Came here with a bunch of people on a Friday night. The place looks small from the outside, but inside, towards the back, it is quite big.
I ordered 1 beer, 1 cider, cranberry-vodka, 1 long-islan, and a $17 shrimp and crab sandwich. Total including tax and tip was $55 for me! That is expensive. But I guess this was at the pier/Embarcadero. The food was not all that special. Although it was nice to have some crab meat. Their fries are delicious though; they were thin and fried just right!
Any who, I cannot justify the price tag, pier or no pier. Aside, the bathroom was not very appealing. There was a puddle or god-knows-what next to the urinal. =T
I would not come back again. I should just stick with Gordon Biersch.
Pier 23 brings back many memories of drunken Sunday afternoons on the outdoors deck. Back when I lived in SF, this was a fine place to end up on a Sunday afternoon, throwing back margaritas & bloody mary's. I have no idea if it is still a popular joint.... I imagine so, cause on a beautiful, sunny afternoon, it doesn't get much better than this!
The food is okay, nothing to write home about. I seem to recall eating a lot of greasy food here - probably perfect when consuming alcohol, however!
Sometimes if you stay past the afternoon, into the evening, you can catch an interesting band too!
We were talked into ordering a bucket of Pacifico after ordering 4.
3 buckets later we found out the buckets are the same price as just ordering 6 drinks. This was a little annoying because of the ratio of 6 beers to 4 people.
The patio and my chicken sandwich were great but the upgrade of greens over fries sucked and nearly spoiled on site in the heat.
Upon walking in we were greeted with a swarm of flies, slightly unappealing.
I do like to sit and sun myself and get a little color. However, I feel there are nicer and less expensive places to go (Park Chalet). Fish'n'chips and Nachos were on the menu- totally overpriced for what it was. Service was ok.
Maybe I just went on the wrong day or time. I'm sure I'll give Pier 23 another chance.
Definitely a dive but a dive with a nice view on a sunny day. Loved watching the boats on the water drinking my Hef and eating some fried oysters. A gentleman that claimed to be the owner was a blast.. i would go again and depending on my next visit the stars may move up..
So the food here is um... kinda gross. The fried oysters are disgusting. The calamari was ok, the fries were probably the best thing we ordered. Also the artichoke hearts aren't just the heart they are the whole thing almost, with the leaves and stuff. I am pretty sure that the artichokes and the oysters came from cans and were then battered and fried. Luckily I had a gift certificate to here otherwise I would have been really sad to pay that much for such terrible food. Next time I come here I need to remind myself to order a burger.
Although maybe the food doesn't stand a chance anyways because the smell coming off the bay is pretty horrific at times. Couldn't tell if it was the cruise ship emptying their septic tanks or just the bay. Either way it wasn't pleasant.
But.... the outdoor patio is soooo wonderful when it's nice out. Get here early because it fills up fast. I will definitely be back here to bask in the sun with a few beers in hand.
Also when there's a band there might be a cover. On a Sunday evening it was $5. The band was good and fun, but very loud, so don't expect long convos if you sit too close.
All in all if you like drinking outdoors, then come here for the drinks, not the food.
I don't go to this place for the food, but rather for drinks, the fantastic view from the patio and the good service. On a sunny day this is a great hang out! Also, they give special drink discounts to soccer teams that play at Telegraph Field.
THERE IS NO HAPPY HOUR HERE.
"drink specials" occasionally, BUT NO HAPPY HOUR.
bah. on to the next one..
Neat discovery for a place right on the Embarcadero!
1. Biker bar
- 4 stars coz they still look awesomely hot
2. Reggae music
- 3 stars coz it makes for a perfect way to enjoy a warm SF summer night
3. $10 cover charge after 8PM
- 2 stars coz its a sad way to make money when they're sitting empty on a Saturday night
4. Calamari + fries + chicken wings + beer
- 4 stars coz it just tasted greasy and heavy and then to have it all washed down with a cool beer was close to perfection
5. Fish n Chips
- 2 stars coz they spelt G.R.E.A.S.Y. You'd think on oil well exploded on them
6. Service
- 4 stars coz we were a group of 35 and the waitress was on top of getting orders, delivering them and running around and all this, with a smile
7. Bathroom
- 3 stars coz the wait was not too bad and the bathroom was clean as a whistle
8. Crowd
- 3 stars coz it was a mix of yuppy, preppy, biker, rastfarian, eclectic and some times drunk people
9. The View
- 4 stars for being over the water, watching Coit Tower lit up, good company and nice music
10. The Bar
- 4 stars coz he was good, very friendly and helpful
In case you didn't know, 23 is my favorite number. Not only is it my birthday (April, to be exact), but it is also Jordan's, Lebron's, and Chris Perry's (go blue!) number and the street that I live on. To top it off, my friend has a theory that the number 23 shows up in every movie. Try it, you'll get creeped out!
Anyways, when I discovered Pier 23 Cafe, I was destined to try it. On a clear, sunny day, this place's advantages probably outweigh its disadvantages. Any other time, though, don't bother and save a dolla'. Prices are outrageous. Service is mediocre. And nothing you can do can make you feel like less of a tourist. I have to give them props on one thing though. The bbq shrimp po' boy sandwich was absolutely mouth watering delicious! Don't steer towards anything else on the menu - just take my word for it.
I used to come here every single weekend when the weather was nice in SF, and only finally made it back since moving back to SF
Luckily, not much has changed! I now like bloody marys, so ordered quite a few of those, and at $7 each theyre quite a fair deal (however, my friends nachos were put on my tab, so the $38 for three drinks, plus secret nachos, threw me). Tables were all full for awhile so getting one took a bit of a wait, and our service was HORRID (we practically had to attack our waitress in order to get her to take our orders, each time), and the music was so loud you had to scream to hear each other. Also, the line for the bathroom was a bit insane.
That said, as long as you know you're coming for a relaxed, crowded, loud and preferably drunken saturday/sunday on the water, you'll have a good time!
location, location, location
I find the best and worst part of this joint is the location. Gorgeous waterfront view that lets in tons of sun while blocking the sun. Perfect for a sunny but freezingly breezy (thats all SF has) day in the City.
However the location forces you to go to the Embarcadero and oush your way through hords of tourists.
The food and beer selection are 4 out of 5 stars for what they offer up but completely overpriced. I attribute this to the fact that they have to pay the waterfront rent.
A San Francisco establishment, I expected a pleasant lunch experience on a sunny Friday afternoon. I ordered the Shrimp Taco's with Cole Slaw and Dad ordered the Crab Louie. We were lucky enough to garner a table outside in the shade, keeping us safe from those tacky but thoughtful straw hats.
My Shrimp Tacos arrived and to my dismay I discovered that the shrimp was breaded and fried, the menu in my opinion should have specified that. The coleslaw was too spicy bordering on inedible. Dad's Crab Louie arrived with half the amount of Crab and Shrimp. Upon discovering the mishap the server proclaimed that she had our bill adjusted to reflect the Shrimp Crab Louie instead of the Crab Louie he ordered. I would think she would have offered to provide him with what he ordered but I guess not. The Shrimp and Crab in the salad tasted like it hadn't fully thawed out from its former life of frozenness. Dad asked for a refill on his coke and I asked for a bit more water...but received neither. Planned on ordering some coffee after eating our disappointing meal..but received a check without being asked if we wanted anything else.
Poor service, poor food and a lovely location....lunch would have been a complete disaster if it weren't for my Dad's entertaining company and the beautiful view.
Fun, sun and good times.
Can you really ask for anything more on a Friday afternoon? This was my time at Pier 23.
I had a Mahi Mahi and fries. The special ranch sauce was great. The service was a little slow but it was crowded in there. They lost a star for letting my beer get empty on a great day...sorry there are some things that are unacceptable.
This place is the best! Part local clam shack, part burger-on-the-bay joint, the views are great and the atmosphere is always relaxed and fun. Good fare, good times.
When we first sat down for dinner at 7, the place was pretty lively and it was hard to get our waitress' attention. I have not been back to this place for many years...I remember the Fettuccine being very good but it was no longer on the menu. Food is very, very average...my Fresh Blackened Snapper was very fishy tasting.
That said, it is a FUN, fun place to hang out and have a couple of drinks...the sun was still out and you're on the water. We were able to stay til closing and be as loud as we wanted. Our experience would have been better if the heating lamps actually worked...and we would have ordered another round of drinks had the server been around again.
Good happy hour spot. but don't expect to be blown away by the food!
This place is ok. Went there for Brunch on Sunday. Sat outside and the view was ok. Not a WOW view. We had Eggs Benedict, and they were ok. My Gfriend had the same. They serve you some potatoes and some garnish. The price was ok. We paid 12 bucks per plate.
MIght do it again. They are literally across the street from my place.
Shannon was our waitress and she was cool and attentive.
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