Pier Market Seafood Restaurant
Categories: Bars, Seafood [Edit]
Neighborhood: Fisherman's WharfPier 39
San Francisco, CA 94133 (415) 989-7437
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat 11:00 a.m.-12:00 a.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Garage, Validated
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
59 Reviews for Pier Market Seafood Restaurant
One of Pier Market Seafood Restaurant's Favorite Reviews
The seafood here is exceptional. Very fresh and everything has great flavor. The restaurant is located right on the pier in the middle of all the action so that is nice. On mild nights they have an outdoor seating area with a fire pit so you can watch people go by while you eat. Definitely recommended if you are in the area and are stumped on what to eat.
Took another one of my friends from LA to pier 39 this weekend and we ate here again. Great service and great food!!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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06/01/2008
I took my friend here that was visiting from Nevada. We LOVED the clam chowder bread bowls. They… Read more »
I would have given it a five but there is still room for improvement.
I went there when I was in the 7th grade and I thought it was an awesome restaurant. sophomore year in high school, my friends and I were up north so I took them here. It was amazing and everyone geninuenly thought the food was delicious. When I was admitted to Cal, I took my parents and friend here when we left Berkeley for San Francisco. Now, by this time, the quality of the food went down.
The clam chowder stayed consistently good so that's a plus for me. The appetizer plate was also amazing so no complain there. However, my friend's $20 overpriced pasta was just glorified pasta with sauce and meat, nothing special. I think my parents had some burger dish and the side was utterly disappointing. The cole-slaw was kinda bland and therefore nasty tasting. It was like shredded cabbage with Best Food Mayo. So gross... but my seared Ahi Ahi Tuna was delicious.
my overall experience with the staff was pleasent, but nothing spectacular compared to other restaurants in San Francisco.
I would go back for the clam chowder whenever I can!
Hungover and tired, we were in need of something fried and fishy!
So we ordered some onion rings and two plates of the clam chowder and salad combo.
The clam chowder was verrrry good and the salad was also better than I expected! They actually put mushrooms on it! Hardly ever do I see restaurants put mushrooms on a house salad!
Great views of the bay and pretty cheap!
Our waiter never came by to ask how we were doing...he didn't even serve us our appetizer or our entrees...and why don't they fill up our drinks all the way??? I mean, it will save you less trips to our table to re-fill our water, if you had filled it up all the way to begin with!!!
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Great spot on Pier 39!
My attempts at being healthy were completely let go as soon as the fresh sourdough bread (my all time weakness) hit the table. To make up for my mini starch binge, I had a seafood salad that was fresh and gigantic!!
We sat outside and after our meal were a bit chilly so we came in and had a drink at the bar. The bartender was very friendly and helpful and not in an annoying "bartender" sort of way. I can imagine that this would be a great spot for afternoon people watching and will come back next time I am on the pier!
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I was brought here on a date, I loved the Sourdough bowl filled with clam chowder(I love clam chowder)their fried calamari is soooooooooo yummy!the atmosphere is romantic, prices are affordable and the service is friendly!
We got lunch for two: clam chowder in a boudin bread bowel, fish & chips, and a 32 oz beer- $28 & all perfect! We got served super fast, waitress was great, sat us by the window. Well worth the experience, pleasant atmosphere, eating warm food looking out on a foggy San Francisco day.
The seafood is pretty good and fresh here as you would hope from a Pier 39 restaurant in San Francisco. The price is also pretty reasonable for a touristy area. I had the Halibut (special) fish n chips, and clam chowder in a bread bowl. They were both excellent and the portions were good.
The two minor downsides were that the restaurant seemed a tad bit unclean (probably just due to the salt water from being on the pier) and our waitress could've been a little more cheerful. She wasn't bad, but seemed a little tired and unethusiastic. However, there's a good chance I'll come back here whenever I happen to visit Pier 39.
Tip: They validate 1-2 hours of parking at the Pier 39 parking lot depending on when you leave.
Pier Market is one of my favorite places to dine. They have the BEST clam chowder!!!! Also try their Honey BBQ prawns, it only comes as an appetizer though. The salmon is excellent. I also really like their Crab and Shrimp on Bannock bread....delicious! I haven't had dessert yet, because I always feel up on their complimentary sourdough bread. Pier Market has a casual atmosphere. I highly recommend eating here. If you are a AAA member, show your card to the California Welcome Center on the 2nd floor and get 2 hours of free parking, thats a $14.00 value, plus they give you discounts for the Pier Market in the "Fun Book"
I've been there twice, and both times were quite excellent. The food is delicious, cooked well, with the right portion size, and was very fresh. Their clam chowder is pretty good too. We now go there when we have visitors in town and we want to take them to a good seafood place.
If you have to play San Francisco tourist at Pier 39, then I would suggest eating here. Very fast and friendly service and right in the middle of all the pier hustle and bustle.
This is a great place to stop in, grab a couple seafood appetizers and sip on a refreshing glass of wine. There's outdoor seating so you can people watch and enjoy a day in the sun!
Two Words: Tourist Trap
It wasn't my idea to eat here but I met some friends from out of town for dinner here . The service is good with the young and friendly staff. I was very surprised when the check came. They had already calculated and ADDED the tip (18% + 3% service charge)Can they REALLY do that ?? We were a party of 5 people. They are giving SF a totally bad name. So whether you like their food or not - You will end up paying 20-25% on top of your check. Of course you can pay more if you like, but that is the minimum printed on the check. Absolutely ridiculous.
It truly breaks my heart to see tourist traps like these that take advantage of unsuspecting folks. But all's well that ends well - so we decided to check out The Monophonics at The Boom Boom Room. Nice!
The food was just barely good enough to eat. The toddler's grilled cheese and the popcorn shrimp appetizer were the best things on the table. The seared Ahi was tan and cold. The grilled salmon fishy. The fries and new potatoes cold. The fried and grilled shrimp was pretty good, but the scampi was bad.
And, they screwed up our order, big time. Forgot one person's food all together. They reordered it, and when it finally arrived 20 minutes later, it was the wrong food. Frustrating, and they were rude about it. They did give us our food 1/2 off, but still we won't ever be back.
I like to go to this place whenever I'm doing the touristy stuff with visitors. They have the best crab cakes and the sweet and sour calamari is just awesome. I've tried their Salmon with mango sauce and it was good. They had shark on the menu once, I had to try it and it was great too. Nice place on pier39.
So, after visiting the sea lions with an Out-Of-Towner, and walking out of Neptune's, we somehow ended up at Pier Market. This is an Applebee's cleverly disguised as a seafood eatery. I tried to convince him that the Pier wasn't a place to dine and that we should go elsewhere. That he was missing out on some great food. My arguments fell upon death ears, as he just wanted fish and thought this place would be as good as any. Whatever.
Lo and behold, a travesty, as expected. Teriyaki Shark?! Really?!!! Overcooked and tasted like chicken. Horrible. Mango Mahi Mahi? Sounds appealing if paired with a mango salsa, but no, drenched in another thick cough-syrupy sauce that ruined the fish.
The Crab Cakes and Clam Chowder were decent. Service was slow with requests, but otherwise acceptable. Heated outdoor seating, free from the gusts of wind. At least they serve Pyramid's Hef.
I would only get a bread bowl of clam chowder here, IF I was in the area.
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Had the Grilled Salmon on Bannock Bread here. It was tasty but I didn't really like the bread. I thought it was rather under cooked but the salmon was real fresh and tasty. Ordered the calamari for appetizer and that was great. I also had a cup of clam chower with my sandwich. Luckily my dad didn't finish his bowl because I finished it for him because it was THAT YUMMY. I would've given 1/2 star for the waitress not being so attentive but then they brought my sister a brownie a la mode when I mentioned it was her bday so I take that 1/2 star back!
Went to San Francisco this weekend, and since it was my first time, I had to do the touristy thing. So, of course I paid a visit to the Fisherman's Wharf. Thanks to Yelp, I was not disappointed with my choice to dine at Pier Market. I know it's a tourist trap, but I'm a tourist so, I guess I belong there! And the food? Phenomenol! The oysters on the half shell were the best I've ever had. Not too big, perfectly shucked and fresh out of the ocean (still tasted like salt water). The clam chowder was also amazing...wish I had ordered a bowl instead of a cup. As for our lunches, we ordered the mesquite grilled swordfish and the cioppino. Both were perfectly prepared and really hit the spot.
At first, I was considering not coming here (even aside from all the good reviews) because they only had seating outside...and it was freezing! Ok...maybe not freezing but for a girl who grew up in Arizona, it was damn cold! From the way I was dressed, you would have guessed I was in the Arctic! I was so bundled up that I looked like Kenny from South Park! But.... I'm so glad that we decided to tough it out and try it because they had heat lamps on the porch. Not just any heat lamps either...these were turbo heat lamps! So, we were really able to be comfortable and enjoy our meal.
Drinks are ehh....stick with a glass of wine or a beer. Their specialty drinks are anything but. But definately try this place, and then walk over to the Chocolate Heaven and get yourself a piece of milk chocolate honeycomb! Delectable!
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We got the popcorn shrimp as an appetizer, which is okay but not the best. Other things we got were the fish and chips (which were reasonable), and the grilled chicken. Nothing was really worth the price that we paid. Overall we got the feeling that this was another tourist trap at Fisherman's Wharf. There are definitely better restaurants with better prices a little further afield.
Best. Grilled. Shrimp. Ever.
Apparently they have some exceptionally high heat grill which allows for the perfect amount of char and smokiness.
The salads are always tasty (mixed greens, none of that ice-burg stuff).
And the drinks specials? Delish. (The bar manager's a pretty swell guy, too).
Maybe you've got family in town, maybe you're visiting SF for the first time, maybe you just decided it was time to play some ski-ball and visit the sea lions...whatever the reason, when I find myself hungry and I'm in the area, I definitely make it a point to stop in for some grilled shrimp and a cocktail.
Went to this place last week.
Service - Decent service. The hostess was nice and our waitress was nice and smiled at us a lot until after we paid which is normal for a lot of places.
Food - Taste was ok, nothing special. But its expected for a place with a view. My complaint is that the CRAB CAKE DINNER on their menu said LARGE PORTIONS. I got 2 crab cakes the size of a coke can diameter + a very small amount of fries and a scoop of clow slaw..... for $17. I mean why would they write that its a LARGE portion if its such a small portion? The cowder was good but I had better at other places. The view was just so so as its not facing the main area of the bay. I would rather sit outside facing the pier shops next time.
Overall its ok other than the misleading menu.
This is our number 1 destination with visitors.
We've never had a dish we didn't like!!!! I love their chowder and I love their seafood ... this counts for a lot, cause I do not like seafood!
I like the choice of indoor or outdoor seating no matter what season.
The waiters change a lot, but they are somewhat friendly.
Great seafood. Great preparation. Great service. Delicious. We ate inside by the window and it was a great view.
This restaurant was really busy but unlike so many places, the service was not hurt by the bustle. We loved everything we ordered- the salad, the bbq shrimp appetizer and the salmon. I would definitely go back. I would definitely recommend.
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The Pier Market does the job well if you built up an appetite from all the walking,waiting,roaming and shopping around Pier 39.They are conveniently located at the pier,provide friendly and fast service,the seafood are fresh but nothing to raved about.I luv fresh oysters so it's one of my reason for stopping by here whenever I'm at Pier 39.
I was raised in the Bay Area and I know there are so many more places this city has to offer when it comes to fresh excellent seafood.I will review these restaurants at a later time and provide my recommendations.
I would definitely visit the Pier Market in the future,but they don't come to mind if I'm not in the neighborhood of Pier 39.
Pretty decent food. Not dirty like the usual crab shacks you see at Pier 39 but not expensive like some seafood places i've seen. my boyfriend didn't really like his food but i wouldn't have either because it looked like a seafood jambalaya but more bland? and it looked like it was tossed together with some kind of fish gravy? YuCk. But I liked my dish. I don't remember what it was but it was a pasta with mussels, squid, and shrimp. YuMm. We also had the fried calamari which was good.
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This is a review of the takeout counter only.
Pier Market gets a relative 5 stars. That is to say, it clearly can't compare to other 5 star establishments I've reviewed. But for the price, and the location, it's one of your best bets for lunch.
The salmon burger for $5.95 is a reasonable sized fresh homemade salmon patty and it comes with lettuce, red onion, tomato, and a tangy dill tartar sauce. Add $1 for some half-decent fries and you've got a fast easy lunch. That's hard to come by on Fisherman's Wharf. I've also tried the salmon on bannock (Native American bread) sandwich which was also quite tasty, although a little on the greasy side.
That all adds up to a 4 star experience. They get the 5th star for having a generous discount for people that are stuck working on the wharf.
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Personally, I think Pier Market has the best clam chowder on the pier! The drinks are weak, but other than that, I like Pier Market every time I go there.
Surprisingly, for a place laden with tourists, this place does pretty well.
Food = good. We had the clam chowder, sandwiches and a salad.
The service is good, friendly and relaxing. Prices are reasonable.
View is okay, some water views, and there are some outdoor seats. The decor is very much wooden planks, and just feels like it could be the inside of a very old ship (but that could just be me....)
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this place was packed. it was lunch time on a saturday and i was freakin starving! me and the bf thought we'd have to wait for a while to get in, but it literally took 3.5 mins to seat us.
we decided to start with the crab cakes and calamari. im not down with eating anything with tentacles, so i munched on the 2 large cakes by myself. really really really delicious i'd say. best crab cakes ive have, until i kept putting too much of the sauce on em... made me feel nauseous. then again, you're prolly not suppose to eat the whole plate to yourself because theyre heavy with frying oil. sounds nasty, but i still really liked them.
i ordered the Mixed Grill; salmon, swordfish, and shrimp skewer. i was scared that the fish would be tasteless and dry so i got it cajun style. and i couldnt get past the "Voted Best Clam Chowder" everywhere on my menu so i decided to get a little cup of that too. wow was the fish really good. i mean, i was so happy that i was eating good tasting seafood that didnt look like someone just threw up on it! the chowder was just ok... it wasnt bursting with esquisite flavor, but thats not a bad thing either. i was able to finish it without feeling like i had too much of a good thing.
all in all, the service is quick, the waiters/waitresses are nice and to the point, and the food was resonably priced. a very lax environment for your toursity adventure.
Oops, forgot to review this. Myself and asshole ex-friend came here in January. It was during all the blackouts, the weather was totally shitty and Fisherman's Wharf was practically deserted. I'm no clam chowder expert but I thought theirs was pretty delicious - not overly seasoned, not overly salty, plenty of clammy/potato goodness. Not bad for $5ish. For entrees, I ordered the Fisherman's Platter ($16ish). It was kinda crappy really - everything was heavily breaded, greasy, and pretty much tasted the same. The fish and shrimp were okayish, the calamari were microscopic, and the clams were just plain nasty. The fries were obviously out of a bag. His fish and chips ($12ish) were about the same - not bad but not great either. The people sitting across from us had crab which looked GOOD. I wish I'd chosen that instead. Oh well. Service was quite good, though it took a while to get the check. All in all this was average at best. I'm sure though that if it had been packed with people and we'd had to wait, I would be giving it 2 stars...
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Went here for lunch after a night of partying a little too much... I have to say the Bloody Mary was the spiciest and best I have ever tasted. I faintly remember lunch being good too, but I will never forget that drink... or the amazing view of the bay!
:)
SF locals tend to say boo about tourist spots in general and all things Pier 39 specifically, but I'll go out on a limb here (like many others have) give this place all the stars Yelp will let me.
I've been here a number of times for their fine seafood entrees and to remind myself that I, too, was once a tourist in this town. This is the place I like to take my out-of-town guests for their nice fish/shellfish dinner experience because it's a step up from a sidewalk crab stand, but without the prices of sitting down at Alioto's or Grotto #9. They also offer a seafood combo louis salad for about $20 less than Grotto #9, though it's not quite as ginormous and good.
My new meal of choice here, however, is their mango-glazed BBQ salmon. That fish is flaky like a dream and smooth as butter. Just the right amount of char and not fishy at all. My partner in crime digs the Ahi tuna steak. Both dishes are under $20.
Best bang for your buck, though, are the bannock bread sandwiches at the walk-up counter. I like the shrimp one--squirt some lemon on there and slather on the cocktail sauce and for under $6, it reminds me of why I fell in love with San Francisco long before I ever knew I'd end up living here. (Hey, as a little kid, how could I not be in love with Fisherman's Wharf shrimp cocktails? This is the sandwich version!)
I won't even say this place is "good for a tourist spot"--it's just dang good. Those of you who choose to avoid this favorite non-SF-local area, please point me to a locals-only place where I can get seafood like this for these prices. Pier Market is great, but the trek across town does kill me.
The first time I tried this place was from their express to go pick up and the food tasted good, had the calamari and fries.
This time was completely different. It must of been a bad night for the waiter we had because he sucked. He gave us our menus and told us the specials with some 'I know you're not going to order this special so why should I be telling you this anyways?' kind of tone. My boyfriend and me only went inside because we were trying to waste time till 12 - New Years and we only wanted small snacks and drinks. He expected us right there to order, like we knew what was exactly on the menu. Every 2 minutes he would come back to ask us to order. We ordered, he threw us our bread and left. We didn't even get water until we asked, which pissed him off. The calm chowder was okay, however I would prefer to eat the one from panera bread, even though the calms are from a can.
overall food is average, service sucks, price hyped to be a tourist rip off
5 stars for being one of the few restaurants who can do mesquite grilled fish, just about any fish! This preparation really brings out great flavor, and you know it has to be fresh to serve it grilled, just a sqeeze of lemon and you're on your way to heaven! LOVE the ahi/mahi mahi skewers. Their clam chowder is my 2nd favorite, (Old Fisherman's Grotto in Monterey is 1st). Great combo choices too! Haven't tried the fried stuff, but it looks as good as any other fish 'n chips. For being on the "touristy" Pier 39 I think it's great food, good sized portions, moderate prices. Try the yummy drinks from their specials too!
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4 stars for the Sweet and Sour Calamari
4 stars for the sweet waiter who always refilled our drinks
minus 1 star, because I don't remember anything else I ate.
That's not good...really thats not good
this restaurant located at pier 39 was suggested to us by the lady who works at the pier visitor center. we bought S.F. Go Cards which directed us to the visitor center to pick up a couple of coupon books which we could use during our visit there. then she gave us an additional coupon for 20% off at the pier market restaurant.
anyway, we ate out side in the patio area cuz it was a beautiful day. i ordered the pier market mix which included salmon, shrimp skewer and swordfish with vegetables and rice pilaf. it was absolutely delicious! i was looking through the coupon book and just as i skimmed to the page where there was a coupon for a free appetizer at this restaurant, my server came by and said we could use that coupon now if we want, so we said ok lets get the calamari then! the calamari was really good, crisp and not soggy like most places. our bill came out to be around $56. so we took out the 20% coupon that the lady gave us at the visitors center, and come to find out, we cant combine the coupon with the free appetizer coupon! booooo! i knew i should have brought it up to the server when before getting the appetizer. i could have gone with out it.
the meal overall was good, service was good. they dont have drink specials so i would suggest going to another place where there is happy hour, have a drink or two and then come here for dinner.
A little on the expensive side. Long lines. Quite often packed during the weekends. Why bother?
Quite frankly the food is quite good (crab sandwich for kicks). The service was quite good as well. Just be prepared to take part in some "do it yourself" service as I found out the hard way when I ordered a crab dinner. It was here that I was embroiled in a 12 minute battle trying to open up the crab. When I finally won the battle, everybody was done eating. My recommendation: ask for a bib. They'll actually put it on for you.
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I *love* this place! You can't get any better than the prices and the food at this semi-open restaurant with a really casual aptmosphere! From the flowers in the front of the house to the seafood on the menu, every detail has been well thought out. I actually have a friend in Frommer's who I took along and we had such a great time that he'll be updating a SF travel log noting that this is one of the best establishments in the city to go to.
As they'd say on eBay, A++++++++++++++++++++++++!!
:-)
For a slow, rainy, non-touristy day we expected better service. There were shells in the crab cakes, and the clam chowder tasted canned, with extra pepper. When we told our server the crab cakes had shells in them, she said her manager couldn't do anything about it because we had eaten most of it already. Uh, I guess if the shells had been in the FIRST bite they would have refunded us? We won't be back.
Fast, friendly service. I ordered the smoked salmon bruschetta and a caesar salad. The smoked salmon was more like lomi lomi salmon but still good. The ceasar salad had a good dressing. Tasty indeed. My friend ordered the mango salmon, which did not taste well. The mango did not complement the fish taste. My other friend ordered the teriyaki salmon, which was excellent! I recommend the teriyaki salmon highly.
The front of this place has a big round mesquite grill in the window and you can see the chefs cooking the fresh fish. That hooked us in. I had the teriyaki salmon and my wife had the swordfish off the mesquite. Both dishes were excellent. Fresh fish and the service and price was right. I'll go back!!!!!
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