Scoma's Fisherman's Wharf
- Price Range: $$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Valet, Private Lot
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: No
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Best Nights: Mon, Tue, Wed
- Happy Hour: No
- Alcohol: Full Bar
- Smoking: No
- Coat Check: No
84 reviews
Neighborhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
"Awesome. Awesome, Awesome, Awesome. My boyfriend and I happened here on accident, and decided to try it. I'm very glad we did! The table…" read more »
190 Reviews for Scoma's Fisherman's Wharf
I enjoyed Scoma's. Delicious seafood but at a pretty high price and a long wait if you go around "normal" dinner or lunch time. They have yummy frozen drinks - my friend had a pina colada which was incredibly tasty. I kept it simple with a water since I had perused the menu during the wait and knew how expensive the appetizers and entrees are (18 - 20+ for each). This was a celebration for completing my first year of medical school so I figured I deserved a splurge - got the crab cakes as an appetizer and lobster stuffed in pasta shells. My food was amazing - 4 stars for that (my friend ordered shrimp w/ pasta noodles which was less than stellar - left most of it on her plate). Can't say I will be back any time soon due to the prices - maybe once I find a generous boyfriend we'll head back ;)
I was kidnapped by John T and our friend MK on a shopping and eat runs. We started at Macy's Valley Fair and ended up in SF. The service was top notch from the bartenders, busers and waiters. The bread with butter dipping in my bowl of calm chowder was so good.
I had the FETTUCINE WITH SMOKED SALMON & ROCK SHRIMP. WOW, the sauce was creamy but not heavy with capers and dills. Mixing in the smoked salmon gave the dish the right amount of saltiness.
This place is sort of hidden behind pier 41. The location is SF does not take reservation but the wait was very worth it.
I absolutely love this restaurant. It's tucked away on Fisherman's Wharf and you could easily miss it if you took a wrong turn. It's authentic italian w/ the love of San Francisco. They have the best Cioppino I've ever had! It's a huge plate of high quality seafood and it's just plain heaven to me. You could easily sit there for 2-3 hours to enjoy your meail and watch the sun set. Scoma's is always busy and I'm not sure that they take reservations so I'd suggest visiting them on an off night during the week. The #1 place for Cioppino!!
Does your employee handbook say, "Don't get trashed in front of executives?"
Mine doesn't. But it should.
A 90-minute wait at Scoma's last week enabled me to impress my co-workers, boss, and really big boss with an impressive demonstration of how to get plastered on a Wednesday night. Since Scoma's doesn't take reservations, our party of 7 had a long wait ahead of us, so we made ourselves comfortable in the spacious bar area.
In a misguided attempt to regulate my blood sugar, I threw back beers like a frat boy during hazing week.
By the time we were seated, I was playing the "they'll think you're paying attention if you stare between the eyes" game.
I ordered wine during dinner. Or, I believe I did. You see, when we were actually allowed to order food, I was already in a self-induced Coronacoma.
I remember the tomato sauce being tasty, I remember the linguine noodles being difficult to eat, I remember choking on a breadstick, and recall a green vegetable falling down the front of my shirt.
Including the wait to be seated, the wait for our food, and the wait for our check, we were here for hours. Drinking and eating... and drinking.
The next day, I stumbled into the office wearing dark sunglasses and a look of shame.
Scoma's is awesome, but next time I come here, I'm bringing a power bar in my purse.
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I actually want to give it 4.5 stars due to the wonderful service.
A last minute and wonderful dinner fell from the sky and into my lap. Me and two really old people that I dearly love ! I'm definitely not being politically correct tonight ! They're people I dearly love and they definitely have the greatest sense of humor in the world !
Food was very good. We all ordered swordfish steaks with different side dishes and we loved our food.
No reservations mean't that we made sure to be seated before 6:30 pm.
Fine, considering my friends were coming in from Menlo Park and were between 67years old and mmmmm !
.I didn't pick it for this evening, they insisted.
Hey, I'm not about to disagree with a 70 year old who wanted to relive his youth at Fishermans Wharf !
Entrees 27-35, a bit steep IMO.
Juicier Swordfish at Hayes Street Grill , Mortons, and Fifth floor.
And a constant and common request is always the same...
Katherine ... When are you getting married !
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Scomas is a bit of a conflict in my mind. The portions are enormous, the crab linguine is phenomenal and I have never seen seafood pasta that looked that appetizing. The clam chowder is, of course, brilliant seeing as it is near the wharf. What more could you possibly want?
Oh yeah, that's right. You might want a fucking table!
It doesn't matter what time of day you go. The place has so many damn tourists that it's impossible to get a table if you go anywhere near a normal meal time. There will be about half-hour waits on off hours (like 3pm) and usually an hour and a half to two hour wait at dinner and on weekends. More than that, the place is horrible for odd numbered tables. They will try to shove 3 people at an obviously two person table instead on conceding the extra seat at a 4 person table.
Yes, the food is great, but I don't want to spend more time waiting for a table than I spend eating my meal. No matter who you're with (and I was with my best friend for this dinner) the wait just isn't worth it. I would come back over and over again if only they took reservations.
TC Eagle Ace was on his first visit to the city. We were at uncomfortable odds that day. We were hungry and he wanted a seafaring meal. I suggested we go to the Wharf and we ended up at SCOMA's. Eagle ase was irritable and decided that he'd be cheap. He tried to encourage pizza and beer. I siad, "You go right ahead! I am walking this way for crab." He hesitantly followed.
Once we were seated at our table, he quickly changed his mood. His eyes bulged when his fare "the catch of the day" arrived. For the remainder of the evening and after his return back to L.A., he still boast about the jumbo fresh scallops and fish that was prepared perfectly. I gave up my notion about good steamed garlic crab from other places from over across the bay near the cartenas bridge. The crab here was awsome! I will never go back to that place that prepares DEAD CRAB.
I was loving the lady out front at Scoma's last Saturday night. With her coke-bottle glasses and frizzy hair, she looked like she'd been sitting in that seat for about 50 years, since Al Scoma first started running the joint. (I saw a picture of Al on the wall and was pleasantly surprised to observe that he could be Jerry Stiller's twin brother.) This lady seemed precariously perched on the border of professional and curt, experienced and jaded, more of a cariacature than a real human being. She kept me entertained while we waited to be seated. See, Scoma's doesn't accept reservations, so we waited about an hour to be seated, which was, I think, not unconscionable for a group of six on a Saturday night.
Our waiter was great: helpful, but unintrusive. We hardly noticed him, and that's a sign of a truly great waiter, in my opinion. We started with the sampler plate, which included possibly the best calamari I have ever had, yummy crab cakes, and scrimp scampi.
For my entree, I ordered the cioppino, which I would recommend to anyone! The tomato broth had a fantastic flavor, and the broth was filled with fish, clams, crab, prawns, shrimp... all fresh and perfectly cooked. A slice of garlic bread on the side topped it off. Yeah, it was $35, but I ate it while watching the sun set ever so slowly over the water and the unimaginably large boats roll in and out of the Bay. It's not just a meal; it's an experience.
Everyone else seemed to love their food as well. I would absolutely return here for more excellent Italian-style seafood on the Wharf.
A Wonderful Dinner!
We were smart and went for a 5:00p.m. dinner on Friday. It was very quite there so that was good because I have heard how crowed they can get.
Service very sweet and friendly.
What We Ordered:
Sampler Plate (crab cakes, firecracker popcorn shrimp and calamari fritti) Best crab cakes eaten. Not any added fillers, just great crab meat.
Pasta Diplomatica
Scallop Saute
Blackened Swordfish
Calamari Alla Anna
All were delicious and were very fresh. Although the Pasta Diplomatica was the hit of the evening. Which was a: Petit Lobster Tails, Prawns, Clams, and Sea Scallops in a Cream Sauce.
I will be back but because they DO NOT take reservations, I am very happy we went EARLY because upon our leaving, there were MOBS of people waiting and I overhead a 2 hour wait.
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The other day I met a 4th generation San Franciscan who left the city in 1976 for points north. Not so far away that he and the mrs. couldn't come into town once in a while to see a show or visit relatives.
On visits to our fair city they go to Lucca's on Chestnut to get sandwiches, then to the Marina Green to park in a special spot, with the car angled just so, to enjoy a view that hasn't changed in years, where they used to park and make out. Or they go to the Wharf, and choose a restaurant with a table angled just so, with fishing boats in full view, seeing what they saw during their courting days.
Scomas is made for these sweet people. It's not the place for a jaded palate. Their nod to keeping up with the times is the beer selection, so points for that. And high prices, negative points for that. Otherwise, time stands still, and it's easy to imagine a gentler, more romantic city while you're sitting on Al Scoma Way, with the fishing boats swaying in the bay.
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"Scoma's is somewhat touristy" - hey wait a minute, I am a tourist. This is one of the restaurants that we keep coming back to when we are in SF. First, we love the area - the Wharf, the crab stalls, the seals, etc. Next, we love the food here. My favorite is the Cioppino. Don't go for the Lazy Man Cioppino where they peel and shell everything for you. Go for the kid in you and just dig into your Cioppino with both hands. By the way, use the bib. It will help you reduce your laundry bill. :)
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The staff was friendly and attentive. The front desk person who announced the people waiting for a table asked me on the correct pronunciation of my name after I spelled it for him, wrote it down, and pronounced it correctly. Kudos!
The bar poured stiff drinks, which made the wait for my table ultra-bearable. The front desk told me 30 minutes, but it was really only 15. There were buttloads of people waiting for a table, but it's usually easy to seat just one. In fact, they had two tables set up for single diners.
My server was amazing. She took several minutes to go through the menu when I asked her what her favorites were, and made good suggestions (and not just the most expensive things on the menu). I settled on the Cioppino, which she said is one of her favorites in the winter. I decided that I couldn't come to the Fisherman's Wharf without having some...
...and boy was I right. This was the most delicious, most fish-filled incredible soup. The portion was huge, and after eating to the point of bursting, I still had plenty left in the bowl. There were several mussels, many scallops, large pieces of fish, prawns... it was like a gigantic cornucopia of seafood goodness. The tomato broth was chock full of meat... but surprisingly not fishy. Afterward, I joked with my server that I wanted some horseradish, celery salt, and Worcestershire sauce to make the most delicious Bloody Mary possible. The dish was expensive, almost $40 if I remember correctly, but I felt it was worth every penny of it.
Less remarkable was my dinner salad, which was great... but paled in comparison to my Cioppino. The balsamic dressing was tangy and delicious. Also worth mention -- the bread. My server dropped off a gigantic loaf of delicious sour-dough bread.
If youuu're gooooiiinnnng to Saaan Frannncisssco, be sure you stop in at Scoma's. It's an absolute must... but plan for plenty of time as you're probably going to wait.
Scoma's is somewhat touristy, but always popular, serving Italian cuisine. If you consider their prime location on the wharf, along with a pleasant view of the water, pretty palatable pasta (you can't turn down linguine and crab meat balls) and satisfyingly skilled service, you get a place that is worth trying. Prices are high, but the (sea)food is worth it - at least this once, right?
Obviously your mileage may vary, so take my experience with a grain of salt; it has been quite a while since I had dinner there.
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Scoma is an all-time favorite of mine. I've been coming here since dirt was new.
GREAT seafood and GREAT Italian food. Used to love their abalone, until that was no longer on the menu. Then I got hooked on sand dabs, and they got taken off the menu. Good thing the Petrale Sole Almondine is still available! Lightly breaded and cooked in a very light butter sauce, this is still one of my favorites. I usually get a side of pasta covered in a bolognese on the side - I can't resist their Italian fare, either.
Excellent bread and Italian wine list. VERY romantic for a first or second date...just don't order the spaghetti! ;)
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Entire family gatherings are rare. I don't like to leave the city, they don't like to come into the city, and we all pleasantly agree to disagree. So when lunch happens with everyone, it's a reason to celebrate.
Today was one of those rarities, with the cause for celebration being a random assortment of grandparent birthdays, Mother's Day and Father's Day. I wanted to treat, and gave my grandparents the choice of where to go. As it's been for years, make that decades, we were going to Scoma's.
I had been before, but that was pre-yelp, pre-city living, pre-healthy eating, pre-disdain for all things tourist. I was not optimistic. My mind raced with images of heavy food, excessive prices and more tourists than you can ever dream of. But for the gparents, it's always worth it.
So imagine my surprise when I actually enjoyed the food. This is old-time San Francisco, where people (i.e. my gparents) have been getting the same crab cake sando for years. And will continue doing so till the very end. Watching my grandpa throw down this mound of seafood sitting on top of some awesome sourdough bread certainly made me reflect on my good fortunate to be able to have this opportunity.
Their happiness is almost worth four stars alone, but I gotta hand it to Scoma's on the eats. Unlike the Catch Isle debacle from last week (read that review for more), this crab and shrimp came as it should, not drowning in mayo. So when you want your bread dry with just the seafood, Scoma's can deliver. Piled on each side were greens and fries, not a bad amount of food for $17, though still felt a tad overpriced.
And don't miss the breadsticks.
The fam finished with a drink and dessert, neither of which I was having at this time of day, regardless of whether I had to go back to work or not (I did). I snuck a taste of the blackberry cabernet sorbet, and the waiter wasn't kidding when he said it was one of the best he has ever had.
Reading my review I think I ended up yelping the experience more than the food. The former was priceless, the latter better than I expected. Everyone should hit this place at least once.
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I grew up coming to this place & have continued for over 3 decades. The food was and still is wonderful. During the busy hours, you can't hear your party's voice from across the table with all of the noise however, that didn't seem to matter much as we enjoyed the atmosphere and dinning experience. As an adult, I truly enjoyed the experience all the more and recommend it to all my friends who do the tourist thing down by the wharf.
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Scoma's is my first choice for any fine dining requiring seafood. The shellfish is excellent, as is the wine selection. Unfortunately they don't take reservations, so it's usually a good idea to show up about half an hour before you want to eat.
On a more personal note, when my girlfriend and I argue to the point of pans flying across the room, Scoma's is the ticket either towards redemption or simply to calm things down.
Was my favorite has gone way down hill. The calamari was the best ever and now is average at best. Unless you can travel back to the early 1990's avoid the high prices for average food with long waits.
Forget Allioto's, Pier 39 and all of the other tourist junk . . . Scoma's is a true and fine Fisherman's Wharf establishment, and the food and service is consistently great.
Scoma's has owned and operated their crab fleet for longer than any of us can remember, and serves up the freshest fish daily in the north Italian style. If you're looking for a classic San Francisco and dungenous crab experience, this is it!
PS: This is an old school restaurant . . . if you don't want to wait too long for a table . . . show the hostess your appreciation in advance for seating you sooner.
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Great seafood. A little expensive for what you get, but the view is beautiful and the quality is very good. All in all a fun place.
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Want to feel like a sardine in a can? Well then come to Scoma's!
So we waited for 20 minutes to get a table for three, and when they went to seat us, we were seated basically at the same table as the diner's next to us. There was like a 1/2 inch gap... seriously. The one dining room they were using had so many people in it the waitstaff were bumping into each other and the back of my chair. It was really stuffy and hot inside because of all the bodies in the tight little room. I can only assume that they were totally breaking fire code regulations by having so many people in that one dining room. Maybe this is how it always is... but, for such a pricey restaurant I kind of expected to be maybe, like, at least two inches away from our fellow diners.
The food was okay. Certainly overpriced. And certainly nothing special. I have been in SF for a few days now and all of the menus from every restaurant by the wharf are kind of running together. Nothing particularly stood out at Scoma's.
But man... that seating. That was bad.
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I always make sure I come to Scoma's during dine about town. Their Crab Louie is very good and they are not stingy with the crab meat either. Their service is a hit or miss depending on the mood of your server but their busboys are excellent, very attentive and very quick to refill your drinks. They do not take reservations but do offer free valet parking in their lot so expect to wait a while for a large party.
We went to Scoma's for my Dad's birthday this year. As usual the food was amazing. From my experiences service has been hit or miss, but it's never terrible.
My fiancee's fave dish here is the seared ahi tuna with veggies and mashed potatoes. The servings are so large that he can't even finish this dish (believe me, the boy can isn't known for leaving food on the plate). My favorite item is the crab saute, which actually isn't on the menu, but if you ask, most of the time the chef will make it for you. Their sautes are served on top of rice, with penne on the side, and a mix of seasonal veggies. The lazy man's cioppino is always great (the crab is already shelled for you), and my little sister really likes their risotto dishes.
The seafood here is always fresh, they have a full bar, you can wear jeans and eat a great meal, and will never leave hungry. The only reason I give it 4 stars is because on our latest visit our waiter told us crab was one of the special seafood items, and was really exceptional, however they refused to make the crab saute because he said they "were out of legs." This really struck me as odd, but whatever, I ordered the seared ahi, and it was fab.
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although scoma's is located in the heart of the most touristy area in san francisco, many locals from around the bay area still enjoy a nice meal here. not only is the seafood fresh and portions huge, but the wait staff are quite entertaining. this is a classical san francisco establishment; one which i often entertain out of town guests at. it can get crowded, however, since they do not take reservations. they do offer free valet parking so we usually put our names down and stroll the wharf and look for the 'branch guy" scaring unattentive tourists.
I know, I know, I'm supposed to be sick of Fisherman's Wharf since I've been here to eat at Scoma's so many times. I think it's totally overated, but no less, everytime friends or family visit this is where I take them for their San Francisco Wharf eating experience. I guess it's pretty good, maybe I'm just sick of ordering the crab and lobster bisque all the time????? My fault, it's a solid 4 stars...
The calamari is really fresh too...
A lil hidden... but its one of the best places to eat in that area. Last time I had the whole roasted crab there.... fresh, plump, crab meat :)
It can be busy to call ahead for reservations or be prepared to wait.
Checked this place out on a whim when I had a craving for seafood. Went here based on recommendations from Yelp.
Food: Average at best, but huge portions. Girlfriend said the pasta tasted like it came out of a can. I ordered crabcakes (3 decent sized ones) which were fair.
Service: Decent, the waiter has a great personality but forgot my coffee at the end of the meal and also seemed to be in a hurry with us yet take his time to make small talk with the other guests.
Price: Expensive, and definitely not worth it. We spent about $50/head w/o drinks for an appetizer, soup, and a main course. You can easily find better quality food elsewhere.
In general, don't know what's the hype about this place.
I've been here once a few years back and the food was amazing. My first time ever having the cioppino and I've been hooked ever since. Came here for lunch, had a great time and I can imagine dinnertime is just as romantic. Will be back for sure!
Having come here since I was a kid, I don't think the place has stood well over time. Nothing seems to change except packing in more tables and rising prices. Once I thought the place was an escape from the tourist traps, but that's before reality hit.
Classic SF experience. I really don't think it gets any better. It is away from the crowds of Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf. Check it out!!
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I've been going to Scoma's everytime I visited San Francisco since I was a child. So, a trip to San Francisco would not be complete without a visit to the famous sea food restaurant. My partner and I enjoyed a delicious meal gorging on seafood and other delights that did not disappoint the memories I had of top-notch food and service in my childhood.
We dined for lunch, which was probably the best choice for us. From years of visiting the restaurant I knew we had to arrive early to avoid the crowds and waits. That is probably the biggest piece of advice I would give to anyone: go early - whether it's an early lunch or an early dinner - get to the restaurant within the first 30 to 60 minutes of the meal (lunch begins at 11.30 and we were told the peak dinner times are 7p to 9p - so I would shoot to be there between 5 and 6.30p). We arrived around 11.15 and were one of the first five parties to be seated. This ensured great seating next to a window with quick and attentive service.
Both the partner and I ordered off of the prix fixe menu which was even cheaper because of a special going on until June 15 ($22 instead of the usual $24). Because we didn't have our heart set on anything, we thought the fixed menu was perfect for us. The meal came with soup or salad, an entree (pick one of four or five options), and a dessert (chef's choice). I enjoyed a flavorful caeser salad. The croutons were a little hard/stale, but the dressing was great. Partner thought the clam chowder was great and fresh-tasting. I picked the sole with mixed vegetables and mashed potatoes. The sole was cooked to perfection. The vegetables were perfectly cooked with lots of flavor. I got penne pasta instead of mashed potatoes - not sure why - but the oil/sauce they used complimented the fish well. Partner got the crab ravioli with salmon. The sauce was so good, the salmon tasted wonderful, and he says the ravioli was "excellent." For dessert we both enjoyed a chocolate mousse torte with rasberry syrup. The dessert was very good, though I'm not sure you couldn't get the same quality at any high-end restaurant. Overall, the flavor of the meal left us day dreaming for the rest of the afternoon.
The service was incredibly quick, friendly, and helpful. Our glasses were never empty. Our bread basket never went empty. Our finished plates were cleared quickly. And, each course was brought out quickly but with enough time between the dishes. Our waitress was attentive and helpful. She was not as chatty as some of the other waitstaff we had, but that might be because we typically are a couple that strays from that type of service.
The price of course is fairly high. However, I will say that the prix fixe left us both completely full until dinner (actually we ended up skimping terribly on dinner because we never really got fully hungry again). I was only able to finish half of my meal, so it actually gave us leftovers. We knew when we planned our trip there that this would be our highest priced meal, and we planned accordingly. As such, the prices were not shocking and for the quality of food we got, we thought it was worth it.
Our trip to Scoma's was sinfully delicious. My visit to the restaurant whenever I'm in the city will continue as a tradition yet again.
The only thing good I could say about Scoma is the portions are pretty big. I ate there 4/5 times and hated it. The food is bland and they put the same marinara sauce on everything. Definetly overpriced and a tourist trap!
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I'm currently visiting my sister in SF and after a long day taking in the sights, I decided to Yelp a place in order to ensure a great meal....sadly, both my sister and I were extremely disappointed in the highly sub par fare we encountered at Scoma's.
Decor: ...or lack there of. The place is very reminiscent of a typical seaside restaurant (reminds me of the type of place you see lining the shores of Cape Cod)...highly uninspired/shabby/tacky, but I was very ready to forgive the unsightly surroundings since we were really just there for a great meal.
Service: Mostly career servers --- knew how to do the job (timing was perfect) and were fairly friendly, but were not very helpful in making recommendations.
Food: Both my sister and I were very disappointed in our meals. I started with the butternut squash and crab soup -- seemed like an odd combo but it was the only inexpensive app on the menu (about 8 or 9 bucks compared to the $15+ for every other app) and I assumed since the place had received such great reviews that it would be fine. Wrong I was...the soup was average at best -- lacked flavor and the crab pairing did turn out to be odd.
I followed the soup with a lazy man's Cioppino -- a dish I often order from other restaurants....the portions were HUGE and the cioppino was definitely not properly seasoned. The seafood was fresh, but the lack of flavor was unsatisfying. My sister had the Pacific swordfish with mashed potatoes and vegetables. The swordfish was not seasoned at all and was on the overcooked side, the vegetables were reminiscent of cafeteria vegetables -- definitely reheated, and the mashed potatoes had that weird unsightly layer of crustiness (perhaps a product of sitting under the heat lamp for too long?).
Anyway...I wouldn't be complaining so much if the prices weren't so exorbitant -- considering the shabby setting, I just expected a whole lot more of the meal. I come from the land of shabby settings and great seafood (New England) and all I can say is that Scoma's was highly HIGHLY disappointing.
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People LOVE to rant and rave about this place, but news flash: it ain't all that by a LOOOONG shot.
At least it's not owned by an Alioto.
I don't like fueling the East-West feud, but another native New Englander saw right through it: with nothing but blah decor, fairly decent food and average service backing up the great views and astronomical prices, this spot wouldn't last six months out East.
Location is great, obviously. Quiet, tucked away on a pier with views of the fishing boats that still bring in what you're eating. And what you're eating is pretty good -- but just pretty good. That's it. And pretty good doesn't justify $50-60 a head.
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I am a tourist, and this is exactly what I wanted from Fisherman's Wharf. We'd visited the area a few times, since we try to make it to the wine country at least once every 16 months, but all the other places we'd been were misses.
Our cousins, who live near Antioch, took us to this place, and we were wowed. We went in the afternoon, since the three hour time difference had our stomachs thinking it was dinner time.
We started with an oyster sampler featuring local Tomales Bay oysters, then some others from Washington State. All were delicious, and so fresh! It was crab season, so we all got crab dishes - crab ravioli, crab risotto, and crab cakes. My husband finished his crab cakes before I could get a bite, so I'm assuming they were pretty good! My crab risotto was delicious.
The service was good and friendly. The view of the wharf in the sunshine was amazing. The fact that it's tucked away makes it seem like a real treasure trove.
It was the perfect start to a great week in the area, and now I recommend it to all my friends when they visit!
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Scoma's has the best seafood in SF! I know locals aren't crazy about it because of the tourist aspect, but if you live in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, than you just gotta deal..... Anyway, everything I have ordered there has been wonderful. The lazy man cioppino, colossal prawns and scallops and sand dabs! Yummy! The service is great too! They are the only restaurant that will bring my kids food out first.
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Scoma's does not offer reservations and estimated wait is about 45 minutes depending on which day of the week. I'm usually not convinced with walk-ins but this one is worth the while. Seafood was excellente pairing with the Ferrari-Carano Chardonnay. I highly recommend the Dungeness crab and clam chowder. Yummy!!
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The Shellfish Saute is FANTASTIC!! It is one of their most popular dishes, and does not dissapoint. While Scoma's doesn't take reservations, the space is big enough to accommodate a "walk in" group of 8 on a Thursday night evening. When we mentioned it was my stepdad's bday, our waiter made sure to recognize the event with a yummy raspberry cheesecake on the house. Pretty views of the Wharf as well, especially on a clear, sunny day.
Lots of tourists here and be prepared to wait cos they do not take reservations. Definitely try the sampler plate if you want a small taste of everything and I loved the firecracker popcorn shrimp in this platter. Highly recommend the grilled sea scallops risotto cos it was really tasty and the scallops were so succulent. The saute shrimp sec was pretty good too. I saw the cioppino on someone else's table and I want to dig into it but maybe next time :). Service here is excellent and yes, prices are a little high too....
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