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Categories: Seafood, Seafood Markets [Edit]
Neighborhood: Nob HillMon-Sat. 8:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
"4-6PM Happy Hour is great here. Not cheap but still great. $1 & $2 oysters...personally the $1 ones were so good I felt bad for splurging…" read more »
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LOVES IT!
Yes, there is always a line (the place is just a front window and long bar with stools). Yes, It looks like a hole in the wall. And yes, it is AMAZING!!
Smoked salmon with onion and capers, oysters, a seafood combination cocktail and a beer= A PERFECT MEAL! Hands down my favorite seafood spot in SF! A must!
They are still family owned open Mon. thru Sat but only until 5:30. WARNING- They don't take cash and they are pricey
Fanny Bay, crab joints and urchin gonads.
All in all, an amazing experience at the Swan Oyster Depot. Perfectly timed at 10:45am and properly dosed with Chandon splits, the Swan impressed me with its service, selection and history.
A beautiful selection of fresh catch in the window greets passersby. Out of a selection of tasty oysters, my favorite was the Fanny Bay. Tart, buttery and salt-infused. Cracked crab legs yielded surprising meat finds. The Louie Sauce was delectable and tart; we found it irresistable with the sourdough. Fresh smoked salmon with capers scooped out of a massive, Costco sized jar with a fork, means good eats with a focus on quality food. The sea urchin finale was almost too much but I found out that the buttery, tangy meat inside of its spikey exterior is its gonads. Disturbing? Yes, but tasty with a little fresh lemon.
The Swan Oyster Depot is a lovely find in a world of great places to eat in San Francisco. When you notice antique photos on the walls and see those same stools supporting your backside, you wonder who else has enjoyed a similar meal in Swan. Its history and commitment to quality food is impressive. I'm grateful for wonderful friends that introduce me to the hidden gems of this city. Yum.
Go. Do not hesitate. Do not go late. Enjoy the angels of seafood as they lavish it upon you. And be thankful. Dangit. =)
Anchor Steam, lotsa fresh sourdough, clam chowder oh yes, oysters on the half shell, prawn and crab salad oh my...just keep eating.
I concur with perfection.......I always tell friends who visit to go here at 11 am and start the day with the best oyster experience in SF
hands down absolutely perfect
they sell their horseradish for $2 a jar as well
no time to wait in line?
order by phone to pick up and you're in and out in a couple of minutes
having a party?
Order from here and you can just pick it up, and put it on a serving dish at home and go with it
OYSTER CRACKERS!!!!
If you've won my mother's heart and taste buds, you know you're a shoe in. And you did. The woman who says "yea I guess it was okay" to every meal we ever meet, openly admits to craving the seafood salad.
I love taking guests here. Cup of clam chowder, an assortment of oysters, fresh seafood salad and a beer--- the perfect lunch.
Mom approved.
When you're 1000+ Yelps into San Francisco life, it's always nice to find a place that makes you feel like you're discovering the city's charm for the first time. And Swan's is one of those places--whoever said it was a "tourist trap" or "over-hyped" obviously got stuck in line too long (we had no problem at 11:00 on a weekday). So come in, hang your coat on the wall, grab a stool at the counter, and prepare to receive the sea's bounty.
Now normally I don't find oysters to be worth the sticker shock, but fortunately I was going on the company's dime so I was able to just focus on deciding what deliciousness I wanted to sample. Even then, as a relative novice I found the disjointed menu on the wall a bit overwhelming. Fortunately, the guys who work the bar are consummate masters of dishing out sage (and friendly) advice. In the end I got to try 2 kinds of oyster (dipped in horseradish, vinegar, and cocktail sauce), a cup of clam chowder, and a plate of smoked trout and salmon with bread and butter. My colleagues swear allegiance to the hefty crab salad, but I demurred this time as the local crab season hadn't started yet.
Yes it was worth the wait! The clam chowder was a little lighter than the typical chowder but I really enjoyed its sublety. The shrimp and crab cocktail was tasty and fresh. Staff was great as they offered a beer while waiting in line. The strangers seated on each side of me chatted me up and helped make this a fun lovin delectable lunch!
Although once upon a time, they were known for California-style Shrimp Fandango and Little Neck oysters, but these days Swan Oyster Depot celebrates 97 years of classic seafood raw bar service.
The bar stools are about that old too.
It's a bit of tourist trap, but the guys here are really cool and the food is decent. It's certainly not the best raw bar in SF, just has that quintessential divey/old school feel.
The sea lives here.
While the wait can be daunting, there is no doubt, that this charming SF spot is enduring for a reason.
Every visit reminds me of why I love seafood, and at Swan's it's delivered in the most natural way, allowing you to truly taste the years of cultivated taste.
Recently, I came by with my mother, and while the wait was a good hour, once we were seated, we quickly let the legs rest and jumped into their clam chowder. It's a bit different here, not as thick as other places, more on the watery side, but the delicate flavors of the sea are crammed into each spoonful.
I highly recommend the Combination Salad, which is a cold bed of lettuce topped with chunks of crab meat, heavy amounts of shrimp, and finished with gigantic prawns. I ask for the dressing on the side, so I can truly enjoy the pieces on the salad.
The dressing is phenomenal though. Curb that diet, because this delightful thousand island dressing will make you earn it on the treadmill.
Obviously, if you're here, you must try the Oysters. We ordered a dozen blue point, and they will disappear faster than the line outside. You have your choice of horseradish, cocktail sauce and their home made dressing. All of which will only add to your love of your dozen.
Swans is a tiny venue, with only 12 stools, but what truly makes this place unique are the servers. We had the pleasure of having Michael work with us, and he was top notch. Warm, funny, and allowed us to maneuver through our meal with ease.
Michael embodies why Swan's has been around so long. Fantastic service, that has SF values at it's core. Seafood straight from the sea, and served with unabashed straightforwardness.
This is a SF must, and while at some point in the line you may think of ejecting and satisfying your hunger somewhere else, stay put, and get ready to enter into seafood radiance.
Great spot in SF. Awesome if you like seafood and the family friendly environment will keep me coming back again and again.
If it were possible, I'd give this place zero stars.
The clam chowder was horrible. Read through some of the lesser-ratings, and a pattern emerges - the clam chowder is watery, greasy, contains almost no clam and no potato and thus no flavor. Come on San Francisco - this cannot the chowder to represent our city.
The seafood was fresh. But that's not so special in our fair city. Here, they drowned everything in thousand island dressing and cocktail sauce - boring!
The atmosphere is unique - old-fashioned diner style. But with the long line and counter sitting, it didn't make for a pleasant dining experience.
There are so many other great seafood options in the City. Skip this one.
Go after 1pm to avoid the crowds. The oysters were excellent. The crab salad was full of whole pieces of crab meat, making the $19 worth it. But the clam chowder was a bit disappointing, lacking flavor. Very friendly staff.
Any place that most of the patrons are fishermen themselves is a place to get your craving on for seafood. Oysters are delicious and very fresh, crab is divine and the meat sweet, and the clam chowder is very good.
Staff is sweet and quick... this place is a must when in San Francisco
Having also been to hog island at the ferry market building, the two places couldn't contrast more in style. whereas hog island has the bay views and the drooling yuppies that come with being in ferry market, swan oyster has tradition, the sea-salty, fishy (in a good way) smell, and grittiness- a place where fishermen and sailors with big tattoos might eat. also, i love bar table seating at restaurants because you get the see the kitchen and all the craziness that goes on into making your dish, and this is the only type of seating they have here.
We got there at around 4 so the wait was only about 10 minutes. seafood was just as fresh but there was a lot more variety to choose from. our shucker/server was really friendly and patient with us as me and the g/f dooked it out to get what we wanted on the menu on the wall. we looked to our right and left and saw single diners eating mounds of seafood by themselves. it was a good sign.
We went with: 6 oysters (a mix of kumamoto and another local type) served on a bed of ice with the usual trimmings: all really good and particularly the kumamotos new england clam chowder: as some of the other yelpers have posted, it's more of a soup than a chowder, and it's not as thick and rich as others I'm used to on the east coast, but it does have plenty of clam flavor in it; and scallop sashimi, japanese style with wasabi and ginger: it was as fresh and buttery as any I've eaten at a sushi restaurant.
They had run out of the famed crab salad, which I hope to try the next time i'm back in sf. overall, this place deserves its hype: the seafood is diverse and fresh, the shucker/servers are helpful, and the bar seating gets you closer to all the work that goes into your food
AMAZING. So fresh, so unpretentious and worth the price. The Blue Points here were better than any I've had back home. The "sashimi" plate which was off menu was perfect! Halibut, salmon, ahi and scallops drenched in lemon, olive oil, purple onion and capers! Delicious! The sourdough was amazing, spring the buck for it! I'll be back fellas!
This place is rad. Get the Oysters on the half shell, a beer, and enjoy the scenery. The guys that work here are super cool and funny, and really take you back to how the place might have been 50 year's ago. I've had better clam chowder, but it's still worth ordering.
Fresh seafood. Funny, genuine, and sometimes gritty extremely experienced charismatic servers/fishmongers. (I mean that as a compliment.) This counter-based restaurant is a raw bar in the most extreme sense of the concept. One long bar with a crowd of people waiting to get in, to sit shoulder-to-shoulder with strangers, all of whom are indulging in and enjoying freshly shucked oysters, crab louie salads, clams, clam chowder, and the most delectable smoked salmon I have ever had the luck to enjoy.
I love this place. Had I the time and money, I would eat here every day. I WISH they had an eating competition, if you can eat X amount of oysters, your meal is free, because I would try for a win every time. Seriously the best seafood I have found in the city, simple, honest, fresh, and delicious. Consistent. Fantastic. Go here. Or better, don't, and keep a counter seat free for my oyster-loving butt.
if i could give swan 3.5 stars, i would. but i'm feeling nice today so i'll round up.
there were four in our party. we got to the joint at about 3pm on a monday, so we only waited for about 5mins. we each got a bowl of clam chowder, which was not bad, but wasn't good either. it was watery as other reviews will mention, but it was chock-full of clams and not greasy at all. we were also given two loaves of bread without question - but as we got our tab together we learned we were charged for it.
we ordered the oysters on a half-shell, seafood cocktail, shrimp cocktail, salmon platter and the calamari salad. the oysters were terrific, the calamari salad good but everything else was drowned in cocktail sauce.
service was friendly albeit slow. the counter seats about 15 folks and if you come in with a purse or jacket you really don't have a place to set your things.
I was thinking of giving this place 3 stars because I was really let down by the clam chowder and cherrystone clams that started and ended my meal.
Then I thought about everything that was great about my early lunch at Swan Oyster Depot.
First, the crab head is given away for free and it tasted delicous!
Second, the Blue Point and Kumamoto oysters were fresh, flavorful and tasty!
Third, the sashimi platter, which consisted of salmon, scallop and albacore was a bargain for $11.
Fourth, the casual family atmosphere at Swan can not be beat.
Four stars because I will definitely be back.
Love this place but its always a wait but totally worth it.
This place has been on my list for a long time. And I know why - AWESOME.
Perhaps the freshest seafood I've ever been served. Clam chowder was very good. The Seafood Salad Louie included - shrimp - large and small, crab (dungeonous of course), and smoked salmon with Louie on the side. The crab was great, but I think I'm having flashbacks over the salmon. The kumamoto oysters were super sweet and super fresh.
The family has been running the place for decades. The focus and result is fresh seafood perfection.
Plus its on Polk which is one of the more outstanding streets in SF.
if you like seafood and oysters on a half shell... this place is a must.
oh by the way the best freaking clam chowder i have ever had....
six stars... you are an idiot if you are a seafood lover and dont go here... an IDIOT for not going!
enjoy
God... Fresh scallop, great prawns cocktail
Amazingly good price.
Wow this was delicious. I'd give it five stars, but i'm not that easy. I came here on the weekend which was a mistake. I had to wait over an hour just to get inside (This wasn't as big a deal as it sounds. Everyone on line was pleasent and friendly).
Once I got inside though, I was greated by outgoing and quarky waiters. I had come with the intention of eating just Oysters, but while online I heard rave reviews about the Clam Chowder, and the Seafood Salads. Never one to miss out on anything, I tried them all.
I started with a combination plate of Oysters, which were sooooo good. Then the soup, and finally, the salad. The oysters were by far the star for me, but the soup was rather good too. If I came back, I would get both again. The seafood salad was also quite tasty, but I'd rather spend the money on MORE oysters.
Definitely stop by here.
P.s
Even after all those entrees I still ordered more Oysters!
Look, I'm not going to say that the Chowder is the best for my particular tastes but there is no denying that it was good. I prefer mine a little thicker but they did deliver on fresh chunks of clams. I also had oysters on the half. They gave me one of each type of oyster they had coming in from the world over. It was interesting to be able to take that tour and enlighten myself as to the type of oysters I like better. The education alone was helpful.
Everyone inside was extremely helpful and accommodating.
All I wanted was yummy fresh crab for my birthday dinner this year. I searched yelp like crazy trying to find affordable seafood in SF. I noticed that everyone on yelp had good review for Swan Oyster Depot. They were right. What a great yummy place with a small fun atmosphere. Amazing crab, shrimp and much more. The wait can be a good one but thankfully you can have a beer or two to kill some time. I can't wait to go back. What a fun place
If you want the freshest seafood in town, look no further. I'm especially a fan of the combination salad where they pile on rock shrimp, prawns and crab. Also, the oysters (Wash, Oregon, Japanese and local) are great too. I've had the clam chowder too which is by far, way better than the bread bowl stuff you get down in Fisherman's Wharf.
Be sure to block out a good amount of time because the wait can be brutal. There are approximately 16 diner seats available which allows for intimate seating - think MUNI - next to other seafood hounds, but this makes the interaction with the all knowing servers priceless.
I especially like that they serve Stella Artois on tap. It goes extremely well with the delicacies of the sea. If you're not a fan of Stella, you can opt for Anchor Steam, a brew made locally in the Potrero Hill neighborhood of San Francisco.
As far as pricing goes, two of us spent $75 and walked out satisfied and full. Granted I could have gone back that evening if they were open! Only lunches here folks!
What is the point of Yelping your trip to San Francisco where everything has 400+ reviews? Why, to make a list of course!
The people behind the counter were amazing. They were all super friendly and very out going. Plus, it's fun to see them pouring all of the liquids and cups of ice at their feet. They must have some amazing non-slip mats back there.
The food was tasty. Everything tastes fresh. The oysters had great flavor. I'm not a big fan of their cocktail sauce though. That was the only thing I thought was lacking in flavor.
This is a really cool place to go if you want to introduce someone to the world of raw oysters. For a decent price you can sample three types and they are more than happy to explain the differences to you.
It's a great experience, especially if you're a tourist.
Mmm.. this place is exactly what you think of when you think: men, baseball, clutter, fun, simple and old town San Francisco... this is where it's at. There is a line becasue they do not take reservations. There is a line out the door because the same folks have owned it for so many years and the spot is long and very narrow. Jackets on the wall, purses on your lap ladies.. folks need room to get by you to get to the bathroom, Way in the back. It's a bar style seating so the guys are all in front of you the whole time, easy to get around and quick. People know to kind of eat fast, the service is fast, these guys have the routine down because they have such a following.. So the crab goes first, if you are there after 1 then don't count on getting yourself any crab or the combo plater: tiger prawns, shrimp and crab.. But the prawns and shrimp louie is good too! The clam chowder is where you start, nice little cup with a glass of white wine: $7, all the glasses are $7.. (it's easy.. simple men, it works). Then you go to the oysters, if you feel good about it and don't kow much about oysters, let the guys pick them for you or just get the... yes, the combo plate..because it's easy.
Finish with a louie.. some sort of louie. They do the louie salad dressing and they also let you have the vinegar dressing instead if you'd rather. Their vinegar is so yummy and tangy, they make it there.. and there are post its all over the jugs reading "don't touch", simple.. to the point. I love this place. No confusion, you come here and wait a bit and you leave happy.
This place has been around for such a long time. We went here and had the shrimp cocktail and tons… Read more »
All my long and lucky life I've been a guest at this tiny, family operated fish counter that has the best crab, shrimp and prawns available in this seafood port. They have just about any other fresh fish you might want and will order what they don't normally carry. It's a family operation with brothers, cousins and other kin manning all stations for the five or six hours they're open Monday through Saturday. The only time one can avoid standing in line seems to be a rainy weekday around 11:00 AM and otherwise there is always a line, sometimes as long as the cable car lines at Powell Street or Fisherman's Wharf.
They serve beer and wine, and soda over crushed ice like what they lay all their fresh seafood on in the window facing Polk Street at California. There are usually about seven guys behind the counter and they talk with themselves and all their guests from here and points all over the globe. They start you off with sliced sourdough made by Boudin for them and chucks of cold butter and that's addictive in itself and there's no limit.
They have their famous chowder, seafood saladsof every kind, the delicious sourdough and a couple other items that require no cooking. This place is loved by San Franciscans and it seems like every tourist to our city makes a pilgrimage to this charming marble counter. A must visit.
So funny how my buddy who is a true native to SF, has never gone into this place. Somehow I was lucky enough to talk him into it today. We were both virgins.... and Michael our server was amazing. He was super friendly... smiling the entire time, giving us his advice which was incredible... Emily, a local regular who was in line with us also gave us tips on what to order. Yes there is a line because they to do not take reservations, but if you enjoy fresh fish, it is so worth the wait. And it's not your typical sit-down-table type of restaurant.... which is what makes it so different and appealing at the same time. It has one long bar that probably seats 12 or more people... not sure exactly how many, but it is small... thus the long wait out the door. Swan Oyster Depot is only open for lunch and is very casual... not fancy at all. Perfect... because I was wearing my baseball hat, yoga-Marina-gear... and was so craving Crabs since they are now in season.
We had the clam chowder... which is totally different from what one would expect... still very good. Sashimi... scallops, salmon, halibut, and ahi tuna... that literally melted in your mouth. Crab Louie (not sure if I'm spelling that right) and the dozen oysters were also delicious.
I have to say the food was great, but the service is phenomenal... Michael catered to us like our own personal seafood chef. Excellent customer service and of course the delicious fresh seafood entices me to definitely come back again and again.
Yummm I was a fan before I even stepped foot in this place. These guys are the best at what they do.
4 words.....
SOME DAMN GOOD OYSTERS!!
As an SF native, I have never felt like a tourist in this town until I sat at the counter of Swan Oyster Depot. Service is friendly, wait was to be expected. Window filled with seafood made my eyes bigger.
I found it interesting how each server who prepared a salad, carefully placed each seafood piece on the bed of lettuce. Lots of seafood in the salad! Clam chowder is tasty with the fresh oyster crackers and sourdough bread. Yum. Oysters - 3 different types were yum as well.
It's a tad cozy and it wasn't until the guy sitting next to me left that I could actually move my chair up to the counter. I didn't realized till after we ordered that there's a whole other off the menu list of items that you could ask for.
Honig Sauv. Blanc - excellent choice!
Their seafood was definitely gooood and fresh. The staff was friendly... this joint is family owned, father, daugher, son... all work there.
But I was just disturbed by the cleanliness... or lack thereof. They display their seafood near the front and you can see that they grab the seafood in handfuls (nice portions) but they wear no gloves. There is water and stuff everywhere on their counter and they don't really wipe down the counter you eat on either.
Their homemade horseradish (which is very good), lemons, oyster chips, are out on the counter and meant to be shared. But I wondered if there were double-dippers seated before me? The bowl of lemons had fresh and already squeazed quarters....
But I must say, even with that... I sat there and ate all my crab salad and oysters! And it was yummy.
This place sets the standard for what an Oyster joint should be like. The Oysters were fresh (he was shucking them 4 feet from me), the service was great with a family style feel to it, and the atmosphere made you feel like you were sitting on the boat as they hauled the oysters in the boat. Also, had the crab salad which was delicious. It was a lot of crab sitting on a bed of crisp lettuce with dressing on the side.
I have had oysters as fresh as this, but it is the whole experience that is what sets this place apart.
Also, I advise you keep the group small (2 people or less) or it will take forever to find a seat (together).
I'm loath to post about this place because it's such a treasure, and it's already so small and the lines already so long, but ...
This place is a San Francisco institution, Go.
The oysters served here are as fresh as they could get. The cocktail sauce adds a nice touch of acidity to these wonderfully tasty sea creatures.
Despite their name, they serve much much more than just oysters. Definitely try their scallop sashimi. Your waiter/chef will most likely slice the raw scallops in front of you and chat away gregariously, they really remind me of Japanese itamaes. They serve two styles of sashimi -- Eastern and Western. The Western sashimi pieces are drizzled with olive oil and topped with capers; Eastern style involves a drop of Sriracha sauce with some ponzu shouyu sauce on the side. I personally prefer the Eastern style much more.
They also serve free kani-miso (kani = crab, miso indicates the texture/appearance of miso paste) -- top half of a crab. It's essentially a mixture of brains and eggs served in its original shell, or... if you prefer, a cholesterol bomb in a shell. It's amazingly delicious, but many people find them disturbingly disgusting (it's okay, they are wrong).
Expect to wait about one hour in line, depending on your group's size. It's definitely worth the wait!
I'm from Toronto, and I am a seafood lover. When I travel somewhere that's near the ocean the first thing I do is seek out seafood, naturally. I visited San Francisco in search of THE most authentic, best place to eat the freshest seafood, especially oysters. Hands down, Swan Oyster Depot is that place. It's fucking awesome. I don't even know what else to say. But here's my experience anyways:
I wait for not too long, maybe about 20 minutes or so. The guy in front of me is a regular and assures me that this place is the best. The lineup at 3 in the afternoon has me agreeing. I sit down at the counter and order a beer from one of the guys that clearly have been doing this for ages. A huge piece of smoked salmon sits in front of me, getting sliced periodically throughout my meal. The guy gives me a taste. It's delicious. I get a dozen oysters on ice which are so fresh; I usually prefer east coast oysters but this west coast bunch is among the best I've ever had. The clam chowder is also terrific. Next time I'll have to go back for a crab salad, which appeared to be one of the most popular items.
The food is no-frills delicious, the staff equally as no-frills and friendly. Being able to sit at this seafood counter and watch everything in action was a great experience.
bypassed the lunch queues as we arrived shortly before 11am.
the oysters were delicious and fresh, and great with their homemade mignonette. we got their sashimi plate (salmon, ahi tuna, scallops, and sardines) italian style, which had olive oil, capers, and diced onions -- great twist to sashimi. we also had the crab cocktail with louie sauce, and a cup of their clam chowder. out of all the above mentioned, i loved the crab the most. the meat was so sweet, and they did not skimp on the portions.
the servers are great, and work hard to shuck, slice, and crack all the seafood.
Ever since I've moved into the neighborhood, I wanted to try Swan Oyster Depot. The long lines I saw everyday of the week kept me away until now. This place has some of the freshest seafood in the city. Their clam chowder, combination salad (shrimp, prawns, crab), and smoked salmon were excellent. I didn't get to order the oysters, but the women next to me ordered the sampler, and I overheard the server explain where each of the oysters came from.
The servers are mostly men with kick ass personalities, so you'll see a lot of friendly flirting going on to keep the female customers happy. A reverse Hooters minus the buffalo wings.
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