Swan Oyster Depot
Seafood restaurant · Polk Gulch
1517 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94109
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69776272/swan_oyster_depot.0.jpg "Swan Oyster Depot by Daniel Krieger/Eater SF")
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8090781/swan_oyster_depot.jpg "Swan Oyster Depot by Daniel Krieger/Eater SF")
Highlights
Iconic seafood counter serving fresh oysters, crab, sashimi
Iconic seafood counter serving fresh oysters, crab, sashimi
"An affordable-oysters restaurant and longtime tourist destination, and an Anthony Bourdain favorite for crab legs in Louie sauce, oysters, and draft beer, has recently drawn negative attention online after a local influencer shared a video allegedly showing a "blue hat adorned with stars, stripes, and the numbers 45 and 47" inside the restaurant. The numbers, according to the San Francisco Standard, are a common reference to Trump's two terms in office. Reddit users reposted the influencer’s screenshot, drawing some ire in the comments. This incident adds to the establishment's history of controversies, most notably a 2021 episode in which local designer Tin Dinh and his sister were reportedly called "dim sum" multiple times by a staffer; at the time owner Jimmy Sancimino told Eater the term referred to customers who order from multiple staff members." - Paolo Bicchieri
"The famous lines at this institution have been known to drive people to consume seafood as early as 10 a.m. Without a website or social media, Swan’s reigns supreme for several good reasons — the tight, impossibly fresh menu, the much-imitated Sicilian crudo, and the irreplaceable classic San Francisco vibes." - Flora Tsapovsky
"The Chicago office is in town for the week, and you know some members of the team are prolonging their stays through the weekend. Tell them to save their per diems, and take them to Swan Oyster Depot on Saturday morning so they can load up on the fresh seafood that’s harder for them to get back home. Get a few dozen oysters, some raw scallops, and the smoked salmon. Just make sure they take a picture of the scribbled-on napkins that serve as receipts here." - will kamensky
"Since opening in 1903, Swan Oyster Depot has been SF’s poster child for an old-school seafood institution. The cash-only spot with 18 wooden stools has received more national screen time than most State Farm commercials. And over a century later, a mix of tourists and regulars still line up outside the Nob Hill restaurant for hours (yes, even at 8am when they open) for the chance to slide in along the worn marble counter, crack into a Dungeness crab leg, and order Sicilian sashimi off the secret menu, which became not-so-secret after the invention of Google. The fame isn’t without controversy, though—allegations of racist remarks towards customers make the fresh-as-hell seafood taste a little bitter. Sure, the seafood is excellent, and the charm of ordering off a handwritten menu that hasn’t changed since before you were born is undeniable. But if you want to minimize your chances of being yelled at while eating oysters, clam chowder, or anything else from the ocean, there are lots of other equally great (and better) seafood options in the city. Food Rundown photo credit: Julia Chen Sicilian Sashimi Technically, this dish is on the secret menu, but it’s one of the most-ordered entrees here. Thick slices of salmon, tuna, and scallops are lined up into a raw fish rainbow, doused in olive oil (hence, Sicilian), and finished off with capers and sea salt. It’d be a miss to leave without ordering this. photo credit: Julia Chen Crab Cocktail It’s a crab cocktail. Nothing more, nothing less. This is an especially good choice if you want to eat crab legs without having to crack and peel one yourself. photo credit: Remy Galvan-Hale Boston Clam Chowder Thinner than other versions around town, a bowl of this gets the job done if you’re looking to line your stomach with cream before going all in on sea creatures. photo credit: Remy Galvan-Hale Oysters You’re at Swan Oyster Depot, so you’re ordering oysters (mignonette, lemon, and hot sauce are on hand). They arrive ice-cold, plump, and shimmering, like any briny bivalve should be." - Julia Chen
"One of the city’s most popular places for smoked salmon, crab salad, and, yes, oysters is this 2000 America’s Classics winner. The restaurant has no website or social media presence, but real ones know to head to Polk Gulch for the long lines and Anthony Bourdain-approved fare. In 2021 restaurant co-owner Jimmy Sancimino was accused of using racist language with a customer, an allegation the business refuted." - Paolo Bicchieri
