Crab House at Pier 39

Photo - Yelp, Liz D.

Crab House at Pier 39, Lunch, Fisherman's Wharf
July 16, 2016

P:
Crab Cakes
Garlic Noodles with crab, parsley, garlic, paprika butter sauce

J:
Crab Caesar


Notes:
I know I've talked alotta smack about the quality of restaurants (or lack thereof) at Fisherman's Wharf, but we have a couple of friends who love this place and so we met them at the Crab House for lunch.

It seems they specialize in steamy, roasted cast-iron platters of seafood, plastic bibs recommended.  I came close to indulging in one of their sizzling skillets myself, but I would have been alone, and this is not something you do alone.  Maybe next time (?).

Instead, I played it safe with the Crab Caesar, and I was not disappointed.  Whole leaves of baby romaine were generously coated with dressing and grated Parmigiano, a small mound of crabmeat laid in the center.  It wasn't a life-altering salad, but it was a really good salad; no complaints.  Okay, well, the 1/2 roll/slab-crouton might have broken my teeth, but I managed.

Patrick enjoyed his crab cakes, though they weren't mostly-crab, as we prefer crab cakes to be.  Again, nothing life altering, but good.  The garlic noodles were a different story, though.  While nicely flavored, they were swimming in oil.  Swimming!!  (There was about an inch of oil in the bottom of his bowl.)  It was a huge turnoff.

Will there be a next time?  Based on Patrick's experience alone, I'd say not, but my salad was perfectly good and our friend across the table had some fabulous shrimp and chips (garlic fries, really).  We won't give up on this place altogether, though you might not find us there on our own.

Eagle Cafe

photo - Yelp, Audrey P.

Eagle Cafe, Lunch, Fisherman's Wharf
May 8, 2106

We stopped here after quick bite at The Codmother.  It was a beautiful, sunny day, we (6 of us) were on the wharf, the day called for oysters and cold beer, and since The Codmother had neither, we had to find another spot.

Before I go any further, I must tell you that I don't have many good things to say about the food in and around Fisherman's Wharf.  Most of it just isn't very good.*  This area is the quintessential tourist trap, in that there is little more to do here than peruse the endless array of souvenir shops and wax museums.  I'm oversimplifying of course; I'm sure Fisherman's Wharf is perfectly lovely for some.  But anyway, there we were, in Fisherman's Wharf with a group of people in need of oysters and cold beer, and the best spot we could find was on Pier 39, the mothership of the Wharf.

Aaannd there was a 45 minute wait for that best spot.  Sooo, we went next door to a place called Eagle Cafe, and had some of the most mediocre seafood you could ever have while practically sitting on the ocean.  It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't good and it was expensive.  Patrick liked his lobster bisque okay, though thought it tasted more of cream than lobster.  The fried calamari was fine.  The oysters were average.  The crab cocktail was...actually, that one was decidedly not good.  The crab tasted watered down, I highly doubt it was local (based on its placement on the menu and since crab has had a tough season around here lately), and I'm not even sure it was fresh (vs frozen).  The cocktail sauce was pretty much ketchup, and hard, stale water crackers were served alongside with a sad, slimy little lemon.  Yuck.  Overall, I've had fresher, more flavorful seafood in Austin.  That's in Texas, people, and it's landlocked.  What's wrong with this picture?


*Patrick disagrees with this statement.  There is one place worth going to, he says, but since he hasn't taken me there I can not corroborate this claim.

*(part II) I am a sucker for the clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl at Boudin, though.

*(part III) Okay, and The Codmother; that place is good.

The Codmother Fish & Chips

photo - Yelp, Steve R.

The Codmother Fish & Chips, Lunch, Fisherman's Wharf
May 8, 2016

P&J:
Fish and Chips
Combo (Fish/Shrimp/Chips)


Notes:
If you ever want need fish and chips in San Francisco, this food truck in Fisherman's Wharf is the place to go.  The pieces of cod are sizable, the batter coating fries to a puffy, golden crisp without being overly greasy.  The chips are fantastic.  The fried shrimp are plump and juicy.  If they served beer (our friend wanted needed beer), we would have been there all day, but instead had a snack (or 1st lunch) and moved on.  In a sea (heh.) of horrible options on Fisherman's Wharf, this is a little gem; though not a hidden one, apparently, I hear the line can get outta hand.

We would definitely go back.