Pier 23 Cafe

Doesn't Recommend

Art L

Joined 2 years ago

Do not go there. My wife and I went to this restaurant, based on Guy Fieri's recommendation on his TV show, DDD.

The feature appetizer was peel and eat shrimp. I have had thousands of peel and eat shrimp in dozens of restaurants. Theirs were the worst ever, by far. The shrimps were over cooked. The shells would not peel. They had not been deveined. The sauce tasted commercial bottled.

I had a bowl of chowder; my wife had the fish tacos. They were very ordinary.

Service was abysmal. Inconsistent and not friendly.

No one asked us the usual, "how was everything". I guess they didn't want to hear yet another negative answer.

I sent an email to the owner. I got an insincere reply, with no offer of compensation.

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Casi C

Joined 3 years ago

Best Spot on a Sunny San Francisco day. Came here on a hot sunny day for lunch with the whole office. We sat outside so we could get our tan on as we munched on chicken wings, nachos, calamari, and drank some tasty brews. When the meals came I wanted to stick my fork in everyone plate because everything looked so good! My friend had mac n cheese which was just so creamy and delicious! I had the ceviche which was filled with lots shrimp and fish and perfectly spicy. I really loved everything I was able to try, so I will definitely be back on another sunny San Francisco day!

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quandenise

Joined 5 years ago

Casual Outdoor drinking and dining!. If it's sunny in SF, you should run here to hang out.

I think the food is a little expensive for the dive bar atmosphere, but it's worth the fact that if you are here, you are outside and in the sun.

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Smitty101

Joined 4 years ago

Best Drinking Place on a Sunny Day. Cheap drinks, plastic chairs and tables characterize this dive over the water. Best place on a sunny afternoon, when you'd rather not be working. Weekends are good too!

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SummerLuvin

Joined 4 years ago

Great Patio. This is a hole in the wall bar, but has a great view from the patio. We had the nachos and they were excellent! It's great to get away from the hustle and bustle of Pier 39. The service, however, was extremely slow and the waitress was more interested in her one big table than all the little ones. Also, be ready to stand in line for the bathroom, ladies. There are only 2 stalls and there is usually a line that goes through the bar.

Doesn't Recommend

natsky

Joined 5 years ago

Absolutely Terrible!. We had to make so many phone calls to try to reserve this restaurant for a party of 75. No one followed up with my messages and I had to keep calling to have someone reserve it. Finally I was able to talk to someone named "Mac" and he took down our food order. When I get there, there was another party still in the patio area that I had reserved for our party. These people wouldn't leave, and when I went to talk to "Mac", he says to me, "You can take your party somewhere else!" I was in shock! I couldn't believe that he would say something like that when he obviously messed up and double booked two parties at the same time, and we were ready to spend thousands of dollars that night! The waitresses, however, were accomodating, which is more than I could say about that "Mac" person. The food was ok, but nothing special. I would not recommend this place to have a party at. The management team is totally unprofessional and rude. Only if you want to stop by and have a few drinks and look at the view. But there are so many other better places on the water that you can do that at. Like Butterfly!

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babybird74

Joined 5 years ago

Meh.... I know that season/weather, company, ambience etc affects one's dining experience but, personally, I write restaurant reviews based on one thing: the food. The food at Pier 23 is, in my opinion, a mixed bag. This was by first ever visit to San Francisco and, as a self-confessed foodie, I was desperate to try the famous clam chowder. Oh my gad, was their chowder amazing: thick, creamy, loaded with clammy goodness; it couldn't have been any better. I ordered their Fisherman's Platter as my entree, and I was miserably disappointed. Everything was so heavily breaded and greasy; there were no distinct flavors; the fries were embarrassingly McDonaldsy; the highlight was the mediocre coleslaw. Big Bird's fish and chips were decent enough but, come on, where's the cod?? I'd go back again for the chowder, and I'm sure it would be a wonderful spot to partay during the summer, but I'd give the food a miss.

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lool

Joined 6 years ago

Nice Informal alternative to San Francisco dining prices. I used to eat/drink at Pier 23 when I lived in the city, so being able to take a friend on Saturday afternoon to soak up some sun and good food was a treat. The service was friendly, but not pretentious (as always) and the light breeze complimented the views of sailboats on the bay. Fairly inexpensive. I hade the crab & shrimp sandwich on Sourdough w/ fries ($14) and I think that was the most expensive item on the menu! (Nice respite from some of the overpriced restaurants in the city.) There's no parking, but its only about a 10min walk from the Ferry Building. They also have live music in the evening and a fun, laid-back atmosphere.

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trojanstace

Joined 6 years ago

Great view!!!. We went during the day and got a great table outside with an awesome view of the water. The food was good, great atmosphere and flowing drinks. Loved it!

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zantashelper

Joined 6 years ago

Great Team. Wow... just found this site! I sooo much loved Pier 23 many years ago (about 10 in number) ;-) i wonder if it is still the same! Great athmosphere, nice music and very nice people working there! i wonder if anyone of them is still there... Denis, Frank, Santos, Thorsten.... Hope to be there one day again! ;-) Greetings from Austria! Birgit