PPQ Dungeness Island
San Francisco, CA 94121
Phone: (415) 386-8266
- Price:
- $$
- Cross Street:
- 24th Avenue
- Hours:
- Wed-Mon 11am-10pm
Editorial Review for PPQ Dungeness Island – by Bethany Jean Clement
The Scene
Families, couples and friends pack in at close-set tables under faux palm trees and a big mural of a tropical Vietnamese bay. There's no music to distract from the incredible meal, and the lights are bright--the better to see it by. The kitchen can be slow, which is deliciously excruciating as those around you dig in.
The Food
Almost everyone in the room wears anomalous plastic "I Love Ribs" bibs while dismantling crustaceans with varying degrees of grace. For the full experience, order the special dinner for two (or more). The prelude is above-par imperial rolls and a dynamite chicken-cabbage salad freshened with mint leaves. Then it's bib time: Whole roasted crab is speckled with garlic from its messy, delicious broth into which diners can dip the sweet, moist meat. Accompanying house garlic noodles look deceptively plain, but possess an uncommon subtlety and deliciousness.
Editorial content is independent of paid advertisers. Any expenses are paid for by Citysearch.
Insider Tips
When to GoTime your visit during San Francisco's spectacular crab season, which runs from mid-November until late spring.
Know Before You GoGoing early won't necessarily cut it, since everyone else is thinking the same thing; call ahead for a reservation.
ParkingStreet parking is possible with some determined circling, but PPQ validates for one hour in a lot at the corner of 24th and Clement.
The ExtrasHave a special-occasion crab fest in one of the private rooms.
User Reviews for PPQ Dungeness Island
08/11/2008 Posted by patchan
After reading reviews about how horrible the service was but how they had awesome crabs, we went prepared for bad service. We went a little early, 6:30pm, before the crowd got in. We got seated promptly and had fantastic service all evening. I dropped my crab fork on the floor. I picked it up and placed on my table not knowing that anyone saw and one of the waiters replaced it in a flash. The shrimp soup was delicious with a fantastic balance between sweet and sour. Both the pepper crab and roasted crab were pretty good. A little too much garlic in the garlic noodle.
02/18/2008 Posted by mmcfoodie15
What ever happened to customer service?Keep in mind that I was not asking for a discount or for anything free.I was surprised by the proposed bill for 40 adults,$1000.00 (food, tax, gratuity).They charge $8 for a 2 liter soda!Nonetheless,I made the deposit and left.I asked the restaurant if I could bring food in for kids.A woman said it would be OK but they would have to charge me $20-30.I thought it was reasonable & thanked her.Two days before the party,I called to ask if I could drop off the food so it would allow them time to prepare and serve it on the day of.The woman said it was too busy & said to bring it in when they open (11 am) ON the day of the party (party time 11-2 pm).She had another line ringing so she put me on hold before we could finish & never got back on the line.I went in the next day to drop off the food & this is where it all blew up.I met the woman & gave her the food.She changed her fees after looking at it (3 boxes of frozen food) & said it would cost me $40 per item.She stated it “was a very cheap amount to charge .”I argued that that’s not what she said on the phone & $40 per item was outrageous but she claimed that she had no idea what kind of food I had & that they didn’t know how to prepare it,it would take extra labor,etc.In the end,I paid an extra $30 for each item after speaking to another man. On the day of my party,I wasn't greeted by anyone,only dirty looks.Up in the party room,there were dirty dishes on one table & all along the back counter. There was all of ONE person setting up & bussing the tables.There were times when the buffet table was unattended& we served ourselves.So much for “lots of labor, extra help.”They also put out a stack of dirty “clean” dishes for us to use. Our ONE server took awhile to bring the cake out too.He was the one to present us with the bill,which showed yet ANOTHER, undisclosed charge (for falling below the “minimum” to rent out the room) & they neglected to deduct my deposit.
Pros: food was decent
Cons: Not big on customer service, parking, beware of hidden fees when using party room
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