Alioto's

06/27/11

underwhelming, overpriced, mediocre daytripper trap

by rosebud1965 at Citysearch

Can’t let our recent, incredibly disappointing and inarguably overpriced meal at Alioto’s go unreported. We had 3 days for a getaway in SF parlayed with work. Time was tight, we were on a mission to enjoy as as much of what the City has to offer. On our last day there, we returned from a ferry trip & needed to find somewhere for dinner. All the freebie guides pointed to Alioto’s as a culinary fixture, with reliably good food. We were tired, and hungry, staying close to the Wharf, and didn’t want to overthink dinner. In hindsight, we should’ve headed to the Eagle Café, or The Wayfare Tavern, or simply Tommy’s - a cab ride away with wonderfully honest, down to earth food, drinks and staff. We should’ve known as we studied the menu outside and found ourselves herded in, that something might be wrong. It all happened so quickly. You’re whisked away by several men (this makes identification in a line-up much harder later on, I suppose) and before you know you’re at a table with a smooth voiced waiter, confiding, “…this is the only place I’d eat at.” I’m loathed to revisit the food that came our way, but let’s start with an autopsy of the appetizers of fried calamari and Dungeness Crab bisque. My calamari arrived way too crunchy and clearly overdone. Heavily breaded, dark and chewy. More disappointing though, was the bisque which lacked any crabmeat whatsoever, despite assurances at every turn, that this was THE place for crab and that it would be plentiful. Why then were we presented with nothing more than a bowl of thickened, crabby-flavored broth, overpowered by tarragon? Where was this much-celebrated CRAB? We should have left at that point, but were too polite, and too hungry, alas.

Next, the worst excuse for cioppino I’ve ever witnessed in my life! My boyfriend has never had cioppino, and was eager to try it. A bowl of tomato broth arrived, (the tide must’ve been out, because there wasn’t much of that to go around, either) devoid of all but a few mussels and clams, and adorned with two skinny microwaved crab legs that were almost too scorching in spots, to handle. It was utterly underwhelming and a very cheap interpretation of perhaps one of the best known San Franciscan dishes. Nonna Rose has clearly left the building, and her ghost isn’t gracing the kitchen. It was a mockery of a regional classic that Alioto’s managed to sell short and rip us off on.

I ordered a comparatively more wallet-friendly fish and chips. As a seaside girl, I grew up eating seafood in all its incarnations, and know how to cook. The limp and pallid strips of pre-battered fish that arrived with a few fries fell way short of expectations of a traditional Anglo-American dish. How anyone could mess this up in a professional kitchen is beyond me. Fresh fish, dunked in a light and airy batter, quickly fried and plated. Voila, a crowd pleaser! It’s simple and cheap to prepare, a culinary no-brainer. The cooking was sloppy. Maybe Alioto’s assumes since most people are on once-in-a- lifetime trips To San Francisco, that mediocrity is O.K.— they won’t have to face them again. That would be a sleazy and unconscionable precept for “One of San Francisco’s oldest restaurants, run by one of the city’s most prominent families,” …as SF’s Epicure magazine is keen to point out. They failed to live up to the reviews, self-penned or otherwise and a responsibility to introduce people to wonderful, well-prepared regional cuisine. Being a seaside girl, I should’ve known better than to fall into the daytripper trap. It was totally underwhelming, overpriced and a big mistake. We won’t come back again and can’t recommend the place to anyone.

03/08/10

Bum Treatment

by jopatillo at Citysearch

Family arrived from out of town and we were hoping to make a memory; so we decided to have lunch at a SF landmark. We splurged and took the limits off and ordered to our hearts content, including Lobster Thurmadore! We were having a great time until it was discovered that the Lobster Thurmadore (which cost $50.00) only had 10% Lobster and 90% Mushrooms and filler. So we brought it to the attention of the Manager, who proceed to treat the matter in a very unprofessional way, deminishing our experience.

• Pros: location
• Cons: Over PRICED! Poor Management & not convient for Seniors

01/19/09

Waiter Albert R., Asian, fraudulently overcharges bill to increase tip

by cubicleworker at Citysearch

I dined at Alioto's tonight and the waiter Albert R.., an Asian who said he was Dutch by origin, altered the final signed debit card bill to increase his tip without my knowledge by almost $15. This is in spite of the fact that my Mom and I dined at this restaurant last week and left the same waiter over a 20% tip. I am contacting my bank, business bureau, restaurant, and will never dine here again. A distasteful experience leaving a bad fishy taste in my mouth.

04/18/08

What's not to like?

by jrmaly at Citysearch

I'm not sure where all the bad reviews are coming from. We walked in early on a beautiful Sunday evening without reservations. It wasn't crowded when we arrived, but it was packed when we left. We were given a table by the windows with a spectacular view of the fishing fleet and the sunset over the Golden Gate Bridge, which got interrupted by the even more spectaular rolling in of the fog. The wait staff was nothing if not professional. Not rushed in the least, but very attentive. The salads were crisp and fresh, and the cioppino, fish stew, and calamari were excellent. The stews were steaming hot, and the broths were worth mopping dry with the warm fresh bread offered. I can't say I had the highest expectations going in, but I thought it was excellent. The wine list has a Wine Spectator award level, and rightfully so. It covers everything you need without having 1000 selections, and is reasonably priced. What's not to like? Good food, good service, great view, reasonable prices. I'm baffled by the negativity. Maybe I caught them on a good day...

03/24/08

TOURIST RIPOFF

by samual1234 at Citysearch

MARCH 22 SATURDAY- ATTRACTED BY LUNCH SPECIAL 11AM-4PM- RIPPOFF - has about 12 items on

lunch special-ordered salmon- paper thin- salmon steak with mash potatoes- thats it- $12, wife ordered

shrimp scampi- 4 med shrimp- rice- thats it- $11- rippoff- both had ice tea- med glass- waiter said u get

a second free glass only--- ordered blowl of clam chower- $9 it was thin and did not taste that good

view was good-could see golden gate bridge-- overpriced other dinner fish items start @ $25-28 for fish

ripp off-- should have just ate on the street with the street vendors- ya 3 generations- well this last generation does not take pride in there food- - i don't mind paying $12-16 for lunch- for a smaller portion

of good fish- terrible-place-- did have good service was friendly- - couldn't wait to get back to chicago to write this- cannot believe they are on the famous fishermens wharf- to bad black eye to the area