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Anchor Oyster Bar
Seafood Restaurant$$$$
Castro, San Francisco
This place is famous for their seafood. It's one of the most popular in the city!
"Garlic bread is amazing and goes well with the anchor special!"(8 Tips)
"We had the chowder and crab burger special: delicious."(23 Tips)
"Cioppino, oysters, clams, chowder, staff, everything!!"(24 Tips)
"amazing crab in a garlic white wine sauce."(17 Tips)
127 Tips and reviewsFilter:
- shellfish
- anchor special
- good for dates
- casual
- healthy food
- (15 more)
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Wilson Favre-DelerueMarch 27, 2016Small, intimate, lively. Deliciously fresh seafood, shellfish and hot dishes. And that epic cioppino dish. Downside: LONG wait all the time!
Andre MayOctober 15, 2013Best oyster I have ever eaten! Worth recommendation! Delicious seafood, lovely spot, excellent service & last but not least fair price. :)))
Evren KoksalOctober 18, 2015Best seafood spot in SF! Do not miss! Fresh oysters like nowhere else yummmm! Order anything wont regret.
Jenn ChenFebruary 6, 2019Neighborhood institution. The cioppino is clutch (and comes with garlic bread on top) but prepare to get messy. They do half orders of pretty much everything on the menu so you can sample more!
Daniel LovettNovember 6, 2015Always crowded, but I usually sit at the counter. Best food in Castro and the servers are friendly and knowledgeable about their daily specials. Pricier than most others in Castro, bur well worth it.
Claude HarrisonJune 19, 2023First and foremost, their unique take on cioppino which is the most flavorful I have had here in The Bay! Check out the raw oysters & appetizers: scallops & cold smoked trout were phenomenal.
always good, almost always a wait. Cozy eatery that has been around since 1977 offering great seafood. Cioppino is excellent and they have 2-3 specials per day. Highly recommend!
Sloane EarlAugust 3, 2013Get. The. Cioppino. Share it with everyone you know who wants to experience the best seafood medley stew in the history of america.
Tasting TableAugust 5, 2014Start off with one of the excellent seafood cocktails; we love the oyster shooters ($8.50 with soju, $3.50 without) and tasty combination ($14), which includes crab, shrimp and prawns. Read more
Kelley L.October 5, 2018The cioppino was really good, especially the garlic bread! Try the oysters as well!
The best, freshest, and best prepared fish and seafood in SF. The chowder is amazing and I can't even express how good the cioppino is.
Odile RoujolMarch 19, 2016Enjoy The Dungeness crab and a glass of Pine ridge. Boston clam chowder. And oysters on the shell. Be ready to be in the line when opening at 11.30am
El DoostyNovember 17, 2014Of course the oysters. Clams and/or muscles w/extra bread to sop up the broth. Garlic bread is really good. Open-face crab and shrimp melt, and chowder made my tastebuds happy too.
The secret cioppino will make you lick your plates clean! Bring your own wine as they do not charge corkage fee! The wait is well worthwhile, but do not attempt with more than 4 people.
Always with great food. Ciopinni is a must have. Pasta dish is always impressive. One of my favorite seafood restaurant in town! I recommend anything on the special menu...
Francesca HernandezMarch 6, 2014Get the cioppino!!! It's not on the menu but if it's crab season, they'll hook you up :))
Marta TapperoJuly 15, 2016The food is amazing. I think they should be faster definitely. We wait long time outside instead of maybe sharing tables? Ciompino and garlic bread!
Tara AmatoNovember 13, 2011love this place! tucked away in the castro only a few tables so its good to arrive early or grab a drink next door while you wait! always amazing specials and the best seafood!!!- Jassim LatifFebruary 1, 2012One, put your name on the board and say you're at Swirl. Walk over to Swirl across the street. Pick up a bottle of Cherry Pair. Back to Oyster where there is no corkage fee. Get the Cioppino and Crab.
Patrick LabadieDecember 7, 2012Clam chowder to start is a must. Then order the cioponnio and the anchor special and you'll be in set. PS make sure you write the time next to your name on the board when you check in.
Shawn ChengDecember 31, 2013Everyone should get an individual cup of clam chowder, the cioppino to share and extra garlic bread to line the belly.
I went there for little shrimps for an office party shrimp salad, and their shrimps are always wonderful, as are the people
SophiaAugust 4, 2013Well worth the money. The staff is friendly and the restaurant is clean. Nothing you eat here will disappoint you. No matter what you order you've got to eat their clam chowder.
Fran SuMay 20, 2018Mussels and crabs are no fresh in the cioppino dish. The portion size is great and the flavor of the sauce has depth and complexity. Unfortunately, not worth the wait for me. :(
Yan TongDecember 27, 2012one of the best restaurants I've ever been to in the USA! All the food we ordered are awesome!
Jacquie CJuly 14, 2013Amazing seafood. Freshest oysters ever and pretty yummy crab cakes. Was fun sitting at the counter. Will definitely be back.- MattJuly 1, 2018Oysters, prawns, and pretty much anything you order. Good service. Long wait though make sure you get there early
Have a glass of wine across the street at Swirls. When you write your name in the waiting list, include @swirls so they come get you.
Masha IovevaJanuary 7, 2012Low-key, tasty, great atmosphere. The house wine is always a good addition to the tasty chows and high-class entrees.
Adam SchwenkFebruary 5, 2012My favorite restaurant in SF. First went back in 1998 and it's always held a special place in my heart. GET THE OYSTERS!
Expect to wait at least an hour, but it is totally worth it. The Cioppino is always available even if it isn't listed. If no Dungeness is available, they call it Italian Fish Stew
Bonnie ClydeApril 14, 2013I should elaborate. Checked in on the board at 5:21 pm on a Saturday. It'll be over an hour before we're seated. It's 6:14 pm now and there's one party before us.
Mike HaywoodOctober 18, 2012The Anchor special is a must! The garlic white wine with thyme broth for the clams alone is worth the full cost.
Bjørn MJuly 15, 2012Just get the full order Anchor Special and a bottle of bubbles. Or do the local oysters only. Caesar salad is great too!
arjun bJuly 12, 2017great oys & crab cakes but avoid the chowder - it's a tad too creamy and underchunked
Where to start! Secret cioppino! Amazing food in general. Great service! Charming atmosphere. Sometimes a bit of a wait:(
Katherin SonAugust 14, 2012To help you get an idea of how long the wait is...we arrived 7:40 on a Monday night. Got seated at 8:30. Typical SF :P Slowwww service but it's hard to hate them for it bc they are sooooo friendly.
Mervyn Jed TalatalaOctober 12, 2012If there is a long wait. It's well worth it. FYI- they serve you FREE clam chowder while you wait.
Oysters and Cioppino. Go between two and five to minimize the wait
Karla RiveraJanuary 4, 2013Cozy little spot with amazing service. Best clam chowder on the west coast
463 Photos
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Anchor Oyster Bar
579 Castro St (btwn 18th & 19th St)
San Francisco, CA 94114
United States
San Francisco, CA 94114
United States
Closed until 11:30 AM tomorrow (Show more)
- Mon–Sat
- 11:30 AM–10:00 PM
- Sun
- 4:00 PM–9:30 PM
(415) 431-3990
Features
Reservations
No
Credit Cards
Yes (incl. American Express)
Outdoor Seating
Yes
Food & Drink
Menus
Brunch, Lunch, Dinner
Drinks
Beer, Wine
See More
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Lisa Sanchez - 8.4
"All the seafood (and fish) is amazing!"
Olivier Been - 8.4
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