Location: 1517 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94109, United States
Telephone Number: +1 415-673-2757
Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday 10:30am to 5:30pm ; Closed on Sundays
Official Website: www.sfswanoysterdepot.com
Swan Oyster Depot Menu
SWAN OYSTER DEPOT, Lower Nob Hill, San Francisco: Fresh Seafood Breakfast!
I’m kicking off my Silicon Valley and San Francisco series at Candid Cuisine! And boy, I have so many stories I wanted to tell, I couldn’t write fast enough! But I’m so excited to share to you the delicious cuisines I have tried in the land of tech startups, and I’m starting with the famous, 100 year old institution SWAN OYSTER DEPOT.
In his show the Layover, Anthony Bourdain was lucky to stay at St. Regis previously, where it’s relatively a walking distance to Swan Oyster Depot. My friend and I stayed at Post Street near Union Square and while it can be quite a long ride to Swan Oyster Depot, it’s as simple as embarking the California Street cable car route and getting off at Van Ness, Polk Street. It definitely costs more than taking the MUNI at $6.00 per round trip ride but the thing here is getting to Swan Oyster Depot as fast as you can! The lines can get really crazy before it’s opening time at 10:30am. So grab a cup of coffee at Philz or Blue Bottle to warm you up against the foggy Bay weather and you’ll do just fine.
When in San Francisco, you must have breakfast at Swan Oyster Depot. Friendly servers, the freshest seafood and a casual ambience invites you to line up here, no matter how long it’s going to take. Boston Clam Chowder should be on top of your list to warm your tummy but I had my fair share of the best Maine Clam Chowders in Boston so I’m skipping the creamy soup and going for the kill instead.
I had my mission here to eat fresh Blue Point and Miyagi Oysters which the server recommended and I was glad to finish the entire plate!
Blue Point and Miyagi Oysters
Salty, oceanic and fresh in taste, these were the BEST oysters I ever had. These are tad small but this was worth the 45 minute wait.
If you’re feeling like drinking it with beer, they serve cocktails and Stella Artois too.
Salmon on Toast and Shrimp Cocktail
I didn’t know if the server made a mistake but we got the bonus of getting the shrimp cocktail. Last month, Momofuku’s David Chang visited Swan Oyster Depot and declared this the simplest and best American invention ever. My friend finished her salmon, as it was her all-time favourite and she loved it.
Dungeness Crab Fat with Sourdough Bread
Ah, before I went to San Francisco, I made it a mission to not leave without eating the Dungeness Crab Fat at Swan Oyster Depot. They serve this with sourdough bread, which is very much like Boudin’s famous sourdough breads, but think of it as your breakfast bread, minus the butter. Because your butter is the dungeness crab fat! It was so rich and fresh and creamy ~ I am drooling as I write, but it’s one of the best things I ever ate in San Francisco.
If only I had two stomachs, I would have tried their Sea Urchin, still attached to its spiky exterior shell, but I was too full after all of this. But two thumbs up to Swan Oyster Depot! This was a mission very much accomplished.
When in San Francisco, leave out all the rest. Don’t forget to drop by Swan Oyster Depot for the freshest seafood in the Bay Area.
P.S. Bring enough cash with you as they have the most adorable ancient cash registers!
Swan Oyster Depot Rating:
[usrlist “Taste and Originality: 4.5” “Customer Experience: 3.5” “Value for Money: 3” “Brick and Mortar: 3”]