With all of the amazing food options in San Francisco it is hard for me to quantify what a truly San Francisco style meal is. The city food culture is defined by an array of incredible cuisines from around the globe. You really can't go wrong with almost anywhere you eat in the city. It is definitely one of the great food capitals of the world. One thing that I love to eat when I'm in San Francisco is seafood, and there are a tone of places to get it. When I go to a restaurant, I am looking for a local feel, and great food.
To find a place like this, it helps to know a local, and luckily for me, my uncle Tim has been a chef and food enthusiast for over 30 years in the city. On a recent visit he took me to Anchor Oyster Bar for the first time, and it quickly became one of my favorites in the city, which put it near the top of my list of places in the world. The restaurant is located in the Castro district of San Francisco, and sees a lot of local traffic. Anchor is a pretty small place with a menu that is relatively limited, with a few daily specials, and a good wine list.
When arriving at Anchor there is a good chance that there will be a line of patrons outside of the small restaurant waiting for a table or a seat at the counter. Make sure to sign your name on the whiteboard near the door to lock up your place in the line. Trust me, this place is worth the wait. If the line is long then I like to head a few doors down to Philz Coffee and have a cup of their custom blended grounds. No lattes or caramel macchiatos here, but the coffee is amazing, and it's a cool place to hang out while waiting for a table. You can check back at Anchor periodically to see your position in line. On my last trip to Anchor there were several people ahead of us that decide to not wait, and we got a couple of counter seats in less than 30 minutes. I'm not usually a fan of sitting at counters for dinner, but the counter at Anchor is a great place for a meal, with plenty of space for all of the plates that I order.
Now that you're in it's time to relax, order a bottle of wine and enjoy an amazing culinary experience. If you are looking for fresh shellfish then you have come to the right place. I am a huge fan of their crab and shrimp cocktails, and I always order oysters, partly because they're in the name of the restaurant, but mostly because OYSTERS! Order up the Anchor Special which has oysters, jumbo shrimp and steamed clams. The clam chowder is also amazing, and they are well known for their Cioppino, which is a medley of seafood in a tomato based sauce, it is kind of like a stew, and is definitely a San Francisco style dish. The bread that is served at Anchor to accompany the meal is superb, although not baked in house, I locve to keep it coming throughout the meal.
I have yet to try the entrees or salads at Anchor as I usually find myself submerged in a giant pile of shellfish whenever I show up, but everything that comes out of this tiny kitchen looks amazing, and you can bet that it is incredibly fresh! At the end of the meal I am always surprised by my bill. Anchor is by no means a budget restaurant, but you definitely get great value for everything. Comparable meals around the city could easily be double what you pay at Anchor, and I guarantee that you won't get the great small restaurant feel of this place anywhere else. Anchor is definitely a standout for me in the great city of San Francisco.
If you are looking for a nightcap after a great meal then Twin Peaks bar is right down the road and serves up a mean Irish coffee, a great hot drink for those chilly San Francisco nights!