Pacific Cafe

An establishment local joint with a line always out the door. Their shtick of a free glass of wine while you wait for a table leaves customers satisfied, and even glad to wait upwards of 20 minutes for a table. By the time dinner is served, it's always a delightful experience. The shrimp louie is fantastic, the sourdough plentiful, the clam chowder is delightful, free of the fake creamed madness you'll be inundated with by the pier. Opt for the best crab cake of your life, or whatever they got fresh that day. This is truly a restaurant so wonderful, that I'd close my eyes, point, and be thrilled by my choice. I hope you all manage to make your way at a local joint, a place that I hope dearly, outlives the rest of them.

A fantastic, cozy, homey seafood restaurant that serves home-style cooked meals. We happened to stumble on this place entirely by chance and were not disappointed. It was very busy on the night we were there, but the wait wasn't bad at all, and the service was outstanding. From the complementary glass of wine while we waited, to the personable service from our waiter (who I think was actually the chef?), to the smiling staff, our experience here was fantastic. The food was nothing short of delicious, and felt like good, authentic home cooking. If we ever come back to San Francisco, we'll definitely pay this place a visit again!

My husband and I have enjoyed dinners at Pacific Cafe since we met 43 years ago. Now it has a fresh coat of paint with the same great menu and service! Perfectly situated walking distance from the Palace of the Legion of Honor and a few minutes drive from symphony and opera, Pacific Cafe is the ultimate San Francisco dining experience.

This unpretentious family restaurant is a hidden gem known only to locals and not frequented by tourists. They offer a delicious array of fresh seafood and excellent, friendly service. One thing that sets this restaurant apart is their complimentary wine service while you wait for your table. They keep your glass full until you are seated. It's a great place to take out-of-town friends. I highly recommend this restaurant.

If you love seafood, Pacific Cafe is worth a visit. A wonderful neighborhood restaurant. The atmosphere is so welcoming as is the staff. We received a complimentary glass of white wine. Warm bread awaited us at our table. The menu had something for every seafood taste. Quality and presentation were excellent. Pricing was fair. We'll be back...

was introduced to this place by a Local Uber driver and it was just as hyped up as she said. this friendly joint starts you off with a beautiful glass of wine, while you wait for a table. the menu is not extensive, just a few different options of seafood. the crab cakes were the bomb! fresh, seasoned well and full of flavor! such omph with each mouthful.

An upfront unique offering upon entering was a complimentary wine for to be seated guests. This itself shows great confidence and guest experience of the restaurant. Each table was then offered a half load of nicely baked bread, i believe it was sourdough(?). It was nicely paired with chunky butter on the side that I noted very well of. I asked for recommendations and Petrale Sole Newburg came up. Naturally, I went with it. It was a dish of Fish stuffed with Crab meat in the inside. It came with a very nice sauce, but watery in the inside. If it was filled with more flavor, it would have been better. The dish itself was unique, but crab meat texture was soggy and couldnt really taste the chunkiness of a crab meat from the ocean. It was a delicious pairing with the rice that was very nice, but i thought that improvements can still be made. The clam chowder, was more on the watery side than the thick creamy chowder I had across Toronto, Chicago, Seattle and Boston. It was well seasoned but more to a watery soup than I woukd have liked a chowder. Nonetheless, my time in the meal was short but service was great when they offered another loaf of bread (it was delicious) and whenever they came to check on me. Long queue formed when i finish, so do make reservations if possible or drop by early.

A wonderful place that lives up to the hype. How much nicer can you get to have a beautiful glass of wine in your hand gratisse while you're waiting for your table while smelling the delicious aromas of superb seafood being prepared. The wait staff feels like family, and everything we tasted surpassed our expectations. And if you are going to splurge on bread, know that even this is a treat to be savored. Definitely looking forward to our next visit! 🥰

Great atmosphere. Usually busy. You get a free glass of wine though if waiting for a table. Proof of vaccination required. Hard to find parking in this neighborhood. I had their Dungeness Crab cakes and it taste very ordinary. There’s only a very few places where you can find a mouth-watering super delicious crab cakes and this is not the place unfortunately. There was really nothing exciting of the dishes we have tried but the whole experience wasn’t a disappointment. The staff were friendly and the restroom was clean.

This might very well me favorite neighborhood restaurant of all time. We moved to the Richmond back in November, but even back then I knew this is one place I really wanted to try. I’m a huge seafood fan and I love local spots. This is one of those Neighborhood institutions that everyone knows and loves and I love it here so much. We came on a Thursday and there was a little bit of a line but the wait wasn’t long at all. I think we waited all of 10 minutes before we were sat. Bread, water and wine came to the table shortly after. The menu is simple and the specials are already written on the chalkboard. My girlfriend had the scallops and I had the snapper in the pouch. Both were absolutely delicious but the scallops were perfection. Love that west coast clam chowder is served here. The service is warm and attentive. You can tell that the people who live here come all the time and the owners take time to know their patrons. This is one of those spots in San Francisco that are slowly disappearing. I hope pacific cafe stays around forever. I absolutely will be making an effort to become a regular here.