Pacific Cafe

Likely doesn’t need my review based on how popular it already is, but I had a great dinner. We arrived at 4:50 and were the last guests seated for the first round. If I went again, I’d arrive earlier.

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.

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.

Victor

Service was extremely fast and they do serve wine to waiting customers. Parking can be very difficult to come by. Food was pretty good but some dishes sounded better on the menu than they tasted. For the price, it's an unbeatable value and the seafood is fresh, sourdough bread is delicious and a SF delicacy. Good portions.

chris martinez

After coming here for over 4 years From The San Joaquin Valley Its Our Favorite Seafood Restaurant. The Menu is expanding and Delicious. Waiters do an amazing job of making sure you are attended and seated in time. Bonus for the Free Wine for waiting to be seated.

Casey Russell

I was first introduced to Pacific Cafe by my uncles who have been coming here since the first year it opened. 50 years later and it still stands the test of time and is one of the best restaurants in the Bay Area. I always make it a point to stop when I'm back and visiting friends. You absolutely can't miss the calamari vinaigrette or the clam chowder. Make sure to save room for the chocolate cake, it’s to die for! I seriously cannot say enough good things about Pacific Cafe. The food, the wait staff, the old school ambience, plus the free wine while you wait doesn't hurt. Do yourself a favor and check out Pacific Cafe.

Lawrence Wu

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.

Lori Adams

Complementary wine while you wait… Need, I say more? This cozy corner spot is in demand almost every evening, because of the delicious seafood, the charming atmosphere, and the free wine. I’ve been here two times now, and I would say that. I love the crab cakes and the Parmesan Halibut. Friends in my party. Had the shrimp Louie salad the salmon and the delicious chocolate cake for dessert.. you really can’t go wrong. They’ve been around since the 1970s that tells you something.

Marina Bronntravel

The food was yummy, the crab cakes and parmigiano fish were great! Nice cozy fish restaurant 👍

Felicia Pfluger

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! 🥰

Mike Julian

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.

liz hathaway

Likely doesn’t need my review based on how popular it already is, but I had a great dinner. We arrived at 4:50 and were the last guests seated for the first round. If I went again, I’d arrive earlier.

Glenn

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.

Jim Ratchford

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...

Evanezer Cedric (Hungryhungrymonster)

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.

W S

Very old school charm. Solid seafood. Love how they keep bringing out more bread. Although the wait might be awhile, they have plentiful complimentary house white wine.

Martin Galaz

I believe that google should add a 6/5 stars category for places like this, since the moment you walk in they greet you with free white wine as you wait, they have a no reservation policy which is amazing, the food is great and fresh and huge, this is probably the best restaurant I've ever been in the bay area. Please don't hesitate to come here and we will become regulars now.

The wait for our party of 6 was over an hour but the food and service was well worth it. The bring you free wine and water while you wait, super nice touch. The scallops, halibut, calamari and clam chowder were beyond delicious.

I grew up in SF but had to move to the east for work. I always make the effort to come here whenever I visit my parents. I ordered the sashimi bowl and a glass of fernet, and everything was Devine. Our server, Khaby, was lovely and attentive throughout the evening. The next time I’m in town I hope to be seated in his section again.

As a repeat customer, always stellar service and accommodations. Decent variety and types of fresh seafood - nothing fancy. Basic well prepared food. Warm and friendly environment.

My boyfriend and I each noticed the seafood restaurant on the side of the road as we were driving to the 34th ave parking to go to the lands end park trails this evening. On the way back we decided to stop and have dinner at the seafood restaurant, and wow I'm glad we did! There was a small wait around 6 pm on a Saturday night, but they welcomes us in and took our name and gave us complementary wine while we were waiting. The vibe was a friendly atmosphere. The food was excellent, so fresh. We had spicy snapper which I highly recommend and would love to have again when we return. Everything on the menu looked so good, we would love to come back and try more. Can't wait until next time.

Rick Harvey

As a repeat customer, always stellar service and accommodations. Decent variety and types of fresh seafood - nothing fancy. Basic well prepared food. Warm and friendly environment.

Colton Scott

I grew up in SF but had to move to the east for work. I always make the effort to come here whenever I visit my parents. I ordered the sashimi bowl and a glass of fernet, and everything was Devine. Our server, Khaby, was lovely and attentive throughout the evening. The next time I’m in town I hope to be seated in his section again.

Sandy Cravens

The wait for our party of 6 was over an hour but the food and service was well worth it. The bring you free wine and water while you wait, super nice touch. The scallops, halibut, calamari and clam chowder were beyond delicious.

Lisa Kristine Johnson

My boyfriend and I each noticed the seafood restaurant on the side of the road as we were driving to the 34th ave parking to go to the lands end park trails this evening. On the way back we decided to stop and have dinner at the seafood restaurant, and wow I'm glad we did! There was a small wait around 6 pm on a Saturday night, but they welcomes us in and took our name and gave us complementary wine while we were waiting. The vibe was a friendly atmosphere. The food was excellent, so fresh. We had spicy snapper which I highly recommend and would love to have again when we return. Everything on the menu looked so good, we would love to come back and try more. Can't wait until next time.

This really is a friendly neighborhood restaurant. An old time establishment that is usually always crowded with long standing customers sharing the experience with friends and family. They always offer everyone a glass of wine while waiting for a table and if you know how the customers flow you can predict the time to go and get a table without much wait. We came on a Saturday night and waited less than 10 minutes for a table. Love the Shrimp Louie salad that came with my entree but thought the chowder was a little salty for my taste. We had the rainbow trout, petrale sole dore, snapper and petrale sole newburg. It’s a simple menu but with decent food. The amount of food you get could be improved a little for some of the fish dishes as it can arrive looking a little sparse. Also, the post-pandemic menu is slimmed down so they have less items offered. Overall the food is still good but I like coming here for the friendly, attentive and efficient service!

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.

A. Ko

This really is a friendly neighborhood restaurant. An old time establishment that is usually always crowded with long standing customers sharing the experience with friends and family. They always offer everyone a glass of wine while waiting for a table and if you know how the customers flow you can predict the time to go and get a table without much wait. We came on a Saturday night and waited less than 10 minutes for a table. Love the Shrimp Louie salad that came with my entree but thought the chowder was a little salty for my taste. We had the rainbow trout, petrale sole dore, snapper and petrale sole newburg. It’s a simple menu but with decent food. The amount of food you get could be improved a little for some of the fish dishes as it can arrive looking a little sparse. Also, the post-pandemic menu is slimmed down so they have less items offered. Overall the food is still good but I like coming here for the friendly, attentive and efficient service!

Dru Looks

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.