Nick's Lighthouse

I had an amazing experience at this seafood restaurant! The food was incredibly fresh, which made a huge difference in the taste. The fried calamari was perfectly crispy, and the soup was rich and flavorful. But the highlight of the meal was definitely the crab—it was absolutely outstanding! I would highly recommend this place to any seafood lover. The servers were very friendly and attentive. I can confidently say that this is the best seafood restaurant in the area! The food has gotten even better since the new owner took over. Don’t worry about any old negative reviews—just go and taste it for yourself!

Visited here on Sunday afternoon. I expected to order to go but was instantly lead inside to boot seating. Server was polite and quick. I order lobster roll with fries and deep fried platter. The serving size was hugh on both meals. I also ordered a glass of Pinot Grigio. We also ordered oysters Rockefeller and deep fried prawns. Bill totaled around $171. I enjoyed the meal

I had dinner in 1990’s at this restaurant, it was good. I came back again for Christmas even dinner, it was a terrible experience. I ordered its most expensive combo seafood plate . But crabs and shrimps were Not fresh. The manager is a very band attitude to customer complaints. Will never go this place again. Also suggest all guests shall be very careful about its food quality!

Having visited and eaten in this area for decades, it was quite disappointing to see how things have gone downhill. We ordered a Dungeness crab sandwich and a Maine lobster roll. The crab salad looked like a finely flaked tuna fish when it arrived (the sandwiches use to have chunks of crab). It was completely unrecognizable in appearance and taste. I KNOW Dungeness when I taste it and that sandwich was unrecognizable. My husband had the lobster roll and picked several large pieces of shell out of it. It had small chunks, you could tell it was (mostly) lobster but if you want a real NE Lobster roll, do not order this. The salad dressing was vinegary and disgusting. I first (hesitantly) tried ranch but that was gross so I tried the thousand island cause you can’t go wrong with that… unless you get it here. The fries were skinny, crispy and actually pretty good. The menu states that they “include” an 18% gratuity so they can provide outstanding service. They also charge an extra 4% service charge for credit/debit card use. I would not have a big issue with the automatic gratuity except that it was our server’s first day and he had obviously not been trained. He didn’t know the first thing about the menu, he had to go ask simple questions of his co-worker and then still returned unsure of his answers. He didn’t check on us after someone else dropped our food off or ask if we needed anything. I had to flag other people down to get a different dressing, more water and our bill. It’s one thing to charge a gratuity for excellent service; it’s another to say you’re charging it for excellent service and then give you a server who hasn’t even been trained… the server was nice but this was poor management and a money grab. Oh…and the menu says it’s “included” but it is not… it is added to the bill at the end (I figured as much but that’s not what the menu says). We had a window table however we were very uncomfortable. The table was so narrow that while sitting across from each other, my husband and I had our feet on top of one another’s. Also, the back rests were so erect, it actually felt like you were being pushed forward. They accidentally added a drink to our bill and then gave us the wrong change… All of this: sub-par food, poor service, poor seating, misleading wording on the menu and an $80 lunch bill… never again.

We ate outside and it was pretty good. The chowder in a bread bowl was awesome and I highly recommend. We also got a calamari salad which was very good. Lastly we got oysters and chips. The oysters were ok. They were fresh, but no taste at all. The chips (basically McDonalds french fries) were cold. I was a little disappointed with that. Overall the food was really good and the servers were nice so I would go back.

I’ve always wondered why this place is always full until we’ve tried it. The food was incredible! We had the shrimp fried rice and it had so much shrimps in it. It was so good! We also had the Linguine Vongole and the clams were so fresh. I gave 3 stars to the service because we had to ask 3-4 servers for take out boxes until I took it by myself. It was quite the rush so they were not really attentive on what we need and asked for. But still, a great spot for fresh seafood along Fisherman’s Wharf.

Great spot on Fisherman's Wharf. Food was delicious, service was excellent and it had a very old weathered atmosphere but in a really good way. Me and my wife had the bread bowl chowder, seafood, seafood Fettucine, and shrimp ceviche.

This is my third time coming to this store. Why are there so many restaurants here? I will definitely come here every time I come to San Francisco because the meals at this restaurant are diverse, delicious and fresh! The service staff are friendly and enthusiastic, the store is very clean, there are many seats, and the waiting time will not be long when there are many people. I recommend the meals I had because they are delicious and have high CP value. They are worth coming back again and again.

We had a great dinner at Nicks' Lighthouse. The clam chowder bread bowl is great. Customers service was excellent.

Food: 3/5 Had oysters and fried calamari for a small appetizer. The calamari did not have the best flavor and the oysters didn't taste as fresh or clean. A lot to be desired. Service: 3/5 Service was ok, staff was nice. Everyone did come across as in a rush but overall, server was helpful. Ambiance: 2/5 Was tight, felt cluttered, a bit messy. But that's eating in a high volume, populated area. It could have been maintain a bit better.

Worst restaurant food in a long time. I could make food at home that was 1.000 times better. We ordered a kids cheeseburger, grilled salmon, clam chowder and the shellfish platter. The grilled salmon was a filet that was flavorless, fishy and probably frozen previously. The salad that came with it was also brown. The burger was worse than McDonald's. The clam chowder bowl was stale and the chowder was really heavy on the oregano. The seafood platter was served with again, brown salad, miniature shrimp, and the whole platter tasted like natural gas, and no seasoning. The manager claimed we were concerned about the price and we stressed to her it would be fine if the food were awful. Because we had touched the food we had to pay $40 and find the manager ourselves. Needless to say We will not be going back.

Don't be fooled by this tourist trap. The portions are small, the food is cold and horrible, service is mediocre. What is really offensive is the fact that they advertise lower " cash" prices on the menu but then they charge you more if you are paying with debit or credit. They also added 18% gratuity for our party of three. We will never be back.

Over priced! mid at best seafood items at fisherman's wharf. First off they lure you in from the side walk, they walk you in and it's more expensive if you sit inside versus if you sit outside. Got the chowder and not much clams in there it's $5 bucks more inside, the crab cocktail was frozen not fresh at all and possibly even canned. Oysters were ok $25 for 6 and on top of that our bill was $85 plus $15+ for service fee. Though the service was great the quality of the food was mid at best. Nick's lighthouse yall could do better. Definite a tourist trap.

This was one of the worst dining experiences I've had in a long time. I ordered a lobster roll with fries, fried calamari, and a bowl of clam chowder, and everything arrived lukewarm. The so-called "lobster roll" was nothing like the classic version I expected. It had barely any lobster, was padded with imitation crab meat, and came on stale Italian bread--not the buttery, toasted roll you'd expect. For $34, it felt like outright robbery. It was more of a bland seafood salad sandwich than a proper lobster roll. Overall, it was a huge disappointment, and I won't be coming back.

The clam chowder used to be the best around. It tasted different, less creamy more peppery and very thin. Overall the kids food was great & the restaurant was clean. The staff was very nice & attentive. I don't like a 18% gratuity let me decide how much to tip. A $40 ticket turned into 70$! After the tax drinks and gratuity. My ticket was three people. Now I know why no one eats inside. Try to find a better chowder bowl place.

Food was sub par at best. They left the bay leaves in the clam chowder so you have to pluck them out before eating it. Super Michelada had 3 plain cold shrimp which added 9 bucks, I was not impressed. For the location they should have better quality food and service. 1 star if that

Came here for a late lunch. We parked in the parking lot across the street. Everywhere seemed to be busy including this place. We were seated at a table in the middle. It was bit of a squeeze but was the only thing available upon arrival. The service was good. The servers were friendly but a bit rushed. We tried their Caesar salad with crab, raw oysters, cup of clam chowder, onion rings, jumbo prawns cocktail, and micheladas. Didn't get a chance to take pictures of the prawns because they were the first thing we tried. Everything was good and decent portion. Only thing was they're a bit pricey.

Food: the WORST!!! Tourism scam :( Basically got looped in by the person standing out. $75 for ~1 pound of steamed lobster... Clam chowder 1/5 extra lumpy like eating a mouthful of corn starch 18% mandatory service tip for what???? Service: 2/5 what 18% service was provided other than taking our order and providing water... Ambiance: 1/5 fishy smell. Dirty seats

Food was not great at all! Prices were super expensive AND there are many hidden fees! 1. Fish and chips were bland and had no flavor or color 2. Shrimp ceviche was mostly tomato and the shrimp look like it was still frozen 3. Lobster roll lacked flavor 4. Garlic shrimp was a small portion and again looked like they were frozen I highly do not recommend this place. They WILL try to convince to dine it but find a different spot.

I have been going to Fishermans Grotto #9 since I was a kid, but since it closed, I'm forced to venture out to other places. I wasn't blown away with the crab sandwich or fish and chips we got. I live in Modesto, and I can literally get better crab sandwiches and fish and chips out here. At least Nick's had more crab meat than Boudin's crab sandwich. I tried both on the same day to compare. I wasn't impressed with either one. I expect to be amazed in San Fransico, where they have live crabs and seafood. I was not impressed. It seems to be just a tourist trap and not trying to be a top-notch restaurant. The fries were your basic fast food fries even. Fast food fries are even better, to be honest. Overall, I'm not impressed. On the hunt for my new favorite wharf restaurant

We were walking around and found this restaurant. We wanted some seafood and decided to try here. The seafood wasnt bad. The prawns were delicious. The clams and mussels were pretty good. The service was slow even though there werent that many tables filled. My friends liked the clams and mussels and said they were fresh. The food wasnt bad just wish the service was faster. Even though they had a few waiters around, they were hard to flag down when we needed something.

WORST PLACE !!! To start off with person at the door was very nice and accomodating but the problem was inside. Super bad smell i understand its a seafood place but its a super strong smell. Food was a dispointment. Me and my husband ordered calamari, fish and chips and chicken strips. Calamari was ok. Fish and chips : fish was super dry w/ crinkle fries ! Thoes fries dont even go with that. Chicken strips looked more like a deepfried chicken breast and super dry and nasty! My kids didnt even eat much. NOW TO END IT OFF THE PRICES $80 for just that!! For a old seating place inside and unpleaseant food. Honestly not even worth a penny. Wait but also upon paying tip is already included and still asks you for a tip option. Well if the tip is included isnt quite too much to still ask for more? . Maybe if the food was good and place was up to date it would be worth the extra tip!

Not the same Nick's I remember....clam chowder barely had any clams, mostly celery.....and not to bash korean dishes, (I AM Korean), random addition of soju and korean drinking dishes were so out of place compared to what Nick's used to be. All our older gentlemen waiters were gone too. Ambiance was just too confusing. Also the seats right by the water were gone too. Best of luck to new direction but the old Nick's we used to love is gone, we won't be coming back.

The food was great, helpful staff, but the place was kinda crowded they have to work on their spaces between the tables.

Im giving 2 stars only because i was told the clam chowder was the same as it always had been. It was not. My heart is broken. The clam chowder bowl is use to have here with the prior owners was one that satisfied my food soul. Kids meal was too pricey. Other than that service was great and the place was clean. Prices were too high if its not the real Nick house. :(

It's in a cute area, and provides the fisherman wharf ambiance that we love about SF. The oysters were really large, but didn't taste as fresh as I hoped & wished there was some ceviche to go with the oysters beyond just flavoring with lemon. Pretty average oyster experience, I believe there are better ones in SF.

not worth it service sucks and food is mediocre over priced and not comfortable ambiance never again

We were enticed to go in here because the person outside said they have calamari steaks. However, once we were seated and asked the waitress...we were told they didn't have that. The food was mediocre and the restaurant was hot and stuffy. Also, on the menu it tells you that they add 18% gratuity to your ticket. When the check came it had a service fee on it...which i assume is gratuity...however it then has a spot for gratuity on the receipt...which we didn't add. Would not return

The food was acceptable bit the price for the quality of food and drinks is ridiculous. This a total tourist trap.

Best seafood in fisherman's wharf! They have a great selection of dishes, I love the mussels and the fried calamari. Also they have some Korean food and Korean drinks.

Lots of bad reviews here and I'm wondering if I'm living in an alternate reality?! Caught my eye cause place was packed & I saw a live lobster tank let's go!! Hit the jumbo shrimp and chips and a clam chowder bread bowl. Breading was light and crunchy, the prawns were massive. The fries thin and perfectly crisp. I wasn't even hungry but I was freezing walking around the warf so I got a clam chowder bread bowl that was hands down the best I've had. Soft perfect sourdough and the chowder was thick but not gluey and full of clams. Looking around I saw lots of delicious plates. Whole crab and lobster tails. Why would anyone go to Applebees when you got a local gem like this.

Haha I already ate at this block at the Wharf. I got fish and chips today and it was a good lunch snack. Fish and chips! The old traditions with my parents. It was $20 and I liked it. I didn't eat all the fries..greasy..It was a fun day in San Francisco at the Wharf.

Flight delays got us into San Francisco a lot later than we had planned. Everything closes early but we were beckoned to Nick's. Clam chowder in a bread bowl for $15. Couldn't finish it was such a good portion. And calamari- crispy, light and a good portion. Service was lighting fast and very good.

Oh no... we should have left. My husband warned me and said maybe we should just leave after we saw the menu. The menu is so so and the prices outrageous. I didn't listen and said, well, we already sat down, waiter is coming, so screw it... we dined and we got disappointed. The clam chowder is so thick, lacks flavor. The crab Louie sandwich is a bust and chicken tenders as well. The calamari is over cooked and the sauces no good. I should have read the prior yelp reviews but still insisted on giving this place a try. Please save your money and go somewhere else at Fisherman's Wharf. The two stars is for the server. Also beware they added an 18% service charge for our party of 4. On top of that, when you get your receipt, there is an option for tip. Eat at your own risk! I will not be back!

Disappointing = was looking for a memorable, traditional Fisherman's Wharf experience and ended up with a subpar meal. Cluttered, dated, dusty. Such an iconic location, too bad! Quality = All seafood in the pasta and fried dishes we ordered was small, minimal portions, and tasted more fishy than tasty.

Probably one of the worst dining experiences in my entire life. Very dingy inside and everything tasted like natural gas. My shellfish platter was ground up fake crab with tiny canned shrimp. It had no seasoning and was served over plain white rice... very strange. The grilled salmon tasted like a week old rotten fish rubbed in dirt. I wouldn't eat here again if it was the last place on earth. I'd rather eat squirrel cooked over a trash fire than eat here. Do not go to this place unless you want to spend a bunch of money and leave hungry and pissed off. Also, the "manager" will fight with you if you try to complain. Zero stars, do not recommend.

Upon arrival, the man outside was kind and welcoming, but once you get seated inside, the scene changes, and you feel uncomfortable sitting inside. When it comes to paying the bill, they turn friendly again. The food is not it!!! $21 for a sad fish and chips with no flavor! Please buy from somewhere else

Honestly the food was mediocre for the price! This restaurant is a scam!!!! The ramen was a straight up from a packet, no hate but the broth consistency was basically water and the flavor was either mild or spicy. Scam for $25 a bowl if you ask me. The clam chowder was the worst clam chowder I've ever had. There were big pieces of bay leaf in my soup and there were hardly any clams. We tried two of their appetizers and for being on a pier their oysters were tiny and the mozzarella balls were sweeter than I thought they would be.

Great food. Quick service. Even took care of special requests. Clam chowder bread bowl Was delicious. We will come back again.

Host begged us to sit down as we walked by and we asked him if they had at least one vegan option and he said yes. We were so tired and hungry. Only one vegan in a 5 person group, usually easily over $100 tab, they lose a lot of business not even having one vegan option. Server comes out and I order a veggie burger the host said they had and waitress says they don't have those but she'll check the back. Well, she never came back. I don't expect everyone to accommodate veganism but this is SF, full of environmentally conscious folks, just thought it would be a wise improvement as places lose a lot of business of large groups to have just one v food option or even just modify one. It was an odd bait and switch to get us to sit down. Happy to change review if they fix this in the future, I hate leaving bad reviews.

STAY AWAY, overpriced, food is meh, service sucks... Menu prices are cash prices you will see 5% more if you pay with card but outrageous service fee, overall expect to pay 35% more for none sense charges etc... we had a bill almost $160 and went out hungry, ended up getting sandwiches somewhere else kinda sucks we live in such a place where you feel being taken advantage of regardless where you go.

Fresh food , friendly service ! Decided to dine late night and came across this gem Ordered the fried calamari , clam chowder ( could have been warmer ) and 2 oyster shooters . Happy I found this place . Will utilize it for late night eats in the future

Worst clam chowder and food is not good and pricy. fried calamari not good, you only taste the oil used

This may be the last time my family comes here for crab. We've been coming here for over 10 years with various visiting family members and before they changed ownership, part of the experience we enjoyed was standing around the guy who was preparing the crab, watching and eating our crab that we ordered. Along with viewing what's available to order. Today we came for crab and although we knew ownership has changed from when we've come last year, this time it's changed even more. It's nice theres more seating area outside, but we didn't like that we couldn't go order what we wanted ourselves. If we wanted a server, we would've sat inside. We ordered our usual crab and now they offer some type of sauce... It's an additional $5. We declined because we came just for the crab. Nothing fancy. Total miscommunication on our drink order. Both myself and the server wasn't paying attention so when she read back the order, because I wasn't paying attention, I agreed instead of correcting her. The crab was a disappointment. Usually the meat just slides out but this time we were scrapping it off of the shell. Corndog was good lol. It seems that the new owner is trying to change this restaurant to be more kpop influenced and perhaps make it less divey, but that was what attracted us in the first place. They should focus on the quality of the food instead of trying to rip tourist off with their ridiculous prices and so called 18% service fee.

Food was pretty good! Will come here again. Service was awesome. Seating was ambient as well. Smells like fish though as it is a seafood restaurant.

Bad food, slow service. Waste of time and money. Not going back. A lot of these Fisherman's Wharf restaurants are mediocre.

Honestly this place was a huge rip off. The food was bland and mid at best. They add on a surprise service charge about 18-20% for all bills all parties so beware.

Right in the heart of fishermans wharf, good location, delicious food make sure to take advantage of their crab platter. I came here 14 years ago still the same service and food theyhave kept it up.

The food here was terrible and they tried to overcharge us. $12 was added to our bill as a "convenience fee" when we questioned the host he said it was a seating fee, when we then questioned the owner he said it was the tip. They added 4% to each item ordered if you weren't paying with cash. DO NOT EAT HERE!!

Nick's Lighthouse was the only restaurant open on this alley under the big Fisherman's Wharf sign at around 8:45pm. I wanted to eat a whole crab on the sidewalk stands but the only option was to eat indoors. Nick's Lighthouse felt like an old North Beach restaurant but without the character. They play top 40 music really loud and that was annoying. My whole cracked crab with roasted garlic butter $45 was OK. They put the roasted garlic butter sauce on the carapace shell as a dipping cup. When you are eating the innards, it is now drowned in butter, messing up the complex innards crab taste. The crab itself was not roasted. There are other better restaurants in the area that actually roast the crab and serve it on a cast iron plate. They don't give you a crab bib like other crab restaurants. So, be prepared to get your clothes messed up. The menu is kind of weird for a Fisherman's Wharf seafood restaurant because they also serve Korean food here. Service was excellent with no wait.

Was craving clam chowder and happens to be at the wharf. Saw this place was pretty busy and thought to give it a try. Only ordered the fish and chips and the chowder for a total of $42 after tips. The restaurant seems extremely busy and got our order wrong but fixed it immediately. We sat at a booth behind the bar, not a particularly enjoyable environment to dine from all the all the noise coming from everyone pilling up the dirty dishes in the back. The fish and chips was comically bad. They tasted like ultra thin bottom shelf freezer aisle breaded fish, and the fries were thin and soggy.

Staff is friendly and polite but we literally watched half of a full match(soccer) between ordering our food and actually getting it. There were only a handful of other patrons when we arrived(not busy). Quality of food was mediocre. The donkatsu that was room temperature when I got it. The burger had burnt buns and an equally burnt and dry patty. Fries are as generic as any other frozen fries from the grocery store. Considering the quality of the food, we overpaid for everything. There were 8 of us and between the first and last person getting their food it took about 10 mins. The last dish to come out was fish n chips. I don't recommend this for anyone. For any reason.

This location is open again, maybe new owners? Needed a light lunch and chose Nick's Lighthouse. There are several tables and booths inside with a few having a nice waterfront view. It is of a small marina of mostly commercial and sightseeing boats. I had the clam chowder in bread bowl. I don't know why but it seems like this is a must to have when visiting the area! I really enjoyed the flavor, not like New England clam chowder. The bread bowl in itself is a small meal which is good as the chowder size seemed small to me. I originally asked for the crab chowder but was supposed to be removed from the menu. Based on that and other reviews it seems like they are still figuring things out with new ownership.

While recently in San Francisco we were walking around Fisherman's Wharf and we didn't have a meal planned, so out of convenience we gave this place a try. They had a sign saying they had a special of seafood ramen. This got me so excited as I'm a ramen junkie. I ordered that and my wife ordered plain old fish and chips, which we expected to be amazing as you are literally on the water. I should have known better than to eat here as it was completely empty, not one other person eating here. When they brought the food out, we didn't even need to take a bite to know this was going to be the worst meal we would have in San Francisco. Their ramen was obviously not homemade. It was freaking instant ramen with a few cheap cuts of extremely overcooked seafood in it. I'm think they charged like $28 for that nonsense. You can just look at the fish plate and know how bad it's going to be. It was so thin and dry. You couldn't get me to eat here again if it was completely free.

Pretty good food, I got one of the more popular dishes, the clam chowder. I would recommend getting it with a bread bowl, it adds some texture and flavor, but it does make it a little sour just like the Panera bread bowl if that is something you like. The clam chowder itself was pretty good, it has a tangy flavor and the potato makes the whole thing flow pretty well. I do not usually like seafood, but I would definitely get the clam chowder again. The service was quick and relatively friendly, no problems it fits the "side store" view you get from the outside. This is the same with the ambiance overall, when you go in the booths are nice but it has a bar type feel with velvet leather seats and neon light decorations.

Tried the clam chowder. The service was quick & helpful. The chowder itself was super hot which was a plus, but it had an odd smoky taste. Almost synthetic or like heavy handed smoked salt. The texture was good, not a ton of clams but I noticed them.

I'm not picky with food and I'll eat anything. Food overall was good (this is why i rated 2 stars instead of 1) except for the chips that came with the ceviche. They were stale. Major issue I had was that the pricing in the front were one price, then when you head inside, the pricing was higher and when you get the check they over charge a bit more. Bunch of rip off artists. Will definitely not come back.