Swan Oyster Depot

"The Chicago office is in town for the week, and you know some members of the team are prolonging their stays through the weekend. Tell them to save their per diems, and take them to Swan Oyster Depot on Saturday morning so they can load up on the fresh seafood that’s harder for them to get back home. Get a few dozen oysters, some raw scallops, and the smoked salmon. Just make sure they take a picture of the scribbled-on napkins that serve as receipts here." - will kamensky

"Since opening in 1903, Swan Oyster Depot has been SF’s poster child for an old-school seafood institution. The cash-only spot with 18 wooden stools has received more national screen time than most State Farm commercials. And over a century later, a mix of tourists and regulars still line up outside the Nob Hill restaurant for hours (yes, even at 8am when they open) for the chance to slide in along the worn marble counter, crack into a Dungeness crab leg, and order Sicilian sashimi off the secret menu, which became not-so-secret after the invention of Google. The fame isn’t without controversy, though—allegations of racist remarks towards customers make the fresh-as-hell seafood taste a little bitter. Sure, the seafood is excellent, and the charm of ordering off a handwritten menu that hasn’t changed since before you were born is undeniable. But if you want to minimize your chances of being yelled at while eating oysters, clam chowder, or anything else from the ocean, there are lots of other equally great (and better) seafood options in the city. Food Rundown photo credit: Julia Chen Sicilian Sashimi Technically, this dish is on the secret menu, but it’s one of the most-ordered entrees here. Thick slices of salmon, tuna, and scallops are lined up into a raw fish rainbow, doused in olive oil (hence, Sicilian), and finished off with capers and sea salt. It’d be a miss to leave without ordering this. photo credit: Julia Chen Crab Cocktail It’s a crab cocktail. Nothing more, nothing less. This is an especially good choice if you want to eat crab legs without having to crack and peel one yourself. photo credit: Remy Galvan-Hale Boston Clam Chowder Thinner than other versions around town, a bowl of this gets the job done if you’re looking to line your stomach with cream before going all in on sea creatures. photo credit: Remy Galvan-Hale Oysters You’re at Swan Oyster Depot, so you’re ordering oysters (mignonette, lemon, and hot sauce are on hand). They arrive ice-cold, plump, and shimmering, like any briny bivalve should be." - Julia Chen

"One of the city’s most popular places for smoked salmon, crab salad, and, yes, oysters is this 2000 America’s Classics winner. The restaurant has no website or social media presence, but real ones know to head to Polk Gulch for the long lines and Anthony Bourdain-approved fare. In 2021 restaurant co-owner Jimmy Sancimino was accused of using racist language with a customer, an allegation the business refuted." - Paolo Bicchieri

"The classic seafood destination hasn’t been closed a single day since the start of the shelter in place — except on Sundays, the restaurant’s usual day off. It’s offering takeout on its usual menu of crab Louie, raw oysters on the half shell, and other oceanic delights from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m." - Luke Tsai

"Unless you get to Swan at 10am, you’re going to have to wait (and even then you have to wait for the restaurant to open at 10:30am), but the line is just as much a part of the experience as eating all the raw seafood inside. That’s not a problem though, because if you’ve got the time to wait, you can go to the liquor store close by, get a few tallboys, and brown bag it while you wait and make friends with the people around you - a lot of times we end up sitting with the people we meet in line. The staff here knows more about seafood than you know about yourself, so ask them how to navigate the menu if you feel lost. Aside from oysters, get a Sicilian Sashimi and make sure there are raw scallops with that." - will kamensky