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 set 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.
문경영
I went through all the tedious processes to write this review.The food honestly wasn't bad, but it wasn't much better than other places.The problem is that the service fee is basically included in the unit price and an additional tip is required.If the service had been good, I would have given it with satisfaction, but honestly, I don't know if I should pay twice for the service.If that's the case in all of America, I have nothing to say, but I've only been to a few restaurants so far, and I was a little angry because they took money as if it were a given.please refer to this.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 1
Denise C.
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.
Jason Ciaschi
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.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Clam Chowder in a Sourdough Bread Bowl
Crissy Harris Faulkner
The food was terrible. How can you go wrong on steamed crab? There were slimy pieces of crab meat, yuck. We were seated inside. It was packed in a small space. There were flying insects that continued to swarm over tables and food. It was also extremely pricey, even for the area.Wheelchair accessibility: I don't think a wheelchair could fit inside. One might fit outside on an outer table.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 3
J C.
Visiting town with my daughter and walked by this place. We were on our way to check out Scoma's but I stopped to look at the sign board here. Place was busy, looked like locals, and looked run down. So, just right. There are times when this would be right. Typical menu with seemingly lower prices. Then the San Fran hustle started when a guy came out and handed us menus, then coaxed us in, my daughter said, "I'm really hungry", so there we were ordering. The prices seem to have increased. Well she liked the crab cakes and the seafood fettuccine was good. Service was very good. What's wrong then? Not much but that little thing of an unannounced gratuity added to the check (before tax) which began to bother more after we left. I had not taken the time to read the reviews which pointed this out. I have to thank the gentleman in the table next to ours for pointing out to his friends that there was a service charge included - with no warning. I know I would have looked at the bottom line, added a 20% tip and been none the wiser. A minor hoodwinking? Is this standard practice in other restaurants here?
Jay R.
The food was great! The service by George was amazing! We had a great experience eating here. Thank you so much!
Thomas L.
Great Fish and Chips at Nicks Lighthouse. Probably the best you get on the pier. The sauces are pretty good too and the staff is great.
Lala C.
We stopped here for lunch since our favorite was closed. Nothing fancy, outdoor or indoor dining. Prices are very expensive for portion size. We just wanted something to get us by till dinner. We shared an order if fried calamari, sourdough bread bowl of clam chowder and fish & chips. Base Total was $66 without tip. There servings were small. The fish was three thin pieces of fish with fries around the size of a small McDonalds fries. The calamari was mostly crumbs and about 2/3 the size of a normal serving. They were more like frozen instead of fresh made with little flavor. The clam chowder was ok, nothing outstanding. So overall, I wouldn't return again. The real downfall was the service. It wasn't crowded in the least. Just several outside tables occupied. The food came out in spurts, without proper serving utensils. So by the time we finally got the spoons, the soup was cold. When the other dishes arrived, she forgot the plates as well. Even after, when we requested the check since we had the Alcatraz tour scheduled, she never brought the check. We ended up having to get up and find someone to ring up the check so we wouldn't miss our tour. It's sad to see so many great restaurants at Fisherman's wharf boarded up for good. Please improve to keep business coming for the area.
komal dulgach
We ordered the spicy garlic sauce crab. There was no flavour of garlic or chopped garlic in it. The fried calamari was soooo chewy, not sure if it was undercooked. On telling this to the server, her response was "OK". She didnt even try to say that she can change it for us. No apology, nothing. She had a different attitude. You guys need to train your employees. We are very dissapointed. Will never visit this restaurant again.
The food is really good here and love the atmosphere really comfortable. Our server Jose was really attentive and have great personality. Would come back on the next vacation.
April J.
Would give zero stars. Honestly, the worst meal I've ever had. My spouse and I ordered the Dungeness Crab dinner for 2 and added a live maine lobster....180.00 of unedible CRAP! the 2 oysters that came with the meal were green and almost custard like smelled bad also, the dungeness was clearly frozen, very mushy AND FILTHY. The lobster was overcooked and tasted like rubber bands. The calamari salad tasted like flavorless rubbery fish. Disgusting and made us not able to eat the rest of the day. Save your time and money, STAY AWAY FROM THIS SHITHOLE
Jeff Ho
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.
Jeff H.
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.
Terrence Dheyniel Del Rosario
I liked the Seafood and Crab ramen! It’s the only thing I tried on this visit.Seafood and Crab RamenThe first thing I noticed is that it smelled amazing! The flavor of the broth was really good too! Fair warning though, it is fairly spicy. Which they don’t mention on the menu or when you order it. It’s not mouth burning spicy though. Just spicy enough to still be enjoyable. Perfect for cold weather.Next I’ll talk about the proteins in the ramen. The best? The Shrimp for me definitely! It was so fresh and tasted so good! There were also squid and mussels. Both pretty good.The downside? The crab unfortunately. I don’t think the crab was all that fresh as the body meat was very mushy already. It was nice to look at for pictures but definitely needed a fresh crab to make it perfect.Just to set expectations on the noodles, I think it could have been better. It definitely had the feel of instant ramen when it came to the shape but i’m not knowledgeable enough about ramen noodles to know if this is not good quality or not.The service at the restaurant was pretty nice. The decor inside is just ok. Pretty cozy. I felt comfortable dining here.Overall, 4 crabs out of 5!
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 set 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.
I went through all the tedious processes to write this review.The food honestly wasn't bad, but it wasn't much better than other places.The problem is that the service fee is basically included in the unit price and an additional tip is required.If the service had been good, I would have given it with satisfaction, but honestly, I don't know if I should pay twice for the service.If that's the case in all of America, I have nothing to say, but I've only been to a few restaurants so far, and I was a little angry because they took money as if it were a given.please refer to this.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 1
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.
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.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Clam Chowder in a Sourdough Bread Bowl
The food was terrible. How can you go wrong on steamed crab? There were slimy pieces of crab meat, yuck. We were seated inside. It was packed in a small space. There were flying insects that continued to swarm over tables and food. It was also extremely pricey, even for the area.Wheelchair accessibility: I don't think a wheelchair could fit inside. One might fit outside on an outer table.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 3
Visiting town with my daughter and walked by this place. We were on our way to check out Scoma's but I stopped to look at the sign board here. Place was busy, looked like locals, and looked run down. So, just right. There are times when this would be right. Typical menu with seemingly lower prices. Then the San Fran hustle started when a guy came out and handed us menus, then coaxed us in, my daughter said, "I'm really hungry", so there we were ordering. The prices seem to have increased. Well she liked the crab cakes and the seafood fettuccine was good. Service was very good. What's wrong then? Not much but that little thing of an unannounced gratuity added to the check (before tax) which began to bother more after we left. I had not taken the time to read the reviews which pointed this out. I have to thank the gentleman in the table next to ours for pointing out to his friends that there was a service charge included - with no warning. I know I would have looked at the bottom line, added a 20% tip and been none the wiser. A minor hoodwinking? Is this standard practice in other restaurants here?
The food was great! The service by George was amazing! We had a great experience eating here. Thank you so much!
Great Fish and Chips at Nicks Lighthouse. Probably the best you get on the pier. The sauces are pretty good too and the staff is great.
We stopped here for lunch since our favorite was closed. Nothing fancy, outdoor or indoor dining. Prices are very expensive for portion size. We just wanted something to get us by till dinner. We shared an order if fried calamari, sourdough bread bowl of clam chowder and fish & chips. Base Total was $66 without tip. There servings were small. The fish was three thin pieces of fish with fries around the size of a small McDonalds fries. The calamari was mostly crumbs and about 2/3 the size of a normal serving. They were more like frozen instead of fresh made with little flavor. The clam chowder was ok, nothing outstanding. So overall, I wouldn't return again. The real downfall was the service. It wasn't crowded in the least. Just several outside tables occupied. The food came out in spurts, without proper serving utensils. So by the time we finally got the spoons, the soup was cold. When the other dishes arrived, she forgot the plates as well. Even after, when we requested the check since we had the Alcatraz tour scheduled, she never brought the check. We ended up having to get up and find someone to ring up the check so we wouldn't miss our tour. It's sad to see so many great restaurants at Fisherman's wharf boarded up for good. Please improve to keep business coming for the area.
We ordered the spicy garlic sauce crab. There was no flavour of garlic or chopped garlic in it. The fried calamari was soooo chewy, not sure if it was undercooked. On telling this to the server, her response was "OK". She didnt even try to say that she can change it for us. No apology, nothing. She had a different attitude. You guys need to train your employees. We are very dissapointed. Will never visit this restaurant again.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
Restaurantji Recommends
The food is really good here and love the atmosphere really comfortable. Our server Jose was really attentive and have great personality. Would come back on the next vacation.
Would give zero stars. Honestly, the worst meal I've ever had. My spouse and I ordered the Dungeness Crab dinner for 2 and added a live maine lobster....180.00 of unedible CRAP! the 2 oysters that came with the meal were green and almost custard like smelled bad also, the dungeness was clearly frozen, very mushy AND FILTHY. The lobster was overcooked and tasted like rubber bands. The calamari salad tasted like flavorless rubbery fish. Disgusting and made us not able to eat the rest of the day. Save your time and money, STAY AWAY FROM THIS SHITHOLE
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.
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.
I liked the Seafood and Crab ramen! It’s the only thing I tried on this visit.Seafood and Crab RamenThe first thing I noticed is that it smelled amazing! The flavor of the broth was really good too! Fair warning though, it is fairly spicy. Which they don’t mention on the menu or when you order it. It’s not mouth burning spicy though. Just spicy enough to still be enjoyable. Perfect for cold weather.Next I’ll talk about the proteins in the ramen. The best? The Shrimp for me definitely! It was so fresh and tasted so good! There were also squid and mussels. Both pretty good.The downside? The crab unfortunately. I don’t think the crab was all that fresh as the body meat was very mushy already. It was nice to look at for pictures but definitely needed a fresh crab to make it perfect.Just to set expectations on the noodles, I think it could have been better. It definitely had the feel of instant ramen when it came to the shape but i’m not knowledgeable enough about ramen noodles to know if this is not good quality or not.The service at the restaurant was pretty nice. The decor inside is just ok. Pretty cozy. I felt comfortable dining here.Overall, 4 crabs out of 5!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4