• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Jeffsetter Travel

Jeffsetter Travel

Travel Consultants and Travel Tips

  • Travel Services
    • Wild Card Adventures
    • Safe Bet Adventure
    • High Roller Host
  • Book an adventure
  • Travel Map
  • Blog
  • Hubs
    • Airlines
    • Cameras
    • Car Rentals
    • Credit Cards
    • Drones
    • Hotels
    • RVs
  • About
    • Our “One Way Neverending” Story
    • The Jeffsetter Manifesto
  • Contact

Fisherman’s Wharf + Lunch at Scoma’s

July 9, 2019 by Island Miler

After our ride on the San Francisco Municipal Railway Cable Car, we took a walk around the touristy Fisherman’s Wharf. But the real reason we were here? To grab lunch at Scoma’s.

Contents show
Fisherman’s Wharf
Lunch at Scoma’s
Location
Atmosphere + Service
Food
Fisherman’s Wharf + Lunch at Scoma’s, Final Thoughts
A Gourmet Adventure Through Northern California

Fisherman’s Wharf

Yeah, yeah, yeah… Riding the cable car and walking around Fisherman’s Wharf are very touristy things to do. But we really only came to see the sea lions and to get to our lunch destination. No Ghirardelli, Ripley’s, or other tourist traps for us.

Admittedly, the views from Fisherman’s Wharf are pretty great. And that alone is worth a visit here.

Lunch at Scoma’s

Like I said earlier, our primary purpose for being in the area was to grab lunch at Scoma’s. It’s somewhere my father-in-law recommended to us, so we had to check it out.

Location

Scoma’s isn’t in the Pier 39 area most associated with Fisherman’s Wharf. Instead, it’s closer to Hyde Street and Ghirardelli Square. But, it’s tucked away on the pier away from Jefferson Street.

Lunch at Scoma's

Atmosphere + Service

The atmosphere at Scoma’s is decidedly old school. There’s a lot of wood, brown leather booths, and dress shirt-clad waiters. But it isn’t a stale or ironic environment by any means. It’s a lively local institution as far as I could tell.

Lunch at Scoma's

As far as the service itself goes, it was fine. There’s no pretense here whatsoever. And while I thought our server could be a little friendly, I give her a pass. The style seemed like your typical, slightly hard and rough, old school type. That’s not a complaint, by the way, just an observation.

Oh, and in case you’re wondering, the views from the restaurant are very meh. But that’s not why you come here.

Food

Scoma’s is a seafood restaurant, so, naturally, you’d order seafood dishes, right? That’s exactly what we did, but to start, we ordered a pair of Arnold Palmers.

Lunch at Scoma's

For our first bites, Mrs. Island Miler and I decided to split Scoma’s Smoked Salmon Bruschetta. Sounds like a small bite, right? It is not. Atop grilled sourdough (of course), you get a salad of radishes, cucumber, and basil with a Dijon-Grapefruit vinaigrette. And, on top of that, you get a slice of house cold smoked New Zealand-raised Ora King Salmon. It’s a tasty, well-balanced dish, though I do wish it came with a bit more salmon. If the salmon were diced and folded into the salad, it would’ve been easier to eat too.

Lunch at Scoma's

For her entree, Mrs. Island Miler ordered a “Classic” portion (1/2 lb, the other is 3/4 lb) Scoma’s Crab Louie Salad. It’s a MASSIVE salad filled with seafood and a tasty one too. No shortage of crab here, by the way, and dressing on the side so you can add to your own taste. I love the old school presentation too. ?

Lunch at Scoma's

Me? I decided to go with the Whole Roasted Dungeness Crab. I mean, come on, why wouldn’t you? Dungeness crab is what you should eat in San Francisco. Plus, roasting the sucker keeps and concentrates the flavor in the crab, so long as it isn’t overdone. And I’m happy to say, this specimen was perfectly roasted. So plump, juicy, and sweet, with a pool of roasted garlic, butter, parsley, and chili flakes at the bottom of the plate. Finger-licking good!

Lunch at Scoma's

And, yes, the crab comes disassembled and pre-cracked for your convenience. You’re also provided with a shell pan and, uh, a bib if you so choose to wear one.

Fisherman’s Wharf + Lunch at Scoma’s, Final Thoughts

The portion sizes at Scoma’s aren’t skimpy at all. And, as a result, we decided to skip dessert there. Besides, we had a spectacular dinner experience coming up later that night. But, I will say that Scoma’s is officially one of my favorite restaurants in San Francisco now. It is by no means an inexpensive restaurant, though. Our lunch there came out to about $150! It was worth it, in my opinion, though, thanks to the high-quality ingredients and perfect execution. I highly recommend checking Scoma’s out if you’re in the Bay Area, especially if you want some amazing Dungeness crab.

A Gourmet Adventure Through Northern California

  • Introduction: A Gourmet Adventure Through Northern California
  • Alaska Airlines 710 HNL-SFO
  • Silvercar San Francisco Airport
  • Tartine Manufactuory Brunch
  • Visiting Apple Park and Apple Campus
  • Courtyard by Marriott Merced
  • What I Ate in Merced, California
  • A Brief Visit to Yosemite National Park
  • Bouchon Bakery Yountville
  • Las Alcobas Napa Valley
  • Acacia House by Chris Cosentino
  • Las Alcobas Napa Valley Room Service
  • Atrio Spa at the Las Alcobas Napa Valley
  • A Brief Visit to Beringer Vineyard
  • The French Laundry Experience
  • Model Bakery + Castello di Amorosa
  • JW Marriott San Francisco Union Square
  • Rich Table
  • San Francisco Municipal Railway Cable Cars
  • Fisherman’s Wharf + Lunch at Scoma’s

Filed Under: Meals, California, Island Miler, Trip Reports Tagged With: dungeness crab, san francisco, San Francisco Eats, San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco restaurant review, Scoma's, seafood, SFO, SFO Eats, SFO restaurant review

Primary Sidebar

Footer

Important Links

  • Advertising Policy and Affiliate Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Jeffsetter Travel Blog
  • Privacy Policy
  • Ask Jeffsetter a Question

Recent Posts

  • Alaska Air is Going to Europe in 2026
  • CSR $795 Annual Fee Rumor
  • Mokulele Suspends Service Again
  • American Continues Its America Westification
  • The Venetian is Now Live with World of Hyatt

© 2012–2025 Jeffsetter - All Rights Reserved · Website by Digital Mantis