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Where to Feast on Dungeness Crab in the Bay Area

Get crackin’

by Becky Duffett and Eater Staff Updated Dec 8, 2021, 12:20pm PST

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by Becky Duffett and Eater Staff Updated Dec 8, 2021, 12:20pm PST

2 comments / new

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Despite delays in the Bay Area’s commercial crab fishing season, hauls of Dungeness crab from the northern coast started hitting Bay Area restaurants and seafood markets in December. That sweet, sweet crustacean meat is now scuttling onto plates all around town, in the form of crab cakes, risottos, salads, chowders, and more. Here are 28 of the finest places to feast on fresh, locally caught Dungeness crab, whether it's a whole steamed crab, or another crab-focused preparation. Either way, arm yourself with the crackers and drawn butter, because we're going in.

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Princess Seafood Restaurant

The Princess is a fishing boat run by an all-women “crew of real princesses,” and it also has a fish market on the harbor. The case is filled with wild West Coast seafood, from California king in the summer to Dungeness in the winter, plus you can buy Dungeness cracked and cleaned to take home, or enjoy crab cocktail, crab roll, crab salad, or crab cakes at the outdoor tables.

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32096 N Harbor Dr, Fort Bragg, CA 95437

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Dungeness crab plate at Princess

Fisherman's Cove

This tiny waterfront bait shop slash seafood shack is known for being one of the best spots in Bodega Bay for freshly shucked oysters — and, especially during the local crab season, for steamed Dungeness, either served with wasabi cocktail sauce or on a sandwich. For the full experience, grab a seat at one of the picnic tables outside.

1850 Bay Flat Rd, Bodega Bay, CA 94923

Visit Website

Crab at Fisherman’s Cove

China Village

One of the East Bay’s best regarded traditional Sichuan restaurants is also the birthplace of a truly only-in-the-Bay-Area dish: mapo tofu prepared with an entire wok-fried Dungeness crab instead of the usual ground pork. It’s got all the tongue-numbing heat of the traditional preparation, but with the added succulence of sweet crab meat — especially when the local crabs are in season. Eat with plenty of white rice to soak up all that spicy-savory sauce.

1335 Solano Ave, Albany, CA 94706

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Crab at China Village

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15 Outstanding Chinese Restaurants in the East Bay

Fish

Fish is known for responsibly sourcing seafood from trusted fishermen. The combined market and restaurant sits right on the bay in Sausalito, and the generous outdoor space boasts fresh views. Fans love “the crab roll,” a torpedo-shaped bun stuffed to the gills with lump meat, as well as louie salads and a cracking cioppino.

350 Harbor Dr, Sausalito, CA 94965

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A post shared by flipflopsmomchef (@flipflopsmomchef)

Chef Smelly’s

Dungeness crab is one of the specialties of this cult favorite pop-up, currently housed Wednesday through Sunday at the Uptown Oakland bar Au Lounge. Order one of Chef Smelly’s garlicky Creole-style crabs — and have him serve it over garlic noodles for good measure.

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2430 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612

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A post shared by Edward (@chefsmelly) on Dec 13, 2019 at 12:54pm PST

alaMar Kitchen & Bar

Chef Nelson German, as seen on Top Chef Season 18, owns both Alamar seafood restaurant and Sobre Mesa cocktail lounge in Uptown Oakland. The former is a seafood destination, starring shrimp boils and garlic noodles year round. But during Dungeness season, there are crab boils and crab poppers, and the most popular variation is the “Steph Curry” whole crab stacked on sausage, corn, and potatoes, and drowned in curry sauce.

100 Grand Ave #111, Oakland, CA 94612

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Crab dish at Alamar

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Pier Market

At the waterfront seafood restaurant, you can order a half Dungeness crab steamed, chilled, or roasted with garlic; crab cocktail; crab cakes; crab Louie; or even get clam chowder in a sourdough bowl, and top it off with extra crab.

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Pier 39, San Francisco, CA 94133

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Roasted crab at Pier Market

Crab House at Pier 39

Open since 1998, Crab House was purchased by the Simmons family during the pandemic, so it’s now under the same ownership as Fog Harbor and Pier Market. It’s known for the trademarked “Killer Crab,” a 2-pound Dungeness roasted in garlic sauce and served on a skillet.

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203 Pier 39, San Francisco, CA 94133

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Whole Dungeness crab at Crab House

Fog Harbor Fish House

Fog Harbor Fish House is putting Dungeness crab all over its menu: crab cakes, crab-topped clam chowder, crab Louie, crab ceviche, crab ravioli, crab risotto, filet mignon finished with crab. The purest expression will the garlic roasted whole Dungeness crab.

39 pier, San Francisco, CA 94133

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14 Treasures of Fisherman’s Wharf Food and Drink Scene

Scoma's Restaurant

Scoma’s, the seafood institution sitting on the dock of the bay, has been cracking Dungeness crab from local boats for more than half a century. Tie on a bib to attack a whole Dungeness crab, either chilled or roasted. Alternatively, if you prefer to keep your shirt clean, the “Lazy Man’s” Cioppino comes fully cracked, with lump crabmeat, scallops, clams, mussels, calamari, and fish swimming in a spicy tomato broth.

1965 Al Scoma Way, San Francisco, CA 94133

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A plate of Dungeness crab

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Sotto Mare

This very North Beach neighborhood restaurant, in a historic building with kitsch crammed onto the walls, has been run by several different Italian-American families over the years and talks a big game. During the season, tie on a bib for crab cocktail, crab diavolo over linguine, or “the best damn cioppino in San Francisco.”

552 Green St, San Francisco, CA 94133

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Cioppino at Sotto Mare

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California Fish Market Restaurant

This new contender in North Beach opened mid pandemic as a combined fish counter and restaurant. True to the neighborhood, there’s Italian-American flare, and Dungeness crab stars in cakes, chowder, linguine with calabrian chile oil, and of course, cioppino.

550 Green St, San Francisco, CA 94133

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Squid ink pasta from California Fish Market

Hog Island Oyster Co.

The Bay Area’s leading oyster farm, based up the coast in Marshall, is known for slurp-worthy Sweetwater oysters — but during crab season, Dungeness claws onto the menu. The bar at the Ferry Building usually serves Dungeness either roasted with garlic herb or chilled with lemon aioli. During the pandemic, they also started offering it simply cooked and cleaned, if people want to put their own spin on it at home. And the farm in Marshall sometimes sells it live, if any day trippers are up for the adventure.

One, Ferry Building, #11, San Francisco, CA 94111

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Whole Dungeness crab at Hog Island Oyster Co.

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Harborview Restaurant & Bar

Of course, Dungeness often makes a dramatic appearance at upscale dim sum spots, and Harborview does not disappoint when it comes to bay views and crab specials. Feast on whole crab, either smothered in Singapore-style chilis or deep-fried and golden in the classic salt and pepper. Or take comfort in a big bowl of congee with either a half or whole crab sunk into the porridge.

Level, 4 Embarcadero Ctr, San Francisco, CA 94111

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Dungeness crab at Harborview

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R & G Lounge

A Chinatown classic, R&G Lounge has three floors worth of white table cloths and spinning Cantonese-style dishes. It’s known for its iconic salt-and-pepper crab that’s generously battered and deep fried until golden. But you can also get crab prepared eight other ways, including with black bean sauce, salted egg yolk, or stir-fried with garlic and peppers.

631 Kearny St, San Francisco, CA 94108

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Crab at R & G Lounge

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Tadich Grill

The oldest of the old-school seafood spots in San Francisco, Tadich dates back to 1849, and at 172 years old, it claims to be the longest-standing restaurant in California. Between the bustling waiters in white coats, the clamor of dishes, and the trolley car ringing outside, it’s not quiet and offers no reservations. Smart diners slide in at the bar and tuck into Dungeness crab cakes, Louie salad, and classic cioppino.

240 California St, San Francisco, CA 94111

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Cioppino at Tadich Grill

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Swan Oyster Depot

It was one of Anthony Bourdain’s favorite destinations. Take your place in line at this icon for fresh local Dungeness crab, served boiled and with bread, butter, and your choice of cocktail sauce or mayo. A customer did call them out for a racist experience in 2021, and the Sancimino brothers, who’ve never exactly known for warm and fuzzy customer service, declined to apologize.

1517 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94109

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Swan Oyster Depot

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Waterbar Restaurant

This Embarcadero spot with sparkling bridge and bay views is always a solid choice for seafood. Now it’s serving the first Dungeness of the season as part of an oak-roasted seafood platter, with Dungeness crab, Tapneck clams, and prawns with crab fat Hollandaise, garlic, chiles, and shoestring potatoes.

399 The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94105

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Patio at Waterbar

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Woodhouse Fish Co.

You can always count on Woodhouse Fish Co. to have excellent lobster roll, but the Dungeness comes in during the true season. Get it cracked and steamed in a lemon, garlic, and white wine sauce, or chilled with butter or lemon aioli. Or enjoy it in dishes like crab Louie, crab cocktail, cioppino, and stuffed artichokes.

1914 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94115

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The crab roll from Woodhouse Fish Co.

PPQ Dungeness Island

With Dungeness in the name, PPQ is responsible for roasting crabs year round, and it sources them from Washington during the Bay Area’s off season. But it’s now back to local crab at this Clement Street banquet hall, where it’s available roasted, drunken, curried, spicy, or in a pepper sauce.

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2332 Clement St, San Francisco, CA 94121

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Hayes Street Grill

Hayes Street Grill is a seafood institution, and the moment crabs land at the wharf, owner Patty Unterman starts pulling the live beasts into the restaurant, then plunges them in salty boiling water. At lunch or dinner, enjoy a cracked half Dungeness crab with aioli and roasted vegetable salad.

320 Hayes St, San Francisco, CA 94102

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Hang Ten Boiler

For an Asian-Cajun-style crab boil, it’s hard to beat this popular Alameda spot, where the crab — along with the crawfish, shrimp, sausages, and whatever else you want them to put in the bag — comes drenched in the shop’s extra-buttery, well-spiced sauce. Make sure to ask them to include the head, which comes topped with a mound of rice to soak up all the umami-laden crab fat.

2315 Santa Clara Ave, Alameda, CA 94501

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Thanh Long Restaurant

Dungeness crab and garlic noodles are the raison d'être for this Outer Sunset Vietnamese restaurant, which serves them year round in the owner’s secret garlic sauce, but prizes the local catch this time of year. The An family also includes Crustacean in SF and additional restaurants in SoCal, and most recently opened ANQI Shaken & Stirred within Bloomingdales in Santa Clara.

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4101 Judah St, San Francisco, CA 94122

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Anchor Oyster Bar

Crab season is back at this Castro neighborhood gem, where local Dungeness is served steamed, chilled, or with garlic butter. Round out the meal with a classic cioppino of epic proportions.

579 Castro St, San Francisco, CA 94114

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Cioppino at Anchor Oyster

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Billingsgate

This new fish counter in Noe Valley is an extension of Four Star Seafood, a wholesaler that’s supplied local restaurants for years. The cases are filled with ice and stocked with fresh fish, so in season, it’s an ideal spot to pick up a few crabs to crack at home. And they’re doing a few prepared items, including crab toast on a thick slab of buttery brioche.

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3859 24th St, San Francisco, CA 94114

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Dungeness crab salad on griddled brioche at Billingsgate

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Nick's Rockaway

When Eater SF pondered where the best crab sandwich is in San Francisco, readers spoke up loud and clear — it’s not in SF. It’s in Pacifica. Nick’s is an old-school joint with white table clothes, live music, and a view of Rockaway Beach. The grilled crab sandwich is a thick stack of buttered sourdough and sweet meat. There’s also cracked crab, which is chilled and marinated in lemon, garlic, and herbs per “Nona Lena’s recipe.” At brunch, try crab cake Benedict.

100 Rockaway Beach Ave, Pacifica, CA 94044

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A post shared by Jennifer Kirchhofer (@jenkirch)

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Barbara's Fishtrap

It’s a cash-only fish shack and a legend of Half Moon Bay. Barbara Walsh first opened a restaurant in 1971, and though the location and name have changed with the tides and over the decades, Barbara’s Fishtrap now inhabits a hundred-year-old building with a view of the bay. Load up on Dungeness crab sandwiches, crab Louie salads, and garlic cheese crab bread. It’s takeout only at the moment, but you can snag an outdoor table or take your crab feast to the beach.

281 Capistrano Rd, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019

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The crab sign at Barbara’s Fishtrap

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Sam's Chowder House

Half Moon Bay’s classic seafood house boasts a big patio, fire pits, and ocean views. The East Coast–style clam chowder and lobster rolls step aside during crab season, when the West Coast’s best crustacean makes an appearance. The cioppino is teeming with fish, shellfish, prawns, clams, and crab claws, and a whole Dungeness crab comes on a big plate with a choice of two sides, such as fries and slaw or mashed potatoes and Italian chard.

4210 Cabrillo Hwy, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019

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Princess Seafood Restaurant

32096 N Harbor Dr, Fort Bragg, CA 95437

The Princess is a fishing boat run by an all-women “crew of real princesses,” and it also has a fish market on the harbor. The case is filled with wild West Coast seafood, from California king in the summer to Dungeness in the winter, plus you can buy Dungeness cracked and cleaned to take home, or enjoy crab cocktail, crab roll, crab salad, or crab cakes at the outdoor tables.

Open in Google Maps

32096 N Harbor Dr, Fort Bragg, CA 95437

Visit Website

Dungeness crab plate at Princess

Fisherman's Cove

1850 Bay Flat Rd, Bodega Bay, CA 94923

This tiny waterfront bait shop slash seafood shack is known for being one of the best spots in Bodega Bay for freshly shucked oysters — and, especially during the local crab season, for steamed Dungeness, either served with wasabi cocktail sauce or on a sandwich. For the full experience, grab a seat at one of the picnic tables outside.

1850 Bay Flat Rd, Bodega Bay, CA 94923

Visit Website

Crab at Fisherman’s Cove

China Village

1335 Solano Ave, Albany, CA 94706

One of the East Bay’s best regarded traditional Sichuan restaurants is also the birthplace of a truly only-in-the-Bay-Area dish: mapo tofu prepared with an entire wok-fried Dungeness crab instead of the usual ground pork. It’s got all the tongue-numbing heat of the traditional preparation, but with the added succulence of sweet crab meat — especially when the local crabs are in season. Eat with plenty of white rice to soak up all that spicy-savory sauce.

1335 Solano Ave, Albany, CA 94706

Visit Website

Crab at China Village

Fish

350 Harbor Dr, Sausalito, CA 94965

Fish is known for responsibly sourcing seafood from trusted fishermen. The combined market and restaurant sits right on the bay in Sausalito, and the generous outdoor space boasts fresh views. Fans love “the crab roll,” a torpedo-shaped bun stuffed to the gills with lump meat, as well as louie salads and a cracking cioppino.

350 Harbor Dr, Sausalito, CA 94965

Visit Website

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by flipflopsmomchef (@flipflopsmomchef)

Chef Smelly’s

2430 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612

Dungeness crab is one of the specialties of this cult favorite pop-up, currently housed Wednesday through Sunday at the Uptown Oakland bar Au Lounge. Order one of Chef Smelly’s garlicky Creole-style crabs — and have him serve it over garlic noodles for good measure.

Open in Google Maps

2430 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612

Visit Website

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Edward (@chefsmelly) on Dec 13, 2019 at 12:54pm PST

alaMar Kitchen & Bar

100 Grand Ave #111, Oakland, CA 94612

Chef Nelson German, as seen on Top Chef Season 18, owns both Alamar seafood restaurant and Sobre Mesa cocktail lounge in Uptown Oakland. The former is a seafood destination, starring shrimp boils and garlic noodles year round. But during Dungeness season, there are crab boils and crab poppers, and the most popular variation is the “Steph Curry” whole crab stacked on sausage, corn, and potatoes, and drowned in curry sauce.

100 Grand Ave #111, Oakland, CA 94612

Visit Website

Crab dish at Alamar

Pier Market

Pier 39, San Francisco, CA 94133

At the waterfront seafood restaurant, you can order a half Dungeness crab steamed, chilled, or roasted with garlic; crab cocktail; crab cakes; crab Louie; or even get clam chowder in a sourdough bowl, and top it off with extra crab.

Open in Google Maps

Pier 39, San Francisco, CA 94133

Visit Website

Roasted crab at Pier Market

Crab House at Pier 39

203 Pier 39, San Francisco, CA 94133

Open since 1998, Crab House was purchased by the Simmons family during the pandemic, so it’s now under the same ownership as Fog Harbor and Pier Market. It’s known for the trademarked “Killer Crab,” a 2-pound Dungeness roasted in garlic sauce and served on a skillet.

Open in Google Maps

203 Pier 39, San Francisco, CA 94133

Visit Website

Whole Dungeness crab at Crab House

Fog Harbor Fish House

39 pier, San Francisco, CA 94133

Fog Harbor Fish House is putting Dungeness crab all over its menu: crab cakes, crab-topped clam chowder, crab Louie, crab ceviche, crab ravioli, crab risotto, filet mignon finished with crab. The purest expression will the garlic roasted whole Dungeness crab.

39 pier, San Francisco, CA 94133

Visit Website

Scoma's Restaurant

1965 Al Scoma Way, San Francisco, CA 94133

Scoma’s, the seafood institution sitting on the dock of the bay, has been cracking Dungeness crab from local boats for more than half a century. Tie on a bib to attack a whole Dungeness crab, either chilled or roasted. Alternatively, if you prefer to keep your shirt clean, the “Lazy Man’s” Cioppino comes fully cracked, with lump crabmeat, scallops, clams, mussels, calamari, and fish swimming in a spicy tomato broth.

1965 Al Scoma Way, San Francisco, CA 94133

Visit Website

A plate of Dungeness crab

Sotto Mare

552 Green St, San Francisco, CA 94133

This very North Beach neighborhood restaurant, in a historic building with kitsch crammed onto the walls, has been run by several different Italian-American families over the years and talks a big game. During the season, tie on a bib for crab cocktail, crab diavolo over linguine, or “the best damn cioppino in San Francisco.”

552 Green St, San Francisco, CA 94133

Visit Website