Welcome to Franciscan Crab Restaurant
Founded in 1957, the Franciscan Crab Restaurant at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco offers a classic dining experience with stunning views of the bay. Known for its fresh seafood, signature sizzling crab, and mouth-watering garlic butter, the restaurant caters to both locals and tourists alike. Customers rave about the clam chowder, Dungeness crab, and attentive service. The upscale yet cozy ambiance, along with the diverse menu options and reasonable prices, make it a must-visit spot for seafood lovers. The combination of delicious food, waterfront setting, and excellent service creates a memorable dining experience at the Franciscan Crab Restaurant.
- Pier 43 1/2 Fisherman's Wharf Fisherman's Wharf San Francisco, CA 94133 Hotline: (415) 362-7733
Franciscan Crab Restaurant, located at Pier 43 1/2 Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, is a must-visit destination for seafood lovers. Offering a variety of amenities such as outdoor seating, wheelchair access, and even cryptocurrency payment options, this American-Seafood restaurant has something for everyone.
Customer reviews rave about the fresh food and exceptional service at Franciscan Crab Restaurant. Dishes like the sizzling crab with shrimp and mussels, crab in garlic butter sauce, and clam chowder in a bread bowl have left diners coming back for more.
With a picturesque view of the water, the ambiance at Franciscan Crab Restaurant adds to the dining experience. Whether you're looking for a cozy date night spot or a place to enjoy a family meal, this restaurant fits the bill.
One highlight of Franciscan Crab Restaurant is the attention to detail in each dish, from the flavorful seasoning on the shrimp to the rich garlic butter sauce that accompanies the crab. The friendly and attentive staff ensure that every diner has a memorable experience.
Overall, Franciscan Crab Restaurant offers a delightful combination of delicious food, stunning views, and excellent service, making it a top choice for seafood enthusiasts in San Francisco.

The food is fresh, the service was phenomenal, you have to get the sizzling crab with the shrimp and mussels. This is a definite must try if you haven't. It's on the water, great location, it's an awesome classic San Francisco feel, and the large windows provide gorgeous views of the water. No bad seats in the house. A definite must try.

Had a thanksgiving seafood feast here! I was surprised how many people were out on thanksgiving day. Make sure to get a Rez on open table as it can get quite busy. Great place for date night as you can get seating that looks out at the water. Unfortunately I was not very hungry coming here so my husband and I decided to share a seafood platter. Came out smoking hot and sizzling with mouth watering garlic butter! Crab and shrimp were cooked perfect. Really tasty seasoning on the shrimp. Waiter was great and not too attentive but didn't ignore us.

Crab is my partner and I favorite thing to eat. We were originally planning to go to Crab House last minute on a Saturday but they were booked. So I checked on Yelp and the Franciscan had available reservations immediately. We ordered the clam chowder in bread bowl and a whole crab with extra garlic sauce. The clam chowder was delicious with lots of clams. It's not the best clam chowder but still good. Hog Island still has my favorite clam chowder. The crab sauce that is drenched on the crab taste identical to Crab House. If you're not familiar with their secret sauce, it contains crab tomalley aka crab butter. Tomalley gives the sauce its rich distinct flavor.

We had a wonderful lunch at Franciscan Crab. The I couldn't get enough of the clam chowder. The flavor was spot on, not too pasty & tasted fresh. The shrimp cocktail had huge shrimp with fresh house made cocktail sauce! We also ordered Dungeness Crab which was the star of the show. The garlic butter sauce is out of this world. I wish there was more! The ambiance was very nice. We sat by the windows & watch the boats in the bay. I love visiting old California restaurants with a lot of history & happy to see them still operating since 1957, even after covid. Many restaurants like theirs have closed which was sad to see. Our service was very attentive. They have teams of staff helping each other out. Overall, it was a great experience & we would return over & over again.

This place does have a great view. The service is great. The foods are delicious. If you like your food to be salty, then you will enjoy the foods. It's a bit salty for me since I like less sodium. I would recommend this place.

My husband and I came here for dinner after arriving to San Fran earlier that day. The restaurant is so cute! It's on the pier, facing the water. Gives me upscale diner vibes. Service was great, we were seated in a booth facing the water right away. We ordered a bottle of Chardonnay, a bread bowl of clam chowder, and a whole Dungeness crab. Food came quickly, and was very good! I don't usually like crab because it's usually served cold, but this was hot, and came with a delicious butter concoction to dip. The Chardonnay went perfectly with it as well. Waiter was super attentive, filling our waters and clearing the crab shells frequently. We had such a great time, a must for us next time we come back to San Fran!

We have lived in the Bay Area for our entire lives and have never been to this place until Mother's Day of 2024. I guess we thought it was going to be a stuffy and extremely expensive restaurant. Not at all! I got the rib eye steak and although it was a bit thin, it was very tasty! I'm on a low carb diet so I got double vegetables. I had them bring me some butter for the veggies and he suggested melted butter. Here is a tip, yes, dipping veggies in the butter is fantastic but go ahead and dip your steak into it! OMG! My wife had the salmon and it was a very substantial meal. Each plate was under $40. The views are of course fantastic. The wait staff kicks butt! The food is delicious. The price is very reasonable! This is a place you can take your family or a special date. I'm so sorry we missed out on this place all these years but we will be back!