Waterfront Restaurant: fresh fish and splendid scenery
The Waterfront Restaurant opened in 1969, but nothing about it seems dated. That’s probably because Al Falchi, who opened the former longshoremen’s bar, has been careful to keep the restaurant and its menus as fresh as the seafood on your plate.
The Waterfront was the first in a growing number of restaurants to occupy the sites of old piers between the Ferry Building and Fisherman’s Wharf, a prime location that hordes of commuters and tourists walk daily. Thanks to indoor and outdoor seating that’s expanded over the years, it remains the biggest restaurant along this stretch of the waterfront, with two main levels of seating, two dining areas on the upper floor and two heated outdoor seating areas. The total capacity of 350 doesn’t even count the upstairs and downstairs bars.
The view is splendid, with ships and passenger ferries drifting past and the Bay Bridge towering over the water. But repeat customers—the 70 percent of Waterfront diners who live and work locally—keep coming back for more than the view. Fresh fish that arrives daily on boats or planes include the Bluenose Bass, King Salmon, Ahi Tuna, Hawaiian Swordfish, Maine Day-Boat Scallops, and most uniquely, a delicious and tender Escolar from the South Pacific.
Each of these fish entrees—mesquite grilled, wood-oven roasted or prepared in any way you wish, with a choice of five sauces served on the side—are $22. Among the other specialties are the Cioppino ($26), Crab Mashed Potatoes ($6) and three varieties of Oysters (99 cents each during the 3-7 p.m. Happy Hour). Many of the restaurant’s seasonal ingredients are delivered from within a mile on the waterfront: seafood off the boats at Fisherman’s Wharf and organic produce from the thrice-a-week Farmers Market vendors at the Ferry Building.
Two-story windows keep the restaurant bright, despite the dark natural wood that predominates—most of it beams saved from the 1898 pier that once occupied the site. This combination of light and dark, old and new, clearly works. It’s a longtime favorite of local politicians and executives—and a host of even “bigger fish” like Presidents Clinton and Obama. But it’s also so popular among the rest of us that if you want a table, you’d best call for a reservation.
- by Bob Cooper, San Francisco Reporter for HelloMetro
(Click to leave a message)
Bob CooperBob Cooper is a full-time freelance writer (www.bob-cooper.com) who writes about travel, outdoor sports and health. He is a monthly contributor to Runner's World and has written recent articles for other national magazines such as Continental, Ladies' Home Journal and Inc.
